Chayei Sara 5781: Shaping the Culture

This week, Rabbi Wolkenfeld and Rabbanit Goldie reflect on the legacy and impact of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, a”h, in the wake of his passing. They also examine a question that has recently arisen of how we define a city through the lens of Halakha versus the lens of urban planning and discuss some of the compelling questions that will be explored in upcoming learning opportunities at ASBI.Music credit: “Three” from the album Proverbs, by Les Hayden, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. 

Bamidbar 5780: More Shavuot Than Ever

This week, Rabbi Wolkenfeld is joined by guest co-host Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier who shares some insights from his recent writing and teaching on coronavirus-related issues. They also look ahead to Shavuot and think about the holiday's meaning when we're isolated from our community.
Music credit: “Three” from the album Proverbs, by Les Hayden, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License. 

Bo 5780: Rise & Shine

This week, Rabbanit Sarna and Rabbi Wolkenfeld start off with a discussion of the Halachot of what to do when you wake up in the morning and the tefillot and brachot you can and should include at the start of your day. Then, based on what we’ve been learning in Daf Yomi recently, they examine some of the different interpretations of women’s obligation in tefillah, followed by an interview with longtime ASBI Member Dr. Arnold Clevs.
Music credit: “Three” from the album Proverbs, by Les Hayden, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Lech Lecha 5780: The Cholent Effect

This week, Rabbanit Sarna and Rabbi Wolkenfeld explain something called “The Cholent Effect” as it relates to this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha and discuss some of the medical halacha questions raised by assisted reproductive technologies. They also interview Anna Rubin, a Community Organizer at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.
Music credit: “Three” from the album Proverbs, by Les Hayden, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Vayikra 5779: How to Keep Pork Out of Your Soup

Join Rabbanit Sarna and Rabbi Wolkenfeld for the first episode of The Straw Hat! They discuss some of the complications and interesting situations that arise during the Jewish leap year as well as how an idea from this week's Daf Yomi affects the observance of kashrut. This episode also features an interview with ASBI Member David Passman who sheds some light on the history of our shul and tells the story that inspired the name of our podcast.Music credit: “Three” from the album Proverbs, by Les Hayden, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.