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PODCAST

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition

Ben Koren and Benzi Siouni | A Geonic-Maimonidean Approach to Torah Through the Ages and Today

Hosted by lifelong friends Ben Koren and Benzi Siouni, Judaism Demystified was founded to explore topics often overlooked in conventional Jewish education. Through long-form conversations with leading religious thinkers, scientists, and historians, the podcast draws from the Geonic-Maimonidean tradition while embracing the intellectual legacy of Rabbi Sacks. Our goal is to reignite a passion for classical Jewish wisdom, returning to foundational ideas and fostering meaningful engagement with Jewish

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

00:48:51

Episode 134: Alan Niku "The Forgotten History of...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/11/20

In this episode of Judaism Demystified, Alan Niku—better known as The Dreamy Kalimi—shares what first pulled him into preserving and spotlighting Persian Jewish history through his Instagram and YouTube work. He gives a clear snapshot of what makes Iranian Jewry so distinct within the broader Jewish world. Alan highlights a core theme in his research: Persian Jewish heritage was never one-dimensional. It included rationalists, mystics, poets, philosophers, halakhists, and community leaders whose

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01:18:59

Episode 133: Rabbi Chaim Eisen "Why the Torah's...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/10/30

One of our most frequently requested guests, Rabbi Chaim Eisen, returns for a wide-ranging conversation on the broader tradition of Ḥazal and the Rishonim, as illuminated through Maimonides’ cosmological framework. While the Rambam’s understanding of providence, revelation, and miracles was articulated through the science of his time, his goal was never to innovate a lone philosophy, but to express the timeless truths of the Torah’s sages in the intellectual language of his era. Many assume that if

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01:19:56

Episode 132: Rabbi Shnayor Burton "Rambam on Mashiach...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/09/18

In this episode we sit down with Rabbi Shnayor Burton to explore Rambam’s view of Mashiach and Redemption. On the surface, the final chapters of Mishneh Torah read like a simple account of the messianic age, but a closer look opens far deeper questions: what truly changes in redemption, how maaseh bereshit and maaseh merkava should be studied, whether kingship can be redeemed from its past failures, and what halakha ultimately trains us toward. Hovering in the background is a parable of Rabbi

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00:54:24

Episode 131: Adam Scott Bellos "The Future of Jewish...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/09/12

Why is Jewish leadership failing the very people it claims to serve? In this unfiltered conversation, Adam Scott Bellos—founder, builder, unapologetic strategist—sits down with Jewish Demystified to torch the polite myths and diagnose the rot: the widening gap between institutions and everyday Jews, the addiction to gala dinners, and the influencer economy that treats advocacy like a clout market. We go head-on at the money—how treating “influence” as a commodity leaves Jews permanently outgunned by

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00:56:26

Episode 130: Jacob Falach, Producer "The New Reality...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/09/04

Jacob Falach, writer and producer at The Daily Wire, joins us for a timely and candid conversation about what it means to be a committed Jew and Zionist in today’s political and cultural climate. We start with his background—his connection to Torah, his role at The Daily Wire, and what it's like to operate as an observant Jew in a largely Christian and secular conservative media space. We revisit his 2023 article, “Four Pervasive Myths About Israel—and Why They’re Wrong,” and ask how his

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00:54:43

Episode 129: Rabbi Yamin Levy "The Mystic Behind the...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/08/28

Rabbi Yamin Levy returns for his second appearance on Judaism Demystified to delve into his new book, Jewish Mysticism: Essays on Maimonides’ The Guide of the Perplexed. This wide-ranging conversation explores the Rambam’s bold and often misunderstood ideas about God, Torah, and human purpose. We discuss the tension between halakha and the pursuit of higher consciousness, asking how Maimonides balances personal spiritual striving with the collective demands of Jewish law. Rabbi Levy also examines

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00:47:28

Episode 128: Dr. Tanya White "The Legacy of Rabbi Sacks"

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/08/20

In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, we sit down with Tanya White—educator, lecturer, and creator of the Books & Beyond podcast series—to discuss the enduring legacy of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and how his ideas continue to shape Jewish thought today. Tanya shares the inspiration behind the podcast and the personal and intellectual journey that led her to focus on four of Rabbi Sacks’s most influential books: To Heal a Fractured World, Future Tense, The Dignity of Difference, and

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01:05:50

Episode 127: Dr. Berel Dov Lerner "Human-Divine...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/08/12

We sit down with Professor Berel Dov Lerner, finalist for the Rabbi Sacks Book Prize, to explore his phenomenal book Human–Divine Interactions in the Hebrew Scriptures: Covenants and Cross-Purposes. With a background in philosophy, Prof. Lerner examines how God’s project—creating a worthy world—intersects with humanity’s project of making life in this world more livable. How do divine and human interests become intertwined? How does God take human concerns into account? And how do we, in turn,

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01:36:05

Episode 126: Rabbi Chaim Eisen "Providence According...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/08/05

For our first-ever live Judaism Demystified podcast shiur, we’re honored to welcome back Rabbi Chaim Eisen — visiting from Israel for his third appearance on the show. In front of a packed audience, Rabbi Eisen takes us on a riveting journey into one of the most profound and misunderstood topics in Jewish thought: Are the miracles of the Exodus (and other miracles) an extension of nature — or its negation? This shiur explores the complex interplay between miracles and nature, the boundaries between

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00:58:26

Episode 125: Dr. Ruth Calderon "The Enduring Power of...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/06/29

Dr. Ruth Calderon joins the podcast to reflect on the personal and intellectual journey behind her book, A Bride for One Night. She begins by discussing her background and the role her parents played in nurturing her love of Torah, as mentioned in the book’s dedication. She then unpacks her approach to the Talmud, describing how she reads aggadic texts not through a religious, academic, or educational lens, but as stories that have the power to move us. This perspective shaped her call for

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01:03:26

Episode 124: Rabbi Dr. Yohai Makbili "Lost in...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/06/08

In this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Dr. Yohai Makbili—a true modern Renaissance man. With a background in engineering and groundbreaking work translating and elucidating the writings of the Rambam, Rabbi Makbili brings a rare combination of analytical precision and deep Torah scholarship. His influential Hebrew translations of Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed and other philosophical works have reshaped contemporary access to the Rambam’s thought. We explore key questions raised in his

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01:21:01

Episode 123: Olivia Friedman, Author "How Accurate is...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/05/20

In this episode, we’re joined by writer, podcaster, and Judaic Studies teacher at Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami, Olivia Friedman for a deep-dive review of the hit Amazon Prime series House of David. Going character by character, we explore what the show gets right—and where it diverges—from the biblical narrative, paying close attention to the scriptural peshat, Midrash, and Talmudic interpretations. We examine how key figures like David, Saul, Michal, Samuel, Doeg, and the Witch of Endor are

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01:10:04

Episode 122: Dr. Malka Simkovich "Discovering Second...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/05/12

In her highly anticipated return to the podcast, Dr. Malka Simkovich takes us on a journey through the rich and complex world of Second Temple Judaism, drawing from her acclaimed book Discovering Second Temple Literature. We begin with the extraordinary discoveries of the Cairo Genizah and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and explore why these moments of preservation are so central to understanding the period. We then unpack the deep identity tensions faced by the Jewish people—especially in communities like

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01:11:58

Episode 121: Gila Fine "The Madwoman in the Rabbi's...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/04/28

How are women really portrayed in the Talmud—and what happens when we look beyond the surface? In this episode, we speak with Gila Fine about her groundbreaking book, The Madwoman in the Rabbi’s Attic, where she takes us deep into the stories of the six named heroines of the Talmud: Yalta the shrew, Homa the femme fatale, Marta the prima donna, Heruta the madonna/whore, Beruria the overreachrix, and Ima Shalom the angel in the house. As their labels suggest, each woman seems to embody an

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01:03:45

Episode 120: Dr. Yael Ziegler "Making Sense of Midrash"

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/04/08

In this episode, Dr. Yael Ziegler shares her thoughtful and layered approach to the study of Tanakh. Known for her deep literary readings and her commitment to both peshat and the broader interpretive tradition, she explains how elements like structure, repetition, and intertextuality shape her analysis of the biblical text. We explore her perspective on Midrash—not as a rewriting of the narrative, but as a sophisticated form of interpretation. Hazal, she explains, were keen readers of both peshat

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01:04:33

Episode 119: Rabbi Menachem Leibtag "The Case for the...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/04/01

In this episode, we’re joined by Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, a leading educator in the Gush (Yeshivat Har Etzion) Tanakh methodology—a literary-contextual approach to the study of Tanakh that emphasizes peshat, structure, and thematic development, while reading the text in its historical and narrative context. Rabbi Leibtag lays out the foundations of this method and responds to some of the critiques raised in our previous conversations with J.J. Kimche and Rabbi Yaakov Beasley. We explore concerns that

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00:58:58

Episode 118: Jessie Fischbein "Infertility in the Bible"

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/03/20

In this episode, we sit down with Jessie Fischbein, author of 'Infertility in the Bible: How the Matriarchs Changed Their Fate; How You Can Too.' Jessie’s book stands out for its informal, accessible style and its ability to resonate with readers beyond just Jewish or theistic audiences. We discuss what inspired her to write it and how readers struggling with infertility have responded. We also dive into her rational approach to prayer, addressing a common struggle—why pray if God is

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01:35:22

Episode 117: Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel "Getting to...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/03/13

As our 'Getting to Know the Rishonim' series continues, we explore the towering figure of Rashi with Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, one of the foremost scholars of medieval Jewish thought. French Jewry produced a remarkable corpus of Torah commentators—from Rashi to Rashbam, Bechor Shor, Rav Yosef Kara, and Hizkuni. What makes this school of biblical interpretation unique, and is there a common thread in their methodologies? We also examine the process by which Rashi’s Torah commentary

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00:48:27

Episode 116: Rabbi David Wolpe "Responding to Doubt,...

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/02/20

In this episode, Rabbi David Wolpe joins us for a thought-provoking conversation about the challenges and opportunities facing the Jewish people today. In the wake of October 7th, intra-faith dialogue is as critical as interfaith dialogue. The Jewish community must find ways to foster understanding, break down barriers, and build unity among diverse perspectives. Rabbi Wolpe reflects on the enduring influence of Maimonides, whose teachings continue to resonate across Jewish movements and explores

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00:52:35

Episode 115: Dr. Erica Brown "The Torah of Leadership"

JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today"s Perplexed:... ·

2025/02/10

Leadership isn’t just a modern concern—it’s embedded in the DNA of the Torah itself. In this episode, Dr. Erica Brown unpacks the centrality of leadership in Jewish thought, drawing on insights from The Torah of Leadership. She explains why leadership has been a defining theme of her work, how the need for strong leadership has intensified—especially since October 7th—and why the Torah’s challenge to lead is more relevant than ever. We explore how the Torah doesn’t merely contain lessons on

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