What kind of truth can a sacred text offer about the world? Rabbi Geoff Mitelman reads the Torah as poetry — open to multiple interpretations and evoking a sense of transcendence, even magic.

Mitelman is a Reform rabbi and the founding director of Sinai and Synapses, an organization building bridges between science and religion, particularly Judaism. He reads the creation story in Genesis as a profoundly mysterious text — complementary to the scientific account of the Big Bang.

Mitelman doesn’t dwell on big metaphysical questions such as the nature of God or ultimate reality. Instead, he turns toward age-old rituals — the songs, stories and ceremonies that have been practiced within Jewish communities for centuries. Why do we return to these rituals year after year?

At a time when many people have abandoned organized religion, often describing themselves as “spiritual but not religious,” Mitelman says Judaism is more akin to being “religious but not spiritual.” In this conversation, we explore the power of ritual — and how shared practices can create meaning and build community.

This interview was recorded at the Island of Knowledge think tank in Tuscany, a project supported by Dartmouth College and the John Templeton Foundation.

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00:00:00 A Shabbat Ritual in Tuscany
00:04:10 Torah as Poetry, Not Science
00:09:15 Genesis and the Big Bang
00:19:57 God, Ritual, and Community

Wonder Cabinet is hosted by Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson. Find out more about the show at https://wondercabinetproductions.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast and our newsletter.

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