Temple Beth Am Podcasts

Shabbat Teaching and Poetry Learning: Yehuda Amichai

November 20th, 2021  |  17 mins 55 secs

Rabbinic Resident Julia Knobloch's Shabbat Teaching and Poetry Learning at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on November 20, 2021.

Shabbat Teaching: Torah Through The Handmaid's Tale

November 20th, 2021  |  36 mins 37 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld and Rabbi Rebecca Schatz's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on November 20, 2021.

Exploring the Parasha: Mental Health and Spiritual Growth - Vayishlach

November 19th, 2021  |  51 mins 16 secs

Rabbis Rebecca Schatz and Matt Shapiro lead a discussion of a single verse from the weekly parasha and how it relates to mental and spiritual growth.

This discussion was conducted via Zoom at Temple Beth Am Los Angeles on November 19, 2021.

Meditation and Mindfulness with Rabbi Adam Kligfeld

November 19th, 2021  |  17 mins 10 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld offers up short bursts of meditation infused with the imagery, wisdom, and the rhythms of our Jewish calendar including selected verses from the Torah. Many of these meditations are performed in sitting positions; some standing. Simply find yourself a comfortable space and let Rabbi Kligfeld's voice and direction guide you into a world of serenity and tranquility.

Seeing Angels in the Shadow of Death - Rav Ahud Sela

November 19th, 2021  |  46 mins 34 secs

Rav Ahud Sela talks about his new book "Seeing Angels In The Shadow Of Death". The book is the story of his journey from illness to health, from darkness to light. At the age of twenty-two, Rav Sela was confronted by death in the form of cancer, and then again at age thirty-three in the form of heart disease. Those events helped clarify for him what direction his life should take, but only with the help of other people. It is his hope that the book brings healing and light to all who read it.

Rav Sela is the rabbi of Temple Ramat Zion in Northridge, CA. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and has a master's degree in bioethics from the University of Pennsylvania. Ahud is married to Alisha, and they are the proud parents of Yael, Gavi, and Eitan.

The conversation took place via Zoom on November 18, 2021. Rav Sela is introduced by Rabbi Rebecca Schatz.

Shemitah: The Land Gets To Rest - A Close Reading of Rav Kook’s Ecological/Spiritual Masterpiece Shabbat Ha’aretz - Class 4

November 18th, 2021  |  57 mins 57 secs

Is religious environmentalism new-age, post-modern and, essentially, incompatible with traditional Judaism? Or is it, rather, retro, a return to Biblical ideals, a re-wedding of the earth on which we live and the religion we all strive to observe on that land? In this biweekly course, we will do a close reading of central texts within Rav Kook’s own introduction of his seminal work שבת הארץ/Shabbat Ha’aretz, the very translation of which title will be an early focus of our study! Rav Kook (Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, 1865-1935) was the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of the Jewish community of pre-state Palestine. He was a mystic, scholar and communal leader who had the temperament and interest in straddling the two modern Jewish communities growing in the land of Israel: the piously observant Jew and the new secular “Israeli.” His words continue to confound, illuminate and inspire us nearly 100 years after his death, and he has much to teach us about our relationship to this one, precious world that is our home.

The class is part of the Green Team initiative at Temple Beth Am Los Angeles. For more information go to https://www.tbala.org/get-involved/green-team. The class was conducted via Facebook and Zoom on November 18, 2021.

Meditation and Mindfulness with Rabbi Adam Kligfeld

November 17th, 2021  |  16 mins 19 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld offers up short bursts of meditation infused with the imagery, wisdom, and the rhythms of our Jewish calendar including selected verses from the Torah. Many of these meditations are performed in sitting positions; some standing. Simply find yourself a comfortable space and let Rabbi Kligfeld's voice and direction guide you into a world of serenity and tranquility.

Rashi Class: Shemot/Exodus 4:14

November 17th, 2021  |  58 mins 18 secs

Rashi Class, a weekly exploration of Torah featuring a deep dive on the text and lively conversation focused on an 11th-century French commentary, conducted by Rabbi Adam Kligfeld at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 4:14.

Siddur Class #71: Elohai Nitzur - Part 2

November 16th, 2021  |  35 mins 8 secs

Rabbi Avi Havivi's siddur class at Temple Beth Am Los Angeles in the main sanctuary and via Zoom - November 16, 2021

Exploring the Parasha: Mental Health and Spiritual Growth - Vayetzei

November 16th, 2021  |  57 mins 55 secs

Rabbi Rebecca Schatz and Rabbinic Resident Julia Knobloc lead a discussion of a single verse from the weekly parasha and how it relates to mental and spiritual growth.

This discussion was conducted via Zoom on November 12, 2021.

Shabbat Teaching: Next Week's Midrash Tonight - Vayishlach

November 13th, 2021  |  21 mins 53 secs

Rabbinic Resident David Kaplinksy's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on November 13, 2021.

Communal Food Choices: A Jewish Response to Factory Farming

November 11th, 2021  |  1 hr 17 mins

The class, taught by Melissa Hoffman, is part of the Green Team initiative at Temple Beth Am Los Angeles (https://www.tbala.org/get-involved/green-team). Melissa Hoffman is Director of the Jewish Initiative For Animals (JIFA), a leading sustainable food and animal welfare initiative. In her role, she consults with Jewish organizations and communities across the country to develop and implement ethical food practices, as well as curriculum and programs that foster compassion for all living beings through the lens of Jewish values. Prior to working with JIFA at Farm Forward, she earned her M.S. in Animals and Public Policy from Tufts University in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

The class was conducted via Zoom on November 11, 2021 and is introduced by Rabbi Avi Havivi.

Torah Through The Handmaid's Tale - Bilha and Zilpa

November 10th, 2021  |  1 hr 13 mins

How can the poignant fiction of The Handmaid’s Tale illuminate our understanding of relationships in the Torah? Rabbi Schatz engages in deep conversation about the connection to Bilha and Zilpa.

This class was conducted on Zoom on November 9, 2021

Meditation and Mindfulness with Rabbi Adam Kligfeld

November 10th, 2021  |  15 mins 16 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld offers up short bursts of meditation infused with the imagery, wisdom, and the rhythms of our Jewish calendar including selected verses from the Torah. Many of these meditations are performed in sitting positions; some standing. Simply find yourself a comfortable space and let Rabbi Kligfeld's voice and direction guide you into a world of serenity and tranquility.

Rashi Class: Shemot/Exodus 4:14

November 10th, 2021  |  1 hr 42 secs

Rashi Class, a weekly exploration of Torah featuring a deep dive on the text and lively conversation focused on an 11th-century French commentary, conducted by Rabbi Adam Kligfeld at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 4:14.

Jewish Animal Ethics - The Suffering of Animals

November 9th, 2021  |  1 hr 13 mins

The class, taught by Rabbi Elliot Dorff, is part of the Green Team initiative at Temple Beth Am Los Angeles. For more information go to https://www.tbala.org/get-involved/green-team. The class was conducted via Zoom on November 9, 2021.