A city is inhabited by the Israelites through force in one chapter but a few chapters later it says there was always coexistence. Did God make a mistake or did the human authors understand their holy cities differently? Dr. Zev Farber helps us find out.
Have you ever heard someone say "..but I'm a bad Jew" or "I'm a bad Catholic"? Who actually says that they are a good observer of their religion? Be very wary of that person. Rabbi Brent Spodek doesn't do any pretending. For him it's all about connecting.
Dr. Erica Brown, a professor, author, and leadership consultant joins me in this episode of the Raising Holy Sparks podcast to discuss the transformative power of studying ancient wisdoms and the transformation we are able to create if we think boldly.
In this episode we raise up hidden sparks of transformation. While most know the word "charity", we rarely think about what makes philanthropic organizations so effective. I discuss this and much more with Charlene Seidle from the Leichtag Foundation.
Have you ever bared your soul to someone? In this episode, I speak with Elad Nehorai, editor and founder of Neshamas - an online platform that allows people to share their experiences in the Jewish community as anonymous individuals.
What is your family history? The Jewish people do not do 'history' per se, in fact, there is not even a word for history in Hebrew. Instead, the question we ask is: what are your memories? In this episode, Rav Mike Feuer talks about the story of the Jews.
In Judaism, there is great importance to welcoming guests. It's around this idea of radical hospitality that Rabbi Avram Mlotek cofounded Base Hillel: intimate home settings where young adults come together to find and create their own Jewish meaning.
Laurel Freedman - advocate and entrepreneur in the Medical Marijuana industry joins me in this latest episode as we talk about the potential and pitfalls of cannabis. Bringing healing to body, mind and soul - is this once cultural taboo finally kosher?
Inspired by a conversation with a group of 7th graders scrolling through the Instagram accounts on their phones, Rabbi Samantha Frank and Rena Singer decided to bring Judaism to where the people are. As a result they have built a vibrant online community.
What was once a rich and vibrant culture of Ashkenazi Jewish food in the Old World is now often seen as boring and bland. That is, at least, until recent years when the younger generation of Jews has fought to reclaim their proud Ashkenazi heritage.
In part two of the series on the Jewish ethical practice of self improvement called Mussar, I speak with Professor Geoffrey Claussen of Elon University. We have an honest conversation about this resurgent Jewish philosophy and its strengths and weaknesses
This episode with Rabbi Marcia Plumb is the first in a two-part series on Mussar - the Jewish ethical practice of self-improvement. Usually, Mussar is done on an individual basis, but in this episode, we discuss how it can also transform communities.
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz takes the Passover call to work towards the liberation for all and applies it year-round. Passover it not a holiday, it is a way of life! For the migrant children locked up or for those thrown into for-profit jails - is this just?
Former Senior Communications Associate at the AJC and current creative thinker and writer, Alexander Zeldin joins me as we unpack the identities of Russian-Speaking Jews. From the USSR to the US, RSJs have seen it - all while enjoying some hot borsht.
Aviva Paley, co-founder of Kitchens for Good, saw the crises of food waste, mass incarceration, and the vast amount of Americans that go hungry every day and so she helped build an organization that addresses all three of those issues.
Hadar Cohen, a community organizer, poet, and educator joins me in conversation and spells out the importance of noticing the universe and how the lessons learned there can help us grow. We also discussed Silicon Valley and a new culture for the 21st cent
Rabbi Mark Borovitz describes his transition to recovery from drug and alcohol abuse as though he was "struck sober". Nowadays Rabbi Mark as the CEO of Beit T'Shuva, a Jewish addiction treatment center, helps to facilitate similar healing for others.
Do you love pastries? If you said yes and even if you said no you will still love this latest episode as I speak with Moss Café founder Emily Weisberg. We chat about her journey from rural Wisconsin to the Bronx and how food has always been at the core.
If you are part of an organization that is seeking to attract young adults to come through its front doors then this episode is mandatory listening. Senior Director of Immersive Experiences at Moishe House, Roey Kruvi, shares all the latest best practices
From expert tips on food photography all the way to editing and publishing a cookbook, Sara Gardner walks us through her journey in putting together the Rosh Hashanah Seder Cookbook: Stories and Recipes from the Reform Jewish community of Madrid.
Spoken word artist Andrew Lustig has had his poetry reach millions in viral videos and has presented in hundreds of live performances. In this episode I speak with Andrew about nervousness before speaking in front of large groups, creativity and much more
In this episode I speak with Rabbi Lauren Tuchman, the first blind women to ever enter the rabbinate. We discuss the elements from her childhood that made her feel welcome, double standards around accommodations, and making holidays sensory experiences.
A Haiku: we discuss talmud, and studying the whole thing, and writing haikus. If that's not 17 syllables feel free to email me at [email protected]. I speak with Rabbi Avi Strausberg about her 7.5 years of reading and writing her way through talmud.
Did you know that there is a Jewish community in Uganda? Guess how big it is! Tune in to find it. We also discuss diversity in American Jewish spaces. We chat logistics for getting ready to travel, and what it means to feel at "home".
A community builder, artist, and pioneer. Rachel "Bluth" Rosenbluth is a student at Yeshivat Har-El, an Orthodox Rabbinical program. From leading Shabbat services on the beaches of TLV to getting into the thick of peacework, she's there with a full heart.
Coping with loss after the passing of a loved one or struggling with depression - what are the tools that we can use to grow? Dr Natalya Bogopolskaya touches on the well-known PTSD but also introduces the relatively newer concept of post-traumatic growth.
Once the CEO of DavidsTea and a senior executive at Staples, Jevin Eagle left behind a successful career in business to pursue his life-long dream of becoming a Rabbi, Jevin shares with us his journey from the boardroom to the study hall.
In this episode I talk about the moments in my life where I doubted everything. I kept asking myself why bother continue going forward with.. prayer if it doesn't help me feel, with Torah if it isn't historically true, etc. Have you had moments like this?
The torah portions of Shemini, Tazria, Metzora. "It's all about what comes in and what goes out". Chapter 11 spells out kosher food laws, so I explore what that means. Ch 15 talks about the body and whether or not it's gross. Here are my thoughts, enjoy!
The torah portions of Tzav & Shemini. In this source sheet, I talk about the proper way to bring our gifts into this world, the importance of sharing, letting your actions speak for themselves, holiday time consumerism, and martyrdom.
