Jewish Insights with Justin Pines

The Word That Brought the Golem to Life | Justin Pines Yom Kippur Message 2026

Join JBS CEO Rabbi Justin Pines as he offers his special 2026 Yom Kippur Message, which calls on all people to take action to bring more truth, or "EMET" in Hebrew, into

Returning to Yourself: Rabbi Avi Weiss on Yom Kippur

This Yom Kippur, Justin Pines welcomes back his teacher and rebbe, Rabbi Avi Weiss, for an hour-long journey through the holiest day of the Jewish year.  Rabbi Weiss, fo

The Vulnerability of God with Gila Fine

Can God be vulnerable? National Jewish Book Award winner Gila Fine explores the stunning talmudic tale of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha, who entered the Holy of Holies on Yom

Michelle Farber: Bringing Talmud to the World

The Talmud is the foundational text of Judaism — every law, every debate, every dissenting opinion preserved across 2,711 pages. For centuries it was accessible only to s

The Most Important Words in Judaism

The Shema is Judaism's most iconic declaration — six words carried across thousands of years, countries, and circumstances. Now, a bold new initiative is inviting a milli

The Haredi Rabbi Who Put On a Uniform

After October 7, Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer did something almost no Haredi rabbi has done: he put on a uniform. A community rabbi, he completed IDF basic training alongside s

Eitan Katz: The Soul of Jewish Music

What is the true purpose of music? Is it merely to entertain, or is it a vessel designed to uncover the soul and connect us directly to the Divine? In this episode of Je

How to Navigate Grief & Find True Comfort | Rabbi Steven Exler

How do you navigate grief and find true comfort after a devastating loss? In this episode, we sit down with Rabbi Steven Exler, Senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Ri

Auschwitz Holocaust Survivor Tova Friedman (Part 2)

Auschwitz survivor Tova Friedman,  author of the New York Times bestseller The Daughter of Auschwitz [link], recounts her arrival and experiences at the Auschwitz-Birkena

Auschwitz Holocaust Survivor Tova Friedman (Part 1)

Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, author of the New York Times bestseller The Daughter of Auschwitz [link], shares her harrowing story of survival. In Part 1, Tova detail

Mijal Bitton: Is the American Jewish Golden Age Over? Dr. Mijal Bitton Has an Answer

American Jews have lately been sensing the end of their Golden Age — and asking whether the next century will be as kind to them and their children as the last one was. D

The First Salute: The Untold Jewish History of America's Founding

Happy 250th Birthday, America! To celebrate this massive milestone, Jewish Insights with Justin Pines goes on location to Philadelphia to uncover a foundational, untold s

Stuart Weitzman: Shoes, American Jewish Pride & Philanthropy

What do a ping-pong paddle, a global shoe empire, and Independence Mall in Philadelphia have in common? Stuart Weitzman. One of America's most celebrated designers, Stuar

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Radical Approach to Mental Health | Levi Shmotkin

He rebuilt Jewish life post-Holocaust and advised world leaders—but the Lubavitcher Rebbe was also a profound counselor to the human soul. Rabbi Levi Shmotkin, author of

Let My People Know: Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s Son on His Father’s Legacy

He was called a “once-in-a-millennium scholar.” Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz z”l was a physicist by training who became a towering Torah authority — a prolific author of over 3

Bruce Pearl: Faith, Basketball, and Israel

Bruce Pearl built Auburn into a college basketball powerhouse — five SEC championships, two Final Four runs, and an NCAA Coach of the Year award. But for Pearl, the game

A Father’s Faith: Rav Tamir Granot on Loss, October 7th, and the Soul of Israel

What does it mean to write about Jewish hope and renewal — and then lose your son a week later? Rav Dr. Tamir Granot is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orot Shaul, a hesder

The Book of Ruth: The Choices That Define Us | Dr. Raizi Chechik | Illuminating Torah 3 of 3

What makes the Book of Ruth one of the most beloved texts in the Jewish canon — and what does it have to say about the choices we face in our own lives? Dr. Raizi Chechi

What Is God Really Afraid Of? The Tower of Babel with Shuli Taubes | Illuminating Torah 2 of 3

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) is one of the Torah's most familiar yet mysterious stories. In this episode of Jewish Insights, host Justin Pines is joined by Ms. Shu

Moses, Angels, and the Torah's Hidden Secret with Yaffa Epstein | Illuminating Torah 1 of 3

What does it really mean to receive the Torah — and is it actually designed for imperfect people? In this illuminating first installment of our special three-part Shavuot