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The God Show Podcast With Pat McMahon - Ep. 282 Israel under attack. How could it happen?
Ask an Army Colonel. Ask a Rabbi. Ask a woman. They are all.
We Are NOT Grasshoppers - Korach 5784
In your Shabbat bulletin you will find a list of my 30 favorite verses in the Torah. I started off with a goal of 10, but the list quickly..
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Jul 8, 20243 min read
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BaMidbar: Everyone Counts
The book of BaMidbar picks up where Exodus left off. Our Israelite ancestors escaped from slavery in Egypt, successfully passed through...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Jun 7, 20245 min read
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B’har: Do Not Oppress
This week’s Torah portion, B’Har addresses issues of economic justice and social equality, environmental stewardship...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
May 22, 20244 min read
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Passover Jewish News 2024
After perhaps too much preparation, we find ourselves in the midst of our Passover celebration. Perhaps the message of “Dayenu” has found...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Apr 15, 20243 min read
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Passover Seder 2024
Why is this Passover different from all other Passover seders?
Passover celebrates liberation. It celebrates freedom...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 28, 20244 min read
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Purim and Antisemitism 2024
I’ve been thinking a lot about the upcoming holiday of Purim, a moment in our calendar characterized by much joy and not a small amount of..
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 20, 20244 min read
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Ki Tissa: The Half Shekel, Me and You
Check out these coins! Although it is a coin from the State of Israel, the notion of it goes back to this week’s Torah reading. As the...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Mar 7, 20244 min read
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What is God’s Love Language?
Gold and silver and brass. Blue and purple and scarlet. Plus precious stones and fine oil and fabrics and skins. Terumah begins.
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Feb 16, 20244 min read
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To Be a Free People in Our Own Land
A commentary on Parshat Vayeitze published in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Nov. 24, 2023 In Genesis 27:13-14 God speaks to the...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Dec 3, 20233 min read
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Bereshit and Justice
And so it begins again. This week, Parshat Bereshit, we have the opportunity to open our Torah scroll to the very beginning and take it...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 11, 20234 min read
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Mishpatim: Trust, But Verify
A Temple Chai member approached me at the nosh a couple of weeks ago with the words, “Rabbi, can I ask you to do me a favor?” I replied,...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Feb 21, 20233 min read
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Chayye Sarah- Try a Little Kindness
Eliezer has a tough job in this week’s Torah portion. How would you like to be responsible for choosing a partner for your boss’s child?...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Nov 16, 20223 min read
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Noah and Nakedness
We all know the story of this week’s Torah portion, how Noah is identified as the only righteous person in his generation, and delegated...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Nov 2, 20224 min read
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Bereyshit- Let There Be Light
I recently read that “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.”...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Oct 24, 20223 min read
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No Regrets in the Year Ahead
Listen to the words of Frank Sinatra’s memorable tune, “My Way.” And now the end is hereAnd so I face that final curtainMy friend I’ll...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Sep 25, 20225 min read
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Emor: Good Enough is the New Perfect
The word “Emor,” the name of this week’s Torah portion, means “speak.” In the Torah, God gives instruction to Moses to pass along to the...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
May 15, 20223 min read
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Kedoshim- Love Your Neighbor
There are, traditionally, 613 mitzvot in the Torah. Fifty One of them are found in this week’s parsha, Kedoshim. Kadosh, of course,...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
May 9, 20224 min read
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"I'm Begging You"- Vaetchanan
The name of this week’s Torah portion is “Vaetchanan.” The word can be translated as- “I begged, I pleaded, I entreated.” It is a...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Jul 24, 20213 min read
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Anger is One Letter Short of Danger- a perspective on Matot/Masey
There is a lot of anger in this week’s Torah portion. Beginning with verbal commitments made by women which can be nullified by the men...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Jul 11, 20213 min read
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Korach, The National Week of Conversation, Antisemitism, and Us
This week’s parsha is named for Korach, who, in my humble opinion is one of the people in the Torah who gets a bad rap. What did Korach...
Rabbi Bonnie Koppell
Jun 13, 20214 min read
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