Collection
A Maryland-based community for adults seeking the joy and meaning of Judaism.
www.thejewishstudio.orgSheets
Filter
Am I Jewish?Identification as a Jew comes through many different modalities: covenant, associations, group identity and conversion.
Evan Krame•1851 Views•October 22, 2016•Ruth,Identity,Yevamot,Jewish,Foreign Women,Intermarriage,Convert
Between Parent and ChildA review of the relationship between adult children and their parents.
The Essence of a PersonIs a person born with an essential nature? Are we good or evil? What is an omnipotent creator's role in the formation of our personhood? The Tanya reflects at length on these essential characteristics.
Individuality and ResponsibilityWhile each person is created in God's image and each is valued as if an entire world, Torah demands that we value community and stay in relationship with each other.
Reconciliation: an exploration of Torah inspired by a trip to GermanyAfter a trip to Germany, I reached into Torah to find stories of reconciliation, believing that our tradition has much to say. Not so much.
Intentional or UnwittingWhether our transgressions were intentional or unwitting may have an impact on our atonement.
Artificial Intelligence: What is (Wo)Man?Based on lectures by Rabbi Dr. Ira Bedzow and tomes by Yuval Noah Harari, we are presently challenged to define what is human for the purposes of Jewish law and living in a civilized, ethical society. How Torah defines a human is a starting point only.
Braking the Tablets (anger, leadership, opportunity)Moses broke the tablets - but was it in anger? Did anger serve the purpose? Or was it a calculated and holy risk?
what's the differenceGod differentiated people, a man from a woman, people from one another, despite the commonalities among us. What differences are purposeful and which are not?
Who Isn't Jewish EnoughR' Ethan Tucker of Hadar has tripped over his definition of who is "Jewish" enough to study in a capstone Torah program.
Charity: Building CommunityCompare motivations for giving charity - from the Golden Calf to caring for the poor. An exploration of tzedakah as being motivated by a love of God and building a holy community.
Evan Krame•519 Views•February 18, 2022•Terumah,Tzedakah,Ki Tissa,VaYakhel,Fundraising,Charity,Giving
Chirality and Judaism: Lefties BewareJewish tradition discriminates against left handed people. Is this a lesson to be learned about bias?
My body, my choice (My halakhah, my choice) (Ohalah 5782/2022)Within Yoma we have the seeds of caring more for the neshama than the halakhah. The later Babylonian rabbis recognized that legal authority must in some cases be limited, its expansive and controlling nature contained, and the law limited to make room for a certain degree of individual
autonomy.
"We didn't start the fire!" Responsibility ( Achrayut ) in the Jewish traditionThe Jewish tradition is deeply rooted in the concept of taking responsibility for one's own actions. There are commandments that direct us to take positive steps to meet our responsibilities as parents and citizens to insure a better future. And then there are times when we must balance our responsibility to our selves with our obligation to help others as resources are not limitless. And there is responsibility we must take for the harm that we cause directly or indirectly and not benefit when harm is caused. Finally, there is our responsibility one to another, as connected souls, even to rebuke others who behave badly. The Sages suggest that we might even learn a lesson of responsibility directly from the Holy One of blessing.
Duty to Warn in a Time of PlagueIf we learn of someone who might have the virus is in close proximity, what duties arise - to the ill person, to others, and to ourselves?
Responsibility in a Time of CrisisWhat is our responsibility to help others in our community and country?
Thrift, Gift or Theft? The Case of the Many-Owned-It LulavThrough an examination of whether or not the mitzvah of lulav can be accomplished without owning your own lulav, we can explore what mitzvot might be possible through less than "holy" means.
The Imperative to Save LifeWhile Sanhedrin teaches us that he who saves a single life it is as though he saved an entire world, there are limiting factors when considering the value of a human life.
Editors
Evan Krame
Owner