Real Rabbi NYC

Caves, chaos, and caving in: Chayei Sarah

Our culture makes death more difficult and chaotic than it needs to be, but birth and death are on the same continuum. We also have a strong political influence that pits science against religion and spirituality, creating and adding to the chaos in our government, country and world, making a dangerous debate about climate change, as if it were up for debate. In this week’s parsha, there is bargaining and also faith. Listen as I tell the story of my dying cousin and what it has to do with climat...

Laughing at Angels: Va-Yera

In our culture, it’s taboo to believe in angels or to talk openly about being “led.” We laugh at the idea of angels because we are intelligent, modern people. In Torah, our matriarch Sarah also laughs. This week’s parsha is chock full of angels. In this episode, I explore what might happen if we suspend belief in our deep beliefs.

Entitlement, Majesty and Lekh Lekha

In this episode I explore Abraham and Sarah’s use of their power and entitlement and how that contrasts with other ways of using the same, whether we feel “entitled” or not, and how we can be creative about it. I re-tell a beautiful story by Elizabeth Gilbert, famous author of Eat, Pray, Love.

Oh, No, Noah!

We make mistakes, God makes mistakes, and Noah made the terrible mistake of not speaking up to God when God decides to destroy all life with the flood. Noah is supposed to be the only righteous person of his generation, but…? Faith in God, faith in humanity and faith in our own voice all comes into question.

Was it Good or Was it Bad? (Breishit)

How we label things is important, and being clear about our intentions is also important. On the surface, God of the Bible and his creations seem simple, good or bad, but underneath it, nothing is simple.

What’s in Your Head? (Sukkos & V’zot Ha’bracha

As we finally reach the end of the Torah and are about to begin again, we are left with a bunch of blessings for security and peace going forward—or the Israelites are. How blessed—and how cursed—do we feel? How much of it is based on reality and how much is in our heads? I tell a story of something that happened the other day in the park that left me completely rattled and thinking about these things.

Push-Up Competition and Yom Kippur/Ha’azinu

On the most somber day of the Jewish year, how seriously do we need to take ourselves? Well…

A Plumbing Issue: Rosh Hashanah & Va-Yeilekh

What we need at this time of year is a good flush—of our personal systems—from all the old and newer traumas, so we can move on and find new and better ways to live.

Who By Fire?

After yet another very destructive hurricane, we enter the Jewish New Year, a time of rest and prayer, to take a break from the action and renew ourselves to continue the work of healing ourselves and the world

Don’t F** Up; It’s a Commandment (Ki Tavo)

There are many prophetic voices in this week’s Torah portion, of doom and gloom, but also of hope and possibilities. As we come to the end of Torah and the Jewish year, and also enter a year of rest for the earth, we are reminded that there are in fact possibilities for the future, so we must grab the opportunity.

Starving Children? Where? (Eikev)

Charity vs changing the system? And what does the Bible have to do with that? Here I tell of a funny and ridiculous inner argument I had with myself when I struggled to get away with some well-meaning people on the street trying to get me to sign up for a good purpose and how I got away finally. But the struggle within continues.

Enough Already! (Va’etchanan)

Do we need permission to be critical of our traditions, our religion, our god, our holy books? Hopefully not, but I’m case we do, we actually have it! Listen in to find out!

F & M: D’varim & Tisha B’Av

Survival in difficult times comes from community, but also the belief in the fantastical and magical. In fact, we can make the magic happen, and when we make fun in the midst of the pain, we gain autonomy over it. The customs of the commemoration of the destruction of the Temple and Torah both have lessons for us on how to live going forward into the scary unknown.

Attitudes, Platitudes & the Promise of Bliss: Mattot-Masei

Is ignorance really bliss? It’s the 4th of July, and what are we celebrating? What do we do with the ugly history and stories of our country—and our Torah? Gloss them over? Retell them in ways that make them not so bad? Where does that leave us? Listen and find out.

Joie de Vivre: not so Pinchas

Pinchas is a violent biblical character, rewarded for his zealotry by God. But there’s hope in Zelophehad’s daughters. And Dr. Ruth teaches a lot about living too. Personally, I’d like to learn from all these strong females.

Real Rabbi NYC (Trailer)

Great Story (maybe not true): Balak

How many times have we had doors slam in our faces, our hearts breaking because we believed something that just wasn’t true? What was it we couldn’t see? In the story of Balak in the Torah, Bilam can’t see the angel with its sword blocking his way. What message is there in this for us?