Prologue Journal

Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Was Bnei Brak Jewish community’s founding blessed by a hassidic rebbe?

Jerusalem Post Did the Sochaczewer Rebbe stand in the street of Bnei Brak and pronounced this rare blessing with God’s name. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743515

Shavuot: Looking forward & backward

Jerusalem Post Progress brainwashes us with generationism, feeding a false narrative that the past was flawed while the present is surpassing. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/jewish-holidays/article-743504

As a rabbi in a small town, I understand the Jewish class divide — and how to close it

Jerusalem Post There is a wide disparity between small-town Jewish life and Jewish life in the big cities in the US. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743632

‘The Shakespeare Haggadah’: Merging the Bard with Passover – review

Jerusalem Post The ‘Shakespeare Haggadah’ is a clever attempt to merge famous playwright, Jewish tradition https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743507

Keeping Shabbat is the key to achieving Jewish nirvana, new book says

Jerusalem Post South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein’s book challenges readers to observe Shabbat. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743452

‘The Origins of Judaism’: Finding how far back rabbinic tradition goes – review

Jerusalem Post Prof. Yonatan Adler’s book provides proofs both for and against how far back ‘rabbinic Judaism’ goes https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743505

Parashat Bamidbar: Equality and uniqueness

Jerusalem Post The children of Israel were counted before embarking on the journey to inculcate in the people these two important values: equality and uniqueness. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-743509

Parashat Bamidbar: Prayer sources

Jerusalem Post Trying to parse through tradition to find the source for Jewish prayers. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/torah-portion/article-743510

Shabbat candle-lighting times for Israel and US

Jerusalem Post See Shabbat times for your area. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743590

Staying up all night on Shavuot is about going all in – opinion

Jerusalem Post The holiday of Shavuot is understood by Jewish tradition to be the time when God gave the Israelites the Torah at Mount Sinai. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-743568