JUDAISM DEMYSTIFIED | A Guide for Today's Perplexed: Torah Foundations, Reason, and Tradition Episode 135: Rabbanit Yael Leibowitz "Ezra-Nehemiah and Covenantal Responsibility"
In this episode, we sit down with Rabbanit Yael Leibowitz to explore the bold ideas at the heart of her work on Ezra–Nehemiah. She explains why she frames the book through the striking theme of a 'Retrograde Revolution,' and how this lens reveals a story of renewal that moves forward specifically by returning to the foundations of Jewish identity. Rabbanit Leibowitz then walks us through her distinctive approach to studying Ezra–Nehemiah—not primarily as political history, but as a deeply literary and theological text—and how this perspective reflects her broader understanding of what Tanakh is and how it relates to history. We also address a surprising reality: despite being part of the biblical canon, Ezra–Nehemiah remains one of the least-studied books among regular Torah learners. Rabbanit Leibowitz explains why these chapters are essential for today’s Jewish reader and what timeless lessons they offer for community, belonging, and spiritual restoration. Finally, we discuss her powerful chapter, “What Is a Jew,” which examines the complexities of Jewish identity as they emerge in the book of Ezra and how those ancient questions continue to resonate in the modern world.
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*This episode is dedicated to the refua shelema of Sarah Miriam bat Tamar, Binyamin ben Zilpa, and our dear friend Yaakov ben Haya Sarah Malakh
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• Bio: Yael Leibowitz is an Israeli educator. She holds a Master’s degree in Judaic Studies from Columbia University, taught at the Upper School of Ramaz, and is a former faculty member of Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women where she taught advanced Bible courses. She currently teaches at Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Learning and Midreshet Lindenbaum College for Women.
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• Get her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ezra-Nehemiah-Retrograde-Revolution-Yael-Leibowitz/dp/1592647073
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