Why do so many teenagers push away the people who care about them most? Rabbi Yossi Bensoussan joins Behind the Bima for one of the most emotionally honest and practically grounded parenting conversations the podcast has had in years. Drawing from decades of crisis intervention, addiction counseling, and working with struggling teens and families, Rabbi Bensoussan argues that many children aren’t rebelling because they want to destroy relationships… but for a deeper reason. The conversation explores shame, vulnerability, emotional safety, addiction, expectations, masculinity, therapy culture, and the hidden fear driving so much teenage behavior: the fear of disappointing the people they love most. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. In this episode: Why teenagers test relationships The fear of disappointing parents Emotional safety and vulnerability Parenting through addiction and crisis Expectations vs. validation Therapy culture and trauma identity Boys, masculinity, and emotional openness Rebuilding trust with struggling children Technology and modern adolescence

On this episode of Behind the Bima, the Rabbis sit down with Shlomo Levinger, a professional mentalist whose work blends performance, psychology, and precision. What looks impossible on stage isn’t about supernatural ability. It’s about structure, timing, and understanding how people think. Shlomo pulls back the curtain on what mentalism actually is, and why the experience matters more than the method behind it. At the same time, he shares what it takes to build this into a real career—from early gigs to larger stages—and the decisions that come with it. That includes the opportunities he’s walked away from, and how being an observant Jew shapes the way he approaches his work, his image, and his boundaries. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. In this episode, we discuss: What mentalism actually is (and what it isn’t) Why performance matters more than the method The psychology behind how audiences experience mentalism Building a career from small gigs to larger stages Turning down opportunities that didn’t align with Torah values Navigating the industry as a frum performer

On this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg and Rabbi Philip Moskowitz sit down with Ami Kozak, whose impressions and satire have become a sharp lens on how people speak… and what they actually mean. What makes those impressions resonate isn’t just the humor. It’s recognition. The way people talk about Israel, about Jews, and about each other often carries assumptions, framing, and subtext that go unnoticed until they’re reflected back. This conversation explores how satire exposes those patterns, why certain narratives gain traction, and what it means to have a public voice in a moment where attention, influence, and credibility are often misaligned. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. Topics discussed: How impressions reveal patterns in how people speak and think The language and framing around Israel in public discourse Satire as a way to show ideas rather than argue them When to engage bad-faith voices... and when not to The risks of platforming and false equivalence

Rebecca Lieberman goes Behind the Bima for a deeply personal conversation about the life and legacy of her father, Senator Joe Lieberman. The episode moves from the chaos of the 2000 presidential campaign to the quieter moments that defined him most: Shabbat dinners untouched by politics, long walks with family, deep listening, bipartisan friendships, and an unusual ability to remain grounded inside public life. Rebecca reflects on what it was like growing up inside one of America’s most recognizable political families while watching her father navigate politics with moral clarity, religious conviction, and genuine humility. The conversation also explores the state of American culture today: rising antisemitism, social media polarization, performative politics, and whether the kind of leadership Joe Lieberman represented can still survive in modern America. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. In this episode: Joe Lieberman’s 2000 vice presidential campaign Growing up in a national political family Shabbat as an anchor in public life Bipartisanship and political friendship Rising antisemitism in America Social media and political polarization Joe Lieberman’s resilience after defeat Orthodox Judaism in national politics John McCain and cross-party relationships Leadership, integrity, and public service

Rabbi Josh Broide returns to Behind the Bima! After decades helping build Jewish life in Boca, Rabbi Broide reflects on what it’s actually been like starting over in Modi’in during one of the most volatile periods in Israel’s recent history. The conversation moves from missile sirens and wartime uncertainty to the quieter parts of Israeli life that rarely make headlines: crowded kiddushes, spontaneous Torah learning, one-seder Pesach, and the feeling of waking up every morning in a Jewish state. The Rabbis also tackle one of the most emotionally charged conversations in the Jewish world right now: how should aliyah actually be discussed? Does fear motivate people — or push them away? Funny, personal, and thoughtful, this episode explores the emotional reality of building a life in Israel while remaining deeply connected to the Jewish world in America. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. In this episode: Rabbi Josh Broide’s transition from Boca to Modi’in Living through missile sirens and wartime Israel The emotional reality of aliyah after October 7 Israeli resilience and community culture The “aliyah snob” debate One seder vs. two sedarim Israeli shul culture and late-night learning El Al travel stories and airplane-seat debates

On this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is joined by Rav Nissan Kaplan for a conversation that goes to the heart of chinuch today: what it means to be a Rebbi, and what talmidim are actually looking for. As expectations shift and access to information becomes limitless, Rav Kaplan offers a grounded perspective on what hasn’t changed… and what has. The conversation explores the role of connection in Torah transmission, what defines real success in yeshiva, and how a Rebbi shapes not just how a student learns, but who he becomes. Rav Kaplan also speaks candidly about personal loss and the way emunah is lived, not theorized, through tefillah, honesty, and continuing forward without simplifying the complexity of pain. This season of Behind the Bima is sponsored by Julie Charlestein & Darryl Benjamin in honor of their grandparents, Morton & Malvina Charlestein, and their children, Ruby and Maccabi Benjamin. This conversation explores: The evolving role of a Rebbi in today’s generation Why connection has become central to chinuch Defining success in yeshiva beyond learning The relationship between Torah learning and personal growth Living with loss, tefillah, and emunah Why growth happens through consistency, not moments