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, 20229 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, 20228 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, 20226 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, 20222 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, 20223 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, 20222 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, 20226 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, 20224 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, 20225 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, 20224 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, 20227 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...
596 views1 comment
rabbinathan
Dec 16, 20214 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...
275 views0 comments
rabbinathan
May 16, 20211 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,...
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rabbinathan
Mar 10, 20215 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...
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rabbinathan
Aug 15, 20206 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...
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rabbinathan
Aug 6, 20203 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...
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rabbinathan
Jul 31, 20206 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...
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rabbinathan
Jul 23, 20204 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...
285 views1 comment
rabbinathan
Jun 25, 20204 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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