Fillip Kravosky

It was on a whim, through Instagram.  I went on a streak saying "yes" to any ad that showed up at all.  This led to some interesting places: I went on a moon bounce, I became part of a some vodka focus group...

They show you pictures of vodka and ask for your opinion, and a little while later you get a check in the mail for $200.  Anyway, The Podcast Fellowship ad came up also.  Since I recently found out that I was Jewish, I was curious, so I applied, got a phone interview, and was soon connected to Rabbi Bloom (Rabbi Eli Bloom of Jewish Routes, Los Angeles).  That was around March of this year.

I don't know.  I know the noble answer is to say yes, but I can't honestly say that.

It was fun in the sense that I would prep on the day of the discussion.  The whole time I was sitting there listening, I thought to myself that I don't want to discuss the things I agree on: it's the things I DISAGREE on that I want to discuss.

I would present my problems to the rabbi, and after the discussion, I would leave him; if not satisfied, at least understanding.

Understanding myself and why I don’t agree with the idea.  My whole family being Christian, I often have an identity crisis, but besides my curiosity, I do this out of repect for my great-grandmother.

Most of the discussion has been me asking him the basics of the Torah, morality, the world to come, and the meaning of holidays such as Chanukah or Purim.  I'm more interested in theological aspects of it, rather than the practical aspects, right now.  Until TPF, I had no exposure to these ideas because I had no one to ask.

It got to a point where we left the structure of the paid podcast discussion and continued to more "niche" territory, where I present to the rabbi a problem that I've been working on personally and we work things out together.

Yes.  Rabbi Bloom enjoys the back-and forth.

It's funny how we're such creatures of habit.  If I would bump into something, I would say, "Cheez-us", and the rabbi would reply, "MOSES."  Then I would say, "well, technically I'm taking his name in vain, so isn't it ok?"  and we had a good laugh.

There’s nothing quite like a rabbi in the Orthodox Christian community.  I could be completely wrong, but I didn’t have anything like that.  A lot of what is getting me thinking about spirituality and its role in my life is that I have a rabbi to speak to every week.

The biggest personal impact on me from these discussions is the comfort to know that there's a Big Guy out there Who wants me to succeed, and Who gave us an instruction manual on how to succeed.

They understand but they have mixed feelings.  The still see me as an Orthodox Christian.

Not really.  Relgion as a kid was more cultural.  I showed up to Easter Mass, which for children is standing-room only, kind of like general admission.  The shorter you are, the worse it is, because there a lots of candles all around.  I passed out from the fumes of the candles.   I told my father, and he said that it’s normal for kids to pass out.  I guess it's a kind of hazing.  But I hadn't had any spiritual engagement in years.  I haven't been to a church since 12 or 13 years old.

Orthodox Christianity is mostly driven by emotion.  You have to feel G-d in your heart, not understand intellectually.  Judaism is very different,  it's all about understanding.  Rabbi Bloom said, “G-d is not trying to be mysterious.”

"At the end of day, you're paired with someone knowledgeable about G-d who’s not going to judge you—where else can you find that?"