

The Wildescast
Manhattan Jewish Experience
Jewish education and inspiration courtesy of Rabbi Mark N. Wildes, Founder of the Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE). Founded in 1998, MJE is a warm and open community where millennial men and women in their 20s/30s can explore Jewish life and meet new people.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 9, 2023 • 12min
Walk the Walk: How To Keep Our Kids Jewish and Stop Intermarriage
How can we make sure our kids stay Jewish and uphold the values we have worked so hard to instill in them?
Hint: it's not just about talking the talk, but walking the walk. Rabbi Wildes delves into the text of the Torah, revealing the power of leading by example and how displaying your love for the Torah and its Mitzvot can make all the difference. Get ready to take action and inspire the next generation to stay true to their roots.

May 1, 2023 • 11min
How To Truly Love Your Neighbor As Yourself
"Veahavta lereacha kamocha" - Loving your neighbor as yourself is considered the fundamental golden rule of Torah. But is it really possible to do such a thing? Rabbi Wildes provides a practical solution to fulfill this mitzvah based on the wisdom of our greatest Sages.

Apr 26, 2023 • 59min
How Israel Will Redeem the World | Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel
Rabbi Wildes celebrates Yom Haatzmaut (Israel's 75th birthday) by sitting down with the fascinating Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel who is a teacher, a farmer, and a pioneering entrepreneur. He is also a retired decorated IDF soldier, an author, a musician, and one of Israel's premiere Jewish media personalities.
He is the founder of the Land of Israel Network, with millions of views and downloads from over 120 countries, broadcasting Torah and sharing the beauty of Israel with the world.
Rabbi Gimpel, along with his wife Tehila and their six children, founded the Arugot Farm and Educational Center at the edge of a Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria. It has become a global destination for people looking to experience the breathtaking beauty of the Judean Mountains and encounter a living example of Ahavat Eretz Yisrael and Torat Yisrael.
They discuss how the building of his farm in Judea and Samaria and interacting with his Arab neighbors inform his view on how Israel and the Palestinians can achieve peace, the current instability in Israel regarding judicial reform, how he'd stop the cycle of brainwashing that the Palestinian leadership perpetuates on their youth, the Biden administration's policy towards Israel, Israel's role to play in bringing the final redemption, and more.
Timestamps:
2:00 - Building A Farm in Judea & Samaria
10:30 - Achieving World Peace
15:49 - Can A Two-State Solution Work?
24:17 - Deprogramming Palestinian Hatred
33:30 - Judicial Reform Protests
46:20 - Birthright
48:48 - Israel = Beginning of Mashiach
50:15 - Connecting to Israel in Exile

Apr 25, 2023 • 12min
Israel: 75 Years of Choosing Life | Yom Haatzmaut 2023
Rabbi Wildes celebrates Israel's 75th birthday by focusing on Judaism's focus on life in this world as opposed to what happens in the next world and displays how the modern State of Israel has incorporated the Torah's message of living in the here and now.
Join MJE for Yom Haatzmaut as we commemorate fallen IDF soldiers for Yom Hazikaron with an inspirational program and musical prayers. Then celebrate Israel's independence (Yom Haatzmaut) with MJE's Shuk Party! Falafel and hummus bar, Israeli snacks and candies, photobooth, Israeli wine bar, Israel beer and more!!
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mje-yom-haatzmaut-israel-independence-program-celebrate-75-years-tickets-592619349427

Apr 18, 2023 • 1h 14min
Holocaust Survivor Manny Korman - Yom Hashoah Event at MJE
Rabbi Wildes interviews Holocaust survivor Manny Korman at MJE in front of a packed audience to commemorate Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day). The event concluded with some inspiring words from Israel's Minister of Aliyah and Integration and member of the Knesset Ofir Sofer and a stirring rendition of The Hatikvah.
Manny Korman was born on December 21, 1931 in Hamburg Germany. Shortly before his 7th birthday, he and his family were taken from their home by the Nazis, and expelled into Poland where he and his older brother Gerd were eventually separated from their parents. After an incredible series of events (which you will hear in this episode) Manny and his brother found his way to England right as WW2 broke out in 1939. The brothers eventually found their way to Brooklyn, NY. Manny attended Queens College and started an illustrious career in education including being the principal of Adrien Block Junior High School in Flushing, NY. He currently mentors principals around the city in developing their own careers.
Timestamps:
Intro (0:00)
Manny Korman's Story of Survival (7:30)
Knesset Member Ofir Sofer and Hatikvah (1:06:00)
Join us next week Tuesday April 25th at 7PM as we commemorate fallen IDF soldiers for Yom Hazikaron with an inspirational program and musical prayers. Then celebrate Israel's 75th year of independence (Yom Haatzmaut) with MJE's Shuk Party! Falafel and hummus bar, Israeli snacks and candies, photobooth, Israeli wine bar, Israel beer and more!!
RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mje-yom-haatzmaut-israel-independence-program-celebrate-75-years-tickets-592619349427
If you would like to come to Israel with us this Summer for the trip of a lifetime, visit https://www.jewishexperience.org/israel

Mar 28, 2023 • 13min
The Sacrifice of Humility
As we continue through the book of Vayikra which focuses on animal sacrifices to Hashem, Rabbi Wildes reveals the fascinating connection between these sacrifices and the virtuous quality of humility emulated by Moshe.

Mar 26, 2023 • 1h 8min
The Generation of Seekers with Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld
Rabbi Joey Rosenfeld is world-renowned for his incredible podcasts which intersect contemporary issues of trauma, anxiety, and addiction with the ancient texts of Torah, Kabbalah, and Chassidut. Rabbi Wildes speaks with Rabbi Rosenfeld about how those who enjoy yoga and meditation can find those experiences within the Jewish tradition, reframing the traumas in our lives as opportunities for elevation, the greater picture behind the postmodern moment of relativity and the denial of objective truth, what makes this generation's relationship with God different from previous generations, and more.
Timestamps:
1:20 - Meditation
5:00 - Breath & Mindfulness
16:00 Is Positivity a Choice?
23:00 Accepting God as King
34:00 Trauma
48:00 Postmodernism
58:00 Finding the Light in the Darkness

Mar 24, 2023 • 12min
The 4 Sons Of The Modern Age | Full Speech at 24th Annual MJE Dinner
It is our responsibility to answer those who don’t have the knowledge or interest to ask about their Judaism, but miraculously are. At our 24th Annual Dinner I was honored to address close to 350 people who take our mission of reconnecting our Jewish brothers and sisters seriously. Thank you to all who came and donated. It was a magical night that will, please God, usher in many more spiritual moments of connection to our spiritual heritage. Shabbat Shalom!
Click here if you'd like to donate to MJE and contribute to the reconnection of our unaffiliated brothers and sisters to their heritage: https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1391059

Mar 13, 2023 • 12min
Being Spiritual vs. Being Religious
"I'm spiritual but not religious." You hear this statement more and more these days but is there any validity to it? Take a journey with Rabbi Wildes through the mountains of India to an Allman Brothers concert in New York City and find out.
We are hosting our 24th Annual Dinner on March 21st where we raise the majority of our donations, so please consider attending here (https://www.wizevents.com/mjedinner2023/?id=7683) or donating at www.jewishexperience.org to help us continue our holy work.

Mar 8, 2023 • 1h 17min
The State of Jewish Outreach: Rabbi Wildes on Judaism Demystified
Rabbi Mark Wildes joins the Judaism Demystified podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of Jewish outreach. Rabbi Wildes shares his journey in Kiruv and delves into the reasons behind the lack of engagement of many Jews with Judaism. Is there a place for both a rationalist and mystical approach to outreach? Is blind faith a Jewish idea? What are the difficulties faced by the post-Kiruv Baal Teshuvah who eventually loses his/her initial inspiration?
Our 24th Annual Dinner is on March 21st where we raise the majority of our donations for the year. Buy tickets here (https://www.wizevents.com/mjedinner2023/?id=7683) or if you cannot make it, please consider donating so we can continue this holy work. (https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/1391059)
You can subscribe to the Judaism Demystified podcast here: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/judaism-demystified-a-guide-for-todays-perplexed/id1572203778)


