My full name is Joshua Scharf Krug. In Hebrew, when I am called up to the Torah, I identify myself as Yehoshua Ben Mordechai Ve’Aviva. What is your name? What are the names of your parents? What are the names of your grandparents? In Jewish tradition, it is customary for…

In memory of Julia Rodriguez, 37 In the beginning of the pandemic, I was in Brooklyn, NY and I remember feeling afraid. For me, at that time, to feel afraid was new and terrifying and exhilarating. Suddenly, when my…

“Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Have everyone withdraw from me!’ So there was no one else about when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. His sobs were so loud that the Egyptians could hear, and so the news reached Pharaoh’s…

Seder Order / Table of Contents: A SONG: Fanfare for the Common Man (Copeland) B Welcome to Thanksgiving Seder GRATITUDE FOR C The Process D Another Day — Modeh Ani E Ancestors F (Personal Reflection) G (Official) History H Aspirations I Small things J Ourselves K Food and Workers L…

It has been fifty years since the fall November 3, 1971 release of the iconic movie, “Fiddler on the Roof.” In a 10/31 retrospective experience (the recording of which is below) , folks came together to consider the ongoing legacy and meanings of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Diverse scholars, educators…

This past Wednesday marked the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (literally “the rejoicing of the Torah”). This was the last holiday in the holiday-filled month of Tishrei,and involved reading the final portion as well as the initial portion of the Torah text, dancing with scrolls of Torah, and more. Some…

Earthrise is a photograph of the earth taken in 1968, from lunar orbit of the Apollo 8 mission. Called “the most influential environmental photograph ever taken,” it served as a harbinger of the environmental movement. In the words of the photographer, “We set out to explore the moon and instead…

“‘Woodchoppers and Waterdrawers’: Towards Diverse Jewish Community” Good morning, Kehillah! Today I have the privilege of sharing a Dvar Torah, a word of Torah, about my Bar Mitzvah portion, Parshat Nitzavim. The question we’ll explore is, What does it mean to be a Kehillah, a community? To begin, I’m…

First Thing: These snippets of a far longer paper, printed below, underscore the tension between history and memory, as well as the import of how we think about and hold forces of action (leadership or otherwise) accountable- political authorities, virus strains, etc. As you read the below, consider our 2021…