Parshat Va’etchanan: Finally Finding Comfort Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum’s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program We just experienced Tisha B’Av, the day we mourn the loss of the beit hamikdash and many other tragedies we have endured as a people over the centuries. This week is Shabbat Nachamu, when …
Parshat Yitro: Seeking God, Then and Now Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program Moshe’s father-in-law, Yitro, travels to the desert to meet Moshe and celebrates with him over the great salvation of the Jewish people. The next morning, Yitro finds Moshe sitting in front of …
Parshat Vayetze: Prayer in the Darkness Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program In our Parsha, Yaakov leaves home, running for his life from his brother Esav. He stops on the way to sleep and dreams of the ladder with the angels. The Gemara in Brachot …
Parshat Toldot: Start Digging Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program This week’s parsha describes the life of Yitzchak, and begins with a strange pasuk, “This is the story of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham: Avraham begot Yitzchak.” The second half of the pasuk should have …
Parshat Naso: Why Do We Go To Extremes? Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program Parshat Naso describes the option to become a nazir, prohibiting oneself from drinking wine (and even eating grapes!), cutting one’s hair and participating in the funeral even of the closest relatives. …
Why Did God Create Us? Rabbanit Sally Mayer is the Rosh Midrasha of Midreshet Lindenbaum‘s Maria and Joel Finkle Overseas Program Why did God create us? From time to time, this question arises, especially around the the Yamim Nora’im (The High Holy Days), as we remember the creation of the world and take stock of …
Reaching 70 and Beyond Rabbanit Sally Mayer We are approaching two amazing moments in modern Jewish History – celebrating Israel’s 73rd birthday on Yom Ha’atzmaut, and 54 years to the reunification of Jerusalem on Yom Yerushalayim. What does it mean to us that Israel is now over 70 years old? That number has great significance …
