Johnny Solomon

Rabbi Johnny Solomon #theVirtualRabbi

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Sep 20, 2024, 11:55 AM

How should we celebrate Simchat Torah this year?

I recently visited a synagogue in Israel whose community asked me for my thoughts about how we should celebrate Simchat Torah this year. Here is what I said: Simchat Torah is rabbinic festival that was established during the Middle Ages...

Feb 14, 2018, 3:36 PM

Why Jewish law is so much more than a dry, unbending code

Cover of Jewish Law as Rebellion, by Nathan Lopes Cardozo. (courtesy, Johnny Solomon)

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo faults halacha handbooks for a lack of legal creativity; he misses the mark (review)

Oct 30, 2017, 3:08 PM

Lessons for All of Us from ‘One of Us’

Over the past few weeks the Jewish blogosphere has been awash with numerous posts about the Netflix documentary ‘One of Us’ which tells the story of three ex-hasidic Jews - Etty, Ari & Luzer - who, for reasons that...

Sep 3, 2017, 1:28 PM

Dear Yeshiva and Seminary students

Dear Yeshiva and Seminary student, Over the past few days you’ve been arriving to your new home for the next year or more. Hopefully, you’ve found your room, and at least some of you will have already unpacked your cases....

Aug 22, 2017, 11:16 AM

10 Do’s and Don’ts for Jewish Educators

I was recently speaking to a good friend about Jewish Education and Jewish Educators, and I mentioned that I have a number of personal DO’s and DON’Ts which, to the best of my ability, I try to adhere to. I...

Jul 30, 2017, 9:19 AM

Reflections on Jewish Education in the Post-Churban Era

One of the few people that the Gemara (Bava Batra 21a) lists as being ‘remembered for good’ is Yehoshua Ben Gamla who is attributed as being the architect of the formal Jewish education system. However, what is less well known...

Mar 21, 2017, 4:46 PM

An Open Letter to Yeshiva and Seminary Students

In the coming weeks or so, you will be returning home to the US, UK and elsewhere, to celebrate Pesach with your family. For many of you this will be the first time back since arriving at Yeshiva or Seminary,...

Jul 25, 2014, 1:14 PM

Don’t be taken for a ride

One of the topics discussed by the media in the days following the kidnapping of Eyal Yifrach z’l, Naftali Frenkel z’l and Gilad Shaar z’l was the safety of ‘tremping’, that is, hitchhiking in Israel. Certainly, there are many...

Jul 16, 2014, 12:32 AM

Connecting to our homeland through our cellphone

Screenshot of Red Alert, the Israeli app that warns locals of incoming missile attacks. (Courtesy)

The Red Alert app is one way for Jews and friends of Israel around the world to keep up with the current war

Jul 7, 2014, 10:54 AM

Starting the day with love not hate

Every morning at the start of my Shacharit prayers I recite the beautiful meditation (mentioned by Rabbi Dov Zinger and MK Yair Lapid at the funeral of Naftali, Eyal & Gilad), which states: הֲרֵינִי מְקַבֵּל עָלַי מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל: וְאָהַבְתָּ...

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About Me

Rabbi Johnny Solomon is the Chief Learning Officer (CLO) of WebYeshiva.org where he teaches and works as #theVirtualRabbi. Additionally, Rav Johnny frequently lectures on Tanach, Halacha and Jewish Thought for Matan, Melton, LSJS and Herzog College.

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