The Light Lab Podcast

This week, in our Shabbat at Home series, Eliana and Ellen consider the Midrashic possibilities of Hamotzi - the blessing over the challah. Topics include how challah holy-tizes all of our time, to tear or to cut, and which gardens grow bread trees. Plus, we listen to our favorite 90s Jewish hip hop classics! 

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This week, we are elated to bring you our interview with Eliana and Casper ter Kuile. Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual, and the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, Nearness and the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. We explore finding the sacred in the secular, where folks find spiritual community these days, and snuggling your dog as prayer. 

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What secular practice can you cultivate into prayer?Comment below or join our facebook group to connect around each episode. 

This week, in our Shabbat at Home series, Eliana and Josh explore the hand washing. Topics include taking ownership over rituals, the act of giving and receiving to and of ourselves, and hand washing as a mikvah moment. Plus, we listen to our favorite hand washing nigunim! 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/episode-64-hand-washing

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This week, we are elated to bring your our interview with Eliana and Rabbi Adina Allen. Rabbi Adina is co-founder and creative director of the Jewish Studio Project. We explore expressing the divine spark within us, how to sit with discomfort, and how to teach our 3rd grade selves that art is their birthright. 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/podcast/episode-63-adina-allen 

And pre-order Rabbi Allen's new book, The Place of All Possibility, here!

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Support our show! Sponsor an episode or donate here, and please rate, subscribe, and share around. Thank you!

Welcome to our spring SPARK! A more free-wheeling, connective conversation between our hosts that we hope sparks something new in you. In this SPARK, Eliana and Ellen explore our journey on the way to enoughness,   binding our wounds, & the furry shapes prophets sometimes inhabit. Plus, we listen to some of our favorite songs for the season!

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ 

lightlab.co/podcast/episode-62-spark-pesach 

And check out the light lab podcast pesach spotify playlist!

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This week, we are honored to bring your our interview with Eliana and Rabbi Ilan Glazer. Rabbi Ilan is the founder of Our Jewish Recovery, author of the award-winning And God Created Recovery: Jewish Wisdom to Help You Break Free From Your Addiction, Heal Your Wounds, and Unleash Your Inner Freedom, and a Shatterproof Ambassador and Family Program Instructor. We explore the medicine of incorporating new and ancient melodies into t’fillah, how Jewish wisdom addresses addiction and recovery, and grounding grief in song. Plus, we listen to a few tracks on Rabbi Ilan’s new album, Gam Ki Elech: Turning Our Sorrows Into Songs. 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/podcast/episode-61-ilan-glazer 

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Sponsor an episode! Contact [email protected] to to learn more. Donate here, and please rate, subscribe, and share around. Thank you!

This week, we are delighted to bring you our interview with Eliana and Aharon Varady. Aharon  is the founding director and primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project. We explore the alchemy of a minyan, taking responsibility for your prayer, and how to make a container to cross-pollinate our own liturgical wisdom with other people. 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/episode-60-aharon-varady  

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This week, we are ecstatic to bring you our interview with Eliana and Batya Levine. Batya (they/them) is a communal song leader, musician, shaliach tzibur (Jewish prayer leader), cultural organizer, and co-founder and the Director of Programs at Let My People Sing! We explore adversarial relationships with t’fillah, modeling pouring-out-your-heart davening, and how to nurture the song leader in you. 

Support the creation of Batya's new album here!

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/episode-59-batya-levine  

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This week, in our Shabbat at Home series, Eliana and Ellen explore the Kiddush. Topics include the opening the Shabbat space/time portal, toasting time, and how to exercise our awe and wonder muscles. Plus, we listen to our favorite interpretations of the Kiddush! 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/episode-58-kiddush 

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This week, we are proud to bring you our interview with Eliana and Rabbi Josh Cahan. A t’fillah (prayer) educator in NYC, Josh compiled and edited the Yedid Nefesh bencher and is introducing the new Yedid Nefesh Haggadah this Spring. We explore the origin story of a t’fillah nerd, praying at sleepaway camp, and the challenges and opportunities of teaching t’fillah to kids.

Is there a t’fillah nerd in your life who has inspired you as a pray-er? Join our ⁠facebook group⁠ to comment and connect. 

Check out this week’s show notes and transcript @ lightlab.co/podcast/episode-57-tfillah-nerd

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Support our show! Donate here, and please rate, subscribe, and share around. Thank you!