Tattoos and Torah

Have you ever made a resolution but didn't follow through? This week, Rabbi Iggy discusses how to rethink goal-setting around the new year, from developing strategies and building an accountability team, to avoiding the pitfalls of magical thinking. If you want to learn how to leverage the new year to take steps toward a more robust recovery and a life of meaning, this episode is for you!

How can the medium of film be used to help people enhance their addiction recovery? In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy is joined by Alex Kaplan, founder of the innovative nonprofit “Of Substance” that creates premium short films focused on overcoming the shame, blame, and stigma of addiction. They explore the ways in which movies can activate vulnerability, help us engage in emotional...

How can the Hebrew month of Elul be a catalyst for personal transformation? The month of Elul is dedicated to reflecting on how we live our lives, the values that drive us, and the balance between accountability, remorse, growth and rejuvenation. This week, Rabbi Iggy ruminates on this essential period and the purpose of the high holidays. By contemplating the values he personally plans to focus o...

What role does dating play in modern life, and why is it more complicated and confusing than ever? Rabbi Iggy spoke with Serial Dater Phil and Dating Detoxer Liz, hosts of the Unhinged and Bumbled Up podcast, where they offer a light-hearted, relatable and irreverent look at the world of modern dating. In this week's podcast, you can expect dating do’s, don’ts and disasters, with some spit-your-te...

What should we consider when bringing an interfaith approach into our family systems, community and greater culture? In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy speaks with author + journalist Susan Katz Miller about bringing greater awareness to the crucial issue of interfaith life, identity and experiences within the Jewish community and, indeed, all communities of faith. Susan is conside...

What does it take to lead a movement that transforms our nation (and world)? Rabbi Iggy spoke with Evan Wolfson, a pioneer for same-sex marriage and advisor for some of the most important social justice movements today. Evan Wolfson is an attorney and gay rights advocate who founded the historic Freedom to Marry nonprofit. He is also author of Why Marriage Matters: America, Equality, and Gay Peopl...

What lives at the intersection of mindfulness, recovery, Judaism and developmental coaching? Rabbi Iggy and Melissa Armstrong (Unified Mindfulness L2 Coach) explore the potential for long-lasting transformation and collective healing that lives at this intersection of modalities and philosophies (and how the combination can support recovering addicts in distinct ways).   In this episode, you’ll le...

What can we learn from commemorating the destruction of temple in Jerusalem, a structure lost over 2000 years ago? How is it relevant to today’s world? This week, Rabbi Iggy talks about the choices we make (and the consequences of those choices). Examining the intersection of cultural awareness, sovereignty as well as our individual and collective roles in history, he illuminates the modern lesson...

Remi Franklin is a native Angeleno, a Jiujitsu practitioner and an entrepreneur who is passionate about Jewish identity. Since the rise of antisemitism in the country, and particularly in LA, he has become a deeply devoted security volunteer, standing guard as highly visible Orthodox Jews make their way to and from Shabbat services. Known as a ‘Shabbat Angel’, Remi uses his talents to be of servic...

Shannon Smith encapsulates the intersection of recovery, Buddhism and motherhood unlike most contemporary dharma teachers. For Shannon Smith, integrating the dharma and 12-step Recovery that has resulted in more than 25 years of sobriety. In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy and Shannon Smith talk about secular Buddhism and how it supports addiction recovery. They also disc...

Eve Barlow is a pop culture journalist, and as of late has emerged as a proud voice of Jewish zionist queer identity. As an antisemitism and social justice warrior, Eve is a prominent figure in media outlets today, promoting equality, inclusivity and a push for a non-bias media. As a Hollywood insider, she has been at the center of cultural influence. In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi...

In this episode, Rabbi Iggy talks about our feminine and masculine sides, and how the strength of our spiritual connection depends on our ability to contact our own authenticity as well as face all parts of ourselves. We'll examine a range of topics that touch into these themes, including fatherhood and LGBTQI+ identities. If you're curious about the different aspects of self and how they're funct...

Jess Perlman is a queer Reiki master, medium and witch, providing her clients with a multidimensional space of healing, intergenerational clarity development and self-mastery. Growing up Jewish did not make any of these parts of her identity easy to grapple with, and has come to be an evolving, meaningful and integral part of who she is and how she serves in the world. Rabbi Iggy and Jess talk abo...

Emotional intelligence and awareness are integral parts of living a meaningful, skillful life (and they're essential components for people in recovery from addiction or dysfunction).Meet a steward of emotional intelligence, Mike Sagun! He is a certified professional men’s coach, offering life-transforming support to those in need. Recognizing the impact and importance of deep emotional health prop...

Memory is an essential component of forming identity. Personal, collective and constructed memory are just a few elements that can inform our approach to connection with self and others, to our recovery and to a life of meaning. In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy discusses the meaningful process of remembering and memory. He shares about the role memorial, memory and remembrance ha...

Christine Marie is a published author, poet, energy healer and a shamanic healer. Through the medium of creativity and shamanic healing, she guides and holds space for others to unearth their true divinity and empowers them to heal themselves. Rabbi Iggy and Christine explore the world of spirits, and the power of healing that's available within each and every one of us. This conversation con...

This week we are exploring the idea of learning and growing, and how important it is to find one’s interests and passions. Celebrating the upcoming holiday of Shavuot is a celebration of the torah that was given to (and that continues to add meaning to our lives in a timeless way). In this episode, Rabbi Iggy talks about different ways to interpret this body of wisdom and the way to make it your o...

Have you ever wondered what's possible if you could freely share your passion with the world? How might your attitude change? Will your level of service scale in quality if you are doing what you love? In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy spoke with Ben Siman Tov aka @BenGingi on Instagram (“YAAAAAS”) all about this. Ben is someone who has built a life and career around sharing his l...

Shadow work is a Jungian idea that is an essential part of the work we must do to create more peace and equanimity in ourselves and our lives.  Creativity, joy, authenticity and recovery are enhanced when we commit to exploring our actions, motivations and values. In this episode Rabbi Iggy explores different approaches to shadow work and explains his spiritual interpretation of it. If you ev...

Chris Wilson is the co founder of Unshakable Man', a community and brotherhood for men that offers tools for anxiety & stress relief, expanding emotional awareness, unleashing inner power and living a more fulfilling, whole life. In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy and Chris discuss masculinity, emotion intelligence, the entrepreneurial spirit and what it means to be a...

Marcy Crawford is founder of Embodied Teaching, one of the lead teachers at Unified Mindfulness, as well as a dedicated practitioner. She is a meditation teacher, but not just any meditation teacher. She is the the teacher that other meditation teachers come to to learn how to be an effective meditation teacher .In this episode of Tattoos & Torah, Rabbi Iggy and Marcy discuss the true essence...

We count so many things in life:  money, possessions, real estate and other material things. We also count sobriety and recovery time. But, how do you count the things that matter? The things that matter include the values you hold dear, and the things you treasure in yourself and others. Counting the omer is a thousand year-old tradition that reminds us to improve, change, grow and focus on...

Pastor Mick's journey is nothing short of miraculous.  Salvation came unexpectedly and dramatically for this British Christian Pastor, after overcoming a traumatic past and traveling the dark roads of addiction and violence.  Today, his life's work is fully centered on supporting highly vulnerable and marginalized people, including addicts and houseless people, in the UK.Rabbi Iggy and P...

Have you ever felt enslaved in your life? To someone else, to craving, or even to a behavior? The question is: How do you cultivate an enduring sense of freedom in your life? Is freedom given to us, or do we have to claim it? Is it possible to be enslaved to your desires? These are just a few questions that Rabbi Iggy and Rabbi Mark Borovitz discuss in this episode. As an ex con and recovering add...

The future is never secure. Many of us meet the future with a mixture of fear, excitement, trepidation and readiness. In this podcast episode, Rabbi Iggy talks about the spiritual nature of uncertainty, our attempts to control the uncontrollable and offers some ideas on how to meet what’s coming with equanimity and dignity. If you're looking for  a spiritual perspective on navigating the unkn...