Crushed

Categories: Ki Tisa, Parsha

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha is a rough one. It should have been simply a purely positive and momentous event on the Jewish calendar – the giving of the Torah – with its culmination in Moses’s returning to them with the entire backstory if you will. Instead, what took place was a grave error and… Read More

Weekly Roundup: March 1, 2024

Categories: Friendship Circle

Teen Leadership Shabbaton Our teens enjoyed a weekend of connection, learning and fun for Teen Leadership Shabbaton last weekend. On Friday, they participated in a Training Tracks discussion about ableism with guest speakers Joey Murphy, Regina Sciullo, and Nick Sciullo, followed by a lovely Shabbat dinner and some games. On Sunday, as part of a Teen Workshop, we heard from… Read More

A Glaring Omission

Categories: Parsha, Tetzaveh

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY You know how some things are famous for what they aren’t? Like an apology that isn’t really an apology – “I’m sorry for how that made you feel.”Or a speech that doesn’t mention by name the one thing that people were listening for? So this week’s Parsha -Tetzaveh – is one of those… Read More

Weekly Roundup: February 23, 2024

Categories: Newsletter

Family Fun Family Fun was a sunny day in our back lot where our youngest friends got together to talk to local firefighters from the Pittsburgh Fire Department and explore a fire truck! Members made gratitude cards for PFD, enjoyed some balloon twisting, created rice design crafts, and, of course, loved getting to be together for a music circle and… Read More

Give and Take

Categories: Parsha, Terumah

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT FROM RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha – Terumah – contains a lesson truly crucial to us as an organization. The Parsha begins, “v’yikchu li Terumah,” which literally translates to mean, “And they shall take to Me (G-d) contributions.” I translate literally because this word is confusing. Take? Isn’t “give” the more accurate term? There must be… Read More

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A Blessing in a Curse

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha (Ki Tavo) continues with commandments relating to residing in the Land of Israel and laws relating to the first fruits that the Jewish people are instructed to bring to the Temple. After a series of laws, the Torah then repeats something we read in the earlier Books (as was with… Read More

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Weekly Roundup: September 12, 2025

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Over the Top

A WEEKLY TORAH THOUGHT BY RABBI MORDY This week’s Parsha (Ki Teitzei) is chock full of Mitzvot, 74 in all! One of the many that I would like to focus on is both seriously practical, and also serves as a deeper lesson. We are commanded to “erect a fence around your roofs.” (Okay, admittedly I like this one because our… Read More

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