Parshat Beshalach: Holding on to Faith and Unity in Times of Crisis Rabbi Noam and Daphna Hertig are Straus-Amiel shlichim in Zurich, Switzerland, where Rabbi Noam is the head rabbi of Israelitische Cultusgemeinde Zürich (ICZ). In this week’s Parashah, the Exodus from Egypt reaches its climax with the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. We …
Parshat Bo: The Timeless Story of Yetziat Mizrayim Rabbi Marcus and Lydia Rosenberg are Straus-Amiel shlichim in Melbourne, Australia. Rabbi Marcus is a Rabbi at Hamayan Minyan and Jewish Studies Teacher at Leibler Yavneh College, and Lydia is Rebbetzin of Hamayan and teacher and coordinator of the UJEB Bat Mitzvah program. In Parshat Bo, Am …
Parshat Vaera: Unity and Redemption Rebbetzin Sarah and Rabbi Leron Bernstein were shlichim of Straus-Amiel in Johannesburg, South Africa, where Rabbi Leron was the Managing Director of Yeshiva College The ‘Four Expressions of Redemption’ found in Parshat Vaera are well-known – setting the tone for our annual Pesach Seder and providing a powerful progression in our …
Parshat Shemot: Moshe’s Soul Work Rabbi Zecharia and Nava Deutsch are Straus-Amiel emissaries serving as Campus Chaplains at Leeds University, England In our parsha we are introduced to Moshe, who will be the leading figure from this point onwards, until Vezot HaBracha, the very last portion of the Torah. Throughout the four Books of the …
Parshat Vayechi: Yaakov’s Blessing to Shimon and Levi Rabbi David Basok is a Straus-Amiel emissary who heads Jewish Education in the Jewish community of Tallinn, Estonia, and was previously the Rabbi of Wroclaw, Poland. In every community or group, there often exists some form of disparity or division of sorts between the leadership and the …
Parshat Vayigash: What Makes a Leader? Rabbi Netanel Aryeh Leib and Rabbanit Avital Kaszowitz are Straus-Amiel shlichim serving as the Chief Rabbinical couple of Kenya and the Jewish communities of East Africa In the previous portions we came across leader figures: Reuven, Yehuda and Yosef. All three display leadership qualities and have characteristics of firstborns. However, …
Parshat Miketz: “I myself will guarantee his safety; from my hand you shall require him.” Rabbi Uriya and Shima Dvir are Straus-Amiel shlichim serving as the Jewish Chaplaincy Couple at Nottingham University, England In parshat Miketz we find one of the most difficult and appalling stories in the lives of our Patriarchs and their families. Yosef …
Parshat Vayeshev: The Dream Rabbi Aviel and Michal Javasky are shlichim of Straus-Amiel serving as the Assistant Rabbinic Couple of the Hong Kong Jewish community “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed… I have a dream… I have a dream.” These are the …
Parshat Vayishlach: Fight or Flight Rabbi Aharon and Hodaya Lemberger are shlichim of Straus-Amiel serving as the Jewish Chaplaincy Couple for students on University of Scotland campuses and in the Glasgow Jewish community In the portion of Vayishlach we read of Yaakov’s extraordinary encounter, one which would produce two significant outcomes for the People of Israel: the birth …
Parshat Vayetze: Yaakov Avinu’s Exile is Our Own Exile Rabbi Pinchas Punturello is a Straus-Amiel graduate serving as Director of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the Ibn Gavirol School in Madrid, Spain “And Yaakov went out from Be’er Sheva and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night…” (Bereishit 28:10-11). …
Parshat Toldot: Rivka, the Female Voice of the Book of Bereishit Rabbi Yair Melchior, a graduate of the Straus-Amiel Emissary Training Institute, is the Chief Rabbi of Denmark One big question that has always troubled me is Yitzhak’s outright preference for Esav. How is it possible that Yitzhak, the father of the nation, couldn’t see the …
Parshat Chayei Sarah: Every Shlichut is a Life’s Mission Tehila and Yehoshua Sadiel are Beren-Amiel shlichim preparing students at the Lauder Beth-Zion community school in Berlin, Germany for Israeli matriculation exams in Hebrew and Jewish Studies There are no soup almonds in Germany. One can buy overpriced kosher yellow cheese and even cottage cheese, which is …
