In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes Rabbi Michael Zedek back to the podcast on the occasion of his second book, People Are Like…: Stories for Young Readers and Readers Who Wish to Stay Young. A beloved teacher, storyteller, and rabbi, Rabbi Zedek joins Rabbi Yoshi for a warm and thoughtful conversation about the wisdom hidden in everyday life—and why some of life’s deepest truths are often best conveyed through simple stories.

Drawing from the book’s memorable parables about porcupines, dogs, redwood trees, monkeys, and more, the two rabbis explore themes of empathy, connection, resilience, kindness, and spiritual growth. Rabbi Zedek reflects on what children can teach adults, how stories shape moral imagination, and why compassion and community remain at the heart of a meaningful life.

The conversation also touches on Rabbi Zedek’s decades of leadership, teaching, interfaith work, and public dialogue, including his many years hosting Religion on the Line. Filled with humor, heart, and gentle wisdom, this episode is both uplifting and deeply grounding.

https://ascendbooks.com/publications/people-are-like/

In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with actor and painter Lisa Edelstein and artist Robert Russell to discuss their powerful new exhibition, A Palace in Time, at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Inspired by Abraham Joshua Heschel’s timeless vision of Shabbat as “a palace in time,” the exhibition explores memory, ritual, Jewish identity, family, love, and the holiness embedded in ordinary moments. Through Russell’s luminous still lifes of ritual objects and Edelstein’s evocative paintings drawn from family photographs, the couple creates an intimate meditation on what we choose to remember—and why.

Their conversation with Rabbi Yoshi touches on the relationship between art and spirituality, the emotional impact of October 7, the role of nostalgia in Jewish life, and the experience of creating art as partners in both marriage and creativity. Together, they reflect on how beauty, ritual, and storytelling can help us navigate grief, deepen connection, and reclaim moments of sacred presence in an anxious world.

Thoughtful, moving, and deeply human, this episode is an exploration of how art can become both memory and sanctuary.

In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with speaker, author, and advocate Brandon Farbstein for a deeply honest and moving conversation about identity, resilience, and what it truly means to belong.

Born with a rare form of dwarfism, Brandon shares what it was like growing up facing bullying and exclusion — and how those early experiences shaped his sense of self. With candor and insight, he reflects on the inner work it took to move from feeling defined by others’ perceptions to embracing his own voice and purpose.

Together, they explore the difference between visibility and belonging, the emotional reality of resilience, and the responsibility that comes with being seen as an inspiration. Grounded in questions of dignity and human connection, this conversation challenges us to reconsider how we see one another — and ourselves.

This is a conversation about turning pain into purpose, and about discovering strength in the very places we once felt most vulnerable.

https://brandonfarbstein.com/

In this episode, Mandana Dayani joins Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback for a candid and wide-ranging conversation on maintaining a sense of purpose within an increasingly complex world.

Drawing on her personal history as an Iranian-born Jewish refugee, Mandana provides a vital human perspective on the impact of regime change and the nuances of Iranian history that often go overlooked. Together, they explore the core values—gratitude, creativity, and community—that anchor her work and life.

Key highlights of their discussion include:

• The "One Mitzvah a Day" Initiative: Exploring how a simple call to action, rooted in Jewish tradition, serves as a practical framework for purposeful living.
• Identity and Authenticity: A look at the importance of embracing one's full self and finding the courage to navigate significant life transitions.
• Meaning Amidst Uncertainty: Insights into how we can find opportunities for growth and connection, even when the world feels unpredictable.

This conversation is an invitation to live with greater intention and to discover that meaning is often found not by avoiding uncertainty, but by engaging with it. It is a thoughtful reflection on how individual actions can foster a deeper sense of global community.

https://www.mandanadayani.com/

One of Mandana's favorite recipes for lemon saffron chicken 

More Persian Jewish Food

One Mitzvah a Day

In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with a colleague and friend, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi of Central Synagogue and author of the powerful new memoir Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.

Together, they explore what it means to live between worlds — culturally, spiritually, and personally — and how the experience of feeling like an outsider can become a source of compassion, resilience, and connection.

Drawing on Angela’s story of growing up as the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and a Jewish American father, the conversation touches on identity, belonging, music, leadership, and the evolving nature of Jewish life in America today.

Framed by the timeless question from the Book of Esther — “מי יודע אם לעת כזאת הגעת למלכות” (“Who knows? Perhaps you have come to this moment for just such a time”) — this episode reflects on how our lives, even the parts that feel uncertain or painful, may be preparing us for something meaningful.

It’s a conversation about faith, courage, and the sacred work of becoming who we are.

To learn more about the book, visit https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697350/heart-of-a-stranger-by-angela-buchdahl/

In the second installment of this wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Yoshi continues his dialogue with Rabbi Ed Feinstein and Rabbi David Woznica — turning from personal story to the larger questions pressing on the Jewish community today.

Recorded on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at a moment marked by the return of Ran Gvili, the last hostage, and amid rising antisemitism, deep national division, and growing concern about the health of American democracy, this episode engages the moral and spiritual challenges of our time.

The rabbis speak candidly about loving Israel while struggling with its government, about what it means to lead during anxious and polarized times, and about events unfolding in places like Minneapolis that have sparked national debate about law enforcement, immigration policy, and human dignity.

They also confront hard questions about the future of the rabbinate — the challenges facing seminaries, the so-called pipeline issue, and what kind of leadership the next generation of Jews will need.

This is not a conversation of slogans or simple answers. It is a thoughtful, honest exchange shaped by decades of experience, deep commitment to the Jewish people, and enduring hope for the future.

Stay tuned and be inspired.

In this first installment of a special two-part conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down live with Rabbi Ed Feinstein, longtime senior rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom, and Rabbi David Woznica, who has served Stephen Wise Temple for more than two decades.

Recorded on International Holocaust Remembrance Day — just one day after the return of Ran Gvili, the last hostage — this dialogue unfolds at a moment of profound weight for the Jewish community and for American society.

Rather than beginning with politics, the conversation begins with story.

Rabbi Feinstein and Rabbi Woznica reflect on growing up Jewish in Los Angeles, unexpected and sometimes rebellious paths into the rabbinate, and how their understanding of God has evolved over decades of spiritual leadership. They speak candidly about what sustains a life in the rabbinate — and what it costs. About faith and doubt. About calling and responsibility. About the quiet, unseen burdens and the profound privileges of serving a Jewish community.

Honest, searching, and at times unexpectedly tender, this episode invites listeners into a deeply personal exploration of what it means to lead — and to live — with meaning.

Part II of this conversation explores Israel, antisemitism, America, and the future of Jewish leadership.

Stay tuned and be inspired.

In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Cantor Lauren Blasband-Roth for a thoughtful conversation about vocation, music, and Jewish life. Lauren shares her journey to the cantorate, reflecting on her Brooklyn roots, the influence of her family, and the experiences that shaped her love of Judaism and song.

The conversation explores what surprised her most about becoming a cantor, the joys and challenges of clergy life, and the ways music opens hearts and builds connection. Lauren also speaks about her passion for Jewish education, her work teaching learners of all ages, and her special connection with her fifth-grade class and bar and bat mitzvah students.

Along the way, Rabbi Zweiback reflects on what a gift it has been to welcome Lauren as a colleague at Wise, highlighting the beautiful voice, intelligence, and warmth she brings to the community, and the meaningful partnership she shares with Cantor Emma.

A warm and inspiring episode about calling, teaching, and the power of music to shape Jewish spiritual life.

https://www.laurenblasband-roth.com/

In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal, one of today’s leading scholars of rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. Their conversation ranges from the ancient world to our own moment, exploring how religious traditions take shape through encounter, disagreement, and relationship.

Rabbi Yoshi first encountered Michal’s work in Israel during the World Zionist Congress, where her lecture left a lasting impression. In this episode, she shares her personal and intellectual journey—from growing up in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish world, at a time when it was still rare for women to pursue advanced Talmudic study, to becoming a major voice in the academic study of Jewish–Christian interactions in Late Antiquity.

Michal discusses her groundbreaking research comparing rabbinic texts and early Christian and monastic literature, including insights from her award-winning books Early Christian Monastic Literature and the Babylonian Talmud and Jewish–Christian Dialogues on Scripture in Late Antiquity. She explains how ancient texts reveal moments of dialogue and shared interpretation where we often assume only separation—and why those discoveries still matter today.

The conversation also turns to the present: living and teaching in Israel during painful and uncertain years, what ancient texts can teach us about resilience and endurance, and how scholarship can help us hold complexity without losing hope.

This episode is an invitation to think more deeply about boundaries and belonging, inter-religious dialogue, and the enduring power of learning to illuminate both the past and the present.

https://in.bgu.ac.il/en/humsos/goldstein-goren/pages/staff/Michal-Bar-Asher-Siegal.aspx

In this special episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Rabbi Steve Leder and Peter Himmelman for a wide-ranging conversation about friendship, faith, creativity, and the moment we are living in.

Together, they reflect on growing up Jewish in the Midwest, the quiet experiences of childhood that shape a life, and the distinct journeys that led one of them to the rabbinate and the other to music. Along the way, Steve and Peter share moments of intimate personal reflection and extraordinary creativity, exploring how Torah and song speak to one another—and how friendship can bridge different forms of spiritual expression.

The conversation also turns toward the challenges of our time: the rise of antisemitism, the pain and complexity surrounding Israel, and how to hold moral clarity, courage, and compassion without losing one’s soul.

In a powerful and unexpected closing, we witness a song come into being—born of the moment, shaped by honesty, hope, and shared humanity.

Learn more about Peter Himmelman and his music, writing, and creative work at
https://peterhimmelman.com

Learn more about Rabbi Steve Leder, his books, and teachings at
https://www.steveleder.com

Watch the conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNMxwC80aG8&t=1357s