We All Want to be Heard – Parashat Ha’azinu
“Let the earth hear the words that I utter; May my discourse come down as the rain.” This week’s torah portion, Ha’azinu, begins with an aged Moses seeking to have the Israelites understand what [...]
Teach Torah by Gathering Community – Parashat Va-yeilekh
As a Jewish professional, it breaks my heart when our organizations cannot make it possible to include everyone who desires to be part of our communities. As stewards of Jewish values within our [...]
Stand Up Today: Vision, Action and a Fifteen Dollar Stuffed Torah – Parashat Nitzavim
Ten summers ago, we held our first session of Camp Yofi: Family Camp for Jewish Families with Children with Autism at Camp Ramah Darom. Of the many images from our first session in 2006, one [...]
The Fearlessness of Starting a Tikvah Program
As a lifelong Ramahnik and Ramah California Tikvah staff member, I was excited to spend time at the newest Ramah camp in Northern California (“Ramah Galim”) this past summer, helping start a [...]
So Much More Than A Ramp – Parashat Ki Tavo
It all started with a ramp, or a lack thereof. Scottie grew up in the synagogue community, a kid everyone loved. Neither the cerebral palsy diagnosis he received as a baby nor the wheelchair that [...]
Getting To True Inclusion – Parashat Ki Teitzei
I never want to turn anyone away. So when a parent comes to me to share that they have a child with special needs my inclination is to automatically say, “Yes! Come! We will figure it out,” [...]
Please DO Take This Personally – Parashat Shofetim
We’ve probably all said it about something, without bothering to get the whole story: “That’s not FAIR!” At a deep level, most of us have instincts about what fairness actually is. We tend to [...]
Being Authentically Yourself – Parashat Re’eh
The cycle of holidays in the Jewish calendar is described several times in the Torah, each with a different emphasis. For example, the listing in the Book of Vayikra describes the unique mitzvot [...]
Accessible Words of Torah – Parashat Ekev
I went to services with a group one Shabbat this summer, at a place where none of us were accustomed to going. Where we were or what we were doing together this summer are for other blog posts; [...]
Everyone is Welcome Into a Divine Conversation – Parashat Devarim
Our Rabbis teach that Moses prayed 515 times to enter the Land of Israel. Yet, his wish was denied. The greatest prophet our people have ever known ultimately faces his mortality as an outsider. [...]
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