Join host Bill Lipsey for inspiring conversations with Israel's most innovative spiritual leaders and entrepreneurs. Discover how the Honey Foundation is reshaping Israeli society by empowering diverse Jewish expression and building meaningful communities. From groundbreaking rabbis to community changemakers, each episode explores how spiritual entrepreneurship is creating a more open, connected Israel—for the benefit of Jews everywhere.
We Show Up Together: Spiritual Leadership Across Divides with Rabbi Tani Feintuch
In this week's episode, Bill sits down with Rabbi Tani Feintuch for an intimate conversation about community, faith, and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges. Rabbi Tani brings decades of deep Talmudic and halakhic study to his rabbinical work, with particular expertise in the intersection between halakha and aggadah in the Talmud. His path to community leadership began through his wife's role as rabbanit at Ramban Shul, which ultimately led them to establish their own vibrant c...
9 Jun 2025
Resilience Served Warm: Leadership through Loss and Love with Rabbi Chef Nissimmi Naim Naor
In this powerful episode, Bill sits down with Rabbi Nissimi Naim Naor—a unique figure who serves as rabbi, chef, healer, and officer in the IDF reserves. Their conversation explores the intersections of faith, food, trauma, and community healing in Israel. Rabbi Nissimi Naim Naor uses cooking as a form of therapy and connection. His life's work focuses on trauma recovery and emotional wellness, in military reserves and as a civilian rabbi. A Personal Journey of Faith Beginning with his...
29 May 2025
Why Community is Critical: A Conversation with Rav Benny Lau
Honey from the Rock Podcast - Episode with Rav Benny Lau In this powerful and timely episode, Bill is joined by the renowned Israeli rabbi and community leader, Rav Binyamin Tzvi (Benny) Lau, for a deeply personal conversation about community, faith, and resilience in challenging times. Together, they explore the transformative power of Torah study, the essential role of community in healing from trauma, and how to maintain hope during some of the most difficult periods in Jewish history. Ab...
19 May 2025
What Makes Us Whole: Memory, Spirituality, and Community with Rabba Keren Apfelbaum Riff
Rabba Keren Apfelbaum Riff In this episode of Honey from the Rock, we speak with Rabba Keren Apfelbaum Riff, a Honey Fellow whose work centers on building spaces where Jewish identity can be explored, questioned, and reimagined. Drawing from her own journey—from a childhood marked by silence around Judaism to becoming a leader in Israeli spiritual life—Rabba Keren shares what it means to create community without labels, hold space for complexity, and trust that the conversation itself can be ...
5 May 2025
Embracing Questions, Healing, and Community with Rachel Ettun
In this episode of Honey from the Rock, Bill sits down with Rachel Ettun, Founder and CEO of Haverut, a family therapist, spiritual caregiver, mentor, and group facilitator. Rachel shares her profound journey rooted in faith, family, and healing—both personal and communal. Key Topics Covered: Rachel’s childhood in a family of seven, where she was raised to ask questions and calmly voice her thoughts.The deeply personal story of her second child, Ruth, born with Cystic Fibrosis, and the journe...
15 Apr 2025
"The Rabbi on a Motorcycle”: Faith, Zionism, and Finding Meaning
In this episode, Bill sits down with Rabbi Matthew Gewritz, who leads a thriving community of 2,000 families at his synagogue in New Jersey. Their conversation explores Rabbi Matt's unique journey to becoming a spiritual leader and his perspectives on Israel, Zionism, faith, and community. Episode Highlights: Childhood Dreams: At just five years old, Rabbi Matt announced to his family his desire to become "a rabbi on a motorcycle" - a dream he later forgot as he pursued a career in businessR...
31 Mar 2025
Sacred Secularism: Reimagining Jewish Identity with Dr. Ariel Levinson
Sacred Secularism: Reimagining Jewish Identity with Dr. Ariel Levinson In this episode of "Honey from the Rock," Bill sits down with Dr. Ariel Levinson, co-founder of the Secular Yeshiva in Jerusalem, for a profound conversation about Jewish identity, tradition, and renewal. Dr. Levinson shares his remarkable personal journey, beginning with his religious upbringing in Jerusalem and his early struggles with the concepts of halacha (Jewish law) and God. He recounts his formative years at a yes...
17 Mar 2025
Rabbi Naama Dafni: When Faith is Tested - On War, Trauma, and Finding Purpose
In this insightful episode, host Bill is joined by Rabbi Naama Dafni who shares her remarkable journey to becoming a rabbi and discusses her experiences during Israel's current conflict. From her childhood in the diverse city of Haifa to her spiritual awakening and eventual embrace of her rabbinical calling, Rabbi Dafni offers profound reflections on Jewish identity, community resilience, and faith in challenging times. Key Discussion Points Rabbi Dafni's upbringing in Haifa, a multicultural ...
27 Feb 2025
Beyond Boundaries: A Leading Modern Orthodox Rabbi - on the Renewal of Jewish Life in Israel
In this episode, Bill sits down with Rabbi Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone, for a profound conversation spanning his personal journey and perspectives on Jewish community and inclusion. Show Notes: Personal Journey: Rabbi Brander shares how his trajectory changed from becoming a dentist to attending Yeshiva University after his transformative experience at Shalavim Yeshiva.Influential Relationships: Rabbi Brander discusses his older chavruta who fell in the Leba...
10 Feb 2025
Seekers: From Kibbutz to Calling
## Episode Summary In this profound journey of spiritual exploration, Rabbi Elisha Wolfin traces an extraordinary path from a secular kibbutz upbringing to becoming a transformative spiritual leader. Navigating through diverse philosophical traditions—including Buddhism, Daoism, and Sufism—and wrestling with his religious grandmother's teachings, Rabbi Elisha emerges as a bridge-builder between secular and spiritual worlds. His story is a testament to the power of open-minded seeking, the dep...
23 Jan 2025
Honey From The Rock: From Orthodox Home to Hostage Square, A Rabbi Serving the Nation
Rabbi Ayala Deckel shares her remarkable journey of spiritual transformation and her current role as a spiritual leader during one of Israel's most challenging times. From her Orthodox upbringing to becoming a progressive rabbi, her story intersects with some of the most pressing issues facing Israeli society today. Key Topics Discussed Personal Journey Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish homeChildhood memories of accompanying her father to siyum celebrations marking the completion of Talmud tra...
9 Jan 2025
The Art of Jewish Leadership: Building a Jewish Home in the Heart of Tel Aviv
In this deeply moving episode, Bill sits down with Rabbi Chananel Rosen, son of Rabbi Micky Rosen z"l, founder of the renowned YaKar communities in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Their conversation weaves through generations of Jewish leadership and explores the delicate balance of tradition and innovation in modern Jewish life. Key Topics: The rich legacy of the Rosen family's multi-generational commitment to Jewish education and leadershipRabbi Chananel's personal journey to the rabbinate and his...
26 Dec 2024
Honey from the Rock: Hope's Inheritance - Rabba Tamar's Journey from Grandfather's Wisdom to Rabbinic Leadership
Rabbi Tamar shares her transformative journey from a traditional Sephardic background to becoming a rabbi, sparked by her grandfather Saba Yaish's (Grandpa Hope's) profound words. In this intimate conversation, she explores how having supporters who truly believed in her potential gave her the courage to pursue an unconventional path. Key Topics: - The power of trust within religious communities and leadership - How courage and authentic support shape our life choices - The impact of Saba Ya...
25 Oct 2024
Honey from the Rock: Building Israel's Spiritual Future
Join Bill Lipsey for conversations with Israel's innovative spiritual leaders and entrepreneurs. Discover how the Honey Foundation is empowering diverse Jewish expression and building meaningful communities for a more connected Israel and Jewish world. Visit us at honeyfoundationforisrael.org to learn more about our mission and vision, and become part of this transformative journey. Be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform so you don't miss a single episode of these powerfu...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 29 / 100
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Quality
28
Social presence
91
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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