Episode 96: Rabbi Dov Katzel

This week on Borderline Podcast Disorder, I’m joined by Rabbi Dov Katzel — a close friend and part of the Chabad Lubavitch community in West Hampstead. We met through another friend of the pod, Craig Jaffa (who’ll be a guest soon too — stay tuned).

In this episode, we talked about hope, faith, and the expression of Judaism in a time when holding onto either feels like an act of rebellion. We asked what truth really means — not in a philosophical way that makes your eyes glaze over, but in the real, gritty way you need when the world feels stacked against you.

We got into how faith can help keep you going, especially now — in a time when being openly Jewish, particularly in cities like London, feels increasingly unsafe. With antisemitism on the rise and the people in charge barely pretending to care, we talked about what it means to stay hopeful anyway.

After we recorded, we headed to a nearby market where Rabbi Dov offered passersby the chance to wrap tefillin. Watching Jews pause their day and take a moment to connect — that lifted something in me. It was good for the mind and the spirit. And for the first time in ages, I felt a bit of hope about Jewish life in London.

If you’ve been feeling heavy, disconnected, or just looking for something real, this one’s for you.

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