Really looking forward seeing my friends at YILC!

Lectures in Jewish History and Thought. No hard questions, please.





Thanks to Ben Rothke for this kind review of Torah from the Years of Wrath in this week’s Jewish Link of New Jersey. I am very grateful to be a part of the community that values and spreads the teachings of the Piaseczno Rebbe; nice to see positive reviews! Keeping the Faith By Ben Rothke…

Hello everyone– My father’s yortsayt is coming up next week, and as in previous years I hope to begin another cycle of study of Maimonides on Teshuvah. Please visit the Maimonides on Teshuvah page page to learn more about how to participate in this free, Global Study of Maimonides program. Posts will also appear…

Their screams suffuse the entire universe, and yet the universe does not revert to primordial waters. It continues to exist as if completely unaffected, Heaven forbid.

It was about this time of year, five hundred years ago, when we were refugees seeking asylum in Portugal. Then they seized our children. If we don’t care about what has been happening to migrant families today—shame on us.

Hoping that Moshiach will arrive before July 22. If not, then this is a great time to listen to the insights of Rabbi Zev Goldberg on the traditional Kinot. I’ll provide historical context. We did this last year and it was really meaningful. Hopefully this is the last Tisha B’Av we will have to mark…

July brought new tribulations upon the Jewish community as the Nazis, energized by their victories on the western front, formally eliminated virtually every non-governmental organization in the General Government. Charitable agencies, cultural leagues, and of course political groups were abolished, for both Jews and Poles. The ghetto population increased by tens of thousands as Jews…

My fourteen-year old son was the first to see the damage, and you gave me the precious opportunity to teach him some ancient truths about our long-standing relationship.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Zev Brenner of the famous Talkline last week; really pleased that there’s a lot of interest in the work of the Piaseczno Rebbe. The broadcast was aired last Saturday night and will be rebroadcast again tonight at 8pm EST on WSNR AM 620. Here’s the link to the…

Dean Boylan has been a mentor of mine since I joined Touro in 2006. Proud to be with him this morning at the Harvard Club as he receives the Education Update Outstanding Educator of the Year Award. With Dean Moshe Sokol of Lander College for Men and Executive Dean Robert Goldschmidt of the Mighty Avenue…

Is it possible for a person to be struck and not experience physical pain?

Meet Mr. Hunter Ross Loren, a precocious 13-year old who, together with his uncle Alan Loren, contacted me this week to discuss Jewish history. Hunter is an avid fan of Jewish history–especially, of all things, the Jews of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth–and he is probably my youngest student online. As a follow-up to his Bar Mitzvah,…


MAIMONIDES ON TESHUVAH THE WAYS OF REPENTANCE Available now Paperback, 273 pages: $18 Ebook: $9

Maimonides on Teshuvah The Ways of Repentance Available now Paperback, 273 pages: $18 Elul 5776 Special: $9 with discount code KCFLXGXU Ebook: $9 Elul 5776 Special: Free (!) with discount code CN84P In memory of Jack David Abramson ע׳׳ה Sample Maimonides on Teshuvah The Ways of Repentance Henry Abramson בס׳׳ד To my father and teacher יעקב…

Coming August 15, 2016, in commemoration of my father’s yohrtsayt (11 Av).

Hello students, colleagues and friends! Where will you be on Saturday night? If you’re in the Five Towns, please feel free to drop by the Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst (YILC) and say hi, maybe learn a little bit of Torah with me. Besides learning with my kids a bit, I hope to spend the night alternating between…

Here’s a brief message from my daughter Danit Malka, who is preparing for a major hike along the Grand Canyon to raise funds for Friendship Circle, an organization dedicated to helping children with disabilities. Please partner with Danit Malka and help her meet her fundraising goal to help these kids by visiting http://www.hike.teamfriendship.org/DanitMalka. Thank you!

http://www.aish.com/jl/h/h/The-First-Pillar-of-Jewish-Law-The-Rif.html The First Pillar of Jewish Law: The Rif by Dr. Henry Abramson Appreciating the trailblazing scholarly work of Rabbi Yitzchak al-Fasi. Students with even a cursory familiarity with Halacha, Jewish law, are aware of the importance of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Yosef Karo’s comprehensive 15th century magnum opus that informs, directs, and inspires the…

This article appeared in Radio Svoboda at: http://www.radiosvoboda.org/content/article/27692726.html. I understand an English translation is forthcoming for readers who aren’t yet fluent in Ukrainian. 26.04.2016 «Чорнобиль не загинув» – нащадок чорнобильських рабинів Радіо Свобода Рід рабинів Тверських налічує понад 50 тисяч нащадків, але святим місцем для них залишається український Чорнобиль Впродовж останніх 30 років український Чорнобиль…

http://www.aish.com/jw/s/The-Mysterious-Miraculous-Sarajevo-Haggadah.html The Mysterious, Miraculous Sarajevo Haggadah by Dr. Henry Abramson The amazing story of the 700 year old Haggadah, the Muslim librarian who saved it from the Nazis, and how his children were miraculously saved by Israel. Resplendent in deep blues, brilliant yellows and alluring reds, the 14th century Sarajevo Haggadah was created during the…