Regeneration: A Podcast About Crafting DIY Jewish Ritual

Debra Weinberg, Eileen Levinson

"Regeneration” is a podcast about reimagining Jewish customs in a modern world—making memory, making meaning, and making it your own. Hosts Debra Weinberg and Eileen Levinson explore how families, friends, and the Jew-curious can revive rituals with authenticity, creativity, humor, and joy. From Shabbat candles to everyday blessings, the show is a space for connection, curiosity, and building a Jewish life that feels alive right now.

Episodes

  1. Episode 4: True Stories with Marshall Duke

    MAY 15

    Episode 4: True Stories with Marshall Duke

    We all have family stories. All are true, and some actually happened.  Marshall Duke, professor emeritus at Emory University, joins the podcast to discuss the stories we tell, and how they instill connection, resilience, and strength.  Marshall P. Duke is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Emory University, where he has served as Director of Training in clinical Psychology and as Chair of the Department of Psychology. As a member of Emory’s psychology faculty for more than 50 years and as a core faculty member with The Emory Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL), he has studied a variety of family issues, most notably the development of a child’s intergenerational self and how family narratives—or knowing the ups and downs of one’s family story—can help build resilience in children and teens. Follow Marshall Duke’s work here.  Follow our website here: RECUSTOM.COM/REGENERATION From Shabbat candles to everyday blessings, discover how to weave old and new practices together across generations to bring the people you love closer. Visit our website here to download guidebooks for each episode: recustom.com/regeneration Get ideas and resources for Jewish family connection at jewishgrandparentsnetwork.org. If you’d like to sponsor a future episode or share feedback, you can reach us at JGNpodcast@gmail.com.  Regeneration is hosted by Eileen Levinson and Debra Weinberg and produced by ⁠⁠Josh Gilbert ⁠⁠and ⁠⁠Kate Mishkin⁠⁠.

    40 min
  2. Episode 3: Striving for Light with Rabbi Adam Greenwald

    MAY 8

    Episode 3: Striving for Light with Rabbi Adam Greenwald

    This week on Regeneration, we welcome Rabbi Adam Greenwald, Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel in Orange County, CA, and author of On One Foot, considered foundational coursework for Intro to Judaism curriculum. Adam is also former Vice President for Jewish Engagement at American Jewish University (AJU), and founder of the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, and lecturer at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, designing and facilitating a course in the art of teaching sacred text. Guidebook: The world has always had its share of darkness, yet Jewish history shows that our community resiliently finds light over and over again. The Jewish calendar year is how we practice that resilience: seasonal gathering in the experiential classroom of our holidays, reliving our history, rehearsing our deepest values, and passing light forward through the blast of a shofar, the taste of apples and honey, or the glow of candlelight. Jewish practice teaches us to cultivate and share that light, and to strive towards being kinder, holier, and more whole, while giving ourselves grace when we fall short. This is a workbook for those practices. Bring a pen. Bring a friend. Take what calls to you. Read more about Rabbi Adam Greenwald’s work here.  Resources: The Jewish Way, by Yitz Greenberg  Visit our website here to download guidebooks for each episode: recustom.com/regeneration Get ideas and resources for Jewish family connection at jewishgrandparentsnetwork.org. If you’d like to sponsor a future episode or share feedback, you can reach us at JGNpodcast@gmail.com.  Regeneration is hosted by Eileen Levinson and Debra Weinberg and produced by Josh Gilbert and Kate Mishkin.  Regeneration is hosted by Eileen Levinson and Debra Weinberg and produced by ⁠Josh Gilbert ⁠and ⁠Kate Mishkin⁠.

    49 min
  3. Episode 2: Making Ritual Yours with Rabbi Vanessa Ochs

    MAY 2

    Episode 2: Making Ritual Yours with Rabbi Vanessa Ochs

    On today’s episode, a conversation with Rabbi Vanessa Ochs, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at UVA, and author of Inventing Jewish Ritual, Sarah Laughed, and the Passover Haggadah: A Biography. Through her work and interview, Rabbi Ochs describes the parallels between rituals and choreographed performance – and how both elevate experiences, mark time, and help us understand who we are as people.  Your home has always been a sacred stage. This guidebook — inspired by scholar and author Rabbi Vanessa Ochs — explores how ordinary objects and everyday moments become Jewish ritual. You'll discover how to hang a mezuzah with intention, create a personalized home blessing, bring Shabbat into your week with simple blessings, and mark the first flowers of spring. Along the way: writing prompts, a chevruta reflection on the theater of daily life, and a blessing for imperfect homes. No grand gestures required. Just your home, your people, and a willingness to pay attention. Reach more about Vanessa Ochs here. Check out Moments That Matter: Marking Transitions in Midlife and Beyond Book by Beth Lieberman and Laura Geller.  Visit our website here to download guidebooks for each episode: recustom.com/regeneration Get ideas and resources for Jewish family connection at jewishgrandparentsnetwork.org. If you’d like to sponsor a future episode or share feedback, you can reach us at JGNpodcast@gmail.com.  Regeneration is hosted by Eileen Levinson and Debra Weinberg and produced by ⁠Josh Gilbert ⁠and ⁠Kate Mishkin⁠.

    37 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

"Regeneration” is a podcast about reimagining Jewish customs in a modern world—making memory, making meaning, and making it your own. Hosts Debra Weinberg and Eileen Levinson explore how families, friends, and the Jew-curious can revive rituals with authenticity, creativity, humor, and joy. From Shabbat candles to everyday blessings, the show is a space for connection, curiosity, and building a Jewish life that feels alive right now.