Hot Off the Shtender

Hot Off the Shtender is a weekly blog that explores texts and reflections from the bet midrash. Lovingly referred to as “HOTS,” this is a SVARA resource you won’t want to miss.

A collection of many volumes of Talmud. They are placed on a shelf, one after the other, and all of them have a blue piece of tape on the binding that reads, "SVARA".

As Our Learning Leads to Action

October 27, 2023

by Bronwen Mullin

In preparation for the start of this zman (semester) of learning at SVARA, which many of us began this week,…

A dark image depicts someone holding a vigil candle up toward their face. They are wearing a mask and looking at the flame of the candle, and little else can be seen in the background.

Jewish and Queer Grief Technologies to Meet This Moment

October 20, 2023

by Elliot Kukla

In 1990 I was fifteen years old and freshly out as queer at my first Pride. Back then, Pride was…

The branches of a tree hang low to the ground, barely touching the surface of the water beneath it. A lake stretches out into the distance, and it seems that the greenery is slowly fading to yellow.

A Stolen Lulav

October 6, 2023

by Laynie Soloman

“What is my lulav good for in a collapsing world?” I asked myself this while sitting in my sukkah the…

Two books are open on a dark wooden table. The first is opened to its title page, which reads, "What Judaism Teaches by Rebecca Namiat: Gems from Bible, Talmud, and other Literatures." The other book is not identifiable, but has an intricate wood-carved print on its page.

Note to Self: Choose Life

September 8, 2023

by Jhos Singer

This is the last Hot Off The Shtender of 5783. Rosh Hashana allegedly marks the birthday of the world, but…

A large room is filled with SVARA-niks who are studying at long tables in the bet midrash.

And To the Students of Their Students

September 1, 2023

by Lauren Tuchman

For years, people would ask me if I wanted to be a professor. Perhaps that question stems from a deep…

Two SVARA-niks learn together in the bet midrash. The table is crowded with dictionaries, masechtot, and Talmud resources.

Letting Go of Our Lizard

August 25, 2023

by Ren Finkel

This Elul, SVARA’s Mishnah Collective is taking some time to dive into Rambam’s Hilkhot Teshuva. In true Rambam fashion, his…

A group of SVARA-niks stand together in a circle outdoors, with tall evergreen trees behind them.

Mycelial Magic of Codification

August 18, 2023

by Laynie Soloman

In the first halakha class I ever took, we sat in a circle, opened up a book called the Mishnah…

A stack of masechtot sit on a windowsill, soaked in sunlight. A coffee cup sits beside them.

When Trying is More Than Enough

August 11, 2023

by Maggie Kraus

A very hot take: I love when the summer ends. Don’t get me wrong, this folkloric season brings with it…

Rabbi Mónica hugs a learner at the registration table for Queer Talmud Camp.

Akiva, You Have Comforted Me

August 4, 2023

by Mónica Gomery

Nichum or nechemta, which mean comfort and consolation, are key words at this point in the Jewish calendar. We’ve…

A learner sits in the bet midrash with a stack of materials beside them. Their notebook, as well as a masechet full of pink sticky notes, sits to the right of them.

Seeking an Incomplete Comfort

July 28, 2023

by Becky Silverstein

One of my earliest memories from my time at Gann Academy, a pluralistic Jewish high school where I taught before…

A SVARA-nik sits in the bet midrash, with a masechet, a dictionary, and an alef-bet ruler in front of them. They are looking intently at Benay who sits across from them.

A Season of So Many Questions

July 21, 2023

by Bronwen Mullin

As a member of SVARA’s teaching team, I get asked a lot of questions. Being in conversation with our learning…

Lamenting Across Time

July 14, 2023

by Alyx Bernstein

Growing up, my mum, whose grandparents hailed from the Jewish community of the island of Rhodes, would always cut any…