Who is your favorite biblical person and why?
Jacob. First of all, we share a name (my Hebrew name is Shalom Ya'akov). Secondly, he is a nuanced character who grows through life's struggles.

What is your favorite Torah portion?
K'doshim. It teaches us that we are to be holy, and that we accomplish this through how we live--on a daily basis--in this world.

What is your favorite Jewish text and why?
"Hillel said: Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving humankind and bringing them close to the Torah." (Avot 1:12) You guessed it--my name (Shalom). Also, I seek to be a moderating voice, bringing people together.

What is your favorite food?
I love chicken--it tastes like Shabbos. Then again, so does brisket. And to be honest, I've never met a potato I didn't like, either!

Where is your favorite vacation spot?
Wherever I travel, there are fascinating places to see and interesting people to meet. There is a whole world to explore!

If you could meet anyone who has ever lived, who would it be?
I'm called by his name every day. I'd like to meet my distant cousin, Albert.

What is your favorite book?
Judging by the book I most frequently recommend to others, I'd have to say it's Every Person's Guide to Judaism! I especially enjoy Susan Howatch’s novels. Her series, based on the contemporary Church of England, are a marvelous blend of theology and psychology . . . and she has a masterful way with words.

What is your favorite movie?
Being at least slightly romantic, I'd pick Dr. Zhivago. That's what Robin and I saw on our first date!

Who has made the greatest impression on you?
Rabbi Samson H. Levey. He was my childhood rabbi, my Talmud professor in rabbinical school and graduate school, and my mentor. He could make the liturgy come alive as he read from the prayerbook; he loved Jewish texts and read them so creatively; most importantly, he could speak to any person and make that person know that s/he mattered.

What do you like to do in your free time?
Pure pleasure is reading while listening to good music.

What is your favorite song or music?
The gamut of compositions by Telemann, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, Haydn, and--especially--Mozart. Anything written after 1793 is suspect.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A rabbi! How blessed I am to have followed my dream...and realized that fulfilling it was even better than I had imagined.

Email the Rabbi