Creating a Jewish home and raising Jewish children does not always come naturally. And even when it does, there’s always more to learn. In this episode of “Jewish Thought Leaders”, Karen Kushner, educator, therapist and co-author, along with Anita Diamant, of How to Raise a Jewish Child, shares tips and insights on parenting with the best in Jewish values and tradition. Karen is currently the executive director of the Jewish Welcome Network, a San Francisco based organization welcoming interfaith families, unaffiliated Jews and spiritual seekers into synagogues.

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For many, tikkun olam or repairing the world has meant the “haves” giving or doing things for “the have nots”. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, author of “There Shall Be No Needy – Pursuing Social Justice Through Jewish Law & Tradition” & rabbi in residence at the Jewish Funds for Justice thinks its time for a new model. As a former community organizer and a leading expert on Jewish social justice, Jacobs believes that we should be creating holy communities where we come to understand one anothers problems and, together, move toward solutions. This episode of Jewish Thought Leaders features Rabbi Jill Jacobs in conversation with Rabbi Lavey Derby of Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon, CA.

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Six and a half years after founding Noah’s NY Bagels, Noah Alper sold the business for $100 million. At the time, it was the largest Kosher retailer in the U.S. In this episode of “Jewish Thought Leaders”, Noah Alper discusses the ethical business practices that led to his success with seven different ventures, including Bread and Circus, a Massachusetts-based grocery chain that’s now a part of Whole Foods. Today Noah is a consultant to aspiring entrepreneurs and shares the wisdom he wrote about in his new book, Business Mensch.

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While San Francisco’s Jewish population is not huge, the impact that Jews from the Bay Area have made on California and the world is significant. In this episode of Jewish Thought Leaders, three authors with deep roots in the San Francisco area share stories about local Jewish personalities who have made history. Hear a conversation moderated by writer Stephen Dobbs with Fred Rosenbaum, author of Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area, and Frances Dinkelspiel, author of Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California.

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As part of Bible by the Bay, a day of learning presented by Lehrhaus Judaica, a panel discussion entitled “From the Bible to Buddha: How Jews Have Fused the Teachings of the Bible with the Practices of Meditation” was held in memory of Rabbi Alan Lew. Beloved spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in SF, social activist and author of a number of books including One God Clapping: The Spiritual Path of a Zen Rabbi, Lew was known for his efforts to bridge Judaism and Buddhist teachings. This panel, moderated by Rabbi Dorothy Richman of Berkeley Hillel, features Rabbi Lavey Derby of Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon, California, Norman Fisher, poet, writer and Zen Buddhist priest and teacher, and Dr. Sheila Katz, author and professor of middle east history and gender studies at Berklee College of Music.

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For a man who lived in the 11^th century, medieval Jewish scholar Rashi wrote Torah commentaries with a surprisingly feminist bent. As the father of daughters only, it’s easy to envision him discussing his writings with his girls. That’s the premise behind Maggie Anton’s trilogy of historical novels: Rashi’s Daughters. This talk by Anton was presented as part of a daylong event entitled Bible By the Bay, conceived at the Osher Marin JCC and sponsored by Lehrhaus Judaica.

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In part two of the presentation “Why Faith Matters”, we hear from an interfaith panel of religious leaders including Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, author of Why Faith Matters, Pastor Doug Huneke of Westminster Church in Tiburon, Buddhist Priest Fu Shroeder of Zen Center Green Gulch Farm, Sufi Muslim Dr. Ellen “Arife” Hammerle and, moderator, Rev. Carol Hovis, executive director of the Marin Interfaith Council. The discussion – and subsequent question and answer session – focused on the relationship between religion and violence and the similarities and differences between these different faith paths.

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While some claim that religion is irrational and the cause of war, Rabbi David Wolpe defends religion, explains the difference between religion and spirituality, and addresses the relationship of faith and science in this compelling talk. He shares stories from his book Why Faith Matters, now available in paperback. David Wolpe is the senior rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, was named the #1 pulpit rabbi in America by Newsweek Magazine, and is the author of seven books, including the best-seller Making Loss Matter.

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It’s not uncommon for a speaker to really come alive during a question and answer session with the audience. That was the case on October 4^th, 2009 when Rabbi Capers Funnye addressed a group of about 200 people at a talk presented by the Center for Jewish Life at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, California. Rabbi Funnye is the Associate Director of Bechol Lashon and Spiritual Leader of Beth Sholom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago. Rabbi Funnye happens to be African American and the first cousin of First Lady Michelle Obama. He was profiled earlier this year in a NY Times Magazine piece entitled “Obama’s Rabbi”. In this episode of JEWISH THOUGHT LEADERS, Rabbi Funnye speaks about discovering Judaism and why he has chosen this challenging path for his life.

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A lengthy piece in the NY Times Magazine earlier this year entitled “Obama’s Rabbi” profiled Rabbi Capers Funnye, Associate Director of Bechol Lashon and Spiritual Leader of Beth Sholom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago. Rabbi Funnye happens to be First Lady Michelle Obama’s first cousin– an African American who found that Judaism spoke to him and chose to not only become a Jew but to embark on a lifelong path of study. In this talk given at the Osher Marin JCC on Sukkot, Rabbi Funnye discusses his journey and that of some of his heroes including Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

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