Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for American Jewish World Service, on the topic of "The Jewish Movement to Eradicate Global Poverty!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky, Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies - Brandeis University on the topic of "Rav Kook's Lessons for a Time of Change and Anger!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Abby Stein, an activist, speaker, and author, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The story of a girl, raised as a boy in the Hasidic world, ordained as a Rabbi, then left and came out as a Trans-Women. This session will explore the intersecting worlds of the Hasidic Community, Education, arranged marriages in today’s America, LGBTQ issues, and the story of the first Ex-Hasidic Transgender support group. Abby will share her story via pictures, videos, some texts, and a lot of storytelling. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/cbiaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Ilana Kurshan, the author of "If All the Seas Were Ink" on the topic of "Daf Yomi - A Page of Talmud A Day!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2kLbZpM For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Abby Stein, an activist, speaker, and author, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (www.cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: For generations, many Jews saw gender within Judaism as black and white, male and female, with no place for fluidity. Until today, ultra-Orthodox communities ignore the existence of gender diversity within Jewish tradition. However, Judaism is rich and full with gender diversity. This session will explore different approaches within primary Jewish texts, from the creation story, the several genders of the Talmud, to transgender theory within Kabbalah, with real-life examples. It will also include a hands-on guide to creating queer-friendly rituals! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/cbiaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University on the topic of "The Rise of Anti-Semitism in America." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Rachel Rubinstein, professor of American literature and Jewish studies at Hampshire College, presents her lecture "Contextualizing Antisemitism on College Campuses" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How did Jewish immigrants to the United States imagine themselves at home in their new country? How did Jews identify with “America”? The figure of the imaginary Indian has long functioned in the American cultural imagination as an object both of vilification and romantic longing, frequently in relation to governmental policies towards actual Native tribes and communities. It is not surprising then that the figure of the American Indian loomed large in the Jewish imagination as well. This lecture describes a long and varied history of Jewish immigrant fascination with the indigenous peoples of the Americas, seeing in them a mirror for Jews’ own anxieties about tribal and national belonging. Ranging across multiple languages, and geographical locations, this lecture offers an introduction to an unexpectedly rich and complex history of actual and imagined interactions between Jews and Indians. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/OrTzionAZ/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Rachel Rubinstein, professor of American literature and Jewish studies at Hampshire College, presents her lecture "Contextualizing Antisemitism on College Campuses" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Antisemitism is experiencing a resurgence worldwide and in the U.S. But what are Jewish students experiencing on American college campuses? This lecture provides an historical context for antisemitism on both the political right and left, and describes the often confusing political environment of many college campuses, in which antisemitic attitudes can take root. Antisemitism on college campuses can be related to debates about Israel, but is as frequently tied to conflicts around class, race, and religious observance. Once we understand what informs campus antisemitism, what are some effective strategies for combating it? For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Amitai Fraiman, director of The Z3 Project (https://z3conference.org/) Zack Bodner, CEO of the Palo Alto JCC (https://www.paloaltojcc.org/) present an excerpt from their presentation "Zionism 3.0. What Is It, and Why Is It Important?" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: presentation and community conversation about the future of the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. In this session, we will discuss the need to evolve our Zionist consciousness and the role Israel plays in our communal and personal identities. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor David Kertzer, the Dupee University Professor of Social Science at Brown University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, on the topic of "The Pope and Jews." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Erica Brown, director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University (http://www.ericabrown.com/) presented her roundtable learning session "Where Have All The Leaders Gone" before Valley Beit Midrash's opening event in Sept. 2019. LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2kwyzlV ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of twelve books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality; her forthcoming commentary is The Book of Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Koren/OU). She has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Tablet and The Jewish Review of Books and wrote a monthly column for the New York Jewish Week. She has blogged for Psychology Today, Newsweek/Washington Post’s “On Faith” and JTA and tweets on one page of Talmud study a day at DrEricaBrown. Erica has degrees from Yeshiva University, University of London, Harvard University and Baltimore Hebrew University. She previously served as the scholar-in-residence at both The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston and as the community scholar for the Jewish Center of New York. Erica was a Jerusalem Fellow, is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation, an Avi Chai Fellow and the recipient of the 2009 Covenant Award for her work in education. She currently serves as a community scholar for Congregation Etz Chaim in Livingston, NJ. Erica is also the author of Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet, Take Your Soul to Work: 365 Meditations on Every Day Leadership and Happier Endings: A Meditation on Life and Death (Simon and Schuster), which won both the Wilbur and Nautilus awards for spiritual writing. Her previous books include Inspired Jewish Leadership, a National Jewish Book Award finalist, Spiritual Boredom, Confronting Scandal and co-authored The Case for Jewish Peoplehood (All Jewish Lights). She also wrote Seder Talk: A Conversational Haggada, Leadership in the Wilderness, In the Narrow Places and Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe (All OU/Koren). This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Erica Brown, director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University (http://www.ericabrown.com/) presented the first annual Sherman Minkoff Memorial Lecture titled "Time to Change? Jewish Identity for the 21st Century," the opening event of Valley Beit Midrash's 2019-2020 Jaburg-Wilk Learning Season LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2kHSY7x ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of twelve books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality; her forthcoming commentary is The Book of Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Koren/OU). She has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Tablet and The Jewish Review of Books and wrote a monthly column for the New York Jewish Week. She has blogged for Psychology Today, Newsweek/Washington Post’s “On Faith” and JTA and tweets on one page of Talmud study a day at DrEricaBrown. Erica has degrees from Yeshiva University, University of London, Harvard University and Baltimore Hebrew University. She previously served as the scholar-in-residence at both The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Boston and as the community scholar for the Jewish Center of New York. Erica was a Jerusalem Fellow, is a faculty member of the Wexner Foundation, an Avi Chai Fellow and the recipient of the 2009 Covenant Award for her work in education. She currently serves as a community scholar for Congregation Etz Chaim in Livingston, NJ. Erica is also the author of Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet, Take Your Soul to Work: 365 Meditations on Every Day Leadership and Happier Endings: A Meditation on Life and Death (Simon and Schuster), which won both the Wilbur and Nautilus awards for spiritual writing. Her previous books include Inspired Jewish Leadership, a National Jewish Book Award finalist, Spiritual Boredom, Confronting Scandal and co-authored The Case for Jewish Peoplehood (All Jewish Lights). She also wrote Seder Talk: A Conversational Haggada, Leadership in the Wilderness, In the Narrow Places and Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe (All OU/Koren). This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Alice Shalvi, a renowned activist and educator, on the topic of "How Has the Status of Women Changed in Israeli Society in 70 years?" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College (https://shalem.ac.il/en/) on the topic of "The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." Dr. Gordis is also the author of the new book "We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2kAB4mY For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching "False Prophets in our Midst Today!" This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Founding Director of Eshel (http://www.eshelonline.org) on the topic of "Orthodox Same-Sex Marriage." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (https://rac.org/) on the topic of "Jewish Social Justice at the RAC." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Laurie Zoloth, Margaret E. Burton Professor of Religion and Ethics in the Divinity School and the Senior Advisor to the Provost for Programs on Social Ethics at the University of Chicago, on the topic of "Jewish Medical Ethics." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Garth Silberstein (https://kitcsacramento.org/rabbi/), the founder and director of the Organic Yeshiva, presents his lecture, " The Mitzvah of Tokhecha (Reproof) and the Ethics of Protest" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Rabbi Garth Silberstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2016. Previously he had also studied at the Pardes Institute for Jewish studies, and received a BA in acting and biology from Bennington College in Vermont. While a student, Rabbi Silberstein interned at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale-The Bayit, Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh in Portland, Maine, Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe in Boston, and Hazon. Prior to beginning his rabbinic training, Rabbi Silberstein lived in New York and worked in the theatre and in non-profit management for several years. A native of Davis, California, Rabbi Silberstein is an out-door enthusiast, and has led Hazon’s Cross-USA bike ride twice. In 2014, Rabbi Silberstein founded Organic Yeshiva, an immersive adult education program that combines traditional talmud study with hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture. Rabbi Silberstein has taught and spoken at numerous synagogues and other institutions throughout the United States. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2PeQjR1 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Founder & Director of Torat Tzedek-Torah of Justice" on the topic of "Spiritual Activism for Human Rights in Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill, Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, on the topic of "Teaching Judaism in Indonesia" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "Are Jewish Law & Jewish Values Separate Philosophical Systems?" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this class session, Rabbi Shmuly will examine texts that explore the relationship between law and values. Are values built into the law or separate? Is following the law enough? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Ph.D., the founder, and director of The Shalom Center (https://theshalomcenter.org/) on the topic of "Half a Century of Activism!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram, the Executive Director of Reclaiming Judaism (http://www.reclaimingjudaism.org/) presents her lecture, Wisdom from Reb Zalman: Embracing the Jewish Spirit before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi lived a calling to reach and touch people in deeply spiritual, supportive, and Jewishly profound ways. He developed effective approaches to bridging science and spirituality, pre-war European and 21st Century Judaism, patriarchy and feminism, tradition and innovation, Jewish faith and many faiths. Come be challenged and inspired, as Rabbi Goldie Milgram, one of his emissaries, and volume co-editor of Wisdom from Reb Zalman | Embracing the Jewish Spirit (Reclaiming Judaism Press), shares and convenes discussion of his fascinating and instructive encounters with students and colleagues worldwide. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, and Eddie Chavez Calderon, Campaign Organizer for Arizona Jews for Justice, presents their class, "Immigrant Rights in the Bible & Talmud" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this fascinating class, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Eddie Chavez Calderon will approach the contemporary conversation about immigration through two unique modes: a text study Biblical and Talmudic teachings on immigrants and personal stories about life as an immigrant. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. John Fung, Professor of Surgery and the Co-Director of Transplant Institute at the University of Chicago (https://www.uchicagomedicine.org), on the topic of "The Many Dimensions of Kidney Donation!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, “Tikkun Olam: Exploring the Concept of Repairing the World Throughout Jewish Intellectual History!" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is a concept often invoked but rarely understood. It turns out that the phrase was used throughout Jewish history over the last two millennia in very different ways. In this class, Rabbi Shmuly will lead us through a text study of various sources to understand how different Jewish thinkers have understood the concept of tikkun olam and what that might mean for us today. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, the Founder & Dean of the David Cardozo Academy (https://www.cardozoacademy.org/) on the question of "Time for New Halakhic System?" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/Rabbi.Nathan.Lopes.Cardozo/ https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, the founder of Tevel B'Tzedek (tevelbtzedek.org/), presents his lecture, "Reflections on the Conflict, Anti-Zionism, and American Jews" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Micha, a rabbi and writer, who has lived in Israel for the past 32 years, will share snapshots from his personal experience as an Israeli, an American Jew, and a journalist on the current debate about Zionism, the conflict and Israel. Why do emotions on this issue run so high, and disagreements hurt so much? What facts and issues are too often ignored in the debate? What are the internal and external dangers that Israel faces as a result of the conflict? How can the discussion be reframed in order to move forward? What are the signs of hope, alongside the warning signs of hazard and potential tragedy? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai www.facebook.com/Tevelbtzedek.org twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, the founder of Tevel B'Tzedek (https://tevelbtzedek.org/), presents his lecture, "Shabbos in Somalia: Reflections on Judaism and the Global South" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Micha Odenheimer covered stories and crises in Africa and Asia for Haaretz, the Washington Post and others, beginning with the Ethiopian aliyah in 1991 and continuing with Haiti, Somalia, Iraq, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia. Already a rabbi when he began to report from the Global South, Micha’s travels inspired him to think about the relevance of Judaism to the challenges of globalization, poverty and the human future. In this lecture, Micha will share his thoughts and experiences, ending in his decision to create a Jewishly inspired international development organization, Tevel b’Tzedek, whose aim is to bridge between Israel, the Jewish people, and the challenge of poverty and environmental crisis in the Global South. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai https://www.facebook.com/Tevelbtzedek.org twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) (https://www.adl.org/), on the topic of "Combating Anti-Semitism & Hate Today." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/anti.defamatation.league https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Avi Weiss, Founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (https://www.yctorah.org), a leadership development scholar, on the topic of "The Building of Open Orthodoxy!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/31uOqBN For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Max Klau (https://www.maxklau.com/), a leadership development scholar, on the topic of "Race & Social Change!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Micah Goodman, a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem (https://hartman.org.il/) and President of Ein Prat, on the topic of "Reducing Suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE "Catch-'67": https://amzn.to/2IqYYt3 For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) (https://rocunited.org/) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, on the topic of "Justice for Restaurant Workers!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE "FORKED": https://amzn.to/2We2dZJ For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/ROCUnited https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "Understanding Human Suffering: Theological, Moral, & Spiritual Explorations" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How might we spiritually respond to our own pain and suffering? How might we morally respond to the pain and suffering of others? In this session, Rabbi Shmuly will explore Jewish sources on pain and suffering and explore various theological approaches to understanding this pervasive human phenomenon. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Sarah Bunin Benor, the Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies at the Los Angeles campus of HUC-JIR (http://huc.edu/), on the topic of " Is Hebrew Education in Sunday School Working?" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Professor Marc B. Shapiro, the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton (https://www.scranton.edu), on the topic of "Orthodox Rabbis Censoring Truth." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2EmK6L5 For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Emily Langowitz, of Temple Solel, presents her lecture "Judaism and Reproductive Justice: Reframing the Jewish Conversation on Abortion from Torah to Today," before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this class we will explore the continuing dialogue within Judaism around issues of reproductive health, specifically focusing on abortion. We’ll take a look at the classic texts used as grounding for decision-making around this issue, and also expand our awareness to include modern feminist critique of traditional modes of discussing abortion. Finally, we will see how Reproductive Justice as a framework broadens our understanding both of the issue of abortion and of our own evolving Judaisms. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALAS: https://bit.ly/2Jr8GPf For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "The Book of Jonah: A Rebellious Prophet We Can Relate To" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: We read the story of Jonah every Yom Kippur but have we studied it in depth yet? In this session, participants will read the Book of Jonah together (just 4 short chapters) and interpret the book together with Rabbi Shmuly! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/labshul/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Peter Singer (https://petersinger.info/) the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University & Laureate Professor at the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at University of Melbourne, on the topic of "Utilitarian Perspectives on Saving Lives, Organ Donation, & End-of-Life Ethics!" DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Richard Schwartz, one of the earliest voices on the subject of Jewish vegetarianism and environmentalism, as the two Jewish community leaders discuss what we can do to stop climate change before it's too late! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (http://amichai.me/), the founding spiritual leader of Lab/Shul NYC and the creator of Storahtelling, Inc., presents his lecture, "Interrupting the Bible: Five Tools to Reinvent the Jewish Story" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ for Valley Beit Midrash's 2018-2019 Learning Season Closing Event. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Can Monotheism’s oldest storytelling ritual bridge the growing gap between modern generations and our ancient legacies? Join master teacher and performer Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder and spiritual leader of Lab/Shul NYC, as he presents a story of self-discovery and a manifesto for reclaiming tradition and claiming pluralistic approaches that promote a wiser Judaism for today. Based on Amichai’s book in process, this interactive presentation tells of a personal journey from Jerusalem to New York, through Bagdad and Berlin, spanning two millennia, three religions, and four continents, and presenting five principles for bridging the gap between modern society and its sacred legacies. LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2U7Qkn7 DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/labshul/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Noa Kushner, Founding Rabbi at The Kitchen (www.thekitchensf.org/), presents her Valley Beit Midrash discussion "Social Justice, Mitzvah, and God Then and Now: The writing of R. Arnold Jacob Wolf z”l" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: “What we cannot believe is that God is a revolutionary. So long as we act by our lights we shall act poorly, because our insights are really self-interest and our convictions mere rationalizations.” (R. Arnold Jacob Wolf, “The Negro Revolution and Jewish Theology,” Unfinished Rabbi, p. 87). This session will explore the serious challenges raised by an essay written in 1964 that still surprises and surpasses current thinking in its radical approaches to both activism and theology. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2CX8Ad5 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/TheKitchensf/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Noa Kushner, Founding Rabbi at The Kitchen (https://www.thekitchensf.org/), presents her Valley Beit Midrash discussion "Jewish Thought in Three Acts: Creation, Revelation, Redemption" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How do we ask our most serious questions about the meaning of life and our place in the world? According to tradition, we look through our three primary stories of how we came to be (creation), who we are (leaving Egypt), and why (receiving Torah). Through these narratives, we can begin to see our way to awareness, responsibility and hope — as well as confront the darkness that arises and can be overcome in those same pivotal moments. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: To come For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/TheKitchensf/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Jonathan K. Crane, Raymond F. Schinazi Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought at Emory University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Eating Ethically: Religion and Science for a Better Diet" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Few activities are as essential to human flourishing as eating, and fewer still are as ethically fraught. Eating well is particularly confusing. We live amid excess, faced with conflicting recommendations, contradictory scientific studies, and complex moral, medical, and environmental consequences that influence our choices. A new eating strategy is urgently needed, one grounded in ethics, informed by biology, supported by philosophy and theology, and, ultimately, personally achievable. Eating Ethically argues persuasively for more adaptive eating practices. Drawing on religion, medicine, philosophy, cognitive science, art, ethics, and more, Jonathan K. Crane shows how distinguishing among the eater, the eaten, and the act of eating promotes a radical reorientation away from external cues and toward internal ones. This turn is vital for survival, according to classic philosophy on appetite and contemporary studies of satiety, metabolic science as well as metaphysics and religion. By intertwining ancient wisdom from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with cutting-edge research, Crane concludes that ethical eating is a means to achieve both personal health and social cohesion. Grounded in science and tradition, Eating Ethically shows us what it truly means to eat well. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2VgrjHE For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Jonathan K. Crane, Raymond F. Schinazi Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought at Emory University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Dying to Die: Jewish Perspectives on End of Life Interventions" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Peter Beinart (http://peterbeinart.net/), Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York and a contributor to The Atlantic, a Senior Columnist at The Forward, a CNN Political Commentator, and a Fellow at The Foundation for Middle East Peace, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture, "Jewish Power and Jewish Vulnerability in the Age of Trump" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Peter Beinart, Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York and a contributor to The Atlantic, a Senior Columnist at The Forward, a CNN Political Commentator, and a Fellow at The Foundation for Middle East Peace, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture, "The Coming Democratic Party Civil War Over Israel" before a VIP roundtable audience at Temple Chai (http://templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Samuel Brody, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "What Would God’s Economy Look Like?" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Jewish thinkers commonly argue that the Torah is meant to provide a complete, all-pervasive guide to Jewish life. And yet, for much of Jewish history, even while halakha could regulate the trade and business practices of Jewish individuals and firms, it never had the ability to prescribe rules for the very nature of the economy itself. With the rise of modern Jewish nationalist and socialist movements, Jews could think for the first time in centuries about the broad questions of political economy – production, distribution, and re-distribution – from the standpoint of Torah. This talk explores some of that recent thought, seeking to imagine what life would be like if Jews strove to model not just their transactions, but the very economy itself, according to God’s will. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2TBc3U7 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★