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Paula Jacobs

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Aug 6, 2025, 8:15 PM

Nachamu, Nachamu: A Time for Comfort and Healing

Hostages, war, mass shootings, political turmoil, and worldwide antisemitism. It’s been a difficult year: 50 hostages still captive in Gaza including 28 confirmed dead, chilling Hamas hostage videos, a seemingly interminable war in Gaza, hundreds of Israeli casualties, over...

Jul 31, 2025, 11:02 PM

Words Matter: Parashat Devarim, Shabbat Hazon

Recently a long-time friend asked to set up time to hear my perspective on various American political issues. Because I strongly value this friendship, I have always avoided discussing politics with my dear friend whose views are at polar...

Jul 17, 2025, 4:45 PM

Politics and the Bimah: Where to Draw the Line

I have always appreciated when rabbis relate the weekly Torah portion to current events. Whether it’s food insecurity in the U.S. and the obligation to feed the poor, remembering the “ger” or stranger and protecting immigrants, or appointing judges...

Jun 19, 2025, 11:34 PM

Parashat Shelach: Perception vs. Reality, Welcoming Immigrants

My community outside of Boston has long welcomed immigrants. At the beginning of the 20th century, Jewish and Italian immigrants came to work in the factories, later establishing shops and other local businesses. In the 1980’s when the Former...

Mar 16, 2025, 10:45 PM

COVID-19 Five Years Later: Time to Move On

In this past week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa, we read how the Israelites fashioned a golden calf while Moses was atop Mount Sinai. As Divine Retribution for their sin, the Israelites were to be punished with a plague, although...

Mar 5, 2025, 10:57 PM

Documenting October 7 for Posterity

When I first heard the horrific news from Israel on that fateful October 7th day in 2023, my thoughts immediately turned to Chaim Nachman Bialik’s poem, “On the Slaughter” which he wrote in 1903 as a young...

Feb 5, 2025, 12:19 AM

Serah bat Asher, Lessons for Today: Parshat Beshallach

When reading this week’s Torah portion, Beshallach, what often comes to mind is the picture of Moses miraculously splitting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22) as depicted in Hollywood movies. For me, this verse also evokes the image of someone...

Jun 7, 2024, 9:35 AM

Climbing the mountain to Shavuot

As I write these words, it is June 6th, the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landing in Normandy. I’ve just listened to President Biden’s inspiring words about the ideals that American GIs fought for during World War II and...

Oct 4, 2023, 5:43 AM

Sukkot: Lessons of Gratitude from a Flood

I have always regarded the Festival of Sukkot as “Z’man Simchatenu,” the season of our joy as mentioned in the Torah (Leviticus 23:40). Following on the heels of the solemn High Holidays, I have enjoyed this joyful holiday, even...

May 30, 2022, 10:12 PM

Lighting the Yahrzeit Candle for a Broken World

This week, I light two memorial candles: tonight is the first yahrzeit of my dear friend Shirley, who died last year on 1 Sivan. Tomorrow night, my memories will turn to my beloved father, who died on 2 Sivan,...

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About Me

Paula Jacobs is a Boston area writer. She has published in a variety of digital and print publications including Tablet Magazine, the Forward, and The Jerusalem Post.