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.

SVARA-niks are seated in the bet midrash together. Folks are sitting at tables full of texts and learning resources. The walls are blue and the image focuses on two chevrutas sitting across from one another. They are both smiling and looking towards someone outside of the frame.

Chevruta Outside the Bet Midrash

September 16, 2022

I’ve always been drawn to the practice of workshopping ideas. There’s something so energizing about the back and forth of…

A group of SVARA-niks are seated outside, learning Talmud together. It is a sunny day and green trees surround the folks learning.

Holy Mirrors

September 9, 2022

by Jhos Singer

I went on a whirlwind road trip recently to Los Angeles. Long story abbreviated: 50 years ago, in a universe…

A fairy stands beside a SVARA learner in the bet midrash. They are both looking at a page of Talmud together.

Drama in the Bet Hamikdash: The Little-Known Yom Kippur Weepfest

September 2, 2022

by Elaina Marshalek

Now that our holy and reflective month of Elul has begun, I have my sights set on Yom Kippur: the…

Three people stand in a circle to welcome in havdalah. They are smiling and singing together, and a havdalah candle burns towards the center of the image.

Blessed Motion

August 26, 2022

by Mónica Gomery

A few weeks ago, as the sun set and the stars appeared in the darkening sky, I headed out to…

Two people embrace one another in a large open field. It is a sunny day and large green trees stretch out behind them. The face of one person is visible, and they are smiling as their arms wrap around the shoulders of the other person.

A Force for Deep Connection

August 19, 2022

by Becky Silverstein

A few months ago, we added reciting the Shema to our toddler’s bedtime routine. Edie had experienced a language explosion…

Four people are gathered around a table in the bet midrash. Two of them are seated in chevruta and two are standing next to them. Everyone is focused on the text in front of them, and it appears that there is deliberation and deep attention being paid to the text.

CRASH HOTS

When a Text Needs to Crash

August 12, 2022

by Laynie Soloman

Content warning: this piece mentions a Talmudic text that deals with the theme of sexual violence. One morning during the…

Two chevrutas hold hands across the table in the bet midrash. The person on the left has brown hair and is wearing a mustard yellow sweater. The person on the right has blonde hair and is wearing a white long-sleeved shirt. They smile tenderly at each other.

A Strange Dance With Mourning

August 5, 2022

by Bronwen Mullin

This Saturday night, Jews around the world will observe the holiday of Tisha B’Av, which is a strange holiday for…

Two people share a glance in the bet midrash. The person on the left is seated, and the person on the right is standing and wearing fairy wings. The two seem to be in cheerful conversation together.

Honoring the Pain We Carry

July 29, 2022

by Jhos Singer

They say that aging is not for the faint of heart, and I can attest to that. With 63 in-the-body…

A group of people sit around a table in the bet midrash. Folks appear to be clapping up a person in the middle of the frame, who smiles and glances down at the volume of Talmud in front of them. Everyone is smiling and glancing towards the person in the center.

The Fullness of Every Word

July 22, 2022

by Elaina Marshalek

If you’ve ever learned with SVARA, you’ve learned that each and every word we stumble upon deserves a close, loving,…

Ten people sit at a table in the bet midrash. Everyone appears to be in lively conversation, with some folks looking towards the text in front of them while others look at their chevruta across the table.

Each and Every Thread: Witnessing Masechet Berachot

July 15, 2022

by Ren Finkel

Last week, new and returning SVARA-niks gathered to celebrate the re-launch of Mishnah Collective. What began two years ago as…

Learners at Queer Talmud Camp can be seen in the distance walking across a large open meadow. The grass is a deep yellow and small hills rise out of a stand of trees in the background.

Svara in Spades

July 8, 2022

by Ayana Morse

This is quite a moment in time. As we find ourselves living with a judicial system that is reversing, contesting,…

A group of SVARA-niks stand in a circle with havdalah candles burning. The person in the center of the frame reads a blessing as others look on.

Becoming Halakhically Ungovernable

July 1, 2022

by Laynie Soloman

Though it’s a bit over oversimplified, many folks often characterize our tradition as “legalistic.” As a Talmud-lover, I get it.…