Rabbi Victor S. Appell

Rabbi Victor Appell

Rabbi Victor S. Appell (he/him/his) is the Associate Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Westfield, NJ. He lives with his husband, Colin Hogan, and their two sons, Avi and Lev.

A Prayer for Peace in Paris

A Prayer for Peace in Paris

Rabbi Victor S. Appell

Source of all being,
May peace come swiftly to the people of Paris.
May the hostages be comforted,
May the wounded be healed,
May the mourners be consoled.
May all the people of Paris find comfort under your sheltering wings. 

Torah scroll

Is there a ritual that marks the completion of reading one of the books of the Torah?

Rabbi Victor S. Appell
During a worship service, each time the reading of a book of the Torah is completed, the congregation rises and says, “ chazak chazak v’nitchazek – be strong, be strong, and we will be strengthened.” According to Rabbi David Saperstein, the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (and former director of

Are resolutions a Jewish concept?

Rabbi Victor S. Appell
It is always appropriate to commit to resolutions that will improve our lives, the lives of those around us, and the larger world.
latkes
Hanukkah

Why do we eat latkes on Hanukkah?

Rabbi Victor S. Appell
A common explanation is that we eat latkes (potato pancakes) because they are cooked in oil and this remind us of the miracle that a single cruse of oil found in the Temple lasted for eight nights.