Judaism Unbound

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash explore what it means to enter a "Thurs-Year" (a "Thursday" of years in the Shmita cycle, as a 5th year out of seven overall). This Elul bonus episode is the second in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2026.

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Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Jewish Time Travel: Discovering the Shapes of Our Past and Future (Xava De Cordova), Avinu Malkeinu? Is God "Our King" (Laynie Soloman), and Hannah, Hagar, Sarah: The Women of Rosh Hashanah (Alicia Jo Rabins). Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.

To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2026 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.

Shabbat Dinner Party, an auditory exploration through a Shabbat dinner, returns to the appetizer table, the kitchen, and the dinner table to go through all things Shabbat dinner.

In this episode, Neil Spears talks about how Shabbat could be the perfect antidote to burnout through the act of guarding and remembering. The Gefilteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern talk about their personal approach to Shabbat and religion, and how resting by yourself is different than resting in community. 

Finally, writer and comedian H. Alan Scott talks about how working on several different creative projects doesn’t mean you can’t rest on Shabbat. 

Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton.

Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com

Resources:

Follow H. Alan Scott’s work 

Learn more about The Gefilteria 

Listen to Liz and Jeffrey’s podcast, Meet Me At The Deli 

Learn more about Judaism Unbound 

For more reading: A good spin on the oft-quoted Isaiah 58:5-6 bible verse "Is this the fast I desire..." https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.58.6?lang=bi

What Does It Mean that Every Soul Was at Mount Sinai When We Received the Torah? - Jew in the City

Elul is the 12th and final month of the Jewish calendar year. Elul Unbound is a Judaism Unbound initiative all about making Elul meaningful, through creative digital modalities. In this conversation, Lex Rofeberg and Wendie Bernstein Lash kick off this year's Elul Unbound experience. This Elul bonus episode is the first in a series of four that will be released as part of Elul Unbound 2026.

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Energized about Jewish learning and unlearning? Dive into our upcoming 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva! Classes include Jewish Time Travel: Discovering the Shapes of Our Past and Future (Xava De Cordova), Avinu Malkeinu? Is God "Our King" (Laynie Soloman), and Hannah, Hagar, Sarah: The Women of Rosh Hashanah (Alicia Jo Rabins). Head to JudaismUnbound.com/classes to learn more! Financial aid is available for all who need it.

To check out all our Elul bonus episodes from previous years, which can still be relevant to your experience of Elul this time around, click here. Join our bi-weekly journey through Elul Unbound 2026 by signing up at this link, and sign up for our Elul Unbound Shabbat gatherings here, where we will be forging our kavanot (intentions) for the new year in real time with fellow Unbounders.

Welcome to Shabbat Dinner Party, an auditory exploration through a Shabbat dinner. In this episode, we meet resident Shabbat expert Neil Spears, Gefilteria’s Jeffrey Yoskowitz and Liz Alpern, and comedian Mike Liebenson. 

Resources:

Mike Liebenson’s comedy on Instagram

Learn more about The Gefilteria 

Listen to Liz and Jeffrey’s podcast, Meet Me At The Deli 

Learn more about Judaism Unbound 

Shabbat Dinner Party is a production of Judaism Unbound. Senior Producer is Joey Taylor, and Executive Director is Miriam Terlinchamp. This episode was mixed by Justin Newton.

Send us your comments, recipes, and Shabbat thoughts: mishkin@judaismunbound.com

Shabbat Dinner Party is an audio exploration through a Shabbat dinner from setting the intention, to making the dinner, to the dinner conversation — all with audio. Each week over five episodes, Kate Mishkin talks to people we wish were at the real Shabbat dinner table with us because they think carefully about what to put on the table and help us to understand how this ancient tradition remains relevant and necessary today. If you're looking to slow down and be more intentional in a fast-paced digital world, how to find a spiritual center, or even how to just have a good dinner party, we want you at this imaginary dinner party. First episode drops on August 12th!

Lex, Rena Yehuda and Miriam introduce Shabbat Dinner Party, the new podcast and discuss themes such as the anxiety of being "Jewish enough," the tension between tradition and innovation, the idea that Judaism has always evolved, and how authentic Jewish practice can be both deeply personal and connected to a broader community. Ultimately, they argue that Shabbat is not about achieving a single "correct" form but about cultivating intentional practices that balance recognizable tradition with creative experimentation, helping each person discover a version of Shabbat that feels both meaningful and life-giving.

Check out Rena Yehuda's illustration on their instagram.

If you're feeling brave, navigate to notjewishenough.com for a surprise!

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Don't miss our 3-week mini-courses in the UnYeshiva (Judaism Unbound's digital center for Jewish learning and unlearning) -- teachers this time around include Xava De Cordova, Alicia Jo Rabins, and Laynie Soloman. Register at JudaismUnbound.com/classes!

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Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!