Judaism in the 21st Century

Oy Vey, I need a Vacation... Those words are said by so many, and yet, oftentimes, people do not take the chance to break away and recharge. IT turns out that vacations are actually part of the Talmud's teachings. This week, we unpack VACATIONS and their value.

The concept of "independence" and its meaning vary between countries. In the USA, it's become a holiday with picnics, parades, and fireworks. In Israel, Independence Day (Yom HaAztmaut) is celebrated much differently. There is a juxtaposition of Memorial Day with Independence Day - they are one day apart in Israel. We discuss these and other differences in this week's episode.

On the holiday of Shavuot, I spent my evening in synagogue at a late-night study session on Torah. Rabbi Cohen gave a talk about business ethics and its relationship to Shavuot—and to Judaism in general. In today's episode, we unpack some of these very relevant lessons. This issue has been at the forefront of our faith far longer than you might expect. It's been discussed in Torah, Talmud, and in...

At 8 PM EDT this past Thursday, June 12, the State of Israel took on a task that the rest of the world should have done long ago: It started an effort to destroy Iran's nuclear program. The early stages of the effort brought great success, but for every action, there is a reaction, and the cost of that reaction will be paid in spilled Israeli blood in the homeland. In today's episode, we discuss h...

We have a guest this week, Rabbi Herbert Cohen, a PhD in literature... who also happens to be Rabbi Daniel Cohen's father. We discuss how G-d is portrayed in secular literature in this week's episode.

Shavuot is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish Calendar. It commemorates the giving of the Ten Commandments to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. But what does it mean to us today? Listen in to this episode to find out.

As Jews living in America, we are part of what is known as the Diaspora. Do we, as Diaspora Jews, have additional responsibilities to the State of Israel? Tune in for a discussion about this topic in this week's episode.

From October 7th to the 2025 Eurovision Competition - Yuval Raphael's story is astounding... She is not just a survivor in a tough business (the music industry), but she literally survived the Nova Festival to perform in the Eurovision Festival 2025, which happened this week. Come listen to her story. You can view it in her own words here: https://youtu.be/ve0T0qzWLrM?si=BZXK6XoiavnSL0o7.

What is the Omer and why does it matter in 2025. Join us today for a discussion about the relevancy of the Counting of the Omer in our world today - and what is the meaning of "Lag Baomer."

Words can be potent tools. They can build and they can destroy. Words can make someone's day or leave them depressed and dejected. This episode covers a topic that was near and dear to Judith Altmann, a Holocaust Survivor who passed away this week at age 100. She used her power of words for decades after the Holocaust with children at various ages in public schools to tell her story and ensure...

In a country blessed with such wealth and plenty, we often forget that this was forged in blood. In Israel on, Yom HaZikaron, quite literally, every single car, train, bus and person stops in their tracks when the sirens sound - and the country stops for a few minutes to honor the fallen. It is a deeply meaningful event to observe. We reflect this week on Israel's way of reconginzing its falle...

An old ditty I learned (and lived) in medical school was, "See One, Do One, Teach One." It was intended to provide a straightforward method for remembering how to perform medical procedures and other tasks during medical training. But this ditty has application to our lives as Jews. Listen in to our discussion about "See One, Do One, Teach One."

When a friend or loved one is diagnosed with cancer, things can change. Relationships that were rock-solid - often for a lifetime can often morph. Friends or relatives can do one of two things: lean in to help or push away as if the cancer is contagious and push the cancer patient away. Today, we explore what Judaism says about helping a friend or a loved one through their cancer journey.

The reason that Passover/Pesach has survived though the centuries more or less the same way it was practiced centuries ago is because one of it's main foci is that of teaching children. The Seder is, first and foremost, an exercise dedicated to teaching children. In today's society, teaching children complex topics such as the Pesach story can be challenging. Listen in for suggestions on making yo...

With Passover/Pesach just a few weeks away, we wanted to provide some tips for your Seder that often get overlooked. At the end of each Haggadah are a variety of songs - many of which are geared to children. Many today are familiar with some of the more well known songs like CHad-Gad-Yah, (One Little Goat) or Echad, MiYodeyah (Who Knows #1?). Today, we will explore some of the background of these...

Judaism devotes tremendous effort to telling stories and engaging the youth in the history and backgrounds of our people. While day school is one approach, not everyone has the opportunity (or the wherewithal) to attend private school. In many families, Hebrew Schools, Jewish Youth, and summer Camps help with those challenges. This is even more critical in the 21st Century. Come listen to the jour...

Tess Brown is a young mother in our community. When her son was just 6 months old, she started to notice he was missing milestones. After a workup, he was found to have profound deafness from a congenital condition. This podcast documents the journey Tess and her husband have traveled raising a 24-month-old child with deafness, and their journey towards technical tools to help him - and how the Je...

This week's episode is a replay of our live recording from the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT. The Podcast was sponsored by Federation of Hartford. The topic was, "Assimilation in the 21st Century". We discuss the origin story of the podcast, the topic itself, and a Q&A session from the audience. Thank you to Federation of Hartford for sponsoring this event and episode!

How did you start your career? Chances are that you had help in the guise of a mentor of one kind or another - be it a rabbi, a friend, or someone else in your field. There is a huge amount of value for both the mentee and the mentor... In this week's episode we discuss the value of mentorship in your public life and your Jewish life.

This has been a very trying week for Jews around the world. The "release" of the Bibas family's remains - and having the mother's remains not even being hers, for the release of over 600 terrorists is very difficult to watch and digest. On top of that, there was an attempted multiple bombings on the bus and light rail system - which was discovered - so no one was killed. It's...

Charity vs Tzdakah - they are similar but different concepts. And there is some guidance on how to use these concepts in today's society. Rabbi Cohen and Dr. Labkoff explore the differences between Charity vs. Tzedakah - and how the recommendations apply to us today.

It's mid-February, and we are about to celebrate the "Birthday for the Trees" - or in some circles, the new year for the trees. Tu B'shvat has been called many things - but how is it relevant to us in the 21st Century? Rabbi Cohen and Dr. Labkoff explore this topic in this week's podcast.

Last week, we spoke about getting along in a multi-faith society. This week, we discuss how to get along with other Jews. This can be a challenge, too. Getting along with ourselves in our own community - consisting of Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist Jews can be extremely challenging, too. This week Rabbi Cohen and Dr. Labkoff discuss challenges from within our own Jewish soci...

Getting along in a society with so many different faiths can often be challenging. In the history of our people, we've had long runs where this kind of coexistence has been uneventful and well-tolerated. However, it feels as if, every so many generations, the Jewish people are assaulted to the point of near extinction. This podcast discusses how to get along in a multifaith society.

This is a momentous weekend - there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Some of the hostages are being released. However, their journey to freedom may yet to be over... Having freedom of the mind from an ordeal like this may take weeks, months, or years... Today we discuss freedom of the body vs freedom of the mind. G-d willing, not only their bodies but their minds will be liberated. This is the end of one v...