Shows
Judaism UnboundEpisode 501: Elul 2025 IV - E(cho)lul - Lex and WendieElul 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 final Elul episode of 2025 (and 5785), Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore the month (and the upcoming holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) through the prism of echoes -- the literal sounds they make, the metaphors they are used to illustrate, and more. This Elul podcast is the final in a mini-series of four that were released as part of Elul Unbound 2025 (our 26th-29th Elul episodes overall).
2025-09-1924 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul 2025 III - Chiasm - Lex and WendieElul 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...
2025-09-0923 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 499: Elul 2025 II - The 13 Attributes of Mercy - Lex and WendieElul 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).--------------------------------------To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your...
2025-09-0523 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 498: Elul 2025 - Lex and WendieElul 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).--------------------------------------Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Elul: Your On-Ramp into Rosh Hashanah...
2025-08-2922 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 497: Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness V - with Gemara/Commentary from Lex and Rena YehudaMiriam’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.----------------------------------We are proud to introduce the 3rd podcast in the Judaism Unbound family of podcasts: Survival Guide for a Spiritua...
2025-08-221h 02Judaism UnboundEpisode 494: Tisha B'Av (The 9th of Av) 2025 - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg 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.------------------------Tisha B’av punctuates the end of the Jewish calendar with a bright, momentary grief. Soon aft...
2025-08-011h 00Judaism UnboundEpisode 491: Survival Guide for a Spiritual Wilderness IV - Shiru L'Adonai - Sing Right -The F*ck] NowWe 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. We're thrilled to periodically feature episodes of Survival Guide for a...
2025-07-111h 04Judaism UnboundEpisode 489: Bacon and the Jews - Dan and LexNow, we’re down to the marrow. Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg wrap a mini-series dive 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.------------------------------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 Episod...
2025-06-271h 01Judaism UnboundEpisode 479: Israel/Palestine - Looking Back, Looking Forward - Dan and LexIsrael-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.----------------------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...
2025-04-1854 min
Living Our Beliefs: Exploring Faith & Religion in Daily LifeEmbracing Oneness: Jewish Mysticism in Practice – Lex RofebergEpisode 95. What comes to mind when you hear the term mysticism? Perhaps you imagine a yogi sitting cross legged in meditation, or people sitting in a circle chanting. Several religions have mystical practices, Sufism in Islam, and Zen Buddhism, for instance. Whatever the particulars, they generally share a desire to become one with the Divine and valueing of spiritual rather than intellectual understanding. Today, my guest, Lex Rofeberg, has joined me to talk about Jewish mysticism, its history, core books, challenging concepts and risks to followers. As a rabbi ordained in the Jewish Renewal movement, h...
2025-04-1049 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Dan & Lex on BYU Radio's In Good Faith PodcastIn October 2024, Dan and Lex participated in Elevate -- a summit for podcasters hosting shows in the realm of faith and spirituality -- to connect and collaborate with one another. The gathering took place at BYU – Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah – and was hosted by In Good Faith, a podcast produced by BYUradio. After an amazing few days at the summit, In Good Faith invited Dan and I to be guests on their podcast – to speak a bit about Judaism Unbound, but also for the two of us to reflect on our own relationships to religion and spirituality. The epi...
2025-02-2627 min
In Good FaithEp. 267: Why Are Young American Jews More Religious Than Their Grandparents? | Judaism UnboundLex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson talk to Steve about their organization Judaism Unbound.
Lex Rofeberg is Senior Jewish educator for Judaism Unbound -- a digital, Jewish non-profit organization and oversees Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning), produces and co-hosts its weekly podcast, and facilitates regular forms of communal gathering, via Zoom, for Jews and Jewish-adjacent non-Jews.
Dan Libenson is President of Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, which is dedicated to helping Jews and fellow travelers apply Jewish wisdom to thrive and shape a better world. He is also the co-host of the Judaism Unbound...
2025-02-2627 min
Piecing It Together PodcastBetween The Temples (Featuring Lex Rofeberg)On the 395th episode of Piecing It Together, Rabbi Lex Rofeberg joins me to talk about Between The Temples. Along with lots of great puzzle pieces we get into a lot of Jewish insights about this very jewish comedy. Puzzle pieces include Harold and Maude, A Serious Man, The Banshees of Inisherin and To Dust.As always, SPOILER ALERT for Between The Temples and the movies we discuss!Written by Nathan Silver and C. Mason WellsDirected by Nathan SilverStarring Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Robert Smigel, Dolly de Leon, Carolin Aa...
2024-08-2750 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 425: Passover 2024 - Miriam, Dan, and LexJudaism 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 at the end of April in the UnYeshiva. Check out these classes at www.judaismunbound.com/classes!Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2024-04-0543 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 422: Purim 2024 - Miriam, Dan, and LexJudaism 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 this link. In honor of our 8-year anniversary, if you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2024-03-1544 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Hanukkah 2023 #1 - Apocry-Fest 2.0In this 1st of a four-episode Hanukkah mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized, Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio, respectively) open up the second annual edition of Apocry-Fest: the greatest Hanukkah initiative this side of the Mississippi. And Lex and Liana are located on different sides of the Mississippi River, so that actually encompasses everywhere! Dive into questions of canon which are ancient, modern, and future-facing. You can sign up for Apocry-Fest by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest. Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal (ApocryFUN!) stu...
2023-12-0519 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 377: Shavuot in the Cloud - Dan and LexShavuotLIVE, 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 via this link! Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. Register for our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva -- a digital center for Je...
2023-05-0559 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 373: Passover is Not Over - Dan and LexPassover 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. They also explore the UnYeshiva's new certificate program in Unbound Judaism -- learn how to apply by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/certificate!Register for our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva -- a digital center...
2023-04-0752 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 370: Spirituality - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg offer their perspectives on spirituality, in the final episode of a 12-episode mini-series focused on Jewish spirituality, featuring a wide variety of thinkers, practitioners, writers, performers, and more. They also announce some exciting news, for Judaism Unbound and for the Jewish collective as a whole!Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. Learn more about Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva -- a digital center for Jewish learning and unlearing -- by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/unyeshiva. And if you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a...
2023-03-1746 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 364: Fringe Spirituality - Jill Spector, Julie WeitzTzitzit 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.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link.Register for our upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva (beginning the second week...
2023-02-0347 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 349: Digital Jewish Relationships - Dan and LexDan 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.Register now to take one of our amazing Fall courses in the UnYeshiva -- the deadline is just a few days...
2022-10-2148 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 344: Rosh Hashanah...No Big Deal - Dan and LexDan 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 we call "The High Holidays," but 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 they consider whether, in our own time, there may be good reason to re-elevate it.To access full shownotes for this episode, click here. If you're enjoying...
2022-09-1649 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 321: Jewish Eating ≠ Kosher Eating - Dan and LexDan 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.To access shownotes for this episode, click here. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking h...
2022-04-0858 min
Xai, how are you?83a. Hasidism, Part 3: Neo-Hasidism with LexFriend of mine, friend of the show and Judaism Unbound co-host Lex Rofeberg returns to the show to discuss Neo-Hasidism, its connections to Paleo-Hasidism, plus its future, problems, benefits and history. Visit our website to ask us questions at xaihowareyou.com and call or Text the Talmud Hotline at 401-484-1619 and leave us a voicemail! Support us on patreon at patreon.com/xaihowareyou. Follow us on twitter @xaihowareyou and @miss_figured. Music by Ben Schreiber.
2021-09-1233 min
The Quack Attack: The DEFINITIVE Mighty Ducks PodcastExamining all the Jewish aspects of the Mighty Ducks and Mighty Ducks: Game ChangersMike and Tommy welcome on Rabbi Lex to talk all things Jewish in the Mighty Ducks and Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. They talk about secret Jewish characters, how anti-Semitism was originally a key plot point in a Mighty Ducks sequel, and break down how Nick's Passover Seder likely went down with Alex and Evan as the non-Jewish guests.
Executive producers: Elsie Barnett, Bryan Berg, Alex Ybarra, Josh Luecht, Bobby Lemaire, Rabbi Lex Rofeberg, Aaron Davis, Ed Scimia, Alex Vlahos, Joyce Eng, Matt Holtwick.
Producers: Deborah Chen, Jeremiah Bersche, Adam Ferry, Jarrod Beasley, Lisa Wobig, Anthony G...
2021-08-1237 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul #13: Gearing Up for the Holi-YearOne 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 t...
2021-08-0824 min
Contact ChaiAn Unbound Jewish Digital Kingdom with Dan Libenson and Lex RofebergWe are in the 7th, and final week of our Omer series featuring spiritual entrepreneurs, people who are bringing the wisdom of their own lived experience into their professional lives and carving new paths, making unique and much needed impact in the world. This week we dive into Malchut, Kingdom, Kingship.In this extended episode, Rabbi Lizzi speaks with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, the hosts of Judaism Unbound, a renowned and wildly popular podcast in the Jewish podcast universe that analyzes the most pressing and fascinating issues for 21st century American Jews and Judaism.
2021-05-1351 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 248: Post-Election Judaism - Dan and LexThere 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.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-11-1354 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 247: Painting with Judaism - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg open up what might be a strange question -- but we promise it's an interesting one! What happens if we understand Judaism as a medium of art, like paint, such that it can be deployed (painted with) in all sorts of creative ways? How would this differ from an image of Judaism (get it??) where we conceive of it as an already-completed painting, which we wouldn't be able to change, now that it's completed?If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation...
2020-11-0650 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul Unbound #9 - Elul NowLex Rofeberg and Wendie Lash launch 2020’s edition of the “holi-month” known as Elul, which serves as an on-ramp into Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, by asking a simple (but not simple at all) question: Why is this Elul different from all other Eluls?This “mini-episode” is the 1st of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2020. To listen to our first four Elul bonus episodes, released in 2018, click here. For the next four, released in 2019, click here.Experience the journey of Elul Unbound 2020, through a piece of Elul content arriving daily in your in...
2020-08-2320 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 235: Jews and Whiteness - Eric GoldsteinEric Goldstein, author of The Price of Whiteness: Jews, Race, and American Identity, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring the history of American Jews and their relationship to whiteness. Their conversation looks at the ever-evolving relationship between particularism and universalism for American Jews, contemporary discourse around white Jews and Jews of Color, and more.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-08-1451 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 234: Jews for Racial and Economic Justice - Audrey SassonAudrey Sasson, Executive Director of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking back on the origins of her organization, looking out at the present moment our society is facing, and looking forward, toward the Jewish (and global) future.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-08-0753 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 229: Primary Experience - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg reflect on recent episodes of Judaism Unbound, touching on topics ranging from Jewish t-shirts, to psychedelics, to intersectionality, along with asking questions about what the terms “rabbi” and “antisemitism” should and should not connote moving forward.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-07-0351 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 228: The Cannabis Rabbi - James KahnJames Kahn, an ordained rabbi who works as the National Outreach Director for Holistic Industries (one of the largest privately-held cannabis operators in the United States) joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to talk about the relationship between cannabis and Judaism.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-06-2648 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 223: Our Common Destiny - Sandy Cardin, Rachel Sabath Beit-HalachmiSandy Cardin and Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, of the Our Common Destiny initiative, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation exploring the topic of Jewish unity.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-05-2246 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Becoming Unorthodox - Michal Birnbaum, Tova BirnbaumSisters Michal Birnbaum, a cast member from the hit Netflix series Unorthodox, and Tova Birnbaum, Director of Jewish Content at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation reflecting on what Unorthodox can teach us. Topics include what it was like for the Birnbaums to grow up in an Ultra-Orthodox community, their journeys to other forms of Jewish community, and their migrations to the United States.Watch Unorthodox on Netflix by clicking here. And tweet your thoughts about the show via the hashtag #UnorthodoxNetflix.If you would...
2020-05-1344 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 221: Zooming Out - Steven WindmuellerSteven Windmueller, the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that dives into the past couple centuries of American-Jewish institutional evolution, along with a look forward into what the next century or two might hold.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-05-0847 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Evolving Mammals - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are excited to talk about dinosaurs, mammals, and what they have to teach us about the evolutions of 21st century Judaism(s). If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE, head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2020-05-0647 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 220: Viral Philanthropy - Lila Corwin BermanLila Corwin Berman, director of the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History and author of the upcoming book The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex: The History of a Multibillion Dollar Institution, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking at the history of Jewish philanthropy, along with an exploration of how Jewish philanthropists are responding to COVID-19.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-05-0140 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: A New Planet - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg explore a not-so-hypothetical question: "If 13 million Jews (and billions of others) built a new planet from scratch, what Jewish institutions would (and should) we create?"If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE, head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2020-04-3050 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Realism and Hope - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg look at digital Judaism through two main ideas: that our current Jewish reality is comparable to a "migration," and that the digital Jewish ecosystem is analogous to a brand-new Jewish city, of 13,000,000 people, being founded from scratch.If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE, head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2020-04-2151 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 217: jewishLIVE - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg reflect on the digital Jewish ecosystem that has arisen rapidly in this moment of COVID-19 and social distancing, and ask what it could mean for the future of Judaism. In particular, they shine a light on a project they just launched, called jewishLIVE, which is serving as a digital hub for livestreaming Jewish programming.If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE, which is seeking to meet some important needs of communal gathering at this time of physical distancing, head to jewishLIVE.org. You can also join the jewishLIVE Connect facebook...
2020-04-1051 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 215: Passover Re-Imagined - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg wrap up their series on creative approaches to Passover by invoking some of their recent guests and brainstorming their own ideas for experimental new forms of Passover observance.At the top of the episode, Dan mentions a new initiative, jewishLIVE, which is seeking to meet some important needs of communal gathering at this time of physical distancing. Visit jewishLIVE.org to learn more, and join the jewishLIVE facebook group by clicking here.This episode is the seventh and final episode in an ongoing series exploring new, old, and new-old approaches...
2020-03-2748 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 214: Finding a Jewish Voice - Kristin Eriko PosnerKristin Eriko Posner joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about creating multicultural Jewish ritual. Posner is the founder of Nourish Co., a lifestyle brand that help people to come together, heal, connect to their lineage, and remember their rituals.At the top of the episode, Dan and Lex take a moment to check in with listeners about the moment we are inhabiting, which necessitates increased social distancing for the sake of public health. They mention their new initiative, jewishLIVE, which is seeking to meet some important needs of communal gathering at this time. jewishLIVE...
2020-03-2054 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 213: Passover Your Way - Brian Field, Caryn AvivBrian Field and Caryn Aviv, two professional leaders of Judaism Your Way (a Denver-based organization focused on engaging Jews and their loved ones), join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Passover. In particular, they take a look at ways in which it can serve as an opportunity for interfaith bridge-building and as a chance to manifest what they term the “Torah of Inclusion.”This episode is the third in an ongoing series exploring new, old, and new-old approaches to the holiday of Passover.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with...
2020-03-1345 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 212: Haggadot.com - Eileen LevinsonEileen Levinson, founder of Haggadot.com, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about crowd-sourced haggadot (guide-books to the Passover seder), and about re-imagining Passover more generally. We hope to use this series as a case study of concrete practices for finding deeper meaning in contemporary Jewish practice.This episode is the fourth in an ongoing series exploring new, old, and new-old approaches to the holiday of Passover. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To...
2020-03-0650 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 211: The Passover Haggadah, a Biography - Vanessa OchsVanessa Ochs, author of The Passover Haggadah: A Biography, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the origins, evolutions, and revolutions of the Passover Haggadah — the text that is used as a ritual guide to the Passover Seder.This episode is the third in an ongoing series exploring new, old, and new-old approaches to the holiday of Passover.Pre-order The Passover Haggadah: A Biography here!If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!...
2020-02-2850 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 210: Escape from Egypt - Dan HorwitzDan Horwitz, Founding Director of The Well, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about outside-the-box approaches to Passover.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help to support our kickstarter campaign, currently underway to fund our book project, Judaism Unbound: Bound. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2020-02-2155 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 207: American History of Yiddish - Tony MichelsTony Michels, the George L. Mosse professor of American Jewish History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the evolving role of Yiddish in America, from the late-19th century through the present. This episode is the fifth in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center, as part of its Decade of Discovery initiative, in honor of 40 years since the Yiddish Book Center’s founding.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help to support our kickstarter campaign, currently underway to fund our book project, Ju...
2020-01-3146 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 206: "Practical" Isn't the Point - Sandy FoxSandy Fox, American Jewish historian and host of Vaybertaytsh, a “feminist podcast for the Yiddish-speaking and the Yiddish-curious,” joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that weaves together the topics of Yiddish, podcasting, summer camp, gender, and much more. (Fox is also known among Yiddish-speakers as סאָסיע־פֿריידל).This episode is the fourth in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center, as part of its Decade of Discovery initiative, in honor of 40 years since the Yiddish Book Center’s founding. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or...
2020-01-2452 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 205: A Yiddish Family - Asya Vaisman Schulman, Seb SchulmanAsya Vaisman Schulman and Sebastian Schulman join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to talk about each of their individual relationships to Yiddish language and culture, along with their collective relationship to Yiddish that is embodied through their nuclear family. This episode is the third in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center, as part of its Decade of Discovery initiative, in honor of 40 years since the Yiddish Book Center’s founding.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by click...
2020-01-1744 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 204: Confronting Yiddish Shame - Naomi SeidmanNaomi Seidman, the Chancellor Jackman Professor of the Arts at the University of Toronto’s Department for the Study of Religion, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking at Yiddish’s intersections with politics, translation, gender, and shame. This episode is the second in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center, as part of its Decade of Discovery initiative, in honor of 40 years since the Yiddish Book Center’s founding.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judais...
2020-01-1046 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 203: Yiddish in America - Aaron LanskyAaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center and winner of a MacArthur Fellowship (also known as the MacArthur “Genius Grant”), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the beginnings of the Yiddish Book Center, along with the role that Yiddish continues to play in American life today. This episode is the first in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center, as part of its Decade of Discovery initiative, in honor of 40 years since the Yiddish Book Center’s founding.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things...
2020-01-0344 min
Jewish TALK JSCNWhere is Judaism Going Over the Next 100 Years?Dan and Lex invite the audience to engage in the idea of a virtual synagogue, one without walls and without boundaries, as if it was on a completely new Jewish planet.
Dan Libenson studied at Harvard law school where he graduated with honours and spent five years as a law professor. He’s been closely involved with Hillel in Harvard and Chicago and now devotes his life to working with the Jewish community. He believes people seek connection to Jewish traditions in a way that they perceive as authentic or meaningful but not necessarily tied to some preconceived notion of the...
2020-01-0252 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 201: Marathons and Sprints - Aaron KatlerAaron Katler, CEO of UpStart, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that looks at ideas of Jewish change, creativity, and urgency through the metaphor of “marathons” and “sprints.”If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-12-2047 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 200: Educating Ourselves - Benay LappeBenay Lappe, founder of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg as a co-host for this conversation, as the three of them look forward toward the future of Jewish education and reflect back on 200 episodes of the Judaism Unbound podcast.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-12-1356 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 199: Learning Judaism - Abby EisenbergAbby Eisenberg, an independent Jewish educator and life cycle officiant, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg in a conversation that asks what it would mean to conceptualize our Jewish practices as “Learning Judaism,” through which the continual engagement with Jewish texts would be centered above any particular relationship to Jewish law or belief.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-12-0645 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 198: Jews are People - Darren KleinbergDarren Kleinberg, the Head of School at Kehillah Jewish High School in Palo Alto, California, wants to remind you that Jews are human beings. He also wants you to remember that Judaism is not about Judaism. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explain what those two sentences mean, and why both are of the utmost importance.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-11-2948 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 197: Religious Heresy - Jay MichaelsonJay Michaelson, who works as a columnist for The Daily Beast and as an editor for Ten Percent Happier, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg about spirituality, heresy, and the prefix “un,” all through the lens of his new book, Enlightenment by Trial and Error.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-11-2248 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 196: Becoming Eve - Abby SteinAbby Stein, author of Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about how the topics of gender, fundamentalism, peoplehood, “tolerance,” and more intersect with one another in Jewish communities and beyond.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-11-1551 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 195: Judaisms? - Aaron Hahn TapperAaron Hahn Tapper, author of Judaisms: A Twenty-First-Century Introduction to Jews and Jewish Identities and founding Director of the University of San Francisco’s Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to talk about why, when talking about Jews and Jewish practice, you should add an “s” to the end of “Judaism.” If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-11-0856 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 193: Overhauling Jewish Education - Dan Mendelsohn AvivDan Mendelsohn Aviv, the head of curriculum and design for Adraba (an innovative new educational institution in Toronto), returns to Judaism Unbound to speak with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg about ways in which Jewish education could be radically re-envisioned. This conversation is the 7th in an ongoing unit of Judaism Unbound episodes on the theme of Jewish education.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-10-2549 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 192: Online Jewish Learning - Danielle EskowDanielle Eskow, co-founder and CEO of Online Jewish Learning, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about leading one of the few for-profit businesses in a field (Jewish education) that is mostly made up of non-profit organizations.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-10-1845 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 191: Jewish Kids Groups - Ana Robbins, Neshama LittmanAna Robbins and Neshama Littman join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Jewish Kids Groups, an innovative Atlanta organization that Robbins serves as Executive Director and Littman serves as Sunday Families Director. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-10-1150 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 190: Jewish Camps, Jewish Utopias - Avi OrlowAvi Orlow, Vice-President for innovation and education at The Foundation for Jewish Camp, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that explores summer camp as a site for Jewish education. This episode is the 4th in an ongoing series of podcasts on American-Jewish education.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-10-0454 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Emma Goldman - Judith Rosenbaum (American Jewish History #6)Judith Rosenbaum, the Executive Director of the Jewish Women's Archive, joins Judaism Unbound on the ground at the National Museum of American Jewish History. In conversation with Lex Rofeberg, she looks at the life and activism of Emma Goldman. This bonus episode is part of a series of bonus episodes, recorded in partnership with the American Jewish Historical Society and the National Museum of American Jewish History.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2019-10-0211 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Irving Berlin - Judah Cohen (American Jewish History #5)Judah Cohen, the Lou and Sybil Mervis Professor of Jewish Culture at Indiana University, joins Judaism Unbound on the ground at the National Museum of American Jewish History. In conversation with Lex Rofeberg, he looks at the story of 20th century composer Irving Berlin. This bonus episode is part of a series of bonus episodes, recorded in partnership with the American Jewish Historical Society and the National Museum of American Jewish History.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
2019-10-0213 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Sheyndele the Cantor/Sheyndele di Chazante - Judah Cohen (American Jewish History #4)Judah Cohen, the Lou and Sybil Mervis Professor of Jewish Culture at Indiana University, joins Judaism Unbound on the ground at the National Museum of American Jewish History. In conversation with Lex Rofeberg, he looks at the story of an often-overlooked historical figure -- Sheyndele di chazante (Sheyndele the cantor). This bonus episode is part of a series of bonus episodes, recorded in partnership with the American Jewish Historical Society and the National Museum of American Jewish History.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support...
2019-10-0214 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 189: Six Days a Week - Tiffany ShlainTiffany Shlain, author of 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about her weekly practice of “Tech Shabbat.”If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.
2019-09-2745 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul #8 - UncertaintyLex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash talk about the “holi-month” known as Elul, directly preceding the Jewish New Year. It is observed through a journey of introspection and personal growth. This “mini-episode” is the 4th of four that were released as part of Elul Unbound 2019. To listen to any or all of the four episodes that were part of Elul Unbound 2018, click here.Sign up for Elul Unbound: SVARA-Style, a first-of-its-kind chance to learn Talmud in a traditionally-radical and traditionally-digital (?) way, here! Event will take place Tuesday, September 24th at 8 pm Eastern/5 Pacific.
2019-09-2223 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 188: The Art of Jewish Education - Alicia Jo RabinsAlicia Jo Rabins, the educator, artist, and midrashist (what’s that?? — you’ll have to listen!) who created the Girls in Trouble curriculum, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Jewish music, art, interpretation, and education.If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!To access full shownotes for this episode, click here.And don't forget: Elul Unbound - SVARA-Style, a first-of-its-kind digital Jewish learning event, is taking place Tuesday, September 24th at 8 pm Easter...
2019-09-2043 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul #7 - AutumnLex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash talk about the “holi-month” known as Elul, directly preceding the Jewish New Year. It is observed through a journey of introspection and personal growth. This “mini-episode” is the 3rd of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2019. To listen to any or all of the four episodes that were part of Elul Unbound 2018, click here.Experience the journey of Elul Unbound, through a piece of Elul content arriving daily in your inbox, by signing up at this link.Sign up for our third face-to-face gathering of Elul (vi...
2019-09-1514 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 187: Child-Centered Jewish Education - Rebecca MilderRebecca Milder, Founding Director of the Jewish Enrichment Center in Chicago, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about rooting Jewish education in empathy, text study, and creative expression.
If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!
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2019-09-1342 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul #6 - Take a BreathLex Rofeberg and Wendie Lash talk about the “holi-month” known as Elul, directly preceding the Jewish New Year. It is observed through a journey of introspection and personal growth. This “mini-episode” is the 2nd of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2019. To listen to any or all of the four episodes that were part of Elul Unbound 2018, click here.Experience the journey of Elul Unbound, through a piece of Elul content arriving daily in your inbox, by signing up at this link.Sign up for our second face-to-face gathering of Elul (via vide...
2019-09-0815 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 186: Re-Imagining Jewish Education - Miriam Heller SternMiriam Heller Stern, National Director of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Education, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to kick off a unit of episodes looking at shifting dynamics in contemporary Jewish education.
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2019-09-0647 minJudaism UnboundBonus Episode: Elul #5 - No Suitcase RequiredLex Rofeberg and Wendie Lash talk about the “holi-month” known as Elul, directly preceding the Jewish New Year and observed through a journey of introspection and personal growth. This “mini-episode” is the 1st of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2019. To listen to any or all of the 4 that preceded it, as part of Elul Unbound 2018, click here.
Experience the journey Elul Unbound, through daily emails from Judaism Unbound, by signing up at this link!
Sign up for our first face-to-face gathering of Elul (via video chat, on Friday September 6th) by clicking
2019-09-0117 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 185: An Army of Translators - Sarah HurwitzSarah Hurwitz, former speechwriter for Michelle and Barack Obama, and author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss a sometimes-overlooked question: Why bother with Judaism?
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2019-08-3047 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 184: Disorganized Religion - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg call for future forms of Judaism that will be less institutional and more disorganized.
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2019-08-2344 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 181: The New Synagogue Project - Joseph Berman, Lauren SpokaneJoseph Berman, founding rabbi of The New Synagogue Project (NSP), and Lauren Spokane, NSP’s “lead instigator,” join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about how their intentional community is looking to help build a better, more just world.
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2019-08-0248 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 180: The Ritual Design Lab - Margaret Hagan, Kursat OzencMargaret Hagan and Kursat Ozenc, co-creators of the Ritual Design Lab, based at Stanford University’s Institute of Design (the “d.school”), and co-authors of the book Rituals for Work, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to investigate what rituals are, why they matter, and how they work.
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2019-07-2651 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 179: The Jewish Polymath - David Zvi KalmanDavid Zvi Kalman founded and owns Print-O-Craft (an independent publisher of Jewish books), co-founded Jewish Public Media (a podcasting platform), and recently completed his PhD — in Jewish technology and Islamic jurisprudence — at the University of Pennsylvania. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what it’s like to wear many Jewish hats, all at once.
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2019-07-1950 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 178: I-Wish-I-Had-This-Itis - Shira Stutman Part 2Shira Stutman, who serves as Senior Rabbi at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington D.C, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the second half of a 2-part conversation. [1] Together they ask some big questions about the ecosystem of 21st century Judaism, working to combat a disease (not physical!) they term “Wish-I-Had-This-Itis” in the process.
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2019-07-1245 min
Evolve#TrendingJewish 27: Goodbye, Farewell, and AmenAll good things must come to an end. In this final all-banter episode of #TrendingJewish, Bryan and Rachael go behind the scenes of podcast production. Highlights are reviewed, kudos are given, and take-aways are taken away. And last but not least, stay subscribed to this feed for a new podcast coming in September: Evolve.
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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.Support EvolveLinks:Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish ConversationsKehillat Israel Podcasts — Torah study, sermons and seminars on Jewish topics presented at Kehillat Israel, th...
2019-07-1025 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 177: Spreading the Good (Jewish) News - Shira Stutman Part 1Shira Stutman, who serves as Senior Rabbi at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington D.C, thinks that Judaism has a ton to offer the world. In the first half of a 2-part conversation with Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, she has the chutzpah to argue that active Jewish outreach, and even forms of Jewish “evangelizing,” might be a pretty worthwhile idea!
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2019-07-0541 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 164: Going, Jewishly - Leon Wiener DowLeon Wiener Dow of the Shalom Hartman Institute and BINA Secular Yeshiva joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg in conversation about his new book, The Going. They discuss Jewish law — a system which both bounds and binds — probing the tensions between individual Jewish practice and an ongoing communal endeavor.
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2019-04-0550 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 163: Collective Effervescence - Lizzi HeydemannLizzi Heydemann, the rabbi and founder of Mishkan Chicago, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg in conversation about creating a 21st Century Jewish spiritual community. In their discussion, she calls for embodied experiences of Judaism that are “primal,” “spiritual,” “bold,” “visceral,” and “powerful.”
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2019-03-2948 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 162: 100% Black, 100% Jewish - MaNishtanaMaNishtana joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about race and intersectionality in contemporary Jewish life. As a jumping off point, they discuss these issues through the lens of the protagonist in MaNishtana’s new novel, Ariel Samson: Freelance Rabbi, a Black Orthodox rabbi.
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2019-03-2244 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 161: The Zohar - Daniel MattDaniel Matt is a scholar of Kabbalah who translated and annotated the Zohar — a central text of Jewish mysticism — into English. He joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the Zohar’s origins, his work that yielded The Zohar: Pritzker Edition (his landmark translation), and questions that the text opens up about the duality of old and new.
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2019-03-1557 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 160: Open Temple - Lori Schneide ShapiroLori Schneide Shapiro joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Open Temple, an emerging Jewish community she founded in Venice, California.
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2019-03-0842 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 158: Curating the Jewish Story - Ivy BarskyIvy Barsky, the CEO and Gwen Goodman Director of the National Museum of American Jewish History, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what Jewish museums are, why they matter, and the impact they are having on contemporary Jews. This episode is the third in a series of episodes on art, creativity, preservation, and museums, brought to you in partnership with The Council of American Jewish Museums.
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To...
2019-02-2247 min
Judaism UnboundBonus Episode: Levy's Jewish Rye - Beth Wenger (American Jewish History #3)Beth Wenger, the Moritz and Josephine Berg Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, joins Judaism Unbound on the ground at the National Museum of American Jewish History. In conversation with Lex Rofeberg, she looks at a series of famously successful advertisements produced in the mid-late 20th century by Levy’s Jewish Rye. This bonus episode is part of a series of bonus episodes, recorded in partnership with the American Jewish Historical Society and the National Museum of American Jewish History.
For images of the advertisements discussed in this episode, click here.
If you're en...
2019-02-2010 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 157: Painting the Unpaintable - Yishai JusidmanYishai Jusidman, the painter behind a series of paintings called Prussian Blue — looking at the Holocaust, questions of memory, and representation — joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss his work and the thinking behind it. This episode is the second in a series of episodes on art, creativity, preservation, and museums, brought to you in partnership with The Council of American Jewish Museums.
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2019-02-1541 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 156: Creating Jewish Theatre - Aaron HenneAaron Henne, Artistic Director of Theatre Dybbuk, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation blurring the lines between art, education, politics, preservation, and creativity. This episode is the first in a series, brought to you in partnership with the Council of American Jewish Museums.
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2019-02-0849 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 155: The Women's March - April Baskin, Yavilah McCoy, Abby SteinApril Baskin, Yavilah McCoy, and Abby Stein, the three Jewish members of The Women’s March steering committee, join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about intersectionality, coalition-building, and embodiment — and how all three of those key concepts served a key role in the success of the second annual Women’s March.
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2019-02-0143 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 154: Ten New Commandments - Dan and LexDan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg get a bit revolutionary, introducing (and debating) 10 New Commandments for contemporary Judaism.
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2019-01-2548 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 153: Fiction Between Worlds - Ruby NamdarNovelist Ruby Namdar, author of the award-winning The Ruined House, which interweaves the stories of an American-Jewish professor and an ancient Judean priest, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that straddles the Israeli and the American, along with the ancient and contemporary. The Ruined House won the Sapir Prize, Israel's highest literary honor, the first novel by an expatriate to receive the award.
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2019-01-1845 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 152: Elie Wiesel's Classroom - Ariel BurgerAriel Burger joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to discuss his book Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom, winner of a 2018 National Jewish Book Award.
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2019-01-1143 minJudaism UnboundEpisode 151: Judaism from a Transgender Perspective - Joy LadinJoy Ladin, author of The Soul of the Stranger: Reading God and Torah from a Transgender Perspective, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about being transgender, being Jewish, and how the two intersect.
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2019-01-0450 min
Jew Too PodcastJew Too: Rough Cuts Episode 7- Lex RofebergIn this extended interivew, Lex, a rabbinical student at ALEPH and co-host of Judaism Unbound, offers more of his stories of growing up Reform, his roundabout draw to the rabbinate, and his relationship with and views upon HUC-JIR's (the Reform seminary's)policy barring intermarried students from several programs.
2018-09-0900 minEvolve#TrendingJewish 13: Turning the Crisis Narrative on Its HeadThis episode introduces another theme we’ll be exploring over several episodes: How is technology impacting Judaism and vice versa? The hosts of Judaism Unbound, Daniel Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, argue that the internet has revolutionized the Jewish landscape and made Jewish texts and knowledge radically accessible. They argue that, rather than entering a period of decline, Jewish life is migrating into an era that is at least partially defined by digital connections.
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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.Special Guests: Daniel Libenson and Le...
2018-05-2952 min