Orthodox Conundrum

"Everybody moved up. It was transformational for every single kid. Every single kid." Orthodox education emphasizes Talmud. And too often, the main thing that students learn in Talmud class is how much they don't enjoy it. It gets worse: often, they spend years studying and still haven't a clue about what it means, or how to learn it properly. Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, Founding Dean of Yeshiva Darchei Noam of Monsey, recognizes the problem and has set out to rectify it with a new book that attempts to change the way students look at Gemara. In Part One of his conversation with Scott Kahn, he explains what we're doing wrong, and how we can make it right. Plus - all about the Scarlet Letter A, the connection between Gemara, skiing, golf, and guitar, and much more. Don't miss our live Facebook and Zoom discussion about teaching Gemara skills on Thursday, September 3 at 1 PM EDT on the Jewish Coffee House Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/JewishCoffeeH/ 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

"The answer is no and continues to be no." Jodi Samuels says that people used to say, "When we grow up, we want to be like the Samuels"; until 2008, everything about her life seemed perfect. But in February of that year, when her daughter Caila was born with Down Syndrome, her life changed dramatically, and she and her husband almost immediately became activists. And when the local Orthodox school refused to allow Caila to enroll, Jodi's activism made news around the world. Join Scott Kahn as he interviews Jodi Samuels about her fight for inclusion, the successes and difficulties she has faced along the way, and her new book, Chutzpah, Wisdom and Wine: The Journey of an Unstoppable Woman. Visit Jodi's website at https://www.jodisvoice.com/. 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Several weeks ago, the Orthdox Conundrum released a podcast where two men discussed the Israeli Chief Rabbinate's refusal to allow women to take the exams for rabbinic ordination. The fact that no women were involved in this conversation, as well as the content of the podcast, generated a brand new controversy. Is it offensive for men to discuss women's roles in Judaism without having a woman present? Join Scott Kahn as he interviews Anne Gordon, Rachel Stomel, and Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll - the leaders of Chochmat Nashim - about this important issue, as well as about semicha, women in leadership roles, the future of Halachic Judaism, and much more. 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has had a plan to annex up to 30% of the West Bank... but what that plan is, and whether it will happen altogether, is open to question. What's going on? Is annexation in Israel's best interests? What could go right and what could go wrong? And how might it affect American Jewish support for Israel? Join Scott Kahn as he discusses these and other questions with Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn of Northwestern University in Chicago. 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Israel's Attorney General recently declared that women should be allowed to sit for the same rabbinical exams as men, albeit not in order to acquire the title "Rabbi." The Chief Rabbinate, however, threatened to stop all examinations if this plan were implemented. Is the Chief Rabbinate justified? Is there a problem with women being rabbis in Orthodoxy? If so, is there an equivalent position or title which would be acceptable? And are the current steps leading down a slippery slope where traditional gender roles will be undermined? To answer these questions, Scott Kahn spoke with Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, the President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone. They had a frank discussion about his views regarding the role of women in Modern Orthodoxy, and the roles that women can - and should - play in communal spiritual leadership. Here are links Rabbi Brander mentioned in the podcast: https://www.yutorah.org/sidebar/lecture.cfm/848712/rabbi-dr-kenneth-brander/is-there-a-glass-ceiling-for-the-roles-of-women-in-orthodoxy-/ https://ots.org.il/marching-on-the-glass-floor/ 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Orthodox Judaism often has a fraught relationship with the arts, characterized by both tension and fascination. Some Torah sources emphasize the great spiritual potential in music and the visual arts, while others consider art a waste of time - or worse. In this live episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn is joined by Franciska Goldschmidt Kosman and a panel of experts - Abie Rotenberg, Simcha Leiner, Moshe Braun, and Chaim Aizenshtat - to discuss Judaism and the arts. They address the way to relate to creative endeavors, how an artist can remain true to both Halacha and his artistic calling, issues surrounding kol isha, including art in school curricula, and much more. 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Shaina Be Hirsch was visiting the Temple Mount and videoing it on Facebook Live, when she was accosted by a security guard who demanded that she retract her factual claim that there was a Temple on the site before there was a mosque there. When she refused, and continued to insist on factual accuracy, she was literally arrested by the Waqf. Join Scott Kahn for a disturbing interview with Shaina as she recounts her story, and discusses what has been done and what further needs to be done to ensure that history itself is no longer denied. You can read Shaina's account and watch her FB video here: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/in-the-waqfs-custody/ Check out jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Professionals expect to be paid, and rightly so. Why, then, are so many educators and rabbis in the Jewish world expected to teach, lecture, and officiate for free - and are often viewed as hypocrites when they ask for payment? In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn speaks with veteran educator Sarah Rudolph, a teacher living in Cleveland whose frustration about this very issue inspired her to write a well-received article in The Forward, "The Injustice of Asking Jewish Educators to Do Unpaid Work." Check out jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

During this time when many of us are effectively isolated in our homes, many religious questions arise. What should be done about minyan? Should weddings be delayed? Should yeshivot stay open despite the determination of government authorities? What special tefilot should we say? How can we use this time effectively? How should we explain this situation to our children? In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott speaks with Rav Chayim Soloveichik shlit"a, the rabbi of Ohr Shalom in Ramat Beit Shemesh, who provides his unique insights into these and other questions. [NOTE: After the release of this podcast, and after additional restrictions were imposed in Israel, Rav Chayim Soloveichik has decided to close the shul until further notice.] Check out jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

"Until then, I only thought I was Jewish." Elisheva Rishon was born in Brooklyn to Orthodox parents, and as a young child, loved everything about being Jewish. Sadly, the response of too many Orthodox Jews to her skin color made her feel excluded from the Orthodox community, and taught her the unfortunate lesson that she would always be treated differently from others. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott interviews Elisheva about her experiences, her perspective as a Black Jewish woman on racism in the Orthodox world, and what concrete steps we all need to take to eliminate this scourge from our community. Elisheva created the empowerment-based brand, Eli7 Designs, to help people heal and learn to love themselves through fashion. Visit her website at https://eli7designs.com/. 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 our Patreon site for bonus episodes, merch, and more at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com