Orthodox Conundrum

Last week, Sam Sokol of Haaretz reported that, "Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties on Monday declared war on the 'Hellenists' in the government looking to upend the country's religious status quo, promising to launch a joint national struggle to preserve the state's Jewish character." What changes are being suggested - and why do these changes make the Orthodox parties so angry? In order to discuss w...

When many people think about Chanukah, they think about heroism. And that makes sense: the Maccabees were real heroes, defying the might of their Syrian Greek overlords and fighting for Jewish practice in the Land of Israel. At the same time, much of the Jewish world gets the meaning of heroism wrong... or gets it right and chooses to ignore it. What is heroism, where are we failing, and what can...

Thursday was the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, making this an especially appropriate time to reflect on the issue of domestic violence in the Orthodox world. Many assume that domestic violence is an issue with minimal relevance in Orthodox communities; Rachel Stomel of the Center for Women's Justice, however, argues that this attitude is, sadly, very mistaken. Sh...

Just over a week ago, we heard the very disturbing news that the well known and influential children's author, Chaim Walder, was accused by multiple people of sexually abusing several girls between the ages of 13 and 20. Apart from his celebrity as an author, Walder has worked as a therapist, and is the founder of the Center for the Child and Family in Bnei Brak, a talk show host, and a columnist....

Our last episode featured the first half of Scott's interview with Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, the rabbi of the Pico Shul in Los Angeles and the founder of Shabbat Tent. In that podcast they talked about the difference between kiruv and outreach, and why that difference matters. Today Rav Yonah explains why music and film festivals have provided him with amazing opportunities for healthy Jewish outreac...

The Orthodox world has often stressed the importance of kiruv - that is, working to help non-Orthodox Jews become Torah observant. But Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, the rabbi of the Pico Shul in Los Angeles, wants to make a distinction between kiruv and outreach; he personally stresses the latter in his important work with Jews across the spectrum of religiosity. What does that mean? How can we avoid bei...

Yael Braun is a to'enet halacha, someone who goes to the beit din (rabbinic court) in order to advocate on behalf of her clients. In fact, she says that she is the first and only to'enet halacha in the United States. What is the role of a to'enet, and has she had problems stepping into a job normally occupied only by men? But alongside telling stories and explaining the importance of her job, Yael...

Last week Scott spoke with Rabbi Shalom Hammer about the changes that he feels we must make in order for Israeli society to better deal with mental illness in general, and suicidal ideation in particular. This week he spoke with Rabbi Hammer again, and they had a very difficult and emotional - but important - conversation. Rabbi Hammer's daughter Gila died by suicide almost two years ago; they wil...

Less than two years ago, Gila Hammer died by suicide. Since that catastrophic tragedy, her father, Rabbi Shalom Hammer, has been working nonstop to advocate for important changes in the way that the Israeli establishment - medical and governmental - treats mental illness. Rabbi Hammer has also become an important advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. He does this in Gila's m...

Another episode about COVID-19? Yes - because we need to address the fact that Am Yisrael, which should be a light unto the nations, which should be at the forefront of caring about science and expert opinion, which should be loudly proclaiming to the world that pikuach nefesh - the saving of life - takes precedence over almost anything and everything, has not collectively risen to the challenge....

One of the most painful challenges for religious Jews is when a child leaves Orthodoxy - in the colloquial phrase, goes off the derech. This event can elicit many different emotional reactions, from anger, to guilt, to sadness, to feelings of rejection, to fears about their other children, to concerns about what the neighbors will say, and much more. Rabbi Menachem Bombach of Beitar Illit in Israe...

Some of the most serious challenges to traditional Orthodox faith come from academic approaches to the Bible, including what is generally termed Biblical criticism. The Rambam formulated thirteen principles of faith; his eighth principle is succinctly (though inexactly) summarized in the well known Ani Maamin, which says: I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah found currently in our po...

In preparation for Yom Kippur, the Orthodox Conundrum presents a conversation between Scott and Rabbi Judah Mischel, the author of the fine new book Baderech: Along the Path of Teshuva. Together they explore the fundamentals of repentance, in order to enable every individual to live a life of meaning and closeness to G-d. To order Baderech, go to https://www.amazon.com/Baderech-Teshuvah-Rabbi-Juda...

On Rosh Hashanah, we ask G-d to "remember us with a good remembrance." If G-d remembers everything - which we acknowledge in that same blessing - what, exactly, are we asking Him to do? Scott invokes the broken toilet pump in his basement to provide an answer. We wish everyone listening, along with all Israel and the world, a ketiva v'chatima tova and a sweet new year! Please listen to and share t...

As American high school graduates start arriving in Israel for a year or two in yeshiva, many people - including students and parents considering a year in Israel in the future, as well as the parents of students who are currently starting yeshiva - have questions and concerns. For that reason, the Orthodox Conundrum convened a panel discussion to address them honestly and forthrightly. Scott disc...

There is, thankfully, much greater awareness of mental illness today than there was in the past. This naturally leads to the question of how much mental health should affect halacha, or Jewish law. Is someone with an eating disorder permitted to eat on Yom Kippur - or perhaps the question should be, is that person is allowed to fast? If a person suffering from PTSD needs to smoke on Shabbat, is th...

Many people believe that there are essentially no mamzerim anymore. Many people believe that if someone is suspected of being a mamzer, the problem is quickly resolved. Many people believe that if a person is determined to be a mamzer, there is nothing left to do. Rivkah Lubitch, of the Center for Women's Justice and an advocate for agunot and mamzerim in Israel, asserts that all three of these as...

What is the most effective way to generate faith in G-d? What are proper and improper outreach techniques, and how can we avoid condescension when doing kiruv? When should leaders work within the system and when is it time to create new institutions? Are the Jewish People on the right or wrong path? These questions are important and pressing, and Scott spoke with musician, author, teacher, and spi...

Climate change and protecting the environment is one of the most pressing issues in the world today - and, at least anecdotally, it seems that many Orthodox Jews are behind the curve when it comes to taking it seriously. They likely have good reasons for this, including doubts about its reality, prioritizing other issues that appear more pressing or important, questions about the politics and poli...

The Netflix reality show, My Unorthodox Life, has been the talk of much of the Orthodox world since it was released less than two weeks ago. It tells the story of Julia Haart, who first developed a shoe line, and quickly rose in the world of fashion. She now is the the CEO and co-owner of Elite World Group, the world's largest modeling network. As most of you probably know, the reason that her sto...

Join Scott Kahn in this bonus episode for commentaries on 25 of the 40 kinot (lamentations) that Jews recite on the morning of Tisha B'Av. (The time signatures for each commentary are listed below.) Along with all of the Jewish people, we pray that this be the final Tisha B'Av on which we mourn. May the upcoming year be one of gladness, joy, and redemption for us, for all of Israel, and for the wh...

Twenty years ago, 15-year-old Malki Roth and fourteen other people were murdered when a suicide bomber went into the Sbarro restaurant in central Jerusalem and detonated a bomb in his guitar case. Yet Ahlam Tamimi, the mastermind behind the murder, remains proud of what she did, and lives a free and charmed life as a celebrity in Jordan. Arnold and Frimet Roth, Malki's parents, are working tireles...

When we look at the State of Israel, we can sometimes be overwhelmed with how incredible, miraculous, and wonderful it is, while simultaneously being completely flustered with how difficult the bureaucracy and other aspects of life are experienced. Very few people have experienced this as acutely as David Ben Moshe. David's story is fascinating. He was in federal prison in the United States for dr...

This episode deals with a topic that a lot of people actively avoid thinking about, but which frankly must be addressed forthrightly to avoid arguments in our families after we're gone: the allocation of property after we die. And while many of us don't want to think about this question, caring about our families requires us to do so. We can freely admit that the Torah laws of inheritance are quit...

When the founders of Torah uMadda spoke about integrating Judaism and culture, they were thinking about Milton and Shakespeare, Bach and Beethoven; sitcoms, action movies, and hip hop are most likely far from what they had in mind. Do you think that modern pop culture can be elevated? Can it serve as a source of spirituality or, at least, as a spur to think about important issues? Or is it just a...