Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Valley Beit Midrash
  • 4.9 (29)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Biweekly

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM's mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Listen to VBM's other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Shmuly's class series) Stay Connected: • Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org Attended virtual programs live by becoming a member for just $18 per month: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member

  1. Rebecca: Between Speech and Silence

    3d ago

    Rebecca: Between Speech and Silence

    Jewish Ideas to Change the World

    46 min
  2. Why Should Jews Care About Christianity, and Why Should Christians Care About Judaism?

    4d ago

    Why Should Jews Care About Christianity, and Why Should Christians Care About Judaism?

    A virtual event presentation by Professor Elias Sacks About The Event: What can Jews learn from Christianity, and what can Christians learn from Judaism? What might we gain from interreligious dialogue, and what challenges can such conversations pose? To what extent does a commitment to Judaism or Christianity benefit from—or perhaps even require—learning about the other tradition, and what sorts of risks might arise from these encounters? We will explore diverse answers to these questions, examining the changing ways in which Judaism and Christianity have interacted, and wrestling with sources from the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament to works of post-Holocaust theology. About The Speaker: Elias Sacks is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studies Jewish thought, philosophy of religion, Jewish-Christian relations, religious ethics, and religion and politics. He is the author of Moses Mendelssohn’s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism (2017), as well as articles on medieval and modern thinkers, including Mendelssohn, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Nachman Krochmal, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, and Jacob Taubes. Previously, Sacks served as Director of The Jewish Publication Society. ★ Support this podcast ★

    1h 3m
  3. The Jewish Community of Japan: An Interview in Tokyo with Rabbi Scheer

    Jun 15

    The Jewish Community of Japan: An Interview in Tokyo with Rabbi Scheer

    Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with the Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Japan, Rabbi Scheer. Rabbi Andrew Scheer was born and raised in Woodmere, New York. He studied at Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion and earned his BA in Jewish History from New York University. Between college and seminary, Andrew taught English in the Japanese countryside and Sunday School at the Jewish Community of Japan.While studying at YCT, Andrew was a Wexner Graduate Fellow. He had the privilege of serving as Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Sherith Israel in Nashville, Tennessee, and Congregation Orach Chaim on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Andrew served in the United States Army Reserve for five years, during which he was assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Following ordination, Andrew worked on Rikers Island as a Jewish Chaplain with the New York City Department of Correction. Andrew completed four units of Clinical Pastoral Education at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, after which he assumed the role of Senior Rabbi for the hospital. Andrew is married to his lovely wife, Tali, who originally hails from Denver, Colorado, and works as a software engineer.*Bio from: https://jccjapan.jp/about-our-rabbi/ ★ Support this podcast ★

    12 min
  4. Who’s the Anomaly? American Jews and Israel/Israelis in Contemporary Novels

    Jun 12

    Who’s the Anomaly? American Jews and Israel/Israelis in Contemporary Novels

    A virtual event presentation by Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: This class will draw on recent American and Israeli novels that portray what it’s like to be a Jew in each country, as well as changing relationships between Jews in America and Jews in Israel, as Jews in both countries feel threatened by unanticipated challenges. About The Speaker: Sylvia Barack Fishman, Ph.D., is the Joseph and Esther Foster Professor of Judaic Studies, Emerita, in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Dept at Brandeis University, and was the Founding Co-Director of the Hadassah Brandeis Institute. She is the author of eight books and numerous articles and book chapters on contemporary Jewish life and culture, and received the Marshall Sklare award from the Association for the Social Scientific Study of Jewry. Prof. Fishman served on the JOFA Board for many years and continues her active involvement. ★ Support this podcast ★

    56 min
  5. Building Intentional Spiritual Communities

    Jun 2

    Building Intentional Spiritual Communities

    A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sid Schwarz About The Event: America is suffering from a spiritual “deficit”. It has been made worse by social media, ideological polarization, and an erosion of key parts of the American ethos. Rabbi Sid has been at the forefront of the synagogue transformation movement ever since the publication of his groundbreaking book, Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (2000). This talk will offer a formula for turning synagogues into “covenantal communities” that can be transformational for individuals and for society. About The Speaker: Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a social entrepreneur, author, and teacher. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Adamah: People, Planet, Purpose (formerly, Hazon). Rabbi Sid directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program that trains rabbis to be visionary spiritual leaders. He also created and directs the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network, which is identifying, convening, and building the capacity of emerging spiritual communities across the country. Rabbi Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years. Its work centered on integrating Jewish learning, Jewish values, and social responsibility. He is also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD, where he continues to teach and lead services. Sid was awarded the prestigious Covenant Award for his pioneering work in the field of Jewish education and was named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America. Sid’s most recent book is Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights, 2013). His book, Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (2000), is one of the seminal works in the field of synagogue transformation. ★ Support this podcast ★

    52 min
  6. Cain’s Children: Mysticism and Monstrosity in the Jewish Tradition

    May 28

    Cain’s Children: Mysticism and Monstrosity in the Jewish Tradition

    A virtual event presentation by David Shyovitz About The Event: Classical Jewish texts are chock-full of demons, monsters, incantations, and other occult and fantastical contents. But these elements are often treated dismissively or deemed embarrassing or “superstitious” — when they are even acknowledged at all. In this session, we will analyze a cryptic series of texts about the monstrous “Children of Cain” and explore the profound spiritual lessons Jewish authors have drawn from them — lessons that remain relevant today. About The Speaker: David Shyovitz is Associate Professor of Jewish History at Northwestern University and Director of NU’s Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He is the author of the award-winning A Remembrance of His Wonders: Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz. ★ Support this podcast ★

    55 min
  7. Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Imagination

    May 15

    Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Imagination

    A virtual event presentation by Michael Fishbane About The Event: Primacies begins with the assertion that our earliest preverbal experiences are accompanied by a primary language—tears, cries, and laughter—offered long before we learn our ordinary languages. In this virtual book talk, Michael Fishbane explores how ancient, medieval, and modern literature and poetry express and transform these primal sensations into powerful articulations of sorrow, joy, and fulfillment. Building on his theological work in Sacred Attunement and Fragile Finitude, Fishbane presents a radically new lived hermeneutics that reimagines the relationship between experience and language. About The Speaker: Dr. Michael Fishbane is the Nathan Cummings Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish Studies, emeritus, at the University of Chicago. The author of numerous books on the Hebrew Bible and Jewish Thought, his writings cover the entire span of Jewish thought and theology, from antiquity to the present. Among his major interests is the history of Jewish Bible interpretation and Jewish theology over the centuries. Chief among these publications is his book: Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Oxford University Press, 1985), Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking (Oxford University Press, 2003); and Piyyut: Midrashic Epic and the Poetics of Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2026). Fishbane has also written many works for the Jewish community and the public at large. Among these is his Song of Songs: A Commentary (Jewish Publication Society, 2015). Fishbane has also written books in the area of contemporary Jewish theology. These include Sacred Attunement. A Jewish Theology (University of Chicago Press, 2008); Fragile Finitude: A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology (University of Chicago Press, 2021); and Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Religious Imagination (University of Chicago Press, 2024). Among many awards, he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Foundation of Jewish Culture. Michael Fishbane is a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research and The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. ★ Support this podcast ★

    56 min
  8. Pre-Shavout Class Series: Revelation - Event, Experience, or Ongoing Process

    May 14

    Pre-Shavout Class Series: Revelation - Event, Experience, or Ongoing Process

    A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc Gitler and Austin SwaffordAbout The Event: When we study Torah, are we uncovering truths that have always existed—waiting to be discovered like treasures buried in ancient text? Or are we active creators, bringing new meaning into the world through our interpretations and questions? Join Rabbi Marc Gitler and Dr. Austin Swafford for a dynamic Beit Midrash-style lecture exploring this fundamental tension in Jewish learning. Through collaborative text study and guided discussion, we'll examine classical and contemporary Jewish sources that grapple with the nature of Torah study itself. Is meaning inherent in the words on the page, or does it emerge from the community gathered around them? What does our answer mean for how we approach tradition, authority, and our own role as learners? This is not a lecture—it's a conversation. Bring your questions, your insights, and your curiosity as we learn together in the spirit of Shavuot, the festival celebrating the giving of Torah and our ongoing relationship with sacred text.About The Speakers: Marc Gitler is the visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their four children. Dr. Austin Swafford is a Denver-based scientist and Jewish educator who leads weekly study groups at Congregation Rodef Shalom exploring Jewish texts, ethics, and contemporary life. He cares deeply about strengthening communities through serious learning, thoughtful dialogue, and justice-oriented engagement.  ★ Support this podcast ★

    1h 6m
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4.9
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM's mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Listen to VBM's other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Shmuly's class series) Stay Connected: • Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org Attended virtual programs live by becoming a member for just $18 per month: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member

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