Jewish Ideas to Change the World
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...
Proto-Zionism: Judaism’s Umbilical Connection to the Land of Israel
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Joshua Holo
The event was co-sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Har Shalom
About The Event:
Abba Eban, Israel’s great spokesman and diplomat, famously wrote: “Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its ‘right to exist’… Israel’s right to exist… is axiomatic and unreserved.” We may grasp Eban’s principle, but in practice it no longer applies. Today, we face a generation of fellow Jews who question that right, so it is time to explain the how, when, where, and why of our destiny in that small stre...
Martin Luther King III & Rabbi Shmuly: Preserving Our Democracy With an Ethic of Non-Violence
Martin Luther King III in conversation with Rabbi Shmuly about the upcoming elections, the importance of disagreeing with civility, the enduring ethic of nonviolence, and the value of democracy.
Mr. King is a distinguished global humanitarian who continues the legacy of human rights advocacy championed by his parents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
★ Support this podcast ★Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Ner Tamid
Funded in part by a grant from the National Center to Encourage Judaism
About The Event:
As Jews, we spend a lot of time praying, but not a lot of time looking at the texts of our prayers for meaning and understanding. In this session, we will explore a method that will aim to deepen your own engagement with prayer through rigorous interpretation. We will examine questions such as: Can traditional prayer formulas express my...
Messiah: The Zionist Nobody Wants
A virtual event presentation with Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer
Event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ
About The Event:
Throughout Jewish history, there have been a series of individual attempts to organize Jewish communities towards conquering the Land of Israel and reinstalling Jewish sovereignty. Time and again, these attempts were turned down and declined by the masses. Why? Learning about the fascinating stories of a few individuals, we learn a valuable lesson about freedom and the slippery slope from redemption to messianism.
About The Speaker:
Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD...
When Judaism Began: Understanding Ezra and Nehemiah
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Steven M. Bob
About The Event:
The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the return to Jerusalem from the first exile in ancient Babylonia. These books contain the foundational ideas for our modern sense of Jewish identity and key elements of our Jewish lives. The public reading of the Torah begins with Ezra reading from the scroll before the community in Jerusalem. In these books we will meet the first people to think of themselves as Jews. Jewish holidays take shape at the beginning of t...
God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with Mirabai Starr.
Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching philosophy, world religions, and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books, including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, Ordinary Mysticism, and renowned translations of sacred literature.
Author of God of Lov...
Common Ground in Uncommon Times: Denver’s Faith Communities in Dialogue
A hybrid event presentation featuring Reverend Terri Hobart, Imam Muhammad Kolila, and Rabbi Emily Hyatt, moderated by Ariel Nassau of VBM Denver.
The event was co-hosted with St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Downtown Denver Islamic Center, and Temple Emanuel Denver.
About The Event:
Faith leaders from across Denver come together to explore how their traditions guide responses to today's most pressing local issues - and how interfaith partnership strengthens our shared community.
About The Speakers:
Rev. Terri Hobart is a student and practitioner of mystical Christianity. She preaches love as...
Unfolding: Reflections on the Lessons of the High Holy Days
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Karyn Kedar
The class is co-sponsored by Congregation Ner Tamid
About The Event:
Join Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar as she explores her award-winning book, Unfolding: A High Holy Day Companion. Drawing from meditations, poetry, reflections, retellings of Talmudic and Hasidic stories, and lyrical encounters with prayer and scripture, Rabbi Kedar will share insights from the book and offer selections that illuminate the path through the months of Av and Elul, Rosh HaShanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Yom Kippur.
Together, we will reflect on...
How to Do Things with Kavanah: J. L. Austin and the Communicative Activity of Performing Mitzvot
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Paul Franks
The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ
About The Event:
What is kavanah — usually translated as “intention” — in the performance of mitzvot? What, in particular, is kavanah in Jewish prayer? Often used but rarely explained, the term will be illuminated by means of the speech act theory of the great Oxford philosopher and architect of the Normandy invasion, J. L. Austin (1911-60), articulated most famously in his 1955 William James Lectures at Harvard, later published as How to Do Things with Words.
Source Slides: https://docs.googl...
What Does the Mishnah Teach Us About the People Who Wrote It?
A virtual event presentation by Rabba Aliza Libman Baronofsky
The class was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel.
About The Event:
The Mishnah was written during a time period that included the destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kochba Revolt. The 63 tractates of the Mishnah include the rabbis’ origin story for rabbinic Judaism and many clues about the world it was written in. We’ll explore Mishnahs that give us explicit information about the early rabbinic period as well as hints about the groundbreaking changes happening in the Jewish world at the time.
Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, Anti-Israelism
A virtual presentation by Dr. Marc Dollinger
The event is co-sponsored by Temple Solel
About The Event:
One of the thorniest questions in contemporary American Jewish life, the boundaries between anti-Israelism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism are now the subject of university policy debates as well as proposed state and federal action. This presentation offers historical background on each category, outlining the points of debate in this highly contentious subject.
About The Speaker:
Dr. Marc Dollinger holds the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Endowed Chair in Jewish...
Smashing Idols: From the Patriarchs to the Present
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler
About The Event:
From Abraham shattering his father’s idols to the challenges we face today, the Jewish tradition has always called us to question what our society holds sacred. Rabbi Gitler explores how the ancient practice of “smashing idols” speaks directly to our modern moment: the false certainties, distractions, and misplaced values that shape contemporary life. Together we’ll draw on Torah, commentary, and Jewish thought to ask what idols we might need to smash today.
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Marc Gitler serves a...
A Rashi on the Declaration of Independence
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jack Riemer
About The Event:
In this class, we will compare and contrast the Declaration of Independence with Jewish statements that are similar to it and explore how Rashi might have interpreted some of the key phrases in the Declaration.
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Jack Riemer is now retired after serving as the spiritual leader of congregations in Ohio, California, and Florida. He is the author of six books of Jewish thought and of a three-volume commentary on the High Holy Day prayerbook.
★ Support th...The World is Informational: Kabbalah and AI
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill
The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ
About The Event:
The 21st-century Kabbalistic approaches to AI offer optimistic, utopian approaches based on the writings of Sefer Yetzirah and Rabbi Isaac Luria. Secular innovators of AI at MIT who see the world as informational and AI as creativity; authors in Jewish thought who see the world as the Lurianic network; and rabbis who treat the new informational era as the unfolding of the divine mind and even a messianic fulfillment.
About The Speaker:
<...Beyond Either/Or: Jewish Nestedness Can Heal a Fractured World
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Natan Margalit
About The Event:
Either/Or dilemmas such as Universal versus Tribal, Us versus Them, Culture versus Nature, and more only keep us stuck in conflict and confusion. But Judaism’s core mode of thought is not either/or; it’s nested, fractal, and leads us to the kinds of both/and solutions that we need today. We’ll explore the ways that Jewish wisdom of nestedness in our traditions, rituals, and texts can lead us to hold the complexity of Jewishness and universal values, of human progress and ca...
The Torah’s Ritual Response to an Unsolved Murder
A virtual class presentation by Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin
The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion
About The Event:
Exploring Deuteronomy 21:1–9 and its rich history of interpretation. This powerful passage appears in that week’s Torah reading, offering a timely opportunity to engage with it more deeply.
About The Speaker:
Martin Lockshin is a University Professor Emeritus at York University and lives in Jerusalem. He received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and his rabbinic ordination in Israel while studying in Yeshivat Merk...
Order in the Court! Cross-Examining Fate, Forgiveness, and Forever
An event presentation by Rabbi Ian (Haim) Pear
The event is co-sponsored by Temple Chai
About The Event:
What is life’s most important lesson? Is true forgiveness possible? Can humans really change? If God is kind, why terrorize humanity with the fear of death? Join us for a fascinating book talk on The Day the Devil Went on Trial by Rabbi Ian (Haim) Pear. Praised by Dr. Russ Roberts—President of Shalem College, Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and host of the popular podcast EconTalk—as “a wise and entert...
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
A virtual class presentation by Dr. Andrew Porwancher
About The Event:
Professor Porwancher debunks a string of myths about the origins of this founding father to arrive at a startling conclusion: Hamilton was probably raised Jewish in his Caribbean youth. With a detective’s persistence and a historian’s rigor, Porwancher reveals the untold story of our most enigmatic founding father and its revolutionary consequences for understanding the republic he fought to create.
About The Speaker:
Andrew Porwancher is a Chaplik Professor of Israel and Diaspora Studies at the University of Texa...
Soul Train: Learning the Words of the Jewish Heart
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jeff Salkin
The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ
About The Event:
No, “Soul Train” isn’t just a retro music show—it’s about training our souls to rediscover the sacred power of Jewish prayer. Rabbi Jeff Salkin will help us explore the deeper meaning of the siddur; why prayer can feel distant for modern Jews; and how it can become relevant, moving, and even transformative. Based on his new book “Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer” (CCAR Press).
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Jeff S...
“AI, Deepfakes, and the Future of Human Trust” — Can We Still Know What’s Real?
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler
The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ
About The Event:
Session 4: “AI, Deepfakes, and the Future of Human Trust” — Can We Still Know What’s Real?
A culminating discussion about artificial intelligence, synthetic media, and epistemic crisis. If images, voices, and texts can all be fabricated convincingly, what happens to testimony, evidence, and trust?
*Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sF_YM9vOxpqQ8rqJtlJvtoAGYjD-XZd7CNht5t588NI/edit?usp=sharing
About The Speaker:
Rabbi...
A Cry for Wholeness From the Void: Bridging Zionism and Diasporism
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David Jaffe
About The Event:
What is at stake in bridging the growing divide in our North American Jewish community between people who feel strongly connected to the project of Jewish self-determination in our ancient homeland, A.K.A “Zionism,” and the growing movement of Diasporism, that decentralizes the role of Jewish statehood in Jewish life. How might we bridge this divide? We turn to the wisdom of Rabbi Avraham Isaac HaCohen Kook for guidance.
About The Speaker:
Rabbi David Jaffe is the Founder and Exec...
Are We Idolaters? Yeshayahu Leibowitz on Jewish Spirituality and Jewish Politics
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Samuel Fleischacker
About The Event:
We will take a look at some of the religious and political writings of the Israeli chemistry professor, philosopher, Torah-commentator, and gadfly, Yeshayahu Leibowitz. Our focus will be Leibowitz’s conception of idolatry: what idolatry is, for him; how halakha enables us to struggle against it; and the special danger it poses when it shows up as nationalism, including Jewish nationalism.
About The Speaker:
Sam Fleischacker is LAS Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC). He...
Nonviolence in a Violent World: Aharon Shmuel Tameres in Conversation With Martin Luther King and James Lawson
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Aryeh Cohen
About The Event:
Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Tamares is probably the most passionate Jewish voice against nationalism, militarism, and, most of all, war. A prolific writer in the first four decades of the twentieth century, he articulated an opposition to war and violence rooted in a theological vision which saw war as modern idolatry, or in another formulation, war as the service to the idolatry of nationalism. Rev. James Lawson was, according to his friend and colleague Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the foremost theorist of nonviolence in...
“Lashon Hara in the Information Age” — Speech, Gossip, and Viral Culture
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler
About The Event:
Truth, Media, and Propaganda – A timely look at misinformation, lashon hara, and the ethics of communication—especially in an age of social media and AI.
Session 2: “Lashon Hara in the Information Age” — Speech, Gossip, and Viral Culture
Building on the first class, this session applies Jewish laws of speech to modern media ecosystems. What happens when gossip becomes algorithmic, and outrage becomes profitable?
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Marc Gitler serves as Senior Jewish Educator for Valley...
Stolen, Saved, or Claimed? The Battle Between Yeshiva University and Dubrovnik’s Jewish Community
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler
The event was co-sponsored by Kavod Senior Life
About The Event:
This class will examine the history of sacred Jewish ritual objects sent from Dubrovnik, Croatia, to Yeshiva University for safekeeping during a time of danger, and the story of what happened to them afterward. We will explore questions of ownership, preservation, and responsibility, and consider what it means to safeguard religious treasures.
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Marc Gitler serves as Senior Jewish Educator for Valley Beit Midrash and is the...
“What Is Truth?” — Torah, Narrative, and the Power of Framing
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler
About The Event:
This is the first session in a four-part series. Participants may register for one, multiple, or all four sessions – attendance at every session is not required. Each session relates to the main theme but will stand on its own, allowing participants to join at any point in the series. All sessions will also be recorded and made available to those who would like to catch up on any content they miss or revisit the material later.
Truth, Media, and Propaganda – A ti...
Righteous Idolaters? A History of Christianity Through Jewish Eyes
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Joshua Garroway
About The Event:
Jews have viewed Christians alternately as friends and as enemies, as partners in salvation and as pitiable idolaters. Why such contrasts? Learn how Jewish perspectives on Christianity have developed from ancient to medieval to modern times. Hopefully, you’ll come away with some combination of amused, disgusted, and inspired!
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Raised in Roch...
Rebecca: Between Speech and Silence
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 Bibl...
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 Or...
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 St...
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...
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...
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.
Ab...
Pre-Shavout Class Series: Revelation - Event, Experience, or Ongoing Process
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc Gitler and Austin Swafford
About 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 To...
Striving to Be Human
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Rabbi Douglas Kohn
About The Event:
In his clarion call for ethical behavior, Rabbi Hillel tells us, “In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human.” But what exactly does it mean to be human, especially in an age of rapid transformation? Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges confronts this question with boldness, hope, and a foundation of Jewish wisdom. The volume begins with “Challenges from Within Us,” addressing such topics as moral justice, belonging, queer theology, and good and evil...
Jewish Comedy Post October 7th, A Conversation with Benji Lovitt
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with comedian Benji Lovitt.
Comedian Benji Lovitt brings a unique and uplifting presentation that blends humor with insight. In this fun and educational presentation, Benji Lovitt explores how Israelis have always turned to humor during even the darkest times, not to be insensitive, but as a coping mechanism. People often say that Hamas celebrates death and Jews celebrate life, but what does that really mean? Through standup, TV/Youtube videos, social media clips, and more, we’ll discover a perspective that’s both hilarious and therapeutic, a morale boost that gives people “permiss...
Love Is a Verb: Jewish Wisdom for Building Meaningful Relationships
An event presentation by Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff
About The Event:
In celebration of Lag Ba’Omer, a day of celebration, music, and weddings, an engaging learning session co-facilitated by Moishe Steigmann – The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shalom.
About The Speakers:
Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, writings, and workshops, he continues to i...
The Audacity of the Rabbis – and How It Saved Judaism
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Moishe Steigmann
About The Event:
The rabbis once made a bold, audacious choice that changed the course of Jewish history and saved Judaism. In this class, we’ll trace that pivotal moment and discover how their courage and ingenuity can still guide and inspire us today.
About The Speaker:
Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, wr...
The American Jewish Miracle
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
About The Event:
Over 2,000 years of the Jewish diaspora, no place has welcomed us and offered us more opportunities and freedom than America. And in turn, we offered America the gifts of our cultural genius. As we prepare to celebrate the 250th year of America, let’s look back at the wonders of American Jewish life.
Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1za3Tdn6NIZYgw-ToxzTo9ZFdwgPltCvG/view?usp=sharing
About The Speaker:
Rabbi Feinstein serves the Valley Beth Shalom co...
