Embodied Judaism

Rav Benji Elson, LMSW is a passionate instructor of embodied Jewish practice, a psychotherapist, an author, a musician, a Jewish environmental educator, and a transformative experience facilitator who has been privileged to share his impactful self-transformation and Jewish psychology teachings globally, including in cities across the U.S., Israel, the UK, Canada, Mexico, Turkey, Finland, Zambia,...

Hey everyone, I’m back. I launched  Embodied Judaism  in  February 2025 , recorded consistently through  July , and then life… really lifed, and I took a hiatus. I’m returning now at the  end of January 2026  (almost a full year later) to begin what I’ll call  unofficial Season 2 , and I’m genuinely so excited to be sharing the podcast here on Substack. So so so much has changed since last year. I...

It was a real gift to delve into the profound journey of mind-body connection and personal growth with Rabbi Peretz. Rabbi Peretz shares some of how his own personal exploration has led to transformative experience. Rabbi Peretz shares his insights on balancing practice with everyday life, the importance of authenticity in non-dogmatic Judaism, and the role of music and movement in connecting the...

In this conversation, Jessie and Idan explore themes of personal growth , practical spirituality , and the courage that ends up leading to sometimes surprisingly significant life changes. They discuss the importance of emotional intelligence , the role of forgiveness in healing, and the necessity of genuine connections in relationships. Idan shares insights from his journey as a therapist and teac...

In this conversation, Jessie interviews Orka, a prominent figure in the medicine music scene, discussing her journey as a musician, her connection to Hebrew identity, and the transformative power of music in healing and peace. Orka shares her experiences of navigating her identity as an Israeli artist, the impact of significant events like October 7th, and her commitment to empowering voices throu...

Rabbi Rishe, from a Chabad background, shared her journey of embracing her Jewish identity and spiritual roots, emphasizing the importance of balancing traditional practices with personal experiences in Judaism. She discussed the challenges faced by Jewish women, the significance of creating meaningful rituals at home, and the need for accessible Jewish education for adults. The conversation also...

As always thank you Nechama Schusterman for your time in sharing your wisdom!

Thank you to Nechama Schusterman as always for such wonderful conversations. Nechama and I usually speak about the parsha, but as we both love Pesach, we decided to share a bit about prepping for the holiday.

Ariela Sharon is passionate about elevating the Feminine Energy of this world so that we can bring peace, love and moshiach. Ariela has been a Jewish Educator and Women's Health Advisor for the past 10 years. She is also an Herbalist, Bodyworker and Birth Keeper. She has studied at the Hadar Institute, The Eden Center, ArborVitae, Manzanita Wellness, and Birthing from Within. In addition to on...

In this powerful and poetic conversation, Jenna Zadaka shares the winding path of her spiritual journey—from discovering Kabbalistic meditation through Chabad in college to integrating yoga within her Jewish religious life. We explore her deep love for mystical Judaism, her reverence for Rosh Chodesh, and the ways women’s faith and leadership shine during the Pesach season. Jenna speaks to the emb...

So grateful to have my incredible husband Elan Gerzon on the podcast. We talk about his journey growing up, stories of seeking and experiences with other cultures, and eventually coming home to Judaism. We also speak about our relationship coming from places of different observances/backgrounds.

With Nechama Schusterman

Connect with Maxine on her personal instagram and her company, The Power Within .

In this episode we discuss the parsha for the week, Tetzaveh. For a much deeper dive, check out Nechama Schusterman's weekly podcast: A Path Forward.

A little bit of a listen from Jessie's journey from going abroad at 24 years old to search for a feeling of ancestral and familial resonance, to plant medicine experiences that made Jessie want to experience more Jewish prayer and songs, and just a little bit on going towards keeping Shabbat.

This is our first weekly episode with Nechama Schusterman where we explore a fractal of the light that is the weekly torah portion. In this episode, we first discuss finding value in Torah as our GPS. Then, we dive into a few gems from Parsha Terumah. May this conversation be an invitation for your own cheshbon hanefesh (spiritual accounting) this week!

Get to know Nechama Schusterman, an incredible Rabbanit and torah teacher that Jessie studies with. They share how they met and a little bit about Nechama. BeH Jessie and Nechama will be having weekly conversations around the parsha, with Nechama sharing her truly unique and "somatic" torah insights and invitations.

I was raised totally secular—without an understanding that “how Jewish I am” has no relationship to how religious I am. But after a Crohn’s diagnosis and an invitation for deep, full-body and soul healing, I turned to plant medicine… and found my way to more of an observant Jewish life. One that only works because it’s fully authentic. Now, so much of how I experience healing is Jewishly rooted—th...