Rabbi David Levin-Kruss is an adjunct faculty member at Pardes. Originally from South Africa, he holds a B.A. and Teachers’ Certification in English Literature and Jewish Thought from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. After studying at Pardes as a student, he continued his learning in yeshiva and received rabbinic ordination from the Joseph and Gwendolyn Straus Rabbinical Seminary.
David previously served as Director of Jewish Education, Europe for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, and earlier as faculty and director of special programs at Pardes. He also worked with the Melitz Centers for Jewish Zionist Education and served as community director at Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue in London, the largest Orthodox synagogue in Europe. David founded My Open Book Life Coaching and enjoys cooking in his spare time.
Parashat Terumah 5782: Stop the Clocks or Hang the Flags? How Moderns Create Jewish Space Description: This podcast takes us on a roller-coaster of a trip from the tabernacle in the desert to 19th century ultra-orthodoxy in Hungary to 20th…
Tanakh, Torah, Shemot (Exodus), Terumah
Parashat Toldot 5782 – But I Didn’t Do Anything Wrong Description: The podcast examines the different strategies that rabbis and others have used to lessen the moral issues of Jacob tricking Esau to get the birthright and tricking his father…
Tanakh, Torah, Bereishit (Genesis), Toldot
Vayelech 5782/Shabbat Shuva – Who Would you Invite to Dinner? This class imagines an imaginary dinner between R. Zera (4th century CE) and Moses. How are these two figures similar? How are they different? And what can their differences teach…
Tanakh, Torah, Devarim (Deuteronomy), Jewish Calendar, Rosh Hashana, Shabbat Shuva
How does one rise to the occasion and do what needs to be done? How does one know when to lovingly detach from a situation because you have done what you can do? A Rashi that is deceptively unremarkable yields…
Tanakh, Torah, Bamidbar (Numbers), Beha’alotecha
The obligation to destroy Amalek and their descendants, which is read of Zachor, is one of the most problematic commandments in the bible. See how medieval commentators explained it away and how modern commentators honed even this difficult mitzva for…
Tanakh, Torah, Shemot (Exodus), Terumah
This Rosh Hashanah podcast is sponsored by Ricki and David Bernstein in memory of Ricki’s parents, Beatrice and Murray Kirschblat, each a sole survivor of large families which perished in the Shoah. This podcast compares the popular song “Kol Ha’olam Kulo” with the…
Pardes Center for Jewish Educators, Holidays, Jewish Calendar, Rosh Hashana, Tanakh, Torah
This podcast challenges traditionalists who believe “eye for an eye” always meant monetary compensation and liberals who believe that compensation is a rabbinic innovation. It does this using clues from the bible itself. Download the Source Sheet Please let us…
Tanakh, Torah, Vayikra (Leviticus), Emor
Sukkot: Four Species, Five Principles In this podcast, Rabbi David Levin-Kruss takes the five explanations given for the four species and uses them to create modern principles of faith that emphasize multiplicity, depth, and complexity. Download the Source Sheet Please…
Jewish Calendar, Shemini Atzeret, Simhat Torah, Sukkot, Tanakh, Torah
In this podcast, Rabbi David Levin-Kruss examines how Genesis 2 and 3 and Bechukotai tell us how to create heaven on earth without falling prey to the excesses and failure of twentieth century utopian movements. Accompanying Source Sheet Please let…
Tanakh, Torah, Vayikra (Leviticus), Bechukotai