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How Should We Respond to Human Need?

אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל”

Happy is the one who is maskil to the person in need… (Psalms 41:2)

[Maskil: from a root meaning to be prudent, look at, give attention to, have insight or understanding.]

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/how-should-we-respond-human-need

Posted on: 2016/04/13 - 7:15pm

Being Abba Text Study

The roles, values, and obligations associated with fatherhood have evolved over the course of Jewish history. In this text study, originally created for the 2008 JRF Convention, Rabbi James Greene examines that evolution with an eye toward contemporary responsibilities of Jewish fatherhood.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/being-abba-civilization-text-study-fatherhood

Posted on: 2016/11/30 - 12:21pm

Text study on Lekh Lekha and Zionism

This text study pairs Biblical passages on the Promised Land with contemporary text selections on the same topic. Each text represents a view of what “Promised Land” means, and has been interpreted by Jewish thinkers, over the millennia. Guide questions are provided, along with a short leader's guide.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/lekh-lekha-and-promised-land-text-study

Posted on: 2016/11/30 - 4:12pm

Twelve Years A Slave Passover Resource

This printable resource pairs selected quotes from Solomon Northup’s autobiographical memoir, 12 Years a Slave, with quotes from the Exodus and other Jewish texts. It could be used as source material for divrei torah; as an adult education or religious school resource (probably for middle school and up); or as a Haggadah insert for community or Hillel seders or to individual home seders.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/twelve-years-slave-passover-resource

Posted on: 2016/11/29 - 2:11pm

The Midwives of Exodus Text Study

The following is an easily-accessible text study about the ethnic ambiguity that the Torah presents us with regarding the midwives who refused to obey Pharaoh's orders. (Exodus, Chapter 1).

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/midwives-exodus-interfaith-text-study

Posted on: 2016/11/29 - 1:58pm

Text Study - Genesis - Nature of First Human

In the first two chapters of the Torah, we find two different accounts of the creation of humanity. In the first, humanity is created as a complete entity, male and female. In the second, Adam is created first, while Eve originates from his rib. In this text study, Rabbi Maurice Harris explores the tension between these two stories, and presents a teaching from Midrash Bereishit Rabbah that presents food for thought about gender, essentialism, and the nature of humanity.

https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/document/text-study-creation-story-nature-first-human

Posted on: 2016/11/29 - 1:53pm