2 days agoThe silence of JacobThere is a strange passage at the beginning of this week’s reading, Gen 35:2. “Jacob said to his household: Get rid of the foreign gods” אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר Foreign gods? Why does the household of Jacobs have foreign gods, in other words, idols? This household has been monotheistic for three or…Torahportions5 min readTorahportions5 min read
4 days agoToday, November 30Today, the Jewish world remembers the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands. This is the article I published in the current issue of Sussex Jewish News.1 min read1 min read
Nov 25Children and stones. A Davar Torah on Parashat VayetzeYou know, you should learn Hebrew. I will explain why, but for the moment, let us talk about this week’s Torah portion, Vayetze. The first thing you notice about Vayetze in the Torah Scroll is that it almost has no interruptions. It is a long, massive block of text without…Torahportions7 min readTorahportions7 min read
Nov 18WHY YOU SHOULD RALLY FOR ISRAEL AND WHAT ABRAHAM HAS TO DO WITH THATWHY YOU SHOULD RALLY FOR ISRAEL AND WHAT ABRAHAM HAS TO DO WITH THAT On Tuesday, almost 300.000 Jews rallied in Washington DC in support of Israel. They were Jews from every stripe, from the Democratic Left (some of them even Socialist) like the Reconstructionists to the avowed Right-wingers of…Israel9 min readIsrael9 min read
Nov 11On nationalism. A sermon in view of Remembrance SundayEvery year, when Remembrance Sunday approaches, I, a Rabbi, feel so uncomfortable. Remembrance Sunday is a day devoted to the memory of those fallen in war. Of all the wars. It is not a glorification of war -far from it- but somebody uses the day to glorify the war. …Nationalism7 min readNationalism7 min read
Nov 4What we have learnt [on Parashat Vayeira]Jewish tradition marks the first month after a loss with a special ceremony — the Shloshim. After the Shloshim, one begins to return to the usual habits. One is still an avel, a mourner, but gradually returns to life as it was before the loss. …Torahportions8 min readTorahportions8 min read
Oct 31My review of J. Wallis-Simmons, “Israelophobia”“Sussex Jewish News”, November 2023 At a second reading, I thought a good title could have been “What do they mean when they talk of apartheid in Israel”.1 min read1 min read
Oct 28Abraham, the military leaderIf I mention Abraham, our Patriarch, you'll probably think of an older man with a long white beard, wise, pious, and humble. A patriarch in the nicest meaning of the term. A man determined to live all his life in the service of God. …Torahportions5 min readTorahportions5 min read
Oct 21The Earth was full of HamasDid you know that this week’s Torah portion includes the word Hamas? Look at Gen 6:11 וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃ “The earth became corrupt before God; the Earth was filled with Hamas.” The Hebrew term Hamas can be translated as violence or lawlessness. Hamas is the reason…Anti Semitism8 min readAnti Semitism8 min read
Oct 14Just be JewishThe BBC still refuses to call Hamas a terrorist organisation. Cultivated -and horrible- human beings indulge in the nonsensical Hamas jargon: “Israeli apartheid!” and “Palestine free!”. That student leader shouted to the cheering crowd that the massacre was “beautiful”. This happens. In this Country, we have enemies who believe that…Israel4 min readIsrael4 min read
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