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The Path of Devotion
March 29, 2024 / 19 Adar II 5784 In this week’s Torah portion, Tzav, we delve deep into the intricate world of korbanot, or sacrificial offerings, a central aspect of the spiritual life in the...
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Beyond the Flame
April 5, 2024 / 26 Adar II 5784 A toddler watches their parents and loved ones standing around the Shabbat candles, excited with the formality of everyone’s attention focused on the warm glow of the...
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The Paradox of Purity
April 12, 2024 / 4 Nisan 5784 We encounter in this week’s Torah portion, Tazria, a profound and paradoxical symbol—the color white. Commonly associated with purity and cleanliness, white in this week’s...
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The Wisdom of Our Mothers
April 19, 2024 / 11 Nisan 5784 Last Saturday, gripped by the distressing news that Iran had launched a direct attack on Israel, I found myself making that painstaking call to my mother living in...
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Embracing Unity in the Face of Hatred
April 26, 2024 / 18 Nissan 5784 In the midst of the profound challenges facing our nation and the Jewish community, we turn to the Torah for wisdom and guidance. In this week’s Passover Shabbat, we...
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Celebrate HFLA-SA’s Centennial with a Picnic & Fun Day
May 3, 2024 Join us Sunday, May 5th from 12-3 PM at the JCC for the HFLA-SA Centennial Celebration Picnic! This historic community event is meant for the entire family. A highly anticipated event held...
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Tipping the Scales
May 3, 2024 / 25 Nissan 5784 In the text of Leviticus Chapter 16 in this week’s Parashat Acharei Mot, which we coincidentally also read on Yom Kippur, we encounter the compelling biblical ritual of the...
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The Sanctity of Community Service
May 10, 2024 / 2 Iyar 5784 As the CEO of the Jewish Federation, I am frequently asked to articulate what our organization does and why such an entity is essential to the Jewish community. At its core,...
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From Thoughts to Actions
May 17, 2024 / Iyar 8 5784 In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Emor, Gd commands in Leviticus 22:31: “You shall keep My commandments and perform them. I am Adnai.” The great commentary Rabbi Avraham...
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The View from the Summit
Friday, May 24, 2024 | Iyar 16, 5784 The name of this week’s Torah portion, Behar, means “on the mountain,” which is where Gd revealed the Torah and Ten Commandments. Our sages taught that a mountain...
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Criticism Rooted in Unconditional Caring
May 31, 2024 | Iyar 23, 5784 In the opening verses of this week’s Torah portion, Behukotai, we read in Leviticus 26:3, “If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them… [I, Gd,...
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From Solace to Sorrow
Sivan 1, 5784 In the desert, a vast expanse of solitude and silence, the Israelites embarked on a journey that would shape their destiny. In the opening words of Parashat B’midbar, “In the desert,” we...
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Comparable but not Identical
June 14, 2024 Sivan 8, 5784 The closing verses of this week’s Parashat Naso (Numbers 7:12-89) present a striking repetition, as the Torah meticulously details the identical gifts brought by each of the...
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Too Much of a Good Thing
June 21, 2024 Sivan 15, 5784 In this week’s Torah portion, Behaalotecha, we encounter a powerful message about the dangers of excess, even when it comes to good things. In Numbers 11:20, the Israelites...
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Jewish Federation of San Antonio Receives Early Childhood Security Grant
Jewish institutions across the U.S. have tightened security measures as a response to an increase in antisemitism since the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7. Because those measures have come at...
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June 22 marks Founder’s Day of Hebrew Free Loan Association’s Centennial...
One Hundred Years ago on Saturday, June 22, seventy-five San Antonio Jews united against growing antisemitism to form the Hebrew Free Loan Association of San Antonio. For a century, generations of...
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Scouts and Setbacks
Friday, June 28, 2024 | Sivan 20, 5784 In the opening words of this week’s Torah portion, we encounter the parshah’s namesake reference and pivotal story of the 12 scouts “sent” (Shelach) to explore...
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The Letters Beyond the Name
Friday, July 5, 2024 Sivan 29, 5784 Every so often, I veer from the traditional approach to Torah interpretation for a more tangential and abstract reading of the weekly parshah. This week is one such...
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Beyond the Well
Friday, July 12, 2024 Tammuz 6, 5784 This week’s Torah portion, Chukat, provides us with the pivotal moment that determines Moses’ eventual fate: being forbidden to enter the Promised Land....
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Ruth’s Choice
July 19, 2024 Tammuz 13, 5784 In this week’s Torah portion, Balak, we encounter a narrative that resonates deeply with our modern world. The Moabite King Balak, fearful of the Israelites’ growing...
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