Each week, join us on an adventure as we deconstruct that week’s parasha, exploring new insights and meaning in the Torah. Hosted by Simon Eder and sponsored by the Louis Jacobs Foundation, a part of Masorti Judaism, Jewish Quest aims to honour the statement of R' Jacobs z"l who said: 'The quest for Torah is itself Torah.' Welcome to that Quest. Find out more about our work at louisjacobs.org and masorti.org.uk
Special Episode - 20th Annual Louis Jacobs Memorial Lecture
Send us Fan Mail In a special interruption of our typical weekly programme, this week's episode is a recording of the 20th Annual Louis Jacobs Memorial Lecture, delivered by Rabbi Danny Nevins at New London Synagogue. Rabbi Danny discusses the question, 'Can Judaism Survive the AI Revolution?' and explores questions of agency, personhood, and halakhic precedent governing our interaction with artificial intelligence.
Pinchas with Roni Tabick
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Roni Tabick joins Simon to discuss Pinchas, zealotry, and his upcoming novel, Radiance. Rabbi Roni Tabick is rabbi of New Stoke Newington Shul. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. With a Masters in Ancient Judaism, Roni specialises in Talmud, mysticism and Jewish Mythology, especially the Leviathan and other sea monsters.
Hukkat-Balak with Raanan Eichler
Send us Fan Mail Professor Eichler from Bar-Ilan University joins Simon to discuss the episode of Moses (and Aaron) hitting the rock, and the consequent punishment. Prof. Raanan Eichler is an Associate Professor of Bible at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He received his Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed fellowships at Harvard University and Tel Aviv University. He is the author of The Ark and the Cherubim (Mohr Siebeck, 2021) and many academic articles.
Korach with Samuel Klein
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Samuel Klein joins Simon to discuss Korach, Salcedo and Rothko – among others! Rabbi Samuel Klein is Director of Jewish Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, where he leads strategic initiatives that build meaningful connections to Jewish life. He directs the Francine R. Loeb Leadership Institute, which empowers emerging Jewish leaders in Seattle, and Reset & Refresh, a nationally scaled learning experience for mixed-heritage couples, developed in collaboration with the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA). Rabbi Klein also currently serves as Rabbinic Advisor to Togethering, a new initiative that supports young, modern couples across North America as they explore how Jewish values, traditions, and culture can bring meaning to the lives they build together. Rabbi Klein holds advanced degrees in Theology (Cambridge University), History of Art (University College London), and Jewish Studies (Spertus Institute), and completed teaching artist training at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, with a focus on museum-based education.
Shlach with Idan Dershowitz
Send us Fan Mail Professor Idan Dershowitz (Monash University) joins Simon to discuss Joshua Chapter 2, this week's Haftarah and the mysterious nature of the symbol 'ot' referenced in both the Parashah and Haftarah. Idan Dorshav Dershowitz joined the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation (ACJC) at Monash University in 2024. Previously, he was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows and served as Director of the School of Jewish Theology and Chair of Hebrew Bible at the University of Potsdam. His current research focuses on the evolution of biblical religion, the techniques employed by biblical scribes and editors, and the development of AI tools to trace the origins of ancient texts. Dershowitz is the author of The Dismembered Bible: Cutting and Pasting Scripture in Antiquity, which examines the editorial processes behind the Hebrew Bible, using comparative and internal evidence—including editorial errors that found their way into the biblical text. In The Valediction of Moses: A Proto-Biblical Book, he argues that manuscripts dismissed as forgeries in the 1800s are actually among the most significant biblical discoveries in history, revealing a very early edition of the Book of Deuteronomy.
Beha'alotekha with Angela Roskop Erisman
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Angela Roskop Erisman joins Simon to discuss the biblical text of Numbers 12, focusing on Miriam and Aaron's criticism of Moses for marrying a Kushite woman Dr. Angela Roskop Erisman is owner of Angela Roskop Erisman Editorial and was the founding editorial director of the Marginalia Review of Books . She earned her M.A. in Hebrew and Northwest Semitics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her Ph.D. in Bible and Ancient Near East at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She is the author of The Wilderness Itineraries: Genre, Geography, and the Growth of Torah (2011), for which she won a Manfred Lautenschläger Award for Theological Promise in 2014. Her most recent book, The Wilderness Narratives in the Hebrew Bible: Religion, Politics, and Biblical Interpretation (2025) is available from Cambridge University Press.
Shavuot Special - with Rev. Patrick Moriarty
Send us Fan Mail Reverend Patrick Moriarty joins Simon to discuss the Ten Commandments and their significance for Western civilization. Rev Moriarty, who previously served as head teacher at JCOSS (Jewish Community Secondary School) from 2012 to 2022 and currently works as rector of the parish of Harpenden, explores how the Ten Commandments function as "moral grammar" in modern society, emphasising the value of faith-based education in forming ethical human beings, concluding that modern society most urgently needs to rediscover the ability to live with mystery and uncertainty rather than seeking complete understanding.
Bamidbar with Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Wittenberg, Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism in the UK, joins Simon to talk about Bamidbar, the spiritual potential of the desert, the environment and ecology, and the wisdom of Rabbi Louis Jacobs and others for our current moment. Jonathan Wittenberg was born into a family with a long rabbinical tradition going back several generations in Germany and Eastern Europe. Having earned his degree in literature at the University of Cambridge, he studied for the rabbinate at Leo Baeck College in London, and in Jerusalem. He is the Senior Rabbi of Masorti Judaism since 2008 and was the Rabbi of New North London Synagogue for over 25 years. Rabbi Wittenberg loves Judaism, literature, history, plants, animals and people. Interfaith work and pastoral care interest him deeply. He writes and speaks about the Jewish faith, moral issues, his love of nature, the spiritual search, human responsibility, and the transience of life. His books include Walking with the Light: From Frankfurt to Finchley, The Hidden God, The Three Pillars of Judaism, The Eternal Journey: Meditations on the Jewish Year, The Silence of Dark Water: An Inner Journey and Listening for God in Torah & Creation. Rabbi Wittenberg was awarded an OBE in December 2023 for his services to interfaith relationships and the Jewish community.
Behar with Zachary Bernstein-Rothberg
Send us Fan Mail Newly-minted Rabbi Zachary Bernstein-Rothberg joins Simon to discuss Shemittah and agriculture as we focus in on Parashat Behar. Rabbi Bernstein-Rothberg has recently been appointed the rabbi of South Herts and Edgware Masorti (SHEMA) in the UK and will be moving to the UK with his husband this Summer.
Emor with Adriane Leveen
Send us Fan Mail Dr. Adriane Leveen received her Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible from the University of California and her M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University. She served as Senior Lecturer in Hebrew Bible at Hebrew Union College until June, 2024. She is the author of Biblical Narratives of Israelites and their Neighbors: Strangers at the Gate (2017) and Memory and Tradition in the Book of Numbers (2008) and has contributed essays to the Oxford Handbook to Biblical Narrative and The Torah: A Women’s Commentary . She is currently at work on a modern reception history of the book of Job. She is a volunteer and founding member of Jewish Climate Action Network–NYC, on the steering committee of Third Act Faith, serves on Adamah’s Jewish Climate Leadership Council, and a former facilitator of JTREE USA, now part of Adamah
Acharei Mot-Kedoshim with David Frankel
Send us Fan Mail David Frankel is Associate Professor of Bible at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies. He has been on the faculty since 1992. He earned his PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Moshe Weinfeld. His publications include “The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School,” and “The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel.” From 1991 to 1996, Frankel was rabbi of Congregation Shevet Achim in Gilo, Jerusalem.
Tazria-Metzora with Rabbi Ariel Abel
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Ariel Abel discusses both the physical and spiritual implications of Tzara'at (leprosy)
Shemini with Rabbi Joshua Garroway
Send us Fan Mail Dr Rabbi Joshua Garroway discusses the rationale for the dietary laws at various junctures in Jewish history and he also asks whether personal interpretations remain secondary to the enduring act of obedience. Dr. Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. He holds a Ph.D. from the Religious Studies Department at Yale and ordination from HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. He is the author of, The Beginning of the Gospel: Paul, Philippi, and the Origins of Christianity.
26/41 - Tzav with Rabbi Alex Matthews
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Alex Matthews asks what the perpetual altar fire symbolises. Rabbi Alex Matthews has been part of the Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport since 2015 and has been serving as its congregational leader since 2019. Rabbi Matthews was ordained at Hebrew College in June 2023. He serves part-time as a staff chaplain at Beverly Hospital. He completed the 18 Doors Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship focused on interfaith engagement, as well as the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies Machloket Matters fellowship, focused on working toward and through constructive disagreement.
26/40 - Viyikra with Dr, Jeremy Tabick
Send us Fan Mail Dr Jeremy Tabick is senior editor and faculty at Hadar. Jeremy received his PhD in Talmud at JTS, writing " 'Our Holy Rabbi' : A Reassessment of the Historical Evidence about Rabbi, His Role in the Rabbinic Movement and in Reconstructing Late Antique Jewish History". He graduated from the University of Manchester (in the UK) with a Masters in Physics, and is an alumnus of Yeshivat Hadar and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He lives in Riverdale with his wife and three children.
26/39 = Vayakel Pekuday with Professor Kenneth Seeskin
Send us Fan Mail Professor Kenneth Seeskindiscusses how the luxurious design of the Tabernacle contrasts with simpler forms of worship described elsewhere in the book of Exodus. Professor Kenneth Seeskin is Professor of Philosophy and Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Professor of Jewish Civilization at Northwestern University. He received his Ph.D in Philosophy from Yale University in 1972 and has been at Northwestern ever since. He specializes in the rationalist tradition in Jewish philosophy with an emphasis on Maimonides. Publications include Maimonides on the Origin of the World (CUP, 2005), Jewish Messianic Thoughts in an Age of Despair (CUP, 2012), and Thinking about the Torah: A Philosopher Reads the Bible (JPS, 2016).
26/38 - Ki Tisa with Rabbi Alex Matthews
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Alex Matthews asks how we should understand the sin of the golden calf. Rabbi Alex Matthews has been part of the Congregation Ahavas Achim in Newburyport since 2015 and has been serving as its congregational leader since 2019. Rabbi Matthews was ordained at Hebrew College in June 2023. He serves part-time as a staff chaplain at Beverly Hospital. He completed the 18 Doors Rukin Rabbinic Fellowship focused on interfaith engagement, as well as the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies Machloket Matters fellowship, focused on working toward and through constructive disagreement.
26/37 - Mishpatim with Rabbi Ariel Abel
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Ariel Abel asks why the Torah moves so abruptly from the cosmic revelation of Sinai to the detailed civil laws outlined in Mishpatim. Rabbi Abel encourages cooperation, discussion and debate across the spectrum of the Jewish community. He is a rabbinic graduate of Midrash Sephardi in Jerusalem. He is a practising lawyer and a Sandhurst graduate chaplain in the British Army.
26/36 - Yitro with Rabbi Ariel Abel
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Ariel Abel encourages cooperation, discussion and debate across the spectrum of the Jewish community. He is a rabbinic graduate of Midrash Sephardi in Jerusalem. He is a practising solicitor and a Sandhurst graduate chaplain in the British Army.
26/35 -Beshalach with Rabbi Samuel Klein
Send us Fan Mail Rabbi Samuel Klein discusses the remusiking of the Children of Israel. Rabbi Samuel Klein is Director of Jewish Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, where he leads strategic initiatives that build meaningful connections to Jewish life. His work focuses on strengthening community through education, leadership cultivation, and multigenerational programming. Rabbi Klein brings an interdisciplinary perspective to his work, shaped by a foundation in theology, the arts, and Jewish thought. He holds advanced degrees in Theology (Cambridge University), History of Art (University College London), and Jewish Studies (Spertus Institute), He frequently writes and lectures on the intersections of religion, ritual, and visual culture. For over fifteen years, Rabbi Klein has supported mixed-heritage couples and young families, creating inclusive programs that reflect the breadth of Jewish experience. His doctoral research extends this work, exploring how Jewish ritual, text, and aesthetics shape identity in diverse Jewish contexts—with an emphasis on how these lived experiences expand and challenge prevailing communal narratives
