Rabbi Aaron Goldstein's blog



Organ Donation

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., March 1, 2012

I was happy to hear Rabbi Danny Rich, the chief executive of Liberal Judaism calling on "Jews of all denominations to register as organ donors."

More..



Rabbinic Conference Statement on JFS lesson plan for LGBT education

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 20, 2012

The Rabbinic Conference of Liberal Judaism has been appalled by an article in the Jewish Chronicle claiming that JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality), an organisation offering reparative or conversion therapy to homosexuals, was referred to during a lesson on homosexuality at the JFS, a state-funded secondary school.

More..



Why Does the Heckler Get a Veto?

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 10, 2012

I am rather taken by this article that comes from the States but I find its sentiment often applicable to the UK as well.

Published Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Why Does the Heckler Get a Veto?
The Polymath

By Jay Michaelson

Communal Participation: Dialogue is best fostered by full engagement.

More..



Focus on an extreme minority or shout at all Charedim?

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., January 2, 2012

Our attention this past year has been so grabbed by issues of global significance, that it is sometimes easy to ignore societal trends unless they explode into an act that outrages us. The riots in areas of London and other places in England were such a case in point.

More..



How to respond to being out of a new European Treaty

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., December 12, 2011

As some party and use vitriolic language, let us sleep with discomfort tonight. May the leaders of Europe’s nations wake in the morning able to work with the new reality that they have taken us into, using at times distance and at times closeness as opportunities to collaborate to turn overturn uncertainty and create realistic expectations.

More..



Stepping Back

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., November 18, 2011

This week those words came from a stand-out line from an excellent interview by Kirsty Young for Desert Island Discs, with the crossbench peer and social entrepreneur, Lord Victor Adebowale. “I’m a 6 foot black guy from Wakefield who isn’t rich, didn’t go to Eton or Oxbridge, isn’t a lawyer – what the hell am I doing here?!”

More..



Peh-resh-samekh: Gilad Shalit - Individual versus Collective

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., October 14, 2011

Just like the leitmotif of the Exodus from Egypt that is mentioned in virtually every worship service for Jews, I am reminded of historical events linked to current day festivals every erev – evening – service, like last night that I read the Haskivenu prayer: Haskivenu, Adonai Elohaynu, l’shalom, v’hamidaynu malkaynu, l’chayyim. Ufros alaynu sukkat shlomekha.

More..



Speaking for marriage equality

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., October 14, 2011

Equality is not currently afforded in English law to lesbian women and gay men. While we can perform a Jewish marriage in our synagogues and act as civil registrars, we cannot act in the same way for a same-sex marriage in our place of worship. Rather, a lesbian or gay couple desiring a religious blessing on their civil partnership is forced to have two separate ceremonies in two separate venues.

More..



Thinking counter-intuitively about Israel and Dale Farm on Yom Kippur

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., October 11, 2011

I do not agree with every Orthodox Rabbi on a regular basis but Rabbi Naftali Brawer, whom we know so well from his time at Northwood United Synagogue, is an exception.

More..



The inspiration of a neutrino

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., October 4, 2011

It seems amazing to me that there are some who are taking great glee in knocking the possible failures of Albert Einstein. The failure is still very much in doubt and I admit that regardless of the outcome, my grasp of Physics was always tenuous at best, that being my weakest school subject.

More..



The texters of today are our poets of tomorrow.

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., October 4, 2011

The texters of today are our poets of tomorrow. This seemingly counter-intuitive idea was offered earlier this month, by no lesser an authority than the poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy (The Guardian, 06.09.11). She expressed her belief that children experimenting with mobile texting could provide the next generation of poets. “The poem is a form of texting…it’s the original text.

More..



The Importance of Loving Bees

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., September 27, 2011

What would happen if there were a honey drought around Rosh Hashanah? As we have moved through this year, I have taken note with increasing alarm to various reports regarding the demise of the bee population. What would happen if we reached Rosh Hashanah and had no honey to dip our apples into or make our cakes with?

More..



What is our God that we pray forgiveness from?

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., September 27, 2011

Yet today, this is not the God that I will pray to over the ensuing days. Indeed, we struggle with the words and for many the concept to allow us to communicate with God. Our God whom we will implore to forgive us and imbue us with the hope to enter a new year with sweetness on our lips, with warmth in our hearts, determination in our minds and strength in our souls.

More..



Thoughts on the Palestinian vote in the UN

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., September 18, 2011

On 23rd September 2011, Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas will apply to the UN Security Council for full UN membership of a Palestinian State. What will be created is a virtual State, for the US will veto it at this stage and then the Palestinian Authority will get ‘observer status’ through an easy majority in the General Assembly.

Should a stele be erected?

More..



Seeking comfort...and a challenge after the riots

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., August 15, 2011

More..



Dana Weiss Israel Channel 2 at NPLS

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 24, 2011

For the past five years, Dana Weiss has been the moderator of Israel Channel 2 News' flagship news programmes and a serious reporter on issues aired on prime time national TV, dealing with a wide range of topics, such as: extensive use of antibiotics, the truth behind the beauty industry, the world's epidemic, the loss of privacy, A.D.H.D., the Israeli brain drain, and more.

More..



Is Israel our Golden Calf?

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 20, 2011

Is Israel our Golden Calf? Once a central metaphor for prayers, poetry, hopes and latterly ideologies for Jews throughout the ages, whether living in good times and especially when living in threatening environments; the State of Israel is a reality. It is no longer a dream. It is no longer the stuff of fairy tales that could define it as the Cinderalla struggling against the ugly sisters, or biblically of David fighting Goliath. The State of Israel is not mature but it is maturing and as with teenagers, there is often some incredible productivity balanced by some grotty behaviour.

More..



Jewish values and State .v. Synagogue and State

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 20, 2011

A State of Israel “based on the principles of liberty, justice and peace as conceived by the Prophets of Israel,” will, “uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race or sex,” as the Declaration of Independence states.

A State of Israel learning about, inspired by and applying Jewish values. I can buy that: Jewish values and State. Synagogues, Rabbis and State, I think we are best served without.

read the complete sermon at http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/ErevKiTissa5771.html

More..



Gay Marriage in the News

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 16, 2011

Gay Marriage has been in the news over the past week:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8320705/Gay-marriage...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/feb/13/civil-partnerships-churches-mos...

But expect more tomorrow!

More..



Can 3 Rabbis produce the longest sermon in history?

By Rabbi Aaron Gol..., February 1, 2011

Of course not at Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue because everyone would have vacated the building if we had gone past 10 minutes but the results of our Rabbinic Team's collusion for NPLS' Civic Service is to be found at http://www.npls.org.uk/Sermons/New/Civic%20Service%202011.html

A taste of all 3:

"The Danes do it once, the English twice and the French three times. And the Jews do it like everyone else."

More..

« first‹ previous123456next ›last »