Karen Miller Jackson, at The Blogs

Jan 16, 2025, 11:07 PM

Names and numbers: Pinning our hope on Israel

Reading Parshat Shemot, with its emphasis on names and identity, during this momentous week, offers both solace and hope. The Ramban calls the book of Shemot “The Book of Redemption.” Even before the oppression begins, the keys to redemption are...

Mar 8, 2024, 12:17 AM

Featured Post

Better when I’m dancin’ (on Simchat Torah)

Women dancing with Torah scrolls. (Facebook)

Celebrating the annual completion of reading the Torah is not reserved for the intellectual, ivory-tower educated elite, but for everyone - including women

Jun 3, 2022, 6:51 AM

Wavin’ the (Israeli) Flag

A Palestinian flag is removed from a building by Israeli authorities after being put up by an advocacy group that promotes coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis, in Ramat Gan, Israel, June 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

Flags are on the news and on our minds this week. Flags also play a prominent role in the book of Bamidbar. Parshat Naso continues to describe the layout of the camp of Israel, where the people were situated...

Feb 3, 2022, 10:18 AM

Whoopi Goldberg and us

If you share my interests and values then your social media feed was probably also filled with posts of outrage over the inappropriate and mistaken words spoken by Whoopi Goldberg on “The View” recently. “The Holocaust isn’t about race”?!?...

Jan 21, 2022, 1:01 AM

A Deeper Response to Colleyville

The attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas last Shabbat has left us to yet again process the rise of antisemitism in the US and the world. Parshat Yitro sheds some light on how we can think about this. Various...

Dec 31, 2021, 6:40 AM

Is there a way back for abusers?

When someone inflicts widespread, deep and recurring damage on others, are they able to repent? Is teshuvah always open to us, irrespective of the severity and repetitiveness of our actions? Parshat Va’era raises this issue, and the commentators provide...

May 19, 2021, 3:16 PM

How I got hacked by ‘Free Palestine’

Last week, I was away from my phone for 45 minutes. I came out of exercise class to find 75 WhatsApp messages saying things like “Why is your parsha group called Free Palestine?!” and “I think you’ve been hacked!”...

Apr 15, 2021, 5:02 PM

Celebrating Israel 2021

Yom Ha'atzmaut 2021. During the rest of the year we hear so many criticisms and complaints about Israel, from within and without. But today is the day to celebrate everything that is so beautiful and incredible about our country....

Sep 16, 2020, 4:10 PM

Featured Post

Learning from the women: The High Holidays during the coronavirus

It is mothers in particular, from the Bible to the current day, whose experiences help us navigate our uncertain, disturbing time, beginning with ’this too shall pass’

About Me

Karen Miller Jackson is a Morat Halakha, Jewish educator and writer who teaches at Matan HaSharon and beyond. She is currently writing a book on aggada in Talmud Berakhot through the Matan Kitvuni fellowship program. She is also a member of the second cohort of Sacks Scholars. Karen is the creator of #PowerParsha (a brief dvar Torah disseminated weekly via social media), host of the Eden Center podcast “Women & Wellbeing”, and founder of Kivun l’Sherut, a guidance program for religious girls before sherut le’umi or army service.

Contact Me