IKAR Podcasts

When it comes to speaking about the personal experiences we’ve had— or we yearn for— with God, we tend to retreat into self-consciousness and silence.  I’d like for that to change.  So, here’s my story.

This is a recording of our second session of For the Love of Learning. Every Tuesday morning, a new story from the Talmud. Taught by your rabbis in a monthly rotation, we’ll dig into the strange and compelling world of the Talmud, exploring the ways ancient dilemmas speak to modern questions. Join us in-person at the Event Space (coffee and nosh provided) or over Zoom (B.Y.O. nosh) for as many sessions as possible… your Tuesday will thank you.

Our ancestor, Isaac, repeated the pattern of his father’s failures—an expression of loyalty to the covenant. We, too, may feel trapped by the force of the past, as though we are powerless to the repetition of the worst chapters of our history.  But we can—and must—choose agency over inevitability.

Read the source sheet here. This is a recording of our first session of For the Love of Learning. Every Tuesday morning, a new story from the Talmud. Taught by your rabbis in a monthly rotation, we’ll dig into the strange and compelling world of the Talmud, exploring the ways ancient dilemmas speak to modern questions. Join us in-person at the Event Space (coffee and nosh provided) or over Zoom (B.Y.O. nosh) for as many sessions as possible… your Tuesday will thank you.

This week’s parashah is the fourth in a row to remind us that Abraham and Sarah are old. Imagine them in Los Angeles, 2025 - how would they age? And how can that help us imagine a new approach to aging for ourselves?

This is a recording from 11.12.2025 of the Weekly Parashah with Rabbi David Kasher, a class co-sponsored by Hadar and IKAR.

Vayera 5786 The Rabbis warn of a society defined by its cruelty toward the most vulnerable. We must not become Sodom.

This is a recording from 11.5.2025 of the Weekly Parashah with Rabbi David Kasher, a class co-sponsored by Hadar and IKAR.

The audio recording of this conversation was compromised and you may need to adjust volume settings for certain portions of the recording. We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience. Dr. Yasmeen Abu Fraiha is a medical doctor with a specialty in internal medicine, currently completing a clinical fellowship in critical care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, combined with a research fellowship at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School. Her research focuses on healthcare policy and politics that create inequality in health services and outcomes for underserved communities.  She formerly served as the Health Policy Director at the Task Force for Health Promotion and Equity in the Arab Society at the Israeli Ministry of Health, leading major efforts and interventions to deal with health disparities between Jews and Arabs in Israel.   She co-founded two NGOs that promote socio-economic development of the Bedouin community in Israel, while focusing on health, education, women’s employment, housing and community empowerment. She has won several awards, including the 2007 Ramon Award for quality, leadership, and excellence and was chosen to be part of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. In 2023, she was named one of Israel’s 50 most influential women by Globes Magazine.  Yasmeen holds a BSc and MD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School.

The case for the medium tent. Source sheet: https://ikar.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Everythings-Breaking.-Can-We-Be-Fixed_.pdf

This is a recording from 10.29.2025 of the Weekly Parashah with Rabbi David Kasher, a class co-sponsored by Hadar and IKAR.

Hidden in the dry details of genealogy and geography is the actual beginning of Avraham’s story– a beginning that fundamentally changes how we understand the call he receives, the family he leaves, and the journey he undertakes.

From September 27, 2025. At a time when so many horrible things are happening, some might wonder, "Why bother to be a decent person?" At such a time, we need to focus on the words of Hillel, "In a place where people are being inhumane, seek to be a mensch."

As a part of disability Shabbat, IKAR member Matan Koch explores the ideas of openness, welcoming and access in the context of embracing each person's unique reflection of the divine. He takes us on a journey from Talmudic thought to present-day actions, exhorting us to be the kind of community where all of the reflections of the divine are known, and seen.

Stories, perspectives, and wisdom from folks in our own community.

A conversation in recognition of October 7th with Rabbi Sharon Brous and Alana Zeitchik, an Israeli-American peace advocate.

A lighthearted and serious look at the shared strengths of the most majestic of trees and the ancient resilient Children of Israel.

Examining how our perceptions inform our beliefs and behaviors, through the Babylonian Talmud's account of the ancient Water-Drawing Festival.

As we move from the peak experiences of the High Holydays into Sukkot, how will we gather in our joy? What practices can we adopt for Sukkot, whether or not we are able to build a Sukkah? And what role does this joy have to play in our experience of Sukkot and beyond?

We cannot bypass the pain in pursuit of the promise. Only by confronting the trauma of our past, both individual and collective, can we build a future of expansive possibility.