About this episode

Angela Buchdahl discusses her experiences as an outsider and her journey of finding belonging through ancient Jewish narratives.

In this episode of Capital for Good, we speak with Angela Buchdahl, the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City and the first woman to lead that congregation in its 185-year history. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, Buchdahl is the first Asian American to be ordained as a cantor or rabbi in North America. She is also well known for her innovations in leading worship, reaching millions across 100 countries via livestream and cable broadcast. Her New York Times best-selling memoir, Heart of a Stranger , roots her unlikely story and experience as an outsider and boundary crosser in both ancient Jewish traditions and in the universal longing for belonging. Heart of a Stranger , Buchdahl explains, is both a particular and shared narrative. She tells us that, as a child, she often felt she was an outsider: Korean in America, American when she returned to Korea, and an unusual mixed-race family in the Jewish community. She connects this experience to her family's — starting with her mother who was born in Japan, where her family had been displaced, before returning to Korea and eventually immigrating to the United States — and to ancient…

People in this episode

Guest: Angela Buchdahl

Topics covered

• identity
• belonging
• cultural heritage
• religion
• innovation in worship

Keywords

• Rabbi
• Asian American
• Jewish traditions
• memoir
• cultural identity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Central Synagogue

Books & works: Heart of a Stranger

Places: New York City, Korea, Japan, United States

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