The Jewish Renewal Movement with Rabbi Simcha Raphael (#399)

Religion on the Mind

Religion, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 542 Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 40 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I sit down with Rabbi Dr. Simcha Raphael and learn about his remarkably wide-ranging spiritual journey. From a traditional Montreal Hebrew education through India, the San Francisco counterculture, and ultimately into the Jewish Renewal Movement as a scholar of death, afterlife, and the inner life of Judaism, his story mirrors what so many of us are navigating in our own religious explorations. In the Patreon-only second half, we explore what Judaism's rich tradition on death and the afterlife offers to the dying, the grieving, and anyone trying to build a vibrant spiritual life beyond the boundaries of where they started. Highlights: Montreal Jewish upbringing India, gurus, and culture shock Jewish Renewal and Reb Zalman Ecstatic vs. contemplative spirituality Death, grief, and felt presence Judaism's afterlife teachings ___________________________________________ Follow Dan on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/dancoke/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Or Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/DanKoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Faith deconstruction resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.soyouredeconstructing.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the Patreon for exclusive episodes (and more) every month: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/dankoch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email about the "sliding scale" for the Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youhavepermissionpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YHP Patron-only FB group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tinyurl.com/ycvbbf98⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/yhp.html⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join Dan's email list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.dankochwords.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Artwork by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nickryanluevano.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	When was the last time you stopped and listened to your body?
0:03.0	Here's a Holland and Barrett ad break to do just that.
0:06.0	Go on, tune in.
0:08.0	Think about your body when you exercise.
0:11.0	Are those knees creaking?
0:13.0	Are your muscles ever so slightly aching?
0:16.0	Or are they trying to say,
0:18.0	You've got to show me love.
0:24.1	We know what your body's asking for.
0:26.7	In store online on the app.
0:29.2	Back Your Body, Holland and Barrett. Welcome back everybody to Religion on the Mind.
0:41.8	I am your host, Dr. Dan Koch, licensed therapist in the state of Washington.
0:46.5	And today I am joined by Rabbi Dr. Simcha Raphael.
0:51.3	How did I do?
0:51.8	I mean, I'm really bad at that.
0:53.2	You got that.
0:53.8	Was that pretty good? I just say, I just say, Hala, bread. I don't say, chala. See, you know what? The M, the M is helpful. I think Simcha, like the M sets me up better, but I could never roll my R's when I was learning Spanish as a kid, for instance, like in high school. It doesn't matter. Simcha. I'm going to say Dr. Raphael, just to make it simpler for myself.
1:16.3	You are a scholar practitioner. You've spent more than 40 years exploring the intersection of Jewish
1:22.3	tradition, death awareness and psychological healing, including having a doctorate of psychology and being a
1:28.2	licensed therapist. You're a central figure in what is called the Jewish Renewal Movement, which is
1:34.2	something that neither myself nor my listeners probably know much about. So any explanation there
1:39.4	would be helpful. And really just kind of contemporary communities that are seeking a experiential, contemplative,
	...

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