Author

  • Ilana Kurshan

    Ilana Kurshan teaches Talmud at the CY. She is the author of If All the Seas Were Ink (St. Martin’s Press, 2017) and Why is This Night Different From All Other Nights (Schocken, 2005). She has a degree in History of Science from Harvard and in English literature from Cambridge, and has worked in literary publishing both in New York and in Jerusalem – as a translator, a foreign rights agent, and as the Books Editor of Lilith Magazine. Since October 2020, Ilana has been a regular contributor to Torah Sparks, FJC’s weekly parashat hashavuah blog.

Moshe's Memoir

Moshe’s Memoir

Deuteronomy presents an interesting paradox to the literary reader of the Bible in the form of Moshe's memoir.
A Lyric of Love

A Lyric of Love

Parashat Masei opens with a long list of all the encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness and discusses a lyric of love.
Marriage (and) Vows

Marriage (and) Vows

Our parashah begins with the laws governing oaths and vows. Then the Torah discusses the various types of vows and how they are used.
Moshe's Forced Retirement

Moshe’s Forced Retirement

At the end of the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, Moshe’s job is terminated prematurely. This explores Moshe's forced retirement.
The Unwanted Gaze

The Unwanted Gaze

In Parashat Balak, the Moabite king Balak hires Bilaam to curse his Israelite neighbors. Bilaam notices the prevention of the unwanted gaze.
Spare the Rod

Spare the Rod

This week's parashah, Chukat, focuses on the story of Moshe hitting the rock, choosing not to spare the rod, to get water.
Disputations Without Denigrations

Disputation Without Denigration

Korach and his followers, a rebellion undermining the leadership of Moshe and Aaron, teach about disputation without denigration.
Spies and Tzitzit: Camela and Death

Spies and Tzitzit: Camels and Death

Our parashah is bookended by the story of the spies and tzitzit. This leads to a discussion on the obligation of mitzvot.
Lamps Give Light

Lamps Give Lights

Behaalotcha describes the appointment of seventy elders to help judge the people and leadership in terms of the phrase "lamps give light."
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Our parashah describes the laws of the Nazir, one who elects to take a vow of consecration to God for a certain period of time. ...