Not That Kind of Rabbi

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Spiritual journeys, discussions and lessons from award-winning broadcaster Ralph Benmergui. Every two weeks, join Ralph and his insightful guests for an in-depth sit-down conversation about the unseen problems affecting our world. 

  1. FEB 2

    Rabbi Natan Margalit

    When Rabbi Natan Margalit looks at a dead tree on the ground he probably doesn't see what we see. He sees a divine spark of the creator. Everything, you see, is infused with that cosmic power. Reb Natan has a book out called the Pearl and the Flame. We had a great talk on this week's episode of NTKR. Have a listen.

    54 min

  2. JAN 16

    Maytal Kowalski

    There is, shall we say, a lot of turbulence in the Jewish world right now. Sometimes that turbulence becomes toxic and conversations are polarizing. One person who wants to change all that is the Executive Director of a progressive Jewish thought leadership and lobby group called Jspace. Her name is Maytal Kowalski and she joins me from Vancouver on Not That Kind of Rabbi.

    54 min

  3. JAN 9

    Arik Labowitz, Rabbi at Canada's largest Renewal Synagogue, Or Shalom

    Sometimes we see what our parents do and think that it would be a great idea to follow in their footsteps. Especially when they both chose the same profession. In this episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi I speak with a next generation Rabbi who did his best to resist the siren call of spiritual leadership. Didn't work. He's a Rabbi, but not that kind of Rabbi. Arik Labowitz is,and has been for a while, the Rabbi at Canada's largest Renewal Synagogue, Or Shalom.

    47 min
  4. Amichai Lau-Lavie, the 'Sabbath Queen', is forging his own traditions

    11/24/2025

    Amichai Lau-Lavie, the 'Sabbath Queen', is forging his own traditions

    When Amichai Lau-Lavie realized he was gay, he knew he had to make a choice: hide his identity to abide by his Orthodox upbringing, or be true to himself. It wasn't an easy call for a man whose ancestors had been rabbis for generations—including his uncle and cousin, who both served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ultimately, Lau-Lavie decided to split the difference. As an out gay man, he became an Jewish leader, drag performer and rabbi, founding Lab/Shul—a "God-optional" experimental community for Jewish gathering—in New York City. Now, he's also the star of a documentary about his controversial career, Sabbath Queen, which is currently touring the American film festival circuit. If anyone is "not that kind of rabbi," it's Amichai Lau-Lavie—and he joins Ralph Benmergui this week on Not That Kind of Rabbi, a show about spirituality and personal journeys.

    40 min

  5. 11/17/2025

    Rabbi Rami Shapiro

    On the latest episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi, Ralph talks to Rabbi, Zen practitioner and spiritual rascal Rabbi Rami Shapiro. Shapiro is the author of 36 books, his latest being Zen Mind--Jewish Mind. The Rabbi believes that everything is God. There is no outside or inside of the divine . The Divine is in everything , we just have to be available to experience it.

    1h 8m
  6. How artist Devon Spier found spiritual meaning through affliction

    11/10/2025

    How artist Devon Spier found spiritual meaning through affliction

    Devon Spier has long COVID. The artist, poet and spiritual guide has spent days bedridden, feeling ill and angry at God. But that forced pause gave her time to reflect on her life, art and beliefs, and she began to realize more emphatically how God, for her, exists in liminal spaces—in the wilderness, in small moments of peace and beauty between devastation and pain. These thoughts led her to create a new exhibit that blends art, design, poetry and spirituality. "18 Plus One" is on display at the Gerrard Art Space in Toronto from Oct 2 - 9, ahead of a fuller exhibit at the JCC Ann Arbor in Michigan from December 2024 to February 2025. Spier joins Ralph Benmergui—who is, like Spier, also not a rabbi but kind of vaguely close to one—on Not That Kind of Rabbi for a fulsome conversation about artistic expression, humanistic empathy and the meaning of God.

    34 min

  7. 11/03/2025

    A Little off the Top

    More Jewish couples are deciding to skip a ritual That has been a part of Jewish life for four thousand years. the Brit Milah. The circumcision of a male Jewish child at eight days old. Circumcision today has a scientific and a religious aspect. We'll explore those in this edition. of Not That Kind of Rabbi with my guest, a pediatric surgeon (retired) and a Mohel, Someone who performs circumcisions.

    47 min

  8. 10/27/2025

    Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg: Eco-spiritual, Eco-what?

    On this episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi, Ralph Benmergui speaks with neohasid.org founder and author of the book, Kabbalah and Ecology, Rabbi David Seidenberg, on how we can restore the spiritual bond with an earth based Judaism.

    1h 2m
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About

Spiritual journeys, discussions and lessons from award-winning broadcaster Ralph Benmergui. Every two weeks, join Ralph and his insightful guests for an in-depth sit-down conversation about the unseen problems affecting our world. 

Information

  • Creator
    TMDS
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © TMDS
  • Show Website
    Not That Kind of Rabbi