Advertise on podcast: Jewish Insights with Justin Pines

We’ve rolled the Torah back to the beginning, and Rabbi Judah Mischel has written the companion for the year ahead — from Bereishit through Avraham’s journey in Lech Lecha and on through the cycle. In his third visit to Jewish Insights, the executive director of Camp HASC sits down with Justin Pines to talk about Baderech: Along the Path of the Torah, his new two-volume work on the weekly parsha, following earlier volumes on Teshuvah and the Haggadah. Baderech means “on the way” — and no one embodies that more than Avraham, who becomes the first Jew only after God tells him Lech Lecha, go forth. The whole series rests on that idea: growth happens on the journey itself. Rabbi Judah Mischel is executive director of Camp HASC, Mashpia of OU-NCSY, founder of Tzama Nafshi, and the author of Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuvah, The Baderech Haggadah, and Baderech: Along the Path of the Torah. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh with his wife Ora and their family. Buy Judah’s book here: https://mosaicapress.com/product/baderech-along-the-path-of-the-torah/?srsltid=AU7gw4XiN_PojdD9UbQhs3MJ2W4IDJeMtyxvs9e9V9muq1_5_OZL9p4D&v=0b3b97fa6688 Jewish Insights with Justin Pines airs on JBS.

"Excuse me, is this yours?" It turns out that may be the most dangerous question you can ask in the Holy Land. Tuvia Tenenbom, bestselling author, playwright, and the journalist Die Welt called "Michael Moore and Borat in one", spent nearly a year living in the territory some call Judea and Samaria and others call the West Bank, through an active war, with Iranian missiles passing overhead. His new book, Excuse Me, Is This Yours?, is the story of what he actually found. In this hour, Justin Pines sits down with him for a conversation that runs from a Bnei Brak childhood to a hilltop above Nablus. Tenenbom holds degrees in mathematics, computer science, fine arts, and journalism, completed rabbinical studies in Jerusalem, founded the Jewish Theater of New York, and has written more than forty plays. He is the author of four Der Spiegel and five Israeli bestsellers, translated into ten languages, with earlier books embedding him in Germany, across America, in Europe's refugee camps, in Britain, and among the Haredim. Get the book: Excuse Me, Is This Yours? https://www.gefenpublishing.com/products/excuse-me-is-this-yours?srsltid=AU7gw4Vf-iiflmHR42zNd6-XhBwgM_CI80zzSI5wAX9jGtH6OtVIgBI1   This episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines is made possible in part by Bryna and Joshua Landes, in honor of their beloved mother, Sora Landes.

Kevin S. Bright was executive producer of Friends for all ten seasons and directed more than 50 episodes of one of the most beloved shows in television history. His newest documentary, The Bridge, follows ten young Israeli survivors of October 7th to Los Angeles for the legendary Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. There, rock musicians from bands including Guns N' Roses, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath help them work through grief, fear, and survivor's guilt, and find their way back to their own voices. In this episode of Jewish Insights, Justin Pines sits down with Kevin for a conversation that runs from the Lower East Side to Central Perk to Tel Aviv. Kevin S. Bright's credits include executive producer of Friends, executive producer of HBO's Dream On, producer of the In Living Color pilot, and executive producer or director of the documentaries Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story, Best and Most Beautiful Things, October 8th, and It's Dorothy. The Bridge airs on JBS. To bring the film to your university, Hillel, or community, visit thebridgedoc.com.

What is the Torah? If you think it's just the Five Books of Moses, you're only seeing the surface. The Torah encompasses the written law, the oral law, the Mishnah, the Talmud, and an extraordinary chain of transmission and interpretation that stretches from Mount Sinai to today. In this episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, historian Rabbi Ken Spiro walks through the full story of the Torah — what actually happened at Sinai (including the part most people don't know), when the written and oral laws were given and why God would deliver a law orally, the dramatic moment when King Josiah's workers discovered a lost Torah scroll in the Temple, Ezra's public reading at the Water Gate that transformed Jewish life after the Babylonian exile, why the oral law was eventually written down, how the Torah system survived the destruction of the Temple and centuries of exile, the role of the Rambam in organizing and transmitting the tradition, what the Dead Sea Scrolls revealed about the accuracy of the text over two thousand years, how traditional Judaism responds to the Documentary Hypothesis, and the living process by which rabbis derive Jewish law from these ancient sources today. Rabbi Ken Spiro is a historian, author, and Senior Lecturer at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem. He holds an MA in History and rabbinic ordination from Aish HaTorah and has lived in Israel since 1982. He served in a combat infantry unit in the IDF and is a licensed tour guide in Israel. He is the author of "WorldPerfect — The Jewish Impact on Civilization," "Crash Course in Jewish History," and "Destiny — Why a tiny nation plays such a huge role in history." His work has been featured on BBC, National Geographic, the History Channel, and Fox News. He hosts the weekly podcast "Remember What's Next" on Spotify and YouTube, and his writings can be found at kenspiro.com and aish.com.

Every year on Sukkot, Jews around the world read the prophet Zechariah's vision of a future in which all the nations of the earth come up to Jerusalem. Not on Passover. Not on Yom Kippur. On Sukkot — the holiday Jewish tradition identifies with the Messianic era itself. So what is the Messiah? For an idea this central to Judaism — woven into the daily prayers, enshrined as the 12th of Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith, built into the structure of Jewish history and Jewish hope — most Jews would struggle to say what Mashiach actually is, what he has to accomplish, or how anyone would recognize the real one. In part one of this two-part Sukkot and Simchat Torah special, Justin Pines sits down with Rabbi Ken Spiro — historian, author, and senior lecturer at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem — for an hour that turns a vague idea into something you can actually hold. Jewish Insights with Justin Pines airs on JBS (Jewish Broadcasting Service), available on Comcast, Spectrum, DirecTV, and Verizon. Watch more episodes at jbstv.org.

Join JBS CEO Rabbi Justin Pines as he offers his special 2026 Yom Kippur Message, which calls on all people to take action to bring more truth, or "EMET" in Hebrew, into our lives.

This Yom Kippur, Justin Pines welcomes back his teacher and rebbe, Rabbi Avi Weiss, for an hour-long journey through the holiest day of the Jewish year.  Rabbi Weiss, founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (the Bayit) and founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Yeshivat Maharat, opens with a tefillah he wrote and recites each morning: a prayer for help in giving thanks for the blessings he has, and in not letting his heart be weighed down by the blessings he lacks. From there, the conversation moves through the themes of the day including the shofar and teshuva – Rav Kook’s teaching that repentance is not only an accounting of past deeds, but a return to your own inner self. Strength and love – why love itself is not a feeling but a decision, an action. Kol Nidre – the power of words and the dangers of them. The confession (vidui), and the positive vidui Rabbi Weiss composed: ahavnu, we have loved; barachnu, we have blessed; gadalnu, we have grown. The Avodah, and the idea that every one of us can be a Kohen Gadol, and finally Neilah.  Rabbi Weiss reflects, “I would always think: God, don’t lock me out. Lately I’ve been thinking that maybe we should be saying: God, don’t lock me in. Let me go out. Let me experience the entire world." ”  Recorded on the eve of 9/11, Rabbi Weiss also reflects on walking into Ground Zero as a clergy first responder and finding a holy place, and on the soldiers, families, and small daily steps that have shaped his thinking since October 7th. He closes with a blessing.

Can God be vulnerable? National Jewish Book Award winner Gila Fine explores the stunning talmudic tale of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, who entered the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur and was asked by God for a blessing (Berakhot 7a). What does it mean for an omnipotent God to ask a mortal for help? Through the lens of rabbinic literature, Shakespeare's King Lear, and modern philosophy, Fine reveals the difference between the God of the Bible and the God of the Talmud — and what divine vulnerability teaches us about the relationship between God and humanity.  Gila Fine is a lecturer in rabbinic literature at Shalem College and the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, and the author of "The Madwoman in the Rabbi's Attic: Rereading the Women of the Talmud," winner of the 74th National Jewish Book Award and the 2024 Rabbi Sacks Book Prize.

The Talmud is the foundational text of Judaism — every law, every debate, every dissenting opinion preserved across 2,711 pages. For centuries it was accessible only to scholars. That is changing. Rabbanit Michelle Farber is the founder of Hadran and the host of Daf Yomi for Women, the first and only women's daily Daf Yomi podcast. From her dining room table in Israel, she has built a worldwide movement — bringing daily Talmud study into the lives of thousands of women and men from all backgrounds. The story of how the Talmud went from the study halls of the few to the daily lives of the many is a story of extraordinary breakthroughs — from Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi writing down the Mishnah, to Rabbi Meir Shapiro's Daf Yomi, to ArtScroll and Koren making the text accessible in English, to Rabbanit Farber's own work opening the Talmud to women around the world. In this episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, Rabbanit Farber shares her personal journey, what listeners can expect from her daily shiur, how Hadran has grown into a full ecosystem of women's Talmud learning, and why now is the time to start. She also teaches Justin some Talmud! A new Daf Yomi journey begins June 8, 2027. Whether you've never opened a Gemara or you've been learning for years, this episode is for you. Visit hadran.org.il to get started.

The Shema is Judaism's most iconic declaration — six words carried across thousands of years, countries, and circumstances. Now, a bold new initiative is inviting a million Jews to reclaim them. Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, founder of New Jewish Outreach Program, and Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff, co-founder of Simchat Torah Challenge, join Rabbi Justin Pines to discuss the Shema Initiative — a collaboration to inspire one million Jews to recite the Shema twice a day, with love. They explore the meaning behind these ancient words, whether it matters to say them in Hebrew, and how they're pairing inspiration with practical tools — including NJOP's legendary Hebrew Reading Crash Course — to make sure no Jew is left on the outside. Rabbi Buchwald is a student of Rabbi Soloveitchik, a recipient of an honorary doctorate from Yeshiva University, and one of the pioneers of the Jewish outreach movement in America. For fifty years — beginning with the legendary Beginners Service at Lincoln Square Synagogue — he has devoted his life to opening doors into Jewish life. Through NJOP, he has reached nearly 1.8 million Jews across more than 5,000 locations in 46 countries. Rabbi Hajioff is a beloved professor of Jewish philosophy and mysticism at Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University, where he was voted Professor of the Year in Judaic Studies. Originally from London, he came to Jewish education by way of Manchester University and MTV, and serves as a senior educator at the Edmund Safra Synagogue in Manhattan. In just two years, Simchat Torah Challenge's weekly newsletter has grown to nearly 50,000 subscribers, reaching Jews well beyond the Orthodox world. With Elul underway and Rosh Hashanah approaching, this conversation is a timely invitation to reconnect with the words at the heart of Jewish life. The Shema Initiative https://simchattorahchallenge.org/shema  Simchat Torah Challenge: https://simchattorahchallenge.org/ National Jewish Outreach Program: https://njop.org/

After October 7, Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer did something almost no Haredi rabbi has done: he put on a uniform. A community rabbi, he completed IDF basic training alongside soldiers half his age, served in the reserves during the Iran War — and his sons study in yeshiva and serve in the IDF. But Rabbi Pfeffer isn't just a soldier. He grew up Hasidic, spent a decade in Jerusalem's elite Lithuanian yeshivot under Rav Moshe Shapira and Rav Asher Weiss, clerked at Israel's Supreme Court, and teaches at Hebrew University's law school. He chairs the board of Netzach Yehudah — the organization supporting Haredi soldiers — and founded Tzarich Iyun, the journal asking the hardest questions about Haredi life from inside the community. In this episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, Rav Pfeffer explains why most Haredi men really don't serve (it's not what you think), what the Chazon Ish's famous promise about Bnei Brak reveals about this moment in Jewish history, what secular Israelis get wrong about the ultra-Orthodox world, and what a Torah-rooted vision of Haredi civic responsibility actually looks like. Whether you're frustrated with the Haredi draft debate or trying to understand it — this is the conversation that cuts through the noise.

What is the true purpose of music? Is it merely to entertain, or is it a vessel designed to uncover the soul and connect us directly to the Divine? In this episode of Jewish Insights with Justin Pines, Justin sits down for a deeply personal, wide-ranging conversation with a true master of Jewish song and spirit, Eitan Katz. They trace Eitan’s transformative discovery of Reb Shlomo Carlebach’s legacy and his ongoing commitment to full-time yeshiva learning at Shor Yoshuv. Together, they explore how music acts as a bridge from spiritual distance to ultimate intimacy, a theme felt acutely as we enter the introspective season of Rosh Chodesh Elul. Eitan opens up about what it means to be a vessel for holiness rather than the "star of the show," and the spiritual roadmap behind three of his most iconic melodies: L’maancha: The raw, humble plea drawn from the depths of the Selichot liturgy Ki Karov: The joyful, upbeat reminder that closeness to Hashem is already within our hearts Elul Niggun: The wordless, meditative classic This episode is a masterclass in how authentic niggunim can help us all begin the journey back home.

How do you navigate grief and find true comfort after a devastating loss? In this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Steven Exler, Senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale – The Bayit, to explore the raw human landscape of mourning, healing, and pastoral care. As the calendar pivots from the heavy collective mourning of Tisha B'Av to the promise of Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of Consolation), Rav Steven shares profound insights drawn from guiding countless families through tragedy from the inside out, as well as navigating deep personal loss. Widely regarded as one of the most respected rabbinic leaders in the country, Rav Steven shares what it truly means to be a "shepherd" to a community. We discuss the everyday work of showing up for one another, the legacy of carrying the torch from his mentor Rabbi Avi Weiss, and why creating a radically inclusive, diverse community is the ultimate antidote to isolation and brokenness. In this episode, we discuss: The human and psychological necessity of sitting with sorrow before rushing to comfort. How facing personal tragedy shapes the way a leader counsels others through loss. The weight and reality of modern pastoral care and how to be truly present. Turning shared loss into an active framework for community, kindness, and personal growth. About Our Guest: Rabbi Steven Exler serves as Senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale – The Bayit, a large and welcoming Orthodox synagogue in the Bronx. He sits on the boards of the Plaza Jewish Community Chapel, UJA-Federation of NY, and the Rabbinic Advisory Boards of Eshel, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and Yeshivat Maharat.

Auschwitz survivor Tova Friedman,  author of the New York Times bestseller The Daughter of Auschwitz [link], recounts her arrival and experiences at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp and surviving a Nazi gas chamber. Tova shares the arduous journey of rebuilding her life and humanity after World War II. Later, she is joined by her grandson, Aron Goodman, to discuss "TovaTok"—their viral TikTok channel dedicated to Holocaust education and preserving her history for the next generation. https://www.tiktok.com/@tovafriedman?_r=1&_t=ZP-9804AVbZ8bm

Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, author of the New York Times bestseller The Daughter of Auschwitz [link], shares her harrowing story of survival. In Part 1, Tova details her family's life before World War II and the unimaginable experience of surviving a Jewish ghetto and a Nazi labor camp as a young child. She also opens up about the complex role of faith and wrestling with God in the face of profound tragedy. https://www.tiktok.com/@tovafriedman?_r=1&_t=ZP-9804AVbZ8bm