rabbijonathanf
Flying High on Rosh Hashanah
Many of us have childhood memories of a scary scene from a movie. In mine, the hero is trapped in a room with metal walls, and a suddenly...
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rabbijonathanf
Apr 28, 20205 min read
Yom Haatzmaut Reflections: Israel -Jewish State or State for the Jews?
At the beginning of the Zionist movement in 1903, the British offered the ‘Uganda Plan’, which would have relocated Jews fleeing the...
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rabbijonathanf
Apr 17, 20205 min read
Quarantine Diaries: How Is Israel Different From Other Countries: A Unique Passover
Passover in Israel during Conovirus has been a unique experience. Unfortunately, thousands of individuals were alone for Seder. Many of...
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rabbijonathanf
Mar 31, 20204 min read
Quarantine Diaries: Lessons from a Global Crisis
There are many comic interludes posted online, and humor is an effective outlet in these anxious times. One good post was: “G-d could we...
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rabbijonathanf
Mar 12, 20204 min read
Quarantine Diaries: Responding to the Challenge
I have now been in quarantine for six days, and while I have mostly been able to keep my spirits up despite the isolation, there are...
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rabbijonathanf
Mar 8, 20205 min read
Quarantine Diaries: AIPAC, Israel and the Unity of Purim
Last week I attended the AIPAC conference in DC, an inspiring three-day gathering of pro-Israel conferences, lobbying, and general...
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rabbijonathanf
Feb 6, 20204 min read
Rip Van Winkle, Tu B’Shvat and the Secret of Jewish Perseverance
Four months ago, a friend gave my wife a small sapling kumquat tree as a birthday present. We replanted it into a bigger pot, and every...
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rabbijonathanf
Jan 3, 20204 min read
Jewish Genius, the Times Op-Ed Controversy, and the Talmud
Brett Stephens’ recent Op-ed on The Secret of Jewish Genius generated much discussion and controversy. I believe the most important but...
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rabbijonathanf
Dec 22, 20193 min read
Who Is The 'Real' Jew?
Who is the ‘real’ Jew, the genius scientist, the pious Rabbinic scholar, or the nebby actor? For the early Zionists, it was none of...
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rabbijonathanf
Nov 17, 20193 min read
The Soul of Shabbat and the Big Shabbat Dinner
Here is the d'var Torah I shared at the service before the dinner (to only 200 people, by the time 1000 young adults were there...
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rabbijonathanf
Nov 10, 20193 min read
Why Wasn't Our Family Store Looted on Kristallnacht ?
Why Wasn’t Our Family Store Looted on Kristallnacht? This picture shows Nazi soldiers standing in front of the store our family owned and...
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rabbijonathanf
Oct 25, 20194 min read
The Miracle of Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv: A Postcript
Yom Kippur in Tel Aviv is a remarkable experience. You would think that I would say ‘Yom Kippur in Jerusalem is a remarkable experience’,...
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rabbijonathanf
Oct 8, 20196 min read
Yom Kippur: Making This Year Count
Y Yom Kippur -Making This Year Count (This was my talk on Yom Kippur) On Rosh Hashanah our 12 year old daughter sat in on the Natanah...
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rabbijonathanf
Oct 2, 20192 min read
A New Me For The New Year
When we think of a New Year celebration, what comes to mind are parties, champagne, and a midnight toast to the coming year. The Jewish...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20194 min read
A Time to Laugh and a Time To Weep: Meaningful Melancholy on the 9th of Av
There is a time to laugh and a time to weep. Most people think this simple yet insightful truism comes from a song written by Pete Seeger...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20196 min read
Our Aliyahversary, One Year In by Shifra Feldman
Today, August 1st our family is celebrating our one-year Aliyah anniversary. I get chills up and down my arms just writing that...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 201910 min read
The Jewish State Law:
In 1894 a young journalist named Theodore Herzl attended the Dreyfus Trial in Paris where a Jewish officer was accused of treason. The...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20193 min read
Shavuot: The Holiday of the Book for the People of the Book
Shavuot could be considered the holiday of the book. Unlike Rosh Hashanah which has the shofar, Chanukah which has the menorah and...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20197 min read
Jerusalem Day: The Fulfillment of Jewish Destiny
On June 7 1967 at 4:00 am Knesset member Menachem Begin, who had just joined the cabinet of the government of Israel, called the Prime...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20193 min read
Mel Gibson's Chutzpah
It’s bad enough to make a film about a dysfunctional family that alludes to a wealthy Jewish family. But casting Mel Gibson as the...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20192 min read
Israel Memorial Day, A Day of Meaning and Purpose
Today is Yom Hazikaron, Memorial Day for the fallen soldiers in Israel. Families, friends, people who want to show they care all came to...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20193 min read
Yom Hashoa: True Strength of the Spirit
It is an honor to be commemorating Yom Hazikaron L’shoa ugvurah, the day of remembrance for the Holocaust and Heroismin Israel. The day...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20196 min read
When Someone Else’s Icon is the Symbol of Your People’s Persecution
My first time visiting Notre Dame de Paris was when I was 11 years old. I grew up going to a French school, and visited Paris regularly...
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rabbijonathanf
Aug 24, 20193 min read
Eat Matzah, Don't Kvetch
The story goes back to the work camps during the WWII. Every morning in the camp a group of Jewish workers got up extra early before dawn...
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