Rabbi Mark speaks with Angela Moore who is a leader at UNHCR, and important U.N. Refugee Agency that is helping persecuted and displaced people find help and support as they struggle to build new lives free of terror, oppression, and, in some cases, exploitation. Mark also interviews Cantor Barbara Ostfeld, who is the first woman ever to be ordained as a cantor in the Jewish faith. She talks about being a pioneer in a field that was for centuries exclusively male.

Rabbi Mark speaks with Matthew Thiessesn PhD., biblical scholar and teacher, about Jesus' Jewish roots and he welcomes Pastor James Brooks who is a new minister in Hagerstown, MD at First Christian Church.

Rabbi mark talks with Dr. Nehemia Gordon, who was one of the translators of The Dead Sea Scrolls, about his take on scripture from both a Jewish and Christian perspective. 

Rabbi Mark speaks about his trip to Israel and what he experienced there as opposed to what is generally seen on cable news. Mark then spoke to spiritual guide, teacher, and grief counselor Mitch Cohen who helps clarify the distinctions between being religious and embracing spirituality. 

In this episode Rabbi Mark is joined by award winning composer and flutist Mattan Klein. Mattan Klein shares his account of how life in Israel has changed in the past weeks. He gives the historical perspective of the Israel-Palestine and the decades of transgressions that led to the recent events. He also shares his music and his hope that it could lead to harmony and love.  On the second half of the episode Mark is joined by former President of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention...

Amy Jaffy serves as the Senior Vice President  at Vista Del Mar. Amy explains, they have the capacities to oversee a number of child refugees from various countries. Amy has background and a private practice in psychotherapy which she uses to help stablize and support the children from varying countries that come in. She talks how far Vista Del Mar has come in the past 100 years and how they continue to serve families and the community to this day.  Rabbi Jackie Redner served as the...

Our first guest is a motivational speaker, trainer, teacher, author, and a certified life coach. She is The FOCUS Trainer which stands for Fun, Opprotunity, Concentration, Unwavering, and Sucess. Rabbi Mark and Cherish break down her offerings and skills and how she uses her services to contribute to her local community. Cherish explains how her upbringing brought her to where she is today. How she started behind in class in reading and writing and gradually learned and overcame to...

The first half of the today's episode Rabi Mark shares the origins of his faith and how he found his spirituality in Judaism. He speaks on how science and religion aren't necessarily in conflict. We see that science speaks to the how but religion speaks to the why. Rabi Mark gives a thorough break down of the history of the faith and some of their practices. Well known figures of the faith like Moses and Abraham are discussed and insight is given to how they guided and affected the...

Religion and faith isn't the only thing discussed on The Interfaith Roundtable. This week the discussion is focused on community work and how the ideals of helping and aiding those around us coincides with faith or is an off-shoot of it Sommer Gilliam combined her love of community with her love of creating. The owner of Kreeative Kreations in Hagerstown, Maryland, Sommer creates not only beautiful hairstyles, but also soulfull and delicious treats. As a director of The Washington County...

For the first half, Rabbi Mark is joined by fellow Hagerstown Area Religious Council members Rev. Jonathan Harris and Ashlee Harris of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They talk names and assumptions about members of their faith as well as their community and charity work. You can find out about volunteer opportunities at https://www.justserve.org/.   The second half features a chat with another HARC member, Father Todd Young of St. John’s Episcopal Church. They discuss the...

First Rabbi Mark is joined by fellow Listen Frederick host Brian Donahue. Brian hosts The Big Sci-Fi Podcast, the Brian Donahue Show Podcast, as well as faith based podcasts. Brian also is a Minister at the Pursuit Friends Church in Northeast Ohio. Rabbi Mark and Brian talk about the intersection of his passions and podcasts. He unpacks his church motto Pray, Love, Live on Mission. The phrase was derived from the great commission where Jesus called his followers to reach out to others that...

Rabbi Mark speaks with Professor Robert H. Mnookin about the modern Jewish identity in America in celebration of the paperback release of his book, The Jewish American Paradox: Embracing Choice in a Changing World. Together they discuss four critical challenges that the modern American Jew comes across when it comes to their community. Professor Mnookin flips the narrative and asks Rabbi Mark about his history, before the interview continues with anecdotes from Professor Mnookin's experience...

The Interfaith Roundtable is sponsored by The Andrew K. Coffman Funeral Home and F&M Trust. This week Rabbi Mark sits down with Paula Myers to discuss Baháʼí Faith. Baháʼí is the unity of God, religion, and of all humanity. Ms. Myers explains that Baháʼí focuses on family in the home and being generous to all individuals. Paula even opens up her home (brownies included) to share the teachings. Even among interfaith discussing Baháʼí are taught not to ceaselessly argue with others. The...

The Interfaith Roundtable is sponsored by The Andrew K. Coffman Funeral Home and F&M Trust.   Raed Haq met Rabbi Mark at a Quiznos. A bit of a surprising place to find a guest for a show exploring interfaith stories, right? However, it did lead to a wonderful discussion on Islam and the skewed perception many have on the religion. A member of The Islamic Society of Western Maryland, Raed re-discovered Islam in college and has since found a home in the religion. He and Rabbi Mark dive...

The Interfaith Roundtable is sponsored by The Andrew K. Coffman Funeral Home and F&M Trust.   Dr. Kerry Olitzky joins Rabbi Mark and Elizabeth to discuss how he is helping recovering addicts and how fundamental Jewish principle's can help and transform recovering addicts. Dr. Olitzky is the former executive director of Big Tent Judiasm  and also happened to be Rabbi Mark's professor back at Hebrew Union College. Dr Olitzky is a prolific author penning over 75 books on Judiasm as well as...

In the first half of this week's show Rabbi Mark muses on why he started the show and explains how we can use our gifts for not only our benefit but ultimately God's purpose. He then goes into the Jewish teaching of Kabbalah and how many misunderstand the mystic Jewish discipline. Rabbi Mark then takes us through a meditative exercise to practice mindfulness to show us an example of Kabbalist meditation.  In the second half Rabbi Mark is joined by Pastor Steve Humphrey. Pastor Humphrey is...

Rabbi Mark is joined by Ukrainian Christian Volodymyr Grinchenko. He talks about how he grew up in a secular Jewish family in Southern Ukraine but was converted by missionaries which led him on a path to come to America and obtain a a master's degree in practical theology and a doctorate in pastoral psychotherapy.   Together they wrestle with the idea of the concept of evil and why a creator would allow murder and atrocities in the world. On that note, Volodymyr speaks on his family's...

The Interfaith Roundtable is sponsored by The Andrew K. Coffman Funeral Home. This week the first half of the show is dedicated to covering the Unity Church. Rabbi Mark is joined by founding pioneer of the Unity of Hagerstown Maryland Church, Reverend Sandy Boyer . Reverend Sandy unpacks the founding of the Unity Church and how it finds its origins in the New Thought movement. Sandy, herself, speaks on how she found the Unity Church after feeling unfulfilled being raised in a fundamental...

On this episode Rabbi Mark and his wife Elizabeth are joined by Reach of Washington County Director Jeannie Asbury. She discusses the organization and their fight against homelessness and how they help people at risk for homelessness. Asbury converses how she got involved with Reach after working in the US Airforce as a targeteer. She found what started as a side job quickly transformed into her calling in life.   Asbury details how wide the homelessness problem is in Hagerstown and for the...

Rabbi Mark is joined this week by Pastor Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe. Pastor Bruce heads the St. Ann Roman Catholic Church of Hagerstown, Maryland. Many aspects of the catholic faith are discussed in this episode from the vow of celibacy to how one can and cannot gain salvation through works. Pastor Bruce goes into how he came to be leader of a Catholic Parish and how his upbringing in the church lead him to that point. Finally, discussion of how the belief in organized religion has declined...

Achieving an end to poverty is a wish many faiths share. Kimberly Buchanan, Director of Development & Whole Family Services for the Washington County Community Action Council, joins Rabbi Mark for a discussion on how Circles is doing just that. Afterwards, Rabbi Mark is joined by his mentee, Wesley Mason, who came to Judaism later in life, and producer Kristina Manente, who considers herself Agnostic. Together they discuss why young people aren't interested in organized religion or are...

Bishop Tim Harrast of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints joins Rabbi Mark for a fascinating discussion of creating safe spaces to practice and share faith, not only in interfaith practices, but as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Bishop Harrast also explains the origins of the church, as well as why Mormon isn't quite the word he prefers be used. What is The Temple used for? What are the Latter Day Saints? If you've ever been curious about this religion, you'll learn much...

Rabbi Mark sits down with Pastor Corey B. Brooks, who founded Project H.O.O.D., in attempts to reach the troubled and often violent streets of southside Chicago. Together they discuss Pastor Brooks' story, work, and how his faith calls him to what he does. Today, Project H.O.O.D. provides mentorship, training, and community for residents of Woodlawn and Englewood. You can learn more and donated to Project H.O.O.D. at www.projecthood.org Listen to The Interfaith Roundtable with Rabbi Mark...

This week Rabbi Mark is joined by Reverend Margaret S. Brack to talk about her background in the Roman Catholic Church and what brought her to the Episcopal Church she currently serves in. She explains what it is like to serve as a female in the Episcopal Church and how common that is. Together they speak on finding a central link through core religions and how music lead "Mother" Margaret to her role as a Reverend within the Episcopal church.   Finally, Reverend Gene Gall talks about...