What does it mean to apply the concepts of Mussar (Jewish ethical teachings) to everyday life? What about to confronting racism in the world, at a particular institution or even in oneself? Rabbi David Jaffe, author of Changing the World From the Inside Out and Yehuda Webster, a noted activist and teacher, point to examples of how this can work. Each shares how Mussar taught them how they could have behaved differently in certain situations and where drawing on its lessons led to more positive outcomes. They also discuss anti-racism work in the broader Jewish community, addressing the post Oct 7 pushback while making the case for a renewed focus.

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Rabbi David Jaffe and Yehudah Webster.

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Links:

• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Read the Evolve Essay, "Racial Justice Is a Path to Jewish Security"
• Make a gift to Reconstructing Judaism's Momentum Campaign
• Follow Kirva on Instagram
• Learn more about Kirva
• Listen to our January Episode "Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out" with Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Rabbi Alex Weissman
• Read more about Yehuda's recent visit to Nigeria as part of "Teshuvah Across the Waters"
• Jaffe and Webster's op-ed in The Forward, "Equity and Justice Values from a Jewish Perspective"

In a conversation both deeply personal and grounded in history and sociology, Ilana Kaufman, CEO of the Jews of Color Initiative, shares her mission and why the work has been so challenging in a post-October 7 world. Kaufman explains why it’s been so counterproductive to consider Blacks and Jews as separate groups — erasing a sizable population identifying as both. She talks about why statistics and demographic matter for Jews of Color and the entire Jewish community. She shares how she came to write the afterward to Marc Dollinger’s book, “Black Power, Jewish Politics.” The conversation also touches on the Civil Rights and Soviet Jewry movements and why educators should draw more explicit connections between the two.

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Ilana Kaufman.

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• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Read Ilana's Evolve essay
• Watch Ilana's Eli Talk
• Learn more about the Jews of Color Initiative
• Listen to Bryan's conversation with Marc Dollinger
• Read Marc's Evolve essay
• Check out The Forward's coverage of the controversy surrounding the publication of "Black Power, Jewish Politics"
• Register for Writing Disability Torah
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36

“Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out.” The idea is deceptively simple and strongly rooted in Jewish tradition. To change society, individuals must first address their own attitudes, biases and inner lives. Easy to say, much harder to carry out. With funding from the Wabash Center, Rabbi Sandra Lawson and Rabbi Alex Weissman decided to try this approach at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, which is committed to anti-racism. Working with faculty, Lawson and Weissman led a year-long process grounded in mussar (Jewish ethical practice.) The work was set to begin in earnest on Oct. 17, 2023. In this episode, Weissman and Lawson talk about how the attacks of Oct. 7 and subsequent war cast a shadow over the project but ultimately led to some important insights about how racism has impact Jewish institutions. They also address why, in an age of skyrocketing antisemitism, it’s as important as ever for Jewish communities to address racism.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Rabbi Alex Weissman and Rabbi Sandra Lawson.

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• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Read Bryan's story about Dismantling Racism From the Inside Out at RRC
• Learn more about the Wabash center
• Learn more about the Dismantling Racism curiculum
• "MLK and the Power of Community" by Rabbi Sandra
• Read Bryan's recent piece, "What MLK’s Friendship with Stanley Levinson Can Teach Us Today"
• Register for Reconstructing Judaism's "Reparations in Action" event on 2/2
• Register for Ritualwell's "Writing Disability Torah" event on 2/18
• Learn more about Kirva
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36

In losing her two-year-old daughter, Havi, Myra Sack suffered the kind of loss most people cannot even fathom. By telling her Havi’s story, Sack discovered she can help others live with grief. Sack is the author of Fifty-Seven Fridays: Losing Our Daughter, Finding Our Way, an excerpt of which appears on the Evolve website. She discusses the important role ritual played after Havi’s diagnosis and following her passing. Sack traces her journey into grief literacy and how she has used her own painful experiences to help others process grief. She talks about the tragic consequences of a doctor’s mistake and how she and her husband, Matt, have worked to ensure no family suffers a similar fate. The former collegiate soccer standout also shares the place that sports have played in her life and the blessings she’s looking forward to in the New Year.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Myra Sack.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Read Myra's Evolve essay, "Rituals of Grief"
• Purchase Myra's book, "Fifty-Seven Fridays: Losing Our Daughter, Finding Our Way"
• From Ritualwell, "The Four Yizkors: Grief and Memory Hold Hands"
• From Ritualwell, "Balancing Grief and Gratitude"
• Bryan's previous conversation with Myra
• Myra's Philly Jewish Sports Hall of Fame profile
• J-Screen
• Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief
• Learn more about Shelley Barnathan, Myra's rabbi

Former Congressman Andy Levin sits for a truly wide-ranging interview about the election, his concerns about the incoming Trump administration, Israel and so much more. The passionate Reconstructionist also discusses his Jewish identity, spiritual practice and how he has cultivated courage in public life. He offers honest assessments of his 2022 losing reelection bid and what lessons Democrats can draw from November’s defeat. He also offers a refreshingly candid take on courage in politics and the calculations politicians often make.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rep. Andy Levin.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Read Andy Levin's Evolve essay, "Courage Has a Life of Its Own"
• Evolve's Practices for Defending Democracy essay symposium
• Bryan's 2018 interview with Andy Levin
• From The Forward, "How Andy Levin’s defeat in Michigan was — and wasn’t — all about AIPAC"
• From The Detroit Free Press, "Andy Levin focuses on Gaza and Lebanon as he renews faith for Jewish New Year"
• Register for the event, "“All of the People Israel are Responsible for One Another”: Reconstructionist Values That Shape Our Relationships with Israelis and Palestinians"

Democracy holds a special place in Reconstructionist teachings, liturgy and practice — though most Jews have embraced American democracy as hospitable to Jewish life. Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., and Rabbi William Plevan, Ph.D., dive deep into Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s — the founding thinker of Reconstructionist Judaism — thinking on democracy and pluralism and why it matters today. Each shares thoughts on the prospects for liberal democracy at a time when the form of government is under strain across the world — and what it might mean for Jewish communities. As a bonus, Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., who directs the Evolve podcast, shares the process behind Evolve’s series of essays on democracy.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Rabbi Bill Plevan, Ph.D. and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D..

Support Evolve

Links:

• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Read Rabbi Deborah Waxman's Evolve essay, "A Jewish Embrace of Democracy: Early Reconstructionist Judaism and America’s Promise"
• Read Rabbi Bill Plevan's Evolve essay, "Sustaining Democracy Amid Cultural Pluralism: Mordecai Kaplan’s Vision"
• Explore the full symposium: Practices for Defending Democracy
• On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder
• American Crucible: Race and Nation in the Twentieth Century by Gary Gerstle
• Also on Evolve, "The Year Since October 7" essay collection
• From the Wisconsin Examiner, "A prescription for overcoming our dangerous political divisions
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Learn more about "Memory Lights The World," Ritualwell's memorial wall

Tareq Abu Hamed, Ph.D., and Rabbi Michael Cohen talk about the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel’s Negev region. The nearly 30-year-old academic and research institution brings together students and faculty from Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and elsewhere to build relationships and solve pressing environmental challenges. Arava is partnering with a Palestinian organization on a new plan to meet needs for water, sanitation, hygiene and energy in a devastated Gaza Strip that’s years away from being rebuilt. Abu Hamed and Cohen each share how they hold on to hope in a seemingly hopeless time for those dedicated to regional peace.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Rabbi Maurice Harris, and Rabbi Michael Cohen.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Read the Evolve essay, "Jumpstarting Hope in Gaza: The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies"
• Also on Evolve, "The Year Since October 7" essay collection
• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Learn more about the Arava Institute
• Register for "Holding Each Other," Ritualwell's weekly Monday afternoon minyan
• Remembering October 7: Resources from Reconstructing Judaism
• From The Times of Israel, "Israelis, Palestinians to launch joint bid to bring humanitarian aid to post-war Gaza"
• Explore Sukkot resources from Reconstructing Judaism

It’s not easy to talk about and process the first anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, when war continues to widen, hostages remain in Gaza and a ceasefire seems less and likely. This episode aims to model such a conversation. In a wide-ranging interview featuring Rabbi Mira Wasserman, Ph.D., interim vice president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Elliott Glassenberg, senior educator at BINA: the Jewish Movement for Social Change, they and Bryan discuss Oct. 7 and how Israeli and American Jews have been impacted. They also explain the relationship between RRC and BINA and how it may be more important than ever for rabbis serving in the Diaspora to devote time to better understanding the dynamics of Israeli society.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Elliot Glassenberg and Rabbi Mira Beth Wasserman, Ph.D..

Support Evolve

Links:

• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• From Evolve: The Year Since October 7
• Register for Ritualwell's "A Day of Memory: Holding Each Other on October 7th, 2024"
• Explore October 7 Resources from Reconstructing Judaism
• Explore Evolve's essays
• BINA - The Jewish Social Movement for Change
• Learn more about RRC's faculty summer study tour of Israel

If we embrace Judaism, what do we do with passages from Torah and elsewhere that seem to directly undermine our worldviews and values? Human rights attorney turned rabbinical student Maria Pulzetti makes a compelling case that we should deal with these problematic biblical passages head-on. Maria and Bryan also examine reproductive justice, as well as the legacy of slavery and systemic racism, through a Jewish lens. Later, they discuss what motivated Maria to become a rabbi, her opposition to the death penalty and her time, in the early 2000s, as a human rights worker in Russia.

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Maria Pulzetti.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Read the Evolve essay, "Remember, Retell, Resist: Reading Difficult Biblical Passages"
• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Register for the Resilience Boost from Ritualwell
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36

Marc Dollinger has seen a thing or two. In his academic career, the historian of American Jewry has been labeled a “self-hated leftist Jew” and “right-wing Zionist colonialist.” He’s been criticized for failing to capture the full nuance of black-Jewish relations and been abandoned by his publisher for suggesting that Jews bear some responsibility for the continuance of American racism. And, while he studied leftist anti-Israel sentiments for decades — focusing on its origins after the Six Day War — he’s been utterly shocked by the virulence of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses since Oct. 7, 2023. In this packed interview, Dollinger addresses the nature of academic freedom, the importance of DEI work in Jewish communities and the lines between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. He also talks about his previous book Black Power, Jewish Politics and his forthcoming memoir of his campus intellectual battles.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Marc Dollinger.

Support Evolve

Links:

• Read Marc Dollinger's Evolve essay: "Anti-Israel, Anti-Zionist, Antisemitic: Reflections on the San Francisco Bay Area (and beyond) after Oct. 7"
• Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
• Support Evolve with a donation of $36
• Register for the next Evolve Web Conversation: What If We Stopped Assuming That the Human Species is the Chosen Species?
• Buy Marc Dollinger's book, Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s
• Explore Evolve's essays about the Israel-Hamas war
• Explore Evolve's essays about antisemitism
• Read the open letter, "Brandeis University Press is silencing debate"
• Read Brandeis University Press' response letter