Parashat Toldot / November 17
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Prayers that Overturn the World

So while we knew there were problems in Israel
— It wasn’t as if we did not talk about or visit Israel before —
Now וַיִּתְרֹֽצְצ֤וּ
These problems run around inside us, like the twins fighting in the womb
And with the charges — both legitimate and unfounded — mounting
It feels like something is about to break

We, too, like Rebekkah
Might want to cry out to God
To pray
To say, “אִם־כֵּ֔ן לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה אָנֹ֑כִי”
If it is always going to be this way,
If it is going to end this way
Why am I here? Why are we here?”

→ Click here to read + listen to the full drash

Parashat Vayera / November 4
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Now We Start From Here

What I'm saying is that sometimes something happens
A dream
An idea
A person
An experience
God
And we are never the same

Whatever or whoever it was that we encountered, sends shock waves through our lives
And now our lives have a new starting point
A new origin
We used to start from “there”
Now we start from “here.”
And so we have to make up or find words that don’t exist for us yet
A new vocabulary
You see, this is what happened to Abraham

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Parashat Vayera / November 3
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Listen in her voice
שְׁמַ֣ע בְּקֹלָ֑הּ

If you have a feeling of wanting to hide being jewish or your deep connection to the jewish community, if you feel intimidated or confused or conflicted in fundamental ways

– And I want to be clear here, I am not saying you cannot question or doubt the actions of Israel or the government or the war or, while we’re on the subject, anything in the torah or go, get to know me (!) –

Yes, question!
But it is personally important to me –
I want you to know and feel a sense of honor and pride and glory and sweetness from being jewish,
from being intimately connected
to doing jewish things, to being a part of this jewish community on this jewish shabbat

I want you to know that you are royalty in this room and outside in the world
I want your jewish living, living, living lives to be the crowns on your heads
And I think Israel is a shining stone in that crown, one you should get to know — I mean really know — but
we can argue and discuss that, god willing, over many years

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Parashat Noach / October 20
Rabbi Noa Kushner
Signs and Wonders

I cannot tell you who you don’t see, I don’t know your blind spots Maybe you see it all, maybe you see everyone

I cannot tell you who you don’t seeI can only tell you what
I think the Torah says this week
Which is that we’re connected
And our job, at least according to this week’s parasha, is, like Noach, to see who is not seen

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Parashat Beresheet / October 13
Rabbi Noa Kushner
The First Night

This week the unthinkable, 
the impossible 
became possible

→ Click here to read + listen to the full drash