Judaism Unbound

In Episode 557, Lex and Rena Yehuda explored the question "Does Judaism need halacha" (sometimes translated "Jewish law," and also sometimes translated "a Jewish path/way-of-walking in the world), using a format called the "anti-debate." Today, Stephanie Lepp -- the person who inspired that conversation by launching the anti-debate as a project -- joins them to look back on that conversation...and also ask big questions about Jewish debate throughout history.Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming course, called Judaism in 2070: Co-Creating the American-Jewish Future, and taught by Becca Leviss! For anyone who needs it, financial aid is available.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. 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!

How much of who we are is shaped by the people who came before us, and how much do we get to choose? For Marika Strauss, that question has followed her from childhood conversations with her father and grandfather to unexpected encounters in her own adult life. Along the way, she discovers that Jewish identity has many faces, and that the people we love can become mirrors in which we see ourselves anew. A story about family, belonging, and the freedom to become someone our ancestors might never have imagined.When Moses turned and saw the bush that burned but was not consumed, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, it was a map. Maybe the bush had always been burning. It just took someone willing to turn, to notice, to say this is sacred ground. Everyday Mystics tells the real stories of people who have had that turning. Small, ordinary moments that cracked open into something larger. Their stories of transformation weave Jewish wisdom bringing forward an old/ new way of understanding mystical experience and t

Welcome to Shabbat Unbound, the world's longest Friday night Sabbath service, stretching over eight episodes. Instead of rushing through all the Friday night Shabbat prayers in one sitting, like we might in a classical synagogue environment, we're taking our time diving deep into one prayer each episode through song study and sacred conversation. It's the most original and traditional way to engage in the transition into Shabbat, taking each prayer as its own world with its own Torah to teach us. Miriam Terlinchamp, Lex Rofeberg and an incredible group of musicians invite you to discover what happens when Shabbat slows down. The fifth focuses on Shema/V'ahavta.[1] You can watch this entire episode in video format here.[2] Want to watch the music video of our version of "And You Shall Love"? Great you can find it here.[3] Love the song "And You Shall Love" by featured composers Jessalynn Levine and Annie Villareal-Belford? Great! Check out the original here. 

When Moses turned and saw the bush that burned but was not consumed, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, it was a map. Maybe the bush had always been burning. It just took someone willing to turn, to notice, to say this is sacred ground. Everyday Mystics tells the real stories of people who have had that turning. Small, ordinary moments that cracked open into something larger. Their stories of transformation weave Jewish wisdom bringing forward an old/ new way of understanding mystical experience and the everyday. These are stories of when the ordinary becomes sacred, the familiar becomes mysterious, and Judaism becomes beautifully unbound.What happens when the lessons that carried you through life suddenly aren't enough? For Todd an unexpected crisis sets him on a journey where he begins to discover new ways of understanding love, loss, and the sacred. In the third episode of Everyday Mystics, a story of grief, gratitude, and mysterious encounter invites us to wonder whether the people we love are ever r

Does Judaism need Halacha?**Lex and Rena Yehuda have some overlapping thoughts about that question, but also want to explore the ways that they disagree with one another. This question is one that Jews across many geographic contexts and denominational affiliations (or lack thereof) have debated for centuries -- and we think that it's a conversation worth continuing! In this conversation, your two Judaism Unbound co-hosts take on a format called the "anti-debate," as implemented by Stephanie Lepp (who will join the podcast as a guest in a couple weeks, to discuss further). It incorporates elements of traditional debate, along with steps to encourage each person to inhabit the perspective of the "other side." ** Halacha is sometimes translated "Jewish law," and also sometimes translated "a Jewish path/way-of-walking in the world." It typically refers to traditions of rabbinic Jewish interpretation, as debated and applied over the past ~1800 years.Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upco

What if our deepest longing for love is also a longing for God? From a childhood encounter with the mysterious to an unexpected romance, Ayalon Eliach discovers that the search for human connection and the search for the Divine may not be two different journeys after all. In the second episode of Everyday Mystics, a story of loss, yearning, and second chances asks what it means to stop settling for something less than “The Real Thing.”When Moses turned and saw the bush that burned but was not consumed, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, it was a map. Maybe the bush had always been burning. It just took someone willing to turn, to notice, to say this is sacred ground. Everyday Mystics tells the real stories of people who have had that turning. Small, ordinary moments that cracked open into something larger. Their stories of transformation weave Jewish wisdom bringing forward an old/ new way of understanding mystical experience and the everyday. These are stories of when the ordinary becomes sacred, the fa

Sadeh Farm is a Jewish farm and environmental community centre, located just southeast of London, England. Because why wouldn't there be a Jewish farm just southeast of London?? Talia Chain, founder of Sadeh Farm, joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about Sadeh's work -- and about Jewish farming as a broader global phenomenon, dating all the way back to the Torah.Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! Jewish ritual objects, Medieval Jewish debates, Talmud for interfaith families and more! For anyone who needs it, financial aid is available.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. 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!--------------------------------Support Sadeh's ongoing fundraiser, to help it exist long into the future, via this link.

When Moses turned and saw the bush that burned but was not consumed, it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, it was a map. Maybe the bush had always been burning. It just took someone willing to turn, to notice, to say this is sacred ground. Everyday Mystics tells the real stories of people who have had that turning. Small, ordinary moments that cracked open into something larger. Their stories of transformation weave Jewish wisdom bringing forward an old/ new way of understanding mystical experience and the everyday. These are stories of when the ordinary becomes sacred, the familiar becomes mysterious, and Judaism becomes beautifully unbound.Some floods destroy. Others carry us somewhere we never expected to go. In the first episode of Everyday Mystics, Play Steinberg’s journey through grief, addiction, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and queer identity asks what it means to keep building an ark when the waters rise and whether the very thing that threatens to overwhelm us might also become a flood of love

In this episode, Lex Rofeberg and Miriam Terlinchamp introduce Everyday Mystics, a new podcast launching on this feed on October 7th, which tells the real stories of people who have had that turning. Small, ordinary moments that cracked open into something larger. Their stories of transformation weave Jewish wisdom bringing forward an old/ new way of understanding mystical experience and the everyday. These are stories of when the ordinary becomes sacred, the familiar becomes mysterious, and Judaism becomes beautifully unbound.Miriam and Lex unpack what it means to be an “everyday mystic,” arguing that mystical experience doesn’t have to be extraordinary, it can emerge in a blood donation, a walk through a cemetery, or any moment when the boundary between the ordinary and something larger suddenly feels thinner. They share their own stories of finding Jewish meaning in unexpected experiences, illustrating how ancient wisdom can give language and practice to something we may already intuitively feel. Ultimatel

Welcome to Shabbat Unbound, the world's longest Friday night Sabbath service, stretching over eight episodes. Instead of rushing through all the Friday night Shabbat prayers in one sitting, like we might in a classical synagogue environment, we're taking our time diving deep into one prayer each episode through song study and sacred conversation. It's the most original and traditional way to engage in the transition into Shabbat, taking each prayer as its own world with its own Torah to teach us. Miriam Terlinchamp, Lex Rofeberg and an incredible group of musicians invite you to discover what happens when Shabbat slows down. The fourth episode focuses on Lecha Dodi.[1] Source for writing Lecha Dodi.  Rabbi Chaim Vital (1543-1620),  student of  Arizal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, 1534-1572), writes in his Pri Etz Chaim (Sha’ar Shabbat) the Arizal’s precise procedure for Kabbalat Shabbat:He would go out into the fields and first recite Psalm 29 (‘Mizmor l’David’). Then he would say bo’i kallah three times

Yom Kippur is here! For the past few years, Yom Kippur has been the single most popular day — all year — for folks to listen to the Judaism Unbound podcast. So to those of you incorporating our podcast into your observance of this holiday, wishing you a beautiful and unbound Yom Kippur. In this episode, Brad Lander -- a candidate for Congress in New York's 10th district -- joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about observing Yom Kippur in 2026. Together they explore topics ranging from Un'taneh Tokef (the 'Who by Fire' prayer), to the book of Isaiah, to Yiddish curses, all in the interest of building a world that "distributes suffering less unequally."Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to check out our up upcoming courses in the UnYeshiva! Judaism Inbound (our intro to Judaism course) begins in just a few days, and four other amazing learning opportunities begin in October! Financial aid is available.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism

There’s a biblical story about Moses encountering a bush that burns but is never consumed. He stops. He turns and looks closer. And through that turning, he finds his call, and transforms the future of his people. That moment, was not just a once upon a time moment. But rather, an everyday moment. We believe burning bushes are still everywhere.They are the moments that interrupt us. Awaken us. Break us open. The experiences of untold wonder that shape who we become and change how we see what we thought we already knew.Your host is Miriam Terlinchamp, and on Everyday Mystics, we tell the stories of Jewish people who stumble across their own burning bushes and come away seeing themselves, their lives, and Judaism differently.These are stories about the moments when the everyday becomes sacred. When the familiar becomes mysterious. When something we thought we understood, Judaism, becomes beautifully unbound.Because sometimes, the miracle isn’t that the bush is burning.It’s that we stop long enough to notic

ASHERAH is a new journal of Jewish liturgy — past, present, and future. Its name comes from an ancient goddess, related to a tree of the same name, and its first issue kicks off with a provocative quotation from Abraham Joshua Heschel: "Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive." Shaul Magid, Asherah's founder, and Lila Rimalovski, one of its co-editors, join Lex Rofeberg and Miriam Terlinchamp for a conversation about weaving tradition and subversion seamlessly together, in artistic and linguistic forms.Looking for an intro to Judaism course? The UnYeshiva's gotchya covered, via our course Judaism Inbound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/2026-courses/p/inbound-9-26 to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.

On this final episode of Shabbat Dinner Party, we have the real dinner. First, Neil Spears talks about how when we go somewhere over and over, we become known.  Then, Gefelteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern put the final touches on their Shabbat dinner, and teach us about a dinnertime ritual where everyone touches the challah and we connect to break bread together.  Finally, Kate works up the courage to have a real-life Shabbat dinner table.  Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton. Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com Resources: Learn more about The Gefilteria  Listen to Liz and Jeffrey’s podcast, Meet Me At The Deli  Learn more about Judaism Unbound During the episode, one of Kate’s dinner guests says that Shabbat is “too holy for the angels.” This is a creative interpretation of Shalom Aleichem. Check out more informati

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash ask what the Torah portion Nitzavim (from Deuteronomy, meaning "standing") can teach us about what it means to gather en masse -- with other Jews on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, or as a broader community beyond just Jews. This Elul episode is the fourth and final conversation in a series of four episodes being released as part of Elul Unbound 2026.--------------------------------------Looking for an intro to Judaism course? The UnYeshiva's gotchya covered, via our course Judaism Inbound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/2026-courses/p/inbound-9-26 to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around

On this episode of Shabbat Dinner Party, we return to the imaginary Shabbat Dinner Table. Neil Spears talks about how to rid ourselves of the ‘tyranny of always having to produce.’ Gefelteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern return to the kitchen to teach Kate how to braid challah, a centerpiece of the Shabbat dinner table that carries layers of memory from the ancient practice of setting aside a portion of dough as an offering to the two loaves that recall the double portion of manna gathered before Shabbat in the wilderness.  Finally, Comedian and Writer Eliot Glazer talks about how Judaism’s become more complicated in the past few years, and how we think about the spiritual-but-not-religious perspective.  Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton. Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com Resources: Follow Eliot Glazer’s work  Buy T

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore questions of who/what God is, and how Elul might be a perfect time to explore questions around divinity. This Elul episode is the third in a series of four that are being released as part of Elul Unbound 2026. -------------------------------------- Looking for an intro to Judaism course? The UnYeshiva's gotchya covered, via our course Judaism Inbound: An Introduction to Judaism for Everyone. Head to JudaismUnbound.com/2026-courses/p/inbound-9-26 to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it. To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2026 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound S

On this episode of Shabbat Dinner Party, we return to the imaginary Shabbat Dinner Table. Neil Spears talks about how to have Shabbat dinner with a purpose, and why it can feel so hard to enter new Jewish spaces. Gefilteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern return to the kitchen to prep challah and talk about how there’s no such thing as a Bad Jew; what matters is that we’re on our own journeys, with an interest in learning. Finally, Hana Mendel talks about building her own Manhattan Shabbat practice and how, after trial and error, she found what she calls a “Shabbat of Peace.” Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton. Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com Resources: Hana Mendel’s website  Shabbat: A photo series for Verklempt Magazine by Hana Mendel  Learn more about The Gefilteria  Listen to Liz and Jeffrey’s podcast, Meet Me A

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore what it means to enter a "Thurs-Year" (a "Thursday" of years in the Shmita cycle, as a 5th year out of seven overall). This Elul bonus episode is the second in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2026. -------------------------------------- Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Jewish Time Travel: Discovering the Shapes of Our Past and Future (Xava De Cordova), Avinu Malkeinu? Is God "Our King" (Laynie Soloman), and Hannah, Hagar, Sarah: The Women of Rosh Hashanah (Alicia Jo Rabins). Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it. To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can st

Shabbat Dinner Party, an auditory exploration through a Shabbat dinner, returns to the appetizer table, the kitchen, and the dinner table to go through all things Shabbat dinner. In this episode, Neil Spears talks about how Shabbat could be the perfect antidote to burnout through the act of guarding and remembering. The Gefilteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern talk about their personal approach to Shabbat and religion, and how resting by yourself is different than resting in community.  Finally, writer and comedian H. Alan Scott talks about how working on several different creative projects doesn’t mean you can’t rest on Shabbat.  Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton. Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com Resources: Follow H. Alan Scott’s work  Learn more about The Gefilteria  Listen to Liz and Jeffrey’s podcast, Meet Me A