Chukat (draft attempt 2)
Hi all, Housekeeping first: I am not going to be sending out a newsletter next week, but will return on July 2nd. Also I ran into a whole bunch of technical...
Korach
Hello everyone! Content Warnings for this issue are: holy death-punishment (murder type, plague type), homophobia, antisemitism, apartheid Yell in a War...
Sh'lach (L'cha)
Hello everyone! Content Warnings for this issue are: antisemitism, racism, pogroms, race riots, Israel/Palestine A few housekeeping notes: Next week's...
Beha'alotcha
Hello everyone! Content Warnings for this issue are: mention of nonsexual nudity; illness as punishment; antisemitism; climate change disasters; child death;...
Naso
Hello everyone! This week we read parshat naso. More census-ing, some rituals, the birkat kohanim. You know, the one with the Spock hands. (Yes, I know Nimoy...
Bamidbar
Hello! This week we start a whole new book of the torah: Bamidbar, or “in the wilderness”, 1:1-4:20 (blaze it). Not too be too cliche about it, but I’m...
Behar-Bechukotai
Hi everyone! This week’s parsha is Behar-Bechukotai. It’s got info about shmita aka “give the ground a break” year, debt stuff, rain, harvests, victories...
Emor
Hello chaverim! This week’s parsha is Emor. We learn about a bunch of festivals and also how disabled priests can’t offer sacrifices. While reviewing this...
Acharei Mot/Kedoshim
Hello! We are somehow already on parshat Acharei Mot / Kedoshim, another two-in-one. There’s a lot in here: the original scapegoat, That One Line about...
Tazria-Metzora
This week we have parshat tazria-metzorah, which has a lot of things to say about various things that cause tumah (ritual impurity, ritual recognition of...
Shemini
Good morning friends! This week’s parsha is Shemini, which translates to eighth. It may contain the midpoint of the whole torah depending on how you count....
Pesach
Hello! The torah reading this shabbat is not where we are in the regular cycle, but instead the day 7 passover reading. My brain is slightly fried, so there...
Tzav
Hello friends! The parsha this week is Tzav. Still on the learning about sacrifices train. The content isn't the most interesting to me, but the cultural...
Vayikra
A quick note to start off: I'm shifting the newsletter from Substack to Buttondown, so it may look a little different this week and going forwards. In the...
Vayakhel-Pekudei
This week's parsha is Vayakhel-Pekudei and we are chugging along between purim and passover! The soundtrack to this time is this remix of Flory Jagoda's...
Ki Tisa
Good afternoon! This week we are reading Ki Tisa, and it is shabbat Parah as well--a combination that happened on my bat mitzvah (mumble) years ago! Golden...
Tetzaveh
Hello all! Today is PURIM! PURIM ALEGRE! This week we read Parshat Tetzaveh. Kosher Queers @kosherqueershappy Purim! please avoid transphobia/transmisogyny...
Terumah
Hello everyone! This week's torah reading is about the building of the tabernacle, which some people find boring but I always love because I am a...
Mishpatim
Hello! there is something different this week--I received a lovely offer to sponsor an issue of this newsletter! This week's newsletter is sponsored by A...
Yitro
For some reason over 100 people are signed up to read this! I am so thrilled, and a little nervous about doing it right, now that I actually have an...