Not That Kind of Rabbi

• Amichai Lau-Lavie, the 'Sabbath Queen', is forging his own traditions

  When Amichai Lau-Lavie realized he was gay, he knew he had to make a choice: hide his identity to abide by his Orthodox upbringing, or be true to himself. It wasn't an easy call for a man whose ancestors had been rabbis for generations—including his uncle and cousin, who both served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ultimately, Lau-Lavie decided to split the difference. As an out gay man, he became an Jewish leader, drag performer and rabbi, founding Lab/Shul—a "God-optional" experimental community for Jewish gathering—in New York City. Now, he's also the star of a documentary about his controversial career, Sabbath Queen, which is currently touring the American film festival circuit. If anyone is "not that kind of rabbi," it's Amichai Lau-Lavie—and he joins Ralph Benmergui this week on Not That Kind of Rabbi, a show about spirituality and personal journeys. Credits Host: Ralph Benmergui Producer: Michael Fraiman Music: Yevhen Onoychenko Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not That Kind of Rabbi (Not sure how? Click here)

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• For Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg, environmentalism isn't adjacent to Judaism—it's a core tenet

  Rabbi Aaron Rotenberg realized at a young age he was drawn to Jewish studies. After graduating from Jewish day schools around Toronto, he decided to attend the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Conservative rabbinical school in New York City, for five years—only to end up a Renewal rabbi years later, ordained just this month. As the spiritual leader of the Annex Shul in downtown Toronto—and one of a handful of Renewal rabbis in the city—his goal is to connect with younger audiences. That means leading unconventional services including music, dance parties and an emphasis on Earth-based Judaism. Just ahead of Tu b’Shevat, Rabbi Rotenberg sat down with Ralph Benmergui on Not That Kind of Rabbi for a lengthy discussion about the Renewal movement, eco-spirituality and the age-old relationship between Jews and the land. Credits Host: Ralph Benmergui Producer: Michael Fraiman Music: Yevhen Onoychenko Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not That Kind of Rabbi (Not sure how? Click here)

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• 'You can forgive and seek justice at the same time': Robert Enright on how to learn forgiveness

  With the recent news of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and the eventual return of the remaining Israeli hostages, tensions remain high between pro- and anti-Zionist communities here in Canada, who've stood sharply divided on the foreign conflict for 15 months. Members of those communities may still be holding hatred or anger in their hearts—leading to increased depression, anxiety and isolation. But according to Dr. Robert Enright, forgiveness is a choice rooted in mercy—and doesn't come at the expense of moral justice. As the co-founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, Enright has dedicated his career to studying forgiveness and the effects it has on the human brain and body. He joins Ralph Benmergui on the latest episode of Not That Kind of Rabbi. Credits Host: Ralph Benmergui Producer: Michael Fraiman Music: Yevhen Onoychenko Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not That Kind of Rabbi (Not sure how? Click here)

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• Gary Topp ushered Toronto into the cultural future—and he’s still making alternative history

  Once upon a time, Toronto was a sleepy city. The atmosphere shut down at night. Red tape and cultural meekness kept things status quo. But through the 1970s and 1980s, the city's younger generations changed how things work—and one of the biggest players behind the scenes was Gary Topp. A music promoter and independent movie theatre operator, it was Topp—along with his colleague, Gary Cormier, together known as the Two Garys—who first brought and promoted The Ramones, The Police, Slayer and other countercultural icons to Canadians for the first time. Topp also began operating the Roxy Theatre, an art deco building on the Danforth, for punk concerts and movie screenings that wouldn't be shown anywhere else in the country. Last month, Topp's transformative career was printed in a coffee table book, He Hijacked My Brain: Gary Topp's Toronto, recalling legendary stories and performances from decades past. He joins his old friend Ralph Benmergui (who also grew up in Forest Hill, not far away) for a walk down memory lane in exploring his influence on the cultural fabric of the city—and what's changed in the music scene today. Credits Host: Ralph Benmergui Producer: Michael Fraiman Music: Yevhen Onoychenko Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not That Kind of Rabbi (Not sure how? Click here)

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• How Choir! Choir! Choir! grew out of a living room gathering into 2,500 strangers singing Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' in Montreal

  On Oct. 9, around 2,500 strangers packed Montreal's Place des Arts concert hall to sing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" in surprisingly perfect harmony. The melody was beautiful. In a video recording posted online, tears and smiles are visible as people sing out the familiar chorus. You could say it was a spiritual performance—unless you're Nobu Adilman, who co-organized the event, for whom this mass choir has always been about enjoying life. While people often feel tapped into a higher power, Adilman is more pragmatic about the whole thing. Adilman, along with his artistic partner, Daveed Goldman, founded the group Choir! Choir! Choir! in a living room more than a decade ago. The idea was simple: strangers singing songs together. Those first contributors had so much fun, Adilman and Goldman decided to keep it going. The group grew in popularity until they amassed hundreds of thousands of social media followers and tour dates that rack up hundreds, even thousands of paying attendees. And before all that, Adilman worked at CBC with a young Ralph Benmergui. Adilman reconnects with his old mentor on Not That Kind of Rabbi to discuss the origins of his hit group and the innate spirituality of music. Credits Host: Ralph Benmergui Producer: Michael Fraiman Music: Yevhen Onoychenko Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not That Kind of Rabbi (Not sure how? Click here)

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