000 Teaser for The Rest is Commentary: A Journey Through Psalms, Music, and Conversation

Welcome to The Rest is Commentary, a podcast where music, ancient wisdom, and personal connections intertwine. Hosted by Shep Rosenman, each episode features a unique song inspired by the Psalms, or Tehillim in Hebrew, shared with a friend to spark meaningful conversations.

Join Shep and his diverse array of guests—including rabbis, designers, professors, actors, authors and more —as they explore universal themes through a Jewish lens. From Rabbi David Kasher to Dr. Mayim Bialik, each episode delves into the rich tapestry of tradition and contemporary insights.

Whether you have a deep connection to Jewish heritage or are entirely new to it, The Rest is Commentary invites you to connect with ancient texts, profound discussions, and the shared human experience. Tune in for a journey that bridges the past with the present, one song and conversation at a time.

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
What exactly is The Rest is Commentary? Well, it's a podcast that combines music,
ancient wisdom, and people.
I'm Shep Rosenman. I'm writing a song cycle using the Psalms,
or Tehillim in Hebrew, as inspiration.
In each episode, I offer one of my songs and the psalm that inspired it to a

(00:21):
friend with the hope that the song inspires something in them.
My friends come into my studio and we talk about whatever they're inspired to discuss. us.
When I write these songs, I'm connecting to ancient texts and the many people
who have poured over them for thousands of years.
I'm also connecting with something greater than myself, regardless of what you
call it, God, the muse, the creative spirit, a higher power, or something else.

(00:45):
When I share the songs with my friends, I'm connecting with them and connecting
them to those ancient and powerful traditions.
When we share these conversations with you, that connects you to those ancient
traditions, to something greater than ourselves, and it connects you to me and my guests.
Being Jewish, I can't help but approach the texts from a Jewish perspective,

(01:07):
but my goal is that from the Jewish particular, we will be telling stories and
exploring issues that are universal in nature.
My guests on The Rest is Commentary are all friends, family, mentors. tours.
They include my first guest, Rabbi David Kasher, director of Hadar West Coast
and egalitarian Beit Midrash, or House of Study.

(01:29):
Elise Miller, whom I've known since high school, who runs a design business in New York.
Professor Abby Pfeiffer-Mandel, a specialist in design thinking with an emphasis
on designing businesses that have a positive social impact.
Dr. Mayim Bialik, neuroscientist, actor, podcaster, game show host, and so much more.

(01:49):
Rabbi Sharon Browse, leader of IKAR in Los Angeles, whose mission is to create a just community.
She is also the author of recently released The Amen Effect.
Brian Michael Bendis, creator of some of the most cherished characters from Marvel and DC,
including Jessica Jones, Naomi, Riri Williams, Miles Morales,

(02:10):
better known as Spider-Man from the animated Spider-Man films,
and so many more characters.
There's also Rebecca Walker, speaker and lecturer and author of Black,
White, and Jewish, Ade, Baby Love, and a leader in feminist thought.
There are so many more interesting people, and they all have a lot to say.
Some deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, some with little to no knowledge of it.

(02:34):
I hope you join us on this journey and that we get to connect when you listen
to The rest is commentary.