One Spark at a Time

A compassionate advocate for underserved populations, Karen Govern serves as  CEO of STARability, an organization in Southwest Florida that supports people with disabilities by providing life-transforming opportunities that emphasize teamwork, as well as connection to the community to build awareness and respect for individual abilities.

Judith Rosenbaum is CEO of the Jewish Women's Archive, a pioneering national organization that documents Jewish women's stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change. An educator, historian, and writer, Judith is a  Fullbright recipient, with BA in History from Yale University and a PhD in American Studies from Brown University. She regularly publishes in both academic and popular journals and blogs including Tablet, The Forward, and HuffPost, as well as in several anthologies, including Gender and Jewish History, Women of Katrina, The New Jewish Canon, and The Women's Passover Companion: Women's Reflections on the Festival of Freedom.

This episode features Abby J. Leibman, President & CEO at MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. MAZON is a national organization fighting to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. Toward that end, MAZON channels support from the Jewish community to end hunger in every community — a recognition that struggle is universal, and that human connection runs deep.

Rick Hart is the Assistive Technology Instructor at Lighthouse of Collier, an organization that offers programs and services to help the blind and visually impaired become independent. Inspired in part by his own visual impairment, Rick demonstrates a true passion for assisting those with vision loss to enhance their lives through the use of technology and adaptive skills.

Rabbi Marla Feldman is the executive director of the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ). Drawing from her own experience, as well as her professional work, Rabbi Feldman discusses the issue of gender equality within the Jewish community and society. Rabbi Feldman previously served as Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism and Director of Development for the URJ.  Ordained at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Feldman is also a lawyer, having completed her JD at the University of Florida.

Rabbi Jonathan Crane discusses the ethical choices we face every day and how those choices impact the world around us. He is the Shinazi scholar of Bioethics and Jewish Thought at the Emory University Ethics Center, a professor at the Emory School of Medicine as well as a professor of religion. Ordained as a rabbi at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, the Reform Seminary, he holds a Ph.D. in religion from the University of Toronto, and a Masters in Philosophy in Gandhian Thought from Notre Dame. A frequent lecturer on Judaism, ethics, and bioethics, his books include: Eating Ethically: Religion and Science, and Judaism, Race, and Ethics: Conversations and Questions. 

Abigail Pogrebin passionately fulfills the Jewish mandate to repair the brokenness in our world through her work as a true renaissance individual. A former Emmy-nominated producer for 60 minutes, she is an accomplished journalist, noted author, writer for the Forward, podcast creator, Broadway actor, and interviewer for the Streiker Center and the Manhattan JCC. 

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster is the original #tomatorabbi creating partnerships between the Jewish community and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Now the Executive Vice President at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, she works with faith and values-based investors to catalyze their assets for social change. Previously Rachel worked at T'ruah where she was the lead strategist on human rights campaigns and organized more than 2,000 rabbis and cantors.

Drawn to marine life as a child, Dr. Greg Tolley discovered his passion at a young age. Now the Executive Director of the Water School at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), he is an expert in the field of marine science and water conservation. Dr. Tolley shares his passion for protecting our most valuable natural resource and what we can do as individuals to help these efforts. 

Eric Ward shares the inspirational story of his efforts to address White Nationalism. An outspoken advocate against hate, Ward embedded himself within the White Nationalist movement in the Pacific Northwest, risking his very life as a man of color. That experience provides remarkable insights into the links between White Nationalism and anti-Semitism, as well as what we can do to address racial injustice in our country.  Recorded in Fall 2020.

Named one of the 50 most influential Jews and Rabbis, Rav Shmuly stands out as an Orthodox rabbi bent on pursuing tikkun olam and a more just world. Passionately advocating for the rights of children, racial justice, interfaith dialogue and better treatment of animals, Shmuly's infectious energy will inspire you to take the step toward creating the change you want to see in the world.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, is an international authority on issues related to digital hate and the Internet. Rabbi Cooper recently received national attention for his interaction with Nick Cannon over anti-Semitic statements made by the entertainer. Rabbi Cooper oversees the Wiesenthal Center's international social action agenda that includes addressing worldwide antisemitism and extremist groups, Nazi crimes, the struggle to thwart the anti-Israel Divestment campaign, and the promotion of tolerance education. 

Jessica Stanfield advocates for children in the dependency court system and provides critical resources for them to maintain normalcy in their lives. She serves as the Executive Director of the GAL Foundation of the 20th Circuit. Hear the heartbreaking stories of a child receiving a bed where it is safe to once again dream at night, and another having his first-ever birthday party at age 8! Their work supports the Guardian Ad Litem program in SWFL, and makes the lives of those children a little brighter.

Rabbi Joel Mosbacher aims to repair our broken world through the tools of community organizing. Hear his tragic story of personal loss to gun violence, and how that narrative empowered him to work with others to reduce gun violence through the Do Not Stand Idly By Campaign (named for the commandment in Torah that one should not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor). Senior rabbi at Shaaray Tefila in New York City, Rabbi Mosbacher received the T'Ruah Hero Award in 2016. 

Maya Weinstein shares her powerful personal story and talks about her local, as well as national, advocacy work in the areas of sexual and domestic violence. A former Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C., Maya recently received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and will be clerking for Justice Mark Davis of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Meet Evan Traylor - a first-year Rabbinical student at HUC-JIR and former national president of NFTY. Evan shares his experience as a Jew of Color growing up in the Bible Belt, reflects on current issues of racial justice, and gives insight into how one can engage in civil discourse in a time of polarization.

Inspired by his own personal experiences, Rev. Taylor leads a ministry focused on justice and equality. A strong advocate for LGBT issues and active in Planned Parenthood, Rev. Taylor repairs the brokenness in our world through his passionate work.

Inspired by challenging circumstances from his youth, Rabbi Jonah Pesner passionately pursues justice for all. Named one of Newsweek's most influential rabbis, Rabbi Pesner is the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Using the power of relationships, he finds ways to organize others and transform the world. 

What do you do when a community full of seniors has no services geared for them? You act! Dr. Jackie Faffer transformed a small committee into the dynamic Naples Senior Center at JFCS - with 1400 members, a popular lunch program, classes, a food pantry, and multiple dementia respite groups. Learn what inspired her to help others, and how the sky is the limit for this organization as they moved into their next phase and a new facility.  

Inspired to seek fairness and equality, Rabbi Seth Limmer shares the passion behind his pursuit of justice. Senior rabbi at Chicago Sinai Congregation, Rabbi Limmer talks about the importance of relationships in the work of repairing our broken world. He received national recognition for his role in organizing the Jewish community's participation in the 2015 NAACP Journey for Justice. 

Linda Oberhaus has spent 30 years in the field of social services, serving since 2007 as the CEO at the Naples Shelter for Abused Women and Children. Providing 25,000 nights of temporary housing, and answering more than 1500 hotline calls this year, The Shelter has enabled thousands of individuals to safely escape abusive relationships. Discover what motivates Linda's work to repair the world, as well the efforts by The Shelter to address domestic violence and human trafficking in Southwest Florida.

Rabbi Adam Miller engages with Steve Popper, CEO and Founder of Meals of Hope. Embracing its mission to empower communities to end hunger, Meals of Hope has packed more than 65,000,000 over the last 13 years! Now providing food pantries and other needed materials, Meals of Hope continues to inspire. Learn how Steve came to be someone who changes our world one spark at a time...