Timely thoughts on the weekly Torah Portion and Jewish holidays.

Torah You Should Know 72 - Parshat B'haalotcha: On Graduations and Second Chances

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We are saddened to hear of the passing of Joseph Lieberman, z'l, a great American patriot, and even greater member of the Jewish People. We interviewed Senator Lieberman in 2017, in one of our first episodes ever in this podcast. In tribute to his extraordinary life, we present this #TBT rebroadcast from the archives. May his memory be for a blessing!! ------------------ ABOUT THIS EPISODE Longtime Senator Joe Lieberman is one of the nation's most accomplished politicians, and also one of its most visible observant Jews. In this wide-ranging conversation, Lieberman cover a many topics, including: his childhood and grandmother's early Jewish influence; formative event like the elections of John F. Kennedy and the Martin Luther King Jr. march in Washington, D.C.; his own religious odyssey while at Yale University ("Sometimes you make big decisions that are really quite simple"); the therapeutic value of loss; pollster's Stanley Greenberg's "prophetic" advice; his shocking Senate victory; the question he has never been asked; the vice presidential campaign on the Al Gore ticket; the impact of his Sabbath observance and his book on that topic, The Gift of Rest (I think in the end that writing that book on Shabbat will be one of the most significant thing I've accomplished in my life."); what he's doing in his "retirement" (spoiler alert: A LOT); and his outlook on the future of the Jewish people ("I'm an optimist...I think the Jewish people is an eternal people.") Appropriately, this is Episode #7, as Lieberman's signature book and proudest quality has been his Sabbath-observance.

{TBT REBROADCAST} Episode 7 - The Sabbath-Observant Senator: A Conversation with Joe Lieberman, z"l

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Ruth Wisse is one of the great modern scholars of Yiddish literature. A distinguished career at McGill and Harvard Universities has now led to her current engagement with Tikvah, a Jewish-conservative think tank and educational outfit. Professor Wisse has authored many books, and written widely on political affairs in addition to her native areas of scholarly expertise. Her extensive ouvre can be reviewed here: https://harvard.academia.edu/RuthRWisse --------------------- ABOUT THIS PODCAST Jews You Should Know introduces the broader community to interesting and inspiring Jewish men and women making a difference in our world. Some are already famous, some not yet so. But each is a Jew You Should Know. The host, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, is Executive Director of MEOR Maryland (www.meormd.org), a premier Jewish outreach and educational organization. MEOR operates nationally on twenty campuses and in Manhattan; visit the national website at www.meor.org. Please visit www.JewsYouShouldKnow.com, follow us on Twitter @JewsUShouldKnow or on Facebook. Have feedback for the show, or suggestions for future guests? E-mail us at JewsYouShouldKnow@gmail.com. A special thank you to Jacob Rupp of the Lift Your Legacy podcast for his invaluable production assistance.

Episode 204 - The Yiddish Scholar, Political Observer and Consummate Professor: A Conversation with Ruth Wisse

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Alexandra ("Alex") Fleksher is a multi-talented content creator and Jewish "influencer" in contemporary culture. She is the founder and creative director of the "Faces of Orthodoxy" Instagram (and other social media) presense:  Along with co-host Rivki Silver, Alex also hosts the  Deep Meaningful Conversations (DMC) podcast, covering topics of interest to observant (and all) Jewish women. Alex also writes for Mishpacha magazine, is an educator, and boasts a fascinating personal background story, which she shares on this episode! ------------------- ABOUT THIS PODCAST Jews You Should Know introduces the broader community to interesting and inspiring Jewish men and women making a difference in our world. Some are already famous, some not yet so. But each is a Jew You Should Know. The host, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, is Executive Director of MEOR Maryland (www.meormd.org), a premier Jewish outreach and educational organization. MEOR operates nationally on twenty campuses and in Manhattan; visit the national website at www.meor.org. Please visit www.JewsYouShouldKnow.com, follow us on Twitter @JewsUShouldKnow or on Facebook. Have feedback for the show, or suggestions for future guests? E-mail us at JewsYouShouldKnow@gmail.com. Want to support this podcast? Visit Patreon.com/JewsYouShouldKnow. A small monthly contribution goes a long way!! A special thank you to Jacob Rupp of the Lift Your Legacy podcast for his invaluable production assistance.

Episode 203 - The Faces of Orthodoxy and DMC Podcast Host: A Conversation with Alexandra Fleksher

Merle Saferstein is a longtime educator with an expertise in Holocaust studies. In her early thirties, she discovered the cathartic pleasure of journaling, and in nearly 50 years since, has filled over 380 notebooks (!) with her chronciles and musings. Already a published author, Merle eventually decided to excerpt many of these journals and present them to the public, as part of her legacy journaling project. Visit Merle's website to read more about her work, and to purchase any of her fabulous books. And perhaps consider trying your hand at journaling as well!

Episode 202 - The Journaler: A Conversation with Merle Saferstein

Uri Alon is a pioneering farmer and lover of the land of Israel. Like so many in the South, on 10/7/23 he suffered many personal losses. He also is unable currently to welcome guests to The Salad Trail, an oasis of beauty and Israeli ingenuity in the depths of the desert. The farm requires support - both financial and physical - during this difficult time. Please consider  donating to Uri's fund by purchasing future tickets, dedicating rows of produce or other options listed on his website.

Torah You Should Know 72 - Parshat B'haalotcha: On Graduations and Second Chances

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