The Jewish Internet with Mark Mietkiewicz

If your Rosh Hashanah resolution included learning more Torah, it’s never too late to get started. There are many excellent websites geared toward promoting regular Torah study through the weekly portion, parshat hashavua (http://bit.ly/shavua1) But sometimes, you might want to take a break from the classical commentators or might want help teaching the parsha to your kids. Or have a bit of fun. Here’s where to find what you’re looking for.

Rabbi Yael Buechler believes in keeping the weekly Torah portion at the tips of her fingers, literally. At MidrashManicures.com, she has created art to grace her fingernails which is tied thematically to parshat hashavua. For example, for Bereshit (the Creation), her nails include the creation of light, the division of the firmament, the earth sprouting vegetation and of course, the first Shabbat.

Why nails? “Re-envisioning education is what this is all about,” Buechler told the New York Times. “If I said come to a Midrash course, I’d have five or six students. But Midrash Manicures? Twenty plus (http://bit.ly/shavua2).”

Do you think you really know the weekly portion? The folks at Illinois’ Joliet Jewish Congregation will keep you on their toes with a crossword puzzle for every parsha. Bonus content: there are word search puzzles and word jumbles for most Jewish holidays too (http://bit.ly/shavua3).

For something different, go to Torah Tidbits and click on Parsha Pix & Stats. Every week you’ll get a screen full of pictures that relate in some way to the Torah portion. Sometimes that relationship is straightforward; sometimes the connection is a bit cryptic (http://bit.ly/shavua4). If you happen to love Torah and statistics, then you’ve come to the right place. Did you know that Parshat Bereshit has 146 verses? It ranks eighth in the Torah — the same as Miketz; but Miketz is longer in lines, words and letters. Well, now you know (http://bit.ly/shavua5).

Torahific ($0.99) is an iOS app that provides riddles about each weekly Torah portion. Questions are drawn from the Midrash, Rashi and other classical commentators:

Q: Adam named all the creatures according to their unique nature. Why did he name the dog “kelev”?

A: A dog is called “kelev,” which means “kol lev” (all heart). This name thus describes the loyalty and love that a dog possesses for its owner (and for no one else!)…The name of this creature should inspire us also to be completely faithful and loving to our Master (http://bit.ly/shavua10).

Why should the adults have all the fun? Chabad.org’s Parsha for Kids presents a family-oriented summary of each weekly portion, along with themed songs and videos with Muppet-like characters (http://bit.ly/shavua6). For more for kids, check out Torah Tots’ Parsha on Parade (http://bit.ly/shavua7) and Akhlah: Torah for Children (http://bit.ly/shavua8).

It’s quite rare that you come across a site that is educational and mouth-watering at the same time; TorahPortions is (http://bit.ly/shavua9). As Suri Rosen explains, “Torah Portions is my attempt to develop Shabbos dishes that connect to the weekly Parsha reading, both literally and conceptually.”

Those connections are rarely obvious, and always witty, and delicious. For example:

• Parshat Balak tells the famous story about the prophet Balaam who was summoned to curse the Jewish people. Balaam’s donkey didn’t take too kindly to his master’s mission and told him so.

Suri’s culinary take: Burrito is Spanish for “little donkey.”

• Parshat Naso tells of the nazir who takes a vow to abstain from wine and grapes and to allow the growth of the hair of his head to grow wild.

Suri’s culinary take: She pays homage to the nazir’s uncut hair as symbolized by  a plate of spaghettini.

• Parshat Terumah contains the instructions for building the portable Mishkan (tabernacle), which the Israelites would carry through their wandering in the Sinai.

Suri’s culinary take: Onion rings. Huh? Onion rings which are hung on skewers that are reminiscent of the rods used to transport the Mishkan. A great site.

Mark Mietkiewicz may be reached at highway@rogers.com.