Answers WithHeld

Hadar Institute
  • 5.0 (41)
  • JUDAISM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Answers WithHeld

When kids ask big questions, how do you respond? This podcast, hosted by Rabbi Shai Held, doesn’t have all the answers, but it can give you the language and frameworks to engage meaningfully with these questions. 

Episodes

  1. 05/13/2024

    Why Do You Believe in God?

    In this special season finale, R. Shai Held welcomes his two oldest children to model a genuine conversation about God, experiences, belief, and doubt. Lev and Maya share some of the biggest questions on their minds as well as offer sage advice to grown-ups about how to have meaningful and impactful conversations with kids.

    33 min

  2. 05/06/2024

    What Happens After I Die?

    Questions surrounding our own mortality are some of the hardest to ask, and certainly some of the hardest to answer. What happens when we die? What does it mean to have a soul? R. Sharon Cohen Anisfeld joins R. Shai Held for a deeply meaningful exploration of these profound questions.

    38 min

  3. 04/15/2024

    Why Do Bad Things Happen?

    R. Aviva Richman joins R. Shai Held to discuss one of the most difficult moral and religious questions - why do bad things happen? Where is God when they do? Personal childhood memories of confronting this question lead them to explore how being present might mediate God's presence, to appreciate petitionary prayer in nuanced and sophisticated ways, and to wonder about God's role of holding loss in times of tragedy.

    42 min

  4. 04/08/2024

    What If I'm Not Sure I Believe in God?

    What if I don't believe in God? What if I'm not sure? Rabbi Dr. Leon Wiener Dow joins Rabbi Shai Held to reflect on the importance of doubt and continuing to question. They identify some of the straight-jackets that we put on our thinking about God and explore the possibility of being open to a spiritual life with or without a belief in God.

    37 min

  5. 04/01/2024

    Am I My Brother's Keeper?

    Universalism or particularism? It's often cited as a debate of one versus the other, but R. Shai Held and R. Jill Jacobs reflect on how both these priorities can actually strengthen the other. They consider texts that speak to how we live out our values as well as how to raise kids who care deeply.

    43 min

  6. 03/25/2024

    Why Did God Create the World?

    Why did God create the world - and why did God create me within it? R. Yitz Greenberg joins R. Shai Held to ponder these theological questions and consider what it means to have a posture of gratitude and to know that we each have an individual mission or purpose in the world.

    41 min

  7. 03/18/2024

    Why Does the Torah Allow Slavery?

    What do we do when we encounter morally troubling parts of Torah? Dr. Arna Poupko Fisher joins R. Shai Held to try and understand slavery in the Torah's historical context, as well as how we might understand the Torah more broadly as launching us into a more ethical legal trajectory. Their sage advice on nurturing kids' moral passions and finding our own confidence when faced with difficult questions is relatable for parents, educators, and adults in general.

    37 min

  8. 03/11/2024

    Was the World Really Created in Six Days?

    In a playful and poignant way, Rabbis Shai Held and Brad Artson explore questions of science and Torah. Was the world really created in six days? What are the truths we can discover when we look deeply at Torah and its stories?

    38 min

  9. 03/04/2024

    Who is God? (Part 2)

    R. Avi Killip and R. Shai Held continue to explore questions about God, especially thinking about the role of doubt. How can we understand God when we just don't know? And how can we have conversations with kids when we ourselves aren't sure?

    25 min

  10. 02/26/2024

    Who is God? (Part 1)

    In this inaugural episode, R. Avi Killip joins R. Shai Held to explore a very big question - who is God? Their poignant conversation includes personal stories of early wonderings about God as well as particular images from text and tradition that are most resonant and meaningful.

    28 min

  11. 02/15/2024

    Welcome to Answers WithHeld!

    When kids ask big questions, how do you respond? Whether you are parent, educator, or just a curious person, you've probably asked yourself the same questions. This podcast doesn’t have all the answers, but it can give you language and frameworks to engage meaningfully with these questions. Every week, Rabbi Shai Held invites an expert guest to explore a big question: Who is God? Why did God create the world? Why do bad things happen? No pressure.

    2 min
  • 11 Episodes

    5
    out of 5
    41 Ratings

    About

    When kids ask big questions, how do you respond? This podcast, hosted by Rabbi Shai Held, doesn’t have all the answers, but it can give you the language and frameworks to engage meaningfully with these questions. 

    Information

    • Creator
      Hadar Institute
    • Years Active
      2K
    • Episodes
      11
    • Rating
      Clean
    • Copyright
      © 2024 Answers WithHeld
    • Show Website
      Answers WithHeld

    You Might Also Like

    Content Restricted

    This episode can’t be played on the web in your country or region.

    To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

    Stay up to date with this show

    Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
    Select a country or region

    Africa, Middle East, and India

    Asia Pacific

    Europe

    Latin America and the Caribbean

    The United States and Canada