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 group of SVARA-niks are standing in a room. In the foreground, Binya is holding a silver cup. Their face is turned towards the cup, though their eyes are closed. They are wearing a floral tank top and a white-and-purple shawl.

The Trans Halakha Project: Moving Us Toward the Next Unrecognizable Future

April 2, 2021

by Becky Silverstein

In 2014, a few weeks before I was ordained a rabbi, SVARA’s President & Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Benay Lappe, gave…

A group of SVARA-niks are sitting in the bet midrash, looking off to the left of the photo. Behind them, there is a rainbow painted on the wall of the bet midrash, with a blue-and-green background.

Finding Comfort in the Curmudgeonly

March 26, 2021

by Ren Finkel

Between our one-year anniversary and our Masechet Avot Chapter 4 siyyum, it has been a really big couple of weeks…

There are three large, thick tree trunks in the foreground, with more trees in the background. A SVARA-nik in the distance lies on a hammock between two of the trees, reading a book.

Becoming Forever Upside-Down

March 5, 2021

by Hayley Goldstein

I never thought I’d spend Purim day on the phone with Wildlife Rescue trying to save a small, injured bird.…

Members of SVARA faculty stand on a stage. They are waving their hands in the air and smiling or making other goofy faces.

Knowing and Not Knowing: Celebrating the Expansiveness of Torah

February 26, 2021

by Lauren Tuchman

Today, I remember. I remember vividly the all-consuming sadness I felt last Purim, as the sun was setting and my…

Two SVARA-niks sit at a table in the bet midrash. One, on the left, has their palms up.

Is the Talmud Really What We Say It Is?

February 19, 2021

by Laynie Soloman

Over this year, as we’ve moved through continued isolation and exile amidst a global pandemic, I have found the bet…

The Word That Changed The World

February 12, 2021

by Benay Lappe

Until I came out and went Option 2 on nearly everything in my life, I had wanted to be a…

Two standing SVARA-niks stand next to a SVARA-nik sitting at a table. One of the standing SVARA-niks is handing the sitting one a Talmud.

Elevating Wise People Elevates Wisdom

February 5, 2021

by Ayana Morse

Many moons ago, I was part of a political theatre collective in Boston. We were a small group, performing original…

A SVARA-nik, standing and wearing fairy wings, hands a sitting SVARA-nik a Talmud. They are both smiling.

It’s Not What You Know, It’s How You Know It

January 29, 2021

by Laynie Soloman

Teachers have always set me on edge. In third grade I was labeled a “gifted underachiever.” I’m not quite sure…

A group of SVARA-niks, a few of whom are playing guitars, sit around a campfire at night.

CRASH HOTS

Resetting the Ritual Clock

January 22, 2021

by Becky Silverstein

This week, I’ve heard the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris described in several ways: as a new…

CRASH HOTS

The Future in its Infancy

January 15, 2021

by Benay Lappe

I remember what it was like to be on the road, and get lost, before I had a GPS. I’d…

A SVARA-nik sits in the bet midrash. In front of them, on the table, is a Talmud and a water bottle with "queer talmud nerd" written on it. They are covering their eyes with both hands.

The Talmud’s Queerspawn: Going Inside-Outside on the Siddur

January 8, 2021

by Mónica Gomery, Ari Lev Fornari

This week, in the wake of a white supremacist insurrection, incited from the highest powers of government and abetted by…

A group of SVARA-niks are sitting in the bet midrash, surrounded by wood-paneled walls and windows. Two SVARA-niks, in the foreground, are high-fiving, as many others look on.

Delighting in Our Learning

December 25, 2020

by Laynie Soloman

As we wrapped up our semester of weekly learning for the Teaching Kollel, I declared (as I often do!), that…