Alef Bet

Amichai Lau-Lavie
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Judaism
  • Weekly Series

Alef Bet explores the big ideas, core concepts, tough questions, essential values, and evolving practices of Jewish life through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Hosted by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, Alef Bet reimagines ancestral Jewish wisdom for right now. Drawing on the Torah, Talmud, mysticism, poetry, philosophy, and modern voices, the series offers both timeless teachings and contemporary reinterpretation—no prior knowledge or Hebrew needed. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, Jew-jacent or Jew-curious—all are welcome. Grounded in the God-optional, everybody-friendly, artist-driven approach of Lab/Shul, Alef Bet is for anyone seeking a deeper, more personal connection to Jewish life.

Season 1

  1. Episode 1

    Alef: The Art of Asking

    Did you hear the one about the Jewish guy who answered every question with a question? In this opening episode, we explore the art and power of questioning as the raison d’etre for how and why Jewish wisdom still survives. 03:35 Ayeka? The first divine question from the Garden of Eden: God asks Adam and Eve, and by extension all of us: “Where are you? Why are you hiding?” 09:27 Eicha? In Lamentations, in suffering and facing injustice, we ask God, “How have we ended up here? Where are you, God?” 18:02 Mei'ei'matai? The Talmud asks, “When do we begin?” A reimagining of Jewish life bound by sacred time instead of physical space. 24:37 Evolving and growing. Asking a question is already half of the answer. Drawing on thinkers, poets, and sages including Adrienne Rich, Hannah Arendt, Art Green, and Yehuda Amichai, this episode focuses on the power of constantly reexamining accepted truths and the courage to never stop seeking.Alef Bet is a journey through ancestral Jewish wisdom reimagined for right now. Rabbi Amichai Lau-Levie is the tour guide for your experience. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, Jew-jacent, or Jew-curious, this is your starting point. No prior knowledge required - just bring your questions.Explore More with Episode 1 Study Guide!

    Alef: The Art of Asking

  2. Episode 2

    Bet: The Hero’s Journey Home. Go Forth, Go Within

    Ten generations after Adam and Eve, after Noah and the flood, Abraham shows up and starts to walk away from the past and into the pages of history. Join Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie on a guided tour of the eternal, internal journey following in the footsteps of the first father and the founder of our monotheistic faith. 01.25 The first step on the journey of self-discovery: Abraham.   02.09 Abraham’s calling. To leave behind the familiar and go on a journey to an unknown land. His homeland. Our Homeland. 04.40 Lech lecha. A meditation on hearing the inner call and starting the journey. 10.14 Pages of the Zohar. Centuries of mystics take us from the text to the subtext on the road to Canaan. Know your soul. Leave the desires and habits that keep you tethered to a world limited by your senses. Go and search. 15:30 Abraham and the search for God. What we learn on the road of the traveler through sages, mystics, and poets who write Midrash. Is this place burning down, or is it radiant in light? 22.50 The Mother of Patriarchy. How remembering the grandmother of our people fulfills the sacred storytelling that informs our lives. Rabbi Amichai gathers wisdom from mysterious amulets and rabbinic musings, including the words of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and poet Rachel Barenblat, and Rabbi Claudia Kleinman. Alef Bet is a journey through ancestral Jewish wisdom reimagined for right now. Rabbi Amichai Lau-Levie is the tour guide for your experience. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, or Jew-curious, this is your starting point. No prior knowledge required—just bring your questions.Explore more with Episode 2 Study Guide!

    Bet: The Hero’s Journey Home. Go Forth, Go Within

  3. Sep 4

    Introducing Alef Bet - Trailer

    Welcome to Alef Bet, a journey through ancestral Jewish wisdom, reimagined for right now. This is a podcast for anyone and everyone. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, or Jew-curious, this is your starting point - no prior knowledge required. Just bring your questions and explore what it means to get to know, embrace, or wrestle with Jewish wisdom during these turbulent times. Alef Bet is hosted by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, a descendant of thirty-nine generations of rabbis. He has been teaching Jewish texts for most of his adult life, had a career as a drag queen, and founded Lab/Shul, a New York City-based, God-optional, experimental Jewish community. Alef Bet has twenty-two episodes, one for every letter of the Hebrew alphabet, alef to tav. You can start listening at any point since each episode is about one big Jewish concept that matters in our life right now. We’ll dig through layers of our sacred and secular soil, reveal secrets, and ask tough questions about who we are, how we got here, and what will help us grow and evolve. Twenty-first century Judaism builds on 3,000 years of conversations, questions, and challenges. It’s on us to talk back to the toxic and traumatic texts and tools we’ve inherited, reclaim our inner wisdom, and reimagine the repair that we need to heal, help, and hope. However you show up, that’s the perfect way to be here.

  4. Sep 23

    Introducing Alef Bet - Ancestral Jewish Wisdom Reimagined for Right Now

    Welcome to Alef Bet, a journey through ancestral Jewish wisdom, reimagined for right now. This is a podcast for anyone and everyone. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, or Jew-curious, this is your starting point - no prior knowledge required. Just bring your questions and explore what it means to get to know, embrace, or wrestle with Jewish wisdom during these turbulent times. Alef Bet is hosted by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, a descendant of thirty-nine generations of rabbis. He has been teaching Jewish texts for most of his adult life, had a career as a drag queen, and founded Lab/Shul, a New York City-based, God-optional, experimental Jewish community. Alef Bet has twenty-two episodes, one for every letter of the Hebrew alphabet, alef to tav. You can start listening at any point since each episode is about one big Jewish concept that matters in our life right now. We’ll dig through layers of our sacred and secular soil, reveal secrets, and ask tough questions about who we are, how we got here, and what will help us grow and evolve. Twenty-first century Judaism builds on 3,000 years of conversations, questions, and challenges. It’s on us to talk back to the toxic and traumatic texts and tools we’ve inherited, reclaim our inner wisdom, and reimagine the repair that we need to heal, help, and hope. However you show up, that’s the perfect way to be here.

    Introducing Alef Bet - Ancestral Jewish Wisdom Reimagined for Right Now
  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Alef Bet explores the big ideas, core concepts, tough questions, essential values, and evolving practices of Jewish life through the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Hosted by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, Alef Bet reimagines ancestral Jewish wisdom for right now. Drawing on the Torah, Talmud, mysticism, poetry, philosophy, and modern voices, the series offers both timeless teachings and contemporary reinterpretation—no prior knowledge or Hebrew needed. Whether you’re Jewish, Jew-ish, Jew-jacent or Jew-curious—all are welcome. Grounded in the God-optional, everybody-friendly, artist-driven approach of Lab/Shul, Alef Bet is for anyone seeking a deeper, more personal connection to Jewish life.

Information

  • Creator
    Amichai Lau-Lavie
  • Episodes
    4
  • Seasons
    1
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Ayin Institute
  • Show Website
    Alef Bet

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