Beit Polska Blog

Seeing the world through the eyes of others can open up an entirely new way of understanding not only different viewpoints, but can also deeply open up our own inner conversations and choices.  As is often repeated this time of year, Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe are times when we are reminded of […]

One of my teachers loves to share a funny and profound story, which I will tell as I remember it. In the 1970’s, she and some other female rabbis noticed a lack of meaningful rituals for baby naming for girls. As scholars and feminists, they wanted to create something that was not simply a “female […]

The story of this week’s Parsha is a familiar one— the story of Jacob and Esau, the loss of a birthright and the trickery of a son who desires to get the blessing of the firstborn over his brother. Amid the descriptions of the parental favoritism and all of issues involving the relationship between Esau […]

September 11th, 2015/27 Elul 5775 In just a few days, we will gather as a community for Rosh Hashanah. This day of celebration and reflection gives us a much needed chance to be thankful for all that the past year has brought, and also gives us space to work on the challenges and pain that […]

It is always a fascinating experience to become part of a new community. Beyond the practical issues of moving to a new city, learning names, and in my case learning an entirely new language, really getting to know the story of a community means getting to know the story of individuals. Everyone has joined this […]