In this episode, I sit with Benji Elson, author of Dance of the Omer. His work lives at the meeting point of Torah, psychology and sustainable living. His own path from a strict yeshiva world, through ashrams and silent retreats in India, and back into a renewed relationship with Judaism, creates the backdrop for the conversation. Through that journey he opens a way of reading Torah that is rooted in land, in seasons, in the body. And he keeps naming that this is only one face among the seventy, one interpretive layer that can stand alongside many others without canceling them out.

We explore how the core Jewish holidays can function like an annual tune-up of our relationship with the physical world. Pesach as a reset around grain and simple food. Shavuot as a check-in around fruit, milk and our use of animals. Sukkot as a conversation with water, climate and the shape of our cities. Benji shows how mitzvot such as the four species, bikurim, meat and milk, city greenbelts and Shabbat boundaries can form a kind of spiritual ecology that shapes how we eat, build, consume and live on land with more clarity and care.

We also speak about disillusionment with religious authority, and why stepping away is not always a trauma script. Sometimes it is simply the next honest step. And we look at how greater awareness around food, animals and place can become part of our inner work rather than a lifestyle performance. If you are curious how Torah can be read through the lens of nature while still making space for psychological, spiritual and relational depth, this conversation offers a fresh way of seeing.

See you on the other side,

Eli

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To connect with Benji

Website | www.elson-psychotherapy.com

Email | [email protected]

Instagram | @benji_elson

Link to the book "Dance of the Omer" by Benji Elson on Amazon | https://a.co/d/fO5QH1V

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Samra, a man who flipped the script. Instead of grinding toward some distant retirement, he started by asking a different question: What does my dream life actually cost? Then he built the financial structure to support it. Not later. Now.We talk about what happens when a man stops accepting the default narrative and starts living by design. We talk money, yes, but also the mindset behind it. The courage to choose clarity over convention.We also talk weed. Eric shares the arc of his long, mostly “functional” relationship with marijuana and why, in the end, it felt like the opposite of the freedom he was working so hard to build. We explore that blurry line between “I’m good, I’m managing” and “This thing owns me.” And what it really takes to cross back over.Health. Family. Spirit. Men’s work. For me, the 12 steps. These aren’t abstract ideas. They’re practical tools for waking up.If you’re wrestling with money, rethinking your relationship to substances, or starting to wonder how it’s all connected, this one’s worth a listen.See you on the other side,Eli

What if the essence of Judaism was never meant to be about behavior alone, but about dveykus, a deep soul-level connection to the Divine?

That is what this conversation is about.In this episode of In Search of More, I sit down with Rabbi Doniel Katz, founder of the Elevation Project, who has been on a mission to revive the spiritual technologies of Torah that most of us were never taught. Doniel is not interested in making Judaism more modern or palatable. He is trying to make it real again. To bring back the tools like meditation, breathwork, and inner refinement that our tradition always had but buried out of fear, trauma, and exile. We talk about what dveykus actually means, not a vague spiritual buzzword but a lived experience of radical presence and attachment to God.

We explore how Judaism lost that fire and how Elevation is working to restore it. Doniel has faced pushback, even being called a heretic and written off by segments of the ultra-Orthodox world who would rather preserve the image of holiness than wrestle with what holiness really demands.

Together we dig into how to navigate criticism without alienating supporters and how to stay focused on the mission instead of getting lost in endless battles.

One of the parts of our conversation that stayed with me was Doniel’s take on psychedelics. While he stopped short of claiming they are found in Judaism as some suggest, he was willing to explore the role these experiences might play in the larger search for the Divine. Hearing that from someone so rooted in Torah made me pause and consider how broad and inclusive our spiritual conversations can really be.

For me this was not only an interview but also a mirror. I walked away asking myself how much of my own energy goes into fighting battles instead of building what I set out to build. That is why I believe this episode will challenge you, not just to think differently about Judaism, but to reflect on your own search for more.

See you on the other side,

Eli

In this conversation, I sit down with Joe Farkas, a life coach and narcissistic recovery specialist, to unpack the dynamic between narcissists and codependents.I didn’t agree with everything he said. I pushed back more than once, especially on his claim that true narcissists never change. I brought up redemption. Healing. He didn’t budge. And that’s what stuck with me. His refusal to entertain hope forced me to reckon with something deeper: the kind of clarity he believes is required when dealing with a narcissist.We talked about the cycle: idealize, devalue, discard. We got into emotional addiction, spiritual gaslighting, and why so many codependents stay long past the point of knowing better. Joe doesn’t believe you heal by fixing them. You heal by finally choosing yourself.If you’ve ever given everything and still been made to feel small, this one is worth your time.See you on the other side,Eli

In this conversation with Nir Menussi, I found myself reflecting on how much of my life has been about trying to reconcile two worlds: the depth of Torah and the pull of everything outside it. We spoke about the lived application of Kabbalistic ideas, and it hit a familiar nerve. For a long time, I believed I had to choose one world or the other.

Growing up, the message was clear. Everything outside of Judaism was unholy. The books, the music, the teachings. All of it. So when I started finding meaning beyond the boundaries I’d been given, I assumed it meant I had to leave Judaism behind.

For me, real healing began when I stopped separating the two.

We talked about Carl Jung and how voices outside our tradition can still stir something deeply Jewish. I’ve experienced that firsthand. Truth showing up in places I never expected. When the conversation turned to psychedelics, it got even more personal. I’ve seen them used as an escape hatch, a way to dodge pain. But I’ve also seen what happens when there’s real intention and the courage to integrate the experience afterward. The visions aren’t the healing. The healing is what comes after, when the lights are off and you’re left facing yourself.

We covered a lot. The sparks Kabbalah says are hidden in all things. How sometimes the least likely path becomes the most revealing. Nir and I didn’t align on everything. Jung felt more mutual than psychedelics. But we found shared ground in the ongoing search for G-d’s voice, speaking through all parts of life.

I hope you enjoy the conversation. And if Nir’s work resonates, check out his books and his podcast. I’ve been listening regularly, and I’m learning a lot.

See you on the other side,

Eli

In this episode of In Search of More, I sit down with Yitzchok Aharon Pinkesz, author of Kosher Astrology: A Jewish Guide to Celestial Wisdom. He makes a bold claim: a lot of suffering in the world could be eased, and we’d be living more in line with Judaism, if we understood the astrological influences on us.Astrology is often dismissed as superstition or idolatry. Pinkesz argues it has deep roots in Torah and rabbinic tradition, meant not to trap us in fate but to help us know ourselves and grow. He shares how he went from skeptical Boro Park kid to obsessively studying over 400 books and classic sources to make the case for a “kosher” astrology.We talk about the line between wisdom and misuse. He rejects fatalism and astral magic but defends astrology as a tool for mapping our strengths, challenges, and paths of growth in line with Hashem’s design. We also spend a fair amount of time on my own chart, exploring the places of tension and transformation it reveals.It’s a conversation about reclaiming lost knowledge, staying honest about risk, and asking what it really means to choose to become your fullest self.Find his book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/agcjaqmSee you on the other side,Eli

In this episode of In Search of More, I sit with Michael Benmeleh, one of the foremost personalities in the Jewish community in South Florida when it comes to bringing Torah teaching to the masses.

We spoke about his journey, from running Torah classes to creating The Lighthouse Project. It has since become something more heart-centered and expansive. He’s brought in breathwork, meditation, and a focus on deep inner work, all grounded in Jewish wisdom, especially the teachings of Rabbi Nachman.

One of the major turning points for him was a retreat in Tulum with Rav Doniel Katz. Something opened up there. A deeper relationship with God, with himself, and with his purpose to help others access real healing. Not through performing. Just through being present.

We also talked about the challenge of holding sacred space, especially when it comes to gender. He’s been thoughtful and direct about what it takes to create real containers where men and women can do meaningful work without crossing boundaries. He speaks honestly about leadership, responsibility, and what it truly means to hold space for transformation.

Toward the end, we got into some of the questions we’ve been asking ourselves about the appropriate boundaries and separation between men and women in healing spaces, and how to make those spaces safer, holier, and more accessible. We also spoke about the challenge of staying connected to tradition while opening up to new ways of speaking to the Divine, something Michael refers to as the elephant in the room in Judaism. It’s always been there, but until recently, many have pretended it’s not a part of Jewish life.

If you’re someone who’s not just looking to learn but to open, to feel, to heal, I think this one will hit home.

See you on the other side.

Eli

In this week’s episode of In Search of More, I sit down with Dr. Charlie Powell — and this one really stayed with me.Charlie’s lived a life most people couldn’t make up. He started in biomedical engineering, then became a combat medic in the Gulf War, a trauma ER doctor, cosmetic surgeon, patent holder, successful businessman. From the outside, it looks like strength and success. But underneath it all, he was holding a lot — PTSD, exhaustion, and the emotional weight of everything he witnessed on the front lines.What I love about Charlie is that he didn’t just accept the system. He called bullshit. He saw how broken traditional medicine was — especially when it came to trauma and mental health — and went looking for more. He ended up diving into plant medicine, psychedelics, and all kinds of alternative healing. Not because it was trendy. Because nothing else worked.We talked about forgiveness, about parenting, about how even addiction and pain can become teachers if you’re willing to stop running and actually feel. This episode is a reminder that healing isn’t about fixing what’s broken — it’s about facing what hurts, and letting it teach you who you really are.Later in the episode, Charlie opens up about a documentary he’s working on called Healing Heroes: No Mind Left Behind. It started small — just him trying to connect with a few vets — but it’s grown into this beautiful, raw look at what it really means to carry trauma and still choose life. The film is all about veterans and first responders finding healing through connection, conversation, and yes, psychedelics. But most of all, it’s about not doing it alone.If you’ve ever felt like your pain isolates you, like no one could understand — this one’s for you. It’s a call to stop hiding and start healing.See you on the other side,Eli

In this episode of In Search Of More, I sit down with Roovy Shapiro for one of the realest, hardest conversations I’ve had on the podcast. Roovy talked about depression, suicidal thoughts, and growing up with deep emotional neglect. Not in a dramatic way—just straight up, the truth. The kind most people carry around quietly because saying it out loud feels like betrayal.What we kept bumping up against was this impossible thing—how do you speak honestly about your life when your truth might hurt your family. When healing means saying stuff that might offend the people who raised you. We’re not trying to shame anyone or burn it all down. But silence doesn’t heal. So what do you do with that?Roovy didn’t come on here with a five-step plan or some perfect Instagram-ready version of healing. He talked about what it looked like to fall apart after yeshiva, to hit rock bottom during COVID, and to slowly piece himself back together. What stuck with me was how he saw it—not as “I’m broken” but “this is what I was taught, and I can unlearn it.”We got into parenting, marriage, what it means to try and show up different than the generation before us. Not to be better. Just to stop handing down pain we never asked for.This episode doesn’t have easy answers. That’s not the point. The point is we’re finally asking the questions. Out loud.See you on the other side,Eli

I pulled this one from the archives. This conversation with my friend Ryan Carter was recorded more than a year ago. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I’d share it. Was my relationship ready for it? Was there enough here to make it worth posting? I kept coming back to it. And honestly, the timing couldn’t be more appropriate. I needed to hear what I said back then, because I’ve fallen into the exact pattern I’m calling out in this episode.This one is about what marriage actually demands from us. The kind of personal growth few other things require. It brings up the wounds we might otherwise avoid and forces us to either face them or settle for something less.We talked about learning to communicate, rebuilding trust, staying emotionally present, and the pressure of being providers without going numb. For men, that often means not withdrawing, not checking out, not losing ourselves in anger, and not silencing what we really feel just to keep the peace. For women, it can show up as stepping into control mode, trying to manage the relationship instead of staying open to receive. Both patterns create distance.The real work in a relationship is staying present within it. That’s what this conversation is about. Two friends being honest about what it takes to grow through the hard stuff.See you on the other side,Eli