The Jewish Psychedelic Podcast

Rabbi Zac speaks with psychologist, author, researcher and podcaster Dr. Hillary McBride. Zac and Hillary speak about the notion and practice of embodiment, connecting with Divinity, and working with psychedelics  as means of coming into relationships with one’s body. You can read more about Hillary's work and buy her amazing books here. Dr. Hillary McBride's Bio: Hillary McBride, PhD, is a Registered Psychologist, researcher, podcastor, and author, but underneath all of that she is a human, who loves asking questions about what it means to be human, how we heal and grow, and what it means to be a body. She publishes written works for community and academic audiences about embodiment, trauma, eating disorders, mental health and spirituality; her bestselling book The Wisdom Of Your Body was released in 2021, Practices for Embodied Living was released in early 2024, and her next book Holy Hurt: understanding and healing from spiritual trauma will be released in spring 2025. Her award winning CBC podcast Other People's Problems was mentioned in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times as essential listening, and she is on faculty with the Psychedelic Somatic Institute, and the co-developer of Katalyst Mental Health Ketamine Assisted Therapy program. What makes her feel alive is her daughter's laugh, her love for her partner and close friends, asking unanswerable questions, and spending time in or near the ocean. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, ⁠you may do so on our ⁠⁠website ⁠⁠here. Our intro and outro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

Rabbi Zac speaks with Dr. Leor Roseman, a leading interdisciplinary psychedelic researcher. Zac and Leor speak about the potential for healing through psychedelic use from many perspectives--the role of visualization, the experience of “breakthroughs,” and the importance of groups and communities in healing work. Dr. Leor Roseman's Biography: Leor Roseman is a Senior Lecturer and Psychedelic Researcher at the University of Exeter, and the chair of RIPPLES, a new non-profit for psychedelic-assisted peacebuilding. He has previously worked at the Centre for Psychedelic Research, Imperial College London, under the mentorship of Prof. Robin Carhart-Harris and Prof. David Nutt, supporting the foundational work of an emerging research field. His interdisciplinary research covers neuroscience, psychology, phenomenology, anthropology and conflict resolution, using various research methods such as fMRI, quantitative, qualitative, micro phenomenology, ethnographic, and participatory research. Currently, Leor is investigating relational processes and group dynamics in psychedelic rituals. He is interested in how psychedelics enhance connectedness, group bonding (communitas), and sociality and can serve as a social cure. Furthermore, together with Palestinian and Israeli activists and researchers, he is developing a praxis of research & action which utilizes the potential of psychedelics for peacebuilding, liberation and justice. They hope to create a participatory approach that focuses on personal and societal healing and considers action and healing intertwined. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, ⁠you may do so on our ⁠⁠website ⁠here.⁠⁠⁠ Our intro and outro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

Dr. Rachel Yehuda, expert in trauma and psychedelics, discusses Jewish trauma, ancestral healing, and the future of MDMA therapy. They explore the influence of family, PTSD treatment, intergenerational trauma in Jewish communities, and the transformative power of psychedelics. The conversation connects Passover traditions to healing, resilience, and freedom.

Lineage! Archaeology! Secret psychedelic histories! Drug policy and tikkun olam! Rabbi Zac receives the  Purim wisdom of altered states by Mitchell Gomez, executive director of DanceSafe, a nonprofit health education and harm reduction organization based in Denver, CO. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, ⁠you may do so on our ⁠website here.⁠ Our intro and outro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

Once a year, Jews are invited to expand their consciousness with the aid of a sacred psychoactive substance to dissolve the binary boundaries between human existence. What other special states of consciousness exist within the Jewish mystical tradition? How are they integrated into daily life? Are they congruous in any way with psychedelic experiences? Rabbi Zac explored these questions and more with Dr. Alan Brill, scholar of Jewish theology and spirituality. Read more about Dr. Alan Brill here and his new book. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, ⁠you may do so on our website here. Our intro and outro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

In this month’s episode of the Jewish Psychedelic Podcast, Rabbi Zac is joined by Dr. Steven Radowitz, chief medical officer of Nushama Wellness in New York. Rabbi Zac and Dr. Radowitz talk about the Jewish mystical tradition and healing, how ketamine therapy is utilized at Nushama, and the role of aesthetics in creating safe and supportive containers for a psychedelic experience. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, you may do so on our website. We are grateful. Our intro and outro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

Content Warning: This conversation will touch on topics of kidnapping, terrorism and violence including murder. In 2002, Tamara Pearl learned that her brother, Daniel, had been abducted and murdered by Al-Qaeda in Pakistan. For over twenty years, she has worked with this personal “waking nightmare” as an inquiry into the nature of evil and how individuals and communities create containers of healing to move from fragmentation to wholeness. In this conversation, Rabbi Zac will speak to Tamara about her own healing journey, as a Jewish psychedelic-assisted therapist living in a time of tragedy and confusion, what tools, skills and inner resources we can rely on when we encounter pain, betrayal, and evil in and out of psychedelic consciousness.

On this episode of the Jewish Psychedelic Podcast, Rabbi Zac speaks with riter, journalist, editor, consultant, educator, and guide to all things Jewish-Psychedelic. Madison speaks about her family and growing up with Ram Dass, her psychedelic journey to Jewish spiritual practice, and what she things are the most important happenings in Jewish psychedelic space. These stories and more can be found in her forthcoming memoir, Exile and Ecstacy, now available for pre-order. Stay connected with Madison on Instagram ⁠⁠@madisonmargolin and at her website. This podcast is offered as a free community resource by Shefa: Jewish Psychedelic Support. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, you may do so on our website. We are grateful. Our intro music is an excerpt of the song ⁠Ein Od⁠ by ⁠Yosef Goldman⁠.

On this episode of the Jewish Psychedelic Podcast, Rabbi Zac is joined by Rabbi Yosef Goldman, composer, prayer leader, educator, and singer. Yosef’s new album of Jewish music, “Abitah,” will be released on Rising Song Records on September 21st. The conversation delves into the profound connections between music and Torah, creativity as a Jewish practice for healing, and spiritual connection, celebrating the spirit of this sacred month of Elul. These programs are offered as a free community resource. If you feel moved to donate to support this work, you may do so on our website, and all gifts made through the month of Elul (August 18- September 15) will be matched dollar for dollar. Stay connected with R’ Yosef on Instagram @yosgoldor at https://yosefgoldman.bandcamp.com/album/abitah Our intro music is an excerpt of the song Ein Od by Yosef Goldman.

Throughout millennia, Jews have explored individual and communal consciousness through a variety of techniques and traditions. More recently, Jews have played an outsized role in the “psychedelic renaissance” as researchers, practitioners, and advocates, including prominent leaders. A surge of interest in these substances creates an opportunity to reflect on non-ordinary experiences in Jewish life and theology more broadly. This panel, hosted by the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School, included Sam S. B. Shonkoff, the Taube Family Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, Melila Hellner-Eshed, Professor of Jewish Mysticism in the Department of Jewish Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, as well as a senior research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and Jay Michaelson is an affiliated assistant professor at Chicago Theological Seminary and the author of nine books on Judaism and contemplative practice. Watch on Youtube here. Listen on Soundcloud here. Our intro music is an excerpt of the song Ein Od by Yosef Goldman.