All Else is Commentary is a podcast which explores Jewish ideas (from the Bible to the present day) from a curious, progressive and critical perspective.
There is a famous Talmudic story of Hillel in which he is asked to summarise Jewish teaching whilst standing on one leg. Hillel’s response is: ‘That which is hateful to you, do not do to others. All else is commentary; go and learn.’ This podcast will explore ‘all else’ and expand its definition – well beyond just the Five Books of Moses.
If there is a Jewish text or a Jewish idea which you would like us to talk about on the podcast, please be in touch with us at allelseis@alyth.org.uk
You can listen to All Else is Commentary on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or on the embedded player below.
We are incredibly grateful to be supported by the Shoresh Charitable Trust.
Episode 0: Introducing All Else is Commentary
Episode 1: Interview with Toby Lloyd
This is the very first episode of All Else is Commentary, and in this first episode Elliott is joined by the author, Toby Lloyd, to talk about his highly acclaimed new book, Fervour, described by Jonathan Coe as ‘A fearless look into the dark heart of family politics’ and by the New York Times as ‘Magnificent, indelible […] a lasting allegory of our dark historical time.’ It’s a book full of Jewish references from biblical stories to the Zohar. Elliott and Toby talk about all those, and they also get into issues of antisemitism and mental health. You can find out more about Toby’s book here.
Episode 2: Rabbinic Power, Part 1 – with Rabbi Kath Vardi
In this episode, Elliott is joined by Rabbi Kath Vardi, in the first in a series of episodes looking at rabbinic legends in the Babylonian Talmud – legends that cause us to reflect on the power of the rabbis and the boundaries they put in place around learning. This week, Elliott and Kath read the story of Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabban Gamliel. It’s a story about what happens when individual leaders can become too powerful; it’s about the way in which we can get stuck when we put narrow limits on who can learn and who can be involved in decision-making; and it’s a profound commentary on how communities should operate and thrive (or not). Click here to read the legend on Sefaria.org
Episode 3: Rabbinic Power, Part 2 – with Rabbi Kath Vardi
Elliott is again joined by Rabbi Kath Vardi, in the second in a series of episodes looking at rabbinic legends in the Babylonian Talmud – legends that cause us to reflect on the power of the rabbis and the boundaries they put in place around learning. This week, Elliott and Kath read the story of Rabbi Eliezer, who is excommunicated by the other rabbis. It’s a story about what happens when an individual challenges the majority, and as ever there is much to learn for our contemporary lives. Click here to read the legend on Sefaria.org.
Episode 4: Shelomit bat Dibri – with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler
Elliott is joined by Kohenet Yael Tischler, who is a student rabbi in her fourth year at Leo Baeck College in London. They discuss the story of Shelomit bat Dibri, the only woman to be named in the book of Leviticus. They talk about the way in which her story has been told and retold, and why it’s important to us today. Click here for a source sheet with all the texts they discuss in this episode.
Episode 5: She’ilah bat Yiftach – with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler
In this episode, Elliott is once again joined by Kohenet Yael Tischler, who is a student rabbi in her fourth year at Leo Baeck College in London. They discuss the story of She’ilah, the daughter of Yiftach, who is sacrificed by her own father after he makes a frivilous vow to God. They talk about the way in which her story has been told and retold, and why it’s important to us today. Click here for a source sheet with the texts they discuss in this episode.
Episode 6: Devorah and Yael – with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler
Elliott is once again joined by Kohenet Yael Tischler, who is a student rabbi in her fourth year at Leo Baeck College in London. After the last two episodes, Elliott asked Yael if they could talk about some women who fought back. Yael thought about it, and these were the two women she suggested: Devorah and Yael. They examine their stories, and find great relevance to the lives of women today. Click here for a source sheet with the texts they discuss in this episode.
Episode 7: Rabbis Who Kill with their Eyes
A solo episode from Elliott to resume the series on rabbinic power. Elliott delves into legends from the Talmud in which rabbis kill with their eyes, and considers what it says about rabbinic power, and whether there is a possibility that – in a small way at least – the rabbis are laughing at themselves. Click here for a source sheet to accompany this episode.
Episodes 8: Rabbinic Power, part 3 – with Rabbi Kath Vardi
Rabbi Kath Vardi returns for a discussion about one of the most famous stories in the Babylonian Talmud: the legend of Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish. Click here to read the legend on Sefaria.org.
Episode 9: Rabbinic Power, part 4 – with Rabbi Kath Vardi
The second part of the discussion about the relationship between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish. Is rabbinic Judaism really all about disagreement? Click here to read the legend on Sefaria.org.
Episode 10: The Talmud, Emmanuel Levinas, and Messianic Times – with Rabbi Daniel Lichman
Elliott sits down with Rabbi Daniel Lichman to talk about a particular Talmudic reading by the French Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas. They talk about the question of when to expect the messianic times, and what we are being called todo during these extreme times. If you want to read the section of Levinas’s work that Elliott and Daniel are talking about, you can find it here.
Episode 11: Progressive Sermons of the Last 50 Years: The Falklands Crisis – with Rabbi Colin Eimer
Elliott talks to his colleague and teacher, Rabbi Colin Eimer, about a sermon that Colin gave in 1982 at the height of the Falklands Crisis. They talk about the context, what still resonates today, and what might be different were that sermon be given today. If you want to read Rabbi Colin’s sermon, including some explanatory footnotes, click here.
Episode 12: Ritzpah – with Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen
We return to the Hebrew Bible with Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, who is completing her PhD in feminist biblical studies, prophecy and rabbinic leadership. This week, she and Elliott dive into the story of Ritzpah, the mother who has to endure what no mother should have to endure, and becomes an emblem of protest and resistance.
Episode 13: Everyday Jews – with Keith Kahn-Harris
This week, Elliott is joined by Keith Kahn-Harris, sociologist, Jewish researcher, and one of Elliott’s teachers from his time at Leo Baeck College. Keith is here to talk about his new book: Everyday Jews. He argues that we should be celebrating the mundane, and not be so obsessed with the search for grander meaning.
Episode 14: Rabbinic Power in the Talmud, Q & A
Rabbi Kath Vardi returns for a Question and Answer session on all the rabbinic legends she and Elliott have talked about over the last few months. Together they respond to questions posed by listeners, as well as returning to some of the disagreements they had in the first four episodes.
Episode 15: Purim Special! Esther in Victorian Literature – with Dr Sherry Ashworth
In this special Purim episode, Elliott is joined by Dr Sherry Ashworth, who has just finished her PhD in the study of the story of Esther and how the characters from Purim seem to pop up all over the place in Victorian novels.
Episode 16: Abraham, the First Jew – with Anthony Julius
Elliott is joined by the lawyer and writer, Anthony Julius, to talk about Anthony’s new book: a biography of the biblical figure of Abraham. You can find out more about the book here.
Episode 16: Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck, Part 1
The first of two lectures on Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck, based on a talk that Elliott gave recently at the Progressive Judaism Education Hub.
Episode 17: Rabbi Dr Leo Baeck, Part 2
Coming up on 31 March … The second part of Elliott’s lecture – just for podcast listeners, in which he covers the bits he did not have the chance to it the original lecture, including what Baeck might have to say about how we confront our present political moment.
Episode 18: Philip Roth’s The Ghost Writer – with Toby Lloyd
Coming up on 7 April … Toby Lloyd returns to chat to Elliott about oneof Philip Roth’s most Jewish works. This episode will be recorded online with a small live audience. Please click here to register and to receive the link to join.
Also Coming Soon…
- Author Toby Lloyd returns to discuss Philip Roth’s short story, The Ghost Writer
- A Pesach special, considering the story of Moses – with Rabbi Prof. Jonathan Magonet
- An in-depth reading of the Book of Ruth – with Rabbi Prof. Deborah Kahn-Harris
- Reading the philosophy of Martin Buber – with Rabbi Lea Mühlstein
- More Progressive sermons of the last fifty years
- More women of the Hebrew Bible you may not have heard of before – with Student Rabbi Yael Tischler and others