The final census of the Torah occurs in Parashat Pinhas. It appears, though, in a peculiar way (Bamidbar 26:1). There is a paragraph break in the middle of the pasuk! The pasuk begins “After the plague concluded,” and then upon starting a new paragraph the verse concludes “And G-d…

It’s now been one year since I moved to London, and what a year it’s been! A new position, a new home, and a new culture all at once. While I miss friends, family and familiarity, I’m thrilled with the move and all that’s come along with it. I…

I write this post in the hope of answering a question that I’ve been pondering for the past few months. What is the world’s longest continuously running synagogue? I ask not about the oldest synagogue building, or about an uninterrupted religious tradition that may have survived geographic dislocation. Rather, I…

As an American living in England, I’m often asked about Donald Trump. Now as a resident of England, my American friends ask me about Brexit. From the lack of city workers in the London coffee shops midday on Friday, but from the very large crowds drinking outside the pubs,…

Every city is unique, each with its own climate, ebb and flow, culture and pace. As a rabbi, it is important for me to understand a place’s character so that I can better actualise its potential. London is of course no different, and it is not surprising that it…

The term parnas is usually translated as the president or prince of the community. Indeed, the head of the mahamad in London is even called the parnas presidente. However, the term parnas actually means much more. I’ve noticed that when some historians try to characterise the nature of the…

Touro Synagogue, Newport, RI The Jewish trial of the century has just concluded. The trial pitted the oldest American Jewish community against the oldest American synagogue. At stake was the legacy of America’s Colonial era Jews. The oldest remaining synagogue building in (what is today) the United States is the Touro…

The Torah contains laws that govern slavery, whether captured in war or enslaved to pay off debts. In fact, it is no secret that Sephardim owned slaves. This is particularly true of the Western Sephardim of the 17th and 18th centuries, including those of the Caribbean, New York, Amsterdam,…

Sensitivity Even For the Inanimate Right at the end of this week’s Parasha, we are again confronted with the notion of inanimate and lifeless objects seemingly possessing feelings and emotions. The Torah enjoins us (Shemot 20:23): “And you shall not ascend with steps upon My altar (the mizbach haolah),…

Lekh Lekha: The Secret of Circumcision – 5776 – By Rabbbi Shalom Morris The practice of newborn male circumcision is synonymous with Jews and Judaism. The Torah records that the commandment of this procedure was first directed at Abraham and his family. Since that time the descendants of Abraham…