By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Hanukkah is the festival which celebrates the regaining of Jewish religious and political independence in the land of Israel. Our ancestors liberated Jerusalem from Greek occupation in 164 B.C.E. When they entered the temple they found enough olive oil to fuel the menorah – the seven-branched … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
It is amazing, everything that can happen in just one year — the good and the bad. On the upcoming High Holy Days, when we will look back on the year that ended and look forward to year ahead, we will be particularly aware of the … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
One Shabbat at my synagogue, a woman approached me after the service to tell me she would not be able to attend an upcoming class I would be teaching. “Sorry I will not be able to attend the class,” she said. “In a few words, could … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
I have good news for you, if being exonerated from a crime we did not commit can be considered good news. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his recently-published book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, that we are not guilty for the death of our fellow Jew … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
The moral value which states that adult children should care for their elderly parents is deep-rooted in Judaism. The commandment of honoring parents is one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12): “Honor your father and mother. You will then live long on the land that God … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Thanks to YouTube, I recently was able to watch and listen to Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist Victor Frankl (1905-1997), founder of the school of existential psychotherapy known as logotherapy. He wrote 39 books which were published in a variety of languages. The first and most famous … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
In a few days we will commemorate Yom Hashoah v’Hagevurah, the Holocaust and Heroism Day. On this day, we remember the six million Jews murdered by the German Nazis and their collaborators in Poland, Ukraine, the Baltic states, France, etc. In 1951, the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
It is well known that Americans are a religious people, but a recent survey showed that this does not necessarily mean they know much about religion. Researchers from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life interviewed some 3,400 Americans and asked them 32 questions about … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Western civilization has adopted several teachings and moral values of Judaism, but many people are not aware of it.
Many people believe that “love your neighbor as yourself” was first said by Jesus, not realizing that he was simply quoting the Hebrew Bible (Leviticus 19:18), written … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
We would all like others to give us the benefit of the doubt; however, we sometimes find it difficult to do the same for them.
If someone fails to show up for an appointment, we assume she just did not care. But perhaps her absence was … More
Rabbi Levin 
is the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Munster, IN. He received his rabbinic ordination from the Latin American Rabbinical Seminary, and is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly. In 2010, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City for his years of dedicated service to the Conservative movement and the Jewish community...Full bio