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Akiva Herzfeld

Shaarey Tphiloh's rabbi, sharing views from Israel

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Sep 6, 2026, 2:51 PM

The Angel from Worcester

Worcester Cemetery: The Gravesite of Rav Avraham Kaufman

How prayers at Ancestors’ Graves Opened the Way to an Astonishing Encounter “Do you mean you met Elijah the Prophet?” I was giving a sermon at a shtiebel by my brother Baruch’s home in Brooklyn near Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. ...

Aug 20, 2026, 9:56 AM

The King was in the field. So was my wife. And a lion

Lions in Maasai Mara. Elul 5786

A lion in the Kenyan grass brought an Elul metaphor startlingly to life — but the Jewish community in Nairobi gave it deeper meaning

Apr 19, 2019, 12:44 PM

An old lady, a convert, and Elijah enter a seder

Tonight, I will invite a miraculous old lady and a female convert to enter our seder conversation. As we know, women played a great role in the miracles of the redemption from Egypt. The Torah begins the story of the...

Apr 8, 2019, 1:00 PM

Vote with Your Matza in Hand

Voting day in Israel is tomorrow. With the clock ticking, I wanted to quickly share some of the educational platforms that have been proposed by the different political parties. The education of the children of Israel is of paramount importance,...

Mar 29, 2019, 5:08 PM

The Parah-mount Importance of Purification and Unity

My father is usually upbeat when I speak with him on the telephone, but this week he was sad. His chavruta of many years, Rav Aaron Feder, passed away. I told my father that I would write down some Torah...

Mar 28, 2019, 2:34 PM

Secure in the MAMAD: A Look at the Data on Religious Public Schools in Modiin

Is your child’s school in Israel a good one? What are the kids learning in school all day? How does one school compare to another one in the same city or in a different region of Israel? The Israel Department...

Feb 14, 2019, 2:47 PM

Marriage Without The State Clergy Monopoly

It’s Time For One Without The Other

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About Me

Rabbi Akiva Herzfeld resides in Modi'in, Israel, and serves as the rabbi of Shaarey Tphiloh in Portland, Maine. He leads High Holiday services in Portland and stays deeply connected with the community. To learn more about the shul, please reach out at rabbiherzfeld@gmail.com

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