Jewish Quest

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.