B'Tzelem Elohim

Rafi Josselson
  • 4.5 (8)
  • EDUCATION
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

B'Tzelem Elohim is the first Jewish Disability Podcast! Rafi Josselson, a Jewish Autistic speaker, self-advocate, and activist speaks with people committed to creating an inclusive Jewish community for people of all abilities. Along the way, he'll share with you his own experiences, the work professionals are doing to prioritize inclusion, and the ways you can make a difference in your community.

  1. FEB 25

    S4: E3 Michelle Shapiro Abraham (Executive Director of JBI Library), Removing Stumbling Blocks

    Rafi talks with Michelle Shapiro Abraham, the Executive Director of JBI Library, on their ongoing work to meet the needs of blind and visually impaired Jews. They discuss the importance of individualized inclusion, the impact of accessibility, and the ongoing work that continues to affect all disabled people.

    1h 5m

  2. FEB 11

    S4: E2 Meredith Polsky (Executive Director of MATAN Inc), Closing the Inclusion Gap

    Rafi talks with Meredith Polsky, the new Executive Director of MATAN Inc on their recent report "Closing the Inclusion Gap". They discuss the steps the Jewish community must take in the coming years on this front and explore Selective Mutism, a field in which Meredith specializes in providing support and care.

    1h 3m

  3. JAN 28

    S4: E1 Rena Allen, Supporting Families

    Join Rena and Rafi as they kick off Season Four of B'Tzelem Elohim. With a focus on ABA, Rafi and Rena discuss the challenges, opportunities, and benefits that behavior modification and related disciplines may provide to families. Please note: An unforeseen technical error occurred while recording the episode, making Rafi's Audio garbled in a few places. We apologize for the confusion this may lead to in the podcast, but as it is minor, it was decided not to rerecord the episode. This technical error was identified and will be fixed for future episodes.

    59 min

  4. 12/31/2025

    S3: E8 Orlee Krass, Avenues of Belonging at Jewish Camp

    To conclude Season Three, Rafi talks with Orlee Krass, his aunt, about her work in the field of inclusion. Ranging from NYC special education classes to running a large camp program for Disabled participants, Rafi and Orlee explore the challenges, complexities, and necessities of these initiatives.

    58 min

  5. 12/24/2025

    S3: E7, Five Years of Blogs

    Join Rafi as he reads and reflects on five years of blogs. Spanning his early years writing for MATAN's teen blog, to early pieces for his website, to reflections on recent milestones, you'll get to hear how Rafi's rhetorical style and perspectives have evolved! This episode is longer than others, so listeners are encouraged to listen to this in multiple sittings, as each blog can be listened to independently of eachother. A personal note: thank you to all the people who have brought me to this moment, five years! I look forward to the next five! One blog featured focuses on the life experience of Danny Klein Z"L. As I mentioned in the podcast, it is always best to hear from people directly; thus, I urge you to watch this interview conducted with Danny when he was still with us: https://youtu.be/6PmmcifIqew

    1h 14m

  6. 12/03/2025

    S3: E6 Dr. Michael Kay, Jewish Day School Education

    Rafi talks with Dr. Michael Kay, head of the Leffell School, a premier Jewish Day School based in Westchester County. They discuss the missions of Jewish Day School education, ranging from academic to religious to social-emotional, and how they intersect or adapt to the needs of neurodiverse or disabled students.

    53 min

  7. 11/19/2025

    S3: E5 Benay Josselson, Change is Hard

    After one year of B'Tzelem Elohim, Rafi returns to interview his first guest - his mom, Benay! Focusing on Change Management and its applicability to recent changes in his life, Rafi and Benay explore why change is hard and what you can do to make it easier to manage.

    1 hr

  8. 11/05/2025

    S3: E4 Mat Wilson, Disability Torah

    Rafi talks with Mat Wilson, founder of the Disability Torah Project, to discuss the intersection of lived experience with sacred texts.

    49 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

B'Tzelem Elohim is the first Jewish Disability Podcast! Rafi Josselson, a Jewish Autistic speaker, self-advocate, and activist speaks with people committed to creating an inclusive Jewish community for people of all abilities. Along the way, he'll share with you his own experiences, the work professionals are doing to prioritize inclusion, and the ways you can make a difference in your community.

Information

  • Creator
    Rafi Josselson
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rafi Josselson
  • Show Website
    B'Tzelem Elohim