Season 1

Jan. 26, 2021

Rabbi Jason Rubenstein on Pesikta de-Rav Kahana (Mandelbaum) 19 – “Th…

Rabbi Jason Rubenstein, Jewish chaplain at Yale University, joins Mark for a very special episode this week. Jason’s uniquely well-rounded education includes attending reformed Temple Micah in Washington DC as a child, spendi...

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Jan. 22, 2021

Russ Roberts on Genesis 44 – “Forgiveness and the Unheralded Hero of …

Mark is delighted to welcome Russ Roberts, possibly America’s premier popular economist, to the podcast today. A host of his own remarkably successful podcast, ‘EconTalk’, Russ is also a prolific writer in many forms, includi...

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Jan. 22, 2021

Pastor Will Ford on Joshua 4:20-24 and 1 Kings 18:31-32 - “God: The C…

Mark is delighted to welcome Pastor Will Ford to the podcast today. Currently the Director of the Marketplace Leadership Major at Christ For The Nations Institute, in Dallas, Texas, Pastor Ford is also the founder of Hilkiah ...

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Jan. 21, 2021

Congressman Ritchie Torres on Proverbs 18:24 – “Friendship: Recognizi…

Newly elected Congressman, Ritchie Torres, is Mark’s very special guest this week. A product of public housing, public schools, and public hospitals in the Bronx, Ritchie went on to become the youngest elected official in New...

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Jan. 20, 2021

Yael Eckstein on Ezekiel 11:17– “Living out the prophecies today”

Yael Eckstein is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. As President and CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), Yael heads the leading non-profit that is building bridges between Christian...

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Jan. 19, 2021

Daron K. Roberts on Genesis 1:26– “Creation by Committee”

Daron K. Roberts, the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation (CSLi) at the University of Texas, is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. A former NFL and college coach, Daron created CS...

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Jan. 18, 2021

Rebecca Soffer on Genesis 50:15-19 – “The Unexpected and Unifying Qua…

Mark is delighted to welcome Rebecca Soffer, Cofounder/CEO of Modern Loss, to the podcast this week. In addition to her work leading the Modern Loss community, Rebecca is also a co-author of Modern Loss: Candid Conversation A...

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Jan. 15, 2021

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg on Exodus 32– “A Story About the Failure of Ad…

Mark’s guest this week is the award-winning author and writer, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. Danya is the author of numerous books, including Surprised By God: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Religion , and has written for ...

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Jan. 14, 2021

Dr. Elana Stein Hain on Jeremiah 28 – “Leadership with a Message of A…

Mark is delighted to welcome Dr. Elana Stein Hain to the podcast today. In addition to her role as the Director of Faculty at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, Elana also co-leads the Created Equal research team,...

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Jan. 13, 2021

BBYO’s Matt Grossman and Kelly Fagel on Leviticus 14:1 – 15:33 - “Aff…

Mark welcomes two special guests from BBYO, one of the Jewish community’s premier platforms for reaching and inspiring Jewish teens, to the podcast today. Kelly Fagel is a 17-year-old High School Senior who serves as the 32nd...

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Jan. 12, 2021

Boyd Matheson on 1 Samuel 17:48– “Ultimate Confidence”

Boyd Matheson, opinion editor at the Deseret News, is Mark’s very special guest on today’s episode. For over 25 years, Boyd has worked as a consultant, executive strategist and performance coach with global companies, and he ...

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Jan. 11, 2021

Michal Lemberger on Genesis 19:6-9 – “A Horrifying Crime”

Celebrated author and educator, Michal Lemberger, joins Mark for today’s podcast. Michal’s debut collection, After Abel and Other Stories, has garnered numerous awards, and her nonfiction and journalism have appeared in many ...

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Dec. 17, 2020

Abigail Pogrebin on Deuteronomy 15:7-10 – “Compassion is a Requiremen…

One of America’s most prominent thinkers and leaders, Abigail Pogrebin, joins Mark on the podcast today. Abigail has served as President of Central Synagogue, and her book, My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays; One Wondering Jew, was ...

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Dec. 17, 2020

Dr. Michael Helfand on Sotah 49b:11-14 – “The Advantages, Opportuniti…

Mark is delighted to welcome Dr. Michael Helfand to the podcast today. Michael is the Vice Dean for Faculty and Research at the Caruso School of Law, Pepperdine University, and an expert on religious law and religious liberty...

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Dec. 14, 2020

Rabbi Marc Schneier on Genesis 21:9-20 – “Opening Our Eyes to Our Ble…

Rabbi Marc Schneier, Founder of The Hampton Synagogue, one of the most dynamic synagogues in the United States, is Mark’s very special guest this week. Rabbi Schneier is also the founder of the Foundation for Ethnic Understan...

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Dec. 14, 2020

Rabbi Sergio Bergman on Genesis 1:1-5 – “Life: The Light of God”

Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome Rabbi Sergio Bergman to the podcast today. Currently the President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, Rabbi Bergman oversees 1,275 synagogues with 1.8 million members in more t...

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Dec. 10, 2020

Rabbi Rick Jacobs on Isaiah 58:1-8 – “Living a Life of Meaning and Pu…

Mark’s delight is palpable as he welcomes Rabbi Rick Jacobs to the podcast today. As President of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Jacobs currently leads the largest and most diverse Jewish movement in North America. He is...

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Dec. 10, 2020

Rabbi Steven Weil on Genesis 23 – “The Dialectical Existence of the J…

Mark is delighted to welcome his good friend and fellow cigar aficionado, Rabbi Steven Weil, to the podcast this week. Currently the National Director and CEO of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), Rabbi Weil previou...

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Dec. 7, 2020

Jon Steinberg on L’chatchila Ariber – “Taking a Creative and Bold App…

Jon Steinberg, one of Mark’s favorite cigar smoking companions, is the very special guest on this week’s episode. Currently the president of Altice News and Advertising, Jon is also the founder of Cheddar, the leading Post Ca...

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Dec. 6, 2020

Rabbi Susan Silverman on Genesis 1:1-8 – “Beginning Again”

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Susan Silverman to the podcast today. Rabbi Silverman is the founder of KAMOCHA: A Jewish Response to Refugees, is on the Board of Directors of Women of the Wall, and the International Counc...

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Dec. 3, 2020

Jonathan Goldstein on Genesis 18 – “A Divine Interruption”

Mark is delighted to welcome Jonathan Goldstein to today’s episode. Jonathan is the Chief Executive and Founder of the private investment firm, ]( http://www.cainint.com/ )[Cain International, the Chairman of the Jewish Leade...

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Nov. 30, 2020

Apostle Dwayne Hardin on Psalms 119:89 and Joshua 1:6-9– “Learning an…

Mark is delighted to welcome Apostle Dwayne Hardin to the podcast this week. Apostle Hardin is the founder and lead pastor of The Embassy Church and The Millennium Masters Inc, a global organization designed to effectively co...

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Nov. 30, 2020

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer on Jonah 4 – “An Education in Universalism”

Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast this week. Yehuda is a leading thinker and author on the meaning of Israel to American Jews, on Jewis...

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