Shows
B'Tzelem ElohimS4: E2 Meredith Polsky (Executive Director of MATAN Inc), Closing the Inclusion GapRafi talks with Meredith Polsky, the new Executive Director of MATAN Inc on their recent report "Closing the Inclusion Gap". They discuss the steps the Jewish community must take in the coming years on this front and explore Selective Mutism, a field in which Meredith specializes in providing support and care.
2026-02-111h 02B'Tzelem ElohimS4: E1 Rena Allen, Supporting FamiliesJoin Rena and Rafi as they kick off Season Four of B'Tzelem Elohim. With a focus on ABA, Rafi and Rena discuss the challenges, opportunities, and benefits that behavior modification and related disciplines may provide to families.Please note: An unforeseen technical error occurred while recording the episode, making Rafi's Audio garbled in a few places. We apologize for the confusion this may lead to in the podcast, but as it is minor, it was decided not to rerecord the episode. This technical error was identified and will be fixed for future episodes.
2026-01-2859 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E8 Orlee Krass, Avenues of Belonging at Jewish CampTo conclude Season Three, Rafi talks with Orlee Krass, his aunt, about her work in the field of inclusion. Ranging from NYC special education classes to running a large camp program for Disabled participants, Rafi and Orlee explore the challenges, complexities, and necessities of these initiatives.
2025-12-3157 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E7, Five Years of BlogsJoin Rafi as he reads and reflects on five years of blogs. Spanning his early years writing for MATAN's teen blog, to early pieces for his website, to reflections on recent milestones, you'll get to hear how Rafi's rhetorical style and perspectives have evolved! This episode is longer than others, so listeners are encouraged to listen to this in multiple sittings, as each blog can be listened to independently of eachother.A personal note: thank you to all the people who have brought me to this moment, five years! I look forward to the...
2025-12-241h 13B'Tzelem ElohimS3: E6 Dr. Michael Kay, Jewish Day School EducationRafi talks with Dr. Michael Kay, head of the Leffell School, a premier Jewish Day School based in Westchester County. They discuss the missions of Jewish Day School education, ranging from academic to religious to social-emotional, and how they intersect or adapt to the needs of neurodiverse or disabled students.
2025-12-0352 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E5 Benay Josselson, Change is HardAfter one year of B'Tzelem Elohim, Rafi returns to interview his first guest - his mom, Benay! Focusing on Change Management and its applicability to recent changes in his life, Rafi and Benay explore why change is hard and what you can do to make it easier to manage.
2025-11-191h 00B'Tzelem ElohimS3: E4 Mat Wilson, Disability TorahRafi talks with Mat Wilson, founder of the Disability Torah Project, to discuss the intersection of lived experience with sacred texts.
2025-11-0548 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E3 Jodi Daniels, Helping Autistic TravelersRafi talks with Jodi Daniels of Autism Double-Checked about the field of disability inclusion within the travel industry. They discuss the barriers facing Autistic travelers and how Autism Double-Checked is helping providers better meet the needs of its customers.
2025-10-2951 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E2 Rabbi Craig Scheff, An Inclusive RabbinateRafi talks with his longtime Rabbi, mentor, and recently internship supervisor Craig Scheff. They talk about the evolving role of the Rabbinate and Synagogue community in inclusion work and Rafi's experience interning for his synagogue.
2025-09-1753 minB'Tzelem ElohimS3: E1 Marta Nemesh, Inclusion for All AgesTo kick off Season Three, Rafi talks with Marta Nemesh, an early childhood educator, camping professional, and advocate for inclusive education.
2025-09-1049 min
The Chai RoadRafi Josselson: Autism and Advocacy - The Chai Road Ep. 14In this episode of 'The Chai Road,' host Max Alperstein is joined by long-time friend Rafi Josselson to discuss Rafi's incredible journey of growing up with autism and becoming an inspirational advocate. They delve into their shared experiences at summer camps, the challenges Rafi faced, and his achievements as a podcaster and public speaker. Rafi shares his perspectives on current events, particularly the impact of October 7th on his life and his aspirations to become a rabbi. The conversation touches on the importance of finding one's place in the Jewish community, overcoming social and personal struggles, and promoting...
2025-09-0836 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2: E7 Zach Haber, A Friend's PerspectiveBefore they head off to college, Rafi and one of his close friends, Zach, talk about their friendship and how they have both taught each other valuable lessons about social interactions, disability and Jewish identity.
2025-08-2755 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2: E6 Ben Josselson, A Sibling's PerspectiveRafi talks with his brother Ben about their sibling dynamic through the prism of disability, in the process exploring the importance of hearing voices from all places in a disabled person's life.
2025-08-2055 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2, E5: Sarah ParkesRafi talks with Sarah Parkes, a professional working with disabled young adults on vocational skills. Sarah and Rafi take a deep dive into vocational skills and what that can look like for disabled people and the communities they are a part of.
2025-06-0446 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2, E4: Mike HumphreyRafi sits down with Mike Humphrey to discuss Mike's experience growing up within the Sinai School system and its impact on him today.
2025-05-2851 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2, E3: Dori KirshnerJoin Rafi and Dori Kirshner as they discuss 25 Years of MATAN's incredible work promoting inclusion within the Jewish community.
2025-05-2143 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2, E2: Pamella SchullerRafi sits down with disability advocate and comedian, Pamela Schuller, as they discuss her experience growing up with Tourettes and OCD and her work teaching inclusion to audiences across North America.
2025-02-1040 minB'Tzelem ElohimS2, E1: Howard BlasJoin Rafi and Senior Advisor to the National Ramah Tikvah Network, Howard Blas, as they talk about the various programs offered by Jewish Camps to disabled campers and staff!
2025-02-0441 minB'Tzelem ElohimEpisode 5: Cortney KupermanIn this episode, Rafi talks with Cortney Kuperman about their work together at Camp Ramah in Nyack as part of the disability staff program. Rafi and Cortney emphasize the importance of self-advocacy, flexibility, and disabled young adults transitioning into the workplace.
2024-12-1858 minB'Tzelem ElohimEpisode 4: Rabbi Paula Mack DrillIn this episode, Rafi talks with long time friend and Rabbi, Paula Mack Drill, about inclusion within Synagogues and religious spaces for neurodivergent Jews.
2024-12-0454 minB'Tzelem ElohimEpisode 3: Dr. Ilana KustanowitzIn this episode, Rafi sits down with Dr. Ilana Kustanowitz, the school psychologist at Schechter Bergen. They talk about the benefits of positive psychology and warm communities for people of all abilities, including disabled and neurodiverse people.
2024-11-0553 minB'Tzelem ElohimEpisode 2: Michelle SteinhartRafi explores the importance of inclusion, with its variety of forms with Michelle Steinhart. They focus on the work of MATAN, the role Hebrew school educators have to play in accessible education, and the different paths that Rafi and her son have gone down as they find the right fit for them.
2024-10-2857 minB'Tzelem ElohimEpisode 1: Benay JosselsonIn his first episode, Rafi talks with his mom, Benay Josselson, about his self-advocacy journey, the work she has done including her neurodiverse employees, and the important work ahead for both society and individuals.
2024-09-271h 30