Orthodox Conundrum

On Yom Yerushalayim, we thank G-d for the miraculous gift of a united Jerusalem - and, lest we forget, the miracle of winning the Six Day War which, many had originally feared, would destroy the State of Israel and precipitate a second Holocaust. While some celebrate, many others suggest that Israel doesn't belong to us at all. In fact, they say, the entire State of Israel is an illegitimate enterprise, born in sin and destined to be transformed into a binational state without a Jewish character. It seems to many that those voices are growing louder and louder. Last month, the Harvard Crimson published an editorial entitled In Support of Boycott, Divest, Sanctions and a Free Palestine (https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/4/29/editorial-bds/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1651260876-1). Are voices like the Crimson's getting louder? Is Israel losing the battle for world public opinion? Should Yom Yerushalayim be a day of celebration, or a day of dread? Rabbi Uri Pilichowski does not accept this doomsday narrative. He argues that Israel is better off than it has ever been before, including in the area of public relations. Listen to this fascinating and hopeful interview to find out why. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

One of the more troubling realities of the Modern Orthodox world today is an apparent disconnect between the tenets of Modern Orthodoxy and the beliefs of its adherents. It seems that there are many who identify with the community while lacking traditional beliefs; others live within Orthodoxy but yearn for a life of greater spirituality. What is actually going in the minds and hearts of Modern Orthodox Jews - and does Modern Orthodoxy have a future? Are these problems endemic to Modern Orthodoxy, or do they exist across the Orthodox spectrum? Is there anything that can be done to reinforce spiritual values in our families, synagogues, classrooms, and communities? Scott spoke with Rabbi Johnny Solomon in order to address these questions. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

After the tragic events at Meron last year, a safety commission has put new safety protocols in place to ensure that the Lag BaOmer celebrations will proceed without any danger. What are the new rules, will they be implemented, and how effective will they likely be? Scott spoke to Jerusalem Post reporter Eliav Breuer to find out the details. After that interview, Scott offered his own perspective about the correct way for Torah observant Jews to approach Lag BaOmer in Meron this year. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

This episode continues our conversations about the roles of Jewish women in Orthodoxy. Scott speaks to the individual who created one of the most important innovations we've seen so far - Rabbanit Chana Henkin, the founder of Nishmat and the force behind the Yoatzot Halacha. Yoatzot halacha, or halachic advisors, have studied in order to become experts in the laws of Nidah or Taharat Hamishpacha. It's likely that yoatzot halacha are at least as qualified, and often far more qualified, to talk about hilchot nidah than the average rabbi. And given their training in women's health as well as other areas that are unknown by most rabbis, they maintain a unique position - and fill a huge role - in the halachic scene today. The conversation includes questions about yoatzot halacha, what they can and cannot do, the criticisms Rabbanit Henkin has received, and much more. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

On Monday, May 2, Politico obtained a draft majority opinion, written by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 court decision that broadly granted federal protection of abortion rights. The Court has affirmed that the leaked document is authentic, but also said that it's preliminary. Regardless, this means that the 49-year-old constitutional right to abortion may soon be overturned, and instead each of the fifty states will make its own legislative decision regarding the legality of abortion. Jewish people on both sides of this issue are lining up to support or denounce the potential Supreme Court decision, but it seems to be - perhaps only anecdotally - that many are doing so without a full investigation or understanding of what halacha actually says about abortion. As Orthodox Jews, we may or may not want halacha to inform public policy decisions; but we also should at least know the approach of Jewish law before wading into the debate. In order to get a better grasp of the halachic thinking that surrounds abortion, Scott invited Rabbi Dr. Jeremy Wieder back on the podcast to explain the issues involved, as well as to assert what he feels should be the Orthodox approach toward the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. (Rabbi Wieder asked me to issue a correction: at 23:08 he cites a second explanation of the Baalei Tosafot for why a person can desecrate Shabbat to save a fetus. This terminology used - "חלל עליו שבת אחת" - is used by Ramban, not Tosafot. Tosafot adopt the same fundamental stance, though they actually call it פקוח נפש.) This halachic discussion with Rabbi Wieder includes a significant amount of halachic terminology. While much of it is translated in the course of the podcast, some of it might be unfamiliar to many listeners. With that in mind, I am including a glossary of sorts, along with the time signatures where terms first appear, in posts in the Orthodox Conundrum Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/OrthodoxConundrum/posts/pfbid0teaNi4YJoVHNYYMJKjKX26KqE66Kq2VUomDq4JLZb5CDK4K8pmbPmeiFiBTLfAoul) and the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). If there are other terms that are unclear, please go to the post in the Discussion Group, comment there, and I or another listener will try to explain what the terminology means. Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

After the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance become embroiled in controversy last month, many people have begun questioning the future of Orthodox feminism. With that in mind, the Orthodox Conundrum will be releasing several episodes dealing with questions of women and their place in Orthodoxy. In today's episode, Scott interviews Dr. Hannah Lebovits, who discusses structural issues in right wing Orthodoxy that prevent women from becoming knowledge holders, questions regarding "commodification" of great rabbis, why she remains part of the right-wing Orthodox world, and more. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

This isn't a regular episode of the Orthodox Conundrum; in fact, it's barely an episode at all. But I wanted to share what's been happening in our lives over the past week because, in the words of Henri Nouwen, "The most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal." Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Just in time for the Seder... so that we can approach the questions that are really bothering so many people. Many religious Jews are troubled by the findings of modern academic studies of the Bible. And few issues can be as fraught with emotion and angst as the question of whether Yetziat Mitzrayim - the Exodus from Egypt - actually happened. After all, the reality of that event is the backbone of so much of Jewish belief; our entire relationship with G-d is largely predicated upon it. So when Bible professors question or doubt whether it happened at all, or whether it happened precisely in the way that the Torah describes, the believing Jew may find himself confused and distraught. Rabbi Joshua Berman, Professor of Tanach at Bar Ilan University, who has been a guest on this podcast before, doesn't shy away from these issues; he confronts them head-on. What's especially fascinating is that his approach is far from apologetics. He explains that in defending the Torah, we often have it backwards: that instead of seeing other ancient documents and artifacts echoing the Torah, we should expect the Torah to echo ancient documents and artifacts. In so doing, not only does Rabbi Berman explain why the Torah is believable despite the findings of archeology, but he also uses these discoveries as evidence that the the story is historical. Moreover, some of his ideas can shed new light in fascinating ways on what the Torah is trying to tell us. Plus: he describes his amazing trips to Egypt and how they provided him with insights into the Exodus. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

It sometimes seems as though the stream of child abuse allegations is never ending. There is certainly greater awareness now than there was in the past, but are we really doing everything possible to keep our children safe? Child safety advocate Rav Yakov Horowitz says it's time for Child Safety 2.0 - that is, to supplement what we might have done until now with added methods and better understanding and awareness. He talked with Scott about how predators groom entire communities along with their victims, problems in communication between parents and children (even when parents tell their kids that they should report abuse to them), barriers that allow abusers to hide in plain sight, the dangers of the charismatic teacher who is also the resident crazy character, and more. Yedid Nefesh is a passionate community of monthly givers on a mission to end mental health stigma and suffering in our communities... People like you, giving anything they can to prove that change is possible. Your monthly donation can give dozens of people with mental health challenges access to communal and Rabbinic support through our hotline every year. To join Yedid Nefesh, go to https://mnefesh.org/yedidnefesh/. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

"I always thought that the first time I'd talk about my daughter publicly would be at her funeral." Last week we released an episode about problematic behaviors in Modern Orthodox high schools, with a particular focus on binge drinking. This week, Scott speaks with Lianne Forman, who founded the CCSA organization - Communities Confronting Substance Use and Addiction - along with her husband. Lianne forthrightly discusses drug use in the Orthodox community, the importance of removing the stigma, and what parents need to know in order to help their children - because sooner or later, our kids are going to be exposed to it. Lianne also relates the very personal story of their daughter's misuse of alcohol and drugs. To learn more go to https://www.jewishccsa.org/. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com