Weekly Meditation with Rabbi Angela Buchdahl

For this, the final episode of this podcast, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl explores the Jewish approach to goodbyes, revealing how Hebrew farewells like lehitra'ot ("until we meet again") and hadran alach ("I will return to you") express hope for reunion rather than finality. Reflecting on traditional blessings recited when seeing someone after a long separation, she notes that how Jewish tradition doesn't take reunions for granted. Join her for a short meditation on honoring both the difficulty of parting and the sacred nature of return.

Join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for a short teaching and meditation for finding hope amidst tragedy. In this episode, she weaves together the story of a young Israeli scientist, Zechariah Haber, who was killed in the current war while researching crop resilience, and "The Wheat Grows Again," a song that emerged from devastating losses in Israel in 1973. The teaching explores how Haber's doctoral thesis, completed posthumously by his friend and beginning with lyrics about wheat growing again after loss, offers a metaphor for choosing smaller, sustainable solutions over seeking perfect answers. Join Rabbi Buchdahl for a short practice for developing resilience that comes by nurturing what grows naturally and the legacy we inherit.

In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl explores why Jewish tradition forbids directly counting people, requiring census-taking through numbering coins instead of individuals. She connects this ancient wisdom to modern dehumanization, explaining how the the Torah's instructions to "lift up the heads" means to see each person's unique gifts rather than as a number. Join her for a short guided meditation for recognizing the sacred worth of every soul — including our own.

In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl explores the emotional complexity of life transitions through her experience at her son's college graduation, reminding us that even joyful milestones can evoke tears of both celebration and loss. She offers a four-step framework for navigating transitions with meaning: begin with gratitude, name the loss, ritualize the moment, and set intentions for what comes next. Join her for a meditation to embrace the bittersweet nature of change, while finding rituals that honor both endings and beginnings.

In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the emotional return of Edan Alexander, the last American living hostage, and the longing it stirred for hope and good news in dark times. She explores how journalism’s focus on dysfunction over solutions shapes our worldview—and what might change if we told stories driven by curiosity rather than fear. With insights from personal stories of empathy across divides, join her for a short meditative practice which can help us ask deeper questions, stay open, and practice sakranut—curiosity—in our daily lives.