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Tzara'at and Selfishness DT Metzora Cohen
Parshat Metzora deals with a peculiar condition called tzara’at that afflicts skin, surfaces of walls and clothing. This condition has long been erroneously translated into English as “leprosy.” However, tzara’at is not Hansen’s Disease, the clinical name for leprosy. For starters, the symptoms are not at all similar. Moreover, the rules associated with tzara’at do not make sense if the disease is contagious.https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/tzaraat-and-selfishness
Posted on: 2017/04/24 - 3:03pm
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An Open Letter Concerning the Safety and Future of African Asylum Seekers
In an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Reconstructing Judaism and the other undersigned organizations urge him to pursue a humane solution for the 39,000 asylum seekers currently within Israel’s borders. The letter is attached as a PDF, and its text follows:
April 5, 2018
His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of the State of IsraelDear Prime Minister Netanyahu,
Posted on: 2018/04/05 - 6:00pm
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The Eternal Flame Within Us All - DT Tzav Berger
A Jew walks into a synagogue and looks around. What can s/he expect to see? An area for prayer that includes an ark that contains at least one Torah; perhaps a table, a bima, in front of the ark as a focus area for the prayer service and the Torah reading; and finally, a light, either attached to the top of the ark in some way or hanging from the ceiling.
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/eternal-flame-within-us-all
Posted on: 2017/03/28 - 4:06pm
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Filling the Earth with God's Presence
Haftarah Yitro from last week includes words so important they were made part of the service: “Holy, holy, holy! All the earth is filled with the presence of the Lord of Hosts.”
Or it could be, if we made room for that presence.
Making room for God is a task set for us by all of Jewish teaching, and it is one whose details are included in Parashat Mishpatim.
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/filling-earth-gods-presence
Posted on: 2016/05/06 - 10:45am
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Blueprint for a Full Jewish Life - DT Terumah Schein
Reprinted by permission of the Cleveland Jewish News.
This d’var Torah is one of a series influenced by the Me’am Loez Sephardic Torah commentary.
If we review briefly the last several parshiot of Exodus, we see an interesting pattern. We began with mythic moments of redemption from slavery and the revelation of the Torah in Bo, Beshalakh, and Yitro. Human beings cannot live without these moments, but living with them only is also impossible.
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/blueprint-full-jewish-life
Posted on: 2018/02/09 - 3:35pm
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Letter Urging Israel to Halt Deportation of Asylum-Seekers
Reconstructionist leaders were among the early signatories of this letter organized by the New Israel Fund, HIAS, T’ruah and Right Now. The full letter with signatories can be found here.
The letter reads:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
We write as Jewish clergy from around the world to urge you to stop the deportations of asylum seekers from Sudan and Eritrea who have sought refuge in Israel.
Posted on: 2018/01/22 - 12:00am
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Amicus Brief in Support of Unions
Reconstructionist institutions joined an amicus curiae brief filed by Faith in Public life in the case of Janus vs. AFCME et al. The numerous religious organizations joining the brief did so under the “deep conviction that labor unions are indispensable to achieving social justice. Social justice for laborers has deep roots in scripture and tradition and the importance of unions has been acknowledged by organized religion since the nineteenth century.
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/endorsement/amicus-brief-supporting-unions
Posted on: 2018/01/19 - 12:00am
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Four Lessons We Learn from Purim DT Purim Tepperman
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DT Vaykhi Mackenzie Reynolds 2016
The following is adapted from a d’var Torah given by RRC student Mackenzie Reynolds in early 2017 at a gathering of congregational presidents and rabbis at the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, a Reconstructionist Synagogue in New York.
“If I have found grace in your sight, don’t bury me in Egypt,” Jacob asks of Joseph in this week’s parsha, Vay’khi. A midrash continues:
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/dvar-torah/have-you-no-decency-midrash-and-centrality-love
Posted on: 2017/01/13 - 11:49am
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National Jewish Letter on DREAM Act
RRC/JRC signed onto a letter from the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, supporting the DREAM Act.
The full letter is attached as a pdf. It reads, in part:
We, the undersigned national Jewish agencies and organizations, are deeply concerned about the 800,000 undocumented immigrant youth who will soon be at risk of detention and deportation unless Congress acts swiftly to provide permanent protection. We urge you to pass a clean Dream Act (S. 1615/H.R. 3440) before January 19, 2018.
https://archive.reconstructingjudaism.org/endorsement/national-jewish-letter-dream-act
Posted on: 2018/01/17 - 11:56am
