Our guest this week is Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg, Senior Rabbi of the United Hebrew congregation in St.Louis, MO. Rabbi Rosenberg, who has been at United Hebrew since 2004, received her BA in Religion and Culture from Boston University and her M.A.H.L and rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Cincinnati, OH) in 2001. Before coming to United Hebrew Congregation, Rabbi Rosenberg served as Regional Director of Admissions and Recruitment for Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to her work at United Hebrew, Rabbi Rosenberg is a board member of the CCAR (Central Conference of American Rabbis). She has also served on various boards in the St. Louis Jewish community – the Central Agency for Jewish Education (CAJE), Nishmah – The St. Louis Jewish Women’s Project and the St. Louis Hillel Foundation. She is a past president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association (SLRA) and was a council member of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). Rabbi Rosenberg currently serves on the Jewish Federation’s Board of Trustees.
This week's Torah Portion – Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18) – contains a vast number of laws given to the people of Israel, including laws concerning slaves, murder and theft, restitution, and a myriad of other social and religious matters. Our conversation focuses on the multitude of laws that are given in the parasha, on the idea of Judaism as a religion of action, and on some of the problems that the portion presents the modern reader with.
Our past discussions of parashat mishpatim:
Rabbi Daniel Weiner on the role of restrictive laws and prohibitions in Judaism
Rabbi Peter Berg on the exceptionally severe punishment given to children who curse their parents
