Episodes
-
Search for Meaning with Yossi Segelman and OBKLA
What began in a family garage during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into one of Los Angeles's most inspiring volunteer movements. In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Yossi Segelman, founder of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA), to explore how a simple act...
-
Search for Meaning with Kari Hollend
Recorded on the third anniversary of October 7, this episode of Search for Meaning features Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback in conversation with filmmaker Kari Hollend, co-director and producer of The Campaign: Disinformation in a Time of War. Created as a companion to Warren Kinsella’s book The Hidden…
more -
Zion: A Place. A People. Choosing Life—Together
What does Zion mean to the Jewish people—and what happens when Jews themselves profoundly disagree about its meaning? In this Kol Nidrei sermon, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback traces Zion through the arc of a Jewish life and explores two ancient teachings: U’vacharta bachayim—“Choose life”—and Atem…
more -
Hineini: Showing Up and Staying Human in the Age of AI
Rosh Hashanah morning at Stephen Wise Temple, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback explores an ancient Hebrew word — Hineini, "Here I am" — through the lens of one of the newest challenges facing us: artificial intelligence. Weaving together the Binding of Isaac, a teaching from the Mussar master Rabbi Eliyahu...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler
What can Torah teach us about anxiety, grief, resilience, shame—and the work of healing a shattered heart? On this episode of Search for Meaning, I sit down with Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler, author of Torah for Mental Health: Jewish Wisdom for Psychological Growth. A rabbi, philosopher, spiritual...
-
The Whole Heart: Finding Gratitude in Both Grief and Joy
Rabbi Yoshi’s derash from Beach Shabbat, delivered on Shabbat Nachamu — the Sabbath of Comfort that always follows Tisha b’Av. Beginning with a personal story from his own wedding thirty years ago, Rabbi Yoshi explores what it means to love God “b’chol levavcha” — with all of your heart — and why...
-
Search for Meaning with Amanda Berman (2)
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes back civil rights attorney and Zioness founder Amanda Berman for her second appearance on Search for Meaning. Recorded days after Tisha B'Av, the conversation opens with the atmosphere in New York following Mayor Mamdani's video calling Prime Minister Netanyahu a war...
-
Search for Meaning with Steven J. Ross
What really happened to hatred in America after World War II? Most of us were taught that defeating Hitler marked a turning point — that America emerged from the war more tolerant, more unified, more committed to its democratic ideals. Historian Steven J. Ross is here to tell us that story is a...
-
Search for Meaning with Gary Grappo
In this urgent follow-up to their conversation from June 2025, Rabbi Yoshi sits down again with Ambassador Gary Grappo — former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Chief of Staff to the Middle East Quartet, and one of America's most seasoned diplomatic voices — to make sense of the Iran MOU signed just days...
-
Search for Meaning with Ralph Shayne
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback speaks with author Ralph Shayne about his graphic novel Hour of Need: The Daring Escape of the Danish Jews during World War II, illustrated by Danish comics artist Tatiana Goldberg. Inspired by the childhood experience of Shayne’s…
more -
Search for Meaning with Reza Farahan
Reza Farahan is known to millions as the breakout star of Shahs of Sunset. In this candid and moving conversation, Reza joins Rabbi Yoshi to discuss his new book, Memoirs of a Gay Shah, and the remarkable journey that shaped him—from fleeing Iran as a child during the revolution, to navigating…
more -
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Michael Zedek (2)
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes Rabbi Michael Zedek back to the podcast on the occasion of his second book, People Are Like…: Stories for Young Readers and Readers Who Wish to Stay Young. A beloved teacher, storyteller, and rabbi, Rabbi Zedek joins Rabbi Yoshi...
-
Search for Meaning with Lisa Edelstein and Robert Russell
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with actor and painter Lisa Edelstein and artist Robert Russell to discuss their powerful new exhibition, A Palace in Time, at the Skirball Cultural Center. Inspired by Abraham Joshua Heschel’s timeless vision of Shabbat as “a...
-
Search for Meaning with Brandon Farbstein
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with speaker, author, and advocate Brandon Farbstein for a deeply honest and moving conversation about identity, resilience, and what it truly means to belong. Born with a rare form of dwarfism, Brandon shares what it was like...
-
Search for Meaning with Mandana Dayani
In this episode, Mandana Dayani joins Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback for a candid and wide-ranging conversation on maintaining a sense of purpose within an increasingly complex world. Drawing on her personal history as an Iranian-born Jewish refugee, Mandana provides a vital human perspective on the impact...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with a colleague and friend, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi of Central Synagogue and author of the powerful new memoir Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi’s Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging. Together, they…
more -
Search for Meaning with Rabbis Ed Feinstein and David Woznica (Part II)
In the second installment of this wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Yoshi continues his dialogue with Rabbi Ed Feinstein and Rabbi David Woznica — turning from personal story to the larger questions pressing on the Jewish community today. Recorded on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, at a...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbis Ed Feinstein and David Woznica (Part I)
In this first installment of a special two-part conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down live with Rabbi Ed Feinstein, longtime senior rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom, and Rabbi David Woznica, who has served Stephen Wise Temple for more than two decades. Recorded on International Holocaust Remembrance Day…
more -
Search for Meaning with Cantor Lauren Blasband-Roth
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Cantor Lauren Blasband-Roth for a thoughtful conversation about vocation, music, and Jewish life. Lauren shares her journey to the cantorate, reflecting on her Brooklyn roots, the influence of her family, and the…
more -
Search for Meaning with Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal, one of today’s leading scholars of rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity. Their conversation ranges from the ancient world to our own moment, exploring how religious traditions take…
more -
Search for Meaning with Peter Himmelman and Rabbi Steve Leder
In this special episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Rabbi Steve Leder and Peter Himmelman for a wide-ranging conversation about friendship, faith, creativity, and the moment we are living in. Together, they reflect on growing up Jewish in the Midwest, the quiet...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Steve Leder
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback is joined by his teacher, mentor, and friend, Rabbi Steve Leder, for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation recorded in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their discussion centers on Rabbi Leder’s book, The...
-
Wise Envy: Can we admire the arguments of those with whom we disagree?
In this solo episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback reflects on a timely and challenging question facing the Jewish community today: How do we disagree without hating one another? Prompted by recent remarks from Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove at the American Zionist Movement Biennial, Rabbi...
-
Search for Meaning with Moshe Lobel
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with actor Moshe Lobel, star of the groundbreaking new film SHTTL—a Yiddish-language, single-shot masterpiece set in a Ukrainian shtetl on the eve of its destruction in 1941. Filmed in 2021 but only recently released, SHTTL feels uncannily prophetic, speaking…
more -
Search for Meaning with Marc Kasowitz
Veteran trial lawyer Marc Kasowitz has taken his courtroom skills to a new front—the battle against antisemitism on America’s college campuses. In this episode, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback talks with Kasowitz about the lawsuits he’s brought against universities like NYU and Harvard, where Jewish and...
-
Sanctified for the Whole World
In this special episode, Rabbi Yoshi shares his 5786 Rosh Hashanah (2025) sermon, Sanctified — For the Whole World. Drawing on the wisdom of his grandfather, Jewish tradition, and the moral challenges of our time, Rabbi Zweiback explores the sacred balance between particularism and universalism —...
-
Search for Meaning with Michael Honigstein
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Michael Honigstein, a career Foreign Service Officer who has served in countries around the world—including Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Israel—working to promote peace, democracy, and human rights. Michael reflects on his...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Sydney Mintz
In this episode of Search for Meaning, host Yoshi Zweiback sits down with dear friend and esteemed spiritual leader Rabbi Sydney Mintz. Rabbi Mintz, longtime rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco and founder of the 13th Tribe community, brings her unique blend of rabbinic insight,...
-
Search for Meaning with Rania Fadel Dean
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback speaks with Rania Fadel Dean, a leader of the Druze community in Los Angeles and founder of Covenant of Blood (Brit Damim). Together they explore the unique history and religion of the Druze people, their deep integration into Israeli...
-
Search for Meaning with Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer
What happens when a Reform journalist and an Orthodox rabbi spend years studying Torah together? In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer to talk about their new book, It Takes Two to Torah. Drawing from very different...
-
Search for Meaning with Rob Kutner
How do we find laughter when everything feels too heavy? What role does humor play when we're facing unimaginable challenges? Emmy, Peabody, and Grammy-winning comedy writer Rob Kutner offers surprising wisdom on these questions through the lens of Jewish history and his own creative journey. "I...
-
Search for Meaning with Julie Brill
In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Julie Brill, author of Hidden in Plain Sight: A Family Memoir and the Untold Story of the Holocaust in Serbia. Julie’s book uncovers a little-known chapter of Jewish history, exploring the resilience, struggles, and…
more -
Search for Meaning with Jonathan Harounoff
🗣️ Search for Meaning with Rabbi Yoshi welcomes journalist and diplomat Jonathan Harounoff, author of the forthcoming book Unveiled: Inside Iran’s #WomanLifeFreedom Revolt. 📖 In this episode, Jonathan shares the story behind his groundbreaking reporting on Iran’s women-led uprising, sparked by...
-
Search for Meaning with Stephen Cloobeck
Stephen J. Cloobeck joins Rabbi Yoshi for a wide-ranging conversation about business, identity, and public service. Best known as the founder and former CEO of Diamond Resorts, Cloobeck reflects on his Jewish upbringing at Stephen Wise Temple, the influence of his father, and how those early...
-
Search for Meaning with Dr. Arnold Eisen
In this special live recording from Stephen Wise Temple on May 13, 2025, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Dr. Arnold Eisen, Chancellor Emeritus of the Jewish Theological Seminary, for a profound and personal conversation about his new book, Seeking the Hiding God: A Personal Theological Essay....
-
Search for Meaning with Daniel Robbins
What do you get when a Shabbat dinner meant to welcome a soon-to-be daughter-in-law turns into a night of secrets, revelations, and unlikely wisdom? You get Bad Shabbos—a comedy with heart, directed by Daniel Robbins and co-written with Zack Weiner. Robbins joins Rabbi Yoshi to discuss his new…
more -
Search for Meaning with Ambassador Gary Grappo - Israel/Iran War
Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Ambassador Gary Grappo, a former U.S. diplomat and expert on Middle Eastern affairs, for an in-depth and urgent conversation about Israel’s preemptive strike on Iranian military assets and the ensuing conflict between these countries. Drawing on his extensive diplomatic...
-
Search for Meaning with Carol Leifer
Award-winning comedian and writer Carol Leifer joins Search for Meaning with Rabbi Yoshi for a candid and hilarious conversation about life, legacy, and laughter. From her groundbreaking start as a stand-up comedian to her acclaimed writing for Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, Ellen, and Curb Your...
-
Search for Meaning with David Suissa
In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with David Suissa—Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Tribe Media and the Jewish Journal—to explore the deep currents shaping Jewish life today. A passionate voice in Jewish media since 2006 and a former award-winning advertising...
-
Search for Meaning with Yuval David
In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Yuval David, an Emmy Award and multiple award-winning actor, filmmaker, journalist, and activist. Yuval is known for his innovative and acclaimed series One Actor Short and other original content, ABC’s...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi David Gedzelman
In this timely episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Rabbi David Gedzelman, President and CEO of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life. Together, Rabbi Yoshi and Rabbi Gedzelman explore the powerful intersections of Jewish identity, education, culture, and the...
-
Search for Meaning with Adam Mansbach
Episode Title: Adam Mansbach – The Golem of Brooklyn In this episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback welcomes Adam Mansbach, best-selling author and cultural provocateur, for a conversation about his latest novel, The Golem of Brooklyn — a darkly comic and fiercely relevant tale that...
-
Search for Meaning with Cantor Emma Lutz and Dr. Tali Tadmor
🎙️ “Wow! Shehecheyanu” – A Joyful Musical Celebration Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Cantor Emma Lutz and Dr. Tali Tadmor to explore the heart and harmony behind their brand-new children’s album, Wow! Shehecheyanu. Produced by Pam Autuori and featuring the incredible Stephen Wise Temple Band, the...
-
Search for Meaning with the Sky Riders, Noa and Omri
“Noa" and "Omri" (not their real names), two soldiers from the Sky Rider Unit, an elite unit of the IDF known for its precision and critical role in intelligence gathering, share their experiences since October 7, offering a rare, firsthand perspective on the challenges they’ve faced and the…
more -
Search for Meaning with Ayelet Tsabari
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback speaks with acclaimed author Ayelet Tsabari about her latest book, Songs for the Brokenhearted—a moving exploration of grief, identity, and the human spirit. They also delve into Ayelet’s poignant New York Times opinion piece, where she reflects on the sacred act of cleaning...
-
Search for Meaning with Jonathan York
In this deeply moving conversation, Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Jonathan York—lawyer, artist, and creator of The Sukkah Project, a powerful tribute to the events of October 7. Jonathan reflects on how memory shapes our personal and collective identities, sharing insights from his own journey…
more -
Search for Meaning with Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback interviews Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue about his inspiring new book, "For Such a Time as This: Being Jewish Today." Together, they dive into the challenges and opportunities of post-October 7 Judaism, the power of stepping up, showing up, and making a...
-
Search for Meaning with Rabbi David Ingber
Rabbi David A. Ingber is the founding rabbi of Romemu, the largest Renewal synagogue in the United States. He was recently appointed the Senior Director of Jewish Life at 92NY in Manhattan. Rabb Ingber shares some of the Torah and wisdom that has helped bring him inspiration over the past year.…
more -
Search for Meaning with Dafna Admati and Yarden Tzemach from Kibbutz Be'eri
Dafna Admati and Yarden Tzemach grew up on Kibbutz Be'eri, one of the communities hit hardest in the attacks of October 7: more than 95 community members were murdered and 30 taken hostage. They describe what happened to their beautiful, idyllic kibbutz on that day and over the past year. To…
more -
Search for Meaning with Ambassador Gary Grappo - Regime Change in Syria
Rabbi Yoshi sits down with Gary Grappo, former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Chief of Staff of the Quartet, and foreign policy expert with more than four decades of experience in the Middle East. Ambassador Grappo helps us understand the situation in Syria, the rise of Hay's Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and…
more
About this show
Join Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback as he talks with an eclectic variety of thinkers, artists, and change-makers about their experiences (Jewish or otherwise) and their own search for meaning and purpose in their lives.
Hosted by
Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Categories