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.

Flags at the Shabbat Table

Flags at the Shabbat Table

In this week’s parashah we learn that the Israelites traveled through the wilderness like a troop of soldiers or a marching band.
Showered in Blessing

Showered in Blessing

Parashat Bechukotai consists of a litany of blessings and curses that will befall the Jewish people depending on whether or not we obey God.
Given Over to the Heart

Given Over to the Heart

While this week's parashah mainly focuses on shmitah, this Dvar Torah explores a line in the parashah, focusing on how to treat others.
Among the Bearded Barley

Among the Bearded Barley

Parshat Emor describes the Omer offering must be brought on the “day after the Sabbath," the second day of the Passover holiday.
How Old is Old?

How Old Is Old?

Public buses in Israel feature a sign that quotes from a verse in this week’s parashah: “You shall rise before the aged'' (Leviticus 19:32).
I Need Your Sacrifices After All

I Need Your Sacrifices After All

This week’s parashah contains God’s instructions to Moshe concerning Aaron’s entrance into the Holy of Holies to achieve atonement.
One Mouth Per Person

One Mouth Per Person

The dangers of inappropriate speech are connected to the parashah, Metzora, the person stricken with leprosy.
Far From the Tree

Far From the Tree

Tazria takes its name from conception and childbirth. Ilana Kurshan connects this to bearing fruit, both literally and metaphorically.
Keeping Our Cool

Keeping Our Cool

When we lash out angrily at others, it is not really we who are speaking, but the evil inclination that takes control of us from ...
The Perpetual Flame

The Perpetual Flame

Parashat Tzav teaches us that in those moments when we don’t feel we have anything to offer, we offer nonetheless.