Episode
Jewish Absurdism w/ Josh Bolton
- Podcast
- The Fifth Question
- Published
- Jun 5, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2931
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
What happens when Judaism meets absurdism, poetry, pluralism, and the crisis of modern identity?In this fascinating conversation, Rabbi Daniel Levine sits down with Rabbi Joshua Bolton—author of Jewish Futurisms, poet, educator, and Executive Director of Brown RISD Hillel—to explore some of the biggest questions facing Jewish life today.From humor in the Talmud to the limits of pluralism, from Jewish spirituality after modernity to the challenges of campus leadership in the post–October 7 world, this discussion dives deep into the tension between certainty and ambiguity, conviction and openness, tradition and creativity.Rabbi Bolton reflects on why he wrote Jewish Futurisms, a genre-defying collection of Jewish poetry, lists, satire, and cultural commentary, and explains how absurdism can become a pathway to spirituality. Together, Daniel and Josh discuss Jewish identity, Reconstructionist Judaism, campus activism, Israel, American Jewish culture, social media polarization, and the future of Jewish thought. Topics include:• Jewish Futurisms and Jewish absurdism• Humor, satire, and spirituality in Judaism• The role of pluralism in Jewish communities• Campus Jewish life after October 7• Brown University and contemporary Jewish leadership• The limits of ideology and political certainty• American Judaism vs. Israeli Judaism• Jewish identity in a secular age• Reconstructionist Judaism and Mordecai Kaplan• The future of Jewish culture and communityWhether you're interested in Jewish philosophy, Israel, Jewish history, religion, politics, campus life, or contemporary culture, this conversation offers a thoughtful and provocative exploration of what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century.Subscribe for more conversations on Jewish history, Zionism, Israel, religion, philosop…