Search for Meaning with Rabbi Yoshi

In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with David Suissa—Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Tribe Media and the Jewish Journal—to explore the deep currents shaping Jewish life today. A passionate voice in Jewish media since 2006 and a former award-winning advertising executive, David brings his characteristic insight, warmth, and eloquence to a discussion that touches on some of the most important themes of our time.Together, they reflect on the importance of sharing our culture, the transformative magic of Shabbat, and the delicate yet urgent challenge of balancing our values. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and the recent tragic murder of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky outside the Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., David and Rabbi Yoshi consider what it means to protect ourselves while staying rooted in Jewish connection—to our heritage, our people, and our allies.From Casablanca to Montreal to Los Angeles, David's journey reflects a lifetime devoted to the Jewish story. This episode is a heartfelt invitation to reflect on what it means to live with courage, purpose, and hope.Listen now and read more at jewishjournal.com#SearchForMeaning #RabbiYoshi #DavidSuissa #JewishJournal #ShabbatMagic #JewishCommunity #JewishVoices #FaithAndCourage #AntisemitismAwareness #JewishIdentity #ShabbatShalom #JewishHeritage #ConnectionAndProtection #SpiritualResilience #JewishPodcast #JewishWisdom

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Yuval David, an Emmy Award and multiple award-winning actor, filmmaker, journalist, and activist. Yuval is known for his innovative and acclaimed series One Actor Short and other original content, ABC's What Would You Do, FX's Feud, and numerous television and film roles. He regularly appears as a news commentator on Fox, NewsNation, NBC, i24, ILTV, Sky News, and other outlets.  Yuval takes also his bold advocacy work across the US, Israel, and internationally, as a speaker, workshop leader, and in meetings with politicians and community groups.Together, they explore what it means to "come out of the closet" — not once, but twice: first as a gay man, and then, more recently, as a proud Zionist in increasingly complex times.Yuval shares his journey of embracing his authentic self, navigating a world that often demands silence or conformity. He speaks candidly about the challenges and triumphs of living openly, and the new layers of meaning he's discovered in affirming both his sexual identity and his deep connection to Israel.This conversation is a meditation on resilience, self-definition, and how we find meaning when the world around us feels divided. It is an invitation to consider the power of vulnerability, the importance of solidarity, and the courage it takes to stand in one's truth — especially when it's uncomfortable.Learn more about Yuval and his work at yuvaldavid.com instagram.com/yuval_david_ x.com/yuvaldavid  Youtube.com/YuvalDavid 

In this timely episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Rabbi David Gedzelman, President and CEO of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life.Together, Rabbi Yoshi and Rabbi Gedzelman explore the powerful intersections of Jewish identity, education, culture, and the critical role that visionary leadership plays in shaping the future of Jewish communities both in the United States and globally. They also discuss the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections, a once-every-five-years opportunity for American Jews to have a direct voice in the future of Israel and global Jewish priorities.Time is of the essence: Voting in the WZO elections closes on May 4th, and your vote matters more than ever. Rabbi Yoshi is running on the Reform Movement slate, advocating for a vision of Israel that is pluralistic, democratic, and inclusive.Make your voice heard — Vote now at VoteForReform.org!

Episode Title: Adam Mansbach – The Golem of BrooklynIn this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes Adam Mansbach, best-selling author and cultural provocateur, for a conversation about his latest novel, The Golem of Brooklyn — a darkly comic and fiercely relevant tale that reimagines the legendary Golem in the heart of contemporary America.Known for his sharp wit and literary range, Mansbach delves into the origin of the book, the role of folklore in shaping identity, and how humor can be both a shield and a sword in the face of rising antisemitism. Together, he and Rabbi Yoshi explore the intersections of memory, justice, grief, and myth, while reflecting on how stories help us navigate the complexities of modern Jewish life.The Golem of Brooklyn is more than a novel — it's a bold statement about who we are, what we fear, and how we fight back. Don't miss this powerful and thought-provoking conversation.http://www.adammansbach.com/NOTE: This episode includes explicit language.

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback speaks with "Noa" and "Omri" (not their real names), two soldiers from the Sky Rider Unit, an elite unit of the IDF known for its precision and critical role in intelligence gathering.They share their experiences since October 7, offering a rare, firsthand perspective on the challenges they've faced and the moral complexities of modern warfare. Noa and Omri speak candidly about the Sky Riders' commitment to preventing civilian casualties, the weight of responsibility they carry, and the personal toll of their service.In a heartfelt tribute, they also share memories of fallen comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring their bravery and reflecting on the enduring impact of their loss.Learn how the Sky Riders Foundation supports these soldiers with mentoring programs and initiatives to prevent PTSD, ensuring they receive the care they need both during and after their service.

In this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback speaks with acclaimed author Ayelet Tsabari about her latest book, Songs for the Brokenhearted—a moving exploration of grief, identity, and the human spirit.They also delve into Ayelet's poignant New York Times opinion piece, where she reflects on the sacred act of cleaning the homes of those massacred on October 7, and how this intimate ritual became a form of solace and remembrance.This episode is a testament to the resilience of the human heart and the ways we find meaning in the midst of loss.

In this deeply moving conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Jonathan York—lawyer, artist, and creator of The Sukkah Project, a powerful tribute to the events of October 7.Jonathan reflects on how memory shapes our personal and collective identities, sharing insights from his own journey growing up at Stephen Wise Temple and how those formative experiences continue to influence his work today.Through the lens of art, grief, and resilience, this episode explores how we hold onto what matters most—and how we find meaning even in the face of tragedy.#SearchForMeaning #TheSukkahProject #October7 #Memory #JewishCommunity #Podcast #StephenWiseTemple #RabbiYoshi

In this special episode, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback interviews Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue about his inspiring new book, "For Such a Time as This: Being Jewish Today." Together, they dive into the challenges and opportunities of post-October 7 Judaism, the power of stepping up, showing up, and making a meaningful difference, and the enduring importance of Jewish community in these turbulent times.Don't miss this thoughtful and timely discussion on leadership, resilience, and the bonds that unite the Jewish community.  

Rabbi David A. Ingber is the founding rabbi of Romemu, the largest Renewal synagogue in the United States. He was recently appointed the Senior Director of Jewish Life at 92NY in Manhattan. Rabb Ingber shares some of the Torah and wisdom that has helped bring him inspiration over the past year.To learn more about his work, visit https://romemu.org/

Dafna Admati and Yarden Tzemach grew up on Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities hit hardest in the attacks of October 7: more than 95 community members were murdered and 30 taken hostage.They describe what happened to their beautiful, idyllic kibbutz on that day and over the past year. To learn more about how you can help with the rebuilding efforts, visit:https://www.rebuildbeeri.org/

Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Gary Grappo, former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Chief of Staff of the Quartet, and foreign policy expert with more than four decades of experience in the Middle East. Ambassador Grappo helps us understand the situation in Syria, the rise of Hay's Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its leader, Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani.

Rabbi Josh Feigelson was appointed Executive Director of IJS in January 2020 and became President & CEO in April 2022. He received ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in 2005, and served for six years as the Hillel Rabbi at Northwestern University, where he also earned a PhD in Religious Studies. In 2011, Josh helped found and served as Executive Director of Ask Big Questions, an initiative of Hillel International, which won the inaugural Lippman-Kanfer Prize for Applied Jewish Wisdom. Josh has also been a consultant and Senior Fellow at The iCenter for Israel Education. Most recently he served as Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Josh is a Wexner Graduate Fellow and was the founding co-chair of the Wexner Fellowship Alumni Committee. He is the author of Eternal Questions: Reflections, Conversations, and Jewish Mindfulness Practices for the Weekly Torah Portion (Ben Yehuda Press, 2022). Josh lives with his wife Natalie and their three sons in Skokie, IL.

If you want to learn what it's like to be one of Los Angeles' most sought-after professional guitarists and a USC Professor all while staying true to your Jewish roots and love for Israel, you won't want to miss this latest episode!Get ready for a soulful, inspiring conversation as Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with acclaimed guitarist and Professor of Studio Guitar for USC's Thornton School of Music, Molly Miller. Tune in as they discuss creative processes, how Molly's Jewish identity weaves into her music, the challenges she's faced since October 7, and what gives her life meaning—all followed by a Hatikvah rendition unlike any other!You can learn more about Molly and her music here. 

Rabbi Yoshi shares his Yom Kippur Yizkor sermon which honors the memory of his mother, Hermene Davis Zweiback, who died 25 years ago. A few weeks before the Jewish New Year while cleaning up around the house, Rabbi Yoshi came across the gratitude journal his mom kept in the last month of her life. The sermon is a reflection on the lessons it contains. While it's a very personal remembrance, it's also universal -- it's about the people who are dear to each of us and the meaning their lives give to ours.The outro music of this episode is a setting of the Sim Shalom prayer that Rabbi Yoshi composed in his mother's memory twenty-four years ago. You can listen to it wherever you stream your music.https://youtu.be/YFa_wBxyKMw?si=ZDEsNhzCb-X5NA8_

Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Peter Himmelman, a Grammy and Emmy nominated singer-songwriter, visual artist, best-selling author, film composer, entrepreneur, and rock and roll performer with over 20 critically acclaimed recordings to his credit.They talk about the creative process, songwriting, sacred memory, love, Israel, and Jewish identity. They also discuss Peter's new book, "Suspended By No String." Visit https://peterhimmelman.com/ to learn more about Peter's music and new book.

Rabbi Yoshi's Rosh Hashanah Sermon for 5785, delivered at Stephen Wise Temple on the evening of October 2, 2024. Learn about the life of Naftali Herz Imber, author of the poem "Tikvoseinu" that became "HaTikvah," the text of the anthem of the Zionist movement, the State of Israel, and the Jewish People. At the dawn of this New Year, we need hope perhaps more than ever.You can watch the sermon at: https://youtu.be/GRA057vRJ48?si=G0Q1CChIoAvIpVbK

Rabbi Sharon Brous, Senior Rabbi of Ikar in Los Angeles, joins Rabbi Yoshi for a conversation focusing on her new book, "The Amen Effect." In a time of loneliness and isolation, social rupture and alienation, Rabbi Brous suggest ways that we can mend our broken hearts and rebuild our society.Rabbi Brous also shares about the ways that she has tried to navigate these challenging months since October 7 all the while mourning her father who died a few weeks before Rosh Hashanah in 2023.To learn more about "The Amen Effect," visit the link below:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720048/the-amen-effect-by-sharon-brous/

Maor and Yossi Levy join Rabbi Yoshi to tell the story of the community of Kibbutz Eilon, just a few miles from the border with Lebanon. Their family, along with tens of thousands of other Israelis, has had to evacuate their home due to almost constant shelling from Hezbollah. Maor and Yossi share how the experience of the last many months has affected their family. Stay tuned and be inspired.

Join Rabbi Yoshi for a conversation with one of his childhood mentors and teachers, Rabbi Michael Zedek. Rabbi Zedek talks about his journey to the rabbinate and his new book, "Taking Miracles Seriously."Learn more about Rabbi Zedek's teaching and work at: https://rabbimichaelzedek.com/

Arielle Yael Mokhtarzadeh is a first generation Iranian American Jewish leader and advocate. She serves as Co-President of 30 Years After, a nonpartisan nonprofit committed to ensuring the Iranian American Jewish future by cultivating identity, convening community, and catalyzing leadership. She also serves on the Board of the Magbit Foundation, a nonprofit that provides interest-free loans and scholarships to Israelis pursuing higher education. Arielle currently works in the Office of the COO at OpenAI and previously served as an Associate Director of Global Programming at the Milken Institute. She is a proud alumnus of UCLA, where she studied Communications, Public Affairs, and Israel Studies, and served as Undergraduate Student Body President.

Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Hallel Abramowitz-Silverman, an Israeli activist and advocate. She first gained the attention of the public with her work with Women of the Wall that ended up with a widely reported case at the Israel Supreme Court in 2013. She talks about her service in the IDF focused on combatting online hate directed toward Israel. @justhallel

Geoff Winston is an Israel educator and tour guide who has worked with Rabbi Yoshi many times over more than two decades. He led Rabbi Yoshi's recent solidarity mission to Israel this past February. Learn about his path to aliya, his reflections on October 7th, and the hope he finds in this moment.https://wisela.org/wisetravel/

Yuval Davidovits, Rabbi Yoshi's cousin, grew up in Israel and the United States. He recently completed his service as an officer in the Israel Air Force. He reflects on his time in the U.S., his army service, and his time in the reserves over the past several months. 

Sharon Fidelman served as a naval "tatzpanit" in the IDF. Her job was to monitor Israel's sea border with Gaza using radar and surveillance equipment. Less than a year after completing her service, Sharon witnessed in real-time soldiers in a similar role being slaughtered by Hamas terrorists. She shares her reflections on October 7, describes her experiences of loss and confusion, and offers us reasons to hope. https://www.timesofisrael.com/sivan-shaarbany-21-curly-haired-partygoer-who-loved-salt-pepper/

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with Kenny Hamilton,  an entertainment entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California.  Kenny has been in music and entertainment for 14 years now, focusing on music management, social media/ influencer marketing, and hospitality.  His journey from an intern on a college radio station to Justin Bieber's bodyguard to a powerhouse in music and sports management is inspiring.  His persistence and pluck is inspiring as is the story of his path to Judaism. 

Ari Dayan is a composer, artist, and performer who has become an "accidental Israel advocate." Born to Israeli parents who had settled in Tarzana, Ari is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors. Follow Ari @witchofthewestcoast(The Eretz Nehederet video mentioned in the podcast can be found HERE.)

Rabbi Yoshi had the opportunity to speak to three current students at Princeton University's Center for Jewish Life along with the CJL director, Rabbi Gil Steinlauf.  Stephen Bartell, Davi Frank, and Seth Kahn, all current Princeton students, share their stories of navigating challenges on the Princeton Campus in the wake of the October 7 attacks.https://hillel.princeton.edu/ 

Amanda Berman is the founder and executive director of the Zioness Movement where she works to empower and activate Zionists on the progressive left to stand proudly in social justice spaces as both Jews and Zionists. She is a civil rights attorney who has worked to fight antisemitism legally. Learn about how Zioness is working to educate and empower. To learn more and to support their critically important work, visit www.Zioness.org.

Join Rabbi Yoshi in conversation with his daughter, Naomi, who is a sophomore in a dual degree program at Barnard/Columbia and the Jewish Theological Seminary. She shares her perspective on the disturbing rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric on the Barnard/Columbia campus.

On October 7, Amit Ben Shlomo and Roee Arazi, members of the Givati Brigade, were called up for reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces. A few months into this horrible war, Roee was badly wounded. Amit rescued him and helped to ensure that he was evacuated safely. Hear their amazing, inspiring story and learn how Beit HaLohem, the Israeli Wounded Veterans Organization, helped Roee deal with his physical, mental, and emotional rehabilitation. To learn more about Beit HaLohem and how you can help with their extraordinary work, visit https://www.israeliwoundedveterans.org/.

Yasmeen Ohebsion, a senior at Tulane University, joins Rabbi Yoshi in conversation about antisemitism on college campuses today. Yasmeen, a leader in the Tulane Jewish community, recently testified in front of Congress about her own experiences of antisemitism at Tulane. She shares her personal insight into how antisemitism continues to impact her life and the lives of other college students, both in the classroom and around campus. https://tulanehullabaloo.com/65669/news/student-testifies-before-congress-voicing-antisemitism-issues-on-campus/

Audrey Birnbaum grew up in New York in the late 1960s, the child of a Holocaust survivor. When her father, Jack, died in 2018, Audrey discovered hundreds of pages of notes he'd taken which served as a type of memoir of his experience in the Shoah. These notes, her own memories, and her research resulted in her first book: American Wolf: From Nazi Refuge to American Spy.  The book was recently named a finalist for the 2023 Jewish Council National Jewish Book Award in the Holocaust Memoir category.

Jessica Elter tells her harrowing  October 7th story. She explains that she was supposed to be at the Supernova Music Festival with her boyfriend, Ben Shimoni, but at the last moment, decided not to go. Listen to the extraordinary tale of his heroism and her courage and strength. To learn more about Jessica, Ben, and some of the other people mentioned in this episode, click the links below.https://twitter.com/kann_news/status/1718984491761270983?s=42&t=I4_94Dtxzrfw9LvjyKJs9whttps://www.timesofisrael.com/gaya-halifa-24-a-gentle-peaceful-soul-who-loved-music/https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-shimoni-31-music-loving-angel-who-saved-9-from-supernova/

Professor, columnist, and host of "The Dan Schnur Political Report," Dan shares even-handed analysis on pressing political issues, from domestic policy to geopolitics.   Rabbi Yoshi gets his take on the 2024 election, the situation in Israel, Jewish values, and the role kindness and empathy play today — no matter which "side of the aisle" you're on. 

In his latest "Search for Meaning" podcast, Rabbi Yoshi speaks with Susie Lubell (left), a self-taught artist and illustrator whose work has been included in galleries and private collections around the world. A friend of Rabbi Yoshi for more than 30 years, she made aliyah in 2011 and lives outside Jerusalem. They discuss her art, ketubot, and how she holds out hope despite the turbulent times.

When this is over there will be an encyclopedia of heroism because there were thousands of heroic moments..."  In his latest "Search for Meaning" podcast episode, Rabbi Yoshi speaks with Yitzhak Sokoloff, an Israeli political analyst and founder of educational travel company, Keshet. Sokoloff, a resident of Efrat in the Etzion bloc and of Yerucham, re-enlisted in the IDF at age 69 immediately after the October 7 massacre. Yitzhak speaks about the twin goals of destroying Hamas and saving the hostages — and the potential consequences if Israel can't achieve both. Rabbi Yoshi recorded this episode on his most recent trip to Israel, which happened to fall during the short-lived cease-fire. His only chance to speak at length with Yitzhak was on their drive together from Tel Aviv to a military base near the Gaza border, where they learned how soldiers use reconnaissance drones to avoid the loss of civilian life and protect IDF soldiers.

Recorded in front of a live audience at Stephen Wise Temple, "Forward" Editor-in-Chief Jodi Rudoren spoke with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback on a new episode of "The Search for Meaning" podcast. The veteran reporter, editor and digital innovator spent more than two decades at "The New York Times," including nearly four years as its Jerusalem bureau chief. A sought-after speaker, she provided insights on the war in Gaza and the importance of the Yiddish word, rachmanus – empathy. 

Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Gary Grappo, met Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline through a mutual friend when Grappo was serving as Chief of Staff of the Quartet in Jerusalem  in 2010. Gary and his wife, Becky, soon became friends with Yoshi and Jacqueline. Over the years, Ambassador Grappo, a career diplomat with four decades of experience in the Middle East, has visited Stephen Wise Temple multiple times to share his insights on the Iran Deal, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and now this most recent war between Hamas and Israel.In this episode, Ambassador Grappo shares his experience and insights with Rabbi Yoshi  concerning Hamas; the “Administration of Savagery” terrorist playbook; the roles of Qatar, Russia, and the wider Arab world; “proportionality”; and which news sources to trust (and not).

The existence of our universe is a miracle.Our own, personal existence is a miracle.This sermon celebrates creation, the Creator, and creativity.Stay tuned and be inspired.Featuring Cantor Emma Lutz and Dr. Tali TadmorArranged by Dr. Tali Tadmor, Cantor Emma Lutz, and Rabbi Yoshi ZweibackYarone Levy, guitar Larry Steen, bassJeff Stern, percussionTali Tadmor, pianoMusic to "Who is Like You God?" based on "Nobody Like You Lord" by Maranda Curtis

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts travel writer, author, podcaster, and Stephen Wise Temple Board member Lisa Niver, who just released her memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty.Lisa's memoir debuted as the top solo travel title on Amazon.com when it released on Sept. 19. Her podcast, Make Your Own Map, launched this summer and has been watched on six continents. It was a finalist for two Southern California Journalism Awards in 2023.Elected this summer as a Congregational Director, Lisa is a graduate of Wise's religious school program. Wise's founder, Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, officiated her bat mitzvah. She began her “nomadic” lifestyle by spending a summer in Israel on LA Ulpan, and went on to study abroad in Jerusalem at Hebrew University. She returned to Israel with her family for Rabbi Zeldin's 80th birthday celebration. As a journalist, Lisa often shares articles about Wise clergy and services, most often through her column in the Jewish Journal. Lisa has taught religious school at Wise and science at Brawerman Elementary, and has spoken at Wise about the Jews of Morocco (join our trip there next February!). Through the Jewish Federation, Lisa was part of the Rautenberg New Leaders Project and a mentor for the Julie Beren Platt Teen Innovation Grants Program.Lisa's mother, Judi Niver, also served on the temple's board and both parents are active members in the temple community. Lisa is a regular at Shabbat services (speaking about her book on Sept. 29) and during COVID, she helped coordinate political leaders to read the prayer for our country.

 As we reflect during the High Holy Days on issues of life and death, Rabbi Yoshi shares an interview with Lauren Ullmann, a Stanford Business School student and former MIT varsity goaltender player whose life was saved by a donation of peripheral stem cells. Fans of the Search for Meaning podcast will know who made that donation.Determined to use her experience as a team leader and the lessons taught from seeing the whole field as a collegiate goaltender to excel in business, Ullmann interned for the prestigious Bain & Company, eventually becoming a senior associate consultant. Late in 2019, she headed to the San Francisco Bay Area -- where he grandparents lived -- for  an externship. The night before running a marathon in early January of 2020, she experienced "horrible, horrible" stomach pain. Though she was able to run the race, it returned several days later. After a miserable week and several blood tests at UCSF, Ullman thought it was the flu or appendicitis. While visiting her grandparents with her mother in town, she was rushed to the Stanford ER at 4:30 a.m. After 11 hours, she was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Had her mother not been visiting from the East Coast, she may not have gotten the treatment she did when she did.Cancerous tumors were found in her heart and liver. Her liver and kidneys had swollen to such a degree that they compressed her stomach. Weeks of chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out and wiped out her immune system. While the rest of the world was still months away from wearing masks everywhere, she had to wear one with a HEPA filter.Released on Valentine's Day, she traveled back to the East Coast to start treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City. She needed a bone marrow stem cell transplant, and neither of her siblings were good enough matches. She turned to the Be The Match Registry. With only three potential matches and the COVID-19 pandemic unfolding, she miraculously found not only a donor, but a new family. 

If you have been any kind of nerd or geek or pop culture enthusiast in the last 20 years, chances are you know the voice of Rabbi Yoshi's guest this week on the Search for Meaning Podcast: voiceover actress Vanessa Marshall.Though she has lent her voice to 226 shows, games, and movies, Vanessa is perhaps most famous for originating the role of the Rebel Alliance's Twi'lek pilot and general Hera Syndulla in the acclaimed Star Wars animated series Star Wars: Rebels, voicing the character in her subsequent appearances in the series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and continues to voice her in games and online web series.During her career, she has voiced heroes -- Marvel's Black Widow and Gamora, and DC's Wonder Woman and Black Canary -- and villains - - DC's Poison Ivy and Catwoman, and Marvel's Hela, goddess of the underworld.She's lent her voice to characters in multiple Star Wars video games (including Knights of the Old Republic II). You can hear her work in the Metal Gear Solid (Strangelove), Doom, Diablo, Ratchet & Clank, Mortal Kombat (Sonya Blade and Sheeva, and Mass Effect video game franchises; video game adaptations of the Dune novels, the James Bond franchise, Edgar Rice Burroughs' Conan, and Pirates of the Caribbean.Oh, and she also happens to have been Rabbi Yoshi's dorm neighbor during their freshman year at Princeton. From her parents -- news reporter John Marshall and actress Joan Van Ark -- to her unconventional path from a stand-up comic and plus-sized model to nerd queen, Vanessa tells her story with fun, excitement, and humor, while reflecting on the lessons she's learned. 

In this 66th edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts board game designer Brian Hersch.Taboo. Outburst. Super Scattergories. Have you played any of these modern classics at family game night? You have Brian Hersch to thank.Now a General Partner at Hersch and Company, with over $850 million in sales under his belt, Brian didn't set out to design games. His first career was in real estate development, where he honed a keen sense for business.Then came Trivial Pursuit. When the trivia board game first burst onto the scene in the 1980s, Brian was a natural, so much so that his friends urged him to use his creative energies to invent a game of his own. Bringing his business experience to bear on the idea, he set himself to doing some market research, and found that the game's key feature—its social interactivity—was its most undervalued and under-marketed aspect."I'd played games my whole life," says Brian. "It was second nature. Some people watch television and say, 'I want to go into television.' Nobody who plays games says they want to go into games, at least not from our generation."Brian (a fan of the show who's currently listening to Rabbi Yoshi's interview with Betsy Borns) now runs Hersch and Company with his brother, and is famous for being a creator and proponent of social interactive games.Hersch has said that the reason he went into adult social games was because they served as a lubrication for rusty social skills. Children are less inhibited, and are more ready, willing, and able to have fun at any moment."They don't carry the burdens of life, the responsibilities, the weight of memories both good and bad," Brian says. "Can we facilitate a good time amongst a group of people who may or may not know each other? Can we find the common spark that they share so that they discover that there's something they can enjoy with the same feeling and laughter and pleasure? That's the biggest part of it. My games have always been group games."His titles have now sold over 45 million copies through strategic relationships with companies such as Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Mattel, and Western Publishing.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Orly Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center. Erez-Likhovski is an expert in the Israeli judicial system and the reasonableness doctrine, which have been the target of a massive reform push by the far-right current ruling government.Erez-Likhovski helps listeners understand the controversy surrounding judicial reform, which has fueled massive protests and a historic level of civil unrest in the Jewish state over the last seven months.Having graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tel Aviv University, clerked at the Israeli Supreme Court, and earned her master's in law from Columbia, Erez-Likhovski is a member of both the Israeli and the New York bar, and has argued multiple cases in front of the Israeli Supreme Court. She is, then, perhaps better equipped than most legal experts to explain the differences and similarities between the American and Israeli high courts, and why the right-wing push for judicial reform is far more dangerous than it sounds."It's definitely part of a much larger program or scheme or revolution or coup that the current government is pushing for," Erez-Likhovski says. "It's been one of the first things on their agenda: to take the Israeli court system and dramatically weaken it and politicize it. It's a very, very dangerous initiative."Since Israel famously does not have a constitution (for a variety of reasons), and therefore no process analogous to the United States' doctrine of judicial review (determining whether a law or policy is unconstitutional), the courts are often the last bulwark against efforts to institutionalize discrimination. Many of the 10,000 cases opened by the Israeli Supreme Court hears are petitions against governmental bodies on different cases of discrimination against Reform Jews, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and Israeli Palestinians.An attorney at the IRAC in Israel since 2004, Erez-Likhovski was the director of the legal department of IRAC from 2014 to 2021. She led the legal struggle against discrimination on the basis of religious affiliation, gender segregation in the public sphere, and racial incitement. She helped abolish gender segregation on public transportation, break the Orthodox monopoly regarding the payment of salaries of state-employed rabbis, and disqualify racist candidates from running for the Knesset.While the Israeli Declaration of Independence enshrines the rights of "all its inhabitants ... irrespective of religion, race or sex," it does not have the strength of law that a constitution or a bill of rights would have. As such, the most significant tool the courts have to fight corruption and the implementation of discriminatory laws is what is called the reasonableness doctrine. It is what the right-wing government hopes to eliminate.In short, the doctrine allows the courts to strike down government and administrative decisions seen as having not taken into account all the relevant considerations of a particular issue, or not given the correct weight to those considerations even if those decisions themselves do not violate any particular law or contradict other administrative rulings. The doctrine has been crucial in protecting rights that are not specifically enumerated in Israeli law, but conservatives have long held that the doctrine allows unelected judges to legislate from the bench, intervening in the decisions of elected officials.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts artist and educator Suzanne Horwich.Horwich, who hails from Rabbi Yoshi's hometown of Omaha, is the founder of Artists Giving Back, a program she started to bolster the spirits of Ukrainian refugees who have fled their warn-torn country for Poland.Horwich has long been drawn to the Syrian refugee crisis, but felt helpless as the world turned a blind eye to the horrors wrought by the Assad regime. When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, she resolved to take action. She eventually connected with Jonathan Ornstein, a friend of Wise and the head of the Krakow Jewish Community Center, which has pivoted from rebuilding the shattered Polish Jewish community to providing food, aid, medical supplies, and housing to those fleeing Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces.The former Director of Curatorial Affairs for the Aspen (Colo.) JCC, she pitched the idea of using her expertise as an artist to address the psychological trauma experienced by those driven from their homes. A month after they were first introduced, Horwich was on the ground with Ornstein in Poland.By providing collaborative art therapy to those in need—particularly women, children, and the elderly—Artists Giving Back encourages refugees to get lost in their art, using their imagination and creativity to find healing and community.The project is funded by generous support from the Staenberg Family Foundation, the Goldrich Family Foundation, Tom and Darlynn Fellman, and Horwich herself. She  hopes to fundraise more to grow and expand the program.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Ben M. Freeman, author, educator, and founder of the modern Jewish Pride movement.Born in Scotland, Freeman rose to prominence during the Corbyn Labour Jew-hate crisis and quickly became one of his generation's leading voices against anti-Jewish racism. In February of 2021, he published Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People, which became known as the Jewish Pride manifesto. In October of 2022, he followed that book up with Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride, the second in what will become a groundbreaking trilogy when he publishes his finale in 2024.Freeman's journey to Jewish Pride marries two distinct identities and experiences. For a long time, his identity as a gay man and his Jewish identity were, as he puts it "totally separate." While he was raised in a vibrant, tight-knit, strongly Zionist Jewish community in Glasgow and proudly served that community for five years, the 36-year-old Freeman was born in 1987, at the height of the AIDS pandemic."That really clouded society's perception of what it meant to be gay, and I absorbed that, and I internalized it," Freeman tells Rabbi Yoshi. "I felt a huge amount of shame, and had to do a huge amount of work to undo all of that."[RELATED: Wise Members Share Their Story at Pride Shabbat]It wasn't until 2018, when the Jewish community of Britain united to oppose Labour Party MP Jeremy Corbyn's possible ascendance to the office of British Prime Minister, that the connection between Freeman's two identities crystalized. Working at the Hong Kong Holocaust Center, Freeman was somewhat on the sidelines as a firestorm erupted around Corbyn's history of antisemitic behavior, his defense of those espousing antisemitic conspiracy theories, and the increasingly antisemitic attitudes of the party he led. He took to social media with the aim to educate, approaching the situation from with his background as a Holocaust educator.While he was inspired by the united response from the British Jewish community, he noted the difficulty many high-profile, left-leaning Jews had with calling out the clearly racist and antisemitic tropes present in Corbyn's anti-Israel rhetoric."I believe they were so married to their identities as leftists," Freeman says. "That just got me reflecting on my experience with gay pride, how it changed my life, and I thought, 'This is unacceptable. We need a pride movement. We deserve a pride movement,' and I started talking a bit online. I made a video with some friends, being like, 'This is why I'm proud [to be Jewish]; why are you proud?' and it went a little bit viral."Freeman emerged as a thought-leader on Jewish education, history, and identity, and his trilogy of books is informed as much by that as it is his own experiences with LGBTQ+ pride as a gay man. With his trilogy, Freeman aims to educate, inspire, and empower Jewish people to reject the shame of antisemitism imposed on Jews by the non-Jewish world, as well as non-Jewish perceptions of what it means to be a Jew.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts writer, educator, and human rights advocate Rabbi Michael Marmur, Ph.D. Until 2018, Rabbi Marmur served as the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Before that, he served as Dean of HUC-JIR's Jerusalem campus, where he hired Rabbi Yoshi  to be the Director of HUC-JIR's Year-in-Israel Program in 2009.Rabbi Marmur was born and raised in England, the son of two Polish immigrants by way of Sweden. His father, Rabbi Dov Marmur, was proud of the family's working-class background, particularly his own father, who served as a factory foreman. It wasn't until after World War II that the elder Rabbi Marmur pursued a career in the rabbinate. When the elder Rabbi Marmur, a renowned educator, was asked if he came from a distinguished rabbinical family, he would answer, "No, but my children do."Michael knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps for as long as he can remember. He wound up doing so in more ways than one.Taking his bachelor's degree in Modern History at Oxford, he married his natural affinity for theology with a passion for study. In 1984, he moved to Israel, where he completed his studies in the Israel Rabbinic Program of HUC-JIR in Jerusalem while studying for his master's in Ancient Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.For six years after he was ordained in 1992, the younger Rabbi Marmur worked as rabbi and teacher at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa, where he began to delve into the writings of Rabbi Abraham Heschel as he pondered a subject for his doctoral thesis. As Rabbi Heschel became somewhat of a fascination for the younger Rabbi Marmur, he discovered that his father, too, had read Rabbi Heschel with great interest, carefully annotating his own copies of Rabbi Heschel's works."Since then, he's been a major part of what I think about and what I do," Rabbi Marmur says. "Heschel has been a major intellectual, spiritual, religious preoccupation of mine for many, many years."In 2016, he wrote his first book: Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Sources of Wonder (2016), an exploration into how one of the most significant Jewish thinkers in modern times read, interpreted, and used traditional Jewish sources.Rabbi Heschel rejected the notion that the spiritual and social/political were separate and distinct, and did not believe that religion should be confined to one's own home. He cited Biblical prophets who advocated for the widow, the orphan, and the poverty-stricken, and the fact that God repeatedly demands justice. Not surprisingly, Heschel actively mobilized for the Civil Rights Movement and voiced his opposition to the Vietnam War."Heschel is a good bridge ... [between] my current theological project and my involvement in Rabbis for Human Rights," says Rabbi Marmur.Rabbi Marmur, who describes himself as "Israel's least significant soldier in its entire history," began his journey to RHR while serving the IDF as a jailor at the Megiddo Prison. As he sat in that prison's synagogue, reading Eugene Borowitz's Renewing the Covenant, he contemplated what happens when Judaism is re-introduced to political sovereignty after a 2,000-year gap.Rabbis for Human Rights deals with the implications of that paradigm shift. The group of Israeli rabbis promotes and protects civil rights of all who live in Israel and beyond not despite their identities as rabbis, but because that's why they are. Rabbi Marmur serves on the organization's board and was its Chair for three years.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts old friend Rabbi Zoë Klein Miles of Temple Isaiah, author of the new book, Candle, Feather, Wooden Spoon (CCAR Press, 2023). Rabbi Klein Miles serves Temple Isaiah in West Los Angeles, where she brings her unique blend of innovation, tradition, creativity, and wisdom. The two speak about the lost art of letter writing, the process of authoring a book, Jewish symbols and holidays, storytelling, homiletics, and Rabbi Klein Miles' childhood as the daughter of a studio artist. Possessed of a drive to become an author at an early age, Rabbi Klein Miles recalls a seminal moment in her young life when her father told her: "I will not consider you a writer. You are not a writer until you finish a book. It doesn't matter if it is ever published." She has since become a prolific author, writing the novel Drawing in the Dust (Gallery Books, 2009) of which Publishers Weekly wrote, “Insight into the world of biblical excavation in Israel raises Rabbi Klein's debut novel from a Jewish Da Vinci Code to an emotionally rich story of personal and historical discovery.” Drawing in the Dust has been published in five countries. Rabbi Klein Miles is also the author of a children's story The Goblins of Knottingham: A History of Challah (Apples & Honey, 2017), The Scroll of Anatiya (Wipf and Stock, 2009), and Candle, Feather, Wooden Spoon, a collection of short stories. Rabbi Klein's writing is included in The Torah: A Women's Commentary, Teen Texts, Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation, The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic, and more.  Her poems and prayers are used in houses of prayer around the world.At Temple Isaiah since 2000, Rabbi Klein Miles has served as the associate rabbi, the senior rabbi, and the director of adult education and engagement. A Connecticut native, Rabbi Klein holds a degree in psychology from Brandeis University. Rabbi Klein Miles pursued the rabbinate out of a passion for ancient texts, mythology, liturgy, and poetry. Twenty-five years ago, she received a master's degree in Hebrew literature and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and Jerusalem. In fact, she and Rabbi Yoshi were ordained together.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Josh Klausner, who, in addition to being Rabbi Yoshi's college roommate, is a screenwriter, playwright, and director.Klausner's writing credits include Wanderland (2018), Date Night (2010), and Shrek Forever After (2010). He's also worked as a second unit director on Dumb and Dumber (1994), Kingpin (1996), There's Something About Mary (1998), Me, Myself, and Irene (2000), Shallow Hall (2001), and Green Book (2018).While Klausner aspired to be an actor, his early interest in poetry and his dissatisfaction with the plays he read during his college years led him down the path to becoming a writer. His thesis advisor at Princeton wound up being none other than Tony Kushner, a four-time Oscar nominee who's won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a Tony Award for Best Play, and has collaborated with Steven Spielberg on Munich (2005), Lincoln (2012), West Side Story (2021), and The Fabelmans (2022).Fascinated by the immediacy and intimacy of theater and the moments just before sleep, and trying to process his own parents' divorce, one of his first works was a two-act play about divorce from the point of view of two brothers. A pre-ordination Rabbi Yoshi had a part in that play, Brothers of the Bearded Lady. Using one's own written work to process is far from an alien concept for Rabbi Yoshi, who does so with many of his sermons. The two discuss how writing can be a powerful way to work through ideas, concepts, and emotions, and a way to see older ideas in a new light as they are revisited years later in a different context. Through this lens, they discuss regret, life choices, personal discovery, and more in a deeply personal and philosophical conversation.

In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts Carol Mabeya, gynecologist Dr. Debbie Matityahu, and Ariela Zweiback of Beyond Fistula. During his sabbatical, Rabbi Yoshi spent two weeks in Eldoret, Kenya working with Beyond Fistula, a non-profit charity that aids women and girls in Africa who have recently undergone surgical repair for fistulas, helping them rebuild their lives through education and vocational skills training. It was a transformative experience for Rabbi Yoshi and his family, including Ariela.Beyond Fistula got its start during Dr. Matityahu's 10-month family trip around the world with her husband and two children in 2010. The Matityahus spent one of those months in Kenya, where they met and worked with Carol's husband, Dr. Hillary Mabeya, the founder and primary surgeon at Gynocare Women's and Fistula Hospital. At that hospital, Dr. Matityahu and her 12-year-old daughter Arielle found a cause.Obstetric fistulas are holes that occur when a woman undergoes a long and obstructed labor during childbirth. Though largely eradicated in the developed world, obstetric fistulas are still a devastating scourge for women in the world's poorest countries. Women laboring in huts in remote villages may push for days—rather than hours—on end with no anesthesia or medical support. The baby's head pinches and necroses the tissue between the vagina and the bladder, and sometimes the vagina and the rectum, destroying that tissue. The tissue erodes off, creating the fistula, which can lead to uncontrolled leakage of urine and feces. Many of the babies do not survive, and the women are left exhausted, incontinent, humiliated, and—all too often—ostracized by their community. "I remember one of the young girls that we operated on had such severe internal damage, that I, as a gynecologist who looks at this anatomy almost every day, could not identify what was left inside the pelvis," Dr. Matityahu said. "Everything had necrosed off. No bladder, no vagina, the colon was hanging open ... It was so devastating that I had no idea what I would have done next."Dr. Matityahu wanted to learn more about that women, and those like her. As she listened to their horrific stories of rape, starvation humiliation, and desperation, she felt like she had to do something. Three of the women she operated on had one desire after surgery: They wanted to go back to school. What started with Dr. Matityahu donating money to fund those three women's education grew into an organization that picks up where surgery leaves off. Not only does Beyond Fistula fight the trauma and stigma facing women who suffer from fistulas, but it provides hope and dignity, along with education, room and board, and vocational training on its property in Kenya. Originally set up with one house and a tailoring program for six young women, Beyond Fistula has evolved. They now offer counseling and courses in tailoring, hairdressing, literacy skills, computer skills, and business for women of all ages—from those in their teens and those who have lived with the fallout from fistulas for 50 years. Through partner Farming God's Way, Beyond Fistula even offers a farm skills training program, whose graduates not only leave with training, but a grant to start their own small farming business.