Kehillat Israel Podcasts

Rabbi Amy Bernstein shares more insights from her study as part of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. This class is based on a lecture by Rabbi Gordon Tucker in which he discussed the nature of truth in the Jewish tradition and how it relates to our situation today. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct her classes via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person. She conducted this class on April 29, 2020.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Leviticus 12:1-13:39 - April 24, 2020. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct the class via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Leviticus 9:1-10:11 - April 17, 2020. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct the class via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 33:12-34:26 - April 10, 2020. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct the class via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein teaches about the very first Passover as recounted in the Torah. It took place the night before liberation from Egypt. Just like today, Jews were in quarantine. Rabbi Bernstein asks: how can our history inform and deepen our Passover experience at this difficult time? Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct classes via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person. The class took place on April 1, 2020.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Leviticus 6:1-7:10 - April 3, 2020. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California and the City of Los Angeles, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct the class via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Leviticus 1:1-2:16 - March 31, 2017

Rabbi Amy Bernstein shares more insights from her study as part of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. This class is based on a lecture by Mijal Bitton PhD in which she discussed many of the challenges facing American Jews today including whether the U.S. is "The Promised Land" for Jews. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct her classes via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person. She conducted this class on March 25, 2020.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 35:1-37:16 - March 20, 2020. Due to the current coronavirus crisis and the guidelines of the State of California, it was not possible for the class to meet with Rabbi Bernstein at Kehillat Israel. So she conducted the class on the internet via Zoom with the students paticipating from their homes. Rabbi Bernstein will continue to conduct the class via Zoom until it is possible to once again get together in person.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 30:11-31:17

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 27:20-28:30 - March 6, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class, guest teacher Rabbi Steven Carr Reuben - Exodus 25:1-40 - February 28, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 21:1-22:3 - February 21, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein shares more insights from her study as part of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. This class is based on a lecture by Yehuda Kurtzer, Prrsident of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North American in which he discussed what he thinks are the revolutionary changes in the American Jewish experience and their implications for the future. Rabbi Berrnstein's Class held at Kehillat Israel February 19, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 18:1-20:23 - February 14, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 13:17-15:26 - February 7, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 10:1-11:3 - January 31, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein shares insights from her study as part of the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. Kehillat Israel class January 29, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Exodus 6:2-7:7 - January 24, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - guest teacher Rabbi Emeritus Steven Carr Reuben - Exodus 1:1-2:25 - Jan. 17, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - guest teacher Rabbi Emeritus Steven Carr Reuben - Genesis 47:28-48:22 - Jan. 10, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - guest teacher Rabbi Emeritus Steven Carr Reuben - Genesis 44:18-45:27 - Jan. 3, 2020

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - guest teacher Rabbi Emeritus Steven Carr Reuben - Genesis 41:1-44:17 - Dec. 27, 2019

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 37:1-36 - Dec. 20, 2019

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 32:4-33:20 - Dec. 16, 2016

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 29:1-30:13 - Dec. 6, 2019

Dr. Saba Soomekh, American Jewish Committee–LA, speaking at Kehillat Israel’s annual Israel Matters speaker event on November 19, 2019. The event is introduced and moderated by Rick Entin, past Chair of Israel Matters programming at KI. Dr. Soomekh discusses some of the most pressing issues confronting American Jewish support for Israel including: political divisiveness in America, the rise in Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism, and the changing demographic landscape in Israel. Saba Soomekh, PhD is the Assistant Director of Interreligious and Intercommunity Affairs at American Jewish Committee (“AJC”) -LA and a lecturer at UCLA, where she teaches Religious Studies, Middle Eastern History, and Women’s Studies courses. She received her BA in Religious Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Soomekh teaches and writes extensively on World Religions, Women and Religion, intersectionality and its impact on the Jewish community, and the geo-politics of the Middle East. In the summer of 2019, Dr. Soomekh was a Scholar-in-Residence at Oxford University with the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy. Professor Soomekh is the editor of the book Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in America (Purdue University Press, 2016) and the author of the book From the Shahs to Los Angeles: Three Generations of Iranian Jewish Women between Religion and Culture (SUNY Press, 2012). Her book was awarded the Gold Medal in the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Award in the Religion category. Besides giving numerous scholarly and public presentations on the Middle East, world religions and women in the developing world, she is also a member of the city of Los Angeles’ Human Resource Commission where she is involved in numerous interfaith and intercultural projects and she is a consultant for numerous schools in Los Angeles focusing on creating honest dialogue about cultural issues. Dr. Soomekh was the Exhibition Coordinator of the exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA entitled: Light and Shadows: The Story of Iranian Jews. She was a consultant and participant for PBS’ documentary “Iranian Americans,” which aired on PBS on Dec. 18, 2012. She was also featured in an NPR story on Iranian Jews in America, and the Times of Israel wrote a piece on her entitled “Iranian Scholar Breaks Stereotypes While Studying Them”. Rick Entin is a long-time member of Kehillat Israel where he formerly served as a Board Trustee and Chair of its Israel Matters Committee. Rick’s past leadership positions in the Los Angeles community include Chairman of the Board of Hillel 818 and Chair of the Real Estate and Construction Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. He is currently on the LA Leadership Counsel of Birthright. Rick is also a fellow of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. He was recently certified as a facilitator by Resetting the Table, an organization dedicated to creating courageous communication across divides. Rick was also recently selected to participate in a two-year Leadership Summit with the Wexner Foundation to explore key challenges facing the North American Jewish Community and the State of Israel.

Larry Greenfield speaking at Kehillat Israel’s annual Israel Matters event on November 19, 2019. In a broad overview of the situation facing Israel today, he discusses Israel's internal situation, the recent attacks on Israel from Gaza, his analysis of Israel's geo-strategic position, and the recent decisions of the Trump administration on the West Bank. Larry Greenfield is a fellow at The Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship & Political Philosophy. He hails from Los Angeles and earned his BA in Political Science at UC Berkeley, graduating in 3 years as Class Speaker. He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Larry enlisted and served in the Armed Forces of the United States in Naval Intelligence (Res.). Long active in Jewish life, Larry served as vice president of the L.A. Jewish Community Foundation, and as a Wexner Heritage Foundation fellow. He served as national executive director of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs and has advised elected officials on U.S. Middle East policy. His articles have appeared in The Jerusalem Post, Algemeiner, JTA, American Thinker, American Greatness, PJ Media, Flashreport, and Investor’s Business Daily. He is currently a columnist with the Jewish Journal.

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 25:19-26:22 - Dec. 2, 2016

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 23:1-24:9 - November 22, 2019

Learn from the timeless wisdom of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century as Rabbi Reuben shares lessons and excerpts from his new book published by the Jewish Publication Society and University of Nebraska Press: A Year with Mordecai Kaplan - Lessons on the Weekly Torah Portion. Class 3 - November 18, 2019

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 18:1-33 - November 15, 2019

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 12:1-13:18 - November 8, 2019

Kehillat Israel's fall 2019 Social Justice event, a panel discussion about the status of women’s reproductive rights in America and current efforts to erode the protections afforded under Roe v. Wade. Intoduced by Rabbi Amy Bernstein, Senior Rabbi of K.I. Participants: Jean Reith Schroedel, PhD Jean teaches at Claremont Graduate University, where she serves as Director of the Applied Women’s Studies Program, Chair of the Department of Politics & Policy, and Dean of the School of Politics & Economics. She is the author of Is the Fetus a Person: A Comparison of Policies Across the Fifty States, which analyzed her award-winning research on three major fetal policy issues: drug use by pregnant women, abortion, and third-party fetal killings. John Erickson, PhD In addition to serving as Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County Action Fund, John serves on the CA Commission on the Status of Women and as President of the Hollywood chapter of the National Organization for Women. He was one of the main organizers of the LA Women’s March in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and is a regular contributor to online publications on the topics of LGBTQ history, feminism, masculinity studies and American religious history. Ruth Dawson, Esq., MPH As Policy Counsel with the LGBTQ, Gender & Reproductive Justice Project of the ACLU of Southern California, Ruth’s work focuses on expanding access to reproductive and sexual health care services, eliminating religious restrictions on health care provision, protecting access to confidential health care and quality sex education, and upholding the health and dignity of incarcerated women. Ruth ’s advocacy concentrates on the intersection of reproductive and economic justice, promoting the rights of pregnant and parenting workers.

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 6:9-8:14 - November 1, 2019

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Genesis 1:1-2:3 - October 25, 2019

Learn from the timeless wisdom of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century as Rabbi Reuben shares lessons and excerpts from his new book published by the Jewish Publication Society and University of Nebraska Press: A Year with Mordecai Kaplan - Lessons on the Weekly Torah Portion. Class 2 - October 21, 2019

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12 - October 18, 2019

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Rabbi Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Deuteronomy 32:1-52 - October 11, 2019

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Kehillat Israel High Holy Days

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - guest teacher Rabbi Micah Hyman - Deuteronomy 30:1-30:20 - September 27, 2019

Rabbi Amy Bernstein's weekly Torah study class - Deuteronomy 27:11-29:8 - September 20, 2019

Learn from the timeless wisdom of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the 20th century as Rabbi Reuben shares lessons and excerpts from his new book published by the Jewish Publication Society and University of Nebraska Press: A Year with Mordecai Kaplan - Lessons on the Weekly Torah Portion. Class 1 September 16, 2019