Explore every episode of the podcast For the Love of Judaism

Being a teenager has always been hard, but now it is harder than ever before. From the impact of COVID to social media and cell phone usage, teenagers are struggling to find their place in the world and grow the confidence they need to succeed.

Enter Melissa Gohar, an educator and health care professional who has designed a workbook designed to help teenagers quiet their inner-critic, bounce back from failure, set boundaries, and embrace who they really are. 

This week Rabbi Pont speaks to Melissa about the workbook in a must-listen episode for every parent or grandparent of a teenager.

Growing up as the Cantor's daughter is not easy. It is even harder when our father dies when you are very young, leaving an even larger shadow for a growing child. This week, Rabbi Pont speaks with author Diana Harmon Asher about her new book, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz, in which the title character lives in the shadow that Diana grew up with. A wonderful book about resilience, childhoom, community and friendship, you will certainly understand why PJ Library chose this book for publication after hearing from Diana.

The October 7th massacres and the subsequent war have claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 civilians and soldiers. It has become a tradition in Israel, during this war, for families and friends to create a memorial sticker for their loved ones. Many of these include a personal motto or phrase that held special significance to the individual. The Stickers of Meaning project was created to collect and present these stickers to the public in a central repository, making them and the powerful messages they carry accessible to as many people as possible. This week, Rabbi Pont is joined by Stickers of Meaning founder Jeff Weiss and Executive Director North America Orlie Braha to discuss this amazing project and how you can get involved.

Checkout the stickers here: https://stickersofmeaning.org/

Ushpizin Packets for Sukkot: https://stickersofmeaning.org/ushpizin/

As we continue to get ready for the High Holidays we revisit Rabbi Pont's two Yom Kippur sermons from last year. The first is an interesting look at the role our smartphones play in the lives of teens today. The second is a deeper exploration of antisemitism and the best ways to overcome its rise. Enjoy!

For the Love of Judaism is here for its 5th season and just in time for the High Holidays! On this first episode of the new season, we look back to last Rosh Hashana and the two polar opposite sermons that Rabbi Pont gave. A year later, both resonate in different ways.

In what will likely be our season finale, Rabbi Pont offers teachings that he spoke about to the congregation at Marlboro Jewish Center on recent Shabbat mornings. Three short sermons about food from a Shiva house, Mother's Day and the recent horrifying murders of two Israeli embassy workers.

When we teach our children about the Holocaust, it is largely from the perspective of those who survived. But what about the million or more Jews who lived in communities that were completely destroyed. Thus began the quest of this week's guest, Julie Brill, whose family was from Belgrade, Serbia one of those places whose entire Jewish community was destroyed in the early days of the War. 

Julie details her family's history, and her journey to memorialize all those who died in Belgrade, in her new book, Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia.

In this week's conversation, Julie and the Rabbi dive deep into the book, into the horrors that happened to Julie's family, and reason why Julie worked so hard to tell this story.

As we get ready for Passover, here are a couple of teachings that Rabbi Pont recently offered to his congregation at Marlboro Jewish Center!

We all know that what it means to be a Jew has changed since October 7th, 2023. From the most observant to the least, Jewish life is different than it was before. In his new book, For Such a Time as This, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue offers a poignant explanation of what it means to be Jewish today. 

This week, Rabbi Cosgrove joins his friend of thirty years, Rabbi Pont, for a meaningful conversation about this, about searching for our Esther moment in modern times, and about what it means to get back to being a Genesis Jew post October 7th. 

In was April, 2008. A small group of tired, homesick campaign staffers are quickly trying to put together a small Passover Seder. And who walks in...then-Senator Barack Obama. And thus began a meaningful journey to the first Seder ever held in the White House, by the first African American President of the United States, organized by one of those original campaign staffers, Eric Lesser.

This remarkable story is re-told in the just released children's book, Next Year in the White House by Richard Michelson and this week Rabbi Pont got to catch up with Richard and Eric for a fascinating conversation. A perfect pre-Passover listen!

By all accounts, Dr. Alex Kor’s life has been a miracle. The son of two Holocaust survivors who narrowly escaped death, Alex has traveled from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Auschwitz and many places in between on his journey to share the story of his parents, Eva Moses Kor and Mickey Kor, with anyone and everyone who will listen. After a recent trip to lecture at Marlboro Jewish Center, Rabbi Pont caught up with Alex to learn more about his life, the survival stories that both of his parents endured, and his recent book, A Blessing, Not a Burden.

It's Valentine's Day and even though it is not a Jewish holiday, love is most definitely in the air! This week, Rabbi Pont talks to Alla Fine, President & CEO of Alla Fine Coaching and developer of the brand new dating app, AppatMe which matches AI and psychology to the love finding process. If you are looking for love or just want to hear about how to keep your love story going, don't miss this week's episode just in time for Valentine's Day.

When you download and activate the app at www.appatme.com between February 13-15, you’ll unlock the opportunity to explore and experience a world designed for meaningful connections. We hope you enjoy the journey—and who knows? Your perfect match may be just a click away.

There are few Holocaust survivor stories like that of the family of Dan Grunfeld, who joins Rabbi Pont this week. The son of Olympic gold medalist, NBA veteran and 30-year NBA executive Ernie Grunfeld, Dan is the author of By the Grace of the Game, the remarkable story of his family's perserverance and strength interwoven with  the discovery of a game that unknowingly held the power to heal wounds, build bridges, and tie together a fractured Jewish family. As we approach International Holocaust Rememberance Day, this is an episode not to be missed.

Happy Hanukkah! As we celebrate over the next eight nights, Rabbi Pont has a quick message about the meaning of Hanukkah and the many blessings it provides.

2024 has been a challenging year for Jews around the world. Acts of violence against Jews have brought out fears that another Kristallnacht could happen again in our lifetimes. With the rise of antisemitism around the world there has never been a more important time to learn the stories as told by survivors of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.

This week Rabbi Pont speaks to one such survivor. Esther Adler, z"l, shares her story as told to her friend Lexi Sherman, who met Esther during her participation in The Joseph Gringlas Stories that Live Program, a unique fellowship that connects college students with Holocaust survivors to create meaningful relationships. Sadly, Esther passed away just days before Rosh Hashana this year but in her memory we will make sure her stories lives on. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lots of kids are into sports but few get to live out their dreams as an NFL beat reporter for ESPN. This week's guest, New York Giants beat reporter Jordan Raanan, is one of those lucky few. Don't miss this far reaching conversation about what it is like to travel the country with an NFL team, the importance of relationships in the pursuit of your dreams, and what Jordan thinks is coming down the road for NFL fandom. 

Last month Rabbi Pont's daughter Emma graduated from the University of Michigan School of Nursing. As was reported across many news outlets, U of M's graduation ceremony was one of many that was disrupted by protestors.  

A replay of a recent sermon, this episode features Rabbi Pont as he shares his experience in Ann Arbor from the perspective of a proud father and a proud Zionist.

On this Yom HaShoah, the Day of Remembrance,  we recall the six million who died at the hands of the Nazis. Among them was Greta Grunberg, a mother of two young boys who befriended a young German girl named Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Greta lived in the same building, had breakfast together nearly every day and lit Shabbat candles, even after it was made illegal by the Nazis.

Some 82 years after Greta was deported from Germany, Elizabeth Umlandt, now 88 years old, remembers her friend and still holds on to the picture of Greta and her husband in hopes that their descendants will come and claim the picture the way Greta wanted. 

What happens when a working single mom from D.C. has the opportunity to live out her dream in the midst of a pandemic? She buys a farm in rural North Carolina!

That's the story of Wendy Rhein, owner of Chutzpah Hollow, a self-made homesteader who is part of a growing movement of Jewish farmers. This week Wendy took some time to chat with Rabbi Pont about how she came to move her family from the life they knew to the life she'd dreamed of in 2021, when the whole world was changing around her.

Don't miss this fascinating conversation.

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.

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.

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.