Judaism Unbound

Ariana Katz , the founding rabbi of Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl ("Shtiebl" refers to an intimate, cozy space where prayer and study meet), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 4th episode in an ongoing series on Jewish spirituality. Together they explore what it means to build an intentional, spiritual, community, and also consider the importance of holding a mindset of spiritual...

Yoshi Silverstein is the founder and executive director of Mitsui Collective , an organization that seeks to "build resilient community, through embodied Jewish practice and somatic antiracism." Silverstein joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 3rd episode in an ongoing mini-series on Jewish spirituality, and in their conversation they explore ways in spirituality connects not only to our so...

Wendie Bernstein Lash , a longtime friend and collaborator of Judaism Unbound who co-facilitates our Elul Unbound initiative every year -- as an on-ramp to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg in the 2nd episode of an ongoing mini-series on Jewish spirituality. Bernstein Lash, a spiritual director (and teacher of other spiritual directors) for decades, outlines what...

In this 5th and final episode in a five-episode mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized , Dan Libenson, Lex Rofeberg, and Liana Wertman conclude the first-ever edition of Apocry-Fest by synthesizing some of the conclusions they've reached as a result of this mini-series. In doing so, they consider a variety of strategies to supplement, up-end, and/or re-shape our Jewish canon. If...

In this 4th of a five-episode mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized , Dan Libenson, Lex Rofeberg, and Liana Wertman celebrate the book of Judith. One of the better-known books of the apocrypha, there’s actually a great deal of historical precedent for tying the story of Judith to the celebration of Hanukkah. The three co-hosts ask why that is, along with talking through some of...

Josh Feigelson, the president and CEO of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality -- and also the author of a new book entitled Eternal Questions: Reflections, Conversations, and Jewish Mindfulness Practices for the Weekly Torah Portion -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for the 1st episode in an ongoing mini-series exploring contemporary Jewish spirituality.  To access full shownotes for this ep...

In this 3rd of a five-episode mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized , Dan Libenson, Lex Rofeberg, and Liana Wertman dive into an apocryphal book called Jubilees . While not traditionally tied to the festival of Hanukkah, the three hosts argue that it could be part of a broader effort to consciously integrate, into our contemporary Jewish practice, books that never made it into...

In this 2nd of a five-episode mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized , Dan Libenson, Lex Rofeberg, and Liana Wertman dive into a little-known book called Megillat Antiochus -- the scroll of Antiochus. They compare and contrast its Hanukkah narrative with some better-known versions, and ask what it would look like if we incorporated this book into our experiences of Hanukkah toda...

In this 1st of a five-episode mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized , Dan Libenson, Lex Rofeberg, and Liana Wertman introduce why Hanukkah is a perfect time to engage with books of the Apocrypha (a category of ancient works of literature that were never officially canonized as part of the Bible)!  You can sign up for Apocry-Fest by heading to www. JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest...

David Kasher , associate rabbi at IKAR and author of a new book entitled ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to provide some commentary (get it??) on how we read the Torah. In their conversation, they explore some of the incredible opportunities, and potential drawbacks, that arise when reading Torah through traditional and less-tradition...

We are thrilled to feature an episode of a new podcast in the Jewish pod-o-sphere, as a bonus episode on our podcast feed! This episode is the third in a new series called Breaking the Glass: Reflections on Interfaith Relationships . Breaking the Glass is a podcast series from Jewish Rhody Media reflecting on the experiences of multifaith couples and families in Jewish communities and beyond. A se...

Happy Hanukkah! Or as we like to spell it, (c)(h)(x)(j)an(n)(i)(u)k(k)a(h)! We're about 1 week early, but in this episode, Dan and Lex explore Hanukkah in depth, asking how we might deepen our relationship to it if we connected it to frameworks from our recent conversation with Emily Tamkin , about her book Bad Jews . Also, they tie the holiday of Hanukkah to....Jewish weddings? It sounds incohere...

Ayin Press is an artist-run publishing platform, production studio, and research collective -- rooted in Jewish culture and emanating outward. They recently launched, and there's much to be excited about! High on the list is the adjective "artist-run" that begins their self-identification -- a great hyphenated adjective that we hope more Jewish organizations will come to embody! Dan Libenson and L...

Jen Gubitz is the founder and executive director of Modern Jew ISH Couples -- an organization that supports committed couples on the pathway to partnership, marriage, and beyond. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Jewish weddings that asks a number of questions. What typically happens, and what should happen, before the wedding day? Why is it not only okay, but wonder...

Adina Allen , co-founder and creative director of The Jewish Studio Project , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explore what Torah is, what creativity is, and what her framework -- a Torah of Creativity -- has to teach the world. Inspired by what you hear in this podcast episode? You can sign up for a 3-week mini-course in Judaism Unbound's UnYeshiva (a digital center for Jewish learning and...

This bonus episode of Judaism Unbound is presented in partnership with Theatre Dybbuk . Once a month, their podcast -- called The Dybbukast -- releases a new episode, and we are proud to feature their third season's first episode as a bonus episode here on Judaism Unbound's feed. In each episode, they bring poems, plays, and other creative texts from throughout history to life, all while revealing...

Emily Tamkin is the senior editor, US at The New Statesman and author of a new book entitled Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities . She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to explore how the phrase "Bad Jew" has been mobilized throughout American history, how it's used today, and why it might be time to discard it. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here . ...

Michael Lerner -- a theologian, activist, rabbi, and psychotherapist -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking back at over 50 years of justice work, drawing on Jewish wisdom and in partnership with progressives from other spiritual traditions.  To access full shownotes for this episode, click here .  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going wit...

Liana Finck , a cartoonist and author whose most recent book is entitled Let There Be Light: The Real Story of Her Creation , joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about this work -- a graphic novel that reimagines the story of Genesis, with God as a woman. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here .  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg , in two recent conversations with Ron Wolfson and Rachel Gildiner, explored what it meant for Judaism to be "relational." In this follow-up episode, they map that question, of what it means for Judaism to be relational, onto digital Jewish experiences in particular. They reflect on recent Judaism Unbound developments, including Yom Kippur and Hakhel , in considering...

Rachel Gildiner , the CEO of Gather, Inc. -- a nonprofit that is committed to reorienting how Jewish professionals and organizations define success -- joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about what it means to prioritize people, over programs, in Jewish life. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here .  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things...

Ron Wolfson , author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community (and many other awesome books -- that's just the one most central to this conversation!), joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the ways in which Judaism might be more powerful, if Jewish communities prioritized relationships over programs. He also offers some strategies for how we m...

Daniel H. Pink , a New York Times-bestselling author who recently wrote The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the positive sides of regret -- and how an exploration of regret could help us reimagine the holiday of Yom Kippur. To access full shownotes for this episode, click here . If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound...

Ketzirah Lesser is an ordained kohenet (Jewish priestess) who creates "magickal judaica, art, and ceremonies inspired by Jewish history and traditions." Her creations range from amulets and shrines , to Haggadot (guidebooks to the Passover seder), to AI art based on Yiddish folklore. If you're reading all this and thinking..."Wait, I thought amulets and shrines were considered idolatrous" or "I'm...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are here to say that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are solid -- as warm-up holidays. In this episode they look ahead to the festival of Sukkot, which comes after the two observances we call "The High Holidays," but historically may have been the biggest festival of them all! They ask why Sukkot, despite its initial glory, became a second-tier holiday over time -- and t...