About Rabbi Michael Dushinsky

Rabbi Michael Dushinsky was born in Tel Aviv to parents who were Zionist-Pioneers and observant Jews that emigrated to “Palestine–‘Eretz-Yisra’el” in 1933. He studied in Yeshiva High School, followed by advanced Talmudic studies in higher Yeshivot: HaNegev – Netivot; Chevron & Merkaz HaRav -Jerusalem. He obtained his rabbinical ordination at the age of 23 in 1969. He is married and has 5 children and many grandchildren. God bless them. He has a BA (1976) & MA (1997) in Hebrew Linguistics & Talmud from Bar Ilan University. 

Rabbi Dushinsky is a Cantor and Reader of the Tana”ch\Scripture on the highest level, graduating from the Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute. Rabbi Michael Dushinsky received a Doctor of Education (EdD) from the Ministry of Education, Israel. Rabbi Michael Dushinsky served in the Israel Defense Force, Regular and Reserve, from 1970 to 1995, in a special Artillery and served in the Israeli Wars of Yom Kippur & The First Lebanon war.

Rabbi Michael Dushinsky has been teaching Talmud, Hebrew Jewish-Studies and the music of the synagogue in universities, high-schools & communities for decades. He has been active in inter-religious dialogues and conventions, including academic publications in this field. Rabbi Michael Dushinsky served as Chief Rabbi, Headmaster of a Jewish School and Cantor in Belfast Northern Ireland, UK from 1977 to 1979. He was “Civil-Service” – Chief-Rabbi, National Religious Supervisor to the Ministry of Welfare in Israel from 1980 until 1997. 

Rabbi Michael Dushinsky took unpaid leave from 1983-1985 and moved to South-Africa where he was Senior-Lecturer on Jewish studies in the University of Natal and served as rabbi to communities in Pietermaritzburg & Cape Town as well as a member of Rabbinical Court, Rosh-Yeshiva (Head-of-a-Yeshiva).

Rabbi Michael Dushinsky has resided in the Czech Republic since 1998. He has lectured in adult education in universities, such as Charles in Prague, and in universities & communities around the world on Jewish Studies including: Talmud, Bible, Hebrew-Linguistics, the Music of the Synagogue, Rabbinical Literature, Jewish Thought, Halacha, Midrash, Liturgy, Festivals, the Calendar, Tombstones-Inscriptions-Research & more. He has been a consultant to the Ronald Lauder Foundation in Poland. While in the Czech Republic, he established the Jewish Liturgical Choir “Simchatenu” (Our Joy) which he taught and conducted.

He was requested by the Federation of the Jewish Communities in the Czech (and Slovak) Republics to establish the school, “Matan Shira” (“Grant-the-Chant”) for training Prayer-Leaders and Scripture(Tana”ch)-Readers which is active to-date (2021). RMD is a qualified & experienced guide to Jewish & non-Jewish sites in the Czech Republic and abroad. Rabbi Dushinsky is an advisor to the national theaters on Jewish topics. He is a consultant to the Chief Rabbis of Cezch Republic . He is active in Inter-religious dialogue and he has many academic and rabbinic publications. He is an organiser of academic and cantorial international conventions, conferences, and concerts. 

The latest concert was on February 22, 2020 during the “Covid-Era”, in which the cantor sang beautifully in 5 languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, Italian, English, and he even sang in… Korean! This was made possible due to the warm & steady relationship established by Rabbi Michael Dushinsky with Korean-lovers of Israel & of the Jewish-People!

As a guest Rabbi, guest lecturer and  cantor, Rabbi Dushinsky has visited and served in: Australia, Germany, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia, Italy and more. Rabbi Michael Dushinsky continues to be invited even today, summer 2021 to conduct a Jewish marriage ceremony in Palma di Mallorca Spain, and to lecture & sing to USA tourist groups about Jewish Prague, as well as lead the Services at Jerusalem-Synagogue, Prague, High-Holidays 5782 (2021).