Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel is spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, California.
His books, available on Amazon, include:
Among the newest countries to come out against kosher slaughtering, Belgium now insists that any kind of ritual slaughtering must first stun the animal before it is killed. The European Union held that the animal ought to be unconscious by the time it is slaughtered, to minimize its pain.
How humane is stunning an animal before slaughter? Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, The World We Share
Items in today’s column
*Melvin Garb Foundation helps Temple Beth Shalom refurbish
*Igbo people of Nigeria count Jews among them
Our Shtetl San Diego: September 5, 2019 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego County, USA
Items in today’s column
* A Non-Traditional, ‘Erotic’ Night of Yiddish poetry Has Been Rescheduled to Sept. 21.
* Some Rabbinic Thoughts as Rosh Hashanah Approaches
*A Rosh Hashanah Recipe: Apple & Olive Oil Cake
* Richard Hirschhaut to head regional office of American Jewish Committee
Our Shtetl San Diego: September 3, 2019 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, San Diego Calendar, San Diego County, USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –This article responds to an esteemed colleague who weighed in on the congressional candidacy of Ammar Campa-Najjar. Before beginning, I wish to make something clear: It is difficult to take incumbent Congressman Duncan Hunter seriously given his alleged illicit activities while he was in office. Frankly, he
A rabbi’s questions for Ammar Campa-Najjar Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, San Diego County, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — It might surprise most people to know that ecological themes form an important part of the Torah and Tanakh. For example: Genesis begins with an important ecological truth: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and
Massive tree planting program may save planet Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, The World We Share, USA
Nachmanides: An Unusual Thinker by Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin, Geffen Publishing House (c) 2018, ISBN 9789652-298874. By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most interesting books I have read in years is Rabbi Israel Drazin’s excellent primer on the Ramban, entitled, Nachmanides An Unusual Thinker about a brilliant rabbinic scholar
The Ramban vs. Maimonides in theological debate Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This past week, the American flag became a focal point as we celebrated the Fourth of July. The Wall Street Journal reported how NIKE was forced to recall a shoe that featured the “Betsy Ross” flag on the heel. Colin Kaepernick who signed a multi-million-dollar sponsorship
Douglass would have disagreed with Kaepernick Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Sports & Competitions, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the Democratic candidates running for President is Cory Booker, the former Newark mayor who later was elected to the U.S. Senate. Booker has had a long relationship with the Jewish community. He once headed Jewish student societies while a student at the University at
Why Jews should distrust Cory Booker Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Some of the most embarrassing mistakes that occur in human communication happen when people experience an unfortunate “slip of the tongue.” The words come out differently than what we consciously intend for them to mean. Sigmund Freud was a remarkable man whose interests spanned across the
No reason to trust what Rep. Rashida Tlaib says Read More »
International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Sometimes, wisdom tales of the past have a way of speaking to us in the present. And although we often think of ourselves a product of the present, in reality, our personal narrative is inextricably connected to those who have preceded us from the past. This especially
History will note how we respond to anti- Semitism Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of my congregants posed an interesting question we ought to consider asking: What would Rev Martin Luther King Jr. have said about the Poway synagogue shooting? It is an important question—not just for members of the Jewish community, but also for the African-American community. Throughout
What MLK would say about the Poway Chabad shooting Read More »
Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Congresswoman Ilhan Omar never ceases to surprise us with the countless inane claims she makes on a daily basis. In one of her more interesting canards, she claimed that “Jesus was a Palestinian.” One might imagine that she will soon claim that the Israelites were also really
Jihadi Islam’s campaign to erase religious history Read More »
International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USA“We keep on being told that religion, whatever its imperfections, at least instills morality. On every side, there is conclusive evidence that the contrary is the case and that faith causes people to be more mean, more selfish, and perhaps above all, more stupid.”― Christopher Hitchens By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California —
Violence, fanaticism are the curse of many religions Read More »
International, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — As Jews are observing the Passover holiday this coming weekend, recalling a time when our ancestors left Egypt, the land of their oppression, we are witnessing a new kind of Exodus taking place today: Jews are leaving France in record numbers amidst the rising anti-Semitic attacks that have
Sometimes, “It’s Hard to Be a Jew” Read More »
Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi