The Jewish Link Pitch Meeting

Moshe and Elizabeth speak with Rabbi Daniel Mann, a dayan and senior respondent for Eretz Hemdah, an Israel-based organization which is training Torah scholars to be leaders in the halachic realm. Rabbi Mann explains the multitude of complex questions that halachic authorities have to face as the war in Israel rages on, specifically the laws of "pikuach nefesh" and how far a person can go to save...

Moshe and Elizabeth speak with Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, who is on the ground now in Washington, D.C. Nathan shares about his most recent meetings with politicians and what is being done to counter antisemitism around the world in light of the ongoing war in Israel. What can the US government do for us? Note: This episode was recorded on Tuesday, Oct...

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody, renowned author and halachic ethicist, to speak about the myriad ethical dilemmas that come with wartime in Israel. Rabbi Dr. Brody's most recent work, "A Guide to the Complex," touches upon many of these issues, and his upcoming book, "Ethics of Our Fighters," deals entirely with Jewish military ethics and is set to release imminently. What are...

Moshe and Elizabeth sit down to talk about the tragic situation in Israel and what we have been doing as a community to show our support. This episode was recorded on day four of the conflict, and The Jewish Link prays for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel.

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Zachary Greenberg, known for his weekly column in The Jewish Link, "Fun in NJ," as well as the bi-annual Chol HaMoed acitivty guides. Zack speaks about where his source of wonder and fun comes from, and why being a "big kid" is good for everyone. Plus -- what's new in the world of family activities?

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome David Roher, triathlete and coach, and a columnist at The Jewish Link chronicling his athletic feats. David talks about his training regimen, his many triathlon races, his pursuit of a PhD in history and the Iron Man world championships in France. What's David's best advice for both physical and mental fitness? David Roher can be reached at tricoachdavid@gmail.com.

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Nir Salomon, executive director of Israeli nonprofit EFRAT, an organization that helps women facing a hard choice between having a baby and financial security. Nir shares a variety of stories from the women who have been assisted by EFRAT and the deep intricacies of this difficult decision that women in the Jewish community are experiencing far too often -- and how EFRA...

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Rabbi Mark Wildes, the founder and director of the Manhattan Jewish Experience on the Upper West Side for 25 years. Rabbi Wildes shares how he transitioned from being an attorney to becoming one of the most influential voices in the outreach space, and what he hopes to accomplish with MJE and with young Jews everywhere. Rabbi Mark Wildes can be reached via his website,...

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Martin Bodek, author of a multitude of books, including the Emoji Haggadah, the Shakespeare Haggadah and the Festivus Haggadah. Martin shares the captivating tale of his most recent work, Zaidy's War, the incredible story of how his grandfather survived the Holocaust, as well as his literary aspirations to write yet another Haggadah and to be the world record holder for...

Moshe and Channa welcome comedian Eli Lebowicz, standup comedian, member of the newly popular J-Sketch. Eli talks about his venture into doing comedy full-time, humor in the Jewish world, moving to a house in Bergen County, and other things that hopefully won’t encourage angry emails. Eli Lebowicz can be found almost weekly in The Jewish Link Memes of the Week and is reachable on his website elico...

Moshe welcomes Rabbi Judah Mischel, an educator, author and long-time columnist for The Jewish Link. Rabbi Mischel, who is also the executive director of Camp HASC, explains his process for bringing Torah thought and wisdom to both the printed page and to his work with the special needs community -- and why being at the service of others is at the center of it all. Rabbi Mischel's column, "Tzama N...

Moshe welcomes Jessica Katz, co-founder and director of Yad Leah, which sends clothing to families in need in Israel. Jessica discusses the organization's humble beginnings and how Yad Leah has provided dignity to the Jewish community abroad while creating endless opportunities for locals to give back.

Summer internship coordinator and former intern Hannah Kirsch fills in for Moshe and Elizabeth in this special edition of the Jewish Link Pitch Meeting. Hannah speaks with Shira Adler, Daniel Jaffe, Dina Shlufman and Eitan Nissel about what it's like behind the scenes at the office and why having an internship like this has been a highlight of their summer.

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Noam Sokolow, long-time founder and owner of Noah's Ark in Teaneck, as well as high-end kosher caterer and food entrepreneur, to speak about his three-plus decades of experience in the food world. Noam recounts his adventures and the lessons he's learned over the years -- including the profound impact of customer service.

Elizabeth speaks with some of the columnists and contributors to the Kids Link section: Gavriella Newman, who creates word searches for each Jewish holiday; Hannah Kratz, who runs the Kids Link Superfan column; and Shayna B., who writes a weekly advice column (and yes, she is real and answers all of the questions herself). Shayna, Gavriella and Hannah then take over and ask Elizabeth questions in...

Moshe welcomes Nathan Diament, executive director of the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, to chat about President Biden's new plan to combat antisemitism in the United States. Diament discusses the ins and outs of the plan, the IHRA definition of antisemitism and what it takes to create real change. Listen to the OU Advocacy podcast, D.C. Schmooze, wherever you get your podcasts.

Elizabeth welcomes Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, founder and director of the Orthodox Union Women's Initiative, which offers national programming to help women find their personal and communal leadership voices. Rebbetzin Dr. Shmidman discusses the Women's Initiative recent leadership summit, the wildly successful Nach Yomi series and the anticipation of many more exciting programs in the near fut...

Elizabeth welcomes Rabbi Larry Rothwachs of Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck to discuss his decision to move to Israel and lead the new Rotshtein Heights community in Ramat Bet Shemesh. Rabbi Rothwachs reflects on his time in Bergen County and the leadership he hopes to provide in this next chapter. Read Elizabeth's recent feature on Rabbi Rothwachs on our website: https://jewishlink.news/commun...

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Judith Falk, founder of the Upper West Side Shtetl community, which has nearly 3,000 members on social media and counting! Judith discusses the meaning of community, the impact of the pandemic and why connecting people is so important. Join the Upper West Side Shtetl on Facebook or follow along on Instagram at @upperwestsideshtetl.

Moshe and Elizabeth welcome Rabbi Aryeh Stechler, Rosh Yeshiva and Dean of Heichal HaTorah in Teaneck, to talk about the yeshiva's upcoming anniversary and to reflect on ten years of outstanding Jewish education. Heichal HaTorah will be celebrating its anniversary with 100 hours of giving, running May 3 through May 8, and a gala dinner and concert at the American Dream Mall on May 8. More informat...

Moshe welcomes Maury Litwack, Director of Public Affairs at the Orthodox Union and founder of Teach Coalition, which advocates for Jewish day schools and yeshivot. Moshe and Maury talk about their shared background in fundraising and what it means to advocate for the Jewish community.

Moshe & Elizabeth welcome Rachel Krich of Project Ezrah, a nonprofit providing living and job assistance across the Bergen County area, to talk about the incredible support the organization provides for those in need. More info on Project Ezrah can be found at ezrah.org

Moshe & Elizabeth welcome Yossie Horwitz of Yossie's Corkboard, and founding judge of the Jewish Link Annual Wine Guide, to talk about how kosher wine has impacted us all. Yossie's wine insights are available at http://www.yossiescorkboard.com/.

Moshe & Elizabeth welcome Justin Brasch of White Plains Council to talk about Jewish community, leadership and setting a good example.

We created “The Jewish Link Pitch Meeting” as a fresh and dynamic platform for discussing the news that matters to our readership. Guests on our podcast will speak with our publisher and associate publisher about an important story in their world -- like pitching a story for the paper. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or watch the show on our YouTube channel!