Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in looking at the role of Joseph in Egypt. As readers today, we may think that Joseph is acting like an American, 19th century robber baron, who made himself rich through ruthless business dealings. Or we may think that Joseph was proactive in adopting a feudal system that resulted in lives begin saved. Whether we, as modern readers, like what Joseph did or not, the fact is that the story was kept in our Bible. And Joseph is OUR guy! The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

As we see around the world today, living in exile is an ongoing and painful part of the human condition. Many of us have parents or grandparents who emigrated to America from Europe/Eurasia before or during World War II. Recently at our synagogue, Ukrainian immigrants have shared their experiences of leaving their homeland. They are people facing a traumatic experience. An experience with which our ancient writers were well aware.The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

This week, we returned to the Joseph story. Even though his brothers treated him abysmally when he was young, Joseph is able to come to terms with the past mistreatment and leave his childhood trauma behind. We need to understand the past, but we should not dwell on it. Only through understanding can we move toward achieving peace. The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

A person, man or woman, cannot stay in power unless they make strong alliances with other men and women who support the situation. It may have been easier for a man to have that kind of support. However, history shows that there have been extraordinary women who have been able to rise to the top of what has traditionally be considered a male realm. This week, Professor David Sperling led us on a survey of some of these remarkable women.The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

Rabbi Janet Roberts led our group in a study of the political implications of the Joseph narrative, which may be more than a compelling story about siblings. This could instead be a story about the ancient tribes of people who were drawn together by Saul as a defensive mechanism against enemies: people who came to form the Israelite people. According to the ancient rabbis, Judah, the brother who all Jews are named for, is the brother who takes responsibility for all his brothers, he acts heroically, and he shows anger when his family is threatened. That is the type of leader, and ancestry, of which we Jews, descendants of Judah, can feel proud.The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

As modern readers we  know that the past is never completely the past. When we gather at holidays times, we fall into old, established patterns. Joseph and his brothers did not have good relations when Joseph was young, and his brothers were heartless when they threw Joseph into a pit and then sold him into slavery. Joseph does not immediately trust his brothers. Could we do any better when confronted with someone who had transgressed against us in such a way?The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

For the 20 years that Joseph resided in Egypt and climbed the ladder to prominence, we do not hear about Jacob’s father or his brothers. We do not know if the brothers thought about him or about what they did to him. This week, Rabbi Jaech led us in an exploration of the wide range of emotions that Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, and Jacob experience. The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

A 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center found that the intermarriage rate among all American Jews was 58%, and among non-Orthodox American Jews was 71%. Since the mid-1980s, the Reform Jewish Movement has been welcoming of interfaith families. This week we looked at the interfaith marriages of two of our most important biblical heroes: Joseph and Moses. And we looked at how the ancient Rabbis spun those ancient stories to tell the narrative they wanted to tell.The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

Guest leader, Rabbi Janet Roberts, continued our exploration of the Joseph story by comparing it to another biblical tale: the story of Daniel. While sharing a lot of similarities, unlike the Joseph story, the Daniel story emphasizes that Daniel stayed true to his roots. The Joseph story may remind us of our own lives in America today. As Reform Jews, we may feel a pull toward the dominant culture. Each of us must decide how we adapt. How far are we willing to go toward assimilation, and where do we draw the line and say ‘No, this is important to me as a Jew.’The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.

In biblical times, interpreters of dreams were consulted because people believed their dreams contained omens about the future. Even today, people do not like to live with uncertainty, which is one reason that some homes keep cable news on all day long. People are hoping to gather as much information as possible in order to feel some sense of control. But in reality, we often have no control over what the future will bring. The text of this podcast is available on our blog.If you like this podcast, you might enjoy the book Biblical Origins: The Political Intent of the Bible's Writers, by renowned Bible scholar Dr. S. David Sperling.