Yom Kippur Morning 5783, at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, Queens, NY
“I want you all to know that among progressives, it’s become clear that you cannot claim to hold progressive values, yet back Israel’s...
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WRITINGS
Some of my thoughts, articles, and sermons.
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rabbinathan
- Oct 31, 2022
- 9 min
Kol Nidre 5783, at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, Queens, NY
One of the highlights of this past year has been my work in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, where until the summer I was travelling...
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rabbinathan
- Oct 31, 2022
- 8 min
Rosh Hashanah Morning 5783, at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, Queens, NY
During his first service leading the community, the new rabbi noticed one of his new congregants walk over to the synagogue president and...
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rabbinathan
- Oct 31, 2022
- 6 min
Erev Rosh Hashanah 5783, at the Free Synagogue of Flushing, Queens NY
Good evening everyone and Shana tova! It’s wonderful to be here tonight and to start the new year together. If you’re a member of FSF...
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rabbinathan
- Sep 15, 2022
- 2 min
Those we could trust have gone away...
The days of Elul are falling away and Rosh Hashanah will soon be upon us. On the streets of Jerusalem the pomegranates redden on the...
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rabbinathan
- Sep 15, 2022
- 3 min
The Selichot of Library Books
I grew up in a poor family; we owned few treasured possessions beyond our books. Every wall was covered with them, the accumulation of...
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rabbinathan
- Sep 15, 2022
- 2 min
The Wool of Elul
There are four new years: the first of Elul is the new year for animals.[1] Sheep conceive in Nisan and give birth in Elul, and so it is...
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rabbinathan
- Jul 22, 2022
- 6 min
Rock the Casbah: Algeria's Deep Jewish Connection
Published at: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/rock-the-casbah-algerias-deep-jewish-connection/ Like many Jews, I like visiting old...
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rabbinathan
- May 3, 2022
- 4 min
Should a chess club keep Shabbat?
Published at: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/should-a-chess-club-keep-shabbat/ Should a chess club open on Saturdays? When the club in...
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rabbinathan
- Mar 22, 2022
- 5 min
First Bat Mitzvahs from Bali to Vilna
Published at: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/first-bat-mitzvahs-from-bali-to-vilna/ Judith Kaplan’s Bat Mitzvah took place 100 years...
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rabbinathan
- Mar 7, 2022
- 4 min
Fight or Flight from Odessa
Published at: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/fight-or-flight-from-odessa/ The key which used to open the door to her home in Odessa is...
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rabbinathan
- Jan 4, 2022
- 7 min
“Hebrew is not a Jewish language…”
I have a life-long love of learning languages. At school I spent my lunch-hours learning Greek and took after-school classes in Biblical...
538 views1 comment
rabbinathan
- Dec 16, 2021
- 4 min
On Baalei Tefillah Europe 2021 - thoughts after the Graduation Ceremony
This year I have had the privilege to dream up and lead the Baalei Tefillah Europe 2021 programme, which taught participants about...
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rabbinathan
- May 16, 2021
- 1 min
Happy Shavuot from Jerusalem, 2021
I adapted a popular holiday song for this year's festival - in the long tradition of Jewish protest liturgy... יום טוב לנו, חג שמח ילדים,...
118 views0 comments
rabbinathan
- Mar 10, 2021
- 5 min
On the passing of my teacher, Dr. Neil Hopkinson
Today I was sad to learn of the death of one of my teachers, Dr. Neil Hopkinson, earlier this year, and wanted to write a few words as my...
395 views0 comments
rabbinathan
- Aug 15, 2020
- 6 min
On kosher tolerance
I have kept kosher all my life. It means - for better or worse - that I’ve never tasted seafood, or pork or ham. I’ve never enjoyed the...
75 views0 comments
rabbinathan
- Aug 6, 2020
- 3 min
On returning to Jerusalem
Fifteen years have passed since I last moved to Jerusalem, and in 2020 we find ourselves living in the German Colony a few hundred metres...
54 views0 comments
rabbinathan
- Jul 31, 2020
- 6 min
On the joy of being Jewish
Shmulik woke up one Saturday morning in a bad mood. When he came down to breakfast, his mum told him, “Hurry up, you’re going to be late...
39 views0 comments
rabbinathan
- Jul 23, 2020
- 4 min
On the Aleinu
The Aleinu prayer is a constant in our services, driving us forward to the conclusion of our prayers. We know how to chant it, we know...
168 views1 comment
rabbinathan
- Jun 25, 2020
- 4 min
On Judaism as protest
“One of the great tasks of Jewish education is to deliberately create an atmosphere of rebellion among its students. Rebellion, after...
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