Turning Toward One Another with Rabbi Sharon Brous

At a time when so many of us feel brokenhearted by the ongoing pain, uncertainty and polarization in our world, Rabbi Sharon Brous has been a grounding force and a guiding light for me and so many.

She is the senior rabbi and founder of IKAR, a leading-edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, known for weaving together soulful spirituality, social justice, and deep belonging. A graduate of Columbia University for both her undergraduate and then her M.A. in Human Rights and ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, she is widely recognized as one of the most influential rabbis in America. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and her 2016  TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people. Most recently, she has made an impact with her book The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World, which offers a powerful roadmap for healing through presence, connection, and care.

I first learned about Rabbi Brous from my podcast guest, Valerie Kaur, author of See No Stranger, whose Revolutionary Love Project is deeply aligned with Rabbi Brous’ message of compassion and collective responsibility. Since then, I’ve turned again and again to Rabbi Brous’ sermons—words that name difficult truths and pathways forward with honesty, courage, and humanity. Often, it felt as though her messages came just before the headlines—as if she were speaking directly into the emotional moment that was about to unfold.

When I reached out to see if she might be open to a conversation, I was surprised and deeply grateful when she said yes. In this conversation, Rabbi Brous shares about her unexpected path to becoming a rabbi, how her mother’s love shaped her, how faith became a foundation for her activism, and why the call to build Beloved Community starts with the people right around us.

We explore the Loneliness Epidemic, the necessity of joy, and how we can hold multiple truths at once, even in a time of deep polarization. We also speak about the extraordinary power of small acts of courage—like two bereaved fathers—one Israeli and one Palestinian—who found connection in shared grief and chose to build something healing from that pain.

Again and again, Rabbi Brous reminds us that even in the face of heartbreak, we are not powerless. She invites us to begin simply—by noticing when we want to pull away, and choosing instead to turn toward. To offer compassion instead of judgment. To show up, even when we don’t have the perfect words. And to remember that healing begins not in sweeping solutions, but in small, courageous acts of connection. I hope this episode meets you where you are, acknowledges your pain and then also, as it did me, renews a sense of purpose and hope.

Topics Discussed in this Episode:

• Rabbi Brous’ unexpected path to becoming a rabbi

• The power of showing up: why small acts of presence matter

• Joy as a spiritual necessity, not a luxury

• Engaging children in honest conversations and sharing our sadness

• The Loneliness Epidemic and how to reconnect with our communities

• Holding space for both Jewish and Palestinian grief

• We don’t have to choose sides—being pro-humanity vs. pro-conflict

• How to have difficult conversations with people who think differently

• The importance of Sabbath rest and reclaiming time for ourselves

• A simple practice to build connection: greeting your neighbors

• Why turning toward one another—with compassion, curiosity, and care—is a radical act

Practices Shared in the Episode

• Just Show Up: Whether it's a funeral, a phone call, or dropping off food—presence is powerful.
  
  

• Joy Breaks: 18 minutes a day of joy (music, dancing, walking, cake) as a spiritual necessity, not a luxury.
  
  

• Shabbat and Sacred Rest: Weekly unplugging as a personal and cultural act of resilience.
  
  

• Know Your Neighbors: Say hello, build micro-connection. Start the beloved community where you live.
  
  

• Stay at the Table: When it’s hard, when it’s uncomfortable—stay. Get curious. Reclaim humanity.
  
  

About Sharon Brous

Sharon Brous is the senior and founding rabbi of IKAR, a leading edge Jewish community based in Los Angeles, and author of The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Heal Our Hearts and Mend Our Broken World, a national bestseller.

Brous offered the invocation at the Democratic National Convention in 2024, led the Hanukkah candle lighting with the Vice President and Second Gentleman in 2023, and the White House Passover Seder in 2021. She blessed President Biden and Vice President Harris at the Inaugural National Prayer Service in 2021, and in 2013, she blessed President Obama and Vice President Biden. She was named #1 on the Newsweek/The Daily Beast list of most influential Rabbis in America, and has been recognized by The Forward and Jerusalem Post as among the most influential Jews alive today. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, and her 2016 TED talk, “Reclaiming Religion,” has been viewed by more than 1.5 million people.

Brous is in the inaugural cohort of Auburn Seminary‘s Senior Fellows program, which unites top faith leaders working on the frontlines for justice, she sits on the faculty of REBOOT, and serves on the International Council of the New Israel Fund and national steering committee for the Poor People’s Campaign.

A graduate of Columbia University (both undergraduate and M.A. in Human Rights), she was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

 

Connect with Rabbi Sharon Brous

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/sharonbrous/?hl=en

• Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/RabbiSharonBrous/

• Twitter | https://x.com/sharonbrous?lang=en

 

Connect with IKAR

• Website | https://ikar.org/

• YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/user/IKARlosangeles/videos

• Podcast | https://open.spotify.com/show/1YLHXlESNuxBMEOWoyfLP5?si=446b4210c2ea429e&nd=1&dlsi=e5872b69315d4a84

• Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/weareikar/

• Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/IKARLosAngeles/

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikar-los-angeles

• TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@weareikar?lang=en

Book by Rabbi Sharon Brous:

•  The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World – Rabbi Sharon Brous

 

This Episode’s Challenge:

Rabbi Sharon challenges us to take one small action to turn toward instead of pulling away. Go for a short walk in your neighborhood and say hello to people you pass. When someone you know is struggling, check in—call, text, or just show up. If a conversation feels difficult, stay curious. Ask questions instead of shutting down. Sometimes, the smallest acts of connection can create the biggest shifts. Let’s choose to turn toward one another.

Related Episodes and Resources To Explore Next: 

• Joint ceremony for American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum 

• TED Talk featuring Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon – “A Palestinian and an Israeli, face to face”

• Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

• On a Quest for Peace and Reconciliation Parents Circle Interview With Layla Alsheikh and Robi Damelin

• Mother’s Quest Campaign in Support of the Parents Circle

• Ep 100: Mothering As Revolutionary Love

 

This Episode is Dedicated to Hanne Mintz by her daughter Marina Mintz

Marina Mintz is an entrepreneur and consultant based in Los Angeles, California. She spent most of her career in the translation/localization and sustainability industries. For the past 15 years at Paragon Language Services, the company her mother founded and she recently sold, she helped clients in the entertainment industry make sure their scripts and characters were linguistically and culturally accurate, helped creative agencies reach larger audiences both at home and abroad, and worked with NGOs and government agencies to ensure constituent access regardless of language.

Before joining Paragon, Marina was a sustainability and green building consultant who worked with private companies to implement sustainable building and operational practices as well as with event producers to reduce waste and energy usage in music festivals and live events. She was part of the team responsible for creating and implementing an ambitious sustainability plan for the Live Earth Concert series. She also used her expertise and passion to help Paragon design and furnish the company office and implement a recycling and waste reduction plan which ultimately helped attain EcoVadis silver certification.

Marina graduated with a BA in Rhetoric and a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and also attended graduate school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Insititue for Environmental Studies where her focus was green building. Outside of work, Marina enjoys volunteering with and raising money for organizations like Alexandria House, Advot and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, hiking in the mountains around LA, attending events – from sports to the opera, and is currently training an adorable six  month-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Ziggy along with her husband, Chad.

 

Connect with Marina Mintz:

• LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/marina-mintz

 

Organization Marina Supports:

• Alexandria House | https://www.msalexhouse.com/

• Advot | https://www.advot.org/

• Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation | https://www.curemeso.org/

 

Don’t Freakout Friday - Join Us!

In this episode with Rabbi Sharon Brous, we talk about the importance of turning toward one another during difficult times. Our conversation inspired me to create a weekly online gathering where for one power hour, we could connect to ourselves and one another, to activism we could do together on the call, and to planting seeds for our rest and renewal over the weekend. There is so much to freak out about right now, but if this calls to you, I hope you’ll pause the doomscrolling and join us for Don’t Freakout Friday. Register here.

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