Zev Shandalov

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Jun 28, 2016, 3:02 PM

God is ALWAYS First! (A Response to Rabbi Hartman)

In an interview with the Times of Israel, Rabbi Donniel Hartman claims (based on his new book) that to save religion from itself, one must place God SECOND and live an ethical life first. Some have called it heresy....

Jun 13, 2016, 3:29 PM

Rethinking Education

Education—everyone is in favor of providing a good Jewish education to their children and all parents attempt to send their kids to a school that they believe will fill that need. In some communities, there are a plethora of...

May 9, 2016, 11:02 AM

God’s Refrigerator

Your child has just come home from school and is waving a piece of paper in front of his face. He excitedly runs towards you in order to present you with his latest work of art. "It's our family!"...

May 5, 2016, 12:06 PM

The Arm that Protruded from the Sleeve

It was about 1969, and I was ten years old. The Holocaust had ended 24 years earlier, but it was a topic, of which, at this point, I had virtually no knowledge. It was never discussed in school, and...

Apr 18, 2016, 11:50 AM

When someone you love is suffering

The Pasuk in Devarim states: הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא ("The Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God Who does no wrong, upright and just is...

Apr 11, 2016, 1:05 PM

Divrei Torah for Your Seder — 5776

Last year, I posted a few Divrei Torah that you could use at your Seder. Once again, this year, I am posting a few more. Some are original and others are quoted from other sources. Feel free to share at...

Mar 26, 2016, 9:46 PM

Giving the Soldier the Cold Shoulder

There are many things that get my blood boiling, as many of you who read my posts know. I get infuriated with the United Nations' incessant bashing of Israel. I get saddened and upset by the constant complaints about...

Mar 22, 2016, 1:03 PM

‘Today was On the Face!’

HUH? What in the world does he mean with that title? What is "on the face"? In honor of Purim, continue reading and see how many Hebrew expressions and words are translated directly into English and how funny they appear...

Mar 17, 2016, 5:16 PM

On Becoming Sefaradi — Part II

The other day, I posted the first part of my odyssey from Ashkenazi Jew to Sefaradi. In this post, I continue where I left off with the rest of the story. I brought this Responsum to my Posek (decisor of...

Mar 15, 2016, 5:11 PM

My Own Personal “Conversion” Story (On Becoming Sefaradi — Part I)

“What? You are a Sefardi? How did THAT happen??” Over the past two and a half years, I have been asked this question, literally, hundreds of times. Rather than answer the same question hundreds of times, I decided to write...

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About Me

After living in Chicago for 50 years, the last 10 of which Zev Shandalov served as a shul Rav and teacher in local Orthodox schools, his family made Aliya to Maale Adumim in July 2009. Shandalov currently works as a teacher, mostly interacting with individual students.