EP 63: The Unlikely Rabbi: Angela Buchdahl on her Journey From South Korea To Senior Rabbi
How She Does ItShow Notes
Anglea Buchdahl has been leading one of NYC’s most influential Reform Judaism congregations since 2014. Not only is she the first female leader of Central Synagogue in its more than 185-year history, but she is also changing the expectations around what it can look like to be a senior rabbi.
In this episode, Rabbi Buchdahl joins Karen Finerman to discuss her memoir “Heart Of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging.” In it, she shares how her Buddhist Korean mother and Jewish American father shaped her outlook on life, faith, and God. She went on to become the first Asian American to be ordained as a rabbi. Building her career presented its own challenges: from navigating the realities of being a working mother to deciding when and how to pursue bigger opportunities. Along the way, she even faced doubters who said she lacked the “gravitas.” She persevered and has established herself as a leading voice in the Reform Jewish community.
💬 In this episode, we explore:
How Rabbi Buchdahl resists putting too much stock in external criticism - or validation
One of the craziest days in Rabbi Buchdahl’s career, which proved to be a perfect representation of the challenges of being a working mother
How a coin toss helped Rabbi Buchdahl take one of the biggest leaps of her career
The role Rabbi Buchdahl says humility plays in being a good leader (and helped convince her to accept an invite to the White House).
The meaningful moment Rabbi Buchdhl was able to publicly thank her mother for her support and guidance
🔗 Visit Central Synagogue’s Website
🔗 Learn More about “Heart Of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging”
📸 Follow Rabbi Angela Buchdahl On Instagram
📸 Watch Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s sermons on YouTube
📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @hsdipodcast
🎧 New episodes of How She Does It drop every Tuesday. Be sure to follow us so you never miss an episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from How She Does It
How She Does It is on a short hiatus, but Karen was kind enough to let us drop into your feed today. This show is part of the HerMoney Media Network — so if you like what you hear, come find us at The HerMoney Podcast.
What motivates some of today’s successful leaders? What person or event helped snap their futures into focus, creating a roadmap they followed with grit and resilience, determined to make it to the highest levels in business and beyond?
Imagine willingly opening up your life to as much A.I. as possible. Have a question? Ask A.I. first. Feeling blue? Talk to an A.I. therapist. Need a ride? Summon a Waymo. In journalist Joanna Stern’s New York Times bestseller “I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything,” she did all of the above and more. She shares what's hopeful, what’s creepy, and how A.I. is already in your life, whether you like it or not.
In our first-ever pop-up podcast in front of a live audience, Karen Finerman sits down with Karen Firestone at the CNBC Pro Event: Wealth For Women at the Nasdaq MarketSite. Karen Firestone, who goes by Kari, began building her impressive career as an investor in the early ‘80s. There were far fewer women working in finance at that time, and things were far more challenging for women in that space than they are today. Still, Kari couldn’t have imagined taking a different path.
What does it take to create culture-defining entertainment that not only attracts loyal viewers but wins accolades as well? We’ve asked Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Programming for HBO Max. The streaming service behind shows like “The Pitt,” “Hacks,” “And Just Like That,” and the forthcoming “Harry Potter” series is once again evolving what audiences expect from premium television: high-quality entertainment delivered on a consistent basis.