rabbijonathanfMay 43 minFrom Tears to Joy: Yom Hazikaron to Yom HaatzmautLast summer after our daughter Meirah’s high school graduation we visited Salzburg, Austria where my mother’s family is from. We saw the...
rabbijonathanfApr 144 minThe Mysterious Fifth Cup of ElijahAt the beginning of our family Seder when I was growing up my grandfather used to fill a cup of grape juice and place it in the center of...
rabbijonathanfSep 12, 20218 minBeyond Conflict: Forgiving Others, Forgiving Ourselves -YK 2012Sam is lonely so he goes to buy a bird that talks. But when he brings the bird home, the bird does not stop cursing. At first Sam asks...
rabbijonathanfSep 12, 20216 minEmbracing the Israel Challenge -RH 2021Early Zionist Chasidim working the Land of Israel For many of you, this is your first Rosh Hashanah in Israel, and maybe even your first...
rabbijonathanfApr 14, 20218 minIsrael: A Country Built on Miracles In May 1948, 5 Arab armies were poised to invade the new state of Israel. All the Jews had in their arsenal were rifles and machine guns...
rabbijonathanfFeb 4, 20213 minRabbi Dr. Avraham Twerski zt’l: Fearless Advocate for Those Suffering From Mental Health Issues and The recognition upon his passing of Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski zt’l has already shown us the many facets of his greatness. Over the years...
rabbijonathanfNov 11, 20205 minRabbi Jonathan Sacks: The Loss of a Jewish Global VisionaryThe Jewish world and the whole world have lost a great teacher and leader, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Rabbi Sacks was an unparalleled scholar,...
rabbijonathanfOct 1, 20203 minComing Together on Yom Kippur Under the Stars in the Center of Tel AvivThe two renowned Chasidic masters, the brothers Rav Elimelech and Rav Zusha were rounded up with some of the simple folk they used to...
rabbijonathanfSep 17, 20204 minFlying High on Rosh Hashanah Many of us have childhood memories of a scary scene from a movie. In mine, the hero is trapped in a room with metal walls, and a suddenly...
rabbijonathanfApr 28, 20205 minYom Haatzmaut Reflections: Israel -Jewish State or State for the Jews? At the beginning of the Zionist movement in 1903, the British offered the ‘Uganda Plan’, which would have relocated Jews fleeing the...
rabbijonathanfApr 17, 20205 minQuarantine Diaries: How Is Israel Different From Other Countries: A Unique Passover Passover in Israel during Conovirus has been a unique experience. Unfortunately, thousands of individuals were alone for Seder. Many of...
rabbijonathanfMar 31, 20204 minQuarantine Diaries: Lessons from a Global Crisis There are many comic interludes posted online, and humor is an effective outlet in these anxious times. One good post was: “G-d could we...
rabbijonathanfMar 12, 20204 min Quarantine Diaries: Responding to the ChallengeI have now been in quarantine for six days, and while I have mostly been able to keep my spirits up despite the isolation, there are...
rabbijonathanfMar 8, 20205 minQuarantine Diaries: AIPAC, Israel and the Unity of PurimLast week I attended the AIPAC conference in DC, an inspiring three-day gathering of pro-Israel conferences, lobbying, and general...
rabbijonathanfFeb 6, 20204 minRip Van Winkle, Tu B’Shvat and the Secret of Jewish PerseveranceFour months ago, a friend gave my wife a small sapling kumquat tree as a birthday present. We replanted it into a bigger pot, and every...
rabbijonathanfJan 2, 20204 minJewish Genius, the Times Op-Ed Controversy, and the TalmudBrett Stephens’ recent Op-ed on The Secret of Jewish Genius generated much discussion and controversy. I believe the most important but...
rabbijonathanfDec 22, 20193 minWho Is The 'Real' Jew?Who is the ‘real’ Jew, the genius scientist, the pious Rabbinic scholar, or the nebby actor? For the early Zionists, it was none of...
rabbijonathanfNov 17, 20193 minThe Soul of Shabbat and the Big Shabbat Dinner Here is the d'var Torah I shared at the service before the dinner (to only 200 people, by the time 1000 young adults were there...
rabbijonathanfNov 10, 20193 minWhy Wasn't Our Family Store Looted on Kristallnacht ?Why Wasn’t Our Family Store Looted on Kristallnacht? This picture shows Nazi soldiers standing in front of the store our family owned and...
rabbijonathanfOct 25, 20194 minThe Miracle of Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv: A PostcriptYom Kippur in Tel Aviv is a remarkable experience. You would think that I would say ‘Yom Kippur in Jerusalem is a remarkable experience’,...