We're taking a couple of weeks' break, so this is just a short episode to let you know what is coming up.

In particular, we are welcoming Rabbi Josh Levy and Rabbi Hannah Kingston to talk about two important sermons from the last 50 years. And we want to hear from you if there are sermons you heard or heard about, and would like us to discuss on the podcast. You can write to allelseis@alyth.org.uk – or join the conversation on Facebook, or Bluesky.

We are looking forward to all kinds of other episodes, which you can find out about here: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

All Else is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth, and we are grateful to the Shoreh Charitable Trust for a grant that will make the podcast sound as good as it can.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Elliott speaks to Rabbi Miriam Berger about a sermon she gave in 2017 about second-child infertility, and the power of ritual to help us nagivate those things in our lives over which we have no control. They speak about how rabbis are uniquely placed to accompany us through such moments, and to provide Jewish ways in which to frame life's journeys.

If you want to read Rabbi Miriam's sermon, click here. We are grateful to have been able to use (with permission) the recording of 'Ki Hinei Kachomer' by Daniel Cainer, sung by Cantor Zoe Jacobs.

Rabbi Miriam is the host of not one but two podcasts. The new series of 'Rabbiting On' is on now: https://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/podcasts/rabbiting-on/

Find out about her other new podcast, 'Life Dunk' here: https://www.reformjudaism.org.uk/wellspring-uk-a-new-mikveh-and-a-new-podcast/

You can find out more about Wellspring UK here: https://www.wellspringuk.org/

If you have any comments or questions, or if there is a sermon that you remember that you would love us to talk about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on our Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very different episode of the podcast, to mark Lag B'Omer.

Elliott is joined by Abi, Izzie and Phoebe, educators in the Alyth Youth and Education Hub (YEH) as they study a story from the Babylonian Talmud. We eavesdrop on their learning, snacking, banter and scholarly insights into the story of Rabbi Akiva and his wife, Rachel.

You can read along with us here: https://www.alyth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Rabbi-Akiva-and-Rachel.pdf

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

Next week: another Progressive Sermon from the last 50 years – this time I will be speaking to Rabbi Miriam Berger about a sermon that she gave just a few years ago about the power of ritual in our lives, and how that sermon has launched her latest project.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elliott is joined by his teacher Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal of Leo Baeck College) for a series delving into the Book of Ruth (the book that Jews traditionally read at Shavuot). Having read through the whole of the Book of Ruth, Elliott and Deborah take time to look at the artwork of the book - and welcome special guest Tilla Crowne, who provided the artwork for the cover of Deborah's book.

You can see the images they discuss in this episode here: https://www.alyth.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Art-of-the-Book-of-Ruth.pdf

You can find out more about Rabbi Deborah's book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666932102/Polyamory-and-Reading-the-Book-of-Ruth

If you want to find out more about Leo Baeck College, and what it takes to study for the rabbinate, and how you can support the college, please check out their website: www.lbc.ac.uk.

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.Next week: another Progressive Sermon from the last 50 years – this time I will be speaking to Rabbi Miriam Berger about a sermon that she gave just a few years ago about the power of ritual in our lives, and how that sermon has launched her latest project.

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elliott is joined by his teacher Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal of Leo Baeck College) for a series delving into the Book of Ruth (the book that Jews traditionally read at Shavuot). This episode is on chapter 4, the final chapter.

You can read along with them in any bible, or you can use Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.4?lang=bi

You can find out more about Rabbi Deborah's book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666932102/Polyamory-and-Reading-the-Book-of-Ruth

If you want to find out more about Leo Baeck College, and what it takes to study for the rabbinate, and how you can support the college, please check out their website: www.lbc.ac.uk.

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

Next week: We have not quite finished with Ruth, Naomi and Boaz, as next week Elliott and Deborah are joined by Tilla Crowne, artist and illustrator, to talk about the art of the Book of Ruth.

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elliott is joined by his teacher Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal of Leo Baeck College) for a series delving into the Book of Ruth (the book that Jews traditionally read at Shavuot). This episode is on chapter 3.

You can read along with them in any bible, or you can use Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.3?lang=bi

You can find out more about Rabbi Deborah's book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666932102/Polyamory-and-Reading-the-Book-of-Ruth

You can listen to the song Elliott mentions here: https://open.spotify.com/track/7w4WB28CPszmOVQaHEcGhx

If you want to find out more about Leo Baeck College, and what it takes to study for the rabbinate, and how you can support the college, please check out their website: www.lbc.ac.uk.

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elliott is joined by his teacher Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal of Leo Baeck College) for a series delving into the Book of Ruth (the book that Jews traditionally read at Shavuot). This episode is on chapter 2.

You can read along with them in any bible, or you can use Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.2?lang=bi

You can find out more about Rabbi Deborah's book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666932102/Polyamory-and-Reading-the-Book-of-Ruth

You can watch The Story of Ruth (1960) herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG5UASouE9k

If you want to find out more about Leo Baeck College, and what it takes to study for the rabbinate, and how you can support the college, please check out their website: www.lbc.ac.uk.

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elliott is joined by his teacher Rabbi Deborah Kahn-Harris (Principal of Leo Baeck College) for the second in a series delving into the Book of Ruth (the book that Jews traditionally read at Shavuot). This episode is the second installment of their discussion of chapter 1.

You can read along with them in any bible, or you can use Sefaria: https://www.sefaria.org/Ruth.1?lang=bi

You can find out more about Rabbi Deborah's book here: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666932102/Polyamory-and-Reading-the-Book-of-Ruth

If you want to find out more about Leo Baeck College, and what it takes to study for the rabbinate, and how you can support the college, please check out their website: www.lbc.ac.uk.

If you have any comments or questions, or if there are any particular topics you would like us to about, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk – we would love to hear from you. You can also join the conversation on Facebook page, and we have just arrived on Bluesky, so please head over there to give us a follow as well.

If there are people in your life who you think would be interested, please tell them about All Else Is Commentary. Please visit our website: https://www.alyth.org.uk/learn-us/adult-learning/all-else-is-commentary/

We want to wish everyone Chag Pesach Sameach / Happy Passover.

We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.

All Else Is Commentary is brought to you by Alyth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.