Voices of WRJ
By Nicole Villalpando, 6/05/2020
This week’s Parashat Naso II begins with the vow of the Nazarites. In many ways, these vows include some of the things we have been doing in this age of staying at home for the coronavirus. “Throughout the term of their vow as a nazarite, no razor shall touch their heads.” Check! Yes, we have gone without a haircut or coloring. We’ve seen on Zoom calls everyone’s true hair color begin to emerge and attempts to tame the ever-growing bangs with clips and headbands. We’ve watched on Facebook and Instagram as people took matters into their own hands or tasked a trusted loved one with... Read More
By Lynn Magid Lazar, 5/28/2020
Along with most of you, I am sheltered at home. Despite quite a number of Zoom meetings, happy hours, and educational opportunities, I probably have more extra time in my life than usual. So, it is fitting that I would choose to write about the longest Torah portion – Naso (lift up)! This is the second portion in the Book of Numbers or B’midbar (wilderness). There is much to study in this parashah. There are rules dealing with impurity, laws of the Nazarites, instructions for a wife accused of adultery (the sotah), and a passage that we are probably most familiar with – the... Read More
By Jane Taves, 5/22/2020
Recently, I spent a Sunday afternoon at a virtual “Spring Training.” Spring Training is a program that the Union for Reform Judaism organizes every year at this time. It is an opportunity for many lay volunteers to gather, to learn with each other and with URJ professionals. Typically, Spring Training is held as a weekend together at a hotel. But because I am writing this during our time of shelter-at-home, we gathered this year on Zoom. As I’m sure many of you have been doing. One of the sessions in our virtual Spring Training was a discussion of DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -... Read More
By Liz McOsker, 5/15/2020
This week we read the double portion, B’har/b’chukotai. B’har (on the mount) records the instructions God gave Moses about Sabbath years and Jubilee years. B’chukotai (my laws) famously lays out the benefits and punishments for either obeying or disobeying God’s laws. These are the last two portions in Leviticus. I am writing this during the Covid-19 lockdown and I am very interested in B’har. The commandments given to the Israelites here, on the Mount, govern the agricultural sabbatical year, the Jubilee year and the laws protecting Israelites from debt-slavery. At this time when... Read More
By Julia Wackenheim, 5/08/2020
Parashat Emor tells us the holy rules of priests and rules for holidays and celebrations: regulations of priestly lives and sacrifices; the Jewish calendar; laws of murder, blasphemy, harming other people; the need for pure olive oil for sanctuary menorahs. I grew up a rule follower, never shimmied down a trellis after bedtime and was only called to the Vice Principal’s office once (due to an unfortunate misunderstanding of 90’s grunge wear - cutoff jeans and long underwear were cool for Eddie Vedder, apparently not so much for the Absegami High School hallways). I type this in between... Read More
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