Thank you to Rina Raphael!

Tablet magazine’s “Unorthodox” podcast episode featuring our Sephardic community is LIVE!! So, how did this all come about? It all started with Rina Raphael! Rina Raphael heard about our Fruiticas event from Lea Almo Lipman during a recent visit to Seattle. Inspired by what Lea and the community had planned for Tu BiShvat, Rina contacted the producers of "Unorthodox,” the no. 1 Jewish podcast in America, for their series “Across the Jew-S.A.” Producers Courtney Hazlett (Rina’s former TODAY Show colleague), Stephanie Butnick, and Robert Scaramuccia loved the idea!

Rina previously lived in Seattle while she was in high school attending Northwest Yeshiva High School and is a treasured friend of Lea Lipman. Rina contacted Lea to connect her with the podcast producers and those of us at SBH and EB were all thrilled!

Rina is the daughter of Esther and Dr. David A”H Raphael. She is the sister of Abe Raphael, Nechama Raphael, and Miriam Raphael. The Raphael family lived in Seattle in the late 1970s and were members of SBH. Their children attended Seattle Hebrew Academy. The Raphael family returned to Seward Park in 1998. SBH has a great love and fondness for the time the Raphaels lived in Seattle and enjoy it when the Raphael family comes to visit us!

Dr. David Raphael, of blessed memory, was a physician as well as a Sephardic historian and filmmaker. He wrote several books about Sephardic Jewry and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, including “The Alhambra Decree.” He also produced and directed the 1978 Ladino musical documentary “Song of the Sephardi,” which features Rabbi Maimon A”H and our Sephardic community. You can watch “Song of the Sephardi” in its entirety on YouTube or view clips on both Instagram and Tiktok under the handle @songofthesephardi.

Rina lives in Los Angeles with her husband Eric Spiegelman. She is a journalist who specializes in health, wellness, tech, and women’s issues. She was a senior producer at NBC News’ TODAY and a features contributor for Fast Company magazine. She currently writes for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal, among other publications.

Rina recently wrote the book "The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self Care,” which examines the explosion of the wellness industry: how it stems from legitimate complaints, how seductive marketing targets hopeful consumers–and why women are opening up their wallets like never before. It can be found wherever books are sold.

SBH has much gratitude for Rina and the Raphael family!