Podcasts about Rosh Hashanah

As our Jewish brothers and sisters recently celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Father Dave reflects on the holidays with best friend of the show Rabbi Brad Hirschfield. This year is particularly poignant as the Jewish holy days coincide with the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.  

Settle into this deep relaxation meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with a poem by Betzy Lynch.This version ends with music allowing you to drift off into sleepIn the days leading to the New Year,I have been feeling the heat.How it lingered,how it dried the earth,how after enough days of iteven my bones began to feel dry.I found myself longing for somethingto break through the heaviness,to reach those dry placesand breathe life into them again.But this year,the New Year arrived quietly.Rosh Hashanah entered with Shabbat.The gates opened.The work of teshuvah began.And the shofar waited.Perhaps I needed that silencebefore I could truly hear the sound.Because when the shofar finally sounded today,I did not hear only a call.I felt the breath.Breath pushed through a narrow place,an ancient crythat seemed to travel deeperall the way into the marrow.Tekiah.Wake us up.Shevarim.Help us hear what is broken.Teruah.Give us courage not to turn away.May we carry these soundsthrough the days ahead,softening what has hardened,awakening what has grown tired,breathing Divine breath into our dry places.Hadesh yameinu k'kedemmake fresh our days.Not by erasing the year behind us,but by helping us carry its lessons forward.May regret deepen into wisdom,failure open us to humility,and gratitude teach us to noticethe blessings already before us.And perhaps this is how we make roomfor shalom.Not peace that asks us to forgetwhat is broken or unfinished,but peace spacious enough to hold it all.For shalom is not simply another blessing.It is the vessel that holds our blessingsjoy and sorrow,what is whole and what is broken,who we have beenand who we are still becoming.May we cultivate that vessel within ourselves,making room to recognize what is good,to hold what is precious,and to receive the blessingsthat have been there all along.As the echo of the shofar carries ustoward Yom Kippur,may it put new marrow in our dry bonesand new breath within us.May we enter the year aheadnot beginning over,but beginning again.-Betzy Lynch, CEO, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family CampusContinue your mindfulness journey with Julie - through her writings. Her latest book is, "Gentle Currents: Poems of Pause & Peace", a collection of poems focusing on themes of nature, self-compassion, and tranquility.Her other books include,"SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". All are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

Settle into this deep relaxation meditation led by Julie Potiker. She completes the meditation with a poem by Betzy Lynch.In the days leading to the New Year,I have been feeling the heat.How it lingered,how it dried the earth,how after enough days of iteven my bones began to feel dry.I found myself longing for somethingto break through the heaviness,to reach those dry placesand breathe life into them again.But this year,the New Year arrived quietly.Rosh Hashanah entered with Shabbat.The gates opened.The work of teshuvah began.And the shofar waited.Perhaps I needed that silencebefore I could truly hear the sound.Because when the shofar finally sounded today,I did not hear only a call.I felt the breath.Breath pushed through a narrow place,an ancient crythat seemed to travel deeperall the way into the marrow.Tekiah.Wake us up.Shevarim.Help us hear what is broken.Teruah.Give us courage not to turn away.May we carry these soundsthrough the days ahead,softening what has hardened,awakening what has grown tired,breathing Divine breath into our dry places.Hadesh yameinu k'kedemmake fresh our days.Not by erasing the year behind us,but by helping us carry its lessons forward.May regret deepen into wisdom,failure open us to humility,and gratitude teach us to noticethe blessings already before us.And perhaps this is how we make roomfor shalom.Not peace that asks us to forgetwhat is broken or unfinished,but peace spacious enough to hold it all.For shalom is not simply another blessing.It is the vessel that holds our blessingsjoy and sorrow,what is whole and what is broken,who we have beenand who we are still becoming.May we cultivate that vessel within ourselves,making room to recognize what is good,to hold what is precious,and to receive the blessingsthat have been there all along.As the echo of the shofar carries ustoward Yom Kippur,may it put new marrow in our dry bonesand new breath within us.May we enter the year aheadnot beginning over,but beginning again.-Betzy Lynch, CEO, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Jacobs Family CampusContinue your mindfulness journey with Julie - through her writings. Her latest book is, "Gentle Currents: Poems of Pause & Peace", a collection of poems focusing on themes of nature, self-compassion, and tranquility.Her other books include,"SNAP: From Calm to Chaos", and "Life Falls Apart, But You Don't have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm in the Midst of Chaos". All are available on Amazon.com.Follow Julie on YouTube and Facebook at Mindful Methods for Life.comThis podcast is available on iTunes, iHeart, Blubrry and everywhere you listen to podcasts.

This update explores recent scientific discoveries regarding a boat-shaped rock formation on Mount Ararat, suggesting it may be Noah's Ark, and uses this as a catalyst to discuss the theological parallels between the pre-flood era and the present day. It highlights the widespread wickedness, sexual perversion, and biological mixing of kinds described in Genesis 6 as characteristics that are recurring in modern society through technology and cultural shifts. The Pastor emphasizes the literal nature of biblical prophecy, noting that the announcement of the potential discovery coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the date the Ark is said to have landed, reinforcing the idea that God keeps His promises and warnings. This serves as a pastoral call to recognize the coming judgment and the necessity of finding salvation in Christ, who is depicted as the ultimate ark of escape for believers. Questions Has Noah's Ark really been found, or is the Durupınar formation still just a possible site? Does the Bible actually say Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat, or does it say the "mountains of Ararat"? What evidence makes researchers think the boat-shaped formation in Turkey could be Noah's Ark? How closely do the measurements of the Durupınar formation match the dimensions God gave Noah in Genesis? What have ground-penetrating radar and core samples reportedly found inside the formation? Why did God tell Noah to put pitch on both the inside and outside of the Ark? Could preservation have been part of the reason? When Jesus said the last days would be "as the days of Noah," what similarities should Christians actually be watching for? What's the strange mixing described in Genesis 6.

This update explores recent scientific discoveries regarding a boat-shaped rock formation on Mount Ararat, suggesting it may be Noah's Ark, and uses this as a catalyst to discuss the theological parallels between the pre-flood era and the present day. It highlights the widespread wickedness, sexual perversion, and biological mixing of kinds described in Genesis 6 as characteristics that are recurring in modern society through technology and cultural shifts. The Pastor emphasizes the literal nature of biblical prophecy, noting that the announcement of the potential discovery coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the date the Ark is said to have landed, reinforcing the idea that God keeps His promises and warnings. This serves as a pastoral call to recognize the coming judgment and the necessity of finding salvation in Christ, who is depicted as the ultimate ark of escape for believers. Questions Has Noah's Ark really been found, or is the Durupınar formation still just a possible site? Does the Bible actually say Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat, or does it say the "mountains of Ararat"? What evidence makes researchers think the boat-shaped formation in Turkey could be Noah's Ark? How closely do the measurements of the Durupınar formation match the dimensions God gave Noah in Genesis? What have ground-penetrating radar and core samples reportedly found inside the formation? Why did God tell Noah to put pitch on both the inside and outside of the Ark? Could preservation have been part of the reason? When Jesus said the last days would be "as the days of Noah," what similarities should Christians actually be watching for? What's the strange mixing described in Genesis 6.

This update explores recent scientific discoveries regarding a boat-shaped rock formation on Mount Ararat, suggesting it may be Noah's Ark, and uses this as a catalyst to discuss the theological parallels between the pre-flood era and the present day. It highlights the widespread wickedness, sexual perversion, and biological mixing of kinds described in Genesis 6 as characteristics that are recurring in modern society through technology and cultural shifts. The Pastor emphasizes the literal nature of biblical prophecy, noting that the announcement of the potential discovery coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the date the Ark is said to have landed, reinforcing the idea that God keeps His promises and warnings. This serves as a pastoral call to recognize the coming judgment and the necessity of finding salvation in Christ, who is depicted as the ultimate ark of escape for believers. Questions Has Noah's Ark really been found, or is the Durupınar formation still just a possible site? Does the Bible actually say Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat, or does it say the "mountains of Ararat"? What evidence makes researchers think the boat-shaped formation in Turkey could be Noah's Ark? How closely do the measurements of the Durupınar formation match the dimensions God gave Noah in Genesis? What have ground-penetrating radar and core samples reportedly found inside the formation? Why did God tell Noah to put pitch on both the inside and outside of the Ark? Could preservation have been part of the reason? When Jesus said the last days would be "as the days of Noah," what similarities should Christians actually be watching for? What's the strange mixing described in Genesis 6.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rosh Hashanah Mischief: A Museum Adventure Blooper Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-26-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: במוזיאון לתולדות הטבע, ביום סתווי של ראש השנה, התרגשות רבים באוויר.En: At the Museum of Natural History, on a fall day of Rosh Hashanah, there was a great excitement in the air.He: עלים כתומים וגוללים מתפזרים לאורך השבילים שמובילים אל דלתות המוזיאון הפתוחות, שבהן ההמונים נוהרים לצפות בתערוכות המרהיבות.En: Orange and twirling leaves scattered along the paths leading to the museum's open doors, where crowds flocked to admire the spectacular exhibits.He: נעם, בחור צעיר וסקרן, ביותר מתמיד.En: Noam, a young and curious guy, was more excited than ever.He: הוא צועד עם חבריו אלי ומאיה, בחזון ליצור חוויה בלתי נשכחת.En: He walked with his friends Eli and Maya, envisioning an unforgettable experience.He: נעם, שאוהב לחקור, לעיתים קרובות נותן לדמיונו להשתולל.En: Noam, who loves to explore, often lets his imagination run wild.He: הוא החליט על ביקור במוזיאון כאופציה מושלמת להרשים את חבריו.En: He decided that a visit to the museum was the perfect option to impress his friends.He: כשהם נכנסים, נעם מבחין בשלט מרשים ומעוטר עכבישים מלאכותיים, "פסגת האימה של המוזיאון.En: As they entered, Noam noticed an impressive sign adorned with artificial spiders: "The Museum's Peak of Horror."He: " הוא מניח שמדובר בתערוכת האלווין, ומוביל את אלי ומאיה לכיוון זה.En: He assumed it was a Halloween exhibit and led Eli and Maya in that direction.He: בזמן שהם מכוונים את צעדיהם לשם, אלי מטיל ספק ואומר, "נעם, אתה בטוח שזה נכון?En: As they made their way, Eli expressed doubt, saying, "Noam, are you sure about this?He: היום ראש השנה, לא האלווין.En: Today is Rosh Hashanah, not Halloween."He: " מאיה צוחקת בשקט, אבל נעם משוכנע שזה בדיוק המקום הנכון להפתיע את חבריו.En: Maya chuckled quietly, but Noam was convinced this was the right place to surprise his friends.He: בפנים, האווירה שקטה, ופסלים מרשימים של דינוזאורים ואבנים עתיקות מעטרים את החדר.En: Inside, the atmosphere was quiet, and impressive statues of dinosaurs and ancient stones decorated the room.He: נעם צועק בהתרגשות, "תראו, זה חלק מהמופע!En: Noam exclaimed excitedly, "Look, this is part of the show!"He: " אך אלי ומאיה מתחילים להרגיש שמשהו לא בסדר.En: But Eli and Maya began to feel something was off.He: לפתע, כשנעם מנסה לגעת בפסל, נדהם הוא מהופעת תאורת אזהרה צורמת שמלווה אותה צליל צעקות אזעקה חזקות.En: Suddenly, when Noam attempted to touch a statue, he was stunned by the appearance of a glaring warning light accompanied by the sound of loud alarm sirens.He: אנשי צוות המוזיאון ממהרים למקום, ושואלים נחרצות, "מה קורה כאן?En: Museum staff quickly rushed to the scene and inquired sternly, "What is happening here?"He: " נעם מבולבל, מתנצל וגולל בפניהם את טעותו.En: Noam, confused, apologized and explained his mistake.He: האחראים מחייכים בהבנה, "זו תערוכה חשובה מאוד, לא חלק מתוכנית האלווין.En: The staff smiled with understanding, "This is a very important exhibit, not part of the Halloween program."He: "לאחר שהמקום שוקע שוב בשקט, הצוות מלווה את נעם, אלי ומאיה החוצה ומאפשר להם להמשיך בסיורם.En: After the place settled back into quiet, the staff escorted Noam, Eli, and Maya out, allowing them to continue their tour.He: השלושה הולכים, צוחקים מזיכרון הסיטואציה המצחיקה.En: The three walked along, laughing at the memory of the funny situation.He: נעם, למרות הבושה, מבין את חשיבות הבדיקה הכפולה והתשומת לב לפרטים סביבו.En: Despite the embarrassment, Noam realized the importance of double-checking and paying attention to details around him.He: היום מוזכר בסופ"ש לאחר מכן, בין שאר הסיפורים המשעשעים, ונעם נפנה לחבריו, אומר, "רק שתדעו, בפעם הבאה נבדוק שנית את השלטים.En: The event was recounted the following weekend among other amusing stories, with Noam turning to his friends and saying, "Just so you know, next time we'll check the signs again."He: " מאיה ואלי צוחקים ומסכימים, ובכך משתנה נעם, ולומד לקח חשוב לחיים.En: Maya and Eli laughed and agreed, and thus Noam learned an important life lesson. Vocabulary Words:excitement: התרגשותtwirling: גולליםscattered: מתפזריםspectacular: מרהיבcurious: סקרןunforgettable: בלתי נשכחenvisioning: בחזוןadorned: מעוטרglaring: צורמתstatues: פסליםstunned: נדהםinquired: שואליםsternly: נחרצותescorted: מלווהrealized: מביןamusing: משעשעdespite: למרותattention: תשומת לבdetails: פרטיםlearned: לומדpath: שבילflocked: נוהריםexplore: לחקורassumed: מניחquietly: בשקטancient: עתיקglaring warning light: תאורת אזהרה צורמתaccompanied: שמלווהapologized: מתנצלembarrassment: בושהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Blooming Inspiration: Ariel's Artistic Cultural Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-25-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: הפרחים מרקדים ברוח הסתיו הקרירה.En: The flowers danced in the cool autumn breeze.He: אריאל הלכה בשבילי גן הקוקנהוף בהולנד, שדה ענק של צבעים מרהיבים, מוקפת באוקיינוס של צבעונים.En: Ariel walked along the paths of the Keukenhof Garden in the Netherlands, a vast field of stunning colors, surrounded by an ocean of tulips.He: הלב שלה היה טרוד.En: Her heart was troubled.He: היא חיפשה השראה חדשה.En: She was searching for new inspiration.He: משהו שיביא לה את ההבנה שהיא כל כך כמהה לה.En: Something that would bring her the understanding she so longed for.He: משהו מלכתחילה.En: Something from the beginning.He: אבל, ראש השנה קרוב ואריאל הרגישה את כובד האשמה על כך שלא תהיה בבית לחג.En: But with Rosh Hashanah approaching, Ariel felt the weight of guilt for not being home for the holiday.He: נועה ואלי, חבריה הקרובים, פסעו לצידה, מדברים בשקט ומשאירים לה מרחב להרהר.En: Noa and Eli, her close friends, walked beside her, speaking quietly and giving her space to ponder.He: אריאל הייתה אמנית צעירה וכשרונית, אך החלה להרגיש מרוחקת משורשיה התרבותיים.En: Ariel was a young and talented artist, but she had begun to feel distanced from her cultural roots.He: היא קיוותה שהמסע לגן יעניק לה את התחושה של התחדשות, דף חדש ומלא השראה.En: She hoped that the journey to the garden would grant her a sense of renewal, a fresh page full of inspiration.He: באחד מהשבילים, נתקלה עיניה של אריאל בסידור פרחים מהפנט.En: On one of the paths, Ariel's eyes fell upon a mesmerizing flower arrangement.He: זה היה שילוב של פרחים שיצרו צורה המזכירה מגילת קלף יהודית עתיקה עם ציור של רימון, סימן לאורך ימים טובים.En: It was a combination of flowers that formed a shape reminiscent of an ancient Jewish scroll with a painting of a pomegranate, a sign of good times ahead.He: אריאל התבוננה בסידור ולא יכלה להתיק את מבטה.En: Ariel gazed at the arrangement and couldn't tear her eyes away.He: משהו בפרחים האלה נגע בנשמתה.En: Something about these flowers touched her soul.He: זה היה כאילו הסידור דיבר אליה בשפה שהכירה מזמן.En: It was as if the arrangement spoke to her in a language she had long known.He: היא נזכרה איך במשפחתה נהגו לברך במילים מיוחדות את השנה החדשה עם טעמים של תפוח בדבש וסיפורים משפחתיים מסורתיים.En: She remembered how her family used to bless the new year with special words, the taste of apple in honey, and traditional family stories.He: המראה של הרימון הפתיע אותה בעוצמתו ופתאום היא הבינה איך כל שביב תרבותי יכול למצוא את מקומו גם באומנות.En: The sight of the pomegranate surprised her with its force, and suddenly she understood how every cultural fragment could find its place even in art.He: אריאל נשמה עמוק.En: Ariel took a deep breath.He: היא ידעה שהגיעה ההבנה שחיפשה.En: She knew she had reached the understanding she sought.He: היא קיבלה החלטה חדשה.En: She made a new decision.He: היא תשלב את התרבות שלה ביצירותיה הבאות.En: She would incorporate her culture into her future creations.He: במקום לרוץ הביתה, היא תחזור עם השראה לשנה החדשה ותחגוג עם משפחתה ברוחה.En: Instead of rushing home, she would return with inspiration for the new year and celebrate with her family in spirit.He: בדרך חזרה, היא לא הרגישה עוד את הכובד בליבה.En: On the way back, she no longer felt the heaviness in her heart.He: היא הרגישה חזקה ומלאת עוצמה להתחיל מחדש, לקבל את האפשרות לשלב את הכוחות היצירתיים שלה עם השורשים התרבותיים המיוחדים לה.En: She felt strong and empowered to start anew, embracing the opportunity to merge her creative forces with her unique cultural roots.He: ועם כל נשימה שהיא לקחה, עם כל ריחה של השדה, היא הרגישה קרובה יותר למשפחתה ולחלומותיה.En: With every breath she took, with every scent of the field, she felt closer to her family and her dreams.He: אריאל הבינה שאין צורך לבחור בין האומנות לבין התרבות, שני אלה יכולים לחיות יחד בהרמוניה.En: Ariel realized there was no need to choose between art and culture; the two could exist together in harmony. Vocabulary Words:danced: מרקדיםbreeze: רוח קרירהpath: שבילstunning: מרהיביםocean: אוקיינוסtroubled: טרודapproaching: קרובponder: להרהרtalented: כשרוניתdistanced: מרוחקתrenewal: התחדשותmesmerizing: מהפנטarrangement: סידורremnant: מזכירהscroll: מגילת קלףgazed: התבוננהtear: להתיקsoul: נשמתהbless: לברךforce: עוצמתוfragment: שביבbreath: נשימהempowered: מלאת עוצמהcombine: לשלבcultural: תרבותייםembrace: לקבלunique: מיוחדים להroots: שורשיםexist: לחיותharmony: הרמוניהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Rabbi Shulman addresses a spiritual question at the heart of Sukkot: after the כתיבה וחתימה טובה of Rosh Hashanah, Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, and Yom Kippur, why do we immediately begin saying “הושענא” (“save us”)? He answers with a vivid משל from his backyard: uprooting a deeply entrenched vine is like the intense עבודה of the Yamim Nora'im—but lasting change requires ongoing, small “walkthroughs” to remove new shoots before they reestablish themselves. Sukkot, Rabbi Shulman explains, becomes a training ground for sustaining growth throughout the year through consistent spiritual maintenance. Outline: https://danielggordon.github.io/ateresami/sukkos-keeping-weed-free-20260925-030334-outline-20260925-030354.pdf

In this special edition of On the Frontlines, Mark Levin sits down with Yael Eckstein, President and Global CEO of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ), for a conversation about the power of faith, the importance of unity, and the responsibility to help those in need. Reflecting on the September 11 attacks and the approaching anniversary of October 7, Mark and Yael discuss the shared values connecting Christians and Jews, the relationship between the United States and Israel, and the importance of standing together in difficult times. Yael shares firsthand stories of IFCJ's humanitarian work, from delivering food to Holocaust survivors and supporting families in war-torn Ukraine to providing emergency assistance to vulnerable communities in Israel and the Middle East. She also discusses the significance of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the importance of religious freedom, and the biblical calling to serve others. It's a conversation about putting faith into action, building bridges across communities, and finding strength through unity. Learn more about the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews and its humanitarian mission at https://www.ifcj.org. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special conversation from Judea, Ari and Jeremy reflect on the powerful journey from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur and into Sukkot. They explore what it means to move from judgment to forgiveness, from the awe of standing before the King to the intimacy of resting in the shade of our Father. The conversation weaves together personal stories from Yom Kippur, the spiritual atmosphere in Israel, the prophetic vision of Sukkot as a celebration for all nations, and the deeper meaning of the sukkah as a place of faith and trust. As Israel walks through a difficult season, Ari and Jeremy ask what it means to choose joy, trust Hashem, and believe that one day the whole world will recognize that Hashem is one and His name is one. #Sukkot #YomKippur #Israel #Judea #Torah #Hashem #Faith #JewishFaith #Sukkah #LandOfIsrael #Jerusalem #SpiritualAwakening #Prophecy #Joy #Fellowship

Earth, Spirit, and Collective Empowerment Recorded live at a SAND Gathering on September 13, 2026 In a time of profound ecological and social upheaval, we are invited to remember something ancient: we are not separate from the living world. The Earth is not a backdrop to our lives, but the ground from which we arise, and a source of wisdom for navigating profound change. Author, activist, permaculture teacher, and elder wisdom keeper Starhawk joins Rae Abileah to explore how earth-based spirituality, ritual, imagination, and the wisdom of living systems can help us meet this moment. Following each film in SAND's The Eternal Song series, we hear a recurring question, particularly from people of European descent: how do we reconnect with land, ancestry, and the sacred? How do we live in meaningful allyship with Indigenous peoples while recovering our own earth-based ways of knowing? Starhawk's life and work offer possibilities. Rooted in Pagan earth-based practice while honoring her Jewish ancestry, her journey has carried her from ritual circles and permaculture communities to accompaniment in Palestine and engagement with Indigenous land protection movements. After more than five decades exploring spirituality, ecology, and social transformation, Starhawk is asking a new question: what would a regenerative movement look like? And how might we move beyond simply resisting what is broken to cultivating belonging, agency, resilience, joy, and new possibilities for life? Together, Rae and Starhawk explore what living systems teach us about transformation, how spirituality and strategy can nourish one another, and how imagination helps us practice futures that do not yet exist. They consider how to keep ancestral and ecological intelligence alive amid the rise of artificial intelligence, and how to remain awake to profound injustice without surrendering our capacity for beauty, relationship, pleasure, and joy. Topics 00:00 Welcome, Rosh Hashanah, and 25 years since 9/11 00:09 What renews her: a solidarity economy in Guinea 00:14 Why Earth Activist Training brings permaculture and organizing together 00:17 Spiritual practice as survival tool and political strategy 00:21 What nature is telling her, and the fight over data centers 00:24 Ancestral intelligence in an age of artificial intelligence 00:25 Reading the Bible in its Mesopotamian context 00:31 Reclaiming Judaism from nationalism 00:39 Where to begin, and the fire ritual 00:43 Cultural appropriation, and Standing Rock 00:49 Composting the patriarchy 00:53 The Movement We Need: safety, belonging, value, agency, meaning Starhawk Author, activist, permaculture designer and teacher, and one of the most influential voices in contemporary earth-based spirituality and ecofeminism. She is the author or co-author of thirteen books and a co-founder of Reclaiming. She directs Earth Activist Training, teaching permaculture design grounded in spirit with a focus on activism. starhawk.org Starhawk's Substack, where she is writing The Movement We Need chapter by chapter The Movement We Need podcast Earth Activist Training Books mentioned The Spiral Dance The Empowerment Manual The Fifth Sacred Thing and its sequel City of Refuge Truth or Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, and Politics Rae Abileah Social change strategist, Jewish faith leader, facilitator, and former co-director of CodePINK. She connects relational threads across the SAND team and helps create resources supporting The Eternal Song film series. CreateWell Beautiful Trouble Also in the conversation Standing Rock, 2016, and what Starhawk found at the gate: here you enter a place of prayer and ceremony. The fire chant from her Sonoma County land: Sacred fire that shapes this land, summer teacher, winter friend, protect us as we learn anew, to work, to heal, to live with you. The five core emotional needs she names as the foundation of movement building: safety, belonging, value, agency, and meaning. The Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, referenced in the discussion of moving beyond call-out culture. Penny Livingston, with whom Starhawk co-founded Earth Activist Training. From SAND The Eternal Song film series Liberation Psychology: Roots, Memory & Practice, the nine-month journey now underway Support the show Sounds of SAND is listener supported. Become a SAND member to support the podcast and everything else SAND makes.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Connecting Roots: A New Immigrant's Journey in Central Park Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-24-07-38-20-he Story Transcript:He: העלים האדומים והכתומים סבבו בעדינות את ספסלי הפארק המרכזי בניו יורק באווירת סתיו חגיגית.En: The red and orange leaves gently surrounded the benches of Central Park in New York in a festive autumn atmosphere.He: בשולי הפארק, חוגגים החג רוש השנה את שמחתם, והמוזיקה העברית מלאה את האוויר, לצד ריח החלה הטרייה שפשטה במרחב.En: On the outskirts of the park, people celebrating Rosh Hashanah expressed their joy, with Hebrew music filling the air, alongside the smell of fresh challah wafting through the space.He: אליאב, עולה חדש מישראל, צעד בזהירות בין הדוכנים.En: Eliyav, a new immigrant from Israel, walked carefully between the stalls.He: הוא התגעגע לביתי בתל אביב וחיפש נגיעה קטנה של מולדתו כאן בעיר השוקקת.En: He missed his home in Tel Aviv and was searching for a small touch of his homeland here in the bustling city.He: הוא הרגיש בודד לעיתים קרובות, אבל הגעגועים הניעו אותו לצאת מהקומפורט שלו ולבוא לפסטיבל.En: He often felt lonely, but his longing motivated him to step out of his comfort zone and come to the festival.He: בין ההמון גילה דוכן עם כלי קרמיקה מהארץ ולפתע חש קלות בליבו, כמו פרפרים מעדנים שמתעופפים בקרבו.En: Among the crowd, he discovered a stall with ceramic tools from the land, and suddenly felt a lightness in his heart, like delicate butterflies fluttering within him.He: לא רחוק משם, שירה, אמריקאית דור שני, ותלויה יותר באנרגיות של פסטיבלים מאשר בשורשים התרבותיים שלה עצמה, הסתובבה בין הדוכנים יחד עם ידידה, נועם.En: Not far from there, Shira, a second-generation American, more reliant on the energies of festivals than on her own cultural roots, wandered among the stalls with her friend, Noam.He: נועם היה מלא התלהבות מהאירוע והמשיכו לעודד את שירה להצטרף לחגיגות.En: Noam was full of enthusiasm for the event and kept encouraging Shira to join the celebrations.He: "זה הזמן להרגיש מחוברת יותר," אמר נועם בשובבה.En: "It's time to feel more connected," Noam said playfully.He: השניים הגיעו לכיוון הבמה, שם הופיעו רקדנים לבושים בשלל בגדים צבעוניים — רוקדים ריקוד ישראלי מסורתי.En: The two made their way to the stage, where dancers dressed in a variety of colorful outfits were performing a traditional Israeli dance.He: לפתע, עיניהם של אליאב ושירה נפגשו בין ההמון הסוחף.En: Suddenly, the eyes of Eliyav and Shira met in the sweeping crowd.He: הם התקדמו אחד אל השנייה כמעט באותו רגע, כאילו כוח מסתורי סובב אותם יחד.En: They moved towards each other almost simultaneously, as if a mysterious force was drawing them together.He: השיחה ביניהם החלה בחיוך קטן ובמהרה התפתחה לתוך שיחה עמוקה על זהות ותרבות.En: Their conversation began with a small smile and quickly developed into a deep discussion about identity and culture.He: "אני מרגישה שאין לי קשר אמיתי למה ששורשיי אמורים להיות," הודתה שירה במבוכה קלה.En: "I feel like I don't have a real connection to what my roots are supposed to be," Shira admitted with slight embarrassment.He: "ואבא שלי תמיד היה מספר לי סיפורים על הארץ, ואני תמיד רק הקשבתי.En: "And my dad always told me stories about the land, and I would always just listen."He: ""אני פה כמעט חצי שנה," אמר אליאב.En: "I've been here for almost half a year," Eliyav said.He: "אבל אני מרגיש שאני עדיין מחפש את המקום שלי, כמו עץ שזקוק לשורשים חדשים.En: "But I feel like I'm still searching for my place, like a tree that needs new roots."He: "השיחה המשותפת גישרה בין חיפושיו של אליאב ובין התהיות של שירה.En: Their shared conversation bridged Eliyav's search and Shira's musings.He: הם הבינו שגם הם יכולים ללמוד אחד מהשנייה.En: They realized that they could learn from each other too.He: בסופו של יום, השניים הסכימו להיפגש שוב, לחפש עם נועם אירועים נוספים, ולחקור את תרבותם יחד.En: By the end of the day, the two agreed to meet again, to seek more events with Noam, and to explore their culture together.He: הערב ירד ותחושת שייכות החלה להתיישב במקומות שהיה בהם חסר.En: As the evening fell, a sense of belonging began to settle in places where there had been a void.He: אליאב ידע שאין הוא בודד במסעו, ושירה מצאה ידידת נשמה בדרך לחקר עברה.En: Eliyav knew he was not alone on his journey, and Shira found a soulmate on the path to exploring her past.He: השכבות האדומות של העצים נשאו את תקוותם לקראת שנה חדשה ומלאת גילויים וחיבורים.En: The red layers of the trees carried their hopes towards a new year full of discoveries and connections. Vocabulary Words:gently: בעדינותsurrounded: סבבוfestive: חגיגיתoutskirts: בשוליwafting: שפשטהimmigrant: עולהlonging: געגועיםbustling: השוקקתceramic: קרמיקהfluttering: מתעופפיםenergies: אנרגיותreliant: ותלויהcolorful: צבעונייםsweeping: הסוחףsimultaneously: באותו רגעmysterious: מסתוריforce: כוחembarrassment: מבוכהdeveloped: התפתחהmusings: תהיותvoid: חסרjourney: מסעוsoulmate: ידידת נשמהpath: דרךexploring: לחקרbelonging: שייכותdelicate: מעדניםstalls: דוכניםlightness: קלותembrace: תחושתBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the best and worst of humanity revealed that day, and the role of religion as a source of inspiration rather than intimidation.

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC September 13, 2026, the sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. “Be Astonished” series. Texts:  Psalm 100, Colossians 3:11-17                               There is something about this Sunday that feels different. Some of it is simply the rhythm of the year. Summer vacations are winding down. School is back in session. Our groups and classes and choirs and ministry teams are coming back to life. Today we kick off another program year at Foundry. And there is an energy that comes with that. You can feel it. There is something that happens when people gather. When we see people we haven't seen for a while. When a room fills up. When conversation and laughter get louder. When voices join together in song. What is that? Over the next six weeks, we are going to explore that question—and a number of others like it—as we begin a new worship series called “Be Astonished.” The title is inspired by a poem called “Sometimes,” by Mary Oliver, a poet whose work has helped many people pay closer attention to the wonder of this world. Near the end of that poem, Oliver offers what she calls “Instructions for living a life”: “Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” What a beautiful invitation. And a good reminder in the swirl of life and the distractions that invade our spaces all day every day—so many of which are painful: another act of violence. Another cruelty. Another frightening headline or devastating image. Paying attention to wonder doesn't ask us to look away from any of that. It asks us to refuse to look only at that. Because every day, even in the midst of all that is heartbreaking and wrong, there is also beauty and goodness and love. There are obvious wonders like a spectacular sunset or the face of a newborn baby. But wonder is also tucked into ordinary places: a song that lifts our spirit, a single flower pressing through pavement, tenderness offered in grief, suddenly seeing something familiar as though for the first time. Pay attention. The pain is real. And so is the beauty. The cruelty and grief are real. But, oh, so are the kindness and the love. We can hold these things together. Perhaps part of what sustains us for faithful life is learning to do exactly that. So for the next several weeks, we're going to practice paying attention to what inspires awe and ask what it might reveal about God, ourselves, one another, and this beautiful and broken world. And as we begin, there is a beautiful convergence I hadn't noticed in my initial planning. At sundown this past Friday, our Jewish neighbors began Rosh Hashanah, entering the ten holy days leading to Yom Kippur—days traditionally known as the High Holy Days or the Days of Awe. Days of Awe. Their practice during these days is also about paying attention—to life and relationships, to what has been and what might yet be. They stand in awe before their Creator as they honestly reflect on how they are living, as they seek and offer forgiveness, and turn again toward God and neighbor. What a wonderful reminder: awe isn't only about fleeting moments of wondrous beauty. Awe can give us perspective, help us see more fully, and remind us that us that even amid pain and brokenness, God's mercy and love are also part of the story. The social psychologist Dacher Keltner has spent years studying this experience of awe[i] —something poets, artists, and religious traditions have been talking about forever. His research identifies eight common sources of awe, experiences that can pull us out of our preoccupation with ourselves and into deeper connection with others and the wider world. And one of those wonders is, well, look around. It is us. It is other people. More specifically, it's what can happen when human beings gather together. Keltner uses an old sociological term for this experience: “collective effervescence.” Now, I know. That sounds like something you would order at a fancy bar. But you know the experience. You've been at a concert when thousands of people suddenly sing the same words together. (“Sweet Caroline!...) You've been at a game and all of a sudden you're doing the Wave. You've been at a vigil when hundreds of people fell silent together. You've marched with others for something you believe in. Maybe you've been in this sanctuary when we started singing a hymn and somewhere along the way it felt as though you weren't singing the hymn anymore. The hymn was carrying you. Something happens when human beings gather, when our bodies move together, our voices join together, our attention turns toward the same thing. For a moment, the boundaries of the individual self become a little more porous. The world is not only about me and my concerns and my fears and my little corner of existence. I become part of something larger. Collective effervescence is one, scientific way to describe that. The Psalmist simply says: “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness; come into God's presence with singing.” Psalm 100 is not a solitary song. The verbs are plural. The invitation is communal. Make a joyful noise together. Serve together. Know together. Enter the gates together. Give thanks together. And at the heart of the psalm is this: “Know that the Lord is God. It is God who made us, and we are God's…” We are God's. There is an alternate ancient reading of that line that says, “God made us, and not we ourselves.” We are not self-created. We are not self-sufficient. We are not self-made people whose lives belong only to ourselves. We are God's. And God made us for relationship, for connection, for community. Maybe that is part of what we experience in these extraordinary collective moments. Something deep within us remembers. I am not alone. I am part of something larger than myself. Sometimes the person standing beside you is part of how God reminds you that you are not alone. And God knows we need that reminder right now. There is so much anxiety in the air. Many are carrying deep concern about what the coming months will hold for our nation, for our neighbors, for people we love. And this weekend carries other memories and meanings as well. Twenty-five years ago, on September 11, our nation experienced an almost unimaginable act of violence and loss. We remember those who died, those who ran toward danger to help, families whose lives were forever changed. We remember the fear and grief of those days. And we remember something else too. We remember how powerfully human beings can be drawn together. Some of that drawing together produced extraordinary courage and generosity and care for neighbor. Strangers helped strangers. People lined up to give blood. Communities gathered to grieve and pray. And we also know that fear can draw people together. Fear can create a “we.” So can hatred. So can nationalism. So can the conviction that we will only be safe if they are kept out, silenced, defeated, controlled, destroyed. Collective effervescence is powerful, but it is not automatically holy or healing. Human beings have always been capable of becoming a “we.” The deeper question is: What kind of “we” are we becoming? The small Christian community at Colossae was trying to figure out what it meant to follow Jesus in a world filled with competing claims about who they were and where they belonged. Who was the “we” they were becoming? Their world knew how to categorize people just as well as ours does. Those categories carried judgments about who was civilized, who had status and power, who belonged—and who was looked down on, ignored, kicked out. And into that world comes this astonishing claim: “Christ is all and in all.” Differences don't disappear. But the categories human beings use to separate and assign value to one another cannot diminish God's creative design. We are part of something bigger—someone bigger—than ourselves. We are the Body of Christ. And if we are paying attention, if we remember we are created by God to be connected one to another as members of the Body, then we begin to understand how we are called to live and move together in ways that nurture and sustain our shared life. The author of the letter to the Colossians describes it poetically saying to the Body: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Bear with one another. Forgive one another. And “above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Let the peace of Christ be the rule and not the exception among you. Teach, sing, be thankful together. Practice becoming the “we” you are created to be. Practice. Because Christian community doesn't happen simply by occupying the same sanctuary for an hour on Sunday. It takes practice! Compassion for those we find difficult, humility as we listen to others, forgiveness of those who hurt us, and—Lord have mercy—patience in the midst of all the things…every one of these take practice. And this is why I get excited about a Sunday like this one. Because what we're beginning today is not simply another year of church programming. All those groups and classes and choirs and ministry teams we are launching again aren't just things to fill up the calendar. They are places to practice. Places where we learn to pray and serve and forgive and organize and sing and laugh and sometimes disagree and still come back to the table. Places where we practice paying attention, where we experience awe, collective effervescence, the wonder of being together. What kind of “we” will we practice becoming? There will be plenty of forces in the months ahead trying to answer that question for us. There will be voices telling us whom to fear and invitations to construct our “we” by identifying a “them.” But we are given grace to become another kind of “we.” We are, astonishingly, the Body of Christ. We are given grace to pay attention to the beautiful diversities that make up the human family and the creation as a whole. We are given grace to pay attention to the opportunities for learning and growth all around us. To pay attention to the energy that flows when we move together in the ways of Jesus Christ, when we practice the fruits of the Spirit, when we nurture and honor every member of the Body, when we clothe every thought, word, and deed in love. So pay attention when this room begins to sing. Pay attention when children race through these hallways and somebody greets them by name. Pay attention when people gather around a table and strangers slowly become friends. Pay attention when a group of people decides that someone else's suffering is their concern and figures out what to do about it. Pay attention when someone else's faith carries you because yours isn't quite strong enough that day. Pay attention. Be astonished. Because through it all, beneath it all, within it all, is the goodness of the Lord, whose steadfast love endures forever, whose faithfulness flows to all generations. And that, Beloved, is something worth telling about.   [i]Dacher Keltner, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, Penguin Books, 2023.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rosh Hashanah Reverberations: Friendship Through the Shofar Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-22-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: בשכונה שקטה ומודרנית, בין דשאים מסודרים ועצי סתיו בצבעי זהב, יעל ואמית התכוננו לתרגול שופר לקראת ראש השנה.En: In a quiet and modern neighborhood, amidst neatly arranged lawns and golden autumn trees, Yael and Amit were preparing to practice the shofar for Rosh Hashanah.He: בגינה אחורית קטנה ומזמינה, עם שני כיסאות, שולחן קטן וגנום גינה שצחקק מהצד, נעמדו שני החברים.En: In a small and inviting backyard, with two chairs, a small table, and a garden gnome chuckling from the side, the two friends stood.He: "אני בטוחה שאצליח הפעם," אמרה יעל בהתלהבות, מחזיקה את השופר בחוזקה.En: "I'm sure I'll succeed this time," said Yael enthusiastically, holding the shofar firmly.He: "אני רוצה להרשים את כולם בחג.En: "I want to impress everyone during the holiday."He: ""קדימה, את יכולה," חייך עמית, מפקח עליה באהבה ובעדינות.En: "Go ahead, you can do it," Amit smiled, supervising her lovingly and gently.He: "אבל די לפוצץ לי את האוזניים.En: "Just don't burst my eardrums."He: "יעל נשפה בכל הכוח.En: Yael blew with all her might.He: נשמע רעש חזק ומעוות.En: A loud and distorted noise was heard.He: השכנים, ובעיקר אלי שגר ממול, הסתכלו מבולבלים מתוך החלונות.En: The neighbors, especially Eli who lived across the street, looked confused from their windows.He: אלי, שמע את הצלילים המוזרים והופיע בחצר שלהם, נראה מעט עצבני.En: Eli, having heard the strange sounds, appeared in their yard, looking a bit agitated.He: "לחג הזה יש מסורת מדהימה," עמית פנה אל אלי, מנסה להקל את האווירה.En: "This holiday has an amazing tradition," Amit addressed Eli, trying to ease the atmosphere.He: "בוא, תצטרף אלינו ותנסה להבין.En: "Come on, join us and try to understand."He: "אלי ניגש, מסתכל בסקרנות על השופר, ועמית הסביר לו על המסורת של התקיעה בשופר לקראת ראש השנה, המסמלת את תחילת השנה החדשה.En: Eli approached, looking curiously at the shofar, and Amit explained to him about the tradition of blowing the shofar for Rosh Hashanah, which symbolizes the beginning of the new year.He: "הבנתי," אמר אלי יותר ברוגע.En: "I see," Eli said more calmly.He: "אבל אולי כדאי לנסות אחרי שתשיגי את הצליל הנכון?En: "But maybe it's better to try after you get the sound right?"He: "יעל התעקשה להמשיך.En: Yael insisted on continuing.He: אחרי כמה ניסיונות לא מוצלחים, היא נשמה עמוק והפעם מוציאה צליל יפהפה, רועם ומרגש.En: After a few unsuccessful attempts, she took a deep breath and this time produced a beautiful, resonant, and moving sound.He: הצליל התפשט ברחבי החצר, אפילו הציפורים נדמו לכמה רגעים.En: The sound spread throughout the yard, even the birds fell silent for a few moments.He: "וואו, יעל!En: "Wow, Yael!"He: " קרא עמית בהתרגשות.En: Amit exclaimed excitedly.He: אלי עמד בהלם קל, אך חיוך הופיע על פניו.En: Eli stood in mild shock, but a smile appeared on his face.He: "זה היה מקסים.En: "That was lovely."He: "לאחר מכן, השלושה התיישבו סביב השולחן, נהנים מעוגת תפוחי עץ ודבש.En: Afterward, the three of them sat around the table, enjoying apple cake and honey.He: אלי התעניין מאוד במסורת והתחיל לשאול שאלות.En: Eli was very interested in the tradition and began to ask questions.He: "אני שמח שהגעתי," הוא הודה בעיניים נוצצות.En: "I'm glad I came," he admitted with twinkling eyes.He: יעל התבוננה סביב, הרגישה גאווה וחיבור לקהילה.En: Yael looked around, feeling proud and connected to the community.He: ראש השנה הזה אומנם החל בתרועות קשוחות, אך הסתיים בקשרים חדשים ומבטים מחויכים.En: This Rosh Hashanah may have started with hard blasts, but it ended with new bonds and smiling faces.He: הטבע צהבב סביבם, והשכונה הקרירה התעוררה לחיים יחד איתם.En: Nature turned golden around them, and the cool neighborhood awakened to life with them. Vocabulary Words:quiet: שקטהmodern: מודרניתneighborhood: שכונהlawns: דשאיםautumn: סתיוpreparing: התכוננוbackyard: גינה אחוריתinviting: מזמינהfirmly: בחוזקהsupervising: מפקחeardrums: אוזנייםburst: לפוצץdistorted: מעוותconfused: מבולבליםatmosphere: אווירהcuriously: בסקרנותsymbolizes: המסמלתinsisted: התעקשהunsuccessful: לא מוצלחיםresonant: רועםconnected: חיבורbonds: קשריםsmiling: מחויכיםtwinkling: נוצצותadmired: העריכהproud: גאווהbursting: מתפוצץgolden: צהבבawakened: התעוררהgentle: באהבהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Elior's Enchanting Pomegranate: A Rosh Hashanah Revelation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-22-22-34-01-he Story Transcript:He: שוק הכרמל בתל אביב היה מלא חיים.En: Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv was full of life.He: צבעים וריחות של תבלינים ופירות רעננים התערבבו באוויר.En: Colors and scents of spices and fresh fruits mingled in the air.He: אנשים הסתובבו בין דוכנים, מכרו ובחנו סחורות.En: People wandered between stalls, selling and examining goods.He: היה זה יום של הכנות לקראת ראש השנה.En: It was a day of preparations for Rosh Hashanah.He: אליאור, ילד בן עשר עם עיניים סקרניות, הסתובב עם משפחתו בין מאות האנשים.En: Elior, a ten-year-old boy with curious eyes, roamed with his family amongst hundreds of people.He: הוא משך את אמו, יעל, שרצתה לקנות חלות ודבש.En: He pulled his mother, Yael, who wanted to buy challahs and honey.He: גבריאלה, אחותו המתבגרת, התעסקה בטלפון שלה ולא ממש שמה לב למה שקורה.En: Gabriella, his teenage sister, was engrossed in her phone and not really paying attention to what was happening.He: אליאור רצה למצוא משהו מיוחד לערב ראש השנה.En: Elior wanted to find something special for the Rosh Hashanah evening.He: משהו שיהפוך את השולחן למיוחד יותר.En: Something that would make the table more special.He: הוא הרגיש לפעמים שהוא קטן מדי ושאחותו תמיד מתעלה עליו.En: He sometimes felt that he was too small and that his sister always overshadowed him.He: לפתע, משהו משך את תשומת ליבו.En: Suddenly, something caught his attention.He: הוא ראה דוכן צדדי שבו מכר זקן רימונים צבעוניים ויפהפיים, כולם מצויירים ביד.En: He saw a side stall where an old man was selling colorful and beautifully hand-painted pomegranates.He: העיניים של אליאור נצצו, והוא החליט לחפש דרך לגשת לדוכן.En: Elior's eyes sparkled, and he decided to find a way to approach the stall.He: הוא ידע שאם יצליח, כולם יופתעו לטובה.En: He knew that if he succeeded, everyone would be pleasantly surprised.He: הוא ביקש מהאמא להשתחרר קצת, והיא הסכימה בלב דואג אך מבין.En: He asked his mom to let him wander a bit, and she agreed with a worried but understanding heart.He: בזמן שגבריאלה המשיכה להתכתב, אליאור פילס את דרכו בין האנשים.En: While Gabriella continued texting, Elior made his way through the crowd.He: בדוכן, הזקן חייך אליו.En: At the stall, the old man smiled at him.He: "מה אתה מחפש, ילד?En: "What are you looking for, child?"He: " שאל ברכות.En: he asked warmly.He: אליאור התבונן ברימונים היפיפיים והרגיש שזה בדיוק מה שהוא צריך.En: Elior looked at the beautiful pomegranates and felt this was exactly what he needed.He: "כמה זה עולה?En: "How much does it cost?"He: " שאל.En: he asked.He: הזקן נתן לו מחיר, ואליאור שלף את המטבעות שהצליח לחסוך.En: The old man gave him a price, and Elior pulled out the coins he had managed to save.He: כשהתקרב אל משפחתו, החיוך על פניו היה בלתי ניתן להתעלום.En: As he approached his family, the smile on his face was undeniable.He: גבריאלה הרימה את מבטה מהטלפון, ורק אז שמה לב.En: Gabriella lifted her head from the phone and only then noticed.He: יעל בירכה את בנה על הצלחתו, והם חזרו הביתה עם הפרי המיוחד.En: Yael congratulated her son on his success, and they returned home with the special fruit.He: בארוחת החג עמד הרימון במרכז השולחן, ועליו החלו משפחתו והמוזמנים לדבר בהתרגשות.En: At the holiday meal, the pomegranate stood at the center of the table, and his family and the guests began to talk about it excitedly.He: אליאור הרגיש גאווה והערכה.En: Elior felt pride and appreciation.He: גבריאלה, שהתעלמה מההכנות, החלה להכיר בחשיבות של המשפחה והמסורת.En: Gabriella, who had ignored the preparations, began to recognize the importance of family and tradition.He: היא חייכה אליו והבינה שגם דברים קטנים יכולים לעשות את כל ההבדל.En: She smiled at him and understood that even small things can make all the difference.He: ראש השנה הפך משמעותי במיוחד לשניהם.En: This Rosh Hashanah became especially meaningful for both of them. Vocabulary Words:mingled: התערבבוwandered: הסתובבוpreparations: הכנותRosh Hashanah: ראש השנהroamed: הסתובבengrossed: התעסקהovershadowed: מתעלהsparkled: נצצוapproach: לגשתstall: דוכןpleasantly: לטובהundeniable: בלתי ניתן להתעלוםcongratulated: בירכהcenter: מרכזpride: גאווהappreciation: הערכהimportance: חשיבותtradition: מסורתmeaningful: משמעותיlifefull: מלא חייםscents: ריחותgoods: סחורותcurious: סקרניותbeautifully: יפהפייםpainted: מצוייריםcrowd: אנשיםsmiled: חייךcoins: מטבעותguests: מוזמניםrecognized: להכירBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Crafting Home: A Sweet Start to University Life Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-21-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: זאב פתח את הדלת לחדר החדש שלו במעונות.En: Ze'ev opened the door to his new room in the dorms.He: היה ריח של צבע טרי ושטיח חדש.En: There was a smell of fresh paint and a new carpet.He: הוא הביט סביב, מנסה לדמיין איך יהפוך את המקום לבית.En: He looked around, trying to imagine how he would turn the place into a home.He: החדר היה קטן, והמיטה והארון ליד הקיר נראו לו זרים.En: The room was small, and the bed and wardrobe by the wall seemed foreign to him.He: השמש סיננה קרני אור דרך החלון הפתוח, והעלים הנושרים מהעצים בישרו עליו שהסתיו הגיע.En: The sun filtered light through the open window, and the falling leaves from the trees announced to him that autumn had arrived.He: הייתה גם תחושה של התרגשות באוויר – זו הייתה השנה הראשונה של זאב באוניברסיטה.En: There was also a sense of excitement in the air—it was Ze'ev's first year at the university.He: אבל עמוק בלב, זאב חשב על רוש השנה, חג תהילה במשפחתו.En: But deep in his heart, Ze'ev thought about Rosh Hashanah, a celebrated holiday in his family.He: הוא התגעגע לתבשילים של אמא ולמפגש המשפחתי.En: He missed his mother's dishes and the family gathering.He: היה לו חשוב לחגוג את החג, גם אם בצורה קטנה עם חברים חדשים.En: It was important for him to celebrate the holiday, even in a small way with new friends.He: זאב ומאיה ונעם, שכנים למעון, החליטו ללכת לקניות.En: Ze'ev, Maya, and Noam, neighbors in the dorm, decided to go shopping.He: החנות הייתה עמוסה מאוד.En: The store was very crowded.He: כל הסטודנטים רצו לקנות דברים לחדרים שלהם.En: All the students wanted to buy things for their rooms.He: היה רועש וצפוף, וזאב התקשה למצוא את מה שהוא באמת צריך.En: It was noisy and crowded, and Ze'ev found it difficult to find what he really needed.He: אבל הוא זכר שהוא רוצה רוש השנה מיוחד.En: But he remembered that he wanted a special Rosh Hashanah.He: בין המדפים הוא ראה צנצנת דבש קטנה – מושלמת לסימן שנה טובה ומתוקה.En: Among the shelves, he saw a small jar of honey—perfect for marking a good and sweet year.He: ליד הדבש היו תפוחים.En: Near the honey were apples.He: הוא עצר, חייך והבין שהצליח.En: He stopped, smiled, and realized he had succeeded.He: הוא הזמין את מאיה ונעם להצטרף אליו.En: He invited Maya and Noam to join him.He: „בואו נחגוג, נתחלק בדבש ותפוחים,“ הוא אמר עם ברק בעיניים.En: "Let's celebrate, share honey and apples," he said with a sparkle in his eyes.He: כשחזרו לחדר, זאב הכין פינה קטנה ושם את הצנצנת והתפוחים במרכז.En: When they returned to the room, Ze'ev created a little corner and placed the jar and apples in the center.He: האווירה הפכה ביתית.En: The atmosphere became homely.He: הם ישבו יחד וצחקו, כל אחד סיפור על החגיגה בבית.En: They sat together and laughed, each sharing a story about the celebration at home.He: זאב מסר לכל אחד תפוח בטבילה ראשונה בדבש.En: Ze'ev handed each one an apple dipped for the first time in honey.He: החדר היה מלא בצחוק ובשמחה, ובהדרגה החל זאב להרגיש את תחושת הבית.En: The room was filled with laughter and joy, and gradually Ze'ev began to feel a sense of home.He: גם במקום חדש, המסורת והחברות החדשה יצרו בו תחושה של שייכות.En: Even in a new place, tradition and new friendship created a sense of belonging in him.He: בערב הזה, הוא הבין שהוא יכול להביא את תחושת הבית לכל מקום, והכול בזכות השיתוף והחברות.En: That evening, he understood that he could bring a sense of home anywhere, all thanks to sharing and friendship. Vocabulary Words:dorms: מעונותcarpet: שטיחwardrobe: ארוןforeign: זריםfiltered: סיננהannounce: בישרוexcitement: התרגשותheart: לבcelebrated: תהילהdishes: תבשיליםgathering: מפגשimportant: חשובneighbors: שכניםshopping: קניותcrowded: עמוסהnoisy: רועשsucceeded: הצליחinvited: הזמיןsparkle: ברקcorner: פינהatmosphere: אווירהlaughed: צחקוstory: סיפורdipped: בטבילהgradually: בהדרגהbelonging: שייכותtradition: מסורתfriendship: חברותsharing: שיתוףthanks: בזכותBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Tuesday, September 19th, 2023In the Hot Notes: More obstruction of justice in the Mar-a-Lago documents case; Jeffrey Clark didn't show up to his hearing today in his bid to remove his Fulton County case to federal court; House Democrats press for cameras in federal courts; Hunter Biden has filed a lawsuit against the IRS; Kenneth Chesebro has filed a motion to quash one of the Fulton County charges against him arguing that the fraudulent electors were duly elected and certified; Jann Wenner has been removed from his position on the board of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for racist and sexist statements; 7 Americans have returned home from being wrongfully imprisoned in Iran; Trump attacks liberal Jews on Rosh Hashanah; plus Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Our Guest Michael HarriotBlack AF History The Un-Whitewashed Story of Americahttps://www.michaelharriot.comhttps://twitter.com/michaelharriotDrapetomaniax Podcast Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if letting go of control is actually the key to joy? In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Reuven Margrett explore why Sukkot, coming on the heels of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, is called zman simchateinu—the time of our joy. They consider how the holidays form a single journey: from confronting judgment to accepting that we are not ultimately in control. The sukkah invites us to discover how that vulnerability can open the door to gratitude, closeness with God, and joy.

The holiest day of the year is upon us. The day of Yom Kippur is unmatched and unrivaled by any other. It is a day of elevation. It is a day of purification. It is a day to be cleansed of all of our sins. It is a day to move past all of our trauma. On this day God pledges to forgive us from for all of our sins. But some of us have a hard time connecting with this awesome day. Some of us wish that we can leapfrog this day and move on to the festival of Sukkos. Why do we have such a hard time with this day, and what is there to do about it? In this really superb podcast, we learn about the secrets of this awesome day, and what is actually we need to do so that we merit to partake in its vast, awesome power.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Gloria Steinem, Canada, The Kennedy Center, Rosh Hashanah and now Yom Kippur, we've got a lot to kvetch about and eat lentil soup too.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Balancing Bytes and Traditions: A Rosh Hashanah Miracle Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-20-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: ברחוב רוטשילד בתל אביב, בין העצים שהיו מתחילים ללבוש צבעי שלכת, פעלו אליאנה ונעם במרץ.En: On Rechov Rothschild in Tel Aviv, between the trees that were beginning to don autumn colors, Eliana and Noam worked energetically.He: המולת הרחוב והאנרגיה של סצנת ההייטק התל אביבית העניקו להם השראה.En: The hustle and bustle of the street and the energy of the Tel Aviv high-tech scene inspired them.He: ערב ראש השנה התקרב, והם עבדו קשה על השקת מוצר חדש בחברת הסטארט-אפ שבה עבדו שניהם.En: Erev Rosh Hashanah was approaching, and they were working hard on the launch of a new product at the startup company where they both worked.He: אליאנה, מנהלת פרויקטים חדשה, הרגישה את לחץ הזמן.En: Eliana, a new project manager, felt the time pressure.He: היא רצתה להצליח ולהוכיח את יכולותיה, אבל כמישהי שמחוברת למסורת ולמשפחתה, היא הרגישה קרועה בין העבודה להכנות לחג.En: She wanted to succeed and prove her capabilities, but as someone connected to tradition and her family, she felt torn between work and the holiday preparations.He: נעם, המפתח המוכשר, גם חש את הלחץ.En: Noam, the talented developer, also felt the pressure.He: המשפחה שלו ציפתה ממנו להגיע לארוחת חג, אבל המוצר דרש את מלוא תשומת ליבו.En: His family expected him to come to the holiday meal, but the product demanded his full attention.He: הימים חלפו, ולחץ העבודה גבר.En: The days passed, and the work pressure increased.He: אליאנה נאבקה לשלב את המסורת עם העבודה.En: Eliana struggled to balance tradition with work.He: היא החליטה להביא את רוח חג ראש השנה למשרד.En: She decided to bring the spirit of Rosh Hashanah to the office.He: היא קישטה את הפינת העבודה בתפוחים וצנצנת דבש, ואף הציעה לעובדים לשתף זיכרונות מהחג.En: She decorated her workspace with apples and a jar of honey, and even suggested to the employees to share memories of the holiday.He: כך הצליחה להטעין את הקבוצה באנרגיה חיובית ולהזכיר לכולם את החשיבות של איזון.En: This way, she succeeded in infusing the group with positive energy and reminded everyone of the importance of balance.He: והנה, ערב ראש השנה הגיע.En: And then, Erev Rosh Hashanah arrived.He: לפתע, במין דרמה לא צפויה, התגלתה תקלה קריטית בתוכנה שעלולה הייתה להשבית את כל הפרויקט.En: Suddenly, in an unexpected drama, a critical software bug was discovered that could have shut down the entire project.He: הלחץ גאה על פני כולם, והזמן הלך ואזל.En: The pressure mounted on everyone's faces, and time was running out.He: הם התכנסו חדר קטן מאחורי המסכים המהבהבים, עם מבטים חדורים בנחישות.En: They gathered in a small room behind the flickering screens, with looks filled with determination.He: אליאנה ונעם הסתכלו אחד על השני בעיניים מבינות, חרדים וממוקדים.En: Eliana and Noam looked at each other with understanding eyes, anxious and focused.He: יחד עם הצוות, הם השקיעו מאמץ אחרון, מתמרצים אחד את השני, תוך הבנה שגם עבודה וגם משפחה חשובים.En: Together with the team, they made one final effort, motivating each other, with the understanding that both work and family are important.He: בסופו של דבר, התוכנה תוקנה בזמן.En: In the end, the software was fixed in time.He: כולם נשמו לרווחה ושמחה התפשטה במשרד.En: Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and joy spread throughout the office.He: אליאנה למד שהשגת היעדים שלה לא חייבת לבוא על חשבון המסורת.En: Eliana learned that achieving her goals doesn't have to come at the expense of tradition.He: הצלילים של צחוק ומחיאות כפיים ליוו את יציאתם לרחוב, בדרכם לחגוג עם המשפחה.En: The sounds of laughter and applause accompanied their departure into the street, on their way to celebrate with family.He: הערב ירד, והרגשה של שלווה ואיחוד ליוותה אותם בדרכם הביתה לחגוג את ראש השנה מתוך תחושת השלמה והצלחה.En: Evening fell, and a feeling of peace and unity accompanied them on their way home to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with a sense of fulfillment and success.He: כך אליאנה הבינה שיכולה לשלב בין השאיפות שלה לעבודה לבין השמירה על ערכי המשפחה, ושתיהן יכולות להתקיים בהרמוניה מלאה.En: In this way, Eliana understood that she could combine her career aspirations with maintaining family values, and both could coexist in perfect harmony. Vocabulary Words:don: ללבושenergetically: במרץhustle: ההמולהbustle: רחשinspired: העניק השראהlaunch: ההשקהcapabilities: יכולותtorn: קרועהbalance: איזוןinfusing: להטעיןcritical: קריטיתdetermination: נחישותanxious: חרדיםfocused: ממוקדיםeffort: מאמץmotivating: מתמרציםexpense: חשבוןapplause: מחיאות כפייםdeparture: יציאתםcelebrate: לחגוגpeace: שלווהunity: איחודfulfillment: תחושת השלמהaspirations: שאיפותmaintaining: השמירהcoexist: מתקייםharmony: הרמוניהscene: סצנתstartup: חברת הסטארט-אפcritical bug: תקלה קריטיתBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: New Beginnings: A Rosh Hashanah Tale on Tel Aviv's Shore Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-20-07-38-19-he Story Transcript:He: מתחת לשמיים כחולים ולקרני השמש הזהובות של אחר הצהריים, רטט הים של תל אביב.En: Under the blue skies and golden rays of the afternoon sun, the sea of Tel Aviv shimmered.He: רינה, יעל, ואיתן עמדו על החול הרך של החוף.En: Rina, Yael, and Eitan stood on the soft sand of the beach.He: היה זה טיול שנתי של בית הספר, אבל לא טיול רגיל - ראש השנה והזמן לשנה חדשה הגיעו.En: It was the annual school trip, but not an ordinary trip - Rosh Hashanah and the time for a new year had arrived.He: איתן הביט סביבו, מרגיש גם התרגשות וגם חשש.En: Eitan looked around, feeling both excitement and apprehension.He: הוא ידע שהשנה הזו יכולה להיות שונה.En: He knew that this year could be different.He: אבל שינוי - זה הפחיד אותו.En: But change - it frightened him.He: יעל, החכמה והרגועה, הרגישה במחשבות של איתן.En: Yael, the wise and calm one, sensed Eitan's thoughts.He: "יהיה בסדר, איתן," היא לחשה בחיוכה עדין.En: "It will be okay, Eitan," she whispered with a gentle smile.He: רינה הרימה ידיה לקריאות הציפורים והצחקוּת האנשים סביבם.En: Rina raised her hands to the calls of the birds and the laughter of people around them.He: "בואו נעשה משהו מיוחד לכבוד השנה החדשה!En: "Let's do something special in honor of the new year!"He: " היא אמרה, הרעיונות רצים בראשה ללא הרף.En: she declared, ideas racing through her mind incessantly.He: החוף היה מלא חיים, משפחות אכלו, ילדים רצו, והים התגלגל בנחת על החוף.En: The beach was full of life, families eating, children running, and the sea leisurely rolling onto the shore.He: רינה הציעה משהו חדש - טקס תשליך.En: Rina proposed something new - a Tashlich ceremony.He: "נזרוק את הדאגות שלנו לים," היא הציעה, קופצת על רגליה.En: "Let's cast our worries into the sea," she suggested, leaping to her feet.He: "כך נוכל להתחיל את השנה ללא משקל.En: "That way, we can start the year without any burdens."He: "איתן לא היה בטוח.En: Eitan wasn't sure.He: הוא חשש משינויים, והמסורת של ראש השנה גרמה לו להרגיש את משקל הציפיות.En: He feared changes, and the Rosh Hashanah tradition made him feel the weight of expectations.He: "אבל מה אם זה לא יעבוד?En: "But what if it doesn't work?"He: " שאל בעצבנות.En: he asked nervously.He: אך יעל חייכה, "לפעמים צריך לשחרר כדי להתקדם.En: Yet Yael smiled, "Sometimes you have to let go to move forward."He: "השמש החלה לשקוע לאיטה, הצובעת את השמיים בגוונים של ורוד וכתום.En: The sun began to slowly set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange.He: איתן התנשף עמוק והחליט.En: Eitan took a deep breath and decided.He: הוא יהיה אמיץ.En: He would be brave.He: "בסדר, אני אעשה זאת.En: "Okay, I will do it."He: "שלושתם עמדו מרוכזים מול הים, מרימים את ידיָם כמו בתפילה.En: The three of them stood focused in front of the sea, raising their hands as if in prayer.He: איתן עצם את עיניו ודמיין את כל הפחדים והחששות שלו נמסים אל תוך גלי הים הקרירים.En: Eitan closed his eyes and imagined all of his fears and worries melting into the cool waves of the sea.He: רגע של דממה הוקף במילות הקסם החבויות בתרבותם.En: A moment of silence was enveloped in the magical words hidden in their culture.He: כאשר הם סיימו את התפילה, איתן הרגיש משהו חדש.En: When they finished the prayer, Eitan felt something new.He: תחושת קלילות והתחדשות.En: A sense of lightness and renewal.He: הוא הביט ברינה ויעל, חיוך קטן ורוגע נגלל על פניו.En: He looked at Rina and Yael, a small and serene smile spread across his face.He: הוא היה מוכן לשנה החדשה.En: He was ready for the new year.He: מוכן לשינויים.En: Ready for changes.He: השקט של רינה ויעל אמר הכל.En: The quietness of Rina and Yael said it all.He: איתן הבין שהפחדים שלו אינם כה אימתניים כפי שחשב.En: Eitan realized that his fears were not as formidable as he had thought.He: מעכשיו, הוא יהיה פתוח יותר, ומוכן לקבל את השינויים הבאים בזרועות פתוחות.En: From now on, he would be more open and ready to embrace the coming changes with open arms.He: השמש ירדה מעבר לאופק, מותירה את החוף לאור הכוכבים הראשונים.En: The sun dipped beyond the horizon, leaving the beach under the light of the first stars.He: איתן, רינה, ויעל שבו איתם את הרגע, זיכרון של התחלה חדשה.En: Eitan, Rina, and Yael captured the moment with them, a memory of a new beginning. Vocabulary Words:shimmered: רטטapprehension: חששwhispered: לחשהincessantly: ללא הרףleisurely: בנחתproposed: הציעהceremony: טקסburdens: משקלnervously: בעצבנותenvelope: מוקףformidable: אימתנייםhorizon: אופקcaptured: שבוbeginning: התחלהgolden: הזהובותfears: פחדיםrenewal: התחדשותbrave: אמיץserene: רוגעsilence: דממהthoughts: מחשבותexpectations: ציפיותwaves: גלי היםpink: ורודorange: כתוםquietness: שקטembrace: לקבלstars: כוכביםmemory: זיכרוןrelease: לשחררBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Nachi Gordon hosts a live panel on sexual abuse in the frum community, recorded at an event presented by Ray of Hope and Amudim right before Rosh Hashanah. He's joined by Amudim founder Zvi Gluck, Amudim's Director of Education Avi Landa, Amudim Clinical Director Dr. Miriam Lankry, and Ray of Hope founder Zelda Brody, who opens the evening by sharing her own story of abuse and the years of silent suffering that led her to build Ray of Hope. Using live audience polling throughout the night, the panel works through how well the community actually handles abuse, how young the conversation about bodies and boundaries with kids should start, and what to say and what never to say when someone discloses to you. From there the conversation moves into harder territory: which warning signs actually mean something, why going to a rav first is often not the full answer, when police need to be the first call, and how survivors navigate marriage, dating, and family relationships with relatives who still stay close to their abuser. Zvi, Avi, Miriam, and Zelda spend real time on why so many people still stay silent out of shame, push back hard on the idea that abusers often get more communal support than their victims, and close out the night on what they'd want every survivor in the room, and everyone listening at home, to walk away knowing.

You can download the notes here:https://esm.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/09.12.-26-Congregational-Notes.pdf___________________________________Website: esm.usPastor Mark BiltzMission Statement: (https://esm.us/about/)El Shaddai Ministries exists to take Torah to the nations by restoring the Biblical and historical perspectives that have been lost over the last 2000 years, uncovering replacement theology, and healing our Christian-Jewish relationships.Statement of Beliefs:https://tinyurl.com/4ks6eznu

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Harvest Harmony: Tradition and Change at Kibbutz Shdot Yam Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-09-19-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: הים נשם כבד, גליו מכים בעוז על החוף.En: The sea breathed heavily, its waves pounding forcefully on the shore.He: חוף זה היה ממקום השקט של קיבוץ שדות ים.En: This beach was a quiet spot at the Kibbutz Shdot Yam.He: הסתיו הגיע, ובקיבוץ היו צריכים להספיק לאסוף את היבולים לפני שהגשם ירד.En: Autumn had arrived, and at the kibbutz, they needed to finish gathering the crops before the rain fell.He: ארי, חבר נאמן בקיבוץ, התבונן ברקיע הכחול שהתחלף לאפור, מבשר את בוא הגשמים.En: Ari, a loyal member of the kibbutz, watched the blue sky turn gray, heralding the coming of the rains.He: ריח הים המלוח התמזג עם ניחוח הפירות והדגן שהגיע משדות הקיבוץ.En: The salty sea scent blended with the aroma of fruits and grains wafting from the kibbutz fields.He: ארי ידע שעליו להנהיג את המאמץ הזה.En: Ari knew he had to lead this effort.He: ראש השנה בפתח, והיה חשוב לו שהקהילה תזכה ביבול טרי לחגוג את השנה החדשה.En: Rosh Hashanah was approaching, and it was important to him that the community had fresh produce to celebrate the New Year.He: מסורת וחגיגה הם עמודי תווך עבורו, אך בליבו הייתה גם תחושת מאבק.En: Tradition and celebration were pillars for him, but in his heart, there was also a sense of struggle.He: הדברים השתנו במהירות בקיבוץ, והשילוב בין חדש לישן לא היה תמיד קל.En: Things were changing rapidly in the kibbutz, and blending the new with the old was not always easy.He: בשדה עבדו מרים ואיתן, שניהם צעירים מלאי אנרגיה.En: In the field worked Miriam and Eitan, both young and full of energy.He: המתח היה גבוה, וכמות הידיים העובדות הייתה מעטה.En: The tension was high, and there were few hands to work.He: ארי פנה אל מרחב עבודת הצוות, ושוחח עם ותיקי הקיבוץ על החשיבות בשיתוף פעולה עם הצעירים.En: Ari approached the space of team labor and spoke with the veteran members of the kibbutz about the importance of collaborating with the younger members.He: הוא הציע לשלב שיטות מתקדמות עם הידע הוותיק.En: He suggested combining advanced methods with the old knowledge.He: ככל שמפלס השמיים החשיך והרוח התחזקה, כל חברי הקיבוץ נרתמו למשימה.En: As the sky darkened and the wind strengthened, all the members of the kibbutz joined the mission.He: העננים הכבדים התקדמו מהים, והיה ברור שהגשם עומד להגיע בקרוב.En: The heavy clouds advanced from the sea, and it was clear the rain would soon arrive.He: העבודה הייתה מאומצת, אך איש לא וויתר.En: The work was strenuous, but no one gave up.He: לבסוף, דווקא עם הצליל הראשון של טיפת גשם על אדמת השדה, כילתה הקהילה את הקטיף ומילאה את הסל האחרון.En: Finally, just as the first raindrop hit the field's soil, the community completed the harvest and filled the last basket.He: בערב, התכנס הקיבוץ לחגוג את ראש השנה.En: In the evening, the kibbutz gathered to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.He: הארוחה הייתה עמוסת כל טוב, יבולי השדה היו הוכחה לעבודה המאומצת, ובכך סמל לשפע ולאחדות.En: The meal was bountiful, the field's produce was proof of their hard work, symbolizing abundance and unity.He: ארי חייך, חש מאושר.En: Ari smiled, feeling happy.He: השינוי לא טרף את המסורת, אלא השלים אותה.En: The change did not disrupt tradition but complemented it.He: העולם הישן נפגש עם החדש, וביחד זכו הקהילה והרוח באחדות הצלחה.En: The old world met the new, and together the community and spirit achieved a unity of success. Vocabulary Words:breathed: נשםheavily: כבדpounding: מכים בעוזquiet: שקטgathering: לאסוףheralding: מבשרblended: התמזגwafting: ניחוחeffort: מאמץapproaching: בפתחproduce: יבולcelebrate: לחגוגstruggle: מאבקtension: מתחveteran: וותיקיםcollaborating: שיתוף פעולהstrengthened: התחזקהmission: משימהadvanced: מתקדמותstrenuous: מאומצתraindrop: טיפת גשםbountiful: עמוסת כל טובsymbolizing: סמלabundance: שפעunity: אחדותcomplemented: השלימהachieved: זכוrapidly: במהירותkibbutz: קיבוץharvest: קטיףBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Rosh Hashanah morning at Stephen Wise Temple, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback explores an ancient Hebrew word — Hineini, "Here I am" — through the lens of one of the newest challenges facing us: artificial intelligence. Weaving together the Binding of Isaac, a teaching from the Mussar master Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, and the work of Israeli thinker Micah Goodman, Rabbi Zweiback asks what AI can and cannot give us — and what it means to keep practicing the very human capacities technology can't replace: listening, patience, forgiveness, showing up for one another when there's nothing to fix.A personal reflection on loss, presence, and the difference between a tool that serves us and a person who makes a claim on our lives.

Pulse of Israel will be sitting down with representatives from the various lists running in Israel's 2026 elections, not to play studio referee, but so Israelis and our allies abroad can hear, in their own words, who intends to lead this country, what makes them unique, and what they will actually do in the Knesset.Avi Abelow sat down with Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for Hebron, city councilman in Efrat in Gush Etzion, and now a candidate for the Knesset on Otzma Yehudit, the party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.Fleisher walks through some of Otzma Yehudit's record in government over the past 4 years: law and order, the fight against terrorism, and refusing the language of apology that treats Jewish presence in our heartland as a public-relations problem. He talks about Itamar Ben-Gvir as he knows him, not the soundbites sold by Israeli and foreign media. Why Ben-Gvir is misunderstood, what the attacks on him are really for, and why a Hebron spokesman and Efrat councilman would put his name on that ticket.We also get out of the campaign studio and onto the mountain. Fleisher just took part in a historic visit to the Temple Mount / Har HaBayit on Rosh Hashanah, including the blowing of shofars and Temple trumpets in a way not experienced since Temple times, more than 2,000 years. That is not a side note. It is the same argument as the election: the Jewish people are not guests in Jerusalem, and geulah/redemption is not a metaphor.If you care about Israel elections 2026, Otzma Yehudit, Ben-Gvir, Hebron, Efrat, the Temple Mount, Jewish identity, and whether Israel leads or copies a collapsing West, watch the full interview.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/

Fall Holy and Feast Days - Unfulfilled, Future Prophetic EventsThe holy days have been celebrated ever since the Lord instituted them during the Exodus. Remembering them deepens the richness of our understanding of Messiah Jesus, in Whom all the festivals have been and will be fulfilled. Interpreted as pointing to the resurrection of believers, but in partial fulfillment points to every born again believer.Note: There were some sound issues in the first couple minutes but it clears at approximately 1:40.The time for reflection near the end has been greatly shortened.

The presence of both the engraved Tablets and the written Torah scroll in the Holy of Holies illustrates how the transcendent, beyond-logic self-nullification of Rosh Hashanah bridges into our daily, rational lives to draw spiritual blessings down into tangible, material reality. The words Teshuvah (return to one's core essence), Tefillah (connection and attachment), and Tzedakah (justice as Hashem's entrusted custodian) simply cannot be translated as repentance, prayer, and charity. Every individual must balance active material contribution (the Kohen Gadol's golden vestments) with pure, unpretentious inward devotion (the simple white linen) to enter their own internal Holy of Holies. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Vayelech in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 2.

As Yom Kippur approaches, Ari and Jeremy reflect on the spiritual meaning of these extraordinary days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Through Parshat Ha'azinu and the words of the prophet Hosea, they explore teshuva, trust, suffering, healing, and the challenge of continuing to sing when there is a gap in the song. What if the struggle you are trying to push out of your prayer is actually the prayer Hashem wants you to bring? What if stumbling is not the end of the road, but evidence that you are still walking? This powerful conversation is an invitation to enter Yom Kippur with honesty, hope, and deeper trust in Hashem—even when we cannot understand the chapter we are living. Join the Land of Israel Fellowship and become part of a growing community of lovers of God, Torah, and Israel. Connect with Ari and Jeremy, go deeper into Torah, and join us for live teachings and fellowship from the hills of Judea. Try the Fellowship free for 30 days: https://thelandofisrael.com/fellowship-trial/ #YomKippur #Teshuva #Haazinu #RoshHashanah #Torah #Faith #Hashem #Israel #JewishFaith #Hosea #LandOfIsrael #Fellowship

The last day of Moshe's reign, coincided with the first day of Joshua's reign. For one day, Moshe and Joshua led the nation together as co-heads. On that day, Moshe and Joshua together conveyed the exquisite, comprehensive sound of Haazinu. A song that spans everything: the past, the present, the future, this world, the world to come. A song that encapsulates all of Torah, a song that foretells all future events. Not all stanzas though scream joy. Not all of what we read does not evoke ecstasy. Not all of what we read inspires us to dance. We read about the nation going astray - Jeshurun growing fat and corpulent and rebelled against God. We read about the disastrous consequences of what happens to us when God turns away from us. We read a frightening and chilling account of the condition of our people in exile. In this interesting Parsha podcast, we learn about Joshua's first day on the job, and the secret of the Song of Haazinu.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –This Parsha Podcast is dedicated by our friend Hadassah Benny in loving memory and leilui nishmas her mother Lila Bat Lachmin whose yahrzeit falls out on the 6th of Tishrei, the day that this podcast is being released. May her soul be elevated in Heaven.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

Yom Kippur is a day of atonement and expiation. On this auspicious day, the Almighty forgives us for all our transgressions and we become purified before God. But the purification of Yom Kippur is limited to sins between man and God. For interpersonal transgressions, there is no atonement unless the aggressor appeases and secures forgiveness from the aggrieved. In this sweeping episode we discuss the nature of interpersonal transgressions and the tremendous sensitivity and delicateness required to not cause another person pain or loss; we scour the process of how to gain atonement for interpersonal transgressions; and we talk about the importance and the challenge of forgiving others who have wronged us.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

On Rosh Hashanah, we crowned Hashem the King. We understood that Hashem runs the world. He is in charge of everything that takes place. We are nothing and Hashem is everything. And we are so proud and happy to be the children of the King in His kingdom. But now, we have to act on that knowledge. We have to live with the understanding that Hashem is the King. That means recognizing that everything that happens to us, every second of the day, is coming from the King. And He is not only Malkeinu, He is Avinu. He is our King, Who is our Father, Who loves us more than we can imagine. When we react to the circumstances of life with that understanding, our avodah becomes so great. A man told me that before Rosh Hashanah, he traveled to Israel for just a couple of days to get a spiritual uplift. He went to get berachot from rabbis and go to the Kotel. He told me he went to visit the King before the great day of Yom HaDin. But as soon as he arrived, his phone stopped working. He had so many calls he needed to make and so many people he needed to contact. But no matter what he tried, he couldn't get the phone to work, and he became very frustrated. Then suddenly he caught himself. He thought, I came here to visit the King, and I forgot Who the King is. Hashem is the One Who decided that my phone shouldn't work right now. Why am I getting so frustrated? I'm in the King's world and He's running the show. And the King is my loving Father. If this is what He wants right now, then I know it's best for me. That thought completely changed his perspective. He totally calmed down. Those thoughts were so beautiful. A relative of mine has a valuable watch that needed to be repaired. She brought it to a jeweler, and he suggested that she go to a small repair shop next door where it would be much cheaper. She went in, and the repairman began taking the watch apart. Before she knew what was happening, pieces of her expensive watch were all over the counter. Then the man said to her, "Sorry, it's broken." She couldn't believe it. "So put it back together," she said. He replied that he wasn't sure he could. She got so upset. Eventually, he told her, "Come back in a couple of hours and I'll see what I can do." She went home distraught. But then she stopped herself and remembered Who was really in charge. She said, "Hashem, You're the King. If You want my watch, I'm happy to give it to You. If You want my watch to be broken, then I accept it with love, because whatever You want for me, I know is best." Immediately, she felt so much better. In the end, she went back to the store, and although she didn't understand how, the man managed to put the entire watch back together and actually fixed it. But the emunah that she displayed during those few hours was worth far more than that watch. Another man told me that this past summer he was teaching children a woodworking class when, lo aleinu, his hand got caught in one of the machines. Two of his fingers were being crushed. Baruch Hashem, he managed to pull his hand out, but it was badly injured and dripping with blood. He told me that after fifteen years of learning emunah every day, even he couldn't believe how calm he was. He simply went over, got a towel and covered his hand. He felt like he was completely in the hands of Hashem. His feeling was, Hashem, if this is what You want for me, then I accept it with love. The people there watching couldn't believe their eyes. Here was a man who had just suffered a terrible injury, yet he was completely calm because he knew Who was running the world. Baruch Hashem, he was able to get treated by a top plastic surgeon, and now, a few months later, his fingers are almost completely back to normal. The emunah he displayed at that time was truly inspiring. A woman who has been in shidduchim for many years related that her young niece had just started shidduchim and remarked to her how difficult shidduchim were. The woman thought to herself, What do you know about difficult? You just started. I've been waiting for so many years. It was painful for her to hear those words. Then, just a few months later, that niece became engaged. Naturally, that could have been extremely difficult for her, but she had been working on her emunah, and she told herself, This is the ratzon of the King. If Hashem wants her to be engaged right now and He wants me to still be waiting, why shouldn't I be happy for her? I'm happy with the life that Hashem wants me to have, and I'm happy with the life that Hashem wants her to have. She went to the engagement party and was genuinely happy for her niece. She overcame the natural feelings of jealousy and hurt and instead displayed the most beautiful emunah, understanding that her Father, the King, runs the world. It's not enough just to say on Rosh Hashanah that Hashem is the King. We have to live every day of our lives with the recognition that He's the King. When something doesn't go the way we wanted, when someone else gets something we're waiting for, or whenever anything difficult happens, we must remind ourselves: The King is running the world. And the King is Avinu Malkeinu, our loving Father, Who knows exactly what we need. Of course, the same is true when we receive blessings and have happy times. We thank the King Who is in charge of all of that as well. Our avodah is to live every day with the knowledge that Hashem is the King. This is how we truly crown Hashem King—not only on Rosh Hashanah, but every day of our lives.

The violence of extremist settlers on the West Bank as they systematically terrorize, attack and even displace Palestinian communities is a “perversion of Judaism” and a desecration of God’s name,” said Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast in the week between the Jewish New Year and its Day of Atonement. Joining Weiman-Kelman on the podcast is Loui Ridi, a Palestinian American who flew from Ohio back to his home in the West Bank village of Qusra, after settlers laid siege to his neighborhood and the IDF declared a closed military zone. Ridi has been unable to leave his house for a month due to the order, and says the closure has been selectively enforced against Palestinians, while the army refuses to remove the settlers. Ridi is flying the American flag on his house, he said, “as a message to the U.S. government, to the U.S. officials, that I need protection and I need help.” Weiman-Kelman, a former president of Rabbis for Human Rights and retired spiritual leader of Kol HaNeshama, a Reform synagogue in Jerusalem, reflected on the situation in the West Bank and the overall state of the country following Rosh Hashanah and ahead of Yom Kippur – a day on which, he said, “I want to atone for still feeling the effects of October 7, for the nationalist part of me overcoming the universal vision that is also part of me.” Israel today is not only threatened by external enemies, but “threatened from within by the moral center of this country beginning to shatter and disintegrate before our eyes,” he said. “We live in a country where people feel encouraged and empowered to express their darkest sides through acts of physical violence,” he said, including repeated vandalism to the Reform synagogue in Jerusalem he founded in 1985. Read more: One Month and One IDF 'Outpost Evacuation' Later, Qusra Remains Besieged by Settlers Palestinian-American Returns to West Bank Home Besieged by Israeli Settlers B'Tselem Says Israel Is Implementing a 'Project of Elimination' Against Palestinians in the West Bank IDF Dismisses Commander Over Praying With Settlers at West Bank Outpost American Rabbis Confront a Fraught Question This High Holy Day Season: How to Talk About IsraelSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lebanon's future is at the center of a major diplomatic push as President Joseph Aoun meets French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan's King Abdullah II in Paris. The talks come as Israel and Lebanon explore a possible security framework, including what could eventually replace UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.In this episode of the Israel Daily News Podcast, Shana Fuld breaks down the history behind the Israel-Lebanon conflict and explains why UNIFIL has remained in southern Lebanon for nearly 50 years.The discussion covers the origins of UNIFIL, the PLO's presence in southern Lebanon, Israel's 1978 and 1982 operations, Hezbollah's emergence, and the aftermath of the Second Lebanon War.Shana also explains the current proposal being discussed: Israeli forces could withdraw as the Lebanese military moves into southern Lebanon and Hezbollah is disarmed. But Israel says the Lebanese army must prove it can actually remove Hezbollah from the area before an Israeli withdrawal can take place.The episode also covers:

As we enter 5787, Rabbi Zuckerman reflects on the Jewish American experience with a story about Jonas Philips, a Jewish figure in the American Revolution, and discusses how the Jewish calendar is one of the most powerful communicators of Jewish identity that we possess.

Rosh HaShanah & Yom Kipur - Din & Rahamim by Rabbi Avi Harari

Season 7 is here, and we're kicking off the new year with resolutions, personal growth, and answers to the really tough questions like: is Kyle Kuzma the new cast BFF? There's an unexpectedly wholesome encounter, a Rosh Hashanah crisis narrowly averted, and another week of politicians, airplanes, Israel, and international incidents, from Trump renaming things again, to an Iranian passenger plane that narrowly averts disaster. We also learn that some things are apparently better left unseen, some countries desperately need new friends, and even your sleep habits may not be safe from the latest medical miracle. New year, new season — appropriately lowered expectations! ________ ** Real kavanah begins in silence. Join QuietKavanah.com !** Whatever you're davening for, whoever you're davening for, that tefillah deserves your full heart and attention, not a mumbled tefillah while in conversation with the person next to you. Make a personal commitment or sign up for your shul at quietkavanah.com. ________ ** The Best Lulav and Esrog - Delivered! ** If you're like Mr. Producer and Esrog shopping gives you anxiety, or you just want to make sure you have the nicest mehudar esrog and lulav, look no further than EsrogShopper.com! Delivered right to your door! Don't forget code KC5 for 5% off! Upgrade your Lulav and Esrog set this year easily with EsrogShopper.com ________ ** Medical weight loss made simple and affordable! Skip the waiting rooms and start losing today with SlimRxCenter.com !** Featuring personalized plans with medical providers, and a team that understands the frum community and its unique lifestyle challenges. Visit: https://slimrxcenter.com/ Call: 845-414-6499 ________ ** Town Appliance - For All Of Your Appliance Needs! ** No matter the budget, Town Appliance will get you the right appliance for your needs and give you the most value for your money. Visit: https://www.townappliance.com/ Call/Text/Whatsapp: 732-364-5195 ________ We have a call-in number where you can hear the cast! Tell your friends and family who may not have internet access! 605-417-0303 To Call In From Israel: +079-579-5087 To Call In From UK: +03-333-66-0768 Also! Subscribe for our bonus content by phone! Available at the same number. ________ Subscribe now to keep us going and access bonus content! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiddushclub/membership   Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddushclubpodcast/ Join our WhatsApp chat: https://whatsapp.kccast.com Send us you thoughts comments and suggestions via email: hock@kiddushclubpodcast.com  

In this Pre Yom Kippur class we delve into the mysterious days leading up to it known as the "Ten Days Of Repentance" Or "Aseret Yimei Teshuva". Why is Yom Kippur only after Rosh Hashanah if logically it should be before? Why are we especially careful with what we eat in these ten days? And how does this all lead up to Yom Kippur? Join us in this fascinating journey. 

What do the ancient Jewish festivals and biblical Feasts of the Lord have to do with Christians today? Are they simply historical traditions, or do they reveal something about God's prophetic calendar and what is still to come?   In this episode of The RP Podcast, Pastor Rod Parsley and Ashton Blaire explore the biblical and prophetic significance of Passover, Pentecost, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. From their historical significance in the Old Testament to their fulfillment in Jesus Christ, discover how these appointed times reveal God's redemptive plan and point toward biblical prophecy, the end times, and the return of Jesus Christ.   Subscribe and join us for a new episode of The RP Podcast every Tuesday at 8 AM ET.

Parshas Hazinu is one of the most fascinating, poetic, and richly profound Parshas in the Torah. It is also arguably the most mysterious one. The majority of the Parsha is the Song of Haazinu, an intricate tapestry of prophecies that encapsulate the grand scope of Jewish history. The commentators on this Parsha strive to even understand the basic meaning of its words. In this penultimate episode of the 8th cycle of the Parsha podcast, focus on the commentary of the Ohr HaChaim. While we don't go through the entirety of his magisterial commentary, we select five magnificent comments from this work. What we discover is an absolutely profound study of scope and depth and insight. I could think of know no finer way to end the Parsha podcast year of 5784 than to plumb into the depth of this song as explained by the legendary Ohr Hachaim.– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –DONATE to TORCH: Please consider supporting the podcasts by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Email me with questions, comments, and feedback: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to my Newsletterrabbiwolbe.com/newsletter– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –SUBSCRIBE to Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe's PodcastsThe Parsha PodcastThe Jewish History PodcastThe Mitzvah Podcast This Jewish LifeThe Ethics PodcastTORAH 101 ★ Support this podcast ★

One of the reasons we blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is to, so to speak, remind Hashem of Akedat Yitzchak and the great mesirut nefesh of Avraham Avinu. And in that zechut, Hashem has extra mercy upon us. One of the ways in which we can bring more of Hashem's mercy upon us now is through mesirut nefesh. But what exactly does it mean to show self-sacrifice? Rabbeinu Bachya describes how unfathomable the test of Avraham Avinu was. He waited one hundred years to finally have the child he had been waiting for, and it came about through the greatest miracle. Avraham loved Yitzchak so much. He taught him all of his Torah, and with every passing year, his love for him grew even more. Avraham knew Yitzchak was going to be his future and was going to continue the job that he had started. And then, when Yitzchak was thirty-seven years old, at the prime of his life, when everything Avraham had worked for was right there in front of him, Hashem told Avraham to bring his son as a korban. At that moment, Avraham had to overcome his natural will and desire, put it aside, and focus on one thing: What is Hashem's will? What does Hashem want? Avraham understood that our main purpose in this world is to do the will of Hashem. And therefore, as difficult as it was, he was prepared to put aside everything he had worked for. He said, "Hashem, I want to do what You want." That is mesirut nefesh—putting aside our will and focusing on what Hashem's will is. This year, we had an opportunity to do that ourselves on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. The Gemara tells us how powerful the blowing of the shofar is, how it causes Hashem to go from the Kisei HaDin and sit upon the Kisei HaRachamim. We need the shofar so much. We want every possible zechut to bring us a happy and blessed year. Yet this year, on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, which was Shabbat, because of a rabbinical decree, we did not blow the shofar. We were saying, "Hashem, it's not about what we want. We don't want Your Torah to possibly be violated by someone carrying a shofar on Shabbat. Even though we would love to have the great zechut of shofar, Your will is more important to us than our will." We put aside what we wanted for what Hashem wanted. That is mesirut nefesh, and that mesirut nefesh, be'ezrat Hashem, brought about an outpouring of love and mercy from Hashem. Now, during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, part of our avodah has to be having more mesirut nefesh in our own lives. There are so many times when doing what Hashem wants conflicts with what we want. Maybe we want to say something, but we know Hashem doesn't want us to say it. Maybe we want to do something, but we know Hashem doesn't want us to do it. At that moment, we can ask ourselves the same question: What is the will of Hashem? And if we put aside our will for Hashem's will, then we are practicing mesirut nefesh. There is another area in which this can be very difficult. There are people who are not happy with the way their lives are going. Maybe they did not get what they wanted so badly. Maybe they have been waiting such a long time for something that's so important to them. Here, there is a great opportunity to say, "Hashem, my will is to live the life that You want me to live. As long as my life is meant to be like this, without having what I want right now, I'm going to be happy to live it. I'm going to continue serving You with happiness. I'm going to continue growing and doing everything I can in avodat Hashem, because what matters to me most is what You want from me." That is tremendous mesirut nefesh—living the life Hashem wants us to live, even though it may not necessarily be the life that we want for ourselves at this moment. To continue on strong, to serve Hashem with happiness and joy, and to continue committing ourselves to growing stronger and stronger. And with Hashem's help, if we focus on the will of Hashem and what He wants from us, it will arouse an abundance of mercy from Hashem upon us.

Bethany is joined by Ann Koffsky, one of her children's favorite authors. Ann has written over 30 Jewish books for children, and they discuss the Jewish holiday season and some tricks for raising a reader. Note: This episode was supposed to debut last Thursday right before Rosh Hashanah, but was delayed due to technical issues. […]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2026 is: shofar • SHOH-far • noun A shofar is the horn of an animal (usually a ram) blown as a trumpet by the ancient Hebrews in battle and during religious observances. It is used in modern Judaism especially during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur. // As a child, Eli's favorite part of the High Holidays was the sounding of the shofar. See the entry > Examples: “Sheep were domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia over ten thousand years ago and we have the ancient cave paintings to prove it. Sheep appear in folklore, religion, and mythology from all over the world: the Greek golden fleece, the Jewish shofar, the Egyptian Pharaoh's shepherd's crook, Christianity's Agnus Dei.” — Celia Mattison, Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2025 Did you know? One of the shofar's original uses was to proclaim the Jubilee year (a year of emancipation of enslaved Jews and restoration of alienated lands to their former owners). Today, it is mainly used in synagogues during the High Holidays. It is blown daily, except on Shabbat, during the month of Elul (the 12th month of the civil year or the 6th month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar), and is sounded a number of times during the Rosh Hashanah services, and again at the end of the last service (known as neilah) on Yom Kippur. The custom is to sound the shofar in several series that alternate shorter notes resembling sobbing and wailing with longer unbroken blasts.

To get all 12 of Dennis' High Holy Day Lectures from the past five years, they are available to purchase here: Dennis Prager’s Best High Holy Days Teachings Filmed on Rosh Hashanah 2024, Dennis Prager reflects on one of life's most important questions: What do you want to be? Not what do you want to do for a living, but what kind of person do you want to become? Drawing from his own desire to be an “easy” father and father-in-law, Dennis explores the importance of consciously choosing who we want to be. He considers happiness, faith, goodness, wisdom, courage, marriage, and family, arguing that becoming the person we want to be requires more than simply wishing for it. In this thoughtful Rosh Hashanah reflection, Dennis challenges us to look beyond careers, success, wealth, and fame and consider what truly matters: Do you want to be a good person? A wise person? A happy person? And are you willing to work at becoming that person? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ron opens the show mid-tooth crisis after biting his fork like a toddler and surviving on guacamole paste. It's back-to-school in NYC, Opie's “star has fallen” (no nanny, no dog walker—just Ron), and he's in a great mood anyway: the Patriots lost, the kids are headed out the door, and Trump promised $5,000 if Republicans keep Congress. Cue the Trump dance, scoreboard-cheating Patriots lore, a Ground Zero drone recreation of the Twin Towers, Rosh Hashanah/9/11 overlap jokes, and a blunt Lindsay Clancy debate that turns personal. Classic unfiltered chaos.Support the Show:https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/PRULKVNHUMQVAAbout Opie Unfiltered:Hosted by Gregg "Opie" Hughes—co-creator of the legendary Opie and Anthony show—Opie Unfiltered brings raw, unscripted commentary, classic radio lore, and unfiltered comedy featuring Ron the Waiter and regular guests.For fans of classic New York talk radio, unedited comedy, satellite broadcast history, and the original Opie and Anthony era.

Mazel Morons! We've got a fresh, topical episode for you. We talk about the latest in the Lindsay Clancy trial, celebrating Rosh Hashanah, over-frying food, and the wild US Open. Then, AI coming for more than our jobs (the whole human race!?), rumors of Jimmy Kimmel stepping away from late night TV after 24 years, and paying more to be around more people. What are ya nuts?! Love ya! Write us! Send your messages to goodguyspodcast1@gmail.com  Follow us on Instagram and TikTok!  Sponsors: For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at DRINKAG1.com/GOODGUYS. Watch the new season of Chad Powers. From Glen Powell, and the creator of Loki - Now Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. Give them meals + snacks that are actually right for where kids are developmentally—balanced, intentional and made to support real growth. Go to littlespoon.com/GOODGUYS and enter code GOODGUYS for 30% off your first order. If you have an iPhone, head to ladder.fit/GOODGUYS and take a quick quiz to find your perfect Ladder plan. Use my link and get a free 7-day trial with NO credit card, and $10 off your first month if you join. To find delicious recipes and learn more about the antioxidant goodness of POM Wonderful, please go to pomwonderful.com. Head to cozyearth.com and use our code GOODGUYS for an exclusive 20%off on home and sleepwear. Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode. Produced by Dear Media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A man has been together with his boyfriend for 10 years. The caller works long hard hours and values peace and quiet when he comes home. But his boyfriend works from home all day and pounces on his husband, wanting to chat and interact. Dan was in a similar situation, but don't tell Dan's husband how he dealt with it. A divorced woman with children has been dating a man. Both are in open relationships, and he wears a wedding ring. Her kids don't yet know about ethical non-monogamy and her family disapproves, making this year's Rosh Hashanah dinner extra spicy. Our guest is the intrepid comedian Zach Noe Towers who sailed away on the gay ship that got turned away by homophobic country after homophobic country. He and Dan go Deep Gay on the scent of man, and whether uncircumcised dicks slip in easier. A little is on the Micro, and the uncut version is on the Magnum. And, a 35 year-old gay man connected with a guy via dating app, who seemed pretty darn cool. But when he learned the man was in his 60s, he politely rejected him. The guy accused our caller of being ageist. Is he? This episode is brought to you by Squarespace. They make it easy to build a website or blog. Give it a whirl at ⁠Squarespace.com/Savage⁠ and if you want to buy it, use the code Savage for a 10% off your first purchase. Foria is an all natural health & sexual wellness company with product lines using the power of plant actives & CBD to effectively enhance intimacy, sexual pleasure, daily wellbeing, and relief from discomfort. Right now get 20% off your 1st order by going to ⁠ForiaWellness.com/SAVAGE⁠ or use code SAVAGE at checkout. This episode is brought to you by VB Health, Doctor-formulated supplements that work . To learn more about Load Boost, Drive Boost and Soaking Wet and to get 10% off, visit ⁠VB.Health⁠ when you use the code Savage. Dan Savage is a sex-advice columnist, podcaster, author, and creator of the It Gets Better Project. From polyamory, to BDSM, gay rights to sexual health and with a dose of progressive politics, Dan Savage has been cultural force for sex positivity since the 1800s.