Judaism Unbound

Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman discuss the history, shadow-sides, and positive possibilities for observing the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’av (the 9th of Av) — understood by many to be the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. What is Tisha B'Av? How has it been observed -- and, often, not-observed -- in American-Jewish communities? How can it help us consider the flow of the Jewish calendar as a...

Rest to Return is a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: What is sacred time? The names victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life building, whose memories are a...

Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman conclude a mini-series of Judaism Unbound conversations that have been exploring the principle of bodily autonomy -- and how it intersects with Judaism. They bring new elements to previous conversations about abortion, the pill, mass incarceration, and gender, along with exploring what bodily autonomy looks like in Jewish rituals like fasting for Yom Kippur. Acc...

Rest to Return is a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: Where do we find permission to rest?  Here is the Rauh Jewish Archives entry about Congregation Torath Ch...

Welcome to Shabbat Unbound , the world's longest Friday night Sabbath service, stretching over eight episodes. Instead of rushing through all the Friday night Shabbat prayers in one sitting, like we might in a classical synagogue environment, we're taking our time diving deep into one prayer each episode through song study and sacred conversation. It's the most original and traditional way to enga...

Rest to Return is a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: How do we know when to work and when to rest? I learned about spiralinear time from Kohenet Sara Esther R...

This conversation explores how American Jewish World Service understands global justice as an expression of human dignity, solidarity, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to live a full and flourishing life. Through stories from Uganda, Kenya, and beyond, Joannine Nanyange describes how AJWS partners with grassroots movements fighting for LGBTQ rights, health access, democrac...

Rest to Return , a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We continue by gathering around a single question: What is my sacred purpose? You can find more info about Tzedek Lab here . Settled back into his room, my d...

Danya Ruttenberg is a rabbi, writer, and activist who has been on the front-lines fighting for reproductive justice, through Jewish lenses, for many years. She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about abortion, the framework of bodily  autonomy, and how we might best conceptualize what it means to relate to these issues Jewishly. This episode is the 4th in an ongoing mini-series of Judai...

Rest to Return , a podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat, an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. We begin by gathering around a single question: What do we need in order to sustain our sacred purpose? I received Kohenet smicha from The Kohenet Hebrew Pri...

Shir Lovett-Graff , a writer and community-organizer, is a founder and organizer with Matir Asurim: Jewish Care Network for Incarcerated People -- they also serve as executive director for the Attleboro Area Interfaith Collaborative . Lovett-Graff joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about incarceration through Jewish lenses. This episode is the 3rd in an ongoing mini-serie...

Dubbs Weinblatt , an educator and facilitator whose work focuses on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and belonging, joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about the empowerment of Transgender people -- in Jewish spaces and in society more generally. This episode is the second in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series exploring the intersection of Judaism and bodily autonomy. Access full sh...

We are exhausted…not because we lack discipline but because we’ve lost our relationship to time. Rest to Return is a seven-episode podcast for a restless world. Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host. This series is rooted in Shabbat - an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is not a reward for finishing our work, but a sacred rhythm woven into who we are. Eac...

Welcome to Shabbat Unbound , the world's longest Friday night Sabbath service, stretching over eight episodes. Instead of rushing through all the Friday night Shabbat prayers in one sitting, like we might in a classical synagogue environment, we're taking our time diving deep into one prayer each episode through song study and sacred conversation. It's the most original and traditional way to enga...

Shavuot! Is! Coming! As this episode is released, the festival of Shavuot is less than a week away. And with it, ShavuotLIVE: Judaism Unbound's 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning , approaches as well (begins Friday, May 22nd at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT)! Lex Rofeberg, Rena Yehuda Newman, and Miriam Terlinchamp dive into the wild twists and turns that have characterized Shavuot's journey...

 Starting May 22nd, we're launching a new monthly series called Shabbat Unbound , an experiment in slowing Jewish prayer down. Once a month, in place of our regular interview on Friday, we'll release Shabbat Unbound here on the Judaism Unbound feed. Each episode of Shabbat Unbound focuses on one prayer through song, study, and story. Before the first episode drops on May 22nd, we wanted to share o...

Samira Mehta is the author of a new book entitled God Bless the Pill: The Surprising History of Contraception and Sexuality in American Religion . She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation exploring her book, along with what it can teach us about the history of American religion -- and about Jewish history in particular. This episode is the 1st in an ongoing unit of Judaism Unbound episodes...

Chaia is a composer known for her Yiddish techno music, sometimes known as "kleztronica" (klezmer + electronica). She joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation honoring May Day (International Workers' Day). Together they explore the intersection of Yiddish, revolution, and folksong -- which, as it turns out, is an extremely prolific and inspiring intersection! They also explore...

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Judaism Unbound is thrilled to be bringing you not one, not two, but THREE different Shabbat-focused podcasts over the coming months! They'll be called Shabbat Unbound, Rest to Return, and Shabbat Dinner Party. In this episode, Lex, Rena Yehuda, and Miriam explore what these podcasts will be, and why Judaism Unbound has chosen to make Shabbat such a big part of our programming mo...

Eli Ramer is a maggid (storyteller), an author, and a mystic. He joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about Jewish connections across generations. They explore what it means to do eldering work, discuss Jewish notions of reincarnation (gilgul), and exchange stories that have the potential to help build a brighter world. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses...

Sofia Freudenstein serves as the Director of Jewish Life and Learning for the Jewish Community of Helsinki, Finland . She joins Lex and Rena Yehuda for a conversation about why being Jewish in Finland, and in other corners of the world that don't have the largest Jewish communities...really rocks! Together, the three of them also explore what halacha (Jewish law) looks like in such communities --...

This week, Judaism Unbound is thrilled to feature the 4th episode of Door to Door: A Pilgrimage Across Generations -- another podcast in Judaism Unbound's family of podcasts! Full shownotes for Door to Door Episode IV can be found here. ------------------------- Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upcoming mini-courses in the UnYeshiva: on Reproductive Justice, Torah during Climate Cat...

Chag Pesach Sameach! Happy Passover!  Oh. And also...Chag Hamatzot Sameach (Happy Matzah-Fest), and Chag HaAviv Sameach (Happy Festival-of-Spring), and Z'man Cheruteinu Sameach (Happy Time of Our Liberation)! In this episode, Lex and Rena Yehuda explore the holiday of Passover, asking how we might find deep meaning in the Seder -- in ways that balance having a joyous, fun time with holding the ser...

Rena Yehuda Newman is the new co-host of Judaism Unbound! In this second episode of a 3-part mini-series, they talk through some of their core ideological frameworks -- Jewishly and beyond. Rena Yehuda and Lex talk about Hasidic philosophy, pluralism, and the ways in which every single Jew is a letter in the Torah. ------------------------------ Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out upco...

Rena Yehuda Newman is the new co-host of Judaism Unbound! They've been a guest on the podcast before, but this episode marks the first time that they truly and fully inhabit this new role of co-host. In this episode, Rena Yehuda introduces themself to Judaism Unbound listeners. In doing so, there is much discussion about frozen foods -- and more than a little discourse about the word "goofy" in mu...