Rabbi Ken Spiro grew up a Reform Jew in New Rochelle, New York. As you’ll hear, his Jewish life in childhood consisted of little more than Hebrew school, Passover Seders and Chanuka presents. At the end of high school, something interesting began to happen. So here we are, decades later, and Rabbi Ken Spiro has not only been living in Israel for close to 40 years, but he’s impacted the lives of Jewish people all around the world through his important work with Aish HaTorah.
Also a tour guide – and a podcaster himself - Rav Ken is a proverbial wellspring of information about Jewish and world history, and what it all means for the Jewish people today. I had the opportunity to sit with him recently in his Old City apartment in Jerusalem to Return Again to his Aliyah story.
00:00 - Intro
02:38 - Where It All Began
08:46 - Childhood With Little Jewishness
13:16 - Arrival in Israel
21:11 - Army and Becoming Israeli
28:29 - Evolving Hashkafa
37:37 - Raising Children
56:30 - The Challenge of the Hareidi World
1:04:51 - Israel ... A Work in Progress
1:12:20 - Rapid-fire Questions
