Orthodox Conundrum

Many Jews have ambivalent feelings about Christian support for Israel. On the one hand, we're thrilled to have friends and supporters; but on the other hand, at what cost? Is Christian Zionism a ploy to support Israel and, in the process, convert unsuspecting Jews to Christianity? Is the missionizing impulse a key aspect of Christian Zionism? What, exactly, do Christian Zionists really want? To an...

How can it be that wide swaths of the religious Jewish world have become enamored with conspiracy theories, do-it-yourself research in matters of life and death, and even violence, when they don't like a government's policies? This is becoming the public perception of Orthodoxy, both within and without the Jewish world - and the sad reality is that this perception is not baseless. What can we do?...

THIS PODCAST CONTAINS EXPLICIT MATERIAL. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Intimacy and sexual experiences are so closely connected with a person's sense of identity, and so seldom discussed in many religious communities, that they often are the source of tremendous feelings of guilt. When are these feelings misplaced and when do they serve a constructive purpose? How should a religious individual m...

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, Founding Dean of Yeshiva Darchei Noam of Monsey, is finding solutions to enable students to learn Gemara, and to enjoy it. His talk with Scott Kahn included insights into solutions for helping students enjoy Gemara learning, effective testing and evaluation methodologies, thoughts about when students should begin learning Talmud, whether strong students also require skill bui...

"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...

"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...

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 pres...

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...

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 ti...

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, Sim...

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...

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 insp...

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 Orth...

"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 Ortho...

Purim is, if not the most joyous holiday on the Jewish calendar, then certainly the most "fun." And therein lies the problem: are we teaching our children and students that having fun requires alcohol? Is teenage alcohol abuse a real danger, or is it healthy to let loose given that it's only one day a year? Is worrying about Purim drinking and the effects of kiddush clubs alarmist, or necessary? W...

In our previous episode, we discussed the problem of racism within the Religious Zionist community. Left unanswered, however, was the question of why some Religious Zionist communities tend to move in that direction. What is it about Religious Zionist philosophy which can engender racist attitudes? Is it as big a problem as it appears? And what can be done to fight it? Join Scott Kahn and his spec...

We are rightly proud when religious Jews act in a manner that is a kiddush Hashem. And recently, we have heard of a number of such examples. On the other hand, when there is a chilul Hashem, too often we write it off, attribute it to some bad apples, or perhaps to someone who doesn't represent our community. For people in the Orthodox world in general, and in the Dati Leumi community in particular...

Antisemitism is a growing problem... and 25,000 people marched in New York as a protest against it. Are we just trying to make ourselves feel better? What are its causes. and can anything be done to reduce it? How is the rise of antisemitism related to Israel, and is it forcing supporters of Israel to go underground? Are Chassidic communities, which have largely been victimized more than other seg...

Sexual abuse is horrific, and can ruin a person's life. When the abusers are community leaders - and the community has a vested interest in making sure that they remain leaders in good standing - there's a double betrayal. Scott Kahn asks Genendy to relate her own story of sexual abuse, along with her message of healing. Genendy was one of subjects of Dalit Kimor's documentary, Unkept Secrets, and...

Sexual abuse continues to be a scourge in the Orthodox Jewish world; and the lack of awareness applies to all sectors of the population, whether Modern, Dati Leumi, or Chareidi. We can and must take action to address this and prevent it. What can we do? Join me as I speak with Rabbi Yakov Horowitz, Director of the Center for Jewish Family Life and Project Y.E.S., and one of the world's leading exp...

Among many Orthodox Jews, there seems to be a crisis of faith - and the issue is even more acute among our children and students. Can we teach belief? Are there strategies to help inculcate emunah? Rabbi Shmuel Feld, founding director of the Jewish Education Innovation Challenge, joins me today to discuss some of the problems, and to offer practical techniques that can guide teachers and parents i...

Orthodox Judaism prides itself on its emphasis on strong family life; but does that emphasis come at the expense of unmarried individuals in our communities? What sorts of challenges do singles experience, and is there more that we can do to create more a more inclusive Orthodoxy? Join Scott Kahn as he interviews Rabbi Josh Yuter about this important and pressing issue. (This episode continues a d...

"President Trump is the most benevolent leader the Jewish people have ever known in their 2,000 years in their Diaspora, believe me." So said Rabbi Yechezkel Moskowitz, chairman of the recent National Council of Young Israel dinner. Should an Orthodox synagogue organization so openly genuflect before President Trump? Does this express proper gratitude for what the president has done for Israel, or...

Talmud is the lifeblood of Jewish education; it is the centerpiece, the central pillar - and with good reason. But with so many students not enjoying or understanding Talmud, is it possible that we're doing something wrong? Is it possible that our educational system is predicated upon a wrong assumption? How can we inspire more students, without losing that which makes Jewish education unique? Joi...

The Orthodox Conundrum has been on unintentional hiatus for a couple of months... but Scott Kahn has a good excuse. He explains everything through a story about a soccer ball hitting his son in his left eye, and the heady events - physical and spiritual - that proceeded as a result of a simple schoolyard game of monkey in the middle. Plus: a dvar Torah about Naaseh v'Nishma, and the unity of Israe...