Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Building a house-tent for G-d – Parashat Teruma

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

A band of slaves left their servitude to be replaced with another, and the latter is not any simpler or easier: Just two weeks ago we read about the revelation at Sinai. What an event! We barely recovered from that … Continue reading →

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Some details of Parashat Mishpatim & my mom

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

I’d like to think of myself as a “big picture person”, and at the same time, I also know it’s the small details that make that big picture. Had any one of the many dots which make this picture been … Continue reading →

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“It is a Tree of Life to those who hold it”… Yitro, the 5th & Tu Bishvat

Posted on January 25, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

We don’t have a Torah portion named “Abraham” or “Joseph”, but we do have one named after a Midyanite priest. And no other than the reading which includes The Ten Commandments. Couldn’t we name this portion something more “Jewish”? I … Continue reading →

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Bread from above, Water from below & a Tree – Shabbat Shira / Parashat Beshalach

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Choice: do we have it or not? A famous midrash – for next week’s Torah reading – tells about G-d holding the mountain over the People’s heads saying, ‘accept my Torah or right here will be your graveside’. It seems … Continue reading →

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Punxsutawney, Dali, Moses & Aaron – The Torah portion of “Bo”

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Bill Murray, playing weatherman Phil Connors, heads to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the Groundhog Day festivities, not in the least hiding his contempt for the assignment, the small town, and the “hicks” who live there. But then, rather than making … Continue reading →

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To Be Seen – the Torah Portion of Va’era

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

There are three sets of 10’s in our tradition: Ten Utterances with which the world was created, the Ten Plagues, and the upcoming Ten Commandments, and with each one we have to wonder: why couldn’t G-d create the world with … Continue reading →

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We’re all strings in David’s harp – the Torah portion of Sh’mot

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

“We’re all strings in David’s harp”, said Joey Weisenberg at this week’s Hadar’s Singing Communities Intensive, four days of non-stop soulful singing, which he runs with his incredibly talented ensemble. It’s hard to write when one’s head is full of … Continue reading →

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To be… that is the Blessing – the Torah portion of Vayechi

Posted on December 21, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Jacob and Joseph share many traits: both stay back in the tent with their parent; are young and favorite; have fantastic dreams and have great cries. Both will die in this week’s reading, and both will be particular about their … Continue reading →

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Re-meeting Joseph and his Brothers – Vayigash

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

We often listen to those who speak – the louder, the more attention, but what about those who don’t say a word?? Who is it that noticeably doesn’t speak, even though all the brothers are up in arms for him? … Continue reading →

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Joseph, Olive Oil & Chag Habanot – 3 shorts for Shabbat Hanukkah-Rosh Hodesh Tevet

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Exactly XX year ago, Miketz was the Torah reading on my Bat Mitzvah, and some years later, and many miles away, my son’s too. The bat mitzvah was at the reform synagogue, Ohr Chadash (a new light) in Haifa, Israel. … Continue reading →

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