We're In This Shift Together
As a rabbi, Matthew Ponak knows the significance of community in the good times and the bad. We’re in this Shift Together explores the meeting place between ancient spiritual teachings, cutting-edge research and innovation, and the needs of our era. The conversations cover insights and experiences that improve our world and give us hope during these tumultuous times. In our secular society, millions of people are dedicating themselves to the work of innovation. Simultaneously, camps of traditionally religious people are tending the fires of insights and practices which have sustained them for thousands of years. Leaders and thinkers from all arenas benefit from cross-pollination and there is much more common ground between these two camps than is often acknowledged. When approaching any new problem today, religious and spiritual insights can offer a sense of how our ancestors grappled with similar issues. At the same time, inherited wisdom is, by definition, from a prior era. In dialogue with scientific expertise and new circumstances, the storehouses of human knowledge inevitably grow and mature. Together these different perspectives help us navigate our transitioning world. Host Rabbi Matthew Ponak is a teacher of embodied mysticism, a spiritual counsellor, and the co-founder of the Mekorah Institute — an online spiritual centre. Also holding an MA in Contemplative Religions from the Buddhist-inspired Naropa University, Rabbi Matthew weaves world wisdom with ancient Jewish insights. He received ordination from Hebrew College where he specialized in the study of Hasidic spirituality and Kabbalah. Visit matthewponak.com to learn more.
Episodes
12 episodes
Peace-Loving Robots with Ola Mohajer
Can AI save us from ourselves? Would computer algorithms, properly trained, be able to prevent wars and mediate conflicts? Ola Mohajer thinks so!Ola is the Founder and CEO of Transcend. Founded in 2023, Ola combined her experience as...
Jewish Wisdom and Ecological Thinking with Natan Margalit
Tapping into ancient wisdom to shed light on modern problems is essential for grounded cultural transformation. Today's guest is Natan Margalit—the author of The Pearl and the Flame—a book which synthesizes traditional Jewish insights ...
Art that Aims for Heaven with Dr. Brian Pollick
Can commissioning public art ensure a happy afterlife? Many wealty merchants in medieval Italy sure hoped so! Dr. Brian Pollick opens a window for us into their worldview and how it can enrich our own. Brian was born in Engl...
Mama Earth and Joyful Service with Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman
Being of service to the world means more than just working for a cause you believe in: it's also about striving to live harmoniously with who you truly are.In this episode, Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman describes her own journey to beco...
An Inter-Spiritual Panel
Four contemplatives share, reflect and face challenging questions. Christian, Buddhist and Muslim healers and teachers join Rabbi Matthew Ponak to discuss the gifts that our traditions can offer the world in these changing times — ...
Shabbat on a Sunday!? A Reverse Interview with Rabbi Joel Goldstein
We're changing things up in this episode! Our guest Rabbi Joel Goldstein asks the questions — challenging Rabbi Matthew about the experimental home ritual "Oasis Time." This innovative practice is inspired by Shabbat but not bound by its tra...
Spiritual Health with Rev. Sandra Summers
Promoting spiritual health for individuals, churches and organizations of all kinds is Rev. Sandra Summers' speciality. She lays out what it is, why we need it and how to bring it into our lives. We also delve into The Great Resignation's...
Somatic Spirituality with Emma Sartwell
In this episode, we discuss embodied transformation, spiritual entrepreneurship, Jewish Mysticism, and the current state of modern religious life. Emma Sartwell is the founder and owner of Somatic Spiritual Counseling, a collective...
Jesus was a Jewish Mystic with Rev. Dr. Ian Mevorach
This episode features Rev. Dr. Ian Mevorach talking about the historical Jesus. Rev. Dr. Ian Mevorach is the founding minister and director of the Common Street Spiritual Center in Natick, MA, a love-centered community that values ...
Overcoming Procrastination with Dr. Piers Steel
This episode features Dr. Piers Steel, one of the world's leading experts in the study of procrastination.Piers Steel is a professor in the Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources area and is the Brookfield Research Chair at the Ha...
The 6 Types of True Love with Dr. Beth Hedva
This episode's guest is Dr. Beth Hedva who lives in Calgary, Canada. Author of Journey from Betrayal to Trust and the award-winning Betrayal, Trust and Forgiveness, she is an internationally recognized healer, counsellor and teacher. A past Dir...
