The Part 2 of this previously archived talk from 2014 with Rabbi Gedaliah Gurfein from Jerusalem begins with examining Judaism's relationship to other religions.

Also explored:

• the Jewish nation as G-d's 'Stop Gap People'
• The Mission of the Jewish Nation is to bring G-d's Light into World
• Noah and Abraham
• Antisemites, those who actually loves Jews the most
• Love and Hatred as the same energy
• When Jews do not fulfill thier mission, anti-semitism rises
• Reb Zusha on his deathbed, 'why weren't you like Moses?'
• The grade school story of assembling the world
• Bashert, Destiny and the Soul with Two Faces
• God speaks Creation into existence
• Adam naming the animals
• Adam is a title for a human being
• All human beings are both male and female
• A baby as an embryo learns the entire torah in their mother's womb - and are shown the Light of Creation that streches from teh beginning of time of one end
• What is True is in our bones
• Ish and Isha male and female, Kabbalist deconstruction
• King Solomon 'he who has found good has found a wife'
• Bashert Decreed by God

Biography:

Gedaliah has been a teacher of Jewish wisdom for over 45 years. His experiences have included a range from traditional yeshivot to Pueblo Indians, Igbo Tribes, China, Netherlands, Mexico and, of course, Israel. Gedaliah has also been involved in the Israeli High-Tech industry since 1995. His classic work - free to the public - is The People's Talmud.

This two Part talk was a previously archived conversation from 2014, the second Unraveling Religion, Judaic Edition with Rabbi Gedaliah Gurfein from Jerusalem, and it surveys:

• Who is Kabbalah meant for?
• What is Torah?
• The word 'kabbalah' means 'receive'
• An examination of the influence of the Ba'al Shem Tov
• A synopsis of Jewish history pre-Ba'al Shem Tov
• There are four rviers out of the Garden of Eden, these four rivers are the way to a secret return to Eden
• These Four Rivers and the rectification of the world
• North, East, South, and West are impoverished and need the Waters of Life to infuse them
• Torah as a Schematic of Creation
• Purpose of darkness and evil
• Tree of Life and Tree of Knowledge of Good and Bad
• Adam and Eve, pre-sin Choice, itself was 'true' or 'false'
• Post-sin became good or bad (i.e., subjective)
• Snake as a messenger programmed to challenge Adam and Eve (test the mettle to resist the snake)
• Genuine speech is the rebellion agaist the ego
• What was the snakes sudection, 'I can be like G-d?' what does it mean? 'I call the shots'
• the world as it is supposed to be already exists we need time to perefct the world to understand how that is possible
• What is G-d's Kabbbalah? Not the ultimate High Worlds, but the worlds where these is no way to know God and people who are surrounded by evil people but still do acts of kindness, who choose to be kind, that is G-d's Kabbalah

Biography:

Gedaliah has been a teacher of Jewish wisdom for over 45 years. His experiences have included a range from traditional yeshivot to Pueblo Indians, Igbo Tribes, China, Netherlands, Mexico and, of course, Israel. Gedaliah has also been involved in the Israeli High-Tech industry since 1995. His classic work - free to the public - is The People's Talmud.

Pulled from the Archives of Unraveling Religion, Judaic Edition, this January 2010 conversation with Rabbi Gedaliah Gurfein of Jerusalem opens to the importance of Judaism's connection to the land of Israel.

Also discussed is the nature of a human being, being is less important than becoming.

Rabbi Gedaliah shares utilizing the time on our planet might be best served by refining ourselves into sacred vessels.

• Higher than Kabbalah is Prophecy
• In ancient Israel there were school of Prophecy
• One cannot generate Prophecy, one can only make themselves a worthy vessel to receive Prophecy
• Night as the facilitation of Faith
• Day as the facilitation of Wisdom
• Why don't we perceive G-d clearly? Is existence a Cosmic Game of hide and seek?
• G-d make us Partners in Creation
• Star of David, 'Bringing Heaven down to Earth'
• Six days of Creation, Six Directions (i.e., north, east, south, west, up, down)
• In order to move in Space, one needs Time
• The seventh type of time is Shabbas, returning to oneself, time with no direction
• All specifications of our lives are crafted by G-d to give us the the opportunity for its successful completion
• The physical and spiritual mirror one another
• Judaism's rich tradition and history of meditation
• Respecting differences in the World's Religions
• Reincarnation is not explicit taught in Torah, Talmud touches on it
• Torah is very much about the here and now
• Ba'al Shem Tov, Owner of a Good Name
• Highest thing a human being can work toward and leave behind is to be Ba'al Shem Tov, the Owner of a Good Name

Biography:

Gedaliah has been a teacher of Jewish wisdom for over 45 years. His experiences have included a range from traditional yeshivot to Pueblo Indians, Igbo Tribes, China, Netherlands, Mexico and, of course, Israel. Gedaliah has also been involved in the Israeli High-Tech industry since 1995. His classic work - free to the public - is The People's Talmud.

In this episode, Rabbi Jess explores and delves into the topic of divorce with Rabbi Ezra Weinberg, examining 'why does divorce make some people so uncomfortable?'

• divorce touches on the idea that there is nothing more painful than dashed hopes
• people think of divorce as a synonym for 'a failed marriage'
• Reb Ezra shares reframing divorce as 'marriage coming to completion'
• is there a lack of communal support in our commmunity for divorce?
• why is divorce sometimes so awkward to talk about?
• what are some appropriate responses to divorce when people are experiencing it?
• why are we afraid to address divorce when people are going through it?
• Exploring the marriage contract (i.e., Ketubah) as both a marriage document and a divorce document
• The importance of a Get

Aspects of Rabbi Ezra Weinberg's work with divorce:

• Jews Getting Divorced
• Divorce First Responders

Also explored in this conversation: 'Does the Jewish community sometimes isolate people going through divorce?'

Discussed is the consideration of divorce as a sacred moment in one's life.

What are the rituals in divorce to help with closure?

Reb Ezra shares the core message of his work: 'the central spiritual gesture of divorce is 'release.''

Biography

Reb Ezra Weinberg is a Philadelphia-based rabbi and a practitioner of conflict transformation. He is the founder of Jews Get Divroce. Among his various projects, he officiates weddings and b’nai mitzvah; teaches courses on connecting to Jewish prayer; and helps communities get unstuck around the topic of 'Israel.' He is an adjunct faculty member at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he teaches the class, 'One G-d, Three Paths,' alongside a priest and an imam. Whether he is working as a shaliakh tzibbur, a Jewish educator, a song leader or a Jewish camp professional, his role in the Jewish community and beyond always comes back to his ability to lift spirits, create community and plant seeds of transformation.

Rabbi Jess and Reverend Amanda Barker discuss the relationship of Redemption in Judaism and Christianity.

• What is Redemption?
• What is Redemption in Christianity?
• In Judaism?
• How do they overlap?
• How do they differ?
• Is redemption an active process?
• What does re​demption call us to?
• What actions?
• What obligations?
• How does one become redeemed?
• How is redemption a transformation?
• What does red​emption feel like​?
• ​Why at times do we not feel ​like redemption​ is real (in the face of the world's suffer​ing)?
• ​Is redemption figur​ative or literal​?
• What is the relationship of Jesus to redemption for christianity?
• What is the Eucharist?

Our work is not within the walls of a church or temple, but being in this broken world, because the world has not yet been transformed or redeemed, we become the actors to reset our intention and act on behalf of God to tend to the marginalized and those suffering.

​Redemption does not erase pain or death​.

Jesus' ministry was the primary healing to the marginalized, the example set that we become actors in redemption, our world becomes God work to redeem the world.

The world is upside down, our work becomes to right the inversion of the world through love and care.

Biography

Reverend Amanda Barker is the Curate at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Boulder.

A Curate is a fancy term used in The Episcopal Church, meaning she's an assistant priest and in her first call and congregation.

She grew up in the church and became a priest in 2024 after receiving her Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific.

Amanda’s background is in the nonprofit sector, where she worked for two decades with various groups on land conservation and historic preservation action in Colorado.

At the start of her career, she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar.

She now lives in Boulder with her husband and two stepchildren.

When she’s not at church, she's cooking, reading, and traveling to new places and to her favorite people, and she has become an avid backyard birdwatcher.

In this initial conversation of Rabbi Jessica hosting, Rabbi Jess and Rabbi Elihu Moshe Gevirtz explore the mystical and practical reasons, and implications of circumcision from his book 'Sacred Insignia' and the seven years of research that went into the writing, research, thought, and reflection of the book.

Aspects of the discussions include:

• why circumcision?
• addressing argument against circumcision
• the practical implications and the spiritual implication of circumcision
• circumcision as a tribal marker of Israel and Jewish community
• how to create a sacred environment for a Brit and why it is important

From a narrative about the book:

• 'What is the spiritual reason that we perform a bris / brit milah? Why do we circumcise our sons? Why on the eighth day? Isn’t this boy perfect the way he is? What do the babies want? How can we make the ceremony beautiful and sacred? How do I initiate my son into a life of the sacred?'
• 'Brit Milah (or “bris”) leads to a life of generosity and kindness to others. It is an experience of unity of one’s soul with one’s body. It is an expression of oneness with God and an open heart.'
• 'It is a counterbalance to arrogance and an embodiment of humility. In the words of the Zohar, Brit Milah is a “sacred insignia,” an embodiment of a life-long commitment to a life of holiness. It is an embodiment of spirituality within sacred sexuality shared by husband and wife.'

Biography:

Rabbi Elihu Moshe Gevirtz was ordained by a Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) consisting of his teachers Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, Rabbi Stan Levy, Rabbi Mordecai Finley, and Rabbi Stephen Robbins at the Academy for Jewish Religion – California in 2012.

His teachers include Rabbi Ronnie Serr, Rabbi Haim Ovadia, Rabbi Elijah Shochet, Reb Mimi Feigelson, Rav Dror Cassouto, Rabbi Eliyahu Weisman, Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, Dr. Joel Gereboff, Rabbi Daniel Bouskila, Rabbi J.B. Sacks, Rabbi Miriam Glazer, Rabbi Toba August, and others.

He is a botanist and wildlife biologist who studies native plants, animals, and ecosystems and works on habitat restoration and conservation in southern California. His major published scientific works include botanical and wildlife studies of several ecological reserves, state parks, and other natural areas, and several habitat restoration plans. Over the years, he has worked to establish several nature preserves in Santa Barbara County, California. He is currently studying the songs of western meadowlarks. Finally, he has recently published a collection of playful short stories for children titled “Superfluous the Dragon and Other Tall Tales.”

He lives with his family in the United States.

Rabbi Jessica Minnen is the new Host of Unraveling Religion, Judaic Edition and sat down to talk with Joel as a way of introduction.

Rabbi Jessica and Joel explore Judaism and the origin and reason for the name Unraveling Religion, Rabbi Jessica's experiences growing into Judaism and becoming a Rabbi, the influence of Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, explore Hevruta, what it is and why it is effective, as well as some upcoming topics and conversations for the coming year.

Biography

Rabbi Jessica Minnen is a writer, ritualist, and liturgist committed to the discipline of delight. Inspired by user-centered design, she consults with organizations across the country to create, deliver, and scale transformative Jewish learning. Jessica is a sought-after educator who has taught for Hillel International, Jewish Federations of North America, JCC Association of North America, Foundation for Jewish Camp, and Birthright Israel, among others. She was a part of the founding team of OneTable where she served as Rabbi in Residence from 2014-2021, and now works as a Senior Education Specialist with Momentum where she focuses on introducing women around the world to Jewish values through an immersive Israel experience, regional retreats, cohort-based learning, and a daily companion app. Originally from Paducah, Kentucky, Jessica is an alumna of Washington University in St. Louis, the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Paideia: The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden, and Baltimore Hebrew University. She is a past Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Women’s Leadership Mission and the Ruskay Institute for Professional Leadership and received rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2013. Jessica lives in Denver, Colorado and is mom to one amazing dog and one amazing human.

Rabbi Jessica Minnen and Joel sit for a deep examination of work and the different forms work takes for us as human beings.

Rabbi Jessica and Joel start with discussing Torah and the teaching of G-d's Work (i.e., Six (6) Days of Creation) and G-d's Rest, and how that relates to Shabbas:

• The conversations about the Shabbas Hebrew shoresh (i.e., root of the word) 'shin, bet, and taf' (i.e., Shabbas)
• From the teaching of Shabbas, the thirty-nine (39) forms of Melachot (i.e., work) are discussed, and Melachot is outlined as work forbidden on Shabbas.
• The definition of the thirty-nine (39) Melachot comes from the work required to create the Mishkan (i.e., Tabernacle) and that specific work defines what work is not allowed on Shabbas.

Also discussed is the relationship between work and destiny, and the spirituality of work.

An excerpt from Pema Chodron 'nothing leaves us before it teaches us what we need to know' suggests the work required in human relationships and the teaching of Reb Soloveitchik are also discussed: two stories of creation in Torah point to two ways to relate to the world and two kinds of work: physical and spiritual.

Work and its relation to authencity and authenic expression versus Quid Pro Quo are contrasted, as well as women in work from a Judaism perspective, evolution of women and work and practical consideration.

The organization 'One Table' is mentioned, helping young people access Shabbas Dinner experineces.

Plato's teaching of the Soul with Two Faces and its relation to the Jewish teaching of Bashert and Kabbalah.

Lanie Gardner as an example of authencity in work.

Tzelem Elokim (i.e., humans are created in the image of G-d) posits that because God creates, we too are meant to create.

Are we called to create in work through destiny or do we work to pay bills and solve practical problems.

Work is revealed in it own time.

Marcus Aurelius 'the obstacle is the door.'

Chappell Roan and their NPR Tiny Desk.

How to make work meaningful for all.

Seattle Grunge scene in the early 1990s an an authentic expression of music and work.

The shoresh 'aleph, lamed, and chaf' (i.e., from Melachot) ties to 'dispatching for a purpose' and the root ties to the Hebrew work for 'Messenger' and/or 'Angel'- that work offers purpose, and can give one a sense of mission that ties into intention and service.

About Rabbi Jessica Minnen

Rabbi Jessica Minnen is a writer, ritualist, and liturgist committed to the discipline of delight.

Inspired by user-...