June 22, 2025

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Rabbi Shawn Zell

Rabbi Shawn Zell has recently returned to New Jersey, after serving at a pulpit in Dallas. He possesses certification in teaching Yiddish. Rabbi Zell is the author of three books.

Articles by Rabbi Shawn Zell

Tzorres

It has been 60 years since the British rock group “The Fortunes” released their hit song, “You’ve Got Your Troubles, I’ve Got Mine.” Had “The

The Eyes Have It

Finding favor in the eyes of God and man is part and parcel of Birkat Hamazon. Few question why the verse doesn’t simply state, “Find

Death, Be Not Proud

The Declaration of Independence reminds us that all men are created equal. Yet, the Declaration of Independence says absolutely nothing about the equality of death

Gainful to Remember

Remembering the six million is sacrosanct. Just as everything comes to a complete stop in Israel on Yom Hazikaron when Israelis remember all those who

Did Yiddish Get Your Goat?

If only they had given Yiddish its due! Over the centuries rabbis have painstakingly sought the deeper meaning of Chad Gadya, the grand finale of

We Are All Bibas

When the journalist Amine Ayoub wrote “We are all Bibas,” he was able to capture the flood of emotions that overwhelmed us when the mutilated

You Make Me Wanna Shout

Aside from Amalek being the ancestor of the evil Haman, there is yet another reason for us to read about Amalek’s attack on our people

Mondegreen

The term “mondegreen” was coined half a century ago. It refers to misheard lyrics in a song or misheard phrases or words in speech. An

The Last Road

Although Bat Yam is not one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Israel, I would like to point out that in this city of

What’s in a Name?

“What’s in a name?” finds its origins in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette. A Shakespeare I’m not. Nor do I aspire to become one. But with

Nye Timerabbi shaw

Regardless of how much importance any of you ascribe to January 1, it is of interest to recognize that Judaism tends to eschew “new” when