American Rabbi Project

American Rabbi Project episodes:

• 07.15.2021

  Los Angeles Part One: The Rabbanit

  "Rabbanit" is not a common title Jewish clergy members go by. But for Alissa Thomas-Newborn her unique title is a reflection on her unique situation as an Orthodox woman with formal rabbinical training, and a clergy position at an Orthodox...

  
• 04.02.2021

  Narrow Spaces and Liberation

  In the Season Three premiere, rabbis from across the country weigh in on what Passover traditions particularly speak to them after a year of pandemic.

  
• 06.17.2020

  Welcome to American Rabbi Project

  American Rabbi Project is a podcast with the goal of interviewing at least one rabbi in every state about their thoughts on the Jewish experience in the U.S.

  
• 05.26.2020

  Washington: Bimah and Beats

  Seattle, Washington has one of the largest communities of Sephardic Jews in the U.S. Rabbi Simon Benzaquen has been serving this community for 36 plus years. In addition to his typical rabbinical duties, he's also part of a Ladino hip-hop...

  
• 04.13.2020

  The Festival of Freedom

  In this year's Passover episode rabbis from around the country share some of their favorite memories of the holiday.

  
• 04.07.2020

  Behind the Scenes

  In this special episode, go behind the scenes and hear from Justin and various members of his editorial team as they talk about the podcast, the creative process, why they do what they do and answer some of the most...

  
• 02.19.2020

  History is Personal

  This is the third and final episode in a special mini-series profiling Holocaust educators. First, we'll hear from a German college professor who teaches classes on the Holocaust and other genocides. He says it's important to focus on the role...

  
• 02.05.2020

  Sharing the Silence

  Rabbi Peter Grumbacher is the child of Holocaust survivors. His father was a prisoner of Dachau who fled to the United States and then helped liberate Europe as an American Soldier. But growing up, Grumbacher's parents told him none of...

  
• 01.22.2020

  Ms. Strobel Weaves History

  Trudie Strobel was four when the Nazis came for her and her mother. During the Holocaust (also called 'the Shoah'), Strobel's mother used her skills as a seamstress to keep them alive. And it was this craft that saved Strobel...

  
• 12.18.2019

  Maryland: Strong Deeds Gentle Words

  Rabbi Haim Ovadia has served at synagogues all over the world, from Israel, to Columbia, to the United States. Today he teaches online, speaks around the world and performs and preserves Iraqi-Jewish songs. In this episode, Ovadia talks about making...

  
• 12.03.2019

  Pennsylvania: Out of Egypt

  Rabbi Albert Gabbai used to dream of visiting Philadelphia when he was a kid growing up in Cairo, Egypt. After fleeing imprisonment and harassment in the country of his birth, he would eventually make it to the United States and...

  
• 11.19.2019

  Georgia: Debtors, Warriors and Comedians

  Savannah, Georgia was originally founded for debtors, paupers and other people European society thought needed a new life in the "New World". Some of those original settlers were Jews, many of whom were fleeing the Spanish Inquisition. They would go...

  
• 11.06.2019

  South Carolina: The Organ and the Pillar

  The next several episodes will profile some of the oldest congregations in America. Specifically, three that pre-date the United States. That includes Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina. Rabbi Greg Kanter gives a tour of the historic sanctuary...

  
• 10.15.2019

  West Virginia: Truth, Justice and the Appalachian Way (Season 2 Premier)

  In the late 1800's many Jews came to West Virginia for the coal industry. About a hundred years later, Rabbi Victor Urecki came for the charm and warmth of the Charleston community. But it's an aging community with many of...

  
• 10.01.2019

  Shana(h) Tova(h), Season 2 and Please Support

  The new year is here and season 2 is approaching! I'd like to take this time to ask for your support in helping this podcast reach its full potential.

  
• 07.02.2019

  Washington D.C.: Here I Am (Season 1 Finale)

  Rabbi Gil Steinlauf was the first rabbi I interviewed after the Pittsburgh tragedy. He talked about his worries and hopes going forward. He also talked about his Torah study session with then President Barrack Obama, his strongly-worded letter to President...

  
• 06.18.2019

  Massachusetts: The Tide is Rising

  Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman has written anthems, blocked construction sites and gotten arrested for the climate movement. In this episode, Friedman talks about the role Judaism plays in her work and how activism can be a form of prayer.

  
• 06.04.2019

  New Hampshire: Live Free or Dayenu

  Rabbi Jon Spira-Savett of the Granite State talks about teaching kids ethical philanthropy, the importance of patriotic criticism and the time he met Secretary Hillary Clinton at a town hall and asked her a question steeped in Jewish philosophy.

  
• 05.21.2019

  Vermont: Vitamins and Juice

  There was a time when Jan Salzman thought she'd never step foot in a synagogue again. But now Rabbi Salzman heads a congregation in the heart of Burlington's "little Jerusalem". She found her way back through the Renewal movement ("Judaism's...

  
• 05.07.2019

  Next Year in Jerusalem

  In this special episode, rabbis weigh in on what the phrase 'Next Year in Jerusalem' means to them.

  
• 04.16.2019

  Maine: Wrestling and Wandering

  A chat with Rabbi Darah Lerner in Bangor, Maine. Topics include the Reform movement, LGBTQ Judaism and the rights and privileges of being Jewish.

  
• 04.02.2019

  Utah: The Reformative Rabbi of Rome

  There are very few cities that are headquarters of major world religions. SLC is one of them. And Rabbi Sam Spector works at the biggest synagogue in town.

  
• 03.19.2019

  Colorado: Tradition and Change (With Altitude)

  Some came for the gold rush, others came for healing and many more have arrived in the last decade. Episode 2 focuses on the Jewish community of Denver, Colorado and Rabbi Salomon Gruenwald.

  
• 02.20.2019

  Arizona: I Met You On Sinai (And The Yellow Pages)

  Episode one focuses on Rabbi Dovie Shapiro and how he and his wife, Chaya, helped build a Jewish community in the small town of Flagstaff, Arizona.