Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D.

Episode 18: Fitness

October 16th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  24 mins 32 secs

What's the connection between marathon training and prayer? Can CrossFit shed light on building meaningful communities? We speak with Rabbi Jason Bonder about the intersection between fitness and spirituality.

Episode 17: The High Holiday Season

September 6th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  30 mins 16 secs

The holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur drive us to make sense of what's truly important, and sustain us as we strive to recapture those ideals. In this conversation recorded days before Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi David Teutsch and Rabbi Deborah Waxman share the meaning they find in deep themes of the High Holiday season, and reflect on their own evolving relationship with those ideas.

Episode 16: Multifaith Encounters

July 9th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  28 mins 35 secs

Multifaith dialogue has the power not just to build bridges of understanding, but to foster personal spiritual growth and transformation. We speak with Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer and Professor Sa'ed Atshan, a Palestinian Quaker Christian, about their experiences in multifaith work.

Episode 15: Singing Together

June 4th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 31 secs

Singing together can be a profound and powerful experience. We speak with Rabbi Jeffrey Summit, an ethnomusicologist and a research professor at the music department at Tufts, about the role that music plays both in animating Jewish life and in helping us to cultivate resilience.

Episode 14: Midrash

May 14th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 18 secs

In this episode, Rabbi Mira Wasserman and I discuss Midrash, the way ancient rabbis read scripture in new and creative ways, giving old words new life, meaning and relevance.

Episode 13: Hebrew Poetry

May 7th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  29 mins 10 secs

In this episode, I speak with Rabbi Jeremy Schwartz about modern Hebrew poetry, a recent expression of Jewish text. We talk about how modern Hebrew poets take apart traditional language and ideas and create something new from ancient building blocks.

Episode 12: Embodied Prayer

April 24th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  26 mins 26 secs

For Rabbi Jonathan Kligler, prayer is a whole-body experience, helping us reboot our awareness of how good it is to be alive even -- or especially -- in a troubled world. Join us for his deep conversation with Rabbi Deborah Waxman on this episode of Hashivenu.

Episode 11: Yom HaShoah

April 10th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  44 mins 44 secs

In this special extended episode for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), we hear from Rabbi Phillip Lazowski, who survived the Holocaust as a child. He shares experiences that shaped his vision and sense of purpose: amidst horror and loss, episodes of hope and humanity.

Episode 10: "You Were Strangers in Egypt": Passover and Sanctuary

March 19th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 30 secs

On Passover, we retell our history as strangers and slaves in Egypt. What obligations flow from this memory? We speak with Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, whose congregation recently decided to serve as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. Join us as we discuss the Jewish values that moved his community to action.

Episode 9: Purim and #metoo

February 26th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  23 mins 12 secs

The Book of Esther contains striking examples of women speaking out against oppression in ways that both empower and imperil them. Are there parallels to the #metoo movement? Join Judith Rosenbaum, Executive Director of the Jewish Women’s Archive, in a wide-ranging discussion with Rabbi Deborah Waxman on resilient responses to trying times.

Episode 8: Hineni — Being Present

February 13th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  22 mins 27 secs

How do we pull ourselves together when we feel scattered or unfocused? In this episode of Hashivenu, Rabbi Myriam Klotz and Rabbi Deborah Waxman invite us into the spiritual practice of "hineni" -- being present and responsive.

A Special Announcement

January 30th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  2 mins 16 secs

This is Rabbi Deborah Waxman. Thanks so much for listening to our podcast, “Hashivenu: Jewish teachings on resilience.” Our next regular episode is on its way in February. But I wanted to take a moment to let you know about our organization’s new name: Reconstructing Judaism.

Episode 7: Ecology

January 22nd, 2018  |  Season 1  |  24 mins

In a wide-ranging conversation about ecology, Tu B'Shvat and shmittah (sabbatical year) Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb and Rabbi Deborah Waxman explore the ways in which Jewish tradition and ecological consciousness provide compelling models for resilience and sustainability.

Episode 6: Mindfulness

January 7th, 2018  |  Season 1  |  25 mins 37 secs

In challenging times, we often search for firm ground to stand on. In this interview with Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, Rabbi Deborah Waxman explores mindfulness as a path that can anchor us, nourish our Jewish lives, and sustain us as we strive to fulfill our Jewish values.

Episode 5: Activism

December 5th, 2017  |  Season 1  |  27 mins 40 secs

The story of Hanukkah invites us to kindle lights in the darkness, and to overcome despair with hope and action. In this spirit, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum reflects on the extraordinary work of her community, and how it embodies the fundamental connection between spiritual life and social activism.

Episode 4: Chanting

November 7th, 2017  |  Season 1  |  26 mins 54 secs

chanting

According to Rabbi Shefa Gold, “Chant is the bridge between the inner life and the outer expression; between the solitary practice and the shared beauty of fellowship.” She has set verses from Jewish liturgy and from the Hebrew Bible to chants that are both beautiful and meditative. This episode explores how the ancient practice of chanting can cultivate renewal while bringing traditional liturgy to life.