In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with two of Temple Beth El’s cantors, Cantorial Soloist Michelle Auslander Cohen and Cantor Jake Harris. They discuss their love of Jewish music and what led them to become cantors, how they engage a large congregation for an exceptional communal experience, what goes into preparing to lead the congregation for the High Holy Days, how they personally prepare for the High Holy Days, and more.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Desee Berkowitz, author of Becoming a Soulful Parent, and Rabbi Amy Pessah, author of Parenting on a Prayer. They discuss how to ensure your child’s spiritual growth, how to prioritize spirituality amid other commitments such as sports and academic demands, small ways to bring spirituality and gratitude into children’s lives, balancing the need to protect your children with allowing them to make mistakes, and more.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Cantorial Soloist Michelle Auslander Cohen interviews four current members of the IDF Reserves. Join us as we bear witness to the experiences of the brave Israeli soldiers currently stationed in the North. Hear their incredible stories and find out what we can do to support them.

Our guests include:

• Major Noam Goldberg, Company Commander, Headquarters and Service company. Noam is the commander of the HQ company and is in charge of the the battalion staff officers and their respective platoons.
• Major Ori Sobovitz, Education and Resilience Officer. Ori heads the educational program in the battalion and has taken charge of coordinating the battalion's soldiers' welfare since the beginning of the war.
• Lieutenant Lia Behiri, Command Center (war room) Officer. Lia runs the battalion's war room and coordinates all ongoing activity in the battalion.
• Captain Eitan Brown, Battalion Operations Officer. Eitan is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of the battalion's military operations.

Learn more: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd

Donate: https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/115033

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Elana Rabishaw about their recent trips to Israel amid the ongoing war with Hamas, as well as their past experiences with Israel that are meaningful to them.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Richard Address, the founder and director of JewishSacredAging.com. They define the concept of Sacred Aging and discuss what makes something sacred, how you can live life so it has meaning, and the importance of a legacy.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks about the experience and importance of telling stories with some of the creative team behind Israeli podcast Rays of Light: Dana Dvorin, Liat Fishman Lenny and Ira Fuchs. Their podcast captures the stories of women who survived the attacks of October 7, and shares them through the voices of Israeli actors and through the magnificent sand art of Ilana Yahav. They discuss the inspiration behind this project, and why their work is so important.

Watch some videos from the Rays of Light series here:

• Atar Maor’s story (Facebook):  https://www.facebook.com/share/v/J4e7WJ3tKbTePx3M/?mibextid=WiMSqg
• Carmel Efron’s story (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ioNy5JQ9cwRZ86VR/?mibextid=WiMSqg
• Miri Gad Messika’s story (Vimeo): https://vimeo.com/881590746/feedd545ad

On Thursday, December 7, the Jewish world lost one of the great leaders and scholars of our generation, Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, past president and chancellor of the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion; and teacher, rabbi, mentor, and role model of Rabbi Dan Levin.

Today, in his memory, we are re-releasing an episode of Essential Questions, where Rabbi Dan Levin and Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson spoke about different ways to think about God within Judaism, and if a belief in God is necessary.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Jessica Keith, author of Saying Inshallah with Chutzpah, about her experience working at the Kuwaiti Consulate in Los Angeles. They discuss different cultural contexts for "normal," how learning isn't always comfortable, and about different experiences of intolerance.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Michael Abramowitz, president of Freedom House, a non-partisan voice dedicated to supporting democracy. They talk about the importance of journalism, what it takes for a democracy to work, and how increasing technologies affect the future of democracies today.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Yehuda Kohn, the father and spirit of Bet Elazraki, a chlidren's home in Israel to over 200 children ages 6-18. They talk about what it means to be a parent, different ways to show love for your children, and common struggles parents face in a Jewish context.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Rabbi Dr. Danny Schiff about how Judaism responds to the digital age. They discuss responses to the war between Israel and Hamas on social media, how Reform and Conservative Judaism treats new technologies, and how connections to others online compares to in person.

If you missed last week's webinar, you can now listen to the conversation between with faculty members from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Professor Simon Barak and Dana Gavish-Fridman, and Rabbi Greg Weisman.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev sits 25 miles from the border with Gaza and was significantly impacted by the October 7 terrorist attacks. More than 60 BGU students, staff, faculty, and family were either murdered, kidnapped or missing. Since then, the University has transformed, turning dorms into army barracks and homes for displaced families, and mobilizing students and, staff to support the war effort.

They shared how the war in Israel has impacted Ben-Gurion University, the work of Soroka Medical Center that serves the southern part of the country and which treated 1,000 patients in its emergency room on the day of the attack, and how it has affected them personally.

Organizations we encourage contributions to include the following:

• The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County is raising money to support Israel’s defense and recovery efforts.
• Magen David Adom is supporting Israel’s rescue and medical resources.
• The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism is supporting the families of Israel’s Reform congregations.
• Please also consider a contribution to Yozma, Temple Beth El’s sister congregation in Israel.

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Shai Held about the concept of love. They define love in a spiritual context, and discuss how you can develop a “posture” of love, how to learn to love yourself, and what it means to love others, as well as how the concept of love connects with those of hate, justice, and protest.

If you weren't able to attend this morning's informative webinar, you can listen to the conversation between Rabbi Dan Levin and Deputy Managing Editor of The Jerusalem Post Tovah Lazaroff about what is going on in Israel here.

Tovah has expertise in coverage of the settlements, diplomacy, the United Nations, hostage situations, conflicts on the southern and northern borders, and how Israel deals with victims of terror.

We hope you enjoy this conversation, and that you come away with more understanding of the conflict and where we go from here.

In this special episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Joshua Weinberg, Vice President of the URJ for Israel and Reform Zionism, and Executive Director of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America.

Together, they discuss what is going on in Israel amid the war with Hamas.

Organizations we encourage contributions to include the following:

• The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County is raising money to support Israel’s defense and recovery efforts.
• Magen David Adom is supporting Israel’s rescue and medical resources.
• The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism is supporting the families of Israel’s Reform congregations.
• Please also consider a contribution to Yozma, Temple Beth El’s sister congregation in Israel.

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

• ARZA
• Rabbi Joshua Weinberg’s Newsletter
• The Times of Israel
• Stand With Us 
• My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel by Ari Shavit
• Catch-67: The Left, the Right, and the Legacy of the Six-Day War by Micah Goodman
• The Promised Podcast

In this special High Holy Day-themed episode of the Essential Questions podcast, Cantor Lori Brock and Rabbi Greg Weisman join Rabbi Dan Levin for an episode discussing how they prepare themselves to lead High Holy Day services for the congregation, as well as how they spiritually prepare for the High Holy Days in their own lives.

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin is joined by Rabbis Jessica Spitalnic Mates and Elana Rabishaw, as they discuss their favorite moments and takeaways from our Season 1 episodes and guests, including discussions around the episodes featuring Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Rabbi Jennie Rosenn and more.

In the season 1 finale of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with his teacher and friend Rabbi David Ellenson, Chancellor Emeritus and past president of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, about different ways to think about God within Judaism, and if a belief in God is necessary.

Essential Questions will return for a special season 1 recap on Wednesday, July 19 where Rabbi Dan Levin will be joined by Rabbis Jessica Spitalnic Mates and Greg Weisman.  We will also have another bonus episode in August about making the High Holy Days meaningful amidst our busy lives. Thank you so much for listening to season 1 of Essential Questions!

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Jonah Pesner about social justice and its importance in today's society within Jewish values. Rabbi Jonah Pesner serves as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and has led the Religious Action Center since 2015. Rabbi Pesner also serves as Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism, a position to which he was appointed in 2011. Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, he is an inspirational leader and tireless advocate for social justice.

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Evan Nierman, author of The Cancel Culture Curse, about the definition and impacts of cancel culture and how we can navigate handling when people make mistakes.

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin and Rabbi Ammi Hirsch discuss how to recharge Reform Judaism and how Reform Jews can reconcile a Zionist belief with the political turbulence in Israel.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Jennie Rosenn, Founder and CEO of Dayenu, an organization mobilizing the American Jewish community to confront the climate crisis with spiritual audacity and bold political action.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman, Founding Director of the organization Sinai and Synapses, about how science and religion fit together in our lives.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Dr. Mark Washofsky. They discuss the intersection between Reform Judaism and halakha, the ongoing conversation between ancient texts and modern life, and what it means to be “authentically Jewish” within Reform Judaism.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens spoke at Temple Beth El in May 2023 about the state of Israel as Israel celebrates its 75th birthday.

If you had the chance to hear his conversation with Rabbi Dan Levin in person, you know how incredibly informative it was. If not, you can listen to this bonus episode - a recording of the live conversation they had as they tried to answer the following questions:

• What do the changes in Israel’s government mean for American Jews and Diaspora Jews around the world?
• How is the uptick in global antisemitism related people’s perception of Israeli politics and Israeli leadership?
• How are we as Reform Jews supposed to feel about Israel?
• What is the state of Israel as it celebrates its 75th birthday?

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with noted scholar Rabbi Karyn Kedar about how we might use the counting of the Omer to follow a path that leads us to answer the essential question, What Are You Waiting For?

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with guest Rabbi Josh Feigelson about the importance of questions, and about his Ask Big Questions Initiative which he launched at Northwestern University Hillel.

Rabbi Dan Levin introduces the concept of why asking questions is important in Judaism, and the purpose of this podcast.

What makes a human being – human?

In many ways – this is a question that answers itself.

Human beings ask questions. Questioning is rooted in the very core of what makes us human.  Ever notice that the basic questions of life are the shortest of words?  Who?  When?  Where?  Why?  How?

We hope you will join us in these conversations surrounding the essential questions we all confront in the course of our lives.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Tracey Labgold, Florida Education & Training Manager for Keshet, a non-profit that works for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life. They discuss different LGBTQ+ identities, the differences between sexual orientation and gender identity, and the best ways to support those who identify as queer in a Jewish context.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Rabbi Laila Haas, who joined Temple Beth El's clergy team in June 2024. They talk about how they both fell in love with Jewish learning, their experiences learning in Israel, what Torah means to them, how they find meaning and purpose in their lives through Judaism, and more.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Dr. Martin Segel and Dr. Marissa Roecklein about cognitive dissonance, or the discomfort that occurs when you hold two conflicting beliefs at the same time. They discuss why it is so hard to recognize within yourself, what enforces it, and tools to combat it.

In this special Passover episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Debra Robbins, author of New Each Day, which we are using for our Omer practice this year. They discuss ways to incorporate a daily prayer practice into your life, select poems Rabbi Debra Robbins wrote in response to the psalms in New Each Day, and her experience in writing the book.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Dalia Marx about how to sanctify time. They talk about rituals and their role in enriching spiritual encounters, how to remove barriers to spirituality, what Shabbat and other holy days look like during a time of war in Israel, and more.

Read Rabbi Dalia Marx's book: From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar - https://www.ccarpress.org/shopping_product_detail.asp?pid=50602

In today’s episode, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Dr. Andrea Corn and Randy Nathan about youth sports. They discuss the different physical, social, and leadership benefits they see for children involved in youth sports, how to handle winning and losing, the balance between youth sports and other obligations, and more.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Amanda Berman, CEO of Zioness. Zioness is a multiracial coalition of Jewish activists and allies that fight for the advancement of social, racial, economic and gender equality in America and for the inclusion of Zionists in social justice spaces. Rabbi Dan and Amanda discuss what it means to be a progressive Zionist, the history and definition of Zionism, and how the Zionist label affects Jewish Americans today

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Nir Barkin and Rabbi David Azoulay of our sister Reform congregation, Kehillat YOZMA in Modi’in, Israel. They discuss their unique experiences and their congregation’s response to October 7th, the work they do to help their community, and what Reform Judaism contributes to Israeli society and Jewish life in Israel.

They also encourage everyone to VOTE REFORM in the World Zionist Congress election, which ends on Sunday, May 4. Your vote is a powerful way to support our Reform movement and strengthen the future of Reform Judaism in Israel. For $5 and 5 minutes of your time, you can advance the issues we care about – religious pluralism, freedom, peace, democracy and more – in Israel and beyond. If you haven’t voted already, please VOTE REFORM today at ZionistElection.org.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin sits down with artists Bonnie Cohen and Zachary Oxman, whose works Birkat HaLev and Soaring Wisdom are featured at Temple Beth El’s Schaefer Family Campus. They explore their creative paths, the meaning behind their art, and how Jewish values and identity shape their work—revealing that Jewish art isn’t defined solely by its audience or commissioners, but by the stories and spirit it carries.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin sits down with Rabbi Alan Litwick of Temple Sinai in North Miami Beach for a discussion about the deep connections between wine, spirituality, and Jewish tradition. They explore how wine reflects our partnership with God, why it plays such a central role in rituals like Kiddush, and how even beginners can engage with wine as a spiritual experience.

There are times when the challenges we confront in life can feel overwhelming, when the situations we face feel so difficult that we fall prey to the darkness of despair. Today, Rabbi Laila Haas and Rabbi Dan Levin sit down with noted author and teacher Rabbi Naomi Levy, whose remarkable work can show us how to find hope and cultivate resilience to move through life’s most challenging times.

We find ourselves in a time of significant turmoil.  The administration has imposed dramatic and sweeping change to longstanding norms and government policies on a wide range of issues.  Antisemitism and anti-Zionism continues to roil college campuses and plague Jewish communities.  Israel continues to fight the longest war in its history, with hostages languishing in captivity, and rifts in Israeli society grow ever wider. Considering the impact so much of this turmoil imposes on our individual lives, and the moral challenges we are facing, join Rabbi Dan Levin, Rabbi Greg Weisman and Rabbi Laila Haas for a conversation about how rabbis should meet the moment.

Rabbi Michael Paley joins Rabbi Dan Levin and Rabbi Laila Haas to explore how renewal in Jewish life takes shape through both inner spiritual work and lived experience. Reflecting on his early studies of Islam and physics, he shares how encountering other traditions deepened his own Judaism and expanded his sense of spiritual curiosity.

Rabbi Paley was drawn to Budapest, where the legacy of the Holocaust left a community marked by silence, survival, and hidden identity. There, he met individuals only discovering their Jewishness later in life and communities slowly finding their way back to tradition.

Through stories, study, and reflection, this conversation looks at what it means to build Jewish life as creators rather than consumers—and what renewal can look like in places where so much was nearly lost.

Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh joins Rabbi Dan Levin to share her experience growing up between cultures—as the child of Iranian immigrants raised in Los Angeles, and now a rabbi and educator. She talks about the experience of being raised in a Persian Jewish home while also moving through broader American Jewish spaces that didn’t always reflect her background.

The conversation explores what it’s like to navigate different cultural and political perspectives within the Jewish community, and the ways Persian Jews often feel both deeply connected and sometimes misunderstood. Rabbi Rabizadeh speaks about carrying Iran with her in a very real way, even from afar, and how that perspective influences the way she teaches, leads, and connects with others.

From the warmth and energy of Shabbat in a Persian home to the challenges of code-switching between communities, this episode looks at the complexity of Jewish identity across cultures—and what can open up when people take the time to listen and understand one another.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin sits down with Rabbis Ashira Boxman and Laila Haas for a conversation about preparing for the High Holy Days when their hearts feel heavy. Together, they reflect on how they enter the new year with intention, exploring who they are now compared to who they were last year, and how spiritual practices help guide them through that journey.

They share the impact of Temple Beth El’s meaningful Elul rituals that include inviting people into the sanctuary and writing their burdens on rocks to let them go, the importance of quiet reflection, and the shift from being head-focused to heart-focused. The conversation also touches on how ritual creates a structure to hold intention, including a powerful practice of releasing burdens through the symbolic use of stones. Rabbi Dan also opens up about an unexpected part of his High Holy Day preparation — watching Saving Private Ryan, a film that’s come to hold deep meaning for him during this season.

If you’re facing the new year with a heavy heart, this episode offers honesty, insight, and the comfort of shared experience.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Gayle Weiswasser—book blogger, podcast host, and bookstore owner—about the deep connections between literature and Jewish identity. Together, they explore how stories can cultivate empathy, mirror Torah values, and create powerful emotional bonds with characters whose lives are far from our own. From their favorite reads to the transformative magic of fiction, this conversation delves into how books shape who we are, how being Jewish can shape the way we read, and how the role of books continues to evolve in a world increasingly shaped by technology.

What is it like navigating Jewish identity on a college campus in 2025? Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Maya Harpaz, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, Rabbi Jonah Zinn of University of Florida Hillel, and Rabbi Andrea Steinberger of University of Wisconsin Hillel about how Jewish campus life has shifted, especially after October 7th, 2023. They discuss changes in students' comfort expressing their Jewish identity, strained relationships with non-Jewish peers, and the broader challenges of navigating college life amid rising tensions.

What inspires someone to write a novel, and how do those stories take shape before the writer even knows where they’re going? Rabbi Dan Levin is joined by novelist and FAU professor Andrew Furman for a thoughtful conversation about creativity, uncertainty, and finding a voice. Furman reflects on being drawn to Jewish literature as a reader while taking a different path as a writer, often working on the margins of what was being published and expected.

Together, they explore enduring questions about writing: how much comes from personal experience, whether a writer needs an extraordinary life to tell meaningful stories, and what it means to write with genuine curiosity. Furman shares how passion for the subject and attention to the inner lives of characters can draw readers into experiences that feel deeply familiar, even when they are not their own.

The episode also looks at the writing process itself: planning versus discovery, resisting self-censorship, and allowing larger themes to emerge over time. Along the way, Rabbi Dan connects fiction to the layered way we read Jewish texts, and to the power of stories to create empathy across distance and difference. At its heart, this conversation asks why novels matter, and what they awaken in us when we read and write them.

What will it take to shape a Jewish education that kids actually want to come back to? Rabbi Dan Levin sits down with Heather Erez, Temple Beth El’s Director of Youth and Family Education and Engagement, whose own Jewish journey began in summer camps, youth groups, and a transformative year in Israel. They explore how meaningful, relevant, and joy-filled Jewish learning can ignite a lifelong connection. Drawing from her experiences on a kibbutz, at HUC, and working with college students seeking safe Jewish spaces, Heather shares what truly inspires young people to lean in.

Together, they tackle the big question: how do you build a program that matters when you only have a few hours a week and learners come with wildly different levels of interest? Heather argues that the future isn’t about rote learning—it’s about belonging. It’s interactive experiences over textbooks, community over content, and giving kids and parents tools that help Judaism show up in real life, from the classroom to the car ride home.

As Jewish education faces a rapidly changing world, especially after October 7th, Heather sees the path forward as adaptive, relational, and deeply purpose-driven. This episode digs into how we help kids understand why Hebrew and b’nai mitzvah matter, how we create spaces that feel safe and joyful, and how we build a Jewish future rooted not in obligation, but in connection and meaning.

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin and Rabbi Michael Marmur explore what it means to exist as Jews in the modern world. They look at how Judaism, shaped by specific historical moments, continues to influence the ways we understand identity, purpose, and belonging today.

They discuss the ongoing task within liberal and Reform Judaism: helping people make thoughtful, informed choices about Jewish life rather than relying only on moments of inspiration. This raises questions about how ancient tradition can meet modern sensibilities and how communities cultivate engagement that feels both authentic and accessible.

Along the way, they touch on the quiet concern many share about the movement’s future—whether it will continue to resonate across generations—and how hope, while not a complete answer, still offers grounding and encouragement. Drawing on ideas from thinkers like Abraham Joshua Heschel, the conversation considers how knowledge, intention, and the moments that move the spirit can shape a meaningful Jewish life today.

What draws Jews to stand with immigrants—and what does our tradition demand of us? In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Sarah Bassin of HIAS and immigration attorney Bill Gerstein about Judaism’s call to protect both neighbor and stranger, the Jewish memory of being outsiders, and the need to resist the dehumanization of those seeking safety.

They break down how immigration has changed: deportation is used more readily, legal pathways have narrowed, and becoming a citizen now requires navigating complex systems of sponsorship, the diversity lottery, and increasingly limited asylum options. They also address how people become undocumented and how often their nonviolent circumstances don’t match the severity of the penalties they face.

The guests highlight the critical work Jewish communities do to support newcomers through job assistance, training, and advocacy—rooted in the legacy of Jewish refugees once denied refuge themselves. Their conversation asks what it means, today, to make room for human dignity within a strained immigration system.