Judaism Unbound

In this Hanukkah mini-series, the podcast discusses the Apocrypha, both ancient and modern. They explore the significance of the Tanya in Khabad Judaism, reflect on the importance of newer texts in reflecting Judaism in a modern context, and delve into the concept of canon in Judaism. They emphasize the power of individuals to shape the Jewish canon and discuss the evolving experiences of Judaism.

In this 3rd of a four-episode Hanukkah mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized...Have you ever thought “Dang, there aren’t enough demons in Jewish text. Especially demons with a hobby of killing potential husbands on their wedding nights.” No? That probably reflects well on you. But if, after hearing that question, you’re intrigued…wowee is the book of Tobit going to be exciting for you! Also, this book contains angels disguised as humans and fish guts, if you need any other strange selling points.You can sign up for Apocry-Fest by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest. Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal (ApocryFUN!) stuff, during Hanukkah, to help enrich your experience of this holiday!  If you can't get enough, and you want to listen in to the five episodes that formed our inaugural edition of Apocry-Fest in 2022, click here.

David Zvi Kalman, owner of the independent publishing house Print-O-Craft Press, is a scholar, writer, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of technology, religion, and art. Kalman joins Lex Rofeberg and Dan Libenson for a conversation about the present and future relationships between Judaism and artificial intelligence (AI). This episode is the sixth in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. We are thrilled to be in the midst of our Judaism Refueled campaign! If Judaism Unbound's work has been meaningful for you, we are hoping that you'll help to refuel the Judaism Unbound lamp by seeding our financial aid fund to lower barriers for those interested in unbounded Jewish education. Gifts of all sizes make a difference and enter you to win various prizes! Click here to support our work.

In this 2nd of a four-episode Hanukkah mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized, Lex and Liana want you to know that the book of Esther isn’t (just) what you think it is. It’s even BIGGER! And it’s in GREEK, not just Hebrew. Lex and Liana dive into expansions of the book of Esther — expansions that came along long after the original book was written — and they explore what those editorial choices (and additions) have to teach us.You can sign up for Apocry-Fest by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest. Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal (ApocryFUN!) stuff, during Hanukkah, to help enrich your experience of this holiday!  If you can't get enough, and you want to listen in to the five episodes that formed our inaugural edition of Apocry-Fest in 2022, click here.

In this 1st of a four-episode Hanukkah mini-series, Apocry-Fest: Hanukkah Unbound & Un-Canonized, Lex Rofeberg and Liana Wertman (from Judaism Unbound and The Torah Studio, respectively) open up the second annual edition of Apocry-Fest: the greatest Hanukkah initiative this side of the Mississippi. And Lex and Liana are located on different sides of the Mississippi River, so that actually encompasses everywhere! Dive into questions of canon which are ancient, modern, and future-facing. You can sign up for Apocry-Fest by heading to www.JudaismUnbound.com/apocryfest. Do so, and we’ll send you all sorts of cool Apocryphal (ApocryFUN!) stuff, during Hanukkah, to help enrich your experience of this holiday!  If you can't get enough, and you want to listen in to the five episodes that formed our inaugural edition of Apocry-Fest in 2022, click here.

Brett Lockspeiser, product designer, mosaic artist, co-founder of Sefaria, and now the co-founder of Spiritual Hardware Labs, joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the intersection between accessible technology and meaningful ritual. This episode is the fifth in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. And if you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

Miriam Anzovin is a visual artist, writer, content creator, and massive Jewish nerd, exploring the juxtaposition of pop culture, nerd culture, and Jewish culture. Through her #DafReactions, an ongoing video series where she shares her reactions to the daily Talmud page on TikTok, she has become one of the world's best-known commentators on the Talmud -- though despite that, she hesitates to call herself a "teacher" of Talmud. She joins Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about #DafReactions, its burgeoning community of followers worldwide, and what it all means for the future of Judaism. This episode is the fourth in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. UnYeshiva mini-courses start in just a few days, as this episode is released! Check out your options for 3-week experiences of Jewish learning, being offered right now, via this link.

Olivia Devorah Tucker is a demonologist, Talmud educator, and artist teaching a course called Developing a Demon: Ashmodai Through the Ages in the UnYeshiva this fall. They join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about the world of Jewish demons and its radical, imaginative potential. This episode is the third in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. And if you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!

Jonathan Branfman, the Eli Reinhard Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies at Stanford University, researches and teaches about Jewish identity in U.S. popular culture -- focusing on the way that Jewish stars perform race, gender, and sexuality. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation about his upcoming mini-course in the UnYeshiva, Rude, Lewd, and Fabulous: 21st-Century Jewish Feminist Comedy, from Haddish to Glazer to Bloom. What is this course about, why is it just as important as classes about ancient Jewish texts, why is it being taught in an organization with "Yeshiva" in its title, and why you should register right now?? All of these questions are answered in this bonus episode.To sign up for Rude, Lewd, and Fabulous: 21st-Century Jewish Feminist Comedy, from Haddish to Glazer to Bloom, click here. To see our other courses in the UnYeshiva being offered right now, click here. ----------------------------------------------Note: We, and I'm sure all of you listening, are holding feelings of anger, and frustration, and sadness, as we pray for peace in Israel and Gaza -- and for the healing of our world. We release this episode while holding pain in our hearts, and if now is not the time to listen to something that will feel separated from the tragedy of our moment right now -- just save this episode for a later date. You can come back to it. If now would be precisely the moment to take a second and consider the future of our Jewish community, in a conversation that does not tie directly to Israel-Palestine, we invite you to listen in.

Rena Singer and Samantha Frank are the masterminds behind the viral Jewish Instagram account, Modern Ritual. When they aren’t crafting innovative Jewish social media content, Singer serves as a rabbi at Temple Sholom of Chicago, and Frank works at Sanctuary, the 92nd Y, and is a Rabbinic Fellow and DC’s Temple Micah. In this episode, they join Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg for a conversation about Jewish engagement, accessibility, and fun in the digital age. This episode is the second in an ongoing series of Judaism Unbound episodes exploring digital Judaism.Registration for the UnYeshiva’s new winter mini-courses is now open! We’ve got witches, demons, angry mystical gods, magic, feminist comedy, and more. Visit JudaismUnbound.com/classes for more information and to register!Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. And if you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation. Support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!