Judaism in the 21st Century

This is a special edition of our podcast. We put this out in the days after the July 13th assassination attempt on former President Trump. The events of the past weekend have left us in shock. The political rhetoric has been so tense and so divisive that we must begin to find calm in all the chaos. Rabbi Cohen and I will discuss just how to do that in this special edition of the podcast.

Life is full of transitions... when they happen, you become someone you may not have been before - a new parent, a grandparent, the vice president of a company, a widow or widower... What does Judaism have to say about how to navigate life transitions? Come have a listen to this week's podcast to find out.

We take up where we left off last podcast discussing a Jewish perspective on genetic testing with a genetic counselor from the Jewish Community in Stamford, CT. Please join us for "the rest of the story."

The world continues to advance. Science can now provide certainty where chance used to rule the day. But with certainty, especially where genetics is concerned, can bring up some complicated ethical delemmas.

While some aspects of Orthodox Judaism have progressed with the times, other elements appear, at least to the outside world. Specifically, the role of women looks, to some as they did 2000 years ago. But this discussion dispels that. Have a listen as we discuss the role of women in Judaism today.

Recovering from a medical or emotional tragedy can be a long, difficult process. What are some of the pillars within Judaism that helps to navigate these life challenges? Rabbi Cohen helps unpack some of the wisdom in the Torah that can help people deal and recover from tragedy.

Why is it that Jews tend to be disproportionately represented in academia and jobs that require vast amounts of higher education? On today's podcast, we unpack some of the reasons behind education and the Jewish faith...

The Torah has numerous examples of leadership. Some of those leaders are at the top of their game, some not so much. We explore the concepts of leadership from a point of view in the Torah - looking at multiple types of leadership styles. We also reflect on how those styles can, and do, carry through to our world today - and how leadership is both complex and challenging. Taking lessons from the v...

The Torah is full of wisdom. One of the basic areas of wisdom falls to the wisdom of having a day of rest one in every seven days. This tenet is so foundational, it's in the 10 Commandments. But in today's world, it may not be so easy to "keep the Sabbath" as our forefathers did in ancient times, or as the Orthodox do today. We have a discussion about how to keep the essence of S...

The Torah states you shall honor your father and mother. The question is, is that a specific or general commandment? Perhaps the concept of "honoring" should extend out to your elders in general. What does that look like in the 21st Century? Tune in to find out.

The Jewish faith's rituals around death and dying have existed for centuries if not millennia. They are compassionate and wise. Today, as we reach the first quarter point of 21st Century, we have new challenges, even in the domain of death and dying. If you are suffering from a terminal illness in many states and, indeed, in many countries around the world, you may opt for assisted suicide. Th...

Anxiety is rampant today. This special edition of our podcast replays a sermon by Rabbi Cohen that will hopefully help those out there who are dealing with the enormous anxiety generated by watching the news about the Palestinian Protests...

As we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, new questions about day-to-day life are arising. In previous generations, meat was, well, meat! It came from a living animal. In the case of kosher meat, it was slaughtered according to the tenets of the Jewish tradition. Today, however, new artificial meats are coming to market. Some, like Impossible Beef, are plant-based. Plant-bas...

Today, in the 21st Century, Rabbis have a far more complicated job than I believe many understand. In today's episode, we hear just what's involved with the role of one Orthodox Rabbi in a large suburban Orthodox congregation. I think you'll be surprised about what's involved with this job, its challenges, and the various bits that make up his 14-16 hour day.

Despite it being 2024, mental health issues remain somewhat taboo. Many continue to suffer privately, fearing the stigma that some attribute to those who suffer these challenges. In today's episode, we discuss a Jewish perspective on mental health in the 21st century.

On March 27, the Jewish people and the entire state of Connecticut lost a great man, Senator Joseph Lieberman. Sen. Lieberman was born and raised in Stamford, had his bar mitzvah at Congregation Agudath Shalom, and remained active in our community. His funeral was officiated by Rabbi Daniel Cohen, the co-host of this podcast. We bring you Rabbi Cohen's inspiring words honoring the Senator in t...

The State of Israel is under a microscope today due to the war. Everyone seems to be second-guessing the war cabinet. What should we be thinking about, given the terrible realities of war in our homeland? Rabbi Cohen and I discuss our perspectives on this very difficult, and topical question.

If you are a camper, you are familiar with the phrase, "Leave things better than you've found them." This is the mantra that's used to respect your local environment. This podcast focuses on our responsibilities to our communities, parks, and natural resources. We will focus on what Judaism says about what we are responsible for as Jews in the 21st Century.

Life has many ups and downs. In fact, you might argue that there might well be more challenges than things to celebrate. Taking stock of one's life and celebrating when we can life events is not a "Jewish" thing, but these events are very important to celebrate when we can. In today's episode, we discuss simchas and why we should never miss an opportunity to celebrate and record...

One of the most complicated aspects of human interaction is problem-solving between parties. Sometimes people are vested in "being right" for a variety of reasons. But in most cases, a dispute requires compromise. Rabbi Cohen and Dr. Labkoff discuss the various aspects of compromise from a variety of perspectives. Everything from compromising tradition vs assimilation to compromising to...

Of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah, there are 6 that are considered "Constant Mitzvot" or commandments. Over the past two weeks, we've looked at this concept and how it applies in the 21st Century. Today, we look at another of them, "Loving G-d". To a secular Jew, this may be a difficult concept to graps - however, in this, our third discussion on the topic, Rabbi Cohen provid...

This is part 2 of a series on the Six Constant Mitzvot. Today's episode digs into how to view technology in the face of these ancient commandments.

There are 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah. But of those 613, there are just six that are considered the "constant mitzvot". This is a topic I'd never heard of in my years of Hebrew School or Hebrew High School - or even in my religion classes in college. Rabbi Daniel Cohen not only unpacks what these are, but what they mean in the context of our present day. Please join us fo...

Judaism originated when Abraham challenged the practice of idolatry, advocating for the belief in a single God. This principle has been a fundamental aspect of the religion since its beginning, as evidenced by the Ten Commandments, which emphasize the worship of one God. In modern times, idolatry is still a prevalent practice among billions around the world, but it's debatable whether this is...

Throughout our history, "community" has played a tremendous role in our faith. There are actually verses in the Torah that speak to sharing a lamb with your neighbor if there are not enough mouths to eat it. In our ever-changing world, the role of our community is even more important today.