Why Have People Stepped Away From Organized Religion?
The Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Release Date: 10/28/2022
The Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Rabbi Mark speaks with Angela Moore who is a leader at UNHCR, and important U.N. Refugee Agency that is helping persecuted and displaced people find help and support as they struggle to build new lives free of terror, oppression, and, in some cases, exploitation. Mark also interviews Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, who is the first woman ever to be ordained as a cantor in the Jewish faith. She talks about being a pioneer in a field that was for centuries exclusively male.
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Rabbi Mark speaks with Matthew Thiessesn PhD., biblical scholar and teacher, about Jesus' Jewish roots and he welcomes Pastor James Brooks who is a new minister in Hagerstown, MD at First Christian Church.
info_outline Exploring sacred text with Bible scholar, Dr. Nehemia GordonThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Rabbi mark talks with Dr. Nehemia Gordon, who was one of the translators of The Dead Sea Scrolls, about his take on scripture from both a Jewish and Christian perspective.
info_outline Exploring Israel and joined by a Compassionate Presence Mitch CohenThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Rabbi Mark speaks about his trip to Israel and what he experienced there as opposed to what is generally seen on cable news. Mark then spoke to spiritual guide, teacher, and grief counselor Mitch Cohen who helps clarify the distinctions between being religious and embracing spirituality.
info_outline The Conflict in Israel with Musician Mattan Klein and Thomas Kennedy, Champion of Religious Freedom with Thomas RifordThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
In this episode Rabbi Mark is joined by award winning composer and flutist Mattan Klein. Mattan Klein shares his account of how life in Israel has changed in the past weeks. He gives the historical perspective of the Israel-Palestine and the decades of transgressions that led to the recent events. He also shares his music and his hope that it could lead to harmony and love. On the second half of the episode Mark is joined by former President of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau Thomas Riford. On the show he shares the history of Thomas Kennedy, a man from...
info_outline Supporting Family, Community, and the World at Vista Del Mar and the Way of Veganism with Vivian ChinelliThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Amy Jaffy serves as the Senior Vice President at Vista Del Mar. Amy explains, they have the capacities to oversee a number of child refugees from various countries. Amy has background and a private practice in psychotherapy which she uses to help stablize and support the children from varying countries that come in. She talks how far Vista Del Mar has come in the past 100 years and how they continue to serve families and the community to this day. Rabbi Jackie Redner served as the resident pastor for 17 years. Director of spiritual enrichment and a certified, mind, and medicine...
info_outline Gaining FOCUS with Life Trainer Cherish McMillan and Mortality and Funeral Homes with Ryan BergerThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Our first guest is a motivational speaker, trainer, teacher, author, and a certified life coach. She is The FOCUS Trainer which stands for Fun, Opprotunity, Concentration, Unwavering, and Sucess. Rabbi Mark and Cherish break down her offerings and skills and how she uses her services to contribute to her local community. Cherish explains how her upbringing brought her to where she is today. How she started behind in class in reading and writing and gradually learned and overcame to eventually graduate with honors. The second guess is Ryan Berger who is the Funeral Director for the Andrew...
info_outline The Origins of Judaism and Discussing the Islamic Faith in Hagerstown with Basheer AziziThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
The first half of the today's episode Rabi Mark shares the origins of his faith and how he found his spirituality in Judaism. He speaks on how science and religion aren't necessarily in conflict. We see that science speaks to the how but religion speaks to the why. Rabi Mark gives a thorough break down of the history of the faith and some of their practices. Well known figures of the faith like Moses and Abraham are discussed and insight is given to how they guided and affected the religion. The second half focuses on the Muslim faith. Mark is joined by the president of the Islamic...
info_outline Supporting the Community with Sommer Gilliam and Guiding Foster Children with Kathleen Prest and Jennifer LewisThe Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark
Religion and faith isn't the only thing discussed on The Interfaith Roundtable. This week the discussion is focused on community work and how the ideals of helping and aiding those around us coincides with faith or is an off-shoot of it Sommer Gilliam combined her love of community with her love of creating. The owner of s in Hagerstown, Maryland, Sommer creates not only beautiful hairstyles, but also soulfull and delicious treats. As a director of , Sommer lives a life of uplifting those around her, while also chasing her own dreams. She tells her story and why she does what she does. In the...
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For the first half, Rabbi Mark is joined by fellow Hagerstown Area Religious Council members Rev. Jonathan Harris and Ashlee Harris of . They talk names and assumptions about members of their faith as well as their community and charity work. You can find out about volunteer opportunities at . The second half features a chat with another HARC member, Father Todd Young of . They discuss the openness of the Episcopal Church and how Father Todd navigates their message in the modern world. You can find out more information about the Hagerstown Area Religious Council at . Listen...
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Afterwards, Rabbi Mark is joined by his mentee, Wesley Mason, who came to Judaism later in life, and producer Kristina Manente, who considers herself Agnostic. Together they discuss why young people aren't interested in organized religion or are leaving it in droves (and possibly what organizations and congregations can do to counteract that).
Wesley Mason grew up in Western Maryland and now lives in Hagerstown. He is a classical violinist who trained with a master teacher in Russia and has performed extensively across the country. He is part of the congregation at B'nai Abraham in Hagerstown where Rabbi Mark is the rabbi.
Kristina Manente is the producer, director, and engineer behind The Interfaith Roundtable and manages both The Frederick Podcast Network and The Hub City Podcast Network at Manning Media. She is on-air at Key 103 as Curly, and is mother to two small dogs.
Listen to The Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark every Saturday morning on 98.9 FM/ AM 1490 WARK, with the podcast version airing a week later at Listen Hagerstown.