Your family argues about Israel. Your cousin won’t budge, your uncle talks too loud, and somehow… you’re all still coming to the Seder.

Right now, across the Jewish world, these conversations are straining relationships and even synagogues, with deep disagreements about Israel shaping how we see ourselves and each other. But maybe that’s not a failure of the Seder, maybe it’s the point. Pesach was never about uniformity; it’s about telling a shared story across difference, holding multiple voices at one table, and choosing to stay in relationship even when it’s hard. The question isn’t how we stop arguing, it’s whether we can keep showing up.

This Passover - Stay At The Table🍷

When Jews Gather, the Sanctuary Lives Torah from Boca with Rabbi David Baum

What makes a synagogue the “largest” in America? Is it the size of the building, the beauty of the architecture, or the number of people who belong to it?

In this episode of Torah from Boca, Rabbi David Baum explores that question through the lens of Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei and the Torah’s description of the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary built by the Israelites in the wilderness.

At a time when synagogues around the world are facing threats and attacks, this teaching reminds us of a deeper truth in Jewish tradition: long before we had buildings, we were already a people.

The Mishkan was not only about gold, silver, and sacred design. It was about a community gathering together to create holy space.

Because in Judaism, the sanctuary truly lives when Jews gather together.

📖 Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei 🎙 Torah from Boca with Rabbi David Baum 📍 Congregation Shaarei Kodesh – Boca Raton, Florida - www.shaareikodesh.org

Subscribe to Torah from Boca for weekly reflections on Torah, Jewish life, and the questions that shape our world today.

In this episode of Torah from Boca, Rabbi David Baum reflects on an unexpected source of inspiration: the Super Bowl halftime show and the cultural conversation that followed. After a personal Facebook post about growing up Jewish in Miami reached far beyond his usual audience, Rabbi Baum turned the moment into a sermon exploring Parashat Mishpatim and the Torah’s repeated command to care for the stranger.

“What Does Home Sound Like? A Miami-Born Rabbi on Bad Bunny and the Torah of the Stranger” weaves together memories of a multilingual childhood, a powerful encounter with a stranger, and Jewish teachings about empathy, belonging, and American identity. This episode invites listeners to consider how music, culture, and Torah can expand our understanding of what it means to feel at home, even when the rhythm is unfamiliar.