Shows
IJN CastS3 E30 ~ 7/24/25Host Steve Mark takes you into the pages of this week’s power IJN, with special guest Rabbi Shira Stutman, who was recently formally installed as rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation. “I fell in love with the people,” shares the rabbi, who hails from the East Coast.2025-07-2515 min
How God Works: The Science Behind SpiritualityBonus: Losing Our Religion or Finding What Matters?As more Americans move away from organized religion, the moral and emotional needs once met by faith communities remain. What can secular society borrow from spiritual traditions — ritual, meaning, belonging and moral imagination — to nourish the human spirit and strengthen our shared civic life? In this conversation, recorded live at the 2025 Aspen Ideas Festival, Dave explores how sacred wisdom can still guide character, compassion, and community in a post-religious age with Krista Tippett, Father Greg Boyle, and Rabbi Shira Stutman.Krista Tippet is the creator and host of the award winning podcast On Being and an awardee of t...2025-07-2045 minHow God Works: The Science Behind SpiritualityThe Soul and Science of PrayerWhat is prayer? And why do it? People pray for all kinds of reasons, and in all kinds of ways: alone, together, aloud, in silence, from memory, or from instinct. But whatever form it takes, there’s a reason prayer has been part of just about every spiritual tradition out there: its effects run deep. On this episode, we’re digging into the science and spirit of prayer. We’ll talk to neuroscientist Andrew Newberg about what prayer does to our minds and bodies, and how it helps shape us as people. And friend of the show Rabbi S...2025-06-1541 min
50 Fires: Money and Meaning with Carl RichardsMore Money, More Possibilities with Rabbi Shira StutmanIdentity, belonging, and the real meaning of money and Judaism is covered in this episode with Rabbi Shira Stutman. Rabbi Shira and Carl navigate questions of tradition and community in today’s polarized world, the need to hold space for complexity—within ourselves and our institutions—and how embracing discomfort can spark growth, understanding, and ultimately, a stronger sense of purpose.
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Follow Rabbi Stutman @shirastutman
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Cover Art: Josh Passler - T...2025-05-141h 03
Detours & DestinationsRabbi Shira Stutman - From Holy Adherence to Holy ChutzpahIn this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Shira Stutman, interim rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation, founding rabbi of the Sixth & I congregation in Washington, DC, and co-host of the podcast Chutzpod. Shira reflects on her path to becoming a spiritual leader, and how unexpected detours—from personal loss to leaving a thriving congregation—became opportunities for evolution and transformation. Shira also shares insights from her new book—The Jewish Way to a Good Life, explains what Judaism has to say about the concept of destination, and discusses the need of fostering honest dialogue in this polarized moment.Lear...2025-05-1351 min
Wisdom and PracticeRadical Hospitality with Rabbi Shira StutmanHow can radical welcoming transform the way we build spiritual community?This week, Simran sits down with Rabbi Shira Statman for a moving conversation about belonging, identity, and the evolving face of faith. Raised in a predominantly Christian town, Rabbi Shira shares how her early experiences shaped her understanding of what it means to hold space for difference—and why radical hospitality is central to her Jewish practice.Together, they explore the meaning behind prayers across spiritual traditions, the friction of political division within congregations, and the sacred responsibility of making room for those on th...2025-05-0827 min
Sixth & I LIVERabbi Shira Stutman with David BrooksIn her debut book The Jewish Way to a Good Life: Find Happiness, Build Community, and Embrace Lovingkindness, Rabbi Shira—Sixth & I’s former long-time and much beloved Senior Rabbi—distills 3,500 years of Jewish wisdom and culture into practical, time-tested strategies that anyone can adopt to find meaning, cultivate good values, and experience joy. In conversation with David Brooks, a New York Times Opinion columnist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mountain and The Road to Character, among other books. This program was held on March 31, 2025. Thanks to our promotional partners, JWI, GatherDC...2025-05-021h 10
Behavior Gap Radio1287 | More Money, More Possibility?We’ve all heard it: “More money, more problems.” But what if that’s only one way to see it? In this episode, I share a conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman that helped shift my perspective from viewing money as a burden to seeing it as a tool for possibility. It’s a simple lens change… but it might just change everything, especially if you’ve ever felt guilty, ashamed, or stressed about wanting more.This isn’t just about money.It’s about how we see the world:Problems… or possibilities?2025-05-0205 minBehavior Gap Radio1287 | More Money, More Possibility?We’ve all heard it: “More money, more problems.” But what if that’s only one way to see it? In this episode, I share a conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman that helped shift my perspective from viewing money as a burden to seeing it as a tool for possibility. It’s a simple lens change… but it might just change everything, especially if you’ve ever felt guilty, ashamed, or stressed about wanting more.This isn’t just about money.It’s about how we see the world:Problems… or possibilities?2025-05-0205 min
Dive Into: This Addictive Full Audiobook For Busy Professionals.Jewish Way to a Good Life by Rabbi Shira StutmanPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/50799to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Jewish Way to a Good Life
Author: Rabbi Shira Stutman
Narrator: Sharon Freedman
Format: mp3
Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 03-25-25
Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars, 1 rating
Genres: Religious Studies
Publisher's Summary:
Judaism has survived for 3,500 years by embracing a few, some arguably paradoxical ideas: Life is hard. It also has the potential to be joyous. Every single human has a spark of something extraordinary in them. And every one of us should try to do 1 percent better. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, straight-shooting Rabbi...2025-03-256h 50Relish The Full Audiobook Everyone Is Talking About — So Soul-Stirring!Jewish Way to a Good Life by Rabbi Shira StutmanPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/49844to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Jewish Way to a Good Life
Author: Rabbi Shira Stutman
Narrator: Sharon Freedman
Format: mp3
Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 03-25-25
Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars, 1 rating
Genres: Judaism
Publisher's Summary:
Judaism has survived for 3,500 years by embracing a few, some arguably paradoxical ideas: Life is hard. It also has the potential to be joyous. Every single human has a spark of something extraordinary in them. And every one of us should try to do 1 percent better. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, straight-shooting Rabbi Shira...2025-03-256h 50Experience The Critically-Acclaimed Full Audiobook Experience!Jewish Way to a Good Life by Rabbi Shira StutmanPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/50799to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Jewish Way to a Good Life
Author: Rabbi Shira Stutman
Narrator: Sharon Freedman
Format: mp3
Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 03-25-25
Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars, 1 rating
Genres: Religious Studies
Publisher's Summary:
Judaism has survived for 3,500 years by embracing a few, some arguably paradoxical ideas: Life is hard. It also has the potential to be joyous. Every single human has a spark of something extraordinary in them. And every one of us should try to do 1 percent better. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, straight-shooting Rabbi...2025-03-256h 50Unlock The Full Audiobook Everyone Is Talking About — So Unforgettable!Jewish Way to a Good Life by Rabbi Shira StutmanPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/49844to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Jewish Way to a Good Life
Author: Rabbi Shira Stutman
Narrator: Sharon Freedman
Format: mp3
Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins
Release date: 03-25-25
Ratings: 5 out of 5 stars, 1 rating
Genres: Judaism
Publisher's Summary:
Judaism has survived for 3,500 years by embracing a few, some arguably paradoxical ideas: Life is hard. It also has the potential to be joyous. Every single human has a spark of something extraordinary in them. And every one of us should try to do 1 percent better. In The Jewish Way to a Good Life, straight-shooting Rabbi Shira...2025-03-256h 50
The Five BooksIntroducing Chutzpod!Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Chutzpod, a podcast that offers frank and wide-ranging conversations on how to build a good life.Each week on Chutzpod, Rabbi Shira Stutman and co-host Hanna Rosin tackle life’s toughest questions through a Jewish lens. If you’ve ever wondered whether to forgive a friend who won’t apologize, felt annoyed by service dogs on your flight, or pondered how to heal our broken world, this podcast is for you.In this episode, Shira and Hanna delve into listener-submitted questions, blending...2025-02-2540 min
Chutzpod!Should You Give Your Kid a Super Jewy Name?Rabbi Shira Stutman and Hanna Rosin are back with new episodes for Season 5 of Chutzpod. They kick things off by answering a question from a listener named Moshe. His mother insisted he receive a “super Jewy name,” but what does Judaism say about this? What makes a name Jewish? And can we just name our kids Tom, Dick or Harry?Read about Sarah naming IsaacRead about Leah naming her childrenRead about the Jewish concept of three namesSupport Chutzpod!Submit a questionContact Chutzpod!Su...2025-02-1939 minChutzpod!Coming Soon: Season 4This season on Chutzpod! Rabbi Shira Stutman and Hanna Rosin dive into all things high holidays. How do you really start over in the new year. How can you forgive others if you can't forgive yourself on Yom Kippur. And what should we think about snakes (and dogs) on a plane? New episodes launch September 4th. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss a thing. Support Chutzpod!Submit a questionContact Chutzpod!Follow Shira on InstagramFollow Hanna on InstagramFollow Shira on Twitter...2024-08-2101 minHow God Works: The Science Behind SpiritualityQueer and Here!Christianity and Judaism have had long standing theological concerns with LGBTQ+ issues. BUT from the Vatican to certain Jewish denominations, there are movements afoot to be more open, tolerant, and accepting. In the first of a two-part series on gender and spirituality, we’ll talk with Father James Martin and Rabbi Shira Stutman about the history of discrimination in their traditions and how that’s starting to change. We’ll also take a look at the science behind how religion can directly impact people’s attitudes toward LGBTQ issues on an emotional level, and hear from Meli Barber, the presiden...2023-10-0837 min
Aspen Ideas to GoWhere Ancient Faiths Meet Modern LivesThe United States is a more secular society than many, and the percentage of people who don’t identify with organized religion is rising. Some of the impacts from that shift might be obvious, such as declining membership in congregations or decreased support for religious organizations and institutions. But some of the consequences are less obvious. How do we change as people when we don’t practice religious ritual? When we aren’t part of a community? Three scholars and leaders from different religious traditions come together on stage at the Aspen Ideas Festival to grapple with these questions. They p...2023-09-2053 min
Limited Liability PodcastJoshua Malina and Rabbi Shira StutmanOn this week’s episode, Jarrod is joined by actor Joshua Malina and Rabbi Shira Stutman for a conversation on antisemitism in media. Source2022-02-0738 min
Judaism UnboundEpisode 308: We've Got Chutzpod! - Joshua Malina, Shira StutmanJoshua Malina (yes, THAT Joshua Malina) and Shira Stutman (yes, THAT Shira Stutman) join Dan and Lex for a conversation about their (Joshua and Shira's) entry into the Jewish podcast ecosystem, through their brand new podcast, called Chutzpod!Learn more about Chutzpod! by heading to Chutzpod.com, and subscribe to Chutzpod in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast & Radio Addict, or wherever else you find your podcasts.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! You can also buy Judaism Unbound...2022-01-071h 03
NYJM - Not Your Jewish MotherSpecial Guest: Rabbi Shira StutmanThis is our first special guest! Tova and Elianna interview Shira on the many journeys: her rabbinate, jewish-spiritual life, parenthood and more! Rabbi Shira Stutman is a nationally known faith-based leader and change-maker with more than twenty years of experience motivating and inspiring groups large and small, most recently as the founding rabbi of Sixth & I in Washington DC. She teaches and speaks nationally on topics including growing welcoming Jewish spiritual communities; building the connective tissues between different types of people; and the current American Jewish community zeitgeist. She also is writing a book on the blessing of...2021-11-2439 min
Contact ChaiA Love-Hate Relationship to Hanukkah with Shira StutmanWe conclude our Hanukkah podcast series, Lies & Lessons, with Rabbi Shira Stutman from Sixth & I in Washington D.C. In this conversation, Rabbi Lizzi and Rabbi Shira discuss why many Jews have a love-hate relationship to the widely celebrated, and marketed, holiday of Hanukkah. Tune in for a conversation that addresses the complicated historical roots of the holiday, while offering a reminder to grab ahold of joy and the hopeful spirit of the season.Be sure to subscribe, rate the show and leave a review. As always, we want to hear from you (and it helps people f...2020-12-1138 min
Sixth & I LIVEYom Kippur 5781 Sermons from Rabbi Shira and Rabbi AaronRabbi Shira Stutman and Rabbi Aaron Potek share reflections on Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur. 2020-09-2946 min
Sixth & I LIVERosh Hashanah 5781 Sermons from Rabbi Shira Stutman and Rabbi Aaron PotekRabbi Aaron Potek and Rabbi Shira Stutman share reflections on Erev Rosh Hashanah and Rosh Hashanah, Day 1. 2020-09-2140 min
HashivenuS3 Ep. 10: Moments of WholenessWhen our world falls apart, what sustains us? We recorded this conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman, senior rabbi at 6th and I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C, in early April 2020 — shortly after coronavirus response had brought face-to-face communal gatherings, and indeed most people's social lives, to a screeching halt. Speaking at a time of profound global dislocation that affected our most personal connections, we discussed the challenges we faced, the adaptations we and our institutions were beginning to make, and the unexpected insights we'd glimpsed into what is truly essential, insights that continue to resonate months later.
...2020-08-0337 min
Take One Daf YomiTake One, Ep 108: Shabbat 93 and 94Today’s Daf Yomi pages, Shabbat 93 and 94, make a distinction between the kinds of work one person can do alone and the sort of labor that truly takes a village. Rabbi Shira Stutman of Sixth & I in Washington, D.C., joins us to discuss this insight, and what it can teach us about our current movement for social justice. Why is repairing the world always a team effort? Listen and find out.2020-06-0807 min
Tablet StudiosThe Conversion Episode, 2020This week on Unorthodox, we're proud to present our third annual conversion episode. On Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that starts tonight at sundown, we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of a Moabite woman who converts to Judaism and becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David. Shavuot is the perfect time to celebrate those who convert to Judaism, and on today's episode you'll hear a variety of stories featuring Jews by choice and their different journeys. (Listen to our 2019 episode here and our 2018 episode here.)First, we hear from Lynn Hyde, a re...2020-05-281h 21
Sixth & I LIVEWhen Faith and Politics Collide with Wajahat Ali, Peter Beinart, and Liz BruenigJournalists Wajahat Ali (Muslim), Peter Beinart (Jewish), and Liz Bruenig (Christian), a motley group of monotheists, discuss how they bring their faith to bear in their work navigating the frayed political and cultural terrains of today’s political landscape, in a conversation moderated by Rabbi Shira Stutman.2020-01-231h 24
Sixth & I LIVEPartnership Against the Odds: Can Israelis and Palestinians Create a Shared Story?News coverage about Israelis, Palestinians, Jews and Arabs is filled with narratives of right versus wrong. What happens when instead of perpetuating a culture of blame, those on each side of the conflict challenge themselves to listen and build? Rabbi Shira Stutman moderates a conversation with those involved in unlikely partnerships, including Alon-Lee Green and Maisam Jaljuli of Standing Together, and Tawfik Abu-Wael and Joseph Cedar, two of the co-creators of the new HBO series “Our Boys.” This program was held on October 24, 2019. Standing Together’s visit is made possible through support from the New Israel...2019-10-291h 00
Life is Rich Dishing TraditionGratitude, Torah Talk & Yoga CampAccess the bonus material and exercises for this episode here.Watch the teaser for the film LIFE IS RICH at www.lifeisrichfilm.com and learn more about bringing Bonnie & Leah to your organization to talk about parenting, adulting and passing down tradition.The Moment Magazine article that Bonnie and Leah discuss is here.The Spotify playlist that Bonnie and Rebecca discuss is here.More about Rabbi David Paskin at www.davidpaskin.com.More about Rabbi Shira Stutman and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue at www.sixthandi.org.2019-07-1800 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.
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.
2019-07-1245 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!
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.
2019-07-0541 min
Life is Rich Dishing TraditionImperfect ParentAccess the bonus material and exercises for this episode here.Watch the teaser for the film LIFE IS RICH at www.lifeisrichfilm.com and learn more about bringing Bonnie & Leah to your organization to talk about parenting, adulting and passing down tradition.More about Rabbi David Paskin at www.davidpaskin.com.More about Rabbi Shira Stutman and Sixth & I Historic Synagogue at www.sixthandi.org.Klezmer music by the Casco Bay Tummlers.2019-06-0300 min
Sixth & I LIVEDeborah Lipstadt, author and historian, with Rabbi Shira StutmanIn Antisemitism: Here and Now, the award-winning author of The Eichmann Trial and Denial offers a penetrating and provocative analysis of the hate that will not die and on what can be done about it. In conversation with Rabbi Shira Stutman, the Senior Rabbi of Sixth & I.2019-02-181h 08
Aspen Ideas to GoOff Stage 13: One Synagogue’s Unconventional Outreach ApproachShira Stutman is senior rabbi at a historic synagogue in Washington, DC that’s doing innovative things. The ‘Sixth & I’ is a non-denominational, non-membership, non-traditional Jewish synagogue. Talks, concerts, and comedy shows are held there with a goal to enlighten and inspire people to live more meaningful lives. In her conversation with “1A” host Joshua Johnson, Stutman describes how religion is helping mend societal divides and how her synagogue is connecting with community. The views and opinions of the speakers in the podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.2018-12-2618 min
Aspen Ideas to GoOff Stage 13: One Synagogue’s Unconventional Outreach ApproachShira Stutman is senior rabbi at a historic synagogue in Washington, DC that’s doing innovative things. The ‘Sixth & I’ is a non-denominational, non-membership, non-traditional Jewish synagogue. Talks, concerts, and comedy shows are held there with a goal to enlighten and inspire people to live more meaningful lives. In her conversation with “1A” host Joshua Johnson, Stutman describes how religion is helping mend societal divides and how her synagogue is connecting with community.
The "Off Stage Series" goes into the issues that impact all of us. These conversations feature presenters at the Aspen Ideas Festival. Off Stage is part of...2018-12-2518 min
Evolve#TrendingJewish 16: The Greatest Teacher, Failure IsYes, Star Wars fans, our title is taken from a line that Yoda says to his troubled former pupil, Luke Skywalker, in The Last Jedi. In more traditional syntax, Rabbi Shira Stutman says something very similar. The senior rabbi of Sixth & I, a thriving Jewish arts and cultural center in Washington, D.C., talks about learning from failure, and how Jewish organizations must take risks to change and grow. Rabbi Stutman discusses how Sixth & I was both inspired by, and a departure from, Mordecai Kaplan’s vision of a synagogue center. She answers forthright questions about her organization’s busi...2018-07-1642 min
Sixth & I LIVEEsther Perel, Couples Therapist, with Rabbi Shira Stutman2017-11-101h 04