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.

The Pizza Toast

The Pizza Toast

Vaera opens with God reiterating the covenant made with Moshe's ancestors. What's the connection between this parshah and pizza toast?
Bridegroom of Blood

Bridegroom of Blood

Shemot describes the early years of Moshe’s life up to the pivotal moment when he is informed of his mission awaiting him in Egypt.
True Lovingkindness

True Lovingkindness

Parashat Vayechi chronicles the deaths of Jacob and his son, Joseph, both of whom provide explicit instructions regarding their burials.
Laden Wagons

Laden Wagons

In parashat Vayigash the patriarch Jacob learns the truth about his son Joseph, in realizing Joseph's laden wagons.
Glimmers of an Incandescent Light

Glimmers of an Incandescent Light

In parashat Miketz, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt, but unbeknownst to his sons, the ruler dispersing rations is their younger brother, Joseph.
From Despair to Repair

From Despair to Repair

In this week’s parashah, Judah's daughter-in-law Tamar tricks him into sleeping with her after she is not able to conceive with his sons.
The Struggles That Shape Us

The Struggles That Shape Us

On the eve of Jacob’s meeting with his brother Esau, he finds himself wrestling with a divine figure, winning, and receiving a new name.

A Spiritual Exercise

After leaving his father's home, Jacob dreams of God and experiences prayer for the first time. Learn about living in dialogue with God.
The Blinding of Isaac A Blessing in Disguise

The Blinding of Isaac: A Blessing in Disguise

In Toldot, Isaac, now the family patriarch, bestows the blessing of the firstborn on Jacob instead of Esau, when Jacob tricks him.
A Crown of Glory

A Crown of Glory

Parashat Chayei Sarah describes the final years of Abraham’s life, following the death of his wife Sarah and culminating in Abraham’s own death.