Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.

His books, available on Amazon, include:

Obama’s Middle Eastern guest list raises questions

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The list of famous people President Obama has invited to the White House is something most of us would find surprising, amusing, and even outrageous. He has on occasions invited Gangsta Rappers like the rap artist named Common, whose poetical lyrics extols the virtues of cannibalism, […]

Obama’s Middle Eastern guest list raises questions Read More »

Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA

Superman no longer an American hero, just a killer

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a child of the early sixties, I could remember watching the George Reeves’ Adventures of  Superman show on television. Back then, the show did not feature super-sized villains like those that we have grown used to seeing over the past thirty years or so. No, Superman generally

Superman no longer an American hero, just a killer Read More »

Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Travel and Food

Rabbi, do zombies count toward a minyan?

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Brad Pitt’s latest horror film, World War Z, started making me think of more practical questions regarding the existence of zombies. With the ongoing saga of election fraud, and in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding election manipulations, I thought I would share some  tongue-in-cheek and

Rabbi, do zombies count toward a minyan? Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Not from outside, but from inside, are Jews threatened

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Miracles awaken our capacity to experience wonderment and awe. They speak to the deepest recesses of our soul without words—but through beauty. In the liturgy, Jewish tradition frequently invokes the imagery of the Red Sea, when Moses and his mighty staff made the waters part into

Not from outside, but from inside, are Jews threatened Read More »

Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East

God may watch over us; the government shouldn’t

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Most rabbinical students attribute omnipresence and omniscience as qualities befitting a Creator. Only God is called, “The Knower of Thoughts,” and “The Searcher of the human heart.” Rabbinical wisdom has long taught, “Always keep in mind these three things, and you will never come to the

God may watch over us; the government shouldn’t Read More »

Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA

Arguments for knowledge versus those for power

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Dissension is nothing new in Jewish tradition. One of the most famous biblical disagreements is found in this week’s Torah portion, where we read about the famous controversy between Korah and Moses (Numbers 16ff.) Yet, unlike the debates between Hillel and Shammai, which for the most

Arguments for knowledge versus those for power Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Brave Egyptian humorist satirizes Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — In the medieval era, jesters played an important role in the courts of kings. Aside from the comic relief that they provided, they pointed out the asymmetrical aspects that existed within society and the rulers’ inner lives. Jesters, like fools and clowns, had a boldness of

Brave Egyptian humorist satirizes Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood Read More »

Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Bar mitzvah dedicates himself to aiding the autistic

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As a rite of passage, the Bar/Bat Mitzvah marks the beginning of a young person’s adult participation in the Jewish community. However, in many congregations across the religious divide, the Bar and Bat Mitzvah day has become a graduation from Judaism. When I think about the

Bar mitzvah dedicates himself to aiding the autistic Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi

Jewish institutions must take stands against sex trafficking

By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Recently I came across an interesting but unusual halachic question: Can a Jewish pimp receive an Aliya on Shabbat? The original questioned pertained to a pimp who was the only Levite in his community. The question came to the attention of the famous Iraqi Sephardic Rabbi

Jewish institutions must take stands against sex trafficking Read More »

Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi