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PODCAST

Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Valley Beit Midrash

Jewish Ideas to Change the World delivers thought-provoking content by leading Jewish thinkers with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash. Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is dedicated to social justice as driven by Torah ethics. VBM"s mission is to improve lives through Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Listen to VBM"s other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (weekly divrei Torah by Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom

religion & spirituality judaism

All Episodes

78:24

A Tradition of Revolution

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/03/13

An event presentation by Rabbi Ed FeinsteinAbout The Event:“Tradition!” sang Tevye, “that’s how we keep our balance!” Tradition is our superpower. We know that the words we say, the rites we practice, and the ethics we embrace have come down through the generations. But there is another source of our power, one not often recognized – our remarkable ability to re-invent, re-imagine, re-interpret our faith, our institutions, our identity in moments of crisis. This capacity for meeting

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59:15

Stranger In A Strange Land

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/03/12

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerAbout The Event:Join Rabbi Marc for a thought-provoking exploration of one of Judaism’s most foundational questions. We remember the Exodus from Egypt every single day and celebrate it yearly on Pesach, recounting the story of our people’s liberation from bondage. But this raises a profound theological challenge: why did our ancestors have to endure the suffering of enslavement in the first place? In this session, we’ll examine classical

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53:28

The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/03/09

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Benjamin David and Rabbi Lindsey DanzigerAbout The Event:In this session, we will uncover lessons from The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma. This book is a powerful anthology of personal stories, offering a deeply moving exploration of how Jewish wisdom can help us navigate life’s most difficult moments.About The Speakers:Benjamin David is the rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. He is a respected

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61:28

What Animals Teach Us About Families

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/03/03

A virtual event presentation by Professor Beth Berkowitz About The Event: Family separation due to war, migration, and incarceration is a major public concern, but what about the animal families routinely separated by human agriculture and development? What is the impact on them, on us, and on the planet? Moving beyond debates about the ethics of animal consumption to focus instead on animal intimate lives, “What Animals Teach Us about Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic

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59:08

Esther: The Whole Ruth, but Nothing like the Ruth

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/03/02

An event presentation by Rabbi Ben GreenfieldThe event was co-sponsored by Jewish NevadaAbout The Event:Reading the Bible’s only two works named after women as belonging to one sustained conversation reveals two vastly different portrayals of heroism, narrative arc and female power. In this comparative study, we argue for — and spell out the implications of — reading Esther and Ruth in light of each other.*Source Sheet:

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55:16

The Hidden Messages of Purim

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/20

A virtual event with Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: In this class, we'll explore the deeper layers of the Purim story that often go unnoticed. Together, we’ll look beyond the costumes, noise, and celebration to uncover subtle themes woven into the Megillah—hidden miracles, quiet acts of courage, and the power of human choice when God seems absent. Through close reading and reflection, this class will reveal how Purim speaks not only to ancient Persia but to our own lives, offering

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58:43

What is the Most Important Mitzvah in the Torah?

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/20

A virtual event with Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: Judaism contains 613 mitzvot, each shaping Jewish life in its own way. But are some more central than others? In this lecture, we’ll explore how the Torah and later Jewish thinkers have grappled with the idea of prioritizing commandments. By examining key biblical passages and rabbinic teachings, we’ll ask what it might mean to identify a “most important” mitzvah, or a core set of values that anchor them all. Along the way, we’ll

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40:53

The Masks We Wear

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/19

A virtual event presentation by Melanie Gruenwald About The Event: In this session, we will take a psycho-spiritual, kabbalistic exploration of our multiple masks and identities, and explore the themes connected to the upcoming holiday of Purim. *Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DccDFTg4zbdz7e-SC_wusZRtcEy7NIoH/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Melanie Gruenwald, Executive Director of Kabbalah Experience, brings over 30 years of non-profit leadership and community-organizing

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48:42

Defining Justice: Do We Want Equity, Equality, or...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/18

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sarah Mulhern About The Event: When we say we want to work for justice, what do we actually mean? In this class, we will dive into the question of whether a truly just outcome is about equity, equality, or is revolutionary in nature, and try to understand what the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to changemaking are. Through discussion and the study of rabbinic texts that advocate for each of these approaches in relation to economic justice, we

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53:22

The Sevenfold Path: A Traveler’s Guide to Jewish Wisdom

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/17

A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) with Shira Milgrom and David M. Elcott The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Beth Israel About The Event: In this traveler’s guide to spiritual practice, Milgrom and Elcott bring the reader to many paths that seekers of the sacred walk. What is the universal sevenfold path? Recognizing a spark of the divine; honoring the covenant with all living things; engaging in healing and growth; opening our lives to the divine presence; seeing

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77:26

Praying About the Unspeakable: Liturgy and Ritual as...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/17

A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Dalia Marx The event was co-sponsored by Beth El Phoenix About The Event: Rabbi Dalia Marx, one of the most respected voices in contemporary Jewish thought and liturgy, will talk about how October 7 and the war since have brought profound and rapid changes to the world of Jewish prayer: the language, the focus, even the urgency. Rabbi Marx will also share her reflections on the Jewish responsibility to bring our hostages home, and

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59:17

The Grown-Up Midrash Says: Five Radical Midrashim Not...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/02/16

A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi Ben Greenfield About The Event: Did God lust after the Matriarchs? Did Jacob think he was Divine? Did Mordechai breastfeed Esther? The Midrash (the rabbinic expansion on Biblical stories) is too often read as a set of fables or children's stories. But in truth, the Midrash contains some of the most radical, imaginative, and philosophically astute readings of the Bible in our Tradition. Together, we will explore five midrashim that have yet to enter the

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48:24

How Tu B’Shvat Teaches Us to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/30

A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Sharona Halickman About The Event: You may think that reduce, reuse, and recycle are modern concepts for saving the environment, but when we delve into the Talmud's insights into the Seven Species of Israel, we will find that these ideas are intrinsic in these Biblical fruits. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PJE9haKXAMUditgC1dczIVprxD-61sMo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118303465191084699356&rtpof=true&sd=trueAbout The Speaker:

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39:16

The Power of Song: Lifting Our Voices in Praise and...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/27

A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi. About The Event: As we approach Shabbat Shirah, the “Shabbat of Song,” and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we turn our attention to the sacred power of voice. From the Israelites singing at the sea to modern movements for freedom and justice, song has carried the Jewish spirit through moments of triumph, struggle, and hope. Join Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe

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69:51

Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/26

A virtual event presentation with Dr. Shulamit Reinharz About The Event:In her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir, Dr. Reinharz offers a unique narrative by collaborating with her father, Max Rothschild, to share personal stories of survival and resistance during the Holocaust. Her insights offer an enriched understanding of history's impact on contemporary Jewish identity. About The Speaker: Shulamit Reinharz was born in Amsterdam and grew up in New Jersey. She has also lived in

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60:22

Ivri: The Roots of Anti-semitism

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/23

A virtual event presented by Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: Anti-semitism has seemingly been around forever. In this lecture, we will explore its earliest expressions through stories in the Book of Genesis, focusing on the figure of the Ivri—the “Hebrew” who stands apart. By examining these foundational narratives, we’ll uncover how difference, otherness, and moral challenge can provoke hostility. Together, we’ll consider how these ancient dynamics continue to shape anti-Jewish hatred

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56:44

Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/15

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Elliot DorffAbout The Event:Drawing from Chapter 3 of the book, Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life, this session will explore how Western, Christian, and Jewish traditions understand the nature of the human being, and how these differing perspectives shape a wide range of moral issues.About The Speaker:Elliot Dorff, Rabbi (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1970), Ph.D. in philosophy (Columbia University,

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64:14

Bal Tashchit: How to Turn an Ancient Law Into a Force...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2026/01/02

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David SeidenbergAbout The Event:The law against wasting or destroying things, Bal Tashchit, is a torch held up by Jewish environmentalists to prove that Judaism cares about the Earth, but the law, as it is codified in halakhah (Jewish law), is that you can destroy anything if you can make a profit doing it. We will delve into the roots and interpretations of Bal Tashchit, including Rambam, Ramban, Sefer Chinukh, and others, to find the basis for fixing

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59:00

How Are These Responsa Different From All Others?

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2025/12/27

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 examples, primarily from my most recent volume: Responsa in a Moment, volume 6.*Source Sheet:

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55:59

Lessons from the Olive Tree for Families, Jewish...

Jewish Ideas to Change the World ·

2025/12/24

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,How the social and technological history of olive use mediates a five-hundred-year-old debate about how to read the Talmud, andThe beautiful lesson

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145 results

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