The Jewish Experience

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with Nissim Black. Nissim Black, whose first name is the word for miracle has done some miraculous things. At 34, he has six children with his wife Adina. Growing up on the street of Seattle things were not always the best. There was violence around some of the time. Nissim and his wife converted to Judaism. He and his wife made aliyah and they live in Ramat Beit...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with renowned comedian Modi Rosenfeld. Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by the Hollywood Reporter and BackStage, MODI is one of the comedy circuit's most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC.Comedy Central, Howard Stern and E! Entertainment, MODI has received rave reviews in the New York Times, Time Out NY and the New York Pos...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Kosha Dillz . Kosha Dillz is a Brooklyn based rapper who has been channeling his Jewish identity through rap for the last 15 years. A billboard charting artist, he has shared stages and festivals with everyone from Macklemore and Matisyahu to Kendrick Lamar to rap battles with the late DMX. Tune in to hear how Kosha, whose real name is Rami Even-Esh overcam...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with renowned couples and sex therapist Dr. Shy Krug. Shy Krug is a clinical psychologist and AASECT certified sex therapist, is the founder and director of Blue Anchor Psychology, a group practice in Manhattan focused on sex therapy, couples therapy, and trauma, mood, anxiety disorders. Dr Krug also serves as a consulting psychologist at the James J. Peters VA M...

This episode is MJE’s Annual Terry and Harry Pniewski Holocaust remembrance program featuring Rabbi Wildes' interview with Dr. Henry Ruston. Dr. Ruston shares his harrowing story of survival and his journey to becoming an Ivy League professor. Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

In this episode Rabbi Wildes shares ten insights that will help you have a more meaningful Seder experience. Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Rudy Rochman. Rochman is a noted speaker and writer on Jewish rights. Rochman's argument about the state of Israel's right to exist centers around the idea that Jews are indigenous to the land. He views Zionism as a movement of decolonization. Rochman has also criticized intersectionality because of how it has been used to demonize Israel. He has notably st...

God didn’t design the Seder to put your kids to sleep. Instead, the Seder is an experience your family should love, treasure and remember. Have you ever wondered that there might be something more to Passover, the Seder and in the Haggadah―something that just might hold the secrets to living the life of joy and meaning that you were intended to? In The Telling, Mark Gerson, host of The Rabbi’s Hus...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with Angela Himsel. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Jewish Week, Forward, Lilith and elsewhere. Her column Angetevka” on Zeek.net American won two American Jewish Press Association Awards. Angela holds a BA from Indiana University, which included two years at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and an MFA from The City College of New York. She...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Sarah Hurwitz. She's the author of "Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)." After a decade as a political speechwriter—serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Cli...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes interviews Liel Leibovitz. Liel Leibovitz is an Israeli-American journalist, author, media critic and video game scholar, and co-host of the wildly popular podcast Unorthodox. When he was 9 years old, he became interested in the United States after visiting relatives resident there and his interest has never died. Leibovitz was a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Spokesp...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with author and Signature bank founder Scott Shay. Scott Shay is a leading businessman, thought leader and author of two widely read books. Scott co-founded Signature Bank in 2001; the bank has become one of the best banks in New York for private business owners. Scott's second book, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism, has been recognized as one of t...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Walt Disney Studios Animator and MJE alumnus Saul Blinkoff. Saul began his career as an animator for the Walt Disney Studios working on the hit films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan. He made his directorial debut with the hip action-adventure series Spy Groove for MTV. Shortly thereafter, he re-joined DISNEY, directing the films Win...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with acclaimed professional matchmaker Danielle Rudoff. They talk about online dating, platonic relationships that heat up, and whether or not to go on the second date, along with a host of other topics. Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

D Lichtenstein is one of the most successful real estate developers in the country and a world class Torah Scholar. He is the host of “HEADLINES” - the single most popular podcast in the Orthodox Jewish community. A wonderful philanthropist and religious educator, David is CEO of The Lightstone Group which he founded in 1988. Among other things, Rabbi Mark asks David how to balance a life of profe...

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with acclaimed filmmaker Jeremy Garelick. Jeremy has worked with numerous actors including Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Hart. He is also an MJE alumnus. Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

Today's episode is a conversation about 2020 with Rabbi Mark Wildes and Rabbi Ezra Cohen. The two look back at this historic year – what they've learned, how they coped with the pandemic, and the passing of three great Jewish luminaries. And then they look ahead at what 2021 has in store. Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J...

Today's episode is conversation with Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, the Chief Rabbi of Dubai and the chaplain at New York University. On the show, Rabbi Wildes and Rabbi Sarna discuss the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, what it's like being a rabbi in a predominantly Muslim country, and how the pandemic has altered the campus outreach that Rabbi Sarna does at NYU. Websit...

Today's episode is a special one. It's a conversation with former Senator Joe Lieberman. Rabbi Wildes is joined by his brother, Mayor Michael Wildes, as they interview the senator about what it was like being a Sabbath-observant politician and what his advice would be to guide us through our currently fractured political time. This recording was part of the annual Ruth B. Wildes lecture series hos...

Today's episode is a special one. It's a conversation between Rabbi Wildes and Eli Beer. Eli is the founder of United Hatzalah of Israel, a life-saving emergency medical organization. Eli is used to being the healer, but earlier this year he contracted COVID and was put into a medically induced coma for a month. In today's episode, you'll hear all about how Eli rescues others and what happened whe...

Today's episode is a special one. It's a conversation between Rabbi Wildes and Michael Oren, who served as Israel’s ambassador to the United States. In this episode, Rabbi Wildes and Ambassador Oren talk about the latest developments in Middle East politics, including the historic Abraham Accords between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. They also chat about Michael's new book, which i...

Today's episode is a special one. It's a conversation between Rabbi Wildes and bestselling author AJ Jacobs. As many of you know, AJ is the author of the book "The Year of Living Biblically" where he tried to follow all the commandments in the Torah. In this episode, Rabbi Wildes and AJ talk about that spiritual journey, as well as a handful of other books AJ has written – including one about grat...

Today's episode is a rebroadcast of a lunch and learn on Facebook Live. The topic is "The Road Back: Confronting Intermarriage and Assimilation." Here is a link to today’s source sheet: https://bit.ly/2Cd9hSq Website: jewishexperience.org  Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/  Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/

Yonah Bookstein is co-founder and Deanna and Allen Alevy Senior Rabbi at the Pico Shul in Los Angeles, and co-director of Camp Neshama, projects building spiritual community for Jews in their 20s and 30s. In this episode, Rabbi Wildes and Rabbi Bookstein – longtime friends from their decades of working together in Jewish outreach on opposite coasts – discuss what Judaism looks like in the age of c...