In this episode of Better in Person, Stephen Dubner interviews Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, the first Asian American cantor and a prominent rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York. They discuss her memoir 'Heart of a Stranger,' the challenges of fame and antisemitism, her views on Judaism as a wisdom tradition, the importance of breaking binary thinking, and how the experience of being a stranger can be a superpower.
Summarized by Podsumo
Angela Buchdahl's unique background as a biracial Korean-American Jew shapes her identity and her approach to faith, emphasizing boundary-crossing and empathy.
She discusses the concept of 'awe' as central to her rabbinate, citing Dacher Keltner's research that identifies moral beauty as the top catalyst for awe.
Buchdahl opens up about the costs of fame, including security threats and being targeted in hostage negotiations, yet she refuses to retreat, choosing life over fear.
She advocates for a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine, believing in the possibility of de-radicalization and a future of peace, despite current trauma.
Buchdahl highlights the Jewish tradition of 'Hevruta' (studying with a partner) as a way to break binary thinking and reach a 'third opinion' through engagement.
"The heart of a stranger is a human experience. What I think Judaism has to offer is a blueprint for taking that experience and making that into your superpower of empathy, of creativity, of resilience, of grit."
"You feel like a stranger, so do I. Let that be the first point of human connection between us."
"We are in a place of such fear and such demonization. The polarization has become so extreme that actually engaging with the other side feels like engaging with the enemy in some way."