Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Valley Beit Midrash
  • 4.9 (29)
  • Judaism
  • Weekly

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM's mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Listen to VBM's other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Shmuly's class series) Stay Connected: • Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org Attended virtual programs live by becoming a member for just $18 per month: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member

  1. Nov 6

    The Talmudic Tale of the Toasty Heels: A Debate Over Gendered Giving

    A virtual event presentation by Noam Zion The event was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel About The Event: While standing in the communal oven, Ms Ukba and Mar Ukba had a dispute about how best to give tzedakah. They represent Masculine and Feminine Tzedakah, or the Ethics of Dignity versus the Ethics of Care.  Whose approach takes priority?About The Speaker: Noam is now emeritus at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, where since 1978 he has been a senior research fellow and educator. He earned a graduate degree in general philosophy at Columbia University and the Hebrew University, while studying Bible and Rabbinics at JTSA and the Hartman Beit Midrash. His popular publications and worldwide lecturing have promoted Homemade Judaism – empowering families to create their own pluralistic Judaism during home holidays – Pesach, Hanukkah, and Shabbat. His most popular publications include: A Different Night: The Family Participation Haggadah; A Different Light: The Big Book of Hanukkah; A Day Apart: Shabbat at Home; The Israeli Haggadah: Halaila Hazeh; and A Night to Remember: The Haggadah of Contemporary Voices (published together with his son). But his most recent book written with his son came out March 17, 2024: Haggadah Yisraelit, to reflect on the latest events of October 7, 2023. His most recent academic research encompasses a trilogy on the intellectual history of philanthropy entitled Jewish Giving in Comparative Perspectives (2013) and a nine-part series on Talmudic Marital Dramas (2018). In 2021, Jewish Publication Society published Sanctified Sex: The 2000 Year Jewish Debate on Marital Intimacy. ★ Support this podcast ★

    The Talmudic Tale of the Toasty Heels: A Debate Over Gendered Giving

  2. Nov 5

    Please Say You Are My Sister

    A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc Gitler The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Bonai Shalom. About The Event: When journeying down to Egypt, Abraham makes a startling request of Sarah: "Please say you are my sister." Why would Abraham make such a strange proposal, and what were the far-reaching consequences of this pivotal moment? Examining this perplexing biblical narrative, explore its deeper theological context and uncover the incredible ramifications of Abraham's request. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kZirxtAjEiLbpwZkkzpioOZnf9HqzKmD/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=true About The Speaker: Rabbi Marc Gitler serves as Senior Jewish Educator at Valley Beit Midrash and is the founder of Fast for Feast. A graduate of Yeshiva University, Northwestern University, and Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT) Rabbinical School, he lives in Denver with his wife, Sarah, and their four children. ★ Support this podcast ★

    Please Say You Are My Sister

  3. Oct 30

    Proto-Zionism: Judaism’s Umbilical Connection to the Land of Israel

    A virtual event presentation by Dr. Joshua Holo The event was co-sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Har Shalom About The Event: Abba Eban, Israel’s great spokesman and diplomat, famously wrote: “Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its ‘right to exist’… Israel’s right to exist… is axiomatic and unreserved.” We may grasp Eban’s principle, but in practice it no longer applies. Today, we face a generation of fellow Jews who question that right, so it is time to explain the how, when, where, and why of our destiny in that small stretch of land on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. This story amounts to proto-Zionism, that is, the story that undergirds the modern movement: the history of our people’s consistent, millennial connection to the Land of Israel, not only religiously but also economically, intellectually, literarily, and demographically.About The Speaker: Joshua Holo, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Jewish History and formerly served as Vice President of Academic Resources, Dean of the Hebrew Union College Jack H. Skirball Campus, and Director of the Louchheim School of Judaic Studies. He co-founded Hebrew Union College’s digital learning platform, the College Commons, and hosts a regular podcast called the College Commons Podcast. He was editor of the Brill Series on Jewish Studies and a contributor of Torah commentary to the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. His publications range from the social and intellectual history of the Jews of the Middle Ages to contemporary liberal Zionism. ★ Support this podcast ★

    Proto-Zionism: Judaism’s Umbilical Connection to the Land of Israel

  4. Oct 29

    Martin Luther King III & Rabbi Shmuly: Preserving Our Democracy With an Ethic of Non-Violence

    Martin Luther King III in conversation with Rabbi Shmuly about the upcoming elections, the importance of disagreeing with civility, the enduring ethic of nonviolence, and the value of democracy. Mr. King is a distinguished global humanitarian who continues the legacy of human rights advocacy championed by his parents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. ★ Support this podcast ★

    Martin Luther King III & Rabbi Shmuly: Preserving Our Democracy With an Ethic of Non-Violence

  5. Oct 23

    Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur

    A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Elie Kaunfer The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Ner Tamid Funded in part by a grant from the National Center to Encourage Judaism About The Event: As Jews, we spend a lot of time praying, but not a lot of time looking at the texts of our prayers for meaning and understanding. In this session, we will explore a method that will aim to deepen your own engagement with prayer through rigorous interpretation. We will examine questions such as: Can traditional prayer formulas express my own values/ideas about prayer? What do you do when you "disagree" with the prayer's content? How can one interpret the siddur in a grounded, traditional, yet creative way? *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17K4LUOzBUMR_l3t1PKydEjpDCLMTmOdxUEp-1BfvP5o/edit?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is President and CEO of the Hadar Institute. Elie has previously worked as a journalist, banker, and corporate fraud investigator. A graduate of Harvard College, he completed his doctorate in liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was also ordained. He received semikhah from his long-time teacher, Rav Daniel Landes. A Wexner Graduate Fellow and Dorot Fellow, Elie has been named multiple times to Newsweek’s list of the top 50 rabbis in America. He is the author of Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us About Building Vibrant Jewish Communities and is completing a book on the Amidah. ★ Support this podcast ★

    Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur

  6. Oct 19

    Messiah: The Zionist Nobody Wants

    A virtual event presentation with Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer Event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ About The Event: Throughout Jewish history, there have been a series of individual attempts to organize Jewish communities towards conquering the Land of Israel and reinstalling Jewish sovereignty. Time and again, these attempts were turned down and declined by the masses. Why? Learning about the fascinating stories of a few individuals, we learn a valuable lesson about freedom and the slippery slope from redemption to messianism. About The Speaker: Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race. His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s majestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie is also the author of the Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

    Messiah: The Zionist Nobody Wants

  7. Oct 15

    When Judaism Began: Understanding Ezra and Nehemiah

    A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Steven M. Bob About The Event:  The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the return to Jerusalem from the first exile in ancient Babylonia. These books contain the foundational ideas for our modern sense of Jewish identity and key elements of our Jewish lives. The public reading of the Torah begins with Ezra reading from the scroll before the community in Jerusalem. In these books we will meet the first people to think of themselves as Jews. Jewish holidays take shape at the beginning of this period, as does the Jewish calendar. Ezra and Nehemiah are the first biblical books to use the names of the months we use today, such as Elul and Kislev.*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q44NR1z3HgJn2dhx0mvL4OPHxJl9rlU5/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=true About The Speaker:  Rabbi Steven M. Bob was Senior Rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard, IL, for 35 years. Rabbi Bob serves as a Guest faculty member at Wheaton College and as an Instructor at the Hebrew Seminary for the Hearing and the Deaf. He is a faculty leader at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute. His newest book is When Judaism Began: Exploring the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (2026). He is also the author of Go to Nineveh (2013) and Jonah and the Meaning of Our Lives (2016), and Ha’aretz named Rabbi Bob as one of the 36 American Jews who helped shape the 2008 Presidential election. ★ Support this podcast ★

    When Judaism Began: Understanding Ezra and Nehemiah

  8. Oct 14

    God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

    Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with Mirabai Starr. Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching philosophy, world religions, and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books, including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, Ordinary Mysticism, and renowned translations of sacred literature.  Author of God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. ★ Support this podcast ★

    God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
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About

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM's mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Listen to VBM's other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Shmuly's class series) Stay Connected: • Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org Attended virtual programs live by becoming a member for just $18 per month: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member

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