Jewish Ideas to Change the World

A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Dalia Marx The event was co-sponsored by Beth El Phoenix About The Event: Rabbi Dalia Marx, one of the most respected voices in contemporary Jewish thought and liturgy, will talk about how October 7 and the war since have brought profound and rapid changes to the world of Jewish prayer: the language, the focus, even the urgency. Rabbi Marx will also share her reflections on the Jewish responsibility to bring our hostages home, and the prayers—old and new—that have sustained her through this challenging time. Sources: Powerpoint: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qO5KjL6DBJvIauNX-mB3g0-Z9fkb5IqI/view?usp=sharingSource Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15df5BuTZIKE_jebc4Ko4NbJZ3BtSfvwW/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Marx is the Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem. She is the first woman in Israel to hold a professorship in liturgy and is a trailblazer in both academic and spiritual circles. Her work bridges scholarship and lived practice, and she is the author of several books, including When I Sleep and When I Wake: On Prayers Between Dusk and Dawn. She’s also a contributor to the new Israeli Reform prayerbook and a leading voice in shaping how prayer responds to collective trauma, grief, and hope.Purchase Rabbi Dalia Marx's book here: http://time.ccarpress.org ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi Ben Greenfield About The Event: Did God lust after the Matriarchs? Did Jacob think he was Divine? Did Mordechai breastfeed Esther? The Midrash (the rabbinic expansion on Biblical stories) is too often read as a set of fables or children's stories. But in truth, the Midrash contains some of the most radical, imaginative, and philosophically astute readings of the Bible in our Tradition. Together, we will explore five midrashim that have yet to enter the popular Jewish conscience, but probably should. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rBNQd_iFUs-MDgF3P5VbsE4CpK8BYYwTj7PxYKaL0rk/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Ben Greenfield serves as Scholar in Residence, VBM Las Vegas, and as the Director of Jewish Learning at The Adelson Upper School, in Las Vegas. Ben trained at Gush, Yeshiva University, Johns Hopkins, and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. His original studies in Jewish thought have received several national prizes and can be found on Tablet and the Lehrhaus. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Sharona Halickman About The Event: You may think that reduce, reuse, and recycle are modern concepts for saving the environment, but when we delve into the Talmud's insights into the Seven Species of Israel, we will find that these ideas are intrinsic in these Biblical fruits. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PJE9haKXAMUditgC1dczIVprxD-61sMo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=trueAbout The Speaker: Rabbanit Sharona Halickman holds a BA in Judaic Studies from Stern College and an MS in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School, Yeshiva University. Sharona was the first Orthodox woman to serve as a clergy member as the first Congregational Intern and first Madricha Ruchanit at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, NY. After making aliya in 2004, Sharona founded Torat Reva Yerushalayim, a nonprofit organization based in Jerusalem that provides Torah study groups for students of all ages and backgrounds. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi. About The Event: As we approach Shabbat Shirah, the “Shabbat of Song,” and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we turn our attention to the sacred power of voice. From the Israelites singing at the sea to modern movements for freedom and justice, song has carried the Jewish spirit through moments of triumph, struggle, and hope. Join Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, for an evening of learning, dialogue, and inspiration. Through text study, reflection, and chevruta, we’ll explore how music and voice lift us—individually and collectively—toward liberation, connection, and praise. This program marks the official launch of the Cream City Beit Midrash, a partnership between Valley Beit Midrash and Own Your Judaism. *Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iD1y1-pBrlJlr10WktIVYhKEJlxg3ySR/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speakers: Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, writings, and workshops, he continues to influence and lead the conversation on mindful living within and beyond the Jewish community. He also speaks, hosts livestream conversations, and offers Jewish Life Coaching and organizational consultation. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Rabbi Steigmann is a proud father of two children, loves sports, is passionate about living gratefully, and enjoys almost all puzzles and games. Shmuly Yanklowitz has twice been named one of America’s Top Rabbis by Newsweek and has been named by The Forward as one of the 50 most influential Jews and 28 books on Jewish ethics and his writings have appeared in outlets as diverse as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and the Atlantic among many other secular and religious publications. He has served as a speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and as a Rothschild Fellow in Cambridge, UK. Rav Shmuly received a Master's from Harvard University, a Master's from Yeshiva University, and his Doctorate from Columbia University. He was ordained as a rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, along with 2 private ordinations in Israel. He serves as the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash (a global Jewish learning and action center). His wife Shoshana, and their four children live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They have also served as foster parents. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation with Dr. Shulamit Reinharz About The Event:In her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir, Dr. Reinharz offers a unique narrative by collaborating with her father, Max Rothschild, to share personal stories of survival and resistance during the Holocaust. Her insights offer an enriched understanding of history's impact on contemporary Jewish identity. About The Speaker: Shulamit Reinharz was born in Amsterdam and grew up in New Jersey. She has also lived in Israel for numerous one-year stays as well as in Utrecht and Oxford for research appointments. She earned her undergraduate degree at Barnard College and her graduate degrees at Brandeis University, followed by a faculty appointment at the University of Michigan from 1972 to 1982, when she returned to Brandeis as a professor of sociology. Hebrew College has conferred on her an honorary doctorate. Dr. Reinharz has published widely. Among her 17 books are the prize-winning Feminist Methods in Social Research (1992); American Jewish Women and the Zionist Enterprise (with Mark Raider, 2005); The JGirl's Guide (with Penina Adelman and Ali Feldman, 2005); Jewish Intermarriage around the World (with Sergio Della Pergola, 2009); One Hundred Years of Kibbutz Life (with Michal Palgi, 2011); Today I am a Woman: Stories of Bat Mitzvah around the World (with Barbara Vinick, 2011); One Hundred Jewish Brides (with Barbara Vinick, 2022); and Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir (2024). The Jewish Review of Books invited her to write a piece about Hiding in Holland after it won the prize of a finalist in the category of Holocaust Memoirs. A sought-after lecturer, Shulamit Reinharz is currently working on a book about "gender and the holocaust," focusing on her mother's survival. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presented by Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: Anti-semitism has seemingly been around forever. In this lecture, we will explore its earliest expressions through stories in the Book of Genesis, focusing on the figure of the Ivri—the “Hebrew” who stands apart. By examining these foundational narratives, we’ll uncover how difference, otherness, and moral challenge can provoke hostility. Together, we’ll consider how these ancient dynamics continue to shape anti-Jewish hatred today and what insights they offer for understanding—and responding to—anti-semitism in the 21st century. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oRhbjD2ybtqlYVFZ1vb3XdR2IdaFzxEB/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=trueAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Marc Gitler serves as the Senior Jewish Educator at Valley Beit Midrash and is the visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife Sarah, and their four children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Elliot DorffAbout The Event:Drawing from Chapter 3 of the book, Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life, this session will explore how Western, Christian, and Jewish traditions understand the nature of the human being, and how these differing perspectives shape a wide range of moral issues.*Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R8ev3vsjgm5n7wSKE9ekiLRtwHDVR_vM/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker:Elliot Dorff, Rabbi (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1970), Ph.D. in philosophy (Columbia University, 1971), is Rector and Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy at American Jewish University. From 1974 to 2020, he taught a course on Jewish law at UCLA School of Law. He has served on three United States federal government commissions — on access to health care, on reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and on research on human subjects — and he currently serves on the State of California’s commission to govern stem cell research within the state. He has chaired four scholarly organizations: the Academy of Jewish Philosophy, the Jewish Law Association, the Society of Jewish Ethics, and the Academy of Judaic, Christian, and Muslim Studies. He has served as a member of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards since December 1984, as its Vice Chair from 1997 to 2007, and as its Chair from 2007 to 2022, writing 30 responsa approved by the committee and several concurring opinions. In Los Angeles, he is a Past President of Jewish Family Service and remains on its Board, and he is a former member of the Board of the Jewish Federation Council. He has been a member of the Priest-Rabbi Dialogue sponsored by the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since its inception in 1973 and has co-chaired it since 1990. In addition to awards given by several communal organizations in Los Angeles, he was awarded four honorary doctoral degrees, the Leve Award of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Journal of Law and Religion. H has published over 200 articles on Jewish thought, law, and ethics, and has written fifteen books on those topics and edited or co-edited fourteen more. Since 1966, he has been married to Marlynn, and they have four children and eight grandchildren, who, he thinks, are more important than anything listed above. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David SeidenbergAbout The Event:The law against wasting or destroying things, Bal Tashchit, is a torch held up by Jewish environmentalists to prove that Judaism cares about the Earth, but the law, as it is codified in halakhah (Jewish law), is that you can destroy anything if you can make a profit doing it. We will delve into the roots and interpretations of Bal Tashchit, including Rambam, Ramban, Sefer Chinukh, and others, to find the basis for fixing Bal Tashchit so that it can become a strong ethic that will actually stand up to destruction and help us protect the Earth.*Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pmYYQUNKSwOy3tZs6WEUDBkDKeRC0qS5/view?usp=share_linkAbout The Speaker:Rabbi David Seidenberg is the creator of neohasid.org and the author of Kabbalah and Ecology: God's Image in the More-Than-Human World. He teaches on Jewish thought, theology, and halakhah in relation to ecology, human rights, and animal rights. David is also known for his liturgical work and his translations of Eikhah (Lamentations). David has smikhah from the Jewish Theological Seminary and from Rabbi Zalman Shcahcter-Shalomi, and lives in Northampton, MA. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. David GolinkinAbout The Event:Responsa are written answers by rabbis to halakhic questions. Since 1985, I have written approximately 900 responsa, over 200 of which have been published. In this lecture, I would like to explain my methodology by describing six characteristics of my Responsa, and giving examples, primarily from my most recent volume: Responsa in a Moment, volume 6.*Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sY-ROug4-Tcgeri-kbfj_5Bhphh0vDJd/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker:Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin was born and raised in Arlington, Virginia. He made aliyah in 1972, earning a B.A. in Jewish History and two teaching certificates from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He received an M.A. in Rabbinics and a Ph.D. in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was also ordained as a Rabbi.Prof. Golinkin is President of Schechter Institutes, Inc. and President Emeritus of the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where he also serves as a Professor of Talmud and Jewish Law. For twenty years, he served as Chair of the Va’ad Halakhah (Law Committee) of the Rabbinical Assembly, which writes responsa and gives halakhic guidance to the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Israel. He is the founder and Director of the Institute of Applied Halakhah at The Schechter Institute, whose goal is to publish a library of halakhic literature for Jews throughout the world. He is the Director of the Center for Women in Jewish Law at the Schechter Institute, whose goal is to publish responsa and books by and about women in Jewish law. He is also the founder and Director of the Midrash Project at Schechter, whose goal is to publish a series of critical editions of Midrashim.Rabbi Golinkin is the author or editor of 63 books and has published over 200 articles, responsa, and sermons. In June 2014, Rabbi Golinkin was named by The Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world. In May 2019, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Jewish Theological Seminary. In November 2022, he received the Nefesh B’Nefesh Bonei Zion Award for his contributions to Israeli society in the field of education. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jon Greenberg.About The Event:This program will explore the symbolic and halachic significance of the olive tree. The questions we’ll examine include:Neglected agricultural and political reasons that the olive oil Chanukah displaced an earlier symbol of Chanukah,Why the 15th of Av became a day for matchmaking,How the social and technological history of olive use mediates a five-hundred-year-old debate about how to read the Talmud, andThe beautiful lesson about family relationships that the Psalms draw from the biology of the olive tree.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AX9X7x6O9eHpOGtuKfuZOl0u2-SlaKF_etjBYFaE_9I/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker:Dr. Greenberg received his bachelor’s degree with honors in biology from Brown University and his Master’s and Doctorate in agronomy from Cornell University. He has also studied with Rabbi Chaim Brovender at Israel’s Yeshivat Hamivtar and researched corn, alfalfa, and soybeans at Cornell, the US Department of Agriculture, and the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Cancer Research. Since 1989, he has been a science teacher and educational consultant. Dr. Greenberg was Senior Editor of science textbooks at Prentice Hall Publishing Co. Previously, on the faculty of Yeshivas Ohr Yosef, the School of Education at Indiana University, and the University of Phoenix, he taught at the Heschel School from 2008 to 2024. In 2021, he published Fruits of Freedom, a Passover Haggadah with a commentary from the perspective of the history of Jewish food and agriculture. He is a frequent speaker at synagogues, schools, and botanical gardens. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event with Rabbi Ben Greenfield. About The Event: Classic Rabbinic sources offer very different answers to a key Hanukkah question: what exactly are we celebrating on this holiday? From Medieval Zionism to Rabbinic Pacifism, we'll explore 5 vital “retellings” of the Hanukkah story with very different takes on these 8 days.Source Sheets:Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5About The Speaker: Ben Greenfield serves as Scholar in Residence, VBM Las Vegas, and as the Director of Jewish Learning at The Adelson Upper School in Las Vegas. Ben trained at Gush, Yeshiva University, Johns Hopkins, and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. His original studies in Jewish thought have received several national prizes and can be found on Tablet and the Lehrhaus. *The event was the first official launch of VBM Las Vegas* ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer. About The Event: Animals don’t receive much attention in kabbalistic texts and even less so in scholarship on kabbalah. When they do, it is predominantly to teach humans to be better humans. Howrome anonymous kabbaalist who believed there was a deeper connection between humans and animals, to the point that stories were told about animals that shared kabbalistic secrets. What can they teach us today about animals, humans, and a shared future? About The Speaker: Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race. His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s jagestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher. About The Event: The epic narratives in the Books of the Prophets take us on a dramatic journey from the chaotic days of the Judges to the building and breaking of the Israelite monarchy in Samuel and Kings. Along the way, we encounter prophets, priests, and kings locked in a struggle over the meaning of power, justice, and leadership. Together we’ll explore how these stories reflect the political theory of the Hebrew Bible, and ask what wisdom these books might hold for us as we wade through the political chaos of our own day. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b6b5RuOPf0ibxYnxqybgon78oAGCyJFytXddGjCDOis/edit?usp=sharing About The Speaker: Rabbi David Kasher is the Director of Hadar West, based in Los Angeles. He grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He received rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a doctorate in legal studies from Berkeley Law. He has served as Senior Jewish Educator at Berkeley Hillel, Director of Education at Kevah, and Associate Rabbi at IKAR. He is the author of ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, and the host of the Torah podcast, Best Book Ever. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher About The Event: What does it mean to call something “good” or “evil”? Are moral values absolute, or do they depend on culture, context, and perspective? This class explores how Jewish texts across the ages have grappled with questions of moral relativism — examining biblical narratives, rabbinic debates, and modern philosophical reflections to uncover how Jewish tradition understands the foundations of moral judgment. *Source Sheet:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TehhGK4d5pHZR1_p7EnKtXZ62zNADJev9oCofu0Hn6s/edit?usp=shar.ing About The Speaker: Rabbi David Kasher is the Director of Hadar West, based in Los Angeles. He grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He received rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a doctorate in legal studies from Berkeley Law. He has served as Senior Jewish Educator at Berkeley Hillel, Director of Education at Kevah, and Associate Rabbi at IKAR. He is the author of ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, and the host of the Torah podcast, Best Book Ever. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill About The Event: The Christian affirmation of a triune God has always perplexed and confounded Jews. Can Jews move beyond understanding the Trinity as inherently tri-theistic? This talk serves as an entry into a range of issues in Jewish-Christian theological differences, presenting a Jewish understanding of topics in contemporary Christian theology, such as the Trinity, original sin, and incarnation. Brill will discuss how Jews and Christians can engage in comparative discourse on theological issues with full clarity and understanding. We will strive to move beyond reconciliation toward a more nuanced and in-depth theological discussion of similarities and differences. About The Speaker: Rabbi Prof. Alan Brill is the Cooperman/Ross Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University. Brill is an expert on Jewish thought and interfaith relations. He is the author of many books, including Judaism and World Religions: Christianity, Islam, and Eastern Religions (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012), Judaism and Other Religions: Models of Understanding (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010). Brill received a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in India. He was a keynote speaker at the R-20 conference held in Indonesia. This research produced his recent volume, Rabbi on the Ganges: A Jewish Hindu Encounter (Lexington Books, 2019). His recently published book is A Jewish Trinity: Contemporary Christian Theology Through Jewish Eyes (Fortress Press, 2025). ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with author Mitch Albom to talk about faith, healing, and hope.Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster, and musician. His books have collectively sold 42 million copies worldwide; have been published in 51 territories and in 48 languages around the world; and have been made into Emmy award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies. In 2006, he founded the nonprofit SAY Detroit, which provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need through major health, housing, and education initiatives. He also founded a dessert shop and a gourmet popcorn line to help fund it. Albom operates Have Faith Haiti, a home and school for impoverished children and orphans in Port-au-Prince, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly sits down with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl to talk about her new book Heart of a Stranger. Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, the first woman to lead this flagship congregation in its 185-year history. Under her leadership, Central Synagogue has grown to become one of the largest synagogues in the world, including congregants attending via livestream in more than one hundred countries. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, she is the first Asian-American to be ordained as a rabbi in North America. Rabbi Buchdahl was invited by President Barack Obama in 2014 and President Joe Biden in 2023 to share blessings for the White House Hanukkah Party. She has been featured in dozens of news outlets, including the Today Show, NPR, Wall Street Journal, PBS, and Newsweek’s Most Influential Rabbis. Rabbi Buchdahl and her husband, Jacob Buchdahl, live in New York City and have three children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by David M. Elcott, PhDAbout The Event: At a moment when liberal democracy is so deeply threatened and we search to understand how this can be occurring at this point in history, a new prize-winning analysis Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of LiberalDemocracy by David Elcott comes to offer a cogentexploration of the ways religious identity fuels illiberal nationalist and populist democracy across the globe, fromthe United States to Israel, from India to Indonesia. Elcott, a powerful analyst who has taught in Jewish communities across North America and interfaith settings around the world, allows us to better understand the revolts against a political, social, and economic order that values democracy in a global and strikingly diverse world, while encouraging people of faith to promote foundational support for the institutions and values of the democratic enterprise from within their own religious traditions and to stand against the hostility and cruelty that historically haveresulted when religious zealotry and state power combine.About The Speaker: Born to a Holocaust refugee and growing up poor in semi-rural California, David went on to receive his doctorate from Columbia University, where he now serves as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Justice, teaching in a college degree program for men incarcerated at Green Haven maximum security prison. He was the VP of CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Interfaith Director at AJC, and the EVP of Israel Policy Forum. He recently retired as the Tasub Professor at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Married to Rabbi Shira Milgrom with four married children and ten grandchildren, along with Faith, Nationalism and the Future of Liberal Democracy, he authored A Sacred Journey and co-authored the upcoming Sevenfold Path: A Traveler’s Guide to Jewish Wisdom with his wife Shira and On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy. David has been a frequent radio, TV, and podcast presenter as well as a popular op-ed columnist for a wide range of written media. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Katz About The Event: Some two thousand years ago, the story goes, a rabbi named Yochanan made the epitome of pragmatic gambles—wagering the entire fate of the Jewish people. His quick thinking inspired generations of subsequent rabbis to navigate their own ethical challenges pragmatically—determining truth, upholding compromise, convincing others, keeping peace with neighbors, avoiding infighting, weighing sinning in hopes of promoting a greater good. In his talk, based on his book Yochanan’s Gamble, Rabbi Katz lays out a new Jewish path forward for resolving moral conundrums in our day and breaking the deadlock that exists in our broken political discourse. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HtAHxVMrmYuw-22xMStpFKrE9wjFPt5X8YQ5KeV4dUU/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Marc Katz is the rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is the author of two books: “The Heart of Loneliness: How Jewish Wisdom Can Help You Cope and Find Comfort” which was a finalist for the national book award and his most recent, “Yochanan’s Gamble: Judaism’s Pragmatic Approach to Life” which was chosen as a finalist for the PROSE award, one of chief awards in academic publishing. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor Jon LevisohnAbout The Event: Jewish educators worry about Jewish literacy. Jewish leaders worry about it. Jewish parents definitely worry about it. And sometimes individual Jews worry about their own Jewish literacy, too! “Jewish literacy” gets thrown around a lot, especially when people talk about American Jews being “Jewishly illiterate.” But what does that actually mean? Is there a Jewish pop quiz we all failed? In this thought-provoking session, Jon Levisohn will invite us to look beyond the anxious hand-wringing and ask deeper questions: Why does Jewish knowledge matter? What kinds of knowledge are we really talking about? And how can rethinking our assumptions reshape the way we educate the next generation? Join us for an exploration that challenges familiar narratives and opens up new possibilities for Jewish learning.About The Speaker: Jon A. Levisohn is a philosopher of education at Brandeis University, where he directs a research center that focuses on Jewish education. He has published widely on the teaching of Jewish texts, the teaching of Israel, the teaching of historical narratives, the concept of assimilation, the concept of Jewish identity, and more. Among his recent works is a book chapter titled, “Meeting the Challenges of the Moment: How to Think about the Purposes of Jewish Education after October 7.” ★ Support this podcast ★

An event presentation by Dr. Elias Sacks About The Event: Is it offensive and blasphemous to say that God loves us? Is Judaism nothing more than the laws of an ancient kingdom that have been mistaken for a religion? Does God have body parts, romantic relationships, and other human-like characteristics? We will explore ancient, medieval, and modern Jewish thinkers who have answered “yes” to these questions, as well as other Jewish thinkers who have deemed such ideas to be heretical. Throughout, we will wrestle both with diverse voices from the Jewish tradition and with this overarching question: Is there anything that Jews aren’t allowed to believe? About The Speaker: Elias Sacks is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studies Jewish thought, philosophy of religion, Jewish-Christian relations, religious ethics, and religion and politics. He is the author of Moses Mendelssohn’s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism (2017), as well as articles on medieval and modern thinkers, including Mendelssohn, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Nachman Krochmal, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, and Jacob Taubes. Previously, Sacks served as Director of The Jewish Publication Society. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Mois Navon The event is co-sponsored by: ASU Jewish Studies and Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: While hard to imagine, scientists are working on building robots (and chatbots) with human-level consciousness. Is this something to look forward to? Mois Navon's talk will make you think about life, love, and humanity. About The Speaker: Mois Navon is one of the founding engineers of Mobileye, where he designed the EyeQ family of SoC (System On a Chip) – the chip powering the autonomous vehicle revolution. Mois is also an ordained rabbi who has published numerous articles on Jewish law and lore. Working at the intersection of Torah U’Madda, he received his PhD from the department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University wherein his dissertation applies Jewish philosophy to address the ethical questions arising in the field of artificial intelligence. In this vein, he teaches a course on “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence” at Ben Gurion University. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor Sylvia Barack FishmanAbout The Event: And She Arose: Jewish Women Leaders for Our Troubled Times will document and analyze important public leadership roles played by Jewish women, leading up to and in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war. This discussion will paint detailed pictures of Jewish women courageously filling leadership lacunae during troubled and troubling times, drawing on their passionate attachments to traditional Jewish values and culture. Concluding analyses will focus on Jewish women leaders’ impact on the quality and vitality of contemporary Jewish life, based on my interviews with notable key informants.About The Speaker: Sylvia Barack Fishman, Ph.D., is the Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Judaic Studies, Emerita, in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department at Brandeis University, and was the Founding Co-Director of the Hadassah Brandeis Institute. She is the author of eight books and numerous articles and book chapters on contemporary Jewish life and culture, and received the Marshall Sklare award from the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. Prof. Fishman served on the JOFA Board for many years and continues her active involvement. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly sits down with Mois Navon, a founding engineer of Mobileye, where he designed the EyeQ family of SoC (System On a Chip) – the chip powering the autonomous vehicle revolution.Mois is also an ordained rabbi who has published numerous articles on Jewish law and lore. Working at the intersection of Torah U’Madda, he received his PhD from the department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University, where his dissertation applies Jewish philosophy to address the ethical questions arising in the field of artificial intelligence. In this vein, he teaches a course on “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence” at Ben Gurion University. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual presentation by Dr. Marc BrettlerAbout The Event:The belief that the Torah is a composite book written by people over a long period of time, that the Hebrew Bible text that we use contains errors, and that the Bible was influenced by ancient Near Eastern texts, are main elements of the historical-critical analysis of the Bible. What is the variety of reactions to these developments of the last few centuries within the Jewish community? To what extent have Jews of different types accepted these scholarly claims, and can they play a constructive role within Judaism?About The Speaker:Marc Zvi Brettler is the Bernice and Morton Lerner Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at Duke University, and the Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Literature Emeritus at Brandeis University. His books include How to Read the Jewish Bible, The Jewish Study Bible (edited with Adele Berlin), and The Bible and the Believer (with Peter Enns and Daniel Harrington). He co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament and co-authored The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently with Amy-Jill Levine. He is deeply committed to making the Jewish community more aware of the richness of Jewish literature from the past, including the New Testament, and to introducing academic biblical study to the broader community, as reflected in TheTorah.com, which he co-founded. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Professor Corinna Lain.Professor Corinna Lain is the S. D. Roberts & Sandra Moore Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. Professor Lain’s scholarship focuses on two areas—Supreme Court decision-making and the death penalty—and she has published numerous articles and essays about lethal injection over the last decade. Her work has appeared in the nation’s top law journals, including the Stanford Law Review, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Duke Law Journal, UCLA Law Review, and Georgetown Law Journal, among other venues. Professor Lain is a frequent presenter at both national and international conferences, and is co-author (with Ron Bacigal) of the Virginia Practice Series on criminal law, a four-volume treatise for the bench and practicing bar with new editions each year. Professor Lain graduated summa cum laude from the College of William and Mary in 1992 and received her J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1996, where she was elected to the Order of the Coif. She clerked on the Tenth Circuit and then was a prosecutor for three years before joining the Richmond Law faculty in 2001. Professor Lain is a recipient of the University of Richmond’s Distinguished Educator Award and is a veteran of the United States Army. Her first book, "Secrets of the Killing State: the Untold Story of Lethal Injection," was released in April 2025. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor David ShyovitzAbout The Event: Is Judaism—and by extension, religious identity—a category applicable only to human beings? Or might non-human animals also, in some sense, have religious standing and status? This session will explore some classical Jewish perspectives on this question, surveying medieval rabbinic debates over whether animals have immortal souls and are eligible for heavenly reward; whether they can—or must—perform religious commandments; how and when humans can transform into animals, and vice versa. While these subjects may seem fanciful, they were of obsessive interest to medieval Jewish thinkers. They had important implications for both Jewish self-understanding and debates between Jews and their Christian and Muslim neighbors.About The Speaker: David Shyovitz is Associate Professor of Jewish History at Northwestern University and Director of NU’s Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He is the author of the award-winning A Remembrance of His Wonders: Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz. ★ Support this podcast ★

About The Lecture: Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of the fall Sukkot festival, is one of the most fascinating and least appreciated dates on the Jewish calendar and was traditionally regarded as the holiday season’s final opportunity for teshuvah (repentance). Come join us for a lecture by Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin exploring the significance and unique practices of Hoshana Rabbah and a performance of “Elyon, Melits Umastin” (“God, Defender and Accuser”), vocal and instrumental music composed especially for this day in 1733 in Casale Monferrato, Italy.*Presentation Slideshow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1CR5ESfOwMyqoqL6Zy-V8QInWH0XdHwH6/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=trueAbout The Speaker: Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin is an adjunct member of the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies faculty at Arizona State University. He has lectured and published widely on both Jewish and Israeli cultural history.Cosponsored with Beth El Congregation and The Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie SchnytzerAbout The Event: Why do certain people appear in our lives? And how can certain kabbalistic contemplations deepen our relationships with our family, friends and day-to-day encounters? In this class, we learn about a beautiful secret relating to the tree of life, reincarnation and their relevance to our day-to-day lives.About The Speaker: Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race. His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s majestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of the Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dvora Weisberg, Ph.D.About The Event:Jewish tradition teaches that through teshuvah (repentance), we can “remake” ourselves as better people. But how do we present and live as our new, improved selves when our mistakes are preserved on the internet and available for everyone to see (and dredge up)? We will tackle this challenge through rabbinic texts.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vU6TZeoPua8utCc2mXaMfRlOINM6ubmO/editAbout The Speaker:Rabbi Dvora Weisberg, Ph.D., is the Rabbi Aaron Panken Professor of Rabbinics on the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Weisberg served for eleven years as the Rabbinical Program Director in Los Angeles and then as the National Rabbinical School Director of Hebrew Union College from 2020 to 2025.Rabbi Weisberg was raised in San Francisco. She received her B.A. summa cum laude from Brandeis University, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Her undergraduate thesis, for which she was awarded highest honors in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, was entitled “Can the Demands of Jewish Feminists Be Met Within the Halakhic System?” She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and was ordained at Hebrew Union College.Before Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Weisberg taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary, the College of William and Mary, and the University of Pittsburgh.Rabbi Weisberg is the author of Levirate Marriage and the Family in Ancient Judaism (2008), a study of the ancient rabbis’ vision of the family and its members, and Tractate Menahot: A Feminist Commentary (2020). Her book on levirate marriage and the family was a finalist for the 2009 National Jewish Book Awards in the category of Women’s Studies.Rabbi Weisberg is married to Rabbi Neal Scheindlin and is the mother of Micah (& Elana) and Noah Scheindlin, and the savta of Orli Maya and Eitan Yonah. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Yisroel JuskowiczAbout The Event: Meditation has been providing comfort and relaxation to people of all walks of life and ages. What many people may not know is how deeply rooted meditation is in Jewish tradition, and how one can make a guided meditation into a Jewish experience. In this class, participants will explore ancient and modern techniques rooted in Torah and Chassidic teachings that help quiet the mind and open the heart to Divine presence. Whether you’re navigating stress, seeking clarity, or simply yearning for spiritual grounding, this class offers a warm and supportive space to uncover the peace that already exists within your soul. Included will be a sample of a Jewish guided meditation.About The Speaker: Rabbi Yisroel Juskowitz is a noted artist, musician, author, and speaker. He has performed for Jews across the country of all walks of life and ages, and is best known for his warm, engaging style and inspirational messages. He has produced three CDs of his own soulful music, has drawn commissioned artwork, and has three bestselling books on Jewish topics, which drew widespread critical praise. Yisroel received a Bachelor’s in Talmudic Law from Ner Israel, and later a Semichat Chaver Degree from RIETS at Yeshiva University. Yisroel is also a licensed Physical Therapist and a Certified Life Coach, and focuses on people overcoming their obstacles and reaching their potential. He received Semicha (Rabbinic Ordination) through Machon Semicha, a Chabad-based program. He has two beautiful children who are the pride and joy of his life. Yisroel lives with his wife and family in Baltimore, MD. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Vanessa Harper About The Event: In Pirkei Avot, we read, “If there is no bread, there is no Torah, and if there is no Torah, there is no bread.” Rabbi Vanessa Harper takes this dictum literally in her book Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah, using challah as a spiritually significant material for interpreting and teaching Jewish texts. Discover fascinating challah history, explore the intersections of challah and Torah, and gain inspiration for your own creative Torah study journey along the way. About The Speaker: Rabbi Vanessa Harper is the author of Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year through Challah, published in 2023 by the CCAR Press; the book is based upon her long-time Instagram-based education project @lechlechallah, which uses challah as an artistic medium for interpreting and teaching Torah and the Jewish calendar. She is passionate about facilitating creative, joyful, and meaningful Jewish learning and living for people of all ages. ★ Support this podcast ★

About The Event: Through the lens of the biblical figure Daniel—a Jerusalem noble taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar II who rose to prominence while staying true to his Jewish identity—we’ll examine what it means to live as Jews in the diaspora today. This class will delve into the complexities of balancing integration with authenticity, navigating pressure to conform, and discovering spiritual resilience in foreign or secular environments. Together, we’ll uncover timeless lessons from Daniel’s life that speak powerfully to our modern Jewish experience.About The Speaker: Marc Gitler is the visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their four children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jade Sank RossThe event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event: Year after year, as we read and re-read the same portions of Torah, it does not change, but we do. The Psalms have been part of Jewish ritual and liturgy for centuries, and generation after generation they have sung to us in moments of awe, sorrow, longing, and much more. Together, we will explore how the ancient words of Psalms can be part of our daily lives today and how we might forge deep and personal connections with the words of the Psalmist.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RV5qCB0ylWmWYELYtUYhU644aNVNd5eSznPJNzYgZ24/edit?tab=t.0About the Speaker: Rabbi Jade Sank Ross grew up in Kinnelon, New Jersey. She received her BA in Anthropology and International and Global Studies from Brandeis University. She was ordained as a rabbi in 2018 by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). Rabbi Sank Ross currently serves as the Associate Rabbi at The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, New York. She is married to Rabbi Daniel Ross, and together they are most proud to be raising their children, Adina and Bella. Rabbi Jade Sank Ross is the author of To You I Call: Psalms Throughout Our Lives, new from CCAR Press. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dvir CahanaAbout The Event: What happens when a Rabbi and an Artist study Torah together? … Chidushim!!! The Amen Institute has provided an incubator to empower artists with the charge of being wisdom disseminators. Join Rabbi Dvir Cahana in a unique program describing the discoveries of these artist meaning seekers.About The Speaker: Rabbi Dvir is our Base Rabbi for Miami. He has taught Torah, led tefillah, and built community in his hometown of Montreal, then New York City, and now Miami. Dvir was a winner of the Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” award for launching The Amen Institute, an international space where professional artists and rabbis unite to inspire each other in the creation of Torah-art. Himself a hip hop and rap artist, Dvir is the rabbinic educator for the Jewish rap collective Rappers and Rabbis. Under his guidance, the group has made a Hip Hop Haggadah and The MC-DUR, performed in front of thousands of teens nationwide. Dvir’s 15 studio albums show a love of Yiddishkeit and wordplay. He received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2024 and holds a master’s in Jewish studies from McGill University. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Nolan LebovitzThe event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or TzionAbout The Event: Following October 7, Rabbi Lebovitz synthesizes the Jewish turning point in history with lessons from the past, arguing that it is a moral imperative to radically change the way we engage with both Israel and the United States. Proudly declaring Jewish loyalty forges a new path forward imbued with pride in peoplehood and collective destiny. Challenging the trope commonly cast against the Jewish people in diaspora, Lebovitz argues that affirming dual loyalty serves as our best hope to shape a brighter tomorrow here in the United States and for our sense of Jewish peoplehood.About The Speaker: Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD, is the Senior Rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom, one of the largest Conservative synagogues in North America. Shaped by a proud Zionist upbringing and as the grandchild of four Holocaust survivors, he has endeavored to instill a strong relationship with Israel in all of his congregants. As a prominent Jewish thought leader, his work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Jewish Journal, and Jerusalem Post. Rabbi Lebovitz is an adjunct fellow at the Z3 Institute, sits on the Executive Board of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition, and serves as a national board member of MERCAZ. The horrific massacre of October 7 and its aftermath around the world prompted Rabbi Lebovitz to begin speaking out about the next chapter of Jewish life. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Michael MeyerThe event was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel About The Event: This lecture, based on my book “Above All, We Are Jews,” A Biography of Rabbi Alexander Schindler, will cover the career of a German Jew of East European extraction who redirected American Reform Judaism so that it would more realistically address the nature of American Jewry. Innovating in multiple areas, Schindler came to grips with the increasing rate of interfaith marriage even as he expanded the vision of a liberal Jewish faith. While chairing the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, his deep personal friendship with Prime Minister Menachem Begin prevented a crisis between American Jewry and Israel. Using citations from his speeches and writings, this lecture will illustrate the importance of Rabbi Schindler within American Jewry of the 1970s and 1980s and his legacy for Reform Judaism today.About The Speaker: Michael A. Meyer was born in Berlin, Germany, and grew up in Los Angeles, where he graduated from UCLA with highest honors. His doctorate in Jewish history is from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, where he served as Professor of Jewish History for fifty years. He has also been a guest professor at three Israeli universities and served as president of the Association for Jewish Studies and international president of the Leo Baeck Institute. He is the recipient of three Jewish Book Awards and has published more than 200 scholarly articles and longer reviews. His books include The Origins of the Modern Jew, Response to Modernity: A History of the Reform Movement in Judaism, and Rabbi Leo Baeck: Living a Religious Imperative in Troubled Times. He is the recipient of an honorary degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Cross of Merit from the German Federal Republic. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Richard AddressThe Event was co-sponsored by Temple EmanuelAbout The Event: In this session, we will discuss the new life stage of Caregiving and how Jewish texts and tradition have approached this issue. Based on the 5th Commandment, we will examine how our tradition has looked at this life stage from the Talmud through contemporary commentaries. We will look at what it means to “honor” and “respect”, the issue of who and how an adult child “pays”, as well as when it may be permissible to cede care to a third party. We will look at difficult questions, such as do we need a new vocabulary for caregiving in light of technology and the challenges of “quality of life” and the emerging issue of Medical Aid in Dying.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OiZfmzcc-ywctGm64SGIQN7R2_TA0ZP7/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=trueAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Richard F Address, D.Min.: ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (1972), is the founder and director of Jewish Sacred Aging®, the website jewishsacredaging.com, and hosts the weekly “Seekers of Meaning podcast/tv show. Rabbi Address served congregations in California and New Jersey for over 25 years and also served on the staff of the Union for Reform Judaism for over three decades as the regional director for the Pennsylvania Council and then as founding director of the URJ’s Department of Family Concerns. He continues to teach and consult with congregations in areas related to the impact of longevity on congregations, families, and organizations. He has edited numerous articles and books dealing with issues of aging and is the author of “Seekers of Meaning: Baby Boomers, Judaism and the Pursuit of Healthy Aging”. Rabbi Address continues to teach at a variety of locations and is an adjunct at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Wurzweiler Social Work at Yeshiva University, and the Aleph Seminary. In addition, Rabbi Address serves on the board of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Southern N.J., co-chairs their Senior Services Committee, and co-chairs the Jewish Advisory Group for Samaritan Hospice/Healthcare in southern New Jersey. In January 2024, he was honored to receive the Isaac Mayer Wise award for lifetime service from the Reform Jewish community of Denver, CO. He is married to Jane Travis-Address and lives in Gloucester County. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Devorah Zlochower About The Event: The cry, “Why Should We Be Excluded,” made by those individuals who were not able to bring the Paschal sacrifice is echoed by so many disabled Jews who have been left out of our community – our shuls, our schools, our communal programming due to inaccessibility and to invisibility in the community. The laws of the megillah were designed by our Sages to make the reading of the Book of Esther accessible. In this shiur, we will learn that the halakha places a major value on comprehension of the story and allows for a megillah to be written in all languages. This serves as a model for ensuring that all Jews are full and equal members of our communities. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16fjiAIl4H416EJuwA628LOMzA7Qk6qGcCVGGFftJQq8/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Rabbanit Devorah Zlochower is Senior Scholar and Mashgichah Ruchanit at YCT Rabbinical School. Previously, she served as Academic Dean and Rosh Kollel at Yeshivat Maharat and as Rosh Beit Midrash and Director of the Full-time Programs of Drisha Institute. Devorah has taught Talmud and Jewish Law for 3 decades at Drisha, SAR High School, Hadar, YCT, and Maharat. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Reuven FirestoneThe event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event: What does the Qur’an say about Jews? “Israelites,” “Jews,” “People of the Book.” Even “rabbis.” These are all terms found in the Qur’an. Some have claimed that the Qur’an is antisemitic, while others have argued that it values Jews. What does the Qur’an say? This text study will examine the range of Qur’anic writings about Jews to gain a solid understanding of the status of Jews in the Qur’an. We will then consider how these verses have been interpreted in Muslim tradition.About The Speaker: Reuven Firestone is Regenstein Professor in medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, and affiliate professor of religion at the University of Southern California. Author of eight books and over one hundred scholarly articles on Judaism, Islam, their relationship with one another, and with Christianity, Professor Firestone lectures at universities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as well as throughout North America. His books include Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, Who Are the Real Chosen People, Introduction to Islam for Jews, Introduction to Judaism for Muslims, and Holy War in Judaism. Active on the boards of numerous scholarly journals and boards and commissions treating interreligious relations and dialogue, Firestone is an ordained rabbi, received his Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from New York University, and served as Vice President of the Association for Jewish Studies and President of the International Qur’anic Studies Association. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Avi OrlowThe event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: The challenge of expressing our feelings is not just an issue for children. From the Pentateuch to Pixar, we will explore how we might better deal with complex emotions.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sfbgWHSQKsNE7Gv7YM6Y2uWYN67IkEEZwFJFVbLJmoQ/edit?tab=t.0About The Speaker: Rabbi Avi Orlow is the Scholar-in-Residence at Foundation for Jewish Camp. He has a deep love of irreverent, relevant, and revealing Torah and blogs religiously at saidtomyself.com. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi David KasherThe event was co-hosted by Temple ChaiAbout The Event: We sometimes speak of holiness as if it were entirely ethereal, having nothing to do with our physical selves. But Leviticus, the book of the Torah most focused on holiness, is also profoundly interested in the human body. Beginning with sacred dietary practices and then moving to rituals that deal with health, sex, birth, and death, Leviticus offers a rich framework for understanding how the body can serve as a vessel for sacred living. This ancient holiness code invites us to integrate the physical and spiritual dimensions of life, challenging modern assumptions about the separation between body and spirit.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13UcLDLcCO6X0PXsFv7UVPaPIIOEFDq__2orn-oOPkyk/edit?usp=sharingAbout the Speaker: Rabbi David Kasher is the Director of Hadar West, based in Los Angeles. He grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He received rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a doctorate in legal studies from Berkeley Law. He has served as Senior Jewish Educator at Berkeley Hillel, Director of Education at Kevah, and Associate Rabbi at IKAR. He is the author of ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, and the host of the Torah podcast, Best Book Ever. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz in conversation with Rabbi David Kasher. Rabbi David Kasher is the Director of Hadar West, based in Los Angeles. He grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He received rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a doctorate in legal studies from Berkeley Law. He has served as Senior Jewish Educator at Berkeley Hillel, Director of Education at Kevah, and Associate Rabbi at IKAR. He is the author of ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, and the host of the Torah podcast, Best Book Ever. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Or RoseAbout The Event: Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was a gifted Jewish theologian and scholar, and an impassioned social activist. His reputation has grown significantly since his death over fifty years ago. What can we learn from the unflagging efforts of this revered twentieth-century figure today? How can we share key elements of his call for “moral grandeur and spiritual audacity” with younger people seeking to engage in spirituality-grounded activism? What might Heschel have to say to the next generation?About The Speaker: Rabbi Or N. Rose is the founding Director of the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership of Hebrew College. Before assuming this position in 2016, he worked at Hebrew College for over a decade, as a founding faculty member and Associate Dean for Informal Education of the Rabbinical School. Rabbi Rose was also one of the creators of CIRCLE, The Center for Interreligious & Community Leadership Education, cosponsored by Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School (2007-2017). Rabbi Rose is the senior publisher of The Journal of Interreligious Studies and the co-editor of the award-winning anthology, My Neighbor’s Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation (Orbis, 2012). In 2020, he co-edited the volume Rabbi Zalman Schachter: Essential Teachings (Orbis), and recently published With the Best of Intentions: Interreligious Missteps & Mistakes (Orbis, 2023). He is currently completing two book projects: a contemporary multifaith commentary on the Psalms entitled The Book of Psalms Here & Now (Paraclete Press, 2024), and a revised version of his very first book (JPS, 2003), Abraham Joshua Heschel: Man of Spirit, Man of Action, a biography for middle school readers, which is due to appear in the winter of 2024 with Monkfish. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Yair SilvermanThe event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event: The Israeli Declaration of Independence opens with “The Land of Israel was the birthplace of the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was shaped”. However, in the Jewish Tradition, the people of Israel are fashioned as freed slaves emerging from Egyptian bondage. How do our natives impact the vision of a shared future?About The Speaker: Rabbi Yair Silverman is co-founder and Rabbi of Moed in Zichron Yaakov, Israel. Moed brings together secular and religious Israelis in the Carmel region in Torah study and social action to reimagine and generate passionate and shared Jewish life in modern Israel. He also serves as a judge on the Rabbinic court of Giyur K’halacha for conversions. Before making aliyah in 2006, R. Yair served as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Berkeley, CA. R. Yair is ordained by Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, studied at Yeshivat Birkat Moshe, and served in a combat unit of the IDF and the reserves. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this powerful conversation, renowned author and speaker Yossi Klein Halevi joins us for an in-depth conversation exploring the evolving perspectives on Jewish survival, from the Shoah to the profound impact of October 7th.About The Speaker: Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He is co-host, together with Donniel Hartman, of the Hartman Institute’s podcast, “For Heaven’s Sake” – the number one Jewish podcast in the English-speaking world.Halevi’s 2013 book, “Like Dreamers,” won the Jewish Book Council’s Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor” is a New York Times bestseller and has appeared in a dozen languages. He is currently writing a book about the meaning of Jewish survival. He has written for leading op-ed pages in North America and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic. He is frequently quoted on Israeli, Middle Eastern, and Jewish affairs in leading media around the world and is one of the best-known lecturers on Israeli issues in the North American Jewish community and on North American campuses. He co-directs the Hartman Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim leaders in North America about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. Over 150 Muslim leaders have participated in the unique program.Born in Brooklyn, he received his BA in Jewish studies from Brooklyn College and his MS in journalism from Northwestern University. He moved to Israel in 1982 and lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Sarah, an astrologer. They have three children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Yossi Klein HaleviThe event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion & Jewish Community Relations of Greater Phoenix About The Event: Israelis and Diaspora Jews are experiencing the upheavals caused by the October 7 massacre in different ways, but we share trauma and deep unease about the future. How will Israel emerge from the crisis? What changes should we hope for in Israeli society? The Middle East? The American Jewish-Israeli relationship?About The Speaker: Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He is co-host, together with Donniel Hartman, of the Hartman Institute’s podcast, “For Heaven’s Sake” – the number one Jewish podcast in the English-speaking world.Halevi’s 2013 book, “Like Dreamers,” won the Jewish Book Council’s Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor” is a New York Times bestseller and has appeared in a dozen languages. He is currently writing a book about the meaning of Jewish survival. He has written for leading op-ed pages in North America and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic. He is frequently quoted on Israeli, Middle Eastern, and Jewish affairs in leading media around the world and is one of the best-known lecturers on Israeli issues in the North American Jewish community and on North American campuses. He co-directs the Hartman Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim leaders in North America about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. Over 150 Muslim leaders have participated in the unique program.Born in Brooklyn, he received his BA in Jewish studies from Brooklyn College and his MS in journalism from Northwestern University. He moved to Israel in 1982 and lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Sarah, an astrologer. They have three children. The event was presented in loving memory of Gloria & Herb Zeichick. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with Yossi Klein Halevi for a powerful conversation on whether there is still hope for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He is co-host, together with Donniel Hartman, of the Hartman Institute’s podcast, “For Heaven’s Sake” – the number one Jewish podcast in the English-speaking world.Halevi’s 2013 book, “Like Dreamers,” won the Jewish Book Council’s Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, “Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor,” is a New York Times bestseller and has appeared in a dozen languages. He is currently writing a book about the meaning of Jewish survival.He has written for leading op-ed pages in North America and is a former contributing editor to the New Republic. He is frequently quoted on Israeli, Middle Eastern, and Jewish affairs in leading media around the world and is one of the best-known lecturers on Israeli issues in the North American Jewish community and on North American campuses.He co-directs the Hartman Institute’s Muslim Leadership Initiative (MLI), which teaches emerging young Muslim leaders in North America about Judaism, Jewish identity, and Israel. Over 150 Muslim leaders have participated in the unique program.Born in Brooklyn, he received his BA in Jewish studies from Brooklyn College and his MS in journalism from Northwestern University.He moved to Israel in 1982 and lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Sarah, an astrologer. They have three children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie SchnytzerThe event was co-sponsored by Temple ChaiAbout The Event: What does it mean to be Jewish? There are many ways to grapple with this question, and this lesson is inspired by and an elaboration of a unique traditional Jewish oral teaching of an Ethiopian Qes. Specifically, through comparing two modes in which Jewish tradition is carried (as well as the way stories are told!), we will come to ask how bridges can be built between different kinds of Judaism.About The Speaker: Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race. His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s majestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of the Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, BCCAbout The Event: Rabbanit Alissa will share personal stories and reflections on her new book, “Shabbat Guidebook for Parents: Halacha of Caring for Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children on Shabbat and Yom Tov”, also available on Amazon. This guide is an easy go-to for parents to learn how to care for infants, toddlers, and children on Shabbat and Yom Tov. Based on real-life situations and informed by the author’s shul and chaplaincy experiences as well as her life as a mom, this guidebook offers to-the-point halachic guidance paired with meaningful spiritual reflections. The content itself generally follows the timeline of Shabbat and holidays, with additional pastoral resources on self-care for parents and spirituality in parenting.About The Speaker: Rabbanit Alissa Thomas-Newborn, BCC is the Rabbanit at Congregation Netivot Shalom in Teaneck, NJ. Netivot Shalom is a Modern Orthodox shul, which she leads together in partnership with Rabbi Nati Helfgot. Rabbanit Alissa is a Board Certified Chaplain and full-time staff chaplain at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she has specialties in Palliative Care, Critical Care, and Emergency Psychiatric Care, and she is the president of NAJC (Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains). Rabbanit Alissa is also the Moishe House Based-In Teaneck clergy and an Atra fellow in the inaugural Northern New Jersey Rabbinic (re)Design Fellowship. From 2014 to 2022, Rabbanit Alissa served as a spiritual leader at B’nai David-Judea Congregation, as the first Orthodox female clergy in Los Angeles. A frequent writer and speaker, she received her ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and graduated from Brandeis University. Rabbanit Alissa and her husband Akiva live in Teaneck with their children, Ella and Liam. ★ Support this podcast ★