A few months ago Marlboro Jewish Center added to its team of fearless Jewish leaders with the hiring of its Director of Congregational Learning, Leo Fuhrman. Leo comes to MJC with a variety of educational, leadership and life experiences all of which he is ready to use to help our youth find their Jewish identities and be proud. How is he going to do that? By helping our community make Jewish memories one experience at a time. Don't miss this fascinating conversation between Rabbi Pont and Leo to learn more about how Leo is going to transform education in our community.

This week Rabbi Pont is joined by Sara Polon (a.k.a. Soupergirl) and Marilyn Polon (a.k.a. Soupermom), the mother/daughter team behind the delicious, kosher, vegan, and responsibly sourced soup brand, Soupergirl. Listen in to hear how a budding stand-up comedian turned her passion for fixing our broken food system into a soup company with the help of her worried Jewish mother. The story is fanscinating and the soup is delicious. Find out where you can get a bowl at https://www.thesoupergirl.com. 

On Yom Kippur 2023 Rabbi Pont delivered a sermon commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. In late September, it was widely viewed as one of the worst wars that Israel has had to fight in its 75 year history. We had no idea that the Jewish world was about to be changed forever.

This week you can listen to this same sermon, knowing now what would come to be just two weeks after Yom Kippur.

Ever wonder how the Conservative movement came to allow driving to Synagogue on Shabbat? Or whether it feels differently about driving electric cars on Shabbat? Or how it was decided that a livestreamed minyan was OK during the COVID-19 pandemic?

This week Rabbi Pont talks to Rabbi David Fine of Ridgewood, New Jersey who sits on the Halacha Committee for the Rabbinical Assembly and has been a part of many of the recent decisions that shape our movement. 

Don't miss this fascinating conversation about the intricate process for deciding was is and is not acceptable in the ever-changing world of Conservative Judaism.

In the early morning hours of October 7th, Hamas stormed Kibbutz Holit, a small kibbutz in southern Israel. As the terrorists went house to house, Adi Kaploun Vital hid with her two small children while her father hid two houses away. Adi’s actions on that fateful morning saved the lives of her father and her children, Sadly, Adi was murdered by Hamas in her shelter. In the aftermath, Adi's parents, Jacqui and Yaron Vital are on a mission to tell their daughter’s story and raise awareness to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

On February 25th, the Marlboro Jewish Center community had the opportunity to hear Adi's story. This episode is a replay of that heart wrenching yet inspiring event.

To contribute to the Adi Kaploun-Vital Memorial Fund visit: https://www.geerz.site/en/project/adi-kaploun-vital-memorial-fund/.

Part of becoming a Bar or Bat Mitzvah at Marlboro Jewish Center is doing an act of chesed, or kindness, for those less fortunate than you are. Every year, our 7th graders find new and exciting projects that are special to them and use those projects to give back to their community.  

This week Rabbi Pont gave our 7th graders the chance to tell you, the For the Love of Judaism audience, about their projects. 

What is the best way to leave a legacy?  Inspired by wanting to make sure that his daughter always knew the family from which she came, Jeff started writing down the memories of his childhood and the family myths that had been passed down through the generations. Those stories turned into a great new book, The Black Hole Pastrami and Other Short Stories, released last summer. 

This week, Jeff joins Rabbi Pont to talk about his stories and how he went from a career in finance and accounting to an award-winning author.

In the Conservative Jewish world, few Rabbis have their fingers on pulse like Rabbi Jacob Blumenthal. Rabbi Blumenthal serves concurrently as the CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and the Rabbinical Assembly through a strategic alignment between the two organizations. 

This week, Rabbis Pont and Blumenthal have a wide ranging organization on everything from the laws that govern conservative Judaism, interfaith marriage, the war in Israel and much more. Most importantly, they share their vision for the bright future of the movement that both of them have helped lead in their communities.

For more than three months, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has been engaged in a war with Hamas that feels like a defining moment for the present and future of the state of Israel. Few can offer the perspective of today's guest Aaron Cooper, an American who made moved to Israel after high school, joined the IDF, was in the West Bank on October 7th and has been fighting with his fellow soldiers in Gaza since.

Aaron and Rabbi Pont touch on all things related to the war and the IDF including Aaron's perspective on what might come on the day after. This is an episode not to be missed.

By day, Sam Levine is a music teacher at Lloyd Road School in Matawan, New Jersey. At Marlboro Jewish Center, Sam Levine is a talented musician who leads Tot Shabbat and plays in the Shabbat Unplugged Band. On October 2023 he added another title to his name, Wheel of Fortune contestant.  

On this episode Rabbi Pont explores what led Sam to the Wheel of Fortune stage and what it was like to walk away the big winner! They discuss how years of watching gameshows with family and doing word puzzles with friends turned into an appearance on the 41st season of Wheel of Fortune and a dream come true for this talented musician and puzzle master!

What is the best gift you've ever given? It probably doesn't top what Chrissy Esptein, a young mother of two beautiful daughters, gave to her friend Kieran this past September when she donated her left kidney to save his life.

Shaped by the loss of her father on September 11th, 2001, Chrissy always knew that organ donation was something she wanted to explore. And when her friend's husband faced a sudden life or death emergency, it was Chrissy who answered the call and gave her friend the greatest gift one can ever receive...the gift of life.

Rabbi Pont had the chance to chat with Chrissy last week about organ donation, losing her father and the process she went through for making this life-changing decision. 

This week Rabbi Pont is joined by Rabbis Lindsey Healey-Pollack and Andrew Pepperstone, hosts of the podcast Sacred Realms. Sacred Realms  discusses the intersection between Judaism and a wide range of sci-fi and fantasy books, movies, and television shows. Each episode, Rabbi Lindsey and Rabbi Andrew discuss what they have been watching or reading recently, do a deep dive into a main topic, bring out from "the Geniza," something from the not-that-distant past, and more.

Whether Sci-Fi is your thing or not, you are sure to enjoy this conversation about the many overlaps between a popular genre and Judaism.

This is a Holocaust survivor story you haven't heard. It is the story of Cantor David Wisnia, a man whose vocal talent saved him from certain death at Auschwitz. Featured in the new award-winning documentary, How Saba Kept Singing, David's story from a child in the Warsaw Ghetto to a survivor who shares his voice at the 75th anniversary celebration of the Liberation is one not to be missed. This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with David's grandson, singer/songwriter Avi Wisnia, about the truly remarkable man who was his Saba.

Few movements in the Jewish religion have been as successful as that of Jewish camping. Each year thousands of Jewish children participate in an immersive Jewish experience that brings them closer to their religion and builds a lasting Jewish identity that is unmatched by any other youth program.

This week Rabbi Pont talks to Rachel Wisniewski, a photo journalist whose article on Jewish summer camp appeared in the Washington Post this summer. They are joined by mother-daughter duos Sarah and Carly Kreisler and Susie and Nili Suissa who experiences at Camp Nah-Jee-Wah Rachel followed for her article.

On this week's episode, Rabbi Pont welcomes Dr. Stacy Gallin back to the podcast. Dr. Gallin is the founder of The Ferencz Institute for Human Rights, Ethics and the Holocaust, a non-profit organization doing the important work of using the lessons of the Holocaust to rid our world of hate of all kinds. Dr. Gallin's current projects include Athletes Against Antisemitism and Discrimination, a program focused on helping college athletes use their platforms to give back to local, national and international communities.

This summer, Dr. Gallin and Rabbi Pont led Marlboro Jewish Center's Journey of Remembrance to Poland and Greece. On this episode, they are joined by Micah Spero, the youngest participant on the journey, whose presence helped create a unique bond between him and congregants fifty years his senior. 

Six days ago our world was shattered. For nearly a week we have all tried to make sense of the horror that Hamas brought upon Israel last Shabbat.

In the wake of the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, this week's episode couldn't be more prescient. In an interview recorded prior to October 7th, Rabbi Pont speaks with Dan Rozett, former IDF soldier and Director of Community Relations and Israel Engagement with the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey, and Shmuel Varod, a former IDF soldier who fought in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. 

Hear from Dan and Shmuel about their experiences in the IDF and about the lessons Israel should learn in this, the 50th anniversary of its deadliest war...until now.

Antisemitism is on the rise. There may be no more alarming statistic for American Jews than the reality than six in ten religious hate crimes happen to Jewish people and/or organizations. A shocking statistic for a people that make up less than 2.5% of the population.

Fortunately we have people like this week's guest on For the Love of Judaism, Sophie Shafran. A senior at Indiana University, Sophie is an Emerson Fellow for StandWithUs,  a one-year program that trains, educates, and empowers student leaders on college campuses around the world to battle antisemitism in their communities. 

Sophie is an inspiring young woman who is dedicated to fighting one of the biggest battles facing Jewish young adults today and her conversation with Rabbi Pont will leave you wondering how you can do more.

Shana tova! What better way to usher in the new year than with a new season of For the Love of Judaism. On this episode you will hear two recent sermons given by Rabbi Pont, both of which are must listens to get you in the mood for the high holidays.

Richard Michelson is an award-winning  author, poet and artist who is well known for his contributions to the cannon of Jewish writing. His newest collection, Sleeping As Fast As I Can is a four-part book of poetry that is equal parts political and personal as it explores everything from gun violence and social justice, to his relationship with Judaism and the struggle of an aging parent.

In this week's episode, Rich and Rabbi Pont talk about everything from this amazing new collection, his Jewish journey, a surprise phone call from Maurice Sendak and an inspiring dinner with Leonard Nimoy. Don't miss it!

Throughout history Jews have been the victims of persecution and discrimination that has forced them from the places they've called home. While the stories associated with the Holocaust are often-told, the stories of the Jewish people in Cuba during the 1950s and 1960s are not as well known. And still, these stories are among the most harrowing, especially for the Polish Jews who had come to Havana to escape the changing tides of Eastern Europe.

On this week's episode, Rabbi Pont speaks with author A.J. Sidransky about his new book, The Incident at San Miguel, and Miriam Bradman Abrahams, whose family this amazing historical fiction is based on.

An episode not to be missed, especially for the avid reader out there!

The book, The Incident at San Miguel, will be released on May 19. It can be purchased on Amazon in hard cover, paperback, Kindle, large print, and audio book formats. Miriam and AJ are also available to appear at book club and larger events.

Breast cancer awareness is one of the most highly visible fundraising campaigns around. Most of us think that breast cancer is curable and so prevention is the key research priority. And yet, tens of thousands of people will die from breast cancer every year. 98% of those deaths are at the hands of metastatic breast cancer And yet, this MBC receives around 5% of the funding associated with this deadly disease.

Rabbi Pont's guest this week, Tami Eagle, knows this fight all too well. After being given 2-3 years to live, Tami has lived with this horrible illness for more than eight years. More importantly, she has turned her journey into action and become one of the most widely recognizable advocates for those who have been diagnosed with MBC.

Tami is an amazing woman and her story is inspirational. Don't miss your chance to hear Tami talk about perseverance, gratitude, and giving  and the work she does with #LightUpMBC to bring light to people living with uncertainty every day.

For more info on how to get involved with #LightUpMBC for metastatic breast cancer research, please visit http://www.Metavivor.org/LightUpMBC

 For more info on Tami and The Eagle Method, please visit Motivational Speaker | The Eagle Method

In 1939, the USS St. Louis left Hamburg, Germany headed for Havana, Cuba with more than 900 European Jews aboard. Counting themselves among the lucky few to escape Hitler's Germany, they thought they were headed for refuge. The passengers happiness quickly turned to fear as they were denied entry to Cuba, followed by the United States, Canada and many other countries. With only four countries willing to take passengers in, they were split up between England, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.

One of the lucky passengers was Eva Wiener, a 10-month old baby whose family made it to England and survived the war there. With fewer than 20 survivors of the St. Louis still alive, Eva's story is more important now than ever before. Rabbi Pont had the pleasure of welcoming her to Marlboro Jewish Center this week as we commemorated Yom HaShoah...the day of remembrance. 

As Israel gets ready to celebrate its 75th birthday later this month, the only Democracy in the Middle East finds herself dealing with unprecedented internal strife. The judicial reform package being pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition has led to weeks of protests that involve hundreds of thousands of Israelis taking to the streets. The situation is rife with challenge, and for a country that already has its fair share of external threats, the internal turmoil poses unique challenges.

This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with Jerusalem Post analyst and literary editor Yonah Jeremy Bob, who will visit Marlboro Jewish Center next week. If you have questions about what has been happening in Israel and how it may get resolved, then this is an episode not to be missed.

During a first of its kind meeting of Holocaust survivors in Israel Syd Mandelbaum realized that he had to change the world. What followed is a lifetime dedicated to ridding the world of hunger. Enter Rock and Wrap it Up, an organization that takes food from concerts, stadiums, schools and feeds thousands of hungry people every year. Don't miss this episode about someone who has truly set out to make the world a better place.

We hope you had wonderful Seders filled with friends, family and an energetic retelling of the Passover story. This week, Rabbi Pont shares three stories about the ways in which we see God and understand the Torah that will surely help you have a very meaningful holiday!

As time goes on, there are fewer and fewer survivors of the Holocaust to share their stories of strife, courage, bravery and resilience. Fortunately, the world has women like Amy Goodman who is part of a growing movement of 3rd generation families that are sharing their grandparents stories. 

This week Amy sat down with Rabbi Pont to talk about her family's story, her recent appearance on The View, and the work she does with a fascinating organization, Numbers to  Names.

In the current climate of rising antisemitism, this is not an episode to be missed.

On this week's podcast, Rabbi Pont shares two sermons he gave at Friday night services at Marlboro Jewish Center in recent months. The first uses Lionel Messi winning the world cup to teach a lesson about how we treat the elderly while the second shares the interesting origins of some famous Jewish (and not so Jewish) superstitions. 

All of you rabbinic podcast lovers unite! Rabbi Pont was recently interviewed by Rabbi Daniel Levine for his podcast JLife with Rabbi Daniel so it is our pleasure to play their full interview for the For the Love of Judaism audience this week. 

Don't miss this great conversation between two conservative Rabbis about the state f conservative Judaism and how they see their place in the Jewish world.

Meet Jay Fisher. A remarkable 19 year old young man living a full and fantastic life with autism. This week, Rabbi Pont caught up with Jay, along with his parents, Debra and David, along with his younger sister Shoshana, to talk about how their lives have been impacted by Jay's diagnosis. Do not miss this inspiring story of a family who doesn't let a challenge stand in the way of living their best lives.

See more of Jay Fisher on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@honestlyautistic2635.

Since its destruction nearly 2,000 years ago, Jewish scholars have studied the second Holy Temple, which stood as the center of Jewish life until 70 C.E. Who would have thought that one of the foremost experts on the Temple and what it actually looked like would be a martial arts instructor and Expert LEGO® Builder from Minnesota. 

Meet Yitzy Kasowitz, founder of JBrick, maker of custom Jewish LEGO® sets and educator of Jewish communities around the world with his 1/35th scale model of the Beit Hamekdash. 

In advance of Yitzy's trip to Temple Beth Ahm on March 19th, Rabbi Pont sat down with Yitzy to talk all things Jewish Lego® as well as the many ways Yitzy uses his creations to help Jews around the world get in touch with their Jewish heritage.

Israel has had an unprecedented number of elections over the past several years. Five times Israelis have headed to the polls in search of a stable government that can serve the needs of all Israelis.

While this most recent election resulted in the first solid majority win in several years it comes at a heavy price for many secular Israelis. With a Prime Minister on trial and an alliance made with several far right wing factions, Israel is facing a tipping point...continue as a liberal Democracy or serve the needs of the few in order to keep power centered with those who currently hold office.

This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with Dar Nadler, the Israeli Emissary for the Jewish National Fund about the state of politics in Israel including the real (and not so real) impact it is having on younger Israelis.

Community cookbooks have been a part of Synagogue culture for decades. More than just recipes, they are the through line of generations past to the future of Jewish families around the world.

Few, if any, know more about Jewish cookbooks than PhD candidate Natalie Ross who is writing her dissertation on the people behind Jewish cookbooks. Natalie, who has more than 300 community cookbooks in her possession has traveled the world to learn more about Jewish cooking around the globe and the people, both professional and amateur, who have put their recipes on paper.

This is a great conversation that you will not want to miss.

Need some last minute prayers for the big game? Rabbi Pont has you covered. Whether you are rooting for the Chiefs or the Eagles, you'll want to listen to three minutes of why the talmud thinks your team is gonna life the Lombardi Trophy at game's end. 

The fastest growing sport in the United States is a sport that most people had never heard of before 2020. From senior communities to youth leagues, pickleball has taken the country by storm. Today, more than 36 million Americans have played pickleball at least once and more courts are being built every day!

This week, Rabbi Pont sat down with Erica and Mike Rosenberg, founders of the  Pickleball Club at Monroe which will become the largest indoor pickleball club in the state of New Jersey when it opens in September. 

This conversation is perfect for avid pickleballers and pickleball-curious future players alike. Plus, you will learn the real story of where the name comes from. Don't miss it!

The fourth season of For the Love of Judaism kicks off with a special episode in honor of the 23rd anniversary of September 11th, 2001. In this episode, Rabbi Pont interviews retired New York City firefighter Dave Smentkowski whose experiences on 9/11 and in the days and years that followed will give chills to all of us as we remember tha fateful day.

Since 1981, Fred and Murray's Kosher Delicatessen has been a staple of high quality kosher food in central New Jersey. From their Freehold, New Jersey deli they serve customer favorites like the pastrami and corned beef to other staples like knishes, french fries and desserts to the delight of thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish families each year.

This week Rabbi Pont sat down with owners Kurt and Chris to talk all things kosher deli. Make sure to listen in, but be prepared for your mouth to water!

It has been said that we are living through the second golden age of television. The amount of content available everywhere from Netflix to Amazon, Hulu, Paramount and on network tv is unparalelled to any time in the industry's history.  It is an amazing time to be a television writer.

This week, Rabbi Pont catches up with Sam Block, a Marlboro native and writer on the hit drama NCIS Los Angeles to talk about her experience on the show and about being a young Jewish writer in modern day Hollywood.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired generations of Americans to fight for what is right...to do the hard work of making the world a better place...to do tikkun olam. In honor of Martin Luther King Day, Rabbi Pont sat down with Naomi Eisenberger, founding executive director of The Good People Fund. Don't miss a chance to hear about this unique organization making a massive impact across the US and Israel.

Every few years, the United States Postal Service commissions an artist to create its Hanukkah postage stamp. This year, a new stamp was unveiled, designed by world-renowned Judaica artist, Jeanette Kuvin Oren. Jeanette's work can be seen at over 400 Synagogues, community centers, schools and camps everywhere from Pittsburgh, to Miami, to Prague. 

This week, Jeanette sat down with Rabbi Pont to talk about her experience designing the postage stamp and her amazing 40 year career creating beautiful Judaica, which can be seen at http://www.kuvinoren.com.

Six13 is a groundbreaking, six-man a cappella vocal band that is bringing an unprecedented style and energy to Jewish music, with nothing but the power of the human voice. The band is uniquely comprised of members from varied Jewish denominations and upbringings, creating an entertainment experience that has been universally acclaimed across the globe by Jewish organizations and individuals from equally varied backgrounds and generations.

They have performed everyone from New York to Los Angeles, to Vienna and even the White House and this week they are coming to Marlboro, New Jersey to perform at Marlboro Jewish Center (tickets available at https://www.mjcnj.com/six13).

Three of the guys took a few minutes to catch up with Rabbi Pont to talk about all things Jewish acapella and the role that SIX13 plays in the Jewish world.

It doesn't take a scientist to know that the past three years have been anything but ordinary for our children. Research is now beginning to shed light on what pediatricians and developmental pediatricians knew all along...that the impact of COVID-19 restrictons on our children is significant and serious. But it wasn't all bad!

This week, Rabbi Pont is joined by Dr. Allison Smoller, a developmental pediatrician who will share some of the challenges and opportunities that her patients have faced over the past few years, as well as some important advice for any parent looking to help their children recapture some of what they lost due to COVID-19.

It's our Thanksgiving episode! We can think of no better way to honor the spirit of this holiday than to talk to Marisa Kraus, Senior Nutrition Coordinator for Jewish Family & Children Services in Monmouth County. 

Every month, Marisa coordinates the Meals on Wheels program which has nearly tripled in size since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In her busy schedule, she took a few minutes to talk to Rabbi Pont about JFCS, the important work it does, and the growing need that local families have to avoid hunger during the holidays.

Did you know that one organ and tissue donation can save the lives of up to 8 people and enhance the lives of up to 75 more? More importantly, did you know that all branches of Judaism support organ and tissue donation unequivically? Organ and tissue donation is one of the greatest mitzvot that any person can do. 

In honor of National Donor Sabbath, celebrated this Shabbat at Marlboro Jewish Center, Rabbi Pont spoke with Kelly Bonventre, Manager of Community Services for the New Jersey Share Network, along with real-life heart transplant recipient Alan Rogolsky about his journey through receiving this life saving miracle.

On Monday, November 7th, Marlboro Jewish Center hosted a unique panel discussion in commemoration of Kristallnacht. It included special guest and former Davidson College basketball coach Bob McKillop who joined us to share his experience taking his team to Auschwitz with Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor (z"l). Their journey is part of a new book, Unbracketed: Big-time College Basketball Done Right by Graham Honaker and Jerry Logan, who also joined us for this panel. 

This week's episode is a shorted version of the program and an inspirational story about the good that can rise from even the most terrible ashes.

Harvey Hecker is a trailblazer. The first Orthodox Jew to join the New York City Police Department, the intersection of Harvey's career and his Jewish identity is as important as it is interesting. Listen to this week's episode to hear stories for Harvey's twenty years on the job and the many different ways that this pioneer made a positive impact on the NYPD for Jews and non-Jews alike.

It has been an amazing third season of For the Love of Judaism. To send us off into the summer Rabbi Pont shares two recent sermons, one about his trip to the Nova Festival Exhibit in New York and the other about Father's Day and the many ways fathers impact our lives. Two very different sermons but both with inspiration to carry us through to September.

All over the world scientists and other scholars of free thought are under attack by governments that seek to undermine their efforts to find the truth. On this week's episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by Dr. Eugene Chudnovsky, Co-Chair of the Committee of Concerned Scientists and Distinguished Professor of Physics at the City University of New York, to discuss the work of the CCS on behalf of scientists who have been wrongfully jailed and/or convicted of crimes by some of the most corrupt governments in the world.

Jess Kaplan and Jordan Paul both grew up at Marlboro Jewish Center. In the years since they graduated high school they have gone on to become star college athletes. On this episode, they reconnect with Rabbi Pont and talk about the demands of beng a college athlete and how it intersects with their desire to maintain a Jewish identity durng their college years.

The Tattooed Torah is an animated short film based on the well-known childrens book that has been teaching young children about the Holocaust for generations. On this episode, Rabbi Pont interviews filmmakers Marc Bennett and Greg Ferkel who brought this important story to life in an award winning animated film. Listen in to hear about how this film came to fruition and the impact it has made on Holocaust education worldwide.

It is no secret that this has been a tough year for most investors. On this episode, Rabbi Pont is joined by his long-time friend Dr. Brian Portnoy, founder of Shaping Wealth, to explore the psychology of being wealthy and the many emotions that shape our personal views on financial success.