The Avrum Rosensweig Show

THE TALIBAN HAD A PLAYBOOK: KHADIJA HAIRARY TORE IT UP! (Audio)

Picture this: you're fifteen years old, excited about your future, dreaming of becoming a doctor or engineer. Then overnight, armed men tell you your dreams don't matter because you're a girl. This is the reality for millions of Afghan girls since August 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. While the world watched in horror as girls were banned from schools, one woman refused to accept this fate. Her name is Khadija Haidary, and what she did will restore your faith in human courage. When the Taliban took power, they systematically dismantled an entire generation's future. Over three million girls were suddenly told they couldn't learn. Universities became ghost towns. Women professors lost their jobs overnight. While others fell silent, Khadija chose to fight back in the most powerful way possible. Khadija, an Afghan educator, activist and writer understood that knowledge couldn't be destroyed by decrees. It could only be hidden, protected, and passed on in secret. What she did next was both dangerous and brilliant. Instead of accepting defeat, Khadija became part of an underground network of educators who refused to let Afghan girls lose their right to learn. These brave women created secret schools, hidden classrooms, and clandestine education networks that operated under the Taliban's nose. While international headlines focus on politics and military situations, there's an entire shadow education system operating in Afghanistan. Women like Haidary have created mobile schools that move locations constantly to avoid detection. They teach in basements, private homes, and hidden corners of buildings. They use coded language and secret signals to communicate with students and parents. The methods are ingenious and heartbreaking at the same time. Teachers disguise themselves as housekeepers or relatives visiting homes. They carry books hidden under traditional clothing. Students attend classes pretending to be at social gatherings. These educators have turned resistance into an art form. Khadija's work represents something bigger than just education. It's about preserving hope in the darkest of times. People like her remind us that resistance takes many forms and that change doesn't always come from governments or international organizations. Sometimes it comes from ordinary people, other times from teachers and sometimes it comes from students who refuse to stop learning, no matter what obstacles they face. Every day, brave women like Haidary are writing new chapters of resistance and hope. They're proving that while you can close schools, you can't close minds. While you can ban books, you can't ban the human spirit's desire to grow and learn. That's the real story of Afghanistan's education crisis, and that's why Khadija Haidary's courage matters more than any political headline you'll ever read. Watch this interview and hear about Khadija's decision to walk from Afghanistan to Pakistan so she could write freely, and fight for girls education back home. Here Khadija speak about her love of the Jewish people, and similarities between her and Anne Frank. Khadija is so incredibly impressive. Be inspired Pay homage to humankind through her. Well done, Khadija. Well done!!! ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #Khadija Haidary #Afghanistan to Pakistan #girls education rights #jewishcommunity #women empowerment #education advocacy #freedom of speech #Afghan women #Pakistani border #walk for education #activism journey #fight for rights #inspiring stories #women's rights movement #education for girls #youth activism #cross-border journey #cultural exchange #human rights #female empowerment #social justice #global education

Transcript

THE TALIBAN HAD A PLAYBOOK: KHADIJA HAIRARY TORE IT UP! (Audio/Visual)

Picture this: you're fifteen years old, excited about your future, dreaming of becoming a doctor or engineer. Then overnight, armed men tell you your dreams don't matter because you're a girl. This is the reality for millions of Afghan girls since August 2021, when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan. While the world watched in horror as girls were banned from schools, one woman refused to accept this fate. Her name is Khadija Haidary, and what she did will restore your faith in human courage. When the Taliban took power, they systematically dismantled an entire generation's future. Over three million girls were suddenly told they couldn't learn. Universities became ghost towns. Women professors lost their jobs overnight. While others fell silent, Khadija chose to fight back in the most powerful way possible. Khadija, an Afghan educator, activist and writer understood that knowledge couldn't be destroyed by decrees. It could only be hidden, protected, and passed on in secret. What she did next was both dangerous and brilliant. Instead of accepting defeat, Khadija became part of an underground network of educators who refused to let Afghan girls lose their right to learn. These brave women created secret schools, hidden classrooms, and clandestine education networks that operated under the Taliban's nose. While international headlines focus on politics and military situations, there's an entire shadow education system operating in Afghanistan. Women like Haidary have created mobile schools that move locations constantly to avoid detection. They teach in basements, private homes, and hidden corners of buildings. They use coded language and secret signals to communicate with students and parents. The methods are ingenious and heartbreaking at the same time. Teachers disguise themselves as housekeepers or relatives visiting homes. They carry books hidden under traditional clothing. Students attend classes pretending to be at social gatherings. These educators have turned resistance into an art form. Khadija's work represents something bigger than just education. It's about preserving hope in the darkest of times. People like her remind us that resistance takes many forms and that change doesn't always come from governments or international organizations. Sometimes it comes from ordinary people, other times from teachers and sometimes it comes from students who refuse to stop learning, no matter what obstacles they face. Every day, brave women like Haidary are writing new chapters of resistance and hope. They're proving that while you can close schools, you can't close minds. While you can ban books, you can't ban the human spirit's desire to grow and learn. That's the real story of Afghanistan's education crisis, and that's why Khadija Haidary's courage matters more than any political headline you'll ever read. Watch this interview and hear about Khadija's decision to walk from Afghanistan to Pakistan so she could write freely, and fight for girls education back home. Here Khadija speak about her love of the Jewish people, and similarities between her and Anne Frank. Khadija is so incredibly impressive. Be inspired Pay homage to humankind through her. Well done, Khadija. Well done!!! ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #Khadija Haidary #Afghanistan to Pakistan #girls education rights #jewishcommunity #women empowerment #education advocacy #freedom of speech #Afghan women #Pakistani border #walk for education #activism journey #fight for rights #inspiring stories #women's rights movement #education for girls #youth activism #cross-border journey #cultural exchange #human rights #female empowerment #social justice #global education

TORAH IN REAL TIME, THE TORAH PORTION MIKETZ: JOSEPH, EGYPT, LEADERSHIP & WORLD HUNGER (Audio)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time, the podcast with Rabbi Shlomo Gemara and where ancient text meets the urgent moral questions of the present moment. This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Miketz, opens with one of the most cinematic scenes in Genesis: Pharaoh’s unsettling dreams, Joseph’s sudden rise from prison to power, and the appointment of an outsider as steward of an empire on the brink of famine. At first glance, Miketz reads like political drama — visions, strategy, power, and survival. But our tradition insists this story is far more than history. It is a meditation on leadership, responsibility, and how human beings respond when crisis looms. Joseph does more than interpret dreams. He plans. He prepares. He understands that insight without action is empty. The Torah highlights not only survival, but the ethical organization of society — storing abundance in years of plenty so that when scarcity arrives, the vulnerable are not abandoned. Miketz teaches that foresight is a moral act, and that leadership is measured by who is protected when times grow dark. Learning Miketz this year, it is impossible not to feel its resonance with our own world. Just days ago, a horrific anti-Semitic terror attack struck a Jewish community gathering near Bondi Beach in Sydney, shattering lives during what should have been a time of light and celebration. At the same time, global hunger is deepening at an alarming rate, with hundreds of millions facing crisis-level food insecurity due to conflict, climate shocks, and failing systems of care. In Miketz, famine is not just a backdrop — it is the catalyst for transformation. Joseph’s story challenges us to ask the hardest questions of our moment: How do we respond to hatred and violence against our communities? How do we mobilize compassion and resources when the most basic human needs are at stake? And what kind of moral vision do we offer — in times of abundance and in times of fear? Today’s episode explores Parashat Miketz through the lens of classical commentators and contemporary reality, asking how an ancient story of dreams, power, and hunger still speaks — urgently — to the world we are living in now. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #Torahinrealtime #RabbiShlomoGemara #MIketz #Joseph #Egypt

TORAH IN REAL TIME, THE TORAH PORTION MIKETZ: JOSEPH, EGYPT, LEADERSHIP & WORLD HUNGER (Audio/Visual)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time, the podcast with Rabbi Shlomo Gemara and where ancient text meets the urgent moral questions of the present moment. This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Miketz, opens with one of the most cinematic scenes in Genesis: Pharaoh’s unsettling dreams, Joseph’s sudden rise from prison to power, and the appointment of an outsider as steward of an empire on the brink of famine. At first glance, Miketz reads like political drama — visions, strategy, power, and survival. But our tradition insists this story is far more than history. It is a meditation on leadership, responsibility, and how human beings respond when crisis looms. Joseph does more than interpret dreams. He plans. He prepares. He understands that insight without action is empty. The Torah highlights not only survival, but the ethical organization of society — storing abundance in years of plenty so that when scarcity arrives, the vulnerable are not abandoned. Miketz teaches that foresight is a moral act, and that leadership is measured by who is protected when times grow dark. Learning Miketz this year, it is impossible not to feel its resonance with our own world. Just days ago, a horrific anti-Semitic terror attack struck a Jewish community gathering near Bondi Beach in Sydney, shattering lives during what should have been a time of light and celebration. At the same time, global hunger is deepening at an alarming rate, with hundreds of millions facing crisis-level food insecurity due to conflict, climate shocks, and failing systems of care. In Miketz, famine is not just a backdrop — it is the catalyst for transformation. Joseph’s story challenges us to ask the hardest questions of our moment: How do we respond to hatred and violence against our communities? How do we mobilize compassion and resources when the most basic human needs are at stake? And what kind of moral vision do we offer — in times of abundance and in times of fear? Today’s episode explores Parashat Miketz through the lens of classical commentators and contemporary reality, asking how an ancient story of dreams, power, and hunger still speaks — urgently — to the world we are living in now. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #Torahinrealtime #RabbiShlomoGemara #MIketz #Joseph #Egypt

WHEN THE EARTH BECOMES A THERAPIST: NIR AMITAY & RIMON FARMS -- THE PATH TO HEALING IN THE NEGEV (Audio)

Today on the podcast, we step into a place where healing begins not in words, but in soil. Rimon Farms is an association operating agricultural, educational-therapeutic farms across the Negev — places designed for people carrying heavy, often invisible burdens. Here, teenagers at risk of dropping out of the education system, soldiers and civilians living with post-trauma, and entire communities shaken by the events of October 7th are met with something rare: time, purpose, and a supportive community rooted in the land itself. At Rimon, agriculture is not a metaphor — it is the method. Through meaningful, productive farm work, professional therapeutic care, and human connection, individuals rebuild trust in themselves and in the world around them. Each farm serves a distinct population, offering holistic programs that integrate education, treatment, life skills, vocational training, and family involvement — all guided by dedicated, highly skilled staff who model resilience and responsibility. At the heart of this vision stands Nir Amitay, the founding CEO of Rimon Farms, born on Kibbutz Lahav. Nir’s leadership came not from theory, but from lived experience — from an intimate understanding of trauma, loss, and the long road back to functioning. He saw that healing does not always happen in clinics or classrooms, but often through steady work, relationship, and reconnection to the rhythms of life. Under his guidance, Rimon Farms has grown into a network of healing spaces — from Lahav and Shekef to Beer Sheva, and soon near Kibbutz Or HaNer and Kibbutz Reim — strengthening both individuals and the wider communities of the Western Negev. Today, we hear the story behind that vision: how land becomes therapy, how community restores dignity, and how, with patience and care, even the most fractured lives can take root again. Nir is joined by Julia Jacobson, an olah living in the Negev, and responsible for building and nurturing partnerships with North America. See www.rimon-farm.org.il/en . For more information, or to donate or volunteer, call Julia at 972 52 336 2005. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #rimonfarms #Niramitay #JuliaJacobson #Negev #healthingthroughearth

Transcript

WHEN THE EARTH BECOMES A THERAPIST: NIR AMITAY & RIMON FARMS -- THE PATH TO HEALING IN THE NEGEV (Audio/Video)

Today on the podcast, we step into a place where healing begins not in words, but in soil. Rimon Farms is an association operating agricultural, educational-therapeutic farms across the Negev — places designed for people carrying heavy, often invisible burdens. Here, teenagers at risk of dropping out of the education system, soldiers and civilians living with post-trauma, and entire communities shaken by the events of October 7th are met with something rare: time, purpose, and a supportive community rooted in the land itself. At Rimon, agriculture is not a metaphor — it is the method. Through meaningful, productive farm work, professional therapeutic care, and human connection, individuals rebuild trust in themselves and in the world around them. Each farm serves a distinct population, offering holistic programs that integrate education, treatment, life skills, vocational training, and family involvement — all guided by dedicated, highly skilled staff who model resilience and responsibility. At the heart of this vision stands Nir Amitay, the founding CEO of Rimon Farms, born on Kibbutz Lahav. Nir’s leadership came not from theory, but from lived experience — from an intimate understanding of trauma, loss, and the long road back to functioning. He saw that healing does not always happen in clinics or classrooms, but often through steady work, relationship, and reconnection to the rhythms of life. Under his guidance, Rimon Farms has grown into a network of healing spaces — from Lahav and Shekef to Beer Sheva, and soon near Kibbutz Or HaNer and Kibbutz Reim — strengthening both individuals and the wider communities of the Western Negev. Today, we hear the story behind that vision: how land becomes therapy, how community restores dignity, and how, with patience and care, even the most fractured lives can take root again. Nir is joined by Julia Jacobson, an olah living in the Negev, and responsible for building and nurturing partnerships with North America. See www.rimon-farm.org.il/en . For more information, or to donate or volunteer, call Julia at 972 52 336 2005. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #rimonfarms #Niramitay #JuliaJacobson #Negev #healthingthroughearth

TORAH IN REAL TIME: PARSHAT VAYEHEV, HOMESSNESS & UNJUST IMPRISONMENT (Audio)

Welcome back to Torah in Real Time, where we bring the Torah into conversation with the world we’re living in right now. This week, we enter Vayeshev, a portion that opens with a word that sounds so gentle — vayeshev, “and he settled.” But the calm barely lasts a verse. Almost immediately, the Torah pulls us into a family tearing at the seams, a teenager cast out of his home, and a world where innocence offers no protection. Joseph begins this parsha as a gifted, dreamy, maybe naïve young man — but still very much a child. And yet, like far too many young people today, he finds himself suddenly homeless through no fault of his own. His brothers strip him, betray him, and sell him away. Joseph becomes the biblical face of a tragedy we still witness in our own cities: youth pushed into the streets because of conflict, jealousy, misunderstanding, or because they simply don’t “fit” the system around them. Vayeshev asks us a piercing question: What becomes of a young soul when the very people meant to protect them send them into the wilderness? But Joseph’s fall doesn’t end there. He is wrongfully accused, imprisoned, and silenced — another victim of a broken justice system. And as we read his story, we can’t help but see reflections of the millions today who sit behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit, casualties of bias, error, or circumstance. People whose brilliance, creativity, and promise remain locked away behind someone else’s mistake. And yet — and this is where Vayeshev shines — the Torah insists that resilience can rise from the rubble. Even in confinement, Joseph becomes a leader. Even without a home, he builds community. Even when forgotten, he interprets dreams — his own and those of others — reminding us that purpose can survive even in the darkest places. So as we study Vayeshev this week, we look at Joseph not as a distant biblical figure, but as a mirror held up to our world. Whom have we cast out? Whom have we overlooked? Whom have we locked away? And perhaps most urgently — who among them carries a spark the world desperately needs? Vayeshev calls us to recognize the Josephs of today: the homeless youth sleeping in shelters and doorways, the wrongfully convicted waiting for justice, the dreamers whose hope flickers but has not gone out. May this portion remind us that greatness often begins with someone the world tried to discard — and that our work, in real time, is to bring them back into the circle of dignity, safety, and hope. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow

TORAH IN REAL TIME: PARSHAT VAYEHEV, HOMESSNESS & UNJUST IMPRISONMENT (Audio/Visual)

Welcome back to Torah in Real Time, where we bring the Torah into conversation with the world we’re living in right now. This week, we enter Vayeshev, a portion that opens with a word that sounds so gentle — vayeshev, “and he settled.” But the calm barely lasts a verse. Almost immediately, the Torah pulls us into a family tearing at the seams, a teenager cast out of his home, and a world where innocence offers no protection. Joseph begins this parsha as a gifted, dreamy, maybe naïve young man — but still very much a child. And yet, like far too many young people today, he finds himself suddenly homeless through no fault of his own. His brothers strip him, betray him, and sell him away. Joseph becomes the biblical face of a tragedy we still witness in our own cities: youth pushed into the streets because of conflict, jealousy, misunderstanding, or because they simply don’t “fit” the system around them. Vayeshev asks us a piercing question: What becomes of a young soul when the very people meant to protect them send them into the wilderness? But Joseph’s fall doesn’t end there. He is wrongfully accused, imprisoned, and silenced — another victim of a broken justice system. And as we read his story, we can’t help but see reflections of the millions today who sit behind bars for crimes they didn’t commit, casualties of bias, error, or circumstance. People whose brilliance, creativity, and promise remain locked away behind someone else’s mistake. And yet — and this is where Vayeshev shines — the Torah insists that resilience can rise from the rubble. Even in confinement, Joseph becomes a leader. Even without a home, he builds community. Even when forgotten, he interprets dreams — his own and those of others — reminding us that purpose can survive even in the darkest places. So as we study Vayeshev this week, we look at Joseph not as a distant biblical figure, but as a mirror held up to our world. Whom have we cast out? Whom have we overlooked? Whom have we locked away? And perhaps most urgently — who among them carries a spark the world desperately needs? Vayeshev calls us to recognize the Josephs of today: the homeless youth sleeping in shelters and doorways, the wrongfully convicted waiting for justice, the dreamers whose hope flickers but has not gone out. May this portion remind us that greatness often begins with someone the world tried to discard — and that our work, in real time, is to bring them back into the circle of dignity, safety, and hope. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow

SOLLY KAPLINSKI: THE ARCHITECT OF COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE (Audio)

I’m honored to welcome a remarkable educator, communal builder, and gifted storyteller: Solly Kaplinski. Solly’s journey stretches across continents, communities, and generations. He began his career as Headmaster of Herzlia High School in Cape Town, later leading Jewish day schools in Toronto and Vancouver — shaping thousands of students and leaving a lasting imprint on Jewish education. More than 25 years ago, he made Aliyah, where his professional path formed an extraordinary arc, touched by two institutions that sit at the very heart of the Jewish story. At Yad Vashem, working in the International Relations Department, Solly helped carry the weight of memory and meaning on behalf of Jewish communities around the world. And at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), he spent 17 years as Executive Director of Overseas Joint Ventures — building partnerships, strengthening Jewish life across continents, and nurturing connections that continue to echo today. Solly is also a writer. His novella A World of Pains: A Redemptive Parable? and his two moving volumes on donors and fundraisers — all available as free downloads at journeysintothegentleheart.com — reveal yet another dimension of his commitment to Jewish story, memory, and heart. Solly lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Arleen. Their three daughters — along with their spouses and what he lovingly calls an “egalitarian minyan” of grandchildren — all make their homes in Israel. It is truly a privilege to sit with someone whose life has been dedicated to education, service, remembrance, and the quiet, powerful work of building community. Solly Kaplinski — welcome to the show. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow

SOLLY KAPLINSKI: THE ARCHITECT OF COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL CHANGE (Audio/Visual)

I’m honored to welcome a remarkable educator, communal builder, and gifted storyteller: Solly Kaplinski. Solly’s journey stretches across continents, communities, and generations. He began his career as Headmaster of Herzlia High School in Cape Town, later leading Jewish day schools in Toronto and Vancouver — shaping thousands of students and leaving a lasting imprint on Jewish education. More than 25 years ago, he made Aliyah, where his professional path formed an extraordinary arc, touched by two institutions that sit at the very heart of the Jewish story. At Yad Vashem, working in the International Relations Department, Solly helped carry the weight of memory and meaning on behalf of Jewish communities around the world. And at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), he spent 17 years as Executive Director of Overseas Joint Ventures — building partnerships, strengthening Jewish life across continents, and nurturing connections that continue to echo today. Solly is also a writer. His novella A World of Pains: A Redemptive Parable? and his two moving volumes on donors and fundraisers — all available as free downloads at journeysintothegentleheart.com — reveal yet another dimension of his commitment to Jewish story, memory, and heart. Solly lives in Jerusalem with his wife, Arleen. Their three daughters — along with their spouses and what he lovingly calls an “egalitarian minyan” of grandchildren — all make their homes in Israel. It is truly a privilege to sit with someone whose life has been dedicated to education, service, remembrance, and the quiet, powerful work of building community. Solly Kaplinski — welcome to the show. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @avrumrosensweigshow   Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram:   / avrumrosensweigshow   TikTok:   / avrumrosensweig   #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #sollykaplinski