Best Temple Emanuel in Newton Podcasts (2025)

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Shabbat Sermon: Now, Life. with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 19:41

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7d ago19:41

19:41

Joy! How do we get back to joy? There are plenty of times in our lives when joy is easy. We saw that this morning. When a beautiful daughter and granddaughter like Adeline Lake is born, joy is easy. When that beautiful baby grows into a radiant and wonderful teen like Robin whose Bat Mitzvah we celebrate today, joy is easy. When we dance at the wed…

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Talmud Class: Can We Talk About Our Country in Our Synagogue? 39:15

7d ago39:15

39:15

Last Shabbat Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, a preeminent Conservative rabbi of a preeminent Conservative synagogue, gave a sermon telling his congregants not to vote for Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of New York. His opening paragraphs: “To be clear, unequivocal, and on the record, I believe Zohran Mamdani poses a danger to…

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Shabbat Sermon: The Light of 8th Day with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 13:14

14d ago13:14

13:14

October 18, 2025

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Shemini Atzeret Sermon: Are You Ready? with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 11:21

18d ago11:21

11:21

October 14, 2025

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Shabbat Sermon: Dare to Be Hopeful, or Cautiously Pessimistic? with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 18:29

21d ago18:29

18:29

Obviously, there is only one thing to talk about. Please God in the next few days the twenty Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza are to be released as part of phase one of the deal brokered by President Trump, his team, and a host of nations. More than two years after they were taken hostage, these twenty surviving hostages who have been i…

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Sukkot Day II Sermon: Our Father's Kiddush Cup with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 13:20

24d ago13:20

13:20

Do you remember, with crystal clarity, a class that you attended thirty years ago? I remember one such class like it happened yesterday—both what was said in the class, and how it made me feel. It was a class attended by rabbinical and cantorial students, and Jewish educators and federation workers. The class was taught by Rabbi Elka Abrahamson, wh…

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Sukkot Day I Sermon: Building a Sukkah of Hope One Fellow at a Time with Guest Speaker Dr. Mark Poznansky 24:39

25d ago24:39

24:39

On October 7, 2023, the world changed both in Israel and here in the United States for us as Jews. Antisemitism has become mainstream, most visibly in academia. On the first day of Sukkot, October 7th, Dr. Mark Poznansky shares stories from the trenches of academic medicine where he and his colleagues are making a difference and charting a path for…

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Shabbat Sermon: Now Is the Best Time to Be Counter Cultural with Guest Speaker Rabbi Ravid Tilles 21:55

28d ago21:55

21:55

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Talmud Class: King David the Fallen and Redeemed Sinner vs. Joseph The Tzadik 31:30

28d ago31:30

31:30

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Yom Kippur Sermon: How You Show Up with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 18:17

1M ago18:17

18:17

October 2, 2025

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Yom Kippur Sermon: Don’t Let Your Joy Die on The Mountain Top with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 21:05

1M ago21:05

21:05

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Shabbat Sermon with Guest Speaker Ofir Amir, Co-Founder of the Tribe of Nova Foundation 26:44

1M ago26:44

26:44

Ofir Amir is co-founder and CFO of the Tribe of Nova Foundation, established after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on the Nova Music Festival. Wounded while escaping, Ofir survived and later helped transform tragedy into a movement of healing and resilience. Before the attack, he was deeply involved in building the Nova community of music, unity, …

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Talmud Class: The Ideas and the Art Behind a Penitent's Higher Place 34:03

1M ago34:03

34:03

“In the place where penitents stand, even the completely righteous cannot stand.” Berakhot 34B Last week we encountered this Talmudic teaching which privileges the struggle, the growth, the journey, the learning, of the person who realized they were not living their best life, and they embarked upon teshuvah to live a better life. This week we are …

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Rosh Hashanah Day 2 Sermon: Lifespan and Healthspan with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 24:53

1M ago24:53

24:53

Last month I got an email that reassured me that all will be well with the world. That joy and blessing are very much alive. The email attached a photo of two women who are long-time members of our congregation. The younger one is only 103. The older one is 104. They have been friends since they were 12. Do the math, and that is one long, rich frie…

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Rosh Hashanah Day 1 Sermon: Flipping Hard Into Beautiful with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 21:47

1M ago21:47

21:47

An older gentlemen needed surgery for a rare medical challenge. Turns out that the best surgeon in town was his own son. As the father was about to go under, he asked to speak to his son. Yes, Dad, what is it? Son, do not be nervous. Do your best. I trust you. Just remember one thing. If it does not go well, if something happens to me on the operat…

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Shabbat Sermon: Is Not Complaining a Jewish Virtue? Or Is Complaining a Jewish Virtue? with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 17:21

1M ago17:21

17:21

Recently, as part of a routine medical procedure, I needed to get hooked up to an IV. Unfortunately, the nurse who did it, while very nice, had a hard time. She poked a needle into my arm and said, oh, so sorry, that didn’t work. She poked a needle into my arm a second time and said, oh, so sorry, that didn’t work either. Let me ask one of the othe…

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Talmud Class: Is Teshuvah Intended for Our Code Red Failures or For Every Day Life? 35:28

1M ago35:28

35:28

The main religious value concept for our High Holiday season is teshuvah, repentance. Given the centrality of teshuvah in Judaism, and in the Jewish calendar now, the Torah’s treatment of teshuvah is curious indeed. It appears very late in the game. There is zero mention of teshuvah in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers. Teshuvah does not appea…

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Shabbat Sermon: Ripples with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 17:39

2M ago17:39

17:39

The two lands we love, America and Israel, both have a problem. The problem is real, recurrent, and deadly. The problem showed up in both lands this week. The problem is violence and lack of regard for the sanctity of human life, lack of regard for the Bible’s most important teaching: that all human beings are created in God’s image and therefore d…

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Talmud Class: Does the Serenity Prayer Work If Our Loved Ones Make Self-Destructive Decisions? 32:27

2M ago32:27

32:27

In last week’s class we encountered the Greek myth of Icarus who, ignoring his father’s advice, flew too high and too close to the sun so that his wings made of wax and feathers melted, he fell to the sea, and died. In class one of our learners offered a poignant coda. While the rest of the world did not see and did not care about Icarus dying, his…

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Shabbat Sermon: The Deep Meaning of the Daily Grind with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 17:25

2M ago17:25

17:25

For many of us, this week has been the week of the big pivot. We pivoted from August to September; from summer to fall; from vacation to obligation; from light and breezy summer rhythm to an alarm clock that wakes us up to face the reality of a schedule. Back to school. Back to shul. Back to the High Holidays coming up with their invitation to take…

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Talmud Class: Icarus and Us 38:05

2M ago38:05

38:05

Icarus has so much to say to us now, a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah. According to Greek mythology, Icarus flew too close to the sun with wings made of feather and wax. The sun’s heat melted the wax, and Icarus fell into the sea and drowned. In 1560, the Netherlandish master Peter Bruegel the Elder painted a masterpiece entitled Landscape with the…

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Shabbat Sermon: Love That Sticks with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 12:51

2M ago12:51

12:51

August 30, 2025

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Shabbat Sermon with Guest Speaker Rabbi Jamie Kotler 15:22

2M ago15:22

15:22

Inheritance – A Personal Journey of Discovery and Choice. We have no control over what we are bequeathed. Or do we? Rabbi Jamie Kotler teaches Torah and Jewish texts at synagogue communities in the Boston area and beyond. She has served as chaplain at Fireman House (Hebrew Senior Life), and has served on the Boards of The Rashi School, and Mayyim H…

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Shabbat Sermon with Guest Speaker Rabbi Rachel Silverman 19:19

3M ago19:19

19:19

Rabbi Rachel Silverman (she/her) first joined the Camp Ramah New England staff as a Rosh Edah (unit head) at the overnight camp from 2005-2010. Many years later, she’s thrilled to be back as the Director of Ramah Boston, our newest day camp. Rabbi Silverman previously served as a congregational rabbi in both Brookline and Sharon, MA, after receivin…

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Shabbat Sermon: Five Little Monkeys! with Rav Hazzan Aliza Berger 13:15

3M ago13:15

13:15

August 8, 2025 Just about every night, before bed, we read one of Eder’s favorite books, usually a few times in a row. Eder loves many books, but for the past few weeks, his absolute favorite has been Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. He loves it so much that he often doesn’t have the patience to wait for us to read it to him—he will take it …

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Shabbat Sermon: Tag You're It with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 20:21

3M ago20:21

20:21

On January 15, 1997, Princess Diana walked through a minefield in Angola. The background for her walk was the civil war in Angola that raged for 27 years, from 1975 through 2002, which meant that she was walking through a minefield while the war was still going on. When Angola secured its independence from Portugal, a civil war broke out between a …

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Shabbat Sermon: The Curious Case of...Curiosity with Rabbi Sonia Saltzman 19:05

3M ago19:05

19:05

I’m sure you’re familiar with the saying: “curiosity killed the cat.” We say it when curiosity leads us down an unproductive or even dangerous path. However, in a fascinating interview with Professor Tal ben Shahar, an expert in the field of positive psychology, he offers this wonderful line: “curiosity might have killed the cat, but it keeps us al…

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Shabbat Sermon: The Tooth Fairy with Rav Hazzan Aliza Berger 12:03

4M ago12:03

12:03

July 19, 2025 The most amazing article appeared in the New York Times this week titled “The Tooth Fairy is Real. She’s a Dentist in Seattle.” No seriously, I am not making this up. Apparently twenty years ago, when Purva Merchant was applying for dental school, her boyfriend set up an email account for her using her nickname “the tooth fairy.” Ever…

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Shabbat Sermon: The Deepest Love with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 15:30

4M ago15:30

15:30

When she was six years old, Erin Paisan fell in love not only with Camp Mystic in the Hill Country of Texas. She specifically fell in love with the Guadalupe River, which was the life force, the energy, the joy, of Camp Mystic. Decades later she still remembers with perfect clarity the very moment when she fell in love with the river. As she told t…

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Shabbat Sermon with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 14:15

4M ago14:15

14:15

July 5, 2025

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Shabbat Sermon: Korach's Challenge with Rav Hazzan Aliza Berger 13:43

4M ago13:43

13:43

Some weeks, when we open the Torah, it’s not clear how that particular parsha speaks to our lives. But this week, the Torah feels so real. It feels like the Torah could easily be written for exactly this moment. So today, I want to do something radical: I want to take a deep dive with you into our parsha. I want to learn with you the story of Korac…

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Shabbat Sermon: Both/And: Being a Proud Queer Zionist Jew in a Post-October 7 World with AJ Helman 11:09

4M ago11:09

11:09

AJ Helman (they/them/theirs) is an educator and artist with a focus on Jewish and LGBTQ+ theater and education. After graduating from Emerson College with a BFA in Theater Education and Performance, AJ remained in Boston, working in the local theater and film industries as both an artist and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion liaison. As part of th…

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Shabbat Sermon: Goats Are Us with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 18:56

5M ago18:56

18:56

How did you sleep on Thursday night? When I first learned that Israel’s war with Iran had begun in earnest, I, like so many of you, did not sleep much at all. Because of the 7-hour time difference between Boston and Israel, in the early hours of Friday morning I was able to reach Micah Goodman, our beloved teacher and friend who lives in Kfar Adumi…

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Talmud Class: Israel's War With Iran 42:30

5M ago42:30

42:30

I called my brother-in-law Ari this morning in Jerusalem. He and his family spent the night in their bunker. Two of their sons have been mobilized yet again. He shared one story that speaks to this moment.This morning (Friday is typically a day off for many Israelis, kind of like our Sunday, though it is spent getting ready for Shabbat) a friend of…

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Shabbat Sermon: Rib Eye with Rav Hazzan Aliza Berger 12:46

5M ago12:46

12:46

Last week, I went to the bank. The teller was quite friendly. He looked vaguely Middle Eastern and had an accent I couldn’t quite place. We were chatting about the weather and the start of summer as he looked up my account. And then, he asked as he was typing away, “so, what do you do for work?” I paused, looking at him.Should I tell him what I do?…

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Talmud Class: If an Old Era Were to End, and a Scary New Era Were to Begin, Would We Know It? 42:33

5M ago42:33

42:33

How do we know when an old era ends? How do we know when a new era begins? Is that happening to us now? Do we now live in an era where we might be going about an ordinary day and be attacked because we are Jewish, the attacker shouting “Free Palestine.” It happened in Pennsylvania to the Governor of the State. While Governor Josh Shapiro, his wife …

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Shavuot Sermon: Post-Its and the Power of Memory with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 10:24

5M ago10:24

10:24

June 3, 2025

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Shavuot Keynote Speaker: Beyond all Consolation: A Jewish Philosophy of Redemption and Tragedy with Rabbi Jason Rubenstein 58:42

5M ago58:42

58:42

Beyond all Consolation: A Jewish Philosophy of Redemption and Tragedy Rabbi Jason Rubenstein joined Harvard Hillel as Executive Director on June 1, 2024 after six years as the Howard M. Holtzman Jewish Chaplain at Yale. Jason’s background is as diverse as Harvard’s Jewish community: a childhood at Temple Micah in Washington DC, formative years stud…

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Shabbat Sermon: Jane Austen Did Not Wreck My Life with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 13:59

5M ago13:59

13:59

I am not a huge fan of rom coms. But there was one rom com I just had to see the minute I heard about it. I was drawn to its title. Its title was irresistible. Its title conveyed the central problem in the Book of Numbers. Its title conveyed one of the central challenges in our own lives. The title of this rom com is Jane Austen Wrecked My Life. Ja…

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Talmud Class: Can We Ever Be At Peace With Our Own Mortality? 43:50

5M ago43:50

43:50

The Talmud has a famous story from Menachot 29B that invites us to confront three hard truths that we would rather not think about. Our mortality. The limited reach of our legacy. And the unredeemed nature of our world—we will live, and we will pass, with the world’s big problems unsolved. Why this story now? It is Erev Shavuot, the eve of our rece…

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Shabbat Sermon: My Journey in Israel with Cantor Elias Rosemberg 27:16

5M ago27:16

27:16

Following the March of the Living trip, Cantor Rosemberg remained in Israel to volunteer and perform with 25 Latin American cantors. Listen to learn about Cantor Rosemberg's incredibly meaningful and moving experience!

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Talmud Class: On Standards - Having Them, Enforcing Them, Relaxing Them 42:36

5M ago42:36

42:36

Standards. Is there an elegant theory for when to enforce them and when to choose not to enforce them? Parents face this question all the time. We have standards in our home! But our children do their own thing that flies in the face of our standards. Do we enforce the standard, or let it go? Synagogues face this question all the time. To celebrate…

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Shabbat Sermon: We Are Cosmos 482 with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 14:19

6M ago14:19

14:19

Fifty-three years ago, on March 31, 1972, the Soviet Union launched a spacecraft that was supposed to go to Venus. But it never made it to Venus. Some malfunction in the rocket prevented it from leaving the earth’s orbit. The Soviets named this spacecraft Cosmos 482—which became code in Soviet lexicon for epic failure. For 53 years, the spacecraft …

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Talmud Class: Loving Critics 37:00

6M ago37:00

37:00

Loving critics. The phrase feels like an oxymoron. In fact it is a willed double entendre. Perhaps it means that critics are loving. Their words of critique flow from a place of love. In fact, they feel that suppressing their critique, going along to get along, would undermine that which they love. Perhaps loving critics means that people who are n…

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What Does It Mean To Be Pro-Israel in 2025? Conversation with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz and Adina Vogel-Ayalon, J Street Chief Of Staff 1:20:57

6M ago1:20:57

1:20:57

Adina Vogel Ayalon – an Israeli citizen who has lived and raised a family in Israel and worked for decades toward building peaceful relations between Israelis and Palestinians – and Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz are uniquely positioned to unpack some of the difficult questions facing our communities today, including: How can American Jews most effectively…

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Shabbat Sermon: L’Chayim with Rabbi Michelle Robinson 16:12

6M ago16:12

16:12

May 10, 2025

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Talmud Class: Local Imperfect Peace Part 2: Mipnei Darchei Shalom (Being Nice to Promote Peace) 37:08

6M ago37:08

37:08

Last week we encountered one kind of “imperfect peace,” to use the term coined by our teacher, Sara Labaton of Hartman: shalom bayit, domestic harmony, made possible by a lack of transparency in a marriage. We read the ruling of Ovadia Yosef that a wife not disclose the fact of her abortion before she had met her husband so that their marriage coul…

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Shabbat Sermon: When It Just Is with Rabbi Wes Gardenswartz 15:32

6M ago15:32

15:32

A woman in Israel approached her rabbi with the following dilemma. When she was a younger woman, she was not religious. She had relations with a man and got pregnant. She had an abortion. She then became religious. She did teshuvah, repentance. She committed herself to learning Torah, doing mitzvot and joining an observant community. She moved to a…

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Talmud Class: Is a Small Peace, a Local Peace, an Imperfect Peace Worth Pursuing? 36:51

6M ago36:51

36:51

Sara Labaton, the Director of Teaching and Learning at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, recently taught a group of local rabbis. She observed that the prophetic ideals of peace (lion lies down the with lamb, nations will beat swords into ploughshares, neither will they know war anymore) are so lofty as to be unattainable. Would we be …

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Talmud Class: Between the Holocaust and Israel 41:35

6M ago41:35

41:35

God is always confusing. We never know what to think. But that is especially true now in this fraught theological season between commemorating the Shoah (April 24), honoring soldiers who fell in Israel’s wars and victims of terrorism on Yom Hazikaron (April 30), and celebrating the birth of the State of Israel on om Ha’atzmaut (May 1). Tomorrow we …

Temple Emanuel In Newton Podcasts