What does it really mean to live a good life and how can ancient Jewish practices help us get there? Rabbi Deborah Waxman sits down with her teacher, colleague, and friend Rabbi Shira Stutman, author of The Jewish Way to a Good Life, for a wide-ranging conversation about meaning, resilience, and loving kindness. Together, they explore how Jewish wisdom offers practical tools for universal human challenges: how to love, how to mourn, how to care for our bodies, how to build justice, and how to show up for one another imperfectly but persistently. At the center of their conversation is hesed, loving kindness, which Shira describes as more than emotion: It’s the courage to show up in daunting spaces and do the hard, sustained work of caring.

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rabbi Shira Stutman.

Rabbi Deborah Waxman continues her conversation with Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder of Lab/Shul and subject of the documentary The Sabbath Queen. They explore how to hold complexity in polarized times, discussing "both/and" thinking around Israeli and Palestinian identity, the theology of love and connection (symbolized by the Hebrew letter vav), and building strong Jewish peoplehood without chauvinism or supremacy. Their conversation weaves together personal narrative, liturgical innovation, and theological reflection, modeling nuanced dialogue about coexistence, justice, and evolving Jewish tradition to honor the dignity of all people while navigating disagreement with courage and compassion.

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie.

Rabbi Deborah Waxman is joined by Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie for a vital conversation about the complexities of Zionism, Israeli identity and progressive Jewish values. As delegates on the Hatikvah slate in the World Zionist Congress elections, Waxman and Lau-Lavie discuss the intersection of personal history, political activism, queer and feminist perspectives and Jewish theology. Each reflects on the legacy of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, the power of hope, and the urgency of building a Judaism that is inclusive, resilient and committed to justice for all.

Subscribe by Email

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie.