Detours & Destinations

Claudia Romo Edelman – From Survival to Service

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with activist, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and “factivist” Claudia Romo Edelman for a conversation about identity, purpose, and the power of using stories to create social change. Born and raised in Mexico City, Claudia traces the experiences that shaped her worldview — from witnessing the devastation of the 1985 earthquake to navigating a global career spanning the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Economic Forum, and some of the world's most influential advocacy campaigns. Together, they explore reinvention, belonging, and the enduring possibility of creating change by helping people see one another more clearly and Claudia’s  journey from international diplomacy to becoming one of the leading voices for Latino visibility and inclusion in the United States. Claudia reflects on the origins of her activism, the philosophy behind her concept of “factivism,” and her belief that data and storytelling can work together to transform perceptions and inspire action.  The conversation also touches on spirituality, Jewish identity, bridge-building between communities, and the challenge of leading with both conviction and compassion in an increasingly polarized world. Learn more about Claudia’s work http://claudiaromoedelman.com/ [http://claudiaromoedelman.com/] We are all human https://www.weareallhuman.org/ [https://www.weareallhuman.org/] Follow Claudia on IG https://www.instagram.com/claudiaromoedelman/ [https://www.instagram.com/claudiaromoedelman/?hl=en] Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber [https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber] 92NY Bronfman Center Events [https://www.92ny.org/whats-on/events/jewish-life-adults?hierarchicalMenu%5BEventMenu.lvl0%5D%5B0%5D=Jewish%20Interest&refinementList%5B10b_dd_AgeYears%5D%5B0%5D=adults]   Producer: Efrat Bigger Content Editor: Maya Gayer  Audio Editor: Sean Kennedy Music By: Shimon Smith  Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Maya Tevet Dayan – From A Jewish Home to Wandering Jewess

In this episode, we sit down with poet Maya Tevet Dayan for a conversation about wandering, belonging, and the search for home. The conversation moves through formative detours, including her mother’s death, a family life lived across continents, and October 7 as a turning point experienced while teaching in the United States. Tevet Dayan speaks about encounters with Jewish communities after October 7, and the questions of exile, home, and responsibility that animate her forthcoming book The Wandering Jewess. She offers thoughtful reflections on identity, displacement, and what it means to imagine a destination in uncertain times. Learn more about Maya’s work www.mayatevetdayan.com [https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mayatevetdayan.com&c=E,1,30nBxiwFuaGguMZ4hqdALnIiHJlD237uotjuNSyf-Wh6riHISSR5of7v2OH6XMp1KKqOVpNykAz7fuzWz7uirWyz6dEqcCvjFzwa7NI21h1d&typo=1] Join Maya’s 6 Minutes on Friday, a weekly column with an insight or reflection  https://tinyurl.com/yc3zxkc7 [https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2ftinyurl.com%2fyc3zxkc7&c=E,1,CW7YHGEAa2mDqsRHNxTjTZrnLBWfkzat8FqaP291NHiPxEXHr-OFPJ0KT-IEK2YH0hgMc9SsAtstOjJf1LRHwvJPOUe2cLjpKcxYNZPGzz_nzgUccV2q&typo=1]   Get Maya’s book  Wherever we float, that’s home [https://www.amazon.com/Wherever-We-Float-Thats-Home/dp/1947817701/ref=sr_1_1?crid=111VYZ6376XHH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Z9WLGU6MPUqd_hZCtJGhsw.JZ7V2VWtz5nT2yCJcEFAPU3PHQmh-BRQpCW7es0odpQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=maya+tevet+dayan&qid=1779800515&sprefix=maya+tevet+dayan%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1] Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber [https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber] Maya was recorded at Shemma Studios Tel Aviv  https://www.shemma.co.il/ [https://www.shemma.co.il/] 92NY Bronfman Center Events  [https://www.92ny.org/whats-on/events/jewish-life-adults?hierarchicalMenu%5BEventMenu.lvl0%5D%5B0%5D=Jewish%20Interest&refinementList%5B10b_dd_AgeYears%5D%5B0%5D=adults]   Producer: Efrat Bigger Content Editor: Maya Gayer  Audio Editor: Sean Kennedy Music By: Shimon Smith  Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Julie Benko- From Standby to Standing Ovation

In this episode, we sit down with Broadway actor and singer Julie Benko for a conversation about patience, timing, and the long road from the wings to center stage. Together with Rabbi David Ingber, Benko traces her journey from a childhood steeped in music and Jewish theater to years of training at NYU Tisch and working largely as an understudy in major productions. She reflects on the extraordinary turning point that made her Broadway lore — stepping into Funny Girl more than 180 times — and what it meant to suddenly navigate visibility, pressure, and acclaim. The conversation moves between theater and music, including her collaboration with her husband Jason Yeager and her new album Euphonic Gumbo, a love letter to New Orleans. Touching on Jewish identity, her current role as Emma Goldman in Ragtime, and the realities of balancing art, partnership, and motherhood, Benko offers thoughtful reflections on readiness, resilience, and what it truly means to arrive. Learn more about Julie’s work: https://www.juliebenko.com/ [https://www.juliebenko.com/] Stream Julie’s new album https://c44.lnk.to/EuphonicGumbo [https://c44.lnk.to/EuphonicGumbo] Follow Julie on IG https://www.instagram.com/jujujuliebee/ [https://www.instagram.com/jujujuliebee/] Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber [https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber] 92NY Bronfman Center Events  [https://www.92ny.org/whats-on/events/jewish-life-adults?hierarchicalMenu%5BEventMenu.lvl0%5D%5B0%5D=Jewish%20Interest&refinementList%5B10b_dd_AgeYears%5D%5B0%5D=adults]     Producer: Efrat Bigger Content Editor: Maya Gayer  Audio Editor: Sean Kennedy Music By: Shimon Smith  Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Georgette Bennett- From Fractured Origins to Full Life

In this episode, we sit down with award-winning sociologist, humanitarian leader, and author Dr. Georgette Bennett. In dialogue with Rabbi David Ingber, Bennett reflects on her detour-filled life as the daughter of Holocaust survivors, born into a bombed-out Hungarian apartment—a beginning that shaped her perspective on the world. She traces her winding path from a career in criminology and community policing in New York City to her transformative turn toward interreligious leadership. As the founder of the Tanenbaum Center and the Multifaith Alliance, Bennett shares how she mobilized hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for Syrian war victims by bridging divides between historical enemies, driven by the biblical mandate not to “stand idly by.” Exploring themes from her new book, Half-Jew – Full Life, the conversation dives into the extraordinary story of her cousin-in-law, Gary “Pips” Phillips, who chose to identify as Jewish as the Nazis rose to power. Together, they discuss the dangers of binary thinking and the resilience required to build a full life from the ashes of history. Learn more about Georgette’s work https://bennettny.com/ [https://bennettny.com/] Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber [https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber] 92NY Bronfman Center  Events [https://www.92ny.org/whats-on/events/jewish-life-adults?hierarchicalMenu%5BEventMenu.lvl0%5D%5B0%5D=Jewish%20Interest&refinementList%5B10b_dd_AgeYears%5D%5B0%5D=adults]   Producer: Efrat Bigger Content Editor: Maya Gayer  Audio Editor: Sean Kennedy Music By: Shimon Smith  Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Dan Senor - From Strategist to Storyteller

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with writer, political advisor, and podcaster Dan Senor to explore a life shaped by the intersection of identity, power, and ideas. Senor reflects on his path — from growing up in the shadow of Holocaust memory, to his time on the ground in Iraq during a defining moment in U.S. foreign policy, to becoming a bestselling author with Start-Up Nation and The Genius of Israel. Now, as the host of the successful podcast Call Me Back, he examines the role of narrative in shaping public understanding, particularly in the context of the U.S.–Israel relationship. Against the backdrop of October 7 and its aftermath, this episode grapples with questions of global instability, rising antisemitism, generational divides within American Jewry, and the future of Israel’s place in the world. Ultimately, it is a conversation about navigating uncertainty — personally and collectively — and about the destinations we are still struggling to define. Learn more about Dan’s work https://www.dansenor.com/ [https://www.dansenor.com/] Check out Ark Media’s podcasts https://arkmedia.org/ [https://arkmedia.org/] Follow Dan on X https://x.com/dansenor?lang=en [https://x.com/dansenor?lang=en] Dan Senor’s IG https://www.instagram.com/dansenor/ [https://www.instagram.com/dansenor/] Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber [https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber] 92NY Bronfman Center  Events [https://www.92ny.org/whats-on/events/jewish-life-adults?hierarchicalMenu%5BEventMenu.lvl0%5D%5B0%5D=Jewish%20Interest&refinementList%5B10b_dd_AgeYears%5D%5B0%5D=adults]   Producer: Efrat Bigger Content Editor: Maya Gayer  Audio Editor: Sean Kennedy Music By: Shimon Smith  Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.