Search for Meaning with Rabbi Yoshi

Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Hallel Abramowitz-Silverman, an Israeli activist and advocate. She first gained the attention of the public with her work with Women of the Wall that ended up with a widely reported case at the Israel Supreme Court in 2013. She talks about her service in the IDF focused on combatting online hate directed toward Israel.  @justhallel

Geoff Winston is an Israel educator and tour guide who has worked with Rabbi Yoshi many times over more than two decades. He led Rabbi Yoshi's recent solidarity mission to Israel this past February. Learn about his path to aliya , his reflections on October 7th, and the hope he finds in this moment. https://wisela.org/wisetravel/

Yuval Davidovits, Rabbi Yoshi's cousin, grew up in Israel and the United States. He recently completed his service as an officer in the Israel Air Force. He reflects on his time in the U.S., his army service, and his time in the reserves over the past several months. 

Sharon Fidelman served as a naval "tatzpitanit" in the IDF. Her job was to monitor Israel's sea border with Gaza using radar and surveillance equipment. Less than a year after completing her service, Sharon witnessed in real-time soldiers in a similar role being slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. She shares her reflections on October 7, describes her experiences of loss and confusion,...

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with Kenny Hamilton,  an entertainment entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California.  Kenny has been in music and entertainment for 14 years now, focusing on music management, social media/ influencer marketing, and hospitality.  His journey from an intern on a college radio station to Justin Bieber's bodyguard to a powerhouse in music and sports management i...

Rabbi Yoshi had the opportunity to speak to three current students at Princeton University's Center for Jewish Life along with the CJL director, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf.  Stephen Bartell, Davi Frank, and Seth Kahn, all current Princeton students, share their stories of navigating challenges on the Princeton Campus in the wake of the October 7 attacks. https://hillel.princeton.edu/  

Amanda Berman is the founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement where she works to empower and activate Zionists on the progressive left to stand proudly in social justice spaces as both Jews and Zionists. She is a civil rights attorney who has worked to fight antisemitism legally. Learn about how Zioness is working to educate and empower. To learn more and to support their critically...

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with his daughter, Naomi, who is a sophomore in a dual degree program at Barnard/Columbia and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She shares her perspective on the disturbing rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric on the Barnard/Columbia campus.

On October 7, Amit Ben Shlomo and Roee Arazi, members of the Givati Brigade, were called up for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces. A few months into this horrible war, Roee was badly wounded. Amit rescued him and helped to ensure that he was evacuated safely. Hear their amazing, inspiring story and learn how Beit HaLohem, the Israeli Wounded Veterans Organization, helped Roee deal with his...

Yasmeen Ohebsion, a senior at Tulane University, joins Rabbi Yoshi in conversation about antisemitism on college campuses today. Yasmeen, a leader in the Tulane Jewish community, recently testified in front of Congress about her own experiences of antisemitism at Tulane. She shares her personal insight into how antisemitism continues to impact her life and the lives of other college students, both...

Audrey Birnbaum grew up in New York in the late 1960s, the child of a Holocaust survivor. When her father, Jack, died in 2018, Audrey discovered hundreds of pages of notes he'd taken which served as a type of memoir of his experience in the Shoah. These notes, her own memories, and her research resulted in her first book: American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy .  The book was recent...

Jessica Elter tells her harrowing  October 7th story. She explains that she was supposed to be at the Supernova Music Festival with her boyfriend, Ben Shimoni, but at the last moment, decided not to go. Listen to the extraordinary tale of his heroism and her courage and strength. To learn more about Jessica, Ben, and some of the other people mentioned in this episode, click the links below. https:...

Professor, columnist, and host of "The Dan Schnur Political Report," Dan shares even-handed analysis on pressing political issues, from domestic policy to geopolitics.    Rabbi Yoshi gets his take on the 2024 election, the situation in Israel, Jewish values, and the role kindness and empathy play today — no matter which "side of the aisle" you're on. 

In his latest "Search for Meaning" podcast, Rabbi Yoshi speaks with Susie Lubell (left), a self-taught artist and illustrator whose work has been included in galleries and private collections around the world. A friend of Rabbi Yoshi for more than 30 years, she made aliyah in 2011 and lives outside Jerusalem. They discuss her art, ketubot , and how she holds out hope despite the turbulen...

When this is over there will be an encyclopedia of heroism because there were thousands of heroic moments..."   In his latest "Search for Meaning" podcast episode, Rabbi Yoshi speaks with Yitzhak Sokoloff, an Israeli political analyst and founder of educational travel company, Keshet. Sokoloff, a resident of Efrat in the Etzion bloc and of Yerucham, re-enlisted in the IDF at age 69...

Recorded in front of a live audience at Stephen Wise Temple, "Forward" Editor-in-Chief Jodi Rudoren spoke with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback on a new episode of "The Search for Meaning" podcast. The veteran reporter, editor and digital innovator spent more than two decades at "The New York Times," including nearly four years as its Jerusalem bureau chief. A sought-after speake...

Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Gary Grappo, met Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline through a mutual friend when Grappo was serving as Chief of Staff of the Quartet in Jerusalem  in 2010. Gary and his wife, Becky, soon became friends with Yoshi and Jacqueline. Over the years, Ambassador Grappo, a career diplomat with four decades of experience in the Middle East, has visited Stephen Wise Temple multiple t...

The existence of our universe is a miracle. Our own, personal existence is a miracle. This sermon celebrates creation, the Creator, and creativity. Stay tuned and be inspired. Featuring Cantor Emma Lutz and Dr. Tali Tadmor Arranged by Dr. Tali Tadmor, Cantor Emma Lutz, and Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback Yarone Levy, guitar  Larry Steen, bass Jeff Stern, percussion Tali Tadmor, piano Music to "Who is Li...

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast , Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts travel writer, author, podcaster, and Stephen Wise Temple Board member Lisa Niver , who just released her memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty . Lisa's memoir debuted as the top solo travel title on Amazon.com when it released on Sept. 19. Her p...

 As we reflect during the High Holy Days on issues of life and death, Rabbi Yoshi shares an interview with Lauren Ullmann, a Stanford Business School student and former MIT varsity goaltender player whose life was saved by a donation of peripheral stem cells. Fans of the Search for Meaning podcast will know who made that donation. Determined to use her experience as a team leader and the lessons t...

If you have been any kind of nerd or geek or pop culture enthusiast in the last 20 years, chances are you know the voice of Rabbi Yoshi's guest this week on the Search for Meaning Podcast: voiceover actress Vanessa Marshall. Though she has lent her voice to 226 shows, games, and movies, Vanessa is perhaps most famous for originating the role of the Rebel Alliance's Twi'lek pilot and...

In this 66th edition of his Search for Meaning podcast , Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts board game designer Brian Hersch. Taboo. Outburst. Super Scattergories. Have you played any of these modern classics at family game night? You have Brian Hersch to thank. Now a General Partner at Hersch and Company, with over $850 million in sales under his belt, Brian didn't set out...

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast , Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Orly Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center. Erez-Likhovski is an expert in the Israeli judicial system and the reasonableness doctrine, which have been the target of a massive reform push by the far-right current ruling government. Erez-Likhovski helps listen...

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast , Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts artist and educator Suzanne Horwich. Horwich, who hails from Rabbi Yoshi's hometown of Omaha, is the founder of Artists Giving Back , a program she started to bolster the spirits of Ukrainian refugees who have fled their warn-torn country for Poland. Horwich has long been drawn to the Syr...

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast , Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Ben M. Freeman , author, educator, and founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement. Born in Scotland, Freeman rose to prominence during the Corbyn Labour Jew-hate crisis and quickly became one of his generation's leading voices against anti-Jewish racism. In February of 2021, he published...