Join Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback as he talks with an eclectic variety of thinkers, artists, and change-makers about their experiences (Jewish or otherwise) and their own search for meaning and purpose in their lives.
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Episodes
Search for Meaning with Ambassador Gary Grappo
Former U.S. Ambassador to Oman, Gary Grappo, met Rabbi Yoshi and Jacqueline through a mutual friend when Grappo was serving as Chief of Staff of the Quartet in Jerusalem in 2010. Gary and his wife, Becky, soon became friends with Yoshi and Jacqueline. Over the years, Ambassador Grappo, a career diplomat with four decades of experience in the Middle East, has visited Stephen Wise Temple multiple times to share his insights on the Iran Deal, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and now this most recent war between Hamas and Israel. In this episode, Ambassador Grappo shares his experience and insights with Rabbi Yoshi concerning Hamas; the “Administration of Savagery” terrorist playbook; the roles of Qatar, Russia, and the wider Arab world; “proportionality”; and which news sources to trust (and not).
Search for Meaning – Who Is Like You, God?
In an inspirational sermon, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback celebrates creation, the Creator, and creativity. Learn more about how the existence of our universe is a miracle, and our own, personal existence is a miracle. With a beautiful arrangement of the song, "Who is Like You God?," based on the gospel classic, "Nobody Like You Lord" by Maranda Curtis. Arranged by Dr. Tali Tadmor, Cantor Emma Lutz, and Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback.Featuring Cantor Emma Lutz on vocals and Dr. Tali Tadmor on piano.Yarone Levy, guitarLarry Steen, bassJeff Stern, percussion
Search for Meaning With Lisa Niver
In this edition of his Search for Meaning podcast, Stephen Wise Temple Senior Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback hosts travel writer, author, podcaster, and Stephen Wise Temple Board member Lisa Niver, who just released her memoir, Brave-ish: One Breakup, Six Continents, and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. Lisa's memoir debuted as the top solo travel title on Amazon.com when it released on Sept. 19. Her podcast, Make Your Own Map, launched this summer and has been watched on six continents. It was a finalist for two Southern California Journalism Awards in 2023. Elected this summer as a Congregational Director, Lisa is a graduate of Wise’s religious school program. Wise’s founder, Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, officiated her bat mitzvah. She began her “nomadic” lifestyle by spending a summer in Israel on LA Ulpan, and went on to study abroad in Jerusalem at Hebrew University. She returned to Israel with her family for [...]
Search for Meaning With Lauren Ullmann
As we reflect during the High Holy Days on issues of life and death, Rabbi Yoshi shares an interview with Lauren Ullmann, a Stanford Business School student and former MIT varsity goaltender player whose life was saved by a donation of peripheral stem cells. Fans of the Search for Meaning podcast will know who made that donation.Determined to use her experience as a team leader and the lessons taught from seeing the whole field as a collegiate goaltender to excel in business, Ullmann interned for the prestigious Bain & Company, eventually becoming a senior associate consultant.Late in 2019, she headed to the San Francisco Bay Area -- where he grandparents lived -- for an externship. The night before running a marathon in early January of 2020, she experienced "horrible, horrible" stomach pain. Though she was able to run the race, it returned several days later. After [...]