Author Archives: Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Now my mom, that’s a whole different story

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

After caring for my father for four years, she only wanted one thing: when the time comes, to drop dead, without prolonged suffering for herself and those around her. She would run into an acquaintance in the street and they’d … Continue reading →

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Us & Them: The Torah portion of Yitro

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

“And Yitro heard … and he came to Moses” (Exodus 18:1). There are only six Torah portions named after people: Sarah and 5 men, half of them are Jewish and half (at least initially -) not. We meet one of … Continue reading →

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Shabbat Shira, Shabbat Shalom

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

When people would approach Abraham Joshua Heschel and ask, how to start “doing more Jewish”, he would say, light Shabbat candles. This was just one the moving anecdotes shared by his daughter, Susana Heschel, a professor of Jewish Studies in … Continue reading →

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In Darkness and in Light

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

It’s told about king Solomon that when he was a young boy, his teacher said to him,’I’ll give you an apple if you tell me where is G-d’, ‘and little king Solomon, who already was the wisest of all people, … Continue reading →

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Why Moses?

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Maybe it’s the Torah’s way of warning us how easy it is to go “down”, for within just a few verses, life has changed very dramatically! No longer in the Land of Israel, we’re living in Egypt; no longer a … Continue reading →

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Had my father been alive… (גם בעברית, אחרי התמונות)

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Had my father been alive, today would have been his 95th birthday. Because of the magic of the calendar (95 being 19X5), this is both his Gregorian and Hebrew day: January 6th, the full moon of the month of Tevet. … Continue reading →

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Lessons from the first expat, Joseph Jacob-son

Posted on January 1, 2015 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Joseph is the first expat. Different from his great-grandpa Abraham, who was born in the diaspora and made aliya; different from his father Jacob who went to exile for a few years, got himself together, and actually came back, Joseph … Continue reading →

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Joseph, write home!

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

The meet up between Judah and Joseph can be reminiscent of other brotherly meetings: Isaac and Yishma’el come to bury Abraham; Jacob and Esau meet on the road after twenty years apart. But in all other cases, the brother meet … Continue reading →

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ReJewvenate @ Pardes

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

Originally posted on Torah & more… תורה ועוד:
“ReJewvenate @ Pardes” is an opportunity for someone in the 40 plus age group who has not experienced immersive Jewish learning, to receive a grant from reJewvenate for Pardes’ three weeks summer program. With…

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Light One Candle II: The Blinding Power of Hatred

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Michal Kohane מיכל כהנא

How come the brothers didn’t recognize Joseph? On occasion I run into a past student of mine, then in grade school and now a young adult. They obviously have changed, and yet, it doesn’t take long before we go, ‘Oh … Continue reading →

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