In Song: Korach
Each week The Arty Semite connects the Torah reading — however tenuously — with a classic work of rock and roll.
This week’s parsha is Korach, named after the man who, along with his lackeys, tries to instigate a rebellion against Moses’ leadership. They fail, as God weighs in on Moses’ side and sends Korach and his 250 supporters down a crack in the earth to be incinerated.
The people who complain about the harshness of the punishment are, in turn, smitten by plague. Aaron’s status as High Priest is affirmed by a simple test, when his staff miraculously sprouts almonds and the staves of the chieftains of the other tribes do not.
Finally, a summary of the tithes and gifts due to the Levites and Cohanim (priests) is given.
Why I became the Forward’s editor-in-chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
— Alyssa Katz, editor-in-chief
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