Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist

While this iteration of Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist might have come to a close, you can still always head to our website (www.drinkinganddrashing.com) to find past episodes, resources, drinks, and merchandise. We are so grateful to have learned with and from you and look forward to the new adventures that await us in the future! Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

We bring you this final podcast episode as an insider look at Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist. Hear about our proudest moments, our silliest giggles, some of the challenges we’ve faced and overcome, and some of our favorite fan stories that still make us smile. Thanks for the memories listeners—we wish you a Chag Shavuot Sameach (Happy Shavuot!) and hope that you’ll enjoy traveling down memory lane (as we come down Mt. Sinai together) as Amanda, Gabe, and Edon speak from the heart about this meaningful podcasting passion project. To continue the conversation: Drinking and Drashing Email: drinkinganddrashing@gmail.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

We begin the fourth book of the Torah—the book of Numbers—with its Hebrew primary parasha—B’midbar! (But, if you ask Amanda, there’s multiple ways you can say this! If you ask Gabe, Amanda’s wrong!) Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss, Canto (one more year until the R!) Gabe Snyder and “Chazanta!” Edon Valdman are thrilled to welcome back Rabbi Andrew A. Goodman to celebrate our penultimate parasha podcast (and Edon’s bar mitzvah portion). What did we talk about? Great question! Tune in to hear about active inclusion, continuous learning, how to ensure that people feel valued, how communities come together to create a working society, and how we can bring more equity into the systems we currently live in. Some source links: Chazante: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chazante Chazanta (the way Edon means it): the husband of a Chazzan (or cantor) To continue the conversation: Rabbi Andrew Goodman’s email: andrew.goodman@huc.edu HUC-JIR Website: www.huc.edu/explore Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

WOW!!! This week, you’re hearing for the first time ever on our podcast Master of Sacred Music Gabe Snyder and RABBI Amanda K. Weiss! Woohoo! (Chazak chazak v’nitchazek!) We’re not done learning yet! We still have the extraordinary Miranda Bass who walks us through the significance of service (both to the Temple and to your country). Navigating the political landscape is never an easy adventure, but it’s worthwhile to use our values as a compass and our community as a guide. How we treat each other makes a huge difference to where we end up—even when it’s just finding a common ground when we stand in disagreement with one another. Oh right! And don’t forget…rest is radical and holy. (Also…#crimedoesntpay against people OR institutions). Some source links: Robert Alter’s Translation: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393292497 Jubilee Year: https://myjewishlearning.com/article/sabbatical-year-shemitah-and-jubilee-year-yovel Ibn Ezra: https://myjewishlearning.com/article/abraham-ibn-ezra To continue the conversation: Miranda’s email: mbass10000@gmail.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

When we’re in the middle of counting the Omer (the time between Passover and Shavuot), it’s hard NOT to think about what counts—in our actions, our thoughts, and especially in our words. We were thrilled to welcome back (this time as featured guest!) Rabbi Becky Jaye, Program Manager for Emor: The Institute for Bold Jewish Thought (a project of T’ruah!). We discuss the importance of finding diverse ways to interpret Jewish texts (and practices), and how we might enable people to open up the space for all to share their thoughts safely and clearly. How might we pause when in conversation in an effort to really get to the core of someone else’s mindset? When we have meaningful and authentic discussions (say, like we do on this podcast), we are able to deeply hold each other in presence and relationships in beautiful and unexpected ways (even when it might be difficult). Some Links to What Rabbi Becky Jaye is Reading/Working On! T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights: www.Truah.org On Repentance and Repair (Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg): www.OnRepentance.com The Person You Mean to Be (Dolly Chugh): https://dollychugh.com/book/the-person-you-mean-to-be To continue the conversation: Rabbi Becky Jaye’s email: bjaye@truah.org Emor’s Website: https://emorinstitute.org/ Emor’s Instagram: @emor_institute Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

This is a short one, but a GREAT one! For our second double-portion in a row, we brought you the original trio to speak a bit about this week’s duality: how do we deal with life after death? Or even more so, how can we look at the relationships we hold in life and find ways to find holiness in every interaction? Of course, as always, there’s a run-down AND a special drink! Listen in with your favorite Drinking and Drashing team! Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Who doesn’t love a bargain? This week we’re getting an excellent guest to take on not one, but two parashiyot (well, at least a two-in-one because this week we have a double portion!). We are so thrilled to have Samantha Klipstein join us and walk us through what this week’s portion can look like through the lens of modern-day healthcare. How can we provide care and destigmatize diagnoses? How can we ensure that our medical providers are treated with honor and respect? How can we do it all without a sacrificial system? We know that this episode will be for all, for each according to their ability (hey that’s from this week’s portion!). Hebrew Terms Used in This Conversation: V’ahavta l’reiacha kamocha: Love your neighbor as yourself Kavod habriyot: Respect for all creation G’milut chasadim: Acts of loving-kindness Bikkur cholim: Visiting the sickness To continue the conversation: Samantha’s TikTok: @fatcharlidamelio Samantha’s Instagram: @samanthaklip Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

What does it look like to treat those who die with dignity? How can Jewish leaders mourn for and alongside their communities while maintaining the sacred mantle of leadership? In this week’s episode, we were blessed to learn with and from Cantor Yugend-Green, the current Cantor of Oak Park Temple (a special place for Executive Producer, Edon Valdman!). We look at the role of the Chevra Kadisha, the special Jewish burial laws and practices, and what it means to maintain silence (or even what NOT to say) in the face of great adversity. Hebrew Terms Used in This Conversation: Chevra Kadisha: a burial society, literally “holy friend,” who prepare the deceased for burial Met/Metah: the deceased (m and f forms) Taharah: purifying the body for burial, pouring water Kavannah: intent “Vayidom Aharon”: And Aaron was silent (Lev. 10:3) Rosh: the head of the ritural M'chilah: a prayer asking for forgiveness (for inadvertent indignity caused by taharah) R'chitzah: gentle cleansing of the deceased Halbashah B’Tachrichim: dressing of the deceased in burial garments Tuma/tamei: impure, unclean or “vulnerable” Tahor: pure, clean, or “whole” “Baruch Dayan haEmet.”: “Blessed is the true Judge” “Hamakom Yenachem Etchem B’toch Sh’ar Avelei Tzion Viyrushalayim”: “May God comfort all of you among the rest of the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.” To continue the conversation: Cantor Julie Yugend-Green’s email: jygopt@comcast.net Past Episode on Death/Chevra Kadisha: Vayechi with Sarit Wishnevski: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/XiowZ3dwOyb Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Mitzrayim — Hebrew for Egypt — literally means “Narrow Place,” and we found our listenership just a bit too narrow… That is, until we were redeemed by the power of Wyoming. That’s right: we got Wyoming, finally getting the last state in our quest for listeners from all across the country. In honor of that achievement, we are thrilled to celebrate this special Passover episode with Wendy Berelson, a leader in the Laramie, Wyoming Jewish community. Wendy has stepped up in multiple capacities to serve her small-but-mighty community and help it thrive. We talk Passover, tradition, community work, and, of course, Jewish life in Wyoming. Listen in and enjoy. Pesach Sameach! To continue the conversation: Wendy’s email: berelson@uwyo.edu Laramie JCC Email: laramiejcc@gmail.com Laramie Jewish Community Website: https://laramiejcc.weebly.com/ Instagram for LJCC: @LaramieJewishCommunity Instagram for UW Hillel: @uwyo_hillel Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

How can we look at the opportunities and goals that are constantly changing in the Jewish landscape to help us amplify what success can look like? Innovator, transformer, and community collector, Lisa Colton walks us through the importance of always adapting and adjusting with intention—and ensuring that our values can support those quick and necessary pivots. In this episode we check our preservationist impulses that might keep us stuck (“…but we’ve always done it that way!), and aim to seek how we might be able to celebrate new choices. To continue the conversation: Darim Website: www.darim.org Lisa’s Email: lisacolton@gmail.com Lisa’s Instagram: @lisa.colton Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

What do we do when we start a new book that feels so far away from the Judaism that we practice now? Spiritual leader, educator and Amanda’s HHD guide Cantor Harriet Dunkerley explains that so many of the values of our sacrifices are practiced in meaningful ways now (thankfully, with less blood!). We discuss what we need to sacrifice to draw closer to others and to ourselves, finding the essential qualities that we all hold inside of every one of us, and how music can bring us to a higher level of individual, communal, and spiritual excellence. We hope that you enjoy our special offering this week and that it brings you peace! To continue the conversation: Cantor Dunkerley’s email: ⁠cantorharriet@templebnaichaim.org Temple B’nai Chaim’s website: ⁠www.templebnaichaim.org Cantor Dunkerley’s Facebook: ⁠Harriet Dunkerley Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

While this may be one of our first majorly law-centered locations, Mishpatim helps us look at our humanity and our Jewishness as an interconnected feature of Judaism, the Jewish People, and the Jews. Rabbi Howard Goldsmith helps us play with how we might inspire our communities with a people-first approach, discovering our whys by reading past the whats. Whether you’re a listener who intensely follows halakhah (Jewish law), or a person who believes that Jewish law just doesn’t simply apply (excepting those laws who help us treat each other right), then this episode is definitely for you! Bonus points if you can define phylacteries (we can’t). To continue the conversation: Dr. Stern’s email: ⁠mstern@huc.edu Dr. Stern’s Instagram: ⁠@sternsavvy⁠ HUC-JIR’s School of Education: ⁠https://huc.edu/schools-programs/school-of-education/⁠ Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Have you ever wondered how artistry and fashion design might enter into our history as a Jewish people? This week, we learned from Sloane Applebaum, Supply Chain Manager for SkinCeuticals at L'Oréal, how fashion can be a collaborative construction. Colors and fabrics can represent status and belonging. Coded messages can be woven in to even the simplest tunics. Building ourselves up as beautifully as we created the blueprints for the Tabernacle, we are planning out the priestly garb. How does this tie into our own preferred fashion tastes? Listen in to hear an episode that can only be called on trend! #LetsGetDressed To continue the conversation: Sloane’s LinkedIn: Sloane Applebaum Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Andrew Yanchyshyn

How can we take ownership and notice of our bodies when we’re building holy dwelling spaces? Everyone has a gift, skill, or offering, that enables us to build sacred communities and spaces. Mitsui Collective Founder and Executive Director Yoshi Silverstein shares his insights about how we find sparks of the divine from within and how to share them via our creations. Increasing our awareness of the capacity of our bodies can truly help us create social change in our communities—the ones in which our bodies live. Are we paying attention to what’s happening inside and around us? In this episode, we dig deep to find out how looking inward can help us create structures for antiracism and anti-oppression work, even all the way back to when we were slaves in Mitzrayim. To continue the conversation: Mitsui Collective’s website: MitsuiCollective.org Mitsui Collective’s Facebook: Mitsui Collective Mitsui Collective’s Instagram: @MitsuiCollective Yoshi’s Instagram: @YoshiMatzah Yoshi’s Website: YoshiSilverstein.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

While this may be one of our first majorly law-centered locations, Mishpatim helps us look at our humanity and our Jewishness as an interconnected feature of Judaism, the Jewish People, and the Jews. Rabbi Howard Goldsmith helps us play with how we might inspire our communities with a people-first approach, discovering our whys by reading past the whats. Whether you’re a listener who intensely follows halakhah (Jewish law), or a person who believes that Jewish law just doesn’t simply apply (excepting those laws who help us treat each other right), then this episode is definitely for you! Bonus points if you can define phylacteries (we can’t). To continue the conversation: Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester’s website: https://congregationemanuel.org Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester’s Facebook: Congregation Emanu-El of Westchester Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Have you heard the news?? We’ve just lived through a miracle; we’re going to dance tonight!!! For Parashat Yitro, we’re moving from miraculous redemption to meaningful reality. Lucky for us, we have awesome rabbi, dancer, singer, leyner, and camp-advocate Rabbi Cece! Rabbi Cece walks us through the modalities of mentorship, magic at the mountain, and how to make music even out of the quietest of moments. To continue the conversation: Rabbi Cece’s website: www.RabbiCece.com Rabbi Cece’s Instagram: @rabbicece Rabbi Cece’s Twitter: @rabbicece Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Our hearts are singing for our third dance with Beshalach, featuring Cantor Rosalie Will and Cantor Ellen Dreskin as our Miriam’s songstresses! In this episode, we lift up the magic of collaborative music, shared faith, and singing communities. We also discuss how song can help us face challenges, conflicts, and challenges, as well as help ensure that our traditions remain relevant and resonant for us all. Oh and also #Edon gifts us with a song near the end of the episode! To continue the conversation: Cantor Dreskin’s website: www.ellendreskin.com LightLab Podcast: https://elianalight.com/podcast Cantor Will’s website: www.roasliewill.org Sing Unto God’s website: www.singuntogod.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

For Parashat Bo, we’re talking plagues, darkness, light, Zionism, and more with guest Rabbi Ari Goldstein. Rabbi Goldstein is Gabe’s mentor at Temple Beth Shalom in Arnold, MD. A fantastic teacher and speaker, Ari shares his thoughts and interpretations, as well has his rabbinic philosophies, taking to heart the difficult balance between reverence for Biblical narrative and historical fact. To continue the conversation: Temple Beth Shalom: AnnapolisTemple.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

What does it look like when we’re in the middle of our arc to redemption—especially when we’re facing a spiritually suffering community and we’re unsure of how to make use of the microphones available to us? Extraordinary educator Judi Williams helps explain how presence can be a form of protest, how to help people learn to speak out for themselves (organizing internally before they organize communally), and how to ensure that the message clearly gets out to the people who need to hear it most. To continue the conversation: Judi’s email: judi.m.williams@gmail.com Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano

Welcome back to the Book of Shemot! We’re starting a brand new book, but don’t worry, we have some familiar friends to help us move through it. Welcoming back #TeamPlotkin (Jewish professionals Aliza and Jason Plotkin), we engage with this week’s parasha through a new lens: that of adoption. Jason and Aliza walk us through how adoption can be seen and understood as a Jewish value, as we explore the different family structures that Shemot provides us within our first three chapters of this new book of Exodus (Shemot!). Jewish tradition of adoption: Parashat Vayechi (Gen 48:5): Jacob takes Ephraim and Manasseh as his own Parashat Shemot (Ex 2:5-10): Bat Paraoh takes Moses as her own Book of Ruth Ruth (4:16-17): Naomi takes Ruth’s son as her own Book of Esther Esther (2:7): Mordechai takes on a foster-father role for Esther Sanhedrin 19b: Anyone who raises someone, it is as if someone has given birth to that person. To continue the conversation: Aliza’s email: alizaplotkin@gmail.com Jason’s email: jplotkin@temple-israel.org Find us on social media: Facebook: Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist Instagram: @DrinkingandDrashing Website: www.drinkinganddrashing.com Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/xeeghhpSy3 Show the love with some Drinking and Drashing: Torah with a Twist merchandise at store.drinkinganddrashing.com, and don’t forget to subscribe and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts—it’s a great way to help our show grow! Edited by Michael Iaciofano