When a student asked about the nature of Judaism - about why it’s called Judaism - the stakes, for her, had suddenly grown very high. The Washington Post had recently published an article with the provocative headline: “Is Judaism an ethnicity? A race? A nationality? Trump signs an order and provokes an identity crisis,” and people began asking: “i…

Discussing the events at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, where an armed attacker took four hostages, including the rabbi. We ask: "What's a Jewish response in a moment of crisis," and look at the idea of "Spiritual Pre-hab." Show Notes and transcript will be available soon. Check back for more details or visit shootpodcast.com Credi…

Who gets to decide what counts as “religion,” and how that should shape our understanding of how Judaism can be meaningful in our lives? What happens when a revolutionary Jewish thinker - fed up with his lower status as a Jew in 1700s Prussia - wants people to start thinking about the very essence of Judaism in a new way? And what happens when a Pr…

Turns out we actually aren’t entirely sure how to define “religion.” And we’re not even sure if Judaism fits the description to begin with. If we’re using the lens of “religion” to understand Judaism, what is the nature of that lens? How does its clarity and focus affect what we’re looking at? Is it magnifying or distorting things? When we use that…

1,200 years ago, one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world asked a question. It was a question that would reverberate through history, and still impact us today. What does this simple act teach us about the role of questions and answers in Judaism, and how Jewish practice works and evolves across space and time? In this episode, we learn ab…

One big Jewish question each episode. With answers that have integrity and inspiration. And always where to turn next to learn more. All in under 30 minutes each. People ask a lot of questions about Judaism. This podcast is going to try to answer them. Maybe you’ve asked some questions yourself. Congrats, you’re in good company! Maybe you’ve also b…