The Wildescast

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Sarah Hurwitz. She's the author of "Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)." After a decade as a political speechwriter—serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaign—Sarah Hurwitz decided to apply her skills as a communicator to writing a book . . . about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is.

In this episode Rabbi Wildes interviews Liel Leibovitz. Liel Leibovitz is an Israeli-American journalist, author, media critic and video game scholar, and co-host of the wildly popular podcast Unorthodox. When he was 9 years old, he became interested in the United States after visiting relatives resident there and his interest has never died. Leibovitz was a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Spokesperson’s Unit of the Israel Defense Forces. He worked at a hardware store and then at the Israeli Consulate as a senior press officer, producing "Israel Line," a daily summary of significant news taken directly from Israeli media. He received his B.A. from Tel Aviv University and after moving to New York City where his love of America continued to bloom, he received an M.S. in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications from Columbia University. He served as culture editor of the Jewish Week and has written for The Nation, as well as for The New Republic. At Tablet magazine, Leibovitz serves as senior writer and executive producer of video and interactive media.

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with author and Signature bank founder Scott Shay. Scott Shay is a leading businessman, thought leader and author of two widely read books. Scott co-founded Signature Bank in 2001; the bank has become one of the best banks in New York for private business owners.Scott's second book, In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism, has been recognized as one of the best books of 2018 by Mosaic Authors and earned a finalist award from National Jewish Books.Scott gives talks around the country and is interviewed on TV, radio, and podcasts many times throughout the year.

In this episode Rabbi Wildes speaks with Walt Disney Studios Animator and MJE alumnus Saul Blinkoff. Saul began his career as an animator for the Walt Disney Studios working on the hit films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan. He made his directorial debut with the hip action-adventure series Spy Groove for MTV. Shortly thereafter, he re-joined DISNEY, directing the films Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo & Kronk's New Groove- starring Eartha Kitt & David Spade. Saul also consulted in development on the DISNEY films: Tinkerbell, Fox and The Hound II, Brother Bear II, Cinderella III, and Dumbo II. Saul has directed high profile commercials for clients such as Best Buy, Dunkin' Donuts, ESPN, Subway, Mercedes Benz, EA Sports & Build-A-Bear. For NETFLIX, Saul was Consulting Director on the hit show Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures and was Supervising Director on Llama Llama starring Jennifer Garner. Currently, Saul is the Supervising Producer on the DREAMWORKS hit show Madagascar: A Little Wild on HULU/PEACOCK. Saul, a proud, knowledgable and observant Jew, speaks around the world sharing practical tools for success, meaning and fulfillment in all aspects of life! He also hosts the inspirational weekly podcast; Life of AWESOME! Saul lives in Los Angeles with his wife Marion and their four children.

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with acclaimed professional matchmaker Danielle Rudoff. They talk about online dating, platonic relationships that heat up, and whether or not to go on the second date, along with a host of other topics.

D Lichtenstein is one of the most successful real estate developers in the country and a world class Torah Scholar. He is the host of “HEADLINES” - the single most popular podcast in the Orthodox Jewish community. A wonderful philanthropist and religious educator, David is CEO of The Lightstone Group which he founded in 1988. Among other things, Rabbi Mark asks David how to balance a life of professional success with Torah observance, how to manage our precious time, and what’s a Jew to do when a politician has values you can’t stand but polices you love.

In this episode Rabbi Wildes talks with acclaimed filmmaker Jeremy Garelick. Jeremy has worked with numerous actors including Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Hart. He is also an MJE alumnus.

Today's episode is a conversation about 2020 with Rabbi Mark Wildes and Rabbi Ezra Cohen. The two look back at this historic year – what they've learned, how they coped with the pandemic, and the passing of three great Jewish luminaries. And then they look ahead at what 2021 has in store.

Today's episode is conversation with Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, the Chief Rabbi of Dubai and the chaplain at New York University. On the show, Rabbi Wildes and Rabbi Sarna discuss the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, what it's like being a rabbi in a predominantly Muslim country, and how the pandemic has altered the campus outreach that Rabbi Sarna does at NYU.