The Avrum Rosensweig Show

BESHALACH: THE SEA SPLITS - TORAH IN REAL TIME (Audio)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time with Rabbi Shlomo Gemara. Parashat Beshalach is remembered for thunder and miracle— for a sea split open, for walls of water, for a people finally breaking free from centuries of slavery. It is remembered for Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea— for faith erupting into poetry, for a nation finding its voice. But before any of that— before the water parts, before the singing begins— the Torah tells us something quieter, heavier, and more demanding: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.” The people do not leave Egypt empty-handed. They do not rush forward in triumph alone. They carry their dead. They carry a promise made generations earlier. They carry the weight of unfinished redemption. Beshalach teaches us that freedom is not only about escape. It is about responsibility. It is about refusing to build a future that forgets those who were lost along the way. The Exodus is not only a story of running. It is a story of carrying. Only then do they reach the sea. Only then does Pharaoh chase. Only then does terror rise and faith is tested. The people cry out. They feel trapped—with water in front of them and an army behind them. This is not yet the song. This is the moment before the miracle, when courage is demanded without guarantees. And it is precisely there—at the edge of fear— that redemption takes its most honest shape. This week, Beshalach is no longer only a Torah portion. It is a living reality. As Israel receives the final hostage, Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, Beshalach is unfolding in real time. Ran Gvili was a police special forces officer who ran toward danger on October 7th to defend Israeli civilians. He was killed in battle and taken into Gaza. After 843 days, his remains were finally brought home for burial—closing a chapter of captivity for the Jewish people. Like Joseph’s bones, Ran Gvili’s return reminds us of a hard truth: A people cannot truly cross forward while someone is still missing. A nation cannot fully sing while one soul is left behind. Only after the sea splits does the Torah say: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord.” The Song of the Sea is not just a song of victory. It is a song that comes after responsibility. After memory. After carrying the weight of covenant. The Torah describes the sea parting “by the breath of God’s nostrils.” In the Torah, nostrils—af, apayim—are the gateway of breath and life, but also of power, anger, and divine force. The same breath that gives life is the breath that reshapes the world. And only then do the words rise: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously… The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” Beshalach teaches us that redemption is not measured only by miracles. It is measured by memory. By dignity. By who we insist on bringing with us. Today, as Israel brings home Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, we are living Joseph’s bones in real time. We are being reminded that true freedom is not only about who walks out— but about who is carried out. This is not ancient history. This is Beshalach. This is the sea in front of us. This is the weight we carry. This is 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 #ParashatBeshalach #ShiratHaYam #CarryingThePast #RedemptionAndResponsibility #MemoryIsFreedom #JosephsBones #BeforeTheSong #FaithAtTheEdge #ThisIsNow #RanGvili #hostagesGaza #Gaza

BESHALACH: THE SEA SPLITS - TORAH IN REAL TIME (Audio/Visual)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time with Rabbi Shlomo Gemara. Parashat Beshalach is remembered for thunder and miracle— for a sea split open, for walls of water, for a people finally breaking free from centuries of slavery. It is remembered for Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea— for faith erupting into poetry, for a nation finding its voice. But before any of that— before the water parts, before the singing begins— the Torah tells us something quieter, heavier, and more demanding: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.” The people do not leave Egypt empty-handed. They do not rush forward in triumph alone. They carry their dead. They carry a promise made generations earlier. They carry the weight of unfinished redemption. Beshalach teaches us that freedom is not only about escape. It is about responsibility. It is about refusing to build a future that forgets those who were lost along the way. The Exodus is not only a story of running. It is a story of carrying. Only then do they reach the sea. Only then does Pharaoh chase. Only then does terror rise and faith is tested. The people cry out. They feel trapped—with water in front of them and an army behind them. This is not yet the song. This is the moment before the miracle, when courage is demanded without guarantees. And it is precisely there—at the edge of fear— that redemption takes its most honest shape. This week, Beshalach is no longer only a Torah portion. It is a living reality. As Israel receives the final hostage, Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, Beshalach is unfolding in real time. Ran Gvili was a police special forces officer who ran toward danger on October 7th to defend Israeli civilians. He was killed in battle and taken into Gaza. After 843 days, his remains were finally brought home for burial—closing a chapter of captivity for the Jewish people. Like Joseph’s bones, Ran Gvili’s return reminds us of a hard truth: A people cannot truly cross forward while someone is still missing. A nation cannot fully sing while one soul is left behind. Only after the sea splits does the Torah say: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord.” The Song of the Sea is not just a song of victory. It is a song that comes after responsibility. After memory. After carrying the weight of covenant. The Torah describes the sea parting “by the breath of God’s nostrils.” In the Torah, nostrils—af, apayim—are the gateway of breath and life, but also of power, anger, and divine force. The same breath that gives life is the breath that reshapes the world. And only then do the words rise: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously… The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” Beshalach teaches us that redemption is not measured only by miracles. It is measured by memory. By dignity. By who we insist on bringing with us. Today, as Israel brings home Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, we are living Joseph’s bones in real time. We are being reminded that true freedom is not only about who walks out— but about who is carried out. This is not ancient history. This is Beshalach. This is the sea in front of us. This is the weight we carry. This is 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 #ParashatBeshalach #ShiratHaYam #CarryingThePast #RedemptionAndResponsibility #MemoryIsFreedom #JosephsBones #BeforeTheSong #FaithAtTheEdge #ThisIsNow #RanGvili #hostagesGaza #Gaza

Weight, Worth & Torah: A Radical Jewish Conversation (Audio)

Today on the podcast, I’m deeply honored to welcome Rabbi Dr. Minna Bromberg — the founder and president of Fat Torah, a groundbreaking initiative working at the intersection of Jewish life, sacred text, and body liberation. Fat Torah’s mission is both urgent and expansive: to confront and end weight stigma in Jewish communal spaces, to train leaders and educators to recognize and uproot fatphobia wherever it appears — including within ourselves — and to cultivate spiritual practices rooted in dignity, wholeness, and liberation for people of every body size. Rabbi Bromberg brings more than three decades of fat activism into deep conversation with Judaism, theology, and lived experience. She holds a PhD in sociology from Northwestern University, was ordained at Hebrew College, has led a 250-family Conservative congregation, released multiple albums of original music, made aliyah, and directed the Year-in-Israel program for Hebrew College rabbinical students. She is also a voice teacher who helps people reclaim their voices in prayer — work that beautifully echoes Fat Torah’s insistence that every body and every voice truly belongs. Minna lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Alan Abrams, and their two children. Her forthcoming book, Every Body Beloved: A Call for Fat Liberation in Jewish Life, challenges us to rethink holiness, tradition, and belonging from the inside out. This is a conversation about Torah, justice, embodiment, and what it really means to create Jewish communities where no one has to shrink themselves — physically, spiritually, or emotionally — in order to belong. ——🎧 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 #FatTorah #MinnaBromberg #EveryBodyBeloved #BodyLiberation #JewishJustice #SacredBodies #EndWeightStigma #FatLiberation #JudaismAndJustice #BodyPositivity #TorahForEveryBody #BodyDignity #JewishValues #SpiritualLiberation #EmbodiedJudaism #FaithAndJustice #InclusiveJudaism #BelongingInJudaism #JusticeInEveryBody #SacredBelonging

Weight, Worth & Torah: A Radical Jewish Conversation (Audio/Visual)

Today on the podcast, I’m deeply honored to welcome Rabbi Dr. Minna Bromberg — the founder and president of Fat Torah, a groundbreaking initiative working at the intersection of Jewish life, sacred text, and body liberation. Fat Torah’s mission is both urgent and expansive: to confront and end weight stigma in Jewish communal spaces, to train leaders and educators to recognize and uproot fatphobia wherever it appears — including within ourselves — and to cultivate spiritual practices rooted in dignity, wholeness, and liberation for people of every body size. Rabbi Bromberg brings more than three decades of fat activism into deep conversation with Judaism, theology, and lived experience. She holds a PhD in sociology from Northwestern University, was ordained at Hebrew College, has led a 250-family Conservative congregation, released multiple albums of original music, made aliyah, and directed the Year-in-Israel program for Hebrew College rabbinical students. She is also a voice teacher who helps people reclaim their voices in prayer — work that beautifully echoes Fat Torah’s insistence that every body and every voice truly belongs. Minna lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Rabbi Alan Abrams, and their two children. Her forthcoming book, Every Body Beloved: A Call for Fat Liberation in Jewish Life, challenges us to rethink holiness, tradition, and belonging from the inside out. This is a conversation about Torah, justice, embodiment, and what it really means to create Jewish communities where no one has to shrink themselves — physically, spiritually, or emotionally — in order to belong. ——🎧 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 #FatTorah #MinnaBromberg #EveryBodyBeloved #BodyLiberation #JewishJustice #SacredBodies #EndWeightStigma #FatLiberation #JudaismAndJustice #BodyPositivity #TorahForEveryBody #BodyDignity #JewishValues #SpiritualLiberation #EmbodiedJudaism #FaithAndJustice #InclusiveJudaism #BelongingInJudaism #JusticeInEveryBody #SacredBelonging

From Pharaoh to Tehran — Parshat Bo (Audio)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time with Avrum Rosensweig and Rabbi Shlomo Gemara! This week we enter Parashat Bo—the moment in the Exodus when power finally collapses under the weight of its own cruelty. Egypt is no longer warned. It is undone. Darkness presses in. The future is struck down first. And still, Pharaoh refuses to let go—not because he doesn’t know he’s wrong, but because surrendering power would mean admitting moral failure. What’s most radical in Bo isn’t what happens to Egypt—it’s what happens to the enslaved Israelites. Before they are free, they begin acting free. They mark their doors. They slaughter the Egyptian god in public. They reclaim time itself. While still trapped inside an empire, they stop thinking like slaves. And that’s why Bo feels painfully current. Because today, in Iran, we are watching the same pattern unfold. A rigid regime clings to control while its people pay the price—through repression, economic collapse, darkness, and death. And beneath that regime, something irreversible is happening. Women remove hijabs. Protesters speak openly. Families mourn in public. People act free before they are free. Parashat Bo teaches that tyrannies don’t fall because they’re persuaded—but because their moral emptiness is exposed, and because the people beneath them stop pretending. Freedom doesn’t begin at the border. It begins the moment fear stops dictating behavior. In every generation, Bo asks the same question: Who is still clinging to power at the cost of human life—and who is already preparing to walk out? Let’s learn. Let’s listen. And let’s see what freedom looks like in real time. ——🎧 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 #ParashatBo #TorahInRealTime ExodusNow #FreedomBeforeFreedom #ActingFree #EndOfTyranny #MoralCollapse #PharaohMindset #HardeningOfTheHeart #FromSlaveryToFreedom #RedemptionBeginsWithin #IranUprising #WomenLifeFreedom #AuthoritarianismFails #FaithAndResistance #CourageOverFear #SpiritualRebellion #TimeIsFreedom #KorbanPesach #LightAgainstDarkness

From Pharaoh to Tehran — Parshat Bo (Audio/Visual)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time with Avrum Rosensweig and Rabbi Shlomo Gemara! This week we enter Parashat Bo—the moment in the Exodus when power finally collapses under the weight of its own cruelty. Egypt is no longer warned. It is undone. Darkness presses in. The future is struck down first. And still, Pharaoh refuses to let go—not because he doesn’t know he’s wrong, but because surrendering power would mean admitting moral failure. What’s most radical in Bo isn’t what happens to Egypt—it’s what happens to the enslaved Israelites. Before they are free, they begin acting free. They mark their doors. They slaughter the Egyptian god in public. They reclaim time itself. While still trapped inside an empire, they stop thinking like slaves. And that’s why Bo feels painfully current. Because today, in Iran, we are watching the same pattern unfold. A rigid regime clings to control while its people pay the price—through repression, economic collapse, darkness, and death. And beneath that regime, something irreversible is happening. Women remove hijabs. Protesters speak openly. Families mourn in public. People act free before they are free. Parashat Bo teaches that tyrannies don’t fall because they’re persuaded—but because their moral emptiness is exposed, and because the people beneath them stop pretending. Freedom doesn’t begin at the border. It begins the moment fear stops dictating behavior. In every generation, Bo asks the same question: Who is still clinging to power at the cost of human life—and who is already preparing to walk out? Let’s learn. Let’s listen. And let’s see what freedom looks like in real time. ——🎧 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  #ParashatBo  #TorahInRealTime  #ExodusNow  #FreedomBeforeFreedom
#ActingFree  #EndOfTyranny  #MoralCollapse  #PharaohMindset
#HardeningOfTheHeart  #FromSlaveryToFreedom  #RedemptionBeginsWithin  #IranUprising  #WomenLifeFreedom
#AuthoritarianismFails  #FaithAndResistance  #CourageOverFear
#SpiritualRebellion  #TimeIsFreedom  #KorbanPesach
#LightAgainstDarkness

TORAH IN REAL TIME: PARSHAT VA'ERA & THE UPRISING IN IRAN (Audio)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time. This week we turn to Parashat Va’era, the second portion in the Book of Exodus—a moment when history, faith, and power collide. In Va’era, God reveals Himself to Moses and launches a direct confrontation with Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of his time. What follows are the first seven plagues—acts meant not only to punish Egypt, but to expose the moral bankruptcy of a system built on oppression. Again and again, Pharaoh hardens his heart. Again and again, the call for freedom is ignored. Va’era is not just a story of miracles; it is a story about resistance to change, the cost of stubborn power, and the long, painful road to liberation. And that is why Va’era speaks so loudly right now. Today, in Iran, millions of people across dozens of cities are rising up amid economic collapse, soaring prices, and deep frustration with an entrenched ruling system. What began as protests has become a nationwide challenge to authority—met with violent crackdowns, arrests, blackouts, and a mounting human toll. The details are modern, the context is different—but the themes feel hauntingly familiar. In both Va’era and Iran today, we see: Leaders clinging to power despite overwhelming suffering; Ordinary people demanding dignity, not just survival; Systems that respond to moral challenge with force rather than reflection. The Torah teaches that liberation does not come easily—and that hardened hearts often require escalating consequences before change becomes possible. At the same time, real-world struggles remind us that freedom carries real risk, real pain, and real human cost. Tonight, we will explore these parallels carefully and responsibly. We will also acknowledge the deep and ancient Jewish presence in Iran, one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world—still living, worshipping, and navigating a fragile existence inside a hostile political reality. Parashat Va’era is not ancient history locked in parchment. It is a living text—asking us urgent questions about power, conscience, courage, and what happens when rulers refuse to listen. That’s where our learning begins. ——🎧 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 #ParashatVaeira #Vaeira #TorahInRealTime #TorahAndCurrentEvents #ExodusAndFreedom #LetMyPeopleGo #PowerAndOppression #MoralCourage #HardeningOfTheHeart #JusticeAndLiberation #FaithAndResistance #IranUprising #IranProtests #FreedomForIran #VoicesOfTheOppressed #BiblicalLessonsToday #TorahEthics #AncientTextModernTimes #SpiritualResistance #HopeAndRedemption

TORAH IN REAL TIME: PARSHAT VA'ERA & THE UPRISING IN IRAN (Audio/Visual)

Welcome to Torah in Real Time. This week we turn to Parashat Va’era, the second portion in the Book of Exodus—a moment when history, faith, and power collide. In Va’era, God reveals Himself to Moses and launches a direct confrontation with Pharaoh, the most powerful ruler of his time. What follows are the first seven plagues—acts meant not only to punish Egypt, but to expose the moral bankruptcy of a system built on oppression. Again and again, Pharaoh hardens his heart. Again and again, the call for freedom is ignored. Va’era is not just a story of miracles; it is a story about resistance to change, the cost of stubborn power, and the long, painful road to liberation. And that is why Va’era speaks so loudly right now. Today, in Iran, millions of people across dozens of cities are rising up amid economic collapse, soaring prices, and deep frustration with an entrenched ruling system. What began as protests has become a nationwide challenge to authority—met with violent crackdowns, arrests, blackouts, and a mounting human toll. The details are modern, the context is different—but the themes feel hauntingly familiar. In both Va’era and Iran today, we see: Leaders clinging to power despite overwhelming suffering; Ordinary people demanding dignity, not just survival; Systems that respond to moral challenge with force rather than reflection. The Torah teaches that liberation does not come easily—and that hardened hearts often require escalating consequences before change becomes possible. At the same time, real-world struggles remind us that freedom carries real risk, real pain, and real human cost. Tonight, we will explore these parallels carefully and responsibly. We will also acknowledge the deep and ancient Jewish presence in Iran, one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world—still living, worshipping, and navigating a fragile existence inside a hostile political reality. Parashat Va’era is not ancient history locked in parchment. It is a living text—asking us urgent questions about power, conscience, courage, and what happens when rulers refuse to listen. That’s where our learning begins. ——🎧 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 #ParashatVaeira #Vaeira #TorahInRealTime #TorahAndCurrentEvents #ExodusAndFreedom #LetMyPeopleGo #PowerAndOppression #MoralCourage #HardeningOfTheHeart #JusticeAndLiberation #FaithAndResistance #IranUprising #IranProtests #FreedomForIran #VoicesOfTheOppressed #BiblicalLessonsToday #TorahEthics #AncientTextModernTimes #SpiritualResistance #HopeAndRedemption

162 Hospital Visits for a Misdiagnosed Illness: Dr. Marci Reiss (Audio)

On this podcast, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Marci Reiss. Marci’s story begins where so many hopeful stories begin—with a future wide open. In her mid-twenties, newly married, on her way to medical school, life felt full of promise. And then, over a single Valentine’s Day weekend, everything changed. What began as a headache and a walk along the beach became a medical crisis. A frightening diagnosis. A sentence that would quietly govern the next fourteen years of her life. “You have Crohn’s disease,” a doctor said—and walked out of the room. With those words, Marci entered a world of hospitals, procedures, chronic pain, and relentless uncertainty. She was hospitalized 162 times. She survived sepsis twice. She watched every corner of her life—marriage, motherhood, work, identity—bend under the weight of being chronically ill. But this is not only a story about suffering. It’s a story about resilience. About misdiagnosis. And about the staggering consequences of human certainty when it goes unchallenged. Fourteen years later, a world-renowned physician discovered the truth: Marci never had Crohn’s disease at all. Her illness had been caused by medications prescribed for a disease she didn’t have. When those medications stopped, her health returned. So what does someone do with fourteen years lost to an illness that wasn’t real—but whose pain absolutely was? Marci chose to turn loss into purpose. She devoted her life to helping others still living inside that prison—people whose bodies hurt, whose voices are doubted, whose identities have been reduced to diagnoses. Her wisdom isn’t born from textbooks alone, but from lived experience: helping people find clarity in chaos, reclaim identity beyond illness, and remember who they are beneath medical labels. She has helped build integrated models of care at major institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California San Diego—bringing mental and emotional health into spaces that once focused only on the body. This is a conversation about grief and healing. About the fragility of certainty. And about reclaiming a life after everything you thought you knew falls apart. I’m deeply grateful to share it with you. ——🎧 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 #drmarcireiss #MarciReiss #DrMarciReiss #crohnsdisease #misdiagnosed #MedicalMisdiagnosis #MedicalMisdiagnosis #ChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalError #InvisibleIllness Secondary (identity + healing) #HealingJourney #Resilience #TraumaAndRecovery #LifeAfterDiagnosis #162HospitalVisits #FourteenYearsLost #WhenDoctorsAreWrong #BeyondTheDiagnosis #ThePainWasReal #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #PodcastInterview #LongFormConversation #ChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalError #InvisibleIllness #HealingJourney #Resilience #TraumaAndRecovery #LifeAfterDiagnosis

162 Hospital Visits, For a Misdiagnosed Illness: Dr. Marci Reiss (Audio/Visual)

On this podcast, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Marci Reiss. Marci’s story begins where so many hopeful stories begin—with a future wide open. In her mid-twenties, newly married, on her way to medical school, life felt full of promise. And then, over a single Valentine’s Day weekend, everything changed. What began as a headache and a walk along the beach became a medical crisis. A frightening diagnosis. A sentence that would quietly govern the next fourteen years of her life. “You have Crohn’s disease,” a doctor said—and walked out of the room. With those words, Marci entered a world of hospitals, procedures, chronic pain, and relentless uncertainty. She was hospitalized 162 times. She survived sepsis twice. She watched every corner of her life—marriage, motherhood, work, identity—bend under the weight of being chronically ill. But this is not only a story about suffering. It’s a story about resilience. About misdiagnosis. And about the staggering consequences of human certainty when it goes unchallenged. Fourteen years later, a world-renowned physician discovered the truth: Marci never had Crohn’s disease at all. Her illness had been caused by medications prescribed for a disease she didn’t have. When those medications stopped, her health returned. So what does someone do with fourteen years lost to an illness that wasn’t real—but whose pain absolutely was? Marci chose to turn loss into purpose. She devoted her life to helping others still living inside that prison—people whose bodies hurt, whose voices are doubted, whose identities have been reduced to diagnoses. Her wisdom isn’t born from textbooks alone, but from lived experience: helping people find clarity in chaos, reclaim identity beyond illness, and remember who they are beneath medical labels. She has helped build integrated models of care at major institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California San Diego—bringing mental and emotional health into spaces that once focused only on the body. This is a conversation about grief and healing. About the fragility of certainty. And about reclaiming a life after everything you thought you knew falls apart. I’m deeply grateful to share it with you. ——🎧 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 #drmarcireiss #MarciReiss #DrMarciReiss #crohnsdisease #misdiagnosed #MedicalMisdiagnosis #MedicalMisdiagnosis #ChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalError #InvisibleIllness Secondary (identity + healing) #HealingJourney #Resilience #TraumaAndRecovery #LifeAfterDiagnosis #162HospitalVisits #FourteenYearsLost #WhenDoctorsAreWrong #BeyondTheDiagnosis #ThePainWasReal #TheAvrumRosensweigShow #PodcastInterview #LongFormConversation #ChronicIllness #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalError #InvisibleIllness #HealingJourney #Resilience #TraumaAndRecovery #LifeAfterDiagnosis