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Neil Zuckerman

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Mar 30, 2026, 6:36 PM

This Year….Finish the Seder

Last week, students at the University of Maryland returned from spring break to something unsettling. The main campus mall had been filled with rows of flags commemorating Palestinians killed in Gaza. And alongside them, the now-familiar signs: “From the...

Jan 6, 2026, 12:37 AM

When Anti-Zionism Becomes Normal — and Why That Should Trouble Us

A friend from out of town recently visited me at the synagogue where I work and commented on the heavy security in and around the building. It is significant, and it struck him immediately. I barely noticed. I am so...

Nov 5, 2025, 8:17 PM

After New York City’s Election, Jews Must Rise Again

Thirty years ago this week, I was studying for the year in Jerusalem when the news broke: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin had been assassinated—by a Jew. It was one of those moments you never forget. The streets fell silent....

Aug 24, 2025, 11:13 PM

The Beauty of the Blank Page: Springsteen, School Drop Off, and the Work of Elul

This Monday, August 25, will be a day of convergence for me—a day when three seemingly unrelated moments come together in a way that feels deeply connected. First, I will drop off my daughter for her freshman year of college....

Aug 1, 2025, 7:47 PM

And yet: A cry of conscience in a time of war

Palestinians, mostly children, push to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22, 2025. (AFP)

Aiding hungry Gazans is not a sign of weakness, it is strength of the highest kind: the strength to remain human even in war

Jun 5, 2025, 8:21 PM

Not Afraid. Emboldened.

Not Afraid. Emboldened. A recent New York Times op-ed was titled, “Why Jews Are Afraid Right Now.” And I understand the fear. Since October 7, with antisemitism erupting on campuses, in the streets, and in violent attacks, fear has become...

Apr 16, 2025, 11:54 PM

The fire after the seder: A story of memory and resolve

This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP)

What we learn from the response by Pennsylvania's Jewish governor to the torching of the mansion where he held seder

Mar 26, 2025, 1:33 AM

Bernie Sanders and J Street are jeopardizing Israel’s security

As my son fights for the IDF, Bernie Sanders and J Street are jeopardizing his security When Bernie Sanders and 18 other senators voted to block the sale of American-made weapons to Israel last year, they knew they were backing...

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About Me

Rabbi Neil Zuckerman is a rabbi at Park Avenue Synagogue, a Conservative synagogue in New York City.