What happens when we begin reading the Talmud with an assumption of female presence rather than female absence? In this episode of Speaking Torah, Rabbi Dr. Jane Kanarek, Professor of Rabbinics and Dean of Faculty at Hebrew College, joins her longtime havruta partner Dr. Judith Kates to explore Jane's book Beyond Brutality: Reclaiming Female Presence in the Bavli Sotah.

Focusing on Tractate Sotah, a text shaped by a brutal ritual that publicly humiliates women, Jane demonstrates how reading the tractate as a unified literary whole reveals something surprising: the Bavli itself pushes back against that brutality.

Get full show notes and more information here: http://hebrewcollege.edu/podcast-29

What does it mean to be a boundary crosser, to leave what is familiar and find your truest home? In this episode of Speaking Torah, we share a powerful conversation from Hebrew College's event celebrating the release of Rabbi Angela Buchdahl's new memoir, Heart of a Stranger.

You'll discover how she cultivates joy through music and intentional attention, and why she believes that feeling like a stranger is not unique to her story but something that connects us all. Her message offers a vision of community where we can tell each other why we feel we don't belong and create a home together.

Get full show notes and more information here: http://hebrewcollege.edu/podcast-28

Who was Abraham Joshua Heschel, and why does his life story matter to young Jews today? In this episode, Rabbi Or Rose and rabbinical student Risa Dunbar explore these questions through the lens of Or's new young adult biography, My Legs Were Praying. Their conversation reveals how a boy from Warsaw who grew up in a Hasidic dynasty became one of the most influential Jewish thinkers and activists of the 20th century.

Or emphasizes how Heschel dedicated his life to articulating the beauty and profundity of Judaism while working across religious and secular lines for justice and peace. And Risa discusses the comprehensive educational resources she developed to accompany the book, including discussion guides and lesson plans that help readers explore themes of wonder, responsibility, and the integration of prayer and social action.

Get full show notes and more information here: http://hebrewcollege.edu/podcast-27