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PODCAST

Orthodox Conundrum

The Orthodox Conundrum is a forum in which we look honestly at the Orthodox Jewish community, identifying what works well and what does not, so that, through an honest accounting, we can find solutions that will be successful. We will examine some of the major issues that affect the Orthodox world, without exaggeration, whitewashing, or pretending that they don"t exist. Our hope is that the Orthodox Conundrum will spark wider discussion that will enable Orthodox Judaism to continue moving forward

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All Episodes

46:11

The Most Commonly Asked Questions About Hilchot...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/03/27

More than any other Jewish holiday, Pesach is associated with questions. That’s obviously true for the Seder, but it’s also true when it comes to the intense preparations that precede the chag. Jewish law regarding cleaning for Pesach is very extensive, and the misconceptions are often very prevalent. For that reason, we're proud to present a conversation with Rav Chayim Soloveichik shlit’a, where Scott asked some of the most common questions people ask as they prepare for Pesach. We thank Rav

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01:10:06

The Anxieties of Being Orthodox... and Preventing...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/03/20

As Orthodox Jews, we usually find the experience of mitzvah observance and participation in the Orthodox community to be a source of great religious meaning, comfort, and fellowship; Torah Judaism is the way that Orthodox Jews interact with G-d, and that reality, alongside the communal and social aspects, has made Orthodoxy a source of pride and joy. We must also recognize that aspects of Orthodox life can be a real source of anxiety and stress. This includes the pressures associated with shmirat

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43:43

"A Good Question is Better than a Not Good Answer":...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/03/13

Nietzsche said, “When you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.” Today's episode deals with a horrible situation where someone retained his sense of meaning, faith, and belief despite staring into the abyss. Ephraim Rimel experienced just about the worst thing that a person could experience, and somehow moved forward with his belief in G-d and Torah intact. He acknowledged that his values were updated, but the same values that drove him before still drive him today. This was a very

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32:07

Alcohol Abuse and the Orthodox Community: Do We Have...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/03/05

In preparation for Purim, the Orthodox Conundrum is rereleasing an episode from 2020 with Dr. Zev Ganz, dealing with teenagers and alcohol abuse. 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

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28:21

The Meaning of Amalek for Orthodox Jews Today, with...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/03/02

In preparation for Parashat Zachor, the Orthodox Conundrum is rereleasing an episode from last year with Rabbi Aryeh Klapper, dealing with questions surrounding Amalek. How should Orthodox Jews relate to the mitzvah of wiping out Amalek - a Torah law that might seem immoral? What are we remembering when we think of Amalek, and is there a message within that resonates with committed Torah Jews living in the 21st century? We hope this episode will give you food for thought as we move toward Parashat

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01:21:02

OTD, Datlash, and the Religious Spectrum: When...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/02/27

There’s a phenomenon in the Orthodox world which is called by various names, though most commonly “Off the Derech” or OTD, and “Datlash,” short for “Dati Leshe’avar” - that is, formerly religious. For a community which prides itself on continuity and on passing the tradition from one generation to the next, the idea that people leave Orthodoxy is simultaneously painful and threatening. Why did he or she leave? What didn’t work? Why don’t they see what I see… or perhaps, if we’re being truly honest

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58:09

"Keep It, Reformulate It, or Discard It": Losing and...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/02/20

It is widely assumed that Jewish law requires the acceptance of certain principles of faith - most commonly associated with the thirteen foundational principles that the Rambam wrote about in his Commentary on the Mishnah in Masechet Sanhedrin. These principles, very broadly summarized, include G-d’s existence, His unity and incorporeality, the fact that G-d is the eternal first cause and that prayer must be directed to G-d alone; that prophecy exists, that Moses was the greatest prophet, that the

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57:41

A Vision of Separating Halacha & State, not Religion...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/02/13

In our previous episode, Scott talked with Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll about the challenge to faith that takes place when some rabbis betray their calling by not acting as they should. When leaders fail us, they leave wreckage in their wake - the wreckage of failed expectations, of disappointment, of crisis, and of course the practical issues like, as Shoshanna related, needing to wait years for a get and more. This episode is a type of follow-up to last week’s. The Israeli Chief Rabbinate was formed

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01:10:27

Disappointment, Disillusionment, and Dejection: When...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/02/06

One of the saddest and most poignant emotions is disappointment - that is, when your illusions are shattered, when you anticipated something great, or magical, and it doesn’t happen. Disappointment often means that a piece of innocence is irretrievably lost. What do we do when people we believe in, people we look up to as paragons of virtue, disappoint us? What happens to our faith when great rabbis in whom we trusted actually, like Hans Christian Andersen's emperor, have no clothes? Join Scott as

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01:17:47

Rav Moshe Kahn ZT"L and the Future of Women's Torah...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/01/30

On January 18th, Rabbi Moshe Kahn passed away at the age of 71. The tributes to him as an ideal teacher, talmid chacham, and rebbe immediately started pouring in across social media. As one of today’s guests asserted, if a woman wanted to engage in serious Talmud study in New York for the past four decades, Rav Kahn was the address. The obvious love and dedication shown towards him by his students from Stern and Drisha made it clear that he was someone whom we all should know more about, and

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01:36:10

The Challenges of Teaching Tzniut & the Challenges of...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/01/23

Tzniut, or modesty, is one of the most controversial issues in the Orthodox world today. Indeed, different people see the issue of modesty through different lenses. Some wonder about how to teach students and children about tzniut so that they’ll be more inclined to follow the halachot and established Orthodox customs; others ask questions from the opposite vantage point, wondering about whether tzniut is an inherently oppressive system that leads to an unhealthy body image, increases a sense of

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55:27

LGBTQ+, Jewish Law, and Compassion, with Rav Yoni...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/01/16

One of the most difficult issues confronting the Orthodox world today is the question of how to welcome people who identify as LGBTQ+, while simultaneously affirming the Biblical injunction that forbids sex between two men, and the Rabbinic prohibition that forbids sex between two women. This initial question opens up a host of additional challenges, including: how do we explain a mitzvah that appears to many people to be immoral? Can we be welcoming to gay couples without undermining the Torah

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55:54

Jewish-Muslim Dialogue: Serious Challenges and Unique...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/01/09

Just over a month ago, the Orthodox Conundrum released an episode of this podcast entitled, Confrontation 2022: Jewish-Christian Dialogue and Its Questions, with Rabbi Pesach Wolicki. Pesach discussed why he believes that his work has value, what kind of pushback he’s received, whether he’s providing an opening for missionary activity, how he justifies speaking in churches, and more. Today’s episode is, in some ways, a follow-up to that episode. Rabbi Dr. Yakov Nagen is one of the leading advocates

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55:23

Does Modern Orthodoxy's Attitude Toward LGBTQ+...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2023/01/02

On December 12th, well-known political commentator Ben Shapiro published an article in the Jewish Press entitled "Modern Orthodoxy’s Moral Failure." Its opening paragraph reads, “Modern Orthodoxy is in a state of crisis. It is in a state of crisis because its leadership has, in large measure, abandoned its central principles in favor of political expedience, surrendering long-term interests for short-term tactical maneuvering.” While it's unfair to summarize a reasonably long article in just a few

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01:00:27

Different Roles, Different Relationships, & Different...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/12/26

This podcast has frequently alluded to the problems that arise when rabbis mistakenly don’t stay in their own lane, and end up advising people in areas that require more than the pastoral counseling they might have learned when studying for semicha. Indeed, there is reason to be concerned about the intersection between rabbinic counseling and psychotherapy, and how the professional - and the congregant or client - knows which is required in any given situation. And the answers are not always so

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01:03:59

The REAL History of Chanukah... And Why It Matters...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/12/19

Something about Chanukah speaks to almost all of us... which highlights the fact that the message of Chanukah retains enough ambiguity that different groups can understand it in different and even contradictory ways. This ambiguity goes back to the very earliest days of the holiday’s celebration while the Second Temple still stood; it’s reflected in Rabbinic sources and in our liturgy, as well. And that, in turn, leads to a number of fascinating questions about what Chanukah is really about, when we

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01:08:58

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks ZT"L (Part 2): His Thought and...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/12/12

On November 14th, the Orthodox Conundrum released a panel discussion dealing with Rav Jonathan Sacks zt’l’s life, leadership, and legacy. Today we offer a sequel to that episode, as Scott speaks with Dr. Tanya White and Rabbi Dr. Samuel Lebens about the thought and philosophy of Rabbi Sacks. They address many important issues, including Rabbi Sacks’s originality, his idea of covenant, the importance of individual responsibility, for whom he was writing, the controversy around his book The Dignity of

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01:28:13

Confrontation 2022: Jewish-Christian Dialogue and Its...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/12/06

Scott and his close friend Rabbi Pesach Wolicki founded a yeshiva, Yesodei HaTorah, over 18 years ago. Yesodei HaTorah was dedicated to skill building in reading Jewish texts, and helping each student develop an independent Torah philosophy. And in 2015, the yeshiva closed down when it didn’t recruit enough students to keep it going. At that point, Scott moved into the podcasting sphere. Pesach, in turn, became deeply involved in Jewish-Christian dialogue. Now, seven and a half years later, Pesach

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01:09:19

The Chaim Walder Case, One Year Later: What Has...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/11/29

On November 12, 2021, Haaretz first reported that several women alleged that popular author Chaim Walder had sexually assaulted them for years, in some cases starting when they were children. Soon after, many more people came forward with similar accusations. And on December 27, 2021 Walder was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, lying next to his son’s grave. This all took place approximately a year ago. Earlier that same year, in March, police opened an investigation regarding

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57:54

Is the Orthodox World Moving Away From Kindness? A...

Orthodox Conundrum ·

2022/11/21

Torah Judaism offers a vision that is kind, loving, just, and G-d-centric. Some Orthodox Jews, however, feel that the community has begun to lose its way, as too many people emphasize peripheral elements at the expense of the Torah's core values. Rabbi Todd Berman wrote about this in a well received Times of Israel blog post entitled, Choosing a Kinder, Gentler Religious Zionism, and Scott spoke to him about where our community may be going, and what we should do to effect change. They discussed

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306 results

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