Jewish Quest
136 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★ - 4 ratingsEach week, join us on an adventure as we deconstruct that week’s parasha, exploring new insights and meaning in the Torah. Hosted by Simon Eder and sponsored by the Louis Jacobs Foundation, Jewish Quest aims to honour the statement of R' Jacobs z"l who said: 'The quest for Torah is itself Torah.' Welcome to that Quest.
Find out more about our work at louisjacobs.org
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Episodes
36 - Bechukotai with Rav Professor Rachel Adelman
May 25, 2022 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBRav Professor Rachel Adelman discusses the blessings and the curses at the end of the Book of Leviticus. Prof. Rav Rachel Adelman is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Boston’s Hebrew College. She holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is the author of The Return of the Repressed: Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha (Brill 2009) and The Female Ruse: Women’s Deception and Divine Sanction in the Hebrew Bible (Sheffield Phoenix, 2015). Pr...
35 - Behar with Professor Gary Rendsburg
May 14, 2022 19:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBProfessor Gary Rendsburg serves as the Blanche and Irving Laurie Professor of Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. His Ph.D. and M.A. are from N.Y.U. Rendsburg is the author of seven books and about 190 articles; his most recent book is How the Bible Is Written. Professor Gary Rendsburg discusses Mary Douglas' proposal for the literary construction of Leviticus as a tabernacle.
34 - Emor with Jeremy Tabick
May 08, 2022 18:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBJeremy Tabick addresses the ableism of the laws of kohanim and how that interacts with the divinity of the Torah. Jeremy Tabick is the Content Manager and faculty at Hadar, where he teaches, curates, and edits Hadar's content—both online and in print—and Project Zug courses. Jeremy is also pursuing a PhD in Talmud at JTS. He graduated from the University of Manchester (in the UK) with a Masters in Physics, and is an alumnus of Yeshivat Hadar and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He is...
33 - Kedoshim with Professor Israel Knohl
May 03, 2022 11:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBProfessor Israel Knohl discusses the innovation of the Holiness School and its introduction of ethical principles into the concept of Holiness. Prof. Israel Knohl is the Yehezkel Kaufmann Professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a senior research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute. He holds a Ph.D. in Bible from Hebrew University. Knohl’s numerous publications include: The Sanctuary of Silence, which won the Z. Shkopp Prize for Biblical Studies and The Messiah befor...
32 - Achrei Mot with Rabbi Dr. Charles Middleburgh
April 24, 2022 19:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBRabbi Dr Charles Middleburgh discusses the laws concerning the scapegoat and their possible application for our times. Dr Charles Middleburgh is founder rabbi of Congregation Shir HaTzaphon in Copenhagen and Dean and Director of Jewish Studies at the Leo Baeck College in London. Rabbi Middleburgh has lectured at Leo Baeck College since 1984 and has taught, over the years, Bible, Parshanut, Rabbinic Literature, Aramaic and Practical Rabbinics. He is now Reader in Bible and Liturgy. Rabbi M...
31 - Shir Hashirim with Andrew Levy
April 18, 2022 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBAndrew Levy shares his own passion for the Song of Songs and its uniqueness within the Bible. Andrew Levy is a senior lecturer in Law at BPP. He is a founder member of New North London's ASIF community. . He has been interested in Jewish texts for many years and is author of Love in the Time of Tyranny, A new perspective on the Song of Songs.
30 - Haggadah 2 with Rabbi Adam Zegoria-Moffet
April 11, 2022 15:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBRabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffat discusses how the Seder replicates the very paradigm of the Greek symposium and shares what makes it so relevant in every generation. Adam Zagoria-Moffet is the rabbi of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue. He was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York where he also received an MA in Jewish Thought, studying the political philosophy of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag (Ba’al haSulam). He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Minnesota, New York, and Israe...
29 - Haggadah with Rav Rachel Adelman
April 11, 2022 12:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBProfessor Rav Rachel Adelman takes us on a journey through the Haggadah reflecting on some important themes for contemporary times. In conversation with Simon Eder. Prof. Rav Rachel Adelman is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Boston’s Hebrew College. She holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is the author of The Return of the Repressed: Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha (Brill 2009) and The Female Ruse: Women’s Deception and Divin...
28 - Metzorah with Simon Eder
April 08, 2022 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.63 MBSimon Eder explores some of the insights of Menachem Mendel Schneerson on the different names for the week's parsha and how they are reflective of the stages of repentance.
27 - Tazria with Dr Jason Rogoff
March 28, 2022 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBDr Jason Rogoff discusses the confusing descriptions of the biblical skin afflictions and their prescience in light of the recent global pandemic. Dr. Rogoff is the academic director of Israel Programs and assistant professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at JTS’s Jerusalem campus, located at the Schocken Institute. An integral part of JTS’s presence in Israel, he is responsible for the overall quality of the academic program for rabbinical and cantorial students, coordination and planning of pr...
26 - Shemini with Rabbi Dr. Shai Held
March 20, 2022 13:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBRabbi Shai Held discusses the the death of Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, who brought “strange fire” to the Lord and died for their pains. In discussion with Simon Eder, they chart possible parallels with this tragic and enigmatic episode. Rabbi Shai Held–theologian, scholar, and educator–is President and Dean at Hadar. He has taught both theology and Halakhah at the Jewish Theological Seminary and also served as Director of Education at Harvard Hillel. A 2011 recipient of the prestigious C...
25 - Tzav with Rabbi Yehuda Sarna
March 16, 2022 13:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBRabbi Yehuda Sarna in conversation with Simon Eder discusses the concept of holiness in the parsha and how it relates to the founding of Jewish community in the UAE.
24 - Viyikra with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
March 05, 2022 20:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBRabbi Jonathan Wittenberg discusses the concept of holiness, sacrifice and the power of memory and how they might be applied in a world with such tragic events today. Rabbi Wittenberg is the Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism UK. He is a leading writer and thinker on Judaism. He is Rabbi of the New North London Synagogue, with ovr 3,000 members. He is also a member of the Elijah Interfaith Institute Board of World Religious Leaders.
23 Pekuday - with Rabbi David Frankel
March 02, 2022 12:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBRabbi Dr David Frankel did his doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His publications include The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School, The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel, and many scholarly articles. He teaches Hebrew Bible to Israeli M.A. and Rabbinical students at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem. Simon Eder is Editorial Director of Jewish Quest. He writes regularly for the site and has written for the Judaism column of the Jewish Chronicle. He is a founder o...
22 Vayakhel - with Dr Alex Sinclair
February 20, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBDr Alex Sinclair argues that that the more radical you are theologically, the more conservative you should be liturgically, in this exploration of Vayakhel. -- Dr Alex Sinclair is the Chief Content Officer for Educating for Impact. Alex grew up in London, England, and received an M.A., (Oxon) in Hebrew Studies from Balliol College, University of Oxford and a Ph.D. in Jewish Education from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Alex was a member of faculty at the Davidson School of Education ...
21 Ki Tisa - with Dr Eitan Fishbane
February 13, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBDr Eitan Fishbane investigates the mystical undercurrents surrounding the story of Moses smashing the two tablets. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Dr Eitan Fishbane is Associate Professor of Jewish Thought at The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), where he teaches students in all five graduate and undergraduate schools. Fishbane earned his Ph.D. and B.A., summa cum laude, from Brandeis University, and he served on the faculties of Carleton College and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Instit...
20 Tetzaveh - with Rabbi Herzl Hefter
February 06, 2022 10:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MBWhy are garments so symbolically important in Jewish thought, asks Rabbi Herzl Hefter, as he explores Parashat Tetzaveh. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Rabbi Herzl Hefter is the founder and Rosh Beit Midrash Har’el in memory of Belda Kaufman Lindenbaum, in Jerusalem. It is a beit midrash for advanced rabbinic studies for men and women. He is a graduate of Yeshiva University where he learned under the tutelage of Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik, and received smikha from Rabbi Aharon Lich...
19 Terumah - with Prof Rav Rachel Adelman
February 01, 2022 23:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBThe juxtaposition of the description of the building of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, with the story of the Golden Calf, in Parashat Terumah, raises intriguing questions, says Prof Rav Rachel Adelman. -- Prof. Rav Rachel Adelman is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Boston’s Hebrew College. She holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is the author of The Return of the Repressed: Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha (Brill 2009) and The F...
18 Mishpatim - with Rabbi Dr Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
January 23, 2022 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBRabbi Dr Meesh Hammer-Kossoy argues that the medium is the message in Parashat Mishpatim, the message being the centrality of law in building a just society. -- Rabbi Dr Meesh Hammer-Kossoy teaches Talmud, directs the Social Justice Track, and serves on the Senior Staff at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, an open, co-ed and non-denominational Jewish learning community, where students encounter and grapple with classic texts and traditions of Judaism, while exploring th...
17 Yitro - with Professor Benjamin Sommer
January 16, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBProfessor Benjamin Sommer explores the ambiguities in the telling of the giving of the Ten Commandments, in parashat Yitro. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Benjamin Sommer is a Professor of Bible at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Kogod Research Center at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Previously he taught at Northwestern University, where he was Director of the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies. An overarching concern of Profess...
16 Beshalach - with Prof Carol Meyers
January 09, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBIt’s time for Miriam’s role and reputation to be re-evaluated, says Professor Carol Meyers, as she explores the Song of the Sea in Parashat Beshalach. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Professor Carol Meyers, the Mary Grace Wilson Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at Duke University, specialises in biblical studies, archaeology, and gender in the biblical world. A prolific scholar, she has written more than 450 articles, reports, reference-book entries, and reviews; and she has aut...
15 Bo - with Rabbi Samuel Klein
January 02, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBThrough the themes of Parashat Bo, Rabbi Samuel Klein explores the power and the centrality of questions and questioning in Jewish life. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Rabbi Samuel Klein is Director of Jewish Engagement for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Samuel was Chief Jewish Officer of the Jewish Community Center San Francisco and Executive Director of the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre, Montreal. He holds Masters degrees in Theology from Cambridge University and Histo...
14 Vaera - with Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffat
December 26, 2021 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBWe understate the importance of the Egyptian-ness of Moses, says Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffat, as we begin the Exodus story. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Adam Zagoria-Moffet is the rabbi of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue. He was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York where he also received an MA in Jewish Thought, studying the political philosophy of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag (Ba’al haSulam). He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and has lived in Minnesota, New York, and Israel b...
13 Shemot - with Prof Rav Rachel Adelman
December 19, 2021 10:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBThrough the prism of the Burning Bush, Prof Rav Rachel Adelman asks, what is the nature of sacred space and how is it determined? -- Prof. Rav Rachel Adelman is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Boston’s Hebrew College. She holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and is the author of The Return of the Repressed: Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha (Brill 2009) and The Female Ruse: Women's Deception and Divine Sanction in the Hebrew Bible ...
12 Vayechi - with Rabbi Roni Tabick
December 12, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBRabbi Roni Tabick asks, why do werewolves appear so frequently in mediaeval Jewish texts, and what is their relevance to this week’s parasha? Sources: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/367788.1?lang=bi -- Rabbi Roni Tabick is rabbi of New Stoke Newington Shul. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. With a Masters in Ancient Judaism, Rabbi Tabick specialises in Talmud, mysticism and Jewish Mythology, especially the Leviathan and other sea monsters.
11 Vayigash - with Professor Meira Polliack
December 05, 2021 19:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBProfessor Meira Polliack explores how the trauma of Joseph’s experiences informs his actions, as the Joseph story reaches its climax. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Prof Meira Polliack is Professor of Bible at Tel Aviv University and chair of the Department of Biblical Studies (2016-17). She holds a Ph.D. and M.Phil from Cambridge University and a B.A. from the Hebrew University. From 2012-2018, she was one of the Principal Investigators of the Biblia Arabica: The Bible in Arabic amon...
10 Miketz – with Rabbi Joel Levy
November 28, 2021 10:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBRabbi Joel Levy explores the role of awakenings in Jewish mythology, through the prism of this part of the Joseph story in parashat Miketz. -- Rabbi Joel Levy is Rosh Yeshiva of the Conservative Yeshiva in Israel & Rabbi of Kol Nefesh Synagogue in the UK. Rabbi Levy studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, was chair of programming at Limmud conference and is an ex-director of NOAM. He received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi David Hartman in 2000. He has been the part-time rab...
09 Vayeshev – with Prof. Rabbi Pamela Barmash
November 21, 2021 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.8 MBProf. Rabbi Pamela Barmash offers a highly original view of the Joseph story through a legal and literary lens. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Prof. Rabbi Pamela Barmash is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Biblical Hebrew at Washington University in St. Louis. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University, a B.A. from Yale University, and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Prof. Barmash has published widely on biblical and ancient Near Eastern law and on history an...
08 Vayishlach - with Prof. Rabbi Marty Lockshin
November 14, 2021 21:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBWhat was really going on with Jacob’s showdown/reconciliation with Esau? Prof. Rabbi Marty Lockshin offers an alternative view. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Prof. Rabbi Marty Lockshin is Professor Emeritus at York University and lives in Jerusalem. He received his Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and his rabbinic ordination in Israel while studying in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav Kook. Professor Lockshin’s primary area of scholarly expertise and writing i...
07 Vayetzei – with Professor Shawna Dolansky
November 07, 2021 10:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBProfessor Shawna Dolansky explores the story of Jacob’s return to Canaan and how it played a formative role in the identity of the people of Israel. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Professor Shawna Dolansky is Associate Professor of Religion and Humanities at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Canada. She specialises in Biblical Studies, with a focus on the history and religions of Israel and the ancient Near East and the development of the Hebrew Bible. Her research incorporates the too...
06 Toldot, with Rabbi Dr David Frankel
October 31, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBRabbi Dr David Frankel revisits the story of Jacob’s deception of Isaac, and wonders whether it’s all that it seems. In conversation with Simon Eder. Rabbi Dr. David Frankel did his doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His publications include The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School, The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel, and many scholarly articles. He teaches Hebrew Bible to Israeli M.A. and Rabbinical students at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem
05 Chayei Sarah, with Rabbi Dr David Frankel
October 24, 2021 09:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBIn his exploration of parashat Chayei Sarah, Rabbi Dr David Frankel questions the story of the cave of Machpelah and considers its ramifications. In conversation with Simon Eder. Rabbi Dr. David Frankel did his doctorate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His publications include The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School, The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel, and many scholarly articles. He teaches Hebrew Bible to Israeli M.A. and Rabbinical students at the Schechter Instit...
04 Vayera - with Rabbi Jeremy Gordon
October 19, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBRabbi Jeremy Gordon explores parashat Vayera, including negotiating with God at Sodom and Gomorrah, a unique critique of Abraham and a look at the role that angels play in the Torah. In conversation with Simon Eder. -- Rabbi Jeremy Gordon is Rabbi of New London Synagogue. He has a first class honours degree in Law from Cambridge and, following five years working for the BBC and other television companies decided to train for the Rabbinate. He studied at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusal...
03 Lech Lecha - with Professor Everett Fox
October 10, 2021 09:00 - 20 minutes - 14.3 MBProfessor Everett Fox examines parshat Lech Lecha for clues to the mythic role that Abraham plays in three religions.
02 Noach - with Professor Everett Fox
October 03, 2021 09:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBProfessor Everett Fox on how the Epic of Gilgamesh and the films of Cecil B. DeMille help us understand parashat Noach.
01 Bereshit – with Professor Marc Brettler
September 23, 2021 20:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBProfessor Marc Brettler examines the textual clues to the different authors of the Torah’s first parasha, Bereshit.