Best Renew Your Mind Institute Podcasts (2025)

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Artifacts of Collapse: Touring the Crazy Town Museum 1:02:50

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6d ago1:02:50

1:02:50

In this episode we travel in time to the year 2125, to visit the Crazy Town museum, which showcases today’s world of wanton consumption and profligate waste. How will humans in 2125 – if there are any of us left – judge the things everyone sees as normal today? Jason, Rob, and Asher take turns serving as expert curators of this future museum, nomin…

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Crazy Town Classics - Net Energy and Sustainability, or… the Story of the Overstuffed Strongman 1:26:55

20d ago1:26:55

1:26:55

All of humanity’s feats, whether a record-setting deadlift by the world’s strongest man or the construction of a gleaming city by a technologically advanced economy, originate from a single hidden source: positive net energy. Having surplus energy in the form of thirteen pounds of food per day enables a very big man, Hafthor Bjornsson, to lift very…

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Just One Word: Microplastics, with Matt Simon 53:16

1M ago53:16

53:16

Put on your best polyester pants, grab a bunch of gleaming mylar balloons, and crack open a case of bottled water. In today's episode, we're entering the plastic world of plastic pollution in all its glorious plasticity. We're on the hunt for microplastics – and we won’t have to go very far, as they're present everywhere – in the soil, in the water…

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Crazy Town Classics - Lord of the Swans: The Tragedy of the Enclosure of the Commons 57:02

2M ago57:02

57:02

The “tragedy of the commons” is an idea that has so thoroughly seeped into culture and law that it seems normal for people and corporations to own land, water, and even whole ecosystems. But there’s a BIG problem: the “tragedy” part of it has been debunked – it really should be the triumph of the commons. Learn the origin story of privatization and…

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Will Trump's Tariffs Fuel or Foil the Degrowth Movement? 47:52

2M ago47:52

47:52

As Trump’s tariffs kick in, the Republican party is suddenly spouting anti-consumerist rhetoric that would make the Lorax smile. Should we cheer on this accidental experiment in economic shrinkage, or will this ham-fisted set of trade policies cause a backlash against the proponents of degrowth? As political confusion reigns, we offer eco-localism …

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Blinded by the Light - Facing Reality with Renewable Energy 56:39

3M ago56:39

56:39

Solar panels and other modern energy technologies can be really useful, but the belief that we can technologize our way to a bigger and better society powered by clean energy is tragically flawed. Asher, Rob, and Jason dig into the up-and-down story of the Ivanpah concentrated solar power plant, review the Harry Potteresque thinking behind complex,…

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Who Can Fix the Housing Crisis - NYT Pundits, German Shepherds, or Bilbo Baggins? 51:46

3M ago51:46

51:46

Jason, Rob, and Asher are taking out a huge, unaffordable mortgage on the housing crisis. What’s behind the shortage in housing? Why is it that no one, except canine Tik Tok influencers with billion-dollar bank accounts, can afford to own a home? While mainstream pundits press for an energy-blind buildout of desert sprawl and gleaming towers of gla…

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Be Still and Know: Movement in the Stillness 23:37

3M ago23:37

23:37

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on May 28, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Shir Meira Feit, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Becoming a Vessel for Blessing 23:51

3M ago23:51

23:51

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on May 21, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rebecca Schisler

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Bunkers, Bazookas, and Bespoke Moats: How to Be Safe in an Unsafe World 42:13

3M ago42:13

42:13

The world has gone bunking mad. The bespoke security industry is burying bunkers stocked with arsenals of automatic rifles and surrounded by flaming moats. Is there a better way to prepare for the polycrisis, the zombie apocalypse, or whatever hard times are on the horizon? Jason, Rob, and Asher have some fun at the expense of the bunker builders b…

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The Gentle Covering: Atonement as Healing Practice 23:55

4M ago23:55

23:55

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on May 07, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Jenny Solomon

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It Was Never Your Democracy Anyway: Thomas Linzey on Rethinking the Constitution 51:18

4M ago51:18

51:18

Democracy and environmental protection have two things in common: (1) they’re both supposed to be enshrined in the laws of the United States and (2) they’re both under severe attack right now. Asher speaks with Thomas Linzey of the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights to uncover how the source code of the U.S. Constitution and the body of…

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The Spiritual Power of Waiting 27:01

5M ago27:01

27:01

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on April 08, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Yael Shy

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Going #2: The Dueling Rules of Nature That Every Good Earthling Needs to Know 50:31

4M ago50:31

50:31

Happy Earth Day! There are two concepts that every person should understand to be a better Earthling: entropy and self-organization. It seems like a paradox, but systems on Earth are simultaneously breaking down into disorder and arranging themselves into complex superorganisms. Everything on Earth (well, really in the whole universe) is subject to…

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A Passover Meditation for Holding Bitter and Sweet, Tears and Hope 25:51

5M ago25:51

25:51

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on April 09, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Dorothy Richman, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Even AI Chatbots Hate Us: The Rise of the New Luddites, with Brian Merchant 1:09:46

5M ago1:09:46

1:09:46

Who knew that the breakthrough moment of AI sentience would come from interacting with an annoying neo-Luddite? After failing to raise a single dollar for PCI’s newest initiative — the $350 billion Transdisciplinary Institute for Phalse Prophet Studies and Education (TIPPSE) — Jason, Rob, and Asher devise the only profitable pitch for raising capit…

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Enough is Enough 24:33

5M ago24:33

24:33

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on March 17, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein

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A Temporary Techno Stunt: Tom Murphy on Falling out of Love with Modernity 54:21

6M ago54:21

54:21

Recovering technology booster Tom Murphy visits Crazy Town to discuss his journey from shooting lasers at the moon, to trying to "solve" the energy predicament, to falling out of love with modernity itself. Asher, Jason, Rob, and Tom discuss the roots and short-lived nature of modernity, which has not only shaped the world we inhabit but conquered …

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Responding to Hate as a Vessel of Love 25:33

6M ago25:33

25:33

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on March 12, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Eating the Future: The NY Times Goes Full Ecomodernist on Food and Farming 47:00

6M ago47:00

47:00

How will we feed people living in the megacities of the 21st century, especially while confronting climate chaos and the depletion of fossil fuels and fossil water? According to the mainstream media: ecomodernism! Massive deployment of technology on factory farms and an extreme ramp-up of industrialization will save the day – right? RIGHT?!? If you…

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Thawing Out 22:18

6M ago22:18

22:18

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on February 27, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Bargaining With Collapse: A Superabundance of Lab Grown Meat and Dryer Balls 37:32

7M ago37:32

37:32

Do you contemplate topics like climate change, biodiversity loss, and the risk of civilizational collapse? If so, then you probably understand something about bargaining – a psychological defense mechanism that’s one of the five stages of grief. With just a wee bit of embarrassment, Asher, Jason, and Rob reveal damning episodes of bargaining from t…

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Making Space for the Sacred in Turbulent Times 25:53

7M ago25:53

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on February 5, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Dorothy Richman

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The House Is Quite Literally on Fire: Peter Kalmus on the Climate Emergency Hitting Home 53:48

7M ago53:48

53:48

Peter Kalmus, climate scientist and returning friend of Crazy Town, used to live in Altadena, California, where one of the disastrous Los Angeles wildfires struck on January 7th. Having learned that his former house had burned, Peter penned an emotional article for the New York Times about his family's decision to leave LA two years prior, out of s…

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Permission to Pause: What's in a Name? 25:57

8M ago25:57

25:57

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on January 15, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Alison Cohen

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The Frequent Flyer Tree: Losing the Last Bit of Sense in the Climate Emergency 30:28

8M ago30:28

30:28

In the world of college sports, money talks and the volleyball team walks, er, flies 33,000 miles to play games. The NCAA, like almost everyone else, is playing games with Mother Nature. What do we expect student-athletes to gain from ignoring the climate emergency (not to mention putting their health at risk)? Who cares, as long as we can wring a …

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Entering the Precious Circle 23:35

8M ago23:35

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on January 03, 2025. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Shefa Gold

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Unlocking the Light: Meeting the Darkness with Mindfulness 24:05

8M ago24:05

24:05

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on December 23, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Zac Newman, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Shotgunning Hedwig: The Dilemma of Invasives and the Bizarre Decision to Slaughter Barred Owls 33:36

9M ago33:36

33:36

The US Fish and Wildlife Service decided to "manage" barred owls by shooting half a million of them over the next three decades. Jason, Rob, and Asher (along with the postal workers at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry) are upset about this plan for addressing the predicament of invasive species. Surely there's a finer tool than a doub…

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Breaking News: Crazy Town Joins the Newly Formed Department of Entropy 45:08

9M ago45:08

45:08

Rob, Jason, and Asher talk about joining the new Trump Administration, at least until Elon Musk eradicates it. They explore the implications of Trump 2.0 through three reality-bending lenses – shifting baselines, entropy, and the upside of down – and three ways of responding: resistance, resilience, and regeneration. They decided they couldn’t stom…

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Sunrise, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset 24:30

10M ago24:30

24:30

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during a free IJS Meditation Sit on November 13th, 2024. To join these FREE meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Jenny Solomon

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A Blessing for Entering the Night 28:53

10M ago28:53

28:53

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during a free IJS Meditation Sit on November 6th, 2024. To join these FREE meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Sukkot: Finding Joy in Impermanence 25:19

11M ago25:19

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on October 14, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Chloe Zelkha, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Holding our Heartbreak on October 7 26:30

11M ago26:30

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on October 7, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Being a Living Amen: Showing Up for Life, Moment by Moment 27:17

12M ago27:17

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on September 16, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabba Dorothy Richman, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Finding Shelter in the Storm 22:53

12M ago22:53

22:53

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on September 9, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Jenny Solomon

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Holding Heartbreak in Silence 26:30

12M ago26:30

26:30

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on September 3, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Josh Feigelson

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Sight and Insight: the 'I' as a Mask and a Window 22:59

1y ago22:59

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on August 29, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By David Gottlieb, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Making Space to Respond, Not React 28:25

1y ago28:25

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on August 22, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Full Moon, Full Hearts in Av: Practicing with Shema 26:51

1y ago26:51

26:51

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on August 19, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Jenna Zadaka

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Bonus: Human Nature Odyssey 40:11

1y ago40:11

40:11

Sometimes you just wanna hear from someone else. In this bonus episode, Alex Leff enters Crazy Town to introduce his podcast, Human Nature Odyssey. Before playing the first episode of the podcast, Jason, Rob, and Asher find lots of laughs with Alex as they contemplate environmental destruction, gorilla suits, the fate of civilization, tandem bike r…

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When the Walls Fall in 28:06

1y ago28:06

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 24, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell

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Deveikut ("Cleaving"): Grounding our Lives in Awareness of the Divine 25:07

1y ago25:07

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 17, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Shefa Gold

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Sitting into Shabbat 22:24

1y ago22:24

22:24

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 12, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius

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No Degrees of Separation 25:32

1y ago25:32

25:32

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 11, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Genevieve Greinetz, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Sitting into Tammuz: Holding our Heartbreak with Love 26:36

1y ago26:36

26:36

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 8, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Jenna Zadaka, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Putting God at the Center, Meeting the Truth of Each Moment 28:55

1y ago28:55

28:55

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on July 2, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabba Dr. Mira Neshama Weil, Rabbi Marc Margolius

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Soothing Ourselves in the Wilderness 25:16

1y ago25:16

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The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on June 17, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein

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Escaping Escapism: What a Bizarre Rodent Ritual Can Teach Us About Navigating a World We Can't Really Escape 1:06:03

1y ago1:06:03

1:06:03

After a full season of trying to escape more than a dozen evil -isms (fun things like capitalism, industrialism, extremism, and otherism), Rob, Jason, and Asher come to one conclusion: there is no true escape -- at least not for those of us who want to help their communities collapse and re-emerge gracefully. Join the boys as they explore what the …

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To and Fro: Connecting with Divine, Through High and Low 26:10

1y ago26:10

26:10

The meditation featured in this episode originally took place during the IJS Daily Online Meditation Sit on June 7, 2024. To join these FREE daily meditations live, sign up here. Visit jewishspirituality.org to learn more about the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.By Rabbi Marc Margolius, Yael Shy