Detours & Destinations

Latest Episodes:

Mark Feuerstein – From Hollywood to Heritage Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with actor, writer, and producer Mark Feuerstein for a conversation about family, identity, faith, and the evolving meaning of success. Best known for his starring role in Royal Pains, Feuerstein reflects on his unconventional journey from championship wrestler and Princeton student to one of television's most recognizable leading men, and on the twists and turns that led him from performing other people's stories to telling his own.

Drawing on projects like 9JKL and Guns & Moses, Feuerstein explores how his Jewish upbringing, family life, and creative work have become increasingly intertwined. He discusses the role of gratitude, ritual, and community in his life, the challenges of bringing authentically Jewish stories to mainstream audiences, and how the events of October 7 deepened his sense of Jewish responsibility and public identity. Along the way, he reflects on marriage, parenthood, moral courage, and the values he hopes to pass on to the next generation.

Follow Mark on IG https://www.instagram.com/markfeuerstein/?hl=en

Check out Mark’s filmography https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275417/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Jonah Platt – From Performance to Purpose Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with actor, writer, producer, podcast host, and Jewish advocate Jonah Platt to explore a life shaped by storytelling, community, and Jewish identity. Raised in Los Angeles in a family where Hollywood success and Jewish leadership existed side by side, Platt reflects on the values that shaped him, from Camp Ramah and Jewish day school to Broadway, television, film, and a multifaceted career in the entertainment industry.

The conversation traces his journey from performer to public voice, focusing on the profound shift that followed October 7 and his emergence as a leading advocate for Jewish life and peoplehood. Through his acclaimed podcast Being Jewish, he has created space for conversations about identity, Israel, antisemitism, belonging, and the challenges of maintaining nuance in a polarized world. This is a conversation about purpose, responsibility, family, Jewish continuity, and the enduring power of storytelling to build connection, understanding, and hope.

Learn more about Jonah’s work and listen to “Being Jewish” here - https://www.jonahplatt.com/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Adeena Sussman – From Cooking to Connection Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with cookbook author, food writer, and culinary storyteller Adeena Sussman to explore a life shaped by food, migration, reinvention, and the search for belonging. Raised in a deeply communal Jewish home in Palo Alto and later immersed in New York’s food media world, Sussman spent decades helping chefs, celebrities, and publications translate flavor into narrative before ultimately finding her own voice through Israeli cooking and storytelling.

The conversation traces her journey from cookbook collaborations and food journalism to her life-changing move to Tel Aviv in 2015. Along the way, Sussman reflects on the Carmel Market as a creative and emotional home, on Israeli cuisine as a living mosaic shaped by migration and diaspora, and on the deeper meanings of hospitality, ritual, and nourishment.

Against the backdrop of October 7 and its aftermath, the episode explores how food becomes a language of resilience, consolation, and connection during moments of rupture and uncertainty. Through her bestselling books Sababa, Shabbat, and most recently ZARIZ, Sussman considers what it means to simplify, to feed others, and to create spaces of calm and joy in chaotic times.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about much more than cooking: it is about identity, home, memory, sensuality, Jewish life, and the emotional and spiritual power of gathering around a table.

Learn more about Adeena’s work https://www.adeenasussman.com/

Follow Adeena on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adeenasussman/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster and Naama Shefi.

Sarah Hurwitz - From Political Narratives to Sacred Stories Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with writer, former White House speechwriter, and bestselling author Sarah Hurwitz to explore a life shaped by language, identity, and the search for meaning. After years crafting speeches for some of America’s most influential political figures — including Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama — Hurwitz underwent an unexpected personal transformation when an Intro to Judaism class led her to rediscover the depth of Jewish tradition.

The conversation traces her journey from political speechwriting to spiritual searching, and from speaking in other people’s voices to articulating her own. Together, they explore authenticity, antisemitism, Zionism, Holocaust memory, and the growing tensions surrounding Jewish identity in America after October 7. Centered around Hurwitz’s acclaimed new book As a Jew, this episode examines how Jews understand themselves in a moment of rupture, polarization, and uncertainty — and asks what it means to reclaim Jewish identity without apology.

Learn more about Sarah’s work and read her books - https://www.sarahhurwitz.net/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

92NY Bronfman Center Events

Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Zalman Newfield – From Tradition to Transformation Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with writer, educator, and thinker Zalman Newfield for a conversation about faith, identity, belonging, and the transformative power of asking difficult questions. Drawing on themes from his memoir Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey Out of Hasidism, Newfield reflects on his upbringing in the Chabad-Lubavitch community of Crown Heights and the deeply personal journey that led him beyond the religious world in which he was raised.

Together, they explore what happens when inherited certainty begins to crack, and how intellectual curiosity, spiritual searching, and emotional honesty can reshape a life. Newfield discusses the tension between loyalty and individuality, the costs and freedoms of leaving tightly bound communities, and the possibility of remaining connected to tradition while questioning its foundations.

Drawing on his experiences as a teacher, thinker, and bridge-builder across worlds of tradition and modern life, Zalman reflects on the detours that shaped his path—and the discoveries that emerged along the way.

Our guest is Zalman Newfield: https://zalmannewfield.com/

Learn more about Footsteps organization: https://www.footstepsorg.org/

Read Zalman’s book Brooklyn Odyssey: My Journey Out of Hasidism:

https://a.co/d/0j22s1tE

Follow Zalman on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/professorzalman

Read Zalman’s thoughts on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/p/Zalman-Newfield-author-of-Brooklyn-Odyssey-61587552245531/

Rabbi David Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

David Draiman - From Faith and Fury to Fame and Freedom Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with David Draiman, lead singer of the multi-platinum metal band Disturbed, for a conversation about identity, resilience, faith, and the costs of speaking one's mind.

Raised in an Orthodox Jewish world and once headed toward the rabbinate, Draiman reflects on a life shaped by religious tradition, intellectual curiosity, personal tragedy, and unexpected reinvention. He shares the story of his journey from yeshiva student to one of the most recognizable voices in modern heavy metal, exploring how music became a vehicle for processing grief, struggle, and meaning.

The conversation also delves into Draiman's outspoken public advocacy on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people, the impact of October 7 on his sense of identity and purpose, and the challenges of navigating political polarization, antisemitism, and public controversy in an age of social media and cultural division.

Along the way, Draiman reflects on fame, spirituality, resilience, and the enduring question at the heart of every detour: whether the paths we leave behind ever truly leave us. A candid and wide-ranging conversation about finding one's voice—and learning when to use it.

Follow David Draiman on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davidmdraiman/?hl=en

Read David Draiman’s thoughts on X https://x.com/davidmdraiman?lang=en

Rabbi David Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

When We See You Again: Rachel Goldberg-Polin in Conversation with 92NY's Rabbi David Ingber Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

The Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at the 92NY hosts Rachel Goldberg-Polin in conversation with Rabbi David Ingber. Discussing her new book, When We See You Again, a memoir of her experiences detailing her son Hersh's captivity and death in Gaza. This unforgettable conversation explores love, grief, and the continued search for meaning in the face of unimaginable loss. We are releasing this conversation to mark 1,000 days since October 7, honoring Hersh's memory and all those whose lives have been forever changed. We are honored to share it with our community. Recorded June 3, 2026, at the 92nd Street Y, NY.

Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community.

Donate now: http://www.92NY.org/Donate

More from the 92NY: https://www.92ny.org/archives

Claudia Romo Edelman – From Survival to Service Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Detours and Destinations, Rabbi David Ingber sits down with activist, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and “factivist” Claudia Romo Edelman for a conversation about identity, purpose, and the power of using stories to create social change. Born and raised in Mexico City, Claudia traces the experiences that shaped her worldview — from witnessing the devastation of the 1985 earthquake to navigating a global career spanning the United Nations, UNICEF, the World Economic Forum, and some of the world's most influential advocacy campaigns.

Together, they explore reinvention, belonging, and the enduring possibility of creating change by helping people see one another more clearly and Claudia’s journey from international diplomacy to becoming one of the leading voices for Latino visibility and inclusion in the United States. Claudia reflects on the origins of her activism, the philosophy behind her concept of “factivism,” and her belief that data and storytelling can work together to transform perceptions and inspire action.

The conversation also touches on spirituality, Jewish identity, bridge-building between communities, and the challenge of leading with both conviction and compassion in an increasingly polarized world.

Learn more about Claudia’s work http://claudiaromoedelman.com/

We are all human https://www.weareallhuman.org/

Follow Claudia on IG https://www.instagram.com/claudiaromoedelman/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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Producer: Efrat Bigger

Content Editor: Maya Gayer

Video Editor: Sean Kennedy

Music By: Shimon Smith

Special Thanks: Eden Sidney Foster.

Maya Tevet Dayan – From A Jewish Home to Wandering Jewess Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we sit down with poet Maya Tevet Dayan for a conversation about wandering, belonging, and the search for home. The conversation moves through formative detours, including her mother’s death, a family life lived across continents, and October 7 as a turning point experienced while teaching in the United States. Tevet Dayan speaks about encounters with Jewish communities after October 7, and the questions of exile, home, and responsibility that animate her forthcoming book The Wandering Jewess. She offers thoughtful reflections on identity, displacement, and what it means to imagine a destination in uncertain times.

Learn more about Maya’s work www.mayatevetdayan.com

Join Maya’s 6 Minutes on Friday, a weekly column with an insight or reflection https://tinyurl.com/yc3zxkc7

Get Maya’s book Wherever we float, that’s home

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

Maya was recorded at Shemma Studios Tel Aviv https://www.shemma.co.il/

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Julie Benko- From Standby to Standing Ovation Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we sit down with Broadway actor and singer Julie Benko for a conversation about patience, timing, and the long road from the wings to center stage. Together with Rabbi David Ingber, Benko traces her journey from a childhood steeped in music and Jewish theater to years of training at NYU Tisch and working largely as an understudy in major productions. She reflects on the extraordinary turning point that made her Broadway lore — stepping into Funny Girl more than 180 times — and what it meant to suddenly navigate visibility, pressure, and acclaim. The conversation moves between theater and music, including her collaboration with her husband Jason Yeager and her new album Euphonic Gumbo, a love letter to New Orleans. Touching on Jewish identity, her current role as Emma Goldman in Ragtime, and the realities of balancing art, partnership, and motherhood, Benko offers thoughtful reflections on readiness, resilience, and what it truly means to arrive.

Learn more about Julie’s work: https://www.juliebenko.com/

Stream Julie’s new album https://c44.lnk.to/EuphonicGumbo

Follow Julie on IG https://www.instagram.com/jujujuliebee/

Rabbi Ingber’s IG https://www.instagram.com/rabbiingber

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