The Rest is Commentary with Shep Rosenman

What does an ancient prayer have to say to a songwriter today? Host Shep Rosenman sits down with singer-songwriter David Coile to explore “Listen Up!”, a song inspired by Psalm 86. Their conversation moves from Psalms to Spinoza to Parmenides and Heraclitus, taking on free will, sacrifice, and the hard truth that hope only means something when set against its opposite.
They also get into the craft: co-writing with Liz Hanellin, writing against the clock, giving and taking critique, the musical choices that shape a track, and how time in nature keeps a creative life grounded. The result is a conversation where personal story, political art, and spiritual searching meet in one unforgettable chorus: one heron, one fox, one deer.

Asking for help is human. Figuring out how to show up for one another is the harder part.
Shep Rosenman sits down with Lee Rosenbaum for a candid, wide-ranging exchange about holding multiple identities, including being Black and Jewish, and what happens when the promise of solidarity collides with the realities of polarization and antisemitism. Drawing on personal family stories, civil-rights roots, and legal and cultural perspectives, they ask what empathy demands of us, especially when it’s hardest to offer.
Along the way, they find room for humor, joy, and the sacred possibilities of everyday work. Woven through the conversation is “Need Some Help,” the song that started it all, which was itself inspired by Psalm 121, and a question that connects prayer to action: How do we move from asking for help to becoming a source of it?

What do we save when we may never come home? Shep Rosenman sits down with Allison Lee to explore how a deeply personal song he wrote with Liz Hanellin in the shadow of the January 2025 Palisades fires, became an urgent warning about extremism.
They discuss the choices that shaped the song. Their conversation moves through evacuation, memory, and inheritance: Torah scrolls, prayer books, wedding contracts, family photographs, and the irreplaceable things we reach for when time runs out.
Together, Shep and Allison examine Psalm 83 as both prophecy and warning, the seductive appeal of certainty and binaries, and the challenge of transforming personal pain into art that serves others. Ultimately, they ask how communities can survive fear without sacrificing nuance, empathy, or moral imagination.
A powerful conversation about fire, faith, identity, and choosing to build rather than destroy.

Composer and touch-guitar innovator Jim Wright joins Shep Rosenman for a wide-ranging conversation inspired by “Come Out and Play,” Shep’s song drawn from Psalm 34. Jim follows the song's invitation into questions of creativity, character, faith, and the surprising places meaning can emerge.
Jim started exploring touch-guitar in 1978, developing tunings and techniques that allow him to tap electric bass and guitar parts simultaneously—an approach that has made him a distinctive voice among devotees of the instrument. His work spans popular music, alternative rock, and jazz, and can be found at on Bandcamp and Youtube.com.
In this episode of The Rest Is Commentary, Shep and Jim discuss the origins of the podcast; what it means to become the best person you can be; whether we can “educate” God; and why disagreement matters most when it is pursued with the right intentions. Along the way, they explore animism, perception and reality, happy accidents, musical discovery, and much more.
Start by listening to “Come Out and Play”—then come along for a conversation that moves from a psalm into the strange, searching, and playful work of being human.

Rabbi Leon Wiener-Dow, CEO and Director of Beit Midrash for Kolot, and host Shep Rosenman explore “All You Children,” a song inspired by Psalm 65, in a conversation about hope as a daily practice, the healing power of being truly heard and seen, and the challenge of holding on to redemption when war makes the present feel so harsh. They reflect on love, empathy, halacha as lived experience, and the ongoing work of building a better future in the middle of conflict. Psalm 65 frames Gd as the One who hears prayer and answers with hope, which makes it a strong anchor for the episode’s themes.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear Torah, music, and prayer collide in a way that feels deeply human and unexpectedly moving, this conversation is for you.
In this episode, Rabba Yaffa Epstein and host Shep Rosenman unpack the rich layers of the song Morning Prayer #1 through the lens of Jewish thought. Together, they wrestle with gratitude, darkness, intention, and the power of showing up authentically—even when life feels heavy. What emerges is a powerful reminder that some of the most meaningful prayer begins before the words - in the choice to wake up, look inward, and reach for wonder.
Thoughtful, soul-stirring, and full of insight from one of today’s finest Jewish educators, this is an episode that will stay with you long after it ends. Whether you’re a longtime listener or discovering the podcast for the first time, you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for how sacred meaning can live inside music, routine, and the courage to begin again.

Unlock a fresh perspective on mistakes, forgiveness, and genuine connection in this conversation with Rabbi Hannah Jensen, inspired by Host Shep Rosenman’s song “Worth Decanting” (from Psalm 25).  Shep Rabbi Jensen challenge common views of failure—whether in faith, relationships, or inner life—and show how embracing our flaws can deepen growth and connection.
They explore how our fixation on errors limiting compassion and trust, and offer practical tools for navigating conflict: giving the benefit of the doubt, respecting boundaries, and practicing vulnerability without oversharing.
Rabbi Jensen reflects candidly on keeping relationships authentic amid digital exposure and social polarization, reframing regret beyond sin and opening space for grace.
This episode is for anyone weighed down by judgment or struggling to reconcile mistakes with identity; it offers a compassionate, action-oriented approach to vulnerability so that imperfection becomes a path to stronger, more resilient relationships.

In this intimate and wide-ranging conversation, Shep sits with playwright and educator Amy Guterson to explore “Stay,” a song inspired by Psalm 31, and the mysterious places where jazz, mysticism, and creativity meet.
Amy shares the path that led her to Hasidus and Kabbalah, her founding of Tzohar Seminary, and the way improvisation and art can open us to spiritual connection.
Together, they wrestle with what it means to embrace the unknown, hold paradox, and find trust and gratitude even after trauma. It’s a moving conversation about music, faith, and becoming a vessel for light.
 

Ready to discover how celebrating others can transform your life, your community, and even your performance under pressure? In this electrifying episode of The Rest is Commentary, host Shep Rosenman sits down with Barbara Edelston-Peterson—sports psychologist, acclaimed author, 10-time Xterra world champion, and founder of the Whole Champion Foundation—for a deeply inspiring conversation about the ancient Jewish practice of kvelling, the power of authentic passion, and how community shapes a life of meaning.  
Barbara shares the story of her extraordinary athletic journey, a life-changing injury that forced her to refocus on purpose and service, and her groundbreaking book, Kvell, released about a year ago—a guide to celebrating others as a catalyst for connection, resilience, and positive action in schools, teams, and communities worldwide.
Barbara and Shep dive into the inspiration behind Shep's song *“Black and White Photo”* (born from Psalm 78) and reveals how authenticity, passion, and kvelling can help anyone become a “whole champion” in their own life.  
Whether you’re an athlete, educator, parent, coach, or simply someone seeking deeper connection and purpose, this episode will leave you motivated to start kvelling today—and to build the kind of resilient, joyful community that lifts everyone up.  
**Tune in now** and join a conversation that proves celebrating others isn’t just nice—it’s transformative.

What if a warlike psalm could become a song of empathetic resistance? Director Stephen Hopkins and host Shep Rosenman discuss "Time to Act" inspired by Psalm 76 and how the song flips aggression into care, using David Bowie–style electro-punk energy to confront injustice while honoring the people caught in it. The anchor idea—“Is God Asleep?”—turns divine wrath into human responsibility.
Expect bold talking: how religion is weaponized vs. how cross-spiritual ethics can heal; why the real test of a government is whether it allows protest; and why the world seems to regress in misogyny, racism, and homophobia even as science explodes forward. We discuss Pope Francis’s underreported embrace of LGBTQ+ people, striking data about U.S. gun violence, and reveal that harsh biblical commands may just be  parables—not literal orders.
New listeners: this is your hook. Old listeners: you’ll love the fresh angle. The bottom line: question dogma. A culture’s morality is measured by how it reacts when questioned.