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Even in the best of times, living in the Gaza envelope requires a certain level of resilience. Enter Gadi Yarkoni, the subject of Betsy Frischman Fischer's new book, Even After Everything, a man whose sheer determination and resilience took him from tragedy to triumph in the community he loves. In the final hour of Israel's Operation Protective Edge (2014)—a war that decimated his community, separated him from his family, killed two of his closest friends, Gadi was left him as a double amputee. His strength and resilience  This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with the author of this amazing story, Betsy Frischman Fischer, about Gadi Yarkoni and his story about strength, courage, and hope.

Shalom! We are back! For the Love of Judaism begins its sixth season with a series of recent sermons given by Rabbi Pont. On this episode you can here RMP's thoughts on the scandal that rocked the Jewish camp world this summer, a look at how Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey intersects with Jewish text, and how a little known Jewish law about putting up a ma'akeh (guardrail) has a real life example with a grieving father in Tennessee. Finally, Rabbi Pont offers a relfection on the late, great Dolly Parton (z'l) and the profound impact she had on the world.

In the early 1990s a group of leaders at Marlboro Jewish Center did something amazing. They sponsored a refugee family fleeing the Soviet Union, looking for a better life for their family where they could express their Judaism freely.  Marina and Leonid Popivker brought their two boys, Alec and Eric, and a few belongings to start a new life in Marlboro, New Jersey. Their story is inspirational. And their gratitude for everything MJC did for them is heartwarming.  This week, Marina, Leonid and two of the people most instrumental in their joining our community, Bob and Reva Salman, join Rabbi Pont to reminice and tell this amazing story.

Our second to last episode of the season features for short teachings that Rabbi Pont offered the Congregation from the bima. These sermons cover everything from Artemis to antisemitism, interfaith marriage, and the New York Knicks remarkable championship run. Stay tuned for our final episode of the season next week!

For more than 30 years, Ken Davidoff has been a fixture in the New York sports media. From the New York Post to ESPN, the Yes Network and much more, Ken has been seen more and reported on baseball than most of us could ever dream of. Now retired, Ken is the co-author of a new book, 101 Lessons from the Dugout, in which he and Dr. Harley A. Rotbart explore the subtle real world lessons that can be gathered from a variety of baseball situations. This book is a must read for any baseball fan looking for some inspiration to bring with them off the field. This week, Ken joined Rabbi Pont to discuss his new book.

In the Negev desert, near the town of Ofakim, there is an oasis making real change in the lives of Israelis with special needs. Founded in 2005, the 40-acre ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran Rehabilitation Village was founded by celebrated IDF hero Major General (Res.) Doron Almog and his wife Didi as a community where people from diverse backgrounds and all levels of ability can live, heal and grow together. This week, Rabbi Pont has an inspiring conversation with Elie Klein, Director of Advancement, USA & Canada / ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran Liaison to JNF-USA about the magic that happens within the walls of this special place.  In a world that seems more complex by the day, this conversation is just what you need to restore your hope for the future.

The mental health crisis feels like it is all around us. From anxious teens with social media to all-time highs in adult lonliness, this is a topic hits all of us in different ways.  This week Rabbi Pont talks to Dr. Dara Gasior to discuss the challenges and opportunities in both getting and giving help, along with the many ways that mental health treatment crosses over with our biblical texts. Don't miss a special bonus segment with Colts Neck High School junior Charlotte Zlotnik, a board member with the teen mental health organization HereNow, who wrote an inspiring article entitled Overcoming Life's Obstacles: Lessons learned from an Israeli Hostage.

When a person is near the end of their life loved ones are often faced with some of the most difficult issues they will ever face as a family. No matter what the circumstance, all of us want those we care about to live, and to die, on their terms. Making that happen often the responsibility of people like Dr. Howard Stein, Medical Director of Bioethics at Centrastate Hospital in Freehold, who joined Rabbi Pont this week for a wide reaching conversation about bioethics, New Jersey's Medical Aid in Dying Act, and how to help families and patients go through these horrible moments with dignity.

By now all of us have heard about the brazen act of antisemitism that befell Congregation Beth Israel in Jackson, Mississippi. On Saturday, January 10th, an arsonist set this 166 year old Synagogue ablaze in an irrily similar attack to the one that this same Congregation experienced in 1967 from the Ku Klux Klan. As we celebrate the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King this week, Rabbi Pont sat down with Robyn Ringel Pollack, a former Board Member at Congregation Beth Israel whose family has been members there for four generations. To help Congregation Beth Israel rebuild visit https://www.bethisraelms.org.

Issues surrounding interfaith marriage and the roles clergy can or can’t play in these ceremonies have long been taboo within conservative Judaism. But in today's world, where nearly 75% of non-Orthodox married Jews are married to someone of a different faith, the status quo is no longer sustainable for the Conservative Movement. On this episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by the perfect guest to explore these issues—his friend and colleague, Rabbi Aaron Brusso. Rabbi Brusso is the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Bet Torah in Mount Kisco, New York, and co-chair of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Intermarriage Working Group. Rabbi Brusso is deeply involved in reshaping how the Rabbinical Assembly, in partnership with the Cantors Assembly and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, is rethinking interfaith marriage and the processes surrounding it for clergy, Jewish professionals, and communities. Whether interfaith marriage is part of your life now or might be in the future, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Louis Brandeis was among the most prominent figures of his time. He was also the first Jewish person ever appointed to the Supreme Court. His life, his values and his Judaism offer important lessons which are detailed in a brand me childrens' book, What Louis Brandeis Knows by author Richard Michelson. Richard is a return guest to the podcast, having previously been interviewed about his book Next Year at the White House. This conversation offers a look at a unique figure in American Jewish history from his childhood through his appointment to the Supreme Court and focuses on Brandeis's fight for social justice, emphasizing lessons about equality, privacy, and workers' rights that he learned from his father and uncle.

Judaism can be expressed in many different ways. For someone with a creative soul, art can become a way to make the intangible—faith, history, ethics, resilience—visible. It reflects the Jewish impulse to question, to interpret, and then re-interpret, much like Torah study itself.  Enter Adar Darnov, a graphic artist who uses his art as a means to expressing the Jewish identity he has developed through a life long love of his faith. This week, he caught up with Rabbi Pont to chat about the way art and Judaism are forever intertwined.

More than 80 years since the end of World War II, we will soon reach a point when there are no more living Holocaust survivors. As we experience a surge in antisemitism in the United States and around the world, finding ways to keep their stories of perserverance and survival alive is more important now than ever before.  Enter Wendy Tepper, the Outreach Coordinator for 3GNJ, an organization that trains the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to tell their grandparents stories. Wendy's grandfather Oscar Cukierman, survived five years in concentration camps before making his way to Italy and eventually to the United States.  In this episode, Wendy shares what it is like to tell her grandfather's story, why it is so important, and how she thinks stories like Oscar Cukierman's help stem the growing tide of antisemitism.

Being a teenager has always been hard, but now it is harder than ever before. From the impact of COVID to social media and cell phone usage, teenagers are struggling to find their place in the world and grow the confidence they need to succeed. Enter Melissa Gohar, an educator and health care professional who has designed a workbook designed to help teenagers quiet their inner-critic, bounce back from failure, set boundaries, and embrace who they really are.  This week Rabbi Pont speaks to Melissa about the workbook in a must-listen episode for every parent or grandparent of a teenager.

Growing up as the Cantor's daughter is not easy. It is even harder when our father dies when you are very young, leaving an even larger shadow for a growing child. This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with author Diana Harmon Asher about her new book, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz, in which the title character lives in the shadow that Diana grew up with. A wonderful book about resilience, childhoom, community and friendship, you will certainly understand why PJ Library chose this book for publication after hearing from Diana.