Open Search form

Elie Weinstock

Apply for a Blog

May 1, 2026, 8:02 PM

Not Good PR, Good Jews

Is it good for the Jews or bad for the Jews? Does it make Jews look good or make Jews look bad? We often judge actions, behaviors, and, especially, headlines through this prism. I remember in elementary school, our teacher would...

Mar 31, 2026, 8:02 PM

Still Leaving Egypt

The Exodus happened in an instant, but the journey to freedom takes much longer than one night. Yes, it all starts in a big rush - matzah on our backs, doors flung open, a people rushing toward freedom. (We’ve all...

Mar 20, 2026, 10:39 PM

Opera, Chazzanut, and the Jewish Need to Feel

Some people say they’re bored in shul. The davening is too long. The chazzan is too slow. The melodies are outdated. (No complaints about the rabbi, though!) But here’s the uncomfortable truth: It’s not the music that changed; it’s us. Actor...

Dec 19, 2025, 8:28 PM

The Chanukah Light Can Dispel Any Darkness

Banu chosech l’gareish, beyadeinu ohr va'esh Kol echad hu ohr katan, v'chulanu ohr eitan Surah choshech hal’ah sh'chor. Surah mipnei haor! We come to chase away the darkness. In our hands are light and fire. Each individual light is small, but together –...

Nov 14, 2025, 11:38 PM

Hope and Holiness in Burying Our Fallen

This week, a long, painful chapter came to a close. IDF reservists, members of Lt. Hadar Goldin’s company when he was killed and abducted by Hamas in 2014, traveled to the Gaza Strip to escort his remains back to Israel. I...

Oct 31, 2025, 7:21 PM

The Road of the Ivri

There is a story told of a man who was captured behind enemy lines during war. To his horror, he was sentenced to death by firing squad. However, the captain gave the man another option. He told him, "You...

Oct 13, 2025, 11:11 PM

Today is a day suffused with emotion. Baruch Hashem! Laughter. Smiles. Hugs. Cheers. Tears. After two years, Israel and the Jewish people are turning a corner. It is not the end of anything. It’s an inflection point. The remains of two dozen Israelis still must...

Jul 11, 2025, 8:50 PM

A Nation That Dwells Alone

What kind of nation are we? In 1964, Look magazine ran a cover story entitled “The Vanishing American Jew.” The article explained why in all certainty no Jews would be left in the United States in the 21st century. It’s not the first...

May 9, 2025, 8:57 PM

The Yiddishe Momme

A story is told about the mother of the first Jewish President who receives a call inviting her to fly on Air Force One. She hangs up the phone, and her friend asks, “Who was that?” She replies, “You...

Apr 25, 2025, 8:19 PM

Yom HaShoah Song Selection & Understanding the Week Ahead

The post-Pesach “Yom”s” are a lot. Just days after Pesach ends, we observe Yom HaShoah. Just one week later, we commemorate Yom Hazikaron and celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut. First, we try to properly capture the magnitude of the Holocaust – the...

Load more

About Me

Rabbi Elie Weinstock is Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach in Long Island and serves as a Chaplain for the Nassau County Police Department. A Past President of the New York Board of Rabbis, he is a believer in a Judaism that is accessible to all and prefers "Just Judaism" to any denominational label.