Feeling Cruv-y
Using a Parashah pun, we're bringing cauliflower and cabbage to your table this week!

We are focusing on the weekly Torah reading with our Game of Ten, Table Talk, a Parsha Craft and a five-minute parsha overview podcast.



We're learning about the house Bnei Yisrael built for God.


In this week's portion, we see the Jews given the commandment to build the Tabernacle. God wants to bring His presence closer to the Jews but still needs to create a separation between the people and the holiness of the Tabernacle. Help the flames reach the Menorah in the Tabernacle! Click the Icon below to download a printer friendly version.


This week’s Torah reading, Parshat Mishpatim is full of all kinds of laws and their consequences. One example: If someone lights a fire, and it burns down thorns or grain, or destroys a field, the one who lit the fire is the one who is responsible.


Parshat Mishpatim is full of laws teaching Bnei Yisrael how to become a nation of God.



The Jews truly become a nation as they receive the Ten Commandments.

This is the week that the Jews finally receive the Ten Commandments!



This week's Torah reading is full of drama with the Children of Israel finally leaving Egypt! As they reach the water’s edge, God tells Moses to stretch out his arm and splits the Red Sea. There is definite cause for celebration as the Children of Israel are finally truly free. As part of that celebration, Miriam pulls out a tambourine, draws out the women and they all break out into dance.

Bnei Yisrael finally finds freedom as they leave Egypt!

So much happens in this week’s Torah reading! The Jews finally leave Egypt, crossing the Red Sea as the Egyptians are in full pursuit. They sing and dance as they finally become a free nation. Yet they complain that there is no water and no food and even miss Egypt. God introduces manna, a food that shows up each day (except Shabbat!) to feed the Jews for the forty years they are in the desert. Click the link below to download a printer friendly version.


Freedom may not be as easy as we had hoped!

In this week's Torah portion, the Egyptians are afflicted with the plague of darkness. The Israelites, however, were exempt from this plague, and so were able to see freely despite being surrounded by darkness. In this week's Torah Treats, the marshmallow represents the Israelites, who shine through and maintain their light, despite being completely encompassed by the midnight chocolate cookie.


Imagine you are a Jewish slave, and you are so excited about Moses’s plan to take you out of Egypt in 2 weeks! Moses explains all of the rules for the Pascal lamb sacrifice (has to be done on the 14th of Nissan, roasted whole, blood painted on the doorposts, etc.) and then he mentions that you cannot break the bones (to suck marrow or lick every inch) as you eat it. That seems very specific! Why is there such a prohibition? What would you think is the significance of that detail?

The final three plagues visit Egypt. It is the plague of the first born that finally convinces Pharoah to let the Jews leave the land of Egypt.


Pharoah’s Hardened-Heart Cookies
In this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Va’Era, we read about seven of the Ten plagues and Pharoah’s back-and-forth between promising the Jews permission to leave Egypt, and his subsequent “change of heart,” forbidding them from leaving. God promises Moses that although He will “harden Pharoah’s heart,” eventually the Jewish People will be freed from Pharoah’s rule.

In this week's Torah reading, Moses and Aaron beseech Pharoah to free the Israelites from slavery and to let them leave Egypt. God tells Moses to tell Aaron to take his staff, cast it before Pharaoh and watch it turn into a serpent. Sure enough, Aaron throws down his staff and it transformed itself into a serpent. Pharaoh then summoned his wise men and magicians to perform the same "trick." But when their staffs were transformed into serpents, a miracle happened and Aaron's serpent swallowed the Egyptians' staffs/serpents.

In this week’s Torah reading, Pharoah makes a conscious effort to ignore the awesome display of power that God brings to Egypt via Moshe and Aaron. Right after the plague of blood, in Chapter 7 verse 23 we are told that Pharoah “turned away and went into his house and did not pay attention to” – literally “place his heart” – to this plague.

This week's Torah reading gives us plagues! Blood, frogs, beasts and more! As Pharaoh's heart is hardened and he refuses to let the Jews leave Egypt, God, Moses and Aaron begin sending plagues on to the people of Egypt. Help the frogs find their way to Pharaoh's bed! Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


The plagues begin as Pharaoh refuses to let the Jews leave Egypt.

For parents - Just 5 mins
The plagues begin as Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh to let the Jewish people leave Egypt.


In this week's parsha, the Egyptians enslave the Children of Israel with back breaking work. Their lives were embittered by all the hard labor and all of the heavy lifting of the clay and bricks. It was back breaking!

As the book of Shmot begins, we see the Jewish people struggling in the land of Egypt. Gary Levine gives us some background to the story of Moses in his newest kids' podcast for Sefer Shmot.


Play our Kids' Parsha Podcast to teach your kids about this week's Torah reading!

For parents - Just 5 mins
Parshat Shmot introduces us to the story of slavery. We also meet Moses, the first Jewish leader.

Moses leaves Egypt and becomes a shepherd in Midyan. One day a sheep runs away and leaves Moses to a burning bush. There, God tells Moses of his destiny, to return to Egypt to save the Jewish people. Help the sheep lead Moses to the burning bush. Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


Things aren’t looking too great for the Jews in Egypt. They are enslaved, forced to work hard and all boys born are supposed to be killed. But Moses is saved, rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh as he floats in the Nile. God speaks to Moses and sends him to save the Jews. Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.

In this week's Torah reading, blessings abound. Yisrael (formerly known as Jacob) blesses Ephraim and Menashe by laying his hands upon their heads. This week's Torah Treats features a pair of candy adorned (well manicured might I add!) hands.

This week is the final Torah reading in the book of Beresheet. As the story of Joseph and his brothers comes to a close, Jacob blesses his children (and some grandchildren) as he prepares to die.

With the final Torah reading in the book of Genesis, the era of the patriarchs ends.



As Jacob gets older, he gives each of his children a blessing -- reminding them of their strengths (and weaknesses!). When Jacob dies, Joseph is given special permission by Pharoah to bury Jacob in Canaan. Help Jacob's children find their way to Jacob to receive their blessing! Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


This Shabbat, you can bring your own "money" to your table. All you'll need are these delicious chocolate coins (we’re sure you have a few lying around after Chanukah!) to re-enact the story of Joseph and Pharaoh!

After years of separation, Joseph finally reveals his identity to his brothers. The brothers return home to bring Jacob down to Egypt. Jacob and his family settle down in Egypt in the land of Goshen. Help Joseph reunite with his brothers! Click on the icon below to download a print-friendly version.

When Jacob hears that Joseph is alive, he brings his entire family – children and grandchildren – down to Egypt to reunite with Joseph and wait out the famine. As shepherds, they require land for the cattle. Pharoah grants them the land and Jacob and his family settle there. Click the icon below to download a user-friendly version.


In this week's Torah reading, Pharaoh is haunted by mysterious dreams. In one dream, he sees seven sheaves of wheat, thin and beaten looking. These seven poor looking sheaves of wheat swallow up seven healthy, robust sheaves of wheat, and presumably, remain unchanged. Pharaoh awakens, quite frightened and summons his interpreters.


Miketz continues the story of Joseph. Joseph leaves prison and arrives in Pharoah's palace to help interpret Pharoah's dreams.
Ten brothers come down to Egypt looking for food, leaving their youngest brother Benjamin behind. Joseph demands to see Benjamin, and the brothers return to Canaan to bring Benjamin. As they are leaving Egypt, Joseph instructs his servant to place a silver goblet in Benjamin's bag. Benjamin is then arrested for stealing Joseph's silver goblet! Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


This week's Parsha sees Joseph rise to power. From a prisoner in Egypt to the second in command, Joseph's skill as a interpreter of dreams helps him impress Pharoah. When a famine does hit the land, Egypt is prepared. Joseph recognizes his brothers as they come from Canaan to ask for food, but he isn't ready for a family reunion yet. Click the icon below to download our printer-friendly version.


Watch Joseph's meteoric rise from a prisoner to second in command!


In this week's parsha, Judah, brother #4, tries to stop his brothers from leaving Joseph to rot in a pit. After the brothers had followed Reuben's idea and thrown Joseph into a pit, Judah sees merchants traveling by and says (Chapter 37, verse 26) that they should sell Joseph to these traveling salesmen and make some money. "Why kill him?" Maybe that's too extreme, after all…

A special Shabbat treat for your child (or for your own inner child!)
In this week's Parsha, Jacob bestows his son Joseph with the wondrous striped coat. As the story goes, this gift caused an immense amount of jealousy between Joseph's other brothers -- so much so, that at the end of this story, Jacob's other sons sell Joseph into slavery. For our Torah Treat this week, we will be making our own coat of many colors. But don't worry -- let's plan to make enough so that everyone has one, no one gets jealous, and we all live happily ever after.




This week's Torah reading, Parshat VaYeshev, begins telling us the story of Joseph. In fact, it is the story of Joseph that follows us until the end of the book of Genesis. We've got dreamers and schemers and betrayals in this week's Parsha.



In this weeks parsha we watch as Joseph's Journey unfolds.
In this week's reading, Vayishlach, our Torah Treat tells the tale of Jacob crossing the river with his wives, his children and all of their belongings. Jacob crosses the river and is met by his brother Esau. There were a lot of characters involved, and the "little hands" in this house had a great time re-enacting this story.

What does it take to get recorded in the Bible? How does one get his or her name into this eternal book of history, lessons and law of the Jewish People? Although we are never told the names of Noah’s wife, Lot’s wife, or Aaron’s wife, we ARE told the name of the wet-nurse that Rebecca had, the woman who helped raise Jacob. Her name was Devorah, and her death is told to us in Chapter 35, verse 8. She was buried in Beit-El, under a big tree (maybe a famous landmark) and that tree was called “The tree of weeping” forever after!


The adventures of Yaakov continue as he returns to his homeland with his wives, children and possession. We watch as Yaakov attempts to reconcile with his brother, Esav. Yaakov also wrestles throughout the night with an angel and is renamed "Yisrael," one who wrestles God.






If you were Rachel and your husband Jacob tells you it’s time to leave your father’s house and go join the family of your in-laws, the monotheistic Abrahamic family, how would you say goodbye? What could Lavan, Rachel’s father, really understand about what it’s like to answer a call from G-d? So how would you explain it or say goodbye?

Rocking with the Parsha
In this week’s Torah reading, stones are prominently featured.
Jacob leaves Beer Sheba to go to Haran. As the sun sets, he finds a place to rest. In lieu of a pillow, Jacob collects some of the stones nearby and places them under his head. After a night of dreams, Jacob wakes and continues to travel to the “land of the people of the East.” It is during that part of his journey, that Jacob encounters a well. There are flocks of sheep that are laying near the well. However, no one can get to the water of the well because of the huge rock that is covering the opening of the well. It is Jacob who removes the rock from the well enabling the sheep to drink.


With Jacob in Haran, he begins to think about starting a family. While engaged to marry Rachel, he is tricked into marrying Leah, Rachel's older sister, on his wedding day. By the time Jacob is ready to leave Charan, he has children from Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah! Most of the twelve tribes are born in this week's Torah portion.



The drama continues in Parshat VaYetze with marriages, children, betrayal and hint of miraculous.


Parshat Toldot
Help Esau find his way to the lentil stew! Esau came home form the field one day starving. Jacob agreed to give Esau some lentil soup only after Esau sold him his birthright. Esau agreed and sat down for a meal of bread and lentil soup! Click the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


Parshat Toldot
Isaac marries Rebecca and together they begin a family with twins -- Esau and Jacob. One brother spends his time out in the field and the other sitting in his tent. A plan is hatched by Rebecca to make sure Jacob receives his father's first blessing though he is the younger child. Click on the icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


It's sibling rivalry like you've never seen it (at least not since Cain and Abel).


How do you think you deal with life's disappointments? Go around the table and give an example of a disappointment you experienced this week.
In this week's Torah reading, we see Esau facing a huge disappointment: his father gave his brother, Jacob, HIS blessing! Isaac asked Esau to prepare a meal for him to eat, after which he will bless him. But then Rachel tells Jacob to go prepare the meal and get that blessing instead!

Esau’s Stew
Esau and Jacob are prominently featured in this week’s Torah portion. Upon returning from his hunting grounds, Esau, who is completely famished, storms into his home and demands from Jacob the “red, red stew” that Jacob is cooking. Jacob agrees on condition that Esau exchanges the red stew for his birthright. And so Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of red stew.

Chayei Sarah features Operation: Find Issac a wife. The story goes like this: Abraham’s trusted assistant journeys to Charan to find Issac a good wife. After the long journey, he reaches the well of the town, where he stops his entourage of camels to rest. There, he meets the young and lovely Rebecca who exhibits her kindness by offering water not just to him but to the camels as well. Needless to say, Rebecca passes the “test” and becomes one of our dear Matriarchs.

This week’s parsha food is a NO BRAINER! Breisheet makes it easy for us by painting such vivid stories for us that they often already include recipes, or at least food mentions. This week Esav trades his birthright to his brother, Jacob, for some red lentil soup (See Genesis 25:29-34). It seems that Red Lentil Soup can be very persuasive.


Abraham's family continues to grow. In this week's Torah reading, we learn a lesson about blessings as Isaac gives blessings to both of his sons.

Chayei Sarah
In this week’s parsha, Chayai Sarah, we find out what it takes to make it into Abraham’s family.
What would it take to make it into YOUR family? What traits define your family and what are you looking for in any new future members? Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, who is on a mission to find Issac a wife, has an idea as to what quality this woman must possess. Do you know what it is? What kind of woman would fit perfectly into Abraham’s family?


In this week’s parsha, Parshat Chayei Sarah, Abraham’s servant finds a wife for Isaac at the typical Biblical pick-up spot, the water well. Rebecca is chosen because of the kindness and generosity she displays in offering water to the servant and his camels. You can talk to your children about different types of water wells and how they work. You can also talk about the importance of water and the importance of sharing our resources with others. Make sure to put your finished wells as centerpieces on your Shabbat table to spark conversation about the Parsha!






This week's Torah reading, Chayei Sarah, transitions us from one generation to the next.

This week’s parsha opens up with the story of three “angels” visiting Avraham’s tent and provides rich detail about how Avraham welcomes the angels in and cares for them. We learn that Avraham was a person who acts with loving-kindness specifically when it comes to the mitzvah of “Hachnasat Orchim,” welcoming guests into his home.
This week we’re creating our own little Avraham’s Tent as an appetizer.

In this week's Torah reading, Parshat VeYera, there are many stories told about Abraham. Here, we look at three different stories to learn about Abraham.



One of the most exciting Torah portions of the year! Our podcast tells you why.
In this week’s parsha, Abraham is a role model for us in his welcoming the angels (whom he thought were just passers-by). He offers them a place to rest, some shade, food and drinks. But what is really inspiring is the haste with which he accomplishes this hachnasat orchim (the mitzvah of welcoming in guests and people traveling by). In Chapter 18 verses 6-8, the Torah describes the way Abraham RAN AROUND getting everything ready: He RAN to Sara, his wife, and told her to HURRY and prepare the bread. Then he RAN to the cattle and HURRIED to prepare the meat.



In this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Lech Lecha, we watch as Abraham leaves all that is familiar behind and heads off on a journey. God promises Abraham that his children will be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sands by the sea. It is those promises, along with Abraham’s journey that we are celebrating this week.

In this week’s parsha, we encounter Avraham. There is so much we can learn from Avraham, even though sometimes we imagine him to be larger than life! Let’s look at some of the stories, trials and tribulations from this week’s parsha and ask ourselves:
1. Do you have (or have you had in the past) some form of a similar experience in your life?
2. How do you think Avraham felt and what would YOU have done?


Star Shaped Cookies and Footprint in the Sand Cookies
This week is a big week for Abraham. He leaves behind everything familiar to him and heads out on an adventure of his own. God promises Abraham that he will have a legacy, children as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand of the earth. What better way to recreate the adventure with some sugar cookies of our own.


As Avraham heads off to Canaan leaving his homeland behind, he never asks God what's in it for him. This week's podcast introduces us to Avraham and the qualities he has that makes him a true inspiration.


In only five minutes, learn about Abraham's journey from Charan to the land of Canaan and the start of a new nation.

Do you want to celebrate the rainbow without adding too many artificial colors to your food? Look through your basket of old ribbons and notions -- I found a spool of rainbow covered ribbon and afixed it to some old napkin rings. Or, consider using a different color ribbon as a napkin ring for each napkin -- make your whole Shabbat table look like a rainbow!


You can highlight Parshat Noah from the start of your meal with these rainbow sprinkle challahs -- so easy and fun, your kids will beg you to do it themselves! (These are my kids' masterpieces!)

This week we can’t get enough of Noah and his rainbow! There are so many easy (and delicious!) ways to bring the rainbow into your home this week. So thank Noah (and our intrepid bakers Pesha Fisher, Micol Bayer and Shefa Weinstein) for inspiring a whole line of mouth-watering foods.



Catch up on this week's action-packed Torah reading with our five-minute Parsha Podcast.


There are few Bible stories more popular with kids than the story of Noah's Ark. The combination of animals and flooding and a rainbow proves irresistible to parents and children alike. The toy industry, never one to shy away from an opportunity, has jumped on the Noah bandwagon. Here are some of our favorite books, puzzles and games great for this week’s Torah reading: Parshat Noah.

Bracha Krohn's latest Parsha series, Personal Parsha, is introducing us to different personalities in each week's Torah reading. In this week's parsha, Beraisheet, we meet Adam HaRishon, the first human. He is given the beautiful Garden of Eden as a home, a wife to be his partner and so many trees from which he can pick fruit. What a life!




Bringing Parsha to your Table… one dish at a time
We've added menu plans that reflect each week's Torah reading. Themed Shabbat meals allow us to focus on the Parashat HaShavua in an engaging and dynamic way. Parshat Beresheet is about the creation of the Universe. We're putting that on your dinner plate!


This week we see the creation of the world and of both man and woman. We watch Adam and Eve in their life in paradise and their eventual exile from the Garden of Eden.
There is so much in this exciting parsha that creating just 10 questions was difficult. Use these 10 to start conversations with your kids about all the stories in this week’s portion. Click the PDF icon below to download a printer-friendly version.


Parshat Nitzavim and VaYelech continue with the theme of Moses' farewell address to the people of Israel. Moses talks this week of what is in his heart. He talks about choices that we each can make encouraging the people of Israel to choose good. Moses turns to Joshua empowering him to lead the Jewish people.

This week we see Moses giving some final words of advice to the people of Israel. He is getting ready to end his time as the leader of Bnei Israel and hand over leadership to Yehoshua Ben Nun. In this week’s Torah reading, Moses hands the written Torah to the Priests to pass it on to the people to learn and to follow. Help Moses pass the torah to the Priests this week.



We've returned with Parsha Podcast. Take 5 minutes to learn about this week's Torah Reading.


Moses does not cross the Jordan river with the Jewish people. He dies before entering the land of Israel. This week's Kids' Podcast on Parshat Ki Tavo looks at the commandments that apply to the Jewish people only after they enter the land of Israel.

As the children of Israel are about to enter the land of milk and honey, Moses gives them their final instructions. This week's Torah reading talks about the importance of keeping the commandments. We are told of the blessings the children of Israel will receive for following the commandments, and the curses that will befall them if they do not!


This week's Torah reading introduces us to 74 mitzvot, more than any other Torah reading of the year! Our podcast gives an overview of some of them!





Parshat Shoftim looks at how to serve the people of Israel.


Moshe offers up a simple choice between a blessing and a curse.





Listen to our Kids' Podcast with your child - we are talking about Parshat Devarim - this weeks portion!


Learning about this week's portion, Masei, is fun when listening to Gary Levine!

This week we are learning all about parshat Matot!



Talk to your kids this week about the value of keeping your word.

This week we're learning about girl power with the story of Bnot Tz'lofchad.




This week we hear about the story of Bilaam and Balak.

In this week's Torah reading, we are introduced to a King and a Prophet. The King, Balak, is desperate to curse the Israelites and sends the prophet, Balaam, to do just that. Balaam is repeatedly warned along the way not to curse the Israelites, but he chooses to go anyway. However, as hard as he tries to curse them, Balaam only manages to heap blessing on the Israelites.




We're looking at the Parah Adumah, the red calf, this week.


Sometimes you've got to wonder if the punishment fits the crime. This week Pesha Fischer discusses Moses, his rock and being banned from entering the Land of Israel.


How useful is jealousy?

Got five minutes? We'll outline this week's parsha for you! Check out this week's podcast.


Recreate Aaron's rod which blossoms overnight!

The spies go into the Land of Israel commanded to look for specific things.


This week we see 12 men chosen to scout out the land of Israel. The see wondrous and scary things and each of them report what they see. But it frightens the Israelites too much and they ask to return to Egypt. Two of the spies, Joshua Ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh beg the Israelites to reconsider saying “the land is very, very good”.



Got five minutes? We'll outline this week's parsha for you! Check out this week's podcast.



There are so many different things to learn about in Parshat Beha'alotcha.



Got five minutes? We'll outline this week's parsha for you! Check out this week's podcast.


We explore four sets of laws that seem a little out of place in this week's Torah reading.

This week's Torah reading gives us the three important sentences of the Priests' blessing for the Israelites.




This week stresses the importance of following God's law.

In this week's Torah reading we learn that the whole nation is responsible for following God's laws.




This week's Torah reading looks at the concept of holiness and the Land of Israel.


This week's podcast talks about how to treat the land of Israel.


This week's Torah reading introduces us to the concept of "Shmitah". While we rest on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, the land of Israel rests on the 7th year -- for a Sabbatical year. We are forbidden to do any work on the land. In fact, the 7th Shmitah year is heralded in with a shofar blast and the entire 50th year is a year of celebration.




This week's podcast explores the concept of holiness.

This week's Torah reading continues to look at different aspects of holiness.





This week we are taught how to be a holy nation. God believes that just as He is holy, we should strive for holiness as well. One commandment that we learn about is focused on kindness and generosity to the poor. When you are ploughing your field, any part of your harvest that falls to the ground and the corners of your field must be left untouched. The poor of the nation are then free to collect that harvest to feed themselves.

















The first Parsha in the book of VaYikra talks about offerings to God.


VaYikrah
As we start the book of VaYikra, we're introduced to laws of sacrifices and offerings.



The mishkan is finally finished. It is blessed by Moses, and a cloud comes to hover above.

In this week's Torah reading, we finally complete the Mishkan.




Our work on the mishkan continues in this week's Parsha.






Although the Israelites sin when they make a golden calf, by the end of the Torah reading they finally receive the luchot, tablets.







This week we continue looking at the mishkan and the Kohanim, the priests, who work there.



We're giving an overview on the Mishkan and the service inside it.

