Orthodox Conundrum

After the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance become embroiled in controversy last month, many people have begun questioning the future of Orthodox feminism. With that in mind, the Orthodox Conundrum will be releasing several episodes dealing with questions of women and their place in Orthodoxy. In today's episode, Scott interviews Dr. Hannah Lebovits, who discusses structural issues in right wing Orthodoxy that prevent women from becoming knowledge holders, questions regarding "commodification" of great rabbis, why she remains part of the right-wing Orthodox world, and more. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

This isn't a regular episode of the Orthodox Conundrum; in fact, it's barely an episode at all. But I wanted to share what's been happening in our lives over the past week because, in the words of Henri Nouwen, "The most personal is the most universal, the most hidden is the most public, and the most solitary is the most communal." Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Just in time for the Seder... so that we can approach the questions that are really bothering so many people. Many religious Jews are troubled by the findings of modern academic studies of the Bible. And few issues can be as fraught with emotion and angst as the question of whether Yetziat Mitzrayim - the Exodus from Egypt - actually happened. After all, the reality of that event is the backbone of so much of Jewish belief; our entire relationship with G-d is largely predicated upon it. So when Bible professors question or doubt whether it happened at all, or whether it happened precisely in the way that the Torah describes, the believing Jew may find himself confused and distraught. Rabbi Joshua Berman, Professor of Tanach at Bar Ilan University, who has been a guest on this podcast before, doesn't shy away from these issues; he confronts them head-on. What's especially fascinating is that his approach is far from apologetics. He explains that in defending the Torah, we often have it backwards: that instead of seeing other ancient documents and artifacts echoing the Torah, we should expect the Torah to echo ancient documents and artifacts. In so doing, not only does Rabbi Berman explain why the Torah is believable despite the findings of archeology, but he also uses these discoveries as evidence that the the story is historical. Moreover, some of his ideas can shed new light in fascinating ways on what the Torah is trying to tell us. Plus: he describes his amazing trips to Egypt and how they provided him with insights into the Exodus. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

It sometimes seems as though the stream of child abuse allegations is never ending. There is certainly greater awareness now than there was in the past, but are we really doing everything possible to keep our children safe? Child safety advocate Rav Yakov Horowitz says it's time for Child Safety 2.0 - that is, to supplement what we might have done until now with added methods and better understanding and awareness. He talked with Scott about how predators groom entire communities along with their victims, problems in communication between parents and children (even when parents tell their kids that they should report abuse to them), barriers that allow abusers to hide in plain sight, the dangers of the charismatic teacher who is also the resident crazy character, and more. Yedid Nefesh is a passionate community of monthly givers on a mission to end mental health stigma and suffering in our communities... People like you, giving anything they can to prove that change is possible. Your monthly donation can give dozens of people with mental health challenges access to communal and Rabbinic support through our hotline every year. To join Yedid Nefesh, go to https://mnefesh.org/yedidnefesh/. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

"I always thought that the first time I'd talk about my daughter publicly would be at her funeral." Last week we released an episode about problematic behaviors in Modern Orthodox high schools, with a particular focus on binge drinking. This week, Scott speaks with Lianne Forman, who founded the CCSA organization - Communities Confronting Substance Use and Addiction - along with her husband. Lianne forthrightly discusses drug use in the Orthodox community, the importance of removing the stigma, and what parents need to know in order to help their children - because sooner or later, our kids are going to be exposed to it. Lianne also relates the very personal story of their daughter's misuse of alcohol and drugs. To learn more go to https://www.jewishccsa.org/. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

With Purim now in the rear-view mirror, it's worthwhile to investigate the place of drinking in our Orthodox communities. Rabbi Tully Harcsztark and Dr. Rivka Schwartz assert that it does, indeed, play a troubling role. In fact, scientific surveys have demonstrated that yeshiva high school students are involved in numerous antisocial behaviors, like binge drinking, gambling, and marijuana use - and some of them, at a significantly higher rate than American high school students in general. Parents and educators - and everyone who cares about the future of the Jewish community - need to ask why this is happening, how it is connected to affluence, what can be done to change these behaviors, and more. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

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? Join Scott as he talks with Rabbi Aryeh Klapper about Amalek, and what Parashat Zachor and Purim mean for Jews today. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Read an article by Rabbi Klapper about Amalek here: http://torahleadership.org/categories/beshalach_5780.pdf http://torahleadership.org/ https://moderntoraleadership.wordpress.com/ https://moderntoraleadership.wordpress.com/ Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Rav Eliezer Melamed, the author of the Peninei Halacha series, has recently been condemned by some very important rabbis. These well-respected individuals didn't merely disagree with his specific opinions, but also used ad hominem language and attacked him personally. What's actually going on? To understand the attempted ban, what Rav Melamed is trying to accomplish, what specific ideas are so controversial, and why the controversy has erupted now, Scott spoke to Rabbi Elli Fischer, the editor of the English Peninei Halacha series. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Two weeks ago, the Orthodox Conundrum hosted a panel discussion with Rabbi Moshe Simkovich, Yoetzet Halacha Tova Warburg Sinensky, and Olivia Friedman about the need for a course in yeshiva high schools that offers a frank presentation of a Jewish sexual ethic. We are now presenting Part Two, where Scott speaks with Yoetzet Bracha Rutner and Adira Botwinick. They talk about some of the difficult consequences that result from a lack of such education, and what more needs to be done - everywhere from elementary school through kallah and chatan classes. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com

Russia has invaded Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has put Russia's nuclear forces on alert, 40 million Ukrainians are in peril, including over 100,000 Jews, and the whole world is on edge. What should we, as Orthodox Jews, be thinking and doing? Scott spoke with Rav Judah Mischel and Rav Yonah Bookstein to hear a Torah perspective on the current war, the very mixed history of Jewish life in Ukraine, and what actions we should be taking. Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108). Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse. Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast. Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com