Shtender
a JCast Network Podcast
JCast Network
Show overview
Shtender has been publishing since 2014, and across the 6 years since has built a catalogue of 214 episodes. That works out to roughly 30 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run ten to twenty minutes — most land between 13 min and 21 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Religion & Spirituality show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 6.2 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2015, with 51 episodes published. Published by JCast Network.
From the publisher
Join Rabbi Michael Knopf, the Rabbi of Temple Beth-El in Richmond, VA, for sermons given from his Shtender.
Latest Episodes
View all 214 episodesDespair is Not an Option
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Beshallah (Saturday, February 8), Rabbi Knopf discusses the importance of hope in the Jewish tradition, and how it calls upon us to march forward, even and especially in dark times. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, […]
The Decade of Dehumanization
Rabbi Knopf’s Shabbat message for Parashat Va-Yeshev (December 20, 2019): Joseph’s brothers make it easier to harm him by dehumanizing him. This was the mega-trend of the 2010’s. Can we do it differently in the next decade, and forge a different future? How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you […]
Restraint and Transcendence
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Toldot (November 30, 2019), Rabbi Knopf explains the unique spiritual and moral characteristics of Jacob that made him worthy of inheriting the mantle of leadership from his father, Isaac. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, […]
Nature Abhors a Vacuum. Antisemitism Loves One
For his Yom Kippur message (October 9, 2019), Rabbi Knopf talks about the resurgence of antisemitism in the US and around the world, and what we can and should do about it. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
The Promises of Israel
For his Yom Kippur evening message (October 8, 2019), Rabbi Knopf explores lovingly and honestly the condition of the promises made to the Jewish people and the world by the modern state of Israel. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s […]
How Repentance Really Works
In his message for Shabbat Shuvah (October 5, 2019), Rabbi Knopf explains that repentance isn’t something we just do during the High Holy Day season. Rather, it is ongoing work, a way we approach life itself. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, […]
Where The Oppressed Shed Tears
In his message for the first day of Rosh Hashanah (September 30, 2019), Rabbi Knopf explains how we can emulate God by supporting the vulnerable and the oppressed, especially during this time of indifference and cruelty. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, […]
Bad Faith Broke Us. Only Good Faith Can Fix Us.
In his message for the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah (October 1, 2019), Rabbi Knopf talks about the religious roots of white supremacy and racism, and prescribes a religious antidote. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
Everyone Has a Right to Sanctuary
In his Shabbat, message for Parashat Matot-Mas’ei (August 3, 2019), Rabbi Knopf teaches that, while it’s unclear if the Torah’s Cities of Refuge ever existed, it is abundantly clear how far we are today in this country from upholding the fundamental moral message of the Cities of Refuge. How do you listen to Shtender? You […]
Keep The Fires Burning
Rabbi Knopf’s Shabbat message for Parashat Pinhas (July 27, 2019), connecting the zealotry of the eponymous character with the commandment regarding the Tamid or daily Temple sacrifice. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
Korach and the Unfinished Business of 1776
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Korach (Saturday, July 6), Rabbi Knopf unpacks the meaning of Korach’s rebellion, and, drawing a connection with the American Revolution, discusses what it means for us today. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your […]
Entropy and the Imposition of Order
Rabbi Knopf’s message for Parashat Nasso (June 15, 2019), discussing how the beginning of Numbers, which depicts order, contrasts with the rest of Numbers, which depicts chaos, and what that contrast teaches us today. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s […]
Love, Loss, and the Book of Ruth
Rabbi Knopf’s message for the 2nd Day of Shavuot (June 10, 2019), explaining how the book of Ruth is a model for growth after the trauma of loss. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
There Are Only Two Commandments…The Rest is Commentary
Rabbi Knopf’s message for the 1st day of Shavuot (Sunday, June 9, 2019), discussing the content of the revelation at Mt. Sinai, and its implications for our understanding of Torah today. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
Guns and the Disregard for Human Life
Rabbi Knopf’s message for parashat Behar-Behukkotai (June 1, 2019), addressing the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, which occurred a day earlier. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
Valar Dohaeris
Rabbi Knopf’s Shabbat message for Parashat Aharei Mot connects Game of Thrones, Leviticus, and the recent shooting at the Chabad synagogue in Poway, California. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
When Elijah Comes to the Seder
In his message for the 2nd day of Passover (April 21, 2019), Rabbi Knopf discusses the significance of Elijah the Prophet’s appearance at the Seder, and how to recognize the Messiah. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, RSS, it’s your choice!
Do The Dew
In his sermon for the first day of Passover (April 20, 2019), Rabbi Knopf unpacks the significance of the prayer for dew, which is recited on the holiday, and which holds a powerful message about the partnership between God and humanity. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? […]
The City of Peace
n a special sermon delivered at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond (April 3, 2019), Rabbi Knopf teaches an interfaith audience of hundreds about the Jewish idea of the “Heavenly Jerusalem,” and how we have the power to make heaven on Earth. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options […]
A Practice for Moral Clarity
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Shemini (March 30, 2019), Rabbi Knopf explains that a possible reason for the laws of kashrut are that they prepare us to draw clear ethical lines and make tough moral choices. How do you listen to Shtender? You have a lot of options you know? iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, […]