Best Shmuli Podcasts (2025)

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Faith, Healing, and Hope: Mitch Albom in Conversation with Rabbi Shmuly 5:01

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21d ago5:01

5:01

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with author Mitch Albom to talk about faith, healing, and hope. Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster, and musician. His books have collectively sold 42 million copies worldwide; have been published in 51 territorie…

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How Are These Responsa Different From All Others? 59:00

3d ago59:00

59:00

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. David Golinkin. About The Event: Responsa are written answers by rabbis to halakhic questions. Since 1985, I have written approximately 900 responsa, over 200 of which have been published. In this lecture, I would like to explain my methodology by describing six characteristics of my Responsa, and giving ex…

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We are Yosef! - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Vayigash 1 41:10

1d ago41:10

41:10

We are Yosef! - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Vayigash 1

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Lessons from the Olive Tree for Families, Jewish Unity, and the Social Security System 55:59

6d ago55:59

55:59

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jon Greenberg. About The Event: This program will explore the symbolic and halachic significance of the olive tree. The questions we’ll examine include: Neglected agricultural and political reasons that the olive oil Chanukah displaced an earlier symbol of Chanukah, Why the 15th of Av became a day for matchmaking…

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What We Celebrate When We Celebrate Hanukkah: Four Theories on Unsettled Question 59:23

12d ago59:23

59:23

A hybrid event with Rabbi Ben Greenfield. About The Event: Classic Rabbinic sources offer very different answers to a key Hanukkah question: what exactly are we celebrating on this holiday? From Medieval Zionism to Rabbinic Pacifism, we'll explore 5 vital “retellings” of the Hanukkah story with very different takes on these 8 days. Source Sheets: P…

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Animals as Kabbalistic Masters 1:03:10

12d ago1:03:10

1:03:10

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer. About The Event: Animals don’t receive much attention in kabbalistic texts and even less so in scholarship on kabbalah. When they do, it is predominantly to teach humans to be better humans. Howrome anonymous kabbaalist who believed there was a deeper connection between humans and animals, to th…

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When Darkness Strikes, We Light - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Chanukah 45:05

11d ago45:05

45:05

When Darkness Strikes, We Light - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Chanukah

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Power and Politics in the Hebrew Bible 57:49

14d ago57:49

57:49

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher. About The Event: The epic narratives in the Books of the Prophets take us on a dramatic journey from the chaotic days of the Judges to the building and breaking of the Israelite monarchy in Samuel and Kings. Along the way, we encounter prophets, priests, and kings locked in a struggle over the mean…

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Before Good & Evil: Moral Relativism in Jewish Ethics 1:07:45

14d ago1:07:45

1:07:45

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher About The Event: What does it mean to call something “good” or “evil”? Are moral values absolute, or do they depend on culture, context, and perspective? This class explores how Jewish texts across the ages have grappled with questions of moral relativism — examining biblical narratives, rabbinic de…

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Workers Rights and Paying On Time with Rabbi Mike Moskowitz 43:40

17d ago43:40

43:40

This text based analysis of the Biblical obligation to pay workers in a timely fashion will explore the ethical and mystical implications of this important Mitzvah. – Rabbi Mike Moskowitz is the Director of Scholarship and Multi-faith Engagement at The Beacon, a project of Union Theological Seminary. For the past seven years he served as the Schola…

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A Jewish Trinity: Contemporary Christian Theology Through Jewish Eyes 1:04:33

19d ago1:04:33

1:04:33

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill About The Event: The Christian affirmation of a triune God has always perplexed and confounded Jews. Can Jews move beyond understanding the Trinity as inherently tri-theistic? This talk serves as an entry into a range of issues in Jewish-Christian theological differences, presenting a Jewish unde…

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Pressure-Proof - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25 Vayeshev-Yud Tes Kislev 35:53

20d ago35:53

35:53

Pressure-Proof - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25 Vayeshev-Yud Tes Kislev

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“Heart of a Stranger” with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl — In Conversation with Rabbi Shmuly 27:23

24d ago27:23

27:23

Rabbi Shmuly sits down with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl to talk about her new book Heart of a Stranger. Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, the first woman to lead this flagship congregation in its 185-year history. Under her leadership, Central Synagogue has grown to become one of the largest s…

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The Shabbat Effect: Book Talk with Alan Morinis 43:33

26d ago43:33

43:33

The Shabbat Effect: Book Talk with Alan Morinis Alan Morinis received his doctorate from Oxford University which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship. He is one the leading lights in the revival of the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar and is the author of Climbing Jacob’s Ladder (2002), Everyday Holiness (2007), With Heart in Mind (2014) and now…

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Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy 55:31

1M ago55:31

55:31

A virtual event presentation by David M. Elcott, PhD About The Event: At a moment when liberal democracy is so deeply threatened and we search to understand how this can be occurring at this point in history, a new prize-winning analysis Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of LiberalDemocracy by David Elcott comes to offer a cogentexploration of the…

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Yochanan’s Gamble: Judaism’s Pragmatic Approach to Life 53:07

1M ago53:07

53:07

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Katz About The Event: Some two thousand years ago, the story goes, a rabbi named Yochanan made the epitome of pragmatic gambles—wagering the entire fate of the Jewish people. His quick thinking inspired generations of subsequent rabbis to navigate their own ethical challenges pragmatically—determining trut…

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Hosts Reflect on All Out In The Open 1:10:12

1M ago1:10:12

1:10:12

To celebrate one year of All Out in the Open, hosts Charlie Bird, Ben Schilaty, Liz Macdonald, Michael Soto, Iese Wilson and Clare Dalton reflect on their favorite episodes and biggest takeaways. We’ll be taking a break from the podcast to assess the best way to meet the needs of the community moving forward. Thank you for tuning in each week—your …

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"The Holy Blasphemer” in Leviticus 24 - a story of justice and injustice and how the Torah seems to respond to itself, modeling for our sages how to respond to injustice in the future 35:55

1M ago35:55

35:55

Watch the video recording of this class on Uri L’Tzedek’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/DDE-Tjnjxkc We’d love to have you join us for our upcoming classes, so please sign up here → https://linktr.ee/utzedek - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rabbi Uri Topolosky, who is the spiritual leader of Kehilat Pardes - The Rock Creek Synag…

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Why Jewish Knowledge Matters: Rethinking Jewish Literacy 52:10

1M ago52:10

52:10

A virtual event presentation by Professor Jon Levisohn About The Event: Jewish educators worry about Jewish literacy. Jewish leaders worry about it. Jewish parents definitely worry about it. And sometimes individual Jews worry about their own Jewish literacy, too! “Jewish literacy” gets thrown around a lot, especially when people talk about America…

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Bring Them Home - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Toldos 2 28:48

1M ago28:48

28:48

Bring Them Home - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Toldos 2

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Great Jewish Heretics 1:00:56

1M ago1:00:56

1:00:56

An event presentation by Dr. Elias Sacks About The Event: Is it offensive and blasphemous to say that God loves us? Is Judaism nothing more than the laws of an ancient kingdom that have been mistaken for a religion? Does God have body parts, romantic relationships, and other human-like characteristics? We will explore ancient, medieval, and modern …

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Finding Personalized Direction on Your Path With Molly and Ruth 58:05

1M ago58:05

58:05

We’re excited to have Molly and Ruth join us in this week’s IN the Scriptures episode. Molly, an Arizona native, is a choir teacher with a passion for building community, and Ruth, originally from New York, works as an engineer who loves solving complex problems. The couple met and married in Utah before relocating to Indiana last year. Together wi…

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Conscious AI – The New Golems? 1:05:40

2M ago1:05:40

1:05:40

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Mois Navon The event is co-sponsored by: ASU Jewish Studies and Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: While hard to imagine, scientists are working on building robots (and chatbots) with human-level consciousness. Is this something to look forward to? Mois Navon's talk will make you think about life, love,…

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Fulfilling the Goals of Israel's Declaration of Independence 55:20

2M ago55:20

55:20

Rabbanit Sharona Halickman at Uri L'Tzedek on "Fulfilling the Goals of Israel's Declaration of Independence" Source sheet from this class: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19H5B_iJlFVrS2HyvZroJUOdS9cpARgOgLEioTI-K-Ro/edit?tab=t.0 We’d love to have you join us for our upcoming classes so please sign up here → https://linktr.ee/utzedek — Rabbanit S…

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Classic Episode: Navigating Identity and Faith in New Zealand (with Shaqaila Uelese) 49:43

1M ago49:43

49:43

OUT and About: Iese Wilson takes us to New Zealand where Shaquaila Uelese opens up about growing up, discovering her identity, and embracing the Māori term Takatapui. While her family initially struggled with her coming out, their love helped her reconnect with God and heal her testimony. Shaq also shares the inspiration behind her nonprofit, Never…

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Chessed Beyond! - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Vayera 2 31:27

2M ago31:27

31:27

Chessed Beyond! - Sicha Podcast - Chelek 25, Vayera 2

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And She Arose: Jewish Women Leaders for Our Troubled Times 52:59

2M ago52:59

52:59

A virtual event presentation by Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman About The Event: And She Arose: Jewish Women Leaders for Our Troubled Times will document and analyze important public leadership roles played by Jewish women, leading up to and in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war. This discussion will paint d…

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Torah Perspectives on Transhumanism: Professor Navon Interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly 18:47

2M ago18:47

18:47

Rabbi Shmuly sits down with Mois Navon, a founding engineer of Mobileye, where he designed the EyeQ family of SoC (System On a Chip) – the chip powering the autonomous vehicle revolution. Mois is also an ordained rabbi who has published numerous articles on Jewish law and lore. Working at the intersection of Torah U’Madda, he received his PhD from …

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How a Jewish Rabbi Flips Judgement into Curiosity (with Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz) 45:23

2M ago45:23

45:23

In this week’s ALL Together episode, Liz Macdonald and Michael Soto sit down with Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. Growing up in an interfaith home, he felt called to Judaism and a life of activism. Rabbi Yanklowitz has founded organizations that serve foster children, immigrants, unsheltered individuals, and animals. Through his leadership and faith, …

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Jews and Biblical Criticism 1:02:33

2M ago1:02:33

1:02:33

A virtual presentation by Dr. Marc Brettler About The Event: The belief that the Torah is a composite book written by people over a long period of time, that the Hebrew Bible text that we use contains errors, and that the Bible was influenced by ancient Near Eastern texts, are main elements of the historical-critical analysis of the Bible. What is …

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Behind the Curtain of Jewish Social Justice: Abby Levine Interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly 19:40

2M ago19:40

19:40

Abby Levine (she/her) is the first executive director of the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable. Under her leadership, the Roundtable has tripled in size, supported sector-wide efforts on civic engagement and racial equity, inclusion, and diversity, and organized two conferences of 150 people from across the network. Previously, Abby led a coalition …

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What Conference Left Us Talking About (With Charlie and Ben) 50:36

2M ago50:36

50:36

In this week’s episode, Charlie and Ben share their experiences watching the October 2025 General Conference. They discuss which messages stood out to them and how we can apply those principles in our daily efforts to become better disciples of Christ.By All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet

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Lech Lecha: The Road to Greatness - Sicha Podcast Chelek 25 Lech Lecha 1 30:18

2M ago30:18

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Lech Lecha: The Road to Greatness - Sicha Podcast Chelek 25 Lech Lecha 1

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The Untold Story of Lethal Injection: Professor Lain Interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly 28:13

2M ago28:13

28:13

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Professor Corinna Lain. Professor Corinna Lain is the S. D. Roberts & Sandra Moore Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. Professor Lain’s scholarship focuses on two areas—Supreme Court decision-making and the death penalty—and she has published numerous articles and essays about lethal inje…

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Jews and Jewish Animals in the Middle Ages 49:27

2M ago49:27

49:27

A virtual event presentation by Professor David Shyovitz About The Event: Is Judaism—and by extension, religious identity—a category applicable only to human beings? Or might non-human animals also, in some sense, have religious standing and status? This session will explore some classical Jewish perspectives on this question, surveying medieval ra…

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Jewish Service in the Global South: Dyonna Ginsburg Interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz 21:23

2M ago21:23

21:23

Prior to OLAM, Dyonna served as Director of Education and Service Learning at The Jewish Agency; Executive Director of Bema'aglei Tzedek, an Israeli social change NGO; and co-founder of Siach, a global network of Jewish social justice and environmental professionals. ‍ A frequent lecturer, Dyonna was named "one of Israel's 50 most inspiring women" …

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Jewish Ethics of Interfaith Dialogue 54:05

2M ago54:05

54:05

Rabbi Daniel Ross Goodman is the Allen and Joan Bildner Visiting Scholar in Jewish Studies at Rutgers University and the author of three books, including Soloveitchik's Children: Irving Greenberg, David Hartman, Jonathan Sacks, and the Future of Jewish Theology in America (University of Alabama Press, 2023) Register for our upcoming classes here: h…

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Exploring the Doctrine of Exaltation When You Don’t See Yourself in It (with Jeremy and Sara Kerrigan) 1:09:33

2M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

This week our IN the Scriptures episode features Jeremy and Sara Kerrigan. After nearly two decades of marriage, Jeremy came out as gay. Though the couple later divorced, they continue to share deep friendship, faith, and love for each other and their five children. Together with host Clare Dalton, they discuss Doctrine & Covenants 124-136, explori…

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Chamber in the Chapel: A Hoshana Rabbah Lecture-Performance 1:01:30

2M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

About The Lecture: Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of the fall Sukkot festival, is one of the most fascinating and least appreciated dates on the Jewish calendar and was traditionally regarded as the holiday season’s final opportunity for teshuvah (repentance). Come join us for a lecture by Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin exploring the significanc…

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Shmita: A Year Devoted to Social Justice 47:28

2M ago47:28

47:28

Rabbanit Sharona Margolin Halickman was the first Congregational intern and Madricha Ruchanit at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (1997-2004) where she provided religious education and spiritual direction for the community. She is a graduate of Yeshiva University (BA and MS) as well as Matan’s Eshkolot (Tanach) and Hilkheta programs. Sharona is th…

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Finding Self Acceptance as a Gay Saint in Jamaica (with Marcel Robinson) 52:24

2M ago52:24

52:24

This week’s OUT and About episode features Marcel Robinson, a gay Latter-day Saint from Jamaica. He opens up about losing his father, coming to terms with his sexuality, facing health challenges, serving a mission, and now attending Brigham Young University–Idaho. Marcel’s story is one of faith, hope and perseverance.…

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The Untold Story of Lethal Injection: Professor Lain Interviewed by Rabbi Shmuly 27:32

3M ago27:32

27:32

Professor Corinna Lain is the S. D. Roberts & Sandra Moore Professor of Law at the University of Richmond School of Law. Professor Lain’s scholarship focuses on two areas—Supreme Court decision-making and the death penalty—and she has published numerous articles and essays about lethal injection over the last decade. Her work has appeared in the na…

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Bringing Ministry to the Margins (With Bishop Karen Oliveto) 42:01

3M ago42:01

42:01

By All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet

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Book Talk - Going Out With Knots: My Two Kaddish / COVID Years with Hebrew Poetry with Rabbi Zierler 1:00:34

3M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Sign up for our next class, happening October 16: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5nn_k70KQRiGsnI-FwnjPg#/registration -- Wendy Zierler is Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR in New York. Prior to joining HUC-JIR she was a Research Fellow in the English Department of the University of Hong …

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Behind the Scenes With Sound Guy Mike 40:27

3M ago40:27

40:27

This week’s OPEN Up episode features one of our very own editors, Mike Poret—better known as “Sound Guy Mike.” Mike first discovered Questions from the Closet while he was in the process of coming out. Reaching out to Charlie and Ben, he offered his technical skills, which have supported our guests and listeners for the past five years. In this epi…

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The Social Aspect of Reincarnation 59:43

3M ago59:43

59:43

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer About The Event: Why do certain people appear in our lives? And how can certain kabbalistic contemplations deepen our relationships with our family, friends and day-to-day encounters? In this class, we learn about a beautiful secret relating to the tree of life, reincarnation and their relevance …

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Is Teshuvah Possible in the Internet Age? 35:26

3M ago35:26

35:26

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dvora Weisberg, Ph.D. About The Event: Jewish tradition teaches that through teshuvah (repentance), we can “remake” ourselves as better people. But how do we present and live as our new, improved selves when our mistakes are preserved on the internet and available for everyone to see (and dredge up)? We will ta…

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Jewish Responding to Hunger: Rabbi Shmuly Interviews MAZON's CEO Abby Leibman 18:13

3M ago18:13

18:13

Uri L’Tzedek’s College Social Justice Fellowship is now accepting applications for Fall 2025! This virtual fellowship brings together observant Jewish college students for four Sunday sessions focused on social justice through a Jewish lens, featuring dynamic speakers, peer learning, and community building. 🕒 Priority Application Deadline: Oct 5 Ap…

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Setting Boundaries Without Burning Bridges (with Michael Soto) 1:17:22

3M ago1:17:22

1:17:22

This week in our IN the Scriptures episode, Michael Soto joins Clare Dalton to discuss Doctrine & Covenants 109-123. Together they explore the importance of names, boundaries, and chosen families.By All Out in the Open, Questions from the Closet

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Antisemitism in Australia 48:12

3M ago48:12

48:12

Nomi Kaltmann is a lawyer, journalist, educator and political strategist. She has held senior roles working across law, media, and politics. Nomi is a monthly columnist for The Jewish Independent and previously served as the Australian correspondent for Tablet Magazine (New York). Her commentary and reporting have appeared in The Griffith Review, T…