Rosanne M. Selfon

Rosanne Selfon headshot

Rosanne M. Selfon is a Past President of Women of Reform Judaism (2005-2009) and maintains her extensive volunteer career with board service to WRJ, Union for Reform Judaism, and URJ Camp Harlam Council.

Parashat B’shalach

Rosanne M. Selfon
Our prophetess Miriam had the right idea! In fact, Song of the Sea is so essential to us that it is written in a special manner in the Torah in two columns, a reminder of the waters of the Reed Sea parting. And when we read or chant those words annually, it is tradition to stand and recall the miraculous traversing to safe shores...as if we were crossing ourselves. And we, you and I, surely know that Miriam gathered all the women with their drums and joyfully praised God, singing (thank you, Debbie Friedman, z’l), “We’ve just lived through a miracle…we’re going to dance tonight!” How many times has that music roused you?

Parashat P’kudei

Rosanne M. Selfon
To write this D’Var Torah gift to all of you, I decided to take a different path from what I usually do when I write. I did online research to discover what I didn’t know about The Tabernacle. So, please indulge me. I want to share little-known P’kudei facts that I hope you find inspiring, if not illuminating!

Parashah Vayishlach

Rosanne M. Selfon
In The Torah: A Women’s Commentary published proudly by WRJ and the URJ Press (now the CCAR Press), Rabbi Laura Geller shares a Rashi midrash that claims Dinah was safely locked away in a chest to potentially protect her from Esau. Rabbi Geller posits: “Hiding Dinah…locking her away is a powerful image about silencing a woman. And that silence echoes loudly through the rest of the Torah.”

Voices of WRJ: Mikeitz

Rosanne M. Selfon

Joseph, one of our more famous Biblical heroes, performs center stage again in Mikeitz, this weekly parashah, as the great dream interpreter brought from jail to listen to the daunting Pharaoh’s dreams and deduce their meaning.

WRJ Voices: Mishpatim

Rosanne M. Selfon

Rules…rules…rules….Why so many?

This week’s parasha Mishpatim contains 23 positive and 30 negative commandments, the most mitzvot found in any single Torah portion.