The Avrum Rosensweig Show

There are some interviews that inform. And then there are interviews that leave a permanent imprint on the soul. In this profoundly emotional episode of The Avrum Rosensweig Show, I sit down with acclaimed journalist, author, and cultural commentator Danielle Crittenden for one of the most intimate and moving conversations I have ever had. Danielle speaks with breathtaking honesty about the sudden death of her beloved 32-year-old daughter, Miranda, and the unbearable journey through grief that followed. Drawing from her extraordinary memoir Dispatches from Grief: A Mother’s Journey Through the Unthinkable, Danielle opens the deepest chambers of motherhood, loss, memory, marriage, Jewish ritual, and the enduring power of love. This is not simply an interview about death. It is an exploration of what it means to remain human after devastation. Together, we discuss the surreal reality of losing a child, the sacred wisdom within Jewish mourning rituals, the transformation of marriage under grief, and the mysterious ways love continues even after death. Danielle’s courage, vulnerability, and wisdom make this one of the most powerful conversations ever featured on this channel. ⸻ MAJOR MOMENTS IN THIS INTERVIEW: 00:01:16 — Danielle speaks about the sudden death of her daughter Miranda and how life permanently split into “before” and “after.” 00:07:13 — Danielle explains why she began writing Dispatches from Grief as a reporter documenting her own unimaginable pain from inside what she calls an “alternative universe.” 00:14:53 — Danielle recounts the devastating moment she saw Miranda after her passing and recognized her instantly by the crown of her head — the place she kissed throughout her life. 00:23:24 — Danielle shares the powerful advice her husband David Frum gave her: “We cannot disappear into different silos of grief.” 00:31:23 — A profound discussion about Jewish mourning rituals, Shiva, parental grief, and the Torah’s timeless understanding of loss. ⸻ CONCLUSION: This conversation is ultimately about love — the kind of love that survives even death itself. Danielle Crittenden does not offer easy answers, clichés, or simple healing. What she offers instead is something far rarer: truth. Raw, painful, beautiful truth. In speaking openly about grief, motherhood, memory, marriage, Judaism, and the unbearable ache of losing a child, she gives voice to countless people suffering silently around the world. There are moments in this interview that will break your heart. There are moments that may leave you in tears. But there are also moments of extraordinary humanity, tenderness, courage, and spiritual depth. If you have ever loved deeply… if you have ever lost… if you have ever wondered how human beings continue after tragedy… this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Thank you for watching The Avrum Rosensweig Show. Please subscribe, share this interview, and leave a comment below. Your support helps bring meaningful human conversations into the world. #DanielleCrittenden #DispatchesFromGrief #AvrumRosensweig #Grief #Motherhood #JewishLife #Loss #DavidFrum #MirandaFrum #Shiva #Judaism #Healing #Podcast #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #DanielleCrittenden #DispatchesFromGrief #AvrumRosensweig #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #Grief #Motherhood #LossOfAChild #JewishLife #Shiva #DavidFrum #MirandaFrum #Healing #Podcast #JewishPodcast #MentalHealth #LoveTranscendsDeath #Parenting #TraumaAndHealing #Humanity #PowerfulConversations ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh

There are few works in the history of theatre that have entered the emotional bloodstream of humanity quite like Fiddler on the Roof. More than a beloved Broadway musical, it is a profound meditation on family, faith, exile, resilience, identity, love, and the fragile balancing act between tradition and change. Since its debut in 1964, the story of Tevye the milkman, his wife Golde, and their daughters in the tiny shtetl of Anatevka has transcended culture, religion, language, and geography — because beneath its deeply Jewish story lies something universally human: the longing to hold onto one another while the world shifts beneath our feet. Now, in a remarkable and internationally celebrated production presented by the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, Fiddler on the Roof returns to the language and cultural heartbeat from which it was born — Yiddish. Performed entirely in Yiddish with English subtitles, this historic production arrives at Toronto’s legendary Elgin Theatre from May 25 to June 7 under the direction of Tony and Academy Award winner Joel Grey. What began in New York as a six-week theatrical experiment became an 18-month sensation, earning major awards, standing ovations, and more than 500 performances. Critics called it revelatory. Audiences described it as hauntingly beautiful, deeply human, and emotionally transformative. At the center of this extraordinary artistic achievement stands Zalmen Mlotek — one of the world’s foremost authorities on Yiddish theatre and song, Artistic Director of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, and one of the great guardians of Jewish cultural continuity. Born into one of the most important Yiddish cultural families in North America, Mlotek grew up immersed in the language, music, and memory of Ashkenazi Jewish civilization. His father, Joseph Mlotek, edited the legendary Forverts (Yiddish Forward), while his mother, Eleanor Chana Mlotek, became one of the great archivists of Yiddish folk music. Zalmen himself studied at Juilliard and worked under the legendary Leonard Bernstein before dedicating his life to preserving and revitalizing Yiddish culture through theatre and song. Under his artistic leadership, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene — founded in 1915 and the world’s longest continuously operating Yiddish theatre company — has become internationally celebrated for reviving classic Yiddish works and bringing Jewish theatrical history into the modern cultural imagination. Tonight, on The Avrum Rosensweig Show, we explore the enduring power of Fiddler on the Roof, the emotional resonance of hearing it performed in Yiddish, and why this language still carries what Joel Grey calls “history, humour, sorrow and resilience all at once.” For centuries, Yiddish became the emotional heartbeat of Jewish life — the language of storytelling, humour, commerce, lullabies, argument, heartbreak, and survival. Together, we also explore the great Yiddish literary and theatrical tradition shaped by figures such as Sholem Aleichem, I.L. Peretz, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Theo Bikel, Sheldon Harnick, and Itzhak Perlman — and how Yiddish theatre helped shape Broadway itself. But perhaps most importantly, this conversation asks why Fiddler on the Roof continues to unite audiences across generations, faiths, and backgrounds. Why a story rooted in one tiny Jewish village somehow speaks to all humanity. This is not merely an interview about theatre. It is a conversation about memory. About identity. About exile and belonging. About resilience. About family. And about the extraordinary power of language, music, and storytelling to keep a civilization alive. Ladies and gentlemen — Zalmen Mlotek. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewish

Some conversations entertain. Others inform. And every so often, a conversation opens a window into an entire generation — into culture, identity, memory, and the evolving story of a people. Welcome to The Avrum Rosensweig Show. Today’s guest is Ralph Benmergui — one of Canada’s most recognizable broadcasters, interviewers, and cultural voices. For decades, Ralph lived in the public square — first through the halls of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and later through the warm, intimate airwaves of JazzFM91. But what made Ralph unforgettable was never simply his talent. It was something rarer. Humanity. Curiosity. Vulnerability. Soul. He was not merely a broadcaster asking questions. He became a voice Canadians trusted to ask them honestly. But behind the microphone is a deeper story. The story of a Jewish boy growing up in Toronto. The son of Moroccan Jewish immigrants. A man shaped by questions of belonging, creativity, ambition, spirituality, and identity. Over the years, Ralph has spoken openly about success and struggle, about mental health. cancer and reinvention, about fame, fatherhood, aging, and what it means to remain emotionally awake in a world that often rewards performance over authenticity. This is not merely a conversation about media. It is a conversation about what happens to a person who spends a lifetime listening deeply to others — and then turns inward to ask difficult questions of himself. We will explore his powerful memoir, I Thought He Was Dead — a title as haunting as it is revealing. We’ll schmooze about spirituality, Jewish Renewal, his work as a Mashpi’ah, his ordination as a spiritual director, and his deeply thoughtful approach to God — not as a fixed object, but as a verb… a flow that never stops creating. Today, Ralph serves as Executive Director of Aleph Canada, guiding individuals through spiritual coaching and leading Aging to Sageing workshops that ask one of life’s most difficult questions: How do we grow older without growing smaller? Today’s conversation explores broadcasting, Jewish identity, Canada, culture, creativity, pain, resilience, masculinity, memory, and the search for meaning in a noisy age. This is a conversation about voice. And perhaps even more importantly — about finding one’s own. Welcome to my conversation with husband, father of four boys, citizen of Hamilton, broadcaster, spiritual seeker, and storyteller — Ralph Benmergui. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #RalphBenmergui #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #JewishIdentity #CanadianBroadcasting #CBC #JazzFM91 #Storytelling #MentalHealthMatters #JewishRenewal #Spirituality #MoroccanJewish #TorontoVoices #AgingToSageing #AlephCanada #VoiceAndMeaning #Authenticity #CultureAndIdentity #FindingYourVoice #IThoughtHeWasDead #ConversationsThatMatter

Welcome to The Avrum Rosensweig Show. Some lives are shaped by ideas. Others by moments. And then there are the rare lives shaped by decision — by a refusal to drift, by the choice to live with intention. This is one of those stories. This is the story of Eliav Dickstein — a man who asks not, what can Israel do for me, but what can I do for Israel? But his story doesn’t begin on a battlefield. It begins in a small wooden treehouse in Ra’anana… Where a sixteen-year-old boy sat alone, looking out over a eucalyptus tree — and wrote down three dreams: To walk the length of the Land of Israel. To serve in one of its most elite units. And to step beyond its borders… to understand the world. Most people dream. Very few live their dreams forward. Eliav did. His path would take him from that quiet treehouse… into the heart of one of Israel’s most elite undercover counterterrorism units — the Duvdevan Unit. A life of pressure. Of split-second decisions. Of leadership under fire. And then — a moment almost impossible to comprehend: He helped coordinate the rescue of a wounded soldier… Only to discover later — it was his own brother. What does that do to a person? How does it change the way you love… the way you fear… the way you lead? But this conversation doesn’t stop at war. Because after years of service, something shifts. The soldier begins to ask new questions: Not only what have I done? — but what still needs to be built? Eliav steps into a new arena — as an entrepreneur, a philanthropist, the builder of a political party… still driven by that same force: Movement. Pressure. Purpose. “I need to be in constant motion,” he says. “Like an odometer on a bike.” So today, we go deep. Into the mind of a man who thrives under pressure. Into the story of a brother saved in war. Into the evolution — from fighter to visionary. This is not just a journey. It’s a calling. Ladies and gentlemen… a father of four, a man of courage, and an Israeli through and through — Eliav Dickstein. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #EliavDickstein #AvrumRosensweigShow #LiveWithIntention #PurposeDrivenLife #IDFStories #Duvdevan #IsraelStrong #ZionistVision #LeadershipUnderFire #FromDreamToReality #EliteSoldier #WarAndPurpose #Brotherhood #Resilience #MindOfASoldier #EntrepreneurSpirit #JewishIdentity #IsraelJourney #LifeOfMeaning #FromWarToVision #IDFOFFICER

QUESTIONS: 1. It is hard to believer Eva was born in Mauthhausen; hard to understand how her Mom's pregnancy was able to come to the point of delivery? 2. Does Eva's journey in life, compare to anything in your life? Does her narrative compel you to consider your own life? How? ______________________________________________________________________________ Welcome to The Avrum Rosensweig Show. Every so often, we encounter a storyteller whose work does more than inform — it bears witness. It reaches into the deepest places of human experience and returns with something rare: truth shaped by courage, memory, and extraordinary lives. My guest on this show is Wendy Holden — an internationally acclaimed author of more than 47 books, many of them bestsellers. For nearly two decades as a journalist, and throughout her writing career, she has devoted herself to stories that live at the very edge of human experience — where history presses hardest, and where the human spirit reveals itself most clearly. But today’s conversation goes beyond the page. We are also joined, in presence and in spirit, by Eva Clarke — one of the most extraordinary living links to one of history’s darkest chapters. Eva is one of the babies born out of the unimaginable reality captured in Born Survivors — the true story of three young mothers, Priska, Rachel, and Anka, who defied death in Nazi concentration camps to bring life into the world. Eva’s mother, Anka Bergman, was one of those women. In places designed for annihilation — in camps such as Auschwitz concentration camp and Mauthausen concentration camp — Anka made a decision that defies comprehension: she chose life. Pregnant, starving, and under constant threat — even from figures like Josef Mengele — she hid her pregnancy, endured forced labor, and carried her child forward day by day. An act not only of survival — but of resistance. And then, at the very edge of liberation, Eva was born — on April 29, 1945 — at the gates of Mauthausen. Her mother weighed less than 35 kilograms. The machinery of death was collapsing. And yet, life emerged. Today’s conversation is not only about history. It is about memory. It is about moral courage. And it is about the fragile, unbreakable thread that connects one human life to another across generations. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote — words later carried forward by Viktor Frankl — “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how.’” Today, we explore the story, the storyteller, and the living legacy of both. Welcome to the show. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #WendyHolden #EvaClarke #BornSurvivors #HolocaustHistory #HolocaustSurvivors #NeverForget #Auschwitz #mauthausen #StoriesThatMatter #MoralCourage #PowerOfStorytelling #HumanResilience #TriumphOfLife #VoicesOfHistory #AgainstAllOdds #WitnessToHistory #StrengthInDarkness #LegacyOfHope #WhyWeRemember

Welcome to the show. Some creative people tell stories. Others build entire worlds with language — worlds that allow us to see ourselves, our history, and our moral struggles with greater clarity. Today’s guest is one of those rare builders. Jeff Meschel is a playwright, author, and lifelong student of music whose work lives at the intersection of literature, history, and the Jewish experience. Living in Israel, he writes with a perspective shaped by both the ancient pulse of Jewish civilization and the urgent complexities of modern life in the Jewish state. His work spans an extraordinary range — from theater to journalism, from blogging to music criticism — always circling the same enduring questions: Who are we? What shapes us? And what does it mean to create something that lasts? His remarkable novel, The Greatest Band That Never Was, is a deeply imaginative journey into music, memory, and missed possibility. It explores a haunting idea — that history is filled with brilliance that almost happened. Through humor, insight, and cultural reflection, Jeff captures not only the romance of music, but the deeper human longing to leave something behind that endures. As a playwright, Jeff understands that the stage is more than performance — it is a space where ideas breathe, where characters wrestle with truth, and where audiences are invited into conversations that linger long after the curtain falls. Beyond the page, Jeff’s life reads like a cultural tapestry. He has interviewed a young Simon and Garfunkel, written about music since the days of Rubber Soul, and even shared a moment — a kiss — with Janis Joplin. His lifelong devotion to music has earned him his own title: Music Promulgator. Today, we’ll explore his passion for storytelling, his obsessive love of music, his reflections on identity, and what it means to create art in Israel during deeply consequential times. A husband, a father, a saba, and a truly original voice — Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jeff Meschel. Baruch ha’bah. Welcome! ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #jeffMeschel #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #PodcastInterview #StorytellingMatters #JewishVoices #IsraelWriters #CreativeLife #PlaywrightLife #MusicAndMeaning #WritersOfInstagram #CulturalConversations #ArtAndIdentity #TheGreatestBandThatNeverWas #MusicPromulgator #BooksAndIdeas #DeepConversations #ModernJudaism #HistoryAndIdentity #CreativeMinds #PodcastLife

Welcome to The Avrum Rosensweig Show, one of the internet’s most thoughtful conversations, where we explore the lives, ideas, and stories of remarkable people whose work shapes the world around us. Cities are not merely collections of buildings and roads. They are living organisms — breathing through their neighborhoods, pulsing with ambition, creativity, and memory. They inhale through the hopes of their residents and exhale through the dreams of millions who call them home. Few places embody that living complexity more than Toronto — a remarkable city where hundreds of languages echo through the streets, where cultures meet and mingle, and where possibility has long been the unofficial civic religion. Around the world, Toronto is admired as a beacon of diversity, openness, and opportunity. Yet today, many Torontonians feel something shifting in the civic atmosphere. Housing that once represented opportunity now feels increasingly unreachable. Grocery bills climb, poverty grows, infrastructure strains under the weight of a rapidly expanding metropolis, and traffic makes the simple act of getting home harder each day. Perhaps most troubling is the subtle erosion of social trust — the sense that the kind, easygoing Toronto many remember is becoming harder to find. At the same time, the city faces a troubling rise in antisemitism — now one of the fastest-growing categories of hate crimes — raising urgent questions about safety, dignity, and belonging for Jewish Torontonians and about the responsibility of civic leadership to confront hatred wherever it appears. These are not small challenges. They require thoughtful leadership and a renewed vision for what Toronto can become. Brad Bradford is the Toronto City Councillor for Beaches–East York, a community known for strong civic engagement and vibrant neighborhood life. Before entering politics, Brad worked as an urban planner, focusing on how thoughtful development and infrastructure shape the everyday experience of residents. At City Hall, he has spoken frequently about housing affordability, responsible growth, public safety, and the need for municipal government that listens — truly listens — to the people it serves. Now, Brad Bradford is entering the race to become Mayor of Toronto. His connection to the city began long before politics. Raised by a single mother in Hamilton, he remembers visiting Toronto as a thirteen-year-old boy for his birthday. After arriving by GO Train and stepping into the vast hall of Union Station, he saw the skyline rising above Front Street — and in that moment, Toronto felt like a “shining city on the hill,” a place filled with possibility and promise. That moment stayed with him. Today, as a father, Brad believes the city stands at a crossroads. The Toronto he once saw as a symbol of aspiration feels further away to many families. But he believes it can be rebuilt — by restoring the basics: safety, affordability, mobility, and a civic culture that allows people to build lives, families, and businesses here again. In this conversation, we explore the future of Toronto — its challenges, its promise, and the leadership required to shape the next chapter of this extraordinary city. Because the future of a city is never inevitable. It is built — decision by decision, leader by leader, and citizen by citizen. Brad Bradford, welcome to the show. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / a

Winter Light — A Daughter of Holocaust Survivors Tells Her Story On this episode of The Avrum Rosensweig Show, we are honored to welcome Grace Feuerverger — Professor Emerita at the University of Toronto, award-winning author, and a scholar whose work explores identity, culture, language, and peace education. Grace’s powerful memoir, Winter Light: Memoir of a Child of Holocaust Survivors, tells the story of growing up in Montréal as the daughter of parents who survived Nazi persecution in Poland. In this deeply moving conversation, Grace reflects on the legacy of trauma passed down through generations, the search for inner refuge, and the surprising moments of grace that shaped her life. Praised for its lyrical writing and profound humanity, Winter Light explores how a child of survivors navigates the shadows of history while moving toward healing, meaning, and hope. In this episode, we discuss the legacy of the Holocaust, the resilience of survivor families, Grace’s journey through many cultures and languages, and the enduring power of education and human connection. Join us for a thoughtful and inspiring conversation about memory, identity, and the courage to keep walking toward the light. #GraceFeuerverger #WinterLight #HolocaustLegacy #ChildOfSurvivors #HolocaustMemory #JewishHistory #HolocaustEducation #AvrumRosensweigShow #HolocaustStories #JewishPodcast #HolocaustSurvivors #Resilience #HumanSpirit #JewishAuthors #HistoryAndMemory ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweig Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #GraceFeuerverger #WinterLight #HolocaustLegacy #ChildOfSurvivors #HolocaustMemory #JewishHistory #HolocaustEducation #AvrumRosensweigShow #HolocaustStories #JewishPodcast #HolocaustSurvivors #Resilience #HumanSpirit #JewishAuthors #HistoryAndMemory Ask

History does not whisper in our lifetime — it thunders. Nations are tested, alliances are strained, and the moral weight of leadership settles on those called to stand in the storm. In such moments, diplomacy is no longer ceremony. It is strategy. It is conviction. It is the voice of a nation carried across oceans. Today, we are honored to sit at one of the most consequential crossroads of our era with Michael 'Yechiel' Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States. His appointment in January 2025 is not the result of a single moment, but the culmination of a life shaped by intellect, policy, and public service. He has served in senior advisory roles to Israel’s leadership, including as chief of staff to Benjamin Netanyahu during his tenure as finance minister, and in key positions across government ministries and national institutions — from national education policy to strategic infrastructure oversight. In every arena, his work has required one essential quality: the ability to translate vision into reality. Yet Ambassador Leiter is not only a practitioner of statecraft — he is a scholar of it. Holding a Ph.D. in political philosophy from the University of Haifa, with advanced training in international relations and law, he has written and lectured extensively on democracy, governance, and the moral foundations of power. His book, John Locke’s Political Philosophy and the Hebrew Bible, argues that modern democratic ideals are not merely products of secular Enlightenment thought, but are deeply rooted in biblical covenantal ideas — that authority is conditional, morally bound, and entrusted rather than absolute. Few diplomats arrive with both the academic depth to interpret history and the practical experience to help shape it. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and forged in Israel’s public life, Ambassador Leiter stands as a bridge between worlds — scholarship and strategy, conviction and diplomacy, heritage and unfolding history. His earlier advocacy work on behalf of the Jewish community of Hebron positioned him as a key voice explaining one of Judaism’s oldest cities — home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs — to international audiences, framing its story not only through conflict, but through history, faith, and continuity. And he carries something more — something deeply personal. His firstborn son, Lt. Col. Moshe Yedidya Leiter, an elite Israeli combat officer, was killed in action in Gaza following the war that erupted after October 7. That loss is inseparable from his public voice. When he speaks about Israel’s security, democracy, and moral responsibility, he does so not only as a diplomat, but as a father who has borne the cost of national defense. Michael Leiter brings together three rare callings: senior government practitioner, trained political philosopher, and diplomatic representative. His career bridges theory and policy, scholarship and statecraft, faith and democracy. This is not merely an interview. It is a conversation at the fault line of our times. Ambassador Michael Leiter — welcome to the program. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe4ba9n7wPrY94NFMfMN6yA/join Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0dhgSQmbJkXTZVjH https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-avrum-rosensweig-show/id1447578193 https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avrumrosensweigshow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #j

Welcome to the show. Some performances don’t just tell a story — they open a doorway into a world. A glance, a pause, a quiet exchange can carry generations of memory, longing, humor, and faith. Today we step into that world with Sarel Piterman — an actor born in Haifa whose work reveals the poetry hidden inside ordinary moments, known to audiences around the globe for his portrayal of Zvi Aryeh Shtisel in the acclaimed series Shtisel. That series invited viewers into an intimate universe where family bonds, tradition, and personal struggle unfold with tenderness and depth — and Sarel’s presence reflects the essence of that world: authenticity, restraint, and emotional truth. But his artistic journey stretches far beyond a single frame. Across his career, Sarel has pursued roles that demand vulnerability, discipline, and a fearless curiosity about human nature. His performances carry a quiet intensity — an understanding that the most powerful storytelling often lives in what is felt rather than spoken. In this conversation, we explore the path of an Israeli actor devoted to craft: the risks and revelations behind the scenes, the cultural textures that shape storytelling, and the enduring search for meaning through art. We talk about identity, imagination, and the responsibility of bringing complex lives to the screen and stage. This episode is an invitation — to listen closely, to feel deeply, and to witness the artistry that transforms moments into memory. I first came to appreciate Sarel through a remarkable one-man play he wrote and directed, Without An Evil Eye — an innovative comedy recounting the inspiring true-life story of Asaf Ben Shimon, whose gradual descent into blindness becomes a profound affirmation of life itself. It is thoughtful, courageous, and truly groundbreaking. Beyond Shtisel, Sarel’s creative footprint spans a wide range of film and television projects — from intimate dramas and dark comedies to thrillers and socially grounded stories — each reflecting his versatility and commitment to emotionally honest storytelling. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to bring you Sarel Piterman. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweig Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #Writing #Storytelling #TheArtOfActing #SarelPiterman #Shtisel #IsraeliCinema #PerformanceArt #HumanStories #CreativeJourney #EmotionalTruth #ArtAndIdentity #TheatreLife #FilmAndStage #NarrativePower #CulturalStorytelling #CreativeVoices #BehindTheScenes #PoetryInMotion #ArtisticExpression #MeaningThroughArt Ask

Welcome to a very special—and deeply personal—episode. Today’s conversation is not about theory. It’s not about abstract belief. It’s about belonging, courage, and the quiet, stubborn pull of a soul toward truth. Today, we’re sitting with three people who each chose Judaism—not because it was easy, fashionable, or convenient, but because it felt unavoidable. Because something inside them recognized home. Conversion is not simply a change of religion. It is a change of identity. A re-rooting of the soul. It means choosing a people, a history, a destiny—and in today’s world, it often means choosing a path marked by misunderstanding, loss, and real social cost. And yet—here they are. Chris Wood’s journey began not in a synagogue, but in a hair salon in Toronto. Raised without Jewish community, he encountered Judaism first through people—through Shabbat tables, family warmth, humor, ritual, and a deep sense of togetherness he had been missing his entire life. What began as cultural connection slowly became something far deeper: a spiritual awakening. A realization that Judaism was not simply something he admired—it was something his soul had been waiting for. For Chris, October 7th and the surge of antisemitism that followed did not push him away. It clarified everything. When someone he loved turned on the Jewish people—and on him—he saw, in real time, how ancient hatred still operates. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward. He chose to wear his Magen David. He chose public solidarity. Bezalel Schraeder’s path emerged through trauma, caregiving, and the spiritual exhaustion that comes from witnessing suffering and death. As a nurse, Bezalel watched bodies break and souls unravel—and in that pain, meaning itself began to collapse. Christianity no longer held the answers. Torah did not come to Bezalel as an escape. It came as a rebuilding. Through deep study, honest conversations with rabbis, and unfiltered spiritual struggle, Judaism restored something essential—not only faith in God, but faith in humanity, and in himself. Judaism became a way to stand inside suffering without surrendering to it. And Shifra’s journey carries the weight of history, memory, and a soul that always seemed to know where it belonged—long before her mind did. Raised in evangelical Christianity, she reached a breaking point when she could no longer accept a theology that condemned good people for belief alone. When hell stopped making sense, Jesus stopped being the center—but God did not disappear. What followed was not a rejection of faith, but a return to something older, deeper, and more honest. From a lifelong pull toward Holocaust history to a visceral moment at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum—where she felt, without explanation, “my people”—Judaism had been calling long before she had words for it. Three different lives. Three different paths. One shared truth: Judaism was not something they found. Judaism is something that found them. In a time when it is easier than ever to walk away from the Jewish people, these three chose to walk toward us. In a moment of rising antisemitism, they chose visibility. This is not a conversation about conversion. This is a conversation about what it means to choose a people—and to be chosen in return. Let’s begin. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #

Today on the podcast, I’m deeply honored to welcome Rabbi Dr. Minna Bromberg — the founder and president of Fat Torah, a groundbreaking initiative working at the intersection of Jewish life, sacred text, and body liberation. Fat Torah’s mission is both urgent and expansive: to confront and end weight stigma in Jewish communal spaces, to train leaders and educators to recognize and uproot fatphobia wherever it appears — including within ourselves — and to cultivate spiritual practices rooted in dignity, wholeness, and liberation for people of every body size. Rabbi Bromberg brings more than three decades of fat activism into deep conversation with Judaism, theology, and lived experience. She holds a PhD in sociology from Northwestern University, was ordained at Hebrew College, has led a 250-family Conservative congregation, released multiple albums of original music, made aliyah, and directed the Year-in-Israel program for Hebrew College rabbinical students. She is also a voice teacher who helps people reclaim their voices in prayer — work that beautifully echoes Fat Torah’s insistence that every body and every voice truly belongs. Minna lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Alan Abrams, and their two children. Her forthcoming book, Every Body Beloved: A Call for Fat Liberation in Jewish Life, challenges us to rethink holiness, tradition, and belonging from the inside out. This is a conversation about Torah, justice, embodiment, and what it really means to create Jewish communities where no one has to shrink themselves — physically, spiritually, or emotionally — in order to belong. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #FatTorah #MinnaBromberg #EveryBodyBeloved #BodyLiberation #JewishJustice #SacredBodies #EndWeightStigma #FatLiberation #JudaismAndJustice #BodyPositivity #TorahForEveryBody #BodyDignity #JewishValues #SpiritualLiberation #EmbodiedJudaism #FaithAndJustice #InclusiveJudaism #BelongingInJudaism #JusticeInEveryBody #SacredBelonging

Welcome to Torah in Real Time. This week we turn to Parashat Va’era, the second portion in the Book of Exodus—a moment when history, faith, and power collide. In Va’era, God reveals Himself to Moses and launches a direct confrontation with Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of his time. What follows are the first seven plagues—acts meant not only to punish Egypt, but to expose the moral bankruptcy of a system built on oppression. Again and again, Pharaoh hardens his heart. Again and again, the call for freedom is ignored. Va’era is not just a story of miracles; it is a story about resistance to change, the cost of stubborn power, and the long, painful road to liberation. And that is why Va’era speaks so loudly right now. Today, in Iran, millions of people across dozens of cities are rising up amid economic collapse, soaring prices, and deep frustration with an entrenched ruling system. What began as protests has become a nationwide challenge to authority—met with violent crackdowns, arrests, blackouts, and a mounting human toll. The details are modern, the context is different—but the themes feel hauntingly familiar. In both Va’era and Iran today, we see: Leaders clinging to power despite overwhelming suffering; Ordinary people demanding dignity, not just survival; Systems that respond to moral challenge with force rather than reflection. The Torah teaches that liberation does not come easily—and that hardened hearts often require escalating consequences before change becomes possible. At the same time, real-world struggles remind us that freedom carries real risk, real pain, and real human cost. Tonight, we will explore these parallels carefully and responsibly. We will also acknowledge the deep and ancient Jewish presence in Iran, one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world—still living, worshipping, and navigating a fragile existence inside a hostile political reality. Parashat Va’era is not ancient history locked in parchment. It is a living text—asking us urgent questions about power, conscience, courage, and what happens when rulers refuse to listen. That’s where our learning begins. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #ParashatVaeira #Vaeira #TorahInRealTime #TorahAndCurrentEvents #ExodusAndFreedom #LetMyPeopleGo #PowerAndOppression #MoralCourage #HardeningOfTheHeart #JusticeAndLiberation #FaithAndResistance #IranUprising #IranProtests #FreedomForIran #VoicesOfTheOppressed #BiblicalLessonsToday #TorahEthics #AncientTextModernTimes #SpiritualResistance #HopeAndRedemption