My Teacher Podcast

Rabbi Jack Riemer is a master story teller and preacher and one of the most frequently quoted rabbis in the U.S. who artfully describes the relevance of timeless Jewish wisdom in our modern world. He is often referred to as the “rabbi’s rabbi” among Jewish clergy, because he has taught and mentored so many of his colleagues.  The late Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel wrote: "Jack Riemer’s words are songs of hope and faith. Listen to them as I do."  Rabbi Riemer is rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Tikvah (now Shaarei Kodesh) in Boca Raton, Florida. He is co-author, with Rabbi Elie Spitz, of Duets on Psalms: Drawing New Meaning From Ancient Words [https://www.benyehudapress.com/books/duets-on-psalms/?srsltid=AfmBOorvjl70csyGW8nbjbyiHE0Tej555AeR1jmTlX6hGgpOXkXUT8eB]. To inquire about an autographed copy, contact Ben Yehuda Press [https://www.benyehudapress.com/contact-us/]. Rabbi Riemer is also the author of Jewish Insights on Death and Mourning [https://bookshop.org/p/books/jewish-insights-on-death-and-mourning-jack-riemer/e9fbcd16e37665a3?ean=9780307828255&next=t&digital=t]Finding God in Unexpected Places: Wisdom for Everyone from the Jewish Tradition [https://bookshop.org/p/books/finding-god-in-unexpected-places-wisdom-for-everyone-from-the-jewish-tradition-jack-riemer/6453633?ean=9781942011873&next=t&next=t] and coeditor of So That Your Values Live On: Ethical Wills and How to Prepare Them. [https://bookshop.org/p/books/so-that-your-values-live-on-ethical-wills-and-how-to-prepare-them-dr-nathaniel-stampfer/94bc699a61ed6a15?ean=9781580237390&next=t&digital=t] Rabbi Riemer's retelling of a story about Rabbi Paul Plotkin is found in Rabbi Paul Plotkin's book, The Lord Is My Shepherd: Why Do I Still Want? [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-lord-is-my-shepherd-why-do-i-still-want-paul-plotkin/9004707?ean=9781571687548&next=t&next=t] Here [https://rabbiedbernstein.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/plotkin-intro.pdf] is an excerpt [https://rabbiedbernstein.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/plotkin-intro.pdf] in which Rabbi Paul Plotkin shares in his own words the story that Rabbi Riemer refers to in the podcast.  Thank you to Rabbi Paul Plotkin for granting permission to share this excerpt.  For more about Natan Sharansky, see his memoir Fear No Evil.  Check out the other podcast hosted by Rabbi Ed Bernstein: My Teacher Podcast [https://my-teacher-podcast.simplecast.com].  Check out the other podcast hosted by Rabbi Ed Bernstein: NeshamaCast: the Podcast on Jewish Spiritual Care [https://neshamacast.simplecast.com], produced by Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains.

This podcast is being published on April 30, 2023, and is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Harold Kushner, of blessed memory, who died on April 28, 2023 at the age of 88. Rabbi Kushner is best known for his best selling book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. He wrote a total of 14 books, many of which were also best sellers. While known world-wide for his writing and lecturing, Rabbi Kushner was a beloved pulpit rabbi and served 25 years as the spiritual leader of Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in  Natick, MA and many more years as their Rabbi Laureate. For more information about Rabbi Kushner's illustrious career, see his New York Times obituary [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/28/books/rabbi-harold-s-kushner-dead.html].  In January 2014, Rabbi Kushner gave a lecture at Temple Torah (now Temple Torat Emet) in Boynton Beach, FL, where Rabbi Ed Bernstein was then serving as spiritual leader. A few months earlier, Rabbi Bernstein and Rabbi Kushner both attended the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Biennial Convention in Baltimore, MD.  During the convention, they recorded a brief interview that served as a teaser for Rabbi Kushner's upcoming visit to Boynton Beach. The conversation touched on When Bad Things Happen to Good People as well as two other books by Rabbi Kushner, When Children Ask About God and Living a Life That Matters. Rabbi Kushner had a gift for speaking and writing about sophisticated subjects in an accessible way. In this 10-minute interview a decade later, he distills complex issues in  clear and vivid terms and in such little time.  Here is Rabbi Ed Bernstein's conversation with Rabbi Harold Kushner on October 13, 2013, which you may also find on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlN6s7LZeXQ&t=7s]. May the  memory of Rabbi Harold Kushner be for a blessing. Rabbi Bernstein is grateful to Barbara and Jay Wiston for introducing him to Rabbi Kushner and for envisioning Rabbi Kushner's public lecture in Boynton Beach in 2014.

Special thanks to Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, and his team for their invitation and for granting permission to distribute this podcast on the My Teacher Podcast feed.  Check out the rich selection of Jewish educational offerings at valleybeitmidrash.org [http://valleybeitmidrash.org], where you will find recordings of some of the most distinguished teachers in the English speaking world. Find their calendar of upcoming events and subscribe to the several VBM podcasts: Jewish Ideas to Change the World; Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living With Kindness; and Social Justice in the Parsha. Watch this talk on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRveNKxOvUo]. Source sheet for this talk:  https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/407988 [https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/407988]    See Rabbi Edward Bernstein's essay: "The Roar of the Cat Rabbi: The Vital Role of Introverts in the Congregational Rabbinate [https://rabbiedbernstein.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/the-roar-of-the-cat-rabbi.pdf], originally published in Keeping Faith in Rabbis: A Community Conversation on Rabbinical Education, Rabbi Hayim Herring and Elie Roscher, Eds., Avenida Books: USA: 2014, pp. 130-147.

Rabbi Everett Gendler [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Gendler] (August 8, 1928 - April 1, 2022) was an American rabbi [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi], known for his involvement in progressive causes, including the civil rights movement. He has also been widely referred to as the founder of the Jewish environmental movement. About ten years ago at the Rabbinical Assembly Convention in Atlanta, he recorded a conversation with Rabbi Ed Bernstein on Jewish environmentalism. At the time Rabbi Bernstein was Spiritual Leader of Temple Torah, now Temple Torat Emet, of Boynton Beach, FL. Rabbi Bernstein was experimenting with podcasting and recorded interviews with various thought leaders that were then published on Temple Torah’s podcast. That feed is no longer online. Rabbi Bernstein's interview with Rabbi Gendler from that series is presented here.  A transcript [https://gendlergrapevine.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Conversation-with-Martin-Luther-King.pdf] of Dr. King’s public dialogue at the RA Convention with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rabbi Everett Gendler was published in Conservative Judaism Journal, 22:3, 1968, pp. 1-19. This was one of Dr. King’s final major public appearances prior to his assassination ten days later on April 4.

Rick Recht is one of the top touring musicians in Jewish music playing annually in numerous venues in the US and abroad.  Rick has revolutionized and elevated the genre of Jewish rock music as a powerful and effective tool for developing Jewish pride and identity in youth and adults across the US. Rick is the national celebrity spokesman for the PJ Library [https://pjlibraryradio.com/] and is the Executive Director of Songleader Boot Camp [https://www.songleaderbootcamp.com/] – a national songleader training immersion program held in various cities around the U.S.  Rick is also the founder and Executive Director of Jewish Rock Radio [https://jewishrockradio.com/], the very first high-caliber, 24/7 international Jewish rock online radio station! Rick is also the Executive Director of JKids Radio [https://jkidsradio.com/]. Rick’s music is available through iTunes [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/rick-recht/159756806] and other major music sellers. Rick's songs played during this episode are used with permission of Rick Recht.  Vocabulary: The following Hebrew/Yiddish words were mentioned in conversation but not immediately translated:  Tzimtzum: Literally, "reduction." In Kabbalistic literature the word describes God holding back the Divine Presence to give space for humanity and the rest of the world to function at their own natural pace. Rick was referring to holding himself back to give space for others to shine.  B'shert: Yiddish for "meant to be." T'fillah: Jewish prayer; refers to a single specific prayer or to the wider activity of prayer.     For questions and comments, email Rabbi Ed Bernstein at myteacherpodcast@gmail.com [myteacherpodcast@gmail.com]. Follow My Teacher Podcast on social media: Twitter [https://twitter.com/PodcastTeach]: @PodcastTeach Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/My-Teacher-Podcast-102079084838927/?modal=admin_todo_tour] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/myteacherpodcast/]