Text Messages

Description

An indispensable resource for everyone who cares about the Jewish future.

“Every passage of Torah has the potential to be someone’s personal story and teaching—and that definitely includes you as a teenager. If you read these stories, and if you really let these holy texts into your mind and into your soul, your life will be deeper and richer, and even happier.”
—from the Introduction

Young people need to be included in the struggle for meaning, for the right questions to ask and the search for useful and relevant answers. This is the book that has been missing from the ever-expanding bookshelf of Torah commentaries—a collection of messages on each Torah portion, specifically for today’s teens. It shows them how each Torah portion contains worlds of meaning for them, for what they are going through in their lives, and how they can shape their Jewish identity as they enter adulthood.

Addressing the concerns of young adults, it shows how the Torah can help teens deal with issues including:

• Interpersonal relationships
• Social justice
• Sexuality and gender issues
• Personal ethics
• Responsibility to family
• Community and the Jewish people
• Body image
• Tattoos
• Community service
• The meaning of faith
• Authority and rebellion
• The role of ritual
• Personal theology
• Prayer
• Civility
• Living safely
• Dealing with disabilities
• Challenges of eating morally

This groundbreaking spiritual resource is truly transdenominational—including the insights of over 100 Jews who identify as Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, post-denominational and “just Jewish.” They are rabbis, cantors, educators, authors and community leaders. Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, post-denominational and “just Jewish.” They are rabbis, cantors, educators, authors and community leaders.

Sujets

• Sacred Writings
• Philosophie et théologie
• Judaism
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 20 août 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580236348
• Langue: English

Extrait

Contents
Introduction
Bereshit /Genesis
Bereshit (1:1-6:8)
What If I Don t Like My Brother?
Rabbi Sherre Z. Hirsch
Look in the Mirror; Now Look Again
Danny Maseng
Noach (6:9-11:32)
Even Righteous People Make Mistakes
Rabbi Aaron Bisno
Being the Un-Noah
Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin
Lech Lecha (12:1-17:27)
Get Going!
Rabbi Carl M. Perkins
A GPS for Compassion
Rabbi Rami Shapiro
Vayera (18:1-22:24)
Answering the World s Oldest Question
Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
Be Present
Rabbi Judith Schindler
Chayei Sarah (23:1-25:18)
A Story of Prayer and Love
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Getting the Order Wrong-or Right
Rabbi Steven Z. Leder
Toldot (25:19-28:9)
The Most Serious Thing That Ever Happened to Me, by Esau Isaacson
Rabbi Mordecai Finley, PhD
Esau s Tears
Rabbi Dana Saroken
Vayetzei (28:10-32:3)
Jacob s Stairway
Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso
Jacob s Life Is Our Own
Rabbi David J. Wolpe
Vayishlach (32:4-36:43)
How to Become Yisrael
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz
Each of Us Has a Name
Rabbi Amy Joy Small
Vayeshev (37:1-40:23)
Not Your Plans-God s
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
That Man Is You
Rabbi Jack Moline
Miketz (41:1-44:17)
Truth or Consequences
Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox
The Tests of Adulthood
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky
Vayigash (44:18-47:27)
Joseph Comes Out of the Closet
Rabbi Eve Rudin
Joseph or Moses: Who Do You Want to Be?
Barry Shrage
Vayechi (47:28-50:26)
Both Kindness to Others and Loyalty to Ourselves
Rabbi John Moscowitz
Sababa !
Rabbi Avi Weiss
Shemot /Exodus
Shemot (1:1-6:1)
No Such Thing as an Innocent Bystander
Rabbi William G. Hamilton
So, When Do You Really Grow Up?
Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin
Va era (6:2-9:35)
Conviction, Yes; Stubbornness, No
Rabbi Howard L. Jaffe
Hard Hearts-For Real
Dr. Ron Wolfson
Bo (10:1-13:16)
Being a Global Team Player
Lisa Exler and Ruth W. Messinger
Does God Fight Fair?
Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky
Beshalach (13:17-17:16)
Finding Our Voice
Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller
That Nachshon Moment
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Yitro (18:1-20:23)
Rules Are Jewish Love
Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl
What Kind of Leader Do You Want to Be?
Rabbi Jonah Pesner
Mishpatim (21:1-24:18)
… And Another Thing!
Rabbi Lester Bronstein
God Sweats the Small Stuff
Rabbi Debra Newman Kamin
Terumah (25:1-27:19)
What Kind of Sanctuary Are You Building?
Rabbi Amy Schwartzman
Inside Out
Dr. Ira H. Schweitzer, RJE
Tetzaveh (27:20-30:10)
Dress Code
Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD
Someone Is Always Watching
Rabbi Michael Pincus
Ki Tisa (30:11-34:35)
Our Duty to One Another
Rabbi Julie Schonfeld
No Free Lunch
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
Vayakhel (35:1-38:20)
Finding Your Life s Purpose
Rabbi Spike Anderson
Who Else Is Coming?
Rabbi Pamela Jay Gottfried
Pekudei (38:21-40:38)
Are You Accountable?
Rabbi Jill Jacobs
No Boat
Rabbi Paul Yedwab
Vayikra /Leviticus
Vayikra (1:1-5:26)
Who s Calling, Please?
Rabbi Elyse Frishman
Sacrifice Play
Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt
Tzav (6:1-8:36)
A Perpetual Fire
Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky
Time for a God Upgrade
Rabbi Jamie Korngold
Shemini (9:1-11:47)
The Gold Standard for Kashrut
Rabbi Morris J. Allen
A Time for Silence
Rabbi Zoë Klein
Tazria (12:1-13:59)
Deep and Looking Up: How a Weird Story of Skin Disease Can Tell Us about Life over Death and Seeking Inner Peace
Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan and Rabbi Asher Lopatin
Metzora (14:1-15:33)
When Words Become Contagious
Rabbi Norman M. Cohen
Sacred Graffiti
Rabbi Shira Stern
Acharei Mot (16:1-18:30)
The Physical Is Also Spiritual
Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson
Never Stand Idly By
Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Kedoshim (19:1-20:27)
Tattoo, Taboo, and the Jew: Can I Be Buried in a Jewish Cemetery?
Rabbi Peter Berg
Sacred Sexuality
Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
Emor (21:1-24:23)
Animals: What s Cruel, and What s Not So Cruel?
Stan J. Beiner
God Said What?
Shulamit Reinharz, PhD, and Ellen Golub, PhD
Behar (25:1-26:2)
God s Reset Button
Rabbi Mike Comins
Shabbat and the Power of the Regular and Routine
Rabbi Michael L. Feshbach
Bechukotai (26:3-27:34)
Girls Rule! Boys Drool.
Rabbi Marshal Klaven
A Big If
Rabbi Shira Stutman
Bemidbar /Numbers
Bemidbar (1:1-4:20)
Standing Guard
Rabbi Jonathan E. Blake
They ve Given You a Number, and Taken Away Your Name
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Naso (4:21-7:89)
Accessing Your Superpowers
Rabbi Sarah Mack
Jealousy Is Like Poison
Ethan Klaris and Rabbi Burt Visotzky
Behaalotecha (8:1-12:16)
Facing the Wilderness
Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove, PhD
What Makes a Leader Powerful?
Deborah Meyer
Shelach-Lecha (13:1-15:41)
They Could Be Giants-So Could You!
Dr. Erica Brown
Don t Be a Grasshopper!
Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman
Korach (16:1-18:32)
Rebels for What?
Rabbi Jessica Brockman
Teaching Lasts Longer Than Politics
Rabbi Michael Paley
Chukat (19:1-22:1)
Speak Up and Speak Out!
Emilia Diamant
No Leading While Angry!
Rabbi Edward Feld
Balak (22:2-25:9)
Because That s What Jews Do
Robert Bildner
How Good Are Your Tents!
Cantor Ellen Dreskin
Pinchas (25:10-30:1)
It s Not Fair!
Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson
A Fanatic Named Pinchas
Jerry Kaye
Mattot (30:2-32:42)
Silence Is Consent
Rabbi Laura Geller
Dugma Is Dogma
Ira J. Wise, RJE
Maasei (33:1-36:13)
Second Chances
Rabbi William Cutter, PhD, and Georgeanne Cutter
Are We There Yet?
Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl
Devarim /Deuteronomy
Devarim (1:1-3:22)
Trust the Rebellion
Rabbi Ken Chasen
Angry at God
Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
Va etchanan (3:23-7:11)
Skydiving and Torah
Rabbi Marc Gellman, PhD
Curb Your Appetites
Rabbi Elaine Zecher
Ekev (7:12-11:25)
Everything We Do Matters
Dr. Arnold M. Eisen
The Two-Chambered Heart
Rabbi Micah D. Greenstein
Re eh (11:26-16:17)
The Vision Thing
Wayne L. Firestone
To See Even (and Especially) Those Who Cannot
Rabbi Loren Sykes
Shoftim (16:18-21:9)
Judging Ourselves, Judging Others
Rabbi Felipe Goodman
War Isn t All It s Cracked Up to Be
Rabbi Laurence E. Milder
Ki Tetzei (21:10-25:19)
You Must, Because You Can
Rabbi Edward Feinstein
The Ties That Bind
Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler
Ki Tavo (26:1-29:8)
An Unholy Mash-Up
Rabbi Joseph Black
Remember Who You Are (and Then, Party)
Rabbi David Steinhardt
Nitzavim (29:9-30:20)
The Ultimate Network
Rabbi Dr. Analia Bortz, MD
Standing for Civility
Rabbi Peter J. Rubinstein
Vayelech (31:1-30)
Tunes
Joel Lurie Grishaver
Facing the End
Rabbi James Ponet
Haazinu (32:1-52)
Driven to Non-distraction
Rabbi Denise L. Eger
Listening-with Our Eyes
Rabbi David B. Rosen
Ve-zot Ha-brachah (33:1-34:12)
Building a Better World: A Vision, a Plan, and the Workers
Rabbi Andrew Davids
… And Ready to Start Again
Rabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz
Notes
About the Author
Copyright
Also Available
About Jewish Lights
Introduction
Come and see how the voice of God went forth to all of Israel, to each and every one in keeping with that person s particular capacity-to the elderly in keeping with their capacity, to young men in keeping with their capacity, to the little ones in keeping with their capacity, and to the women in keeping with their capacity…. It is like the manna, which to young people tasted like bread, to the elderly it tasted like wafers made with honey.… (Midrash, Shemot Rabbah 5:9)
A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to hear a great teacher, Robert Coles, talk about a new book that he had just written. Professor Coles was trying to figure out the role that religion played in the lives of young people of all faiths. One way that he did this was to ask kids this question: What story in your scriptures is your story? Another way of putting this would have been: What sacred story has your name on it?
In my years as a rabbi, I ve spent a lot of time asking young people like you that question. For many young Jews, when they become bar or bat mitzvah, their Torah portion truly becomes their story . At least temporarily, while they are preparing to become bar or bat mitzvah, that passage from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy becomes the lens through which they view their world.
Sometimes, the results of looking at the world this way can be funny or ironic. At least five or six times in my career, a kid who had the Torah portion Metzora , which is about skin diseases, also happened to have a parent who was a dermatologist. Seriously. You can t make this stuff up.
Sometimes, in a very powerful and mysterious way, the Torah portion that was read during the week that you were born becomes your story . That was the way it was for me. The week that I was born, the Torah portion was Vayishlach , from the book of Genesis. It features the story of Jacob wrestling with th