For the Love of Judaism

Harvey Hecker is a trailblazer. The first Orthodox Jew to join the New York City Police Department, the intersection of Harvey's career and his Jewish identity is as important as it is interesting. Listen to this week's episode to hear stories for Harvey's twenty years on the job and the many different ways that this pioneer made a positive impact on the NYPD for Jews and non-Jews a...

All over the world scientists and other scholars of free thought are under attack by governments that seek to undermine their efforts to find the truth. On this week's episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by Dr. Eugene Chudnovsky, Co-Chair of the Committee of Concerned Scientists and Distinguished Professor of Physics at the City University of New York, to discuss the work of the CCS on behalf of sc...

Jess Kaplan and Jordan Paul both grew up at Marlboro Jewish Center. In the years since they graduated high school they have gone on to become star college athletes. On this episode, they reconnect with Rabbi Pont and talk about the demands of beng a college athlete and how it intersects with their desire to maintain a Jewish identity durng their college years.

The Tattooed Torah is an animated short film based on the well-known childrens book that has been teaching young children about the Holocaust for generations. On this episode, Rabbi Pont interviews filmmakers Marc Bennett and Greg Ferkel who brought this important story to life in an award winning animated film. Listen in to hear about how this film came to fruition and the impact it has made on H...

It is no secret that this has been a tough year for most investors. On this episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by his long-time friend Dr. Brian Portnoy, founder of Shaping Wealth, to explore the psychology of being wealthy and the many emotions that shape our personal views on financial success.

On this episode, hear a replay of Rabbi Pont's erev Rosh Hashana sermon where he compares playing a game of wordle to doing teshuvah...a perfect lead in to the coming Yom Kippur. See if you can guess the final word!

And....we're back. After a summer without For the Love of Judaism, Rabbi Pont is back with some exciting guests for season two. We kick it off with Rabbi Mark Cooper and Hazzan Lior Melnick who will be joining Rabbi Pont and Cantor Michelle Teplitz on the bima at Marlboro Jewish Center for the high holdays this year. This is a great chance to get to know the visiting clergy and learn some int...

It has been an amazing inaugural season of the For the Love of Judaism podcast. This week, in our last episode until September, Rabbi Pont shares two recent sermons and reflects on the year that has passed.

For generations, interfaith families were made to feel like they had no place in American Jewish society. But times have changed. In today's landscape, many Synagogues are rightfully embracing these modern Jewish families as important members of the community whose uniqueness is a strength, not a threat. On this episode Rabbi Pont welcomes Dr. Keren McGinity, consultant and interfaith special...

Come From Away  is called Broadway's 100-minute feel good sensation, and for good reason. Now in its 6th year at the Schoenfeld Theatre, this Tony Award-winning musical tells the true story of the five days following September 11, 2001 in Gander, New Foundland where 7,000 stranded passengers were met with overwhelming human kindness in their time of need.  This week, authors Irene Sankoff and...

It is not easy to be a kosher caterer but when it is done right, it is a lot of fun to attend a well catered event! Marlboro Jewish Center is thrilled to have formed a partnership with Ira Zahler and IZ Events as the new in-house caterer at MJC. After 30 years as an off-premises Kosher caterer in New York, Ira is bringing his fantastic food to central New Jersey where the Jewish community will be...

Israel is the only democratic country in the world where Jews don't have freedom of religion. Think about that. For decades, the conservative and reform movements have been forced to the sidelines in Israel's fight to have a vibrant and diverse Jewish community. On the front lines of this struggle is Dr. Yizhar Hess, a leader of the Masorti Movement and 10th generation Jerusalemite, and...

Few diseases impact the life of a family like Alzheimers. Millions of people around the world suffer from this debilitating illness and often it is their caregivers, children, spouses and loved ones who suffer in silence. In a special Mother's Day edition, Rabbi Pont speaks to local author and caregiver Cheryl Kempner about her new book, Remember Me: An Alzheimer's Journey Through Art an...

A few weeks ago we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first ever Bat Mitzvah. In honor of that important milestone, Rabbi Pont invited two of the first women to stand on the bima at Marlboro Jewish Center and be called to the Torah.

In honor of Earth Day 2022 Rabbi Pont goes indepth with the Karen Lewis, Director of Institutional Greening at Hazon, an innovative Jewish organization committed to the sustainability of our planet. Listen in for an interesting conversation about what we as individuals and Synagogue communities can do to make sure the world is still an amazing and green place for future generations. 

A special Passover edition podcast featuring a theory on the middle Matzah, a sermon about two of the four sons and a special Passover tune featuring Cantor Michelle Teplitz. A perfect way to get ready for your Seders.

Gender bias in hiring practices is a major issue across the country and unfortunately, Jewish organizations are not immune. By not confronting our biasies we make it harder to hire the most talented people to help our organizations thrive into the future. Dr. Sara Shapiro Plevan is the foremost expert on the role that gender bias plays in the hiring practices of Jewish communal organizations. In t...

The Jewish people make up just 0.19% of the world's population. It is one of the main reasons why so many Jewish families put pressure on their younger generations to marry within the faith. But what about when that doesn't happen? As time goes on, interfaith marriage is becoming more and more common. And more often than not, these Jewish and Jewish-adjacent couples become the lifeblood...

From the Iran Nuclear Deal to the Abraham Accords and much more, Gil Hoffman has been on the front lines covering all of the most important political issues in Israel. As the Chief Political Correspondent for the Jerusalem Post, he has spent his career understanding the politics of the country and the many complicated issues that its people face both domestically and abroad. This wide-ranging conv...

Antisemitism has been around for thousands of years and yet, in 2022, is a growing problem. This week, Rabbi Pont is joined by Dan Rozett, Manager of Community Engagement & Israel Engagement at the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey to discuss ways that Federation is supporting efforts to combat antisemitism locally, nationally and internationally. 

The situation in Ukraine is getting worse by the day. And yet, through the darkness, we are also witnessing the best of humankind. In Poland, thousands of people  have jumped into action to help the more than 1.3 million refugees who have crossed into their country over the past two weeks. On this episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by Magda Olczak who is on the front lines, doing anything she can to he...

One of the many milestones that a Rabbi gets to participate in is helping bring people into the Jewish faith through the conversion process. On this episode, you will meet three women who chose Judaism and the men who loved and supported their journey. 

For decades, the Jewish National Fund has been creating connections between Jews and the land of Israel. In these challenging times, when Israel is under more pressure to justify is existence than ever before, JNF is changing the conversation and making a massive impact on the next 100 years of Jewish and non-Jewish life in Israel. In this episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by Russell Robinson, CEO of...

Few disagree that there is an epidemic of gun violence in this country. Statistics don't lie. Whether it is a rise in school shootings, street violence, or religious-based hate crimes, more people die as a result of gun violence in the United States than in any other country in the world. Still, there is much that the average person has to learn about guns and gun safety. Enter Ira Levin, own...

Imagine being raised thinking that you wanted to become a Methodist minister only to figure out that in your heart, you are Jewish. While every convert has a story, few are as interesting as that of Rabbi Chaim Edelstein, Rabbi at Temple Beth Ahm in Aberdeen, New Jersey, whose path to the pulpit was just a little bit more winding than most. This is a story you do not want to miss!