Every story has a beginning... Join us for this podcast series as we explore the twelve sections of Genesis, as divided in Jewish tradition. Christian actor and social media influencer Nathaniel Bouzlic discusses each part with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm.

• Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm is the Chief Executive of BZ Media and President of SoulShop. A leading religious public intellectual, Rabbi Lamm hosts the top-ranked podcast on the Bible and society, Good Faith Effort, and his popular Twitter threads on “Why Read the Bible in Hebrew?” have reached millions and been covered by major international news outlets. For his leadership in the world of Jewish ideas, The Jerusalem Post recently ranked him #37 on its list of the world’s 50 Most Influential Jews.

• Nathaniel Buzolic is an acclaimed Australian Actor, best known for his role as Kol Mikaelson in "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals," With a diverse background in acting, hosting, and a commitment to his Faith and Heritage.

About "Gen 12"

"Every story has a beginning..." and so does our exploration into the foundational texts of the Bible. "Gen 12" aims to delve into the rich narratives and teachings of Genesis, bringing them to life through spirited discussions between Nathaniel Buzolic and Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm. Each episode will focus on one of the twelve sections, uncovering the timeless wisdom and relevance these scriptures hold in modern society.

Meet the Hosts

• Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm is the Chief Executive of BZ Media and President of SoulShop. As a distinguished figure in religious public discourse, Rabbi Lamm brings his profound insight to "Gen 12." Known for his top-ranked podcast, Good Faith Effort, and viral Twitter threads such as "Why Read the Bible in Hebrew?", Rabbi Lamm has been recognized as one of the world's 50 Most Influential Jews by The Jerusalem Post. He holds a PhD in Religion from Princeton University and rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. His thoughts and views are widely respected, appearing in publications like the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek.
• Nathaniel Buzolic is a renowned Australian actor celebrated for his role as Kol Mikaelson in "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals." With a rich acting career and a dedication to his Christian faith, Nathaniel brings a unique perspective to the discussions on "Gen 12."

On today’s episode, Ari spoke with Brooke Ashley Hall - one of the biggest creators on social media, across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube - about the opportunities and responsibilities of creating content for tens of millions of people on a daily basis.

Along the way they talked about Brooke’s journey towards becoming an influencer; what an influencer’s day-to-day looks like; portraying motherhood from the Bible to TikTok; authenticity in traditional media vs. digital media; Arthur Clarke and scientific progress; how Brooke almost lost her son; the power of prayer and community; Brooke’s approach to comedy; Brooke’s advice for aspiring creators; and much more!

Guest Quote:

“It's incredible the amount of impact that you have, and I also think it's a great responsibility for what you share and the message that you're putting out. That's one thing that my husband and I decided whenever we started doing this, that we were going to stay on the line of being family friendly, maintaining our values, and always staying true to ourself in that way, because with great power comes great responsibility, right?” -Brooke Ashley Hall

Time Stamps

* (:01) Intro

* (04:45) Brooke's creative journey 

* (11:23)  Authenticity on social media

* (13:41) Motherhood portrayed from the Bible to TikTok

* (15:27) A day in Brooke’s life 

* (21:30) Technology as magic

* (24:20) Influencers vs. celebrities

* (27:46) Brooke's near-loss of her son

* (39:37) The power of prayer and community 

* (44:49) Brooke’s comedic approach

* (47:37) Brooke's inspirations

* (49:57) Advice for aspiring content creators

Good Faith Effort is a production of SoulShop, Bnai Zion, and Caspian Studios

Links

Follow Ari on Twitter

Find out more about Brooke

Brooke's Youtube Channel

Brooke's TikTok

Brooke's Instagram

Watch on YouTube

On today’s episode, Ari spoke with the best-selling author and historian of English and American history Nick Bunker about the Mayflower Pilgrims and how the Hebrew intellectual and religious tradition shaped their world, and ultimately birthed the United States of America.

Along the way they talked about how Nick, a Roman Catholic from London, spent his most formative years immersed in the Jewish community of the Upper West Side of Manhattan; the importance of King James I; the rise of English interest in Biblical Hebrew; the origins of the Puritans; why the Pilgrims were fascinated by the medieval Jewish scholar Maimonides; Nick’s career in investment banking and how it molded his work as a historian; and much more!

Guest Quote

“And one of the things you have to do as a historian is to show that process by which the events in one country and the other country interacted with each other. Information flowed back and forth, people flowed back and forth. There was a transatlantic economy that was created which linked England, New England, Virginia, the West Indies. And it was through these kind of interflows back and forth that this kind of Atlantic world was created. And that was how the United States eventually came into being from this process of kind of interaction.” - Nick Bunker

Time Stamps

* (:01) Intro

* (04:49) Connection between American and English history

* (07:13) Nick’s journey

* (18:52) Significane of King James I 

* (21:39) Origins of the Puritans

* (24:42) Biblical book of kings influence on non-conformists

* (28:11) Decoding the Puritan Quadrilateral

* (32:07) The rise of English interest in Biblical Hebrew

* (36:19) Unmasking the original Thanksgiving

* (37:04) Maimonides and the Pilgrims

* (40:18) Judaic impact on history 

* (46:13) Jewish political and intellectual influence on England

* (51:08) Fueling curiosity amidst demanding careers

* (54:28) Sneak peek into Nick's new book

Good Faith Effort is a production of SoulShop, Bnai Zion, and Caspian Studios

Links

Follow Ari on Twitter 

Find out more about Nick 

In the Shadow of Fear: America and the World in 1950 

Making Haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World: A New History 

An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America

Watch on YouTube

On today’s episode, Ari spoke with the greatest character actor in the history of Hollywood, the legendary Stephen Tobolowsky, about his lifelong journey to understand the Hebrew Bible.

Along the way they talked about growing up around members of the Nazi Party; Stephen’s love of Shakespeare; being comfortable with weirdness; Stephen getting held at gunpoint during a hostage situation; Deuteronomy and the Shema prayer; thinking about death; why Ned Ryerson is the most Jewish character in the history of American film; and much more!

Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop

Guest Quote
"There is such a positiveness in Judaism, that when you become a part of it, you realize how absolutely life-affirming it is. Even in death, it gets you through all the terrible transitions: from Genesis to Exodus, Leviticus to Numbers to Deuteronomy. It can get you through every one of those walls, every one of those challenges.“ - Stephen Tobolowsky

Time Stamps

* (5:06) Jordan Calhoun’s “Piccolo is Black”, and growing up without a Jewish Community

* (11:23) Stephen opens the Pandora’s Box of rediscovering Judaism

* (22:45) The 5 Books of Moses, as a story of life 

* (24:28) Californication, and Stephen’s decision to write a spiritual memoir

* (30:57) Magic exists, and Stephen’s tale of finding God while being held hostage at the grocery store

* (40:33) Visiting the Bible throughout your life

* (44:44) Importance of saying the Shema

* (54:55) Is Ned Ryerson the most Jewish movie character?

Good Faith Effort is a production of SoulShop, Bnai Zion, and Caspian Studios

Links

Follow Ari on Twitter - https://twitter.com/AriLamm

Find out more about Stephen: https://stephentobolowsky.com/

My Adventures With God, on Amazon Books: https://www.amazon.com/My-Adventures-God-Stephen-Tobolowsky/dp/1476766460

Watch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GoodFaithEffort

On today’s episode, Ari spoke with Joshua Berman, Professor of Bible at Bar Ilan University and author of “Created Equal: How the Bible Broke With Ancient Political Thought”, about the revolution that the Bible introduced into human affairs. In a world dominated by some of the most renowned civilizations in history — from Mesopotamia to Egypt — how did the Bible re-envision the idea of the good society?

Along the way they talked about the idea of “covenant” — both inside and outside the Bible; Plato vs. the Bible on universalism; monarchy in Biblical thought; why the Bible conceives of a particular land as holy; how the American Founders wrestled with Biblical political theory; the Biblical concept of atonement; and much more

Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop

Links

Follow Ari on Twitter

Check out Good Faith Effort on Youtube!

On today’s episode, Ari spoke with the extraordinary classical educator and University of Virginia professor Angel Adams Parham about the Black intellectual tradition and how it has been shaped by—and in turn can shape our contemporary understanding of—the classics.

Along the way they talked about why Phillis Wheatley was fascinated by death; the importance of poetry in classical education; Frederick Douglass’s oratory; classical education for all; faith and providence in Martin Luther King Jr.’s thought; Biblical literacy in America; the Greek tradition vs. the Biblical tradition; the Book of Lamentations; and much more!

Guest Quote

“In so much of Western culture, we have focused on “truth”. Truth and goodness, but especially truth. We've taken these truth-first approaches to understanding what it means to be a good society. What about beauty? What if we were to flip that and take beauty at the beginning? Beauty as our root to truth and goodness, and not always have beauty last. There's something about the tradition of philosophical critique that's led us to where we are today, that seems to strip things down to their most kind of mechanically rational in a way that can become anti-human.” - Angel Adams Parham

Time Stamps

* (:01) Intro

* (5:42) How Angel fell in love with the Classics

* (14:09) Phyllis Wheatley, and the start of the African-American religious tradition

* (21:33) Elegies and everyday poetry

* (31:58) What’s a Classic anyways?

* (37:55) Faith within the Black intellectual tradition

* (45:24) The Bible as the basis for Western Literature

Good Faith Effort is a production of SoulShop, Bnai Zion, and Caspian Studios

Links

Follow Ari on Twitter

Find out more about Angel

The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature on Amazon Books

On today’s episode, Ari sits down with Seth Rogovoy, writer, producer, cultural journalist, and author of Bob Dylan: Prophet, Mystic, Poet.

On this episode, Ari and Seth dive into the life and history of Bob Dylan through the lens of Jewish spirituality. What are his songs really about? How does the Bible show up in the different eras of his song writing? How do protest and folk songs relate to the Jewish tradition? Dubbed as the number one Jewish Bob Dylan scholar, Seth carefully pulls apart the Biblical references through Dylan’s discography, and sheds light on how he’s artfully woven the Jewish tradition into his entire persona as an artist, and much more! 

Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop