Aleph Beta Quarantined

For this episode, we're share something a little different with you. It's a taste of a Premium Aleph Beta course we just released, called Refa'einu: Prayer, Sefirah and Healing from Trauma. This course is an amazing deep dive into Refa’einu, the prayer for healing found in the daily Amidah, and a very unexpected connection between this prayer and Sefirat HaOmer. Join Rabbi Fohrman and Imu as they journey through the sources to discover what it really means to have faith in God as our healer. Listen to episode one right here. For the rest of the course, check out Alephbeta.org, or search for Refa'einu in your podcast feed.

Coronavirus is affecting our prayers. It’s affecting where we pray and with whom. Many of us are used to experiencing prayer as something communal, something we do in shul or synagogue. Now we do it alone, in our homes. It’s also affecting the urgency of our prayers. Our thoughts and hearts are full of concern for those who are sick, those caring for the sick, and those who may get ill. Many people who are used to including one or two names of sick people in their prayers are now including lists full of names. Still others are finding it hard to pray right now at all. How do we find the words to reach out to God in the midst of all this suffering and confusion? In this episode, Imu speaks to prayer “expert” Rabbi Ami Silver about how to rethink prayer in the age of coronavirus.What Chanah Teaches Us About How To Pray: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/how-to-get-closer-to-godAleph Beta prayer videos: https://www.alephbeta.org/jewish-prayer

If technology was a major part of our lives pre-corona, in the last few weeks it’s taken on a whole new level of importance. It enables us to work and learn from home, to stay updated and informed, and, most importantly, to stay connected. But there’s also a danger to technology. It can be addictive--especially during a crisis. Checking our phones, the news, and social media feeds can eat up our days and leave us emptier than before. In a time when online connection is nearly all we have, how do we benefit from technology’s blessings, without falling prey to its dark side? In this episode, Imu reflects on his own struggles with finding this balance and how he’s learned to use technology without letting it consume him.Join Aleph Beta at alephbeta.org

This year, most of us are having seders that are a little different than what we'd anticipated. Some of us are doing it alone, when we're used to large family gatherings. Some are used to being guests, and are suddenly thrust into the limelight and role of "host." Most kids come home bursting with words of Torah from their classrooms, but this year, many haven't done their normal prep, changing the flow of the seder. In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman and Imu confront our expectations, throw them out--and suggest to us what to really focus on to make our seders meaningful this year.Click here for How To Read The Haggadah: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/how-to-read-haggadahClick here for The Exodus Story That Could Have Been: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/passover-exodus-story

Like all workforces, Aleph Beta has been impacted in a lot of different ways by the current situation. But the most difficult part, by far, has been seeing some of our own co-workers struggle with the virus directly. From the anxiety of whether it is or isn’t COVID to hospital visits to waiting and hoping for recovery, our hearts are with each of our staff members who have come down with COVID-19 or are caring for someone who did. In this episode, Imu talks to Malka Alweis, our Director of Marketing, about how her family’s life was thrown upside-down when her husband was diagnosed with the virus. Click here for How to Read the Haggadah: https://www.alephbeta.org/playlist/how-to-read-haggadah

While many of us wait out the pandemic in our homes, our new heroes - the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers - are on the front lines leading the charge against COVID-19. Every day, they put their own lives on the line to keep us safe. In this episode, Imu speaks to three healthcare workers to hear their stories.To contact Elisheva: email kelliegross90@gmail.com

If the current pandemic has left you feeling a little more anxious than usual, well... that's to be expected. It's normal to feel anxious when we're confronted with so much uncertainty and such little control. You're not alone; many of us are having these feelings. So is there any way to keep it in check? To regain a sense of control, calm, even peace? In this episode, Imu talks to trauma therapist (and Aleph Beta COO) Eitan Zerykier about practical tools for staying in the present and not letting your anxieties drive you.

Fear. Whatever else we’re doing, whatever else we’re saying, fear is what most of us are feeling right now.  We’re afraid of all the unknowns. We’re afraid of not having control over our futures. And, on the most basic level, we’re afraid  of our human vulnerability. We’re afraid of death. Escaping these fears doesn’t seem like an option right now, but does that mean we’re doomed to be a slave to our fears? In this episode, Imu and Rabbi Fohrman open up about their own fears, and grapple with how they might control their fears, instead of letting their fears control them.

Description: For a lot of us, it’s our first time making Pesach and for the rest of us, we might be just too busy and overwhelmed to deal with it right now. We’ve got you covered. In this episode, Imu talks to a panel of experts on how to make the easiest, most cost-effective, least stressful Pesach. Whether you’re looking for a shopping list, recipe ideas, what utensils and appliances you might need, or how to kasher - we talk about it all.

In the past weeks, life has changed for all of us. Even if we're not sick or caring for those who are, we're home, taking care of children full-time, barely leaving the house... it’s mentally and emotionally exhausting. Janet Hod, a long-time member of the Aleph Beta community, shares her own story of the past two weeks - making a wedding, the YU Maccabees’ miracle NCAA run that was abruptly ended, and more. With humor, earnestness, and faith, Janet shows us how to follow the log flume of life: to go wherever the ride takes us, and try to enjoy the ride.

We’re now several days into the new normal... except that the new normal changes every day.In this episode, Rabbi Fohrman shares his thoughts on finding spiritual strength in the face of chaos. He begins by looking at a model in the Talmud of someone who attempted to hold onto normalcy: Marta bat Baitos, Martha daughter of Boethus, a noblewoman who struggled to live through the days of the destruction of the Temple. Rabbi Fohrman also reflects on Stephen Covey’s circle of control and raises the question of how we, as religious people, can use faith to let go of what we can’t control to focus more completely on what we can.

On Thursday, the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County took the frightening step of closing all centers of community -- not only schools, but synagogues, and restaurants, too. Plus, people were asked to refrain from hosting shabbat meals, making playdates for kids, even going to the park. In this episode, Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, synagogue rabbi of Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, NJ, and a past president of RCBC, joins Imu in an open conversation about how this historic decision was made, how members of our community are feeling, and how we can all help one another cope with the practical and emotional overwhelm so many of us are feeling.

Every day, every hour, almost every minute, it feels like there is some breaking news about what is happening with COVID 19. Schools are canceled. Synagogues are shutting their doors. Restaurants are closing. We are scared, we are looking into an unknown, and we feel alone and lonely. In this new podcast, Rabbi David Fohrman and Imu Shalev address some of the fears so many of us are facing, and talk about some of the most pressing topics they will address in future episodes. From preparing for Passover, to keeping kids entertained, to helping us deal with our own mental health and anxiety, we will try to deal with it all, with love, compassion, and community. Come join us.