Who’s the most influential figure in American political history? Washington? Lincoln? Martin Luther King? The answer, for any student of American history, should be clear: it’s Moses. But how does this influence pan out? And how do Moses, and other Biblical figures, help us tell our own stories…even today? To unpack all of this, Ari spoke with bestselling author and New York Times columnist Bruce Feiler, author of “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story”. They talked about the Age of...

The Bible is the most important and influential work ever. And nothing has been more influential on the development of the English language over the last 500 years than the translation of the Bible into English. And whether from literary, political-institutional, cultural or religious perspectives, the Bible has been deeply formative in shaping the West as we know it. So how should we engage with this text? Some say we should heed its commands; others that we should try to understand it in...

Why does American policy in the Middle East look the way it does? Has it always been this way? How is it intertwined with religious life and literacy in America? And how does the Jewish story—from the Bible to today—help us understand something important about the American story? To unpack all of this, Ari spoke to Walter Russel Mead—Global View columnist at the Wall Street Journal, Professor of Foreign Affairs at Bard College, and author of the fantastic new book “The Arc Of A Covenant: The...

The Atlantic’s Yair Rosenberg is one of the most prominent journalists on the planet covering global antisemitism. He’s also an excellent recording artist in the Jewish music space. How do these two things fit together? As Ari and Yair discuss together, this mix is deeply emblematic of the current moment in Jewish, American, and even world history -- both fraught with existential danger and brimming with creative and moral possibility. On the latest episode of Good Faith Effort, they unpack...

The American experiment—even the future of liberalism—feels exhausted. What’s a theologian to do about this? How can serious thinking about religion contribute uniquely to a flourishing political and moral discourse? How can it be done with both a sense of conviction, but also a spirit of humility? To unpack this, Rabbi Ari spoke to his good friend, fellow podcaster and professor of theology at Baylor University, Matthew L. Anderson. They talked: how to do public theology; is there an...

“What’s the biggest problem with America these days?” Imagine if someone answered that question by saying that Americans don’t spend nearly enough time in…cemeteries? Well, on this episode of Good Faith Effort, it’s precisely that thesis that we try to defend! Rabbi Ari had on brilliant up-and-coming writer Chaya Sara Oppenheim to discuss the ‘cemetery culture’ that has grown up around the town of Monsey, New York, just 45 minutes north of Manhattan. Along the way they discuss why dead...

One of the climactic moments of the Renaissance was the European rediscovery of the Hebrew language. Knowledge of Hebrew—and intensive study of both the Hebrew Bible and Jewish rabbinic literature—would sweep across Europe, and end up fundamentally reshaping everything from personal spirituality to the nature and structure of politics in the West. And yet, at the very same time all of this was underway, a plot was hatched to completely eradicate Judaism forever in the Holy Roman Empire—a...

How do we navigate in an age where our access to information is limitless? How do we read better? How do we write well? How do we seek out valuable new things? And why is it also more important than ever to hold on to—or discover!—the virtues of ancient wisdom? To unpack all of this, Rabbi Ari spoke with David Perell—one of the most prolific writers, teachers and podcasters in the world of new media; host of the North Star podcast; author of the “Friday Finds” and “Monday Musings”...

If you want to tell the story of popular music globally in the last century, you really can’t do it without telling the story of American pop music. And if you want to tell the story of AMERICAN pop music, well, that story begins and ends with the Black American community: jazz, the blues, gospel music, rock n’ roll, R&B, and hip-hop. And if you want to tell the story of that community, you also need to understand the Bible—the Exodus, the prophets, and beyond. But who could possibly tell...

Say you’re one of the biggest stars in the world. You’re making hit TV shows and huge movies. You’re influencing millions upon millions of people.  And you’re a kid. How do you deal with the challenges, and how might you seize the opportunities? Is it possible to be deeply mission-driven in such a world? This week, Rabbi Ari spoke with Kel Mitchell, the two-time Emmy-nominated actor and comedian who starred in massive shows like Kenan and Kel and All That, and hit films like Good Burger. And...

Human equality. Justice for all. Political liberty. Hope in the face of despair. We take all of these for granted as essential components of a good life and virtuous society. But where do they come from? Will you find them in Plato and Aristotle? In Cicero or Plotinus? What if we can’t? On this week’s episode, Rabbi Ari sat down with Dru Johnson, Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of the Center for Hebraic Thought at the King’s College, to talk about why the world we live in is...

When we think of the Biblical story, we usually think of a beleaguered population of former slaves fleeing for their lives into a desert. But if you read the Bible’s account of the Israelite story, you’ll see that they’re consistently called upon to take up arms in their own defense. What insight could we gain from interpreting the Bible from a military perspective? On this week’s episode, Rabbi Ari talked unpacked all this with the 40th Inspector General of the entire U.S. Navy—and highest...

The emperors of Rome traditionally promoted themselves as deities—as human beings who had ascended to godhood by virtue of their political might. In America, of course, we do not have god-kings, nor do we deify the great leaders of our past. But if there were any political figure in American history about whom it could be said that he had achieved some sort of genuine transcendence beyond the usual political acclaim, it would be Abraham Lincoln. So what made Lincoln great? What were his...

America has now gone through this multi-decade long period where the fashionable belief was that people are at their best when living unfettered lives. Things like community, tradition, religion, are mostly—in this view—just hokey, backward relics of a bygone, credulous era. And while living without these things may make us kind of miserable…at least it’s safe and comfortable! If there’s one thing we know how to do well in America today, it’s cheap, shallow, unthreatening culture. But what...

John Selden. A name most people today have never heard. But at one of the most crucial political turning points in the history of the West —17th century England — he was widely known as the most brilliant man in Europe, England’s most accomplished lawyer, and a leading Member of Parliament so respected that both sides of the English Civil War desperately sought to recruit him to their side. His ideas were deeply influential on the future of Western liberty, and to this day remain the best...

What will it take to build a dynamic future for our society? We talk a lot about infrastructure, manufacturing, supply chains, defense, biotech. But what about restoring a sense of mission, purpose, community and shared values? A truly bright future needs a new Great Awakening—it needs faith. But how do we build that in the world of digital media and tech? To unpack all this, Rabbi Ari brought on Matthew Potter, co-founder of Pray.com, the #1 daily prayer app on the entire planet. They spoke...

If there’s one thing Western society needs right now, it’s the rejuvenation of community. But what does it take to rebuild community out of the ashes of COVID, and in the face of a loneliness epidemic sweeping across America and the West at large? To unpack all of this, Rabbi Ari spoke to a man who quite literally does this for a living — David Siegel, CEO of Meetup, the largest social media platform for building in-real-life community in the world, and author of the new book “Decide and...

We often think of religion as this thing you learn about through texts. Through studying in a seminary. Through quiet contemplation. But as far as the Bible is concerned, religion is so much more than that! It’s embodied, it’s traditional, it reaches every single nook and cranny of our lives. And it’s deeply sensory. It’s about sights, sounds…even smells and tastes! So what can we learn about religion, about culture—about life—from the world of food? To unpack this, Rabbi Ari spoke with...

What does it take to produce one of the most popular podcasts in the world? Especially when it's about the Bible? Rabbi Ari spoke to Tara Leigh Cobble, host of The Bible Recap podcast, about the importance of daily study; the most underrated characters in the Book of Judges; the Bible's political wisdom; the importance of experiencing the Bible in Hebrew (even for those who don't speak or read it!); what doing her podcast has taught her about pedagogy and setting goals; and much more! Good...

An Orthodox Jewish rabbi, a Coptic Christian from Egypt, and a Syrian-Lebanese Jew from Mexico City walk into a bar… On this episode Ari talks to the hosts of his new favorite podcast “American-ish”, a show bringing together first-generation immigrant women from two very different (yet strikingly similar!) Middle Eastern communities to discuss culture, love, religion, politics…and everything in between. In a wide-ranging conversation, Ari, Adela, and Mariam cover what Middle Eastern culture...

Both grew up in Long Island, both grew up in strong religious traditions, both have a love for the liberal arts. But where Ari grew up an Orthodox Jew, Scott grew up Catholic. In a wide-ranging conversation, Ari and Scott reflect on the self-contained dignity and beauty of their respective traditions, and think about what they can bring to the wider world of learning.

When we think of the roots of American liberty and attitudes towards monarchy, we usually think of classically trained statesmen pondering the glories of Athens and Rome. But what if I told you that in fact, the two most important sources undergirding the American Founding were: the Bible…and the Talmud? In today’s episode, Rabbi Ari brought on Harvard’s Eric Nelson to talk about the revival of Hebrew learning among Christians during the Renaissance; the origins of the idea, popular during...

How does a minority community that has long suffered state-sanctioned oppression take control of its own destiny, build wealth, invest in education about its past, and promote pride in its distinctive culture? This is a question that applies equally to the historical Jewish experience AND the experience of the Black community in America. So this week Rabbi Ari brought on thinker, entrepreneur, and political activist Felecia Killings of the Conscious Black Conservative movement, whose...

Did you ever grow up watching a show as a kid and think “Oh yeah, I identify with THAT character”... even if that character seemed to have nothing to do with you at all? In his gorgeous new book “Piccolo Is Black,” Jordan Calhoun of The Atlantic tackles the joys, challenges, and ultimately the depth of meaning in the pop culture we all loved as kids, and continue to love as adults. Along the way, Rabbi Ari and Jordan discuss their favorite shows from the 80s and 90s; cultural confidence in...

One of the most common questions by far that I get from listeners to this podcast is: “I know you’re an Orthodox Jew, and you mention it a lot on the pod, but…what does that actually mean?”In this episode, I brought on fellow Orthodox Jewish podcaster Rabbi Scott Kahn to unpack this. Along the way we talked about our go-to explanations for people who aren’t Jewish about what Orthodox Judaism is; the challenge of feeling excitement during prayer; why Orthodox Jews seem to spend so much time...