Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch · Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
Show overview
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue has been publishing since 2015, and across the 11 years since has built a catalogue of 244 episodes. That works out to roughly 50 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence.
Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Religion & Spirituality show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 2 days ago, with 9 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2020, with 36 episodes published. Published by Stephen Wise Free Synagogue.
From the publisher
Podcast of sermons by Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. Rabbi Hirsch is recognized internationally for his leadership in Jewish affairs and was named by the New York Observer among “New York’s Most Influential Religious Leaders.” The coauthor of the acclaimed One People Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues that Divide Them, he previously served as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America.
Latest Episodes
View all 244 episodesFinding Happiness in the Wilderness of Life
Roald Dahl on Broadway
The Week That Was
Life in Death Valley
The sight of wildflowers blooming in Death Valley is a symbol of our times, beautifully articulated by Rabbi Rifkin, who expresses that, “these Death Valley wildflowers gave me pause. Not […]
Seconds From Carnage
“We gather today because it is Shabbat. On some level, to be a Jew is itself an act of defiance,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, who expressed relief — and immense […]
On the Iran War
Rabbi Hirsch says emphatically that, “the Iranian threat is not only military, economic, and political. It is also ideological. We must grapple seriously with the ramifications of allowing this radical […]
Skin in the Game
Most people think Exodus is about “slavery, the ten plagues, the splitting of the Sea, and the Ten Commandments,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But “a full third is about the […]
The Era of American Vertigo
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch sees New York’s icy streets as a good metaphor for America today. “The stability under our feet that we have always taken for granted seems much less […]
On Life in America Today
As America has faced crisis after crisis — with attacks on the Federal Reserve and the courts, and masked, heavily armed federal agents patrolling the streets — Rabbi Ammi Hirsch […]
Bondi Beach
“When we kindle the last light of the menorah, the sun will be at its peak down under. But for our people, even the glow of the full menorah will […]
Pay Attention
“Our tendency — like the frog in the pot — is not to notice changes until events reach a boiling point,” says Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. One overlooked verse in this […]
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
“I recall the many learned and optimistic thought pieces in the early days of social media that proclaimed the dawn of a new and better world. We now understand that […]
On the Election of Zohran Mamdani
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch congratulates New York City Mayor-elect Zohran K. Mamdani and applauds the democratic process while reiterating his deep concern over the future mayor’s commitment to anti-Zionism that could […]
Our Three Names: A Message to the Young Jews of America
On Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch addresses young Jews directly, urging them to embrace the burden and privilege of carrying Jewish life forward: “You are our future… my generation will […]
Hopefully
On Erev Yom Kippur, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch ponders the nature of hope in these dark times and urges us to reject “syrupy saccharine” optimism and instead embrace the active, Jewish […]
Two Years On
On Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch reflects on the lasting wounds of October 7 and the burden of living with both power and vulnerability. He urges us to be, as […]
The Tug-of-War Inside Ourselves
Underneath the Torah’s rules of war lies a deeper message about how we should wage our own internal struggles, says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “We are who we are in part […]
Believe Them
Jews have often wondered how the Holocaust was even possible. “October 7 is how it happens. A nuclear-armed Iran is how it happens,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, commenting on Israel’s […]
Stay Strong
In the aftermath of the murders in Washington, D.C., and the firebombing of peaceful, mostly elderly Jews in Boulder, Colorado, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch asks: “How do we stay strong?” Looking […]
It is Not Too Late
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch honors the memory of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were gunned down in “the springtime of their lives” at a Jewish event outside a Jewish museum. […]