Parashat Emor: The real essence of the Torah
A teacher asks his student, “What is the essence of the Shabbat?” She responds, “The essence of Shabbat is that it is a sign of God’s creation of all things…
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Rabbi Adrian Michael Schell
Proudly Jewish - Proudly Progressive
Open letter to the Orthodox Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein
Dear Chief Rabbi, We have over the years met and spoken on several occasions, I have also had the opportunity of hearing you speak at various community events. It is clear…
You shall be holy, for I, the Eternal your God, am holy
The word kadosh is usually translated as “holy,” as in the Holy Land, the Holy of Holies, the Holy Ark, and the High Holy Days. Three times a day, in…
We should all hope that this week’s Yom HaShoah ceremony is the last one where women are banned from singing.
This week my colleague Rabbi Saar Shaked wrote his thoughts about the issue of banning women singing and I wanted to share it with you: “We should all hope that…
Pesach is our festival to thank God for the many miracles in our lives
Each year we sing Dayeinu as part of our Seder, showing our gratitude to God for all the wonders performed to our ancestors as they went free from Egypt. Though…
We Need a Paradigm Shift
It is no secret that over the past weeks I have become involved in a turbulent situation, that has become ever more public. While I have been put forward as…
My suspension from the SAJBD Board – an update
This week I received a letter suspending me from the SAJBD – this, just a few hours before a scheduled meeting of the board – I serve on the SAJBD…
Parashat Metzora: Who is in and who is out
After the successful registration last weekend, campaigning has returned to South Africa. And, as a result, it is inevitable that there will be debates about race, empowerment of different classes…
I am certainly not opposed to “talking” with the board
Dear all, I presume that by now you may have heard about The Cape Council of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, being taken to the Cape High Court by…
Parashat Tazria: Impurity is considered to be a spiritual disability
The portions of Tazria and Metzora are perhaps for many of you very uncomfortable portions of the Torah, dealing with all kinds of issues related to ritual purity and impurity.…