Marsha Lederman is a catastrophizer. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, the author and Globe and Mail columnist has gone through life worrying about everything that can go wrong, to the point that she wrote a book about things going wrong in her life. Kiss the Red Stairs, released August 2023, investigates the ramifications of intergenerational trauma as she navigates her own divorce while recalling her parents' stories of the Holocaust. For Yom HaShoah 2024, Lederman joins Ralph...

You may not think of keeping Shabbat as environmental activism—but Jonathan Schorsch does. The founder of the Green Sabbath Project is on a mission to tackle climate change by adapting the biblical Jewish practice into something universally good for our planet. After all, in the Venn diagram of environmentalism and observant Judaism, "Not driving one day a week" falls right in the middle. For Earth Day, Schorsch joins Not That Kind of Rabbi from his base in Berlin to explain his movement...

Alan Zweig was on the road to becoming, like so many other midtown Toronto Jews, a lawyer. Instead, in his early 20s, he zigzagged off the course and wound up taking multiple lengthy trips to India, changing his perspective on life and work. He chose film school instead, propelling him into a decades-long documentary career that began all those years ago with semi-verité shorts made with his friends. One of those friends was Ralph Benmergui. Now, ages after they first met, the pair...

Toby Lloyd didn't grow up religious. But the British Jewish author became fascinated with Orthodoxy—how different people, even in the same family, can interpret biblical texts as either literal or metaphorical. Wanting to tap into the meaning and effects of people's belief systems, as well as reinterpreting stories from the Torah and wrapping it in the guise of horror, Lloyd wrote his debut novel, Fervour, out March 19. The story blends difficult family dynamics, a critique of religion and...

Diane Flacks has always felt the power of Jewish guilt. But when when she decided she wanted a divorce, that guilt grew to a whole new level. She constantly questioned the process, even while she was going through it, thinking about whether it was the right move or not. To process these thoughts and emotions, the theatre artist decided to transform this experience into her latest one-woman show, Guilt (A Love Story). Using humour and self-reflection, Flacks lays bare the story of what...

Last month, the flagship Yuk Yuk's location in downtown Toronto hosted a stand-up comedy fundraiser for Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. Predictably, anti-Israel protesters swarmed it. The club's founder and owner, Mark Breslin—who organized the event—tried to get in through a back entrance, only to find more protesters waiting there for him and his family. Through cries of "Baby killer" and "Genocidal maniacs", they entered, got the police riot squad called in, and the show went on as...

Rabbi Zelig Golden likes to describe Judaism as a religion of deep roots, interconnectivity, compassion and feminine divinity, reminding the world that Adam came from the adamah. It's this philosophy that inspired Wilderness Torah, an organization based in California that promotes "healing, belonging and resilience," in an attempt to reshape how Jews feel about their culture—and the planet. But this is not eco-Judaism, or pantheism, or humanism. To better understand the philosophy, Rabbi...

The climate crisis is the fault of no single person or country, but rather a widespread ideology of materialism and overwhelming lack of compassion for the natural world. What's worse—the crisis is intensifying each year. These are some of the themes espoused by Rabbi Yonatan Neril, the founder and director of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development in Jerusalem, and the author of the Eco Bible series of books, which offer spiritual commentary on the Torah. In his telling, we need...

If you're feeling anxious and afraid, you should know: you're not alone. Tensions are high everywhere across the Jewish community right now as Hamas and Israel engage in a violent war with ramifications across the world. But instead of doom-scrolling social media, finding horrible images and hate-filled comments, it's important to find time to step back—far away from social media—and assess your own mental health. The CJN and the Prosserman JCC held a live event on Oct. 17, 2023, to bring...

Welcome to the newest season of Not That Kind of Rabbi! Ralph's spiritual deep-dive podcast is back, now joining The CJN Podcast Network. After more than three years and 80 guests, we'll be focusing on Jewish Canadians, exploring the inner lives of public figures. To kick things off, we're hosting a special live taping on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at the Prosserman JCC in Toronto. Ralph will sit down with his old friend and Yuk Yuks founder Mark Breslin. Get tickets here.

Many lifetimes ago I was a stand-up comic. There were a lot of great comics that started with me back then. Way funnier too. One was Lawrence Morgenstern. He loved the craft and put his heart and soul into it Lawrence passed away a little while ago . This time on NTKR I speak with his longtime partner Rosalynne Gelade as we swap stories about one very funny gentle giant.

Two of the top three Jewish holidays are about to happen. Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the day of atonement, Yom Kippur. They are referred to as the days of awe. Or, if you're fasting on Kippur for 25 hours with no food, water, cars, cell phones or even sex, then for some it's the days of awww. Avrum and I will talk High Holidays and what they mean to us on this edition of Not That Kind of Rabbi. Dontae to keep us going at pateron.com/NTKR

This time on Not That Kind of Rabbi we begin a new chapter by welcoming friend ad wise person, Avrum Rosensweig to the podcast. We'll talk about God, the journey to and away from that G word and why Avrum threw out his yellow suede shoes.

This time on Not That Kind of Rabbi it's the Passover edition. I'm joined by one of Toronto's Rabbinic brightest lights. Rabbi Aaron Levy from Makom Creative Downtown Judaism. We talk freedom, slavery and what the heck the Passover meal (Seder) is really all about. We start by showing Charlton Heston (Moses) the door.

Brian Fraser is many things. A Minister, organizational development wizard, runner and tying it all together, a jazz lover. We talk about the whole darn mess in a jazzy kinda way on this episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi.

When I first saw Jeremy Hotz do stand-up, he looked nervous, very nervous. Turns out in the end he has extreme anxiety disorder, oh and he's very funny. After 30 years it's so great to reconnect.

Lara Rae is a comedian. A very good one. Lara Rae is Trans and a comedian. Lara Rae is deeply spiritual, Trans and a comedian. She is also someone I have had the pleasure of knowing for a very long time. Thing is, it's been years since we've had a chance to come together. Well, the time has come. Listen and enjoy.

Jaffa Road is a street name in Israel. It also happens to be the name of a wonderful group of musicians who bring elements of middle eastern, south asian and yes, even jazz together to make a wonderful soulful stew. They have a new album, Until When. I speak with Aaron Lightstone, the band leader, and we play some of this soulful music.

My dad used to love pointing at the TV when I was a kid when someone would appear and declare, "He'/She's Jewish. Most of the time he was right. But now a new book, Under The Radar, tells us about 30 Canadian artists who were.

Sometimes we become something, not because we get a degree, but because we simply, through our actions and intentions, become something. In this case after years of service and study, after mining his heart for the gold inside Avrum Rosensweig has done just that. Not a Rabbi but in every way that I can see, just that, a Rabbi. We could have talked all day.

Tucked way up on the northern tip of Africa is the place where I come from, Morocco. A few of us left that country after hundreds of years in the 50's and 60's. Luckily one of those is sacred singer, Cantor Aaron Bensoussan. His voice is magical, every song a prayer in itself. Luckily he ended up in Toronto and he is my guest on Not That Kind Of Rabbi this time.

Nettie Cronish is one hell of a foodie. She combines spirit, ethics, knowledge and passion to create fantastic vegetarian recipes. Her latest is a Fair Trade cookbook. Prepare yourself for a soulful journey into the art of eating and living right. Like Jalapeno Chocolate Chili, yum.

The Reverend Michael Coren has a way of seeing the world that combines wit, intelligence and compassion. His new book, The Rebel Christ, makes the case for equal marriage, the right to abortion and the scriptures that back up his argument. We have a chat.

What do Mary Tyler Moore, deep mystical Judaism and going to see a therapist have in common. Answer, they all reside in the person of Social Worker, Therapist, Kabbalist and Chinese medicine devotee Annette Poizner. We had a great conversation on this week's episode. Join us and take a turn around the diamond of your soul.