In Parshat Vayigash, the family of Jacob move to Egypt; the first “diaspora community.” And here, our midrashim and commentaries give us pause to think about how Jews keep their identity as a minority amongst a majority culture.
I would like to refer to two very different sources:
Click here to read more from this week’s Parsha Discussion by Rabbi Alex Israel on Vayigash: Jewish Survival?
Alex teaches Bible at Pardes and is the Director of the Community Education Program and the Summer Program. Alex was born and raised in London. He holds degrees from London School of Economics, the Institute of Education London and Bar-Ilan University. Alex studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion under Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Yehudah Amital, and gained Rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Rabbinate. Click here to read more. You can find books written by Alex by clicking here
