Zoë Lang, at The Blogs

Zoë Lang

Apr 2, 2023, 9:03 PM

Time and obligation: A Pesach reflection

A basic disagreement between two amoraim: where do we begin the story of Pesach? Rav says from the time of our ancestors the idol worshipers, whereas Shmuel states from the time of Egyptian bondage (Pesachim 116a). One common response...

Oct 19, 2022, 6:52 PM

The wide and wonderful world of women’s tefillah

Recently, I had a conversation about women’s tefillah groups, during which I stated that I had been involved with several of them in different capacities over the past few years. The person I was talking to told me that...

Jun 10, 2022, 2:35 PM

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Giving voice to pain

'Praying Jew,' Aleksander Grodzicki, 1893. (Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Moses reaches out to God on behalf of Miriam with profound vulnerability, and thereby teaches the essence of authentic prayer (Behaalotcha)

Mar 25, 2022, 3:15 PM

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Courage in the face of fear

'Fire From Heaven Consumes the Sacrifice,' by James Tissot (1836-1902). (public domain)

The specter of the Golden Calf blocks Aaron from doing his priestly duties, but Moses talks him out of his fear - with one word (Shemini)

Jan 20, 2022, 9:21 PM

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All of us stood at Sinai: On being Orthodox and single

'Descent from Mount Sinai,' by Cosimo Rosselli and his assistants, a fresco in the Sistine Chapel, Rome, 1481–1482. (Wikipedia)

Many of our leaders have been married for a long time, which makes crucial that they learn what single people need from the single people themselves

Sep 3, 2021, 2:18 PM

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Dwelling among stuff: Reflections on Tractate Sukkah

Illustrative. A full moving truck. (iStock)

Studying a page of Talmud each day wasn't going to making moving house easy, but Tractate Sukkah did show me how to dwell temporarily in a place

Jan 22, 2021, 1:50 PM

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Amorphous time

Syringes containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine sit in a tray in a vaccination room at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, January 7, 2021. (AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong)

When the Israelites prepared to leave Egypt, they knew what they needed to do, yet could not have known what would follow - a sentiment that resonates today (Bo)

About Me

Zoë Lang is on the faculty of Maimonides School in Brookline, where she teaches Jewish history. She is also the Director of Ma'ayan, an organization that creates text-based learning opportunities throughout the greater Boston area. She lives in Brighton, MA.