The Chaplain's Table

About The Chaplain's Table

The Chaplain's Table is a gathering of many of the episodes that exist in my other podcasts which are most chaplaincy friendly for various reasons. Your host, Rabbi Simcha Lefton, is a rabbinically ordained healthcare chaplain with five ACPE-accredited units of Clinical Pastoral Education. This podcast is his table. On it: grief literature, bereavement support letters, a poetry book, a keyboard, and a velvet bag — the tools of a chaplain who shows up at 2am, who plays piano at bedsides, who says Kiddush for a Jewish patient at 6:53 on a Friday evening, who sits with a man and uses the language line so he never feels alone. Episodes are drawn from three Kol Simcha Productions shows: — Torah With Simcha: Jewish law, pastoral theology, and end-of-life wisdom — Kol HaAdam: grief reflections and character beyond the résumé — Weather With Enthusiasm: resilience and hope in the face of crisis Whether you are hiring a chaplain, training one, or simply searching for meaning at the edge of life — you are welcome here. Contact: kolsimchaproductions@outlook.com Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Publisher

Simcha

Category

health & fitness · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Jun 2026

Latest episode

25 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Oct 2026

   Using the Gifts God Gave You: A Conversation with Vito Kramer

   What does it mean to recognize a person's gifts and encourage him to use them? In this special audio conversation on The Chaplain's Table, Vito Kramer, the 15-year-old creator of ProudToChase, shares the passion, faith, and sense of purpose behind his weather channel. This interview is offered as an opportunity to honor a young person's accomplishments, listen to his story, and encourage him to develop the strengths and interests God gave him. Alongside the weather discussion, the conversation touches on prayer, his understanding of why he does this work, and his desire to help keep people safe. The weather is part of his story. The person, his gifts, and the meaning he finds in using them are the reason for bringing that story to this table. Topics include discovering a passion, learning meteorology, building a channel, live severe-weather coverage, faith, prayer, service, tornado safety, and hopes for the future. This is the complete, final edited interview, approximately 43 minutes 50 seconds. The original recorded conversation is unchanged; it is presented here as an audio episode, not as a clinical encounter or pastoral-care session. WATCH OR CONNECT Full video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA9NAxjGiPA Short preview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_QU5uEzbic ProudToChase on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProudToChase Weather with Enthusiasm: https://www.youtube.com/@weather-with-enthusiasm SAFETY NOTE This is an educational conversation, not an official forecast or a substitute for National Weather Service warnings and local emergency instructions. Tornado-safety guidance: https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado-during The episode contains the participants' original recorded voices, not AI-generated interview dialogue. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

2. 

   25 Aug 2026

   Yeurtzeit 11 or 12th Elul : Mother's Legacy: A Tribute to Mrs. Adina Raskas

   00:01 - Introduction and explanation of Yurzeit 01:03 - The soul's advocacy on Yurzeit 02:19 - Why the soul advocates on Yurzeit 03:20 - The start of the advocacy process 04:25 - Stories of our Ancestors 04:39 - Episode date and tribute 05:10 - Mrs. Raskas's support for learning 06:28 - Mrs. Raskas's encouragement to attend classes 07:41 - Hospitality and chocolate chip cookies 08:43 - Inviting a single older man for Shabbos meals 09:36 - Mrs. Raskas's magnificent Shabbos table 10:37 - A mother's love and Purim carnival exhibit 11:42 - Creating the Skeeball exhibit 12:46 - Building the Skeeball game 13:16 - Getting into Camp Mora Shah 14:16 - The power of a mother's advocacy 15:17 - A mother's devotion 15:40 - Purim gifts and Mrs. Raskas's generosity 16:42 - The huge Purim gift container 17:45 - A mother's special treatment for her son's friends 18:59 - Mrs. Raskas's dedication to her children's education 20:01 - Parents' credit for teaching Torah Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

3. 

   25 Aug 2026

   Rabbi Herber's Earnest Prayer

   Rabbi Herber's Earnest Prayer Timestamp Breakdown: 0:08-1:07: Introduction to Rabbi Herber's recently discovered prayer, its emotional impact, and the context of its finding on a WhatsApp chat. 1:08-2:08: Explanation of the project to preserve Rabbi Herber's teachings through a podcast-like archive and the intention to read and translate the found prayer to prevent loss. 2:09-3:09: Beginning the Hebrew reading and translation of the prayer, focusing on pleas for mercy, protection from all evil (physical, spiritual, and financial), and relief from suffering, anxiety, and anguish. 3:10-4:20: Continuing the prayer's translation, including requests for good divine counsel, health, a good livelihood, a settled soul, a happy heart, and true success in Torah, mitzvot, and good actions. This section re-emphasizes the earnest plea for mercy. 4:21-5:31: Rabbi Herber's profound wish to merit educating the children of Israel (both youth and adults) in Torah, faith, and the fear of God according to his heart's desire, alongside an urgent request for a suitable place to fulfill this great mitzvah immediately. 5:32-6:03: A brief reflection on the preceding prayer point before moving to the concluding paragraph. 6:04-7:07: Concluding the prayer with a humble acknowledgment of unworthiness, yet trusting in God's great kindness, mercy, and ultimate salvation, expressing that the plea comes from a broken heart, and placing ultimate trust in divine salvation. 20 Hashtags: #RabbiHerber #JewishPrayer #Tefillah #SpiritualLegacy #TorahWisdom #Emunah #FaithJourney #HerberStories #JewishHeritage #Inspiration #DivineMercy #Protection #LivelihoodBlessing #GoodHealth #HappyHeart #Mitzvot #EducatingYouth #FearOfGod #TrustInGod #HeartfeltPrayer Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-chaplain-s-table--7101504/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).

Contact The Chaplain's Table

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.