Orthodox Conundrum

Scott recorded this interview with Dr. Noam Weissman on Monday afternoon, the day after we learned about the terrible execution of six hostages soon before they were discovered by the IDF, presumably in order to make sure that they did not make it back home alive. And today, Hamas continued its psychological torture by saying that it will release video of these six victims. The pure, unbridled evil implicit in these acts and so many others is a reminder of the existential battle that Israel is involved in every day against not just an enemy, but an enemy that advocates the elimination of the State of Israel and the extermination of its Jewish population. Alongside this we continue to experience the terrible disconnect that comes from seeing the way that Israel is often treated in standard media, the denunciations of Israel across social media, and the protests denouncing Israel and supporting Hezbollah and Hamas taking place throughout the globe. The side-by-side comparison of our experience as supporters of Israel who are collectively in a type of mourning, and the demonization of Israel as a genocidal state that is the epitome of evil, makes the enterprise of Israel education in our schools more important than ever before. In order to discuss how our schools should be approaching Israel education, Scott was honored to speak with Dr. Noam Weissman. Noam offered some truly fascinating insights into the ways that we should and should not teach about Israel, as well as the consequences of avoiding Israel education altogether. It was an enlightening and entertaining talk, and it may forever change the way you view Israel education. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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 podcast is being released less than a day after the Israeli army preemptively struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, doing so just fifteen minutes before those launchers were supposed to fire hundreds of missiles into northern and central Israel. Thank God that as of now, Israel clearly won this exchange. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but for now we can breathe just a bit easier than we did when we first heard the news early this morning. This event, like many others before it, highlights the reality that Israel is a nation that has been experiencing a kind of collective and individual trauma ever since October 7th; and Jews across the world, both because of the rise in antisemitism and because of their deep concern about what's happening in Israel, have experienced very real trauma, as well. Trauma is not itself a type of mental illness, but it can lead to mental illness - and Jews in general, and Israelis in particular, are at risk of developing PTSD and other mental illnesses as a response to the events of the past year. Many people run the risk of experiencing suicidal ideation, depression, and more - and we need to determine if the medical community has the resources necessary to deal with a potential mental health crisis. Moreover, this also raises important and unavoidable halachic and hashkafic questions for those who diligently follow Jewish law. In order to talk about mental health, including what factors make it a potential crisis, the definition of trauma and PTSD, whether suicide has been on the rise, if any issues are being hidden from the public, the meaning of post traumatic growth, how we can best prevent trauma from blossoming into mental illness, the problem of stigma, and what to do if you suspect that a friend is suffering from mental illness, Scott spoke with Gila Tolub, the Co-Founder and Executive Director of ICAR Collective. Afterwards he had a conversation with Rav Yoni Rosensweig, the founder of Maaglei Nefesh Center for Halacha, Community and Mental Health, about some of the halachic and hashkafic issues that have arisen in the realm of mental health, as a direct consequence of October 7th and the war against Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, and Iran's other proxies. The interview with Gila Tolub begins at 3:42. The interview with Rav Yoni Rosensweig begins at 52:48. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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

The October 7th massacre, and the subsequent war against Hamas, other Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and Iran itself, have caused many people throughout the Jewish world to reconsider what Israel means to them, and what kind of society Israel should create. Many continually return to the idea that Israel should be a light unto the nations, an Ohr laGoyim, or a Medinah l'Mofet, an exemplary nation and society. Although, given the rampant anti-Israel and antisemitic attitudes that pervade societies across the globe, it is unlikely that many plan on using Israel as a model for their own behavior, we still have a responsibility to do so for ourselves - so that even if other people despise us, we are confident that we are creating the most ethical and moral country on earth. Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, recently composed an article for the Wall Street Journal which offers a somewhat different perspective. The article concludes by arguing that rather than concentrating on being a light to the nations, "For now, in this summer of dread, the urgent question for Israelis is how to be a light to ourselves." In other words, we need to concentrate primarily on healing the schisms and problems within our own society; if we believe that being a light to the nations is not a goal, but an extant reality, then we are lost. Yossi's opinions about how Israel should move forward are simultaneously disturbing and hopeful - the hallmark, that is, of deep thinking that both acknowledges the reality that we face, and the miraculous and unpredictable presence of God. Join Scott and Yossi for a timely and thought-provoking conversation that all Jews - in Israel and elsewhere - need to hear. Nishmat, the Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women, is back with its new semester of Online Beit Midrash learning, starting September 8. Study Talmud, Tanach, Halacha and more with some of the best Torah teachers in Jerusalem - all from the comfort of your home. Classes are open to women of all learning backgrounds. For a full class schedule and registration, go to: https://2ly.link/1zHAZ 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). Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.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 https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

"What does Eichah have in common with climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, Holocaust deniers and those that claim that the 2020 presidential elections were stolen?" Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman sent this to Scott, who was intrigued and immediately invited him back onto this podcast to discuss what he meant. More than anything else, we need a way to relate to Megillat Eicha in a world which seems so distant from that described in the book. And even the world described in Eicha is complicated; it's often hard to make sense of exactly what is being said. There are different voices represented, and they often contradict each other, and themselves. The book seems to go back and forth between blaming the community for its own destruction, and saying that G-d went too far - and sometimes neither, just lamenting how terrible everything is. Maybe the real question is whether there is a theology of Eicha at all, or if it's a book with multiple theologies - some of which border on the heretical. Rabbi Berman developed a novel approach to Eicha, and his reading infuses it with new life. Rabbi Berman believes that Eicha was written to be performed like a play, as a dialogue between the prophet Yirmiyahu and Bat Tzion - a composite character who represents the different voices that were being expressed by the grief-stricken people after the Destruction. Rabbi Berman also sees Eicha as representing a type of therapy session between the author and the people, who need to face realities that they're refusing to acknowledge even when those realities seem blindingly obvious. And crucially, Rabbi Berman sees Eicha as a corrective to common but shallow theology - a theology that, he believes, remains something that we believe until today. Ultimately, any deep understanding of Judaism and acknowledgement of G-d's love for Israel isn't complete without the splash of cold water that Eicha provides. It would be nice to advocate a Jewish theology that ignores the difficult parts of our relationship with Hashem; but it wouldn't be honest or true. This conversation with Rabbi Berman will not only make Tisha B'Av more meaningful, but will also provide serious food for thought that we can take with us long after Tisha B'Av is over. Nishmat, the Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women, is back with its new semester of Online Beit Midrash learning, starting September 8. Study Talmud, Tanach, Halacha and more with some of the best Torah teachers in Jerusalem - all from the comfort of your home. Classes are open to women of all learning backgrounds. For a full class schedule and registration, go to: https://2ly.link/1zHAZ To order Rabbi Berman's book on Eicha, go to https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/book-of-lamentations/5CE9A9C4A6B9159F1CACAE7055C35768?fbclid=IwAR0fU0sjtMUwmMT2o6kGQBche6DL4POuNi29jYYJVfwhDLNtT1mXqy5jw6g. 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). Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.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 https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Sometimes it's called a move to the right. Other times it is seen as a rejection of lax religiosity. Some people think of it as an admirable commitment to serving God as best as possible. Others decry it as representing an unacceptable change from traditional Jewish practice. All these and more are reactions to the unquestionably real phenomenon of greater stringency in the Orthodox world. Determining whether this is a positive or negative development, however, is not simple. Scott spoke with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky in order to talk about the concept of chumrot, or stringencies; and Rav Karlinsky offered nuance where it is typically absent. He first insisted upon defining the terms, and understanding the various motivating factors that lead to chumrot. Together they analyzed when this movement should be seen as a positive development, and when and how it can be dangerous or counterproductive. Rav Karlinsky talked about specific categories of stringencies, such as chumrot that lead to leniencies elsewhere, strict behavior which completely misses the larger picture, and stringencies that can be ruinous - but he also discussed many places where chumra is not only welcome, but also an essential part of developing a sense of Ahavat Hashem, love of God. They also talked about minhagim - customs - and how they fit into the larger system of Jewish law, when they are essential and when they can potentially be problematic, and much more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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 is a rush-release bonus episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, to help us all get to the bottom of what happened yesterday at the military detention center at Sdei Teiman. We will learn what the nine arrested soldiers were accused of, the manner that they were arrested, and the reason for the protests of numerous right-wing members of Knesset. What does it mean, and why should you care? What is the rationale of those who decry the arrests, and is there validity to their complaints? What does this episode say (if anything) about Israeli society, and are there lessons that can be drawn which we dare not ignore? Join Scott and Daniel Goldman for a difficult but important conversation about what Sdei Teiman means, and what we should do about it. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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 most difficult issues facing Modern or Centrist Orthodox Jews today is the question of how to increase and encourage the participation of more women in leadership roles, while also working within the halachic parameters that set limits on how extensive those leadership roles are allowed to be. When we add two thousand years of socialization where women's leadership was quite rare, along with the reality that advanced Torah education for women is a relatively new phenomenon, we should not be surprised that there is a very real glass ceiling that cannot easily be broken. Joanne Greenaway encourages women to assume leadership positions both for their own sake, and for the betterment of the wider Orthodox world. In her role as the Chief Executive of the London School of Jewish Studies, one of the United Kingdom's oldest and most venerated Jewish institutions, and as the Director of Get Cases at the London Beit Din, she has simultaneously learned how to work within existing institutions, while challenging the status quo when necessary. Joanne and Scott discussed the necessity of diverse leadership in general and female leadership in particular, and addressed the fact that women are necessarily limited by Jewish law in terms of what roles they are allowed to fill, and what titles they are allowed to assume. They also talked about the halachic category of "serara" and how she understands it, how halachic authorities work in tandem with social realities, the problem of women having their motivations questioned, the need for male allies and her hopes for the future. Most apparent, however, was her evident optimism, looking at the many opportunities available rather than at the potential limitations, and believing that the future for Jewish women is bright indeed. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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

For the past two thousand years, Torah observant Jews have acknowledged that our greatest scholars deserve respect, and have an extraordinarily deep and broad understanding of the vast sea of the Torah sheba'al peh, the Oral Law. In recent times, however, proper respect for talmidei chachamim has often morphed into a pseudo-idolatry of gedolim, where they are seen not just as great experts in Torah, but also as oracles who are, for all intents and purposes, close to infallible. There's no question that most people who ascribe to this kind of "gadol worship" would deny that these scholars are infallible, or that the term gadol worship is appropriate, or that their attitudes towards gedolim are new. But to many of us, it seems apparent that this is an historical anomaly, and a huge change from the way that things used to be - and the consequences are potentially dire. Rav Yitzchak Shurin had a very close relationship with a gadol of the last century - his revered grandfather, Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky zt"l. Rav Shurin has had strong personal relationships with other gedolei Torah as well, and has also witnessed how things have changed over the past half century. There are few people more well-equipped to discuss the phenomenon of over-the-top reverence of gedolim than Rav Shurin, and Scott was honored that he agreed to share his perspectives on today's podcast. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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

68 years ago, Rav Soloveitchik zt'l identified the timidity of Orthodox Jews as representing a failure to respond to the miracle of renewed Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel. Today, tragically, we seem to have the opposite problem. In 2024, Israel has a religious establishment which has completely lost its sense of shame, and is not only involved in nepotism alongside a lust for money and power, but barely even tries to hide it. To put it bluntly: it's almost unimaginable that someone would look at the Chief Rabbinate - the most visible arm of Israel's institutional religious status quo - see its behavior, and be impressed with Torah Judaism. That failure is a textbook example of desecration of the divine name. If God has given us the State of Israel as a miraculous gift, we need to respond to that gift in a way that sanctifies the name of heaven. At the moment, our religious establishment is doing nothing of the sort. And it matters - both to Jews in Israel and to Jews across the world. The decline and fall of the Chief Rabbinate has been especially apparent over the past few weeks, and it's a story worth talking about - so that maybe, with enough of an outcry, we can help to inspire some change. Rabbi Seth Farber has been working for years to make the Chief Rabbinate live up to Torah ideals, and he has become an expert on its inner workings. It was an honor for Scott to speak with him about the recent events that have taken place, and what needs to be done moving forward. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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 podcast is dedicated לעילוי נשמת אלעזר בן ישראל, a man who accepted the vicissitudes of life with a simple and pure faith. What does it mean to believe in God? This question is absolutely fundamental to Jewish life and living - yet many people feel uncomfortable discussing God at all. In our educational institutions, we often have a broad curriculum that includes subjects such as Talmud, Chumash, Nach, Halacha, and more - but questions in emunah are frequently shunted aside or ignored altogether. On the other hand, even if a school wanted to emphasize a curriculum that gives pride of place to faith in God, what, exactly, would that look like? How shall educators teach faith, or foster faith, in students? How much is faith the result of experience, and what can be taught in a classroom setting? Why do people develop a crisis in faith, and what is the most appropriate way to address it? Are there ways for believers to overcome their doubts, and should they even try? And what is the best way to respond to someone who says that he or she does not believe in God - but they wish that they could? These questions are crucial for any Jewish person, and Scott was honored to speak to Rabbi David Aaron to discuss these questions and many more. Check out the Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/. 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