Gavin Michal

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Jul 29, 2015, 11:52 PM

The Nonexistent Memorial

I draw once more from the writings of Rabbi Yom Tov Schwarz whose compelling arguments are difficult to ignore. He believes that the post-War generation of Jews (particularly the religious communities) have never done enough to acknowledge the Holocaust....

Jul 19, 2015, 8:50 PM

The Holocaust Didn’t Just Kill Jews

One of the less known Torah giants of our generation must be Rabbi Yom Tov Schwarz. He is a Holocaust survivor, who seems to have made it his mission to point out how the Torah world we know today,...

Jul 3, 2015, 12:37 AM

The Most Dangerous Game In Town

There is an old game in town. The stakes are high and it’s all or nothing. Most people play this game but cheat. It’s called the G-d game. If G-d is who we say he is, then he is my G-d and your...

Jun 25, 2015, 8:34 PM

Enough With All This Education

Torah education is flourishing. So many young people, today, have the privilege of experiencing some form of Jewish education. The numbers of children passing through Torah institutions is quite staggering. Yet, huge numbers of these same people are being turned...

Jun 17, 2015, 9:57 PM

Corporate Judaism

The other day I saw a Meshulach standing at the gate of a friend’s house. He wanted a donation. He was holding a large leather bag. I later asked my friend what was in the bag. It was a laptop....

Mar 31, 2015, 10:24 PM

Less Than One Afternoon

A close relative of mine has long passed retirement age. He should have retired from surgery about 15 years ago, but still practices to this day. Thanks to me. I thought it quite strange when he asked my advice about whether...

Feb 25, 2015, 7:23 PM

Whose Thoughts Are You Thinking

Of course my thoughts are my thoughts. I’m thinking them aren't I? Could it be that perhaps, even though I am the one doing the thinking, some of my thoughts have been ‘pre-programmed’ in one...

Feb 4, 2015, 8:03 PM

And I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

When I started out on my journey through Judaism, it didn't take me long to realize that goalposts were constantly shifting. It worried me at first, but now I am thankful for every shift that was made. I’ll explain what...

Jan 25, 2015, 11:39 PM

Counsel for the Over-Counselled

When I was a child, there were either good children or naughty children. Today naughty children do not exist. Children are either extremely gifted, or they have severe behavioral disorders. It seems as if our poor children, like the rest...

Dec 11, 2014, 10:11 AM

Hiding Behind Religion

The Kotzker Rebbe certainly wasn’t your typical ‘Baruch HaSheming’ Jew. Not everything Jewish or even religious had automatic and unconditional appeal to him. In Kotzk, if you weren’t real on the inside, your outside was disqualified no matter who you...

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About Me

Rabbi Gavin Michal is fascinated by the psychology of belief, the difference between belief and superstition, and by whether religion makes people better or worse. Besides being a community rabbi, he is also a helicopter pilot, builds drones for anti-poaching, and restores vintage aircraft to flying condition.