TBE Richmond Podcast
Season 2
by Rabbi Michael Knopf
On Shabbat parashat Bamidbar (June 4, 2022), Sara Rosenbaum, TBE member and Chief Impact Officer of Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, shares thoughts and observations from her recent trip to the Poland Ukrainian border to witness first hand the humanitarian efforts to support the victims of the war in Ukraine. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
What do punk rock and Judaism have in common? In his Shavuot message (June 5, 2022), Rabbi Knopf explains that the outsider spirit embodied by punk rock is also an essential feature of Judaism. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
We celebrate Shavuot this year in the shadow of the war in Ukraine, with its seemingly staggering human cost. Understanding and navigating the ethics of war is never as straightforward as it may seem. TBE member and VCU political science professor Jessica Trisko Darden, an expert in political violence, human rights, gender issues, and genocide will join Rabbi Michael Knopf to compare Jewish and Western war ethics, with a focus on current events. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
In his message for the last day of Passover (April 23, 2022), Rabbi Knopf suggests that we study the story of the miracle at the Red Sea each year to remind us of the high cost of our redemption and of our ongoing debt to those who have come before us. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
Shir HaShirim, Song of Songs, the Megillah we chant on the Shabbat of Passover, exemplifies the themes of awakening and opening one’s eyes to the beauty of love. The melody sung at the beginning of this D'var Torah, tells the loved one to get up, arise, open your eyes to what is around you! This is a call to focus, pay attention to our surroundings, to get moving and act. Cantor Rosenblatt hopes that the song and the words she has written inspires and moves you to do just that. This D'var Torah was also featured on Truah's (M)oral Torah page. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
In his Passover message (April 16, 2022), Rabbi Knopf explains how the "Four Children" of the Haggadah offer a meaningful frame for thinking about what Conservative Judaism stands for as a movement. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
In his Shabbat message for Parashat Tazria (April 2, 2022), Rabbi Michael Knopf explains what Will Smith, Vladimir Putin, and old Pharaoh have to do with a mysterious biblical skin disease. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
In his Dvar Torah for Parashat Shemini (March 26, 2022), TBE member Brandon Metheny explains how, in a dark moment for Aaron, Moses chose to show his brother compassion instead of judgment, and gave a lesson we can all learn from. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
There is more than a physicality to sacrifices. In her Dvar Torah for Parashat Vayikra (March 12, 2022), TBE member LeAnne Whitlow explains that Queen Esther, in the spirit of Purim, sacrificed her given name, Hadassah, which connected her to her People, culture, and family to become a unlikely hero for the Jewish people. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.
In honor of Refugee Shabbat, and in the shadow of the growing humanitarian catastrophe in Ukraine, Rabbi Michael Knopf chats with Kate Ayers, CEO of ReEstablish Richmond, an extraordinary agency that supports refugees who have been resettled in the Richmond area. Temple Beth-El is committed to leading people into growing relationships with Jewish community, wisdom, and practice that help them thrive intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually and that inspire them to build a more compassionate, just, and peaceful world. TBE Richmond Podcast is produced by Benjamin DaCosta-Kaufman. Our theme music is composed and produced by Stephen Frost. Learn more about our dynamic, warm, and passionate congregation, affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, at www.bethelrichmond.org.