6 days agoErev Rosh HaShana 5784When faced with a challenging problem, the founder of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov, would go to a certain place in the woods, light a fire, and sing a prayer. In this way, he found insight into his dilemma. His successor, Rabbi Dov Ber, followed his example, went to the…Judaism5 min readJudaism5 min read
6 days agoThe sound of our emotions.Nu? How are you today? Today, Rosh ha Shana 5784, how are you feeling? Are you in a good mood or in a bad mood? Let me reformulate: what are your feelings on Rosh Hashana? I know the answer. The most sincere answer is: boredom. “I feel really, really bored”…Rosh Hashanah6 min readRosh Hashanah6 min read
Sep 9“You stand firm.”We are now reaching the end of the Torah. We are reading the last portions of Deuteronomy. This week’s Torah portion, Netzavim, is the concluding part of the speech given by Moses to the Israelites. Picture the scene. The Israelites are standing in front of Moses, and he speaks to…Judaism5 min readJudaism5 min read
Sep 3Was Berlusconi good for the Jews?My article on the last issue of Sussex Jewish NewsItaly1 min readItaly1 min read
Aug 5Thou shall not killThere is a fascinating debate about capital punishment in the Mishna [Makkot 1:10]. Rabbi Azariah says that a Sanhedrin [a Court] that executes once in seventy years should be called bloodthirsty. Two learned and pious Rabbis (Akiba and Tarfon) point out that, had they been members of the Sanhedrin, none…Judaism5 min readJudaism5 min read
Jul 29Beware the MessiahSome years ago, on a brisk Sunday morning, I received a phone call from a number I did not recognise. The caller had found my mobile phone number on our website. With a frantic voice, he told me that he was the Messiah. …Judaism8 min readJudaism8 min read
Jul 15A VOW IS A VOW IS A VOWA VOW IS A VOW IS A VOW You probably have heard the Hebrew expression bli neder בלי נדר, common in Israel and among Jews on both sides of the Atlantic. Bli neder literally means “without vowing”. It is added to any causal promise to avoid it being taken as…Judaism6 min readJudaism6 min read
Jul 8My friend Sergio and the BBCI am often invited to visit schools to talk to the students. It’s a significant part of my job. I want to allow the students to meet with a Rabbi in person to learn about Judaism and Jewish culture without the mediation of their teachers. …Israel6 min readIsrael6 min read
May 27The Sotah, the Nazir and the blessing that explains it allThe Sotah, the Nazir and the blessing that explains it all Are you looking for a piece of text to show that Judaism is a patriarchal religion? Do you believe that Judaism is a barbaric, horrible set of beliefs, dangerous, especially for women? Don’t look further, you’ve found it, and…Parashat Hashavua5 min readParashat Hashavua5 min read
May 15A very telling locationDid you hear of the demonstrations against the Foreign policy of the English Government in front of an Anglican church? No, neither did I. And what about the protest against the Iranian Government near a mosque ? No, that also I haven’t heard about. But, lucky I am, last Sunday…Judaism5 min readJudaism5 min read
