Watch, Listen, Learn

Va’era 5786 The people of Iran are begging us to turn towards them, our hearts open to their pain.  They deserve our solidarity and support, our identification with their struggle. Because human life is precious.  And we, who love life, must always be on the side of those who love life.

Parashat Shemot 5786 – A seemingly superfluous sidebar in our grand narrative in fact models what we most need to remember in a time of tyranny: There will emerge a vast moral vacuum. Step into it. Use the power you do have to muck up the machinery of injustice. Lean into faith. And remember that goodness, courage, and integrity are contagious. This is how we push back against the darkness.

VaYechi 5786 – Jacob’s farewell address in Parashat VaYechi features a vision of a snake and a cry for Divine salvation. As our world backslides into fear, anger, violence, and deceit, we nonetheless find hope in self-transformation. By caring for the needy and welcoming the stranger, we preserve the legacy of B’nei Yisrael, and become partners with God in redeeming a broken world.

Hidden within the broader narrative of exodus and redemption is a sub story about how a minority retains its distinctive culture. And the unlikely messengers of this story are… sheep.

1. We must be exactly who we are, only more so. 2. There is great geographical, ideological, political and religious distance between us. We must remember that we are responsible for one another. And 3. We must dramatically shift our approach to fighting antisemitism.

The seeds of redemption were being planted—we were just too busy to notice.

Vayetzei 5786 When it comes to speaking about the personal experiences we’ve had— or we yearn for— with God, we tend to retreat into self-consciousness and silence. I’d like for that to change. So, here’s my story.

Our ancestor, Isaac, repeated the pattern of his father’s failures—an expression of loyalty to the covenant. We, too, may feel trapped by the force of the past, as though we are powerless to the repetition of the worst chapters of our history. But we can—and must—choose agency over inevitability.

This week’s parashah is the fourth in a row to remind us that Abraham and Sarah are old. Imagine them in Los Angeles, 2025 – how would they age? And how can that help us imagine a new approach to aging for ourselves?

The case for the medium tent.

Hidden in the dry details of genealogy and geography is the actual beginning of Avraham’s story– a beginning that fundamentally changes how we understand the call he receives, the family he leaves, and the journey he undertakes.

Opening our hearts and our doors to people of all abilities backgrounds and talents. As a part of disability Shabbat, IKAR member Matan Koch explores the ideas of openness, welcoming and access in the context of embracing each person’s unique reflection of the divine. He takes us on a journey from Talmudic thought to present-day actions, exhorting us to be the kind of community where all of the reflections of the divine are known, and seen.

Featuring the stories, perspectives, and wisdom of folks in our own community.

A lighthearted and serious look at the shared strengths of the most majestic of trees and the ancient resilient Children of Israel.

Ha’azinu 5786 / 10.4.2025 As we move from the peak experiences of the High Holy Days into Sukkot, how will we gather in our joy? What practices can we adopt for Sukkot, whether or not we are able to build a Sukkah? And what role does this joy have to play in our experience of Sukkot and beyond?

I turned to King David and the Prophet Natan to learn how to fight fascism. I learned something much deeper and more sustaining for our time. Thumbnail background credit: Painting by Carole Silverstein Detail of “in the incense is tangled a cool moon” 58 x 42.5 inches framed), Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 2024 www.carolesilverstein.com

We cannot bypass the pain in pursuit of the promise. Only by confronting the trauma of our past, both individual and collective, can we build a future of expansive possibility. Thumbnail background art credit: Carole Silverstein Detail of “the velvety surfaces of dream” Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 48” x 36” 58 x 42.5 inches framed), Acrylic Ink on Mylar, 2024 https://www.carolesilverstein.com/

At a time when so many horrible things are happening, some might wonder, “Why bother to be a decent person?” At such a time, we need to focus on the words of Hillel, “In a place where people are being inhumane, seek to be a mensch.”

Lori Gottlieb and Rabbi Brous in a sermon-dialogue on the intersection of Jewish and therapeutic wisdom on issues of deep concern for us today: how to stay in relationship with people whose ideas break your heart, confirmation bias and how minds are changed (can they be?), how to overcome psychic numbing and stay centered and empathic, even when we’re hurting, how to hold hope and grow resiliency, and more. Dr. Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over one million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The New York Times “Ask the Therapist” advice column and is co-host of the popular “Dear Therapists” podcast and the advice podcast Since You Asked. A contributing writer for The Atlantic, she also wrote The Atlantic’s “Dear Therapist” advice column for six years. She is a sought-after expert appearing on Oprah, The Today Show, The Daily Show, Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air” and her TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most Watched of the Year. She is also an IKAR member, and mother of the wonderful Zachary Gottlieb, IKAR teen extraordinaire.

We are facing a spiritual catastrophe. In the small space between prophecy and distinct possibility, we must forge a new path.

We’re living in a world of constant distraction and alerts and noise, and we’re exhausted. But we also don’t know how to get out of this internally and externally constructed trap. What can these holidays help us learn about the necessity of stillness and silence in order to go back out into the world? How can they help us rediscover our connection with ourselves and with each other?

As we move closer to the High Holydays, what do Ursula Le Guin, a provocative Midrash and the opening word of our Torah portion have to teach us about the demanding but essenntial work of teshuvah?

In this week’s parsha we learn that the king had to write a Torah for himself. Or was it two – a Torah that accompanies him throughout his life and one that remains in a treasury locked away? From this we can learn a lot about our public and private selves and about the difference between the actual and the ideal. What lessons might accompany us as we enter this holiday season and throughout our lives?

Both the Jewish calendar and the Torah come to a close leaving our people in a state of active preparation. But do we ever feel truly ready?