JOI to the World

Menachem Lehrfield
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JOI to the World is a collection of podcasts by Rabbi Lehrfield of JOI that explore diverse aspects of Jewish life, learning, and culture. Each episode offers a unique perspective, drawing from the rich tapestry of Jewish thought and tradition. You can subscribe to this podcast to get weekly episodes or you can subscribe to the individual shows to receive the monthly episodes as they air.Zero Percent: Discover the profound outsided impact of a people that make up less than 0.2% of the world.Dear Rabbi: Practical answers to questions about Judaism.reConnect: Bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern life, this series offers a deep dive into the relationships that matter most.Yada Yada Yiddish: A Jewish perspective on Seinfeld, using the show’s iconic moments as a springboard for exploring Jewish concepts and values.Kids Say the Deepest Things: Meaningful lessons from the funny and insightful things kids say, with reflections on life, parenting, and Jewish tradition.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    From Vietnam to Philanthropy: The Life I Never Planned Stephen Rosedale

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts. Welcome to Zero Percent, the podcast that explores the outsized impact of the Jewish people! 🌟Vietnam veteran and healthcare entrepreneur Stephen Rosedale built one of America's largest post-acute care systems, but his most defining moments happened long before that. In this episode, Stephen shares how a chance encounter in college led him to Israel, how combat in Vietnam forged an unbreakable promise to be his "brother's keeper," and how a single tap on the shoulder at a bar mitzvah changed his life at 47. Discover how Stephen's philosophy of "hearts touching hearts" became both the foundation of a 25,000-employee company and a blueprint for transforming Jewish life in Cincinnati from founding a kollel to building schools and synagogues and supporting Israeli communities rebuilding after October 7th. Whether you're thinking about what it means to give, how to pass philanthropic values to the next generation, or how near-death experiences shape a life of purpose, Stephen's story is a masterclass in turning personal trials into communal impact. This episode asks a simple but powerful question: when you feel that tap on the shoulder urging you to do good, will you stop and listen? CONNECT WITH US: 🎧 Listen to all our podcasts: [www.joidenver.com/podcasts] Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    41 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    Where Did the "All Jews Are Rich" Stereotype Come From

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a persistent stereotype: Where did the idea come from that all Jews are rich? I can assure you it's not true in my case, and we all know Jews who are wealthy and Jews who are struggling, just like all of society. But the origin of this stereotype reveals something profound about Jewish values. I share a fascinating insight from Mark Twain, who once wrote an article addressing the root causes of antisemitism. While many people are familiar with the end of that article, where he talks about how Jews seem to be immortal, surviving despite everything the world has thrown at them, he makes a remarkable observation in the middle of the article. Mark Twain noted that because Jews take care of each other, you never find a Jewish beggar. Perhaps that's where the stereotype originated. Non-Jewish neighbors assumed Jews were all rich because they never saw Jewish people begging or asking for money on the streets. The reason, of course, wasn't because poor Jews didn't exist; rather, the Jewish community took care of them quietly and effectively. While stereotypes are generally negative, understanding the root of this particular one is something we should take pride in. Jewish people have always taken care of one another. This important Jewish value—sharing what we have with others, taking care of our fellow brothers and sisters, and ensuring no Jew (or any human being) ever goes hungry has always been central to Jewish identity and community life. Keep the questions coming! If you have a burning question about Judaism, Please email us at Dearrabbi@Joidenver.com📧 Tune in to Dear Rabbi and uncover the wisdom behind Jewish customs and laws. 🎙️🌟 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    3 min

  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    Parshat Terumah: God Doesn't Need a House, We Do

    📖 Parshat Terumah This Week: God doesn't need a palace. He doesn't need gold, silver, or a physical home. So why command us to build the Mishkan? Because WE need it. We're physical beings living in a material world, constantly absorbed in the tangible. God is teaching us: you can elevate it all. Don't think you're 'too materialistic' or 'too physical' to be spiritual. Take those physical materials, gold, wood, and fabric, and make me a home. By doing so, you remind yourself that you're truly spiritual inside. Everything at your disposal can become holy. Your work, your home, and your relationships all can be sanctuaries. You're not too little. You're capable of making space for the Divine in your everyday life. Shabbat Shalom. 🏗️ Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    1 min

  4. 18 FEB

    Can You Buy a Mezuzah Online? What You NEED to Know Before

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a crucial question: Is there anything wrong with buying a mezuzah online or at a gift shop? The answer might surprise you and could save you from making an expensive mistake.  First, let me clarify we're talking about the mezuzah scroll itself (the parchment inside), not the decorative case. A mezuzah case doesn't have any inherent holiness and can be purchased anywhere you'd like. But the scroll inside is a completely different matter.  It's extremely important that mezuzah scrolls are purchased from reputable sources, either directly from a sofer (scribe) or from someone trustworthy who deals in mezuzahs. Here's why: Unlike a Torah scroll, a mezuzah must be written in specific order from beginning to end without corrections. If a scribe makes a mistake two lines from the end, an unscrupulous person might just scratch it out and correct it, but that makes the mezuzah non-kosher because it wasn't written in proper order. In a Torah scroll, mistakes can be fixed anywhere, but with a mezuzah, you cannot. There's no way to know by looking at it whether it was written properly; you must trust the source.  I can tell you from personal experience: every time I go to someone's home to put up mezuzahs, 98% of the time they have at least one mezuzah that is not even remotely kosher, meaning it was never kosher to begin with. I've seen mezuzahs written on paper and photocopies, and people who bought mezuzahs at their synagogue gift shop where the scroll was made of paper, yet the staff told them it was kosher. If you're purchasing mezuzahs, buy them from a reputable person who knows the scribe and can verify they're written properly according to Jewish law. I also share information about My Mezuzah (mymezuzah.org), an organization that provides free mezuzahs for anyone who needs them. Keep the questions coming! If you have a burning question about Judaism, Please email us at Dearrabbi@Joidenver.com📧 Tune in to Dear Rabbi and uncover the wisdom behind Jewish customs and laws. 🎙️🌟 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    3 min

  5. 13 FEB

    Parshat Mishpatim: The Laws That Make Us Human

    📖 Parshat Mishpatim This Week: Right after the drama of the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, the Torah shifts to... civil law. Rules about damages, loans, workers' rights, and caring for the vulnerable. Why the sudden shift? Because the Torah is teaching us that spirituality isn't just prayer and study; it's how you treat your neighbor, your employee, the stranger. Being godly means not doing to others what you wouldn't want done to you. It means being kind, gentle, and caring. Judaism's foundation isn't mystical experiences; it's ethical living. You want to serve God? Pay your workers on time. Return lost property. Care for the widow and orphan. Real holiness is interpersonal. Shabbat Shalom. 🤝 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    1 min

  6. 11 FEB

    Where Did the "All Jews Are Rich" Stereotype Come From? The Surprising Truth

    🎧 Listen to this and other episodes at www.joidenver.com/podcasts In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a persistent stereotype: Where did the idea come from that all Jews are rich? I can assure you it's not true in my case, and we all know Jews who are wealthy and Jews who are struggling, just like all of society. But the origin of this stereotype reveals something profound about Jewish values. I share a fascinating insight from Mark Twain, who once wrote an article addressing the root causes of antisemitism. While many people are familiar with the end of that article—where he talks about how Jews seem to be immortal, surviving despite everything the world has thrown at them—he makes a remarkable observation in the middle of the article. Mark Twain noted that because Jews take care of each other, you never find a Jewish beggar. Perhaps that's where the stereotype originated. Non-Jewish neighbors assumed Jews were all rich because they never saw Jewish people begging or asking for money on the streets. The reason, of course, wasn't because poor Jews didn't exist—rather, the Jewish community took care of them quietly and effectively. While stereotypes are generally negative, understanding the root of this particular one is something we should take pride in. Jewish people have always taken care of one another. This important Jewish value—sharing what we have with others, taking care of our fellow brothers and sisters, and ensuring no Jew (or any human being) ever goes hungry—has always been central to Jewish identity and community life. Keep the questions coming! If you have a burning question about Judaism, Please email us at Dearrabbi@Joidenver.com📧 Tune in to Dear Rabbi and uncover the wisdom behind Jewish customs and laws. 🎙️🌟 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    3 min

  7. 6 FEB

    Parshat Yitro: How Good People Become Corrupt

    📖 Parshat Yitro This Week: When listing qualifications for judges, the Torah mentions capable, God-fearing, truthful, and last, 'hates gain' (integrity). Why last? Shouldn't integrity be first? The Torah teaches us that corruption rarely starts with bad people. It starts with good people making small compromises. Then another. Then another. Slowly, those compromises erode moral character until integrity is gone. We're all susceptible; you can be capable, well-intentioned, even truthful, and still become morally corrupt through incremental compromises. The warning is clear: stay vigilant. Guard your integrity fiercely. Don't rationalize 'just this once. 'The slippery slope is real, and good people slide down it every day. Don't let it happen to you. Shabbat Shalom. ⚖️ Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    1 min

  8. 30 JAN

    Parshat Beshalach: Faith Requires the First Step

    📖 Parshat Beshalach This Week: Trapped between the Egyptian army and the sea, the people pray desperately. God's response? 'Move forward.' But the sea doesn't split until Nachshon ben Aminadav steps in. Water to his ankles. His knees. His waist. His shoulders. Only when it reaches his nostrils does the sea miraculously part. This is Jewish faith, not blind belief, but active trust. God waits for us to take the first step, to show we're invested, that we care enough to act. Then He meets us there. It's a partnership: we do our utmost, step into the water even when we can't see the path, then hand over the reins and say, "God, You're in control." 'What sea are you standing before? Take the step. Shabbat Shalom. 🌊 Follow us for more: Website - https://www.joidenver.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/joidenver Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/JOIdenver YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JOIdenver Pinterest - http://pinterest.com/jewishdiy Subscribe to "JOI to the World" to access all our podcasts, including Yada Yada Yiddish, Kids Say the Deepest Things, Reconnect, and Dear Rabbi. Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️

    1 min
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About

JOI to the World is a collection of podcasts by Rabbi Lehrfield of JOI that explore diverse aspects of Jewish life, learning, and culture. Each episode offers a unique perspective, drawing from the rich tapestry of Jewish thought and tradition. You can subscribe to this podcast to get weekly episodes or you can subscribe to the individual shows to receive the monthly episodes as they air.Zero Percent: Discover the profound outsided impact of a people that make up less than 0.2% of the world.Dear Rabbi: Practical answers to questions about Judaism.reConnect: Bridging the gap between ancient wisdom and modern life, this series offers a deep dive into the relationships that matter most.Yada Yada Yiddish: A Jewish perspective on Seinfeld, using the show’s iconic moments as a springboard for exploring Jewish concepts and values.Kids Say the Deepest Things: Meaningful lessons from the funny and insightful things kids say, with reflections on life, parenting, and Jewish tradition.

Information

  • Creator
    Menachem Lehrfield
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    159
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Menachem Lehrfield
  • Show Website
    JOI to the World