In a culture defined by division, Finding Hope with a Pastor and Rabbi insists on something harder—and more necessary. Rev. Dr. William D. Carter III and Rabbi Abigail Treu come together across religious, racial, and cultural differences to wrestle honestly with the questions that keep communities fractured and people in despair. Their monthly conversations model what it looks like to stay in relationship when it would be easier to retreat or attack. This is a podcast about hope—not as a slogan, but as a practice rooted in courage, connection, and shared humanity.
4. Be Strong and Strengthen One Another: Hope, Power, and Shared Responsibility
What does real power look like? In this episode, Rabbi Treu and Dr. Carter move beyond politics and authority to examine power as responsibility, representation, and relationship. Drawing on experiences from the Holocaust Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and research on leadership and belonging, they explore how communities can move from despair to possibility. Their conclusion is both simple and challenging: hope grows when we strengthen one another.
21 Apr 2026
3. In the Storm: What Hope Really Looks Like
Episode 3 begins with listener questions—Do Jews believe in God? What do they believe about Jesus?—and opens into a candid interfaith conversation about theology, difference, and shared ground. From there, the discussion turns to a deeper question: what is the difference between real hope and simple denial? Through personal stories, scripture, and lived experience, Rabbi Treu and Dr. Carter explore why hope is not wishful thinking, but a discipline rooted in truth, courage, and action.
17 Mar 2026
2. Why Do Bad Things Happen? A Rabbi and Pastor Face the Hard Questions
Rev. Dr. Carter and Rabbi Treu explore one of the biggest theological differences between Judaism and Christianity: sin and salvation. Are humans born sinful, or created fundamentally good? What does forgiveness mean in each tradition?
In this wide-ranging conversation, the rabbi and pastor compare Christian teachings about grace and salvation through Jesus with Jewish ideas of repentance and tikkun olam. From the Golden Calf and broken tablets to personal stories about forgiveness and reconciliation, they explore how each tradition understands brokenness and repair.
Along the way they take on one of the hardest religious questions: why do bad things happen to good people? And in the end, they return to explore : where does hope come from when life gives us more questions than answers?
17 Feb 2026
1. Why We Said Yes: Origins of a Black-Jewish Conversation on Hope
In this inaugural episode, a black pastor and white rabbi sit down for the first time to talk in unscripted honesty about why they are doing this and the path that led them to each other and this conversation. Along the way they explore what hope actually means, how faith traditions define us, and how ordinary acts can become spiritual ones. This episode opens the door to their emerging friendship and sets the tone for the series in truth-telling, curiosity, and the conviction that hope is something we build together. (Note: this is an extended episode. Future episodes will be a bit shorter.)
10 Feb 2026
Teaser: Presenting "Finding Hope"
How do we stay informed without losing hope? How do we stay connected without becoming overwhelmed?
In this clip from the first episode of our new podcast, as we explore the despair so many feel right now, we also laugh together… because maybe we aren’t all so ready to unplug just yet!
This is what "Finding Hope" is all about. Two people of different faiths become friends and explore together our shared humanity, finding hope together.
Turn your notifications on. Mark your calendar. Tell somebody!
See you at 6 am on February 17.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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