Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –This past weekend, Detroit pastor Bishop Wayne Jackson draped a tallit around Donald Trump’s shoulders at service. What was the Jewish reaction? Well, that takes us to the rest of the story that I am about to tell you. Most Jews I know are probably confused about […]
On giving Donald Trump a tallit Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — So long as the Ultra-Orthodox rabbis in Israel act as though they are the only true Jewish leaders, I think rebuilding the Temple would only serve to divide and not unite the Jewish people. With a fractured Jewish polity, what good would rebuilding the Temple be if
On Tisha B’Av, let’s also remember R. Yohanan Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of my favorite concepts in logic is the reductio ad absurdum (Latin: “reduction to the absurd”) argument, which is a logical method of argument that proves the falsity of a premise by following its implications to a logical but absurd conclusion. The latest news regards the nullification
Conversion by Rabbi Lookstein should be honored Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Reformations are good for the soul. They keep the religious leaders and faiths in check. In the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, people began to read the Bible critically for the first time without having the local priest spoon-feed it to them while they sat on
U.S. government should welcome Islamic reformers Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — My history with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin goes all the way back to 1977. He visited a Hillel Academy in Binghamton, New York, where I taught Talmud many decades ago. At the time, I knew he was already a well-respected rabbi who had brought many Jews back
Orthodoxy and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiSAN DIEGO — San Diego Jewish World expresses its appreciation to the byliners and staff photographers whose works appeared in March 2016 editions. They included: David Amos Eitan Arom Judy Lash Balint Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron Amber Bartlett Jeremy Ben-Ami Boaz Bismuth Ronnie Blair Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Stephen Bryen Cynthia Citron Richard L. Cravatts Jack Forman
SDJW thanks its March 2016 contributors Read More »
Barry Shaw, Cynthia Citron, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eric George Tauber, Eva Trieger, Fred Reiss, EdD, Ira Sharkansky, Lawrence Baron, Mark D. Zimmerman, Melanie Rubin, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Michael Ordman, Natasha Josefowitz, Sheryl Rowling, Shor M. Masori, Shoshana Bryen, Steve Kramer
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — We all love bee honey. No Rosh Hashanah meal would be complete without it. Yet, in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, we find ourselves asking a conundrum that has puzzled many rabbinic minds since the days of Late Antiquity. I am referring to the verse in Leviticus, “But
The kosher paradox of the bumble bee Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiBy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –As we read about the various permitted and forbidden animals in this week’s Torah portion of Shemini, I found myself remembering some thoughts I once penned about this particular subject. Several years ago, I came across an interesting story, worthy of a Sherlock Holmes tale. Actually to
In defense of non-kosher animals Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
God and Politics in Esther, 2nd Edition, by Yoram Hazony; Cambridge University Press; (2015); ISBN-10: 1107583454; $18.27 on Amazon. Rating ***** out of 5 Stars. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Yoram Hazony’s exposition of the Book of Esther is priceless. In my Judaism 101 class, everyone read a little bit from God
God needs worthy people as partners for His miracles Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiSAN DIEGO — This publication would like to thank and express appreciation to the writers and photographers whose works appeared during February 2016 in San Diego Jewish World. They include: Judy Lash Balint Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron Boaz Bismuth Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Stephen Bryen Cynthia Citron Richard L. Cravtts Jack Forman Donald H. Harrison
SDJW thanks its February 2016 contributors Read More »
Barry Shaw, Cynthia Citron, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eric George Tauber, Eva Trieger, Fred Reiss, EdD, Lawrence Baron, Mark D. Zimmerman, Melanie Rubin, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Mimi Pollack, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County, Sheryl Rowling, Shoshana Bryen, Steve Kramer
The Ghost Warriors: Inside Israel’s Undercover War Against Suicide Terrorism by Samuel Katz; Berkley (2016) ISBN: 1592409016; $18; Rated: 5* By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — There is hardly a day when we don’t read another story about a terrorist attack. For the most part, Radical Islam has demonstrated an almost uncanny ability to raise
Katz’s book on Israel’s war against terror is outstanding Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle EastSAN DIEGO (SDJW) — San Diego Jewish World expresses its appreciation to the 43 writers and photographers whose works appeared during January 2016. These individuals included: David Amos Eitan Arom Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron Amber Bartlett Ronnie Blair Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Stephen Bryen Cynthia Citron Richard L. Cravatts Judy Friedel Michael Freund Donald H. Harrison Natasha
SDJW thanks 43 whose works appeared in January Read More »
Barry Shaw, Cynthia Citron, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eva Trieger, Fred Reiss, EdD, Ira Sharkansky, Lawrence Baron, Mark D. Zimmerman, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Mimi Pollack, Natasha Josefowitz, Sheryl Rowling, Shoshana Bryen, Steve KramerDaniel Klein (editor and trans.) and Samuel David Luzzato, Shadal on Exodus: Samuel David Luzzatto’s Interpretation of the Book of Shemot; Kodesh Press, 2015; ISBN-13: 978-0692522066. Price: $29.95. Rating ***** By Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most remarkable modern day exegetes of the 19th century was the Italian biblical commentator,
A new translation of Shadal’s comments on Exodus Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-RabbiSan Diego Jewish World thanks and acknowledges the wonderful contributions of the following writers whose works appeared on our pages in December, 2015: Stephen Baird Kenneth Bandler Laurie Baron Michal Beruven Dan Bloom Shoshana Bryen Richard L. Cravatts Jonathan Greenblatt Toby Klein Greenwald Ryan M. Greiss Donald H. Harrison Natasha Josefowitz Rabbi Ben Kamin Morton
SDJW thanks its December 2015 writers Read More »
Barry Shaw, Donald H. Harrison, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Eileen Wingard, Eric George Tauber, Eva Trieger, Ira Sharkansky, Lawrence Baron, Mark D. Zimmerman, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Mimi Pollack, Natasha Josefowitz, San Diego County, Sheryl Rowling, Shoshana Bryen, Steve Kramer