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Jul 5, 2018, 9:00 PM

Freeing Agunot by Annulling Marriages: Publicize the Rationale for the Ruling!

On June 5th, The Times of Israel reported that a private rabbinical court headed by Rabbi Daniel Sperber annulled the marriage of a woman, Mrs. Tzviya Gorodetsky, who was an agunah for 23 years. One of the primary arguments...

Jun 26, 2018, 8:28 AM

Message to our Graduates: It’s All About Relationships

The following is a letter that I wrote to our community's graduates: Dear Graduates, As you celebrate your accomplishments and achievements and you venture out into the next stage of your lives, I’d like to share with you some thoughts that...

Jun 20, 2018, 7:03 PM

The OU, the RCA and Political Issues of the Day: Please, Let’s Be Consistent

“The OU should stay out of politics! They should stick to Kashrut!” That was the call from many in the Jewish news media and on social media when the Orthodox Union honored Attorney General Jeff Sessions at its annual...

Jun 14, 2018, 9:52 PM

FitBit, Alexa and the future of electricity in Halacha

A few weeks ago, I delivered a shiur in my shul entitled, “Fitbit, Alexa and the Future of Electricity in Halacha.” We first discussed whether one may wear a FitBit on Shabbat, if automatic displays, alarms and alerts are...

Jun 5, 2018, 12:27 AM

A Tribute to Rav Moish and Sondra Gottesman

The following is the drasha that I delivered this past Shabbat which was a tribute to Rav Moish and Rebbetzin Sondra Gottesman for their decades of inspirational dedication to our Oceanside community: In the middle of the parsha, Moshe Rabbenu...

May 31, 2018, 8:56 AM

A Torah Perspective on Gun Control

Illustrative photo of a gun. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

What do Jewish texts and rabbinic authorities have to say about gun control? Quite a lot

May 23, 2018, 10:06 PM

A Theological Perspective of the Future in a World of Automation

In September 2013, two Oxford researchers published a study entitled, “The Future of Employment,” in which they surveyed the likelihood of different professions being taken over by computer algorithms within the next 20 years, and they estimated that 47...

May 16, 2018, 12:02 AM

Politics from pulpit: Should I publicly thank President Trump in shul?

US President Donald Trump in a video message shown at the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. (Screen capture: JW Player)

Synagogue rabbis aim above the political fray, but a careful expression of gratitude shouldn't bother anyone, right?

May 9, 2018, 3:55 PM

What is our responsibility to fight stereotypes and bias against Jews? When ‘personal Kiddush Hashem’ and ‘public Chillul Hashem’ collide

A few weeks ago, an article was published in the Daily News about the prejudice that a Hasidic man encounters every day in New York City. The author wrote that he was standing in a West Village bar and...

Apr 29, 2018, 8:19 AM

Pesach Sheni – Second Chances, Inclusion, Fighting Religious Inequality, or FOMO?

Today we celebrate Pesach Sheni, the Second Pesach, and we will do so by munching on some matzah and not reciting Tachanun. But what is the significance of this holiday? I’ve read different approaches to explain the nature of...

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About Me

Jonathan Muskat is the Rabbi of the Young Israel of Oceanside.