Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations features interviews with thought-provoking rabbis, leaders and creators about the urgent issues faced by Jewish people today. As a part of Reconstructing Judaism’s multimedia Evolve project (http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/), this podcast models respectful, sacred conversations about challenging topics.
Evolve
Claim This Podcastby Reconstructing Judaism
5.0(54 reviews)
99 episodes
Updated Monthly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
75
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality77
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement90
Podcast Overview
Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations features interviews with thought-provoking rabbis, leaders and creators about the urgent issues faced by Jewish people today. As a part of Reconstructing Judaism’s multimedia Evolve project (http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/), this podcast models respectful, sacred conversations about challenging topics.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/10/2017
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75
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality77
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement90
8
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2
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excellent
Episode Length
1h 1m
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Recent Episodes
January 30, 2026
Episode 71: How Two American Jews Navigate Fundamental Disagreement about Israel with Love and Respect: A Conversation with Rabbi Sid Schwarz and Sam Sherman
<p>Note: This podcast is also available on YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/_J8I4ZB72bo" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/_J8I4ZB72bo</a></p> <p>This is the kind of conversation about Israel and Palestine you won't hear anywhere else. Rabbi Sid Schwarz, founding rabbi of Congregation Adat Shalom and longtime progressive Zionist, and Sam Sherman, a playwright, actor, and anti-Zionist activist who grew up in Schwarz's congregation, model how to engage in respectful dialogue across profound ideological differences about Israel and Palestine. Schwarz discusses his decades-long commitment to what he calls "spiritual Zionism"—affirming Israel's right to exist while vocally opposing policies that violate Jewish values. Sherman explains his anti-Zionist position rooted in concern for Palestinian dignity and opposition to what he sees as institutionalized Jewish supremacy. Despite their disagreements on the meaning of Zionism, the legitimacy of violence, and the future of the region, both speakers demonstrate deep respect, genuine curiosity, and a commitment to staying in relationship. As Sam prepares to return to the West Bank to work with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, this conversation offers a rare and moving example of how Jews across generational and ideological divides can engage with empathy, learn from each other, and remain part of the same Jewish community even when fundamental disagreements persist.</p> <p>Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb" rel="nofollow">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb</a></p> <p>Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: <a href="http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org" rel="nofollow">http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org</a></p> <p>Subscribe by Email at <a href="http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss" rel="nofollow">http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss</a></p> <p>Read these show notes on the web at <a href="https://evolve.fireside.fm/1" rel="nofollow">https://evolve.fireside.fm/1</a></p> <hr> <p>This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at <a href="https://ReconstructingJudaism.org" rel="nofollow">ReconstructingJudaism.org</a>.</p><p>Special Guests: Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Ph.D. and Sam Sherman.</p><p><a rel="payment" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/evolve-donate">Support Evolve</a></p><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a title="Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter" rel="nofollow" href="http://eepurl.com/iih7IT">Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter</a></li><li><a title="Support Evolve with a donation to Reconstructing Judaism" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/support/">Support Evolve with a donation to Reconstructing Judaism</a></li><li><a title="Read Sam Sherman's Evolve essay "Dying Before You Die: Writing the Play ‘kaddish (how to be a sanctuary)’" rel="nofollow" href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/dying-before-you-die-writing-the-play-kaddish-how-to-be-a-sanctuary/">Read Sam Sherman's Evolve essay "Dying Before You Die: Writing the Play ‘kaddish (how to be a sanctuary)’</a></li><li><a title="Learn about Sam Sherman's play "Kaddish (How to be a Sanctuary)"" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.kaddishtheplay.com/">Learn about Sam Sherman's play "Kaddish (How to be a Sanctuary)"</a></li><li><a title="Listen to Rabbi Sid's last Evolve conversation with Bryan Schwartzman about World Jewry, Zionism and the State of Israel" rel="nofollow" href="https://evolve.fireside.fm/67">Listen to Rabbi Sid's last Evolve conversation with Bryan Schwartzman about World Jewry, Zionism and the State of Israel</a></li></ul>
August 28, 2025
Episode 70: Board Covenants and the Fate of Democracy
<p>In times of chaos and turmoil, how can we overcome our differences to tackle problems? How can we move from our own individual thinking into the thinking of what's the common good? Rabbi Joshua Lesser discusses the vital importance of nonprofit boards to Jewish and American life. By helping Jewish communities formulate and adopt board convenants, Lesser seeks to use Jewish wisdom to interject a bit of the sacred into the seemingly mundane business of running an organization. Healthy boards, he argues, are not just important for Jewish organizations. They are one of the arenas where people can participate in democracy on a micro level, and potentially reenergize democracy on a macro scale. </p> <p>Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb" rel="nofollow">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb</a></p> <p>Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: <a href="http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org" rel="nofollow">http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org</a></p> <p>Subscribe by Email at <a href="http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss" rel="nofollow">http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss</a></p> <p>Read these show notes on the web at <a href="https://evolve.fireside.fm/1" rel="nofollow">https://evolve.fireside.fm/1</a></p> <hr> <p>This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at <a href="https://ReconstructingJudaism.org" rel="nofollow">ReconstructingJudaism.org</a>.</p><p>Special Guest: Rabbi Joshua Lesser.</p><p><a rel="payment" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/evolve-donate">Support Evolve</a></p><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a title="Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter" rel="nofollow" href="http://eepurl.com/iih7IT">Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter</a></li><li><a title="Read Rabbi Joshua Lesser's Evolve Essay, "From Passion to Purpose: How a Board Covenant Transforms Jewish Leadership"" rel="nofollow" href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/from-passion-to-purpose-how-a-board-covenant-transforms-jewish-leadership/">Read Rabbi Joshua Lesser's Evolve Essay, "From Passion to Purpose: How a Board Covenant Transforms Jewish Leadership"</a></li><li><a title="Support Reconstructing Judaism's End of Year Campaign" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/support/">Support Reconstructing Judaism's End of Year Campaign</a></li></ul>
July 24, 2025
Episode 69: I’m Right, You’re Wrong: What Data Reveals About North American Jewish Opinion on Israel, Zionism and Anti-Zionism
<p>What do North American Jews think and feel about Israel and why do they feel it? As researcher Matthew Boxer explains, we have, at best, an incomplete understanding of opinion. That's had a harmful impact on discourse and planning. So to find out, Boxer surveyed some 1,800 North American Jews. In this episode, he shares his findings and what he believes they mean. Among his major takeaways: he disproves the-oft sited statistic that 95 percent of American Jews identify as Zionist, even though most American Jews have attitudes that one would associate with Zionism. Many on the left and right feel that their interpretations are obvious and clear and think that opposing views are dangerous and outside the pale. Also, many American Jews feel strong emotional attachment to Israel, but that emotional attachment doesn't correlate to particular or obvious opinions about the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. Boxer shares how he thinks future researchers can learn from his work. And, he makes a case that particular perspectives on Israel should not be a condition for inclusion in Jewish life and community. </p> <p>Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb" rel="nofollow">https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb</a></p> <p>Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: <a href="http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org" rel="nofollow">http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org</a></p> <p>Subscribe by Email at <a href="http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss" rel="nofollow">http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss</a></p> <p>Read these show notes on the web at <a href="https://evolve.fireside.fm/1" rel="nofollow">https://evolve.fireside.fm/1</a></p> <hr> <p>This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at <a href="https://ReconstructingJudaism.org" rel="nofollow">ReconstructingJudaism.org</a>.</p><p>Special Guest: Dr. Matthew Boxer.</p><p><a rel="payment" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/evolve-donate">Support Evolve</a></p><p>Links:</p><ul><li><a title="Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter" rel="nofollow" href="http://eepurl.com/iih7IT">Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter</a></li><li><a title="Register for the 8/25 Evolve Web Conversation with Rabbi Jacob Staub and Rabbi Megan Doherty" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/event/creating-sacred-community-leadership-and-connection-with-rabbi-megan-doherty/?_gl=1*1d2s093*_gcl_au*MTQxOTI0MjUyLjE3NTA2ODM4OTk.*_ga*MTc4OTc0MTQ1OS4xNjkzOTI2NDU5*_ga_WRW9SLZZ22*czE3NTI3NjU0MjgkbzQ4JGcxJHQxNzUyNzY1NzMxJGo2MCRsMCRoMA..">Register for the 8/25 Evolve Web Conversation with Rabbi Jacob Staub and Rabbi Megan Doherty</a> — "Creating Sacred Community: Leadership and Connection with Rabbi Megan Doherty"</li><li><a title="Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "How We Talk About Jewish Young Adults’ Connection to Israel: The Evidence or Lack Thereof"" rel="nofollow" href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/how-we-talk-about-jewish-young-adults-connection-to-israel-the-evidence-or-lack-thereof/">Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "How We Talk About Jewish Young Adults’ Connection to Israel: The Evidence or Lack Thereof"</a></li><li><a title="Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "What is Zionism? It Depends on Who You Ask"" rel="nofollow" href="https://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org/what-is-zionism-it-depends-on-who-you-ask/">Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "What is Zionism? It Depends on Who You Ask"</a></li><li><a title="Dig Into Matthew Boxer's Survey Results: "What is Zionism? Assessing the Diversity of Discourse in a Charged Environment"" rel="nofollow" href="https://scholarworks.brandeis.edu/esploro/outputs/report/What-is-Zionism-Assessing-the-Diversity/9924331186501921?institution=01BRAND_INST">Dig Into Matthew Boxer's Survey Results: "What is Zionism? Assessing the Diversity of Discourse in a Charged Environment"</a> — See Dr. Boxer's PowerPoint, read about his methodology, and explore his dataset</li><li><a title="Explore Local Jewish Community Population Studies and more at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.brandeis.edu/cmjs/community-studies/index.html">Explore Local Jewish Community Population Studies and more at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies</a></li><li><a title=""What Is Zionism?" Matthew Boxer presents his research findings in this video presentation" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8OGN3kskD0&t=2609s">"What Is Zionism?" Matthew Boxer presents his research findings in this video presentation</a></li></ul>
99 total episodes available
Recent guests on Evolve
Guests from recent episodes — sign up to see every guest that has ever appeared on this show.
Ali Michael PhD
Guest
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Guest
Roan Boucher
Guest
Rabbi James Greene
Guest
Rabbi David Jaffe
Guest
Yehuda Webster
Guest
Ilana Kaufman
Guest
Rabbi Sandra Lawson
Guest
Rabbi Alex Weissman
Guest
Myra Sack
Guest
Andy Levin
Guest
Rabbi Deborah Waxman
Guest
Deep-dive analytics for Evolve
Frequently asked questions
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- What is Evolve?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates monthly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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