Behind the Bima

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

Rabbis Efrem Goldberg and Philip Moskowitz from Boca Raton Synagogue, shmooze about contemporary issues. Every week features an unscripted and lively discussion, special guests, and a behind-the-scenes look at leading a large and dynamic Jewish community.

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20 episodes
Updated June 24

Episodes20

Newest first

The Relationship Crisis Nobody Is Talking About: Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky
Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky joins Behind the Bima for a powerful conversation about connection, relationships, attachment, and why so many people feel disconnected despite living in the most connected age in history. Drawing on his work as a therapist, educator, author, and counselor helping those struggling with addictive behaviors, Rabbi Danishefsky explores the roots of loneliness, the search for meaning, healthy change, and what Torah and psychology can teach us about building deeper relationshi
June 24 · 1 hr 15 min
Dovi Neuburger Wants Us to Laugh at Ourselves
Dovi Neuburger goes Behind the Bima for a conversation about comedy, creativity, anxiety, and why his jokes about the frum world resonate so deeply. From stand-up and social media to satire, storytelling, growing up as a rabbi’s son, and learning to laugh at ourselves, Dovi shares what comedy can reveal about a community and the people inside it.
June 16 · 1 hr 25 min
The Jewish Soundtrack is Changing: Chaim Ghoori
Chaim Ghoori goes Behind the Bima for a conversation about music, belonging, vulnerability, and why a new generation is connecting to Judaism in a very different way. From his time in Yeshiva at Waterbury to his hit song "Yidden," Chaim shares how authenticity, emotional honesty, and the search for connection have shaped both his life and his music.
June 9 · 1 hr 16 min
The Question We’re Not Asking Our Kids: Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan
Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan goes Behind the Bima for a deeply honest conversation about parenting, teenagers, shame, emotional safety, addiction, and why so many kids today feel overwhelmed. Drawing from years of crisis intervention and working with struggling families, Rabbi Bensoussan explores what children are really asking when they push people away, and what parents often miss beneath the surface.
June 2 · 43 min
Joe Lieberman's Legacy: Rebecca Lieberman
Rebecca Lieberman goes Behind the Bima to reflect on the life, faith, and legacy of her father, Senator Joe Lieberman. From Shabbat and public service to rising antisemitism, political polarization, and bipartisan leadership, this conversation explores what made Joe Lieberman such a singular figure in American politics, and whether someone like him could still exist today.
May 26 · 43 min
Rabbi Broide RETURNS: Rabbi Josh Broide
Rabbi Josh Broide returns to Behind the Bima for the first time since making Aliyah, to share what life in Israel actually feels like, how it differs from perception, and what only becomes clear once you’re living it.
May 19 · 54 min
The Mentalist Who Broke the Rabbis: Shlomo Levinger
Mentalist Shlomo Levinger goes Behind the Bima to reveal what mentalism really is, how performance matters more than secrets, and what it means to build a career in a field built on illusion while staying true to Torah values.
May 12 · 1 hr 13 min
Is Torah Not Enough Anymore? Rav Nissan Kaplan
On this episode of Behind the Bima, Rav Nissan Kaplan, Rosh Yeshiva and master educator, shares why in today’s world, greatness in Torah isn’t enough without connection, consistency, and real relationships. In a deeply personal turn, he reflects on loss, emunah, and what it means to continue living and growing, even through profound pain.
May 5 · 41 min
When Comedy Gets Serious: Ami Kozak
On this episode of Behind the Bima, Ami Kozak joins the Rabbis to discuss satire, public discourse, and how humor can reveal what people are really saying about Jews and Israel.
April 28 · 1 hr 16 min
How Does Rav Gav Do It?
On this episode of Behind the Bima, Rav Gav, beloved educator and dynamic teacher at Aish, joins the Rabbis for a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation on what students are really thinking, what parents often get wrong, and why connection matters more than ever. With his signature humor and honesty, he shares what decades in the classroom have taught him about faith, identity, attention, and raising resilient, grounded children in a complicated world.
April 21 · 1 hr 20 min
Israel vs. Diaspora - Can We Survive the Divide? Yael Leibowitz
In this episode of Behind the Bima, the Rabbis sit down with educator and author Yael Leibowitz to explore a question that is becoming harder to ignore: what happens when the Jewish people around the world are living in fundamentally different realities? Drawing on both her personal experience making aliyah and her deep engagement with Tanach, Yael examines how Ezra-Nehemiah grapples with a partial return to Israel, and what that model might suggest for today.
April 14 · 1 hr
BONUS EPISODE: Eli Sharabi | The Meaning of Freedom
In this powerful bonus episode of Behind the Bima, Eli Sharabi reflects on survival, loss, and what it means to hold onto something deeper when everything is stripped away. As Pesach approaches, his story forces a deeper question: what does freedom really mean?
March 29 · 59 min
The Chinese-Speaking Chassid Who Worked for the Treasury: Mitchell Silk
In this episode of Behind the Bima, the Rabbis are joined by Mitchell Silk. Silk served as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, shaping international economic policy — all while living openly as a Chassidic Jew. Fluent in Chinese and deeply experienced in Asian finance, he shares the unlikely path that took him from Torah life to the highest levels of global economic leadership.
March 24 · 1 hr 20 min
The Secret of Great Jewish Educators: Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Senter
What actually makes a great rebbe — the kind students remember for the rest of their lives? Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Senter, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Aderes HaTorah in Jerusalem, joins the rabbis to explore the deeper role of a Jewish educator: shaping souls, not just teaching information. From the beis midrash to real-life relationships with students, he shares the philosophy behind truly transformative Torah education.
March 17 · 1 hr 20 min
I Just Couldn't Walk Away: Yehuda Lapian
In this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg and Rabbi Philip Moskowitz sit down with Yehuda Lapian to explore the reality behind Israel’s religious and secular divides. Drawing from his own journey growing up across different Jewish worlds... and even trying to leave Judaism behind... Lapian reflects on identity, belonging, and why Israel’s social labels rarely capture the full story.
March 10 · 1 hr 14 min
BONUS EPISODE | Sapir Cohen and Sasha Troufanov: A Light in the Darkness
Rabbi Efrem Goldberg hosts a moving evening at Boca Raton Synagogue with former hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen. In this deeply personal conversation, they share reflections on captivity, faith, survival, and the strength that sustained them in darkness.
March 2 · 1 hr 23 min
BONUS EPISODE | A Conversation with Ambassador Mike Huckabee
After his viral interview with Tucker Carlson, Ambassador Mike Huckabee joins Rabbi Goldberg to respond directly — and to explain why he believes silence in the face of distortion is not neutrality, but agreement. From antisemitism and media narratives to bipartisan support for Israel and evangelical conviction, this conversation explores what it means to defend truth calmly in a volatile moment.
February 26 · 58 min
Are We Raising a Fragile Generation? | Rabbi Daniel Kalish
Today’s generation is often told Judaism should feel inspiring, validating, and “geshmak.” But what happens when comfort becomes the goal? Rabbi Daniel Kalish goes Behind the Bima for a serious discussion about chinuch, emotional culture, discipline, and whether resilience is being strengthened... or softened... in the process.
February 24 · 58 min
Can Outreach Compete with Social Media? Rabbi Steven Burg
How do you reach Jews who aren’t looking to be reached? In this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg sits down with Rabbi Steven Burg to discuss the future of Jewish outreach, from social media and AI to rising antisemitism and generational shifts in identity. This is a candid conversation about leadership, responsibility, and what it really means to strengthen Jewish connection today.
February 17 · 1 hr 11 min
From Kuwait to Jerusalem: Mark Halawa's Journey to Judaism
Raised Muslim in Kuwait and taught to hate Jews, Mark Halawa chose a radically different path. In this powerful episode of Behind the Bima, Mark shares the deeply human moments—kindness, curiosity, and one small gesture—that led him on a spiritual journey toward Judaism. A conversation about faith, identity, and the courage to follow truth wherever it leads.
February 10 · 1 hr 26 min

Behind the Bima

The Relationship Crisis Nobody Is Talking About: Rabbi Yakov Danishefsky

Dovi Neuburger Wants Us to Laugh at Ourselves

The Jewish Soundtrack is Changing: Chaim Ghoori

The Question We’re Not Asking Our Kids: Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan

Joe Lieberman's Legacy: Rebecca Lieberman

Rabbi Broide RETURNS: Rabbi Josh Broide

The Mentalist Who Broke the Rabbis: Shlomo Levinger

Is Torah Not Enough Anymore? Rav Nissan Kaplan

When Comedy Gets Serious: Ami Kozak

How Does Rav Gav Do It?

Israel vs. Diaspora - Can We Survive the Divide? Yael Leibowitz

BONUS EPISODE: Eli Sharabi | The Meaning of Freedom

The Chinese-Speaking Chassid Who Worked for the Treasury: Mitchell Silk

The Secret of Great Jewish Educators: Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Senter

I Just Couldn't Walk Away: Yehuda Lapian

BONUS EPISODE | Sapir Cohen and Sasha Troufanov: A Light in the Darkness

BONUS EPISODE | A Conversation with Ambassador Mike Huckabee

Are We Raising a Fragile Generation? | Rabbi Daniel Kalish

Can Outreach Compete with Social Media? Rabbi Steven Burg

From Kuwait to Jerusalem: Mark Halawa's Journey to Judaism