Matan: One on One Parsha Podcast

"As the reward for the righteous women who lived in that generation the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt." In this conversation with psychologist and educator Dr. Michelle Sarna, we speak about the gifts and challenges of raising children on a liberal urban college campus, about women's leadership possibilities, and Jewish communal leadership abroad. This episode is another installment in the 'Eshet Chayil: Awesome Jewish Women' series. The first was a conversation with Sari Kopitnikoff (episode 134). Dr. Michelle Sarna is a licensed psychologist, in private practice and currently serves as a psychologist at SAR Academy and Camp Stone. Michelle co-founded and co-directs the Orthodox Leadership Project and has been living in the NYU vicinity for over 20 years where her husband Yehuda serves as Executive Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life and as the campus Rabbi.

Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg, a lecturer at Bar Ilan's Midrasha and head of the Torah Shabal Pet Department at Ephrata College, dives into Nechama Leibowitz's transformative impact on Torah education. She highlights Leibowitz's unique approach to textual analysis and her ability to blend literary criticism with traditional teachings. The conversation also delves into the educational insights gleaned from the Israelites' enslavement, emphasizing personal growth and the essential role of educators in understanding sacred texts.

In this two-pronged conversation with the 18Forty Podcast host David Bashevkin and R. Yitzchak Blau, we explore the world shifts that deeply impacted Jewish life and thought in the 19th and 20th centuries. This episode opens our series on Shemot which focuses on 19th-20th century Jewish thinkers and their perspectives on the parsha.

In this conversation with Dr. Nechama Price, we discuss the moving ways in which the closing parsha of Bereshit concludes a series of plot elements left open throughout the book. This concludes our series on Bereshit focused on choseness and choices. Chazak, Chazak, V'nitchazek! Stay tuned for our conversation on Shemot!

In this conversation with Chaya Bina-Katz, CEO of Matan, and Rabbanit Oshra Koren, Rosh Beit Midrash of Matan HaSharon, Devorah Levine Katz speaks with them about their connection to Matan, their dreams for the future and Matan's active involvement in war efforts on the homefront.

This conversation with Adina Blaustein explores the climactic interaction between Yosef and Yehuda that opens this week's parsha, as well as the Haftora reading's commentary on their relationship. This episode has been sponsored in honor of Bobby Winter's birthday by her family. This episode is part of Matan’s Bereshit series titled Choseness and Choices. The book of Bereshit is propelled forward by God’s chosen representatives: Adam, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, but these messengers impact the world because of the choices they make. It is the nexus between being chosen and the human choices that actualize the divine will in the world that is explored in this series.

In this fascinating conversation with Dr. Malka Simkovich, we analyze the figure of Yosef and his complex personality through the lens of the biblical story and Second Temple literature. This episode is part of Matan's Bereshit series titled Choseness and Choices. The book of Bereshit is propelled forward by God’s chosen representatives: Adam, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, but these messengers impact the world because of the choices they make. It is the nexus between being chosen and the human choices that actualize the divine will in the world that is explored in this series.

In this episode with Dr. Tanya White, we add another installment to our 2021 series on suffering in Jewish sources (episodes 28-31), with a conversation about the horrors of Oct. 7th through a theological and source-based lens.

In this insightful conversation with Dr. Lisa Fredman, we discuss the different leadership styles of Reuven and Yehuda and the reasons why Yehuda, while not the firstborn, becomes a prominent leader despite difficult beginnings. This week’s episode has been dedicated in memory of Basha and Leible Guttman by their daughter Sarah Waldman. This Bereshit series is titled Choseness and Choices. The book of Bereshit is propelled forward by God’s chosen representatives: Adam, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, but these messengers impact the world because of the choices they make. It is the nexus between being chosen and the human choices that actualize the divine will in the world that is explored in this series.

This conversation with Rabbanit Sally Mayer explores Yaakov's adult life, uncovering the subtle ways the Torah frames his evolution and shift from a young man on the run to a mature patriarch determined to do things differently. This Bereshit series is titled Choseness and Choices. The book of Bereshit is propelled forward by God’s chosen representatives: Adam, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, but these messengers impact the world because of the choices they make. It is the nexus between being chosen and the human choices that actualize the divine will in the world that is explored in this series.