Judaism Unbound Podcast - Judaism Unbound: Recent Episodes
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Shabbat Dinner Party is an audio exploration through a Shabbat dinner from setting the intention, to making the dinner, to the dinner conversation — all with audio. Each week over five episodes, Kate Mishkin talks to people we wish were at the real Shabbat dinner table with us because they think carefully about what to put on the table and help us to understand how this ancient tradition remains relevant and necessary today. If you're looking to slow down and be more intentional in a fast-paced digital world, how to find a spiritual center, or even how to just have a good dinner party, we want you at this imaginary dinner party. First episode drops on August 12th!
Lex, Rena Yehuda and Miriam introduce Shabbat Dinner Party, the new podcast and discuss themes such as the anxiety of being "Jewish enough," the tension between tradition and innovation, the idea that Judaism has always evolved, and how authentic Jewish practice can be both deeply personal and connected to a broader community. Ultimately, they argue that Shabbat is not about achieving a single "correct" form but about cultivating intentional practices that balance recognizable tradition with creative experimentation, helping each person discover a version of Shabbat that feels both meaningful and life-giving.
[1] Don't miss our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva (Judaism Unbound's digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning) -- teachers this time around include Xava De Cordova, Alicia Jo Rabins, and Laynie Soloman. Register at JudaismUnbound.com/classes!
[2] In this episode, Rena Yehuda mentions a meaningful illustration. Check out Rena Yehuda's illustration on their instagram.
[3] In this episode, Lex mentions the website notjewishenough.com. Check it out for yourself!
[4] The entire series of Rest to Return has now been released, Shabbat Dinner Party begins on August 12 and the third monthly episode of Shabbat Unbound dropped on July 24. All three are a part of Judaism Unbound’s Shabbat podcast offerings.
[5] Check out Shabbat Unbound in its first form, a year-long Shabbat service that gathers in Zoom once per month, at JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat. For all of our Shabbat resources that we’ve generated, in the first 2 years of Shabbat Unbound so far, see JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat5785 and/or JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat5786.
Lexi Kohanskiis a trans Jewish writer and educator, who recently created a Jewish TTRPG (table-top role-playing game) called Worlds to Come: The Hebrew Role-Playing Game. She is also a brand-new member of Judaism Unbound's staff team (our Education Content & Design Specialist)! Lexi joins Lex (confusing, we know!) and Rena Yehuda in this episode, for a podcast diving into the power of Jewish play, and the magic of weaving worlds through language. Also, for the first time ever, Judaism Unbound itself turns into a roleplaying game for 10 minutes? It's a modified version of Worlds to Come, featuring Jewish time-travel, magical creatures, and that thing many of you are thinking about all the time (the Roman empire).
[1] Follow the Kickstarter for *Worlds to Come* by clicking here!
[2] Ready to dive into Jewish learning and unlearning, in preparation for the High Holidays? Sign up for one of the UnYeshiva’s 3-week mini-courses for the month of Elul (the on-ramp month into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)! Teachers include Xava De Cordova, Alicia Jo Rabins, and Laynie Soloman!
[3] For Lexi’s article about learning Hebrew through role-playing, which she referenced in this episode, check out this link.
[4] Check out the Hebrew learning resources that Lexi shouted-out: Tamar Kamionkowski’s Bet Midrash, Helen Plotkin’s Mekom Torah
[5] For a previous episode of Judaism Unbound that explored the power of playing with Judaism, see Episode 338: More Chutzpah, Less Reverence - Junetember Jonez.
[6] Lexi references Benay Lappe’s Crash Talk. View a video of it here, and check out our 3rd-ever Judaism Unbound episode, which explored Lappe’s framework, at this link.
[7] For a written version of the story Rena Yehuda told, from the Ba’al Shem Tov (about the power of words, through exploring conflict between a fish-monger and their customer), click here.
[8] For the TTRPG called Ma Nishtana: Why is this Night Different? — which Lexi mentioned as a Passover-Seder TTRPG — click here.
Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) is an annual observance on the Jewish calendar, often understood as the saddest day of the year. It commemorates many different destructions and catastrophes throughout Jewish history, including (but not limited to) the destruction of the first and second temple in Jerusalem, thousands of years ago. Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman are joined by Andy Kahn, a rabbi and executive director of the American Council for Judaism, and Dania Rajendra, a community organizer and writer who is currently serving as interim director of the In Our Name Fund, to explore the history and contemporary practice of this holiday. This episode is the second in a two-part mini-series exploring the past, present, and future of the 9th of Av.
[1]***Interested in learning (and unlearning) with Judaism Unbound’s UnYeshiva? Just head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out amazing 3-week mini-course options, taking just before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, to help you prep for the High Holidays!***
[2] For a written piece that Andy Kahn and Dania Rajendra wrote to coincide with this episode’s release, see “The Possibilities of Grief as a Rupture: Abolition Judaism and rethinking the holiday of Tisha B’Av,” published in In These Times.
[3] Explore David Einhorn’s approach to a new (and global) temple, referenced by Kahn in this episode, via this link (pages 330-333).
[4] Rajendra gives a shout-out to Sarah Jaffe’s book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire. Learn more about the book here.
[5] For the full text of Lamentations (Eicha, in Hebrew), click here.
[6] Rena Yehuda references the notion of chiasm, when speaking with Lex and both guests about the structure of Lamentations. For more on the idea of chiasm in Jewish tradition, see Judaism Unbound Bonus Episode: Elul 2025 III - Chiasm - Lex and Wendie.
[7] Another recent Judaism Unbound episode explored the distinction between abolition and reform. To listen in, see Episode 538: Matir Asurim — Judaism and Incarceration - Shir Lovett-Graff.
[8] Click here for Kahn and Rajendra’s co-written piece on the holiday of Shavuot, featured in Truthout and referenced in this episode!
[9] Rajendra references a piece by M. Gessen in the New York Times. Give it a read at this link.
Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman discuss the history, shadow-sides, and positive possibilities for observing the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av) — understood by many to be the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. What is Tisha B'Av? How has it been observed -- and, often, not-observed -- in American-Jewish communities? How can it help us consider the flow of the Jewish calendar as a whole? This episode is a first in a two-part mini-series exploring the past, present, and future of the 9th of Av.
[1] ***Eight incredible students from the UnYeshiva's certificate program in Unbound Judaism will be graduating, on August 2nd! Mark your calendars, so that you can be there to celebrate their amazing achievement. You can register to attend via this link!***
[2] For a past episode of Judaism Unbound exploring the 9th of Av, see Episode 494: Tisha B’Av 2025 - Dan and Lex.
[3] Rena Yehuda referenced a resource from Halachic Left called “For These Things I Weep: A Reader for the Nine Days and Tisha B’Av.” Explore that resource here (including Rena Yehuda’s contribution to it).
[4] Check out a piece from a rabbi who does not fast on Tisha B’Av here: “What if I Can’t (or Don’t Want to) Fast on Tisha B’Av?”
[5] An episode of Judaism Unbound explored Tisha B’Av at Jewish summer camp — listen in via Episode 383: Jews of Summer Camp - Sandra Fox. For an episode exploring what was lost when the temple was destroyed, see Episode 153: Fiction Between Worlds - Ruby Namdar.
[6] For a piece on why some Jews mark fasts on the 7th and 10th of Av, instead of the 9th, see “Lamenting with Job: The Karaite Version of the Fasts for Jerusalem.”
[7] Check out the full text of Eicha (Lamentations), a text traditionally associated with the 9th of Av, here.
Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman conclude a mini-series of Judaism Unbound conversations that have been exploring the principle of bodily autonomy -- and how it intersects with Judaism. They bring new elements to previous conversations about abortion, the pill, mass incarceration, and gender, along with exploring what bodily autonomy looks like in Jewish rituals like fasting for Yom Kippur.
[1] Listen in to the previous episodes in this mini-series on bodily autonomy via **Episode 534: God Bless the Pill - Samira Mehta**, **Episode 537: Trans Jews Embody Holiness - Dubbs Weinblatt**, **Episode 538: Matir Asurim — Judaism and Incarceration - Shir Lovett-Graff**, and/or **Episode 539: Judaism and Abortion, Beyond ‘Choice’ - Danya Ruttenberg**.
[2] For the Hey Alma article written by Becky Silverstein, that Lex and Rena Yehuda kicked off the episode by referencing, see “The Jewish Teaching That Supports Abortion & Trans Rights.”
[3] For more on the verse from Proverbs that Rena Yehuda mentioned, which states “The heart knows its own bitterness,” see this essay by Lauren Tuchman.
[4] Lex references the tradition, among Karaites, of marking the 7th and 10th of Av instead of the 9th of Av. For more on this, see this piece by Tomer Rami Mangoubi.
[5] For more on the Isaiah reference that Rena Yehuda made, see Episode 91: Is this the Fast that I Have Chosen? - Jonah Pesner.
[6] Lilith Magazine published a Jewish ritual for when one has an abortion, including a b’racha (blessing) — you can explore it here.
[7] Listen in to Lex and Rena Yehuda’s ideas about the Nazirite vow (plus Xava De Cordova and Michael Sokolovsky’s as well) by checking out this combo episode of Judaism Unbound and Xai How are You, entitled ”Xai Judaism, How Unbound Are You? — Mishnah Nazir”
Photo cred: Miriam Terlinchamp, Dominican Republic 2025 (Photo of Ruth Messinger)
This conversation explores how American Jewish World Service understands global justice as an expression of human dignity, solidarity, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to live a full and flourishing life. Through stories from Uganda, Kenya, and beyond, Joaninne Nanyange describes how AJWS partners with grassroots movements fighting for LGBTQ rights, health access, democracy, and human rights, emphasizing accompaniment rather than charity and agency rather than dependency. Elizabeth Richman connects that work to Jewish teachings about responsibility, arguing that Judaism calls people to expand their circle of concern beyond themselves and to take action when confronted with injustice. In a deeply interconnected world, the struggles of distant communities are never truly distant, and hope is sustained through relationships, shared responsibility, and the collective work of building a more just future.
**Joaninne Nanyange (she/they)** is an attorney with over 13 years of leadership experience in the field of sexual health and rights. Her legal background spans grassroots legal advocacy to global grantmaking, giving her a unique perspective on the needs of the movements AJWS supports. As the Director of AJWS’s Sexual Health and Rights team, Joaninne leads a portfolio of seven countries, supporting grassroots movements advancing the rights of women, girls and LGBTQI+ communities. She is also widely recognized as a trusted thought leader in the African sexual health and rights landscape.
**Elizabeth Richman (she/her)** leads AJWS’s Jewish Engagement team, working with American Jewish clergy, community leaders, and institutions to advance AJWS’s mission. Before coming to AJWS, she spent 13 years in executive leadership at Jews United for Justice (JUFJ). A rabbi ordained at JTS, Elizabeth is actively involved in the work of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable and is a senior fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute. She currently serves on the steering committee of Interfaith Power & Light (DC.MD.NoVa) and previously served as co-chair of the DC Jobs with Justice board and as a member of the Interfaith Worker Justice board. She has also served on the Rabbinical Assembly’s Social Action Commission, the Resolutions Committee, and the Rabbinic Career Development Commission.
SHOWNOTES
[1] Learn more about AJWS work on their website at: www.ajws.org
[2] Jonaninne discusses the LGBTQ+ movement in Uganda, including the highly restrictive anti-homosexuality act (AHA) in 2023, which includes one the harshest legal climates for LGBTQ+ people in the world. You can read more about it here.
[3] You can find the Talmudic reference cited by Elizabeth about the responsibility for the untethered cow, here in Talmud Shabbat 54b
[4] Elizabeth cites Abraham Joshua Heschel from his essay, “The reasons for my involvement with the Peace movement.” The essay is found in the book, “Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity (New York: Farrar, Strays and Giroux, 1996) This is the exact quote: "The more deeply immersed I became in the thinking of the prophets, the more powerfully it became clear to me what the lives of the prophets sought to convey: that morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible."
[5] You can learn more about the Family Values movement and anti-gay law Joaninne refers to here.
[6] Miriam talks about one of her heroes, Ruth Messinger. You can learn more about her story and great works here and her impassioned talk on immigrant dignity here.
[7] Sign up to jump on AJWS's mailing list to learn more about global human rights work: https://ajws.org/
[8] Learn how to take action with AJWS through advocacy actions that unite your voice with thousands of other progressive Jews across the country on foreign policy issues: https://ajws.org/get-involved/activists/
[9] Check out Miriam’s article on her time as an AJWS fellow here.
[10] Miriam also made this video about her time with AJWS in the Dominican Republic.
Danya Ruttenberg is a rabbi, writer, and activist who has been on the front-lines fighting for reproductive justice, through Jewish lenses, for many years. She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about abortion, the framework of bodily autonomy, and how we might best conceptualize what it means to relate to these issues Jewishly. This episode is the 4th in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Judaism through the framework of bodily autonomy.
[1] Scroll below on this page for a full list of resources/links recommended by Danya Ruttenberg to learn about, and become involved with, the movement for reproductive justice!
[2] Learn more about Danya Ruttenberg’s work by visiting LifeIsASacredText.com. For her previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 243: Organizing the Grassroots, Episode 397: Yom Kippur — Repentance and Repair, and/or Episode 472: “What You’re Against” and “What You’re For.”
[3] For the Talmudic text cited by Rena Yehuda, see Sanhedrin 17b.
[4] To read Michal Raucher’s piece, referenced by Lex, click here.
[5] For the Exodus text that Ruttenberg cited, see Exodus 21.
[6] To learn more about the Clergy Consultation Service, see this article featured in Time Magazine.
[7] Danya Ruttenberg’s recommendations for becoming involved in the movement for reproductive justice below!
- https://www.plancpills.org/
- https://aidaccess.org/en/
- https://www.jewsforabortionaccess.org/rabbis-for-repro
- https://www.latinainstitute.org/
- https://www.iwrising.org/
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https://bookshop.org/a/81629/9780063228245
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https://www.ineedana.com/
- https://wetestify.org/abortion
- https://www.sacreddignity.org/
- https://abortionfunds.org/
- https://brigidalliance.org/
- https://www.sistersong.net/
- https://ifwhenhow.org/
Shir Lovett-Graff, a writer and community-organizer, is a founder and organizer with Matir Asurim: Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People-- they also serve as executive director for the Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative. Lovett-Graff joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about incarceration through Jewish lenses. This episode is the 3rd in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Judaism through the framework of bodily autonomy.
Apply for the UnYeshiva's Certificate Program! Deadline is in just a couple days (June 7th) [1] Apply for the UnYeshiva's Certificate Program for Unbound Judaism by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/certificate! The deadline is June 7th.
[2] Learn more about Shir Lovett-Graff at ShirLovettGraff.com, and explore the work of Matir Asurim at MatirAsurim.org.
[3] Just a few days before this episode was published, Lovett-Graff’s poetry was published in the inaugural issue of Harvard Divinity School’s Asherah Journal. Check out their work (and the full journal) here.
[4] For more on Abraham Joshua Heschel’s notion of Shabbat as a “sanctuary in time,” click here.
[5] To read the Chasidic story that Rena Yehuda shared, about Zusha and Elimelech while incarcerated, see this link.
[6] For more on the role that Quakers played in the creation of solitary confinement in prisons, click here.
[7] Check out Tales of the Unbound, a podcast hosted by Miriam Terlinchamp that follows the journey of two incarcerated individuals (Ari and Josh) and their journey of conversion to Judaism.
[8] Read about the Jewish wedding Lovett-Graff mentioned via this 2022 Jewish Currents article by Aviva Stahl: A Historic Jewish Wedding in a New Jersey Women’s Prison.
[9] Hear from Ruth Wilson Gilmore, a prison abolitionist that Shir Lovett-Graff cited in this conversation, via this episode of the Movement Memos podcast — which relates in a number of different ways to the framework of bodily autonomy: Ruth Wilson Gilmore on Abolition, the Climate Crisis and What Must Be Done.
Dubbs Weinblatt, an educator and facilitator whose work focuses on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and belonging, joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about the empowerment of Transgender people -- in Jewish spaces and in society more generally. This episode is the second in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series exploring the intersection of Judaism and bodily autonomy.
[1] **Apply for the UnYeshiva's Certificate Program for Unbound Judaism by heading to** **www.judaismunbound.com/certificate****! The deadline is June 7th.**
[2] Learn more about Dubbs Weinblatt via DubbsWeinblatt.com and check out Thank You for Coming Out (which Weinblatt founded) here.
[3] Listen in to the past episode Lex referenced, about B’tzelem Elohim (humans in the image of God), via this link — featuring guest Rafael Neis.
[4] For the full trans calendar that Rena Yehuda designed, and which they referenced in this conversation, click here.
[5] For more on Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute for Sexual Science, see this link.
[6] Learn about the work of Keshet, an organization working toward LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life, via KeshetOnline.org.
Shavuot! Is! Coming! As this episode is released, the festival of Shavuot is less than a week away. And with it, ShavuotLIVE: Judaism Unbound's 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning, approaches as well (begins Friday, May 22nd at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT)! Lex Rofeberg, Rena Yehuda Newman, and Miriam Terlinchamp dive into the wild twists and turns that have characterized Shavuot's journey from the Torah to the present-day. They explore how ShavuotLIVE serves as a continuation of Shavuot's past iterations, while also bringing some new energy to the festival as well. Also...they talk about Jewish time-travel!
ShavuotLIVE will begin Friday, May 22nd at 6 pm ET (3pm PT), Register Here! [1] Judaism Unbound has had many past conversations about Shavuot, from a wide variety of angles. Check them out via the links below:
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot I - What the Heck is Shavuot?
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot II - The Future of Shavuot
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot III - What's the Deal with the Dairy?
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot IV - The Book of Ruth
- Episode 224: A New Sinai
- Episode 377: Shavuot in the Cloud
- Episode 434: Shavuot 2024
- Episode 484: Shavuot 2025
[2] Check out Rena Yehuda’s Shavuot zines (yes, there are multiple!) here: 2024/5784, 2019/5779
[3] For more on the theme of revelation, see Episode 527: Rena Yehuda II - Revelation.
[4] For some background on the Kabbalistic ideas Lex referenced in this episode, about the creation of the world being a brokenness that led to wholeness, click here.
[5] Learn from our founder Dan Libenson, and SVARA founder Benay Lappe, about the Talmud passage referenced — where Mount Sinai is held over the entire Israelite nation’s heads!
[6] Check out two wonderful capstone projects from students in the UnYeshiva’s certificate program in unbound Judaism, all about counting the Omer! Karen Levine’s Omer Journey, Sandra Razieli’s Omerathon
[7] For all of Bimbam’s Torah-portion videos (referenced by Lex in his proposal story), click here.
Samira Mehtais the author of a new book entitled God Bless the Pill: The Surprising History of Contraception and Sexuality in American Religion. She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation exploring her book, along with what it can teach us about the history of American religion -- and about Jewish history in particular. This episode is the 1st in an ongoing unit of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, and their intersections with the Jewish past, present, and future.
[1] *For 30%-off on God Bless the Pill, just head to this link, and enter the code* ***01SOCIAL30*** *at checkout!*
[2] ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound's BIGGEST event of the year, is coming up! This 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning will take place on Friday, May 22nd through Saturday, May 23rd. Click here to register!
[3] For a recording of Pete Seeger’s song The Pill, which Mehta references, click here.
[4] Check out a video of Samira Mehta giving a presentation related to this episode, entitled “More Babies and More Birth Control: American Jews and the Politics of Reproduction,” via this link.
[5] For the 1977 Lilith Magazine article that Mehta referenced, written by Shirley Frank and entitled “The Population Panic: Why Jewish leaders want Jewish women to be fruitful and multiply,” click here.
Chaia is a composer known for her Yiddish techno music, sometimes known as "kleztronica" (klezmer + electronica). She joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation honoring May Day (International Workers' Day). Together they explore the intersection of Yiddish, revolution, and folksong -- which, as it turns out, is an extremely prolific and inspiring intersection! They also explore broader Jewish questions about how we understand oldness and newness in Jewish tradition.
Image Credit: Dominic Dorin
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: Holy Chutzpah, and Rebbe Nachman of Bretslev! Financial aid is available via this link.
[2] Learn more about Chaia and her work by heading to Chaia.online and/or her instagram handle @Chaialeh. For articles exploring her work, and kleztronica more broadly, head here.
[3] Chaia references the song “Khavele iz fun der arbet gegangen” early in the episode. Learn more about it, and listen to a recording of it, via this link.
[4] Rena Yehuda references their framework of “Pluralism of Necessity.” For a bonus episode of Judaism Unbound exploring it in further detail, click here.
[5] For some previous Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Yiddish history and culture from a variety of angles, see any of the following:
- Ep203: Yiddish in America (Aaron Lansky)
- Ep204: Confronting Yiddish Shame (Naomi Seidman)
- Ep205: A Yiddish Family (Asya Vaisman Schulman, Sebastian Schulman)
- Ep206: “Practical” Isn’t the Point (Sandy Fox)
- Ep207: American History of Yiddish (Tony Michels)
- Ep516: Yiddish Music is Yiddish Text (Anthony Russell)
[6] Learn more about Lee “Scratch” Perry, a pioneer of electronic music, via this link.
[7] For more on Josh Dolgin (also known as “Socalled”), click here.
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Judaism Unbound is thrilled to be bringing you not one, not two, but THREE different Shabbat-focused podcasts over the coming months! They'll be called Shabbat Unbound, Rest to Return, and Shabbat Dinner Party. In this episode, Lex, Rena Yehuda, and Miriam explore what these podcasts will be, and why Judaism Unbound has chosen to make Shabbat such a big part of our programming moving forward.
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: Holy Chutzpah, and Rebbe Nachman of Bretslev! Financial aid is available via this link.
[2] ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound’s annual 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning (and biggest can’t-miss event of the year), is coming up! Register here.
[3] Check out Shabbat Unbound in its first form, a year-long Shabbat service that gathers in Zoom once per month, at JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat. For all of our Shabbat resources that we’ve generated, in the first 2 years of Shabbat Unbound so far, see JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat5785 and/or JudaismUnbound.com/Shabbat5786.
[4] Three new Shabbat podcasts are coming your way (see the images above)! They’re not here yet, but keep tabs on our podcast feed — they’ll be arriving in the next few months.
[5] In this episode, Lex, Rena Yehuda, and Miriam mention the certificate program in unbound Judaism. If this is something you’d be interested in applying to, head to JudaismUnbound.com/certificate.
[6] The ritual of Havdalah becomes a core element of this conversation toward the end. For an intro to “what is Havdalah” (the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat and transition into the rest of the week), click here.
Eli Ramer is a maggid (storyteller), an author, and a mystic. He joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about Jewish connections across generations. They explore what it means to do eldering work, discuss Jewish notions of reincarnation (gilgul), and exchange stories that have the potential to help build a brighter world.
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: Holy Chutzpah, and Rebbe Nachman of Bretslev! Financial aid is available via this link.
[2] Learn more about Eli Ramer here. And check out his previous appearance on hereJudaism Unbound via **Episode 173: Fragments of the Brooklyn Talmud - Eli Ramer**.
[3] Rena Yehuda references Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, a podcast in our family of podcasts (hosted by Jericho Vincent) that helped plant the seed for the framework of “holy chutzpah.” Listen in to the first episode Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness — plus Gemara (commentary) from Lex and Rena Yehuda — here.
[4] For Ramer’s two books referenced in this episode, see Tales of an Urban Mystic: A Spiraling Memoirand/or Fragments of the Brooklyn Talmud.
Sofia Freudenstein serves as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Jewish Community of Helsinki, Finland. She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about why being Jewish in Finland, and in other corners of the world that don't have the largest Jewish communities...really rocks! Together, the three of them also explore what halacha (Jewish law) looks like in such communities -- with one strong supporter of it, one opponent, and one situated in the middle. Find out who's who by listening in!
Check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva, beginning in just a few days! [1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: Reproductive Justice, Torah during Climate Catastrophe, Yiddish Revolutionary Folksong, and Jewish Citizenship Bound & Unbound! Financial aid is available via this link.
[2] Learn more about Jews in Helsinki, Finland by checking out this article — featuring Sofia Freudenstein.
[3] For the story of Adam being created just before Shabbat, and then growing nervous as the sun went down, see Bereishit Rabbah 11:2.
[4] Check out a previous episode of Judaism Unbound, diving into Karaite Judaism: Episode 264: Karaites — Bible Only, Please - Shawn Lichaa.
[5] Freudenstein talks about genizas — important archaeological sites that preserve many historic documents, but also in many ways…trash. For more on this, see this book about the Cairo Geniza, entitled Sacred Trash.
Chag Pesach Sameach! Happy Passover! And also...Chag Hamatzot Sameach (Happy Matzah-Fest), and Chag HaAviv Sameach (Happy Festival-of-Spring), and Z'man Cheruteinu Sameach (Happy Time of Our Liberation)! In this episode, Lex and Rena Yehuda explore the holiday of Passover, asking how we might find deep meaning in the Seder -- in ways that balance having a joyous, fun time, with holding the seriousness of our collective societal moment. They also explore the power of names -- from Rena Yehuda's two first names to the four different names that Passover goes by in Hebrew. This episode is the 3rd in a 3-part mini-series introducing Rena Yehuda Newman, the new co-host of Judaism Unbound.
Check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva, beginning just after Passover! [1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: Reproductive Justice, Torah during Climate Catastrophe, Yiddish Revolutionary Folksong, and Jewish Citizenship Bound & Unbound! Financial aid is available via this link.
[2] For the previous episodes in this mini-series, see Episode 526: Rena Yehuda I - Creationand/or Episode 527: Rena Yehuda II - Revelation.
[3] Judaism Unbound has recorded many Passover podcasts that are still relevant this year, and which may help you generate your own creative ideas even further. Check them out below:
Rena Yehuda Newman is the new co-host of Judaism Unbound! In this second episode of a 3-part mini-series, they talk through some of their core ideological frameworks -- Jewishly and beyond. Rena Yehuda and Lex talk about Hasidic philosophy, pluralism, and the ways in which every single Jew is a letter in the Torah.
[1] Head to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes** to check out our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! ***Genesis: Peoplehood & Solidarity in Bereishit***, with Amanda Mbuvi, begins just a few days after the release of this episode.
[2] Learn more about Rena Yehuda via this Instagram post or this page — and definitely don’t miss the first episode in this mini-series: Episode 526: Rena Yehuda I - Creation.
[3] This conversation briefly touched on the topic of diaspora and exile. For more on this, see Episode 509: Embracing Exile - David Kraemer.
[4] Check out Rena Yehuda’s framework of “Pluralism of Necessity” by re-visiting this bonus episode of Judaism Unbound that they hosted.
[5] For the Talmudic text on dreaming as 1/60th of prophesy, see Berachot 57b.
[6] As it turns out, the 17th century Jewish thinker Joseph Karo (mentioned in this episode a few times) is a bit more of a mystical thinker than many realize. Check out his Maggid Mesharim — his mystical diary — here.
Rena Yehuda Newman is the new co-host of Judaism Unbound! They've been a guest on the podcast before, but this episode marks the first time that they truly and fully inhabit their new role of co-host. In this episode, Rena Yehuda introduces themself to Judaism Unbound listeners, and offers some of their torah to the world. In doing so, there is much discussion about frozen foods -- and more than a little discourse about the word "goofy" in multiple languages. This episode is the first in a 3-episode mini-series, as Rena Yehuda Newman embraces their status as co-host of Judaism Unbound!
[1] Head to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes** to check out our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! ***Every Body Beloved: A Jewish Embrace of Fatness*** begins just a few days after the release of this episode.
[2] Learn more about Dayenu, referenced by Lex and Rena Yehuda and part of the traditional Passover Seder, here.
*Comic by Rena Yehuda Newman*
[3] Listen in to a selection of Rena Yehuda Newman’s past appearances on Judaism Unbound via any of the links below:
- Bonus Episode: A Pluralism of Necessity
- Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Jewish Summer Camp (with Julia Hegele)
- Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound
- Episode 457: Heshvan Unbound (with Miriam and Lex)
- Episode 485: Become a Jewish Secret Agent
- Episode 522: Big Judaism Unbound News
[4] For a video featuring an Orthodox Tiktok-er, making homemade mayonnaise, click here. For a video articulating many Jews’ aversion to mayonnaise, click here.
[5] Learn more about what Jericho Vincent terms “Spiritual Chutzpah” in this episode of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness (another podcast in Judaism Unbound’s family of podcasts) — featuring Gemara (commentary) from Lex and Rena Yehuda.
Dan Libenson's farewell. Dan's proverbial "sermon on the mount." We really don't know what to write in this "description" area for an episode that marks a momentous turning point for Judaism Unbound, but we're trying our best. In this conversation, Dan says goodbye to his role as co-host of Judaism Unbound, as we turn next week to welcome Rena Yehuda Newman as a co-host. He decided to bid farewell through telling some of his favorite stories -- some ancient and some less-so. Throughout this podcast episode he brings these stories, and both he and Lex do their best to hold back tears.
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering courses on an Intro to Judaism (Judaism Inbound), the book of Genesis, the Magic & Medicine of Psalms, Jews and Revolution, and a Jewish embrace of Fatness!
[2] We really want to hear your memories of Dan!! In what ways have his ideas inspired you? Challenged you? Pushed your sense of what Judaism is or can be? Let us know by heading to bit.ly/danunbound!
And if you’re listening to this before March 8th, 2026, come to our Zoom-gathering where we’ll be celebrating Dan. You can sign up here.
[3] We are building a Fund for the Next Jewish Future, in honor of Dan! You can support this fund, and in doing so our ongoing work, by heading to Givebutter.com/10YearsofJU.
This week, Judaism Unbound is thrilled to feature the 3rd episode of Door to Door: A Pilgrimage Across Generations -- another podcast in Judaism Unbound's family of podcasts! Its second episode is entitled “In the Footsteps of Survival.” Door to Door is hosted by Judaism Unbound’s executive director (and fearless leader!) Miriam Terlinchamp.
Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering courses on an Intro to Judaism (Judaism Inbound), the book of Genesis, the Magic & Medicine of Psalms, Jews and Revolution, and a Jewish embrace of Fatness!—————————————————————
Door to Door is a deeply personal, five-part podcast series tracing one Jewish family’s multigenerational pilgrimage from a once-lost home in Wachenbuchen, Germany, to the present-day echoes of inherited memory, trauma, and resilience.
Told through archival recordings, family reflections, and emotional returns to ancestral ground, this podcast chronicles the survival of Simon—a Holocaust survivor taken to Buchenwald Concentration Camp during Kristallnacht—and the generations that followed him. It's a story shaped by suffering, but defined by rebuilding, remembrance, and an enduring commitment to legacy. Door to Door invites listeners to witness what it means to reclaim identity from the wreckage—and to carry forward the names, the stories, and the truths nearly erased.
If you’ve ever felt the weight of inherited memory, or the pull to understand where you come from — subscribe to Door to Door wherever you get your podcasts. Let this be part of your story, too.
Jewish Journeys, an unprecedented population study of Jewish Americans’ perspectives on psychedelics, explores the attitudes, practices, and needs of the emerging Jewish psychedelic community in the United States. Zac Kamenetz and Josh Lipson join Dan and Lex for a conversation about this study, its implications for American Judaism, and how we might take lessons from the field of psychedelics and apply them to contemporary Jewish life.
[1] **Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering courses on an Intro to Judaism (Judaism Inbound), the book of Genesis, the Magic & Medicine of Psalms, Jews and Revolution, and a Jewish embrace of Fatness!**
[2] Learn more about Jewish Journeys here — and check back in a couple weeks when the Jewish Journeys data is made public!
[3] For a previous Judaism Unbound episode featuring Zac Kamenetz, see **Episode 225: Jewish Psychedelics - Zac Kamenetz**. You can also check out another episode on the subject, via **Bonus Episode: The Jewish Psychedelic Summit - Natalie Ginsberg, Madison Margolin**.
[4] To explore the work of Shefa, the organization that Kamenetz leads, head to Shefaflow.org. For more on MOSAIC: a Center for Psychedelics and Spirituality at Emory University (where Josh Lipson serves as postdoctoral research fellow), click here.
[5] Kamenetz references the notion of prayer as risk, from Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Man is Not Alone. Learn about that classic book in more detail here.
[6] Dan mentions a Judaism Unbound episode featuring Ruby Namdar, reflecting on the loss of primary experience that occurred with the destruction of the second temple. For more on this, see Episode 153: Fiction Between Worlds - Ruby Namdar.
[7] For the full narrative of the pardes (orchard), that Lipson mentions, click here. Although, often it is told starting at a later point on that Talmud page (here), we encourage you to read it in its entirety!
We reveal some HUGE JUDAISM UNBOUND NEWS in this episode. And yes, we are gonna be that organization and make you listen in order to find out what that news is. What we will say is that this big news offers an opportunity for a conversation reflecting on 10 years of the Judaism Unbound podcast, along with looking into its future.
[1] We flash back to the beginning of the podcast a couple times during this conversation. Listen in to our first ever Judaism Unbound episode, to hear about our framing as we began, by heading to **Episode 1: Genesis**.
[2] Listen in to a selection of Rena Yehuda Newman’s past appearances on Judaism Unbound — relevant to the conversation we had in this episode (in ways that we won’t state directly in text on this page, because you need to press play on the podcast to find out the news) via these episodes:
- Bonus Episode: A Pluralism of Necessity
- Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Jewish Summer Camp (with Julia Hegele)
- Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound
- Episode 457: Heshvan Unbound (with Miriam and Lex)
-
Episode 485: Become a Jewish Secret Agent
[3] Learn more about the parable of the ship of Theseus here.
[4] For the past episode Lex referenced, related to the track and field metaphor that arose in this episode, see Episode 480: Judaism Shouldn’t Be About Judaism - Brent Spodek.
Juan Mejia, a beloved guest in past episodes of Judaism Unbound (here's Episode 57 and Episode 387), is back! He joins Dan and Lex to reflect on conversion to Judaism -- what has changed in the past 10 years since he initially was a guest on Judaism Unbound, and what remains constant? What parallels can we observe between discourse about Jewish conversion, and discourse about immigration to the United States? What might any of this mean as we look not only at the past 10 years, but the next 10?
[1] **Looking to convert to Judaism yourself? Judaism Unbound has a class you can take to begin your journey! Enroll in *Judaism Inbound*, beginning on February 25th, 2026.** Financial aid is available via **this link**. *(And yes, this class is also open to any and all folks who are not looking to convert, but are still interested in an intro to Judaism course for any other reason!).*
[2] Listen in to Mejia’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound via these links — Episode 57: Becoming Jewish on the Web, March 2020: Jews in the Digital Shtetl, and Episode 387: Conversion to Judaism — Beyond Blood Quantum.
[3] For more on Argentina’s chief Sephardic rabbi re-affirming a century-old ban on conversions, see this article in JTA.
[4] Dan references a Talmudic story, where somebody is interested in converting to Judaism due to the cool clothes that the high priest gets to wear during temple sacrifices. Check out the original text in Shabbat 31a.
[5] Listen in to the full song that Juan referenced, from An American Tail — “There are no Cats in America, and the streets are paved with cheese.”
[6] For the classic gefilte fish documentary that Lex referenced, see Gefilte Fish, a short film created by Karen Silverstein in 1984.
What is Jewish placemaking, and why might it matter to the present and future of Jewish education? Beverly Socher-Lerner, founder and executive director of Makom Community in Philadelphia, joins Dan and Lex to explore that question. This episode is the second in a mini-series exploring Jewish education, following up on a recent Judaism Unbound episode featuring Leah Robbins, founder of Achvat Olam Community Day School.
[1] Learn more about Beverly Socher-Lerner here, and check out Makom Community’s website at MakomCommunity.org.
[2] For two of our earliest episodes, exploring Clayton Christensen’s ideas (which Dan references in this conversation), see Episode 4: Exodus II and/or Episode 6: Leviticus II.
[3] The philosophy of Jewish Placemaking is a key piece of this episode, and of Makom’s work — learn more about it here.
[4] Socher-Lerner references a prayer book called Eit Ratzon, which her students use. Learn more about it, and its creator (Joe Rosenstein), here.
This week, Judaism Unbound is thrilled to feature the 2nd episode of Door to Door: A Pilgrimage Across Generations -- another podcast in Judaism Unbound's family of podcasts! Its second episode is entitled “In the Footsteps of Survival.” Door to Door is hosted by Judaism Unbound’s executive director (and fearless leader!) Miriam Terlinchamp.
NOTE: Want to connect with Judaism Unbounders all around the world? Join our Discord server, which we have just opened to any and all Judaism Unbound listeners, all around the world! Just head to Discord.JudaismUnbound.com to join.
—————————————————————
Door to Door is a deeply personal, five-part podcast series tracing one Jewish family’s multigenerational pilgrimage from a once-lost home in Wachenbuchen, Germany, to the present-day echoes of inherited memory, trauma, and resilience.
Told through archival recordings, family reflections, and emotional returns to ancestral ground, this podcast chronicles the survival of Simon—a Holocaust survivor taken to Buchenwald Concentration Camp during Kristallnacht—and the generations that followed him. It's a story shaped by suffering, but defined by rebuilding, remembrance, and an enduring commitment to legacy. Door to Door invites listeners to witness what it means to reclaim identity from the wreckage—and to carry forward the names, the stories, and the truths nearly erased.
If you’ve ever felt the weight of inherited memory, or the pull to understand where you come from — subscribe to Door to Door wherever you get your podcasts. Let this be part of your story, too.
Ohio Humanities made this episode of Door to Door possible. Door to Door is a production of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and part of the family of podcasts of Judaism Unbound. Created by Miriam Terlinchamp, directed by Joey Taylor, produced at Monastery Studio, original music by Ric Hordinski, and art by Katie Kaestner.
Leah Robbins is the founder of Achvat Olam: Diaspora Community Day School, a Jewish day-school "rooted in love, diasporism, and the Torah of justice," that hopes to launch in the 2029-30 school year. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the importance of Jewish day-schools, the idea of diasporism, and visions for a brighter Jewish future -- in classrooms and beyond.
[1] Learn more about *Achvat Olam* by heading to **AchvatOlam.org**.
[2] For a New York Times article featuring Robbins (and also a brief quote from Lex, along with some other past Judaism Unbound guests), see “What the Jewish Left is Building for Itself,” by Emma Goldberg.
[3] Robbins references a past Judaism Unbound episode — listen in via Episode 474: Israel-Palestine — Jewish Diasporism - Alissa Wise, Andrue Kahn.
[4] Learn more about democratic schools, which Robbins references, via this website.
[5] For another recent Judaism Unbound episode that explores notions of diaspora, see Episode 509: Embracing Exile - David Kraemer.
Margot Valles is teaching a mini-course in the UnYeshiva called The Torah of Kink: Jewish Text Through the Lens of BDSM. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about what kink is, why discussions about kink can add to contemporary Jewish experience, and where we might find kink in the Torah.
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering The Torah of Kink, Hasidism and Neo-Hasidism, Queering Kedusha (Holiness), and Brit Milah Unbound: Exploring Circumcision!
[2] Learn more about Margot Valles here!
[3] For the story from Genesis 16, about God’s interactions with Hagar, see this link. For the story of Bilaam and the donkey, see Numbers 22.
[4] Check out Dan’s video with Benay Lappe, exploring the notion of the covenant at Sinai — and its relationship to the book of Esther — here.
[5] For two articles about the intersection of kink and Judaism, see Eliana Kayelle’s I’m a Queer Rabbinical Student. Here’s How I Connect Judaism and Kink and Tefillin, by Donna Kaz (this article was referenced by Valles — where tefillin are discovered and someone thinks they are a sex toy).
[6] To learn more about Lex’s uncle, Eric Rofes, and the ways he spoke about kink, see this piece.
Judaism Unbound kicks off the new year by hearkening back to our recent mini-series exploring Jewish music: past, present, and future. Anthony Russell, a multidisciplinary artist working in the medium of Yiddish language and culture, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation. Together they explore Yiddish music, as a springboard into a broader exploration of how music can transform individuals and Jewish communities.
[1] Head to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes** to check out our up upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering The Torah of Kink, Hasidism and Neo-Hasidism, Queering Kedusha (Holiness), and Brit Milah Unbound: Exploring Circumcision.
[2] Learn more about Anthony Russell at AnthonyRussellBass.com.
[3] For Russell’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 367: Let My People Sing - Batya Levine, Anthony Russell, Margot Seigle.
[4] Russell references a piece called Va’ani tefilati — to experience him performing this melody, click here.
[5] There is a brief thread about the songwriter and composer Irving Berlin. Learn more about him by listening to American Jewish History Unbound #5: Irving Berlin - Judah Cohen.
Dan and Lex are joined by Tomer Persico, author of a recent book entitled In God's Image: How Western Civilization Was Shaped by a Revolutionary Idea. Together they explore the notion of B'tzelem Elohim (the idea that all human beings are created "in the image of God") from the book of Genesis -- what are its implications, why might it be important to us, and might it have a shadow side?
[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! This time around we are offering The Torah of Kink, Hasidism and Neo-Hasidism, Queering Kedusha (Holiness), and Brit Milah Unbound: Exploring Circumcision.
[2] Learn more about Tomer Persico here, and check out *In God’s Image*via this link.
[3] For the text of Genesis referencing B’tzelem Elohim (human beings in the image of God), see Genesis 1:26-27.
[4] For the section of the Torah Lex references, where Moses orders killing of Midianite women and children, see Numbers 31.
[5] For a past episode of Judaism Unbound arguing that B’tzelem Elohim is not only a liberatory idea, see Untangling Tselem Elohim (The Image of God) - Rafael Neis.
[6] Persico references a book by Jared Diamond, entitled Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Check it out here.
Is Jewish music a form of Torah (spiritual wisdom)? Joey Weisenberg, a musician, composer, and founder of Hadar’s Rising Song Institute, thinks so. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about contemporary singing communities, the history of wordless melodies (nigunim), and unbound approaches to prayer. This episode is the second in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes mobilizing Jewish music -- past, present, and future -- as a launching point into conversations about contemporary Jewish life and experience.
**[1] Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva. Amazing learning opportunities are available for registration exploring the book of Jubilees, Jewish Exile and Liberation, the Talmud, and Antisemitism Unbound!** **Financial aid is available via** **this link.**
[2] Learn more about Joey Weisenberg via JoeyWeisenberg.com, and check out Rising Song Institute by heading to RisingSong.org.
[3] For the first episode in this series on Jewish music, see Episode 503: Jewish Music - Elana Arian. For the Judaism Unbound episode featuring Shefa Gold, referenced by Dan in this conversation, see Episode 362: Love at the Center - Shefa Gold.
[4] Weisenberg references a passage on one of the first pages of the Talmud, and the quote “in a place of prayer, there you will find song.” See B’rachot 6a for the full passage in the Talmud.
[5] David Steindl-Rest’s analogy of religion to volcanic rock, which Weisenberg mentioned, can be found here.
[6] For more on “A shofar is sounded, and a still, small voice is heard,” see this reflection from Shefa Gold.
[7] Dan (and Weisenberg after him) each reference Elie Kaunfer’s ideas about Jewish liturgy and its “hyperlinks.” For Kaunfer’s dissertation, where he explores the notion of intertextuality (what in this episode is described via “hyperlinks”), click here — it is entitled Interpreting Jewish Liturgy: The Literary-Intertext Method.
Elana Arian, a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and prayer leader, is one of the most important voices in contemporary Jewish music. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what the phrase "Jewish music" means, what sacred music does to/for us, and the extent to which there even is a definable boundary between "Jewish music" and other music. This episode is the first in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes mobilizing Jewish music — past, present, and future — as a launching point into conversations about contemporary Jewish life and experience.
[1] **H****ead to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva!** **Amazing learning opportunities are available for registration exploring** **the book of Jubilees****,** **Jewish Exile and Liberation****,** **the Talmud****, and** **Antisemitism Unbound****.** Financial aid is available via **this link.**
[2] Purchase Elana Arian's most recent album, If We Loved Like That, via this link (digital) or this link (vinyl).
[3] Arian mentions Alex Edelman, a Jewish comedian. Learn more about him at AlexEdelmanComedy.com.
[4] Lex references his undergrad thesis about Kol Nidrei, when discussing the ways that music generates meaning far beyond its words. For his thesis in full, click here.
[5] For an article exploring Debbie Friedman’s composition of her Mi Shebeirach blessing — and its context in the 1980s amidst the AIDS epidemic — click here.
[6] Listen to the song Unholy (Sam Smith and Kim Petras) via this link, and learn more about it here.
[7] Learn more about Jewish musician Gracie Abrams, who Arian mentions toward the end of the conversation, via this article in Hey Alma.
Yom Kippur is here! For the past few years, Yom Kippur has been 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, Angela Buchdahl -- senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring the holiday of Yom Kippur, in conversation with her upcoming book entitled Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.
[1] **It’s your last chance to** **register** **for the Fall 2025 iteration of** ***Judaism Inbound: An Introduction to Jewish Life & Practice for Everyone*****, which will start Tuesday, September 30th! Financial aid is available via** **this link****.**
[2] For more about Angela Buchdahl, please see her bio on Central Synagogue’s site.
[3] Heart of a Stranger, Buchdahl's upcoming memoir, is available for preorder ahead of its October 21st release!
[4] Part of Central Synagogue, which Buchdahl rightfully shouts out for its wonderful work, is the Center for Exploring Judaism.
[5] For Central Synagogue’s livestream schedule for the High Holidays, click here!
[6] Central Synagogue’s virtual online community, The Neighborhood, can be found here.
500!!!! We made it. Somehow, someway, a wild idea for a podcast that was once a figment of our imagination...has now been around for 500 weeks. In this episode, Dan, Lex, and Miriam celebrate that incredible number -- and take this as an opportunity to look back on the founding and evolution of Judaism Unbound, first as a podcast and then as an organization with many other facets. Miriam, Judaism Unbound's executive director, hosts the first portion of the episode -- with Dan and Lex switching from their typical role of co-hosts to co-guests -- and then she becomes a combination host-and-guest for the latter portion. Come for some behind the scenes lore about the history of our organization, stay for....a mystery Easter-Egg (Afikoman?) at the end!
[1] If you've enjoyed **Judaism Unbound**over the years, consider **celebrating this 500th episode with a one-time or monthly donation**! **Support Judaism Unbound by clicking** **here!**
[2] You heard this episode’s conversation about our new book — many years in the making. Purchase Judaism Unbound: Bound here!
[3] Looking for an amazing and unbound intro to Judaism course? We’ve got one, accessible to you as the beginning of a process of conversion — or just because you’d like to learn more about Judaism (whether you’re Jewish or not)! You can learn more and register for Judaism Inbound here.
[4] Interested, after listening to the above, in rewinding back to 2016 to the beginnings of Judaism Unbound? You can listen to episode 1 via this link!
[5] Dan references an episode of the Oral Talmud in the above podcast — you can check it out here.
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 episode, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the notion of chiasm (for "what is a 'chiasm' — which is a great question — click here), along with what it has to do with the month of Elul and the broader 7-year Shmita cycle. This Elul podcast is the third in a mini-series of four that are being released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).
[1] Sign up for Judaism Unbound’s Elul Shabbat gatherings here! The next one takes place on September 12th (2 pm ET/11 am PT) and the final gathering will be on September 19th (8 pm ET/5 pm PT).
[2] To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from the past seven years, many of which remain relevant for this year, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link.
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 episode, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the 13 attributes of mercy, traditionally associated with Elul and the High Holidays. This Elul podcast is the second in a mini-series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).
[1] Sign up for Judaism Unbound’s Elul Shabbat gatherings here! The first one takes place Friday, September 5th (8 pm ET/5 pm PT) — and follow-ups will occur on September 12th (2 pm ET/11 am PT) and September 19th (8 pm ET/5 pm PT).
[2] To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from the past seven years, many of which remain relevant for this year, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link.
[3] Explore the 13 attributes of mercy via this link.
[4] For the section of the Torah that includes the 13 attributes in their full form, see Exodus 32:1-34:7.
[5] Lex alludes to Amichai Lau-Lavie, in an early episode of Judaism Unbound, indicating that had he been with the Israelites at the time of the golden calf…he would’ve contributed to its creation! Listen in to this conversation via Episode 29: Lab/Shul - Amichai-Lau-Lavie.
[6] Wendie references the idea that teshuva (return/repentance) was created before the world itself was created! This comes from the Talmud, and a piece by Joanna Katz exploring this idea can be found via this link.
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 kick off this year's Elul Unbound experience. This Elul bonus episode is the first in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).
[1] **3-week Elul mini-courses in the UnYeshiva are now open for registration, and they start in just a few days!** Check out class descriptions at **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**. Financial aid is available for all UnYeshiva classes, via this link! Classes include:
- Anti-Fascist Mussar: Jewish Radical Ethics, with Reuven McCullough
- Elul: Your On-Ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with Wendie Bernstein Lash
- The Siddur Unbound: Making the Prayer-Book Your Own, with Robin Banerji
- Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul, with Rena Yehuda
[2] Sign up for Judaism Unbound’s Elul Shabbat gatherings here!
[3] To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from the past seven years, many of which remain relevant for this year, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2025 by signing up at this link.
[4] For the meditation from Sylvia Boorstein that Wendie references in this episode, click here.
Miriam’s well sustained her people step by step in the wilderness. In this episode of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness (featuring Judaism Unbound Gemara/commentary from Lex and Rena Yehuda), to tap into this wellspring of belonging. In addition, connect to the Tao de Ching, what it means to be a “Miriam person,” twilight creations, the mystical meaning of wells, Lakewood New Jersey, and a practice for bringing Miriam’s wisdom to life.
[1] We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness***, hosted by **Jericho Vincent**. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness*** charts a radical, fresh Jewish path for its listeners and the world. This episode explores the Jewish mystical teaching of *Chakeh-Mah*, the ability to “wait for what.”
[2] **3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva are now open for registration!** Check out class descriptions at **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**. Financial aid is available for all UnYeshiva classes, via this link! Classes include:
- Anti-Fascist Mussar: Jewish Radical Ethics, with Reuven McCullough
- Elul: Your On-Ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with Wendie Bernstein Lash
- The Siddur Unbound: Making the Prayer-Book Your Own, with Robin Banerji
- Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul, with Rena Yehuda Newman
[3] For previous episodes of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, including “Gemara” from Lex and Rena Yehuda, see Episode 476/Survival Guide I: Spiritual Chutzpah, Episode 481: Chakeh-Mah (Wait for What), Episode 486: Tehora Hee (Inviolable Goodness), and/or Episode 491: Shiru L’Adonai (Sing Right the F*&% Now).
[4] For the section of Pirkei Avot (verses of the ancestors) that Lex and Rena Yehuda discuss, on “make yourself a multitude” and “find yourself a friend to be bound to,” see Avot 1:6.
[5] Rena Yehuda references the story of Nachshon entering the sea, leading to the rest of the Israelites following. For an exploration of this midrash, click here.
[6] The bystander effect comes up toward the end of this episode. For more, see “The Political Bystander Effect: Evidence for Further Investigation,” by Kirk DeSoto.
Sara Lippman and Seth Rogoff believe that "foundational texts must be read anew or they become tools of conservatism and reaction." But it's not just a belief they hold -- together, they actualized it into a new book, entitled Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retellings of the Hebrew Bible. This book offers a wide variety of new texts, radically revisioning stories from the Bible in many creative forms. The two co-editors join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about their book, about re-envisioning the Bible more generally, and why "smashing" inherited texts is not only a rebellious act, but also an important tool in the spiritual toolbox.
[1] 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva are now open for registration! Check out class descriptions at JudaismUnbound.com/classes. Financial aid is available for all UnYeshiva classes, via this link! Classes include:
- Anti-Fascist Mussar: Jewish Radical Ethics, with Reuven McCullough
- Elul: Your On-Ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, with Wendie Bernstein Lash
- The Siddur Unbound: Making the Prayer-Book Your Own, with Robin Banerji
-
Comix Midrash: Drawing the Orchards (Pardes) of Elul, with Rena Yehuda Newman
[2] Jazzed about Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retellings of the Hebrew Bible? You can purchase it via this link!
[3] Lippmann references two past episodes of Judaism Unbound, one about our certificate program in unbound Judaism and another exploring the Jewish future. Check out the episodes via these links: Episode 485: Become a Jewish Secret Agent (Dan, Lex, Rena Yehuda), Episode 480: Judaism Shouldn’t be About Judaism - Brent Spodek.
[4] Rogoff offers a number of insights on the Cain and Abel narrative from the book of Genesis. For his book-length exploration of it, see The Castle: A Novel. For another contemporary approach to the story, see Fallen, by David Maine. For the original story (Genesis chapter 4), click here.
[5] For the story of Jephthah’s unnamed daughter, which Lippmann alludes to, see Judges 11.
Even the most intimate relationships can experience strain around the topic of Israel-Palestine. Dan and Lex are joined by Amy Eilberg and Penina Eilberg-Schwartz, who share their experience discussing and processing their conversations about Israel-Palestine across generational divides.
[1] Judaism Unbound's offerings for 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva are now open for registration! Check out class descriptions and more to sample a taste of everything from Comix/Comics-making to Anti-Fascist Mussar.
Check out the UnYeshiva's upcoming 3-week mini-courses! [2] We are just over two weeks away from the start of the month of Elul, often thought of as the on-ramp to the contemplations and reflections asked of us during the High Holiday period. Interested in thinking about how to reframe and reinvigorate your meditations on the cycles of grief and change, how to move forward in conversation with both others and yourself? Sign up for Elul Unbound 2025 to receive biweekly wisdom and introspective prompts to guide you through the late summer days.
[3] Eilberg and Eilberg-Schwartz’s letters on their evolving relationship around Israel and Palestine, The Distance We Have to Travel, are available through this link.
[4] For more on the amazing work being done at Ayin Press, check out our episode with some of their editorial team: Judaism Unbound Episode 355: What if Artists Ran the Show? — Ayin Press - Penina Eilberg-Schwartz, Tom Haviv, Eden Pearlstein.
[5] Eilberg-Schwartz has also co-written a narrative reflecting on the experience of grief and intertwined livelihood with Palestinian author Sulaiman Khatib, entitled In This Place Together.
Dan and Lex discuss the inherent potential, along with the limitations, of the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av) — understood by many to be the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. What does it mean to mourn a past pain in the present? In this week’s episode, Dan and Lex consider the meanings of grief and reflection as the month of Av progresses and we move towards the month of introspection, Elul.
[1] Tisha B’av punctuates the end of the Jewish calendar with a bright, momentary grief. Soon after comes the month of Elul, often thought of as the on-ramp to the contemplations and reflections asked of us during the High Holiday period. Interested in thinking about how to reframe and reinvigorate your meditations on the cycles of grief and change? **Sign up for Elul Unbound 2025** to receive biweekly wisdom and introspective prompts to guide you through the late summer days.
***Click the image above to sign up for Elul Unbound 2025!***
[2] The Five “Calamities” that are told to have happened on the 9th of Av that Lex references can be explored further here.
[3] For more on Adam and the primordial Hanukkah, (somehow not a band yet?) see here.
[4] Here’s a great resource on Tisha B’av observance from Halachic Left.
[5] For more on Tisha B’av observation in the JU-niverse: Judaism Unbound Episode 383: Jews of Summer Camp — a History with Sandra Fox.
For Mandie McGlynn, founder of Selah Spiritual Care, tarot can serve as a deeply meaningful modality for Jewish experience. McGlynn joins Dan and Lex on this week’s episode to discuss her use of tarot as part of the preparatory work of the month of Elul (the on-ramp month before the High Holidays), through an initiative she created called “Turning Toward Life.” This episode is the second in a mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring tarot through Jewish lenses.
[1] We’re honored to share with you a new podcast series that speaks directly to the evolving conversation around Jewish identity, trauma, and resilience. **Door to Door** is a five-episode journey through four generations of one Jewish family — from a quiet village in Germany to the reverberations of the Holocaust, and into the present-day search for meaning, memory, and continuity. If your Jewish identity is shaped by memory, migration, trauma, or transformation — this podcast is for you. Join our Executive Director Miriam Terlinchamp in this journey focused on pilgrimage and reclamation. **You can catch the trailer and episode 1 now!**
[2] To see more of McGlynn’s work, check out her website, Selah Spiritual Care. Here’s more about McGlynn’s specific background and journey to Judaism.
[3] Lex mentions a particular component of McGlynn’s spiritual work as part of her Turning Toward Life offerings ahead of the month of Elul - check out the Day 2 page of Turning Toward life here.
[4] Read more about the marvelous Marvel Bar Mitzvah from Agatha All Along here.
[5] Check out another one of our episodes on Jewish spiritual guidance: Judaism Unbound Episode 359: Spiritual Direction with Wendie Bernstein Lash.
Tarot is known to be a practice of reading, of uncovering important meaning behind the symbols each card evokes. But what if there’s an even deeper, secret connection to not just our lives as a whole, but our lives as Jews? For data scientist and author Stav Appel, happening upon a 17th century forgotten tarot deck took him on a journey through Torah and time.
[1] We’re honored to share with you a new podcast series that speaks directly to the evolving conversation around Jewish identity, trauma, and resilience. **Door to Door** is a five-episode journey through four generations of one Jewish family — from a quiet village in Germany to the reverberations of the Holocaust, and into the present-day search for meaning, memory, and continuity. If your Jewish identity is shaped by memory, migration, trauma, or transformation — this podcast is for you. Join our Executive Director Miriam Terlinchamp in this journey focused on pilgrimage and reclamation. **You can catch the** **trailer** **before it launches on July 23rd!**
[2] To see more of Appel’s work, you can visit his website.
[3] Appel’s Deck and accompanying Booklet, analyzing the Noblet Tarot’s connections to Jewish tradition, are available for preorder through our friends at Ayin Press.
[4] Some visuals from Appel’s deck. From right to left: XII Hangman/Le Pendu, XXI The World/Le Monde, XVIII The Moon/La Lune.
[5] Appel interprets The Hangman/Le Pendu as being connected to the antagonist Haman in the Book of Esther.
[6] Another common tarot deck is the Rider Waite Smith deck.
[7] Check out another one of our episodes on Jewish Magic: Judaism Unbound Episode 345: When Jewish Meets Jewitch - Ketzirah Lesser.
[8] Appel references the Zohar, and debates about whether it was written in the 2nd century CE, or 1,000 years later. For more on this check out Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
[9] Dan mentions A Podcast of Biblical Proportions. Check out their podcast at PodcastOfBiblicalProportions.com and their appearance on our podcast via Episode 295: Reading the Bible Differently - Omri Harel, Gil Kidron.
[10] Check out the deck of playing cards that tells the story of the book of Esther, referenced by Dan in this episode and created by David Zvi Kalman, via this link.
Amid pain and fear, joy can sometimes feel like betrayal. Yet, the mystics point out that Miriam’s joyful song at the Red Sea is a major liberatory act. In this episode of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness (with Judaism Unbound Gemara/commentary from Lex and Rena Yehuda), our teacher Miriam has some sharp and clear advice. We also dive into the subject of tambourines, somatic experiencing, the mystical power and gender politics of a circle, bell hooks, and a practice for bringing Miriam’s living Torah into our own lives.
[1] We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness***, hosted by **Jericho Vincent**. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness*** charts a radical, fresh Jewish path for its listeners and the world. This episode explores the Jewish mystical teaching of *Chakeh-Mah*, the ability to “wait for what.”
[2] For previous episodes of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, including “Gemara” from Lex and Rena Yehuda, see **Episode 476/Survival Guide I: Spiritual Chutzpah, with Gemara**, **Episode 481: Chakeh-Mah (Wait for What), with Gemara**, and/or **Episode 486: Tehora Hee (Inviolable Goodness), with Gemara**.
[3] Subscribe to Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found.
[4] For the full text of the song of the sea (Exodus 15), click here. For an article arguing that it is likely this song was attributed to Miriam long before it was attributed to Moses, click here.
[5] For the bit of Mishnah reference in this episode, see Sotah 9:14 (on celebrating at weddings during horrific times). For the piece of Talmud that was referenced (Elijah arguing that two jesters will have a place in the world to come), see Ta’anit 22a.
In Pirkei Avot,one can find the Hebrew teaching to “carry the burden with your friend.” In today’s episode, Torah Studio leaders Lexi Kohanski and Liana Wertman join the Judaism Unbound podcast to discuss their latest offerings in keeping with this lesson, including a class on personal torah and stewardship called Trans Torah for Our Terrible Times. They also share ideas regarding what the significance of torah/Torah can mean for communal and creative learning, in a moment that demands a new level of spiritual grit and gentleness.
[1] Our newest podcast, *Oral Talmud* is now available wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more here or on your favorite podcast app.
[2] Check out Kohanski and Wertman’s work at The Torah Studio!
[3] Last year’s Apocry-fest 2024: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized was our third iteration of this now beloved tradition, in partnership with The Torah Studio. Keep your eyes peeled for it to rear its head again in late 2025!
[4] Kohanski and Wertman’s class, Trans Torah for Our Terrible Times, and Kohanski’s podcast Torah for Trans Lives, both offer invaluable wisdom for navigating the current moment. Featured guests of the class are also friends of the Judaism Unbound podcast, including people who appeared in the following episodes of ours:
- Judaism Unbound Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi - Permitting the Forbidden - Xava DeCordova and Michael Sokolovsky
- Judaism Unbound Episode 280: Trans Diaspora, Baruch Hashem - Binya Kóatz
- Judaism Unbound Episode 298: Judaism, Inconveniently Itself - Ezra Furman
- Judaism Unbound Episode 151: Judaism from a Transgender Perspective - Joy Ladin
- Judaism Unbound Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound — Rena Yehuda Newman, as well as their Bonus Episode: Pluralism of Necessity, Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Summer Camp
[5] Check out our previous episode with Wertman: Judaism Unbound Episode 267: The Torah Studio - Liana Wertman.
Now, we’re down to the marrow. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg wrap a mini-series of episodes diving into the role of meat— and specifically, the pig — in Jewish life. They do this with an assessment of their own eating habits, reflections on autonomy and identity, and thoughts for practitioners the world over on how to incorporate more openness into our understandings of what it means to eat Jewishly.
[1] Catch up on previous episodes in this mini-series on the Jewish discourse around meat with **Episode 488- Meat: The Key to Jewish History? - John Efron** and **Episode 487: Pigs Are Very Jewish - Jordan Rosenblum**.
[2] For more on the significance of fruit jellies on Passover, check out this article by David Zvi Kalman for The Forward.
[3] Find out more about All Other Nights, a novel by Dara Horn.
[4] Regarding circumcision, including alternatives, check out our resource here or the Bruchim website for more information.
[5] Simon Feil and Lisa Braun Glazer both offer interesting takes on eco-kashrut and mindful eating in Judaism.
[6] We have two episodes on chanting and embodiment for those looking to learn more: On chant and embodiment: Episode 360: Your Body is a Sukkah - Yoshi Silversteinand Episode 362: Love at the Center - Shefa Gold.
We’re back at the trough this week. Author John Efron joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to share some of the findings in his latest book, All Consuming: Germans, Jews, and the Meaning of Meat. Efronencourages us to get on eye-level with the pig, from symbol to sinew, as a vital indicator of eating — and therefore living — Jewishly throughout history.
APPLY FOR JUDAISM UNBOUND'S CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN UNBOUND JUDAISM! [1] Applications are open for our UnYeshiva certificate program in unbound Judaism! This certificate program is an opportunity to enter into a course of study where you can develop Jewish knowledge, skills, and holy chutzpah! It is a trans-generational community of Jewish learning and growth, predicated on the ancient Jewish tradition of changing Jewish tradition. The FINAL deadline for applications is just a couple days after this episode’s release — Sunday, June 22nd. Click here to learn more!
[2] Efron’s book, All Consuming, can be purchased here.
[3] The statue Efron mentions is entitled Judensau (trans. “Jews’ sow”).
[4] Check out Jordan Rosenblum’s book, Forbidden, and listen to his recent appearance on Judaism Unbound via Episode 487: Pigs are Very Jewish - Jordan Rosenblum.
[5] The Genesis verses Rosenblum discusses, about Jacob wrestling with an angel as a reason for Jews not consuming animals’ sciatic nerves, can be found here.
[6] For more Unbound content on kashrut standards, check out Episode 318 - Kosher Prosciutto - Rob Nipe, Nora Rubeland Episode 171 - Digesting Judaism - Rachel B. Gross.
[7] For more Judaism Unbound content on Shabbetai Zevi and Jacob Frank, you can listen to Judaism Unbound Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi - Permitting the Forbidden - Xava DeCordova and Michael Sokolovsky or Judaism Unbound Episode 340: More Religious Heresy - Jay Michaelson.
[8] Here is more information on the incident Dan mentions of a fatal allergic reaction. Here’s another troubling report on child labor allegations in a kosher meat plant.
[9] The Hebrew for sciatic nerve, גיד הנשה (gid hanasheh) literally translates to “the forgotten sinew.”
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are joined by author Jordan Rosenblum to discuss his National Jewish Book Award-winning book, Forbidden: A 3,000-Year History of Jews and the Pig. Interested in learning more about why the pig has felt so terribly treyf (yid. “non-kosher”) all these years? Rosenblum peels back the thick layers of meaning to get to the gristle.
APPLY FOR JUDAISM UNBOUND'S CERTIFICATE PROGRAM IN UNBOUND JUDAISM! [1] Applications are open for our UnYeshiva certificate program in unbound Judaism! This certificate program is an opportunity to enter into a course of study where you can develop Jewish knowledge, skills, and holy chutzpah! It is a trans-generational community of Jewish learning and growth, predicated on the ancient Jewish tradition of changing Jewish tradition. The deadline for applications is coming up soon -- Sunday, June 15th! Click here to learn more!
[2] To find out more about Rosenblum’s book, Forbidden or purchase a copy, click here.
[3] The mandate to not eat pig appears five times in the entire Hebrew Bible, as Rosenblum says. That’s compared to ONCE in the seven rules establishing Animalist society in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Twice if you count “friends” as those you would abstain from eating. And those were written by pigs!
[4] If you are not familiar with the holiday of Hanukkah, that’s okay! Here is more information about it and how to celebrate. For Judaism Unbound’s take on Hanukkah, check out Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized.
[5] For more Judaism Unbound content on Shabbetai Zevi, check out Judaism Unbound Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi - Permitting the Forbidden - Xava DeCordova and Michael Sokolovsky or episodes from Xava and Michael’s show, Xai How Are You?, here, here, or here.
[6] The Epistle of Barnabas can be found here.
[7] Barry, of the Youtube account “Sandwiches of History,” dates Lex’s favorite childhood snack to 1936.
[8] The majority of Jews are indeed not professional baseball players. But, some are!
[9] Rosenblum references the character of Voldemort from the popular series Harry Potter to describe how the discomfort in naming a thing contributes to its power. Here is a list of transgender rights organizations in the U.S. and other toolkits from GLAAD. Here’s a U.K.-specific resource.
[10] Rosenblum is discussing British anthropologist Mary Douglas’ argument from her 1966 book Purity and Danger that pigs were prohibited because they defied the separation of categories between domesticity and wildness—they do not chew their cud, but they do have cloven feet.
[11] Rosenblum shouts out our upcoming guest John Efron, who will join us next week (!) to discuss his book All Consuming.
[12] Rosenblum references author Jonathan Safran Foer. Check out Judaism Unbound Episode 159: Judaism Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer!
[13] Rosenblum references this autobiography by author Getty Lee, about his parents’ experience during World War II.
[14] “The secret of Jewish survival” Rosenblum mentions was an idea Mark Twain discussed in his 1899 essay Concerning the Jews, which you can find linked here.
In moments of polarization, the wisdom of Tehora Hee — the recognition of inviolable goodness in all people—can be a revolutionary tool. In this episode of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, featured on Judaism Unbound’s feed with bonus “Gemara” (commentary), Jericho Vincent talks about seventy faces, checking Biblical assumptions, Tehora hee (“It is pure”), pre-prayer tests, two villains from one of their own spiritual wildernesses, Anne Frank, and a practice for bringing Miriam’s living Torah into our own lives.
[1] We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness***, hosted by **Jericho Vincent**. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness*** charts a radical, fresh Jewish path for its listeners and the world. This episode explores the Jewish mystical teaching of *Chakeh-Mah*, the ability to “wait for what.”
[2] For previous episodes of Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, including “Gemara” from Lex and Rena Yehuda, see **Episode 476/Survival Guide I: Spiritual Chutzpah, with Gemara**and/or **Episode 481: Chakeh-Mah (Wait for What), with Gemara****.**
[3] Subscribe to Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found.
[4] Rena Yehuda mentions a recent conversation they had with Lex and Dan — listen in via Episode 485: Become a Jewish Secret Agent - Dan, Lex, Rena Yehuda.
[5] For more on Avgi Saketopoulou’s “Exigent Sadism,” see this video.
Dan and Lex are joined by Rena Yehuda Newman, their colleague at Judaism Unbound who directs the UnYeshiva Certificate Program in Unbound Judaism! This certificate program's 3rd cohort will be beginning in Fall 2025, and applications for it just opened. Together, they explore what the certificate program has achieved so far, and ways in which it will be upping its game in the near future.
Apply for the UnYeshiva's Certificate Program in Unbound Judaism! [1] Learn more about the UnYeshiva’s Certificate Program in Unbound Judaism via this link.
[2] As of the day this episode is released (on May 30, 2025), ShavuotLIVE — Judaism Unbound’s biggest event of the year — begins TOMORROW (May 31st) and continues through June 1st! Don’t miss it — register via this link. If you’re listening to this episode after ShavuotLIVE has concluded, you can watch back the recording at JudaismUnbound.com/shavuot2025.
[3] For a past episode about the certificate program, recorded when Rena Yehuda Newman began working with Judaism Unbound, see Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound - Rena Yehuda Newman.
[4] Rena Yehuda references the three-fold notion of Torah, Avodah, and G’milut Hasadim. For the original source text that they are referencing, see Mishnah Avot 1:2.
Chag Sameach! Shavuot — the annual festival of receiving Torah/revelation — is coming up soon. And that means.....ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound's 24-consecutive-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and Unlearning, is back and better than ever! Dan and Lex are joined in this episode by Annie Prusky, a Jewish educator and current rabbinical student who has presided over many of ShavuotLIVE's most popular sessions over the years. The three of them kibbitz about how Shavuot has evolved over the millennia and where ShavuotLIVE fits into that ongoing evolution.
[1] Learn more about Annie Prusky via this link.
[2] You can register for ShavuotLIVE 2025 via bit.ly/2025shavuot, and learn more about what it is by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/shavuot2025. It begins May 31st at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT and concludes on June 1st at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.
[3] Check out Prusky’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound via Episode 316: What’s for Dinner this Shabbat? - Annie Prusky, Nir Levy.
[4] For Annie Prusky’s most recent teachings at ShavuotLIVE, see “Pro Wrestling as Spiritual Practice” (2024), “Bard-Mitzvah: A.I. Comes of Age and Generates Some Pretty Compelling Drash" (2023), and/or “Moo Madness” (2022).
Click here to register for ShavuotLIVE 2025! [5] See Berachot 62a for the text Prusky (and Lex) explored, on “this is Torah and I must learn.”
The "semi-quarterly glossy home for subversive Jewish culture" during the Bush years — better known as Heeb Magazine -- is back! Re-launching as Heeb Media, this storied publication is returning, and two of the people behind its revitalization -- Mik Moore and Libby Lenkinski -- join Judaism Unbound for a conversation about reconnecting with those who knew and loved Heeb the first time around, along with building a new audience of younger readers.
[1] **ShavuotLIVE**, Judaism Unbound's annual 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning, is returning! From May 31st at 8 pm ET through June 1st at 8 pm ET, join hundreds of your friends from all around the world for the biggest event of our calendar year. You can register at **bit.ly/2025shavuot**!
[2] Learn more about Heeb (past and present) by heading to HeebMedia.com! Learn more about Mik Moore via this link, and Libby Lenkinski via this link.
[3] For a recent piece, which Libby Lenkinski co-authored with Rania Batrice in the New York Times, see “‘No Other Land’ won an Oscar. Many People Hope You Don’t See It.”
[4] Lenkinski mentions a recent study that Albi (an organization she founded) helped to lead. Check out the study, entitled “Unserved and Underserved Jewish Research,” here.
[5] Moore mentions a podcast episode of On the Nose, Jewish Currents’s podcast, which explores tensions around the question of secularism and religion across generations. Listen in to that episode via this link.
[6] Lenkinski opens up questions about how we conceptualize the Jewish canon. For past Judaism Unbound episodes exploring canon, see Episode 326: Whose Canon is it Anyway? - Marques Hollie, Episode 401: Expanding the Canon - Haley Finn, Zachariah Ezer, and/or our full playlist of Apocry-Fest Hanukkah episodes (which explore the realm of Jewish apocrypha, and how that realm can help us expand/explode notions of canon).
[7] For more on JDub Records, which Moore references as a frequent partner org of Heeb in its first manifestation, click here.
Tirzah Firestone is a rabbi, author, Jungian psychotherapist, and leader in the international Jewish Renewal Movement. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring intergenerational Jewish trauma, through the lens of her book Wounds Into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Trauma.
[1] ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound's annual 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning, is returning! From May 31st at 8 pm ET through June 1st at 8 pm ET, join hundreds of your friends from all around the world for the biggest event of our calendar year. You can register at **bit.ly/2025shavuot**!
[2] New UnYeshiva mini-courses, leading up to Shavuot, begin in just a few days (as this episode is released)! Learn more about Spirit Guides & Past Lives: Reincarnation in the Kabbalistic Imagination, Disability Torah and Spiritual Subversiveness, and The Torah in the Tarot: The Lost Jewish History of the Tarot by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/classes.
[3] Learn more about Tirzah Firestone by heading to TirzahFirestone.com. Purchase Wounds Into Wisdom: Healing Intergenerational Jewish Traumavia this link.
[4] For a recent Judaism Unbound episode that also explored intergenerational Jewish trauma, see Episode 480: Judaism Shouldn’t Be About Judaism - Brent Spodek.
[5] Lex references recent terminations of NEH grants by the Trump administration, including many focused on Jewish Studies (including study of the Holocaust). For more on this, see this article in The Forward.
[6] Firestone mentions William Ury’s book The Third Side. Learn more about the book, and purchase it for yourself if you’d like, via this link.
We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, hosted by Jericho Vincent. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness charts a radical, fresh Jewish path for its listeners and the world. This episode explores the Jewish mystical teaching of Chakeh-Mah, the ability to “wait for what.”
[1] The UnYeshiva currently is offering wonderful 3-week mini-courses, which you can take, on Reincarnation, Disability Torah, and Jewish Tarot! Learn more about them at **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**.
[2] **We're thrilled to periodically feature episodes of** ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness*** **here on our feed.** But we don't only feature those episodes alone. **Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman, two members of Judaism Unbound's team, supplement each episode with some *gemara* (commentary) as well.** We hope that our ideas will help spur you to form your own *gemara,* and channel your unique teachings -- about this podcast and beyond -- into the world.
[3] Subscribe to Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found.
[4] For Rena Yehuda Newman’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Bonus Episode: Pluralism of Necessity, Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Summer Camp, and/or Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound.
[5] Rena Yehuda mentions the Hasidic notion of kol yeridah l’tsorech aliyah (all descent for the sake of ascent). For an essay reflecting on this, see this piece from Jordie Gerson.
Brent Spodek, one of Newsweek's "rabbis to watch" and one of the Hudson Valley's "people to watch," joins Judaism Unbound for a conversation linking recent discussions about Israel-Palestine with an upcoming episode (featuring Tirzah Firestone) on intergenerational Jewish trauma. In it, Spodek argues that Judaism shouldn't be "about Judaism" -- but rather be a platform to channel Jewish wisdom toward pressing questions in our lives as human beings.
[1] **New UnYeshiva mini-courses, leading up to Shavuot, are now open for registration!** Learn more about *Spirit Guides & Past Lives: Reincarnation in the Kabbalistic Imagination*, *Disability Torah and Spiritual Subversiveness*, and *The Torah in the Tarot: The Lost Jewish History of the Tarot* by heading to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**.
[2] Learn more about Brent Spodek via this link! For many of his writings on a variety of topics, click here.
[3] For a variety of Judaism Unbound episodes related to the topic of weddings, which Spodek touches on at the beginning of this episode, see any of the following: Episode 439: Interfaith Weddings - Ari Saks, Episode 445: Intermarried Rabbis — No Longer Banned - Dan, Lex, and Miriam, Episode 451: Jewish Weddings — Who is the Client? - Irwin Keller, Episode 455: Wedding Magic - Miriam, Dan, and Lex, Episode 458: Unorthodox Celebrations - Getzel Davis, and/or Episode 459: The Art of Revolutionary Ritual - Rebecca Hornstein.
[4] Spodek references the (lost) ark of the covenant, mentioned in the book of Exodus. He hones in on its two “cherubim” — creatures looking at one another intimately, face to face. For the original text that describes this, see Exodus 25:18-22.
[5] Lex mentions the notion of communitas. For Victor Turner’s classic essay that introduces this concept, see “Liminality and Communitas.”
[6] For Parker Palmer’s The Courage to Teach, which Spodek recommends, click here.
Israel-Palestine, one of the world's most contentious conversations, is also (all the more so!) one of the most contentious conversations among American Jews. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg close out their recent mini-series of episodes, exploring American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine, with a discussion about Zionism and Anti-Zionism, Jewishly loving Palestinians, and how all of this connects to Judaism Unbound's many years of podcasting about other Jewish topics.
[1] **New UnYeshiva mini-courses, beginning in just a few days, are now open for registration!** Learn more about *Jewish Theology Unbound*, *Untangling Tselem Elohim*, and *Moses, Tzipporah and Us (Powerful Interfaith Families, Past and Present*) by heading to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**.
[2] For the previous episodes in this mini-series on American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine, see any/all of these conversations:
- Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse -Dan and Lex
- Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus - Susannah Heschel
- Episode 468: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza - Peter Beinart
- Episode 469: Israel/Palestine — Discourse Online - Mira Sucharov, Joshua Shanes
- Episode 471: Israel-Palestine Echo Chambers - Jay Michaelson
- Episode 472: Israel-Palestine: “What You’re Against” and “What You’re For” - Danya Ruttenberg, Ilana Sumka
- Episode 474: Israel-Palestine — Jewish Diasporism - Alissa Wise, Andrue Kahn
- Episode 475: ‘Zionism’ and ‘Anti-Zionism’ — What Do They Mean? - Matthew Boxer, Janet Krasner Aronson
- Episode 477: Israel/Palestine — V’ahavta (And You Will Love) - Amichai Lau-Lavie
[3] Lex references the notion of “B’tzelem Elohim” (“in the image of God”) as to some degree, but not entirely, calling toward love of all humanity as a Jewish value. For more on this phrase, and the many ways it has not only been used for liberation — but also harm — see Untangling Tselem Elohim (The Image of God) - Rafael Neis.
Happy Passover! Chag Sameach! The holiday known simultaneously as Pesach (Passover), Chag HaMatzot (Matzah-Fest), Z'man Cheruteinu (Time of our freedom), and Chag Ha-Aviv (Spring/Barley-Fest) has arrived. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, co-hosts of Judaism Unbound, are joined by guests Daniel Spiro and Marques Hollie for a conversation that explores how we can get more wacky and creative with our Passover seders (traditional ritualized Passover meals) -- along with how we might play with the rest of the holiday, once the seder(s) have concluded.
[1] **New UnYeshiva mini-courses, beginning just after Passover, are now open for registration!** Learn more about *Jewish Theology Unbound*, *Untangling Tselem Elohim*, and *Moses, Tzipporah and Us (Powerful Interfaith Families, Past and Present*) by heading to **JudaismUnbound.com/classes**.
[2] For a whole library of Judaism Unbound's Passover resources, including past podcast episodes, digital afikoman hunts, seder supplements, videos, and more...just head to JudaismUnbound.com/passover.
[3] Learn more about Marques Hollie by heading to MarquesHollie.com, and learn more about Daniel Spiro by heading to his substack — *Living T(a)orah*.
[4] To check outDaniel Spiro’s Haggadah: An Immersive, Democratic Storytelling Experience (in full), click here.
[5] Check out excerpts from Marques Hollie’s Go Down, Moshe! For a video of them singing “This Night (Ma Nishtana),” click here. For “Harriet’s Niggun,” a melody inspired by the words Harriet Tubman sang when she escaped the Poplar Neck plantation (this melody bookends Go Down, Moshe), click here.
[6] Hollie references a Seder that connected Passover to contemporary forms of human trafficking. For more on this, listen in to Episode 209: Wait…Soft Matzah? - Barry Dolinger, Naomi Baine.
[7] For the full playlist of Passover podcasts that Dan referenced, from past years of Judaism Unbound, click here.
Rafael Neis is a professor, talmudist, historian, artist, and author of When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven: Rabbis and the Reproduction of Species. They join Judaism Unbound for a conversation about why the notion of Tselem Elohim is more dangerous than it appears. They explore human exceptionalism, rabbinic texts that place humans alongside other living creatures, and more -- all as a sneak preview of their upcoming 3-week mini-course in the UnYeshiva, entitled Untangling Tselem Elohim (The Image of God).
[1] **Register for Untangling Tselem Elohim (The Image of God) by clicking here!** Apply for financial aid for the class via **this link**.
[2] Learn more about other upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva, including Jewish Theology Unbound and Moses, Tzipporah and Us (Powerful Interfaith Families, Past and Present) by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/classes.
[3] You can read *When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven* by heading to this link. It is available for purchase, and via download as an open-access link.
[4] The publication Ancient Jew Review recently put together a panel of articles responding to Rafael Neis’s book from a variety of angles. Check out these articles via the links below:
- “Classification for Networks of Care,” by Beth Berkowitz
- “Rabbinic World-Making and Imagining Multiplicity,” by Andrea Dara Cooper
- “The Method-Image,” by Roland Betancourt
- “Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash: A Short Response to Rafael Rachel Neis, When a Human Gives Birth to a Raven,” by Catherine Michael Chin
[5] Two texts that Neis references on a few occasions are Genesis 1:27 and Leviticus 11.
Amichai Lau-Lavie, co-founder and spiritual leader of Lab/Shul, is a leading voice calling for compassion toward all Palestinians and all Israelis. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring how the notion of V'ahavta (and you will love) could be channeled more thoroughly in the world -- toward peace and justice for all people. They consider connections between contemporary work for liberation, and the holiday of Passover as well. This conversation is the 9th episode in an ongoing mini-series, exploring American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine.
[1] **UnYeshiva mini-courses (3 sessions) begin right after Passover, and registration is now open! Learn more about *Jewish Theology Unbound*, *Untangling Tselem Elohim*, and *Moses, Tzipporah and Us (Powerful Interfaith Families, Past and Present*) by heading to** **JudaismUnbound.com/classes****.**
[2] For Amichai Lau-Lavie’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 29: Lab/Shul, Episode 219: Tools for the Journey, Episode 381: Rites (Rights?) of Passage, and/or Bonus Episode: Intermarriage — Changing the Rules.
[3] Rachel Barenblat (the Velveteen Rabbi) has two blog posts that relate deeply to pieces of this podcast conversation. The first explores the idea that V’ahavta (and you will love) is located at the very center of the Torah — connecting this idea to notions of literary “chiasm” and applying them to Leviticus. It’s entitled “Love, Leviticus, and Embracing the Middle.” Another ties to the four letter name of God (Y-h-v-h) as a human body, and is entitled “Breathing, Prayer, The Planet.” We’ve included a visual of Y-h-v-h as a human body below, with Yud as the head, Hay as the arms, Vav as the torso, and Hay as the waist and legs.
[4] Learn more about Lab/Shul’s 2025 Passover *Sayder* initiative, which Lau-Lavie mentioned in this episode, via this link.
[5] For the document entitled Joy: A Proposal, outlining a framework for rabbinic validation of interfaith marriages — which Amichai Lau-Lavie wrote a few years ago — click here.
We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness, hosted by Jericho Vincent.
"We are the ancestors of the future." This new podcast offers a spiritual home for listeners seeking to connect Jewish ancestral, feminist wisdom with their own svara: moral intuition. Each episode of this limited series delves into a different story of our ancestor Miriam, illuminating her mystical teachings and offering practical tools for navigating and flourishing in personal or political spiritual wildernesses. Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness charts a radical, fresh Jewish path for its listeners and the world.
[1] **We're thrilled to periodically feature episodes of** ***Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness*** **here on our feed.** But we don't only feature those episodes alone. **Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman, two members of Judaism Unbound's team, supplement each episode with some *gemara* (commentary) as well.** We hope that our ideas will help spur you to form your own *gemara,* and channel your unique teachings -- about this podcast and beyond -- into the world.
[2] Subscribe to Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found.
[3] For Rena Yehuda Newman’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Bonus Episode: Pluralism of Necessity, Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Summer Camp, and/or Episode 438: Certifiably Unbound.
[4] Rena Yehuda referenced a letter to the New York Times, written by Art Spiegelman, on why his book Maus should not be seen as “fiction.” Read the letter via this link.
Matthew Boxer and Janet Krasner Aronson are both sociologists whose work focuses on American-Jewish life. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about two studies that they've been working on, that explore the wide range of meanings that the terms "Zionism" and "Anti-Zionism" hold for American Jews. This episode is the 8th episode in an ongoing mini-series, discussing American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine.
[1] Learn more about Matthew Boxer here, and learn more about Janet Krasner Aronson here. For Matthew Boxer’s recent study, entitled “What is Zionism? Assessing the Diversity of Discourse in a Charged Environment,” check out this link. Janet Krasner Aronson’s study, discussed in this episode, is not available publicly yet.
[2] For a video presentation where Boxer gives an overview of his recent study, click here.
[3] For Janet Krasner Aronson’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 337: Let’s End “Good Jew”/“Bad Jew” - Janet Krasner Aronson.
[4] For the previous episodes in this mini-series on American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine, see any/all of these conversations:
- Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse -Dan and Lex
- Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus Susannah Heschel
- Episode 468: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza - Peter Beinart
- Episode 469: Israel/Palestine — Discourse Online - Mira Sucharov, Joshua Shanes
- Episode 471: Israel-Palestine Echo Chambers - Jay Michaelson
- Episode 472: Israel-Palestine: “What You’re Against” and “What You’re For” - Danya Ruttenberg, Ilana Sumka
- Episode 474: Israel-Palestine — Jewish Diasporism - Alissa Wise, Andrue Kahn
[5] Check out Pew’s 2020 A Portrait of Jewish Americans (national Jewish-population study), referenced in this episode by Boxer, here. For two episodes of Judaism Unbound exploring this study in depth, see Episode 284: Jews in Pew’s…Studies - Tema Smithand/orEpisode 285: Hindsight is (Pew) 2020 - Dan and Lex.
Alissa Wise is the founder and lead organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire. Andrue Kahn is the executive director of The American Council for Judaism. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the role of rabbis in this heightened political moment, the work of their two organizations, and the growing movement of Jews creating communities grounded in Jewish diasporism.
Register for Wise and Kahn's class, "Jewish Diasporism(s): Approaches to Nation, Home, and Responsibility!" [1] Check out other courses being offered in the UnYeshiva this semester by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/classes!
[2] Learn more about Alissa Wise here, and the organization Rabbis for Ceasefire at Rabbis4Ceasefire.com. Learn more about Andrue Kahn here, and the organization American Council for Judaism via ACJNA.org.
[3] Kahn referenced two recent books exploring the history of American Jewish criticism of Zionism. Check out Our Palestine Question, by Geoffrey Levin, via this link, and Marjorie Feld’s The Threshold of Dissent via this link.
[4] Lex, along with Wise, describe the ways in which many Jewish organizations have become friendly to CUFI (Christians United for Israel), despite CUFI’s right-wing (and according to many, antisemitic) orientation. Learn more about CUFI via this 2024 piece by recent Judaism Unbound guest Jay Michaelson.
[5] For the full text of 1885’s Pittsburgh Platform, which Kahn referenced, click here.
[6] Explore the Talmud passage that includes Kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh (all Jews are responsible-for/intermixed-with one another) — a famous quote discussed in this episode — via Shevuot 39a.
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 Jewish books, and about her upcoming class in the UnYeshiva entitled Lost Bibles, Fake Apocrypha: The Hidden History of Jewish Books.
[1] **Learn more about Eva Mroczek's upcoming course in the UnYeshiva (and register for it!) here** -- financial aid is available for anyone who needs it, via **this link**. For info about other courses in the UnYeshiva that are currently open for registration, head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes.
[2] Check out Mroczek’s first book, The Literary Imagination in Jewish Antiquity, here. For info about her upcoming book, Tales from the Cave: Losing and Finding the Biblical Past, head to this link.
[3] For a list of many “imaginary” or “lost” books referenced in the text of the Bible itself, click here.
[4] Mroczek references the book of Jubilees. For the full text of the book in English, click here — and see 45:16 for a verse she mentioned in particular, about “preserving” and “renewing” books “until today.”
[5] For the text of the Testament of Job, including the pieces Mroczek mentioned around Job’s daughters, see this link.
[6] Mroczek shouted out a past guest on Judaism Unbound, and teacher in the UnYeshiva, named Andrew Tobolowsky. Explore his book The Myth of the 12 Tribes of Israel here, and listen to his appearance on Judaism Unbound via Episode 327: The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
[7] Lex and Mroczek each mentioned the Zohar — for a previous Judaism Unbound episode exploring that text in depth, see Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
[8] Dive deeper into books of the apocrypha, including the book of Judith (referenced toward the end of this episode), via Judaism Unbound’s ApocryFest initative.
[9] Two other books were referenced in this episode. Check out Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach by Ilana Pardes via this link, and Seconding Sinai: The Development of Mosaic Discourse in Second Temple Judaismby Hindy Najman via this link.
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-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine.
[1] Learn more about Danya Ruttenberg by clicking here, and learn more about Ilana Sumka via this link. For Ruttenberg’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see **Episode 243: Organizing the Grassroots**and **Episode 397: Repentance and Repair**.
[2] New courses are now open for registration, in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva -- our digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning. Learn more about our online classes by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/classes -- financial aid is available for all courses in the UnYeshiva.
[3] For earlier episodes in this mini-series exploring North American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine, see **Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse (Dan and Lex)**, **Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus (Susannah Heschel)**, **Episode 468: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza**, **Episode 469: Israel/Palestine — Discourse Online (Mira Sucharov, Joshua Shanes)**, and/or **Episode 471: Israel-Palestine Echo Chambers (Jay Michaelson)**.
[4] Learn more about the organizations Women Wage Peace and Women of the Sun via this 2024 article in Time Magazine.
[5] For a September 2024 post by Ruttenberg, which mentions a Teshuvah (repentance/repair) ritual organized by Sumka, click here.
[6] Sumka referenced a Palestinian peace activist named Sami Awad. You can learn more about him and his work here.
[7] For the Talmudic text cited in this episode, asking “which is greater — study or action?” see Kiddushin 40b.
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.
[1] Learn more about Jay Michaelson via JayMichaelson.net. Learn more about his most recent book, *The Secret That is Not a Secret: Ten Heretical Tales*, via this link.
[2] For Michaelson’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound see Episode 38: Judaism and Evolving Dharma, Episode 197: Religious Heresy, and Episode 340: More Religious Heresy.
[3] For the previous episodes in this unit on North American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine, see Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse (Dan and Lex), Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus (Susannah Heschel), Episode 468: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, and/or Episode 469: Israel/Palestine — Discourse Online (Mira Sucharov, Joshua Shanes).
[4] For Michaelson’s 2014 episode about the ADL’s flawed survey on antisemitism (which Lex referenced, and which would mark Jay himself as an antisemite), see “I Am 1 Billionth ‘Anti-Semite,’” published in The Forward. For his breakdown of the events at Yale that were eventually mischaracterized as a “stabbing,” see the 2024 piece “Can American Jews step back from the brink of conspiratorial paranoia?” — also published in the Forward.
[5] Learn more about the organization Resetting the Table, referenced briefly by Jay in this conversation, via www.ResettingTheTable.org.
[6] Lex referenced a survey, which indicated that older Jews believe there is far more antisemitism on college campuses than younger Jews do (including the age cohort that includes college-aged Jews themselves). For that survey, see the Jewish Electorate Institute’s April 2024 National Survey of Jewish Voters (and see below for a visual of the relevant question from that survey).
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **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 twist, testing the community's cohesion and purpose. Despite these conflicts, Ari and Josh strive to uphold a sense of community and identity amidst uncertainty. The episode concludes with a reflection on the evolving nature of Judaism and the power of communal learning in navigating change and maintaining hope for a better future.
For information on how to reach out to connect with Jewish agencies who support folks who are incarcerated and their families, connect with a Jewish penpal, donate to help bring kosher meals and access to Jewish supplies, or give straight to Ari and Josh’s Jewish minyan in Monroe, connect with us at: www.judaismunbound.com/tales. You can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
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.
[1] Learn more about *D’rachim — a New Path Forward for Israel/Palestine* here. For more about Mira Sucharov, see this link, and for more about Joshua Shanes, see this link.
[2] For previous episodes in this mini-series, see any of the following links: Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse - Dan and Lex, Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus - Susannah Heschel, Episode 468: Being Jewish after the Destruction of Gaza - Peter Beinart.
[3] For more from Mira Sucharov on the many different ways in which people understand the term “Zionism,” see this conversation between here and Derek Penslar, entitled “Has the word Zionism outlived its usefulness?” For some of Joshua Shanes’s recent writings, see either of these pieces featured in Jewschool: May 2024 , July 2024.
[4] An influential essay of Peter Beinart’s (himself a recent guest on Judaism Unbound) was referenced in this episode. To read it, click here.
[5] Sucharov references the work of two organizations. Learn more about their visions for the future via either of these links: Zochrot, A Land for All: Two States, One Homeland
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 an ongoing mini-series exploring American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine.
[1] Purchase *Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning* here! Learn more about Peter Beinart, and subscribe to his Substack (called “The Beinart Notebook,”) via this link.
[2] For Beinart’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound see Episode 117: Israel and American Jews Today - Peter Beinart.
[3] You are encouraged listen in to the two previous episodes in this current mini-series on American-Jewish discourse about Israel-Palestine. They are Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse - Dan and Lex and Episode 467: Israel and Palestine on Campus - Susannah Heschel.
[4] Beinart references the conclusion of the book of Esther. To read the chapter he referenced for yourself (chapter 9), click here. For an initiative called The Chapter 9 Project, from The Shalom Center, which offered a variety of alternate versions of this chapter — with very different angles and content — click here (includes a version from our very own Dan Libenson, combining elements of this chapter with elements of the Greek expansion of the book of Esther, which you can find on page 18).
[5] There are a couple references to a recent podcast about Israel-Palestine featuring Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Listen in to that conversation here.
[6] Lex references Rachel Havrelock’s appearance on Judaism Unbound, where she discussed the book of Joshua. Listen in via Episode 261: Canaan Unconquered - Rachel Havrelock.
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.
[1] Learn more about Susannah Heschel via this link.
[2] For the previous episode in this mini-series, see Episode 466: Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish Discourse.
[2] For Heschel’s appearance (with Tarek El-Ariss, a colleague at Dartmouth College) on ShavuotLIVE a couple years back, entitled “Arabs and Jews as Freudian Subjects,” check out this video.
[3] For a piece exploring the dialogue series organized by Dartmouth’s Jewish Studies and Middle East Studies programs, click here.
[4] To learn more about the situation Heschel referenced at the University of Washington, involving Liora Halperin, see this 2022 piece in JTA entitled “Donor yanks Israel Studies endowment at U of Washington over professor’s Israel criticism.”
[5] For “On Prayer,” a classic essay by Abraham Joshua Heschel (Susannah Heschel’s father) that she references in this podcast, click here.
Dan and Lex, 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.
[1] It’s not too late to sign up for Vanessa Ochs’s class in the UnYeshiva, entitled ***Jewish Ritual Lab: Experiments in Jewish Creativity and Invention***. Sign up here! The first class took place before this episode was released, but you can still catch the final two if you register! Financial aid is available.
[2] In certain senses, this is a continuation of a previous mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Israel-Palestine in American-Jewish discourse. For those episodes, see below:
Ep117: Israel and American Jews Today - Peter BeinartEp118: Trouble in the Tribe - Dov WaxmanEp119: The Histories of Zionisms - Noam PiankoEp120: A Less Toxic Conversation -Melissa WeintraubEp121: Homecoming and Arrival - Yehuda KurtzerEp122: Let’s Talk About Israel - Sharon KleinbaumEp123: The Religion of Israel - Dan and Lex
Ep124: IfNotNow - Ilana Levinson, Jill RaneyEp125: Complementary Zions - Zachary SchafferEp126: Open Hillel - Rachel Sandalow-Ash, Eva AckermanEp127: A Synagogue Without Flags - Brant RosenEp128: Zionism 3.0 - Zack BodnerEp129: Women of the Wall - Lesley Sachs, Susan SilvermanEp130: Israel-Optional Judaism - Dan and Lex
[3] Dan and Lex discuss the organization Breira and the notion of “Ein breira” — that there is “no alternative” to intense violence toward Palestinians. For a piece reflecting critiquing this notion, see Leonard Fein’s “‘There is no alternative’ is no answer,” published in The Forward in 2009.
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.
[1] 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 aid is available for anyone who needs it, via **this link**.
[2] For Ochs’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 5: Leviticusand Episode 211: The Passover Haggadah, a Biography.
[3] In discussing Shabbat, Ochs references the work of the organization OneTable. Learn more about them via OneTable.org.
[4] Lex references Laura Yares’s work exploring the holiday of Shavuot in the late 19th century, as an example of how holidays can rise and fall drastically in prominence — in short periods of time. Learn more from Yares on that front, via this ShavuotLIVE presentation she gave a few years ago, and/or through this article.
[5] For a variety of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Shavuot in greater detail, see this page.
[6] Learn more about the evolution of Hanukkah over time, referenced by Ochs, via this Judaism Unbound episode featuring Dianne Ashton z”l (may her memory be a blessing): Episode 43: Hanukkah in America.
[7] Ochs references a book by Anita Diamant about creative Jewish wedding rituals. The most recent version is called The Jewish Wedding Now, and you can purchase it here. Ochs also mentions a wedding website, called “Smashing the Glass.” Check it out at SmashingTheGlass.com.
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.
Register for Becca Leviss's 3-week UnYeshiva mini-course on Judeo-Futurism! [1] Leviss references her teacher Shaul Magid’s work on Judeopessimism. For Magid’s past appearances on Judaism Unbound see Episode 13: American Post-Judaismand/or Episode 296: Radicalism, Power, Violence, and Meir Kahane. For an essay of his exploring Judeopessimism in particular, see this piece featured in Ayin Press.
[2] Dan references Salo Baron’s notion of a “lachrymose” conception of Jewish history. Read his essay— “Ghetto and Emancipation: Shall we revise the traditional view?” — where he first articulated this notion, here.
[3] For a helpful introductory essay on Afrofuturism, click here.
[4] Lex and Leviss take a look at the Torah portion Chayei Sarah from a few different perspectives. For the full text of that Torah portion, click here.
[5] Leviss references Benay Lappe’s Crash Theory — a core framework of our podcast’s approach to the Jewish past, present, and future. Learn more about it here (including Lappe’s articulation of it in an ELI Talk), and hear Lappe outline it on Judaism Unbound via Episode 3: Exodus.
[6] Leviss also cites the work of Lila Corwin Berman, and in particular her book The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex. Purchase the book (in our view one of the most important works of Jewish Studies scholarship in the past decade) via this link, and hear Corwin Berman on Judaism Unbound via Episode 220: Viral Philanthropyand/or Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex.
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!).
[1] If you love what you hear, head to **www.judaismunbound.com/classes** and register for Murphy and Kearns’s 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, and religious backgrounds welcome).
[2] Learn more about Queer Theology’s podcast and broader work by heading to QueerTheology.com!
[3] Murphy references a text from the Mishnah (in Pirkei Avot) that instructs “Turn it, and turn it, for everything is in it.” Dive into that text here.
[4] Purchase Patrick Cheng’s book Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology, cited in this episode, via this link.
[5] For more from Kearns on John 20:24-29 (the story often described as “Doubting Thomas”), click here.
[6] For a past episode of Judaism Unbound featuring Joy Ladin, cited in this episode, see Judaism Unbound Episode 151. For her appearance on Queer Theology, click here.
[7] Dan references a series of books called “Left Behind” (and gets a SHOCKED reaction from Murphy and Kearns). For more on this (wild) series, click here.
[8] For Avra Shapiro’s appearance on Queer Theology, click here.
[9] Lex references work by Eric Rofes (his uncle) to contribute to shifts in how the LGBTQ+ world understood itself in the late 90s, as realities related to the AIDS epidemic shifted. For a book of Rofes’s on this topic, written in 1998, see Dry Bones Breathe: Gay Men Creating Post-AIDS Identities and Cultures.
Heshvan is the month that comes after Tishri. Tishri is the month containing Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and multiple other Jewish holidays, and Heshvan is often contrasted to it as "a month with no Jewish holidays." The problem? Heshvan is not a month with no Jewish holidays! In this episode, Lex, Miriam, and Rena Yehuda 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 big questions about how we might reconceptualize the role of Heshvan entirely!
[1] **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 edition of Shabbat Unbound (a 12-month-long Shabbat service), via **this link**. Check out our growing page featuring tons of essays, artwork, and other deep-dives into the Kabbalat Shabbat liturgy here.
[2] Register for Apocry-Fest (our annual Hanukkah collaboration with The Torah Studio, exploring books of the Jewish apocrypha), by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/apocrypha.
[3] For the Biblical text that outlines the Northern Kingdom’s holiday of the 15th of Heshvan, see 1 Kings 12:32-33.
[4] Rena Yehuda alludes to a quote from Hallel (a set of praise prayers recited on many celebratory days), which translates roughly to “The stone that was rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone.” It initially comes from the book of Psalms, and you can check it out here.
[5] For Rena Yehuda’s 142 Jewish Writing Prompts, click here!
[6] Lex speaks to the holiday of Sigd, which occurs precisely 7 weeks after Yom Kippur and was established by Beta Israel Jews (Jews from Ethiopia). This community has strongly encouraged the rest of the world’s Jews to celebrate this occasion, marked on the 29th of Heshvan, and you can learn more about how to do so here.
[7] Miriam alludes to the teachings of Yitz Greenberg. His notion of the “third era” has been very important to our podcast, and you can hear him speak about via Episode 100: The Third Era - Yitz Greenberg.
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.
[1] Learn more about Lehrhaus by visiting Lehr.haus. For info about their house of learning, click here.
[2] For the 2023 Esquire feature, naming Lehrhaus one of the 50 best new restaurants in America, check out this link.
[3] Lehrhaus will be opening a new location! For a recent piece detailing their plans to open up a DC Lehrhaus, see this May 2024 piece in Jewish Insider.
[4] Check out the book Yankel’s Tavern, referenced by Schwartz in this episode, which explores “Jews, Liquor, and Life in the Kingdom of Poland.”
[5] For Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, the book by Robert Sommer that Schwartz referred to, click here.
[6] Lex referenced Judaism Unbound’s “The Deli is my Synagogue” t-shirt. Purchase it for yourself via either of these links: Long Sleeve, Short Sleeve
[7] Two foods and one drink that may not be familiar to all of our listeners were referenced in this episode. To learn more about them, see any of the following links: Amba, Dafina, Dr. Brown’s Cel-Rey Soda
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.
[1] **Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our 8-week courses in the UnYeshiva**, which began earlier this week! Explore Jewish communities around the world, gender in Judaism, Maimonides's (Rambam's) theology, fierce women in Torah, and more!
[2] For previous Judaism Unbound episodes in this mini-series on Jewish weddings, see Episode 439: Interfaith Weddings - Ari Saks, Episode 445: Intermarried Rabbis — No Longer Banned, and Episode 451: Jewish Weddings -- Who is the Client? - Irwin Keller
[3] Dan references a past Judaism Unbound conversation, where we explored “elite” and “folk” Judaism. Check it out via Episode 77: Folk Judaism - Dan and Lex.
[4] In one of our first Judaism Unbound podcast episodes, Lex discusses his “Bar 26-vah” ritual. Listen in via Episode 4: Exodus II - Dan and Lex.
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **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 Ari and Josh in prison. She navigates assembling a beit din (rabbinic court). The mikvah (ritual bath) posed logistical hurdles, eventually combining some borrowed and collected elements to make it happen. The ritual circumcision (milah) was performed privately by Ari and Josh using diabetic lancets despite our share of reservations. The ceremony concludes with Ari and Josh affirming their Jewish identity before their community, marking a profound moment of spiritual transformation and communal contribution.
For information on how to to connect with Jewish agencies who support folks who are incarcerated and their families, connect with a Jewish penpal, donate to help bring kosher meals and access to Jewish supplies, or give straight to Ari and Josh’s Jewish minyan, connect with us at: www.judaismunbound.com/tales. You can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
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.
[1] Explore our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva: Judaism Unbound’s digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning! Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more — options include:
- Gender in Judaism: Tradition and Transformation (Sarah Imhoff)
- The Rambam’s Theology: Which Laws are the “Foundations of Torah?” (Laynie Soloman)
- Jewish Communities in Africa, Asia, and the New World (Juan Mejia)
- Fierce Women of Torah: Girls in Trouble Unbound (Alicia Jo Rabins)
[2] Learn more about Joseph Altshuler here, and learn more about the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival that he founded via ChicagoSukkahFestival.org. Learn more about Ethan Blake, and his 16 Cubits architectural design competition, via 16cubits.org.
[3] Lex references how much of the second half of the book of Exodus revolves around the architectural project of constructing the tabernacle. Explore those chapters by looking at Exodus chapters 25-31, and 35-40.
[4] Dan references the architect Maya Lin, whose submission to a national design competition went on to become Washington D.C’s Vietnam Veterans memorial. Learn more about Maya Lin here.
[5] For an article about Sukkah City — an initiative in New York City that Dan referenced early in this episode — see this 2013 article in The Atlantic.
[6] Take a look at the section of the Talmud exploring…whether it’s permissible for elephant to serve as the wall of a Sukkah (really!) via Sukkah 23a.
[7] Blake references writer and activist Jane Jacobs, and in particular her book The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Learn more about her work via this 2016 article in The Guardian, entitled “How Jane Jacobs changed the way we look at cities.”
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 day, 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 Volunteering.”
[1] Explore our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva: Judaism Unbound’s digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning! Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more — options include:
- Gender in Judaism: Tradition and Transformation (Sarah Imhoff)
- The Rambam’s Theology: Which Laws are the “Foundations of Torah?” (Laynie Soloman)
- Jewish Communities in Africa, Asia, and the New World (Juan Mejia)
- Fierce Women of Torah: Girls in Trouble Unbound (Alicia Jo Rabins)
[2] For our past two years’ Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Yom Kippur, see **Episode 346: Yom Kippur — The Power of Regret - Dan Pink** and **Episode 397: Yom Kippur — Repentance and Repair - Danya Ruttenberg**.
[3] Learn more about Rachel Cohen by clicking here. Follow her on twitter at @rmc031.
[4] Read Cohen’s Vox essay, entitled “Why I Changed my Mind About Volunteering” and explored in this podcast episode, here.
[5] Lex mentions the Haftarah reading of Yom Kippur, Isaiah 58, which connects to many of the topics of this conversation. Explore the text here, and listen in to a 2016 conversation that Dan and Lex had about here: Bonus Episode: Yom Kippur Unbound - Morning Haftarah Reading (Isaiah 58).
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.
Check out Judaism Unbound’s Fall 2024 UnYeshiva courses here! Image Credit: Adam Shemper
[1] Purchase Shechinah at the Art Institute via this link, and learn more about Irwin Keller via IrwinKeller.com. For previous Judaism Unbound episodes in this mini-series on Jewish weddings, see Episode 439: Interfaith Weddings - Ari Saks and Episode 445: Intermarried Rabbis — No Longer Banned.
[2] Check out our upcoming Fall 2024 courses in the UnYeshiva (beginning mid-late October) by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/classes!
[3] Explore Keller’s t’shuvah (it sounds like the word for repentance/return on High Holidays — but in this case it refers to a rabbinic answer to a question of Jewish law), entitled “Where You Go I Will Go: A Halakhic & Symbolic Consideration of Ruth’s Oath as a Wedding Vow,” via this link.
[4] For the original text from the book of Ruth that Irwin refers to, see Ruth 1:16-17. For the text from Song of Songs that Keller mentions, and the classic wedding-vow text known by its first two words “harei at,” click here.
[5] Check out Keller’s fantastic TedX talk, entitled “Irwin Keller: A Love Story” — which hones in on his own wedding story, expanding on his remarks in this episode — here.
Keshira haLev Fife, a kohenet (Hebrew 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 for the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
[1] Learn more about Keshira haLev Fife at Keshirahalev.com, and check out the Kesher Pittsburgh community via KesherPittsburgh.org.
[2] For Fife’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira haLev Fifeand/or Episode 313: Learning, Unlearning, and…Onion Learning - Tova Birnbaum, Keshira haLev Fife.
[3] For the “Slow Down” melody that Fife referenced as their setting for Avinu Malkeinu, click here.
[4] Dan mentioned a High Holiday playlist he made many years ago as part of High Holidays Unbound — check it out here!
[5] For the organization that helps communities facilitate “Reverse Tashlich” rituals, see RepairTheSea.org.
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-25th Elul episodes overall). Check out Elul Unbound by visiting www.judaismunbound.com/elul.
To check out our previous Elul bonus episodes, released through Elul Unbounds of the past six years, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2024 by signing up at this link.
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **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.
Tales of the Unbound: Episode 4 - “Do Good Time” follows Ari’s spiritual journey of claiming Jewish identity. There’s an incentive process in prison sentences called meritorious time. We call it “Good Time." For Ari, Good Time has to do with the way he spends his days for the betterment of himself and the world at large. Good Time means a gratitude process, embracing shared humanity, giving to others without expectation of receiving, choosing compassion, and accountability.
For information on how to reach out to connect with Jewish agencies who support folks who are incarcerated and their families, connect with a Jewish penpal, donate to help bring kosher meals and access to Jewish supplies, or give straight to Ari and Josh’s Jewish minyan in Monroe, connect with us at: www.judaismunbound.com/tales. You can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
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. Inthis third bonus episode of Elul Unbound, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore what it means for the observance of Elul to be "God-optional."
This Elul bonus episode is the third of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2024 (our 22nd-25th Elul episodes overall). Check out Elul Unbound by visiting www.judaismunbound.com/elul.
To check out our previous Elul bonus episodes, released through Elul Unbounds of the past six years, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2024 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our first Elul Unbound Shabbat gathering of 2024 (Friday, September 6th), where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with friends, by clicking here.
Jericho Vincent, founder and rabbi of Temple of the Stranger — a mystical community based in Brooklyn, NY — is leading a ritual entitled The Unbinding of Isaac: a provocative, experimental, controversial, and immersive theatrical Rosh HaShanah experience. They join Dan and Lex for a conversation about this wild new ritual, and for a broader exploration of what it means to experiment with the treasures of Jewish tradition. This episode is the second in a Judaism Unbound mini-series, helping listeners prepare for the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
[1] **Learn more about Judaism Unbound’s upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/classes.**
[2] Are you interested in headed to The Temple of the Stranger’s Unbinding of Isaac event to mark Rosh Hashanah 2024? Learn more and register here!
[3] Explore Jericho Vincent’s work at JerichoVincent.com, and learn more about Temple of the Stranger via TempleOfTheStranger.com. For Vincent’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 274: Beyond Binaries, Beyond Orthodoxies - Jericho Vincent. Follow Jericho Vincent on instagram at @TheAlef.
[4] Learn more about Yom Kippur Katan, mentioned in this episode a couple times, here.
[5] Intrigued by the binding of Isaac story? Check out other Judaism Unbound resources exploring it in further detail. First, there’s The Akedah Project, which features a wide variety of video-explorations of the binding of Isaac. Second, there’s this past episode of Judaism Unbound (Episode 239: Isaac Unbound - Aaron Koller). And of course, check out the original text itself in Genesis 22.
[6] For more on the ritual Vincent mentions, involving red and white string for Yom Kippur, see this piece in TheTorah.com, entitled “Crimson to White: Yom Kippur’s Miraculous Thread.”
[7] Dan mentions a past episode featuring Shefa Gold, which helped him gain a deep appreciation for the power of chant. Check it out via Episode 362: Love at the Center - Shefa Gold.
[8] For the episode Lex references, featuring Shira Stutman, see Episode 178: I-Wish-I-Had-This-Itis - Shira Stutman.
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. Inthis first bonus episode of Elul Unbound, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the power of the number three — and the fact that we are entering into the 3rd year of the seven-year Shmita cycle!
This Elul bonus episode is the first of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2024 (our 22nd-25th Elul episodes overall). Check out Elul Unbound by visiting www.judaismunbound.com/elul.
Zvika Krieger, spiritual leader at Chochmat HaLev in Berkeley, California, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Together they ask and explore a variety of questions: who is the God of the High Holidays? When Jews and their loved ones gather to pray, are they praying to that God? Are they (we) doing something else? Should we chuck most of the liturgy out and re-focus ourselves in a different way? Should we retain the traditional prayers and re-interpret them?
[1] Learn more about Zvika Krieger here, and check out Chochmat HaLev at Chochmat.org.
[2] For another recent podcast featuring Krieger as guest, see this June 2024 episode of Search Engine, entitled “What does it feel like to believe in God?”
[3] For some articles profiling Krieger, see this piece in eJewishPhilanthropy and/or this piece in The Forward.
[4] Krieger gives a shout-out to Toba Spitzer’s book God Is Here: Reimagining the Divine. Check it out via this link.
[5] For Krieger’s appearances at ShavuotLIVE observances from past years, see “Who cares who wrote the Bible?” (ShavuotLIVE 2024) and/or “Tobit or not Tobit: That is the Question” (ShavuotLIVE 2022).
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. Inthis first bonus episode of Elul Unbound, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the power of the number three — and the fact that we are entering into the 3rd year of the seven-year Shmita cycle!
Play Steinberg and Sue Reinhold join Dan and Lex for a conversation about Father. Mother. God. — a web-comic Steinberg is in the process of creating! They dive into topics ranging from conversion, to addiction and recovery, to the power of digital Jewish art. Check out Father. Mother. God.via this link!
[1] Check out *Father. Mother. God.* here! It’s designed for viewing on a mobile device, so feel free to read it on your phone.
[2] Learn more about Play Steinberg’s work via DelineateInk.com, and learn more about Sue Reinhold’s work via this link.
[3] Steinberg is part of a cohort convened by the Jewish Writers’ Initiative’s Digital Storytellers Lab. See all the other fellows who are part of the cohort by clicking here.
[4] Explore Reinhold’s Torah of Recovery, a group studying Torah through the lens of recovery from addiction, by clicking here. You can participate from anywhere in the world, as Torah of Recovery meets via Zoom.
[5] Steinberg and Reinhold mention the importance of the book The Chutzpah Imperative, by Ed Feinstein. Learn more about it here.
[6] Steinberg mentions the influence that Alison Bechdel’s work had on them. For the two books Steinberg cited, see the following: Fun Home, Are You My Mother?
[7] Reinhold cites a teaching from Leonard Shlain — learn more about him here.
On June 20th, 2024, Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion eliminated its ban on interfaith relationships for rabbinical students. This landmark decision comes on the heels of decades of many years of organizing and advocacy, and Judaism Unbound is thrilled to celebrate it! In this episode, Dan, Miriam, and Lex speak about what this shift means for Jewish leadership — and for Jewish life more broadly. They also name the ways in which the ban on intermarried (and inter-partnered) rabbinical students did real damage — to Jews and Jewish-adjacent non-Jews — and call for active forms of teshuva (righting of wrongs) by the institutions that inflicted that damage.
Click here to check out our upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva (and our 12-week Judaism In-Bound class)! Explore the binding of Isaac, Kol Nidrei, Hasidism, and more! [1] For a past Judaism Unbound episode that explored the non-Jewish partner ban for rabbinical students at HUC-JIR, see Episode 94: Reform Reflections - Dan and Lex.
[2] For some recent coverage of HUC-JIR’s policy shift, see this piece in The Forward from Samira Mehta, this JTA piece by Philissa Cramer, and this NPR segment from Weekend Edition (featuring Lex!).
[3] Lex mentions a historical moment in the early 1970s where Bridget Loves Bernie, a TV show on CBS, was cancelled due to its positive portrayal of a Jewish-Christian interfaith relationship. Take a look at some of the articles published at the time (including in the New York Times) via these links: 10/24/1972 - JTA, 2/7/1973 - New York Times, 2/11/1973 - New York Times
[4] For the Talmudic narrative cited in this conversation, see Berakhot 28a. For episodes on The Oral Talmud that featured it, see Oral Talmud Episode 7: Impeachment and Removal - Berakhot 28a part 1 and Episode 8: Letting Everybody In - Berakhot 28a part 2.
[5] For another piece exploring the impact of this policy shift at HUC — along with further work they could do to affirm interfaith families — see this piece by Edmund Case, featured in JTA.
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **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.
Tales of the Unbound: Episode 3 — We go HAMfollows Josh’s spiritual journey of claiming Jewish identity, finding healing through reconciliation, and what it means to lead from a place of faith. His joy in the face of adversity is captivating as he carries his own stories and the stories of others as part of his personal evolution. This episode will reach you in the kishkas* carrying the listener as we move from tears to laughter, embracing the raw humanity of becoming yourself.
*Kishkas = Literally: intestines; Colloquially: In the guts/ where you deeply feel emotion
And you can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
Perplexed? About Judaism, and God, and life generally? Us too. Maimonides (also known as Rambam) wrote a book specifically for us called The Guide to the Perplexed, a bit more than 800 years ago, and it still has much to teach us today! Lenn E. Goodman, co-author of The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation (with Phillip I. Lieberman) joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Maimonides’s work, and how we might apply it in our own time.
[1] Purchase *The Guide to the Perplexed: A New Translation*via this link — and purchase the companion book, entitled *A Guide to the Guide to the Perplexed: A Reader’s Companion to Maimonides’ Masterwork*, via this link. Learn more about Lenn Goodman here.
[2] Goodman mentions the influence that Al-Farabi had on Maimonides. Learn more about Al-Farabi here.
[3] You should definitely purchase Goodman and Lieberman’s translation of Guide to the Perplexed. If you’re looking in the meantime (while it ships to you, we hope!) for a free, online version of the text, click here.
[4] Dan mentioned at the top of the episode that we have Elul Unbound — our Judaism Unbound initiative that serves as an “on-ramp” to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur — coming up. Sign up for our Elul email list here!
Ollie Schwartz is the founder of Pushcart Judaica, which offers accessible Jewish ritual objects, books, zines, and art that reflect liberatory values, handcrafted beauty, and queer brilliance. Schwartz joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the power of Jewish objects, reflections on why “people of the pushcart” might be as good a moniker as “people of the book,” and their dreams for the future of Judaica.
[1] Learn more about Pushcart Judaica (and purchase some of their amazing Judaica!) by heading to **PushcartJudaica.com**. Follow them on instagram via @PushcartJudaica.
[2] Lex gives a shout-out to Ketzirah Lesser’s Golem Pin, which is featured in Pushcart Judaica. Check it out here, and listen in to Lesser’s appearance on Judaism Unbound via Episode 345: When Jewish Meets Jewitch - Ketzirah Lesser.
[3] Schwartz previously was part of the team at Linke Fligl. Learn more about Linke Fligl, a “former queer Jewish chicken farm and cultural organizing project,” via LinkeFligl.com.
[4] For more on the Community Torah project that Schwartz referenced, see this link.
[5] Check out this piece in JTA about the 2020 film An American Pickle, which centers on a fictional pushcart peddler in New York City played by Seth Rogen!
[6] Explore the work of Beit Kohenet (referenced by Schwartz, when they spoke about Jewish priestesses) via BeitKohenet.org.
[7] Schwartz shouts out the work of Jewish Museum Chicago. Follow them on instagram via @JewishMuseumChicago!
[8] For more about “Soul Candles,” see this 2018 article in The Forward.
Dan and Lex conclude their series of episodes on disability and Judaism. They discuss the wisdom from these episodes, including strategies for imagining accessible Jewish futures, how to navigate a tradition that contains both harm and insight, and how we make choices about editorializing our tradition in order to speak to who Jews are in the present. This episode is the 8th and final episode in a series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring disability justice and Judaism.
**[1]** Listen to all the previous episodes in the disability series:
- Episode 423: Disability Torah – Julia Watts Belser
- Episode 424: The Superpowers of Blind Rabbis – Lauren Tuchman
- Episode 427: Rabbi on the Spectrum – Tzemah Yoreh
- Episode 428: Reading with Our Hands and Ears – Livia Thompson
- Episode 431: Disability Justice Torah Circle – Jess Belasco
- Episode 432: Radical Spiritual Care – Elliot Kukla
- Episode 436: My Body’s Keeper – Sharoni Sibony
[2] Dan alludes to an incredible story from the Talmud about whether to “delete” something from Jewish tradition. Find that story here: Bava Metzia 27a.
[3] New mini-courses will be offered soon in Judaism Unbound’s UnYeshiva! Stay in the loop about these classes, and other Judaism Unbound updates, by signing up for our email list — via this link.
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **This week, we’re bringing you the first 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.
“Tales of the Unbound: Episode 2 – “Yes Way”explores the role of prison chaplaincy in cultivating a sense of belonging and Jewish connection among incarcerated people. This episode specifically follows Amy, the Jewish sponsor and chaplain at Monroe Correctional. We talk about what it felt like to first enter the space, how she cultivated a thoughtful community, and where the boundaries lay around Jewish identity.
For full shownotes for episode 2 of Tales of the Unbound, click here.And you can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
Ari Saks recently completed an 11-year career as a full-time pulpit rabbi, and is currently focused on reaching out to interfaith families, primarily through his podcast called Interfaithing. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about co-officiating interfaith weddings, how he thinks about presiding over meaningful marriage rituals, and the importance of celebrating interfaith families.
**[1]** Listen to Ari Saks’ Interfaithing Podcast with co-host Anna DeWeese.
[2] Dan, Lex, and Ari briefly discuss Amichai Lau-Lavie’s decision to officiate interfaith marriages as a rabbi ordained in the Conservative movement. Listen to an early episode of the Judaism Unbound podcast where Dan and Lex talked to Amichai shortly after the public announcement of his decision in 2017.
[3] Ari Saks describes his time working in Interfaith Community in New York City and the incredible impact of this work in his career. Learn more about this organization here.
[4] In this episode, Saks addresses one of the most salient and harmful myths of interfaith marriage: the prospect of children from interfaith households experiencing religious confusion. Listen to two important “mythbusting” episodes (Part 1 and Part 2) on this topic from the Interfaithing Podcast where Ari and Anna unpack this idea.
[5] Lex references a previous episode with friend of the pod Susan Katz Miller about interfaith families. Listen to that episode here.
[6] When talking about the importance of the role that children play in common anxieties about interfaith marriage, Saks mentions an idea from first-century Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria. You can find the quote he references here, in section “V (29).”
There's still time to apply for the UnYeshiva Certificate Program! Click here to find out more. Rena Yehuda Newman (They/Them) is a Jewish, transgender writer, educator, independent publisher, and illustrator living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Rena Yehuda is also the new Director of the UnYeshiva Certificate Program. They join Lex on the podcast for a conversation about the UnYeshiva Certificate Program and how creative, collaborative learning environments can help us envision emergent Jewish futures.
[1] Listen to Rena Yehuda’s prior appearances on the podcast: Judaism Unbound Bonus Episode – Pluralism of Necessity and Judaism Unbound Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Summer Camp – Rena Yehuda Newman and Julia Hegele.
[2] Lex and Rena Yehuda discuss the incredible Testosterone Survey Zine that Rena Yehuda published, a community health art project which is both creative and critically informative.
[3] View all of Rena Yehuda’s amazing zines and publications.
[4] Rena Yehuda references a very impactful zine by Micah Bazant. Read Rena Yehuda’s writing on their connection to that zine here. You can find the original Bazant zine here.
[5] Check out our previous episode with Chava Shapiro, founder of the Jewish Zine Archive: Episode 430: Zines are Torah — Chava Shapiro.
[6] Rena Yehuda mentions learning from artist and cartoonist Lynda Barry. Read more about Lynda and her work in this article from the New York Times.
Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR. Her book, The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World, is a national bestseller, and her 2016 TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people. Brous was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized by The Forward and Jerusalem Post as one of the fifty most influential Jews. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about loneliness, the importance of connection, and the power of showing up for one another.
[1] Learn more about Brous’s Book, *The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World* (2024).
[2] You can watch many of Brous’s previous sermons, talks, and services on the IKAR Youtube page.
[3] Read this 2019 opinion essay in the New York Times by Brous, entitled “Train Yourself to Always Show Up.”
[4] Read some of Brous’s recent published writing on loneliness, “How the Ancient Idea of ‘Amen’ Can Heal Loneliness.”
[5] Brous references an incredible story in the Talmud from Avodah Zara 8a about Adam experiencing the sun going down for the first time.
[6] Brous made a companion guide of source sheets on Sefaria to accompany each chapter of her book. Spend more time with those sources here.
[7] When talking about the efficacy of individual moral behavior, Dan mentions a previous episode with Jennie Rosenn, founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action. Listen to the episode with Jennie here.
Sharoni Sibony is a multi-talented Jewish educator, and the artist behind an exhibition entitled My Body’s Keeper: Provocations and Possibilities. Sibony joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Jewish ritual technologies, art, disability Torah, and more. This episode is the 7th in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring the Torah of disability and chronic illness. To view the artistic depictions of ritual objects referenced in the podcast, scroll down this page.
[1] Dan and Lex speak at length in this episode with Sharoni about her recent creative project, “My Body’s Keeper.” You can read more about the project and view all of the art referenced in this conversation here. Several of Sharoni’s pieces from “My Body’s Keeper” are included below as a visual companion to the episode:
**Eternal Light Therapy**
Watercolour and pen
**Foam Roller Torah**
Watercolour and pen
**Pomegranate Pill Box**
Watercolour and pen
**Tender Pointers**
Watercolour, pen, and burnt paper
**Torah Medicine Cabinets**
Watercolour and pen
[2] Learn more about Sibony and her work at the Morris Winchevsky School.
[3] Sharoni mentions Vanessa Ochs's book Inventing Jewish Ritual. Vanessa appeared as one of our earliest guests on the Judaism Unbound podcast, way back in Episode 5.
[4] Sharoni brings in the concept of Hiddur Mitzvah, the beautification of mitzvot, and its impact in her work and thinking.
[5] Our conversation with Sharoni finds common ground with our previous conversation with Brett Lockspeiser about spiritual hardware and imagining new kinds of Jewish ritual objects. Listen to our episode with Brett here.
[6] Sharoni and Lex discuss a Jewish prayer for healing, Mi Shebeirach, and the intentions and shortcomings of this liturgy. Learn more about the Mi Shebeirach here.
Click here to access the full shownotes for this episode! **This week, we’re bringing you the first episode of our newest podcast,** **Tales of the Unbound****!**
Tales of the Unbound: Episode 1 - "Jewish Enough" follows the stories of Ari and Josh, two men pursuing Jewish conversion while incarcerated. Despite facing obstacles and judgments, they find belonging and community within Judaism. The episode explores themes of identity, conversion, and belonging, shedding light on the challenges and joys of practicing Judaism behind bars. Through their journey, listeners witness the power of faith, resilience, and the pursuit of personal transformation. Join us on this heartfelt exploration of Judaism and the human spirit.
For full shownotes for episode 1 of Tales of the Unbound, click here. And you can subscribe to Tales of the Unbound in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else podcasts are found!
It’s almost time… for Shavuot! Dan, Lex, and Miriam come together for a conversation about what Shavuot will look like this year at Judaism Unbound. They explore the connections between Shavuot and conversion, renewing our commitment to Judaism through ritual, and how we can meaningfully experience Shavuot in new and ancient ways.
Click HERE to register for ShavuotLIVE 2024, taking place June 8th-June 9th! [1] View the full schedule and find out more about ShavuotLIVE on our ShavuotLIVE website.
[2] The Judaism Unbound podcast universe is expanding! The first episode of our new podcast, Tales of the Unbound with Miriam Terlinchamp, is now available to stream. Click here to listen and learn more about Tales of the Unbound.
[3] Dan, Lex, and Miriam spend a lot of time in this episode exploring why Shavuot is an important holiday to celebrate conversion. Check out this bonus episode on the Book of Ruth, a traditional reading for Shavuot, and what it offers us in thinking about conversion on Shavuot.
[4] This year at ShavuotLIVE 2024, there will be a special ceremony to honor several folks who have been pursuing a conversion path through JU. Learn more about paths to conversion supported by Judaism Unbound.
[5] Steam other past Shavuot episodes on the podcast, including Episode 377: Shavuot in the Cloud, Shavuot I: What the Heck is Shavuot? , Shavuot II: The Future of Shavuot , Shavuot III: What's the Deal with the Dairy?, and Shavuot IV: The Book of Ruth
[6] Lex mentions rabbinic debate about when Shavuot should be observed in the Jewish calendar. Our conversation with Dalia Marx in “Episode 429: The Jewish Calendar” touches on the dispute about the “correct” time to observe Shavuot.
[7] Lex references Laura Yares’ ShavuotLIVE presentation from 2022, which dives into the history of observances of Shavuot in the United States. Catherine Horowitz’s ShavuotLIVE 2023 presentation on the “past, present and future of confirmation” builds on some of Yares’ thinking.
Shai Held, one of the most influential Jewish thinkers and leaders in America, is president and dean of the Hadar Institute in New York City. Held received the prestigious Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education, and has been named multiple times to Newsweek’s list of the most influential rabbis in America and to the Forward's list of the most prominent Jews in the world. He is the author of Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence (2013) and The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion (2017). In this conversation, Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg welcome him to the show to explore his newest book, entitled Judaism is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life.
[1] Click here to order Held’s book, *Judaism* *is About Love.*
[2] Held is a beloved return guest to Judaism Unbound. Listen to his previous two appearances on the podcast in Episode 49: “The Prophetic Voice” and Episode 137: “God of Love.”
[3] Held also hosted a weekly jewishLIVE show, “Reading Psalms with Shai Held.” Those classes are available to stream here.
[4] Check out this article from March 2024, “Why Rabbi Shai Held says love is the cornerstone of Jewish belief and practice,” in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which explores themes from Judaism is About Love.
[5] Held references Martin Buber’s foundational work of Jewish moral philosophy, I and Thou.
[6] Dan Libenson and Shai Held remember Nancy Neveloff Dubler, friend, bioethicist, and true example of chesed. Learn more about Nancy’s life and work in her obituary in the New York Times.
Elliot Kukla (he/they) is a rabbi, author, and activist. Elliot has worked at the intersection of justice and spiritual care to those who are ill, dying and bereaved since 2007. They are currently on the faculty of SVARA, where they also direct the Collective Loss Adaptation Project (CLAP). Elliot joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about justice-based radical spiritual care, and what both the experience of chronic illness and the Jewish tradition offer our world as we contend with grief, loss, and the need for rest.
[1] Check out Elliot’s website and read about Elliot in the news.
[2] This episode references Elliot’s work leading the Communal Loss Adaptation Project, associated with SVARA. The Communal Loss Adaptation Project (CLAP) provides a supportive, non-judgmental context with a queer spiritual framing to form empathetic connections among those grieving.
[3] Explore Elliot’s prolific published writing and visual art on their website.
[4] Lex mentions an article Elliot wrote in The Forward about living with chronic illness, which discusses the fraught idea of “real life” as tied to productivity.
[5] Elliot cites disability thinker TL Lewis on the nature of ableism as a “fertilizer” and sustainer of dehumanizing oppressions.
[6] Lex references an article Elliot wrote about laziness for the New York Times. Elliot also notes that this article is being adapted into a children’s book, “The Lazy Day,” soon to be published!
Jess Belasco is the founder and director of The Disability Justice Torah Circle,a space in which Jews with disabilities can build community around Torah, engage Jewish text through a disability justice lens, and nurture and amplify their voices to impact the broader Jewish community. They join Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about what disability has to say about Torah and what Torah has to say about disability.
Our second round of spring UnYeshiva mini-courses are live! Learn more and register at JudaismUnbound.com/Classes. Plus, mark your calendars for ShavuotLIVE, our 24-hour consecutive Jewish learning extravaganza! Learn more and register at JudaismUnbound.com/Shavuot2024.
[1] Belasco is the founder and director of the Disability Justice Torah Circle, housed at Svara: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva.
[2] Belasco refers to the social model of disability, which understands disability as socially constructed.
[3] Lex recommends listening to Episode 3: Exodus – Benay Lappe when Belasco talks about Benay Lappe’s crash theory as it relates to disability experience.
[4] Lex asks Belasco about DJTC’s COVID Spiritual Practice Group, which she mentions several times throughout the episode.
[5] Belasco recalls that they were moved to create the COVID Spiritual Practice Group after watching this YouTube video of people cheering on an airplane when the mask mandate was lifted.
[6] Belasco references, The Jewish Covid Resilience Network, another organization that she started.
Chava Shapiro is the founder of the Jewish Zine Archive, an archival collection of Jewish zines and a digital Jewish cultural space. They join Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation related to their upcoming UnYeshiva mini-course, Unraveling Jewish Zines: From Rashi to the Haggadah to Instagram, which will explore the intersection of Jewish identity, DIY ethos, and artistic innovation through the lens of zine culture.
Register for Chava Shapiro's 3-week mini-course in the UnYeshiva here! Learn more about and register for Chava Shapiro’s UnYeshiva class, Unraveling Jewish Zines: From Rashi to the Haggadah to Instagram, which starts on May 22nd!
[1] Be sure to check out the Jewish Zine Archive, and follow them on Instagram, @jewishzinearchive.
[2] Shapiro recommends visiting the Barnard Zine Library.
[3] Shapiro discusses Dada, an early 20th-century German artistic movement that strove to deconstruct and democratize the creative process. Tristan Tzara, a Romanian poet and leader of Dada, created The Dada Journal, which Shapiro cites as an early zine. See this article in The Forward about Tzara and Jewish Dada: Jewish Dadaists: Forgotten Jewish Dada-ists Get Their Due.”
[4] Shapiro says that Emanuel Ringelblum’s “Oneg Shabbos” – a group of Jewish historians in the Warsaw Ghetto who documented their lives before and during the Holocaust – largely inspired JZA.
[5] Turning to the archival nature of their project, Shapiro cites Saidya Harman’s writing about the importance of both documenting contemporary Black experience while looking back at historical archives and filling in the blanks. Learn more about Hartman’s work in this New Yorker piece, “How Saidiya Hartman Retells the History of Black Life.”
[6] Shapiro mentions a butterfly meme, and then Lex tries to explain it.
[7] Lex shouts out Shapiro’s zine about Emma Goldman for the month of Sivan.
[8] Shapiro explains how the DIY punk scene served as their gateway into zine-making, sharing their special affinity for Riot Grrrl. See this article from the Jewish Women’s Archive connecting Riot Grrrl to Judaism, “Ritualizing Riot Grrrl.” They also talk about discovering Ezra Rose’s Six Songs Zine as a major moment in their Jewish zine-making journey.
[9] JZA is physically housed in the Blacklidge Community Collective in Tucson, Arizona, and shares space with The Arizona Queer Archive, Perilous Chronicle, which documents political organizing among incarcerated people across North America, and Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness, a small radical literary publication.
[10] Lex brings the conversation back to whether or not the Haggadah is the original Jewish zine. Decide for yourself by listening to Episode 211: The Passover Haggadah, A Biography – Vanessa Ochs, and watching the recording of our book launch event on the same subject.
[11] Shapiro states that they subscribe to Harold Bloom’s position that one of the writers of Tanakh (the source that academics refer to as “J”) was a woman, as argued in his famous book, The Book of J.
[12] Shapiro talks about their illustration of broken chains accompanied by the text, “There are no prisons in olam haba.” Check it out here.
Dalia Marx, an author, teacher, and activist who promotes liberal Judaism in Israel, is the Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. Her book, From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar, uses a progressive approach to explore each Hebrew month and its holidays alongside art and literature. She joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about the Jewish calendar of the past, present, and future.
Our newest round of UnYeshiva mini-courses is now live, and it’s not too late to register! We’ve got everything from Phish to zines to death. Learn more and sign up at JudaismUnbound.com/Classes.
[1] Be sure to check out Marx’s book on the Jewish calendar, *From Time to Time: Journeys in The Jewish Calendar*.
[2] Marx states that the actual date of Shavuot is debated amongst certain Jewish communities to this day. Check out Episode 264: Karaites: Bible Only, Please – Shawn Lichaa to learn about the Karaites’ and the Rabbanites’ different approaches to the Jewish calendar, including when to celebrate Shavuot.
[3] Marx discusses the custom of eating dairy on Shavuot. Learn more about this quirky tradition with our past bonus episode, Shavuot Part III: What’s the Deal With Dairy?.
[4] Dan says he’s “become a religious convert to the school of Marie Kondo.” Listen to him and Lex talk about “Marie-Kondo-ing” Judaism at Episode 174: Tidying Up Judaism – Dan and Lex.
[5] Lex mentions that we had a coffee expert teach about the historical link between the popularization of coffee and the tradition to stay awake all night on the holiday of Shavuot. Watch a recording of the presentation at ShavuotLIVE 2023: Session 11 – Avery Robinson.
[6] Marx cites the theory that Shavuot is an adaptation of the Christian Pentecost. Explore this idea further with John Barton and Michael Hilton’s essay, “Between Shavuot and Pentecost.”
[7] Lex mentions Dan’s love for both the Northern Kingdom and the work of Yochi Brandes. Well, check out The Secret Book of Kings, Yochi Brandes’ novel exploring the Book of Kings from the perspective of the Northern Kingdom and Jeroboam — translated by Dan Libenson.
Livia Thompson serves as the Executive Director of JBI(formerly Jewish Braille Institute): an organization enabling access to Jewish life through audio, braille, and large-print texts. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about JBI and its powerful work. This episode is the 4th in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Disability Torah.
[1] There are some amazing 3-session mini-course offerings beginning at the end of April in the UnYeshiva. Check out these classes at www.judaismunbound.com/classes!
Click here to check out our upcoming UnYeshiva mini-courses, starting soon! [2] Learn more about JBI by heading to www.jbilibrary.org! Learn more about Livia Thompson by clicking here.
[3] To check out JBI’s library of existing texts, request customized materials, and more, click here.
[4] For more info on Lenny Sarko’s Braille Torah, referenced by Thompson in this episode, see this article.
[5] This article, entitled “Bringing Passover to All: JBI’s Mission of Inclusion Through Accessible Haggadot,” shines a light on JBI’s work on Passover haggadot (guides to a Passover Seder). Check it out via this link.
Tzemah Yoreh is a rabbi, scholar, and liturgist who recently wrote a book entitled So Compassionate It Hurts: My Life as a Rabbi On the Spectrum. He joins Judaism Unbound for the third episode in an ongoing series exploring Disability Torah.
**[1] There are some amazing 3-session mini-course offerings beginning at the end of April in the UnYeshiva. Check out these classes at** **www.judaismunbound.com/classes****!**
[2] Learn more about Tzemah Yoreh by visiting TzemahYoreh.com. Learn more about his recent book So Compassionate It Hurts: My Life as a Rabbi on the Spectrum by visiting RabbiOnTheSpectrum.com.
[3] For a past episode of Judaism Unbound featuring Tzemah Yoreh, see Episode 268: Abraham Did Kill Isaac - Tzemah Yoreh.
[4] For a few recent articles Yoreh has written, see this piece featured in The Hill and/or this piece in Newsweek.
[5] Learn more about the notion of universal design by heading to UniversalDesign.ie, the official website of The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD).
[6] For previous episodes in this series of Judaism Unbound episodes on disability Torah, see Episode 423: Disability Torah - Julia Watts Belser and Episode 424: The Superpowers of Blind Rabbis - Lauren Tuchman.
Hadar Cohen is an Arab Jewish scholar, mystic and artist. She teaches spirituality and Jewish mysticism at Malchut, a mystical school teaching direct experience of God, creates art focused on shifting societal narratives, such as Prostrations and The Selichot Project, and writes about Judaism through the lens of intersectional feminism, as seen in her Feminism All Night project. She joins Lex Rofeberg for a conversation conversation about her upcoming UnYeshiva class, which delves into the cultures, traditions, and stories that make Sephardi and Mizrahi communities unique.
CHECK OUT HADAR’S 3-WEEK MINI-COURSE IN THE UNYESHIVA! Hadar Cohen is teaching a course in the UnYeshiva this semester, diving into everything from customs and languages to rituals that set Sephardic and Mizrahi experiences apart from the more well-known Ashkenazi Jewish traditions. Learn more about and register for her class, Sephardic and Mizrahi Identities: Beyond Ashkenormativity!
[1] Stay up-to-date on Hadar Cohen’s work via her podcast, Hadar’s Web, her Substack blog, and her Instagram, @HadarCohen32.
[2] Cohen shares about her trip to Andalusia, Spain, which inspired her Sephardic Mystical Retreat in 2023. Learn more about the impact of her journey in her Hey Alma article, "A Mystical Pilgrimage to Andalusia Helped Me Connect with My Sephardic Jewish Identity".
[3] Cohen mentions that Sephardi Jews have prayerbooks distinct from those of Ashkenazi Jews.
[4] Cohen references this article by Egyptian Jewish feminist Vicki Shiran.
[5] Lex cites Palestinian American scholar Edward Said as the progenitor of the term “Orientalism,” as made famous by his 1979 book, Orientalism, which critiques Western historical, political, and cultural perceptions of the East. For more on Said’s Orientalism within the context of American Judaism, check out his previously unpublished letter to American Jewish intellectuals, and Peter Beinart’s article, "Answering Said’s Call," both published by Jewish Currents.
[6] Cohen states that Rambam (Moses ben Maimon or Maimonides, the 12th-century Egyptian rabbi who is one of the influential Torah scholars of all time) had a son who was a Sufi-Jewish mystic. See these scholarly articles, "The Philosopher and the Mystic?" and "Abraham Maimonides: A Jewish Sufi."
[7] Lex shouts out our past episode with Shawn Lichaa, Episode 264: Karaites: Bible Only, Please because it dismantled some of his assumptions about rabbinic Judaism as normative.
[8] Cohen brings up her art show, "Prostrations", which explores Sephardi and Mizrahi devotional practices. Check out this video of the show, and deep-dive into Cohen’ research via this guidebook.
Judaism Unbound’s executive director Miriam Terlinchamp, senior Jewish educator Lex Rofeberg, and senior fellow Dan Libenson take a close look at Passover, discussing everything from matzah scultpures to individual vs. collective liberation.
**[1] There are some amazing mini-course offerings beginning at the end of April in the UnYeshiva. Check out these classes at** **www.judaismunbound.com/classes****!**
[2] Check out our past Passover resources at Passover Unbound and The Plague Project.
[3] Lex mentions the Seinfeld episode in which the characters celebrate the made-up holiday of Festivus and air all of their grievances (Season 9, Episode 10). Check out this Hey Alma article, “The Miracle of Festivus,” for a look at the episode through a Jewish lens.
[4] Lex refers to Nate deGroot’s statement that when he opens his door and shouts, “All who are hungry come and eat,” no one can hear him because he lives in a rural area. Listen to Episode 418: Prophetic Judaism – Nate deGroot to hear the full story and more.
[5] At the end of this episode, Dan invites us to ask ourselves what Passover is for. For a related conversation, see Episode 71: What’s Judaism For? – Dan and Lex.
Lauren Tuchman is a sought-after spiritual leader and educator whose work focuses on disability access and inclusion. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018, she is, as far as she is aware, the first blind woman in the world to enter the rabbinate. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the nexus between visual impairment, inclusion, and Jewish tradition. This episode is the second in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Disability Torah.
For a full transcript for this episode, click here. [1] Be sure to check out Lauren Tuchmann’s website, as well as her ELI Talk: We Were All At Sinai: The Transformative Power of Inclusive Torah.
[2] This episode is the second in our new series on the Torah of disability. Listen to our previous episode in the series at Episode 423: The Torah of Disability – Julia Watts Belser.
[3] Tuchman mentions the architectural barriers to Jews with disabilities in many Jewish spaces. See this 2017 article published in Jewish Currents, Inclusion and the Soul of a Synagogue, which explores the relationship between physical Jewish space and accessibility.
[4] Tuchman states that her favorite Torah story about visual impairment is one in which Leah is described as having “weak eyes” (Genesis 29:17). She also cites the portion of Leviticus that lists blindness as a reason a priest is unqualified to perform his priestly duties (Leviticus 21:18), the section of Deuteronomy that curses anyone who “misleads a blind person” (Deuteronomy 27:18), and the line in Leviticus which states, “Do not place a stumbling block before the blind” (Leviticus 19:14).
[5] Tuchman references Julia Watts Belser’s book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole. Psst… Belser was our guest last week!
[6] Tuchman mentions to blind rabbis in the Talmud: Rav Yosef (Rav Yosef bar Hiyya) and Rav Sheshet.
[7] In the context of her interfaith upbringing, Tuchman describes Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, as a deeply wise non-Jewish voice in the Torah. Get to know the character in Parshat Yitro.
[8] Dan asks Tuchman about her thoughts on mussar, a Jewish practice of spiritual and ethical self-improvement. Check out our past episode on the subject, Episode 167: The Meaning of Mussar – David Jaffe.
[9] Tuchman informs us that audiobooks were first recorded in the United States by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. She also mentions JBI International, the Jewish affiliate of this service.
[10] Tuchman uses the phrase “book famine” to describe the current reality that only 10% of books are made accessible.
[11] Tuchman discusses the story in which Isaac’s blindness is weaponized against him (Genesis 27).
Julia Watts Belser is a rabbi, scholar, and longtime disability and queer activist. She currently serves as a professor of Jewish Studies in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Georgetown University, and core faculty in Georgetown's Disability Studies Program. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about her latest book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole, which won a National Jewish Book Award in 2023. This episode is the first in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring Disability Torah.
For a full transcript of this episode, click here. [1] Learn more about Julia Watts Belser on her website, and be sure to check out her incredible book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole.
[2] Dan’s first question centers on Benay Lappe’s theory of “donkey stories,” a framework for understanding how diverse people can all see themselves in one text. Learn more about this idea in this article, or in our episode, Episode 3: Exodus – Benay Lappe. He also mentions our more recent conversation that relates this topic to actual donkeys, Episode 417: Jewish Learning for Climate Crisis – Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Yosef Rosen.
In the context of “donkey stories,” Dan also mentions our past episode that applies Lappe’s theory from a transgender perspective, Episode 151: Judaism from a Transgender Perspective – Joy Ladin.
He also refers to our recent episode that relates this topic to actual donkeys (i.e. animals in the Bible), Episode 417: Jewish Learning for Climate Crisis – Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Yosef Rosen.
[3] Julia cites the disabilities of several characters in the Torah: Moses’s speech impediment (Exodus 4:10), Isaac’s blindness (Genesis 27:1), and Jacob’s limp (Genesis 32:32).
[4] Juluia reads Ezekiel’s vision of God “having wheels” as a story about God being in a wheelchair, a realization that inspired her book (Ezekiel 1:15-21). (P.S. Check out Louis Armstrong’s rendition of the popularized African American spiritual, “Ezekiel Saw the Wheel,” which is based on this chapter of the Hebrew Bible.)
[5] Julia analyzes chapters from the book of Isaiah and the book of Jeremiah side-by-side to demonstrate two distinct paradigms for thinking about navigating and thinking about disability. Whereas Isaiah 35:5-6 imagines a messianic future in which disability is undone, Jeremiah 31:8-9 imagines a messianic future in which disability is a celebrated part of the story. We like the second one. Duh.
[6] Dan refers to a Talmudic story that views disabilities as a punishment for people who engage in their notion of sexual misconduct (Nedarim 20a:13).
[7] Dan also mentions Jay Michaelson’s fictional short story in which the passage in Leviticus banning homosexuality suddenly disappears. Read the story, titled “The Verse,” in full. For more from Michaelson, see Episode 38: Judaism & Evolving Dharma, Episode 197: Religious Heresy, and Episode 340: More Religious Heresy
[8] Lex says his favorite Torah portion is Parsha Balak, which he loves because of its all-over-the-place-ness. This year, it will be read the week of July 20th, so mark your calendars.
[9] Julia describes God’s responses to Moses’ anxiety about his speech-related disability as God giving reasonable accommodations – the legally-required modification of jobs to be accessible to those with disabilities – to Moses. In the beginning of Exodus 4, God offers Moses “signs,” nonverbal communication methods (Exodus 4:1-9). Later, God also assigns Aaron to be Moses’ revoicer (Exodus 4:14-16).
[10] Julia also points to an offensive reading of Moses’ disability, in which the rabbis state that Moses was able to give the speech constituting the entire book of Deuteronomy because learning Torah “healed” him, implying that his disability was something he needed to overcome to be whole (Midrash Tanchuma, Devarim 2). Belser instead offers that Deuteronomy marks the moment when Moses steps into his authentic mode of communication, and his community recognizes the truth in his unique voice.
This year, Judaism Unbound’s executive director Miriam Terlinchamp, senior Jewish educator Lex Rofeberg, and senior fellow Dan Libenson dig into all things Purim: the darkness of the book of Esther, the yonic nature of hamantaschen, and the appropriate ratio of comedy to tragedy when it comes to honoring the holiday.
[1] As Dan says, this is our ninth Purim on the podcast. To see some of the other ways we’ve celebrated Purim over the years, check out:
- The Megillah Project
- PurimLIVE 2021
- Episode 263: Purim Torah – Anna Solomon
- Bonus Episode: Esther’s Editions, Esther’s Additions
[2] The origin story of Purim ties to the Book of Esther.
[3] Miriam mentions that hamantaschen – the triangular, jam-filled cookies commonly understood to represent the hat donned by Haman, the villain in the Purim story– can be traced to worship of Ishtar, the ancient Mesopotamian fertility goddess from whose name Esther derives. Or, as Hey Alma puts it in the title of their article, "Yes, There’s a Reason Hamantaschen Look Like Vaginas."
[4] Miriam cites the oft-quoted line of the Purim story, “U’mi yodea?” or “Who knows?” a question at the center of Mordecai’s plea to Esther to reveal her Jewish identity to King Achashverosh in order to save her people (Esther 4:14).
[5] Dan mentions the Shalom Center’s Chapter 9 Project, an effort to re-write the section of the book of Esther in which the Jews commit mass murder in retaliation against their enemies (Esther 9).
[6] Lex quotes the verse from the book of Esther, “La-Yehudim haita orah v’simchah v’sasson v’ikrah” or “For the Jews there was light and happiness and joy and honor,” which is quoted weekly on Havdalah, the ritual to end Shabbat (Esther 8:16).
[7] Lex states that we need to better integrate the darkness of the Purim story into our celebration of the holiday. Check out this op-ed by past guest, Shaul Magid, “The Dark Side of Purim.” Listen to our episodes with Magid at Episode 13: American Post-Judaism and Episode 296: Radicalism, Power, Violence, and Meir Kahane.
[8] Dan, Lex, and Miriam discuss whether the usually silly and joyous celebration of Purim appropriately reflects either the holiday itself or our contemporary moment. For more on this dissonance, particularly in relation to the current war in Israel/Palestine, we recommend these articles: “Reclaiming Purim from the Supremacists” published by scholar Lexie Botzum last year and “This Purim, Stand Against Kahanism” published by Maya Rosen in 2019.
Ariana Katz, founder of Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl, sees rooted ritual and radical organizing as her Jewish legacy. Jessica Rosenberg, author of Introduction to Trauma, Healing and Resilience for Rabbis, Jewish Educators and Organizers, is a teacher on integrating trauma-informed pedagogy into Jewish education, ritual and organizing. The two are co-authors of a new book entitled For Times Such as These: A Radical Guide to the Jewish Year, and theyjoin Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about it — and all things radical-Judaism!
[1] Be sure to check out Ariana Katz and Jessica Rosenberg’s book, *For Times Such as These: A Radical Guide to the Jewish Year*, and keep tabs on all things book-related via their Instagram, @fortimessuchasthesebook. You can also listen to our previous episode with Katz at **Episode 361: Spiritual Abundance – Ariana Katz**.
[2] Rosenberg refers to putting oranges and olives on the seder plate.
[3] Katz shouts out Judith Plaskow’s Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective as a forebear to For Times Such as These.
[4] Rosenberg cites the 1994 massacre carried out by Israeli-American Baruch Goldstein, who murdered 29 Palestinians and injured 125 in Hebron, while invoking the Purim story’s instruction to blot out the enemy, Amalek (Deuteronomy 25:19). Listen to this episode from podcast Unpacking Israeli History to learn more about the massacre, and check out this source sheet by Toba Spitzer to explore the text of Amalek and what it implies about our relationship to the other.
[5] Rosenberg mentions congregation Tzedek Chicago and their anti-violence approach to reading the Book of Esther on Purim.
[6] Lex describes Arthur Waskow’s Seasons of Our Joy: A Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays and Jill Hammer’s The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons as important constituents in the lineage of radical 21st-century accompaniments to the Jewish calendar. Katz later adds the Radical Jewish Calendar to this list.
[7] Lex makes some kind of math analogy about roots and radicals that sounds like it’s probably really creative. If you want to actually find out what he’s talking about, here’s a middle school math lesson on the subject. Best of luck. Also, here’s an article that articulates some of what Lex was getting at, tying the mathematical and political notions of “radical.” (drawing on Angela Davis).
[8] Rosenberg thanks Dori Midnight and Sol Weiss for their artistic contributions to For Times Such as These.
[9] Rosenberg says that Ross Gay’s essay collection, Inciting Joy, is the text at the beginning of the Hebrew month of Adar – that’s now! So read up. She adds that another of Gay’s collections, The Book of Delights: Essays, is another great late-winter read.
[10] Lex refers to IsItAJewishHolidayToday.com and says he wishes that every day were a Jewish holiday. It can be, if you listen to our podcast!
[11] Katz refers to the time between holidays as the black fire to the white fire of the holiday seasons. This is a reference to a Talmudic passage stating the Torah was given to Moses written with white fire on black fire (Yerushalmi Shekalim 6:1).
[12] Rosenberg quotes Aurora Morales’ book, Medicine Stories: Essays for Radicals, which calls ancestral stories as the medicine of our time.
Analucía Lopezrevoredo is the founder of Latin Jewish cultural and educational organization Jewtina y Co, as well as an award-winning activist and sociologist known for her work on human migration, immigrant identity development and global Jewish communities. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Latin Jewish diaspora, diversity, and emerging creative movements.
[1] Be sure to check out Lopezrevoredo’s incredible organization, Jewtina y Co.
[2] Lopezrevoredo mentions Baron de Hirsch as an important figure in the establishment of Jewish communities in Latin America following the Spanish Inquisition.
[3] Lopezrevoredo mentions this 2014 study from the Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA), a part of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), as the first large-scale study to give us a glimpse into Latin-American Jewish peoplehood in the United States.
[4] Lopezrevoredo shouts out our past episodes with Juan Mejia: Episode 57: Becoming Jewish on the Web and Episode 387: Conversion to Judaism – Beyond Blood Quantum.
[5] Lex asks Lopezrevoredo about the Puentes Fellowship. She describes the four-month leadership and resiliency development program as a way to empower Latin Jews, root them in culturally-responsive Torah, and build multicultural Jewish community.
[6] While speaking about Jewtina y CO’s goal of lifting up a wide range of Latin Jewish voices, Lopezrevoredo mentions the Voces Project, a community archive of stories from individuals who identify as Latin and Jewish.
[7] Lopezrevoredo explains that Jewtina y Co has started incorporating Mussar, a Jewish method of personal and spiritual development, into the Puentes Fellowship. Check out our past episodes that also focus on this theme at Episode 167: The Meaning of Mussar – David Jaffe and Episode 168: American Mussar – Greg Marcus.
[8] Lopezrevoredo shares about a film screening in LA of director Dani Rotstein’s documentary, "Xueta Island", which tells the story of Jewish families on the island of Majorca descended from Jews forced to convert to Christianity and change their name.
[9] Lopezrevoredo mentions some of Jewtina y Co’s past events, such as a Mexican Jewish Film Festival in New York and Latin Jewish Family Festival in Berkeley, and a trip in conjunction with Mitsui Collective (psst… Episode 360: Your Body is a Sukkah – Yoshi Silverstein).
[10] Check out Jewtina y Co’s bi- (and sometimes tri-!) lingual holiday resources that Lopezrevoredo shares about. Make sure to check out the Dia de Los Muertos guide to grieving in particular.
[11] Lopezrevoredo shouts out some other organizations doing important work to engage Latin Jewish community, such as Jews of the America (JOTA) and the Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs (BILLA), as well as broader organizations that lift up Jews of Color, like Lunar Collective for Asian American Jews and the Black Jewish Liberation Collective.
[12] Lopezrevoredo cites Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa, a Chicana queer feminist, as a major influence in Jewtina’s thinking around borders.
Eleyna Fugman is a Jewish community-builder focused on populations that have been historically marginalized. She is the co-founder of the leadership development organization, TischPDX, and the alternative grassroots Jewish community, The Alberta Shul, both based on the Eastside of Portland, Oregon. She joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about crafting Jewish community outside of the mainstream as a tikkun (a healing process) for organized Judaism.
The spring 2024 UnYeshiva semester has begun, but it’s not too late to sign up for classes! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more about our offerings and register.
[1] Listen to last week’s episode, **Episode 418: Prophetic Judaism – Nate DeGroot**, to hear about another organization innovating the Jewish future.
[2] Fugman refers to a Brandeis population study which indicates a 30% uptick in growth in the Portland Jewish community over the past 10 years. Lex later cites the study to point to the significant number of non-Zionist Jews in the area.
[3] Fugman speaks about her experience at Dyke Shabbat, a Jewish prayer group for queer women in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s. Read this oral history from the Jewish Women’s Archive to hear more about Fugman’s journey in this and other Bay Area spaces.
[4] Fugman credits her summer at the Encampment for Citizenship, a multi-faith, multigenerational leadership program, with opening her eyes to systemic oppression.
[5] While speaking to the value of learning with someone with similar identities as you, Fugman shouts out the queer yeshiva, Svara. Learn more about the organization via our episode with its founder, Benay Lappe, Episode 56: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva – Benay Lappe. For more of our episodes with Lappe, see:
- Episode 3: Exodus
- Episode 36: What Jewish Looks Like Today
- Episode 200: Educating Ourselves
- Episode 216: Passover Pandemic
- Episode 395: Becoming a Jewish Kind of Person
[6] Lex mentions two past episodes featuring other leaders aiming to engage Jews outside of legacy institutions: Episode 20: Jewish Without Walls – Beth Finger and Episode 111: Unaffiliated Affiliation – Debbie Bravo.
[7] Fugman mentions the Alberta Shul, the small shul with ties to TischPDX.
[8] Fugman describes how one cohort member developed a Jewish yoga curriculum, called Heart Shaped Yoga. She also refers to another cohort member who developed a Portland-based version of Let My People Sing (check out our episode with them, Episode 367: Let My People Sing – Levine, Russell, Seigle).
Nate DeGroot is a Jewish experiential educator and activist, and currently serves as the Associate Director for The Shalom Center. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Judaism as a prompt for making the world a better place.
It’s not too late to register for our full-semester spring courses in the UnYeshiva! We’ve got Biblical animals, Jewish apocrypha, mythic approaches to climate change, and beyond! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more and register.
[1] DeGroot has recently stepped up as Associate Director at the Shalom Center, which Dan describes as the oldest of the newer, counter-cultural Jewish organizations (it just celebrated its 40th birthday). We had him on the podcast before it was cool, though. Check out **Episode 320: Seders in the Streets – Madeline Canfield, Nate DeGroot**.
[2] DeGroot speaks about Arthur Waskow, the Shalom Center’s founder (who we’ve been lucky enough to have on our podcast not once, but twice! See Episode 166: The Freedom Seder and Bonus Episode: Confronting Carbon Pharoahs) and tells the story of how he created the original 1969 Freedom Seder.
[3] DeGroot refers to the destruction of the Temple as “what Benay Lappe calls a ‘crash moment.’” Learn more about Lappe’s idea here, or in our episode, Episode 3: Exodus – Benay Lappe.
[4] DeGroot describes the Shalom Center’s new program, the ActiFest, as a means of embodying the Jewish calendar cycle in a way that contributes good to the wellbeing of society. This project is closely related to Arthur Waskow’s best-selling book, Seasons of Our Joy: A Modern Guide to the Jewish Holidays.
[5] DeGroot quotes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement that we all live in a “world-house.” This is from the final essay, titled “World House,” in his 1967 collection, Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
[6] Dan refers to the Talmudic story of the primordial Hanukkah, in which Adam celebrates Hanukkah after learning that the shortening of days wasn’t an indication that the world was coming to an end. See Avodah Zarah 8a:7-8.
[7] DeGroot talks about the haftarah (a section from Prophets that accompanies each Torah reading) for Yom Kippur, Isaiah 58.
[8] While describing his belief in intergenerational collaboration as a tool for wisdom and justice, DeGroot cites a verse from Malachi in which the hearts of the youth and the hearts of the elders turn towards one another. See Malachi 3:24.
[9] DeGroot credits thinker Báyò Akómoláfé for the framework of post-activism that DeGroot understands himself to be participating in. Explore the idea of post-activism in a Jewish context via this conversation between DeGroot and Akomolafe published by Ayin Press: An Invitation to Shapeshift: A Talmudo-Poetic Conversation on Post-Activism with Báyò Akómoláfé.
[10] DeGroot references a piece written by Jewish Currents’s Arielle Angel which argues that, as Jews, we must hold ourselves accountable to fight injustice beyond just the mythic Exodus story. See “We Cannot Cross Until We Carry Each Other.”
Yosef Rosen is a historian of Kabbalah and Jewish magic, a creative Jewish educator, and an immersive ritual designer. Laura Duhan-Kaplan is an award-winning author, teacher, and spiritual leader serving as Rabbi Emerita of Or Shalom Synagogue in Vancouver and Professor Emerita of Philosophy at UNC Charlotte. The two thinkers join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about their upcoming UnYeshiva classes, which both use Jewish history and tradition to grapple with today’s climate crisis.
CHECK OUT LAURA DUHAN-KAPLAN'S CLASS! CHECK OUT YOSEF ROSEN'S CLASS! Both Yosef Rosen and Laura Duhan-Kaplan are teaching courses in the UnYeshiva this semester. Learn more about and register for their classes, Re-Imagining Biblical Animals: Beyond the Talking Donkey and Fire and Rain: Magical and Mythic Jewish Ecologies for Climate Crises!
[1] Dan’s first question centers on Benay Lappe’s theory of “donkey stories,” a framework for understanding how diverse people can all see themselves in one text. Learn more about this idea here, or in our episode, **Episode 3: Exodus – Benay Lappe**.
[2] Duhan-Kaplan states that locusts show up as markers of ecological destruction and therefore moral failure in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). See Exodus 10:4-6, Deuteronomy 28:39, and Yoel 2:35.
[3] Duhan-Kaplan mentions the story of Balaam and the donkey (Numbers 22:2-25:9, aka Parshat Balak) in her discussion of how we must understand animals’ Biblical context in order to analyze their roles in stories. Speaking of Donkeys: check out Duhan-Kapla’s book, Mouth of the Donkey: Re-Imagining Biblical Animals.
[4] To demonstrate how natural disasters can lead to interfaith collaboration, Rosen cites the 1711 Judengasse fire, which destroyed the homes of the Frankfurt Jewish community, who were then taken in by their Christian neighbors.
[5] Duhan-Kaplan mentions that she co-directed a seminar at Vancouver School of Theology on Indigenous and Inter-Religious Studies. She also helps run the school’s Inter-Religious Studies program.
Vanessa Harper is the Senior Director of Adult Jewish Living at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley, MA and as the Reform Rabbi-in-Residence at Gann Academy in Waltham, MA. She bakes challah that interprets the Torah portion each week in what was originally an Instagram-based educational project, then a kinetic midrash class, and now a book: Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year Through Challah. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about living in creative relationship to Judaism, and challah as a chevruta (study-partner).
Registration for our full semester spring courses is live! We’ve got Biblical animals, Jewish apocrypha, mythic approaches to climate change, and beyond! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more and register.
[1] Be sure to check out Harper’s new book, *Loaves of Torah: Exploring the Jewish Year Through Challah*, and keep tabs on her challah-making adventures on Instagram @lechlechallah.
[2] Harper states that Reggio Emilia’s pedagogical philosophy – which acknowledges the hundreds of creative languages students use to learn – strongly influenced her creation of this book.
[3] Lex shouts out Midrash Manicures, a blog that posted images of nail art reflecting the weekly Torah portions.
[4] Lex says one of Judaism’s most valuable qualities is its yearly cycles, and boy, have we loved celebrating them! Check out Shmita Hives, our collaborative curriculum honoring the seventh year of the Jewish agricultural cycle during which land is laid to rest, and our episodes with its co-creators, Episode 311: Shmita Hives – Asher Edes, Alexander Grace Vickery.
[5] Dan’s friend says that, in Germany, challah is just bread. He’s talking about hefekranz. To learn how hefekranz became challah, you’ll have to read Harper’s book.
[6] Lex brings up the book, Torah: A Women’s Commentary, in his question about redefining traditional male Jewish practices (like Torah commentary) on traditionally non-male terms (like baking) to take mitzvah beyond the gender binary.
[7] Harper cites a midrash (rabbinic interpretation of a part of the Torah) which states that, when God spoke to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, God spoke to each person in the language that they can understand. See Shemot Rabbah 5:9.
[8] Lex talks a lot about fruit slices. These fruit slices, among other things, have become “Jewish-coded” via the nature of Judaism as an evolving, living experience. Behold: the fruit slices. If you know, you know. And, if you didn’t know, now you do. We love you either way.
Jessica Tamar Deutschis an artist whose work explores the connections between ancient Jewish tradition and contemporary creative culture and expression. Her newest visual story, Rebbe Nachman’s The Lost Princess, will be released in February and is available for pre-order through Ayin Press. In this episode, Deutsch joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Hasidism, the creative process, and art’s potential to open up Jewish text.
Registration for our full semester spring courses is now live! We’ve got Biblical animals, Jewish apocrypha, mythic approaches to climate change, and beyond! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more and register.
[1] Learn more about Deutsch on her website, and keep tabs on her ongoing creations and general whimsy by following her Instagram, @jessica*\_*tamar\_deutsch. And don’t forget to pre-order her newest publication, *Rebbe Nachman’s The Lost Princess*, an illustrated retelling of a classic Hasidic tale.
[2] Dan says Deutsch’s book, The Illustrated Pirkei Avot: A Graphic Novel of Jewish Ethics, is his go-to B Mitzvah gift. Order one for yourself – or the 13-year-old in your life – here. (P.S. It’s really, really awesome.)
[3] Explore Rebbe Nachman of Breslov’s original telling of “The Lost Princess” via this translation and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan from his book, Rabbi Nachman’s Stories.
[4] Deutsch shares that she sees a similarity between The Lost Princess and the Purim story (aka the Book of Esther), in which God remains hidden but we attribute the outcome of the saga to divine favor. Read the Purim story and see for yourself.
[5] We’ve discussed Jewish illustration in our episode with Liana Finck, Episode 350: God as a Woman – Liana Finck. Dan also mentions learning about illustration in Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud, which Dan and Lex spend some time with in Episode 270: We Are Torah.
[6] Deutsch describes communities of Breslov Hasidut – the strain of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov – as listening to trance music, driving around in painted vans, and, Lex adds, enjoy doing psychedelics. Intrigued, right? Here’s a Vice article about it.
[7] Deutsch self-identifies as a “Nachman stan and a Zalman Schachter-Shalomi fangirl.” Read more about Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Alliance for Jewish Renewal (the movement that ordained Lex), here.
[8] Lex shouts out BimBam, the now-defunct video project that made animated videos corresponding to each Torah portion. See Episode 24: BimBam – Sarah Lefton for Dan and Lex’s conversation with the platform’s founder. Plus, check out JU’s collaboration with them, Parshat Vayikra featuring Judaism Unbound!
[9] Lex alludes to the fact that we’ve covered Jewish psychedelics in past episodes. See Bonus Episode: The Jewish Psychedelic Summit – Natalie Ginsberg, Madison Margolin. (Curious about psychedelic Judaism? Check out Shefa, an organization that provides psychedelic support and resources in a specifically Jewish framework.)
[10] Deutsch cites Miriam Anzovin’s funny TikTok videos about Talmud (@miriamanzovin) as an example of illustrating Jewish text through the medium of performance. Listen to Dan and Lex chat with Anzovin about her approach to social media in Episode 406: Talmud TikTok – Miriam Anzovin.
Jill Hammer – award-winning author, scholar, ritualist, poet, dreamworker and midrashist – is co-founder of Beit Kohenet and of the Kohenet movement, and currently serves as the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion. She joins Dan Liebenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about dreaming as a medium for communal connection, Jewish meaning-making, and divine revelation.
[1] Read Jill Hammer’s full biography here, and make sure to take a look at her newest resource on Jewish dreamwork, *Undertorah: An Earth-Based Kabbalah of Dreams*.
[2] Hammer explains that, although everyone dreams, our ability to remember our dreams varies from person to person. In fact, our brains sometimes prevent us from remembering our dreams. Dive deeper into this aspect of dream neuroscience via this study published by the National Institute of Health.
[3] Hammer references numerous stories from Jewish text throughout this episode. See below for brief summaries of Hammer’s citations, as well as links to their sources on Sefaria.
- In the book of Genesis, dreams constitute a major form of revelation: for Jacob (Genesis 28:10-22), for Abraham (Genesis 15:1), and for Joseph (Genesis 37).
- By the time the book of Deuteronomy rolls around, the Torah tells us not to trust “dream-diviners” (Deuteronomy 13:2-6).
- The Talmud asserts that dreams are 1/60th of prophecy (Berakhot 57b:13).
- The Zohar says, “The prophecy in the world is male, and the dream in the world is female” (Zohar, Vayetzei 8:45).
- The only time the Torah mentions a woman dreaming is when God chastises Miriam and implies that she experienced prophecy via dreams, as opposed to Moses, who experienced prophecy via text (Numbers 12:5-8).
- The Talmud says that some dreams are nonsense (Berakhot 55a:16).
[4] Hammer mentions her teacher Roger Kamenetz’s belief that dreams invite us to feel, rather than think. For more from Kamenetz on dreams, check out his book, The History of Last Night’s Dream: Discovering the Hidden Path to the Soul.
Laura Leibman is an award-winning author and scholar of religion in the early Americas and currently serves as the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English and Humanities at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Adriana Brodsky is an award-winning author and scholar of Sephardic Jews in Argentina and currently serves as Professor of History at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The two thinkers join Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about their newly-published book, Jews Across the Americas: A Sourcebook, 1492–Present.
There’s still time to register for the UnYeshiva’s new mini-courses, which start on January 15th! We’ve got conversion, bodies, mishnah, and more! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes for more information and to register.
[1] Read Brodsky and Leibman’s full biographies here.
[2] You can buy Brodsky and Leibman’s 2023 publication, Jews Across the Americas: A Sourcebook, 1492–Present, here. And be sure to check out the book’s companion website featuring extra resources, educational materials, a student hub, and more.
[3] Throughout this episode, the terms “Ashkenazi,” “Sephardi,” and “Mizrahi” are repeatedly used. See below for definitions:
Ashkenazi (adj.); Ashkenazim (n. pl.): referring to Jews of Eastern European descent
Sephardi (adj.); Sephardim (n. pl.): referring to Jews of Spanish and Portuguese descent
Mizrahi (adj.); Mizrahim (n. pl.): referring to Jews of Middle Eastern and North African descent
[4] Lex calls to mind a story from this episode with David Wilensky, Episode 388: Conversion to Judaism… But You’re Already Jewish – David A.M. Wilensky, who tells of visiting two synagogues in the Caribbean whose histories trace back farther than the oldest synagogue buildings in the United States.
[5] At one point in the episode, Adriana refers to “Ladino,” a Judaeo-Spanish language originally spoken by Jews in Spain and later spread throughout the diaspora.
[6] We’ve had quite a few of the contributors to Jews Across the Americas as guests on our podcast. See below for all of our collaborations with writers from Leibman and Brodsky’s book.
- Jonathan Sarna in Episode 11: American Judaism
- Dianne Ashton in Episode 43: Hanukkah in America
- Noam Sienna in Episode 170: Queering the Jewish Bookshelf
- Judah Cohen (in collaboration with the Museum of American Jewish History) in Sheyndele the Cantor/Sheyndele di Chazanteand Irving Berlin
- Susannah Heschel (alongside Tarek el-Ariss in our 2021 ShavuotLIVE learn-athon) in Arabs and Jews as Freudian Subjects
Digital Judaism is the geography in which Judaism Unbound operates! In this conversation Dan, Lex, and Miriam reflect upon the digital Jewish past, present, and future, and consider Judaism Unbound’s continued role as a leader in — and lover of — the digital Jewish landscape. This episode is the 7th and final episode in a series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.
Registration for the UnYeshiva’s new mini-courses is now open! We’ve got conversion, bodies, mishnah, and more! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes for more information and to register.
[1] This episode is the seventh and final in our recent series exploring digital Judaism. Past episodes include:
**Episode 403: Hey Alma – Molly Tolsky**
Episode 404: Jewish Instagram – Samantha Frank, Rena Singer
Episode 405: Jewish Demons – Olivia Devorah Tucker
Episode 406: Talmud TikTok – Miriam Anzovin
Episode 407: Spiritual Hardware – Brett Lockspeiser
Episode 408: Jewish Artifical Intelligence – David Zvi Kalman
You can also check out some of our even earlier conversations exploring this topic via our playlist,What Is Digital Judaism?.
[2] Miriam Terlinchamp is Judaism Unbound’s Executive Director (or, as Dan calls her, Commander) as of August 2023. Listen to our past episodes with Miriam as a guest at Episode 113: Embrace the Weird – Miriam Terlinchamp and Episode 374: Judaism In-Bound – Miriam Terlinchamp.
[3] Lex mentions that he recently participated in a roundtable as a part of the project, The Archive of the American Jewish Left in the Digital Age, which will work to preserve the memory of Jewish institutions that function primarily online.
[4] See this ELI Talk (Jewish TED Talk) to hear more from Lex about his takes on loving online Judaism, honoring offline Judaism, and navigating their gaps and intersections: Migrating Judaism: The Internet Movement.
LGBTQIA+ folks are among the most creative people on this planet, creating realities and reimagining a world from the inside out—not of how things are but to how things could be. Queer creativity is visionary. In what has been a time of isolation for so many people, Reed Love is teaching a mini-course in the UnYeshiva, called Cosmic Bodies: Celebrating Queer & Jewish Creativity, that will serve as a space to connect – to community, to oneself, and to creative curiosity.
In this bonus episode of Judaism Unbound, Reed Love, founder and project director of We are Stardust, joins Lex Rofeberg to discuss how wonderful queerness is — and how our bodies, minds, and hearts are thoroughly inter-connected.
Register for Cosmic Bodies: Celebrating Queer & Jewish Creativity by clicking here! Financial aid is available, and you can apply for it viathis link.
Learn more about other courses in the UnYeshiva via www.judaismunbound.com/classes!
David Biale is the Emanuel Ringelblum Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis and the the award-winning author/co-author of seven books on Jewish history. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about counterculture, secularism, and reaching for our roots, all in the context of understanding the Jewish past and present.
P.S. This episode pairs nicely with our past two episodes, which also explore radical approaches to Jewish history. Listen at Episode 410: The Golem of Brooklyn – Adam Mansbach and Episode 409: American Jewish History’s History – Hasia Diner.
Registration for the UnYeshiva’s new spring mini-courses is now open! We’ve got conversion, bodies, mishnah, and more! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes for more information and to register.
[1] Read David Biale’s full bio here, and learn more about New Lehrhaus, the Bay Area learning organization of which he is co-president, here.
[2] For a sense of Biale’s career as a historian and Jewish studies scholar, see his most recent anthology, Jewish Culture: Between Canon and Heresy, which contains over a dozen of his writings spanning roughly the past 40 years.
[3] Dan references this lecture that Biale gave at UCLA in which Biale discusses his intellectual biography, particularly how his experiences as a Jewish college student in the 1970s influenced his academic career.
[4] Biale mentions Sandra Fox’s recent book, The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America. Learn more about Fox’s research from the historian herself in our episode, Episode 383: Jews of Summer Camp – A History.
[5] Dan brings up neo-Hasidism, a contemporary spiritual orientation with roots in an 18th- and 19th-century Eastern-European mystical movement (called Hasidism). To learn more about neo-Hasidism, check out this multimedia “Starter Pack” compiled by Gashmius Magazine, listen to our episode with the publication’s founders: Episode 368: Progressive Hasidism – Jonah Gelfand, Daniel Kraft, or check out a recording of our collaborative learning event, Hasidism Unbound: Unlocking Radical Spirituality with Gashmius Magazine.
[6] Biale references his book, Cultures of the Jews: A New History, because it argues (and celebrates!) that there is no singular, monolithic Jewish culture.
[7] In his discussion of the overlap between religion and culture, Biale mentions that Babylonian Jews used to write “amulet bowls.” He’s talking about incantation bowls. Learn more about this magicical pottery in this interview in New Voices Magazine featuring Jewish studies scholar Shira Eliassian.
[8] Biale also talks about his book, Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought, when Dan asks him about secularism and religiosity vis-a-vis Jewish culture.
[9] Biale cites a Talmudic story in which the rabbis refute Rabbi Eliezer’s use of a verse from Deuteronomy to say that the Torah is in heaven, i.e. up to God, instead arguing that the Torah is here on Earth and thus open to interpretation. This story takes place in Bava Metzia 59a-b, and is sometimes called “The Oven of Akhnai.”
[10] Much of this episode centers on heresy and its role in Jewish religious, cultural, and spiritual life. For more content in this vein, see our past episodes with writer Jay Michaelson: Episode 197: Religious Heresy and Episode 340: More Religious Heresy.
[11] Biale shouts out Daniel Schwartz’s book about 17th-century radical Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza, The First Modern Jew: Spinoza and the History of an Image.
[12] Biale describes the heyday of secular Jewish movements as taking place about 100 years ago, with the rise of groups like the Eastern European Bund (German for “union”) and Tarbut (Hebrew for “culture”). He also talks about the Jewish student movement in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s which evolved as a part of the counter-cultural waves across the country during that time.
Adam Mansbach is a best-selling author, screenwriter, cultural critic and humorist. His newest novel, The Golem of Brooklyn, tells the fictional story of a stoned Brooklyn art teacher who accidentally creates the Golem, a Jewish folkloric creature. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a discussion of the book and its broader explorations of race, faith, healing, and humor.
Registration for the UnYeshiva’s new spring mini-courses is now open! Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes for more information and to register.
[1] Learn more about Adam Mansbach on his website, and don’t forget to check out his new novel, *The Golem of Brooklyn*.
[2] Mansbach refers to the Golem of Prague as the Michael Jordan of Golems – read about his legendary slam dunks here – and the Golem of Chelm as the Scottie Pippen (or LeBron James, maybe Bill Russell?) of golems – check out his all-star stats here.
[3] Mansbach explains that the subject of epigenetics – the scientific premise that trauma impacts our DNA and is therefore inheritable – is a major theme throughout The Golem of Brooklyn. For one exploration of this concept, see this article in The Scientific American.
[4] Lex mentions our previous episode, Episode 299: Becoming a Golem – Julie Weitz, in which Weitz, a performance artist, discusses her project of dressing as a golem and engaging in local activism.
[5] Lex proposes that, in light of its discussion of epigenetics and time travel, *The Golem of Brooklyn* is in conversation with Netflix’s Russian Doll, a television starring Natasha Lyonne in which a woman repeatedly dies in a time loop. For takes on the Jewishness of Lyonne’s show, check out these articles: "Netflix’s Russian Doll is Surprisingly, Deeply Jewish" on Hey Alma and "‘Russian Doll’ Season 2 May Be the Most Jewish Netflix Show Ever" on Kveller. You can also listen in to our podcast, featuring the show’s Executive Producer Allison Silverman, via **Episode 330: “Russian Doll” as a Jewish Text - Allison Silverman**.
[6] Dan shouts out Amichai Lau-Lavie, who talks about the idea of artists as rabbis and rabbis as artists. See below for our past episodes with Lau-Lavie in which he discusses his thoughts on the relationship between these spiritual and creative roles.
Episode 29: Lab/Shul – Amichai Lau-Lavie
Episode 219: Tools for the Journey – Amichai Lau-Lavie
Episode 381: Rites (Rights?) of Passage – Amichai Lau-Lavie
[7] Mansbach discusses how white Jews use antisemitic remarks made by Black individuals to paint entire minority communities as an anti-Jewish monolith that excuses their decision to fall back on anti-Blackness and distract from instances of antisemitism perpetrated by white people. Jewish Currents recently published a brilliant article related to this topic which analyzes Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks alongside James Baldwin’s landmark essay, “Negroes Are Anti-Jewish Because They’re Anti-White.” Read it in full at "Reading Baldwin After Kanye".
[8] Praising the Talmud’s kooky storytelling tactics, Mansbach retells the wild series of events that takes place between Kamtza and Bar Kamtza vis-a-vis the destruction of the Second Temple. The story in question takes place beginning in Gittin 55b:16.
[9] Lex and Mansbach discuss part of Mansbach’s book in which a girl converts to Judaism standing on one foot. This is a reference to a famous Talmudic story starring the sage Hillel the Elder. See Shabbat 31a:6.
Hasia Diner is the Director of the Goren-Goldstein Center for American Jewish History at New York University, and the award-winning author of over twenty books, many of which focus on the history of American-Jewish minority communities. She joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about questioning tradition, raising up long-quieted voices, and turning towards under-represented individuals instead of mainstream institutions when writing and re-writing the American Jewish historical narrative.
It’s not too late to join our latest learning opportunity, Torah for this Moment: Channeling Jewish Wisdom Toward Peace and Wholeness in Israel and Gaza. The Friday-evening series of Jewish text explorations will aim towards grounding us in intentions of wholeness and liberation for all people during this time of crisis in Israel and in Palestine. Click here to learn more and sign up.
[1] Get a sense of Hasia Diner’s (mega) impact on our knowledge and understanding of American Jewish history via this piece published by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency a few weeks ago: How Scholar Hasia Diner Exploded Myths and Changed the Field of Jewish History — a Symposium.
[2] Diner says that, sometime in early March, Jewish media outlets start to talk about the “Triangle Fire.” She’s referring to the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, New York’s deadliest industrial disaster, most of the victims of which were female Jewish and Italian immigrants. Read Diner’s thoughts on this event and its role in the American-Jewish self-imagination in this article published on the Jewish Women’s Archive blog.
[3] Lex shares that the first book he was assigned in his sophomore American History class was Diner’s Her Works Praise Her: A History of Jewish Women in America from Colonial Times to the Present. By the end of that semester, he’d switched his major from Math to Judaic Studies.
[4] Diner explains that Jewish history is more than “what Baron called the lachrymose view of Jewish suffering.” For more on Sal Baron, a 20th-century American Jewish historian, and his take on lachrymosity (basically weepiness), see this article from Columbia Magazine, Salo Wittmayer Baron: Demystifying Jewish History.
[5] Lex asks Diner about her foreword in the book, Feasting and Fasting: The History and Ethics of Jewish Food, a collection of essays that features a number of our past guests, whose thoughts you can listen to at:
Episode 159: Jonathan Safran Foer – Judaism Illuminated
Episode 171: Rachel B. Gross – Digesting Judaism
Episode 315: Elaine Goodfriend – Torah Portions: Eating Biblically
Episode 319: Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus – Culinary Midrash
[6] Diner talks about her love for upturning long-articulated narratives about historical moments, and mentions that she’s particularly proud of how she did so in her book, We Remember with Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence After the Holocaust, 1945-1962, which she wrote largely in response to Peter Novick’s The Holocaust in American Life.
[7] Diner shouts out Annelise Heinz’s Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture, as an example of history as studied from the perspective of everyday people, rather than institutions.
[8] Diner uses Open Hillel, an organization that has transitioned into Judaism On Our Own Terms (JOOOT), as an example of a subject that a historian might use in a well-rounded representation of contemporary American Jewish life. Check out our past episodes on JOOOT, formerly-known as Open Hillel.
Episode 126: Open Hillel - Rachel Sandalow Ash and Eva Ackerman
Episode 182: Judaism On Our Own Terms - Tal Frieden and August Kahn
Here is a complete list of Diner’s books as mentioned in this episode in order of appearance: Her Works Praise Her: A History of Jewish Women in America from Colonial Times to the Present, We Remember with Reverence and Love: American Jews and the Myth of Silence After the Holocaust, 1945-1962, The Roads Taken: The Great Jewish Migrations to the New World and The Peddlers who Forged the Way, Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World
David Zvi Kalman, owner of the independent publishing house Print-O-Craft Press, is a scholar, writer, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology, religion, and art. Kalman joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about the present and future relationships between Judaism and artificial intelligence (AI). This episode is the sixth in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.
It’s that time of year again! Celebrate the festival of lights with Apocry-Fest 2023: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized, our second annual exploration of non-mainstream Jewish sources, produced in collaboration with the amazing Torah Studio. Register here!
[1] Listen to our previous episode with Kalman at **David Zvi Kalman: Episode 179: –The Jewish Polymath**.
[2] Check out Kalman’s book/ritual-object store, Read & Rite.
[3] To demonstrate some of the potential limitations of AI in the context of Torah study, Kalman creates a hypothetical situation that makes the Song of Songs about tacos. We, too, remixed Song of Songs through a contemporary (albeit non-taco) lens in Elul Bonus Episode #3: What’s Love Got to Do with It? (Song of Songs).
[4] Kalman cites the anthology, Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash, to illustrate how modern-day Jews are creating and building upon new components of the Jewish textual landscape.
[5] Lex asks Kalman to elaborate on his article, Judaism’s Three Doors Into AI, which you can find on his blog, Jello Menorah.
[6] Lex describes himself as a pantheist and shouts out Jay Michaelson’s book, Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism. In response, Kalman mentions Mary-Jane Rubenstein’s publication, Pantheologies: Gods, Worlds, Monsters, which explores why pantheism is so often met with resistance within more regular-shmegular religious spaces.
[7] Kalman says that the child is the best metaphor for AI within Judaism, and cites Mara Benjamin’s book, The Obligated Self: Maternal Subjectivity and Jewish Thought, for its exploration of the role of the kiddo in the Jewish psyche. To hear more from Benjamin on this subject, check out Mara Mara Benjamin: Episode 251 – Judaism… Just How Unbound?
[8] Kalman highly recommends Julia Watts Belzer’s book, Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole, as a testament to today’s powerful Jewish disability activism.
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 fourth and final bonus episode of Elul Unbound 2023, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the topic of second chances, through ancient Jewish stories and contemporary life.
Benay Lappe, the founder of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva -- and, way back in Judaism Unbound's earliest days, the first guest on our podcast -- joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about conversion to Judaism in the Talmud. As it turns out, the process of becoming Jewish was a lot simpler for the early rabbis than it is today. But just how much simpler? To find out, listen in to this episode, the 8th in an ongoing mini-series exploring conversion to Judaism.
[1] **Fall 2023’s full-semester courses in the UnYeshiva are now posted, and ready for your registration! For more info about all five of them, and to register yourself, just head to** **JudaismUnbound.com/classes****.**
[2] For Benay Lappe’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 3: Exodus, Episode 36: What Jewish Looks Like Today, Episode 56: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, Episode 200: Educating Ourselves, or Episode 216: Pandemic Passover.
[3] To check out the recent episode featuring Chris Bartlett, referenced a couple times in this conversation, see Episode 391: Converting to Judaism — Jewish-Adjacent - Chris Bartlett.
[4] For more wisdom from Dan and Benay, every week, check out The Oral Talmud! You can view all past episodes by heading to www.OralTalmud.com. For Oral Talmud episodes referenced directly in this conversation, see any of the following:
- Episode 137: The Healing Power of a Scab (Yevamot 47b)
- Episode 138: (Re)born to Learn (Yevamot 47b)
- Episode 139: Ruth’s Conversion (Yevamot 47b)
- Episode 140: A Jew in Every Way (Yevamot 47b and 46a)
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Episode 147: Witnessing Conversion (Yevamot 46b-47a)
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Episode 128: Conditional Conversion (Shabbat 31a)
- Episode 129: On One Foot (Shabbat 31a)
- Episode 130: Unconditional Conversion (Shabbat 31a)
- Episode 135: You Want to be Jewish? (Yevamot 47a)
- Episode 136: A Little Bit of This (Yevamot 47a)
[5] Learn more about the book Colleges that Change Lives, referenced by Lappe, by clicking here.
[6] For an episode of The Oral Talmud that isn’t directly about conversion, but was mentioned in this conversation, see Episode 8: Letting Everybody In (Berakhot 28a, Part 2).
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 third bonus episode of Elul Unbound 2023, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore ways in which spirals might connect to the month of Elul, and the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Tivona Reith and Holly Smith are two of Judaism Unbound’s most dedicated and longstanding listeners. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about becoming Jewish as adults, and whether we might benefit from shifting our terminology from “conversion” to “integration.” This episode is the 7th in an ongoing mini-series exploring conversion to Judaism.
[1] Check out Holly Smith’s Seder Plate Project on instagram via @sederplateproject!
[2] Reith references Lawrence Kushner, a prominent Reform rabbi and teacher of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Learn more about Kushner via this link.
[3] Reith flashes back to one of our earliest episodes of Judaism Unbound, featuring Benay Lappe. Listen in by heading to Episode 3: Exodus - Benay Lappe.
[4] Smith references the Jewish Studio Project’s Creative Facilitator Training — learn more about it by clicking here.
[5] Reith mentions that Brant Rosen was one of the members of her beit din (the group that officially affirmed Tivona had become Jewish). For an episode featuring Rosen, see Episode 127: A Synagogue Without Flags - Brant Rosen.
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 second bonus episode of Elul Unbound 2023, whose theme is “the power of two(s),” Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the power of the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet — Bet!
Israelism is a brand-new documentary film, garnering awards at film festivals around the country, that chronicles “a movement of young American Jews battling the old guard to redefine Judaism’s relationship with Israel — revealing a deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity.” Eric Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, Israelism’s co-directors, join Dan and Lex for a conversation about their film.
[1] Learn more about Israelism by heading to IsraelismFilm.com or by reading this recent piece in Jacobin, spotlighting the film.
[2] Many years ago, in 2013, Lex co-wrote a piece with Simone Zimmerman — one of the individuals featured in Israelism and mentioned by Axelman and Eilertsen — about the importance of expanding the bounds of permissible discourse about Israel-Palestine in Hillels (centers for Jewish life on campus). You can read the article they co-wrote here.
[3] Check out a whole mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes that consider the relationship of American Jews to Israel-Palestine via this link. Episodes that tie most directly to this Israelism episode include Episode 124: IfNotNow - Ilana Levinson, Jill Raneyand Episode 126: Open Hillel - Rachel Sandalow-Ash, Eva Ackerman.
[4] Axelman and Eilertsen reference a 2021 survey by the Jewish Electorate Institute, which found that 25% of American Jews agreed with the statement “Israel is an apartheid state.” For an article about this survey, click here, and for the raw data from the survey, click here.
[5] Eilertsen argues that institutions calling Israel, a nation-state, “apolitical,” are incorrect to do so. For a past episode of Judaism Unbound that considers the ways in which Jewish institutions attempt to frame political beliefs as “apolitical,” see Episode 75: The Myth of Apolitical Judaism - Lila Corwin Berman.
[6] To learn more about the case study referenced by Eilertsen, regarding Robert F. Kennedy Junior’s antisemitism, see this piece in Ha’aretz, entitled “RFK Jr. Tells Congress Amid Antisemitism Scandal: I’m More pro-Israel Than My Jewish Democrat Critics.”
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 first bonus episode of Elul Unbound 2023, Lex Rofeberg, Wendie Bernstein Lash, and Micah Sandman launch their month-long exploration of the power of twos/seconds!
Lisa Rappaport is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel, in Chico, California, and in just a few months (January 2024) she will be ordained as a rabbi! She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 6th episode in an ongoing mini-series exploring conversion to Judaism.
CODE FOR PLAYER HERE
[1] Learn more about Lisa Rappaport via this link, and check out Congregation Beth Israel’s website via cbichico.org.
[2] Dan references a story from the Talmud, about a prospective convert whose interest in conversion to some extent traces to his desire to wear the gorgeous garments of the high priest. Check out this story, from Shabbat 31a, via this link.
[3] Rappaport alludes to an asynchronous UnYeshiva course entitled Queer Judaisms, where she learned about the custom of being called up to the Torah as Firstname “Mibeit (from the house of)” Parent1 and Parent 2. You can check out Queer Judaisms via this link!
[4] Lex mentions that when people convert to Judaism through the Reform movement, they are asked to state their commitment to practice Judaism “to the exclusion of all other religious faiths and practices.” Take a look at the two main options that converts recite upon conversion (called “declarations of faith”), in the Reform movement, via this link.
[5]For the previous episodes in this mini-series on conversion, click below!
- Episode 386: Becoming Ger-ish - Katie Kaestner-Frenchman
- Episode 387: Beyond Blood Quantum - Juan Mejia
- Episode 388: Conversion to Judaism…But You’re Already Jewish - David A.M. Wilensky
- Episode 390: Thanks Madonna! - Marques Hollie
- Episode 391: Jewish-Adjacent - Chris Bartlett
Chris Bartlett, the Executive Director at the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, isn't Jewish. But...he's attended Queer Talmud camp, hosts Shabbat gatherings at his organization's building, attends many Jewish holiday gatherings, and has Jewish friends of all ages! He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about notions of "Jewish-adjacent" and "Ger Toshav" — two terms in different languages that each refer to folks who are not Jewish, but/and are absolutely part of the Jewish community. This episode is the fifth in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism.
[1] Learn more about Chris Bartlett by clicking here, and learn more about the William Way LGBT Community Center via WayGay.org.
[2] Dan mentions that Lex and Bartlett first met through their connections to Eric Rofes — Lex’s uncle and a mentor and colleague of Bartlett’s. Learn more about Rofes’s work via this article, published upon his death in 2006, or via this piece, published when he was included as one of 50 LGBTQIA+ leaders on the National LGBTQ+ Wall of Honor at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City.
[3] For the story from the Talmud that Bartlett references, in which Moses travels into the future to meet Rabbi Akiva, see Menachot 29b.
[4] Lex references Amichai Lau-Lavie’s Joy: A Proposal, published in 2017, which explores what it might look like to re-incorporate the notion of Ger Toshav (a non-Israelite who dwells in the midst of Israelites, in the Bible) into Jewish life today. Read Joy: A Proposal via this link.
[5] Bartlett notes Kol Tzedek, a Reconstructionist synagogue in West Philadelphia. Learn more about it via Episode 279: Voice for Justice - Ari Lev Fornari.
Marques Hollie (he/they) is a theatre artist, storyteller, classically trained musician, and ritualist. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about how Madonna, along with the book Judaism for Dummies, combined forces to catalyze a journey from "regular at a Nebraskan Pentecostal church" to "studying to become a rabbi." This episode is the fourth in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism.
[1] For Marques Hollie’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 326: Whose Canon is it Anyway? - Marques Hollie. Learn more about Marques Hollie by heading to MarquesHollie.com.
[2] For a piece exploring Madonna’s relationship to Kabbalah, which Hollie alludes to in this episode, click here.
[3] Hollie mentions the book God is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism, by David Cooper, as an important book on his journey toward conversion. You can purchase God is a Verb via this link.
[4] For the piece Lex references, about a self-identified “Viking Jewess,” click here.
[5] Hollie references creative work he’s done related to the Passover Seder. For more on this, see this interview of Hollie from Laba: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture, about their project “Go Down, Moshe.”
Laura Yares is the author of a brand-new book, entitled Jewish Sunday Schools: Teaching Religion in Nineteenth-Century America. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about her book -- in some ways about Sunday Schools, to be sure, but in other ways a chance to explore the broader question, "What even is religion?" , through the history of Sunday Schools in the 19th century. They also ask what the book can help us learn, today, about our 21st century Jewish landscape.
[1]Purchase Jewish Sunday Schools: Teaching Religion in Nineteenth-Century America* via this link, and enter the code YARES30-FM for 30% off!*
[2] Learn more about Laura Yares via her bio, accessible here.
[3] Check out a recent article about Jewish Sunday Schools: Teaching Religion in Nineteenth-Century America, featured in JTA, via this link. It is entitled "A new book made me appreciate Jewish Sunday schools -- and the volunteer women who have powered them."
[4] Laura Yares presented some of her work at our ShavuotLIVE event in 2022. To view her presentation, entitled “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Shavuot,” which became a chapter in the book we spoke about in this podcast episode, click here.
[5] Yares cites a biography of Rebecca Gratz, written by historian Dianne Ashton. You can purchase the biography, entitled “Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America,” via this link. For a past episode of Judaism Unbound featuring Ashton, a teacher of ours who died in 2022, see Episode 43: Hanukkah in America - Dianne Ashton.
If you say to David A.M. Wilensky that he "converted" to Judaism, he'll provide a gentle correction: "I underwent a conversion," he'll say. This may not seem like much of a distinction, but in this episode of Judaism Unbound, we explore a group of people who -- from some frames of reference -- converted to Judaism, but from other frames of reference, were Jewish from the second they were born. In short, Wilensky was born as a patrilineal Jew (his father was Jewish, and his mother was not), and he made the choice in adulthood to undergo a "conversion," even though he had lived his whole life in Jewish community. This episode explores his story, and a wide variety of inter-related topics!
This episode is the third in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism.
Photo Credit: Rachel B. Gross
[1] Read the 2012 article that David A.M. Wilensky wrote, that inspired this episode, via this link: What Would You Call Me?
[2] Learn more about David A.M. Wilensky by clicking here, and check out J: The Jewish News of Northern California — the publication he serves as Director of News Product — via jweekly.com.
[3] For an article adding to Wilensky’s critique of Sarah Silverman’s use of the term ‘Jewface,’ see this piece by MaNishtana.
[4] Wilensky mentions Francine Roston, a rabbi who helped convene the beit din through which Wilensky underwent a conversion. He mentions that she later became the rabbi of a congregation in Whitefish, Montana. For more on the story of Whitefish, Montana, and its fight against forms of antisemitism, click here.
Juan Mejia, a conservative rabbi who serves as Jewish educator for Emanuel Synagogue in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring how Judaism must -- in order to have its maximum positive impact on the world -- embrace converts as fully and authentically Jewish. This episode is the second in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism.
[1] Check out Mejia’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by listening to Episode 57: Becoming Jewish on the Web - Juan Mejia.
[2] For a piece from early in Mejia’s career, chronicling his conversion to Judaism and his initial work advocating for other converts, see this 2007 piece in Ha’aretz, entitled “In Spain Our Name Was Messiah.”
[3] Lex mentions a study, which shows Jewish Sunday-schools around the country have been shrinking in recent years. Check out that study, from the Jewish Education Project, by clicking here.
[4] Mejia references 929 — a project that encourages Jews to read their way through the full 929 chapters of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible). Learn more about it via this link.
[5] Learn more about the Johnson-Reed Act of 1924, the act that Lex referenced, which severely restricted immigration by European Jews to the United States, via this link.
Katie Kaestner-Frenchmanis Judaism Unbound’s amazing Marketing, Communications, and Creative Maven! They join their colleagues Dan and Lex for the first conversation in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series, exploring conversion to Judaism. What superpowers do converts often bring to Jewish life? What barriers do they continue to face in Jewish spaces? What on earth do we do with the fact that everyone on Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was so unbelievably mean to Astrid — the one character on the show who is a Jew-by-Choice? All these questions and more come up in this episode!
[1] Learn more about Katie Kaestner-Frenchman by clicking here!
[2] A few pieces of media, from television and film, are referenced in this episode. First, for a couple different approaches to Astrid’s character on Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, see either this article (which thinks the show gets converts totally wrong!) or this article (which defends Astrid’s character).
[3] Lex references an article about a person for whom the movie Yentl played a key role in inspiring them to eventually convert. Check out the article by clicking here.
[4] For the scene from Orange is the New Black that Katie references, where Cindy converts to Judaism, click here.
[5] Are you looking for a way to take an intro to Judaism course online, either as part of a process of conversion to Judaism or just to learn? We offer one! It’s through our UnYeshiva — a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning. Our course is called “Judaism In-Bound,” and its first iteration began a few months ago. If you would like to be notified when it is next available, just send us an email at UnYeshiva@JudaismUnbound.com!
David Raphael and Ilene Vogelstein are leaders of the Jewish Grandparents Network, a national organization that educates, connects, and supports grandparents as essential partners in enriching Jewish life. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about how, perhaps counter-intuitively, the voices of many Jewish grandparents have been sidelined in Jewish institutional life -- along with sharing some ideas about how to shift that reality moving forward.
[1] Learn more about David Raphael and Ilene Vogelstein by clicking here, and check out the work of the Jewish Grandparents Network more broadly via JewishGrandparentsNetwork.org.
[2] Click here to check out Jewish Grandparents Network’s 2019 national study, entitled Jewish Grandparenting Today: A Report on the Findings from the National Study of Jewish Grandparents.
[3] Take a look at The Family Room — a unique digital space from the Jewish Grandparents Network where you can find experiences, resources, and activities for grandparents, grandchildren, and families — by heading to JewishGrandparentsNetwork.org/the-family-room.
[4] Lex references an episode featuring Janet Krasner Aronson, which explores ways in which Jewish population-studies have evolved in recent decades. Listen in via Episode 337: Let’s End “Good Jew”/“Bad Jew” - Janet Krasner Aronson.
[5] To purchase the book Unconditional Love, written by Jane Isay and cited in this podcast by David Raphael, click here.
[6] Vogelstein referenced the scholar Urie Bronfenbrenner, and his notion of the ecological systems theory. Learn more about Bronfenbrenner’s framework via this link.
[7] We didn’t know about this when we recorded the episode, but as it turns out, the idea referenced by Dan — that OneTable might help grandparents have shabbat dinners together — is becoming a reality! OneTable is expanding its offerings for people who are 55+ years old, including many grandparents! Help them as they roll out this new initiative by completing this survey.
[8] Raphael references an article about grandparenting in interfaith families, written by a Methodist minister whose grandchildren are Jewish. Entitled “Making Room For Each Other in Interfaith Families” and written by Roger Talbott, you can read it via this link.
[9] Lex references a past Judaism Unbound conversation, in which Ariana Katz critiqued the commonplace framing of “Not Your Bubbe’s Synagogue.” For the full conversation see Episode 361: Spiritual Abundance - Ariana Katz.
Melissa Klapper, author of Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation serving as a "prequel" of sorts to our recent unit on the past, present, and future of Bat Mitzvah (and B Mitzvah in general). Klapper talks through the ways in which Jewish girls marked their entry into adulthood -- both within Jewish life and in secular contexts -- in the era directly preceding the emergence of Bat Mitzvah as a life-cycle ritual (hence "prequel!").
[1] You can purchase Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920 (NYU, 2005) here! Learn more about Melissa Klapper via this link. Check out her other books via the following links: Small Strangers: The Experiences of Immigrant Children in the United States, 1880-1925 (Ivan R. Dee, 2007), Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women's Activism, 1890-1940 (NYU, 2013), and Ballet Class: An American History (Oxford University Press, 2020).
[2] Klapper references the fact that birthdays were not seen as particularly meaningful until the 19th century, and Lex references a teacher of his, Howard Chudacoff, a scholar who explored the history of birthdays. For more from Chudacoff on the history of birthdays, see his book How Old are You? Age Consciousness in American Culture.
[3] For an exploration of the figure Samson Benderly, who Klapper mentions as an early pioneer in American-Jewish education, see The Benderly Boys and American Jewish Education, written by Jonathan Krasner. For more on Rebecca Gratz, see Rebecca Gratz: Women and Judaism in Antebellum America, by Dianne Ashton z”l, a past guest on Judaism Unbound.
[4] As part of ShavuotLIVE — our 24-hour digital Shavuot gathering — in 2022, Laura Yares gave a presentation on the history of confirmation in the United States. Check it out by clicking here! In 2023, Catherine Horowitz, Judaism Unbound/New Voices fellow, created a companion presentation to Yares’s. Check out Horowitz’s presentation via this link.
[5] This episode builds on the episodes that constituted our mini-series on the past, present, and future of B Mitzvah. Check out those episodes via any of the following links:
- Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum
- Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed - Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
- Episode 378: A Witch’s Bat Mitzvah - Laurel Snyder
- Episode 379: Be Mitzvah, Your Way - Amy Atkins, Amanda Schwartz
- Episode 380: Summer Camp B Mitzvah - Meg Adler
- Episode 381: Rites (Rights?) of Passage - Amichai Lau-Lavie
- Episode 382: What Should B Mitzvah Be? - Dan and Lex
[6] Melissa Klapper was recently a 3-time champion on Jeopardy! For an article in The Forward reflecting on her experience, click here.
Sandra Fox, the Goldstein-Goren visiting assistant professor of American Jewish History at New York University, is the author of The Jews of Summer: Summer Camp and Jewish Culture in Postwar America. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the history of Jewish summer camp, the ways in which it has influenced American Jewish life, and what it can teach us about amplifying the voices of young people as we study history.
[1] Purchase The Jews of Summer via this link, and learn more about Sandra Fox via SandraFox.net!
[2] For a recent piece written by Fox, reflecting on her experience writing The Jews of Summer, check out “Jewish Summer Camp and the Myth of the ‘Serious.’”
[3] Sandra Fox is a friend of ours in the Jewish podcast ecosystem! Check out her podcast, called Vaybertaytsh, by clicking here.
[4] Dan references an essay by Seymour Fox, which references the Conservative movement’s Ramah camps, and the ways in which prominent scholars of American education played a role in shaping them. Check out "Vision at the Heart: Lessons from Camp Ramph on the Power of Ideas in Shaping Educational Institutions" via thia link.
[5] For an article all about Sandra Fox’s camp-themed book launch, see "Not your average book party: A month of Jewish summer camp in one night," in The Forward. For the blog Fox references, initially published anonymously and entitled “PS I Lost My Blue Hat,” click here!
[6] Fox references public discourse the past few years, about the damaging consequences of hyper-sexual culture at Jewish summer camps and Jewish youth groups. For a past Judaism Unbound episode exploring this, see Episode 331: Safety and Unsafety at Summer Camp - Rena Yehuda Newman, Julia Hegele.
B Mitzvah (a gender-neutral term for Jewish coming-of-age rituals, often but not exclusively associated with the age of 12-to-13) is an incredibly popular Jewish observance. Even in a landscape where many Jews do not spend much time in Jewish institutional contexts, they often carve out space for their family members to experience B Mitzvah. In this conversation, Dan and Lex explore what they believe B Mitzvah could be in the future, and how it could work in tandem with an expanded notion of Jewish rites of passage, across a wider variety of life-stages.
[1] This episode is the 7th in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah. For the previous episodes in the series, see any of the following:
- Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum
- Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed - Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
- Episode 378: A Witch’s Bat Mitzvah - Laurel Snyder
- Episode 379: Be Mitzvah, Your Way - Amy Atkins, Amanda Schwartz
- Episode 380: Summer Camp B Mitzvah - Meg Adler
- Episode 381: Rites (Rights?) of Passage - Amichai Lau-Lavie
[2] Judaism Unbound’s UnYeshiva (our digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning) just launched the first-ever cohort in our certificate program for Unbound Judaism. Meet the amazing students enrolled in this program by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/certificate!
[3] Toward the end of the episode, there’s a brief discussion of confirmation. To explore the history of that coming-of-age ritual, in Jewish contexts, see Laura Yares’s 2022 presentation as part of ShavuotLIVE and/or Catherine Horowitz’s 2023 presentation as part of ShavuotLIVE. Also, stay tuned for an upcoming episode on this topic!
[4] Lex references a ritual from Camp Interlaken JCC, called KTO (K’far Takes Over), where 10th graders get a taste of the experience of being a camp staff-member. Learn more about K’far Takes Over via this article in the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.
[5] Learn more about consecration, a ritual for the beginning of one’s Sunday-school/Hebrew-school experience that came up in this podcast episode, via this link.
[6] Check out the interaction mentioned in this episode, where Howard Stern and Adam Sandler chant the Torah blessing together, via this link.
Amichai Lau-Lavie is the co-founder and spiritual leader of Lab/Shul: an "artist-driven, everybody-friendly, god-optional, pop up, experimental community for sacred Jewish gatherings." He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about B Mitzvah as a rite of passage -- not only for 12/13-year-olds, but for all ages!
[1] Learn more about Amichai Lau-Lavie by clicking here, and check out Lab/Shul’s website by heading to LabShul.org. For information about their B Mitzvah offerings in particular, see this link (for adult B Mitzvahs) or this link (for 12/13-year-old B Mitzvahs).
[2] This episode is the 6th in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum). Check out the previous episodes in the mini-series via the links below:
- Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum
- Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed - Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
- Episode 378: A Witch’s Bat Mitzvah - Laurel Snyder
- Episode 379: Be Mitzvah, Your Way - Amy Atkins, Amanda Schwartz
- Episode 380: Summer Camp B Mitzvah - Meg Adler
[3] For more on the Storahtelling method pioneered by Lau-Lavie and Lab/Shul, click here.
[4] Lau-Lavie mentions an initiative of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality called Wise Aging, which is focused not only “growing older,” but “aging wisely.” Learn more about Wise Aging via this link.
[5] In the midst of this podcast conversation, Lau-Lavie shouts out the movie A Serious Man, and its portrayal of a particularly meaningless Bar Mitzvah. Explore A Serious Man in more detail, along with what it reflects about American Judaism, by checking out this article.
Camp Tawonga, a summer camp located just outside of Yosemite National Park and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, offers a two-year B Mitzvah program that brings the magic of camp to the Bay Area (during the rest of the year), and gives students a unique way to approach this milestone moment through community, nature, and experiential learning. Meg Adler, Camp Tawonga's Associate Director of Bay Area Programs and facilitator of this B Mitzvah program, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explore what their program looks like, and what it might be able to teach other communities.
[1] Learn more about Camp Tawonga by heading to **Tawonga.org**, check out their B Mitzvah program via this link, and explore Meg Adler’s Substack via TurnItTurnIt.substack.com.
[2] This episode is the 5th in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum). Check out the previous episodes in the mini-series via the links below:
- Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum
- Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed - Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
- Episode 378: A Witch’s Bat Mitzvah - Laurel Snyder
- Episode 379: Be Mitzvah, Your Way - Amy Atkins, Amanda Schwartz
[3] For two other episodes referenced in this conversation, see Episode 85: B Mitzvah Revolutions - Isa Aronand/or Episode 324: Healing from Divorce, at Camp - Deborah Newbrun.
[4] Check out some other awesome projects from Meg Adler via these links:
- Outside the Lines: A Coloring Book for Rebels
- Lost Homes
Open Tent Be Mitzvah is a two-year experience, offered by the organization Judaism Your Way, that is focused on a student’s coming-of-age journey within a Jewish context. It culminates in a distinctive, meaningful "Be Mitzvah" ceremony that helps a student find their unique Jewish leadership voice. Amy Atkins and Amanda Schwartz, two of Open Tent Be Mitzvah's lead educators, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation.
This episode is the 4th in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum).
[1] ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound’s annual 24-hour festival of digital Jewish learning, is coming up soon (May 26th-27th). Register by heading to bit.ly/shavuot23!
[2] Learn more about Open Tent Be Mitzvah by clicking here, and check out the work of Judaism Your Way more generally via JudaismYourWay.org.
[3] For a previous Judaism Unbound episode featuring Judaism Your Way, see Episode 213: Passover Your Way - Caryn Aviv, Brian Field.
[4] For the previous episodes in this series on B Mitzvah, see:
- Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday (Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum)
- Episode 376: B Mitzvah, Reconstructed (Lauren Grabelle Herrmann)
- Episode 378: A Witch’s Bat Mitzvah - Laurel Snyder
[5] Lex mentions some fun wines with pictures of un-kosher animals on them. See the image below for this selection of wines, at the Shabbat potluck he and his wife recently hosted:
Her name is Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls her Zippy. See, the thing is...that she's a witch — and this year she's having her Bat Mitzvah!
This is the premise of The Witch of Woodland, the latest novel from Laurel Snyder. Snyder is a Sydney Taylor Award-winning author who has written over a dozen works of fiction. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about The Witch of Woodland, her ongoing effort to overcome "Jewish Imposter-Syndrome," and the ways in which works of fiction can shape our Jewish world. This episode is the 3rd in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum).
Purchase Laurel Snyder's "The Witch of Woodland" via this link! [1] Learn more about Laurel Snyder, and check out all her previous books, by heading to LaurelSnyder.com!
[2] Snyder references a number of books from the mid-late 20th century, that she was familiar with as a child. Two did not speak deeply to her as a reader who felt different from many mainstream Jewish narratives, and one did. If you were curious to learn more about those books that she mentioned, click any of these links: All of a Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor, Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories, by Isaac Bashevis Singer, or Davida’s Harp, by Chaim Potok.
[3] For a previous episode of Judaism Unbound that touches on Jewish magic, see Episode 345: When Jewish Meets Jew-Witch - Ketzirah Lesser.
[4] See below, for the famous “Tabernacle Cake” from Snyder’s son’s Bar Mitzvah celebration, mentioned toward the end of this episode. Everything you see in the image is edible!
ShavuotLIVE, the biggest and best(est) event on the Judaism Unbound calendar, is approaching in just a few weeks (May 26th/27th)! It's a 24-hours-straight festival of digital Jewish learning, and it's entering its fourth year. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg check in about what Shavuot is (and could be) in 2023, and they also explore what ShavuotLIVE helps to show about the state of digital Judaism today.
Register for ShavuotLIVE 2023 by clicking here (it will take place May 26th-27th)! [1] Learn more about ShavuotLIVE: our 24-hour festival of Jewish learning, by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/shavuot2023!
[2] It’s your last chance to sign up for our next block of mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Register for any of these five amazing offerings, which begin in just a couple days (the week of May 8th) by clicking the links below:
* **“The Myth of the 12 Tribes of Israel” (Andrew Tobolowsky)**
- “The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex” (Lila Corwin Berman)
- “Drawing Conclusions: Making Art as Midrash” (Liana Finck)
- “Torah as a State of Statelessness: Recovering Diasporist Halakhah” (Laynie Soloman)
- “Judaism In-Bound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone” (Dan Libenson, Miriam Terlinchamp)
[3] For past bonus episodes of Judaism Unbound, exploring Shavuot from a wide variety of angles, see any of the following:
* **Bonus Episode: Shavuot I: What the Heck is Shavuot?**
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot II: The Future of Shavuot
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot III: What's the Deal with the Dairy?
- Bonus Episode: Shavuot IV: The Book of Ruth
[4] Check out the text that is at the core of debates about when Shavuot should be celebrated (Leviticus 23 — verses 11 and 16 of the chapter are especially central) via this link.
[5] For a fuller telling of why Mezuzahs are often placed on a diagonal, see this piece from MyJewishLearning.
[6] Dan mentions Kodak, and digital photography, as a window into the challenges of institutional change/innovation. For an ELI Talk (Jewish Ted Talk) that Dan gave, based on that same set of historical developments, click here.
Lauren Grabelle Herrmann, rabbi at SAJ: Judaism that Stands for All — the synagogue where the first-ever Bat Mitzvah took place in 1922 — joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about re-visioning B Mitzvah for the next 100 years. This episode is the 2nd in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum).
[1] For the previous episode in this series, see **Episode 375: Bat Mitzvah’s 100th Birthday - Carole Balin, Judith Rosenbaum**. And stay tuned for many more conversations to come in the next couple months!
[2] Take a look at Lauren Grabelle Herrmann’s liturgical blessings, honoring the 100th anniversary of Bat Mitzvah, via this link. Learn more about her by clicking here.
[3] Explore SAJ: Judaism that Stands for All (the congregation formerly known as the Society for the Advancement of Judaism) via SAJ.nyc!
[4] Grabelle Herrmann explores a little-explored piece of the Exodus narrative: the fact that women thought to bring, in their quick packing as they rushed out of Egypt, drums for celebrating! For a full written piece of hers on this, see “Bringing our Timbrels, Singing as One: A Response to THIS moment.”
[5] For more on the question What is Reconstructionist Judaism?, see this piece, entitled “Reconstrucism Explained.”
[6] Grabelle Herrmann mentions that Mordecai Kaplan once sought the elimination of the text of Kol Nidrei, a well-known declaration uttered on Yom Kippur. For more on this, see “Tough to put the Kibosh on Kol Nidre,” a 2011 article by Jenna Weissman.
[7] Lex mentions that the Talmud says Betzalel, one of the two main architects of the tabernacle, was 13 years-old when charged with that responsibility. For the Talmud text that says this, see Sanhedrin 69b.
Carole Balin and Judith Rosenbaum, who each played a key role in the Jewish Women's Archive’s Bat Mitzvah at 100 initiative, join Dan and Lex to talk through the history of Bat Mitzvah, its contemporary iterations, and some of its possible futures.
This episode is the 1st in an ongoing mini-series of Judaism Unbound episodes, honoring Bat Mitzvah's 100th anniversary, and exploring the present and future of B Mitzvah ("B Mitzvah" is a term for Jewish coming-of-age ceremonies, across the gender spectrum).
[1] Learn more about *Bat Mitzvah at 100* by visiting **JWA.org/batmitzvah100**. For a full bio of Carole Balin, click here, and for Judith Rosenbaum’s bio, click here.
[2] Listen in to Judith Rosenbaum’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound via Episode 238: Jewish Women’s Archive - Judith Rosenbaum and/or American Jewish History Unbound #6: Emma Goldman - Judith Rosenbaum.
[3] Judith Kaplan’s bat mitzvah instagram account can be found @judithkaplan1922!
[4] Balin mentions Felicia Lamport, who had one of the first American bat mitzvahs, and went on to become a well-known poet. Learn more about her here.
[5] A couple Bat Mitzvah-related episodes of TV shows get a shout-out. Check out “Mazel Tov, Libby” (an episode of The Ghost and Molly McGee) via this link, and watch “I Survived Jessi’s Bat Mitzvah” (an episode of Big Mouth) via this link.
[6] For some past Judaism Unbound episodes that consider this life cycle ritual, see Episode 85: B-Mitzvah Revolutions - Isa Aron, Episode 291: Recipe for Disaster - Aimee Lucido, or Episode 323: Jewish Fractals - Natan Margalit.
Dan Libenson, one of Judaism Unbound's two co-hosts, and Miriam Terlinchamp, spiritual leader of Temple Sholom in Cincinnati, are co-teaching a course called Judaism In-Bound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone in the UnYeshiva. Terlinchamp joins Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about this course. It has been designed especially for folks in the midst of their conversion process -- along with any Jews-by-birth, or non-Jews, who are just interested in an introductory pathway into Jewish learning!
[1] With an initial three classes on consecutive weeks, followed by once-per-month class-meetings for the following 9 months, Judaism In-Bound is designed to help people learn about Judaism — through our unbound Jewish lens. Click here to register for it!
Register for Judaism In-Bound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone, via this link! [2] For Miriam Terlinchamp’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 113: Embrace the Weird - Miriam Terlinchamp.
[3] Terlinchamp mentions Kate Bowler, a scholar of religious history, as a spiritual teacher who has influenced her, even as she (Bowler) is not Jewish. Explore Kate Bowler’s work via KateBowler.com.
[4] To see an early episode of Judaism Unbound that explores conversion from a wide variety of angles, see Episode 57: Becoming Jewish on the Web - Juan Mejia. Also, stay tuned for our upcoming entire-unit of episodes exploring conversion to Judaism, coming to you this summer!
Passover is here! The traditional seder night(s) passed by (or over?), but there are still a whole bunch of days left in the holiday as this episode is released. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg explore how we might think a bit more creatively about our seders in future years, along with how the "non-seder days" could be activated towards more meaning-making.
[1] Register for our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva -- a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearing -- by heading to **www.JudaismUnbound.com/classes**! The next block of mini-courses begins in mid-April.
[2] Dan and Lex mention the UnYeshiva's **new certificate program in Unbound Judaism** toward the end of the episde — learn how to apply by heading to **www.JudaismUnbound.com/certificate**!
[3] For a full playlist of Passover-themed Judaism Unbound episodes from over the years, click here!
[4] Dan hints at the short list of things that the rabbis “required” for the observance of Passover, in the Mishnah. Check out that short section (Pesachim chapter 10) by clicking here.
[5] Dan and Lex each mention The Maxwell House Haggadah, an important piece of American Jewish history. Learn more about its origin and its evolution over time, by clicking here.
Elijah the Prophet is a popular guy! To our knowledge, he is the only person invited to every Passover Seder in the world -- and even encouraged to drink wine at each one of those Seders (drink responsibly, Elijah). But uhhh....who exactly is he? If you've opened the door for this fella every year, but never known exactly what his story is, this is the conversation for you! Daniel Matt, scholar of Jewish mysticism and author of the book Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to dive into the nearly-3000-year (and still-evolving!) biography of Elijah the Prophet. https://judaismunbound.simplecast.com/episodes/the-torah-of-reality-tv-jumping-the-fence-jewishly-catherine-horowitz
[1] Register for our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva — our digital center for Jewish learning and unlearing — by heading to **www.judaismunbound.com/classes**! The next block of mini-courses begins just after the end of Passover (less than two weeks after the release-date of this episode!).
[2] Learn more about Daniel Matt by visiting www.DanielCMatt.com, and purchase Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation via this link.
[3] For Daniel Matt’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
[4] Check out the main Biblical narrative of Elijah by heading to 1 Kings chapters 17-19, along with 2 Kings chapters 1-2.
[5] If you’d like to learn more from Daniel Matt, check out his digital courses on the Zohar, which you can learn more about via this link!
Catherine Horowitz, the 2022-23 New Voices Magazine/Judaism Unbound fellow, joins Lex Rofeberg for a conversation on how TV, and the way we watch it, creates ritual. They also discuss how we can use TV to further shape our religious practices and communities. Access full shownotes for this episode via this link.
[1] You can listen to previous New Voices Fellows’ bonus episodes on Judaism Unbound via **Bonus Episode: Pluralism of Necessity - Rena Yehuda Newman** and/or **Bonus Episode: Whose Judaism? - Becca Lubow**.
[2] Catherine mentions that she has many thoughts about whether dating shows are strategy shows. If this interests you, you can listen to the podcast Game of Roses, which views The Bachelor as “the fastest growing professional sport in the world."
[3] Lex mentions being part of a Bachelor fantasy league. You can see an example of how some reality TV fantasy leagues work here.
[4] Catherine and Lex compare watching TV shows weekly to weekly Torah portions. This is also discussed in a past episode of Judaism Unbound which you can check out via **Episode 330: Russian Doll as a Jewish Text - Allison Silverman**.
[5] Read more about the ritualistic features within reality TV shows, which Catherine alludes to, via the piece “Religion and Reality TV: Is God Watching?” — featured in Religion Dispatches.
[6] Curious to watch precisely the moment that Catherine described, where Colton jumped the fence? Watch a video of it here!
[7] Lex mentions an article Catherine wrote about Colton’s season of The Bachelor. Read that piece, entitled “The Great Escape: On the Moment That Came to Shape The Bachelor Forever,” via this link.
[8] If you are interested in reading about how reality TV discusses Jews, Judaism, and religion as a whole, you can read Catherine’s article, for the Jewish Women’s Archive, about The Bachelor’s relationship to Judaism — along with its status as a “Christian dating show.”
[9] For more about how reality TV creates religious mythology, morals, and rituals today, you can reference the book Religion and Reality TV: Faith in Late Capitalism.
The Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM) is a Gen Z-led movement dedicated to combating climate change and environmental injustice from a Jewish lens. Two of its activists, Isaac Ostrow and Sophie Raskin, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about JYCM's recent trip to COP-27 (the United Nations' Climate Change Conference).
[1] Learn more about the Jewish Youth Climate Movement by heading to **www.Adamah.org/JYCM**. Learn more about the delegation that Ostrow and Raskin were a part of, that attended the UN’s Climate Change Conference, via this link. And make sure to follow JYCM on Tiktok, Instagram, or Facebook.
[2] Find out how you can start, or join, a JYCM K’vutzah (chapter) here!
[3] Another member of this delegation, Madeline Canfield, is a past guest on Judaism Unbound. Check out her appearance on the podcast via Episode 320: Seders in the Streets - Madeline Canfield, Nate DeGroot. For another past episode of Judaism Unbound exploring the fight against climate change through a Jewish lens, see Episode 342: Dayenu — That’s Enough, Climate Change - Jennie Rosenn.
[4] At the close of the Shmita year (fall of 2022), Judaism Unbound hosted an event called Hakhel Unbound, which closed with a focus on how the American-Jewish community might commit to fighting climate change. You can view the closing gathering of Hakhel Unbound by clicking here.
[5] Dan references the group Concerned Jewish Students, which disrupted a major Jewish Federations gathering in the 1970s. One of its leaders was Michael Strassfeld, a recent guest on Judaism Unbound. Check out his episode via Episode 366: Judaism Disrupted - Michael Strassfeld.
[6] In this conversation, the guests and co-hosts explore the idea of environmental racism. Learn more about environmental racism via this link.
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg offer their perspectives on spirituality, in the final episode of a 12-episode mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality, which has featured a wide variety of thinkers, practitioners, writers, performers, and more. They also announce some exciting news, both for Judaism Unbound and for the Jewish collective as a whole!
[1] Check out the previous episodes in this mini-series via any of the links below:
* **Episode** **358: What Does “Spirituality” Mean? - Josh Feigelson**
- Episode 359: Spiritual Direction - Wendie Bernstein Lash
- Episode 360: Your Body is a Sukkah - Yoshi Silverstein
- Episode 361: Spiritual Abundance - Ariana Katz
- Episode 362: Love at the Center - Shefa Gold
- Episode 363: Dissolving Your Self - Dan and Lex
- Episode 364: Fringe Spirituality - Jill Spector, Julie Weitz
- Episode 365: Spiritual But Not Religious - Alec Gewirtz
- Episode 367: Let My People Sing - Batya Levine, Anthony Russell, Margot Seigle
- Episode 368: Progressive Hasidism - Jonah Gelfand, Daniel Kraft
- Episode 369: Jewish Mysticism - Ariel Mayse
[2] Dan references earlier Judaism Unbound conversations focused on the spirituality of psychedelics, through a Jewish lens. Check out those conversations via these links: Episode 225: Jewish Psychedelics - Zac Kamenetz, Bonus Episode: The Jewish Psychedelic Summit - Natalie Ginsberg, Madison Margolin.
[3] Lex mentions past Judaism Unbound conversations with folks at the Leichtag Commons — check those out via these links: Episode 333: Cross-Pollination - Jenny Camhi, Jessica Kort, Episode 334: Taking Jewish Risks - Jim Farley, Charlene Seidle, Episode 335: Jewishly Rooted - Kesha Dorsey Spoor, Adam McCurdy, Sharone Oren.
Ariel Mayse serves as Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University, and is the co-author of the two-volume A New Hasidism: RootsandA New Hasidism: Branches, with Arthur Green. Mayse joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring the history of Jewish mysticism, from the Hebrew Bible through today. This episode is the 11th episode in an ongoing mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality.
[1] Learn more about Ariel Mayse by clicking here. Check out his recent piece in Gashmius Magazine, entitled “How to Read a Hasidic Text: A Quick Guide,” via this link.
[2] Purchase A New Hasidism: Roots by clicking here, and A New Hasidism: Branches by clicking here. For another book of Mayse’s that we recommend, check out From the Depth of the Well: An Anthology of Jewish Mysticism.
[3] For an introduction to Hekhalot (“Palace”) Literature, referenced briefly by Mayse, click here.
[4] Mayse references the upheaval brought by Shabbetai Zevi in the 17th century, which played a role in the flowering of Hasidism later on. Learn more about him by listening to Judaism Unbound Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi - Permitting the Forbidden - Xava de Cordova, Michael Sokolovsky.
[5] For the episode Lex references, featuring Jay Michaelson, see Episode 340: More Jewish Heresy - Jay Michaelson.
[6] Learn more from Ariel Mayse, about Martin Buber and Hillel Zeitlin (two figures referenced toward the end of this episode), by checking out a piece of his entitled “The Development of Neo-Hasidism: Echoes and Repercussions Part I: Introduction, Hillel Zeitlin, and Martin Buber.”
Gashmiusis an online magazine dedicated to Jewish mystical thought, practice, and culture, founded on the core belief that "progressive Neo-Hasidism has the potential to uplift and heal the Jewish community and the world." Its two co-founders, Jonah Gelfand and Daniel Kraft, join Judaism Unbound for the 10th episode in an ongoing mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality.
[1] Learn more about Gashmius Magazine by heading to **GashmiusMagazine.com**, and follow them on instagram via @gashmiusmagazine! Learn more about Jonah Gelfand and Daniel Kraft by clicking here, and check out Kraft’s substack here.
[2] Check out all the essays comprising volume 1 of Gashmius Magazine here — and stay tuned for volume 2, which will be released in the summer of 2023!
[3] Gelfand mentions Hillel Zeitlin and Martin Buber, two of the early pioneers of Neo-Hasidism. Learn more about them via this piece, by Ariel Mayse, entitled *The Development of Neo-Hasidism: Echoes and Repercussions Part I: Introduction, Hillel Zeitlin, and Martin Buber*.
[4] The two co-founders mention that, for some folks, a non-textual introduction to Hasidism and Neo-Hasidism is most helpful. If you’re one of these folks, check out Gashmius’s “Neo-Hasidic Starter Pack,” a set of 6 resources — all of which are audio or video.
[5] Dan shouts out the book The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin. Learn more about it, and purchase it if you’d like, via this link.
[6] Kraft mentions the blurring of the boundaries between “secular” and “religious.” Gelfand discusses his friends who are “Jewish Currents Jews” (Jewish Currents being a publication that historically has identified as “secular”). For a recent development from Jewish Currents, that itself blurs the secular and the religious, see Chevruta, a new column that aims to address the ethical and spiritual problems confronting the left.
[7] Gelfand gives a shout-out to a bentscher (Jewish book of songs and blessings) created by David Zvi Kalman. For a past Judaism Unbound episode featuring Kalman as guest, see Episode 179: The Jewish Polymath - David Zvi Kalman.
Let My People Sing is a cultural project expanding the ancient and transformative practice of Jewish communal singing. Let My People Sing gathers in multi-racial, multicultural and genderful Jewish community, uplifting songs and leaders historically and ongoingly pushed to the margins. Three of its team-members -- Batya Levine, Anthony Russell, and Margot Seigle -- join Dan and Lex for the 9th episode in an ongoing mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality.
[1] Let My People Sing's 2023 summer retreat will be taking place August 24th-27th. Registration is not yet open (as this episode is released) but it will be opening on March 9th at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT! For more information, you can head to **LetMyPeopleSing.org/summer-retreat-2023**.
[2] Learn more about Let My People Sing via this link, and support their work with a donation by clicking here.
[3] Russell gives a shout-out to a quote from Martin Buber, about the power of two people (or more) singing together. For the full quote, head to this link (page 65).
[4] The song that Seigle leads is called “Little Song” and was composed by Sol Weiss. For a full recording (complete with harmonies from some chickens in the background!) click here.
[5] Get a taste of Let My People Sing by checking out some of their playlists!
Michael Strassfeld was one of the co-authors of The Jewish Catalog, a book released in 1973 (happy 50th anniversary!) that served as a kind of "Jewish do-it-yourself kit" -- and became one of the bestselling Jewish books of all time. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to speak about a new book of his being released in 2023, entitled Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century.
[1] **You can purchase *Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century* from Ben Yehuda Press, via this link (a 15% discount will automatically be applied if you purchase after clicking this)!**
[2] For past Judaism Unbound episodes referenced in this conversation, see:
- Episode 84: The Jewish Catalog, Then and Now - Riv-Ellen Prell
- Episode 1: Genesis - Dan and Lexand Episode 4: Exodus II - Dan and Lex(on “disruption”)
- Episode 12: Minhag America - Anita Diamant
- Episode 100: The Third Era - Yitz Greenberg
- Episode 133: God is One - Art Green
[3] Strassfeld mentions the book Sefer HaChinuch (Book of Education) — for a short piece that lays out what Sefer HaChinuch is, click here.
Alec Gewirtz is a community-builder and writer who co-founded The Nearness -- a community platform to nurture people in their spiritual lives. The Nearness offers 6-week journeys (the next journey begins in April 2023), where participants gather digitally, in regular small-group conversations structured on conversation prompts, shared practices, and mutual support. Gewirtz joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 8th episode in an ongoing mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality.
[1] Check out The Nearness by heading to **TheNearness.coop**! Their next 6-week journey begins in April 2023, and you can sign up to be kept in the loop as it approaches via this link.
[2] We start out this episode by referencing a piece Gewirtz wrote for Jacobin. Check out the article, entitled As Religious Institutions Decline, the Left Loses Out — We Can Change That by clicking here.
[3] Gewirtz gives a shout-out to Miriam Ezagui’s TikTok account, followed by over 1 million people. You can follow as well by clicking here.
[4] For “The Nearness of You” by Ella Fitzgerald, which partially inspired the name of The Nearness, click here!
[5] Late in the conversation, Gewirtz references the ways in which religious traditions have generally been “bundled.” For a past episode of Judaism Unbound that explores what it might look like to “unbundle” Jewish tradition, see Episode 25: Unbundling Judaism - Dan and Lex.
[6] Learn more about the social gospel movement, which Gewirtz referenced in discussing the history of the American religious left, via this piece from Religion & Politics.
[7] For the full quote from Willa Cather’s My Antonia, that Gewirtz delivers as a connection to dissolving one’s self in connection to broader whole, click here.
Tzitzit Project is an invitation for everyone, and every body, to engage with the mitzvah of wearing the four-cornered ritual garment, with fringes, called a tallit katan(also referred to as tzitzit). Its co-founders, Julie Weitz and Jill Spector, launched Tzitzit Project to open up this practice, historically held by cisgender men, to women, trans, and non-binary Jews. They join Dan and Lex for the 7th episode in an ongoing mini-series on Jewish spirituality.
Register for our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva (beginning the second week of February) by clicking here! [1] Learn more about Tzitzit Project via TzitzitProject.com. Learn more about Jill Spector here, and learn more about Julie Weitz via JulieWeitz.com.
[2] Julie Weitz appeared on Judaism Unbound once before! Check out that episode via Episode 299: Becoming a Golem - Julie Weitz.
[3] Weitz and Spector alluded to *Prayer for Burnt Forests*, a project they collaborated on prior to Tzitzit Project. Check it out via this link.
[4] A number of past Judaism Unbound guests were referenced in this episode, and we encourage you to check out their appearances on Judaism Unbound (in order of reference in the above episode):
- Episode 298: Judaism, Inconveniently Itself - Ezra Furman
- Episode 274: Beyond Binaries, Beyond Orthodoxies - Jericho Vincent
- Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi: Permitting the Forbidden - Xava De Cordova, Michael Sokolovsky
- Episode 280: Trans Diaspora, Baruch Hashem - Binya Koatz
[5] Check out the book Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Toward Rabbinic Ordination, referenced by Weitz and Spector and authored by Haviva Ner-David.
[6] Learn more about the Queer Mikveh Project here.
Dan and Lex, in the 6th episode in an ongoing series on Jewish spirituality, want to soak in some of the lessons they've taken from their previous conversations in this unit. They explore how spirituality ties to questions of self, of community, and of society, and whether a central component of spirituality might boil down to dissolving one's sense of self.
[1] **In this episode, Dan and Lex announce some exciting news: the launch of** **the UnYeshiva's brand-new certificate-program in Unbound Judaism!**Learn more via **www.JudaismUnbound.com/certificate**, where you can take your first steps in our application process.
[2] Register for any of our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva (beginning in February 2023) via these links:
Holy Moses: Mythic Wisdom for Navigating Chaotic Times (Dan Libenson)Jewish Discontinuity: The Tradition of Changing Tradition (Lex Rofeberg)The Call of Love: Reimagining Religion with Love at the Center (Shefa Gold)Plant-Based Torah: Jewish Ethical Eating as Spiritual Practice (Sara Eifler)Speaking Jewish Around the Globe: Endangered Jewish Languages from Italy to India and Beyond (Sarah Bunin Benor)
[3] Listen in to the previous episodes in this mini-series on spirituality via these links:
Episode 358: What Does “Spirituality” Mean? (Josh Feigelson)
Episode 359: Spiritual Direction (Wendie Bernstein Lash)
Episode 360: Your Body is a Sukkah (Yoshi Silverstein)
Episode 361: Spiritual Abundance (Ariana Katz)
Episode 362: Love at the Center (Shefa Gold)
Shefa Gold is an educator, composer, and spiritual leader whose music, teachings, and spiritual methodologies have influenced clergy, lay-leaders, and seekers around the world — she joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 5th episode in an ongoing series on Jewish spirituality. Together they explore the transformative potential of the Song of Songs (a biblical book whose central theme is love), and they immerse in forms of Jewish sacred-chant. Gold brings some of those chants to our podcast in real time, and she also outlines why chant plays a key role in her methodology of transmitting Jewish wisdom.
[1] Did you listen to this episode and think “YES! This is exactly the teacher I’ve been looking for!?” **Register for Shefa Gold’s UnYeshiva course, beginning in early February 2023, by heading to** **JudaismUnbound.com/love****.**
[2] Learn more about our other UnYeshiva courses being offered this spring (all beginning in early February), by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/classes. Register for an info session (January 25th or 26th), to learn more about all of our UnYeshiva courses, by clicking here.
[3] Immerse in Shefa Gold’s teachings and chants by heading to RabbiShefaGold.com. Download her Flavors of Gratefulnessapp here, explore her Eight Functions of Consciousness in a Spiritual Groupvia this link, and sign up to join her KZoom gatherings of sacred-chant (online) by clicking here.
[4] Gold refers to an initiative from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality that looks at prayer as practice. Entitled the “Prayer Project,” you can learn more about it here.
[5] For a past Judaism Unbound conversation that dives into the Song of Songs, see Bonus Episode: Elul #3 - What’s Love Got to Do With It? (The Song of Songs).
[6] Gold recommends a translation and commentary of The Song of Songs, written by Michael Fishbane, which explores this text on all four levels of traditional Jewish interpretation. You can purchase it via this link.
Ariana Katz, the founding rabbi of Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl ("Shtiebl" refers to an intimate, cozy space where prayer and study meet), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 4th episode in an ongoing series on Jewish spirituality. Together they explore what it means to build an intentional, spiritual, community, and also consider the importance of holding a mindset of spiritual abundance.
New courses in Judaism Unbound’s UnYeshiva kick off in just a few weeks (February 2022!). Learn more about current and upcoming courses in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva -- a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning -- by heading to www.unyeshiva.com.
[1] Learn more about Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl by heading to **www.HinenuBaltimore.org**, and learn more about Ariana Katz by clicking here.
[2] For a few other past Judaism Unbound episodes, exploring what it looks like to build progressive, intentional, and spiritual communities, see Episode 181: The New Synagogue Project - Joseph Berman, Lauren Spokane and Episode 279: Voice for Justice - Ari Lev Fornari.
[3] For the previous episodes in this unit on spirituality, see Episode 358: What Does “Spirituality” Mean? - Josh Feigelson, Episode 359: Spiritual Direction - Wendie Bernstein Lash, and Episode 360: Your Body is a Sukkah - Yoshi Silverstein.
[4] Katz mentions her teacher, Mary Martha Thiel, director of Clinical Pastoral Education at Hebrew Senior Life. Learn more about Thiel’s work to serve “SBNRs” (the “spiritual but not religious”) via this webinar she offered, accessible for free on youtube.
[5] Katz refers to the notion of “hovering over the face of the waters,” from the beginning of the book of Genesis. Another recent guest on Judaism Unbound, Adina Allen, also referred to this excerpt from the Torah — hear from her in Episode 353: The Torah of Creativity - Adina Allen.
Yoshi Silverstein is the founder and executive director of Mitsui Collective, an organization that seeks to "buildresilient community, through embodied Jewish practice and somatic antiracism." Silverstein joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 3rd episode in an ongoing mini-series on Jewish spirituality, and in their conversation they explore ways in spirituality connects not only to our souls -- but also to our physical bodies.
[1] Learn more about Mitsui Collective by heading to **MitsuiCollective.org**, and learn more about Yoshi Silverstein at **YoshiSilverstein.com**.
[2] Silverstein recently won the prestigious Pomegranate Prize, from the Covenant Foundation, awarded to emerging leaders in Jewish education. For a full article, detailing the work of Mitsui Collective on the occasion of Silverstein’s award, check out this piece in the Cleveland Jewish News.
[3] Silverstein cites a teaching from angel Kyodo williams, asking whether one’s “spiritual practice” really operates as a “spiritual hobby.” Learn more about angel Kyodo williams via Revangel.com.
[4] Dan references some previous Judaism Unbound episodes, featuring Casper ter Kuile and Angie Thurston, which looked at a variety of organizations — including CrossFit — as spiritual communities. Dive fully into this topic via Episode 18: How We Gather - Casper ter Kuile, Angie Thurstonand/or Episode 227: The Power of Ritual - Casper ter Kuile.
[5] To close the episode, Silverstein considers the magical power of…a 6-foot-long staff! For a recent blog-post that explores the role that magic plays in the Torah, see “Who Knows What Magic Can Achieve? A Gemara (Commentary) on Judaism Unbound Episode 345: When Jewish Meets Jewitch,” by Judaism Unbound/New Voices Fellow Catherine Horowitz.
Wendie Bernstein Lash, a longtime friend and collaborator of Judaism Unbound who co-facilitates our Elul Unbound initiative every year -- as an on-ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 2nd episode in an ongoing mini-series exploring Jewish spirituality. Bernstein Lash, a spiritual director (and teacher of other spiritual directors) for decades, outlines what spiritual direction is -- along why it may be worth emphasizing it more in contemporary Jewish life.
[1] **After listening to this episode, are you interested in exploring spiritual direction for yourself? Click here to fill out a short form, and we will help match you with a spiritual director!**
[2] This is not Wendie Bernstein Lash’s first Judaism Unbound rodeo! Wendie is a longtime friend of Judaism Unbound’s, and you might recognize her name from our yearly Elul Unbound initiative, which she co-founded, and which serves as a digital on-ramp into the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Check out Elul Unbounds of the past by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/elul.
[3] Learn more about Wendie by heading to her website.
[4] Might you be interested in training to become a spiritual director yourself? Check out the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s new program to train spiritual directors, called Kol Dodi, by clicking here. You can also learn about Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal’s Hashpa’ah program via this link.
[5] Bernstein Lash mentions Sylvia Boorstein, a Jewish and Buddhist spiritual teacher who has had a profound influence on her. Learn more about Boorstein by heading to SylviaBoorstein.com.
[6] Lex refers to a past Judaism Unbound episode featuring Rachel Gildiner, CEO of Gather Inc. Listen in to that episode by clicking here: Episode 348: Jewish Gathering - Rachel Gildiner.
Josh Feigelson, the president and CEO of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality -- and also the author of a new book entitled Eternal Questions: Reflections, Conversations, and Jewish Mindfulness Practices for the Weekly Torah Portion-- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 1st episode in an ongoing mini-series exploring contemporary Jewish spirituality.
[1] Learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality by heading to **JewishSpirituality.org**, and register for their daily meditation sits (which take place via Zoom) via this link!
[2] For a recent article exploring the growth of Jewish meditation — and of notions of spirituality in Jewish life more broadly — see “Feel your breath: Mindfulness moving into the Jewish mainstream,” written by Ben Sales for eJewish Philanthropy.
[3] Feigelson references a book by Mark Warner, exploring the phenomenon of something once viewed as countercultural moving into the mainstream. The book, entitled Publics and Counterpublics, can be purchased here.
[4] Feigelson explores the ways in which spirituality need not be conceptualized as only an “inner” project, designed to better oneself. For a past episode of Judaism Unbound considering this issue as one of its central points, see Episode 167: The Meaning of Mussar - David Jaffe.
[5] Recently, Keshira HaLev Fife — a past guest on Judaism Unbound and teacher in the UnYeshiva — was named the inaugural faculty fellow of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Check out her past appearances on Judaism Unbound via Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira HaLev Fife and/or Episode 313: Learning, Unlearning, and…Onion Learning - Tova Birnbaum, Keshira HaLev Fife.
[6] Feigelson references the notion of “habitus,” first coined by Pierre Bourdieu. For a brief article breaking down what this term connotes, click here.
This year, Judaism Unbound — in partnership with The Torah Studio — is trying out something new for this de*light*ful winter holiday. We’re taking Hanukkah as a chance to explore a bunch of books from a genre called “Apocrypha.” These are books that were not included in the official Biblical canon, but which nonetheless were important to different groups of Jews in a wide variety of historical eras. **Scroll down this page for our 5-part mini-series of podcasts, where we dive into a variety of apocryphal books — and into questions of canon more broadly (episodes will arrive on this page one by one, over the course of Hanukkah)!** And if you’d like to receive all sorts of fascinating apocrypha content direct to your inbox, you can sign up for our Apocry-Fest email list here.
Episode 1: Apocry-Fest - Lex Rofeberg, Liana Wertman, and Dan Libenson introduce why Hanukkah is a perfect time to engage with books of the Apocrypha (a category of ancient works of literature that were never officially canonized as part of the Bible)!
Episode 2: The Scroll of Antiochus - Lex, Liana, and Dan dive into a little-known book called Megillat Antiochus -- the scroll of Antiochus. They compare and contrast its Hanukkah narrative with some better-known versions, and ask what it would look like if we incorporated this book into our experiences of Hanukkah today.
EPISODE 2 COMING DECEMBER 19TH!
Episode 3: Jubilees - Lex, Liana, and Dan explore an apocryphal book called Jubilees. While not traditionally tied to the festival of Hanukkah, the three hosts argue that it could be part of a broader effort to consciously integrate, into our contemporary Jewish practice, books that never made it into the bible -- but which have been held as sacred by groups of Jews in a variety of historical contexts.
EPISODE 3 COMING DECEMBER 21ST!
Episode 4: Judith - Lex, Liana, and Dan celebrate the book of Judith. One of the better-known books of the apocrypha, there’s actually a great deal of historical precedent for tying the story of Judith to the celebration of Hanukkah. The three co-hosts ask why that is, along with talking through some of the nuts and bolts of what this fascinating story (with a fascinating heroine) is all about.
EPISODE 4 COMING DECEMBER 23RD!
Episode 5: Unbound and Un-Canonized
EPISODE 5 COMING DECEMBER 25TH!
David Kasher, associate rabbi at IKAR and author of a new book entitled ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to provide some commentary (get it??) on how we read the Torah. In their conversation, they explore some of the incredible opportunities, and potential drawbacks, that arise when reading Torah through traditional and less-traditional lenses.
CODE FOR PLAYER HERE [1] You can purchase ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary by clicking here.
[2] Learn more about David Kasher by clicking here, and check out his podcast, entitled “Best Book Ever” (about the Torah!), via this link. For the ParshaNut podcast (no longer releasing new episodes, but featuring many of Kasher’s insights that made their way into his book), click here.
[3] Kasher discusses the Akedah (Binding of Isaac) narrative, and how disturbing it can be for many readers. Explore this story in more detail by heading to The Akedah Project, an initiative Judaism Unbound co-sponsored featuring dozens of videos from a wide variety of perspectives, all about the binding of Isaac.
[4] For a past Judaism Unbound episode exploring what it looks to dive into the Torah from some other angles, see Episode 267: The Torah Studio - Liana Wertman.
Happy Hanukkah! Or as we like to spell it, (c)(h)(x)(j)an(n)(i)(u)k(k)a(h)! We're about 1 week early, but in this episode, Dan and Lex explore Hanukkah in depth, asking how we might deepen our relationship to it if we connected it to frameworks from our recent conversation with Emily Tamkin, about her book Bad Jews. Also, they tie the holiday of Hanukkah to....Jewish weddings? It sounds incoherent, I know, but if you listen, we promise it will all make sense!
[1]This Hanukkah, Judaism Unbound is partnering with **The Torah Studio** on an initiative called ***Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound and Un-Canonized***! Learn all about it (and register for it!) by heading to **JudaismUnbound.com/apocrypha**.
[2] For Judaism Unbound’s 2022 Hanukkah Gift Guide — featuring gift certificates to the UnYeshiva, along with some of our favorite books from recent guests on the podcast, and more — click here!
[3] For our recent podcast featuring Emily Tamkin, author of the book Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities, see Episode 352: Bad Jews — a History - Emily Tamkin.
[4] Lex references the full text of Emma Lazarus’s poem, entitled The New Colossus. You can read the full text of The New Colossus here — and don’t forget to read it this Chanukah with your friends or family!
This is a commentary on Episode 352 of Judaism Unbound, an interview with Emily Tamkin about her new book, Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities. I wrote a draft for a blog post similar to one I published a few weeks ago, but it didn’t feel authentic—I realized I was pushing myself to feel more certain than I actually did, in order to create a blog post with a clear “thesis.” This is a complicated topic, and reflecting on it has made me realize that I have more questions than answers about this whole “good/bad/right/wrong Jew” conversation. So here are a few of them:
By Catherine Horowitz, New Voices/Judaism Unbound Fellow (2022-23)What does it mean to be a bad Jew? To answer that, I think you first need to ask: “what does it mean to be a good Jew?” Because “bad” only exists in relation to “good,” right? Is a “good Jew” like, an objective thing? Is there one set of traits that makes up a “good Jew?” Is there one answer to this question that we’ll eventually, with a lot of learning and thinking and soul searching, figure out? Is a good Jew someone who observes Jewish law? Is a good Jew someone who is committed to social justice? This question is a little too easy. We all know that the answer is no—there’s not an objective way of really saying what a good Jew is. So why are people so obsessed with calling other people bad Jews? What is the use of this?
What is it with all the feelings of superiority—moral superiority, religious superiority—in the Jewish world? Where did this sense of superiority come from? When did Judaism become a competition? Is there anything to win or lose here? How can you be a “better Jew” than someone else? Is there a “best Jew?” Who’s the “best Jew?” Why do some people feel that they know the “right” way to be Jewish? Because, like, is there really any way to do Judaism right? I mean, who are we to decide this, anyway? The pope? God?
What do we mean when we say “Jewish values,” anyway? I’m always hearing about “Jewish values” and how some people don’t abide by them. But what do people actually mean when they say that? Do you think it’s going to be the same, or even remotely similar, for all Jews? Even between two Jews? Is there any set of beliefs inherent to Judaism? I mean, is there really anything all Jews have in common? Is it even useful to ask that question?
My friend is studying abroad in Morocco and explaining Judaism to her host family, who have never heard of it before. She’s asked me, “Do I describe just my Judaism? Orthodoxy? All? Impossible.” I don’t know what “my Judaism” is. I mean, why do I adopt certain Jewish practices or ideas? Is it because I’m actually compelled by them? Sometimes. But sometimes, is it because I feel like that’s what other Jews expect me to do? Is it because I’ve learned that’s what the right thing to do is? Is it because I’m scared to do anything else? Or don’t know anything else? Is it because I want to prove myself? Is there a “my Judaism?” Or is it just the Judaism I’ve learned is “good Judaism?”
How can we get over our fear? How can we get over our guilt? What is more productive than “good Jew or bad Jew?” And why does it have to be so complicated?
Catherine Horowitz is a senior at Oberlin College studying English and Jewish Studies. At Oberlin, she works at the Writing Center, writes for a creative nonfiction magazine, and is a tour guide. She is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland and is the 2022-23 Judaism Unbound/New Voices fellow.
Ayin Press is an artist-run publishing platform, production studio, and research collective -- rooted in Jewish culture and emanating outward. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are joined by Tom Haviv, Eden Pearlstein, and Penina Eilberg-Schwartz — three people who play a central role in the work of Ayin Press, as publishers and editors. Together, they consider the power of having organizations (and publications/presses) that are consciously artist-led, the importance of publications that dance between both sides of the digital/print divide, and the meaning of their name, "Ayin."
[1] We strongly encourage our listeners to head over to AyinPress.org to fully immerse in their creative work!
[2] To learn more about each of this episode’s three guests, check out TomHaviv.com, EdenPearlstein.com, and/or PeninaEilberg-Schwartz.com.
[3] The three guests mention a few specific elements of Ayin’s digital work:
- To check out the first edition of Ayin’s digital journal, entitled Tardema, click here. To check out the second edition, entitled The Holy Fool, click here.
- Take a look at Ayin’s Folios (small collection of works related by theme, medium, or process) here.
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Explore “Speaking from Experience,” an Ayin column diving into “the fringes and potential futures of Jewish spirituality”
[4] Pearlstein and Haviv connected through their shared love of letters — something Pearlstein calls “lettrism.” For a powerful music-video, revolving around letters of the Hebrew alphabet — created by Pearlstein in collaboration with other members of Darshan, click here.
[5] The three guests mention the importance of “world-building” to their work. For a past Judaism Unbound episode that centers that notion, see Episode 273: Trans & Jewish World-Building - Laynie Soloman, Becky Silverstein. For a past episode that dives into what Ayin names as “de-silo-ing” (art, from politics, from spirituality, and more), see Episode 156: Creating Jewish Theatre - Aaron Henne.
Jen Gubitz is the founder and executive director of Modern JewISH Couples -- an organization that supports committed couples on the pathway to partnership, marriage, and beyond. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Jewish weddings that asks a number of questions. What typically happens, and what should happen, before the wedding day? Why is it not only okay, but wonderful, when non-clergy officiate Jewish weddings? What transformation does the ritual of a wedding ceremony effect, in 2022, when many traditional understandings of what a wedding “does” no longer resonate?
[1] Register for a 3-week mini-course in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva, taught by Jen Gubitz and Dan Libenson, entitled "How to Perform a Jew-Ish Wedding," by clicking here.
[2] Check out our other upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/classes. One that may be of particular interest to interfaith families is Beyond the December Dilemma: Christmas, Hanukkah, and Multi-Religious Life, taught by Samira Mehta.
[3] Learn more about Jen Gubitz’s organization, Modern JewISH Couples, by heading to ModernJewishCouples.com, and learn more about Jen Gubitz herself via this link (for her bio, scroll to the bottom of the page).
[4] Gubitz is our comrade in the Jewish podcasting world! Check out her podcast, OMFG: Jewish Wisdom for Unprecedented Times, at OMFGPodcast.com.
[5] Have you heard whispers about how you can get ordained as a minister online, and legally preside over wedding ceremonies (in most states)? It’s not just a rumor! Click here to do so yourself, through the Universal Life Church, a “non-denominational religious organization with millions of members, all around the world.”
[6] Dan mentions an article by his daughter, about her worries that she might “invalidate” her bat mitzvah. Read the full piece, published by the Jewish Women’s Archive and entitled “Weaving My Asymmetrical Jewish Identity,” by clicking here.
Adina Allen, co-founder and creative director of The Jewish Studio Project, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explore what Torah is, what creativity is, and what her framework -- a Torah of Creativity -- has to teach the world.
Inspired by what you hear in this podcast episode? You can sign up for a 3-week mini-course in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning), taught by Adina Allen and revolving around the Torah of Creativity. Register for Adina Allen's 3-week course in the UnYeshiva by clicking here, and check out the UnYeshiva's other upcoming "mini-courses" via this link.
[1] Learn more about Adina Allen by clicking here, and check out her previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by heading to Episode 108: The Jewish Studio Project - Adina Allen, Jeff Kasowitz.
[2] Check out the Jewish Studio Project’s work by heading to www.JewishStudioProject.org.
[3] Allen mentions her application of “beginner’s mind” to the creation story in Genesis. For more on how she approaches beginner’s mind, see “God as Holy Fool: Embracing the Chaos of Creation,” a piece she co-wrote with her mom, Pat Allen.
[4] To conclude the episode, Allen recites a blessing for creativity in both Hebrew and English. The words, in Hebrew and English, are contained in the image below (full English and Hebrew transliteration is contained in the image’s caption):
Blessed are You, Source of Life, Who created us in Your image and invites us to renew daily the works for creation. Blessed are You, Gd, Who created us creative.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Mekor haChayyim, sh’bara otanu b’tzalmo, u’mazmeen otanu l’chadesh b’chol yom tamid ma’aseh b’resheit. Baruch Atah Adonai, Yotzer yitzirim.
Emily Tamkin is the senior editor, US at The New Statesman and author of a new book entitled Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explore how the phrase "Bad Jew" has been mobilized throughout American history, how it's used today, and why it might be time to discard it.
CODE FOR PLAYER HERE
[1] Purchase Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities by clicking here!Learn more about Emily Tamkin by clicking here.
[2] For a couple articles exploring elements Tamkin’s book, check out one (or all!) of these pieces:
- ‘Bad Jews’: New book explores identity, labels, divisions among American Jews (Times of Israel, Amy Spiro)
- The Erasure of Black Jews (UnHerd, Ralph Leonard)
- ‘Bad Jews’ describes a history of American Jewish infighting (JTA, Andrew Silow-Carroll)
- American Jewish History is Full of ‘Bad Jews’ (Hey Alma, Evelyn Frick)
[3] Tamkin mentions Donald Trump’s recent remarks (doubling down on statements over many years) that American Jews are insufficiently supportive of Israel, and need to “get their act together.” For more on these developments, see this CNN piece by Paul LeBlanc.
[4] For the piece in Commentary that Tamkin references, calling explicitly for the execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, see “Anti-Semitism” and the Rosenberg Case: The Latest Communist Propaganda Trap” (yes, that is truly a real title, from 1953).
[5] A number of past Judaism Unbound guests are mentioned over the course of this episode. We encourage you to listen in to their episodes via any of these links:
- Episode 97: Bad Jews - Jenna Reback
- Episode 185: An Army of Translators - Sarah Hurwitz
- Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex - Lila Corwin Berman
[6] Two other episodes, with guests who were not mentioned directly, are also worth listening to in conjunction with this one! See Episode 291: Recipe for Disaster - Aimee Lucidofor a conversation that revolves in large part around the phrase “not Jewish enough,” and check out Bonus Episode: Whose Judaism? - Becca Lubow for another exploration of related concepts.
Michael Lerner -- a theologian, activist, rabbi, and psychotherapist -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking back at over 50 years of justice work, drawing on Jewish wisdom and in partnership with progressives from other spiritual traditions.
[1] Learn more about Michael Lerner by clicking here. Check out Tikkun, the publication that he founded and directs, by heading to www.Tikkun.org.
[2] Lerner has written a number of books over the years — some of our favorites include Jewish Renewal, which you can purchase here, The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country from the Religious Right, available via this link, and Revolutionary Love: A Political Manifesto to Heal and Transform the World, available here.
[3] In discussing the influence of AIPAC on elections, Lerner references a recent congressional primary in Michigan. For more on this, see “Pro-Israel group pours millions into primary to defeat Jewish candidate,” a piece in the Guardian written by Chris McGreal. You can also check out a piece in Tikkun, entitled “‘Anti-Israel’ and ‘Pro-Israel’ in Michigan Election,” written by Ronald Aronson.
[4] Learn more about Jim Wallis, a progressive Christian theologian that Lerner references, via this link.
[5] For the article Lerner references, published in Tikkun as the first written by a gay and Orthodox rabbi — under a pseudonym — click here and skip to pages 41-42. The piece was written by Steven Greenberg, initially under the pseudonym Yaakov Levado, and is entitled “Gayness and God: Wrestlings of an Orthodox Rabbi.”
[6] Sign up to attend regular Torah Study (via Zoom) with Lerner’s community here!
Liana Finck, a cartoonist and author whose most recent book is entitled Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about this work -- a graphic novel that reimagines the story of Genesis, with God as a woman.
Photo Credit: M Cooper
[1] Order Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation by clicking here!Learn more about Liana Finck, and her previous work, by heading to LianaFinck.com.
[2] Finck references two books that have been influential for her, in different ways. One is Robert Alter’s translation of the Bible, in audiobook form, which you can order here. The other is Seven Gothic Tales, by Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), which you can order via this link.
[3] A few previous episodes of Judaism Unbound are worth listening to, in conversation with this one! First, there’s a recent episode featuring Alicia Jo Rabins, which directly mentions Let There Be Light — which you can listen to via Episode 343: God’s Bad Parenting Days - Alicia Jo Rabins.
[4] Additionally, we encourage folks to check out Episode 245: Her Torah - Yael Kanarek, which dives into Kanarek’s regendered Torah (Toratah), and Episode 29: Lab/Shul - Amichai Lau-Lavie, which Lex references in this episode during Finck’s exploration of idolatry and the golden calf.
[5] For a deeper dive into the book of Jubilees, which comes up briefly as another version of a rewritten Genesis (just a couple thousand years old!), see Episode 218: A Book that Didn’t Make it - Barbara Thiede.
[6] For the Biblical tale of the golden calf, including the part Dan references where Aaron says “I just put some gold in and out came this calf,” see Exodus chapter 32. For the specific verse Dan alludes to, see Exodus 32:24.
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, in two recent conversations with Ron Wolfson and Rachel Gildiner, explored what it meant for Judaism to be "relational." In this follow-up episode, they map that question, of what it means for Judaism to be relational, onto digital Jewish experiences in particular. They reflect on recent Judaism Unbound developments, including Yom Kippur and Hakhel, in considering what it would like for digital gatherings to center relationships -- and not just programming.
[1] Register now to take one of our amazing Fall courses in the UnYeshiva -- the deadline is just a few days away! Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our different options -- financial aid is available to anyone who needs it.
[2] Listen in to our two most recent episodes on relational Judaism by heading to Episode 347: Relational Judaism - Ron Wolfson and/or Episode 348: Jewish Gathering - Rachel Gildiner.
[3] See the image below for visual evidence of our dramatic Yom Kippur spike in podcast listenership, which we discussed in the episode.
[4] Watch back the recording of our full reading of the Torah, in honor of Hakhel, by heading to JudaismUnbound.com/hakhel2022.
[5] Dan references Tiffany Shlain’s “24/6” approach to screens. Hear more from Shlain by listening to Episode 189: Six Days a Week - Tiffany Shlain.
This piece is a Judaism Unbound “Gemara” (commentary) on a Judaism Unbound podcast from a few weeks ago. It is a reflection, written by Catherine Horowitz, on a Judaism Unbound podcast episode (Episode 345: When Jewish Meets Jewitch - Ketzirah Lesser).
By Catherine Horowitz, New Voices/Judaism Unbound Fellow (2022-23)
You know those guys in the movie The Prince of Egypt who are played by Steve Martin and Martin Short? One is tall, one is short (weirdly, this is the one whose last name isn’t “Short”), and both are supposed to be court magicians. They’re always going around making fun of Moses and trying to out-magic him, but they’re only able to do simple, practical tricks while Moses is able to demonstrate the real power of God. I get some secondhand embarrassment during their song in the movie, every time, where you can see them focusing lights to create optical illusions and making shadow puppets with their hands. There’s also the scene where Moses turns the entire Nile into blood, and then the magicians create the illusion of blood by putting red powder into a bowl of water. Pathetic!
I found myself thinking about Hotep and Huy (the above two characters) as I listened to Episode 345 of Judaism Unbound, entitled “When Jewish Meets Jewitch,” which featured Ketzirah Lesser as guest. She argues – and Dan and Lex agree – that it’s time we move past the idea that magic is completely antithetical to Judaism.
For a few minutes at the end of the episode, Lesser, Dan, and Lex talk about the references to magic that already exist in Jewish texts but are instead called “miracles” or “wonders”—in Lex’s words, more “rational terms.” And here, Lex says, “I think in the Torah, Moses is actually doing a lot more than we think. We like to say that it’s God doing it through Moses—but I think Moses is kind of a superpowered force in the Torah.”
The Prince of Egypt and the actual book of Exodus bothmake it clear that Moses himself isn’t supposed to be the one creating snakes or blood or frogs: instead, he’s channeling God’s power. Pharaoh’s magicians even remark on this in Exodus; they are able to replicate the first few of the ten plagues, but eventually they fall short and claim that “this is the finger of God.” In the movie, when Moses turns his staff into a snake, he says the same thing, very unambiguously: “Behold, the power of God.” I had never considered the alternative option: that Moses had his own set of magic powers in these stories, which enabled him to cause these miraculous events himself.
If I knew nothing about Judaism, though, Moses being a magician would make total sense to me. To start, he already carries his staff around with him at all times, and uses it for most of his tasks that shouldn’t be achievable by humans. His staff (magic wand, much?) can turn into a snake. It created water from a rock, parted the Red Sea, and created a hail storm. Honestly it sounds like something straight out of Lord of the Rings. And it’s not just the staff. Moses and Aaron also employ a few other magic techniques, like throwing handfuls of soot into the air to cause boils, or stretching out an arm to bring a swarm of locusts.
This understanding of biblical figures as magicians isn’t new, either. I’m in an art history class this semester, and in my class we’ve discussed art from the 4th century depicting biblical figures as magicians, with magic wands. This sort of art was common at the time, and mainly featured magic because of how frequently it was talked about in daily life. Using magic in biblical art was not only acceptable; it anchored the work in the world around it.
We’ve learned about both Christian and Jewish depictions of Moses as a magician – his staff as a magic wand, and the plagues as a magic competition between him and the Egyptian sorcerers. I’d never heard anyone treat Biblical stories as, well, basically witchcraft, but after engaging with these works of art, I realized they really made a lot of sense, given the text that they were illustrating.
So, what are the implications of this? Sure, maybe we can start saying “magic” instead of “miracle” to talk about Jewish rituals and texts—but what would it really mean if humans had the ability to do magic, not just God? How does this change the narratives we’ve been told and, more importantly, what we take away from them?
One takeaway, potentially, is some amount of empowerment —those “miraculous” biblical events we learn about and study aren’t completely separate from our lives today. They are parts of the human world, something that we’ve achieved before and could even achieve again. Even if you don't believe in the literal magic of the book of Exodus, the idea that today's Judaism is a kind of magic, as well, frames it in a much more active way: Judaism is something we can go out and make instead of just receiving it from the past — or talking about it.
The most famous part of The Prince of Egypt, the song “When You Believe,” even includes this idea in its chorus: “who knows what miracles you can achieve?” If we replace that more rational term – “miracle” – with “magic,” the question becomes: who knows what magic you can achieve? We should take that question seriously, and answer it with real chutzpah and ambition.
Catherine Horowitz is a senior at Oberlin College studying English and Jewish Studies. At Oberlin, she works at the Writing Center, writes for a creative nonfiction magazine, and is a tour guide. She is originally from Silver Spring, Maryland and is the 2022-23 Judaism Unbound/New Voices fellow.
Rachel Gildiner, the CEO of Gather, Inc. -- a nonprofit that is committed to reorienting how Jewish professionals and organizations define success -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what it means to prioritize people, over programs, in Jewish life.
[1] Learn more about Rachel Gildiner by clicking here. Explore the work of Gather, Inc. by heading to GatherBetter.org, and check out Gather DC by heading to GatherDC.org.
[2] For a piece exploring Gather’s expansion to the San Francisco Bay-area, see this piece in J Weekly, written by Jordan Greene. For a Washington Post piece spotlighting Gather DC’s Yom Kippur observance, click here.
[3] A few past episodes of Judaism Unbound, which explore Washington DC’s Jewish life from a few other angles, were referenced in this episode. Listen in to any or all of them by heading to
- Episode 177: Spreading the Good (Jewish) News - Shira Stutman I,
- Episode 178: I-Wish-I-Had-This-Itis - Shira Stutman II, or
- Episode 181: The New Synagogue Project - Joseph Berman, Lauren Spokane
[4] This episode continues threads that began in the previous week’s episode, featuring Ron Wolfson. Listen in to that conversation by heading to Episode 347: Relational Judaism - Ron Wolfson.
[5] Gildiner gives shout-outs to two books. Purchase Emergent Strategy, by Adrienne Maree Brown, via this link, and purchase Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation, by Paul Hawken, via this link.
[6] For a (VERY) deep dive into the story of Resh Lakish and Yochanan — who were referenced in this episode when discussing the idea of chevruta — see “‘Either a hevruta Partner or Death’: A Critical View on the Interpersonal Dimensions of Hevruta Learning,” an essay by Elie Holzer.
Ron Wolfson, author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community(and many other awesome books -- that's just the one most central to this conversation!), joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the ways in which Judaism might be more powerful, if Jewish communities prioritized relationships over programs. He also offers some strategies for how we might take positive steps in that direction.
[1] Purchase Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community by clicking here, The Relational Judaism Handbookhere, and learn more about Wolfson’s other books via this link.
[2] For a visual presentation that explores Wolfson’s “9 levels of relationship,” which he argues are and should be at the center of Jewish practice, click here.
[3] Wolfson cites, as an influence, Martin Buber — best known for his work I and Thou. Learn more about Buber’s philosophy via this article, written by Maria Popova.
[4] For the story that Wolfson discusses with Dan and Lex, about Abraham welcoming three visitors — and serving them meat with milk — see Genesis 17:26-Genesis 18:16.
[5] Learn more about Lehrhaus, the “Jewish tavern” in Boston (Somerville, technically!) that Wolfson references, via this piece in the Jewish Insider, written by Gabby Deutch.
[6] For the past episode of Judaism Unbound about the Jewish Catalog, that Lex references, see Episode 84: The Jewish Catalog, Then and Now - Riv-Ellen Prell.
Daniel H. Pink, a New York Times-bestselling author who recently wrote The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the positive sides of regret -- and how an exploration of regret could help us reimagine the holiday of Yom Kippur.
[1] Purchase The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward via this link.
[2] Learn more about Daniel Pink by heading to DanPink.com.
[3] For a piece by Pink, looking specifically at the ways in which bronze medalists at the Olympics are often happier than silver medalists, see “What Can We Learn from the Solace of ‘At Least’ and the Sting of ‘If Only’?”
[4] For the iconic moment in The Mighty Ducks, related to counterfactual thinking, that Lex references at the end of this episode, click here.
Ketzirah Lesser is an ordained kohenet (Jewish priestess) who creates "magickal judaica, art, and ceremonies inspired by Jewish history and traditions." Her creations range from amulets and shrines, to Haggadot (guidebooks to the Passover seder), to AI art based on Yiddish folklore. If you're reading all this and thinking..."Wait, I thought amulets and shrines were considered idolatrous" or "I'm confused, why is 'magickal' spelled with a 'k'," then this episode is for you! Lesser joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about why Judaism should absolutely be full of magic(k)al experiences -- and how one can most effectively facilitate sacred Jewish witchcraft.
[1] Learn more about Ketzirah Lesser’s “Jewishly-rooted spiritual tools and teaching to connect past, present, and possible future(s)” by visiting Devotaj.com! For her full bio, click here.
[2] We highly recommend that you check out Lesser’s sacred arts shop, which you can access via this link!
[3] For a past Judaism Unbound episode, tied to the William Gibson quote that Lesser cites in this conversation, see Episode 60: The Future is Already Here - Dan and Lex.
[4] Click here to check out an article exploring “The Difference Between ‘Magic’ and ‘Magick,’” written by Catherine Beyer.
[5] Lesser was part of the first-ever cohort of ordained Kohanot — Hebrew priestesses. Learn more about Kohenet via Kohenet.org, and check out past Judaism Unbound featuring Kohanot via Episode 240: Hebrew Priestesses - Jill Hammer, Taya Shere or Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira HaLev Fife.
[6] In reflecting on her own spiritual journey, Lesser mentions the influence of works by Starhawk, a co-founder of the Reclaiming Collective. Learn more about the Reclaiming Collective by clicking here.
[7] Lex refers to the work of Vanessa Ochs, one of the first-ever guests on this podcast. Listen in to her first appearance on Judaism Unbound by heading to Episode 5: Leviticus - Vanessa Ochs, and purchase her book Inventing Jewish Ritual — which considers the importance of Jewish material culture — by clicking here.
[8] If you enjoyed the brief foray in this conversation into the folklore of the golem of Prague, you’ll definitely want to listen to Episode 299: Becoming a Golem - Julie Weitz.
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are here to say that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are solid -- as warm-up holidays. In this episode they look ahead to the festival of Sukkot, which comes after the two observances generally called "The High Holidays," but which historically may have been the biggest festival of them all! They ask why Sukkot, despite its initial glory, became a second-tier holiday over time -- and consider whether, in our own time, there may be good reason to re-elevate it.
[1] So Dan and Lex mostly schmoozed about Sukkot in this episode. But if you do want to hear some of their approaches to the Torah and Haftarah readings of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, see any of these bonus episodes from a few years back:
Yom Kippur Unbound - Morning Torah ReadingYom Kippur Unbound - Morning Haftarah ReadingYom Kippur Unbound - Afternoon Torah ReadingYom Kippur Unbound - Afternoon Haftarah Reading
Rosh Hashanah Unbound - Day 1 Torah Reading
Rosh Hashanah Unbound - Day 1 Haftarah Reading
Rosh Hashanah Unbound - Day 2 Torah Reading
Rosh Hashanah Unbound - Day 2 Haftarah Reading
[2] For a wide variety of scholarly approaches to the festival of Sukkot, see TheTorah.com’s Sukkot section!
[3] Lex alludes to a Theatre Dybbuk production about Hak’hel — the once-every-7-years gathering, described in the Torah, that takes place on Sukkot. Learn more about the production, entitled Assemble: Modern spin | Ancient Celebration, via this link.
[4] For the group of people who did some work to help people identify “local lulavs,” see this 2018 piece in Jewish Currents.
Alicia Jo Rabins, a writer, composer, performer, and Torah teacher, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to talk about her new book, entitled Even God Had Bad Parenting Days.
[1] Purchase Even God Had Bad Parenting Daysvia this link, and stream A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff — a film co-created by Rabins, in which she stars — via this link.
[2] Learn more about Alicia Jo Rabins by heading to AliciaJo.com, and check out her previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by listening to Episode 188: The Art of Jewish Education - Alicia Jo Rabins.
[3] Rabins gives a shout-out to the book Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation, written by Liana Finck. You can purchase it here!
[4] To check out the work of Alicia J. Rose, Rabins’s collaborator on A Kaddish for Bernie Madoffwho — despite their similar names — is not the same person, see AliciaJRose.com!
Jennie Rosenn, the founder and CEO of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the urgency of our collective work -- across boundaries of religious difference, and across generational divides -- to combat climate change. They explore particular roles that Jewish individuals, communities, and institutions can play in this effort, along with the imperative that they (we!) be in coalition with other communities, as we all seek to give humanity a fighting chance in the face of existential crisis.
[1] Sign up to volunteer for Dayenu’s new Get Out the Vote campaign, Chutzpah 2022, by clicking here! To join the Jewish movement to confront the climate crisis, head to Dayenu.org/signup.
[2] Learn more about the All Our Might Campaign via this link, and explore Dayenu’s Climate Torah resources here.
[3] For a full bio of Jennie Rosenn, click here.
[4] For a recent article taking a look at Dayenu’s work, see “With climate bill passed, Democrats deliver on top policy concern for American Jews,” written by Asaf Elia-Shalev for JTA.
[5] For an article in The Atlantic exploring the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, written by Robinson Meyerand entitled “The Biggest Thing to Happen in International Climate Diplomacy in Decades,” click here.
[6] To check out an interpretative approach to the 2nd paragraph of Shema, written by Cat Zavis and referenced by Lex in this episode, see “We Have Built an Unethical World – Now We’re Reaping Environmental Disaster,” featured in Tikkun Magazine.
One year ago, right before the once-every-7-year observance of Shmita began (Shmita is a year-long Jewish observance where land is given a chance to rest and debts are remitted), we spoke with Nigel Savage in a bonus episode. Savage, the founder of Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability, returns to Judaism Unbound to speak with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg about what it might look like to transition out of one 7-year Shmita cycle, and into the next.
[1] Learn more about Nigel Savage by clicking here, and check out his previous appearance on Judaism Unbound via Bonus Episode: Every 7th Rosh Hashanah - Nigel Savage.
[2] For an article featuring Savage’s reflections on over 20 years at Hazon, click here.
[3] Savage references a teaching from Maimonides (Rambam) about the choice between giving one large charitable gift to one person, on the one hand, and giving many small charitable gifts to many different people, on the other. Check out the text he’s referencing (Maimonides’s commentary on Pirkei Avot 3:15) here.
[4] Purchase the book Stop Look Listen: Celebrating Shabbos Through a Spiritual Lens, written by Nehemia Polen and referenced by Savage in this episode, via this link.
[5] To check out our previous episodes exploring Shmita, see any of the following:
Ep311: Shmita Hives (Asher Edes, Alexander Grace Vickery)Ep312: Jewish Debt Relief (Lisa Grafstein)Ep320: Seders in the Streets (Madeline Canfield, Nate DeGroot)Ep323: Jewish Fractals (Natan Margalit)Ep333: Cross-Pollination (Jenny Camhi, Jessica Kort)Ep334: Taking Jewish Risks (Jim Farley, Charlene Seidle)Ep335: Jewishly Rooted (Kesha Dorsey Spoort, Adam McCurdy, Sharone Oren)
Ep287: The Shmita Project (Hannah Knibb Henza, Sarah Zell Young)Ep288: More Magic, Please (Eli Kaplan-Wildmann)Ep289: Jewish Anarchism (Cindy Milstein)Ep290: Nobody Owns Land (David Seidenberg)Ep291: Recipe for Disaster (Aimee Lucido)Ep299: Becoming a Golem (Julie Weitz)Ep307: Farming is Jewish (Shani Mink, SJ Seldin)
Jay Michaelson, a political columnist, author, and teacher in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (!), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss his most recent book, The Heresy of Jacob Frank: From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth. In their conversation, Michaelson dives into the wild world that was Jacob Frank's life, connects Frank's 18th century ideas to the present-day, and professes his love for Netflix's The Sandman.
[1] Register for Michaelson's 3-week mini-course in the UnYeshiva, entitled "UnTeshuva: The Heresy of Jacob Frank," by clicking here!
[2] Purchase The Heresy of Jacob Frank: From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth by clicking here!
[3] Learn more about Jay Michaelson by heading to JayMichaelson.net, and follow him on twitter via @JayMichaelson.
[4] For a previous Judaism Unbound episode that explored the life and legacy of Shabbetai Zvi, check out Episode 269: Shabbetai Zevi — Permitting the Forbidden - Xava De Cordova, Michael Sokolovsky.
[5] Click here to purchase The Books of Jacob, the 900-page whopper of a novel that is referenced in this episode. It is written by Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk and features Jacob Frank as its main character.
[6] Lex references a previous episode of Judaism Unbound, featuring Shaul Magid, when comparing Jacob Frank’s legacy to Meir Kahane’s. Listen in by heading to Episode 296: Radicalism, Power, Violence, and Meir Kahane - Shaul Magid.
[7] Michaelson references the book Women and the Messianic Heresy of Sabbatai Zevi, 1666 - 1816, by Ada Rapoport-Albert. You can purchase it via this link.
[8] Michaelson gives a shout-out to our friends at Ayin Press, in the midst of our conversation thread about Jewish art (and the lack of support it often receives from Jewish philanthropists). Check out Ayin Press by heading to AyinPress.org.
Diane Tickton Schuster, the editor of a new book entitled Portraits of Adult Jewish Learning: Making Meaning at Many Tables, joins Dan and Lex to ask what "Jewish education" means, and why it doesn't serve us when we think of it only (or primarily) as something that children experience. Also, Banksy makes an appearance (he says cryptically...)!
[1] You can purchase Portraits of Adult Jewish Learning via this link! To learn more about Diane Tickton Schuster, click here, and to learn more about The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education, head to www.Brandeis.edu/Mandel.
[2] For our Judaism Unbound mini-series that explored Jewish Education (though, as we spoke about in this episode, it largely focused on childhood education), see the following episodes:
- Episode 186: Re-Imagining Jewish Education (Miriam Heller Stern) - Episode 187: Child-Centered Jewish Education (Rebecca Milder) - Episode 188: The Art of Jewish Education (Alicia Jo Rabins) - Episode 190: Jewish Camps, Jewish Utopias (Avi Orlow) - Episode 191: Jewish Kids Groups (Ana Robbins, Neshama Littman) - Episode 192: Online Jewish Learning (Danielle Eskow) - Episode 193: Overhauling Jewish Education (Dan Mendelsohn Aviv) - Episode 199: Learning Judaism (Abby Eisenberg) - Episode 200: Educating Ourselves (Benay Lappe)
[3] Dan references a recent episode featuring Janet Krasner Aronson, exploring how Jewish communal population studies are crafted. To listen in, head to Episode 337: Let’s End “Good Jew”/“Bad Jew” - Janet Krasner Aronson.
[4] Here are the two photos mentioned in the episode, that serve as “book-ends” (literally!) to Tickton Schuster’s book:
“Discussing the Talmud” by Isidor Kaufmann (1853–1921); image courtesy of the Art Renewal Center, www.artrenewal.org. This image kicks off Tickton Schuster’s book, and helps illustrate what many people think of, when they hear “Jewish Education.”
“Agency Job” by Banksy, sometimes titled “Cigarette Break.” This image, in Tickton Schuster’s words, “plays with our perceptions of the boundaries of art; [Banksy] requires us to shift our understanding of what it means to “frame” an image.”
[5] Purchase Diane Tickton Schuster’s earlier books, mentioned in this episode, at either of the following links: Jewish Lives, Jewish Learning: Adult Jewish Learning in Theory and Practice, Portraits of Jewish Learning: Viewing Contemporary Jewish Education Close-In.
[6] For a few other past Judaism Unbound episodes, whose guests are featured as authors (or whose organizations are discussed) in Portraits of Adult Jewish Learning, see Episode 145: Studying Jews Differently - Tobin Belzer and Episode 156: Creating Jewish Theatre - Aaron Henne. For a bonus episode, which looks at Exagoge, the production by Theatre Dybbuk featured in Tickton Schuster’s book, see Bonus Episode: The Dybbukast Season 2, Episode 8 - Adapting Exagoge.
[7] Diane Tickton Schuster mentions that as an American-Jewish community, we have been reckoning with the ways in which we have counted some Jews, but not others, in the past and present. For more on this, see Episode 232: Why the Uncounted Count - Ilana Kaufman and/or Episode 293: Beyond the Count - Ilana Kaufman, Ari Y. Kelman.
[8] For a past episode related to the essay entitled “Portrait of an Emerging Jewish World, Learning from New Latinx Immigrant Jews,” written by Lourdes Arguelles and Anne M. Rivero, see Episode 57: Becoming Jewish on the Web - Juan Mejia.
Shawn Harris, author of The Red Door: A Dark Fairy Tale Told In Poems, thinks that Jews would benefit from having a little less reverence for Judaism -- and a lot more chutzpah. Harris, who is also the creative mind behind Project Tzimtzum: Play, Learn, Make, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the Jewish present and future. They hop from, and to, a wide variety of topics, including literature, fandom, Dungeons & Dragons, and darkness.
[1] Pre-order The Red Door by clicking here! Follow Shawn Harris on twitter via @ProjectTzimtzum, and check out the Project Tzimtzum website at ProjectTzimtzum.com.
[2] Dan kicks off the episode by asking Harris about a recent blog-post she wrote, entitled “Jewish community and the artistic impulse from a Jewish artist’s point of view.” Check it out by clicking here.
[3] For the Judaism Unbound episode that Harris’s blog-post is reflecting on, see Episode 332: Is Judaism Mosaic or mosaic? - Dan and Lex.
[4] Harris references “femslash,” a form of fan-fiction that envisions women characters in works of fiction as romantically linked to one another. Learn more about the history of femslash here.
[5] Lex says that folks should “buy stock in The Silmarilion,” because — of all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books — it seems to be experiencing a boom in interest right now. For a take on why there should be a “Silmarilion Talmud,” see this blog post by Brenton Dickieson.
[6] Harris mentions two different forms of fandom, “curative” and “transformative.” For an article exploring the two in greater detail, see Julia Dubel’s piece, in The Mary Sue, called “What Really Divides the Two Sides of Fandom?”
[7] For the full video series of “Imagining The 10th Dimension,” which Harris cites as particularly influential for her, click here.
Janet Krasner Aronson, the Associate Director of the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies and Steinhardt Social Research Institute at Brandeis University, is one of the leading sociologists of American Judaism. She directs local Jewish-population studies in cities all around the country, and most recently led a study that looked at greater Los Angeles. Krasner Aronson joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about this most recent study, what makes it different from many other studies, and why any of these studies matter in the first place!
[1] Dive into The 2021 Study of Jewish Los Angeles by heading to StudyOfJewishLA.org! For direct links to a few pdfs from the study, that are referenced in this podcast episode, click any of the links below:
- Key Findings
- By The Numbers
- The Diversity Report
- The Well-Being Report
- Technical Appendix
[2] To view the 2015 study of Boston that Krasner Aronson references, click here.
[3] Krasner Aronson mentions that the Center for Disease Control, early on in the COVID pandemic, explored questions of mental and psychological health in high school students all around the United States. To take a look at their findings, click here.
[4] Dan references the framework of “Genesis Jews” and “Exodus Jews” as similar to the framework, in the Study of Jewish LA, of “Communal” and “Ritual” Jews. To learn more about Episode 135: Putting God Second - Donniel Hartman.
[5] This conversation briefly references ideas of “Jewish continuity,” and how it influences the ways that studies like this are utilized in Jewish life. For more on that phrase, its history, and the ways in which it has been understood and mobilized in American-Jewish life, see Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex - Lila Corwin Berman.
[6] Krasner Aronson gives a shout-out to an organization called the Active Aging Resource Network, which is a “growing movement to capture the potential for Jewish and civic engagement during the period from mid-life careers into retirement. Learn more about the Active Aging Resource Network via ActiveAgingNetwork.org.
Dan and Lex have some questions: What counts (in most people’s minds) as a "Jewish space?" What should be counted as "Jewish space?" What would be different about Judaism, if we sought to build more creative forms of Jewish space? What about "Jewifying" spaces that are not specifically-Jewish? What's different about Jewish spaces that are indoors versus those that are outside?
In this conversation, they explore all these questions and more, as they reflect on the 3-episode mini-series -- recorded on-location at Leichtag Commons -- that concluded last week.
[1] Check out the three episodes that directly preceded this one, exploring the work of the Leichtag Foundation, by clicking these links: Episode 333: Cross-Pollination - Jenny Camhi, Jessica Kort, Episode 334: Taking Jewish Risks - Jim Farley, Charlene Seidle, Episode 335: Jewishly Rooted - Kesha Dorsey Spoor, Adam McCurdy, Sharone Oren.
[2] Dan and Lex spoke a bit about how some JCCs are creatively mobilizing their spaces in this episode. For more on the shifting nature of JCCs today, see Episode 66: Jewish? Community? Center? - Zack Bodner.
[3] Lex mentions the New Voices/Judaism Unbound fellowship, in the context of creating positions in which employees would work for multiple organizations simultaneously. Guess what?? Applications are currently open for our 2022-23 edition of this fellowship, and you (or an 18-22 year-old you love!) can apply here!
[4] Dan references Miriam Terlinchamp’s work in a brief moment, and Lex promised to put it in the shownotes. Here is her appearance on Judaism Unbound, which will help to contextualize what Dan was saying: Episode 113: Embrace the Weird - Miriam Terlinchamp.
[5] For an example of a large-scale “multi-local” project, Lex reference Moishe House. Get a sense of what he meant by clicking here! You can also listen in to Episode 19: Moishe House - David Cygielman. For a smaller-scale version of a “multi-local” project, Lex references Shmita Hives. Learn more about what he was getting at by listening to Episode 311: Shmita Hives - Asher Edes, Alexander Grace.
Kesha Dorsey Spoor, Adam McCurdy, and Sharone Oren are three members of the team at Coastal Roots Farm — a nonprofit community-farm in Encinitas, California, anchored in Jewish traditions. They join Dan and Lex for a conversation about how Judaism and farming are rooted (get it??) in shared values. This is the 3rd episode in a three-part mini-series, recorded on location at Leichtag Commons -- a Jewish community farm, education center, co-working space, and more, located in Encinitas, California and operated by the Leichtag Foundation.
[1] Learn more about Coastal Roots farm via CoastalRootsFarm.org. Check out Kesha Dorsey Spoor, Adam McCurdy, and Sharone Oren’s bios by heading to CoastalRootsFarm.org/Our-Team.
[2] Check out the two previous episodes in this miniseries, to get the full experience! Episode 333: Cross-Pollination - Jenny Camhi, Jessica Kort, Episode 334: Taking Jewish Risks - Jim Farley, Charlene Seidle
[3] For Coastal Roots Farm’s understanding of what makes a Jewish community farm, including ten Jewish values that undergird their work, click here (5 out of these 10 values came up explicitly in this conversation — these folks are on brand!!).
[4] For a piece that provides a brief overview of the Jewish concept of kilayim, discussed in this episode, see “Kilayim and the Sustainable Jew,” a 2012 piece by Hannah Lee written for Hazon.
[5] McCurdy mentions that land ownership is a contemporary social construct, not an objective reality. For more on the idea that nobody can own land — and how that relates to the Shmita year of rest and renewal for land — see Episode 290: Nobody Owns Land - David Seidenberg.
Jim Farley and Charlene Seidle are the CEO and Executive Vice-President, respectively, of the Leichtag Foundation. In this 2nd episode in a three-part mini-series, Dan and Lex speak with Farley and Seidle, on location at Leichtag Commons -- a Jewish community farm, education center, co-working space, and more, located in Encinitas, California and operated by the Leichtag Foundation. The conversation hones in on the principles that drive the Leichtag Foundation -- in both its grantmaking and in its broader work, philanthropically and programmatically.
[1] Learn more about the history of the Leichtag Foundation by clicking here. This page includes a video that helps you get to know the Leichtag family, and learn about their founding of this foundation.
[2] Learn more about Jim Farley and Charlene Seidle by checking out their bios, available here.
[3] Seidle alludes to a variety of tools for grantmaking that the Leichtag Foundation features on its website. Check out the Leichtag Foundation’s “12 Tools” by clicking here, and scrolling to the 12 green checkmarks!
[4] Farley brings a distinction between Jewish farming and Jewish community-farming. For some of our past Judaism Unbound episodes exploring these realms, see Episode 226: Resting the Land - Nati Passow and/or Episode 307: Farming is Jewish - Shani Mink, SJ Seldin
[5] The episode directly after this one (Episode 335) will feature the Coastal Roots Farm, alluded to by Farley and Seidle in this episode. For a sneak preview of that episode, and to learn more about Coastal Roots Farm, click here.
Jenny Camhi and Jessica Kort are the Chief Talent Officer and Director of Communications and Strategy, respectively, of The Leichtag Foundation. In this 1st episode in a three-part mini-series, Dan and Lex speak with Camhi and Kort, on location at Leichtag Commons -- a Jewish community farm, education center, co-working space, and more, located in Encinitas, California and operated by the Leichtag Foundation. The two guests provide a window into the programming that takes place at Leichtag Commons, along with an exploration of "The Hive," a collaborative co-working space that fosters a space of creativity, collaboration, and connection, for employees of Jewish and secular non-profits.
[1] Learn more about the Leichtag Foundation by heading to www.Leichtag.org!
[2]Explore Leichtag Commons by clicking here, and learn more about The Hive, Leichtag Commons’s co-working space, via this link.
[3] For a 2009 piece by Kerry Olitzky about the idea of “Public-Space Judaism,” (discussed in this episode), click here. Public-Space Judaism has been an influential piece of Judaism Unbound’s philosophy, and is part of why we ever took seriously the idea of experiencing Jewish community online — which is, after all, a public space!
[4] As one example of a holiday program offered at Leichtag Commons, see “A Stroll Through Shushan,” a Purim celebration referenced in this episode.
[5] Check out some photos of the Leichtag Commons below, starting off with one featuring Dan and Lex, during their visit to the property!
Dan and Lex have been thinking a lot about art lately. In this conversation, they reflect on recent podcast episodes exploring Jewish art from a variety of angles, revisit their notion Judaism itself might be best understood as a medium of art, and play around with what the words "mosaic" and "Mosaic" might mean for the future of Judaism (yes, you did not misread, it's the same spelling for both!).
Image Credit: Mosaically
[1] At the beginning of the episode, Dan and Lex reflect on ShavuotLIVE 2022, which was attended by over 1,000 people in real time (and hundreds after the event). If you’d like to watch/rewatch any of ShavuotLIVE 2022’s amazing sessions, you still can by watching the replay, available here.
[2] Dan mentions a recent article written by Eli Hurwitz, our 2021-22 New Voices/Judaism Unbound Fellow, about how Shabbat does not need to be the “most Jewish” day of the week. Check out their piece, entitled Jewish Pentimenti & Looking Backwards For A Media Future, via this link.
[3] To listen in to some of the recent Judaism Unbound episodes that Dan and Lex reference in this conversation, see the following: Episode 327: The Myth of the 12 Tribes of Israel - Andrew Tobolowsky, Ep328: Safety and Unsafety in Jewish Life - Liora Ostroff, Naomi Rose Weintraub, Ep329: Workshopping Judaism -Kendell Pinkney, and Episode 330: Russian Doll as a Jewish Text - Allison Silverman.
[4] Dan references the Jewish Enrichment Center, an organization founded and led by Rebecca Milder, in the context of Jewish rituals that are anchored in the wisdom of young children. To learn more from Rebecca Milder, see Episode 187: Child-Centered Jewish Education - Rebecca Milder.
[5] For the story Dan tells, about a king and two servants who receive flour and flax, click here.
New Voices Magazine, a Jewish and justice-focused magazine by and for Jews ages 18-24, recently published an investigation -- written by Julia Hegele -- entitled "How Jewish Summer Camps Are Damaging LGBTQ+ Youth." The investigation shines a light on the experiences of LGBTQ+ campers -- now LGBTQ+ camp alumni -- who have for decades faced exclusion, emotional conflict, pressure, and trauma at their Jewish summer camps. It includes voices from a wide range of Jewish camps -- different geographic regions, Jewish denominations, and affiliations -- and also offers up potential strategies for reparative work moving forward. In this episode of Judaism Unbound, Hegele -- along with New Voices' editor-in-chief, Rena Yehuda Newman -- join Dan and Lex to discuss the investigation.
Click here to read "Investigation: How Jewish Camps Are Damaging LGBTQ+ Youth,” by Julia Hegele
[1] Early in the episode, Newman references the SRE (Safety, Respect, Equity) Network, a network of organizations that work to “inspire meaningful change in Jewish workplaces and communal spaces by bringing people together to address gender-based harassment, discrimination, and inequity.” Learn more about the SRE Network at SREnetwork.org.
[2] At a few points in this episode, an earlier report in New Voices Magazine, entitled “How Jewish Youth Groups are Breeding a Toxic Sexual Culture for Teens,” is referenced. Read that investigation, written by Shira Wolkenfeld, by clicking here.
[3] To learn more about a Jewish summer-camp that has implemented all-gender cabins, see this article in the New York Times about Camp Tawonga, entitled “In an All-Gender Cabin, Summer Campers ‘Don’t Have to Hide.’” You can also head to this page on the Camp Tawonga website to learn more.
[4] A couple organizations come up in this conversation, that are working to build camp cultures that are safer for queer and Jewish youth. Learn more about Keshet’s work by clicking here, and explore Moving Traditions’ “CultureShift Jewish Summer Camp Initiative” here.
[5] Rena Yehuda Newman appeared on Judaism Unbound once before. Check out their bonus episode, created during their tenure as Judaism Unbound/New Voices Fellow, by clicking here: Bonus Episode: Pluralism of Necessity - Rena Yehuda Newman.
Allison Silverman is an Executive Producer for the Netflix series Russian Doll. She joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that covers a ton of ground: the many and intersecting Jewish layers of the show, a behind-the-scenes look at how a series like this is created, and even whether TV shows like Russian Doll could be a potential source for new Jewish rituals and practices. If you're a Netflix subscriber, you can watch Russian Doll for yourself by clicking here!
[1] Click here to access Allison Silverman’s IMDb profile, and learn more about her (3-time-Emmy-Award-winning!) career!
[2] Read more about the Jewishness of Russian Doll by checking out ‘Russian’ Doll Season 2 May be the Most Jewish Netflix Show Ever, a piece in Kveller written by Lior Zaltzman.
[3] To explore the “two pockets” quote referenced in Russian Doll, and in this conversation about it, see this poster (and commentary) from the organization Voices & Visions.
[4] Silverman gives a shout-out to Congregation Beth Elohim, and its rabbi, Rachel Timoner. Learn more about this congregation, and hear from Timoner herself, by listening in to this past episode of Judaism Unbound: Episode 93: Community of Communities - Rachel Timoner.
[5] For another Judaism Unbound conversation about Russian Doll, see “Russian Doll as Torah,” a recent session that was part of ShavuotLIVE — our 24-hour Jewish learning extravaganza. That conversation featured Lex, along with guest panelists Xava De Cordova and Lisa Huberman.
[6] Lex references another Netflix show, Never Have I Ever, when discussing the power of religious representation in television. If you’re a Netflix subscriber, you can watch Never Have I Ever by clicking here.
[7] Silverman reflects on 1-800-OOPS-JEW, a (BRILLIANT and HILARIOUS) idea she helped to implement at The Colbert Report. To learn more about how 1-800-OOPS-JEW worked, click here (and stay tuned in case we try to find a way to revive it!).
Kendell Pinkney is a theatre-artist, creative producer, and rabbi. He serves as the Artistic Director of The Workshop, a newly launched arts and culture fellowship for professional JOCISM (Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, Sephardi, and Mizrahi) artists. Pinkney joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring big-picture questions of Jewish art, along with specific questions about The Workshop in particular.
[1] Learn more about Kendell Pinkney by clicking here, and learn more about The Workshop by heading to TheWorkshopNY.com. Follow The Workshop on instagram via @TheWorkshopArtist.
[2] Click here to check out an article about The Workshop, entitled The Workshop: An Arts and Culture Fellowship for JOCISM (Jews of Color, Indigenous Jews, Sephardi, and Mizrahi). To learn more about the A Walk on the Moon Fellowship, a recent partnership between The Workshop and George Street Playhouse in New Jersey, click here.
[3] To view the monologue that Pinkney references, from one of The Workshop’s Fellows — Rebecca S’manga-Frank — click here. This monologue was a component of a broader event called “Art and Artists on Being Black and Jewish,” which you can view in full via this link.
[4] Learn more about A Strange Loop, a Tony Award-nominated show (MANY nominations) referenced by Pinkney, by heading to StrangeLoopMusical.com.
Liora Ostroff and Naomi Rose Weintraub are the curator-in-residence and artist-in-residence, respectively, for The Jewish Museum of Maryland (JMM). They explore, in conversation with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, a recent exhibition that they helped to install at JMM, entitled A Fence Around the Torah: Safety and Unsafety in Jewish Life.
[1] We encourage to explore the full A Fence Around the Torahexhibition yourself — either before you listen to this episode, or as you’re listening to it — via AFenceAroundTheTorah.com. You can also learn more about The Jewish Museum of Maryland by heading to JewishMuseumMD.org.
[2] For two videos from the exhibition that are mentioned in this podcast episode, see Jewish Ritual as Rebellion (by Naomi Rose Weintraub)and Dangerous Opinions (by Danielle Durchslag) below:
Naomi Rose Weintraub: Jewish Ritual as Rebellion
Danielle Durchslag: Dangerous Opinions
[3] We Are The Disloyal Ones, a poem by RAYJ (Rebellious Anarchist Young Jews), featured in the exhibition and discussed in this podcast:
We are the disloyal ones.
We are the ones who refuse to bow down to rulers on horseback. Whose only Melech / King is the life giving force of Breath / Ruach.
We are the ones who find home not in your conquered places but in our sacred times. We are people of the book not the borders drawn onto your maps. We find ourselves in curling black letters etched into parchment not in waving flags.
We are the ones who wrestle with G-d whenever we dream. While we stand and pray we ask our ancestors, not your armies, to gather and shield us.
We are the ones who desist from domination with candles and bread and wine. We are the ones who reject your calendar so we can grow with the waxing and waning of the shimmering moon.
We are the ones who refuse your food when we remember the pain of destruction, who sit for a week as we grieve our dead. We are the ones who sing songs of joy as the flames consume us.
The disloyal ones create defiant encampments with the mixed multitudes who remain ungovernable.
Together, our beauty turns your curses into blessings.
מַה טּבוּ
Mah Tovu
[4] Ostroff mentions that, when exploring exhibitions that had been constructed effectively to engage people online, she was particularly impressed by Men of Change, an exhibition from the Smithsonian. Check out Men of Change by clicking here.
[5] For a full Judaism Unbound episode featuring Danielle Durchslag, whose work is referenced in this episode (and viewable above), see Episode 254: The Jewish 1% - Danielle Durchslag.
[6] The Jewish Museum of Maryland now has its own podcast, called Disloyal. Check it out here!
[7] Learn more about Liora Ostroff’s work as a painter, and view some of her pieces, at LioraOstroff.com.
[8] For a past Judaism Unbound episode that dives into the topic of painting, see Episode 157: Painting the Unpaintable - Yishai Jusidman.
[9] Learn more about roiselekh — the paper flowers that Weintraub referenced as being a custom on Shavuot — by clicking here.
[10] Take a look below at one of Weintraub’s pieces (referenced in the episode) that helped people learn how to use Zoom, early in the pandemic.
Andrew Tobolowsky, author of a new book entitled The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, joins Dan and Lex to talk about what the Twelve Tribes of Israel myth is, and why it matters. They explore the ways in which groups have mobilized it -- all around the world -- for a few thousand years, and how that conversation across the millennia can help us better understand how people (and communities) continually construct and reinvent their identities.
[1] If you'd like to purchase The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, be sure to head to the Cambridge University Press website and enter the promo code TMTTI2022 at checkout, for a 20% discount!
[2] For a piece written in The Daily Beast about The Myth of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, see “Were There Actually 12 Tribes of Israel?” by Candida Moss. For a written piece that Tobolowsky wrote hiself about this book, see this recent contribution to Ancient Jew Review.
[3] Tobolowsky mentioned evolving ways in which scholars understand identity construction. For more on this, click here.
[4] Dan brings up the Merneptah Stele, an artifact from the 13th century BCE. Learn more about it vis its wikipedia page, accessible here.
Marques Hollie is a Philadelphia-based theatre artist, ritual leader, operatically-trained vocalist, and -- most importantly for this episode -- an ordained Maggid! What's a Maggid, you ask? That's a great question. It's SO great that we devoted much of this episode to it! Listen in to learn what a Maggid has been in the past, what it is today, and what it could become in the future.
[1] Marques Hollie’s 3-week UnYeshiva mini-course, entitled (just like this episode) Whose Canon is it Anyway?, is going to be awesome! Register for it by clicking the button below, and learn more about it by heading www.JudaismUnbound.com/whosecanon.
Register for Marques Hollie's 3-Week Course in the UnYeshiva, which begins May 22nd, 2022!
[2] Learn more about Marques Hollie by heading to MarquesHollie.com, and check out their storytelling — featured in ShavuotLIVE 2021 — by clicking here.
[3] Get some more information about the Maggid-training program that Hollie completed via this link.
[4] Read some reflections from Marques Hollie, regarding Go Down, Moshe, a project that explores the Passover story in light of American slavery, here.
[5] Hollie references a work of Jewish stories, entitled The Collected Stories of Moacyr Scliar. You can purchase it here, and you can learn more about Scliar by clicking here.
[6] A past episode of Judaism Unbound features Noam Sienna, and explores his book A Rainbow Thread: An Anthology of Queer Jewish Texts from the First Century to 1969, which Hollie referenced. You can purchase A Rainbow Thread via this link.
[7] For the “Alef Bet Pageant” story that Hollie alludes to, see this passage from the Zohar, a foundational text of Kabbalah, or find it in the book Jewish Stories One Generation Tells Another, by Peninnah Schram.
[8] Toward the end of the episode, Hollie and Lex each mention Kohenet as another role — like Maggid — with a rich history, that is being revived in the 21st century. For past episodes of Judaism Unbound exploring the role of Kohenet in greater depth, see Episode 240: Hebrew Priestesses - Jill Hammer, Taya Shere and/or Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira HaLev Fife.
Stephen Daniel Arnoff, author of a new book entitled About Man & God & Law: The Spiritual Wisdom of Bob Dylan (and host of a similarly-titled podcast), joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that's a little bit about Bob Dylan -- but largely about his influence on others, including American Jews.
[1] You can purchase About Man & God & Law: The Spiritual Wisdom of Bob Dylan via this link.
[2] Check out Arnoff’s podcast about Bob Dylan’s spiritual wisdom by clicking here.
[3] For the video of Aretha Franklin, at the Kennedy Center’s celebration of Carole King, referenced by Arnoff, click here.
[4] Lex ties Dylan’s song “Blowin’ in the Wind” to the book of Ecclesiastes. To view a past Judaism Unbound program that explored Ecclesiastes in more detail, click here.
Deborah Newbrun, co-founder of SVARA's Queer Talmud Camp, and the beloved former-director of Camp Tawonga, is launching a new initiative, entitled Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss her vision for the first-ever Jewish retreat that will be crafted, specifically, to provide participants the chance to heal from divorce. The inaugural Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat will take place October 27-30, 2022, and you can learn more about it here.
[1] Learn more about Deborah Newbrun by heading to DeborahNewbrun.com, and learn more about Divorce and Discovery: A Jewish Healing Retreat, by clicking here.
[2] Newbrun was the director at Camp Tawonga, where Divorce and Discovery takes place, for 26 years. For some past Judaism Unbound episodes that include shout-outs to Camp Tawonga, see Episode 24: BimBam - Sarah Lefton and Episode 190: Jewish Camps, Jewish Utopias - Avi Orlow.
[3] When reflecting on the goals of her retreat, Newbrun looked back at her time in Bend the Arc’s Selah Leadership Program. Learn more about it via this link.
[4] In addition to co-founding Queer Talmud Camp, and pioneering Divorce and Discovery, Newbrun is the founder of Keshet LGBTQ Family Camp, which also takes place at Camp Tawonga. Learn more about it by clicking here.
[5] Lex references an earlier episode of Judaism Unbound, where he and Dan talk about the idea of “high-voltage” and “low-voltage” Judaism. To listen in, see Episode 265: High-Voltage Judaism - Dan and Lex.
[6] When discussing other life-cycle events, in addition to divorce, that have not been fully ritualized in Jewish tradition, Deborah Newbrun mentions miscarriage. For more on The Memory Garden, the country's first Jewish sacred space for mourning fertility loss (which Newbrun cites), click here.
Natan Margalitis the founder and president of an organization called Organic Torah. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about his new book, entitled The Pearl and the Flame: A Journey into Jewish Wisdom, Ecological Thinking, and Healing in a Fragmented World.
This conversation is the latest in a year-long Judaism Unbound series, where once a month we have been exploring Shmita (the year of release) with a wide variety of different thinkers, activists, and artists.
[1] The Pearl and The Flame cannot be ordered just yet.But stay tuned! We will be sending out information to our email list about how you can order the book in the near future.If you haven’t joined our email list yet, and you’d like to be kept in the loop about the release of this book, you can join it by clicking here.
[2] Learn more about Natan Margalit by clicking here, and learn more about the organization he founded (Organic Torah) by heading to Organictorah.org.
[3] Margalit references a situation he calls “Cats Over Borneo,” to help illustrate the importance of systems thinking. For a video that explores this story in greater detail, click here.
[4] For an early episode of our podcast, which explores Thomas Kuhn’s ideas of “paradigm shift,” referenced in this episode, see Episode 6: Leviticus II - Dan and Lex.
Dan and Lex have a PSA: Passover, in the bible, is two holidays! Not one. You've been conned! Or...ya know...Jewish history is interesting and one of the holidays in a sense "swallowed" the other over time. But also, maybe you've been CONNED. (See this article, by Michael Satlow, for a more in-depth explanation). In any event, Dan and Lex are curious what we might create, if we conceived of the holiday(s) of Passover and Chag HaMatzot ("Matzah Festival") as potentially two different things (as they initially were in the Bible). How might this help us find meaning in the latter days of the holiday(s), which do not contain a seder?
[1] Looking to binge a bunch of Passover podcasts? Happy to help! Just head to JudaismUnbound.com/Passover-Episodes.
[2] For an in-depth read, regarding the “two holidays in one” history of Passover, click here.
[3] Dan’s source-sheet, with all the Biblical sources on Passover and the Festival of Matzah, can be accessed here.
[4] Lex mentions Haggadot.com, a website that helps people design their own Haggadahs (Seder guidebooks). If you’re looking to make a last-minute Haggadah to use at your seder, you can do so by heading there now!
[5] Do you have a super creative Seder-ritual that you utilized with your family and loved ones? Did you come up with an awesome practice for Chag HaMatzot, after the initial holiday/Seder? We want to hear from you. Email us at Dan@JudaismUnbound.com and/or Lex@JudaismUnbound.com!
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg schmooze in the 6th episode in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides. In this conversation, they hone in specifically on what the distinctions are between "Jewish Eating" and "Kosher Eating," and why those distinctions are important to consider.
[1] Listen in to the previous episodes in this mini-series by clicking any of the following links: Episode 315: Torah Portions — Eating Biblically - Elaine Goodfriend, Episode 316: What’s for Dinner this Shabbat? - Nir Levy, Annie Prusky, Episode 317: Food is Spiritual Practice - Sara Eifler, Episode 318: Kosher Prosciutto - Rob Nipe, Nora Rubel, Episode 319: Culinary Midrash - Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus
[2] Lex gives a shout-out to Dr. Brown’s soda in this conversation — for a deep-dive into the magic of Dr. Brown’s (its Cel-Ray flavor in particular), see “It's Time for Dr. Brown's Celery-Flavored Soda to Get the Respect It Deserves,” an article in Vice, written by Hilary Pollack.
[3] For the tweet Lex referenced, from Rachel B. Gross, about food not just being about “bringing people together,” click here.
[4] The UnYeshiva, Judaism Unbound’s digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning, is offering 6 different mini-courses, between Passover and Shavuot of 2022! You can learn more about these courses, and register for them, at JudaismUnbound.com/classes!
Arthur Waskow, a visionary Jewish activist and teacher, joins Judaism Unbound for a special mid-week bonus episode. In it, Waskow reflects on two key pieces of his life's work: the creation of The Freedom Seder, over 50 years ago, and his founding of The Exodus Alliance this year.
The Exodus Alliance is a multifaith campaign to heal earth & humankind from carbon pharaohs and their climate plagues, and you can learn more about it at www.exodusalliance.org.
For another Judaism Unbound episode featuring some of the other organizers of the Exodus Alliance, see Episode 320: Seders in the Streets - Madeline Canfield, Nate DeGroot.
The Exodus Alliance is a group of multifaith organizations, faith leaders, and everyday people taking action for climate justice. On Passover, they plan to organize Passover street seders in front of Chase banks all across the country -- the world’s largest investor in fossil fuels -- to challenge the financial underpinnings of this "Carbon Pharaoh." Learn more by heading to ExodusAlliance.org.
Nate DeGroot, national organizer for The Shalom Center, and Madeline Canfield, organizing coordinator for the Jewish Youth Climate Movement (JYCM), represent two of the projects that are collaborating on the Exodus Alliance, along with Dayenu. They join Dan and Lex for a conversation about "carbon pharaohs," non-violent direct action, and activism across generations.
[1] Stay tuned, early next week, for a bonus episode featuring Arthur Waskow, founder of Exodus Alliance! You can also check out his past appearance on Judaism Unbound here: Episode 166: The Freedom Seder - Arthur Waskow.
[2] Learn more about The Shalom Center by heading to www.TheShalomCenter.org, and learn more about The Jewish Youth Climate Movement by heading to JewishYouthClimateMovement.org!
[3] Canfield references an action, by JYCM, outside of the headquarters of Black Rock (the world’s biggest asset manager, and one of the leading investors in climate destruction). Learn more about that October 2021 action by clicking here.
[4] Degroot mentions a few sources written by Arthur Waskow. You can purchase Seasons of Our Joy by clicking here, and you can access Waskow’s new Earth & Justice Freedom-Seder (created in 2022) via this link.
[5] Learn more about Dayenu, the third core-partner in organizing the Exodus Alliance (whose name, we’d be remiss not to mention, relates to Passover) at Dayenu.org. For a full Action Toolkit, which you can utilize in planning your own Passover action, click here!
[6] Degroot reads an excerpt from the book of Malachi, which relates to activism across generations — especially activism to combat climate change. Take a look at Arthur Waskow’s translation of this text on page 5 of the Earth & Justice Freedom Seder.
Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, professor of religion at Wheaton College Massachusetts, is the author of Gastronomic Judaism as Culinary Midrash. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what that book's title argues. In other words, how is Jewish food, and how are Jewish eating practices, "midrash" -- forms of interpretation that play with, and expand, the bounds of Jewish tradition?
This episode is the 5th in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides. To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
[1] Learn more about Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus by clicking here — and purchase Gastronomic Judaism as Culinary Midrashvia this link!
[2] Both Dan and Lex refer to Feasting and Fasting, a book that contains an essay by Brumberg-Kraus. Purchase that book via this link.
[3] Dan alludes to the famous“Treyfa Banquet,” which took place at Hebrew Union College in 1883. Learn more about it, and how it has been revisited in the 21st century, by listening to Bonus Episode: Trefa Banquet 2.0 - Alix Wall.
[4] Brumberg-Kraus mentions an episode of the web series YidLife Crisis, that revolves around eating Chinese food on Christmas — check out the full episode here.
[5] For David Kraemer’s exploration of “safe treyf” that Brumberg-Kraus mentions, click here.
[6] Brumberg-Kraus gives a shout-out to a past guest on Judaism Unbound — Rachel Gross. For her two appearances on the show, which explore related questions of Jewish food, see Episode 171: Digesting Judaism - Rachel Gross and/or Episode 278: The Deli is My Synagogue - Rachel Gross.
[7] Take a look at the text (From the Tosefta), featuring Ben Zoma — where he lists all the steps that led to his ability to eat his food — by clicking here.
[8] Brumberg-Kraus mentions his daughter’s blog — explore it for yourself by heading to KimchiAndKishke.com!
[9] Dan references an episode of the Adventures in Jewish Studies podcast, which explores the history of bagels, lox, and cream cheese. Listen in (or read the transcript) by clicking here!
Rob Nipe and Nora Rubel, the team behind Grass Fed -- Rochester, New York's vegan and kosher butcher shop -- join Dan and Lex for a conversation about what makes something count as "really" meat, and how that relates to Jewish eating. This episode is the 4th in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides.
[1] Learn more about Grass Fed by heading to GrassFedRochester.com!
[2] For an article about Grass Fed, see this piece in JTA, written by Shira Hanau.
[3] For another article, about Jewish plant-based eating more broadly, click here (this one is from the BBC, and written by Joe Baur).
[4] In this episode, Nora Rubel critiques the fact that Impossible Pork has been marked as not-kosher, by the Orthodox Union, despite other approaches in the past that have said kashrut should be just about the ingredients in a particular food (the issue with Impossible Pork, that leads to it being marked as un-kosher, is that it is called “pork” — not that there are un-kosher ingredients that are in it). For more on this story, click here.
[5] Rubel also mentions a situation in 2008, in Postville, Iowa — potentially the largest raid on immigrants in American history — which brought to light some of the scandals of the meat industry (including the kosher meat industry — the plant that was raided was a kosher-meat plant). Learn more here.
[6] Lex mentions a Milwaukee-area Jewish deli that is no longer owned by non-Jews, but does take seriously its relationship to Jewishness. For more on this, see this article!
Sara Eifler, Program Director for Jewish Veg, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the spiritual practice that is....eating! Together they look at some ancient Jewish texts, some contemporary Jewish rituals, and play around with some puns.
Jewish Veg is an organization that inspires and assists Jews to embrace plant-based diets, as an expression of Jewish values. This episode is the 3rd in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides. To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
[1] Learn more about Sara Eifler by clicking here, and learn more about Jewish Veg by heading to JewishVeg.org.
[2] Eifler references a few key Biblical texts, related to the subject of a plant-based diet. Click here to see, in Genesis 1 (in particular 1:29-31), the directive that plants will be food for humans. Click here to see, in Genesis 9 (9:4 in particular), the restriction around consuming the blood of animals (after Noah and the flood). For two texts about lions one day eating straw, like the ox, see Isaiah 11 or Isaiah 65.
[3] Jewish Veg offers a Passover Seder (Zeder) online, which you can attend. Register for Jewish Veg’s 2022 Passover Zeder by clicking here!
[4] Eifler also mentions a program offered by Jewish Veg, called Plant Pathways. Plant Pathways supports anyone considering moving toward a greater emphasis on plants in their diet, whether that’s fully committing to veganism or simply shifting away from meat to some extent. Learn more about Plant Pathways by visiting PlantPathways.com.
[5] Lex hints at some particularly awesome materials that are part of the Jewish Veg Haggadah. Access the Haggadah by clicking here. To check out the story that Lex referenced, about Moses’s relationship to animals, click here.
[6] At a couple of points in the episode, Eifler gives a shout-out to Melissa Hoffman, director of the Jewish Initiative for Animals (JIFA). Learn more about Hoffman by clicking here, and learn more about JIFA by heading to JewishInitiativeForAnimals.com. For another organization doing related work, and offering synagogues the chance to experiment with plant-based eating for a year, see Shamayim, and its Synagogue Vegan Challenge.
[7] Toward the end of the episode, Lex mentions that at Mishkan Chicago, they recently moved toward a “Default Veg” model — where the default food at their programming is vegetarian, and one opts actively to have meat (as opposed to the inverse, which is more common). Learn more about this practice by heading to DefaultVeg.org.
Nir Levy, Atlanta Field Manager for OneTable (an organization that empowers folks to find, share, and enjoy Shabbat dinners), and Annie Prusky, OneTable's Manager of Development and Research, join Dan and Lex for a conversation about one of the most beloved Jewish rituals: Shabbat dinner. This episode is the 2nd in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides. To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
[1] You can learn more about OneTable, and sign up to either host or attend a Shabbat dinner near you, at OneTable.org.
[2] For an early episode of Judaism Unbound, which featured OneTable CEO Aliza Kline, see Episode 31: Designing OneTable - Aliza Kline.
[3] Annie Prusky has led two sessions as part of Judaism Unbound’s ShavuotLIVE events in past years — one in 2020 and one in 2021. Watch them by clicking here (2020) or here (2021).
[4] Lex mentions the British TV show Friday Night Dinner, a show focusing on a British-Jewish family, and in which every episode takes place on Friday night. Check it out for yourself by clicking here!
Elaine Goodfriend, a lecturer at California State University, Northridge, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about one of her specialties -- food in the Hebrew Bible. This episode is the 1st in an ongoing mini-series, exploring what Jewish food has been in the past, what Jewish food is today, what it could be in the future, and who decides.
[1] Learn more about Elaine Goodfriend by clicking here — and at that same link, you can read all of her articles featured on TheTorah.com.
[2] For some of our past Judaism Unbound episodes that have explored the topic of food, see Episode 159: Judaism Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer, Episode 171: Digesting Judaism - Rachel Gross, and Episode 214: Finding a Jewish Voice - Kristin Eriko Posner,
[3] Dan mentions the book Feasting and Fasting: The History and Ethics of Jewish Food in the intro to this episode. We highly recommend reading this book as a companion to this current mini-series on Jewish food, and you can purchase it by clicking here!
[4] Goodfriend draws some connections to the topic of circumcision in the Bible. For a unit of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring the topic of circumcision — in the Bible, but also in contemporary Jewish life — click here.
[5] At the close of the episode, Goodfriend invokes a Biblical scholar named Moshe Greenberg, an influential figure in the history of Biblical scholarship. Learn more about his contributions here.
Harry Freedman, author of Leonard Cohen: The Mystical Roots of Genius, The Murderous History of Bible Translations, and a variety of other books with equally-sensational titles, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that explores Leonard Cohen's contributions to Judaism -- and potentially to Judaisms of the future. They also connect Cohen's musical creations to other Jewish figures, including Louis Jacobs and Miriam Anzovin (if you're thinking "is she the one from Tiktok?" -- yes!).
[1] Learn more about Harry Freedman, and purchase any of his books, by heading to HarryFreedmanBooks.com.
[2] Lex mentions an earlier conversation of Judaism Unbound, featuring Ezra Furman, in which Furman discusses her own music — and how Leonard Cohen has influenced it. Listen in by clicking here: Episode 298: Judaism, Inconveniently Itself - Ezra Furman.
[3] Dan alludes to a High Holiday playlist that Judaism Unbound created, which creates a soundtrack of popular songs that connect to the High Holiday liturgy. Check it out by clicking here.
[4] Freedman discusses the multiple meanings of Song of Songs, an erotic poem that was canonized as part of the bible. Explore this further by checking out a past bonus episode of Judaism Unbound, which you can listen to here: Bonus Episode: Elul #3 - What’s Love Got to do with It? (The Song of Songs).
[5] To learn more about Miriam Anzovin, a Jewish Tiktok-er who has recently made some headlines, click here. Follow her on TikTok by clicking here.
The UnYeshiva -- Judaism Unbound's digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning -- is launching its spring 2022 semester! In this episode, you get to sit in on the very first "Faculty Meeting" (we promise, it's not as boring as most meetings), and hear about the four courses that will be offered this semester. You can also hear about the grander vision of the UnYeshiva, from all four of its current teachers -- Dan and Lex (co-hosts of this podcast), along with Tova Birnbaum and Keshira haLev Fife!
[1] Learn more about the UnYeshiva by heading to www.unyeshiva.com, and register for our Spring 2022 "UnYeshiva Sneak Preview" (live in Zoom, featuring all four teachers) by clicking here.
[2] To register for any of our Spring 2022 courses, just click the links below:
- This Too Is Torah, with Lex Rofeberg (Mondays at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT)
- Being a Secular Jew: Concepts, Practice and Possibilities, with Tova Birnbaum (Tuesdays at 2:30 pm ET/11:30 am PT)
- Shmita: Putting Ourselves in the Practice, with Keshira haLev Fife (Wednesdays at 3:00 pm ET/Noon PT)
- Unreliable Sources: What Jewish Texts Really Say About Holidays and Practices, with Dan Libenson (Thursdays at 8:00 pm ET/5 pm PT)
Lisa Grafstein, creator of the Shmita Debt Release Campaign -- through the organization RIP Medical Debt -- joins Dan and Lex to talk about debt relief, its centrality to the Biblical Shmita year (year of release), disability justice, and how all of those topics tie to her campaign for public office in North Carolina.
[1] The Shmita Debt Release Campaign has already raised over 5,300 dollars this year, which will help to forgive 530,000 dollars (!!!!!!) of medical debt. Contribute toward this campaign reaching its goal of 10,000 dollars (and 1 MILLION dollars of medical debt forgiven) here.
[2] Grafstein alludes to an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, in which Oliver explores the issue of medical debt. Watch it by clicking here!
[3] Grafstein also mentions a piece by Arthur Waskow, entitled Toward a Jubilee Economy & Ecology in the Modern World, which she encountered in researching the Shmita and Jubilee years — you can read the piece at this link.
[4] To learn more about Disability Rights North Carolina, the organization that Grafstein works for, head to DisabilityRightsNC.org.
[5] In reading an excerpt from the book Debt: The First 5000 Years, by David Graeber, Grafstein connected this episode to a previous episode of Judaism Unbound, featuring Cindy Milstein. Learn more about the book by clicking here, check out Milstein’s episode by heading to Episode 289: Jewish Anarchism - Cindy Milstein, and read ‘A Jewish Goodbye to David Graeber’ — published when Graeber died — by clicking here.
[6] Lisa Grafstein alluded to a few other past episodes of Judaism Unbound. Listen in to Episode 185: An Army of Translators - Sarah Hurwitz and/or Episode 52: Nothing Sacred - Douglas Rushkoff to dive deeper into the context of her references. For an episode she didn’t mention directly, but which relates to the topic of “separation of church and state” — see Episode 75: The Myth of Apolitical Judaism - Lila Corwin Berman.
Asher Edes and Alexander Grace Vickery, co-founders of Shmita Hives, join Dan and Lex for a conversation about their initiative to bring groups of people (hives) together, to build their collective relationship to Shmita -- the year of release. Shmita is a year-long observance, marked every seven years and initially derived from the Torah, during which land is given the chance to rest, and debts are remitted.
[1] If you are interested in starting up your own Shmita Hive, it's not too late! Just fill out this form, or email Asher and Alexander at ShmitaHives@gmail.com.
[2] In this episode, the two guests mention that they initially met as students in a class taught by Keshira HaLev Fife. If you’d like to learn from her as well, you can! Keshira HaLev Fife is teaching a full-semester class in the UnYeshiva, beginning February 2022, entitled Shmita: Putting Ourselves in the Practice. Register for it here!
[3] Learn more about the Kesher Fellowship, mentioned in this episode, here!
[4] Hazon’s Shmita Sourcebook gets a shout-out at the beginning of this conversation. You can check it out via this link.
[5] Edes mentions that they first learned about Shmita from an episode of Judaism Unbound, featuring Nati Passow. Listen in to that episode by clicking here: Episode 226: Resting The Land - Nati Passow.
[6] Alexander Grace Vickery reflects back on Julie Weitz’s appearance on Judaism Unbound. Listen in to that episode by clicking here: Episode 299: Becoming a Golem - Julie Weitz.
This piece is the FIRST EVER Judaism Unbound “Gemara” (commentary). It is a reflection, written by Eli Hurwitz, on a Judaism Unbound podcast episode (Episode 303: "Bris" Means "Covenant," Not Circumcision). It explores the idea of kavanah (spiritual intent), as applied to difficult Jewish conversations.
By Eli Hurwitz, New Voices/Judaism Unbound Fellow (2021-22)
I’ve always liked reading essays about films I’ve never watched, and watching people make recipes I’ll never cook; there’s something appealing to me about filtering one media object through another medium, viewing one piece through the eyes of another. The rabbis who created the Gemara (the second part of the Talmud – which commentates on the earlier part, called Mishnah) understood the value of filtering the traditions of Jewish law through their own perspectives. So through this post I’m bringing a form of Judaism Unbound Gemara – which can be read “on the margins” of a podcast episode, as commentary, to help readers/listeners process it.
So let’s talk about Episode 303: “Bris” Means “Covenant,” Not “Circumcision,” featuring Lisa Braver Moss, Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, and Rebecca Wald. In this episode, Dan and Lex talk with members of the executive board of Bruchim, an organization which seeks to advocate for the full inclusion of non-circumcised Jews in Jewish spaces. Near the start of the episode, co-founder and president of Bruchim, Lisa Braver Moss, discusses her choice to circumcise her now-adult sons: “I looked upon [circumcision] as something almost transactional, as the price of Jewish belonging…this is not quite the covenant that Genesis 17 describes.” Braver Moss continues to discuss the reservations she had, saying “You know, traditions are meant to bring us together, but I didn’t feel more Jewish because of circumcising my sons… I certainly didn’t circumcise with the required kavanah – spiritual intent.”
Let’s flash to some classical Jewish sources. The rabbis of the Mishnah generally agree that spiritual intent – the performance of mitzvot with focus and dedication, instead of as a rote or accidental action – is an essential part of Jewish practice. Later, Maimonides (12th Century CE) lists kavanah as one of the five essential elements of proper prayer.
Braver Moss makes a really important point here. A bris is a life cycle ritual, a way of welcoming a child into a Jewish world. Many Jews might feel that their bris, or their child’s ceremony, does connect them to their ancestors and tradition in a way that is meaningful. But for Jews who don’t, it’s often taboo to talk about any reservations that they might have. One reason for this is that we are taught to see circumcision as ubiquitous – an always-observed practice, even when it’s not. Another reason is the trickiness (read: prevalence of antisemitism) of conversations about circumcision that occur in non-Jewish spaces. But if we are looking to our ancestors to find ways to deepen our Jewish practices, kavanah has to be a part of the conversation; the choice to circumcise, then, must be individually and communally meaningful.
Discussing and centering intent – asking “what is this practice bringing?” and “why are you choosing it?” – requires us to oppose a common attitude surrounding circumcision. Or, at least, requires me to switch up the attitude I held around conversations about circumcision – a sense that I needed to enter a role where I’d be a protector, or defender, of a Jewish ritual that is regularly dismissed or criticized by non-Jewish voices. This defensive impulse usually resulted in me avoiding these conversations altogether. But that impulse – towards, basically, a one-dimensional endorsement of all ways that a bris could be practiced – is focused on non-Jewish criticism. It turns me away from the Jewish tradition of wrestling with our traditions, in favor of an orientation where I’d merely be lobbying for their right to exist.
Questioning this impulse, after listening to this episode, got me to do something new, which, in a stronger Jewish future, would be more common. I spoke – in real conversations with loved ones – about circumcision! It’s hard to build community out of silently-imposed traditions. And more than that, it isn’t particularly fun. On controversial issues, like circumcision – but others as well – it’s time to put aside our instinct toward muffling ourselves, and instead break out some microphones. Or even megaphones! The conversations I had, while slightly uncomfortable at times, were productive and meaningful ones. I hope that all of us can have more of them, even and especially about the Jewish topics that we feel some instinct to avoid.
Eli Hurwitz (they/them) was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently a junior at Vassar College, where they are pursuing a degree in Media Studies. In their free time, Eli helps put on shadowcasted screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, works at a coffee shop, and draws comics. As the 2021 New Voices / Judaism Unbound Fellow, Eli is excited to work within orgs that are imagining a radical, joyful, and liberating Jewish future.
Dan and Lex have spoken a bunch lately, on Judaism Unbound, with the hosts of other podcasts, that are not Judaism Unbound! They've asked about the structure of those podcasts, the vision behind them, and the goals they seek to achieve. But what haven't Dan and Lex done? Actually said how they, themselves, would answer those questions for Judaism Unbound. Today, they do just that, and offer a look behind the proverbial curtain of Judaism Unbound.
[1] For all of Judaism Unbound’s recent episodes which have featured hosts of other Jewish podcasts, click the following links:
- Episode 309: Podcasts are Oral Torah - Leon Wiener Dow
- Episode 308: We’ve Got Chutzpod! - Joshua Malina, Shira Stutman
- Episode 298: Judaism, Inconveniently Itself - Ezra Furman
- Episode 297: The Power of “Should” - Ginna Green, Lynn Harris
- Episode 295: Reading the Bible Differently - Omri Harel, Gil Kidron
[2] For earlier episodes of Judaism Unbound, which have featured hosts of other Jewish podcasts, click the following links:
- Episode 269: Shabbetai Zvi: Permitting the Forbidden (Xava De Cordova, Michael Sokolovsky)
- Episode 97: “Bad Jews” - Jenna Reback
[3] At the end of this episode, Lex emphasizes how much he and Dan appreciate receiving notes from Judaism Unbound listeners. Send your thoughts about this episode, past episodes, or anything else you want to talk about, to Dan@JudaismUnbound.com and/or Lex@JudaismUnbound.com!
Leon Wiener Dow is the host of Pod Drash, a Jewish podcast that talks about podcasts. In this episode of Judaism Unbound, he, Dan, and Lex, talk about Pod Drash. Ergo, this is a podcast talking about a podcast that talks about podcasts. If you like podcasts, therefore, you will like this episode -- three times over!
[1] Learn more about Pod Drash by heading to PodDrash.org, and subscribe to PodDrash in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you find your podcasts. Learn more about Leon Wiener Dow by heading to LeonWD.com.
[2] Check out Wiener Dow’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by clicking here: Episode 164: Going, Jewishly - Leon Wiener Dow.
[3] Dan alludes to a passage in the book of Proverbs, about the wisdom that can be learned from ants, and Wiener Dow expands upon it by bringing up a passage from the Talmud. You can check out both of those texts at the following links: Proverbs 6, Eruvin 100b
[4] Learn more about Kolot, the organization that Leon Wiener Dow serves as Director of the Beit Midrash (house of study), via Kolot.net.
Joshua Malina (yes, THAT Joshua Malina) and Shira Stutman (yes, THAT Shira Stutman) join Dan and Lex for a conversation about their (Joshua and Shira's) entry into the Jewish podcast ecosystem, through their brand new podcast, called Chutzpod!
[1] Learn more about Chutzpod! by heading to Chutzpod.com, and subscribe to Chutzpod in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast & Radio Addict, or wherever else you find your podcasts. Learn more about Joshua Malina and Shira Stutman by clicking here.
[2] Malina and Stutman met on a trip organized by Encounter, “an educational organization committed to informed, courageous, and resilient Jewish communal leadership on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” Learn more about Encounter by heading to EncounterPrograms.org.
[3] Stutman is a past guest on Judaism Unbound — and one of our only guests EVER to have their episode run as a “two-parter.” Listen to her past appearances on Judaism Unbound at these links: Episode 177: Spreading the Good (Jewish) News - Shira Stutman Ior Episode 178: I-Wish-I-Had-This-Itis - Shira Stutman II
[4] Malina is no stranger to podcasting! Check out his hit podcast, The West Wing Weekly, which ran from 2016-2020, by clicking here.
[5] This episode contains more conversation about Ben & Jerry’s ice cream than we expected, pre-recording. For more context on what that whole situation was about, click here.
[6] Malina reflects on his December 2021 essay in The Atlantic, entitled “Cancel Mel Gibson” (though Malina mentioned in this episode that he would’ve chosen a different title). You can read the piece by clicking here.
[7] Malina also mentions an episode of the show Sports Night, in which he plays a character who hosts a Passover Seder. You can watch the episode on Youtube ($1.99 to view) here.
Shani Mink and SJ Seldin are the co-founders of Jewish Farmer Network -- a grassroots organization of over 2000 farmers, which mobilizes Jewish agricultural wisdom to build a more just and regenerative food system for all. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the Shmita year (year of release), and about how Jews today can combat the pervasive, incorrect idea of "Isn't Jewish farmer an oxymoron?"
Jewish Farmer Network's 2022 conference, entitled "Cultivating Culture: A Virtual Gathering of Jewish Famers," will be taking place via Zoom on two consecutive Sundays -- January 30th and February 6th (spaced out in order to reduce Zoom fatigue). Register for the Jewish Farmer Network's conference by clicking here!
[1] Learn more about the Jewish Farmer Network via JewishFarmerNetwork.org. Register for their upcoming conference, called Cultivating Culture 2022: A Virtual Gathering of Jewish Farmers, by clicking here!
[2] Mink and Seldin discuss the work of the Jewish Agricultural Society. Learn more about it via this blog post from NC State University’s The Friday Footnote, which focuses on the history of agricultural education and rural America.
[3] Lex mentions a past episode of Judaism Unbound, featuring David Seidenberg, which also looks at the topic of Shmita. You can listen to it by clicking here: Episode 290: Nobody Owns Land - David Seidenberg. For other episodes of Judaism Unbound focusing on Shmita (the year of release), see any of the following: Episode 287: The Shmita Project - Hannah Knibb Henza, Sarah Zell Young, Episode 288: More Magic, Please - Eli Kaplan-Wildmann, Episode 289: Jewish Anarchism - Cindy Milstein, or Episode 299: Becoming a Golem - Julie Weitz.
[4] Mink and Seldin mention the commandments of Pe’ah (setting aside a corner of one’s field, for the poor) and Shichecha (forgotten sheaves, left in the field, are set aside for the stranger, orphan, and widow). Learn more about Pe’ah by clicking here. For more on Shichecha, click here.
[5] Seldin cites an article that was formational for their work, entitled “From Farmers to Merchants: A Human Capital Interpretation of Jewish Economic History,” by Maristella Botticini and Zvi Eckstein. You can read it via this link.
[6] For the source mentioning food turning into waste, if you don’t share it with those who need it, see Mishneh Torah: Rest on a Holiday (Sh’vitat Yom Tov) 6:18. For a full source-sheet, which includes this source and explores the joys of Sukkot, click here.
[7] For an article featuring Seldin, and exploring the ways in which trans and nonbinary Jews have found empowerment at Jewish farms, see “Transgender Jews are finding a safe haven in an unexpected place: the farm,” by Ben Harris.
[8] Mink and Seldin give shout-outs to a number of Jewish farms, located around the country, which may be of interest to listeners. Learn more about any of them via the following links: Abundance Farm (Northampton, MA), EKAR Farm (Denver, CO), Urban Adamah (Berkeley, CA), and Adamah (Falls Village, CT)
Dan and Lex close out Judaism Unbound's 4-episode mini-series on Jewish circumcision. They explore, in particular, the treatment by Jewish institutions of families, who have opted not to circumcise their children, and of those children themselves.
[1] Check out the previous episodes in this series via the following links: Episode 303: “Bris” Means “Covenant,” Not “Circumcision” - Lisa Braver Moss, Rebecca Wald, Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, Episode 304: Circumcision and its Jewish Alternatives - Max Buckler, Charlene Thrope, Episode 305: The History of Jewish Circumcision - Shaye Cohen
[2] Lex mentions a past episode of Judaism Unbound, in which the topic of sacrifice arose. Check it out here: Episode 153: Fiction Between Worlds - Ruby Namdar.
[3] To learn more about the distinction between strict scrutiny, on the one hand, and rational basis, on the other, click here.
[4] If you are uncircumcised, or your family has chosen not to circumcise your children, and you have a question related to your inclusion in a Jewish institution, you can reach out to Bruchim, the organization featured earlier in this series (Episodes 303 and 304), through its Concierge Service, and they’ll be happy to assist you.
Shaye Cohen, the Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy at Harvard University, joins Dan and Lex for the 3rd conversation in a unit of episodes exploring Jewish circumcision. This discussion, on the history of Jewish circumcision, from the Hebrew Bible till today, builds on "A Canonical History of Jewish Circumcision," a chapter in Cohen's 2005 book Why Aren't Jewish Women Circumcised: Gender and Covenant in Judaism.
[1] Learn more about Shaye Cohen by clicking here.Purchase his book, Why Aren’t Jewish Women Circumcised: Gender and Covenant in Judaism, via this link.
[2] You can learn about other books written by Shaye Cohen, and purchase them if you’d like, via this link.
[3] Check out the two previous episodes in this series via these links: Episode 303: “Bris” means “Covenant,” not “Circumcision” - Lisa Braver Moss, Rebecca Wald, Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon and Episode 304: Circumcision and its Jewish Alternatives - Max Buckler, Charlene Thrope.
[4] For a page that includes many of the references to Jewish circumcision discussed by Cohen in this episode, and a variety of others, click here.
[5] Cohen references the 1990 film Europa Europa, as its plot revolves around the topic of Jewish circumcision. Read more about the plot of Europa Europa here.
[6] In discussing the evolution of circumcision over time, Cohen mentions that the Zohar — a Medieval Jewish text — plays a particularly important role. Learn more about the Zohar by listening to Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
Max Buckler, Director of Strategic Initiatives for Bruchim, and Charlene Thrope, a member of its extended team, join Dan and Lex for a conversation that explores alternatives to circumcision as the primary way to welcome amab (assigned-male-at-birth) babies into the Jewish community.
[1] This episode is the second of two episodes featuring guests from Bruchim, a recently-launched organization that seeks to foster welcoming spaces for Jewish families who have opted out of the ritual of circumcision. Learn more about Bruchim by visiting Bruchim.online. Listen in to last week’s episode, featuring Bruchim’s founding executive board (Lisa Braver Moss, Rebecca Wald, and Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon) by clicking here.
[2] Thrope mentions how Mikveh, the practice of ritual immersion in water, has been influential in how she approaches Jewish ritual. In doing so, she alludes to two organizations — Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh (Boston) and Immerse NYC. Learn more about them via MayyimHayyim.org and/or ImmerseNYC.org.
[3] For past episodes of Judaism Unbound, featuring founding leaders of Mayyim Hayyim and Immerse NYC, see Episode 31: Designing OneTable - Aliza Kline and Episode 115: Beloved - Sara Luria, Isaac Luria.
[4] Buckler closes the episode by citing a quote from Abraham Geiger. Learn more about Abraham Geiger via this link.
Lisa Braver Moss, Rebecca Wald, and Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon are the founding members of Bruchim's executive board. So what's Bruchim? It's a recently-launched organization that seeks to foster welcoming spaces for Jewish families who have opted out of the ritual of circumcision.
In this episode, the three co-founders join Dan and Lex for a conversation about why their organization exists, how opposition to circumcision can come from a deeply Jewish place, and what it might look like for Jewish communities to explicitly welcome people into their communities independent of their circumcision status.
[1] Learn more about Bruchim’s work by heading to www.Bruchim.online. Learn more about our Lisa Braver Moss, Rebecca Wald, and Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon by clicking here.
[2] Braver Moss wrote an article over 30 years advocating against circumcision that was one of the first to be featured in a Jewish publication. The piece, entitled “A Painful Case,” can be found here.
[3] Check out “Beyond the Bris,” Rebecca Wald’s website, via this link.
[4] You can purchase Celebrating B'rit Shalom, a book co-written by Braver Moss and Wald featuring a variety of potential covenant rituals for families opting out of circumcision, here.
[5] On this episode, Bruchim’s founders mention a “Concierge Service,” which — among other things — will ask organizations questions about their policies, with respect to circumcision, on your behalf, while allowing you to remain anonymous. Check out Bruchim’s Concierge Service here.
[6] Dan references a recent article by Gary Shteyngart, featured in the New Yorker and entitled “A Botched Circumcision and Its Aftermath.” You can read the article by clicking here.
[7] Ungar-Sargon directed a 2006 entitled Cut: Slicing through the Myths of Circumcision. You can learn more about it, and view it, at CutTheFilm.com.
Zack Bodner, CEO of The Oshman Family JCC and author of Why Do Jewish? A Manifesto for 21st Century Jewish Peoplehood, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about his book. They also explore together what makes West-Coast Judaism distinctive, along with whether the digital world is itself a new kind of geographic "coast."
[1] Learn more about Zack Bodner, and purchase Why Do Jewish? A Manifesto for 21st Century Jewish Peoplehood, via whydojewish.com.
[2] For Bodner’s previous appearances on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 61: Wandering in the Wilderness - Zack Bodner, Tova Birnbaum, and/or Episode 128: Zionism 3.0 - Zack Bodner.
[3] Bodner mentions his own family’s celebration of a Bar Mitzvah on Zoom. For more on this, see his article “How a Silicon Valley mindset helped us host an epic Zoom Bar Mitzvah.”
[4] For an article looking at Why Do Jewish, see J Weekly’s “In new book, Palo Alto JCC boss wants you to ‘do Jewish,’” written by Emma Goss.
Jeremy Dauber, the author of American Comics: A Historyand Jewish Comedy: A Serious History, who serves as the Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature and Culture at Columbia University, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about these two books.
[1] Purchase American Comics: A History via this link, and purchase Jewish Comedy: A Serious History via this link! You can take a look at some of Dauber’s other books, and purchase them, by clicking here.
[2] Dauber references Will Eisner’s book A Contract with God. Learn more about it here.
[3] Dan and Lex mention a past conversation with Abraham Riesman, which also explored the Jewishness of American comics. Listen in by clicking here: Episode 262: Marvel’s Torah - Abraham Riesman.
[4] Dan alludes to a book called Understanding Comics, by Scott McCloud. For a previous Judaism Unbound conversation that explores it in more detail, see Episode 250: Cosmic Diaspora - Jake Marmer, and for the book itself, click here.
[5] Lex mentions a video of Jerry Seinfeld and Norm McDonald, which you can view here.
[6] Lex also gives a shout-out to Rachel Bloom, and her show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. For some of the show’s most well-known Jewish moments, see Remember that We Suffered, JAP Battle, and JAP Battle (Reprise).
Dan and Lex celebrate the 3-century mark of podcast episodes. They consider the drastic growth of Jewish creativity and experimentation, all around the country and in the digital world, over the 6 years that Judaism Unbound has existed, and they ask what a recent New York Times magazine article can help us understand about the idea of "Jewish leadership." There are also, as a fun treat, some outdated references to the 2006 film "300!"
[1] You may now purchase (DRUMROLL PLEASE….) Judaism Unbound MERCHANDISE, and show your love for our podcast to the world! Just head to JudaismUnbound.com/storenow and check out our hoodies, mugs, notebooks, stickers, and more!!!
[2] Dan and Lex refer to an article from the New York Times Magazine, entitled “Inside the Unraveling of American Zionism,” which includes a bit about Judaism Unbound, a quote from Lex. Check out the article by clicking here. Take a look at the letter the article discusses, signed by 94 rabbinical and cantorial students, here.
[3] In this conversation, we talk a bit about our version for The UnYeshiva, our new digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning. Learn more about The UnYeshiva at UnYeshiva.com and/or by listening to Episode 292: The UnYeshiva - Dan and Lex.
Julie Weitz, a performance artist whose work "uses humor and ritual to propose ethically-grounded and intersectional reconsiderations of pressing contemporary issues," joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring the legend of the Golem -- and how it might be relevant to our observance of the Sh'mitah year (the once-every-7-year sabbatical year, marked via a recalibration of humans' relationship to the earth, and the remission of debts).
[1] Learn more about Julie Weitz by visiting JulieWeitz.com. Register for Weitz’s upcoming event, entitled Holy Sparks: Cultural and Spiritual Fire, taking place on November 18th via Zoom, and gathered by the Contemporary Jewish Museum, here.
[2] It’s not too late to check out Julie Weitz’s solo exhibition at the Contemporary Jewish Museum! Check out Golem: A Call to Action, anytime before December 5th, 2021 at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco!You can learn more about the Contemporary Jewish Museum via TheCJM.org.
[3] Weitz mentions a text called Sefer Yetzirah (the book of creation), which is associated with the creation of Golems. Learn more about Sefer Yetzirah here.
[4] Weitz also cites her teacher Victoria Hanna, who teaches about the mystical associations of the letters in the Hebrew Alef-Bet (alphabet). Check out Hanna’s hit song — a version of the Alef-Bet — here.
[5] A number of organizations and projects arose which have been featured on Judaism Unbound in the past. Learn more about Never Again Action by listening to Episode 230: Never Again Action - Tal Frieden, Becca Lubow, about the Jewish Psychedelic Summit via Bonus Episode: The Jewish Psychedelic Summit - Natalie Ginsberg, Madison Margolin, about Wilderness Torah by tuning in to Episode 176: Wilderness Torah - Zelig Golden, and about David Seidenberg’s work via Episode 290: Nobody Owns Land - David Seidenberg.
[6] You can purchase the book The Spell of the Sensuous, written by David Abram and referenced by Weitz in this episode, at this link.
[7] Learn more about the Sagehen Creek Field Station, where Weitz filmed My Golem as a Wildland Firefighter, via this New Yorker article entitled A Trailblazing Plan to Fight California Wildfires.
[8] Weitz cites influential art critics Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg, along with artist Mark Rothko, and discusses how — when she was being trained as an artist — she was told that they hid their Jewish identities. For a 1997 article exploring this, see “‘Too Jewish?’” Hardly,” from the LA Times.
Musician and songwriter Ezra Furman, whose albums include Twelve Nudes(2019) and Transangelic Exodus (2018), and whose work serves as the soundtrack to the Netflix series Sex Education, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about her spiritual journey, weaving the ancient with the new, breaking Judaism out of its "glass box," and more. Throughout, Furman speaks to the importance of creating a world in which every person is "inconveniently themselves," and Judaism, in parallel fashion, is "inconveniently itself."
Furman is the co-host of another podcast in the growing Jewish-podcasting ecosystem. Check out Two Queers, Four Questions here!
Image Credit: Robin Little/Redferns/Getty Images
[1] You can follow Ezra Furman on Twitter via @EzraFurmanor on Instagram via @Ezra.Furman.Visions.
[2] Check out a variety of articles about Ezra Furman and her relationship to Judaism here.
[3] Furman references the work of Joy Ladin. For a past episode of Judaism Unbound featuring her as a guest, click here.
[4] You can purchase Furman’s 2018 book, Transformer, about Lou Reed, by clicking here.
[5] Listen in to the episode of 2 Queers, 4 Questions that Furman discusses a bit, about the “8th-day-of-a-7-day-holiday” (Shemini Atzeret) here.
[6] Dan brings up the idea of “de-cluttering Judaism.” For more on this, see Episode 174: Tidying Up Judaism.
[7] Furman references the 19th-century rabbi known as the Chofetz Chayim. Learn more about him, and his work on lashon hara (“evil speech”) by clicking here.
[8] Lex mentions the prayer Elohai N’tzor, one of the only prayers in the traditional Jewish prayer-book that is writing in the first-person singular, using “My” and “I” pronouns. Check out the text of this prayer here.
[9] Furman, toward the close of the episode, gives a shout-out to a biography of Leonard Cohen. Purchase I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, by Sylvie Simmons, at this link.
Ginna Green and Lynn Harris, co-hosts of A Bintel Brief -- another podcast in the ever-growing Jewish pod-o-sphere -- join Dan and Lex for a conversation about A Bintel Brief. In their discussion, they explore the evolution of A Bintel Brief from (over 100 years ago) a written advice column in Yiddish to an oral podcast, released via the internet. They also consider the value of one of the scariest words, in Jewish communities and in our broader society -- "should."
[1] Listen to all the episodes of A Bintel Brief on Apple Podcasts by clicking here.Read written versions of all their recent letters here.
[2] Learn more about Ginna Green by clicking here (and scrolling down the page to her bio). Learn more about Lynn Harris here.
[3] Click here to listen to Episode 10 of A Bintel Brief, referenced in this conversation and entitled “Heartbroken Bubbe.”
[4] Ginna Green references the work of the Jews of Color Initiative. To listen to a recent Judaism Unbound episode, exploring their “Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color” study, see Episode 293: Beyond the Count - Ilana Kaufman, Ari Y. Kelman.
[5] Lynn Harris references a superhero that she created, named Breakup Girl. Read her full book about Breakup Girl, entitled Breakup Girl to the Rescue!: A Superhero's Guide to Love, and Lack Thereof by clicking here.
Shaul Magid, the Distinguished Fellow in Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College and author of Meir Kahane: The Public Life and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring this new book, which opens up discussions around some of the most important Jewish issues of our time — pride (“identity”), survival (“continuity”), unity (disunity), power, and more.
[1] You can purchase Meir Kahane: The Public and Political Thought of an American Jewish Radical by clicking here. Learn more about Shaul Magid here.
[2] Shaul Magid appeared previously on Judaism Unbound, as one of our earliest guests (episode thirteen). Listen in to that conversation, centering on a previous book of his (American Post-Judaism: Identity and Renewal in a Postethnic Society) by checking out Episode 13: American Post-Judaism - Shaul Magid.
[3] Magid mentions Bridget Loves Bernie, a 70s sitcom, cancelled after outcry across multiple American-Jewish denominations, who opposed its positive portrayal of intermarriage. Learn more about this by listening to Episode 4 of the Sexing History podcast, featuring Samira Mehta, and hear more from Mehta about her work by listening to her appearance on our own podcast: Episode 144: Beyond Chrismukkah - Samira Mehta.
[4] In 1966, activist Stokley Carmichael gave an influential speech, entitled “Black Power,” which Magid cites in this episode. Read the full text of it here.
[5] There is a brief conversation in this episode about the phrase “Never Again.” For an article exploring its evolution from the mid-20th century through 2018, in American-Jewish life, see “How the Holocaust motto Never Again became a rallying cry for gun control,” by Emily Burack in JTA. For an article exploring its application by the group Never Again Action, in 2019, see “A Jewish movement against ICE takes off by deploying its most famous mantra,” by Yonat Shimron in Religion News Service.
[6] Lex references the work of Lila Corwin Berman, during a conversation about the relationship between the terms “Jewish survival” and “Jewish continuity,” in American-Jewish institutions. For conversations touching on those terms, along with a broader exploration of American-Jewish philanthropy, see Episode 220: Viral Philanthropy - Lila Corwin Berman and/or Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex - Lila Corwin Berman.
Omri Harel and Gil Kidron, co-hosts of A Podcast of Biblical Proportions, join Dan and Lex for a conversation looking at the Bible as a literary text. They explore how its writing can provide hints about its authors -- and the time periods that they inhabited -- and they ask whether we might read the Bible differently from how it was taught to us when we were children.
[1]Find A Podcast of Biblical Proportions here! You can also listen to all of Harel and Kidron’s episodes anywhere podcasts can be found (including Apple Podcasts and Spotify). You can support A Podcast of Biblical Proportions through its Patreon page, which is linked here.
[2] To hear more about Harel and Kidron’s analysis of the surprisingly-unsubstantial character of Isaac, listen to the 20th episode of A Podcast of Biblical Proportions, “They Call Me Isaac.”
[3] Dan references a previous episode of ours with guest Tzemah Yoreh, who writes about an original version of the binding of Isaac where Abraham actually does sacrifice his son. To hear more about this original story and how it may have been stitched into the Torah, click here: Episode 268: Abraham Did Kill Isaac - Tzemah Yoreh.
[4] Lex argues that Isaac’s lack of depth might let a reader of Genesis focus on Rebecca as the central character of their generation. The Jewish Women’s Archive has brought up this point as well, in their overview of Rebecca’s story, which can be found here.
[5] In this episode, the Torah and Star Wars are both discussed as epic mythologies. You can read more about the mythic status of Star Wars by reading this article, “Every era needs its myth cycle. Star Wars is ours,” which was published just before Episode VII came out in theaters.
[6] Lex brings up The Book of Jubilees, a retelling of the events of Genesis (and a bit of Exodus) that begins with Moses at Mount Sinai. You can read Jubileeshere, and check out a past Judaism Unbound episode all about it, by listening to Episode 218: A Book That Didn’t Make It - Barbara Thiede.
LUNAR: The Jewish Asian Film Project, cultivates connection, belonging and visibility for Asian American Jews through authentic multimedia storytelling and intersectional community programming. Jenni Rudolph, LUNAR's Executive Creative Director, and Gen Xia Ye Slosberg, LUNAR's Executive Producer, join Dan and Lex to explore the origin and first season of LUNAR. They also offer a sneak preview of season 2, to be released on October 6th, 2021 (just a few days after this podcast episode's release!).
[1] Watch all released episodes of LUNAR via this link! We’ve also included one of them, below, on this page (one we referenced specifically in the episode, entitled “Jewish Enough. Asian Enough.”).
[2] Learn more about Rudolph and Slosberg by reading their bios, accessible by scrolling to the “Meet the Team” section of this page. For an article about their leadership of Lunar, see “Asian American Jews connect and share in ‘Lunar’ video series,” a piece by Maya Mirsky in J Weekly.
[3] Rudolph mentioned in the episode that she is a songwriter. You can listen to her music via JenniRudolph.com.
[4] Slosberg mentions the Black Jewish Liberation Collective and Jewtina y Co as two organizations doing similar work for other groups of marginalized Jews. Learn more about them by visiting BlackJewishLiberation.org and Jewtina.org.
[5] Our two guests mention that their “Jewish Enough. Asian Enough.” episode was featured in MAM Fest (Mixed Asian Media Festival). Learn more about MAM Fest by clicking here.
[6] Slosberg references our podcast episode last week, featuring Ilana Kaufman and Ari Y. Kelman, and focusing on the study “Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color.” Listen to the full episode by clicking here: Episode 293: Beyond the Count - Ilana Kaufman, Ari Y. Kelman.
Ilana Kaufman is the Executive Director of the Jews Of Color Initiative, which recently commissioned a study entitled Beyond the Count: Perspectives and Lived Experiences of Jews of Color. Ari Y. Kelman was a member of the research team that conducted the study. The two of them join Dan and Lex for a conversation about this new study, and how we might apply its findings to American-Jewish life, now and in the future.
Certain parts of this episode reference particular parts of the study, and it may be helpful to have the study open on your computer as you listen. You can access the full study by clicking here.
[1] Learn more about Ilana Kaufman by clicking here. Learn more about Ari Y. Kelman by clicking here. Check out the full Beyond the Count study here.
[2] Listen in to Ilana Kaufman’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by clicking here: Episode 232: Why the Uncounted Count - Ilana Kaufman. Listen in to Ari Y. Kelman’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by clicking here: Episode 74: Beyond Jewish Identity - Ari Y. Kelman.
[3] For another episode that explores Jewish sociological studies, and touches on the experiences of Jews of color, see Episode 284: Jews in Pew’s…Studies - Tema Smith.
[4] Dan mentions the Endowment Effect — a phenomenon whereby people value what they currently have more than what they do not currently have, but could one day have. Learn more about the Endowment Effect here.
[5] When Beyond the Count was released, there was a gathering on Zoom to discuss its findings. You can watch the full video here.
Dan and Lex dive into a brand new Judaism Unbound initiative called The UnYeshiva. The UnYeshiva is a brand-new, digital-first, center for Jewish learning (and unlearning, hence the name UnYeshiva!), offering a mixture of synchronous (in-real-time) and asynchronous (at your own pace) courses. Learn more at www.unyeshiva.com!
[1] Learn more about Dan's first course, Leadership in a Time of Wandering, by clicking here. Learn more about Lex's course, called Jewish Discontinuity, by clicking here. Dive into our at-your-own-pace courses, curated by Katie Kaestner-Frenchman, here!
[2] Register to attend one of two "Grand Tours" of the UnYeshiva, via these links: September 20th Grand Tour, September 21st Grand Tour.
[3] Dan mentions a previous episode of Judaism Unbound, released when we first launched jewishLIVE. Listen in by clicking here: Episode 217: jewishLIVE.
[4] For a deeper dive into the past couple decades of Shmita observances, as pioneered by the organization Hazon (and many of their partner organizations), see Bonus Episode: Every 7th Rosh Hashanah - Nigel Savage.
[5] Dan shouts out a video-chat platform, called GatherTown, that simulates a setting where one can share a digital space with others, but still “wander” around to interact with different people in different areas. Learn more about GatherTown at Gather.Town.
Register: Leadership in a Time of Wandering
Register: Jewish Discontinuity
Asynchronous (at-your-own-pace) Courses
Aimee Lucido, author of the brand-new book Recipe for Disaster, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the book's themes of being "Jewish enough" -- even and especially when others suggest that you're not! They also touch on other topics featured in the book, including Jewish food, the Shmita year, and more. You can purchase Recipe for Disaster via this link!
[1] Learn more about Aimee Lucido at AimeeLucido.com, and learn more about Recipe for Disaster here.
[2] Judaism Unbound will be holding a digital gathering to discuss the book, for those who read it. Sign up to discuss the book, at a digital gathering we will be hosting, here. (Date is still TBD, but signing up will mean you get notified once the date is determined).
[3] Purchase her previous book, Emmy in the Key of Code, via this link.
[4] Check out Lucido’s previous appearance on Judaism Unbound, along with fellow author Sofiya Pasternack, by clicking here: Episode 271: Jewish Stories We Need - Aimee Lucido, Sofiya Pasternack.
[5] In discussing the ways in which kids’ literature is often dismissed as inferior to literature for adults, Lex mentioned the movie Paddington 2, as the best movie ever made. For an article explaining why it is that Paddington 2 is in fact the best movie ever made, entitled ‘Yes, Paddington 2 is the greatest film ever made,’click here.
David Seidenberg, author of Kabbalah and Ecology: God's Image in the More-Than-Human World, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about why Shmita is the central commandment of the entire Torah.
This episode is the fourth in a series of episodes about the Shmita year. The Shmita year is a once-every-seven-years occasion, first described in the Bible, and its next occurrence begins on Rosh Hashanah 2021 (September 6th, 2021). It calls for a radical recalibration of our society’s relationship to land, food, debt, work, equality, and time – all of which resonate with crises we face today. Learn more at Shmitaproject.org.
[1] Learn more about David Seidenberg by visiting his website, NeoHasid.org. Purchase his book,Kabbalah and Ecology: God’s Image in the More-Than-Human World, via this link, and check out a variety of resources related to the book (and created by Seidenberg) at KabbalahAndEcology.com.
[2] For a few of Seidenberg’s written pieces about Shmita in particular, click here (Hazon.org) or here (Huffington Post).
[3] Seidenberg alludes to a Harachaman (addition to the blessing after meals) that he wrote for the Shmita year. Learn more about it, and access the text of the blessing itself, here.
[4] Dan mentions the book Collapse, by Jared Diamond, which relates to many of the topics that arose in this conversation. You can purchase it here.
[5] Check out the previous three episodes in this series of Shmita episodes by clicking the following links: Episode 287: The Shmita Project - Hannah Knibb Henza, Sarah Zell Young, Episode 288: More Magic, Please - Eli Kaplan-Wildmann, Episode 289: Jewish Anarchism - Cindy Milstein
Cindy Milstein, editor of There is Nothing so Whole as a Broken Heart: Mending the World as Jewish Anarchists, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about what anarchism is, and why "Jewish Anarchism" isn't at all a contradiction. This episode is the third in a series of episodes about the Shmita year. The Shmita year is a once-every-seven-years occasion, first described in the Bible, and its next occurrence begins on Rosh Hashanah 2021 (September 6th, 2021). It calls for a radical recalibration of our society’s relationship to land, food, debt, work, equality, and time – all of which resonate with crises we face today. Learn more at Shmitaproject.org.
[1] Purchase There is Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart: Mending the World as Jewish Anarchists via this link!Learn more about Cindy Milstein by checking out their website.
[2] One Jewish Anarchist who comes up briefly is Emma Goldman. Learn more about her by listening into Bonus Episode: American Jewish History Unbound #6 - Emma Goldman (Judith Rosenbaum).
[3] Milstein references a documentary entitled “Free Voice of Labor: the Jewish Anarchists.” You can watch it via this link.
[4] Lex mentions the book Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber, an influential Jewish anarchist activist who died in 2020. We recommend reading this book as a part of your Shmita practice, since Shmita is tied so directly to the remission of debts. The book is available for purchase here. For a piece exploring Graeber’s legacy through a Jewish lens, see “A Jewish Goodbye to David Graeber,” by Benjamin Balthaser.
[5] Learn more about RAYJ (Rebellious Anarchist Young Jews) by checking out their website. Take a look at their Jewish Anti-Fascist Shabbat Guide, which Milstein mentions in this episode, here.
[6] For Judaism Unbound’s episode reflecting on the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, see Episode 142: After Pittsburgh, which was released right after the massacre.
[7] Milstein mentions work by anarchists to emphasize the justice components of Yom Kippur. For more on this, visit TheFastIDesire.com. If you would like to bring their direct action to your community, you can sign up here.
Eli Kaplan-Wildmann, a designer and artistic director who has worked extensively on designing spaces for television and theater, along with designing Jewish ritual objects, joins Dan and Lex on this episode of Judaism Unbound. Their conversation begins with an exploration of Kaplan-Wildmann’s new project (Shmita Steps), which is simultaneously a “cooperative strategy game about redistribution of wealth” and a ritual object meant to combine elements of the Passover Seder with the Biblical idea of Shmita.
This episode is the second in a series of episodes about the Shmita year. The Shmita year is a once-every-seven-years occasion, first described in the Bible, and its next occurrence begins on Rosh Hashanah 2021 (September 6th, 2021). It calls for a radical recalibration of our society’s relationship to land, food, debt, work, equality, and time – all of which resonate with crises we face today. Learn more at Shmitaproject.org.
[1] Learn more about Eli Kaplan-Wildmann by visiting KaplanWildmann.com. Get a better sense of Shmita Steps, in terms of what it looks like and how it works, by checking out the image on the left and/or the video below. (NOTE: unfortunately Shmita Steps is not yet available to the public)
[2] Eli Kaplan-Wildmann was recently a contestant on a Jewish reality show called “Expedition Maker.” Learn more about him, and check out the work of a bunch of other Jewish artists, by heading to www.Expeditionnai.com/Maker.
[3] We mentioned that Eli Kaplan-Wildmann and us share a love for Jewish “unbound” projects! Learn more about Kaplan-Wildmann’s “Create Unbound” initiative at www.CreateUnbound.com and dive into “Unbound: The Recreated Haggadah” by clicking here.
[4] Dan asks a question about re-thinking the clutter of Judaism, in the sense that so much stuff (“stuff” in the sense of texts, teachings, stories, etc) has been piled on over the centuries, making it challenging to navigate through for folks who aren’t deeply immersed. Consider this question more by listening in to Episode 174: Tidying Up Judaism.
[5] Kaplan-Wildmann mentions two rabbis who he has worked with, and who have had an influence on his understanding of Jewish art, and Jewish collaboration. The first was Amichai Lau-Lavie, who you can hear from in Episode 29: Lab/Shul - Amichai Lau-Lavie. The second is Angela Buchdahl, who you can learn more about here.
[6] Lex asks a question about the duality of performance and interaction, as it relates to theatre and to Jewish ritual. Dive into this question further by listening to Bonus Episode: Communal Singing - David Fainsilber, Jessica Kate Meyer.
The Shmita year is a once-every-seven-years occasion. For an entire year, the land is given its own Shabbat -- a chance to rest. And it's not only humans' relationship to land that gets "reset." It is also a Biblical commandment for debts between human beings to be forgiven when the Shmita year rolls around. In this first episode devoted to the topic of Shmita (the next Shmita year begins on Rosh Hashanah, in less than a month!), Hannah Knibb Henza and Sarah Zell Young, from The Shmita Project, join Dan and Lex to consider what Shmita has been in the past and what it could be moving forward. In doing so, they name the centrality of art, and creativity, as we re-invigorate this ancient practice. They also undrescore the opportunity we have, as Jews and human beings, to align Shmita with a variety of contemporary fights for social and climate justice.
[1] Check out the Biblical source-text for the Shmita year (Leviticus Chapter 25) here.
[2] Head to ShmitaProject.org to learn more about The Shmita Project’s work to “bring the values of Shmita to life today to support healthier, more sustainable Jewish communities.”
[3] Learn more about the Shmita Prizes (and consider submitting your own art, writing, or music!) here!
[4] Dan mentions the Leichtag ranch, and their Shmita practice. Learn more about their observance by watching this video!
[5] Hannah Knibb Henza encourages organizations to put together long-term climate justice, and/or social justice, plans, for Shmita. Learn more about Hazon’s approach to this via Seal.Hazon.org.
One year ago, Wendie Bernstein Lash and Lex Rofeberg released a bonus episode of this podcast entitled "Prepping for the Holi-Year." At that point, Sh'mitah, a once-every-seven-years opportunity to radically recalibrate our relationship to the planet, and to our society, was a year away. But now...it ain't a year away anymore! It's one month away. So it's time to really, truly gear up for this holi-year. Wendie and Lex are back, to game-plan together for what this year might mean -- on an individual level and a collective level.
This “mini-episode” is the first of two that are being released as part of Elul Unbound 2021 (our 13th and 14 Elul episodes overall). To listen to a full playlist of our previous Elul episodes, released through Elul Unbound 2018, 2019, and 2020, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2021, our month-long preparation for the "holi-year" that is Shmitah (the holi-year), by signing up at this link. Sign up for our first weekly Zoom gathering, where we will be exploring Elul and Sh'mitah in real time, with friends, by clicking here.
Click the image below to learn more about (and maybe sign up for…) Elul Unbound 2021!
Dan and Lex like books! Very much! So much that...they want to consider what American Judaism would look like, if contemporary Jews centered reading Jewish fiction to the same extent that we center other elements of Jewish experience, like synagogue attendance. They also explore what might be different, if we understood that the seemingly mundane Jewish literature of one era is, potentially, the Jewish sacred text (Torah) of the next.
[1] For recent episodes diving into some works of Jewish fiction, with their authors, see the following: Episode 263: Purim Torah - Anna Solomon, Episode 271: Jewish Stories We Need - Aimee Lucido, Sofiya Pasternack, Episode 272: Why Jewish Fiction? - David Hirshberg, Episode 277: Trans Jewish Fiction - Leiah Moser, Episode 282: Praying with Fire - Rachel Sharona Lewis, Episode 283: Planet of the Jews - Phil Graubart
[2] To learn more about contemporary Jewish literature, head to JewishBookCouncil.org.
[3] Dan mentions his work as translator for the English edition of The Secret Book of Kings. Learn more about that book by heading to SecretBookOfKings.com, and/or by listening to Episode 28: The Secret Book of Kings - Dan Libenson.
[4] Lex alludes to a previous conversation Dan and Lex had about redefining what we mean by “Torah.” Listen in here: Episode 259: Bernie Memes are Torah - Dan and Lex.
Dan and Lex continue their deep-dive into the Pew Research Center's recently-released study on Jewish Americans. They also bring in another study of American Jews -- the Jewish Electorate Institute's (JEI’s) National Survey of Jewish Voters -- which garnered a number of headlines due to its findings around shifting approaches of American Jews to Israel-Palestine.
[1] There are a lot of numbers/percentages from studies thrown around in this episode! So that you’re able to soak them in most effectively, it may be worth having the studies themselves visible to you as you listen. You can access the Pew 2020 study of Jewish Americans here, and the JEI’s National Survey of Jewish Voters here.
[2] This episode continues a conversation that began in last week’s Judaism Unbound episode, featuring Tema Smith. Listen to it by clicking here —> Episode 284: Jews in Pew’s…Studies - Tema Smith.
[3] Dan mentions a daily Jewish ritual created by Mandy Patinkin, which Dan has adopted. Learn more about Patinkin’s ritual here!
[4] Dan and Lex allude to headlines, generated from the JEI survey, around the percentage of American Jews that agree with the statement “Israel is an Apartheid state.” One article analyzing that data, written by Ron Kampeas, is entitled “A quarter of US Jews agree that Israel ‘is an apartheid state.’” You can read it via this link.
[5] For an article, not specifically about Jewish population studies, but critiquing many Christian-centric tendencies in sociological studies of American religion, see “Gen Z’s Religious Affiliation State are Confusing…but only when viewed from a Christian-centric perspective,” by Brook Wilensky-Lanford.
[6] See below for the meme Dan mentioned about intermarriage and the Jewish future.
Tema Smith, Director of Professional Development for 18 Doors, joins Dan and Lex to discuss -- and re-frame -- the Pew Research Center's 2020 study of Jewish Americans.
[1] Learn more about Tema Smith by heading to TemaSmith.com, and follow her on twitter via @temasmith. Read her recent article, which is entitled “The Missing 2020 Pew Study Headlines” and inspired this episode, by clicking here.
[2] Learn more about 18 Doors, which “empowers people in interfaith relationships — individuals, couples, families and their children,” by heading to 18doors.org.
[3] You can access the full 2020 Pew Study here.
[4] Stay tuned for the release of JOCI’s (Jews of Color Initiative’s) Beyond the Count study, focused specifically on Jews of Color in the United States, here (it will be released in mid-August 2021).
[5] Smith references an article entitled “Is Judaism more like an operating system or an app?,” which was written by Brian Blum. In looking back at this article, we realized that this article mentions Judaism Unbound, and looks back at some of our own conversations about Judaism as operating system or as app! For one of our earliest conversations on this topic, see Episode 21: jOS 4.0 - a New Jewish Operating System (both Dan and Lex have shifted to some extent since this first conversation, but still worth checking out).
Philip Graubart, author of Planet of the Jews and Women and God(and many other books), joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about those two books. Each of them, in different ways, provides commentary on what it is to be an American Jew, and what Judaism could look like in various alternate universes.
[1] Purchase either of Graubart’s two books via these links: Planet of the Jews, Women and God. Purchase any of Graubart’s other books by clicking here.
[2] Graubart shouts out to a couple great organizations with a focus on Jewish literature. Learn more about the Jewish Book Council via www.jewishbookcouncil.org and learn more about the Yiddish Book Center via www.yiddishbookcenter.org (or via a past Judaism Unbound interview with the YBC’s founder, Aaron Lansky - Episode 203: Yiddish in America.
[3] Graubart, in conversation with Dan in this episode, mentions the books Xenocide and Speaker of the Dead, by Orson Scott Card. Learn more about Card here.
[4] For three essays exploring dyanics around sexual assault, and sexual harrassment, in Jewish communal institutions, see these pieces: “How Jewish Academia Created a #MeToo Disaster,” by Lila Corwin Berman, Kate Rosenblatt, and Ronit Stahl, “Birthright Israel and #MeToo,” by Sarah Seltzer, or “How Jewish Youth Groups Are Breeding A Toxic Sexual Culture For Teens,” by Shira Wolkenfeld.
Rachel Sharona Lewis, author of The Rabbi Who Prayed With Fire: a Rabbi Vivian Mystery, joins Dan and Lex to talk about her book, a mystery novel that doubles as a deep-dive into Jewish communal institutions, racial justice, queer representation, and more!
[1] Purchase The Rabbi Who Prayed with Fire at this link! Learn more about the book, and about Rachel Sharona Lewis, by checking out this piece in Hey Alma, entitled “The Queer Rabbinic Mystery Novel We Didn’t Know We Needed,” and written by Rakhel Silverman.
[2] Check out the books in “the Rabbi David Small series” (written by Harry Kemelman), which Lewis described as an influence on her work, here.
[3] Listen in to Lewis’s podcast on women’s basketball, entitled Hoop We Can Believe In, by clicking here.
[4] Lewis references a podcast she listened to, that helped her in self-publishing her book. It’s called Bestseller, and you can listen to it here!
[5] Lex references ways in which this episode ties to a recent Judaism Unbound conversation with Aimee Lucido and Sofiya Pasternack about Jewish fiction. Listen in to that by clicking here: Episode 271: Jewish Stories We Need - Aimee Lucido, Sofiya Pasternack.
Dan and Lex reflect on recent conversations (7 of them!) that have intertwined explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience. They consider the myriad ways in which trans Jews are (and will continue to be!) on the front lines of efforts to pioneer sacred forms of Judaism for our time and the future, and they ask what those folks have to teach us about upending binaries more generally.
[1] Check out all our earlier episodes in this mini-series: Episode 273: Trans & Jewish World-Building - Becky Silverstein, Laynie Soloman, Episode 274: Beyond Binaries, Beyond Orthodoxies - Jericho Vincent, Episode 275: Rhythms of Sacred Protest - Koach Baruch Frazier, Episode 276: Allyship Fundamentals - Mike Moskowitz, Episode 277: Trans Jewish Fiction - Leiah Moser, Episode 279: Voice for Justice - Ari Lev Fornari, Episode 280: Trans Diaspora, Baruch Hashem - Binya Koatz
[2] We strongly encourage you to support the projects/organizations that we featured in this unit. You can do so via any of these links: SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, Tzedek Lab, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, Kol Tzedek.
[3] Lex alludes to a statement that many are asked to make, upon converting to Judaism, that they will practice Judaism “to the exclusion of all other faiths.” If you’re interested in looking at the full statement, from the Reform movement, click here.
[4] Lex mentions past guests on Judaism Unbound who read the character of Rabbi Yochanan (from the Talmud) as a transgender woman. Learn more by checking out Binya Koatz’s “Toldot Trans: Tracing a Trans Lineage through the Torah.” You can also check out Daniel Boyarin’s essay, entitled “Why is Rabbi Yochanan a Woman? Or, a Queer Marriage Gone Bad.”
Binya Kóatz, a "queer&trans, diasporic, arab-jewish, ashkenazi, god-loving, musical, femme, multilingual, ancestral-dreaming soul making joy and art and radical community," joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about transness, diaspora, Talmud, theology, and more, along how all of those topics flow into one another. This episode is the seventh episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
[1] Learn more about Binya Kóatz at binyakoatz.com.
[2] Check out some of her creative projects mentioned in this episode (including The Fast I Desire, Shel Maala: The First Digital-First Queer Yeshiva, and Hilchos Spookos: A Practical Guide to Observing Spookot/Jewish Halloween), by clicking here.
[3] Kóatz mentions a few activist organizations she is a part of — for past Judaism Unbound conversations with members of two of those organizations, see Episode 124: IfNotNow - Ilana Levinson, Jill Raney and/or Episode 230: Never Again Action - Tal Frieden, Becca Lubow.
[4] Learn more about Svara’s teaching Kolel, which Kóatz is part of, here.
[5] Check out Binya Kóatz’s Toldot Transsourcesheet, in which she traces a trans lineage through the Torah, at this link.
[6] We mentioned in this episode that “Talmud for Boring B!tches,” a class offered by Binya Kóatz and Xava de Cordova, has already occurred. But there’s another class they are offering, called “Nightmare on Chelm Street,” which you can sign up for (and learn more about) here!
[7] Kóatz speaks a bit about anarchist theology. For a recent book on Jewish anarchism, featuring an essay by Kóatz, see There is Nothing so Whole as a Broken Heart, edited by Cindy Milstein.
Ari Lev Fornari serves as senior rabbi at Kol Tzedek, a reconstructionist congregation in West Philadelphia whose name means "a voice for justice." He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that weaves together his story of becoming a rabbi (and becoming a congregational rabbi in particular), political issues like prison abolition and white flight, and the upcoming sabbatical year ("Sh'mitah" in Hebrew). This episode is the sixth episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
[1] Learn more about Ari Lev Fornari here, and check out Kol Tzedek by visiting Kol-Tzedek.org.
[2] Fornari mentions the work of an organization called Jews in All Hues. Learn more about them at JewsInAllHues.org.
[3] Explore the work of POWER: An Interfaith Multi-Racial People’s Movement, a coalition that Kol Tzedek is a member of, at POWERinterfaith.org. POWER is a grassroots organization of over 50 Pennsylvania congregations committed to racial and economic justice on a livable planet.
[4] Fornari mentions Kol Tzedek’s 2021 rabbinic intern, Koach Baruch Frazier. Check out his episode, also part of our current series on transgender experience, by heading to Episode 275: Rhythms of Sacred Protest - Koach Baruch Frazier.
[5] Fornari cites one of his teachers, Art Green. For his appearance on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 133: God is One - Art Green.
Rachel B. Gross, the John & Marcia Goldman Chair in American Jewish Studies at San Francisco State University and author of Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about delis, museums, children's literature, and other religious spaces that you didn't know were religious!
Image Credit: Gary Sexton
[1] Purchase Beyond The Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice here.Don’t forget to enter the code GROSS30-FM to get 30%-off!
[2] Learn more about Rachel Gross by clicking here. Listen to her previous appearance on Judaism Unbound by checking out Episode 171: Digesting Judaism - Rachel Gross.
[3] Dan mentions a piece Gross wrote recently after the publication of the 2020 Pew study of Jewish Americans. Check out her op-ed, entitled “If you’re asking American Jews if they’re religious, you don’t understand American Jews,” at this link.
[4] Gross mentions Jewish museums as, potentially, cites of religious experience. Dive deeper into this topic by listening to Episode 158: Curating the Jewish Story - Ivy Barsky and/or Bonus Episode: Museums and the Creative Process - Ivy Barsky, Aaron Henne, Yishai Jusidman.
[5] In discussing Eric Kimmel’s work, Gross cites two books. Purchase them at either of these two links: Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, When Mindy Saved Hanukkah
[6] For an earlier Judaism Unbound episode that touches on PJ Library (and explores Jewish young-adult fiction in depth) see Episode 271: Jewish Stories We Need - Aimee Lucido, Sofiya Pasternack.
[7] You can read Rachel Gross’s essay about PJ Library, entitled “People of the Picture Book: PJ Library and American Jewish Religion,” in Religion and Popular Culture in America: Third Edition, which can be purchased at this link.
Leiah Moser, author of Magical Princess Harrietand rabbi at Reconstructionist Beth Israel in New Jersey, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that weaves together threads around transgender identity, fantasy fiction, conversion to Judaism, and more. This episode is the fifth episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
[1] Learn more about Leiah Moser here, and follow her blog at DagGadol.org. Learn more about her congregation, Reconstructionist Beth Israel, here.
[2] Purchase Magical Princess Harriet by clicking here!
[3] For another article that considers the role that Jewish young adult fiction can play in the present and future of Judaism, see Episode 271: Jewish Stories We Need - Aimee Lucido, Sofiya Pasternack.
[4] Moser mentions how her reaction to an article called “Why There is No Jewish Narnia” played a key role in her eventual decision to write Magical Princess Harriet. You can read the original article here.
[5] Lex brings up the book of Enoch, and Moser discusses some of the ways in which it influenced her novel. You can check out the full text of the book of Enoch here, through a 1917 translation by R.H. Charles.
Mike Moskowitz is the scholar-in-residence for Trans and Queer Jewish Studies at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah in New York City. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about allyship, by cisgender Jews, toward transgender Jews. This episode is the fourth episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
Image Credit: Haaretz
[1] Click here to learn more about Mike Moskowitz, and head to CBST.org to learn more about Congregation Beit Simchat Torah. Purchase Chaver Up: 49 Rabbis Explore What it Means to be an Ally through a Jewish Lens, which Moskowitz co-edited with Sharon Kleinbaum, via this link.
[2] Watch the livestream of Trans Jews are Here, a conference that CBST hosted, and Judaism Unbound co-sponsored, by clicking here. Listen in to a past episode of Judaism Unbound featuring CBST’s rabbi by tuning into Episode 122: Let’s Talk About Israel - Sharon Kleinbaum.
[3] Moskowitz references the Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish mysticism. Learn more about that text by listening to Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
[4] See the essay “Allyship is not in Heaven,” which Moskowitz referenced, and which he co-authored with Seth Marnin, here.
[5] Moskowitz alludes to the work of Joy Ladin, a past guest on Judaism Unbound. Learn more form her by listening to Episode 151: Judaism from a Transgender Perspective - Joy Ladin.
Koach Baruch Frazier -- a musician, activist, audiologist, and rabbinical student -- joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that upends the dichotomy of prayer, on the one hand, and action, on the other. Frazier looks back at their own journey toward the rabbinate, and in doing so considers what drumbeats, the inner ear, and silence have to teach us. As it turns out, listening to what these vessels of sound have to say can help unlock many important concepts in contemporary Judaism, and in contemporary strivings for justice. This episode is the third episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
Image Credit: Mark Katzman
[1] Learn more about Koach Baruch Frazier by clicking here. Check out the Tzedek Lab, which Frazier co-founded, by heading to TheTzedekLab.com. The Tzedek Lab is a national multiracial network of political education trainers, organizers, spiritual leaders, and cultural workers, Jews and allies, established to build collective competency to better politicize, transform, and inspire the Jewish community into collective action against racism, antisemitism, and white supremacy.
[2] Dan begins his introduction of Frazier by citing their powerful talk, given through Avodah’s “Speak Torah to Power” series. You can view the full talk here.
[3] Frazier mentions the the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) church, and its founder Richard Allen. Learn more about AME’s history at this link.
[4] Frazier gives a shout-out to Graie Hagans, the Vision Praxis Director at Bend the Arc. For video of a training led by Hagans, which Frazier helped to facilitate, click here.
Jericho Vincent, a genderqueer and post-ultra-Orthodox writer and lecturer, is the author of the memoir Cut Me Loose and co-author of Legends of the Talmud. They join Dan and Lex for a conversation about being genderqueer, leaving ultra-orthodoxy, connecting to other religious traditions, and entering rabbinical school. This episode is the second episode in a series that intertwines explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and explorations of gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
[1] Learn more about Jericho Vincent at JerichoVincent.com. Purchase Cut Me Loose by clicking here and/or Legends of the Talmud by clicking here.
[2] Listen in to the previous episode in this mini-series, released one week before this one, by clicking here: Episode 273: Trans & Jewish World-Building - Becky Silverstein, Laynie Soloman.
[3] For another episode of Judaism Unbound that looks at gender, and at leaving ultra-orthodoxy, see Episode 196: Becoming Eve - Abby Stein.
[4] Vincent discusses why the language of “men and women,” which sends the message that all human beings are one of those two options, and not nonbinary, can be seriously alienating to them. For an article that looks at some practical alternatives to gendered phrases like this, click here.
[5] For a piece from Jericho Vincent, which they co-wrote with upcoming Judaism Unbound guest Mike Moskowitz, see this MyJewishLearning piece, entitled “Speaking up for Trans Youth.”
[6] Lex mentions a piece entitled “The Making of a Viking Jewess,” written by Nina Lichtenstein. You can read it at this link.
Becky Silverstein and Laynie Soloman, co-founders of the Trans Halakha Project, join Dan and Lex to kick off a series of conversations that will intertwine explorations of Judaism, through lenses of transgender experience, and gender, through lenses of Jewish experience.
[1] The Trans Halakha Project housed at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, aims to curate existing resources that have been developed for trans Jews and by trans Jews, identify new areas of halakha that have yet to be developed, and finally to create opportunities for developing new halakhic literature and practice guides that speak directly to these areas of need. Learn more at Svara.org/Trans-Halakha-Project.
[2] Learn more about Becky Silverstein by clicking here, and learn more about Laynie Soloman by clicking here.
[3] One way that all of us can become more supportive and empowering of trans folks is to learn some important vocabulary. For a glossary of terms from the Jewish organization Keshet, click here. For a glossary of terms from PFLAG (a national organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies), click here.
[4] For additional Judaism Unbound conversations exploring the topic of halakha (a term we will leave undefined here, listen in to hear how our guests approach it!), see either of these: Episode 164: Going, Jewishly - Leon Wiener Dow or Episode 172: Judaism with Purpose(s) - Ayalon Eliach.
[5] Becky Silverstein references a presentation he gave at the Trans Jews are Here convening. We were proud to be a convening sponsor of that convening earlier this year (2021), and you can watch some of the publicly-available sessions at this link.
[6] Laynie Soloman references Robert Cover’s framework of “nomos and narrative.” Learn more about it here.
[7] ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound’s 30-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning (FREE, all on Zoom, with Becky Silverstein as a featured presenter), is coming up on May 15th-16th, 2021. Register at bit.ly/2021shavuot!
David Hirshberg, author of My Mother's Son, Jacobo's Rainbow, and A Bronx Cheer (Upcoming), joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the role of Jewish fiction in the Jewish present and future.
[1] Learn more about David Hirshberg at DavidHirshberg.com. His site includes information about My Mother’s Son, Jacobo’s Rainbow, and A Bronx Cheer.
[2] For a previous Judaism Unbound episode, featuring Hirshberg with his given-name (revealed in this episode!), click here: Episode 95: Doing Jewish For Yourself.
[3] Hirshberg references Michael Chabon’s book The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. You can purchase it here.
Natalie Ginsberg and Madison Margolin, two co-founders of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit, join Dan and Lex to discuss their upcoming event, taking place on May 2nd-3rd. Register for the Jewish Psychedelic Summit here!
[1] Register for the Jewish Psychedelic Summit here!Learn more about the Jewish Psychedelic Summit at www.JewishPsychedelicSummit.org.
[2] Learn more about Natalie Ginsberg and Madison Margolin at this link. Learn about the organizations they work for at the following two websites: MAPS.org (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), DoubleBlindMag.com (DoubleBlind Magazine)
[3] Check out a previous episode of Judaism Unbound, with the other co-founder of this summit, by clicking here: Episode 225: Jewish Psychedelics - Zac Kamenetz.
[4] For a full schedule of the summit’s events, click here. Read an article in Forbes Magazine about the Jewish Psychedelic Summit here.
Aimee Lucido and Sofiya Pasternack, award-winning authors of novels geared toward students in middle grades, join Dan and Lex for a conversation about Jewish fiction. They explore some of the gaps in the ecosystem of Jewish literature and envision what it would look like to fill some of those gaps -- through their own work, but also through work done by other authors.
Photographers: Nina Pomeroy (photo of Aimee Lucido, left) and Alexis Scheid (photo of Sofiya Pasternack, right)
[1] Aimee Lucido is the author of Emmy In the Key of Code(click here to purchase!), a semifinalist for the UK's Carnegie Medal (comparable to the American Newberry Award), and of Recipe for Disaster, an upcoming (Fall 2021, pre-order here) book centering a 12-year-old girl who isn't sure if she's "Jewish enough."
[2] Sofiya Pasternack is the author of Anya and the Dragon and Anya and the Nightingale -- the latter a Finalist in 2020 for the National Jewish Book Award. These novels blend elements of Jewish tradition and history with the genre of fantasy, helping readers imagine when those two theoretically-separate realms collide.
[3] Learn more about Aimee Lucido at AimeeLucido.com, and learn more about Sofiya Pasternack at SofiyaPasternack.com.
[4] Lucido mentions a book called Color Me In, written by Natasha Diaz. Learn more about it by clicking here.
Dan and Lex close out a mini-series of conversations about Torah (and the Bible more generally) by claiming that Torah isn't just those books from a few thousand years ago. It's not even just those books, plus the oral conversations written down centuries later. We -- our experiences and our intuitions -- are also part of the term "Torah."
[1] We strongly encourage you to check out all the previous episodes in this series on Torah (and Bible). They include:
Episode 260: The Bible…It’s ALIVE!! (Ron Hendel)Episode 261: Canaan Unconquered (Rachel Havrelock)Episode 262: Marvel’s Torah (Abraham Riesman)Episode 263: Purim Torah (Anna Solomon)Episode 264: Karaites: Bible Only, Please (Shawn Lichaa)Episode 265: High-Voltage Judaism (Dan and Lex)Episode 266: Digging Up Biblical History (Baruch Halpern)Episode 267: The Torah Studio (Liana Wertman)Episode 268: Abraham Did Kill Isaac (Tzemah Yoreh)Episode 269: Shabbetai Zvi: Permitting the Forbidden (Xava De Cordova, Michael Sokolovsky)
[2] Dan gives a shout-out to a book that has influenced his thinking, titled Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. You can purchase it here.
[3] In reflecting on the Bible, Dan cites a book we previously discussed on the podcast, called The Secret Book of Kings. Listen to our episode discussing that at Episode 28: The Secret Book of Kings - Dan Libenson (as “Guest”). Learn more about the book (and/or purchase it) at SecretBookOfKings.com.
[4] Lex referenced the film The Prince of Egypt. For an essay exploring The Prince of Egypt as “midrash,” click here (Lex discusses how he prefers seeing films and books like it as Torah — but a good article nonetheless)! Episode 260: The Bible…It’s ALIVE!! (Ron Hendel)Episode 260: The Bible…It’s ALIVE!! (Ron Hendel)Episode 260: The Bible…It’s ALIVE!! (Ron Hendel)
Xava De Cordova and Michael Sokolovsky co-hosts of Xai, How Are You? (a fellow podcast in the Jewish pod-o-sphere), join Dan and Lex for a crossover episode (an epsiode airing simultaneously as an episode of Judaism Unbound and an episode of Xai, How are You)! The four of them talk about what the Talmud is, who Shabbetai Zevi is, what Xai How are You is, and -- for the first time in Judaism Unbound's history -- how Dan and Lex are doing. Perhaps most importantly, they dwell on the figure of Shabbetai Zevi, and what his life may have to teach us as we build Judaisms for the future.
[1] Listen to any episode of Xai, How Are You, and/or become one of their patrons, at bit.ly/xavaunbound. We especially encourage you to check out the show’s episodes on Shabbetai Zevi (Episodes 53a, 54a, and 55a).
[2] Check out past gatherings of Shel Maala, an initiative that De Cordova leads with Binya Koatz (spoiler alert: an upcoming guest on Judaism Unbound), at this link.
[3] In this episode, we hear a shout-out to the Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish mysticism. Learn more about it by listening to Episode 161: The Zohar - Daniel Matt.
[4] Another podcast to check out is Historiansplaining, which partnered with Xai, How are You? on their Shabbetai Zevi series.
[5] Learn more about the ancient temple at Elephantine (in Egypt), briefly mentioned in this episode, by clicking here.
[6] This episode begins with a shout-out to the legendary crossover trilogy (between The Fairly OddParents and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) entitled The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour. Learn more about it here. The first episode in the trilogy can be viewed on Amazon Video by going to either Fairly Oddparents Season 4 or Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Season 1 (sequels can be found via FO Season 5 and JNBG Season 3).
Tzemah Yoreh, author of Why Abraham Murdered Isaac: The First Stories of the Bible Revealedand leader of The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, joins Dan and Lex to talk about what Yoreh terms "the original bible." Find out how some of the stories, like the binding of Isaac, may not have always looked the way they do today, and why that matters for those who are interested in the stories of the Bible!
[1] Learn more about Tzemah Yoreh here, purchase Why Abraham Murdered Isaac here, and learn more about The City Congregation for Humanistic Judaism at CityCongregation.org.
[2] Dive into Tzemah Yoreh’s other books at this link.
[3] Yoreh mentions a book by Shalom Spiegel, entitled The Last Trial. You can order it here.
[4] Yoreh also gives a shout-out to one of his teachers, Baruch Schwartz. Read a variety of articles that Schwartz has written for TheTorah.com by clicking here.
Liana Wertman joins Dan and Lex to discuss her work as the founder of The Torah Studio, a new (and fully-digital) center for Torah study that encourages people to take ownership of traditional Jewish texts.
[1] Learn more about The Torah Studio at www.TheTorahStudio.org, and take a look at Liana Wertman’s bio by clicking here. You can follow The Torah Studio on instagram at @TorahStudio.
[2] You can take a look at The Torah Studio’s current schedule of classes (right now, every Tuesday and Wednesday) at this link.
[3] The Torah Studio recently partnered with Judaism Unbound on our PurimLIVE event. You can watch it in its entirety here! Also, stay tuned for future collaborations with The Torah Studio, perhaps as soon as the holiday of Shavuot (in just a couple months).
[4] Wertman references a “Hevruta Triangle” model that helps her conceptualize how Torah studies could function in a way where there are three components — each of the two “hevrutas” (study-partners), and the text itself. A graphic of this is below, and you can learn more about what it signifies by checking out Elie Holzer and Orit Kent’s book A Philosophy of Havruta: Understanding and Teaching the Art of Text Study in Pairs(if you click the image, you’ll be able to purchase that book!).
Baruch Halpern, the Covenant Foundation Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about Biblical history and Biblical archaeology. They explore how those two realms relate to one another (get it? "DIGGING" up Biblical History!), along with what these ancient texts and discoveries have to do with us today.
[1] Learn more about Baruch Halpern here. You can purchase any of his books at this link.
[2] If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy our weekly series on jewishLIVE, hosted by Richard Elliott Friedman and entitled Return to Torah. Check out past episodes (and watch future episodes) at www.jewishlive.org/returntotorah.
[3] Halpern refers to a moment in the book of Jeremiah, in which some Judahites, exiled to Egypt, assert that they will continue expressing devotion to the “Queen of Heaven.” Check out this narrative, one of the only moments in Bible where readers hear directly from polytheists, in Jeremiah 44 (44:17 for the explicit invocation of the queen of heaven).
[4] For two brief articles that explore some myths and facts related to the theme of exile in the Bible, see “How Bad was the Babylonian Exile” and/or “Exile in the Hebrew Bible.”
Dan and Lex, in celebrating 5 years since Judaism Unbound launched its podcast, reflect on some of the core ideas they've explored in that time -- and they add on some new thoughts, drawing on a framework of "low-voltage" and "high-voltage" forms of Jewish experience.
Enjoy a nostalgic journey through the first 5 years (!) of Judaism Unbound by clicking around the mosaic below, which features our past guests, some of our favorite programs we’ve organized, and more! You can also view it as a video by clicking the play-button in the bottom-left of the image. For shownotes related to this episode, scroll down below the mosaic.
Explore five years of Judaism Unbound, through snapshots, by zooming in on the above mosaic! Donate in honor of this celebration at Judaismunbound.com/donate! Photo mosaic by: lexrofeberg @ Mosaically[1] We would be honored if, in honor of this 5-year anniversary, you would consider making either a one-time or monthly-recurring gift to Judaism Unbound! You can do so at www.judaismunbound.com/donate.
[2] Lex cites Shai Held, a past guest on Judaism Unbound, when he outlines the dichotomy of “high-voltage” and “low-voltage” Jewish experience. Hear from Shai Held, in his appearances on our show, by listening to either Episode 49: The Prophetic Voice - Shai Held or Episode 137: God of Love - Shai Held. You can also tune to all episodes of his jewishLIVE program, entitled Reading Psalms, here.
[3] Dan mentions a Hebrew-language podcast he loves, entitled Osim Tanach (עושים תנ"ך). If you’re a Hebrew-speaker, check it out at this link.
Shawn Lichaa is a Karaite. "What's that," you ask? Very valid question! Karaites are a group of Jews whose traditions, and interpretations, are built around the Bible alone -- not the Talmud or any other piece of what Rabbanites (rabbinic Jews) call "the oral Torah." Lichaa, founder of The Karaite Press and A Blue Thread: A Jewish Blog with a Thread of Karaite Throughout, joins Dan and Lex to explore Karaite Jews' relationship to the Bible, and ways in which their approaches differ from rabbinic Jews'. In their conversation, they also ask what light Karaites can shine on broader issues affecting many other groups of marginalized Jews as well.
Image Credit: David Wilensky, J: the Jewish News of Northern California
[1] Hear more from Shawn Lichaa by visiting his blog, A Blue Thread. There you can find posts on virtually every discussion-thread from this podcast, including Yom Teruah, Tefillin, Shavuot, Kosher cheeseburgers, and more.
[2] Head to TheKaraitePress.com to purchase books to learn more about Karaite Judaism, from Karaites themselves! Especially recommended, by Lichaa, is Royal Attire: On Karaite and Rabbanite Beliefs.
[3] Shawn Lichaa has also contributed a few articles about Karaite topics to TheTorah.com. Check them out here.
[4] J: The Jewish News of Northern California, has featured the Karaite community of Daly City (the only active Karaite synagogue in the United States) in a number of articles. We especially recommend “Karaite Jews tell little-known story,” “The expanding future of Karaite Jews in the U.S,” and “At Karaite Convention, everything is the same — but different,” all written by David Wilensky.
[5] Watch some videos to learn more about Karaite Judaism on youtube, by checking out either of these channels: A Blue Thread or Karaite Jews of America.
[6] Lex mentions the holiday of Sigd, not a historically-Karaite observance, but a holiday marked by the Beta Israel Jewish-community of Ethiopia. You can learn more about it here.
[7] The day before this episode was released, Lichaa published a wonderful blog post featuring Ariella, a 13-year-old who was recently Bat Mitzvah-ed (Mazal Tov Ariella!). She learned about Egyptian-Karaite Torah-trope, by googling “tropes that sound cool,” and then she learned how to chant in that style for her Bat Mitzvah! Check out the post here.
Anna Solomon, author of The Book of V -- a contemporary novel that is crafted in relationship to the Biblical book of Esther -- joins Dan and Lex to discuss her work, along with and ways in which her contemporary novel could influence readers' experience of the holiday of Purim.
[1] Learn more about Anna Solomon by visiting AnnaSolomon.com, and purchase The Book of V at this link.
[2] Solomon mentions interacting with her rabbi, Rachel Timoner, as she wrote The Book of V. For a past Judaism Unbound conversation featuring Timoner, see Episode 93: Community of Communities - Rachel Timoner.
[3] There’s a brief reference in this conversation to Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent. You can purchase it here, and hear the author’s appearance on Judaism Unbound by listening to Episode 12: Minhag America - Anita Diamant.
[4] Solomon refers to a commentary on the book of Esther, written by Adele Berlin. You can purchase it here.
[5] Dan mentions two videos in this conversation. One features Ayalon Eliach, from The Megillah Project, in which he explores the sinister side of Mordechai. You can watch it here. The second, which aligns with Solomon’s point that Esther joins a harem, can be viewed here.
[6] Anna Solomon appeared on one of the first episodes of the jewishLIVE show, produced in partnership with the Jewish Women’s Archive, called Quarantine(ish) Book Talks. You can tune into that conversation by clicking here.
Abraham Riesman, author of True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee, joins Dan and Lex to explore two meanings of the phrase "Marvel's Torah." First, "the Torah of Marvel" -- what can be learned from the Marvel comics universe when approached through a Jewish lens? And second, "Marvel is Torah" -- the idea that the structure of Marvel's universe, in and of itself, represents a kind of modern-day Bible.
[1] Learn more about Abraham Riesman by visiting AbrahamRiesman.com. Purchase True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by clicking here.
[2] Read the 2016 Vulture piece that Riesman wrote (entitled “It’s Stan Lee’s Universe”), which eventually led him to write this full biography, here.
[3] Dan references a recent Judaism Unbound conversation about Ella Emhoff, the step-daughter of Vice-President Kamala Harris, which looked questions of Jewish identity through inheritance and/or choice. You can listen to it here: Episode 259: Bernie Memse are Torah - Dan and Lex.
[4] Riesman mentions a 2006 book, entitled Up, Up, and Oy Vey: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero. Learn more about it here.
[5] Did you just pre-order the book? Are you so excited that you can’t even wait till it arrives before you go reading more digital content about Stan Lee, and his relationship to Judaism? If this describes you, you’ll enjoy this interview of Riesman in Hey Alma!
So there's the Torah. 5 books of Moses. But what happens right afterward? Rachel Havrelock, Associate Professor of English and Jewish Studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago, joins Dan and Lex to talk about the book that comes right after the Torah -- Joshua. Full of violent conquest, it's not a book that's easy for contemporary readers. But what can we learn when we look at it closely?
[1] Learn more about Rachel Havrelock by clicking here. Purchase her book The Joshua Generation: Israeli Occupation and the Bible at this link.
[2] Haven’t read the book of Joshua before? No worries! You can read the book, in English and/or Hebrew, on Sefaria’s website — just click here!
[3] Havrelock references an organization called EcoPeace Middle East. Learn more about it at EcoPeaceME.org.
[4] Havrelock also mentions a book by Dan Rabinowitz called The Power of Deserts. You can purchase it here.
[5] Take a look at the work Rachel Havrelock does as the founder of The Freshwater Lab at FreshwaterLab.org.
Ron Hendel, the Norma and Sam Dabby Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, joins Dan and Lex to open up a mini-series of conversations (to be released in the coming weeks) on the Hebrew Bible. How old is the Bible? What "genre(s)" is it? Is it best understood as one big book or a bunch of smaller books? Why does any of this matter? These are questions asked and explored (but not necessarily answered!) in this podcast.
[1] Learn more about Ron Hendel by clicking here. Purchase his book How Old is the Hebrew Bible?at this link, or The Book of Genesis: A Biography at this link.
[2] If you like the idea of writing a “biography” of religious books like Genesis (or the bible as a whole), you may enjoy other books in the Lives of Great Religious Books series from Princeton University Press. Click here to see all the books in that series, check out another Judaism Unbound episode with one of its authors by listening to Episode 211: The Passover Haggadah, a Biography - Vanessa Ochs, and watch a jewishLIVE video featuring a third (Barry Wimpfheimer, author of The Talmud: a Biography) by clicking here.
[3] There is a brief reference to the work of Richard Elliott Friedman, author of Who Wrote the Bible? Listen in to previous episodes of Judaism Unbound featuring him in either Episode 27: Wrote the Bible?or Episode 83: The Exodus. Tune into past or future episodes of his weekly jewishLIVE show, Return to Torah, at this link.
[4] Read Nietzsche’s work Thus Spake Zarathustra, which Hendel mentions, and explore its relationship to the Bible, here.
[5] Dan talks about his remarkable experience at The Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky (whose approach to the Bible, as scientific fact, we certainly do not endorse, but do find fascinating!). Take a look at this organization’s website at CreationMuseum.org.
The mittens. The vibe. You saw it, we saw it, everybody saw it -- everywhere, Bernie memes. Dan and Lex weave together a conversation about those memes, Jewish philanthropy, Jewish identity, and Torah (which is, as our title suggests, the genre within which "Bernie memes" is properly classified).
[1] This conversation refers back to Episode 258: Jewish Giving…Or Notenough that we encourage you to listen to both in tandem, but not quite enough that we would consider this conversation a “part II.” But it’s a close call, so listen in to Episode 258 by clicking here.
[2] Dan and Lex discuss a Forward article about Ella Emhoff, daughter of the United States’s “Second Man,” who the Forward thought was Jewish, but isn’t. You can read the article here. For another piece in a Jewish publication about Emhoff (one whose tone we appreciated more than The Forward’s), see Hey Alma’s “We Were Wrong to Assume Ella Emhoff is Jewish.”
[3] For another episode that looks at the question of people, with Jewish parentage, who do not identify as Jews, see Episode 146: The Jewish-American Paradox - Robert Mnookin, especially the early portion of the episode that looks at the identity of psychologist Erik Erikson.
[4] Dan mentions Lenny Bruce’s famous routine, which begins with “Count Basie’s Jewish. Ray Charles is Jewish.” Learn more about it in this deep-dive from Jewish Currents.
[5] For a few takes in Jewish publications exploring recent memes of Bernie Sanders, click here (Hey Alma), here (J: Jewish News of Northern California), or here (JTA).
Dan and Lex round out their mini-series of episodes on Jewish philanthropy. They ask questions about the possibility of new communal structures of philanthropic giving, explore monthly-gifts as a form of Jewish practice, and argue against the idea that Jews should allocate the majority of their giving to Jewish-specific organizations.
[1] We strongly encourage you to check out the previous episodes in our mini-series on Jewish philanthropy, which include Episode 252: Foundations of Jewish Life - Aaron Dorfman, Episode 253: Philanthropic Inclusion Jay Ruderman, Shira Ruderman,Episode 254: The Jewish 1% - Danielle Durchslag,Episode 255: Amplification - Liz Fisher,Episode 256: A Righteous Crowd (Amy Schilit Benarroch), and Episode 257: Jewish Liberation Fund - Joanna Ware, Nadav David. Another episode, which wasn’t technically part of this series but which we refer to in the series a number of times, is Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex - Lila Corwin Berman.
[2] Dan mentions the book Winners Take All, by Anan Giridharadas, which the New York Times described as a “groundbreaking investigation of how the global elite’s efforts to ‘change the world’ preserve the status quo and obscure their role in causing the problems they later seek to solve.” You can purchase the book at this link.
[3] Both Dan and Lex critique the framework of the recently-announced Jewish Future Pledge. Learn more about that project, which “calls on all Jews to pledge that half or more of the charitable giving in their estate plan will support the Jewish people and/or the State of Israel,” at this link.
[4] Judaism Unbound may be launching its own giving circle — though the precise format and timeline of it is not certain yet. If you would like to be a part of this giving circle, please email us at Dan@JudaismUnbound.com, Lex@JudaismUnbound.com, or both!
Joanna Wareand Nadav David, Director and Steering Committee member, respectively, of Jewish Liberation Fund(JLF), join Dan and Lex for a conversation about organizing money on the Jewish left. They ask identify gaps in our Jewish philanthropic systems (especially around Jews of Color and Israel-Palestine), and they advocate for shifts to some conventional philanthropic practices that could yield a brighter, more liberated future.
Image Credit: Jewish Liberation Fund
[1] Learn more about the Jewish Liberation Fund at JewishLiberation.fund, and about Ware and David by clicking here. Become a supporter of their work at this link.
[2] For an article in TribeHerald that features JLF’s first round of grants, click here.
[3] Follow up this episode with a related conversation (featuring a guest cited by Ware in this episode), by clicking here: Episode 118: Trouble in the Tribe - Dov Waxman.
[4] Ware mentions an article in eJewishPhilanthropy that discusses the immense Jewish wealth transfer that will be occurring in the next decade. Click here to read it.
[5] Read JLF’s Donor Covenant, mentioned by David , by clicking here.
[6] Learn more about two funds affectionately seen as “siblings” by Jewish Liberation Fund by heading to the following websites: ThirdWaveFund.org, GroundswellFund.org
[7] Click the video below to for a brief overview of the mission and vision of Jewish Liberation Fund:
Image Credit: Jewish Liberation Fund
Amy Schilit Benarroch, co-founder of Righteous Crowd, a micro-giving platform that engages the Jewish community in support of small non-profit organizations, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about how financial giving can be a collective process, along with how it can be a weekly (not just yearly!) spiritual practice.
Image Credit: Amplifier@JFNA
[1] Learn more about Amy Schilit Benarroch by clicking here, and learn more about Righteous Crowd by heading to RighteousCrowd.org.
[2] Take a look at the project that inspired Righteous Crowd’s founders by heading to DollarADay.co, and read an article in Fast Company about their work.
[3] Another organization that Schilit Benarroch cites is The Good People Fund. Learn more about their philanthropy at.
[4] We encourage listening to this episode in concert with the one that directly preceded it, featuring Liz Fisher, Executive Director of Amplifier@JFNA. Listen in by clicking here: Episode 255: Amplification - Liz Fisher.
Liz Fisher is the Executive Director of Amplifier@JFNA, an organization devoted to "igniting, strengthening, and informing giving to transform and grow philanthropy." She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about giving circles, and in particular what potential they have to contribute (pun intended!) to important shifts in Jewish philanthropy.
[1] Learn more about Liz Fisher by clicking here. Learn more about Amplifier by heading to AmplifierGiving.org.
[2] Would you be interested in being part of a giving circle consisting of Judaism Unbound listeners? We’re considering pursuing that! Send us a note at Dan@JudaismUnbound.comor Lex@JudaismUnbound.com if you’d like to be notified about any developments related to this idea (or if you've got ideas of your own for how this could look).
[3] Fisher mentions The Community Investment Network, a network of giving circles led by and for African-Americans and communities of color. Learn more about their work at TheCommunityInvestment.org.
[4] Fisher responds to Dan and Lex, at one point, by encouraging us, if starting our own giving circles, to “start with why.” For a talk emphasizing the importance, in general, of “starting with why,” see this talk by Simon Sinek.
[5] Learn more about Amplifier’s “Giving Panorama,” which Fisher references, at this link. Learn how you can organize a “Pop-Up Giving Circle” (a giving circle taking place from start to finish in 90 minutes!) by clicking here.
Danielle Durchslag is an artist and filmmaker whose work frequently looks at questions of Jewish identity and wealth. A great-granddaughter of Nathan Cummings (founder of the Nathan Cummings Foundation), she joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about "the Jewish 1%" -- but also about what they together come to term "the Jewish 25%."
[1] Learn more about Danielle Durchslag by visiting DanielleDurchslag.com. Read her “The Jewish 1%” essay referenced in the episode by clicking here.
[2] Durchslag references a book called Capitalism and the Jews, by Jerry Muller. Learn more about it, or purchase it, at
[3] Watch two of Durchslag’s short films, entitled Someday and Moser’s Honor, by scrolling down this page and clicking the two videos.
[4] Dan references a story from the Talmud, about how Rabban Gamliel failed to understand the economic situation of his own students.
[5] Durchslag notes an essay entitled “Kaddish for an Unborn Avant-Garde,” written by Maia Ipp. You can read it by clicking here.
Jay Ruderman and Shira Ruderman, the president and executive director, respectively, of the Ruderman Family Foundation, join Dan and Lex for a conversation about Jewish philanthropy, inclusion of people with disabilities, and the work they've done combining the two.
[1] Learn more about the Ruderman Family Foundation at RudermanFoundation.org. Learn more about our two guests by clicking here (Jay Ruderman) or here (Shira Ruderman).
[2] Learn more about the Ruderman Synagogue Inclusion Project.
[3] Lex mentions an episode of the show Queer Eye, and the issues of disability inclusion that it shone a light on in one of its episodes. For an article exploring this episode in more detail, click here.
[4] Check out Jay Ruderman’s podcast, entitled All Inclusive, by visiting Allinclusivepodcast.com.
Aaron Dorfman, President of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring what Jewish philanthropy has been, is, and could be.
[1] Learn more about Aaron Dorfman by clicking here. Learn more about Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah at LKFLT.org.
[2] Two recent Judaism Unbound episodes that connect to themes from this conversation. Listen in to either or both at the following links: Episode 244: The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex - Lila Corwin Bermanor Episode 249: Dangerous Religious Ideas - Rachel Mikva
[3] Dorfman refers to Vanessa Ochs’s framework of Jewish sensibilities, which has been in certain ways adopted and in other ways adapted by Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah. See Ochs’s initial piece, in which she introduced the idea of Ten Jewish sensibilities, here. Take a look at Lippman Kanfer Foundation’s approach to Jewish sensibilities by clicking here.
[4] Aaron Dorfman complicates the idea of “Give a man a fish, and he’ll have fish for a day…teach a man to fish and he’ll have fish for a lifetime.” For a graphic illustrating some of the points that Dorfman hinted at, click here.
Mara Benjamin, Chair of Jewish Studies at Mount Holyoke College, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about her book The Obligated Self: Maternal Subjectivity and Jewish Thought. They look through a Jewish lens at questions of obligation, choice, and (wait for it...) BOUNDedness -- along with how those questions intersect with the topic of motherhood.
[1] Learn more about Mara Benjamin at MaraBenjamin.com, and purchase The Obligated Selfby clicking here.
[2] At one point in the episode, Benjamin took a moment to consider what our “Unbound” language means. In doing so, she visited a web-page of ours that describes what Judaism Unbound is seeking to do. Check it out here!
[3] For another episode that re-thinks contemporary notions of self and other, see Episode 145: Studying Jews Differently - Tobin Belzer.
[4] Lex refers to two figures from the Talmud, Rava and Abaye. Learn more about the two of them by clicking here.
Jake Marmer is the author of a new poetry collection, entitled Cosmic Diaspora,and its corresponding album, entitled "Purple Tentacles of Thought and Desire." He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation exploring the intersection of art and Judaism (the conversation also includes excerpts of Marmer's poems and music!).
[1] Learn more about Jake Marmer at JakeMarmer.com. Purchase Cosmic Diasporaat this link, and check out “Purple Tentacles of Thought and Desire” here.
[2] Learn more about The Bronfman Fellowship, which Marmer serves as Education and Programming Director, by clicking here. For a piece that Marmer wrote, reflecting on the fellowship as it shifted to a digital setting this year, see “Reinforced by Its Own Medium: The Virtual as the New Category of Human Experience.”
[3] See Louis Zukofsky’s mathematically-oriented poem, which Marmer mentions in the episode, above, on the right! Click the image of the poem to learn more about Zukofsky.
[4] Dan mentions a book called Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, written by Scott McCloud. You can purchase it here.
Rachel Mikva, the Rabbi Herman E. Schaalman Chair of Jewish Studies, and Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute, at Chicago Theological Seminary, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that dives into her book Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, recently published byBeacon Press.
[1] Purchase Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islamat this link. Learn more about Rachel Mikva at RachelMikva.com.
[2] For a few pieces that look at Pete Buttigieg’s use of the term “Pharisees” as a synonym for “hypocrites,” a topic discussed in this episode, see either of these two articles written by Ben Sales: “Pete Buttigieg keeps calling Mike Pence a ‘Pharisee.’ Here’s why that angers Jews.” (April 12, 2020), “Pete Buttigieg will no longer use the word ‘Pharisee’ (April 17, 2020)
[3] For more on the concept of “theo-ethical equilibrium,” raised by Mikva toward the end of the episode, see the essay “Liberal Democracy and the Place of Religion in Politics,” written by Robert Audi and featured in the book Religion in the Public Square: The Place of Religious Convictions in Political Debate.
There was a pretty big election recently! Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg ask what this presidential election can help to illuminate about Judaism, America, and how today's American Jews might relate to the two.
[1] Hear from Dan and Lex at the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, in 2017, as a comparison with this episode, by listening in to Episode 51: Being Jewish in the Era of Trump - Dan and Lex.
[2] For the article that Lex referenced, about soul-searching by Christian clergy after a shooter cited Christianity as grounds for killing people, click here.
[3] For another early episode in Judaism Unbound’s podcast, which looks at the intersection of Judaism and America, see Episode 14: Putting the ‘American’ in ‘American Judaism’ - Dan and Lex.
[4] Learn more about Judaism Unbound’s upcoming Hanukkah “Gelt Raiser,” and sign up to attend, by heading to Geltraiser.com.
Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg open up a strange question -- but we promise it's an interesting one! What happens if we understand Judaism as a medium of art, like paint, which can be deployed in all sorts of creative ways? How would this differ from an image (get it??) of Judaism where it's similar to an already-completed painting, which we wouldn't be able to change now that it's done? This episode is the final episode in a series exploring the history, and contemporary leadership, of America's Jewish women.
Episode 237: America’s Jewish Women - Pamela Nadell
Episode 238: Jewish Women’s Archive - Judith Rosenbaum
Episode 240: Hebrew Priestesses - Jill Hammer, Taya Shere
Episode 241: At the Well - Sarah Waxman
[1] Listen in to the previous episodes in this series by clicking any of the following links (or the corresponding images on either side of the screen): Episode 237: America’s Jewish Women (Pamela Nadell), Episode 238: Jewish Women’s Archive (Judith Rosenbaum), Episode 240: Hebrew Priestesses - Jill Hammer, Taya Shere, Episode 241: At the Well - Sarah Waxman, Episode 243: Organizing the Grassroots - Sheila Katz, Danya Ruttenberg, Episode 245: Her Torah - Yael Kanarek, Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira HaLev Fife
[2] Lex refers to a past Judaism Unbound conversation featuring Andrew Ramer, who talks about using a shoe as a hammer! Hear the original conversation in which this arose by listening to Episode 173: Fragments of The Brooklyn Talmud - Andrew Ramer.
[3] To hear more about how the song of the sea, sometimes referred to as “The Song of Moses,” was most likely initially written as “The Song of Miriam,” listen to Episode 138: God and Gender - Rachel Adler.
[4] Learn about Yishai Jusidman, and his art utilizing the pigment known as “Prussian Blue” (which is the same chemical compound found on the walls of gas chambers during the Holocaust), by listening to Episode 157: Painting the Unpaintable - Yishai Jusidman.
[5] Learn more about the books and organizations that were featured in this series by clicking any of the following links: America’s Jewish Women, Jewish Women’s Archive, Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, At The Well, National Council of Jewish Women, Her Torah/The Regendered Bible
Episode 243: Organizing the Grassroots - Sheila Katz, Danya Ruttenberg
Episode 245: Her Torah - Yael Kanarek
Episode 246: Priestessing Priestesses - Keshira HaLev Fife
Keshira HaLev Fife, the Oreget Kehillah (Weaver of Community/Executive Director) for Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation reflecting on the word "priestess" as both a noun and as a verb. They explore who priestesses are, what priestessing is, and why even priestesses themselves benefit from being priestessed. With respect to all of these questions, they consider how they tie to the Jewish past, present, and future.
This episode is the seventh in a series of episodes exploring the history and contemporary leadership of America's Jewish women.
[1] Learn more about Keshira HaLev Fife at KeshiraHaLev.com. Learn more about Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute at Kohenet.com.
[2] For a previous Judaism Unbound episode spotlighting Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, see Episode 240: Hebrew Priestesses - Jill Hammer, Taya Shere, which features the two co-founders of the organization.
[3] To learn more about Aleph’s Kesher Fellowship, a program of transformational learning and mentoring for young adults between the ages of 22-40, facilitated by Keshira HaLev Fife, click here.
[4] Find a Kohenet near you by heading to this page(scroll to the bottom, under “Ordained Kohanot,” where Kohanot are listed by region of the United States, and by country outside of the United States).
[5] HaLev Fife references an early episode of Judaism Unbound, featuring Benay Lappe and her idea of “Crash.” Learn about it by listening to Episode 3: Exodus - Benay Lappe.
[6] To close the episode, Keshira HaLev Fife, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh (and lives there today), reflects on two years since October 27th, 2018, the date of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh. We encourage you to reflect on it as well, and a resource that will assist in doing this is Meanings of October 27th, which you can access by clicking here.
Yael Kanarek, an Israeli-American artist, has spent the past few years rewriting the entire Torah -- in Hebrew and English -- by changing the genders of all characters (and animals, and more). In this episode she speaks with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg about her project, called Toratah (Her Torah), and what it might mean for the future of Jewish text and Jewish practice. This episode is the sixth in a series of episodes exploring the history, and contemporary leadership, of America's Jewish women.
[1] You can learn more about Kanarek's Regendered Bible at BeitToratah.org, and you can check out her other projects (past and present) at YaelKanarek.com.
[2] Kanarek mentions Mira Rivera as one of two rabbis who led a service for the holiday of Simchat Torah, utilizing the text of Toratah. For a conversation featuring Rivera on Judaism Unbound, see Episode 233: The Torah of Jews of Color. To sign up for future Toratah services, led by Rivera and Emily Cohen, click here.
[3] For a wide variety of source sheets that Kanarek has created, which include text from Toratah (often alongside text from Torato — the masculine Torah that has been utilized for millennia), click here.