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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Nov. 30, 2020

Rabbi Joshua Davidson on Genesis 18 and Genesis 22 – “Abraham: Our Co…

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Joshua Davidson to the podcast today. A graduate of Princeton, and, like Mark’s wife, a graduate of Hebrew Union College as well, Rabbi Davidson is currently the Senior Rabbi of Congregation...

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Nov. 26, 2020

Solomon Choi on Leviticus 25 – “The Divine Importance of How You Cond…

Solomon Choi, Founder and CEO of 16 Handles, NYC’s largest frozen dessert franchise, is Mark’s guest on the podcast today. Solomon has worked in Food and Beverage and Foodservice management for more than 15 years as an execut...

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Nov. 23, 2020

A.J. Jacobs on Psalms 35:18 – “The Power of Gratitude”

Master of immersion journalism, A.J. Jacobs, joins Mark on the podcast today. Through his work, A.J. has immersed himself in topics ranging from the Bible to the family, to his most recent topic, gratitude, which he recounts ...

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Nov. 23, 2020

US Air Force Chaplain, Major General Steven Schaick, on II Samuel 9-1…

Mark is both delighted and highly honored to welcome Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) Steven A. Schaick, the US Air Force Chief of Chaplains, to the podcast this week. In his role, Chaplain Schaick is the senior pastor for more than 685,...

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Nov. 23, 2020

Pastor Jesse Bradley on The Book of Haggai – “Hope and Rebuilding”

This week, Mark is delighted to welcome Pastor Jesse Bradley to the podcast. After graduating from Dartmouth College, Jesse went on to become a professional soccer goalkeeper in Zimbabwe, Aberdeen, and Minnesota, before a lif...

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Nov. 20, 2020

Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl on Deuteronomy 29:9-11– “Who We Are as …

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl to the podcast today. Rabbi Buchdahl is the first woman to serve as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City in its 180-year history, and she is also …

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Nov. 9, 2020

Jonathan Tobin on 1 Samuel 8:10 – “The Beginning of Politics: Executi…

Jonathan Tobin, Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), joins Mark on the podcast today. In addition to his role of leading the JNS in its syndication of Jewish articles and essays to Jewish newspapers all across ...

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Nov. 5, 2020

Pastor Gerald D.A. Murphy on Genesis 15:1 – “God is Our Reward”

Pastor Gerald D.A. Murphy is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. Gerald received his Master’s Degree in Christian History and Theology from Ashland Theological Seminary, and he currently serves as the Director of ...

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Nov. 5, 2020

Doron Spielman on Genesis 33 – “To Mt. Seir and Back: Diplomacy, Brot…

Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome his great friend, Doron Spielman, to the podcast today. Since 2000, Doron has served as a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit, and he conti...

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Nov. 2, 2020

Ryan Williams on Psalms 23– “Our Ultimate Shepherd”

Technology entrepreneur, Ryan Williams, is Mark’s guest on the podcast this week. Having started his first business at age 13, Ryan went on to graduate from Harvard College, and is currently the Co-Founder and CEO of Cadre, a...

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Nov. 2, 2020

Max Wilkins on Daniel 5 – “Deeply Rooted in the Word of God”

Mark is delighted to welcome Pastor Max Wilkins, to the podcast today. Max is the President and CEO of TMS Global, an organization that exists to mobilize and deploy the body of Christ globally to join Jesus in His mission, …

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Nov. 2, 2020

Rabbi Brandon Bernstein on Genesis 4:1-12 – “Interpreting the Many Le…

Mark is delighted to welcome Rabbi Brandon Bernstein to the podcast today. Having grown up in Palmdale, California, Brandon received a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and rabbinical o...

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Oct. 29, 2020

Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen on Genesis 2:24 – “Creating One Flesh” - S1E83

Rabbi Dovid M. Cohen is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. Currently the Rabbi of Congregation Ohr Torah in North Woodmere, NY, Rabbi Cohen is also an attorney and a Senior Relationship Officer at YACHAD, a thriv...

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Oct. 29, 2020

David Mark on Genesis 45:5-7 – “Lessons Learned from The Reunion of J…

Senior editor at the Washington Examiner, David Mark, joins our host for today’s episode. Among many other roles, David has also been a senior editor at Politico and at CNN Digital Politics, is the author of two books, and ap...

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Oct. 26, 2020

Pastor Jerry Gillis on Leviticus 19:1-2 – “Holiness: For God, and for…

Pastor Jerry Gillis is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. Pastor Gillis is the Lead Pastor of The Chapel, a multi-complex church network in the Buffalo area, and he is also involved with ‘Christ Together’, a netw...

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Oct. 15, 2020

Michael Medved on Exodus 33:18-23 – “God Passing By”

Mark is delighted to welcome Michael Medved, a legend in the world of American thought and political discourse, to the podcast today. Starting his public life as a left-liberal political organizer, Michael has gone on to beco...

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Oct. 13, 2020

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer on Genesis 15:1-8 – “Prayer: An Invitation to Expr…

Mark is delighted to welcome the President and CEO of the Hadar Institute, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, to today’s episode. In addition to his work with this great institution of adult jewish learning in the world, Elie has also been ...

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Oct. 8, 2020

Rabbi Levi Welton on Exodus 5:22 – “Biblical Humility: Sublimating Ou…

Rabbi Levi Welton is Mark’s very special guest on the podcast today. As a modern exemplar of the ancient Rabbis who held occupations, Levi not only works as the spiritual leader of Lincoln Park Jewish Center, but also as a …

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Oct. 8, 2020

Phyllis Costanza on Deuteronomy 16:20 – “Just Ends and Just Means, To…

Mark is delighted to welcome Phyllis Costanza, Head of UBS in Society and CEO of the UBS Optimus Foundation, to the podcast today. In her role, Phyllis applies an investment-based approach which makes it simpler for clients a...

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Oct. 5, 2020

Senator Marco Rubio on Proverbs 3:5-6 -- “Trust: Lessons from the Pro…

Mark’s friend, Senator Marco Rubio, joins him on the podcast today. The son of Cuban immigrants, Marco grew up in Miami and Las Vegas, entered public service as a City Commissioner, and was elected to the United States Senate...

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Oct. 5, 2020

Jim Copland on Numbers 12 – “The Allure of Beauty, the Sin of Gossip …

Jim Copland, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and director of Legal Policy, joins Mark for today’s episode. During his storied career, Jim has testified before Congress as well as state and municipal legislatures, and...

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Oct. 1, 2020

Ambassador Michael Oren on his new book -- “Portrait of the Artist a…

Today’s edition of the podcast is the first to not involve a discussion of a biblical verse, but is instead a special discussion with returning guest, Ambassador Michael Oren, regarding his new book The Night Archer: and Othe...

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Oct. 1, 2020

Jonathan Neumann on Numbers 14:22 – “Slandering the Land of Israel”

Mark is delighted to welcome Jewish public intellectual, attorney and author, Jonathan Neumann, to the podcast today. A graduate of Cambridge University and the London School of Economics, Jonathan has been a fellow at Commen...

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Sept. 29, 2020

Gil Troy on Genesis 12:1-3 – “The Moment When the Jewish People Are B…

Award-winning American presidential historian and leading Zionist activist, Gil Troy, joins Mark on the podcast today. Gil’s many books include The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland – Then, Now, Tomorrow, as well...

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Sept. 29, 2020

Rick Pino on 1 Samuel 16:7 – “God Seeing into the Heart”

Mark is delighted and honored to welcome his friend, Rick Pino, to the podcast today. Rick is the founder of the Heart of David Movement, a community passionate about seeing Jesus glorified through day and night worship manif...

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Sept. 29, 2020

Zachary Karabell on Genesis 41:46-53 – “The Economics of Joseph: How …

Mark is delighted to welcome Zachary Karabell to the podcast today. Zachary is an author, columnist, podcast host, founder of the Progress Network at New America, and president of River Twice Research and River Twice Capital....

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