Shai Held - Judaism is About Love
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Episode 69 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Shai Held, President and Dean of the Hadar Institute and author of the new book Judaism
Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life. Shai returns for his second appearance on this podcast to talk about the enduring caricature of the “Old Testament God,” and how that distortion has shaped both Jewish and Christian imaginations. Shai
and Andrés explore why many rabbis feel ill-equipped to support spiritual seekers, how the trauma of October 7 has intensified theological yearning, and what role funders can play in revitalizing Jewish conversations about God. You’ll hear why Shai believes
that real love, the kind rooted in justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility, is the most powerful force we can bring to a fractured world.
Want to hear more Jewish about philanthropy? Check out other episodes of JFN's "What Gives?" and listen to "Outside the Tzedakah Box," a podcast on Jewish youth philanthropy from JFN's Honeycomb.
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