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Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.
I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)
I have always enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm for learning about our Jewish heritage with members of the Jewish community and with others who are interested in our tradition. I have always enjoyed asking questions, and I appreciate the opportunity to research answers to answer the questions of others - that's a special opportunity and blessing.
I enjoy most studying the classical texts - the primary text and commentaries - of our Rabbis and Sages carefully and closely, mining them for hints and bits about life as it was lived by Jews thousands of years ago, their questions and their problems as they searched for meaning in the face of challenge. It's like "literary archaeology."
I am fascinated by the fact that Jews have always had an enthusiasm about questioning their tradition, especially the texts (now written but have been oral and also in "scraps" of written records). I am impressed by our recovery from various resources - e.g. Cairo Geniza - the consistency of questions over the past several thousand years - generation after generation. People don't really change.
I am still hoping that as we continue to "dig" in the texts of our tradition and research the origins of early Christianity and Islam, we will discover much more than we know now about the origins of modern Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
| User | Date | K | C | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony | 04/29/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | thank you |
| georgina | 04/11/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | very prompt response and much apprecaited by ..... |
| Miriam | 04/05/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks for explaining. |
| Eddie | 02/24/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Rabbi Dov, Many thanks for your quick ..... |
| Laurence | 12/05/11 | 8 | 7 | 10 | Your answer does not quite match my ..... |
Dear Tony, Thanks for writing. "Priest" (Hebrew = "Kohen") was a role in ancient Israel and a status by birth, with obligations and privileges primarily related to the Temple which was in Jerusalem
Dear Georgina, Thanks for writing. Firstly, I am not able to give you any medical advice, Jewish or otherwise. Home remedies are probably in my opinion much less reliable than modern medicine. Check
Dear Miriam, Kohanim were not forbidden to cut their hair. A "nazir" was someone who took an oath to "not" or to "refrain" from a particular event/act for a limited period of time as a religious
Dear Eddie, Thanks for writing. It is often asked. The first and most obvious if not frequent explanation is that "author" writes in the "royal plural" such that kings and rulers use - "we" Another
Dear Nina, Thank you for writing. First of all, I want to apologize for your experience. It never should have happened. I think that I have one speculative thought to account for this Rabbi - but

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