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Jewish Journal

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Rabbi Elazar Muskin

Rabbi Elazar Muskin

Where Have All the Jews Gone?

January 9, 2003

Recently, a friend told me that his brother and sister-in-law flew from Newark, N.J., to Israel. The plane was filled with Christian church groups traveling on a Holy Land pilgrimage. When his sister-in-law got up to walk in the aisles, a fellow passenger stopped and inquired, \”And what church are you from?\”

When she said that she was Jewish, the lady remarked, \”I think you are the only Jew on this flight.\”

Where have all the Jews gone? Not to Israel.

What’s the Beef?

November 14, 2002

A number of years ago, during the O.J. Simpson trial, I had a conversation with a non-Jewish merchant who told me that right after Simpson was arrested, he met a good friend of Simpson\’s at church. At the conclusion of the service, the merchant happened to stand right behind this man as he thanked the minister for his homily and then asked him, \”Reverend, would you please pray for O.J.\”

Competing Voices

September 5, 2002

Last Rosh Hashana began with the most terrible noise. Terror, trauma, tragedy and evil triumphant filled the air. In addition, Israel and Jews worldwide were subjected to the vilest outburst of anti-Semitism since the 1940s.

Prophetic Life

January 24, 2002

When the intifada began in September 2000, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel, received a call at 3:30 a.m. The lady on the other end, with a deep European accent, asked, "Rabbi Riskin, do you know who this is?"

Behind the Name

November 15, 2001

A number of years ago, a philanthropist who visited the late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein\’s rabbinical seminary on the Lower East Side of New York prepared to give a large gift to the yeshiva.

The Education Equation

August 9, 2001

We all will become wise when we learn that Jewish education is more than just good schools and shuls. It is more than just a good academic experience. It is the combination of family and community building living examples for children to emulate.

Lighten Up

March 8, 2001

With the demise of the former Soviet Union and the fall of communism in the early \’90s, the story of Soviet Jewry\’s battle for survival appears to be ancient history. Yet one of the truly remarkable books of our time is the autobiography of one of the famous refuseniks, Yosef Mendelevitch, who struggled valiantly for his right to be Jewish in Communist Russia. Mendelevitch titled his autobiography \”Mevzah Hatunah,\” which translates from Hebrew as \”Operation Wedding.\”

Collective Hearing

January 11, 2001

Not long ago, on a trip to Israel, I heard the following story about an Israeli doctor and patient.

Greatness

November 2, 2000

In most big cities in the United States, horse-and-buggy rides are offered as tourist attractions. It is therefore not shocking to find them lined up in Philadelphia, right near Constitution Hall and the Liberty Bell.

Charity Begins at Home

August 24, 2000

Morris Leven-ger was a wealthy, pious Jew who lived in Atlan-ta, Georgia, and attended synagogue daily before going to work. One day the rabbi asked for his help with scholarships for youngsters whose families could not afford tuition for Jewish day schools.

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