How is the Torah story my story?

Humankind

This house focuses on the nature and purpose of humankind as understood from early and modern sources examining the creation narrative in Sefer Beresishit.

Passover: Story of the Holiday

This unit deals with the multifaceted story and diverse faces of the Passover holiday, and focuses on the idea of telling the exodus story and its significance.

Passover: Slavery and Freedom

This unit examines the theme of freedom on Passover and its implications for our lives even beyond the Passover seder.

The Exodus from Egypt as a Jewish Calling

This unit explores the centrality of the Exodus from Egypt in Jewish life. It suggests several reasons for its importance, and discusses the moral lessons from it that have guided human behavior throughout history.

Chosen People, Chosen Purpose

This unit explores the concept of chosenness, and what it means when Jewish tradition says the Jewish people are a “Chosen People”.

The Sukkah

Sitting in the sukkah (also referred to as “settling” or “dwelling” in the sukkah) is the main commandment on the holiday of Sukkot. In this resource, we will learn about the sukkah and will become familiar with its symbolism and the values learned from it.

In the Beginning, One Being

In this unit we will look at several sources that explore the uniqueness of the human being and what that means for Judaism’s approach to diversity.

Adam and Eve

In this unit we will look at how the torah provides two accounts of the creation of Adam and Eve and consider approaches to what we can learn about the Torah’s approach to gender from this.

Two accounts of the Creation of Humankind

In this unit we will look at a second version of the creation of Adam found in chapter 2 of Beresishit, and explore various approaches that reconcile this with the version in chapter 1.

In God’s Image

In this unit we will consider what it means that humans are created ‘in the image of God’,  and what that tells us about the Torah’s approach to the nature and purpose of humankind.

The Torah is Better than Any Merchandise

The Importance of the Torah for Us

The Torah is the foundation of Jewish culture and Jewish life. We read from it every week, there is a commandment to study it, and it forms the center of two holidays – Simchat Torah and Shavuot. In this unit we will discuss why the Torah has such an important status in Jewish tradition and what it means for us.

From Generation to Generation

In this resource, we will learn about the lineage of Torah transmission and how we can take part in this chain of transmission and innovate in it.

The Ten Commandments

This resource explores the Ten Commandments, which constitute a moral foundation for the Jewish people and have inspired other nations, as well. It also deals with the importance of rules for society and the individual.

The Giving of the Torah

The experience at Mount Sinai is a formative event in Jewish tradition and culture. In this resource, we will explore the description of that event and what that description can teach us about the Torah.

Avadim Hayinu – We Were Slaves

Avadim Hayinu – we were slaves. Based on this passage in the Haggadah, we will discuss the story of slavery in Egypt and the experience of freedom, noting the relevance of slavery throughout human history.

Sukkah and Memory

In this unit, we’ll learn about the roles and importance of holiday symbols, including their significance on the personal and family level and their significance for the collective memory of the Jewish people, with an emphasis on the sukkah.

Finding New Meaning in Kashrut for the Modern Age

In this block we will consider several contemporary approaches to finding new meaning in the laws of kashrut.

You Left Egypt – Now Pay It Forward

In this lesson we explore how the Exodus story in the national consciousness of the Jewish people has been a moral compass, instilling the values of protecting the vulnerable in society. This is legislated in Jewish law, can be seen in Jewish history, and is a national calling for the future – to build a society on the values of protecting the weak and vulnerable amongst us.

The Exodus Narrative as an Inspiration in Modern History

In this lesson we explore how the Exodus story has been an inspiration for Jews and non-Jews alike during historical periods when freedom and liberty could not be taken for granted. These include the refuseniks in Soviet Russia, appartheid South Africa, and the the struggle for civil rights for African Americans.

Protected: From Communal to Personal Calling

In this lesson we will focus on  the more personal impact of the Exodus on our lives as individuals. Using the quote from the Haggada “In each and every generation a person is obligated to see oneself as if they had [personally] come out of Egypt” as a launching point, the thinkers presented here describe if and how we can create a personal connection to the story, and how this can change us as people.

What the Bible says on remembering the Exodus

In this lesson the themes of the Exodus in Judaism and Jewish history are explored, including the importance to remember the Exodus, and the lasting impact that this experience has had on Jewish national memory, on the Jewish psyche, ethics, and living.

Who Chose Whom?

Chosenness has sometimes come with a steep price, leading some to question who did the choosing, the fairness of this covenant, and if the two partners in the transaction were equally free to accept the ramifications.

Why were the Israelites Chosen? – Intrinsic vs.Extrinsic Holiness

The Jewish people are often referred to as the “Chosen People”, based on references in the Torah that describe the Israelites as singled out by God from among the nations of the world for a specific reason and a purpose. In this lesson we will explore these references and the way several Jewish thinkers approach them to evaluate for ourselves whether this “chosenness” was because of a defining and intrinsic holiness or a potential extrinsic holiness to be achieved.

From Slavery to Freedom – for younger students

The song Avadim hayinu, ata bnei chorin  – “We were slaves, now we’re free humans” is based on a passage in the Haggadah that describes the dramatic change the Children of Israel underwent from slavery to freedom. This resource discusses these themes and connects both conditions to experiences in our own lives.

Telling the Story

One of the main goals of Seder night is to tell the story of the exodus from Egypt. This is done not only by reading the Haggadah, but rather through a variety of methods – which we will learn about here.

Permanence and Temporariness Template

Template for “The Sukkah – Permanence and Temporariness” unit, which discusses concepts symbolized by the sukkah and suggests activities around them.