Jewish Insights with Justin Pines

Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander is President and Rosh HaYeshiva of the Ohr Torah Stone network of 32 educational institutions, leadership development initiatives, outreach endeavors, women’s empowerment programs, and social action projects, with thousands of alumni who have served in the IDF.

Internationally renowned Torah scholar and thought leader Dr. Elana Stein Hain, of the Shalom Hartman Institute, joins Justin to discuss her experience of living in Israel during the current war between Israel and Iran, sharing her reflections and offering ways to connect to what’s happening on the ground.    *** JBS is a non-profit, Jewish educational television and multimedia channel made possib...

Rabbi Herzl Hefter joins Jewish Insights with Justin Pines to explore the profound and often provocative teachings of the Ishbitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner. Drawing from the Ishbitzer’s seminal work Mei HaShiloach, Rabbi Hefter unpacks ideas about Divine Providence, free will, inner truth, and spiritual authenticity that continue to challenge and inspire today. Rabbi Herzel Hefter is t...

In this powerful and timely conversation, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) joins Justin to discuss his role as the representative for Edan Alexander, the American-Israeli hostage who recently returned home. Gottheimer shares what it means to be a Jewish member of Congress at a time of rising antisemitism, how he’s working across the aisle in today’s polarized climate, and how Jewish values shape...

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh, shares his passionate vision of a Judaism that speaks to the soul, exploring powerful insights from Chassidut, on connecting with God, living with purpose, navigating the challenges facing the Jewish people, and insights for Shavuot.

Rebbetzin Rochie Pinson, challah master and author of the international bestseller Rising: The Book of Challah, joins Justin to discuss the hidden power of the mitzvot traditionally unique to woman, including baking challah, lighting Shabbat candles and the mikvah, and how they each can serve as catalysts for an an elevated and meaningful life. To follow Rochie’s challah journey, or to contact Roc...

Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, founding rabbi of the Zion community in Jerusalem and co-founder and head of the Israeli Rabbinic Seminary at the Hartman Institute, joins Justin to continue our exploration of Pnimiyut HaTorah—the hidden wisdom of Torah, the inner dimension of Jewish spirituality that speaks to the soul and calls us to transformation, with a focus on Zion and Jerusalem, as we also prep...

Rabbi Beryl Gershenfeld, Founder and President of Meor and a co-founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Machon Yaakov and Machon Shlomo in Har Nof in Israel, joins Justin to discuss his unique approach to educating young adults on college campuses, the transformative power of the hidden wisdom of Torah, and how that wisdom can inspire and elevate us all. You can find out more at Meor.org Presented in partners...

Why Rebbe Nachman Still Speaks to Us, with Rabbi Zev Reichman (Hidden Wisdom of Torah Part 1) As we count the Omer and prepare for Shavuot, we begin a new series on Pnimiyut HaTorah—the inner, hidden wisdom of Torah. In this first episode, Rabbi Zev Reichman returns to Jewish Insights with Justin Pines to help us understand why the Omer is such a powerful time for inner growth, how Pnimiyut HaTora...

In preparation for Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Remembrance Day, and Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, Justin is joined by Dr. Daniel Gordis—renowned author, thinker, and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, whose work has profoundly shaped our understanding of Israel’s history, identity, and challenges - to reflect on the meaning of these important dates on the Jewish calendar this y...

Chiune Sugihara, known as the "Japanese Schindler," risked everything to save thousands of Jews during the Shoah (Holocaust) by issuing life-saving visas against his government's orders. Now, in this powerful Yom HaShoah conversation on Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, his grandson, Chihiro Sugihara, meets Rabbi Avram Mlotek, the grandson of Yosl Mlotek and great-nephew of Avram Mlotek, two of t...

What was it like to learn from Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of the 20th century? On the occasion of Rabbi Soloveitchik’s yahrzeit, Rabbi Hershel Reichman—renowned scholar, author, and devoted student of the Rav for several decades — shares rare insights into Rabbi Soloveitchik’s teachings, philosophy, and lasting impact. In addition to serving as Rosh Yeshiva a...

Rabbi Judah Mischel joins Jewish Insights with Justin Pines for a powerful conversation on the meaning of Passover. He explores baderech—the path to redemption—accepting your higher self, and the beauty of Jewish rituals leading up to the holiday. In a time of rising antisemitism, Rabbi Mischel reminds us of the strength and joy found in proudly living Jewishly.  *** JBS is a non-profit, Jewish ed...

On this episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, Rabbi Avi Weiss delves into the deep symbolism of Passover, exploring its connection to Israel and our relationship with God. He also shares insights from his new book, Haggadah Yehi Ohr: Let There Be Light, offering a fresh perspective on the holiday’s themes of faith, freedom, and redemption. Don’t miss this enlightening conversation on JBS!...

On this episode of Jewish Insights, host Justin Pines sits down with Eli Beer, founder of United Hatzalah, to discuss the lifesaving work of his volunteer-based emergency response organization. They explore the concept of Kiddush Hashem—sanctifying God's name through acts of kindness—and the power of a communal approach to helping others in times of crisis. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation a...

Justin is joined by Yehuda Kohn, longtime director of Bet Elazraki Children’s Home in Netanya, and Mishel Marchasin, a former resident & Presidential Medal of Excellence recipient, about the home’s transformative impact on at-risk children in Israel.

Rabbi David Fohrman, Founder and Lead Scholar at Aleph Beta, one of the most innovative interpreters of Tanach (the Jewish biblical canon), and author of The Queen You Thought You Knew: Unmasking Esther’s Hidden Story, joins Justin to reveal a new understanding of the Purim story and how it sheds light on the Torah more broadly.

Justin is joined by scholar warrior Dr. Rachel Fish, co-founder and president of Boundless, a think-action tank partnering with community leaders across North America to revitalize Israel education and take bold collective action to combat Jew-hatred, to discuss the rise of Jew hatred on college campuses and strategies to eradicate it.

Internationally renowned comedian Modi Rosenfeld joins Justin to discuss Jewish humor, the purpose of comedy and spreading joy on the occasion of the new month of Adar leading up to the holiday of Purim.

Dr. Elana Stein Hain joins Justin to discuss her experience of living in Israel as an American this year, including insights about Purim, Diaspora, Jewish identity and Religious Zionism. Elana Stein Hain is Rosh Beit Midrash and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

On the occasion of Tu B’Shvat, the new year for trees, rabbi and mathematician Dr. Elie Feder joins Justin to discuss our relationship with nature, the cosmos and creation. How do recent discoveries in physics shape our understanding of God’s existence, and how is Judaism in conversation with evolution? Rabbi Dr. Elie Feder, received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yisrael Chait, and a PhD in Mathe...

Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield, CEO of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, joins Justin to share her approach to creating culture and fostering purpose as an individual and as a leader of a family and large organization.

Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody executive director of Ematai, an organization dedicated to helping Jews navigate dilemmas regarding aging, and end-of-life treatment with Jewish wisdom, joins Justin to discuss confronting mortality, living wills, and physician-assisted suicide through a Jewish lens.

Marc Schneier, Founding Senior Rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue, author of "Shared Dreams: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Jewish Community," and President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, joins Justin to discuss the strong relationship between Dr. King and the Jewish people, Torah and the State of Israel, and lessons for today.

Emmy-award winning Joanna Stern, the Wall Street Journal’s senior personal technology columnist, and Rabbi Danny Nevins, Head of School at Golda Och Academy and author of “Torah & Technology: Circuits, Cells and the Sacred Path,” join Justin to discuss navigating technological trends through a Jewish and moral lens, including the use and creation of artificial intelligence, end of life/after l...