Evolve
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
82 episodes of Evolve since the first episode, which aired on October 10th, 2017.
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#TrendingJewish 18: The Luxury of Not Having to Share
August 16th, 2018 | Season 0 | 42 mins 46 secs
This interview with Rabbi Sandra Lawson was meant to focus on the intersection of Judaism and technology. But no illuminating conversation completely goes as planned. Rabbi Sandra explains how it is impossible to discuss her adoption of social media and technology from questions of race, identity and sexuality. In this frank interview, Rabbi Sandra explains how fear, fear of failure, and fear of having others define her according to race and sexual-orientation, that prompted her to take the biggest risks in her life and rabbinical studies. A social media innovator, she explains how technology fits into her mission of reaching Jews in new settings: a new kind of rabbi for an evolving Jewish community.
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#TrendingJewish 17: Why Jewish Ethics Matters
July 30th, 2018 | Season 0 | 41 mins 55 secs
Rabbi Mira Wasserman delves into the ethical questions raised by the dramatic emergence of the #metoo movement. Rabbi Wasserman discusses the ongoing challenge of speaking up against wrongdoing and shifting a culture that casts doubt on victims who have shared stories of abuse. The conversation focuses less on egregious cases of abuse and more on everyday encounters. We also ask: What can Judaism teach us about how to shape a world in bystanders routinely stand up to ensure the human dignity of all is protected? How can liberal Jews design ethical guidelines to live by? Is there a statute of limitations on asking for forgiveness?
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#TrendingJewish 16: The Greatest Teacher, Failure Is
July 16th, 2018 | Season 0 | 42 mins 38 secs
Yes, Star Wars fans — our title is taken from a line that Yoda says to his troubled former pupil, Luke Skywalker, in The Last Jedi. In more traditional syntax, Rabbi Shira Stutman says something very similar. The senior rabbi of Sixth & I, a thriving Jewish arts and cultural center in Washington, D.C., talks about learning from failure, and how Jewish organizations must take risks to change and grow. Rabbi Stutman discusses how Sixth & I was both inspired by, and a departure from, Mordecai Kaplan’s vision of a synagogue center. She answers forthright questions about her organization’s business model, while extrapolating lessons more traditional congregations might use. She counters conventional wisdom on a number of points, challenging the idea that synagogues should spend money to engage millennials. And she explains why she once conducted a funeral for a dog, despite not being an animal lover.
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#TrendingJewish 15: The Disruptor
June 25th, 2018 | Season 0 | 45 mins 41 secs
Rabbi Brian Field discusses Judaism Your Way, which, in case you were wondering, is not a congregation. The organization was formed to serve Jews in the Denver area who’d felt marginalized by existing congregations. In particular, Judaism Your Way was created to serve intermarried families. By offering a catered, individualized approach to Jewish experience, the organization has grown large enough that it could be considered a disruptive force in the Denver area. How has Judaism Your Way’s mission evolved as its gone from an upstart to a major force in Denver Jewish life? What does its success mean for more traditional communities in Denver and across the country? Can congregations learn from Judaism Your Way’s approach? And what is the rabbi talking about when he says Judaism Your Way represents the front porch and most congregations represent the kitchen? Rabbi Brian fields these questions and others while Bryan and Rachael try to stay on topic and forget about the theological themes of the original Ghostbusters movie.
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#TrendingJewish 14: Thirteen Million Minutes
June 12th, 2018 | Season 0 | 42 mins 37 secs
BimBam, a nonprofit Jewish media studio, has created more than 350 animated video for children and adults. Youtube analytics reveal BimBam’s content has been viewed online for thirteen million minutes, or 24 years. BimBam’s founder, Sarah Lefton, and executive director, Jordan Gill, explain how they have sought to revolutionize Jewish education through digital storytelling and meaningful screen time.
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#TrendingJewish 13: Turning the Crisis Narrative on Its Head
May 29th, 2018 | Season 0 | 52 mins 54 secs
This episode introduces another theme we’ll be exploring over several episodes: How is technology impacting Judaism and vice versa? The hosts of Judaism Unbound, Daniel Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, argue that the internet has revolutionized the Jewish landscape and made Jewish texts and knowledge radically accessible. They argue that, rather than entering a period of decline, Jewish life is migrating into an era that is at least partially defined by digital connections.
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#TrendingJewish 12: Talkin' 'bout my Generation
May 22nd, 2018 | Season 0 | 41 mins 38 secs
Like a number of upcoming episodes, this show focuses on how Jewish communities are evolving. Rabbi Sid Schwarz, author of Jewish Megatrends, discusses the phenomenon of “tribal Jews” and “culture Jews” and the how the two groups, which largely break down along generational lines, view Jewish life very differently. He also shares lessons learned from his nearly 40 years in the rabbinate.
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#TrendingJewish 11: The Accidental Rabbi
February 19th, 2018 | Season 0 | 48 mins 33 secs
Taking a page from the Judaism Unbound podcast, Rachael and Bryan ask the questions: What does Judaism do and what it is for? What does it do for those who don’t feel compelled by God to live life according to Jewish law? Rabbi Maurice Harris fields these questions, and also explains why he avoids “outing” himself as a rabbi while he’s a passenger on a commercial flight.
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#TrendingJewish 10: One Man’s Crusade Against Chosenness
January 26th, 2018 | Season 0 | 34 mins 8 secs
Filmmaker Joshua Gippin discusses his antipathy to the idea that Jews are the chosen people and his journey that led him to embrace Reconstructionist Judaism, which rejects the idea of chosenness. The directory of "The Chosen People? A Film About Jewish Identity" also examines the challenge of presenting multiple perspectives on chosenness while holding such a strong personal perspective.
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#TrendingJewish 9: Welcoming the Stranger
January 5th, 2018 | Season 0 | 38 mins 27 secs
David Lubell discusses what brought him to Ecuador, how we’ve unwittingly taught our children to fear immigrants, and why he’s dedicated his professional life to making America more welcoming to immigrants.
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#TrendingJewish 8: May God Bless and Keep the Tsar
December 5th, 2017 | Season 0 | 46 mins 52 secs
Too often, people overlook the blessings of being alive. Judaism has, it seems, a blessing for every occasion. Bryan and Rachael are joined by Rabbi David Teutsch, Ph.D., and storyteller puppeteer Marilyn Price to discuss the relevance of Jewish blessings today. Teustch and Price read from their new book “From Gratitude to Blessings and Back” and put up with Bryan’s invocation of Fiddler on the Roof.
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#TrendingJewish 7: The Dogma of Jewish Time
November 28th, 2017 | Season 0 | 30 mins 56 secs
Abigail Pogrebin, a noted print and broadcast journalist, isn’t an observant Jew but spent a year observing the major and minor Jewish holidays and writing about her experiences. Abigail discusses with Bryan and Rachael about what each holiday asks of each of us, and how the Days of Awe challenge us to consider our own mortality and think about how will prioritize our lives and spend our time and energy.
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#TrendingJewish 6: The Family Secret
November 21st, 2017 | Season 0 | 37 mins 9 secs
Bryan, Rachael and guest Rabbi Jordan Gendra go medieval, medieval history that is. The Barcelona-born Gendra delves into Spanish history, including the 15th century roots to the recent standoff surrounding Catalan separatism. Bryan and the rabbi get into a friendly debate whether there are analogies between the independence movement in Barcelona and the secession of the South that led to the American Civil War. Oh, and he also charts his own journey from converso to Reconstructionist Rabbi and how that’s helped him reach Jews outside the mainstream.
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#TrendingJewish 5: The Coffee Table Book of Coffee Tables
November 14th, 2017 | Season 0 | 40 mins 22 secs
First, Cosmo Kramer made a coffee table book about coffee tables. Now, we record a podcast about a podcast. In this episode, Bryan and Rachael chat with Emily Cohen, a rabbinical student and creator of Jew Too: Tales of the Mixed Multitude. They discuss the podcast medium, the influence of Star Wars in Bryan’s moral development, and the profound role that non-Jewish families have played in Jewish lives.
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#TrendingJewish 4: Carpooling with Rabbi
November 7th, 2017 | Season 0 | 36 mins 15 secs
What happens when a rabbi and a spiritual seeker carpool to work, stick a camera on the dashboard, and invite the world to watch? You get “Carpooling with Rabbi”, a 36-part Youtube series. Rabbi Seth Goldstein and Kirsten drop by #TrendingJewish to talk about the power of talking and the challenge of driving safely while discussing weighty philosophical topics.
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#TrendingJewish 3: Wrestling God and the Healthcare System
October 31st, 2017 | Season 0 | 33 mins 23 secs
It was not easy to find faith for Jennifer Janes after years of chronic illnesses. But this spiritual hospice social worker from San Antonio has used Judaism as a guide help her help others in difficult times. How does someone raised as a nominal Christian find a Jewish path in the middle of Texas? Bryan and Rachael will find out!