Parshat Tetzaveh
Parshat Tetzaveh: Empathy and Compassion Appearing confident, a businessman in a nice suit walks into your Shul and sits down in an empty seat. You notice you have never seen him before…
Parshat Mishpatim
Bringing Parshat Mishpatim to Life: The Power of Jewish Education This week’s Parshat Mishpatim is rich with laws and principles that guide us in leading a life of integrity and ethical responsibility.…
Parshat Beshalach
Parshat Beshalach Exodus 13:17 I’m often caught between a rock and a hard place. Do I make this decision or that one? Neither is ideal, but one is going to turn out…
Parshat Vaera
Walking in Another’s Shoes: A Reflection on Parshat Vaera “The Torah tells us three times that the purpose of the signs and wonders was ‘so that the Egyptians may know that I…
Parshat Vayechi
Parshat Vayechi, the last parsha in Sefer Bereshit, summarizes the family dynamics that Yaakov Avinu invested his life’s efforts to build and sets the stage for the future of Bnai Yisrael. In…
Parshat Vayeshev
Excitement is building at OCA as we approach the start of Chanukah! The chag is filled with family games, creative menorahs, sufganiyot, latkes, gelt, and gifts. Through all of the fun, Chanukah…
Parshat Vayetzei
Parshat Vayeitzei is one of my favorite parshiyot. We start with Yaakov fleeing Eisav, encountering HKB”H at Beit El, or Har Habayit, the twelve stones turning into one, giving ma’aser (thanks to…
Parshat Chayei Sarah
As a child, we see our relationship with Hashem in simplistic terms. “Please, God, let me do well on this test (even though I admittedly didn’t study).” We hold onto this hope…
Parshat Lech Lecha
In Parshat Lech Lecha, we learn about the transformative power of stepping outside our comfort zones to pursue a mission of true meaning. When Hashem commands Avraham to “lech lecha”—to leave behind…
Erev Yom Kippur
“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” The words of Hillel have never…