Ep #24: In Miriam’s Footsteps: Jewish Women's Leadership and the Pursuit of Justice
Release Date: 06/09/2025
Ep #24: In Miriam’s Footsteps: Jewish Women's Leadership and the Pursuit of Justice
Speaking Torah
Dr. Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, explores the rich legacy of Jewish women's leadership through the lens of biblical and modern examples. Through a careful examination of historical documents and personal letters, she reveals how Jewish women have creatively and courageously shaped their communities while pursuing justice. Drawing connections between biblical Miriam and contemporary leaders, Rosenbaum and her students unpack key moments when Jewish women challenged existing power structures and reimagined religious practices. From Henrietta Szold's eloquent 1916...
info_outline
Ep #25: Jewish Creativity
Speaking Torah
Rabbi Lavitt shares insights from Jewish Studio Project's innovative approach, which combines Torah study with creative practice. Drawing from both ancient Jewish wisdom and modern neuroscience, he explains how creativity allows us to access deeper ways of knowing and understanding. This integration of traditional texts with artistic exploration opens new pathways for problem-solving and personal growth. Tune in to examine foundational Jewish teachings about creativity. Through practical examples and a structured creative process, Rabbi Lavitt demonstrates how engaging in creative...
info_outline
Ep #23: “Shiva” – Poems of October 7
Speaking Torah
In the months following October 7th, Israeli poets responded to the tragedy through powerful verses that gave voice to the nation's grief, rage, and despair. This episode explores selections from Shiva: Poems of October 7th, an anthology containing 59 Hebrew poems alongside English translations, examining how poetry serves as a distinctly Jewish response to catastrophe. Hebrew College faculty member Rav Rachel Adelman joins rabbinical students Deborah Anstandig, and Matthew Schultz, both of whom were in Israel during the October 7th attack, along with translator Michael Bohnen for an...
info_outline
Ep #22: Understanding Israel: The Power of Jewish-Christian Conversation
Speaking Torah
How can Jewish and Christian leaders engage in meaningful dialogue about the most pressing issues of our time? In this episode of Speaking Torah, we explore the power of interreligious learning and leadership through the eyes of two remarkable faith leaders. Discover how Rabbi Or Rose, director of Hebrew College's Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership, and his colleague Reverend Rob Schenck, a dissenting evangelical voice, are modeling the kind of courageous conversations we need to build bridges of understanding across faiths. Learn about the importance of...
info_outline
Ep #21: Navigating the Israel Conversation with the Next Generation
Speaking Torah
Over the past year, discussing the subject of Israel has been incredibly difficult for families everywhere. Does it feel like you're speaking different languages when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Many Jewish parents are grappling with a growing generational divide on this complex and emotionally-charged issue. Join us as we discuss with Rabbi Dan Judson, the Hebrew College Provost, the historical context of Zionism, the impact of recent events on the younger generation's views, and practical strategies for fostering open and honest dialogue within families. Whether...
info_outline
Ep #20: Jewish Travel Learning with Tamid of Hebrew College
Speaking Torah
Have you ever wondered how traveling to the places where Jewish history unfolded can deepen your understanding and connection to Judaism? In this episode of Speaking Torah, we explore the educational power of travel and learning with Rabbi Leonard Gordon, instructor for Tamid of Hebrew College, and Kim Bodemer, Tamid's director. Tune in to discover how Tamid of Hebrew College is creating unique travel learning experiences that engage the head, heart, soul, and body. From meeting with civil rights leaders in the American South to imagining Jewish life in medieval Spain, these trips offer...
info_outline
Ep #19: Azara: A Scottish Yeshiva
Speaking Torah
This week, Hebrew College rabbinical student Jessica Spencer is here to talk about how she helped found a yeshiva in her hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland. Modeled after projects like Pardes and Hadar, Azara brings together Jews from across the denominational spectrum to study sacred texts and stories. Tune in this week to discover how Azara is guiding Edinburgh’s Jewish community through their first encounters with Talmudic texts. Among other things, Jessica is showing us how they make meaning out of difficult or problematic texts in the modern day while guiding people in making...
info_outline
Ep #18: Food Coop
Speaking Torah
This week, we’re pleased to bring you a discussion with three Hebrew College rabbinical students, Becca Heisler, David Mahfouda, and Chaim Spaulding, who have started a food coop for the Hebrew College community. Using local sources, students work together in preparing the meals, taking turns, and sharing responsibilities. Spending all day filling up your brain can only sustain you for so long, but the Food Coop brings minds and bodies together, nourishing the stomach as well as the heart. Get full show notes and more information here:
info_outline
Ep #17: Writing as Spiritual Practice
Speaking Torah
On this episode of Speaking Torah, we’re introducing you to a tefillah with a difference. In this particular tefillah group, Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld leads the students not only in writing reflections on the prayers, but writing as an act of prayer. It is both the writing and the reading of poetry that allows for a deeply creative connection to The Divine. The poems are based on liturgy, combining ancient voices with their own, resulting in a truly timeless prayer. Get full show notes and more information here:
info_outline
Ep #16: Poetry as Midrash
Speaking Torah
In this episode, we’re sharing a discussion between Hebrew College faculty member Rabbi Rachel Adelman and her Rabbinical Student Risa Dunbar, about the power of poetry as midrash: the stories that open our text to even more questioning, along with understanding. Both writers bring their individual voices and experiences into the conversation with the text, allowing the ancient words a new place in the modern era. Get full show notes and more information here:
info_outlineDr. Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, explores the rich legacy of Jewish women's leadership through the lens of biblical and modern examples. Through a careful examination of historical documents and personal letters, she reveals how Jewish women have creatively and courageously shaped their communities while pursuing justice.
Drawing connections between biblical Miriam and contemporary leaders, Rosenbaum and her students unpack key moments when Jewish women challenged existing power structures and reimagined religious practices. From Henrietta Szold's eloquent 1916 letter asserting her right to say Kaddish to the guerrilla activism of Jewish Women Watching in the 1990s, we see how different generations employed varied strategies to effect change.
Get full show notes and more information here: http://hebrewcollege.edu/podcast-24