At the beginning of the new Jewish year 5771, I began to keep Shabbat. For me observing Shabbat is a way to remind myself to breathe once in awhile, take a break, reflect, enjoy being present, and have the opportunity to connect with people.
While I am creating this space for myself I was finding it challenging to structure the way in which I reflect. I want it to be profound. I began reading the parshat (or Torah portion) of the week, which is something I had never done before. But learning for myself wasn't enough. The activist in me felt that learning history was good, but challenging myself to learn how to apply the history of the Torah to our present day was better.
What does it mean to be Jewish today? What is our history and what are we doing about it? How are Jews changing the world? What are the issues we are talking about? What are the issues we're shying away from?
Is this new/ different material? I don't know. What I do know is that it is the beginning of my torah exploration. And I can only bring my own perspective to the table, and hope that you get something out of it, and that together we can engage in conversation about it.
I'm embarking on a journey of tacklingtorah and I'm bringing my resources, past experiences, and those that I care about with me. Follow the story to see what unfolds. My goal is to make it as raw as my real-life is, and as a writer I will blog with integrity, and I expect you as a reader to do the same.
I welcome all feedback. Want a particular issue covered? Email tacklingtorah@gmail.com
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