Online & Interactive Torah Discussion

Welcome to the Orangetown Jewish Center’s Online and Interactive Torah discussion, featuring The Seventy Face(book)s of the Torah, an opportunity to watch videos about the current parasha (Torah portion) online and comment on the videos on the OJC Facebook Page or right here via email.

"There are Seventy Faces to the Torah"
(Bamidbar Rabba 13:15)

Midrash teaches us about the many interpretations (the seventy faces) of our sacred text. Now, we have the opportunity to learn together and offer our own interpretations while sitting in front of the computer.

We invite you to search our archives below for recent videos and spread the words of Torah to others. E-mails are sent out weekly to congregants regarding that week’s Torah portion.

Videos by OJC Rabbinic Intern Jesse Olitzky:

Parashat Beshallach:
Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him as the Jews leave Egypt. So too do we take the traditions and legacies of our ancestors with us wherever our journeys take us.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Yitro:
We strive to be like Jethro, who simply hears of God’s miracles and praises Adonai.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Mishpatim:
The commandment that is mentioned twice in this Torah portion: “To Welcome the Stranger.” We make an effort to make our communities and homes more welcoming to those who might feel excluded.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Terumah:
We struggle with the tension between keva and kavannah, the fixed prayer and the spontaneous prayer, as we are obligated in this parasha to bring gifts to God, but still must be moved to do so.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Tetzaveh:
We explore the sacral vestments that the High Priest wore and learn how to “dress to impress” – also wear special clothing in worshipping God.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Ki Tissa:
How could Aaron – our middleman with God – be directly responsible for building the Golden Calf? He was trying to bring the people closer to God and sometimes, one must go “down” in order to ultimately be raised up in holiness.
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei:
God’s Presence resides in the Tabernacle, but it also resides all around us. Sometimes we just need to remove the blinders from our eyes and look!
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Vayikra:
Click here to watch this week’s video
"God forgives us for our mistakes, but we first must be willing to forgive each other."

Parashat Tzav:
"There is something holy in our mistakes, in accepting that we cannot be expected to be perfect."
Click here to watch this week’s video

Parashat Sh'mini
Aaron's sons struggle between fixed ritual and spontaneous worship. So do we
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Parashat Tazria-Metzora.
How do we define ritual purity and impurity, then and now
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Parashat Acharei Mot-Kedoshim.
Be holy... and strive to recognize the holiness that already exists in the world around you
Click here to watch this week’s video