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Tune in weekly to hear Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the Union For Reform Judaism, offer divrei Torah (insights into the weekly Torah portion) to help open up Jewish thought and its contemporary influence on your life.

Dec 26, 2016

Even though the miracle of the oil  wasn’t an original part of the Hanukkah story, it has become one of the most enduring narratives in modern Judaism. Even when things seem dark, during Hanukkah we provide a growing light that goes out into the world, overcoming darkness and giving us direction. In this week’s...


Dec 19, 2016

Parashat Vayeishev is the first of four parashiyot that outline the story of Joseph. Perhaps more interesting than Joseph in this story, however, is the unnamed character who points Joseph in the direction that ends up defining the story of the Jewish people. Listen to Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for...


Dec 12, 2016

Have you ever dreaded seeing a friend or family member that you don’t get along with, only to end up having a positive experience? After twenty years away from home, Jacob dreads his reunion with Esau, but our text teaches the two end up embracing and healing their tumultuous relationship. What can we learn from the...


Dec 5, 2016

Rabbi Israel Salanter wrote that it’s easier to learn the entire Talmud than to change one character trait in ourselves. Even Jacob, when he dreams of the ladder that connects heaven and Earth, is still on his path of growth and awakening. Listen to Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, discuss...


Nov 28, 2016

Many of us know the story of Jacob and Esau, the brothers who could not be more different from one another. But what do these brothers have to teach us about reimagining our Jewish present and a new Jewish future?  in this week’s On the Other Hand, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, puts the...