5 days agoThe 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
May 6On the coronation of King Charles IIIWell, thank you! Thank you for coming to shul this Shabbat; rather than spending your Saturday morning in front of the TV to take part in an I want a Christian ceremony. I am so grateful to you all, to each one of you. …King Charles Coronation8 min readKing Charles Coronation8 min read
May 1Musings Whilst Savouring the CheesecakeMy column on “Sussex Jewish News”, May 2023Judaism1 min readJudaism1 min read
Apr 29Why religion is not popular. With a note about Diane AbbottSo the Coronation is here, it will be one week from today. Details of the ceremony will be made public this evening at 10.00. Where? On the website of the Church of England. Lest we forget, the Coronation of King Charles is, first and foremost, a religious ceremony. He is…Diane Abbott5 min readDiane Abbott5 min read
Apr 8“The festival of freedom?” Not so fast!Jewish holidays are always an emotional experience, and many of them are based on family observance. Pesach is undoubtedly unique. It is the only holiday centred around children. Consider, for example, the Seder. It is all an educational enterprise. …Pesach5 min readPesach5 min read
Apr 1The threatening cheesecakeYou know that I am a proud Italian Jew, and I love Sephardi food (rice on Pesach? yes!). But I must admit that, at times, I cheat. I love the most Ashkenazi dessert ever: cheesecake. I would eat tons of it. I am sure many of you share my passion…Judaism6 min readJudaism6 min read
Mar 31This Reform Rabbi thinks you should not use the N-wordNakba, I mean. My column on the April issue of Sussex Jewish News. Sol Stern’s article is here.Nakba1 min readNakba1 min read
Mar 25Of pagans and sacrificesWe begin this week by reading the Book of Leviticus, a book with a terrible reputation. The opening of such a book, this week’s Torah portion, consists of instructions for the sacrifices. And we don’t like animal sacrifices. Later in the book, we find the to-do list for the Kohanim…Judaism6 min readJudaism6 min read
Mar 12“Do not boil the kid in its mother’s milk”Like in every Jewish text, in the Torah, there is narrative — a plot- and normative: rules and norms. Narrative: you can read the Torah to find a plot. This week’s portion, Ki Tissah, has much to offer. The episode of the Golden Calf: while Moses is on the top…Judaism6 min readJudaism6 min read
