Best Robert Topp Podcasts (2025)

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"Noah Count and the Arkansas Ark" by Gary Blackwood 8:20

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7d ago8:20

8:20

Mama, Papa and Granny all have peculiar ways of knowing that a big rain is coming – none of them very scientific. But that doesn’t stop Papa from building a raft the size of an ark for the great flood of 1908.

1
"My Grandma Can Fly" by Chris Pease. 23:08

1M ago23:08

23:08

When Sarah’s grandma was fourteen and living in England, she fell out of the hayloft but never hit the ground. That was the day she discovered she could fly with the help of a little magic leftover from times pasts.

1
"Mr. Runkle's Pumpkin: A Summer Tale" by Betse Brydon 9:47

2M ago9:47

9:47

Mr. Runkle grows only orderly vegetables while his neighbor, Miss Appleby’s garden is a tangle of bright flowers with the exception of one gigantic, prize winning pumpkin.

1
Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg: Eco-spiritual, Eco-what? 1:03:20

3M ago1:03:20

1:03:20

On this episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi, Ralph Benmergui speaks with neohasid.org founder and author of the book, Kabbalah and Ecology, Rabbi David Seidenberg, on how we can restore the spiritual bond with an earth based Judaism.

1
"Nick of Time: a Dog-Ghost's Tale" by Jackie Vivelo 20:40

3M ago20:40

20:40

Jared loved artifact hunting at his grand parents farm. But each summer a local pack of wild dogs was getting bolder. They had already killed Nick, grandpa's courageous hound. When Jared came face to face with the pack, only one thing could save him.

1
"Beauty and the Beast" retold by Adele Geras 24:26

4M ago24:26

24:26

A traditional fairytale for all ages beautifully retold by award-winning British author, Adele Geras.

1
"The Woodcutter's Secret" by Simon Higgins 19:04

5M ago19:04

19:04

Two of the King’s guards pay a young man to show them the way to Aliforde the Woodcutter’s hut. But when they arrive the humble woodcutter bests them both by sword revealing his true identity as the King’s Personal Champion, self-exiled after an accidental killing of a rival. But the King has a new son, and he needs his trusted champion back to tea…

1
"The Leprechaun's Story" by Richard Kennedy 10:46

6M ago10:46

10:46

According to legend, if you see a leprechaun and don’t take your eyes off him, he must take you to his pot of gold, which is just what a traveling tradesman does. However, in the end, he is outwitted by the leprechaun’s sad but clever story.

1
Amichai Lau-Lavie, the 'Sabbath Queen', is forging his own traditions 40:24

6M ago40:24

40:24

When Amichai Lau-Lavie realized he was gay, he knew he had to make a choice: hide his identity to abide by his Orthodox upbringing, or be true to himself. It wasn't an easy call for a man whose ancestors had been rabbis for generations—including his uncle and cousin, who both served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ultimately, Lau-Lavie deci…

1
For Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg, environmentalism isn't adjacent to Judaism—it's a core tenet 36:23

7M ago36:23

36:23

Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg realized at a young age he was drawn to Jewish studies. After graduating from Jewish day schools around Toronto, he decided to attend the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Conservative rabbinical school in New York City, for five years—only to end up a Renewal rabbi years later, ordained just this month. As the spiritual leader o…

1
"The Skunk and the Bear: A Love Story" by Terry Jones 15:13

7M ago15:13

15:13

A skunk was madly in love with a bear. But the bear, barely noticed the skunk … that is until the skunk saved the bear from hunters and the forest’s most unlikely friendship blossomed.

1
"Money Trees: An African-American Story" by Jane Nickerson 8:18

7M ago8:18

8:18

John Michael was poor, but his friend William was dirt poor and that’s what decided John Michael to give William all the money he got from selling pecans. He would have loved to buy some sports equipment. but it was more important for William to get a bicycle so that he could get a delivery job and help support his family.…

1
'You can forgive and seek justice at the same time': Robert Enright on how to learn forgiveness 40:36

7M ago40:36

40:36

With the recent news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the eventual return of the remaining Israeli hostages, tensions remain high between pro- and anti-Zionist communities here in Canada, who've stood sharply divided on the foreign conflict for 15 months. Members of those communities may still be holding hatred or anger in their hea…

1
Gary Topp ushered Toronto into the cultural future—and he’s still making alternative history 37:06

8M ago37:06

37:06

Once upon a time, Toronto was a sleepy city. The atmosphere shut down at night. Red tape and cultural meekness kept things status quo. But through the 1970s and 1980s, the city's younger generations changed how things work—and one of the biggest players behind the scenes was Gary Topp. A music promoter and independent movie theatre operator, it was…

1
"The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet" by Jeanne Desy 26:19

8M ago26:19

26:19

A long time ago, in a kingdom by the sea, there was a Princess as tall and bright as a sunflower, but she refused to wither in the shadow of her betrothed Prince and found greater pleasure in her beloved talking dog.

1
How Choir! Choir! Choir! grew out of a living room gathering into 2,500 strangers singing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' in Montreal 32:47

8M ago32:47

32:47

On Oct. 9, around 2,500 strangers packed Montreal's Place des Arts concert hall to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in surprisingly perfect harmony. The melody was beautiful. In a video recording posted online, tears and smiles are visible as people sing out the familiar chorus. You could say it was a spiritual performance—unless you're Nobu Adilm…

1
Playwright Mark Leiren-Young explains why Shylock needed a revival in 2024 42:45

9M ago42:45

42:45

Mark Leiren-Young wrote Shylock in 1996, a play using Shakespeare's controversial Jewish character in The Merchant of Venice to explore modern-day cancel culture. While the script saw productions aorund the world, Leiren-Young was wary of giving the rights away too quickly, knowing it was complex, sensitive subject matter that required an intellect…

1
Filmmaker Allan Novak turns the camera on his family: the oldest living Holocaust survivors in the world 31:55

10M ago31:55

31:55

Growing up, Allan Novak assumed his family was fairly ordinary: modest, witty, hardworking Jewish immigrants who found a new live in Canada after the war. That his mother was one of four sibling survivors was noteworthy, but the outside world did not take notice. That is, until the siblings all began reaching the age of 100. Once international repo…

1
"Castles in the Air" by Stephen Krensky 13:39

10M ago13:39

13:39

When a witch goes before the king to ask for the road in front of her house to be repaired, she is told by the king’s chief advisor that the king could build castles in the air if he wanted to, rather than talk to her. This gives the witch a clever idea and pretty soon the king is looking down on his kingdom from his castle in the clouds…

1
In his new memoir, Michael Coren recounts his life, from Jewish cabbie's son to Anglican priest 35:24

10M ago35:24

35:24

Michael Coren has lived many lives. Born to a Jewish cab driver in England, Coren converted to Catholocism in the 1980s, then Evangelicalism in the '90s; he grew into a bombastic right-wing Christian talk radio and TV personality with shows on the Sun News Network and the Crossroads Television System; then he came back to embrace the Catholic Churc…

1
How Eva Almos channels the spirit of her survivor mother in an audio drama about Holocaust zombies 28:03

11M ago28:03

28:03

Both of Eva Almos's parents were Holocaust survivors. Her mother, from Lithuania, was a kind and gentle soul who went out of her way to uplift strangers and support her daughter. But her father was the opposite: a traditional Greek man with chauvinist ideas who was hardened by the horrors of the Holocaust. The duality sent Almos into therapy, where…

1
"Ghost Walk" by Mark A. Garland 8:49

11M ago8:49

8:49

Arin and her Mom go to the cemetery to tell Arin’s Dad that it’s okay, that they love him and don’t blame him for what happened in the church the night they surprised two burglars. A softly told tale of a ghostly encounter in a graveyard with a nice twist at the end.

1
From devastation to creation: How artist Devon Spier found spiritual meaning through affliction 35:04

11M ago35:04

35:04

Devon Spier has long COVID. The artist, poet and spiritual guide has spent days bedridden, feeling ill and angry at God. But that forced pause gave her time to reflect on her life, art and beliefs, and she began to realize more emphatically how God, for her, exists in liminal spaces—in the wilderness, in small moments of peace and beauty between de…

1
"Miz Mephitis" by Robert D. Culp 12:44

11M ago12:44

12:44

When Rooster ducks into the barn to get out of the afternoon rain storm he is surprised to have his sneeze answered by a polite “God bless you, young man.” When he realizes it is Miz Mephitis, the skunk, he backs away just a far as he can. But his fear is replaced by curiosity when a right friendly discussion ensues and Rooster learns there is a lo…

1
Trailblazing artist Neshama Carlebach opens up about her next spiritual goal: the rabbinate 45:06

12M ago45:06

45:06

Growing up in the Orthodox movement, Neshama Carlebach would hear it a lot: "It's a shame your father never had sons." The father in question, the acclaimed Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, instead had two daughters—and the implication was that his legacy as a prolific songwriter, whose repertoire includes the popular 1965 folk anthem "Am Yisrael Chai", wou…

1
Jesse Brown lost 9% of his supporters after he began spotlighting antisemitism. Here's why he won't stop 43:07

12M ago43:07

43:07

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Jesse Brown—who has risen to prominence as a media critic and muckraker with his Canadaland podcast and digital media company—once again stirred up controversy online. But it wasn't a big news investigation that sparked outrage; it was a series of posts about antisemitic attacks on Canadian Jewish-aligned institutions, f…

1
"The Booted Cat: or Puss in Boots." Newly translated by Sophie Masson 20:08

1y ago20:08

20:08

A very literary and delightful modern translation/adaptation of one of Charles Perrault’s most famous fairy tails wherein the youngest son inherits nothing of value except the family cat. But the cat, who is very fond or his young master, proves to be well more that just a cat. Bebooted and behatted, the clever feline finds his master both a kingdo…

1
Rabbi Victor Gross is reimagining religion as a force of unity—not division 44:45

1y ago44:45

44:45

When Rabbi Victor Gross was looking for a home to grow his congregation in Boulder, CO, he knew he didn't want a dedicated building. It wasn't just the cost, but the environmental impact of operating a space that's only used a few hours a week. Instead, he looked for a church to rent out Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. He asked church leader…

1
Mary Darling reflects on conflict and division from the Baha'i headquarters in Haifa 50:17

1y ago50:17

50:17

While Israel remains on the brink of war with Lebanon in the north, one of the country's most iconic sites—the famous Baha'i Gardens and shrine—sit less than an hour away. That a religion based on unity among humankind, which views all religions and tribes as branches from the same tree, should have its headquarters so close to a warzone is tragica…

1
"The Imaginary Dragon" by Terry Jones 9:55

1y ago9:55

9:55

A dragon, fearing that he doesn’t exist, shares his concern with his friends the griffin, the unicorn and the sphinx. They can offer little to ease his worries but in the end, like Rousseau, he decides, someone imagines, therefore, I am.

1
Jews were once embraced by progressive activists. Did Oct. 7 permanently change that? 28:58

1y ago28:58

28:58

Bernie Farber helped create the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) in 2018, and sat as its founding chair until shortly after Oct. 7, 2023. The organization—which investigates, publicizes and works with journalists to report on hateful far-right extremist groups—was infamously silent in the weeks following the Hamas slaughter and kidnapping of 1,200…

1
"Cinders" by Katherine Gibson 35:16

1y ago35:16

35:16

A “what if” story about one of Cinderella’s coachmen who stays a man rather than regaining his mouse form at the stroke of midnight. Dazed and confused, he finds himself at the gates of a castle and discovers that, upon being given lowly work in the King’s stables, he has a knack as a horse whisperer.…

1
Canada's last remaining faith reporter reflects the past, and future, of religion 31:52

1+ y ago31:52

31:52

In 2018, at a time when the faith beat in Canadian newspapers was steadily declining, John Longhurst made an unusual deal with the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press. He wanted to help expand the paper's audience by reporting on religion, particularly within local communities: Mennonite, Indigenous, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, whomever. The publish…

1
Rabbi Beni Wajnberg explains why you should never pay synagogue dues 34:38

1+ y ago34:38

34:38

Rabbi Beni Wajnberg has worked in Brazil, Argentina, Singapore, New York, Tennessee, California, Montana and beyond. When it came down to settle down with his family and put down roots, he chose Hamilton, Ont., where he's now the spiritual leader at Beth Jacob Synagogue. Throughout his travels, he's found that one thing connects all those far-flung…

1
"The Trouble with Trouble; a Tale from the American South" by Amy Friedman and Meredith Johnson 5:30

1+ y ago5:30

5:30

The trouble with Trouble was he talked too much, even old skunk told him so. But when Trouble tried to tell everyone old skunk spoke to him, no one ever believed him again.

1
Why writer Marsha Lederman, daughter of Holocaust survivors, feels 'less alone' on Yom HaShoah 36:51

1+ y ago36:51

36:51

Marsha Lederman is a catastrophizer. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, the author and Globe and Mail columnist has gone through life worrying about everything that can go wrong, to the point that she wrote a book about things going wrong in her life. Kiss the Red Stairs, released August 2023, investigates the ramifications of intergenerationa…

1
"Come Again in Spring" by Richard Kennedy 16:24

1+ y ago16:24

16:24

When death comes for Old Hark, the old man tells him to come again in the spring so he can feed his birds for one more winter. After some argument, Death offers to give him one more winter if he can answer three questions.By Richard Kennedy

1
This Earth Day, pretend it's Shabbat—and take a break for the environment 26:22

1+ y ago26:22

26:22

You may not think of keeping Shabbat as environmental activism—but Jonathan Schorsch does. The founder of the Green Sabbath Project is on a mission to tackle climate change by adapting the biblical Jewish practice into something universally good for our planet. After all, in the Venn diagram of environmentalism and observant Judaism, "Not driving o…

1
Alan Zweig looks back on decades of filmmaking—and ahead to his pessimistic new podcast 45:02

1+ y ago45:02

45:02

Alan Zweig was on the road to becoming, like so many other midtown Toronto Jews, a lawyer. Instead, in his early 20s, he zigzagged off the course and wound up taking multiple lengthy trips to India, changing his perspective on life and work. He chose film school instead, propelling him into a decades-long documentary career that began all those yea…

1
"The Hare and the Orphan" by Lynne Reid Banks 6:09

1+ y ago6:09

6:09

A story from Ms Banks' delightful anthology “The Magic Hare” in which the magic hare is snared by an orphan for dinner. The hare continues to suggest ingredients that would make him taste better but the final one is through the dark forest where the orphan has never gone. The hare leads the way, the orphan overcomes her fear and both live happily, …

1
A new Orthodox horror novel blends Kabbalah, family drama and memories of the Holocaust 19:51

1+ y ago19:51

19:51

Toby Lloyd didn't grow up religious. But the British Jewish author became fascinated with Orthodoxy—how different people, even in the same family, can interpret biblical texts as either literal or metaphorical. Wanting to tap into the meaning and effects of people's belief systems, as well as reinterpreting stories from the Torah and wrapping it in…

1
In her new solo show, Diane Flacks tackles divorce, motherhood and the intergenerational power of Jewish guilt 24:56

1+ y ago24:56

24:56

Diane Flacks has always felt the power of Jewish guilt. But when when she decided she wanted a divorce, that guilt grew to a whole new level. She constantly questioned the process, even while she was going through it, thinking about whether it was the right move or not. To process these thoughts and emotions, the theatre artist decided to transform…

1
"The Magic Weaver: a Tale from Ireland" by Melissa Shaw-Smith 16:02

1+ y ago16:02

16:02

When Conal builds his castle on a hilltop he is not aware that he is intruding in the domain of the powerful fairy, Duine Sidhe. Cursed by the fairy, Conal and his family find no happiness until Conal’s son is befriended by a weaver who weaves a magic tapestry that can lift the curse.By Melissa Shaw-Smith

1
Mark Breslin on the value of Jewish comedy and identity in an increasingly antisemitic world 44:34

1+ y ago44:34

44:34

Last month, the flagship Yuk Yuk's location in downtown Toronto hosted a stand-up comedy fundraiser for Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Predictably, anti-Israel protesters swarmed it. The club's founder and owner, Mark Breslin—who organized the event—tried to get in through a back entrance, only to find more protesters waiting there for him a…

1
'Some bearded person sitting on a throne in the sky is a kindergarten God': Rabbi Zelig Golden explains earth-based Judaism 43:43

1+ y ago43:43

43:43

Rabbi Zelig Golden likes to describe Judaism as a religion of deep roots, interconnectivity, compassion and feminine divinity, reminding the world that Adam came from the adamah. It's this philosophy that inspired Wilderness Torah, an organization based in California that promotes "healing, belonging and resilience," in an attempt to reshape how Je…

1
Rabbi Yonatan Neril: How spirituality can help us solve the climate crisis 32:21

1+ y ago32:21

32:21

The climate crisis is the fault of no single person or country, but rather a widespread ideology of materialism and overwhelming lack of compassion for the natural world. What's worse—the crisis is intensifying each year. These are some of the themes espoused by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, the founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable …

1
"John Robert and the Dragon's Egg" by Thomas N. Scortia 28:24

1+ y ago28:24

28:24

After John Robert found a dragon’s egg down by the swamp, he and his Grandpa Riley kept it a secret from Aunt Bess whose life was too hard to care about such things. That is until it hatched, grew to 14 feet in two months and drank all the coal oil in the barn. Well, something had to be done. Lucky for John Robert and Grandpa Riley it was the flyin…

1
"The Hare and the Flower" by Lynne Reid Banks 9:17

1+ y ago9:17

9:17

A story from Ms Banks delightful anthology “The Magic Hare” in which the magic hare hears tiny bells after every good deed and discovers they are applause from a sad, unnamed flower. In gratitude, the magic hare gives the flower a name, ‘harebell,’ or ‘Campanula rotundifolia.’By Lynne Reid Banks

1
"Mistletoe: A Tale of Giving" by Douglas Evans 6:29

1+ y ago6:29

6:29

When Derek’s kid brother finds bunches of mistletoe on the ground in an orchard, he decides to sell them to earn money to buy Derek a much needed guitar case. Little does he know that Derek is the one cutting the mistletoe trying to earn enough money to buy him the wooden recorder he has always wanted. Nicely reminiscent of O. Henry’s “The Gift of …

1
"The Magic Spoon: a Tale for Hanukkah" by Eric A. Kimmel 11:42

1+ y ago11:42

11:42

When a stranger comes to the city of Chelm, he claims that he can make his own latkes with nothing but his magic spoon. To make them even better, the folk of Chelm start to loan him ingredients until they are feasting on the perfect latkes.By Eric A. Kimmel