Threshold is a Peabody Award-winning documentary podcast about our place in the natural world. Each season, we take listeners on a journey into the heart of a complex environmental story, asking how we got here and where we might be headed. In our latest season, Hark, we hand the mic over to our planet-mates and investigate what it means to truly listen to nonhuman voices—and the cost if we don't. With mounting social and ecological crises, what happens when we tune into the life all around us? Threshold is nonprofit, listener-supported, and independently produced.
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the Lunar New Year, exploring the significance of the year of the Snake and its themes of mindfulness, renewal, and introspection. Drawing from Jewish traditions of multiple New Years, she highlights the power of resetting and shedding old habits to embrace growth. Join her for a guided mindfulness meditation to connect with the Snake's energy, and to cultivate intentionality, awareness, and the beauty of new beginnings.
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the Lunar New Year, exploring the significance of the year of the Snake and its themes of mindfulness, renewal, and introspection. Drawing from Jewish traditions of multiple New Years, she highlights the power of resetting and shedding old habits to embrace growth. Join her for a guided mindfulness meditation to connect with the Snake's energy, and to cultivate intentionality, awareness, and the beauty of new beginnings.
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the profound resilience shown by individuals who have endured extreme hardships, particularly focusing on the stories of hostages recently freed from Gaza. She shares the moving tale of Liri Albag, a young woman who was captured at 18 and demonstrated remarkable strength by standing up to captors to protect others. Through her stories, including one where she insisted on not leaving without her fellow captives, the episode explores themes of survival, the power of the human spirit, and the significance of resilience in the face of adversity. Rabbi Buchdahl encourages listeners to tap into their own sources of strength, drawing inspiration from the courage displayed by those like Liri.…
In this episode, join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl to explore the significance of Tu BiShvat, the Jewish New Year for the Trees, through meditation, mystical insights, and an ancient Talmudic tale. Through guided imagery and reflection, she invites us to emulate the trees by rooting down, stretching toward renewal, and contemplating the fruits we bear in the world — celebrating the cycle of growth, gratitude, and our connection to past and future generations.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the joy and emotional weight of the recent hostage reunions, particularly the resilience and love demonstrated by former captives. She recounts a poignant story of five IDF soldiers who were captured together, with one soldier braiding the others' hair before they were freed—a powerful symbol of connection and strength. Join Rabbi Buchdahl for a teaching and meditation on the concept of Tikkun Olam not as "fixing" what's broken, but as "braiding the world together," weaving interconnectedness and mutual support, recognizing that our strength lies in unity and love.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the Lunar New Year, exploring the significance of the year of the Snake and its themes of mindfulness, renewal, and introspection. Drawing from Jewish traditions of multiple New Years, she highlights the power of resetting and shedding old habits to embrace growth. Join her for a guided mindfulness meditation to connect with the Snake's energy, and to cultivate intentionality, awareness, and the beauty of new beginnings.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl explores the story of Moses' speech impediment and how it intersects with disability theology, drawing on Rabbi Julia Watts Belzer's book, "Loving Our Own Bones." She delves into God's response to Moses's hesitationt to take on his leadership role, highlighting the first disability accommodation in the Torah and challenging traditional notions of limitations. Join her for a short teaching and meditation on accommodating our vulnerabilities, embracing our imperfections as part of God's divine plan -- and applying this practice to the collective work of justice and compassion.…
This week, as we begin the Book of Exodus — in Hebrew, the book of Shemot, or "names" — Rabbi Buchdahl explores the power of our own names and the names of the Divine. One of the most powerful names for God in the Torah reading comes from the burning bush, where God reveals the name "Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh" — often translated as "I Am Who I Am" or "I Will Be What I Will Be." Through this name, God offers the assurance of being whatever is needed in times of challenge. Join us as we meditate on the names we carry, how the Divine manifests in our world, and how we can draw upon the strength we need to meet this moment.…
Join Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for a meditation based on her family's experience of visiting Japan and drawing her family's fortune for 2025 based on the Japanese tradition of Omikuji, or "sacred lots." The fortune they received sparked reflections on fate, agency, and how our fortunes might not be as set in stone as they seem. Listen in for a meditation on how we might reshape our "lot" in life, just as the Japanese tie bad fortunes to pine trees to prevent them from following them home.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl explores the power and significance of dreams, inspired by the story of Joseph from the Torah. The greatest dreamer in the Bible, Joseph's dreams foretell his rise to power and his eventual role in saving his family and Egypt. Dreams, both prophetic and anxiety-driven, can help us process emotions, memories, and work through stress; meditation can help us process these emotions while awake, creating space for more positive, visionary dreams at night. Join her for a moment of reflection and a prayer of gratitude as we invite the energy of positive, hopeful dreams into our lives for 2025.…
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl offers a teaching and meditation based on a red-tailed hawk's unexpected visit to her balcony, leading to a profound reflection on community and connection. The story evokes memories of Pale Male, the legendary red-tailed hawk of New York City, whose presence symbolized the power of perseverance and finding one's place in a vast, often daunting world. Join her for a meditation exploring our sense of belonging, the importance of community, and the lessons we can learn from the flight of birds — especially how we support each other in times of strength and vulnerability.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the true meaning of prayer, contrasting the Western view of prayer as a petition to God with the Hebrew concept of Tefillah, which encourages deep self-reflection. She challenges us to reframe our understanding of prayer as not just a request for personal desires but as a way to connect with ourselves and with the world around us. This meditation is grounded in Anna Kamienska's poem "A Prayer That Will Be Answered," which speaks to the acceptance of life's inevitable suffering and the beauty found in its fleeting moments. Join us to immerse in a more profound, peaceful approach to prayer.…
In this episode for Thanksgiving, Rabbi Buchdahl invites us to immerse in gratitude — especially for everyday blessings, from simple comforts to meaningful gifts received. She explores Jewish tradition's various offerings, including thanksgiving offerings and free-will gifts, emphasizing the pure generosity that comes from the heart — and invites us to explore the own matanot ("gifts") we have received and give freely to others.…
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on the overwhelming weight of personal and global worries, from family concerns to worldwide crises, and the dangers of living consumed by the news. Drawing on Oliver Burkeman’s insights, she explores how mindfulness helps us focus on what truly matters. Through personal stories and a guided meditation, Rabbi Buchdahl encourages listeners to choose where to place their attention—and their heart—to lead a more intentional and meaningful life.…
In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl offers a moment of stillness and reflection amid the noise of the world. Drawing on the story of Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu, a 2nd-century Jewish sage known for his unwavering optimism in the face of suffering, Rabbi Buchdahl invites listeners to reflect on the challenges of our times. With global unrest, political uncertainty, and environmental concerns weighing heavily, she shares Nachum's powerful lesson of seeing Gam zeh l'tovah ("This, too, is for the good") in even the most difficult moments. Through Nachum’s story—where a seemingly disastrous gift of sand turned into a blessing for the Jewish people—Rabbi Buchdahl explores themes of humility, mindfulness, and faith. She encourages us to find meaning and hope in life’s trials, reminding us that we may not control our circumstances, but we can choose how we respond. The episode concludes with a guided meditation, inviting listeners to breathe deeply, embrace silence, and connect to a sense of inner peace, embodying the spirit of Gam zeh l'tovah. It's a call to cultivate stillness, perspective, and gratitude in the midst of uncertainty.…
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl offers a simple meditation and practice for meeting the stresses of the election season, by settling our nervous system, by discerning the aspects of the situation we cannot control, and by remembering our capacity to choose our response in the areas within our control. Not only can we make a choice on Election Day, but even afterwards we can continue to choose a wise response as events unfold.…
According to the Psalmist, "lecha dumiyah tehillah — to You, silence is praise" (Psalm 65:2). But is silence really a part of Jewish spiritual practice? Isn't Judaism a practice of words? In this episode, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl offers a teaching and short practice on the deep benefits of being in silence and stillness. She explores how we might notice, meet, and move through our habitual discomfort with silence, and notice the "waterfalls" of thoughts and feelings within us without being driven by them.…
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