Our first new episode in a long time... But it's a good one that's been worth the wait. In this episode we are joined by Thea Lavin who rolls her sleeves up to do the dirty work of trauma education and peacebuilding. This episode has a poignancy brought on by the recent Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza. A conflict and war that took the lives of many innocent children. Thea teaches us what it means to step up to the table and share a voice for the purposes of bringing strength and resiliency to the lives of others. 

In our newest episode I sit down with Jewish educator extraordinaire and friend, Julee Snitzer Levine. Julee shares her experiences finding herself and the excitement she feels expressing her deepest values. She reminds us how important it is, particularly during a time of pandemic, to hang on and seek out kindness and help when necessary.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health and thinking about harming themselves, please share this information with them. 

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

It was great to catch up with an old student of mine who challenged me as a younger rabbi, and who now challenges all of us. Ethan's message about loving ourselves to the point where we see how infinite we are internally is a necessary message for today. In his life Ethan has transcended not only the limits that others placed on him, but also the one we mistaken place on ourselves.

Our first, and I suspect, not our last interview with a tattooed rabbi. Rabbi Iggy is a friend from my days at Camp Ramah. Like all of us, Iggy has evolved in different ways in his life. The one consistent is that he's a good person. Today we find him as the founder and director of the T'shuvah Center in New York City (https://www.tshuvahcenter.com/)

One of my best episodes to date! Not only because this was an in-person conversation, but also because the sound quality is the best so far :) Sam is a Warrior-Brother of mine from the Mankind project, which we discuss a little bit. And yet this episode is chock full of interesting conversation points: From Jewish identity, personal growth, family, to anti-semitism, white-privilege and hoping people see you as a Jew. This is a conversation you don't want to miss!

In this episode, Aaron Bock takes us on journey around the world and his spiritual development. During our discussion we also venture into the topic of dual-identity and explore the overlap between Jewish and American values.

Alan is a great guy and with a wonderful journey. In this episode we learn that Alan's tattoos are an expression of who he is, and the journey he has taken.