‘Conversations with the Rabbi’ addresses
difficult questions in contemporary religious life

Rabbi Michael Beyo, CEO of the East Valley JCC and Six Million Voices, released a new book, “Conversations with the Rabbi: Conversations Across Faith, Culture and Humanity,” on April 4, 2026.

The book is based on his acclaimed podcast of the same name and is the record of 14 encounters between Rabbi Beyo and people from radically different worlds: Muslim and Christian leaders, a criminal justice reformer, a Bahá’í couple, an Orthodox feminist, a klezmer musician, a physician, and his own wife. Each chapter opens with the rabbi’s personal introduction, moves into the edited conversation, and closes with his unfiltered reflection—where he says what he really thinks, names the disagreements he didn’t resolve, and holds nothing back.

Along the way, Rabbi Beyo takes on some of the hardest questions in contemporary religious life: Has Islam undergone the kind of internal reformation that enables peaceful coexistence? What happens when the Orthodox world punishes its best scholars for thinking honestly? Are “Jewish values” actually Jewish—or are they Western liberal values with a Hebrew accent? What does it mean to support your wife’s ordination when your own tradition does not recognize it?

The “Conversation with the Rabbi” podcast debuted in March 2021 and continued through July 2022, with a total of 30 episodes.

Rabbi Beyo’s educational background includes three prestigious rabbinical ordinations and advanced studies in political science, Jewish history, philosophy and jurisprudence across top universities in the United States and Israel. His entrepreneurial journey spans diverse industries, including toys, high-tech, and renewable energy. He has lived in Italy, England, France, Israel, and the United States, which brings a rich international perspective to his work.

He is an Italian-born Sephardi Orthodox rabbi, author and international speaker. Trained in the ultra-Orthodox world and shaped by the Maimonidean rationalist tradition, he has spent more than 20 years teaching, writing and leading Jewish organizations. In addition to his role at the East Valley JCC, he is the founder and CEO of SIX Million Voices, a global nonprofit dedicated to immersive education with a focus on Holocaust education and combating antisemitism.

He is also the author of two other books that will soon be released: “Choose Life: Torah’s Radical Answer to Civilization’s Oldest Obsession” and “A Journey of Faith: The Thirteen Foundations of Judaism.” He lives in Phoenix with his family.  

A limited number of signed copies of the “Conversations with the Rabbi” book are available to purcahse at the East Valley JCC for $12.99. 

The book is also available on Amazon.