Judaism Unbound

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg are excited to talk about dinosaurs, mammals, and what they have to teach us about the evolutions of 21st century Judaism(s).  If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE , head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like.  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deducti...

Lila Corwin Berman , director of the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History and author of the upcoming book The American Jewish Philanthropic Complex: The History of a Multibillion Dollar Institution , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking at the history of Jewish philanthropy, along with an exploration of how Jewish philanthropists are responding to COVID-19. If you...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg explore a not-so-hypothetical question: "If 13 million Jews (and billions of others) built a new planet from scratch, what Jewish institutions would (and should) we create?" If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE , head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like.  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep thin...

Amichai Lau-Lavie , the founding spiritual leader of Lab/Shul and creator of Storahtelling, joins Dan and Lex to consider what spiritual tools, learned during this COVID-19 pandemic, we can preserve for “the after.” If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here! To access shownotes...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg look at digital Judaism through two main ideas: that our current Jewish reality is comparable to a "migration," and that the digital Jewish ecosystem is analogous to a brand-new Jewish city, of 13,000,000 people, being founded from scratch. If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE , head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a l...

Barbara Thiede , Teaching Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and Dean of the Faculty for the ALEPH Ordination Program , joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about the Book of Jubilees, why it matters, and what we can learn from it — along with other Jewish books that didn’t make it into the Bible. If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE , which is...

Dan and Lex, in a bonus episode initially livestreamed via jewishLIVE , glean lessons from observing Shabbos (Shabbat) under physical distancing. If you would like to learn more about jewishLIVE , head to jewishLIVE.org -- and stay in the loop by giving our Facebook page a like.  If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donatio...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg reflect on the digital Jewish ecosystem that has arisen rapidly in this moment of COVID-19 and social distancing, and ask what it could mean for the future of Judaism. In particular, they shine a light on a project they just launched, called jewishLIVE, which is serving as a digital hub for livestreaming Jewish programming. If you would like to learn more about jewish...

Dan Libenson and Benay Lappe take a look squarely at Passover under COVID-19, in our moment of social distancing. What challenges arise for those celebrating this holiday via digital platforms, and what opportunities arise? Dan mentions a new initiative, jewishLIVE , which is seeking to meet some important needs of communal gathering at this time of physical distancing. Visit jewishLIVE.org to lea...

Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg wrap up their series on creative approaches to Passover by invoking some of their recent guests and brainstorming their own ideas for experimental new forms of Passover observance. At the top of the episode, Dan mentions a new initiative, jewishLIVE , which is seeking to meet some important needs of communal gathering at this time of physical distancing. Visit jewishL...

Kristin Eriko Posner joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about creating multicultural Jewish ritual. Posner is the founder of Nourish Co. , a lifestyle brand that help people to come together, heal, connect to their lineage, and remember their rituals. At the top of the episode, Dan and Lex take a moment to check in with listeners about the moment we are inhabiting, which necess...

Brian Field and Caryn Aviv , two professional leaders of Judaism Your Way (a Denver-based organization focused on engaging Jews and their loved ones), join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Passover. In particular, they take a look at ways in which it can serve as an opportunity for interfaith bridge-building and as a chance to manifest what they term the “Torah of Inclusion.”...

Eileen Levinson , founder of Haggadot.com , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about crowd-sourced haggadot (guide-books to the Passover seder), and about re-imagining Passover more generally. We hope to use this series as a case study of concrete practices for finding deeper meaning in contemporary Jewish practice. This episode is the fourth in an ongoing series exploring new,...

Vanessa Ochs , author of The Passover Haggadah: A Biography , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the origins, evolutions, and revolutions of the Passover Haggadah — the text that is used as a ritual guide to the Passover Seder. This episode is the third in an ongoing series exploring new, old, and new-old approaches to the holiday of Passover. Pre-order The Passover Hagga...

Dan Horwitz , Founding Director of The Well , joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about outside-the-box approaches to Passover. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help to support our kickstarter campaign , currently underway to fund our book project, Judaism Unbound: Bound. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here! To access full shownotes for this episode, click here .

Barry Dolinger and Naomi Baine , co-founders of Mitzvah Matzos , join Dan and Lex for a conversation in which they explain that — despite what you’ve heard — matzah isn’t always hard like a cracker! More than that, they’re offering a new avenue for you, in eating it, to directly contribute to the betterment of our world. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help to support our kickstarter c...

Dan and Lex have one word for you, listeners……Nu? Just kidding, they have many thousands of words to offer in this episode, which concludes a unit of conversations about Yiddish language and culture in America. This episode is the sixth and final episode in a series produced in collaboration with the  Yiddish Book Center , as part of its  Decade of Discovery  initiative, in honor of 40 years since...

In this special episode, 2019 Judaism Unbound and New Voices Fellow Rena Yehuda Newman (they/them) explores a new concept called “Pluralism of Necessity,” when communities are formed not because their members have much in common, but because they need each other. Click here to check out the shownotes for this bonus episode, including a bio of Rena Yehuda Newman and some questions about the episode...

Tony Michels , the George L. Mosse professor of American Jewish History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the evolving role of Yiddish in America, from the late-19th century through the present. This episode is the fifth in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center , as part of its Decade of Discov...

Sandy Fox , American Jewish historian and host of Vaybertaytsh , a “feminist podcast for the Yiddish-speaking and the Yiddish-curious,” joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation that weaves together the topics of Yiddish, podcasting, summer camp, gender, and much more. (Fox is also known among Yiddish-speakers as סאָסיע־פֿריידל). This episode is the fourth in a series of episodes prod...

Asya Vaisman Schulman  and  Sebastian Schulman  join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg to talk about each of their individual relationships to Yiddish language and culture, along with their collective relationship to Yiddish that is embodied through their nuclear family. This episode is the third in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the  Yiddish Book Center , as part of its  Decade o...

Naomi Seidman , the Chancellor Jackman Professor of the Arts at the University of Toronto’s Department for the Study of Religion, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation looking at Yiddish’s intersections with politics, translation, gender, and shame. This episode is the second in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yiddish Book Center , as part of its Decade of...

Dan Libenson shifts from his usual role as co-host to one of guest! He appears on the Yiddish Book Center's podcast, entitled "The Shmooze," where he engages in conversation with host Lisa Newman about Judaism Unbound, some initial takeaways from our current series about Yiddish in America, and more. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly t...

Aaron Lansky , founder of the Yiddish Book Center and winner of a MacArthur Fellowship (also known as the MacArthur “Genius Grant”), joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the beginnings of the Yiddish Book Center, along with the role that Yiddish continues to play in American life today. This episode is the first in a series of episodes produced in collaboration with the Yid...

Ruth Calderon , a former member of Israel’s parliament and the founder of two organizations (Elul and Alma: Home for Hebrew Culture ) blending traditional Jewish study with contemporary Jewish culture, joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about how to blend traditional Jewish sources with a radical spirit of contemporary creativity. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound , please help us keep things g...