Casual Wisdom

Reconstruction and Innovation - a conversation with Rabb Zac Kamenetz

When I asked Rabbi Zac Kamenetz to join me for a conversation about Jewish masculinity, he said, "this is the conversation I've been waiting to have." My heart, mind and soul were brought to life through his presence and insights on important topics like fatherhood, the limits and opportunities of mentorship, the role of rabbis in psychedelic work, and so much more. Zac is a rabbi and community leader based in Berkeley, CA. As the founder and CEO of Shefa, Zac is leading a movement to integrate safe and supported psychedelic use into the Jewish spiritual tradition, advocating for the healing of individual and inherited traumas, and inspiring a Jewish religious and creative renaissance in the 21st century. He is a qualified instructor of MBSR and is trained in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapeutic care through Inbodied Life andis certified in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy by the Hakomi Institute of Northern California

Flying too close to the sun - with M. Evan Wolkenstein

M. Evan Wolkenstein is the author of YA novel Turtle Boy (Random House, May 2020), winner of the 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Award and the Cowan Writer’s Prize (2022). He attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Hebrew University, and the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies. His work can be found in The Forward, Tablet Magazine, The Washington Post, Engadget, My Jewish Learning, and BimBam. He lives with his wife and daughters in the San Francisco Bay Area. He can be found on IG @EvanWolkenstein. https://www.evanwolkenstein.com https://www.amazon.com/Turtle-Boy-M-Evan-Wolkenstein/dp/0593121570 https://forward.com/culture/443147/passover-in-the-time-of-the-plague/ https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/evan-wolkenstein https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2016/01/20/a-single-man-learns-how-to-dress-for-a-first-date/ https://www.engadget.com/2015-08-19-dear-veronica-cufflinks-and-communication.html https://www.myjewishlearning.com/author/evan-wolkenstein/ https://www.bimbam.com/author/evan-wolkenstein/

Bad Rabbi - With Rabbi Charlie Buckholz

Charlie Buckholtz, an ordained rabbi, has written articles and coauthored books on topics ranging from religious feminism to punk rock murder mystery to (two of) the times he literally almost died. Before the last time he almost died he hosted BAD RABBI, a monthly podcast in which he interviewed artists, activists, culture-carriers and change-makers about the meaning of authentic spiritual leadership in these absurd, unsettled times; wrote a blog called The Path of Wandering; and periodically performed standup comedy. The podcast, the blog, and samples of his standup comedy and other work can be found at his website, badrabbimedia.com

Schlepping the Exile - with Rabbi Avram Mlotek

Rabbi Avram Mlotek works as a rabbi for Project Ruth which strives to make halachic conversions more accessible for folks. He created a play with his father which featured Yiddish songs written and performed during the Shoah; they recently won the 2024 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue. They are now adapting it for concerts and TV. He had a recent book published, a children's book called Butterfly, with illustrations by Annita Soble, which tells the story of a kid who tries to outsmart the rebbe who can supposedly answer any question in the world. He has BH a couple of books coming out this year. One is a playful intro to Yiddish alphabet with New Yorker style cartoons and the other is a volume on Rebbe Nachman and mental health. There are a lot of references in this podcast - like Lesson 8 in Likutei Moharan where Rebbe Nachman writes about how much Hashem values the sighs of a Jewish person. And in Lesson 5 of the same book, Rebbe Nachman describes how each of us is responsible for the entire world. There's plenty of good Yiddish, well explained. Enjoy.

Casual Wisdom

Rabbi Matthew Ponak is a teacher of Jewish mysticism, a spiritual counselor, and an author dedicated to making Kabbalistic and Hasidic wisdom accessible to seekers of all backgrounds. Ordained with honors from Hebrew College’s neo-Hasidic rabbinical school, he also holds a Master’s in Contemplative Religions from Naropa University, a Buddhist-inspired institution integrating meditation and experiential study. With expertise in Jewish and global mystical traditions, Rabbi Matthew blends scholarly insight with embodied practice. As a certified Focusing Professional, he guides individuals in self-awareness and transformation through somatic introspection. His first book, Embodied Kabbalah, explores Jewish mystical wisdom as it relates to physicality, bridging ancient traditions with contemporary spiritual insights. To learn more about Rabbi Matthew and his offerings, visit www.matthewponak.com.