The Jewish Experience

It is our responsibility to answer those who don’t have the knowledge or interest to ask about their Judaism, but miraculously are. At our 24th Annual Dinner I was honored to address close to 350 people who take our mission of reconnecting our Jewish brothers and sisters seriously. Thank you to all who came and donated. It was a magical night that will, please God, usher in many more spiritual mom...

"I'm spiritual but not religious." You hear this statement more and more these days but is there any validity to it? Take a journey with Rabbi Wildes through the mountains of India to an Allman Brothers concert in New York City and find out. We are hosting our 24th Annual Dinner on March 21st where we raise the majority of our donations, so please consider attending here (https://www.wizevents.com...

Rabbi Mark Wildes joins the Judaism Demystified podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of Jewish outreach. Rabbi Wildes shares his journey in Kiruv and delves into the reasons behind the lack of engagement of many Jews with Judaism. Is there a place for both a rationalist and mystical approach to outreach? Is blind faith a Jewish idea? What are the difficulties faced by the p...

What is the connection between the holiday of Purim and the series of Parshas that we are currently reading detailing the building of the Tabernacle? The answer reveals the solution to a significant issue currently facing the Jewish community - is Judaism about the practice of mitzvot, or the philosophy behind them? To watch the video version of this sermon and more inspiring video content from Ra...

In the final part of our series on the divinity and authenticity of the Torah, Rabbi Wildes sits down with Rabbi/Dr. Jeremy England. Dr. England has been called the next Charles Darwin by various respected scientists in his field due to his research on the spontaneous emergence of life. Despite this background which on the surface would seem to run counter to a Creationist view of the world as wel...

WOW! What a conversation. In Part 2 of our series on the authenticity and divinity of the Torah, Rabbi Wildes speaks with Rabhi Avraham Arieh Trugman - a Rennaisance Rabbi who has written over 20 books and has produced 9 albums of original music - about the incomprehensible depth of the text of the Torah. Rabbi Trugman specializes in utilizing the ancient method of Torah study known as Pardes whic...

It is difficult not to get envious of what other people have in a world where everything is shared on social media. Here are 3 steps rooted in our ancient tradition that you can take not to feel that horrible feeling of jealousy when you see others people in your life succeed. Follow Rabbi Mark Wildes: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMarkWildesMJE/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Rabb...

In part 1 of a 3 part series on the authenticity of the divine nature of the Torah, Rabbi Wildes speaks with Rabbi/Dr. Joshua Berman, who is infamous for his biblical scholarship. He is a Bible professor at Bar-Ilan University and his articles on biblical theology and contemporary society have appeared in the pages of Mosaic Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. We discuss Dr. Berman's biggest rea...

Yuval David is an actor, director, professor, and activist who focuses primarily on LGBTQ and Jewish issues. Many Orthodox Jews lament that their brothers and sisters on the Left do not fight back against antisemitism when it comes from that side of the ideological aisle. Nobody could say that about Yuval. In this exhilarating conversation, Yuval discusses how he combats the identity-based argumen...

"Jews are white." "Israel is an apartheid state." Hearing these inflammatory comments can be distressing but understanding the root ideology behind these assertions is the only way to truly fight back against it. David Bernstein, the Founder of the Jewish Institute for Liberal Values and author of Woke Antisemitism: How a Progressive Ideology Harms Jews is a self-described liberal who is fighting...

An incredible story from my teacher Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of the time he traveled to the Soviet Union in 1970 and received the answer to a question in the Torah that had been bothering him for decades - from an 18-year-old. Follow Rabbi Mark Wildes: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMarkWildesMJE/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RabbiWildes/ Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/5OD2ziql Follow...

How is it possible that a lifelong antisemite converts to Judaism? How is it possible that an ardent secular Jew who passionately asserts that the Torah is not of divine origin returns to observance? Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

Antisemitism is on the rise across the political spectrum. However, is antisemitism on the Left not getting the same coverage as antisemitism coming from figures like Kanye West? Dumisani Washington returns, this time in person, to discuss who is covering for these antisemites, whether the Biden administration is culpable, and his recent experience traveling to South Africa. Plus, Martin Luther Ki...

The story of Joseph in Egypt leaves many questions unanswered. Why does it seem Joseph is acting so cruel to his brothers if he is referred to as "Joseph the Righteous?" Why didn't Joseph reach out to Jacob to tell him he was still alive? The answers to these questions clue us in on whether the things that happen to us in our day-to-day lives are pure randomness or whether there is something deepe...

Rabbi Mark Wildes as you have never heard him before! Rabbi Wildes is questioned by his beloved student Daniel Wallach on whether he is disappointing his teachers by teaching Kabbalah and Chassidut, the thin line he has to walk as an outreach Rabbi to avoid offending potential students, inspiring young people towards spirituality in the hustle and bustle material world that is New York City, and m...

Womanhood and the role of femininity is a lightning rod issue in our times. Is a woman not complete unless she has a child? What does it really mean to "be a woman?" There is no better place to look than the story of our Matriarchs. Website: https://www.jewishexperience.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMarkWil... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RabbiWildes/ Website: jewishexperienc...

Despite the rich history of cooperation between the Jewish and Black communities, tensions have been high over the past couple of months spurred on by the antisemitic comments of Kanye West and a rally of Black Hebrew Israelites outside of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Rabbi Wildes is joined by Dumisani Washington, founder of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel to discuss the roots o...

What's more holy? Doing things when we feel inspired or rather when they have become monotonous and are merely part of a routine? The answer may surprise you. For more thought-provoking and inspirational Torah content from Rabbi Mark Wildes, subscribe to the Youtube page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oWrlgD3gZX9-8ZyNbpd-g Follow Rabbi Wildes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMark...

You'll often hear these days that we don't need God in order to be good people. Is this true? Have we outgrown God? Can objective morality exist without the Divine? For more thought-provoking and inspirational Torah content from Rabbi Mark Wildes, subscribe to the Youtube page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oWrlgD3gZX9-8ZyNbpd-g Follow Rabbi Wildes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rab...

It is said that one of the biggest parts of being an adult is taking responsibility for your mistakes. But how often do we pass the blame on to someone else? The earliest Biblical characters failed to undertake this challenge - until Abraham came along. For more thought-provoking and inspirational Torah content from Rabbi Mark Wildes, subscribe to the Youtube page at: https://www.youtube.com/chann...

Rabbi Wildes shares how a minute difference between ethics and etiquette informs how we can know we are doing what is right and not what is easy and convenient. For more thought-provoking and inspirational Torah content from Rabbi Mark Wildes, subscribe to the Youtube page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oWrlgD3gZX9-8ZyNbpd-g Follow Rabbi Wildes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMa...

The advice of "listen to your heart" to find your answer to a pressing life issue is a common one in pop culture. But is it one the Torah agrees with? For more thought-provoking and inspirational Torah content from Rabbi Mark Wildes, subscribe to the Youtube page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0oWrlgD3gZX9-8ZyNbpd-g Follow Rabbi Wildes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiMarkWildesMJ...

Rabbi Mark Wildes moderates a fascinating discussion with Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal (The Rationalist) and Rabbi Daniel Bortz (The Mystic) on many of the intense disagreements between the Maimodean school of Jewish thought and the Kabbalistic approach. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Manhattan Jewish Experience on Monday, October 24th, 2022. 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:08:40...

Rabbi Mark Wildes was ordained from Yeshiva University, but before becoming a rabbi, he received a JD from the Cardozo School of Law and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University. Since founding MJE 20 years ago, Rabbi Wildes has become one of America’s most inspirational and dynamic Jewish educators. He lives with his wife Jill and their children Yosef, Ezra, Judah and Avigayil...

Rabbi Mark Wildes and his wife Jill co-founded Manhattan Jewish Experience, or MJE, more than 20 years ago. What started as a beginner’s Hebrew class with 18 attendees has blossomed into an organization that today draws in over 20,000 annual attendees to classes, events, Shabbos meals, and more. Rabbi Wildes was a lawyer and pulpit rabbi before ultimately finding his true purpose as an outreach ra...