In the very first episode of Beyond the Bima, a show built on the idea that there’s more than one way to be Jewish, Eva and Amira sit down with Rabbi Shneur Reti-Waks, who led Melbourne’s Ark Centre in East Hawthorn for close to a decade, building it into a Modern Orthodox community known for being open, warm and welcoming.

Rabbi Shneur shares the thoughtful approach to Judaism that has defined his rabbinate, one that some have considered controversial, but which he grounds in reason rather than dogma. It’s a conversation about faith and critical thinking, where tradition should hold firm, and where it should make room for questioning, curiosity and different ways of being Jewish.

He also talks about his current chapter, Neshama, meaning “soul”, the independent community he founded under the banner “Tradition With Soul.” As an independent rabbi, he guides families through the important moments of Jewish life, including bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, baby namings and funerals.

Find out more about Neshama at neshama.org.au.

Music runs through it all, reflecting his belief that melody can reach the soul as powerfully as any sermon.

He also hosts family-friendly High Holidays in South Caulfield, addressing a challenge at the heart of this first episode: how do we draw people back and deepen Jewish engagement at a time when so many feel increasingly distant from their community?

For Rabbi Shneur, part of the answer is simple: open spiritual doors rather than shutting people out.