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This is Big Questions of Jewish Belief, the podcast where we face up to the challenges of religious faith. We all have questions about our faith. Questions about the truth of the Torah, the morality of its laws and what it teaches about having a relationship with God. So each week during this miniseries I'll be inviting rigorous thinkers to challenge me with their questions on Belief. My name is Raphael Zarum - I'm the Dean of LSJS - the London School of Jewish Studies, where I hold the Rabbi Sacks Chair in Modern Jewish Thought, established by the Zandan family. I'm a rabbi and I have degrees in Physics, Mathematics and Education, and I'm fascinated by the relationship between general and Jewish thought and ideas. I explore these ideas further in a book called 'Questioning Belief' which is available on Amazon worldwide (UK link: lsjs.ac.uk/amazonbelief). I don't believe in quick responses that don't stand up to scrutiny. I think we should take questions seriously as they reflect a real desire to understand our practices and beliefs in a deeper way. So you won't get clever quips and cheap certainties from this podcast, what you'll get is an honest and open discussion about challenging questions based on traditional sources and modern interpretations.

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Check latest episodes from Big Questions of Jewish Belief podcast

(6) Can I be angry with God?

2025/09/17

This podcast is powered by LSJS. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to learn about our Jewish learning journeys & find something that suits you. In this special episode Big Questions of Jewish Belief, I collaborated with Rabbi Scott Kahn of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast to produce a conversation that's great for both of our podcasts at this time. Scott quizzes me on whether we can, and should, be angry with God. Can we argue with Him, and is there any point, if He's 'all knowing'? Recorded in the leadup to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and at a very difficult time for the State of Israel and the Jewish people, we crack open the issue of how to relate to a God with whom we may feel many reasons to be upset, annoyed or angry. You can listen to the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast here or read the Orthodox Conundrum Substack here.

(05) Does Prayer Work?

2024/09/30

Visit lsjs.ac.uk to continue learning with Rabbi Zarum and other LSJS educators. Does God actually change reality in response to prayer - and if so, why does prayer so frequently seem to fail? What does it mean for God to answer our prayers? In what ways does prayer help us? Why is it meaningful to pray for others? These are questions which people of faith have confronted for millenia, and continue to struggle with today. Join Rafi and his good friend Adrian Weller as they dive deeply into this essential and powerful issue. For further study, Rafi's book Questioning Belief is now available on Amazon.

(04) The Chosen People

2024/04/09

Visit lsjs.ac.uk to continue learning with Rabbi Zarum and other LSJS educators. Jews have long been proud to call themselves the Chosen People. But isn't that a little bit racist? Rabbi Zarum is joined by Jonathan and Sophia who bring their own experiences and knowledge to the journey of discovering what exactly 'chosen' means and what exactly we've been chosen for. For further study, Rafi's book Questioning Belief is now available on Amazon.

(03) Collective Punishment

2024/04/02

Rafi takes Jonathan and Sophia along a fascinating route which takes in collective punishment in Sodom and Gomorrah, shooting Orcs in Star Wars, and the Israel Defence Force's policy on terrorists. If that's not enough for you, you'll find a whole chapter on Collective Punishment and whether it's fair, in the book Questioning Belief by Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum, available on Amazon. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to continue learning with Rabbi Zarum and other LSJS educators.

(02) Does the Flood Story Hold Water?

2024/03/26

We've known the story of Noah and the Ark since we were babies. Do we as Jews believe it really happened? And if it didn't, why is it in the Torah? Armed with studies in classics and science, Jonathan and Sophia join Rafi to challenge the veracity of the flood and discover a surprising message for today's #climatecrisis era. For further study, Rafi's book Questioning Belief contains a chapter dedicated to the story of the flood, as well as more chapters exploring the veracity of other Torah stories. It's available on Amazon by Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to continue learning with Rabbi Zarum and other LSJS educators.

(01) What does it mean to believe in God?

2024/03/13

Two rigorous thinkers, Jonathan Gibson - Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics, and Sophia Bor – Cambridge Theology graduate and law student, challenge Rabbi Zarum in this episode on belief in God. Does Judaism require belief in God? Is God the same for everyone? Can we 'prove' He exists, and how? Both practising modern orthodox Jews, Sophia is unconvinced and Jonathan is still searching. Exploring nature, philosophy and modern and ancient Jewish literature, Rafi leads them and us through a fascinating tapestry of God theories in our own and other religions. For anyone who isn't sure what they believe or wants to educate themselves in how to talk intelligently about Jewish belief in God. The content of this podcast is inspired by Rabbi Dr Raphael Zarum's book, Questioning Belief, available on Amazon. Visit lsjs.ac.uk to continue learning with Rabbi Zarum and other LSJS educators.

(00) Welcome to Big Questions of Jewish Belief

2024/03/13

This is Big Questions of Jewish Belief, the podcast where we face up to the challenges of religious faith. We all have questions about our faith. Questions about the truth of the Torah, the morality of its laws and what it teaches about having a relationship with God, So each week I'll be inviting rigorous thinkers to challenge me with their questions on Belief. My name is Raphael Zarum - I'm the Dean of LSJS - the London School of Jewish Studies, where I hold the Rabbi Sacks Chair in Modern Jewish Thought, established by the Zandan family. I'm a rabbi and I have degrees in Physics, Mathematics and Education, and I'm fascinated by the relationship between general and Jewish thought and ideas. I explore these ideas further in a book called 'Questioning Belief' which is available on Amazon worldwide (Click here for the UK link). I don't believe in quick responses that don't stand up to scrutiny. I think we should take questions seriously as they reflect a real desire to understand our practices and beliefs in a deeper way. So you won't get clever quips and cheap certainties from this podcast, what you'll get is an honest and open discussion about challenging questions based on traditional sources and modern interpretations.