Avi Hoffman, at The Blogs

Avi Hoffman

May 5, 2026, 6:07 PM

The Adventures of Rabbi Akiva and his 24,000 Students

The celebration of the 33rd day of the Omer has always been shrouded in mystery. Traditionally, there have been two basic explanations:1) The 33rd day of the Omer was Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's "day of celebration", or, according to...

Jul 21, 2024, 7:50 AM

A Torah Ethic of Political Assassinations

On Shabbat of the 14th of Tamuz 5784 (July 20, 2024, parashat Balak), I gave the following derashah at Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, NJ. Like my previously posted derashah, one congregant told me that this derashah also...

May 14, 2024, 8:11 AM

How to Criticize Israel Without Being an Antisemite

(Anti-Israel protestors at Columbia University. Photo: Avi Hoffman)

On Shabbat of the 3rd of Iyar 5784 (May 11, 2024), I gave the following derashah at Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, NJ. After I finished, one congregant told me that it seemed as though I had seen...

Oct 11, 2023, 5:22 PM

Gaza in the Bible

For the worst possible reasons, Gaza has recently been on all of our minds and news feeds. Having forcibly risen to the forefront of the collective Jewish consciousness, I thought it might be worthwhile to examine Gaza's biblical roots...

About Me

Rabbi Avi Hoffman is the Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Ohr Torah and Judaic Studies teacher at Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy. He is completing a Masters in Medieval Jewish History at Revel and a certificate in Mental Health Counseling at Ferkauf. As an avid magician - practicing, performing, and creating magic for nearly 20 years - he serves as a founding board member of Magic4Israel.

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