You Wouldn’t Believe - Jewish!

You Wouldn’t Believe - Jewish!

by Shlomo Horwitz

Judaism Religion

Season 1

What He Learned By Listening | Interview with Yaakov Langer

What happens when one of the Jewish world’s very popular podcasters suddenly finds himself on the other side of the microphone? Yaakov Langer, host of Inspiration for the Nation and a driving force behind the Living L’Chaim podcast network, joins Shlomo Horwitz to talk about how he entered the podcasting world—and what he has learned from hundreds of remarkable conversations. Yaakov discusses what makes someone a compelling guest, how he prepares for an interview, and how he navigates intensely painful and emotional stories. The conversation also explores the beginnings of Kosher Money, the hateful comments Living L’Chaim received after October 7, the importance of consulting rabbanim and mental-health professionals, and the challenge of remaining grounded when your public work becomes part of your identity. For once, the interviewer becomes the interviewee.

Jewish Guilt: Is That a Thing? | Interview with Rabbi Soskil

Jewish Guilt: Is That a Thing? What exactly is “Jewish guilt” — and is guilt supposed to be part of teshuvah at all? Rabbi Mordechai Soskil joins Shlomo Horwitz for an honest conversation about some of the questions teens — and adults — often carry quietly. They discuss why teshuvah still matters even when change is slow, whether beating our chests has real meaning, what to do when we don’t understand the words of davening, whether it is ever okay to fall behind the congregation, and why Judaism places such emphasis on reward and punishment. Rabbi Soskil also explains why small changes can matter enormously over time, and why acknowledging a mistake is very different from defining yourself by it. A thoughtful, practical conversation about teshuvah, prayer, guilt, growth, and the questions people are sometimes afraid to ask.

Faith in Uniform | Interview with Rav Joey Friedman

Rabbi Joey Friedman is also Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Friedman, a chaplain in the Air National Guard. His remarkable journey has taken him from the congregational rabbinate and Jewish outreach to military bases across the United States and Japan. In this deeply personal conversation, Joey explains the chaplain’s responsibility to protect the religious liberty of every service member—regardless of faith. He shares the extraordinary accommodation the military made when he refused to compromise Shabbos, his experiences counseling people of many different religions, and the painful lessons about vulnerability and leadership that transformed him as a rabbi, father and human being. Joey also reflects on his family connection to the Chasam Sofer, and the guidance he received from Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg ZTL. The episode concludes with a beautiful story about a Jewish serviceman who rediscovered his connection to Judaism thousands of miles from home.

Behind the Scenes of Jewish Advocacy | Interview with Rabbi Ariel Sadwin

What really happens behind the scenes when the Orthodox Jewish community needs a voice in government? Rabbi Ariel Sadwin, Executive Director of Agudath Israel of Maryland, has spent decades building relationships with elected officials and advocating on issues affecting Jewish families, schools, and communities. In this conversation, we explore the world most people never get to see: what lobbying actually looks like, how relationships are built across political and religious divides, the fight for nonpublic-school funding, religious freedom, antisemitism, and the challenge of representing the Orthodox community without becoming partisan. Ariel also shares some of the remarkable personalities and unexpected moments he has encountered along the way—and reflects on how a career spent around politics has shaped his understanding of people, power, and hishtadlus.

Ancient Wisdom, Modern Leaders | Interview with Dr. Noam Wasserman

Dr. Noam Wasserman has spent his career studying leadership—from Harvard Business School and Yeshiva University to his current role heading The Ramaz School. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore how ancient Torah wisdom speaks to modern questions of leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, success, and education—and what truly makes a great leader. Here is a link to Noam‘s Daf Yomi highlights: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tG5X1IOiJ2jDJQFIBiPdnW4uTaKugRW89Cva2ucTF3c/edit?usp%3Dsharing&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727712875000000&usg=AOvVaw0A26c4XKcQA4hQm4WnQ4Dr

Before You Judge | Torah Insight

On the 100th yahrzeit of Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, a remarkable Meshech Chochmah on Parshas Ki Seitzei offers a timeless lesson: before focusing on someone else’s faults, take an honest look at your own. Why does the Torah change one person from “your enemy” to “your brother”? The answer may change the way we judge—and love—one another.

Stop Keeping Score | Torah Insight

Stop Keeping Score: A Surprising Lesson from Parshas Shoftim What does it mean to serve Hashem with temimus? A beautiful insight into three words in Parshas Shoftim reveals the difference between a transactional relationship with Hashem and a true relationship—and why sometimes the deepest faith begins when we stop keeping score.

The Accidental Educator | Interview

Lenny Solomon has spent decades making people laugh, sing—and learn. As the founder of Shlock Rock, Lenny took familiar sounds and turned them into something entirely new: music that was fun, unmistakably Jewish, and often surprisingly educational. In this episode of You Wouldn’t Believe – Jewish!, Lenny talks about the origins of Shlock Rock, the evolution of Jewish music, the creative process behind his songs, and what it’s like to discover that music you made for entertainment has become part of the Jewish education—and the Jewish memories—of an entire generation. We also explore Lenny’s own journey, the stories behind the music, and how a keyboard player became, perhaps unintentionally, one of the most recognizable Jewish educators of his generation.

How Did He Know? | Torah Insight

How Did He Know? | Parshas Re’eh Did the Rambam really say that a person is obligated to make his grandchildren happy on Yom Tov? There’s just one problem: the Torah never says that. Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky noticed the difficulty and made a remarkable suggestion about what the Rambam had originally written. Years later, when authoritative manuscripts of the Rambam were examined, Rav Yaakov’s intuition was dramatically confirmed. But solving that mystery leads to another one. Why does the Rambam list a person’s children before his wife when describing the mitzvah of simchas Yom Tov? A fascinating textual mystery—and perhaps a beautiful insight into how joy spreads through a Jewish home.

The Future of Jewish Connection | Interview

Can the Internet Bring Someone Closer to God? Long before podcasts, YouTube, and social media became part of everyday life, Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith saw the internet as something more than a source of information—he saw it as an opportunity to inspire Jewish souls. As the founder and longtime editor of Aish.com, he helped pioneer online Jewish education, reaching millions of readers around the world with Torah, history, philosophy, and practical Jewish wisdom. In this conversation, we explore how Aish.com began, what it takes to communicate timeless Torah ideas to people from every background, and how Jewish education has evolved in the digital age. We also discuss the opportunities—and challenges—presented by social media and artificial intelligence, the art of telling stories that resonate, and the lessons Rabbi Coopersmith has learned from decades of building one of the most influential Jewish websites in the world. Whether you’re interested in outreach, education, technology, or simply the future of Jewish life, this conversation offers a fascinating look at how one visionary helped shape the way Torah is shared in the 21st century.

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