By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
In several days we will celebrate Pesach, the holiday which commemorates our ancestors’ exodus from slavery in Egypt 3,200 years ago. We will gather at our homes for the Seder, and we will read the Haggadah, the book used to tell the story.
In the Haggadah … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
At the age of two, an Israeli child, Avichai Sheli, lost his hearing due to a disease. The physicians told his parents that their son would never speak, and until he was four years old, they thought he was mute.
But his mother ignored the physicians … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
There are many books about happiness, but no simple or easy recipes to attain it. Can happiness by found in money, pursuit of honor, buying material things, gambling, food, etc? Is it possible that some people are searching for happiness in the wrong places?
In his … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
One of Pesach’s most important symbols is the matzah, which we eat during the festival’s eight days. The commandment to eat matzah appears 10 times in the Torah. Jewish tradition requires eating matzah on the first two nights of Pesach. On the other days of Pesach … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Researchers at the University of California identified three people in the world who have a powerful autobiographical memory, a condition called hyperthymestic syndrome, from the Greek words for excessive (hyper) and remembering (thymesis). These people can remember what they did and what happened every day of … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Published by the Omaha World Herald – January 22, 2011
In questionable situations, 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 … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Published by the Omaha World Herald – August 11, 2012
Several years ago, I read a newspaper interview with Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni, in which he recalled his life and his films. In one passage of that article, he mentioned a story by Franz Kafka, … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Published by the Omaha World Herald – July 21, 2012
Sometimes we misjudge others by reaching hasty conclusions based on stereotypes and appearances. We fail to consider new facts and changed circumstances, and instead hold onto faulty perspectives restricted by our past opinions. We misjudge others … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Published by the Omaha World Herald – May 5, 2012
Today, we read one of the most well-known verses in the Hebrew Bible: “”Love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). The commandment “to love” occurs three times in the Hebrew Bible. First, love your neighbor as … More
By Rabbi Mordechai Levin
Published by the Omaha World Herald – March 10, 2012
We know that a straight line is the shortest way between two points. But is that always the best way? We read in the Hebrew Bible that when the Israelites left slavery in Egypt some 3,200 … 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