Judaism Unbound

Dubbs Weinblatt, an educator and facilitator whose work focuses on LGBTQIA+ inclusion and belonging, joins Lex Rofeberg and Rena Yehuda Newman for a conversation about the empowerment of Transgender people -- in Jewish spaces and in society more generally. This episode is the second in an ongoing Judaism Unbound mini-series exploring the intersection of Judaism and bodily autonomy.

Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. 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!

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Apply for the UnYeshiva's Certificate Program for Unbound Judaism by heading to www.judaismunbound.com/certificate! The deadline is June 7th.

We are exhausted…not because we lack discipline but because we’ve lost our relationship to time.

Rest to Return is a seven-episode podcast for a restless world.

Kohenet Keshira haLev Fife is your host.

This series is rooted in Shabbat - an ancient Jewish practice that teaches us how to belong to time. Here, rest is not a reward for finishing our work, but a sacred rhythm woven into who we are.

Each episode gathers around questions we’ve been taught not to ask:

What is work, really?

Who decides when it’s time to stop?

Why does rest feel like a transgression?

What makes time sacred?

And who might we become if we actually honored it?

Rest to Return is not a productivity hack. Rest to Return is an invitation to slow down, to remember ourselves, and to reclaim time as a place of belonging.

The first episode drops June 10.

Join us for the journey and check out the live music video of the theme music written by Keshira.

Welcome to Shabbat Unbound, the world's longest Friday night Sabbath service, stretching over eight episodes. Instead of rushing through all the Friday night Shabbat prayers in one sitting, like we might in a classical synagogue environment, we're taking our time diving deep into one prayer each episode through song study and sacred conversation. It's the most original and traditional way to engage in the transition into Shabbat, taking each prayer as its own world with its own Torah to teach us. Miriam Terlinchamp, Lex Rofeberg and an incredible group of musicians invite you to discover what happens when Shabbat slows down. The first episode focuses on Yedid Nefesh.

[1] Check out the music video for Yedid Nefesh here.

[2] All the music for the Shabbat Unbound podcast was recorded live at The Monastery Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio under the direction of Ric Hordinski.  

[3] Lex made AMAZING resources to accompany each episode of Shabbat Unbound, check out this page for further learning. 

[4] Molly Baigot, composer of this version of Yedid Nefesh, is a queer Jewish musician, educator, and activist living on Nipmuc & Pocumtuc land in Easthampton, MA. You can find out more about her on her website: mollybajgot.com

[5] Reb’ Zalman’s translation of Yedid Nefesh can be found here

[6] Check out this gorgeous article on the power of vulnerability through the lens of love, by Karen Erlichman.

[7] The melody Healer of the Broken-Hearted for the prayer for healing comes from Shir Meira Feit. Learn more about their work at ShirMeira.com.

Shavuot! Is! Coming!

As this episode is released, the festival of Shavuot is less than a week away. And with it, ShavuotLIVE: Judaism Unbound's 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning, approaches as well (begins Friday, May 22nd at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT)! Lex Rofeberg, Rena Yehuda Newman, and Miriam Terlinchamp dive into the wild twists and turns that have characterized Shavuot's journey from the Torah to the present-day. They explore how ShavuotLIVE serves as a continuation of Shavuot's past iterations, while also bringing some new energy to the festival as well. Also...they talk about Jewish time-travel!

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ShavuotLIVE will take place from Friday, May 22nd at 6 pm ET (3 pm PT) through Saturday, May 23rd at 6 pm ET (3 pm PT). Click here to register. It's free to attend!

Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. 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!

 Starting May 22nd, we're launching a new monthly series called Shabbat Unbound, an experiment in slowing Jewish prayer down. Once a month, in place of our regular interview on Friday, we'll release Shabbat Unbound here on the Judaism Unbound feed. Each episode of Shabbat Unbound focuses on one prayer through song, study, and story. Before the first episode drops on May 22nd, we wanted to share our trailer for the series with you now.

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ShavuotLIVE, Judaism Unbound's BIGGEST event of the year, is coming up! This 24-hour extravaganza of Jewish learning and unlearning will take place on Friday, May 22nd through Saturday, May 23rd. Click here to register!

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!