Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of the Valley Beit Midrash, the Founder & President of Uri L’Tzedek, the Founder and CEO of The Shamayim V’Aretz Institute, the Founder and President of YATOM, and the author of thirteen books on Jewish ethics. Newsweek named Rav Shmuly one of the top 50 rabbis in America and the Forward named him one of the 50 most influential Jews. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s and do not represent any organizations he is affiliated with.
Shmuly Yanklowitz
By Shmuly Yanklowitz
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Community Orthodox Rabbis Call For A ‘Truly Pluralistic Israel’
As progressive, pluralistic orthodox rabbis associated with the rabbinic group Torat Chayim, we stand fully as allies with our sisters and brothers throughout the entire Jewish community in support of pluralism in America and Israel. We were disheartened to read that the Israeli government has rescinded its commitment to create a space for alternative and…
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Community What It’s Like To Be A Modern Lonely Man Of Faith
“And a man found him, when he was wandering in the field, and the man asked him, ‘What are you seeking?’ And he said, ‘I am seeking my brothers’” (Genesis 37:15). I peer out from the siddur (prayer book): are these my brothers? I look around at a rally for justice and peace: are these…
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Community Israel Bans Gruesome Shackle And Hoist Slaughterhouse Method Imports
Israel is Ending “Shackle and Hoist” Imports. The United States must follow suit. What is the price of consuming kosher meat? Is it a means to achieve a level of Godliness here on Earth, or is it the violent perpetuation of cruelty and needless pain on innocent creatures? The contemporary response can only be a…
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Community Orthodox Rabbis Warn Of ‘Moral And Spiritual Dangers’ Of Eating Meat
In an unprecedented statement, a group of Orthodox rabbis around the world, members of Torat Chayim, a progressive Orthodox rabbinic group, have called upon the broader Jewish community to consider the moral and spiritual dangers associated with meat consumption. In this statement, these members of Torat Chayim have called upon Jews of all persuasions, but…
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Community Is Kosher Meat Always Moral?
My grandfather was a butcher. And though he has long since passed, I recall his passion for service and his love of animals, even though he thought that his obligation to the world was to use their flesh as food. The juxtaposition of a benign, kindly man flaying the flesh of an animal, their blood…
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Community Rabbis Urge President Trump To “Act Decisively” In Syria
Dear President Trump, We write to you with angst just days before the Passover holiday when the Jews escaped the oppressive tyranny of Pharaoh in Egypt. The Assad regime in Syria appears to have conducted a nerve gas attack against Syrian civilians yesterday. At least 58 civilians have been killed in the attack, marking the…
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Opinion To Really Love Thy Neighbor, Invite a Syrian Refugee Into Your Home
I’ll never forget the feeling of gratitude and the experience of fellowship that graced my home in 2015. My family and I had been given the opportunity to host a recently settled Syrian refugee family for Thanksgiving. We said yes, but, admittedly, we did so with trepidation. Having internalized some fear of Syrian refugees after…
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The Schmooze Author Blog: On Ritual and Justice
Earlier, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz wrote about taxation in America and Hurricane Sandy, FEMA, and the Need for Big Government. His blog posts are featured on The Arty Semite courtesy of the Jewish Book Council and My Jewish Learning’s Author Blog Series. For more information on the series, please visit: The great French Jewish philosopher and…
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