Best Rabbi David Aaron Podcasts (2025)

1
Rabbi Dr. David Seidenberg: Eco-spiritual, Eco-what? 1:03:20

12d ago1:03:20

1:03:20

On this episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi, Ralph Benmergui speaks with neohasid.org founder and author of the book, Kabbalah and Ecology, Rabbi David Seidenberg, on how we can restore the spiritual bond with an earth based Judaism.

1
Amichai Lau-Lavie, the 'Sabbath Queen', is forging his own traditions 40:24

4M ago40:24

40:24

When Amichai Lau-Lavie realized he was gay, he knew he had to make a choice: hide his identity to abide by his Orthodox upbringing, or be true to himself. It wasn't an easy call for a man whose ancestors had been rabbis for generations—including his uncle and cousin, who both served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ultimately, Lau-Lavie deci…

1
For Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg, environmentalism isn't adjacent to Judaism—it's a core tenet 36:23

4M ago36:23

36:23

Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg realized at a young age he was drawn to Jewish studies. After graduating from Jewish day schools around Toronto, he decided to attend the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Conservative rabbinical school in New York City, for five years—only to end up a Renewal rabbi years later, ordained just this month. As the spiritual leader o…

1
'You can forgive and seek justice at the same time': Robert Enright on how to learn forgiveness 40:36

5M ago40:36

40:36

With the recent news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the eventual return of the remaining Israeli hostages, tensions remain high between pro- and anti-Zionist communities here in Canada, who've stood sharply divided on the foreign conflict for 15 months. Members of those communities may still be holding hatred or anger in their hea…

1
Gary Topp ushered Toronto into the cultural future—and he’s still making alternative history 37:06

5M ago37:06

37:06

Once upon a time, Toronto was a sleepy city. The atmosphere shut down at night. Red tape and cultural meekness kept things status quo. But through the 1970s and 1980s, the city's younger generations changed how things work—and one of the biggest players behind the scenes was Gary Topp. A music promoter and independent movie theatre operator, it was…

1
How Choir! Choir! Choir! grew out of a living room gathering into 2,500 strangers singing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' in Montreal 32:47

6M ago32:47

32:47

On Oct. 9, around 2,500 strangers packed Montreal's Place des Arts concert hall to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in surprisingly perfect harmony. The melody was beautiful. In a video recording posted online, tears and smiles are visible as people sing out the familiar chorus. You could say it was a spiritual performance—unless you're Nobu Adilm…

1
Playwright Mark Leiren-Young explains why Shylock needed a revival in 2024 42:45

7M ago42:45

42:45

Mark Leiren-Young wrote Shylock in 1996, a play using Shakespeare's controversial Jewish character in The Merchant of Venice to explore modern-day cancel culture. While the script saw productions aorund the world, Leiren-Young was wary of giving the rights away too quickly, knowing it was complex, sensitive subject matter that required an intellect…

1
Filmmaker Allan Novak turns the camera on his family: the oldest living Holocaust survivors in the world 31:55

7M ago31:55

31:55

Growing up, Allan Novak assumed his family was fairly ordinary: modest, witty, hardworking Jewish immigrants who found a new live in Canada after the war. That his mother was one of four sibling survivors was noteworthy, but the outside world did not take notice. That is, until the siblings all began reaching the age of 100. Once international repo…

1
In his new memoir, Michael Coren recounts his life, from Jewish cabbie's son to Anglican priest 35:24

8M ago35:24

35:24

Michael Coren has lived many lives. Born to a Jewish cab driver in England, Coren converted to Catholocism in the 1980s, then Evangelicalism in the '90s; he grew into a bombastic right-wing Christian talk radio and TV personality with shows on the Sun News Network and the Crossroads Television System; then he came back to embrace the Catholic Churc…

1
How Eva Almos channels the spirit of her survivor mother in an audio drama about Holocaust zombies 28:03

8M ago28:03

28:03

Both of Eva Almos's parents were Holocaust survivors. Her mother, from Lithuania, was a kind and gentle soul who went out of her way to uplift strangers and support her daughter. But her father was the opposite: a traditional Greek man with chauvinist ideas who was hardened by the horrors of the Holocaust. The duality sent Almos into therapy, where…

1
From devastation to creation: How artist Devon Spier found spiritual meaning through affliction 35:04

9M ago35:04

35:04

Devon Spier has long COVID. The artist, poet and spiritual guide has spent days bedridden, feeling ill and angry at God. But that forced pause gave her time to reflect on her life, art and beliefs, and she began to realize more emphatically how God, for her, exists in liminal spaces—in the wilderness, in small moments of peace and beauty between de…

1
Trailblazing artist Neshama Carlebach opens up about her next spiritual goal: the rabbinate 45:06

9M ago45:06

45:06

Growing up in the Orthodox movement, Neshama Carlebach would hear it a lot: "It's a shame your father never had sons." The father in question, the acclaimed Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, instead had two daughters—and the implication was that his legacy as a prolific songwriter, whose repertoire includes the popular 1965 folk anthem "Am Yisrael Chai", wou…

1
Jesse Brown lost 9% of his supporters after he began spotlighting antisemitism. Here's why he won't stop 43:07

10M ago43:07

43:07

In the aftermath of Oct. 7, Jesse Brown—who has risen to prominence as a media critic and muckraker with his Canadaland podcast and digital media company—once again stirred up controversy online. But it wasn't a big news investigation that sparked outrage; it was a series of posts about antisemitic attacks on Canadian Jewish-aligned institutions, f…

1
Rabbi Victor Gross is reimagining religion as a force of unity—not division 44:45

10M ago44:45

44:45

When Rabbi Victor Gross was looking for a home to grow his congregation in Boulder, CO, he knew he didn't want a dedicated building. It wasn't just the cost, but the environmental impact of operating a space that's only used a few hours a week. Instead, he looked for a church to rent out Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. He asked church leader…

1
Mary Darling reflects on conflict and division from the Baha'i headquarters in Haifa 50:17

11M ago50:17

50:17

While Israel remains on the brink of war with Lebanon in the north, one of the country's most iconic sites—the famous Baha'i Gardens and shrine—sit less than an hour away. That a religion based on unity among humankind, which views all religions and tribes as branches from the same tree, should have its headquarters so close to a warzone is tragica…

1
Dara Horn, People Love Dead Jews 56:27

12M ago56:27

56:27

Dara Horn is an American novelist, essayist, and professor of literature. She has a Ph.D. in comparative literature in Hebrew and Yiddish from Harvard University. Dara is the author of five novels and in 2021 released a nonfiction essay collection titled People Love Dead Jews, which was a finalist for the 2021 Kirkus Prize in nonfiction.I spoke wit…

1
Jews were once embraced by progressive activists. Did Oct. 7 permanently change that? 28:58

1y ago28:58

28:58

Bernie Farber helped create the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) in 2018, and sat as its founding chair until shortly after Oct. 7, 2023. The organization—which investigates, publicizes and works with journalists to report on hateful far-right extremist groups—was infamously silent in the weeks following the Hamas slaughter and kidnapping of 1,200…

1
Canada's last remaining faith reporter reflects the past, and future, of religion 31:52

1y ago31:52

31:52

In 2018, at a time when the faith beat in Canadian newspapers was steadily declining, John Longhurst made an unusual deal with the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press. He wanted to help expand the paper's audience by reporting on religion, particularly within local communities: Mennonite, Indigenous, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, whomever. The publish…

1
Rabbi Beni Wajnberg explains why you should never pay synagogue dues 34:38

1y ago34:38

34:38

Rabbi Beni Wajnberg has worked in Brazil, Argentina, Singapore, New York, Tennessee, California, Montana and beyond. When it came down to settle down with his family and put down roots, he chose Hamilton, Ont., where he's now the spiritual leader at Beth Jacob Synagogue. Throughout his travels, he's found that one thing connects all those far-flung…

1
Why writer Marsha Lederman, daughter of Holocaust survivors, feels 'less alone' on Yom HaShoah 36:51

1y ago36:51

36:51

Marsha Lederman is a catastrophizer. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, the author and Globe and Mail columnist has gone through life worrying about everything that can go wrong, to the point that she wrote a book about things going wrong in her life. Kiss the Red Stairs, released August 2023, investigates the ramifications of intergenerationa…

1
This Earth Day, pretend it's Shabbat—and take a break for the environment 26:22

1y ago26:22

26:22

You may not think of keeping Shabbat as environmental activism—but Jonathan Schorsch does. The founder of the Green Sabbath Project is on a mission to tackle climate change by adapting the biblical Jewish practice into something universally good for our planet. After all, in the Venn diagram of environmentalism and observant Judaism, "Not driving o…

1
Alan Zweig looks back on decades of filmmaking—and ahead to his pessimistic new podcast 45:02

1y ago45:02

45:02

Alan Zweig was on the road to becoming, like so many other midtown Toronto Jews, a lawyer. Instead, in his early 20s, he zigzagged off the course and wound up taking multiple lengthy trips to India, changing his perspective on life and work. He chose film school instead, propelling him into a decades-long documentary career that began all those yea…

1
A new Orthodox horror novel blends Kabbalah, family drama and memories of the Holocaust 19:51

1+ y ago19:51

19:51

Toby Lloyd didn't grow up religious. But the British Jewish author became fascinated with Orthodoxy—how different people, even in the same family, can interpret biblical texts as either literal or metaphorical. Wanting to tap into the meaning and effects of people's belief systems, as well as reinterpreting stories from the Torah and wrapping it in…

1
In her new solo show, Diane Flacks tackles divorce, motherhood and the intergenerational power of Jewish guilt 24:56

1+ y ago24:56

24:56

Diane Flacks has always felt the power of Jewish guilt. But when when she decided she wanted a divorce, that guilt grew to a whole new level. She constantly questioned the process, even while she was going through it, thinking about whether it was the right move or not. To process these thoughts and emotions, the theatre artist decided to transform…

1
Mark Breslin on the value of Jewish comedy and identity in an increasingly antisemitic world 44:34

1+ y ago44:34

44:34

Last month, the flagship Yuk Yuk's location in downtown Toronto hosted a stand-up comedy fundraiser for Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Predictably, anti-Israel protesters swarmed it. The club's founder and owner, Mark Breslin—who organized the event—tried to get in through a back entrance, only to find more protesters waiting there for him a…

1
'Some bearded person sitting on a throne in the sky is a kindergarten God': Rabbi Zelig Golden explains earth-based Judaism 43:43

1+ y ago43:43

43:43

Rabbi Zelig Golden likes to describe Judaism as a religion of deep roots, interconnectivity, compassion and feminine divinity, reminding the world that Adam came from the adamah. It's this philosophy that inspired Wilderness Torah, an organization based in California that promotes "healing, belonging and resilience," in an attempt to reshape how Je…

1
Tehillim Chapter 118 (Part 2) 1:00:17

1+ y ago1:00:17

1:00:17

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim Chapter 118 (Part 1) 57:30

1+ y ago57:30

57:30

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim Chapter 117 50:49

1+ y ago50:49

50:49

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim Chapter 116 (Part 2) 58:07

1+ y ago58:07

58:07

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim Chapter 116 (Part 1) 1:00:57

1+ y ago1:00:57

1:00:57

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim Chapter 115 (Part 2) 55:33

1+ y ago55:33

55:33

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim 115 (Part 1) 1:01:20

1+ y ago1:01:20

1:01:20

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Rabbi Yonatan Neril: How spirituality can help us solve the climate crisis 32:21

1+ y ago32:21

32:21

The climate crisis is the fault of no single person or country, but rather a widespread ideology of materialism and overwhelming lack of compassion for the natural world. What's worse—the crisis is intensifying each year. These are some of the themes espoused by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, the founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable …

1
Tehillim - Chapter 114 57:43

1+ y ago57:43

57:43

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim - Chapter 113 56:13

1+ y ago56:13

56:13

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim - Chapter 1 59:43

1+ y ago59:43

59:43

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim - Chapter 24 1:02:32

1+ y ago1:02:32

1:02:32

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim - Chapter 82 59:16

1+ y ago59:16

59:16

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim - Chapter 128 56:18

1+ y ago56:18

56:18

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim: Chapter 127 1:00:40

1+ y ago1:00:40

1:00:40

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Tehillim: Chapter 142 1:00:29

1+ y ago1:00:29

1:00:29

By Rabbi Aaron Feigenbaum

1
Coping during difficult times: Lynda Fishman and Dr. Barbara Landau on communal trauma in the wake of war 46:07

1+ y ago46:07

46:07

If you're feeling anxious and afraid, you should know: you're not alone. Tensions are high everywhere across the Jewish community right now as Hamas and Israel engage in a violent war with ramifications across the world. But instead of doom-scrolling social media, finding horrible images and hate-filled comments, it's important to find time to step…