Being Jewish LIVE! How 10/7 is Dividing Liberal Progressives with Rabbis Sharon Brous & David Ingber

Enjoy a special Live Episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt. Jonah Platt welcomes two influential spiritual leaders: Rabbi Sharon Brous, founding rabbi of IKAR in Los Angeles, and David Ingber, founding rabbi of Romemu in New York. Together, they explore how their egalitarian, non-denominational communities are reimagining synagogue life by emphasizing spiritual aliveness, engaging prayer, and social justice. This event was filmed live in San Diego, supported by Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, and the Jim Joseph Foundation. Rabbis Brous and Ingber speak candidly about the challenges of leading “big tent” communities in a deeply polarized time, where congregants often expect rabbis to mirror their views, and leave when they don't. Brous discusses transforming sermons into collective responsibility and action, while Ingber critiques what he calls a more consumer-driven performative Judaism, shaped by convenience rather than commitment. Drawing on experience from the Women’s March controversy through the aftermath of October 7th, they examine what it means to lead with integrity when every word carries weight. The conversation also grapples with enduring questions at the heart of Jewish life: the role of prayer, the tension between universal values and particular Jewish obligation, and the importance of humility and patience in leadership. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and growing political divisions around Israel and America, this episode looks at what Jewish leadership demands and what the Jewish community can become in this moment of urgency and change. Make sure to subscribe and check out part 2, releasing after Pesach 00:00:00 - Introducing Rabbis Brous & Ingber 00:04:57 - Rabbi Ingber: Why He Founded Romemu 00:07:06 - What Pushes People Away? 00:11:28 - Rabbi as Moral Leader, Not Mouthpiece 00:14:21 - The Bar Kamtza Story & Moral Courage 00:19:19 - Redefining the Rabbi's Role Today 00:21:25 - Ingber's Tamika Mallory Wake-Up Call 00:28:01 - Post-Oct 7 Silence From Allies 00:38:36 - Jewish Prayer & Palestinian Suffering 00:51:29 - Jews & the Democratic Party Crisis In the episode, they discuss: - The founding visions behind IKAR and Romemu - How Brous and Ingber are reimagining synagogue life - The rabbinical role in modern society - Silence from progressive allies following October 7th - Rabbi David Ingber’s experience confronting Tamika Mallory and Louis Farrakhan - The concept of “raising flawed flags” - The Talmudic story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza - Balancing universalism and particularism through Torah teachings - The pressure to respond instantly on social media versus engaging in thoughtful reflection A special thanks to our partners on this episode: Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies - https://www.schusterman.org Crown Family Philanthropies - https://crownfamilyphilanthropies.org/ Jim Joseph Foundation - https://jimjosephfoundation.org/ Follow our guest Rabbi Sharon Brous on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sharonbrous IKAR - https://ikar.org/ Rabbi David Ingber - https://romemu.org/rabbi-david-ingber/ #BeingJewish #JonahPlatt #RabbiSharonBrous #RabbiDavidIngber #IKAR #Romemu #JewishPodcast #Judaism #JewishCommunity #Antisemitism #Zionism #Israel #jonahplatt