Rabbi Aaron Goldstein's blog



Reclaiming 'radical:' A response to Woolwich

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 26, 2013

“Have two silver trumpets made; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon the community…(Num 10:2).”

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What nazirite vow can we & especially women make today

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 22, 2013

The state of the nazirite is an interesting one in that it is unusually inclusive for the Torah of men and women.

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My eulogy for Ruth Weyl - Shiva Prayer

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 19, 2013

Ruth Weyl – Rut bat Peretz

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Ruth Weyl: Eulogy for a Remarkable Woman

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 17, 2013

Somehow it is fitting that we should be mourning Ruth Weyl at Shavuot time. But then Ruth's was always on time. Today is the day after the Giving of the Torah and the text does not seem to record what the Israelites did on the day after, except to hint at the fact that they were shell-shocked, just dealing with the awesomeness of the events they had witnessed.

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Women of the Wall & us taking action

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 12, 2013

You would think that the Rabbis of the Kotel, the Western Wall of the Temple of Jerusalem, would be delighted that way over 5000 people thronged into the holy space to mark Rosh Chodesh the beginning of the Hebrew month of Sivan, many thousands more than would ordinarily be in attendance. Indeed, they would have been delighted that the vast majority were haredim, ultra-orthodox Jews.

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iF we instituted Leket & Peah: Enough Food 4 All

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., May 1, 2013

Today’s Bat Mitzvah is a delight to me for many reasons and not least because we welcome into this Sanctuary, into our Jewish Community for Sarah’s Bat Mitzvah many guests who are not Jewish. The opportunity to experience a different religious and cultural experience is a gift that we are honoured to share.

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Holiness, the Golden Rule & Lady Thatcher's funeral

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., April 21, 2013

This morning’s parashah is so vital to us as Liberal Jews, that we read it now and at one of our highest ritual moments of the year, on Yom Kippur afternoon. It questions and challenges: What does it mean to be holy? How can we imitate God?

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A big shout out to our Youth Movements

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., April 18, 2013

Pablo Casals, one of the world’s greatest cellists of all time was attributed as saying, “Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that never was before and will never be again. And what do we teach our children in school? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When we will we also teach them what they are?”

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Elijah: A herald of a new society of equal promise

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., April 1, 2013

Old message-bearer, Elijah,
I have lost all the addresses,
So now I write a letter to you.
Surely you have not forgotten an old friendship,
When, as a child, I would open the door to you.

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Montefiore Egypt and Pesach

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 28, 2013

Not every Rabbi has an Emeritus Rabbi and mine is my Dad!!!! Dad's sermon for First day Pesach inspires me as they always have done.

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First of a new generation & Hagadol

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 28, 2013

Joseph, it must have been with a slight groan that you and Grandpa realised that your birthdate coincided with a Bar Mitzvah sidrah from Vayikra – the Book of Leviticus.

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Kabbalat Torah the Liberal Jewish way

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 18, 2013

This past Shabbat saw the graduation of our year 10's who celebrated their Kabbalat Torah (accepting Torah) with a creative service written by the group and then leading the Shabbat Morning service. I was so proud of Max Seymour who produced this marvellous D'var Torah.

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Pride in Baalei Tefillah

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 11, 2013

This Shabbat, our 3 newest Graduates of Liberal Judaism's Baalei Tefillah (lay readers) programme, Lily Aarons, Stephen Herman and Leo Hodes led our Civic Service at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, They were presented their graduation certificates by Lucian Hudson and Rabbi Danny Rich, chairman and chied executive of Liberal Judaism. Following is the D'var Torah delivered by Leo:

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The blessing of a new month

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 11, 2013

Not my words but my father's Rabbi Dr Andrew Goldstein, Northwood & Pinner Liberal Synagogue's Emeritus Rabbi at our Civic Service this Shabbat
http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/CivicService2013AG.html

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The shop that Moses built

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 2, 2013

The Israelites enter the shop that Moses built. They have dreamt of seeing the product that stands inside – freedom. They glimpse it inside of the store and imagine what it might feel like in their deepest soul.

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In support of the Board, Oxfam and iF

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 11, 2013

I do admit that in my contribution to these pages, I have at times been critical of the leadership of the Jewish Community in this country. I did so as a critical friend and supporter when I disagreed strongly on certain issues but one who will definitely keep paying his subs to the Board via my Synagogue through thick and thin!

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iF we act to eradicate hunger

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 27, 2013

When our Rabbis met recently to consider the thought of Arthur Green, a modern mystic, and one of our most important contemporary theologians, they summarised their study with the following statements:

Oneness of all being
A Faith and religion about individual personal experience

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Realistic inspiration from the Jews of the Civil Rights Movement

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 21, 2013

Brandon this morning has raised issues for us about making a sacrifice in order to achieve a goal. In considering what a perfect sacrifice might be, he suggests that we should think about what we can do towards repairing or perfecting our world, a concept that is mystically termed tikkun olam.

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Considered Engagement for the Hardened Heart

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 16, 2013

“Vayechezak leiv Paroh v’lo shama aleihem.” Pharaoh’s heart strengthened and he did not listen to them.

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Beginning to rethink 'marriage'

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., December 16, 2012

Miketz 5773

If the account from our Torah were to be a true account of the goings on in ancient Egypt, can you imagine the field-day that the ancient Egyptian media would have had.

There would be the official, state-run news agency headline: “The great Pharaoh reveals his divinity through a dream prediction of the future: all bow-down to Pharaoh.”

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