Torah Ideals

Seeking direction in a misdirected world

Bio

Rabbi Yonason Goldson

Graduating from the University of California at Davis with a degree in English, I took the only practical course open to me and began hitchhiking across the United States.  Returning home after five months, my resolve to enroll in a graduate program for social work gave way before a recurrent bout of travel fever, and I set out to backpack across Europe, intending to continue on to Africa and Australia, and to revisit Asia as a follow-up to my previous trip around the world.  (But that’s another story.)

Half-a-year in Europe left me burned out on travel and psychologically drained, so I crossed the Mediterranean for the Land of Israel, supposing I would occupy myself picking oranges on a kibbutz before returning to the road.  You can read about some of it here.

A strong dollar had given a few million other American youths a similar idea, and there wasn’t a spot on any kibbutz to be found.  With dwindling funds and a weary constitution, I took the first opportunity that presented itself:  yeshiva.

It took Rabbi Dovid Gottleib two months to convince me that the Torah had indeed been handed down from Sinai.  It took me nearly nine years to begin to learn the language, begin to study the accumulated wisdom of 3300 years, begin to familiarize myself with the ins and outs of Jewish law and practice, start a family, and acquire the most rudimentary qualifications to teach Torah to others.  I describe the influence of my background in literature on my transformation to Torah observance here.

A year in Budapest, Hungary, followed, then two years in Atlanta, Georgia.  You can get a taste of Hungary here.

My family now lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where I teach Torah at Block Yeshiva High School.  My writings can be found frequently at jewishworldreview.com, aish.com, and beyondbt.com, and occasionally in the Jewish Observer, HaModia, and Jewish Action.  For several years I was a regular columnist with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and an irregular contributor to the Baltimore Sun.

When unencumbered by the responsibilities of my day-job, I can be found as an adult lecturer on contemporary issues, parenting, education, and Jewish philosophy.  I have also served as a guest scholar-in-residence and a ba’al tefillah (or chazzan) for the High Holidays.  Sample programs for Shabbatonim or Scholar-in-residence weekends can be viewed here.

Interested parties can contact me at torahideals [at] att.net.
To be added to my mailing list, send an email to torahideals-subscribe [at] yahoogroups.com.

3 Comments »

  1. Rabbi,

    While in Atlanta, did you know a really wonderful man named Sheldon Little? His wife is a cousin to the famous Arlene Peck.

    I am sorry to say Sheldon died several months ago. He is sorely missed.

    Did you know any Hazans? Randy Hazan is a good buddy of mine. I see him down at the Atlanta Masonic Center near Tech for the lecture championships.

    alles mi best immer!

    Steven Edward Aanes in Oakwood GA 30566

    Comment by Steven Edward Aanes | September 4, 2009

  2. The names are not familiar, I’m afraid. Then again, my memory for names isn’t what it used to be.

    Comment by torahideals | September 6, 2009

  3. Rabbi, Excellent article on why Jews are liberal. I had come to a similar conclusion regarding the Catholic faith.

    This question had interested me for decades from two perspectives.

    First, the one you describe. An abdication of personal responsibility to charity. I have had this discussion with the hierarchy or the Catholic church for many years. My point is that once you abdicate the decision for this personal responsibility to a government, you no longer have the right to complain if the population spends your tax dollars in a way you find offensive. Therefore the best program is to NOT support government sponsored charity. (Which is not the same as NOT doing anything for the poor, the programs can and should different)

    Second is more forward looking. Given the history of oppression (which takes many forms) that is universally proven for large, central governments; why would a black, woman or jew support a political party striving for this authority? The end is without question when power consolidates. I would expect rational beings that have been oppressed in the past to be extremely wary of creating the mechanism for the next oppression. Current ideology in parts of the democrat party appears to be an attempt at payback, damn the consequences. I asked the Rabbi that was teaching a course I was taking this question, the implied question being – “A government of the same programs came to power in Germany and the outcome was catastrophic, why support that path here?” Her response was chilling, “Probably because it hasn’t happened here yet.”

    How do we convince our fellow citizens that there is a place for government, a place for religion AND that one works best when small and the other works best when it consumes our lives?

    All the best,

    tom fields

    Comment by tom fields | April 30, 2010


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