Talking Tachlis Podcast
194 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 86 ratingsJoin us as we discuss the most pressing and interesting issues of the day, relating to Jewish life, and life in general.
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Episodes
92. Meaningful Musar or Wrongful Rebuke?
December 04, 2019 22:08 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBThis week Rivky and Uri discuss a recent article written by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, entitled "The First Modern Orthodox Jew: Two Models." Rabbi Pruzansky contrasts Avraham and Lot, and uses them as models for two ways Orthodox Jews can approach the secular world, specifically the world of secular college. Rivky and Uri ask, does this article accurately depict the MO world? Too harsh? Not harsh enough? And what do we think in general about this type of approach to Jewish life? Links: Rabbi Pru...
91. "Secrets of Jewish Femininity" With Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll
November 27, 2019 16:07 - 56 minutes - 39.2 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky welcome writer and activist Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll, who believes that the attempt to erase women from Judaism is a scourge Orthodoxy must take seriously. Uri, Rivky, and Shoshanna discuss activism and feminism, and ask, is this really as big a deal as people think? How can you be frum and feminist? And what are the fundamental goals for this movement?
90. Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty
November 20, 2019 15:13 - 55 minutes - 38.1 MBLast month, The New Yorker published a piece entitled, “Astrology in the Age of Uncertainty,” in which the writer asked, what’s with all these educated millennials who see no contradiction between using astrology and believing in science? Uri and Rivky speak to some of those same millennials, and ask, what’s the deal? Why do we seem to find astrology so compelling? What do Jewish sources tell us about astrology? And, is it real, and does that matter? Links: New Yorker Article https://www.newy...
89. Peoplehood, Pluralism, and Power: A Conversation With Dr. Elana Stein Hain
November 15, 2019 04:32 - 1 hour - 45.3 MBWhat are the defining issues for the American Jewish community to tackle in the 21st century? To speak to this, Uri and Rivky speak to Dr. Elana Stein Hain, Scholar in Residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, and leading Orthodox thinker and speaker. They also get into lots of the most relevant questions of our day, including: is Zionism is essential to being a religious Jew? How should we handle religious text that make us cringe? And, why we don’t speak about God when we ...
88. Jews and Conservatism: A Conversation with Rabbi Mark Gottlieb
November 06, 2019 13:15 - 1 hour - 45.1 MBThough the majority of Jews in America see themselves as left-leaning, the majority of Orthodox Jews lean more to the right. This week, Uri and Rivky spoke to Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, Senior Director of the Tikvah Fund and Dean of the Tikvah Summer Institute at Yale University. We ask Rabbi Gottlieb: What is Tikvah? What is Jewish conservatism? We also discuss some challenges facing modern Jewish education, as well as the lessons that Jews can learn from other religious groups, such as Christians...
87. Antisemitism After Pittsburgh
October 29, 2019 18:59 - 43 minutes - 30.1 MBIt’s been one year since the shooting at Tree of Life, in which a right-wing gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and killed 11 people, and injured 6 more. At the one year anniversary, Uri and Rivky analyze the articles and think pieces published about American antisemitism - particularly Bari Weiss, Zack Beauchamp, and Deborah Lipstadt. They ask, how has the American Jewish community changed since Tree of Life? What is a more “important” focus - left-wing ant...
86. Marijuana, LSD, and Drugs in Jewish Tradition
October 13, 2019 18:22 - 42 minutes - 29.4 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky start by talking about Yom Kippur in Israel, as well as the recent controversy regarding the NBA and China. Then they dive into their main topic: a recent letter released by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC), addressing the upcoming legalization of recreational marijuana in the state of Illinois. The letter strongly states that recreational marijuana violates halacha and is forbidden. Uri and Rivky discuss the relevance of this statement, as well as some very inter...
85. Pop Culture Apologies
October 07, 2019 20:09 - 39 minutes - 27.5 MBOn the first episode of 5780, Rivky and Uri start by going over some feedback from last week's episode. Then in the spirit of Yom Kippur and the 10 Days of Repentance, they talk about what makes a good apology, they play some clips of great thinkers discussing the topic, and they analyze some famous apologies (and non-apologies) from this past year. Links: Paul McCartney on Colbert https://youtu.be/475Yc5YlqAU?t=440 Atone Phone Colbert http://www.cc.com/video-clips/liknzb/the-colbert-report-a...
84. Traditional Jews, Non-Traditional Torah?
September 24, 2019 23:39 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky first break down some of the recent feedback from the YU March episode - and Uri offers an Elul apology. They they dive into today's topic, a recent article published by Rabbi Gil Student - "Is 929 Kosher?" 929 is the Tanach equivalent of Daf Yomi, in which people study a daily chapter of Tanach. Alongside the actual text study, the website both offer interpretations and commentaries from modern thinkers - both Orthodox and non-Orthodox. In Rabbi Student's essay, he a...
83. LGBTQ and YU
September 17, 2019 22:48 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky begin with feedback about the Rabbi Linzer interview and surmise that everyone's biggest shock was how traditional Rabbi Linzer is. (Some like that, and some hate that, go figure.) They then dive into the main topic for this week’s episode, Yeshiva University and the student march for LGBTQ representation, and the follow-up, the #PledgeNotToPledge campaign. They ask, how homophobic is YU? (What is homophobia, anyway?) If you strip down the five “goals” the organizers ...
82. Judaism, Modernity and Values: A Conversation With Rabbi Dov Linzer
September 11, 2019 19:14 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky speak with Rabbi Dov Linzer, the President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, and a leader in the liberal Orthodox world. We’ve discussed Rabbi Linzer and YCT on the show many times, but sitting down with him is a whole other story! After discussing a little bit about his background, we dove into some important topics, such as: should biblical criticism be a part of Orthodox education? [What is out of bounds? Are there bounds?] What about Zionism, and a lo...
81. Is Once In 70 Years Too Often?
September 05, 2019 03:24 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThis week Uri and Rivky start off by getting a little deeper into the Jewish dual loyalty conversation. Should American Jews who serve in the IDF feel weird telling non-Jewish Americans about their army service? They also look at some historical examples of groups of Americans who's loyalty was questioned. Then they dive into the main topic: What do we think about the death penalty? Is there ever a reason to use it? More specifically, should the perpetrator of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shoo...
80. Are American Jews Disloyal?
August 28, 2019 00:05 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky first touch on the new HBO series "Our Boys." Don't worry, no spoilers, but watch along with us! Next, our topic at hand: as Jewish Americans, many of us feel a connection to Israel. But how does that relate to Jewish dual loyalty? Is it real? If America and Israel came into conflict, would we pick a stand? Where? And, are other groups and religions accused of dual loyalty in the same way that Jews are? Related links: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trum...
79. Give Me A Ticket For An Airplane (Or Actually Don't)
August 22, 2019 00:03 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBUri and Rivky spent the past week attempting to stay away from Tlaib, Omar, Bibi, and Trump. They were soooo close, but...no cigar. In this week's ep, they first review the extensive feedback re: last week's episode, about women and the daf yomi videos. Then they talk a little about Tlaib and Omar's cancelled trip to Israel, and a lot about Trump's charge of "disloyal" Jewish American Democrats and ask - is this just a dumpster fire? Is there anything we can get out of this? Music for the ep:...
78. Live and Let Live?
August 06, 2019 22:10 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBIn a few months, we will be celebrating the completion of the Daf Yomi, a seven-and-a-half-year cycle of learning the entirety of the 2,711 pages of the Babylonian Talmud. Last time, the largest gathering for the celebration took place at MetLife Stadium in NJ, where a sellout crowd of 90,000+ came to listen to speeches, sing, dance, and celebrate this huge milestone. This week, Uri and Rivky discuss a few videos that have been created and promoted by Agudat Israel, the organization that crea...
77. What If They’re Not Coming for the Jews This Time?
August 01, 2019 15:05 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky discuss David Frum’s piece in the Atlantic, “What If They’re Not Coming for the Jews This Time? Trump poses a new test for the American Jewish community.” Frum asks, what if Trump and his world are actually pro-Jewish and pro-Israel? What does that mean for us? As Frum puts it, “Jews generally believe ourselves to be bound by an ethical code of tolerance and decency larger than our own parochial interests. Trump seems intent on putting that belief to the test. Will we...
76a. (Full) Phish and the Jews with Special Guest Jonny Miller
July 25, 2019 21:50 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBOn this phantastic episode, Uri and Rivky talk to Phish aficionado Jonny Miller about the unique phenomenon that is the band Phish, and their fans, affectionally called Phishheads. Why does Phish have such a large and passionate following - particularly among the Jewish community? [Don't worry - you don't need to be a Phishhead for this episode to be fun. Just ask Rivky, who is, as of yet, unconvinced.] PSA: Our conversation went a little longer than usual, so we decided to release the episod...
76. (Condensed) Phish and the Jews with Special Guest Jonny Miller
July 25, 2019 21:45 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBOn this phantastic episode, Uri and Rivky talk to Phish aficionado Jonny Miller about the unique phenomenon that is the band Phish, and their fans, affectionally called Phishheads. Why does Phish have such a large and passionate following - particularly among the Jewish community? [Don't worry - you don't need to be a Phishhead for this episode to be fun. Just ask Rivky, who is, as of yet, unconvinced.] PSA: Our conversation went a little longer than usual, so we decided to release the episod...
75. The Merits Of Cancel Culture
July 16, 2019 23:38 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBLast week, the Jewish Press, a weekly newspaper geared towards modern-right Orthodox Jews, published an opinion piece entitled “The Pride Parade - What Are They Proud Of?” The Jewish Press’s Editor in Chief, Elliot Resnick, shared the article on Facebook with the caption “Sin, or the unusual predilection to commit a certain sin, is nothing to be proud of." Over the following few days, a heated conversation ensued in the comments section of that post, and it was also shared by a number of peop...
74. Patriotism and its Discontents
July 09, 2019 19:39 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBU-S-A! U-S-A! Talking Tachlis wishes a huge mazal tov to the US Women's National Soccer Team! They then dive into this week's topic: patriotism and our military. On July 4th, President Trump gave a much anticipated and controversial address at the Lincoln Memorial that focused on American patriotism and pride, mostly centering around the armed forces and US military victories. And this week, Fivethirtyeight profiled “The Guy Who Wants To Bring Back The Draft.” Chris, a 40 year old white man f...
73. What's In A Title?
July 03, 2019 19:57 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBWe're baaaack! This week, Uri and Rivky review the many emotional reactions to last week's concentration camp conversation. They then excitedly cheer on the US Women's Soccer Team - Uri just can't get enough of #sports! And lastly, they dive into the recent essay by Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold about her decision to shift her title from Maharat Rachel to Rabba Rachel. Uri and Rivky ask, what do titles mean, exactly? And has there been a shift in our community, in regards to women's rabbinic lea...
72. Concentration Camps and Racist Rants
June 25, 2019 22:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBRivky and Uri are back in New York and they dive right into some of this week's hot topics. First they talk about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's heartfelt pajama-clad Instagram Live video where she compares the terrible conditions in migrant detention facilities on the US-Mexico border to concentration camps. The Tach Team asks if this comparison is accurate, and even if it isn't, is criticizing AOC more important than criticizing the conditions in these camps? Then, they talk about the latest co...
71. What Do Israelis Have To Say?
June 18, 2019 20:10 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBRivky and Uri were both in Israel last week, and they got to visit their favorite Israeli podcast- The Promised Podcast! Listen to the shout out they get from their podcasting idol, Noah Efron https://tlv1.fm/full-show/promised-podcast/2019/06/13/the-labor-savers-edition/ Since the Talking Tachlis crew were in Israel, they decided to hit the streets of Jerusalem and find out what real Israelis of all stripes think about America's president. What they hear may surprise you... Music: Hanan Ben ...
70. Super Trump
June 04, 2019 16:29 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBWelcome to our first virtual episode! This week, Uri and Rivky record from different studios - Rivky in the classic Drive In Productions spot, in NYC, and Uri from the satellite studio in Jerusalem. Uri begins by sharing some observations about his trip - such as, why do so many young, generally progressive, Israeli Jews love Trump? They then dive into this week's topic - Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, and its flag dance/march/parade. Uri and Rivky work through some complicated feelings abo...
69. Why Do We Watch Game Of Thrones?
May 21, 2019 22:18 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MB[Disclaimer: while there are no spoilers in the description, there will be spoilers in the episode itself!!] This week, we all finally watched the series finale of Game of Thrones, HBO's hugely popular epic fantasy TV series, based on George RR Martin's series of novels, "A Song of Ice and Fire." Uri and Rivky talk about their experiences of the show and ask, is it weird that, as religious people, we are so casually and publicly invested in a show filled with graphic violence, graphic sex, an...
68. How To Understand Rashida Tlaib
May 15, 2019 20:01 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBRashida Tlaib, freshman Congressmember from Michigan, is back in the news, this time for comments she made on Skullduggery, a Yahoo podcast, last week, speaking about Israel, Palestine, the one-state solution, and her ancestors' roles during the Holocaust. Her comments were blasted, but why? What did she actually say, and what did she mean? Were Tlaib's words taken out of context? Were they purposely false? Misleading? Inexcusably ignorant? Antisemitic? None of the above? All of the above? Tl...
67. A Discussion About Sin With Special Guest David Bashevkin
May 07, 2019 21:48 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky have a special guest, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, unusual Orthodox Jewish educator and author of new book, Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought. They talk about what it means to fail and sin in today's world - how should we cope with both our own failure, as individuals, and with leadership and rabbinic failure, as a community? They also dive into the difficulties and failures of Jewish organization and rabbis and ask, what are the goals of Jewish education? Chec...
66. LGBTQ and Orthodox - Paradox or Possibility? With Special Guest Rachael Fried
April 24, 2019 20:10 - 33 minutes - 22.7 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky have a special guest - friend of the show (and friend of the hosts), Rachael Fried, deputy executive director for JQY, Jewish Queer Youth, a nonprofit organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ youth in the Jewish community. They start by talking about Daniel and YCT. (For the last time, really! Well, probably not, let's be real.) Then they branch out, talking about what it looks like to be an LGBTQ member of the Modern Orthodox community and ask, will LGBTQ members...
65. Pete Buttigieg And The Religious Left
April 16, 2019 23:06 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky start by sharing some of the feedback from last week's episode about Chovevei and Daniel Atwood. Spoiler - some positive, some negative! They then dive into this week's topic: the current standout in the Democratic Party primary, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigeig. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to Mayor Pete, but Rivky and Uri focus specifically on his religion, which he is very vocal about. They ask, is his religion important? Who is the re...
64. The Gay Orthodox Conundrum
April 09, 2019 19:15 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBLast week, we read that Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a liberal Modern Orthodox rabbinic school in NY, will not be granting ordination to one of its 4th year students, Daniel Atwood, who is gay. The details of this particular case are depressing, confusing, and unclear - which didn't stop many in the community erupting in strong reactions - some firmly behind Rabbi Dov Linzer, the president and Rosh Yeshiva of Chovevei, and some very angry with him, others blaming Daniel, and others strongly suppo...
63. Dirty Money/Dirty People
March 26, 2019 21:58 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBHope everyone is recovering well from Purim! This week, Uri and Rivky talk about two recent scandals from the past week - the allegations against megadonor, Michael Steinhardt, for sexual harassment, and against the Sackler family, who have begun to face criticism for their alleged role in creating the opioid crisis (as founders of Purdue Pharma, the distributors of OxyContin). They ask, how do we judge Steinhardt and the Sacklers? What is the responsibility of nonprofit organizations, especi...
62. Snowplow Parents
March 20, 2019 03:55 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky dive into discussion about the college cheating admissions scandal. They ask, cheating is bad, but how does it compare to legacy, affirmation action, tutoring, coaching, and a long, long list of ways we boost students? Links: Woman who got football scholarship for a men's team: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/28/sport/missouri-female-football-player-scholarship-spt-trnd/index.html College Admissions Scandal: https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2019/03/13/college-cheating-scanda...
61. Battle of the Sexes
March 12, 2019 23:02 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky discuss feedback about Ilhan Omar and antisemitism/islamaphobia. Then they dive into their main topic: the US Women's "institutionalized gender discrimination" lawsuit, fighting for better pay and better treatment. They ask, what's the basis for this lawsuit? Are they facing discrimination based on their gender? And what other issues might come into play here? As usual, Rivky begs Uri to be a fellow sports fan, because she's getting lonely over here. Related content: ...
60. The Audacity of Trope
March 05, 2019 23:03 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky break down the term "out of town," based on a tach-head listener email - Hi, Aaron! Next, they ask about Michael Cohen's testimony last week, and his teshuvah - real? Contrived? (And, is the red bendel amazing??) And, in their main topic, they discuss Representative Ilhan Omar and the controversies surrounding her anti-Israel (antisemitic?) comments. How bad are these statements? Is the reaction to her and her statements appropriate? Is latent Islamophobia responsible...
59. The Unfortunate Case Of Jussie Smollett
February 27, 2019 22:36 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBWelcome back! First, Uri and Rivky break down some great feedback they got about last week's episode about kashrut. (Bottom line, which they should have said last week: trust your own decision-making process to make kashrut decisions!) Then, Uri and Rivky discuss the depressing story of Jussie Smollett. They ask, what does this mean for our society and community, and the narratives we build around these incidents? How does this story impact the way we think of "victimhood"? And what exactly a...
58. Food For Thought
February 20, 2019 01:04 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky are joined by a guest - Josh Wilensky, manager of NY Brat Factory and previous manager of Amsterdam Burger! Rivky, Uri and Josh talk about what the kosher industry is really like on the inside. Josh shares some funny stories from the restaurants, and we ask, why is it so hard to keep a kosher restaurant open? What's with the expenses, like the mashgiach - are they worth it? And are kosher consumers really as annoying as our reputation? Relevant links: Kish Kash: https...
57. Turmoil In Teaneck
February 14, 2019 01:30 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, Rivky and Uri did a quick run-through of recent topics - Ilhan Omar and her tweets; the tragic killing of Ori Ansbacher; and more. They then discuss reactions to last week, and what makes a good rabbi - transitioning nicely into the current rabbinic controversy, the RCBC's recent decision to oust Rabbi Nati Helfgot, Rabbi of Netivot Shalom, in Teaneck, NJ, over their female rabbinic intern, a current student in Yeshivat Maharat. We ask, is the RCBC wrong? What is the role of rabbin...
56. Rabbis: What Are They Good For?
February 06, 2019 01:44 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky discussed the current rabbinic search at Mt. Sinai Synagogue - and they asked, hey, what's the point of a synagogue rabbi, anyway? Do we even need a rabbi? What do we value in a rabbi? And, on the flip side, what makes someone a horrible rabbi? Relevant links: Julian Edelman in Israel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odynJMMu9HA R.E.M. - Welcome To The Occupation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XARqoTAJFuM Weird Al Yankovic - Pretty Fly For A Rabbi: https://www.youtu...
55. What Would MLK Say About Israel?
January 29, 2019 23:31 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky review the story we can't shake, about the Covington high school students in DC. They then dive into last week's opinion piece by Michelle Alexander, opinion columnist for the NY Times, entitled, "Time to Break the Silence on Palestine," in which Alexander argues that, though Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was clearly pro-Israel when he was alive, if he were still alive, he would clearly be distraught at what Israel, and the occupation, has become. Uri and Rivky ask, is s...
54. To Call Out or Not To Call Out?
January 23, 2019 04:23 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBThis week, Rivky and Uri tackle "call out" culture - or, the phenomenon of publicly denouncing people who are engaging in something we think of as evil. Last week, David Brooks published in the NY Times that he is not a fan: "Really? Do we really think cycles of cruelty do more to advance civilization than cycles of wisdom and empathy?" Only a day later, we saw the conflict in DC: boys in MAGA hands, Native American activists, Black Hebrew protestors, and we couldn't wait to call everyone out...
53. Is There A Schism Between American and Israeli Jews?
January 15, 2019 21:03 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky discuss a recent flurry of articles discussing the relationship between American Jews and Israeli Jews. In the Forward, Peter Beinart warns that American Jews reject Birthright if they don't address, head on, Israel's fraught relationship with the Palestinians. In the New York Times, Jonathan Weisman warns that American Jews are facing a division between their brethren and their values. And in Times of Israel, Daniel Gordis, responding to Beinart and Weisman, tells Am...
52. Can I Be A Liberal and A Modern Orthodox Jew?
January 08, 2019 23:14 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBRivky's back! (Took her long enough.) And this week, after Rivky and Uri's quick recaps of the last two weeks of their lives, they dive into this week's topic, Shira Hanau's recent article in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin: High Stakes For Politically Liberal Modern Orthodox Jews. They ask, is it truly so hard being a liberal Modern Orthodox Jew? What about being a conservative Modern Orthodox Jew? Let's be honest - do we want a more mixed community, or do we want others to be more like us? An...
51. Is Everything Kosher?
January 02, 2019 16:33 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThis week Uri is joined by another very special guest, the amazing Aliza Abrams-Konig! They start off with a discussion about the future of lab grown meat, which gets them into kosher certification and its boundaries, including this week's controversy surrounding comedian Leah Forster. They then talk about the recent controversy surrounding an anti-Semitic Instagram post from Lebron James. Finally, Aliza and Uri discuss their shared experiences on service learning trips, and conclude with a d...
50. A Look Behind The Lens with Abbie Sophia
December 26, 2018 05:02 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThis week Uri has a conversation with the amazing Abbie Wasserman AKA Abbie Sophia. They discuss Abbie's unconventional background, the challenges of starting a business, proper social media etiquette, some surprising aspects of being a photographer in the Jewish community, and much more! There is also a cameo appearance from one of the youngest Tach-Heads out there. Music: Bonnie Raitt - Something To Talk About https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQLpRBDrhn8 Jackson Browne - Running On Empty htt...
49. Is Jewish Law Moral?
December 18, 2018 20:54 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky dive into a sensitive and difficult topic: why Jewish law? Is it because God commanded it? Because it's moral? Because it impacts the world? (None of the above?) Why do we have the Torah’s laws? Music: Talk Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hHnOBlwU3A
48. Coming Clean On Vaccines
December 12, 2018 13:04 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky ask about the recent reporting about their Charedi brothers and sisters. Namely: A. the measles outbreak that was recently brought from the Charedi community in Israel to the Charedi community in America. And B. the recent NY State decision to push for a deeper investigation into Charedi schools, which detractors claim provide graduates with basically no secular education. They ask, what responsibilities do religious communities have towards their adherents? And, what...
47. The Hypocrisy of Hanukkah
December 05, 2018 13:58 - 28 minutes - 20 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky talked about the bipartisanship that showed itself, as usual, in the responses to the death of George H.W. Bush, before they got into their main topic: the NY Times opinion piece published last week, entitled “The Hypocrisy of Hanukkah.” Michael David Lukas, a secular Jew, grapples with what it means to be a Jew in modern America, especially one who wants to commemorate Hanukkah, but doesn't feel comfortable with the underlying messages of the holiday. We ask, is Luka...
46. Airbnb and the West Bank: Discrimination or Occupation?
November 28, 2018 21:28 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBLast week, Airbnb announced it would stop listing homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Much of the world considers the settlements, built on land Israel captured in the 1967 war, to be a violation of international law - but Israel considers the land to be disputed, not occupied. Immediately, many in our community were up in arms, with many calling for a boycott of Airbnb. Uri and Rivky ask, should we be boycotting Airbnb? Is Airbnb’s removal of Jewish homes in the West Bank antisemit...
45. Beckerman's Search For Meaning
November 21, 2018 01:26 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBThis week, Uri and Rivky compare their travel woes from last week's storm, and then Uri gives several more disclaimers about how he isn't a supporter of Jews for Jesus. (The lady doth protest too much?) They then dive into this week's topic - an article written by writer and editor, Gal Beckerman, entitled American Jews Face A Choice: Create Meaning or Fade Away, which reviewed five new books touching on American Jewish identity, and what will sustain it in the future. Beckerman argues that w...
44. Reflections on Pittsburgh
November 15, 2018 02:38 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBOn Saturday morning, October 27, a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and injuring 6 more. The shooting is being called the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. What lessons can we learn from this horrible tragedy? Does this represent a resurgence of antisemitism? Is that resurgence connected to the rise of Donald Trump? Is it fair to tie the threat of antisemitism to the Republican party? Relevant links: FBI Hat...