On this episode of Behind the Bima, the Rabbis sit down with Rav Gav, a beloved and dynamic educator from Aish who has spent decades teaching in seminaries across Israel and engaging students around the world. Known for his humor, energy, and unfiltered honesty, Rav Gav brings a perspective that is both deeply grounded and refreshingly real. Together, we explore what today’s students are actually struggling with, how educators and parents often misunderstand them, and why the key to growth isn’t control—it’s connection. From navigating crisis in Israel to answering life’s biggest questions about faith, identity, and purpose, Rav Gav shares what he’s learned from years on the front lines of Jewish education. With stories, sharp insights, and plenty of laughter, this conversation challenges assumptions and reframes what it really means to teach, parent, and inspire in today’s world. 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: Seminary life during wartime and how students process crisis Why students across the spectrum are often asking the same questions The myth of short attention spans vs. ineffective teaching “Parenting vs. ranting” and what kids actually need from parents Support, boundaries, and how real connection is built Educator-student relationships and maintaining proper boundaries The broader question of identity and “modern Orthodoxy”

If Israel is so central to Jewish life… what does that mean for the millions of Jews in the diaspora? In this episode of Behind the Bima, the Rabbis speak with Yael Leibowitz about the growing tension between Israel and the diaspora, and the deeper question of what holds the Jewish people together. Drawing from her own journey from the United States to Israel, Yael reflects on how lived experience reshapes identity, perspective, and even the way we read Tanakh. Through the lens of Ezra-Nehemiah, the conversation explores a moment in Jewish history when not everyone returned, and what that meant for leadership, community, and continuity. Rather than offering simple answers, the episode examines how Jewish life has always required holding competing realities at once, and what happens when that balance begins to strain. 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 widening experiential gap between Israeli and diaspora Jews Living through crisis vs. observing it from afar The challenge of maintaining Jewish unity across distance Aliyah as an ideal vs. diaspora as a lived reality The emotional and cultural differences between communities Ezra-Nehemiah and the reality of a partial return Rebuilding Jewish life without full national unity Foreign leadership as part of Jewish history (Cyrus and beyond) How Tanakh reflects real-time Jewish challenges, not abstractions The risk of oversimplifying complex Jewish questions

Boca Raton Synagogue welcomed former hostages Sasha Troufanov and Sapir Cohen for a powerful evening titled Light in the Darkness. Hosted by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg, this conversation offered the community an opportunity to hear directly from those who endured captivity and returned with a renewed perspective on faith, resilience, and the human spirit. In a candid and composed dialogue, Sasha and Sapir reflect on the experience of isolation, uncertainty, and emotional endurance. They speak about the inner resources that sustained them, the role of identity and emunah under pressure, and what it means to rebuild life after unimaginable circumstances. The evening was not political — it was personal: an honest account of survival, hope, and spiritual strength. Topics discussed: The experience of abduction and early captivity Psychological survival in prolonged uncertainty Faith and identity under extreme pressure Holding onto hope in isolation Community support and the meaning of return Re-entering life after captivity

How does a Chassidic Jew end up shaping global economic policy... and speaking fluent Chinese along the way? In this episode of Behind the Bima, Rabbi Efrem Goldberg sits down with Mitchell Silk, former Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, for a conversation about global finance, China, and the unlikely path that brought him from Torah life into the highest levels of government. Fluent in Chinese and deeply immersed in Asia’s financial world, Silk spent decades working at the intersection of international law, finance, and geopolitics. Yet throughout his career, from years living in Hong Kong to serving in Washington, he remained deeply committed to his identity and values as a Chassidic Jew. The conversation offers a rare inside look at how global economic policy is shaped, the importance of understanding China’s role in the world economy, and what it means to bring faith and identity into rooms where decisions affecting the global financial system are made. The conversation also explores: • How Mitchell Silk first became fascinated with China • Learning Mandarin and building a career across Asia • The path from international law to the U.S. Treasury Department • What it was like serving in Washington as a visibly observant Jew • The role of China in global economic policy • Bringing Torah values into leadership and public service 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. A fascinating look at the intersection of faith, leadership, and global influence.