Season 1
Tali Farhadian Weinstein on Bava Metzia 30b – “The Imperative of Just…
Prosecutor, professor, and proven criminal justice reformer, Tali Farhadian Weinstein, is Mark’s guest on the podcast today. Tali came to America as a refugee in 1979, having fled the violence and ant-Semitism of revolutionar...
Dr. Rick Hodes on Psalms 106:3 and Deuteronomy 4:6– “Doing Righteousn…
Dr. Rick Hodes, Medical Director of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is Mark’s very special guest today. Rick has dedicated his life to helping the people of Ethiopia through hi...
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Dr. Marc Brettler on the Book of Jonah – “A W…
Mark is delighted to be joined by Dr. Amy-Jill (AJ) Levine and Dr. Marc Brettler, the editors of the Jewish Annotated New Testament, on today’s episode. AJ is a Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Univ...
Eli Beer on Deuteronomy 30:19 – “Choosing Life”
Mark is so delighted to welcome his very good friend and partner in United Hatzalah, Eli Beer, to the podcast today. As a young man, Eli identified the importance of receiving medical care within the first few minutes of an …
Dr. Lance Plyler on Isaiah 6:1-7 – “Commissioned to Do God’s Work on …
Mark is delighted to welcome his good friend and humanitarian hero, Dr. Lance Plyler to today’s episode. As the Director of World Medical Missions for Samaritan’s Purse, Lance treats victims of war, typhoons, infectious disea...
Rabbi David Wolpe on 1 Kings 19:11-13 – “The Thin Voice of Silence”
Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome his great friend, Rabbi David Wolpe, to the podcast today. Perhaps the greatest Torah commentator in the world, David is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, and he...
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner on Deuteronomy 10:18-19– “Loving The Stranger”
Mark is thoroughly delighted to welcome Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, to the podcast today. Through his work with this Center, he engaged clergy, professional, and voluntee...
Logan Beirne on Micah 4:4 – “George Washington's Commitment to Religi…
Mark’s good friend, Logan Beirne, joins him for today’s episode. In addition to being Mark’s partner in, and CEO of, Matterhorn Transactions, a company that provides data analytics to law firms across the United States, Canad...
Richard Sandler on Deuteronomy 30:12-13– “Listening: Who We Are and W…
Attorney, investor, and one of the great Jewish leaders in the United States, Richard Sandler, is Mark’s guest on the podcast today. Richard has been the Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Jewish Federations of North Ameri...
Pastor Teo Hayashi on Esther 4:14– “Created to Live for Something Gre…
Mark is delighted to welcome his friend, Pastor Teo Hayashi, to the podcast today. Teo is the founder of the Dunamis Movement, a Christian student movement in universities throughout Brazil, and he also has one of the world’s...
Representative Josh Gottheimer on Proverbs 29:18 and Isaiah 40:31 – “…
Mark’s friend, Representative Josh Gottheimer, joins him on the podcast today. Josh represents New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District, making him the first Democrat to represent that district since 1933, and he has been ci...
Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz on Exodus 13:2 – “Primogeniture”
Mark is delighted to welcome his friend, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, to the podcast today. Rabbi Steinmetz has been a congregational Rabbi for nearly 30 years and has previously served pulpits in Montreal, Quebec, and Mount Vernon...
Tevi Troy on Deuteronomy 4:4 – “Continuity Through Action”
Tevi Troy, the best-selling presidential historian and former White House aide, joins Mark for today’s episode. As Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Tevi was the chief operating officer of ...
Dr. Andrew Rehfeld on Judges 17:6 – “The Importance of Strong Central…
Leading political scientist and distinguished Jewish communal leader, Dr. Andrew Rehfeld, joins Mark on the podcast today. Andrew’s illustrious career has bridged both the academic and professional worlds as Associate Profess...
Ken Isaacs on Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5 – “Loving God”
Mark is delighted that the man he believes is ‘the world’s most foremost humanitarian’ is his guest on the podcast today. Ken Isaacs has worked with Samaritan’s Purse, has more than 30 years of experience working in the relie...
Benjamin Watson on Jeremiah 9:22-23 – “Humility: Channeling Our God-G…
Mark is absolutely delighted to welcome Super Bowl-winning tight end, Benjamin Watson, to the podcast today. In addition to his great success with four different NFL teams, Benjamin is the proud father of seven whose family i...
John Podhoretz on Genesis 34 – “The Rape of Dinah: Enduring Challenge…
One of America’s leading public intellectuals, John Podhoretz, joins Mark on today’s podcast. In addition to contributing to various publications from the Wall Street Journal to the Weekly Standard, serving as speechwriter fo...
Dr. Mort Fridman on Micah 6:8 – “Micah: Justice, Mercy and Humility”
Dr. Mort Fridman, Past President of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), joins Mark on the podcast today. Mort has been a doctor and psychoanalyst for several decades so he brings a unique perspective to the ...
Jake Cohen on Exodus 16:5 – “Food: The Source of Jewish Community”
In today’s episode, Mark is delighted to welcome Jake Cohen, chef, food writer, and culinary influencer, who has also held the position of Food Editor of TastingTable.com as well as Food Critic for Time Out New York. Jake is ...
Bill Simon on Ecclesiastes 3 and Exodus 14:14-15 – “When It’s Time”
Mark is delighted to be joined by his friend, Bill Simon, for today’s episode. Bill has had a remarkable career in law, business, philanthropy, and authorship, and, for Mark, he is the epitome of what it means to be a …
Peter Borish on Leviticus 25:35-38 – “No standing by”
On today’s episode, Mark is joined by legendary Wall Street trader, Peter Borish. In addition to his success in business, Peter is also a founding member of the Robin Hood Foundation, an organization which funds New York City...
Tiki Barber on Deuteronomy 10:12 – "What God Asks of You"
Mark’s guest today is his great friend and NFL legend, TIki Barber. During his career with the New York Giants, Tiki’s many accomplishments included being a 3-time All Pro, leading the league twice in yards from scrimmage, an...
Kelvin Beachum on Daniel 6:5-10 – "Conviction and Commitment"
Today, Mark is delighted to welcome Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle, Kelvin Beachum, to the podcast. In addition to his highly successful football career, Kelvin has worked with a number of charities including Bread for th...
Senator Tom Cotton on Isaiah 6:8 – A Divine ‘Call of Duty’
Mark is delighted to be joined today by his good friend, Senator Tom Cotton, to discuss his passage of choice: Isaiah 6:8. Tom grew up on his family’s cattle farm in Arkansas, graduated from both Harvard and Harvard Law Schoo...
Pastor Jose Diaz on Genesis 2:3 -- “God’s First Lesson to Humanity”
Mark’s guest on the podcast today is his good friend Pastor Jose Diaz, whom he met two years ago as they journeyed together with Eagles’ Wings through Israel. The passage Jose has chosen to discuss with Mark is Genesis 2:3. …
Amanda Berman on Numbers 27:1 -- "The Biblical Origins of the Zioness"
Amanda Berman joins Mark today for a dynamic conversation regarding Numbers 27:1 and its profound significance throughout the centuries. Amanda is the Founder and Executive Director of the ‘Zioness Movement’, an initiative wh...
Rabbi Josh Stanton on Exodus 18 -- "Jethro -- Moses's Gentile Father-…
This week Mark is extremely excited to welcome his very good friend, Rabbi Josh Stanton, to the podcast. Rabbi Josh was ordained from Hebrew Union College in 2013 where he was recognized for his accomplishments in many areas ...
Yossi Klein Halevi on Genesis 37:18-36 -- "How Joseph Overcomes Betra…
Joining Mark on today’s episode is his very close friend of almost 20 years, Yossi Klein Halevi. Truly one of the most thoughtful men in Israel, Yossi epitomizes what it means to live and chronicle the examined Jewish and Zio...
Scott Shay on Genesis 3:1 -- "The Garden of Eden and the Origin of Re…
Scott Shay, Co-founder and Chairman of Signature Bank and author of two important books about Jewish life in the United States, ‘In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism’ and ‘Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize A...
Sarah Hurwitz on Exodus 3:2-3 -- "When Moses Notices The Burning Bush"
Joining Mark on today’s episode is Sarah Hurwitz, a Harvard and Harvard Law School graduate who served as Michelle Obama’s Head Speechwriter from 2010-17, and who has been an advisor and writer for a number of other leading D...
Amb. Michael Oren on Numbers 32:6 -- "The Quintessential Text for Isr…
Ambassador Michael Oren is Mark’s very special guest on today’s episode. In addition to serving as Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Michael has also served as a Member of Knesset and as Deputy Minister in the Prime M...
Rabbi Mark Wildes on Leviticus 10:1-2 -- "When Moses Looked Within fo…
In today’s episode, Mark welcomes Rabbi Mark Wildes, author of ‘Beyond the Instant: Jewish Wisdom for Lasting Happiness in a Fast-Paced, Social Media World’. Rabbi Wildes is also the founder of Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJ...