Torah to the People

Opening the Eyes of Justice: NCJW RePro Shabbat, Rabbi Levy, 2/9/24

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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.

Lurking in the Shadows: Anti-Semitism Through the Eyes of Zak Osmo, 2/2/24

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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.

The Miracle of Trees, The Miracles All Around, Rabbi Dreifus, 1/26/24

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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.

Torah to the People #5 - Spiritual Accounting with Mark and Michelle Levine

Michelle Levine, owner of Mosa Restaurant, and Mark Levine, President of Marketing and Strategy Consulting Firm Epic Pivot, join Rabbi Jeff Dreifus in this conversation about the intersection of their spiritual and professional lives.
 
Check out the entire Spiritual Accounting series at https://onthego.reformjudaism.org
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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.
Thank you to Ajay Cohen for audio and technical support.

Torah to the People #13 - Music and the Sacred with Elana Arian

Rabbi Ross sat down with renowned Jewish singer-songwriter Elana Arian at TI Crosstown during her visit to Memphis on September 30, 2023. Recorded in front of a live audience, they discussed Elana's journey into the world of jewish music, her inspiration, and the intersection of music and spirituality 

Torah to the People #12 - An Update from Israel with Student Rabbi Josh Scharff

Rabbi Jeff Dreifus and guest Josh Scharff, who's in his final year of rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, discuss Josh's formative years in St. Louis and at Yale, what led him to want to be an Israeli Reform rabbi, how he experienced the Hamas attacks of October 7th from Tel Aviv, the implications of this war for Israel's future, how this moment is experienced in the Jewish diaspora, and the roots of the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic response on college campuses and the American political left. 

Torah to the People #11 - Black Hebrew Israelites with Rabbi Brett Weisman

Today Rabbi Jeff Driefus sits down with Rabbi Brett Weisman. Rabbi Brett currently serves as Assistant Rabbi at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle, WA. Rabbi Brett and Jeff were classmates during Rabbinical school, and today’s episode discusses Brett’s thesis about the Black Hebrew Israelite community.
Expect to learn about the history of the Black Hebrew Israelites, the development of their faith and how it relates to slavery in America, and the process of ethnographic interviews performed by Weisman. Rabbis Driefus and Weisman discuss the two hallmarks of Black Hebrew Israelite ideology: that they are the “true Jews” and Deuteronomy 28 as a foundational text. 
During this conversation, you will learn how Black Hebrew Israelites see themselves in the Exodus narrative, what Black Hebrew Israelite religious practice entails, whether “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley is related to their community, and the similarities and differences of the concept of “chosen-ness” in Judaism vs. Black Hebrew Israelite religious thought. 
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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.

Torah to the People #10 - Anna Herman on Jacobs Camp and Jewish Camping

In this episode, Rabbi Jeff Dreifus speaks with Anna Herman. Anna Herman is the Director of Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS. Having grown up in Dothan, Alabama without a large Jewish community, Anna cultivated a strong Jewish identity and felt proud of her heritage. After being recommended to go to Jacob’s camp by a local Rabbi, Anna’s life was changed. This trajectory led her to Jacob’s camp, working for the Union of Reform Judaism in New York City, and back to camp again as Director.
 
Expect to learn how camp can help kids become more confident, build resiliency, learn interpersonal skills, connect to Israel and Israelis, and make enduring friendships. Rabbi Dreifus and Anna also discuss the grassroots fundraising campaign that launched Jacobs camp and the methods employed by Anna and her team to reduce camp costs so no child is turned away. Finally, this conversation describes the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on summer camp and what went on behind the scenes in order to have camp in 2021. The podcast closes with Anna’s enticing pitch for why families should consider sending their child to camp next summer, tune in to find out!
 
Registration for Camp: https://jacobscamp.org/register/  
 
Thanks to Justin Drake for Audio Technical support.

Torah to the People #9 - Jimmy Jalenak’s Jewish Journey

In this episode, Rabbi Jeff Dreifus speaks with Jimmy Jalenak. Having served as President of both Temple Israel and the Jr. Congregation, Jimmy has lived a life dedicated to service to the Memphis community. His service to Memphis and Temple Israel were inspired by his Jewish values and upbringing.Expect to learn about Jimmy’s Jewish journey, the impact Rabbi Wax had on him, his relationship with Rabbi Danziger, and what makes Temple Israel Rabbis unique. Rabbi Dreifus and Jimmy touch on historical moments in Temple’s history, including officiating same-sex marriages in the congregation and the hiring of Rabbi Greenstein. They also discuss Jimmy’s role in the campaign of Fred Davis for Memphis City Council in 1968 and why for Jimmy, having diverse friendships throughout his life has impacted him in a profound way.Thanks for tuning in!
 
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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.
Audio Technical support was provided by Ajay Cohen.

Torah to the People #8 - Susan Adler Thorp on Rabbi James A. Wax: Righteous Among Men - A Life Dedicated to Social Justice

In this episode of the podcast, Rabbi Jeff Dreifus speaks to Susan Adler Thorp. They speak about the upcoming exhibit at the TI museum about Rabbi James Wax. Expect to learn about the history of the Temple Israel Museum, Judaica’s role in memory and community-building, how collecting can be an emotional outlet, and the story of Rabbi Wax and his impact while residing as Rabbi of Temple Israel.
 
Rabbi Dreifus and Susan Adler Thorp discuss the details of the new exhibit and how it is connected to Rabbi Wax’s passion for social justice. They investigate his upbringing in Herculaneum, MO, and how a Methodist Minister inspired him to pursue a Rabbinical career. They also recall Rabbi Wax’s courage demonstrated by speaking out against Memphis mayor Henry Loeb the day after Martin Luther King Jr’s assassination. Rabbi Wax’s visionary leadership put him at the forefront of working towards helping those suffering from mental health problems, having a role in the famous sanitation workers strike in 1968, and stewarding the building of a new Temple in East Memphis.
 
Thanks for tuning in!
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Opening song - "Let There Be Love" by Noah Aronson; performed by Temple Israel Cantorial Soloist Happie Hoffman
Find sermons, music, conversations between clergy and special guests, and select Temple Israel University (TIU) classes – easily accessible to you through our podcast, Torah to the People.
Learn more about Temple Israel-Memphis at timemphis.org.
Audio technical support provided by Ajay Cohen.