09/03/2026
From RabbiClaudia Kreiman's Shabbat Nitzavim-Vayelech message:
"This is the last Shabbat of the year, and in it we read the double Torah portion of Nitzavim-Vayelech. The opening of Nitzavim includes powerful words:
אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי הֹ’ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
“You stand this day, all of you, before the Eternal, your God” (Deuteronomy 29:9).
I love the insistence of the Torah here. It could have simply said, “All Israel is standing here.” Instead, it names the people who might otherwise be overlooked: the women and children, the strangers, those who occupy the margins of the community, those whose work is essential but whose names are rarely remembered. And then it makes clear that they too are standing before God. They too are part of the covenant. They too belong.
It feels especially poignant to read these words today as we learn about the passing of Gloria Steinem, an American journalist, feminist, and activist who dedicated her life to women’s rights and became one of the most important voices of the modern women’s movement."
Read the full message here: https://www.tbzbrookline.org/2026/09/parshat-nitzavim-vayelech-september-3-2026/
