Shows
Good GriefA River Could Be a TreeThere is a comfort in growing up in a cult; believing absolutely in whatever we are taught, giving members a framework for all the difficulties in life. But for many, there is a terrible price to pay; suspending our own capacity to process information and determine our own truth, denying evident contradictions, limiting our own possibilities. For Angela Himsel, the path away from the cult she was raised in led to a complete reorganization of her beliefs, evident in the biggest change possible; from a Christian cult to conversion into Judaism. How did she come to question what she was...
2021-05-1255 min
The Jewish ExperienceFinding Jewish Faith, with Angela HimselIn this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with Angela Himsel. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Jewish Week, Forward, Lilith and elsewhere. Her column Angetevka” on Zeek.net American won two American Jewish Press Association Awards. Angela holds a BA from Indiana University, which included two years at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and an MFA from The City College of New York. She grew up the seventh of eleven children in rural southern Indiana in a fundamentalist, doomsday, Christian faith. She converted to Judaism and lives in New York City. A River Could Be a Tr...
2021-03-0252 min
ESSENCEtial ConversationsEpisode 189 - Angela Himsel, AuthorAngela grew up the 7th of 11 children in Southern Indiana in the Worldwide Church of God, a doomsday apocalyptic church. After spending two years in Israel, she ultimately converted to Judaism. She wrote a memoir about my experience, "A River Could Be a Tree," and hopes that her words serve as a bridge of understanding between cultures and religions.
Rebecca grew up in the same Christian cult as Angela, and this conversation is a delightful exploration through territory that is familiar yet different... listen in as Lucca and Rebecca find out what influenced Angela's path and what she's creating now!
2019-04-1958 min
MyNDTALK with Dr. Pamela BrewerHow she went from a cult to Judaism - Angela HimselAngela's seemingly impossible road from childhood cult to a committed Jewish life is traced in and around the major events of the 1970s and 80s with warmth, humor, and a multitude of religious and philosophical insights. Angela shares a fascinating story of struggle, doubt, and finally, personal fulfillment.
2019-01-2430 min
Give and TakeEpisode 139: A River Could Be a Tree, with Angela HimselMy guest is Angela Himsel. Her new book is a memoir entitled A River Could Be a Tree. From the time she was a young girl, Himsel believed that the Bible was the guidebook to being saved, and only strict adherence to the church's tenets could allow her to escape a certain, gruesome death, receive the Holy Spirit, and live forever in the Kingdom of God. With self-preservation in mind, she decided, at nineteen, to study at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. But instead of strengthening her faith, Himsel was introduced to a whole new world—one with different pe...
2018-12-1256 min
The Virtual Memories ShowAngela HimselHow did Angela Himsel make the transformation from rural Indiana and apocalyptic, fundamentalist Christianity to the Upper West Side of Manhattan and observant Judaism? Her new memoir, A River Could Be A Tree (Fig Tree Books) chronicles that process, bringing to life a story of family and discovery. I talk with the award-winning columnist about how she came to Judaism from the Worldwide Church of God, when she met Jews for the first time, what Israel means to her, and what she considers the weirdest aspect of Judaism. We get into the difference between seeing the world as the...
2018-11-131h 06