People sometimes call Jews "people of the book." And when they say that, they tend to be referring to the Bible, or the Torah (first five books of the Bible). But Eva Mroczek , the Simon and Riva Spatz Chair in Jewish Studies at Dalhousie University, thinks that Jews may actually have a relationship to far more books than we've realized -- including many "lost books," and even many "imagined books" that likely never existed. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about lost J...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr
Danya Ruttenberg is an award-winning author, activist, and rabbi, whose most recent book -- On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World -- won a National Jewish Book Award. Ilana Sumka is a nonprofit leader, experiential educator and community organizer with over 20 years of experience, who recently founded Shleimut: Jewish Paths to Wholeness and Peace . The two of them join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 6th episode in an ongoing mini-series, exploring North American...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr
In October 2024, Dan and Lex participated in Elevate -- a summit for podcasters hosting shows in the realm of faith and spirituality -- to connect and collaborate with one another. The gathering took place at BYU – Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah – and was hosted by In Good Faith , a podcast produced by BYUradio. After an amazing few days at the summit, In Good Faith invited Dan and I to be guests on their podcast – to speak a bit about Judaism Unbound, but also for the two of us to refl...
Feb 26, 2025•28 min
Jay Michaelson , an award-winning journalist, professor, rabbi, and author, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring centrism and radicalism, misinformation that circulates far and wide on the topic of Israel-Palestine, and how we might strive for a better Jewish collective relationship to this important issue. This episode is the 5th in an ongoing mini-series exploring North American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine. Announcement: New courses are now open for regi...
Feb 21, 2025•59 min
This week, we’re bringing you an episode of another podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts -- Tales of the Unbound! In its inaugural season Tales of the Unbound follows the Jewish journey of two incarcerated individuals, their chaplain, and the community they co-created in the most unlikely of places. In Tales of the Unbound, Episode 7: Happily Ever After? , the narrative explores the challenges and transformations within the Jewish community at Monroe Correctional. The story takes a ...
Feb 14, 2025•28 min
Mira Sucharov is professor of Political Science at Carleton University. Joshua Shanes directs the Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold Center for Israel Studies at the College of Charleston. Together, they are the co-founders of a digital discussion group called D’rachim — a New Path Forward for Israel/Palestine . They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 4th episode in an ongoing mini-series exploring North American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine. Access full shownotes for this episode vi...
Feb 07, 2025•54 min
Peter Beinart , a columnist and political commentator, is the author of a new book entitled Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning . He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring narratives of Jewish victimhood and survival, how Biblical texts like Joshua and Esther are mobilized in contemporary debates, and how we might have better intra-Jewish conversations about perhaps the most contentious topic there is for our communities. This episode is the third in...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Susannah Heschel , the Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about one of the most high-intensity issues there is -- Israel-Palestine on college campuses. This episode is the second in an ongoing mini-series of podcasts exploring conversations about Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish life. Access full shownotes for this episode via this link . If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep th...
Jan 24, 2025•41 min
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg , co-hosts of Judaism Unbound, explore one of the most contentious topics in Jewish (and broader) life today — Israel-Palestine. They ask how we can build Jewish communities that are able to support one another across difference and serve justice in our world. This episode is the first in an ongoing mini-series of podcasts exploring conversations about Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish life. NOTE: This episode was recorded many weeks before it was released publicl...
Jan 17, 2025•54 min
Vanessa Ochs , a scholar of Jewish ritual and the second-ever guest on Judaism Unbound way back in episode 5, makes a grand return to our podcast! She connects with Dan and Lex to discuss an upcoming UnYeshiva mini-course she's teaching, entitled Jewish Ritual Lab: Experiments in Jewish Creativity and Invention . If you love what you hear in this episode, head to www.judaismunbound.com/classes and register for Ochs's upcoming mini-course in the UnYeshiva (begins January 15th, 2025)! Financial ai...
Jan 10, 2025•55 min
Becca Leviss, currently studying at Harvard Divinity School, wants to push us beyond the Jewish "right-now" and into the Jewish "not-yet." She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Judeo-Futurism -- a framework she is building, and which she wants to co-create with Jews all around the world. If you love what you hear in this episode, head to www.judaismunbound.com/classes and register for Leviss's upcoming mini-course in the UnYeshiva (begins January 7th, 2025), entitled J...
Jan 03, 2025•57 min
Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio , respectively) conclude ApocryFest 2024-25: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized. This is the 4th bonus episode in a 4-part mini-series of Judaism Unbound, exploring the topic of canon, and apocrypha, in observance of the festival of Hanukkah. In this final episode, they zoom out to ask what Apocrypha can mean for us today, in 2025. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the Un...
Jan 01, 2025•19 min
Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio , respectively) continue with their third conversation of ApocryFest 2024-25: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized -- a 4-part mini-series of Judaism Unbound. In this episode, they explore a wild text entitled The Letter of Aristeas . You can sign up for ApocryFest 2024-25 by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest . Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal stuff, during Hanukkah, to help enrich your experi...
Dec 29, 2024•24 min
Queer Theology is the longest running podcast by and for LGBTQIA+ spiritual seekers. Its two co-hosts -- Brian G. Murphy and Shannon TL Kearns -- join Judaism Unbound for an episode exploring what it means to queer theology ("queer" as a verb!). If you love what you hear, head to www.judaismunbound.com/classes and register for their upcoming (in January 2025) mini-course in the UnYeshiva, entitled Queering Theology: A Crash Course in Reading the Bible Queerly (people of all genders, sexualities,...
Dec 27, 2024•1 hr
Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio , respectively) continue with their second conversation of ApocryFest 2024-25: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized -- a 4-part mini-series of Judaism Unbound. In this episode, they explore a fascinating text called Joseph and Aseneth (and sometimes just Aseneth ). You can sign up for ApocryFest 2024-25 by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest . Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal stuff, during Hanuk...
Dec 25, 2024•24 min
Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio , respectively) kick off the 2024-25 edition of ApocryFest: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized -- a 4-part mini-series of Judaism Unbound. They open up big questions about what “Jewish canon” does and doesn’t mean, why those questions are worth discussing on Hanukkah in particular, and dive together into one of apocrypha’s wild, wonderful texts: The Book of Judith. You can sign up for ApocryFest 2024-25 by heading to www.Ju...
Dec 20, 2024•22 min
Xava De Cordova is the co-founder of Shel Maala: a digital-first queer Yeshiva, and the co-host of Xai, How are You, one of our favorite fellow-podcasts in the Jewish podcasting universe. She is about to be teaching an amazing 3-week mini-course in the UnYeshiva, entitled Sabbatean Heresy: Shabbetai Tzvi and Permitting the Forbidden . We're thrilled to be offering a sneak-preview of the course by offering up this episode of Judaism Unbound featuring De Cordova, along with Michael Sokolovsky -- h...
Dec 16, 2024•54 min
Leora Fridman is the author of Bound Up: On Kink, Power, and Belonging , and also serves as director of The New Jewish Culture Fellowship . She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring the intersection of Jewishness and kink — and the immense importance of art, to the future of Judaism. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Explore Judeo-Futurism, Shabbetai Zvi, and more! Purchase Leora Fridman's book, Bound ...
Dec 13, 2024•59 min
This week, we’re bringing you an episode of our newest podcast, Tales of the Unbound! In its inaugural season Tales of the Unbound follows the Jewish journey of two incarcerated individuals, their chaplain, and the community they co-created in the most unlikely of places. In Tales of the Unbound Episode 6 , Miriam Terlinchamp reflects on her journey into the rabbinate, beginning with childhood memories and learning about holiness in unlikely places. She recalls pivotal moments that challenged he...
Dec 06, 2024•28 min
Rebecca Hornstein serves as executive director of Boston Workers Circle: Center for Jewish Culture & Social Justice , but she is also a talented artist who creates ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts, often crafted to be beautiful art pieces), through a project called Rituals for Revolutionaries . She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that covers ketubot, the power of Jewish ritual moments, and a magical Yiddish word that may be new to you: “veltlich” (“secular” or “worldly”). This episode is ...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Getzel Davis is the founder and executive director of Unorthodox Celebrations , a project launched to help folks find the right person to officiate at their weddings, bar/bat/b mitzvahs, baby namings, or other Jewish life cycle event. He joins Dan and Lex for the 4th conversation in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series exploring Jewish weddings. Register for the next gathering of Shabbat Unbound on November 22nd via this link! If you're listening after 11/22, you can register for our December ...
Nov 22, 2024•54 min
Heshvan is the month that comes after Tishri -- the month containing Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and multiple other Jewish holidays. It (Heshvan) is often framed as "a month with no Jewish holidays." The problem? It is not a month with no Jewish holidays! In this episode, Lex, Miriam, and Rena Yehuda ( members of Judaism Unbound's staff team ) dive into multiple Jewish holidays that have taken place in the past -- and continue to take place today -- during the month of Heshvan. They also ask some...
Nov 15, 2024•47 min
Charlie Schwartz, co-founder and director of Lehrhaus: A Jewish Tavern & House of Learning , joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Lehrhaus, Jewish "third spaces," and blurring the boundaries between Jewish learning and Jewish eating. Register for the next gathering of Shabbat Unbound on November 22nd via this link! Access full shownotes for this episode via this link . If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -...
Nov 08, 2024•57 min
Mazal Tov, Congratulations, Mazaltations, and Congratul Tov to Miriam Terlinchamp!!! Judaism Unbound’s executive director is getting married the weekend of this episode’s release. Tune in to a conversation where Miriam, Dan, and Lex take this joyous occasion as a wonderful opportunity to dive deeper into how we might experiment creatively with Jewish weddings — and how doing so could help us experiment with Jewish ritual more broadly. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our 8-week co...
Nov 01, 2024•58 min
This week, we’re bringing you an episode of our newest podcast, Tales of the Unbound! In its inaugural season Tales of the Unbound follows the Jewish journey of two incarcerated individuals, their chaplain, and the community they co-created in the most unlikely of places. In Tales of the Unbound Episode 5 , we reach the apex of the storyline, talking through all the details of the “big day” of conversion. Miriam recounts the challenges of facilitating a traditional Jewish conversion ritual for A...
Oct 25, 2024•39 min
Happy Sukkot! Chag Sameach! The 7-day-long festival of Sukkot is here, and Dan and Lex welcome Joseph Altshuler and Ethan Blake — both founders of local Sukkah festivals celebrating creative design and architecture — to explore what this festival can teach us. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our upcoming 8-week courses in the UnYeshiva! Explore Jewish communities around the world, gender in Judaism, Maimonides's (Rambam's) theology, fierce women in Torah, and more! Access full sh...
Oct 18, 2024•51 min
Yom Kippur is here! For the past two years, Yom Kippur is often the single most popular day — all year — for folks to listen to Judaism Unbound. To those of you incorporating our podcast into your observance of this holiday, wishing you a beautiful and unbound Yom Kippur. In this episode, Rachel Cohen — policy correspondent for Vox Media — joins Dan and Lex for a conversation connecting Yom Kippur to an article (a VERY Jewish article) she wrote recently, entitled “ Why I Changed my Mind About Vo...
Oct 11, 2024•50 min
Irwin Keller is the spiritual leader of Ner Shalom in Sonoma County, California, author of the new book Shechinah at the Art Institute , and — importantly for this conversation — one of the most thoughtful wedding officiants you’ll find anywhere. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring the ritual work that weddings do, along with a variety of perspectives regarding who they are for (who is the “client”). This episode is the 3rd in a Judaism Unbound mini-series exploring Jewish weddings...
Oct 04, 2024•54 min
Keshira haLev Fife , a kohenet (Jewish priestess), ritual designer, community-weaver, and founder of Kesher Pittsburgh joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. How might we more effectively orient to the notion of teshuva (often translated “repentance” or “return”) over these 10 days? Could floating in kayaks have something to do with how we might re-invent these High Holidays? This episode is the third in a Judaism Unbound mini-series, helping listeners prepare f...
Sep 27, 2024•57 min
Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash think not only about our entry into the new year (Rosh Hashanah) -- but toward the holiday of Yom Kippur that follows shortly afterward. This Elul bonus episode is the fourth and final bonus episode that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2024 (our 22nd-2...
Sep 24, 2024•20 min
