Best Torah Keepers Podcasts (2024)

1
Episode 436: My Body's Keeper - Sharoni Sibony 54:37

2h ago54:37

54:37

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 Disabilit…

1
Episode 435: Tales of the Unbound 1 - Jewish Enough 29:45

6d ago29:45

29:45

Tales of the Unbound is a new addition to the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts! This new series follows the spiritual journeys of folks who leave one way of being for another, claiming agency as they embrace revolutionary Jewish innovation. They build circles of belonging and imagine new ways to engage with their emergent communities. With every …

1
Episode 434: Shavuot 2024 - Dan, Miriam, and Lex 48:34

14d ago48:34

48:34

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 reg…

1
Episode 433: Judaism is About Love - Shai Held 1:01:14

21d ago1:01:14

1:01:14

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…

1
Episode 432: Radical Spiritual Care - Elliot Kukla 49:04

1M ago49:04

49:04

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 Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversat…

1
Bonus Episode: The Dybbukast, Season 4 Episode 4 - At Newport 33:27

1M ago33:27

33:27

This bonus episode of Judaism Unbound is presented in partnership with Theatre Dybbuk. We are proud to feature their fourth season's fourth episode as a bonus episode here on Judaism Unbound's feed. In each episode, they bring poems, plays, and other creative texts from throughout history to life, all while revealing their relationships to issues s…

1
Episode 431: Disability Justice Torah Circle 51:42

1M ago51:42

51:42

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…

1
Why Do You Believe in God? 33:12

1M ago33:12

33:12

In this special season finale, R. Shai Held welcomes his two oldest children to model a genuine conversation about God, experiences, belief, and doubt. Lev and Maya share some of the biggest questions on their minds as well as offer sage advice to grown-ups about how to have meaningful and impactful conversations with kids.…

1
Episode 430: Zines are Torah - Chava Shapiro 57:51

1M ago57:51

57:51

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 Jewi…

1
What Happens After I Die? 38:27

2M ago38:27

38:27

Questions surrounding our own mortality are some of the hardest to ask, and certainly some of the hardest to answer. What happens when we die? What does it mean to have a soul? R. Sharon Cohen Anisfeld joins R. Shai Held for a deeply meaningful exploration of these profound questions.

1
Episode 429: The Jewish Calendar - Dalia Marx 53:04

2M ago53:04

53:04

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.…

1
Episode 428: Reading with Our Hands and Ears - Livia Thompson 51:10

2M ago51:10

51:10

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 Disabil…

1
Episode 427: Rabbi on the Spectrum - Tzemah Yoreh 57:51

2M ago57:51

57:51

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. There are some amazing mini-course offerings beginning at the end of April in the UnYeshiva. Check out these…

1
Why Do Bad Things Happen? 42:00

2M ago42:00

42:00

R. Aviva Richman joins R. Shai Held to discuss one of the most difficult moral and religious questions - why do bad things happen? Where is God when they do? Personal childhood memories of confronting this question lead them to explore how being present might mediate God's presence, to appreciate petitionary prayer in nuanced and sophisticated ways…

1
Episode 426: Sephardi and Mizrachi Identities - Beyond Ashkenormativity - Hadar Cohen 53:20

2M ago53:20

53:20

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 …

1
What If I'm Not Sure I Believe in God? 36:30

3M ago36:30

36:30

What if I don't believe in God? What if I'm not sure? Rabbi Dr. Leon Wiener Dow joins Rabbi Shai Held to reflect on the importance of doubt and continuing to question. They identify some of the straight-jackets that we put on our thinking about God and explore the possibility of being open to a spiritual life with or without a belief in God.…

1
Episode 425: Passover 2024 - Miriam, Dan, and Lex 43:31

3M ago43:31

43:31

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. ---------------------------------------------------- There are some amazing mini-course offerings beginning …

1
Am I My Brother's Keeper? 42:41

3M ago42:41

42:41

Universalism or particularism? It's often cited as a debate of one versus the other, but R. Shai Held and R. Jill Jacobs reflect on how both these priorities can actually strengthen the other. They consider texts that speak to how we live out our values as well as how to raise kids who care deeply.By Hadar Institute

1
Episode 424: The Superpowers of Blind Rabbis - Lauren Tuchman 56:05

3M ago56:05

56:05

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 visua…

1
Why Did God Create the World? 40:42

3M ago40:42

40:42

Why did God create the world - and why did God create me within it? R. Yitz Greenberg joins R. Shai Held to ponder these theological questions and consider what it means to have a posture of gratitude and to know that we each have an individual mission or purpose in the world.By Hadar Institute

1
Episode 423: Disability Torah - Julia Watts Belser 57:08

3M ago57:08

57:08

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 late…

1
Why Does the Torah Allow Slavery? 36:45

3M ago36:45

36:45

What do we do when we encounter morally troubling parts of Torah? Dr. Arna Poupko Fisher joins R. Shai Held to try and understand slavery in the Torah's historical context, as well as how we might understand the Torah more broadly as launching us into a more ethical legal trajectory. Their sage advice on nurturing kids' moral passions and finding o…

1
The Forgotten Passover Command: Forgiveness 35:39

3M ago35:39

35:39

It's important not to forget this heart-level command for Passover. I'll show Scriptures that show that if we don't forgive, there is no forgiveness for us. Get the free Passover Kit download at https://store.torahsisters.com/collections/spring-feasts Get the current Passover issue of Torah Sisters Magazine at https://store.torahsisters.com/product…

1
Episode 422: Purim 2024 - Miriam, Dan, and Lex 44:07

3M ago44:07

44:07

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. Access full shownotes for this episode via…

1
Was the World Really Created in Six Days? 37:52

3M ago37:52

37:52

In a playful and poignant way, Rabbis Shai Held and Brad Artson explore questions of science and Torah. Was the world really created in six days? What are the truths we can discover when we look deeply at Torah and its stories?By Hadar Institute

1
Removing Leaven & A Social Media Documentary 39:05

3M ago39:05

39:05

I'm working on being less on my phone, so I watched a documentary about the dangers of social media. I realized I needed to get rid of my feeds. 119 Ministries video about leaven is at https://www.119ministries.com/teachings/video-teachings/detail/the-leaven-of-heaven/By Amy Kay Guenther

1
Episode 421: Radically Jewish Time - Ariana Katz, Jessica Rosenberg 58:27

4M ago58:27

58:27

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…

1
Who is God? (Part 2) 25:13

4M ago25:13

25:13

R. Avi Killip and R. Shai Held continue to explore questions about God, especially thinking about the role of doubt. How can we understand God when we just don't know? And how can we have conversations with kids when we ourselves aren't sure?By Hadar Institute

1
Episode 420: Jewtina y Co. - Analucía Lopezrevoredo 46:00

4M ago46:00

46:00

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, di…

1
Who is God? (Part 1) 27:58

4M ago27:58

27:58

In this inaugural episode, R. Avi Killip joins R. Shai Held to explore a very big question - who is God? Their poignant conversation includes personal stories of early wonderings about God as well as particular images from text and tradition that are most resonant and meaningful.By Hadar Institute

1
Episode 419: Jewish Portal-Makers - Eleyna Fugman 56:41

4M ago56:41

56:41

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 conv…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Torah Keepers Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide