The Tisch Jcast Network

“What’s the point of Judaism?” How many of us have asked this question? Turns out, Jews have been asking them for a long time. Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students study and discuss “Sefer Ha-Hinukh / The Book of Education.” Written anonymously in the mid-13th century, this radical book offers rationales for every […]

“What’s the point of Judaism? Does God really care if I eat this cheeseburger?” How many of us have asked these questions? Turns out, Jews have been asking them for a long time. Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students study and discuss “Sefer Ha-Hinukh / The Book of Education.” Written anonymously in the […]

“What’s the point of Judaism? Does God really care if I eat this cheeseburger?” How many of us have asked these questions? Turns out, Jews have been asking them for a long time. Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students study and discuss “Sefer Ha-Hinukh / The Book of Education.” Written anonymously in the […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he presents the exciting new publication, “Slavery, Freedom, and Everything Between,” edited by Rabbi Menachem Creditor and Rabbi Aaron Alexander. This collection explores the themes and lessons of Passover. Rabbi Knopf reads from and discusses the book and presents his own essay, “On Redemption.” You can order your copy here. All […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he answers his students most pressing Jewish questions about Passover, Kashrut, and Jewish life!

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “The Doctrine of Religious Solipsism,” in which Heschel claims that we suffer from too much egocentricity, and that the goal of prayer is self-surrender. Can prayer save […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “The Doctrine of Prayer as a Social Act,” in which Heschel argues that prayer is more than an opportunity for Jews to come together and form community, […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “The Doctrine of Religious Behaviorism,” in which Heschel claims that, in the modern American synagogue, we serve tradition rather than God, emphasizing behavior rather than meaning. What […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “The Doctrine of Agnosticism,” in which Heschel claims we have divorced God from prayer and banished prayer from the synagogue. As a result, the soul of the […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “Spiritual Absenteeism,” in which Heschel challenges the modern American synagogue, and the worshippers therein, to bring more spirit, soulfulness, and emotion into congregational prayer. How can our […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss “Praying by Proxy,” and wonder: “Has the temple become the graveyard where prayer is buried?” Does synagogue prayer move you? Should it? How can our places of […]

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss the “Separation of Church and God,” and wonder whether we can or should bring God back to shul.

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss the purpose of the ancient sacrificial system, and the way in which prayer is meant to be a substitute for sacrifice.

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss the meaning and purpose of prayer. This week, we continue discussing a recent essay by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson about conceptualizing prayer in a way that makes sense with our beliefs about God. You can read the essay here, and join the conversation.

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss the meaning and purpose of prayer. This week, we discuss a recent essay by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson about conceptualizing prayer in a way that makes sense with our beliefs about God. You can read the essay here, and join the conversation.

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss the meaning and purpose of prayer. This week, we discuss a recent essay by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson about conceptualizing prayer in a way that makes sense with our beliefs about God. You can read the essay here, and join the conversation.

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, ”Man’s Quest for God.” his week, we discuss whether it matters if you understand and/or know how to recite the formal Hebrew prayers of the prayerbook. What do you think?

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, ”Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss whether prayer is supposed to be about us talking to God, or us allowing God to talk to us. What do you think?

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, ”Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss whether prayer is a dialogue with God, a monologue, or something else entirely. What do you think?

Join Rabbi Knopf as he and his students discuss Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s monumental collection of essays on Jewish prayer, “Man’s Quest for God.” This week, we discuss the preparation and training necessary for cultivating a successful prayer life: Do I really need to know Hebrew and choreography to succeed at Jewish prayer?