Zachor: Arguing With Amalekites Haman, the “star” of Purim, is a descendant of the Amalekites, the focus of the Torah reading on the Shabbat preceding Purim. Who are they? What do they signify? And how do we overcome them? Click here for the class handout
Why Are We In The Middle Of Every Conflict? (Purim)
Torah Class - Purim According To Kabbalah How did Haman persuade King Achashverosh to annihilate the Jews? Why did G-d agree? And what was the turning point that changed the course of the story? The kabbalistic underpinnings of the Purim story. Click here for the class handout
Pekudei: How Were The Pyramids Built? Elon Musk tweeted that aliens built them, the prevailing tradition is that the Israelites built them, and Egyptian scholars claim that Egyptians built them. But everyone is still amazed: how did they manage to move such heavy stones? And why couldn’t the Levites use the same technology in erecting the tabernacle? click here for the class handout...
Are We Hebrews Or Jews? Do you identify by what you do or by what you don’t do? Parshat Vayakhel
Torah Class - Parshat Vayakhel: Donations, Demons And Wills Are demons bothered by charity giving at night? What is the most famous will in Jewish history? Which country excels in the mitzvah of charity? Click here for the class handout
When did Moses take ownership of the Jewish people? And why aren’t the shluchim leaving Ukraine?
Immortal Medicine Bacteria seems to be winning the battle against antibiotics, which were hailed as the savior of mankind. Is there anything that really works? Is there anything immortal? (Parshat Tetzaveh)
Parshat Ki Tisa: Jewish Hygiene The coronavirus raised awareness for proper hygiene. In fact, in the Tabernacle in the desert over three thousand years ago, the priest would wash his hands and feet before beginning the holy service. What is spiritual hygiene? And why should the women be in charge? Click here for the class handout
Tetzaveh: Haman’s Mistake Haman and his team of senior astrologers chose the perfect time to annihilate the jews: the month Moses died. But his plan didn’t work. What was their mistake? Click here for the class handout
Smitten With Love Does Israel exist because of the Holocaust or despite it? Was the Tabernacle built because of the golden calf or despite it? And what did the rabbi say when a young yeshiva student was smitten? (Parshat Terumah)
Terumah: Atonement Or Elevation? A massive fundraising campaign was kicked off after the Exodus to fund the construction of the Tabernacle. When exactly did it take place? And why exactly was a Tabernacle necessary? Click here for the class handout
Paranoia Or Opportunity? What will be our response to the hostage crisis in Texas. Parshat Mishpatim
Humans like to strive for perfection. However, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the first Chabad Rebbe, wrote an entire book about reaching the level of a ‘beinoni,’ commonly translated as ‘mediocre.’ What exactly did he mean?
The Hostage Crisis (Parshat Yitro) Lessons from Texas.
Yitro: Jungle Or Orchard? Before a person converts, he is told, “Being Jewish is difficult.” Afterwards, he is told, “Being Jewish is great!” What’s going on? Click here for the class handout
Emotional Intelligence #Parshat #Beshalach
Beshalach: Gold Chasers And Grave Diggers Before the Israelites left Egypt, some chased after gold and some chased after graves — both upon the express command of G-d. Who was right? A lesson about priorities. Click here for the class handout
Parshat Bo/Yud Shevat - Reinventing Yourself Covid has forced many of us to reinvent ourselves. Let’s learn how to do it from the experts.
Bo: The Public Declaration The Egyptians who revered cattle as deities, but they were remarkably tolerant of the Jewish tradition of eating meat. But when the jews slaughtered the sheep for the paschal offering, they went berserk. What happened? Click here for the class handout
The Modern Maccabees Ryan Turell gave up full scholarships for Kosher & Shabbos. #Parshat #Va'era
Vaera: Judaism’s Universal Message The Torah gives 613 commandments for Jewish people. But what about the Non-Jews? Does Judaism have a message for all mankind? Class handout
Shemot: What Exercise Teaches Us Why Does Torah Call Moses With A Near Pejorative? How Should We View Our Inner Anti-semite? And Why Do We Celebrate Birthdays? Click here for the class handout
It’s All About Loyalty (Parshat Vayechi)
Parshat Vayechi: The Evil Eye Is there significance to the day of the week I was born? Does Judaism believe in the evil eye? Is there a safe zone? Click here for the class handout
Curing An Open Wound An Israeli doctor’s ingenious cure, and its spiritual reflection. #Parshat #Vayigash
Vayigash: Pay Attention Prophecies, omens, and science. What is the Jewish view? Should we read into the random occurrences in our lives? Should we view scientific advances as questioning our faith? And, by the way — is it possible to jump to the moon? Click here for the class handout
Chanukah: Why The Co n flict? The Greeks are known for the tremendous wisdom they contributed to the world. The Jewish people, for time immemorial, cherished intellect and the pursuit of wisdom as well. Why then, couldn’t we get along?
Tree, Yes But Menorah, No?!?! (Chanukah) What really lay behind the war of the Greeks against the Jewish people?
Chanukah: Have The Winners Been Declared? We All Love To Celebrate Chanukah, The Holiday Which Marks Our Victory Over The Syrian Greeks And The Miracle Of The Oil. Did You Know That It Took The Sages A Full Year To Decide Whether They Were Victorious? Behind The Scenes In The Chanukah Story. Click here for the class handout
