PODCAST · religion
Daily Jewish Thought
by [email protected] (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath)
Thoughts on spirituality, Kabbalah, Jewish thought, Judaism and Relationships. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath is the Senior Rabbi at Rohr Chabad of NDG and the Director of Chabad on Campus at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Cherished for his incredible warmth and non-judgmental personality, this hipster is not your typical rabbi. In 2012, Rabbi Bernath founded the smashing success JMatchmaking International, a network of Jewish dating sites. He has made 104 matches (that he knows of) to date! In addition to being a matchmaker and dating coach, Rabbi Bernath is also the author of three books, and continuously produces engaging content on his many social media & podcast platforms. As a professional voice-over artist, screen-writer, and actor, he has been a part of dozens of productions, including the hit CBC Documentary "Kosher Love".
Episodes
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From Loss to Hope: October 7, Three Years Later — The Jewish Courage to Keep Building | Keynote Address West Island Community Memorial Event
Keynote Address by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath | West Island Community Memorial Event | Beth Tikvah, Montreal | October 2026 Three years after October 7, how do we honour the people we have lost, carry the pain that remains, and still find the courage to hope? In this deeply personal and moving keynote...
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What Will Live Because You Lived? | Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for Neilah 2026
As Yom Kippur moves toward Neilah and the gates begin to close, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath asks a question far more important than what we achieved, accumulated, or accomplished: What will live because you lived? We live in a civilization of astonishing progress. We can fly across oceans, carry the...
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Is Someone Doing Your Thinking For You? | Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for Kol Nidrei 2026
In this Kol Nidrei sermon, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath asks a deeply uncomfortable question: Who is doing your thinking for you? We live in an age overflowing with information but increasingly short on reflection. Algorithms, social media, political tribes, influencers, institutions, AI—and even our…
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The Secret Israel Knows About Happiness | Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for Shabbat Shuva 2026
In this Shabbat Shuva sermon, delivered by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath at Chabad NDG in Montreal, we explore a surprising question: Why are people able to experience happiness even when life is difficult? Looking at Israel’s remarkable longevity, strong family culture, and consistently high levels of...
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The Forgiveness Experiment: Take Back the Pen, Put Down the Poison
What would your life look like if you stopped waiting for an apology, stopped replaying the hurt, and stopped allowing yesterday’s pain to occupy today’s heart? In this deeply personal and practical talk, delivered at JLI’s 20th Annual National Jewish Retreat in Doral, Florida, Rabbi Yisroel...
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The Wall That Wasn’t There | Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for Rosh Hashanah Day 2 5787
On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the shofar finally sounds. Yesterday’s question was: Are you awake? Today’s question goes deeper: What are you awake for and what happens when you finally know where you want to go, but you hit a wall? Drawing on a powerful teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi...
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The Shofar We Are: Wake Up to Something - Rabbi Bernath's Sermon for Rosh Hashana Day 1 5787
This Rosh Hashanah begins with a strange silence: the first day falls on Shabbat, and there is no shofar. But perhaps this year, we do not need a horn to wake us up. The Jewish people are already awake, shaken by antisemitism, fear, and an intensified awareness of what it means to be Jewish. The...
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Growing Older, Growing Deeper: How to Make Your Years Count - Parshat Ki Teitzei • Elul • The Gift of a Life Fully Lived
Our culture often treats aging as something to resist. Judaism sees it differently: years are not merely something that happen to us; they can become a source of wisdom, purpose, and depth. Drawing on the mitzvah of shiluach hakein in Parshat Ki Teitzei, the Torah’s promise of long life, the...
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Love Is Not Found. It Is Built. | 10 Jewish Relationship Truths for Tu B’Av
Tu B’Av is often called the Jewish day of love. In this special Tu B’Av discussion, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath, known as the “Love Rabbi” shares ten essential Jewish relationship principles for singles, couples, and anyone seeking to build deeper, healthier love. Drawing from Torah, Jewish wisdom,...
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Help Us Keep the Light Going: A Special Message from Rabbi Yisroel Bernath
Support the raffle at www.ndgraffle.com. In this special episode, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath opens his heart to the worldwide community that has grown around the podcast. The podcast is more than a weekly teaching. It is part of the larger mission of Chabad NDG: creating spaces of belonging…
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The Gift of Feeling Too Much: Why Your Sensitivity Is Not Your Weakness.
In this special class in honour of his birthday, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most misunderstood human traits: sensitivity. While the world often tells us to toughen up and grow thicker skin, Chassidus teaches that the goal is not to suppress our emotions but to refine them. Drawing...
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The G-d Question: Beyond the Bearded Man in the Sky | A Candid Discussion.
In this eye-opening session, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most profound and misunderstood topics of all time: What is G-d? Moving beyond simplistic childhood images of a supernatural sky-being, we delve into Jewish, Chassidic, philosophical, and even scientific perspectives on the...
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Who Really Wrote the Torah? A Conversation on G-d, Truth, and the Power of Ideas
In this heart-open, mind-stretching class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath dives headfirst into one of the most profound questions ever asked: Who wrote the Torah and what do we mean by G-d? Sparked by a challenge from Ilana, a thoughtful soul who just "won the raffle" and then handed Rabbi Bernath some of...
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The Blank Tanach and the Book We Need in the Wilderness | Parshat Beha’alotecha
This Shabbat Parshat Beha’alotecha, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath was a Scholar-In-Residence at Beth Tikvah in DDO, Quebec, here is a recording for him preparing his Shabbat morning sermon. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath connects two contemporary images: the debate over displaying the Ten Commandments in American...
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The House of David & The Forgiveness Experiment
Tonight at Congregation TBDJ in Montreal, Rabbi Zolly Claman invited Rabbi Yisroel Bernath to share a unique talk as part of his series on the Characters from the Torah. Rabbi Bernath explored the life of King David through the lens of The Forgiveness Experiment, asking what it really means to...
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The Story of Ruth: Loss, Loyalty & Redemption
Why do we read the story of Ruth on Shavuot? Beneath the surface of this beautiful Megillah lies one of the most dramatic stories in all of Tanach, famine, exile, conversion, controversy, loss, courage, and the hidden birth of redemption. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the deeper...
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The Kingdom Within: Presence, Dignity & the Courage to Receive - Entering the Week of Malchut
As we arrive at the final week of Sefirat HaOmer, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the profound and deeply practical world of Malchut, the sefirah of sovereignty, presence, dignity, and embodiment. In Chassidic thought, Malchut is not about domination or ego-driven power, but about becoming a...
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Real Connection, Not Just Chemistry: Entering the Week of Yesod
As we step into the week of Yesod, we move from the inner emotional world into the place where everything becomes real, where feelings turn into connection, and potential becomes relationship. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores Yesod not just as a mystical concept, but as the very...
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The Courage to Soften: Entering the Week of Hod
In a world that rewards being right, being strong, and holding it all together, the Sefirah of Hod invites us into a very different kind of strength. In this heart-open class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the power of humility, not as weakness, but as the courage to soften, to acknowledge…
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The Strength to Keep Going, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It: Entering the Week of Netzach
What drives you to keep pushing forward and when does that drive begin to drain you? In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the Sefirah of Netzach, the inner power of endurance, ambition, and resilience. Through a blend of Kabbalah and Chassidic insight and real-life application, we…
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The Heart of Balance: Entering the Week of Tiferet
How to Love Without Smothering and Set Boundaries Without Wounding Why do our best intentions so often hurt the people we love most? Because love without boundaries can suffocate… and truth without compassion can wound. As we enter the week of Tiferet in Sefirat HaOmer, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath...
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From Egypt to Opening Doors: How to Break Through What’s Holding You Back
What if the last days of Pesach aren’t about how the story ends… but about how your story begins? In this deeply practical and soulful class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the hidden power of the final days of Passover, where we stop remembering freedom and start living toward it. Through the…
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The Kabbalah of the Passover Seder
We’ve all been to a Seder. We know the songs, the matzah, the wine… and somehow, we still walk out the same person. But what if the Seder was never meant to be a ritual you attend, but a process you go through? In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath uncovers the Seder as a 15-step journey of real...
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Rabbi Bernath’s Passover Seder: A Guide to Preparing for a Night That Can Change You
Download Rabbi Bernath's Haggadah HERE https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/98kilqi70z1cpqcn47jo0/Rabbi-Yisroel-s-Passover-Haggadah-Version-6B.pdf?rlkey=2gbd5i1u1fx0787fochlrpj6b&dl=0 Most people prepare for the Seder like they’re hosting a dinner. The food is ready. The table is set. The Haggadah is…
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Pre-Passover Special - When the Chains are Invisible
There’s something about this time of year… As we prepare for Pesach, cleaning, cooking, setting the table… we’re also being invited into something deeper. Not just a historical remembrance… but a personal awakening. Because the real question of the Seder isn’t “What happened then?” It’s “Am I…
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This Passover: How to Finally Break Out of Feeling Stuck
What if the line in the Haggadah isn’t history… but a diagnosis? “If G-d hadn’t taken us out of Egypt, we would still be there.” Not physically. Psychologically. Spiritually. Emotionally. In this heart-open Kabbalah class, Rabbi Bernath unpacks the deeper meaning of Egypt, not as a place, but as…
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When, Not If: Why Your Mistakes Might Be Your Greatest Strength
In this deeply real and liberating class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a striking idea from Parshat Vayikra: the Torah doesn’t say if a leader will fail, it says when. Why? Because growth, leadership, love, and even spirituality all require stepping into a messy, imperfect world. Through the…
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The Life You Dreamed vs. The Life You’re Living
Did life turn out the way you imagined it would? Most of us quietly carry two versions of our lives, the ideal one we dreamed about and the messy, imperfect one we actually live. In this Wednesday morning Kabbalah class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a powerful insight from Parshat...
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Finding Holiness in the Fragments of Life: The Kabbalah Secret of the Broken Tablets
Why did Moses smash the tablets and why were the broken pieces placed in the Holy of Holies alongside the whole ones? In this heart-open class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores one of the most powerful and surprising teachings in Torah: that brokenness is not the opposite of holiness, it can be its...
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When the Street Starts Singing: Drowning Out Haman, Then and Now...
This wasn’t just another Shabbat. This was the kind of Shabbat that reminds you history isn’t something we read, it’s something we walk into. At Chabad NDG in Montreal, a Persian-themed Shabbat table became something deeper: a meeting point between ancient Persia and modern Iran. Between the…
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Going “All In” for the Right Things
The Megillah opens with one of the most extravagant, unnecessary parties in history and somehow, it’s there to teach us how to live. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath discusses a powerful insight from the Rebbe: even a foolish king understood something many of us forget, that life is not meant...
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You’re Not Broken, You’re Layered: The Kabbalah of Showing Up Even When You Don’t Feel Golden
Parshat Terumah introduces the Ark, Judaism’s holiest object and reveals a radical truth about the human soul. The Ark wasn’t one solid piece. It was gold on the inside, wood in the middle, gold on the outside. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores how the Ark becomes a map of the inner...
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Who’s in Charge: Your Emotions or Your Values?
In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explored one of the Torah’s most psychologically honest teachings: what to do when our emotions and our values don’t align. Through the mitzvah of helping an enemy’s fallen donkey, we uncovered Judaism’s middle path, neither repressing emotions nor...
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You Don’t Have to Be Born Jewish to Choose Judaism
Why would a powerful, respected spiritual leader abandon comfort, status, and certainty to join a nation of former slaves in the desert? In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the story of Jethro—not as ancient history, but as a living mirror. Through a surprising Talmudic...
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The Forgiveness Experiment Book Launch | Rabbi Yisroel Bernath in conversation with Ilana Zackon
You don’t often see a book launch feel like a collective exhale. This recording is from the Montreal launch of The Forgiveness Experiment, featuring the author Rabbi Yisroel Bernath in conversation with Ilana Zackon. Ilana Zackon, an award-winning actor, writer, and filmmaker. Together, they dive...
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Who Sang First? Leadership, Voice, and Finding the Song Within
One of the first things we did together as a people wasn’t march, organize, or strategize. We sang. Standing at the edge of the sea, fresh from fear, not yet healed, still unsure where we were going the Jewish people lifted their voices in song. But the Torah leaves us with a mystery: how did…
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Why the Hardest Moments in Life Are Invitations, Not Obstacles.
In Parshat Bo, G-d tells Moses something unexpected: “Come to Pharaoh.” Not go… but come. In this episode Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores a profound teaching from the Zohar and Chassidic thought: when we face a “Pharaoh” in our lives… fear, resistance, heartbreak, failure, or a person who seems to...
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Freedom Begins When We Stop Tolerating
One of the most surprising details in the Exodus story is that Moses, the redeemer of Israel, did not grow up as a slave, but in Pharaoh’s palace. In this morning’s Kabbalah class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Divine Providence chose such an unlikely path for Israel’s future leader and what...
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Turn Your Head... How Moses Found His Calling and How You Can Find Yours
Moses had every reason to stay comfortable: palace roots, a peaceful life in Midyan, and an age where most people stop reinventing themselves. Then a bush burned and refused to go away. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores the moment that changes everything: not charging forward, not...
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The Greatest Light That Could Only Come from the Deepest Darkness
The moment Joseph reveals himself to his brothers is not just a family reunion, it is a soul disclosure. In this class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores why Joseph repeats himself, why he asks his brothers to come closer, and why he insists on reminding them that they sold him into Egypt. Drawing...
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After Bondi Beach Attack: Chabad Answers Darkness with Light!
This Shabbat, as Chanukah and Parshat Miketz converge, our hearts are heavy and our calling is clear. From the moment the Maccabees discovered a single cruse of oil in the desecrated Temple, Jewish history hinged not on what was found, but on what was done. They could have preserved the oil as a...
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Are the Jewish People Really the Chosen People?
In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explored the baffling, almost mythical global obsession with Israel and the Jewish people, a tiny nation that somehow takes up an outsized share of the world’s attention. Drawing on the teachings of Rabbi Simon Jacobson, Rabbi YY Jacobson, and Rabbi...
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A New Way to See Charity: When Giving Becomes Receiving
In this heart-opening conversation, Rabbi Bernath shares a powerful true story of a needy bride who felt ashamed to accept financial help, until she discovers that she is a partner, not a burden. Drawing on the Torah’s teaching of Yissachar and Zevulun, and Chassidic wisdom from the Lubavitcher...
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In Conversation with Rabbi David Eliezrie | UNdaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance
In this remarkable conversation, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath sits down with Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie to explore UNdaunted, his newly released biography of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, a hero of Jewish history whose courage rewrote the future. We journey through the Rebbe’s extraordinary childhood,...
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Climbing Jacob’s Ladder: The Four Worlds & The Journey of Prayer
Prayer isn’t supposed to feel far away, confusing, or “for holier people.” It’s a ladder right beneath your feet, starting exactly where you are, in your busy, messy, beautiful real life. Tonight, we explore the ancient Kabbalistic map of the four worlds of Action, Emotion, Understanding, and...
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Gratitude in Crazy Times: How Rachel Taught Us the Secret to Staying Whole
Life doesn’t wait until everything is perfect. It shows up messy, unpredictable, and sometimes painful. In this uplifting and down-to-earth session, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath explores how Rachel Imeinu, through the birth of Yosef revealed a simple yet profound mindset that can transform the way we...
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Why Laughter Might Be the Holiest Thing in Your Relationship
In this morning’s class, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath dove into one of the strangest, most beautiful marriage scenes in the entire Torah, Yitzchak and Rivkah caught “jesting” behind a window. Why does the Torah use a word for laughter to describe intimacy? Why is the first Jew born into the covenant...
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Waking Up to the Gift of Time
In this morning’s class, Rabbi Bernath explored the timeless lesson hidden in a sleepy Midrash. When Rabbi Akiva saw his students dozing off, he woke them not with rebuke, but with revelation: the story of Queen Esther’s 127 provinces, mirroring the 127 years of Sarah’s life. From this, the...
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When the Flame Goes Out: Finding Your Spark in the Empty Vessel
In this heart-stirring exploration of the prophet Elisha’s miracle for the destitute widow, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath invites us to uncover our own “cruse of oil” the indestructible spark of holiness within. Drawing from Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi’s profound interpretation, we discover that the...
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AMA: Am I less of a Jew because I was raised Reform?
In this heartfelt Ask Me Anything, Rabbi Bernath responds to someone from the Kabbalah for Everyone Community, a lifelong Reform Jew who asks a question many have quietly carried: “Am I less of a Jew because I was raised Reform?” Rabbi Bernath explores how Jewish identity transcends…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Thoughts on spirituality, Kabbalah, Jewish thought, Judaism and Relationships. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath is the Senior Rabbi at Rohr Chabad of NDG and the Director of Chabad on Campus at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Cherished for his incredible warmth and non-judgmental personality, this hipster is not your typical rabbi. In 2012, Rabbi Bernath founded the smashing success JMatchmaking International, a network of Jewish dating sites. He has made 104 matches (that he knows of) to date! In addition to being a matchmaker and dating coach, Rabbi Bernath is also the author of three books, and continuously produces engaging content on his many social media & podcast platforms. As a professional voice-over artist, screen-writer, and actor, he has been a part of dozens of productions, including the hit CBC Documentary "Kosher Love".
HOSTED BY
[email protected] (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Daily Jewish Thought have?
Daily Jewish Thought currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Daily Jewish Thought about?
Thoughts on spirituality, Kabbalah, Jewish thought, Judaism and Relationships. Rabbi Yisroel Bernath is the Senior Rabbi at Rohr Chabad of NDG and the Director of Chabad on Campus at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Cherished for his incredible warmth and non-judgmental personality, this...
How often does Daily Jewish Thought release new episodes?
Daily Jewish Thought releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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You can listen to Daily Jewish Thought on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Daily Jewish Thought?
Daily Jewish Thought is created and hosted by [email protected] (Rabbi Yisroel Bernath).
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