Temple Beth Am Podcasts

Elul Learning Series: "Helping to Support People Who Are Dying"

August 28th, 2023  |  1 hr 4 mins

It is always hard for us to be in the company of, let alone talk with, and support, friends, and family who suffer from a terminal, irreversible illness. In this session with Rabbi Elliot Dorff, we will talk about why and how to visit such people, the use of ethical wills in that process, and other ways in which those of us who are well can help those who will never be well again. The session is moderated by Rabbi Rebecca Schatz.

Shabbat Teaching: "Pedagogies of Plaster"

August 26th, 2023  |  20 mins 32 secs

Rabbi Matt Shapiro's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, April 26, 2023.

Shabbat Sermon: "A Special HIAS Report: Empowering Refugees Amidst Global Democratic Backsliding"

August 26th, 2023  |  17 mins 36 secs

Guest Darshan Joe Goldman is the Community Engagement Director for the Western Region at HIAS, the world’s oldest – and only Jewish – international humanitarian agency serving refugees and asylum seekers of all backgrounds. He mobilizes activists, organizations, and lawmakers across California to ensure that displaced people are treated with the dignity they deserve. He will share critical updates on the impact of TBA’s service and advocacy for refugees locally, as well as on the unfolding crisis in Sudan too few are discussing, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and beyond.

Meditation and Mindfulness with Rabbi Adam Kligfeld

August 25th, 2023  |  15 mins 23 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld offers up short bursts of meditation infused with 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.

Elul Learning Series: "Sustaining Faith Amidst Doubt and Doubt Amidst Faith"

August 24th, 2023  |  1 hr 3 mins

Are faith and doubt in essential conflict? Or are they intimate friends, elevating and refining one another? Should a religious life, focused on faith in God, be one blessedly free from the existential doubt that can plague those who live without religion in their lives? Or should faith in God, which can so easily be pushed to the extreme, and harnessed for nefarious purposes, be tempered with healthy doses of doubt and uncertainty? We explore such questions, through traditional texts and through what is present in our own minds and hearts, as we get ready for a very faith-focused season in the Jewish calendar.

Rashi Class: Shemot/Exodus 8:4

August 23rd, 2023  |  1 hr 23 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, August 23, 2023, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 8:4.

The Poetry of Prayer - Class 5

August 22nd, 2023  |  1 hr 23 mins

This is the fifth in a series of 7 classes on The Poetry of Prayer conducted by Rabbi Joel Rembaum and presented by the Rembaum Institute for Adult Education and Family Programming:in preparation for this year's High Holy Days.

The prayers and psalms that fill our Mahzor (High Holiday prayerbook) and Siddur (regular prayerbook) have been gathered together to form a vehicle for finding our own meaningful relationship with God and to teach us the basic principles of our faith in God. They are written either as poems or suffused with poetry. As such, they constitute a spiritual art form that calls upon each of us to find our own meaning in their words, structures, metaphors, and symbols — much as we would find our own meaning in a Shakespearian sonnet or a Chagall painting — recognizing, of course, that there is Kedushah (holiness) in the prayers that makes them unique.

It is hoped that our study of key elements of the High Holiday Shaharit (morning) prayer service will aid us in making our Holy Day worship an enriching spiritual experience with which to begin the new year of 5784.

This class was conducted via Zoom on August 22 2023.

Elul Learning Series: "Onramp to Elul"

August 21st, 2023  |  58 mins 29 secs

Getting started with our yearly spiritual accounting can feel a little bit like sitting on the 405 during rush hour. Where do we even begin? How do we move this forward? Together we will navigate a few rabbinic sources, excerpts from Rabbi Alan Lew's "This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared" and more, to help us set up our Elul route!

Shabbat Sermon: "Elul: Choosing A Surface"

August 19th, 2023  |  7 mins 6 secs

Shabbat Sermon with Rabbi Rebecca Schatz, at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, August 19, 2023.

Rashi Class: Shemot/Exodus 8:2

August 16th, 2023  |  1 hr 1 min

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, August 16, 2023, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 8:2.

The Poetry of Prayer - Class 4

August 15th, 2023  |  1 hr 44 mins

This is the fourth in a series of 7 classes on The Poetry of Prayer conducted by Rabbi Joel Rembaum and presented by the Rembaum Institute for Adult Education and Family Programming:in preparation for this year's High Holy Days..

The prayers and psalms that fill our Mahzor (High Holiday prayerbook) and Siddur (regular prayerbook) have been gathered together to form a vehicle for finding our own meaningful relationship with God and to teach us the basic principles of our faith in God. They are written either as poems or suffused with poetry. As such, they constitute a spiritual art form that calls upon each of us to find our own meaning in their words, structures, metaphors, and symbols — much as we would find our own meaning in a Shakespearian sonnet or a Chagall painting — recognizing, of course, that there is Kedushah (holiness) in the prayers that makes them unique.

It is hoped that our study of key elements of the High Holiday Shaharit (morning) prayer service will aid us in making our Holy Day worship an enriching spiritual experience with which to begin the new year of 5784.

This class was conducted via Zoom on August 15 2023.

Shabbat Teaching: Seudah Shlishit Shoftim 5783

August 12th, 2023  |  30 mins 22 secs

Rabbi-Cantor Hillary Chorny's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, August 12, 2023.

Shabbat Sermon: “Take A Stand. But Be A Mentsch”

August 12th, 2023  |  20 mins 19 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld's Shabbat Sermon at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, August 11, 2023.

Rashi Class: Shemot/Exodus 7:28

August 9th, 2023  |  59 mins 55 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, August 9, 2023, this week beginning with Shemot/Exodus 7:28.

The Poetry of Prayer - Class 3

August 8th, 2023  |  1 hr 28 mins

This is the third in a series of 7 classes on The Poetry of Prayer conducted by Rabbi Joel Rembaum and presented by the Rembaum Institute for Adult Education and Family Programming:in preparation for this year's High Holy Days..

The prayers and psalms that fill our Mahzor (High Holiday prayerbook) and Siddur (regular prayerbook) have been gathered together to form a vehicle for finding our own meaningful relationship with God and to teach us the basic principles of our faith in God. They are written either as poems or suffused with poetry. As such, they constitute a spiritual art form that calls upon each of us to find our own meaning in their words, structures, metaphors, and symbols — much as we would find our own meaning in a Shakespearian sonnet or a Chagall painting — recognizing, of course, that there is Kedushah (holiness) in the prayers that makes them unique.

It is hoped that our study of key elements of the High Holiday Shaharit (morning) prayer service will aid us in making our Holy Day worship an enriching spiritual experience with which to begin the new year of 5784.

This class was conducted via Zoom on August 8 2023.

Shabbat Teaching: "Parshat Re'eh, 2023 / פרשת ראה תשפ״ג Middle Path? Or Take a Stand?"

August 5th, 2023  |  33 mins 15 secs

Rabbi Adam Kligfeld's Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, August 5, 2023.