In this inspiring episode of And Now Love, Cynthia Marks sits down with Shirley Torres, Co-Executive Chief Officer at Homeboy Industries — the world’s largest gang rehabilitation and reentry program. With decades of experience in community healing, Shirley shares how she helps formerly incarcerated individuals find dignity, purpose, and transformation through connection, compassion, and care. She speaks candidly about the importance of listening without judgment, creating spaces where people feel safe to be seen, and honoring the humanity behind every wound. Shirley reflects on the spiritual foundation of her work, the influence of Father Greg Boyle, and why love — not punishment — is the most powerful agent of change. This episode is a profound look into how one woman leads with her heart and helps others reclaim theirs.

In this powerful episode of And Now Love, Cynthia Marks welcomes back clinical psychologist Dr. Loren Weiner for a conversation that reframes how we understand therapy — not as symptom management, but as the process of uncovering and healing deep emotional imprints. Dr. Weiner discusses how therapy guided by dreams, honesty, and emotional safety can reveal unconscious beliefs formed in childhood that block love, self-worth, and connection. Drawing on her years of training under Dr. Bernard Bail, she explores the therapist’s role in helping individuals reconnect with their authentic selves, process guilt and grief, and challenge inherited psychological burdens. This episode is a moving exploration of how therapy, when done with depth and intention, becomes a liberating journey of emotional truth. Whether you're in therapy, considering it, or supporting someone on that path, this conversation offers a compassionate and radical lens on what it means to truly heal.

Wildfire, burnout, and a fast-changing world couldn’t dim Rabbi Amy Bernstein’s commitment to love and justice. In this And Now Love episode, host Cynthia Marks explores how Reconstructionist Judaism evolves with modern ethics, why inter-faith friendships matter, and how post-traumatic growth can turn crisis into community strength.

Timestamps
0:00 – 00:46 Intro & guest bio
0:47 – 04:29 What is Reconstructionist Judaism?
4:30 – 07:06 Interpreting Torah like the U.S. Constitution
7:07 – 12:17 Facilitation vs. authoritarian leadership
12:18 – 16:26 Women rabbis & egalitarian progress
16:27 – 25:14 Amy’s journey: gay synagogue to rabbinical school
25:15 – 31:00 Denominations in decline—good news?
31:01 – 40:23 Eco-kashrut & mindful consumption
40:24 – 49:58 Inter-faith clergy circle & hard conversations
49:59 – 57:00 Palisades fire: losing home, leading others
57:01 – 1:03:04 Queer identity, community fractures, media overload
1:03:05 – 1:12:58 Post-Traumatic Growth vs. PTSD
1:12:59 – Attention as life & taking a month off

Like, comment with your biggest insight, and subscribe for more conversations that turn love into action.

Connect with Rabbi Amy: Kehillat Israel, Los Angeles

Follow our socials:
Instagram / / andnowlove.podcast
Facebook / / And Now Love Podcast
Youtube / / @AndNowLovePodcast
TikTok / / and.now.love.podc