Talking Tachlis Podcast

How should we really be talking about Israel - in the classroom, or anywhere else? This week, Uri speaks to Dr. Noam Weissman, Executive Vice President of OpenDor Media, where he spearheads the educational vision and leads content creation across all divisions. Noam heads a team of content creators and educators for the Unpacked brand which reaches millions of young Jews each year with articles, videos and social media content. He is also the host of the popular Unpacked podcasts “Unpacking Israeli History” and “The Power Of” as well as the host of the YouTube channel, Today Unpacked.For more, see:https://jewishunpacked.com/deir-yassin-the-battle-for-truth/https://jewishunpacked.com/the-altalena-israels-almost-civil-war/https://jewishunpacked.com/the-kastner-trial-why-a-jew-who-saved-many-was-put-on-trial-for-working-with-the-nazis/https://jewishunpacked.com/kfar-qassem-a-wound-that-still-bleeds/

NY Times - the gift that keeps giving. Last week, you may have read: “For Strictly Observant Jews in Brooklyn, the Sabbath Expands," an article that highlights the new, expansive eruv covering most of Brooklyn. Within hours, there were hundreds of comments on the article, many of which were disparaging and mocking towards Orthodox and Chasidic Jews. This week, Uri and Rivky break down the article and comments, but they also go further - are loopholes a bad thing? And just as importantly, what do ritualistic mitzvot mean to us, as observant Jews?https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/nyregion/brooklyn-observant-jews.html

The new Netflix movie “You People” is a romantic comedy centering around Ezra Cohen, a white Jew, who falls in love with Amira, a black Muslim. Very much in the style of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or Fiddler on the Roof, there are culture clashes and tension, much of which stems from Amira's dad, played by Eddie Murphy, and Ezra's mom, played by Julia Louis Dryfus.The movie touches on a lot of hot button issues that are very much in the news (or, "the culture"), and much negative feedback in the Jewish community centers around particular lines on scenes. This week, Uri and Rivky ask,  what were the filmmakers trying to achieve with this film, what does this say about American culture and society, and what does it say about the state of Jews in America?

This week Uri is joined by Aliza Abrams Konig.  They start by reminiscing about Aliza's previous appearance on Talking Tachlis, and they touch on a number of hot button issues including lab grown meat, the Netflix movie You People, and Joe Rogan's recent antisemitic comments.  They then spend most of the conversation discussing Aliza's experience having a child with a surrogate, including various issues relating to Jewish law, and common misconceptions.  This is a different podcast where Aliza goes into more detail about her experience.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simultaneously-navigating-surrogacy-a-kidney/id1610003724?i=1000557506816

Last week, Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier released a thoughtful, interesting piece about a new vision he entitled Ethical Orthodoxy. In this episode, Uri and Rivky sit down with Shlomo to ask him about this manifesto. They ask what its impetus was, what failures he sees in the religious world, and the practical ways he would want to build an Orthodox community around this worldview.Read more here:Ethical Orthodoxy: A Manifesto: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0fjD6QnfLBJDtzLzCc3UkTGKm4k5uVYFkJmtS9xC18PR1mMGrpsSwxH1wwJ4DgEuxl&id=100005452486362Ben Shapiro - Modern Orthodoxy's Moral Failure - https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/modern-orthodoxys-moral-failure/2022/12/12/Lookback window: https://hareiani.com/tag/lookback-window/

Wow, the NY Times sure has been publishing a lot of recent articles about Orthodox Jews. Uri and Rivky ask, what's that about? And what does it have to do with identity, journalism, and Elon Musk's Twitter takeover?Recent NY Times piece about Chasidic schools: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/29/nyregion/hasidic-orthodox-jewish-special-education.htmlNY Times about Yeshiva University:https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/nyregion/yeshiva-university-lgbtq-club.html Astral Codex Ten: https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/the-media-very-rarely-lies

THE OFFERING opens in theater and on demand starting this Friday, January 13th. Watch the trailer @ https://youtu.be/oMc-iybcRdcUri discusses the film and some of its Jewish themes with one of the stars of the film Emily Wiseman, director Oliver Park, Writer/Producer Hank Hoffman, and Producer/Story Developer Yoni Yunger.

George Santos was elected to the US Congress in New York's 3rd District, representing parts of Long Island and a small part of Queens, and is to be sworn into office today, on January 3rd 2023. In mid-December, the NYT exposed Santos's lies, including: false degrees from NYU and Baruch, non-existent work stints at Citi Group and Goldman Sacks, a fake charity, financial crimes. But most interesting to us, he also falsely claimed to be Jewish, and that his grandparents fled the Holocaust. This week, Uri and Rivky discuss, is Santos different than other politicians? Is the fact that his lies are worse mean that he can't be trusted in this position of power? Are his lies, including his Jewish identity, offensive? And what does his claim to Jewish ancestry says about the place and perception of Jews in America today?

Kanye. Kyrie. And...Dave Chappelle? Maybe? This week, Rivky and Uri talk about this “resurgence” of antisemitism and ask, what the heck is even happening? And what was with Chappelle's monologue? Funny? Not funny? Cruel? Offensive? Funny and offensive? And...the three men involved here - Kanye, Kyrie, and Chappelle, are not only three famous entertainers, but three black entertainers. Does that mean anything? If so, what does it mean?   Chappelle's Monologue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m-gO0HSCYk The movie Kyrie posted: https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/kyrie-irving-antisemitism-non-apology-for-movie-17555214.php Meyers Leonard scandal: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2935262-heats-meyers-leonard-uses-anti-semitic-slur-during-call-of-duty-live-stream    

This week, Uri and Rivky dive into the Supreme Court affirmation action cases being brought, in particular, on behalf of Asian students, who claim that in an attempt to help black American students, Asian American students are being discriminated against, and not given spots in these colleges that are instead going to the recipients of affirmative action. Some have compared these to the famous quotas that many Ivy League colleges had for Jews in the early to mid 20th century. They ask, how do we feel about affirmative action - as people, as Americans, and as Jews?

This week Rivky and Uri are joined by the indomitable Mordechai Levovitz to discuss the latest craze taking over TikTok- Orthodox Jewish musical group The Miami Boys Choir.  They try to understand what could be fueling this trend, and they ask, is it good for the Jews?   Times of Israel article - https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-miami-boys-choir-churned-out-generations-of-child-stars-where-are-they-now/   Rolling Stone article - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/miami-jewish-boys-choir-tiktok-viral-1234602435/

Last Sunday, the New York Times ran a front page article, “Failing Schools, Public Funds: Hasidic Students in NYS Are Deprived of Basic Skills.” The article describes the abysmal track record that many Hasidic schools have on standardized tests, their lack of secular education, and the government funding these schools receive without abiding by the government's academic standards. There are also accusations of teachers hitting students, the hiring of unqualified teachers, censoring of secular textbooks, inaction from politicians due to Hasidic voting blocs and influence, and the extreme challenges faced by members of the community who leave the fold, but find that they are equipped with the basic skills needed to navigate the outside world. Rivky and Uri ask, what is this article really about? And what is the point of education? https://yuobserver.org/2022/09/what-the-pride-alliance-failed-to-learn-from-jewish-history/ https://yucommentator.org/2022/09/the-dangers-of-liberalism-and-why-yu-should-change-its-charter/ https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTp3R7h5JeieCsugLhZbvPjKjuKcIZnIELjThuwFI4rCSDBqaCK02E0oz1eqXTP8pUeb1TV21WITDWm/pub https://twitter.com/SruliFruchter/status/1537098109875998720 https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/nyregion/hasidic-yeshivas-schools-new-york.html

We modern day Jews think of ourselves as the descendants of Israelites....but we're not the only group who thinks that of ourselves. This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Drs. Steven Fine and Jesse Abelman, co-curators for a new exhibit at the Museum of the Bible (MOTB), called The Samaritans: A Biblical People. (A partnership of the Yeshiva University (YU) Center for Israel Studies and Museum of the Bible.) For more about the opening: https://www.museumofthebible.org/exhibits/the-samaritans-a-biblical-people

The fight about whether to allow the Pride Alliance, the club for LBGTQ undergraduate students at YU, has now been elevated to the Supreme Court. This week, Uri and Rivky attempt to share student voices and ask, does Yeshiva University welcome LGBTQ students in its undergraduate schools? And, what is the end goal for YU and for Modern Orthodoxy?

A couple of weeks ago, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas claimed that Israel had committed 50 massacres, 50 Holocausts, of Palestinians. And we were all set to discuss that. But then, this weekend, journalist and former Talking Tachlis guest Peter Beinart, published an op-ed, taking issue with Jewish groups who accuse critics of Israel of antisemitism. Are these stories connected? What is antisemitism? And must we reevaluate our definitions of antisemitism?   Abbas Press Conference - https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-monstrous-lie-abbas-50-holocausts-claim-met-with-outrage-in-israel-germany/   Peter Beinart in NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/26/opinion/antisemitism-israel-uae-saudi.html

This week Rivky and Uri speak with Lazar Berman, the diplomatic reporter for Times of Israel, to hear about his recent 3 week trip to Ukraine reporting on the war.  They also discuss the latest updates on the current Iran nuclear deal negotiations.   Lazar's work for Times of Israel - https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/lazar-berman/   To have Lazar speak in the New York area on either August 21 or September 6, you can reach him at Lazar@timesofisrael.com   Links: Bill Maher segment about appropriation and "Jewface" https://youtu.be/uDkNmbJLB3o   Wall Street Journal Podcast about Ben and Jerry's Israel saga https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly92aWRlby1hcGkud3NqLmNvbS9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcy93c2ovdGhlLWpvdXJuYWw/episode/YzRiZDNiZjQtZDY2Zi0xMWVjLWFkNTQtYmIwNTAxMDk3YTEz?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjQ3-6Ohsz5AhUflIkEHd0sAKgQieUEegQIBRAF&ep=6

This week, Rivky and Uri talk about the concept of "Jewface," or when a non-Jewish actor plays a very Jewish role. This will often involve using stereotypical Jewish mannerisms, or even prosthetic noses, as is the case with Bradley Cooper in an upcoming movie about Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein. Do we have a problem with this? Is it antisemitic? Is this phenominon comparable to the more well know practice of Blackface?   Links: Ben and Jerry's https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-jerrys-seeks-injunction-against-parent-company-as-israel-legal-battle-goes-on/ https://nypost.com/2022/08/09/israeli-students-accuse-ben-jerrys-of-occupying-tribal-land/   Sarah Silverman Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewface-iron-dome-mr-mom/id1533130572?i=1000537086147 https://forward.com/culture/476527/does-sarah-silverman-actually-have-a-point-about-jewface/   Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein https://www.jta.org/2022/05/31/culture/netflix-releases-photos-of-bradley-cooper-wearing-prosthetic-nose-to-portray-leonard-bernstein-reigniting-jewish-representation-debate   Haaretz https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2022-01-24/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/whats-offensive-its-the-idea-that-theres-such-thing-as-jewish-character-traits/0000017f-dc24-d3ff-a7ff-fda4bbc70000?lts=1660140547361   Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z3efR2Fu18

On this coming Sunday, we'll be commemorating Tisha B'Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. Uri and Rivky ask, why isn't Tisha B'Av widely recognized in the Jewish world? And what would have to happen to turn the day of mourning into a day of joy? New York Times on Tisha B'av - https://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/holy-ambivalence/ Reform Judaism - https://www.reformjudaism.org/jewish-holidays/tishah-bav Reconstructionist - https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/article/pondering-meaning-tisha-bav/ If Not Now - https://www.972mag.com/as-u-s-jews-we-need-to-figure-out-what-leverage-we-have-in-ending-the-occupation/   Russia calls out "US Hypocrisy" - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/world/europe/russia-reaction-floyd-protests.html   North Korea calls US country of "extreme racists" - https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-calls-us-country-extreme-racists-after-george-floyd-protests-1508704    China uses US racial reckoning as propoganda opportunity - https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/868566978/in-george-floyd-protests-china-sees-a-powerful-propaganda-opportunity

Several weeks ago, during several bar and bat mitzvahs being celebrated at the egalitarian section of the Western Wall, about 50 Charedi young men interrupted their services. They blew whistles, screamed at the attendees, and ripped up their prayer books. Videos show them calling the worshipers “Nazis,” “Christians,” “animals,” “shiksas," and “Reform Jews.” In a similar-but-different story, Gil Tamary, a Jewish and Israeli Channel 13 journalist, recently snuck into Mecca, Islam's holiest city, has a total ban on non-Muslims entering the city. Tamary made it clear that he knew he was breaking the law. This event enraged both the government of Saudi Arabia and many Muslims worldwide. Uri and Rivky ask, are these stories as the same? Who are the "good" and “bad” guys, in either story? And ultimately, is it fair, and is it appropriate, to restrict groups of people from religious spaces? Lazar Berman: https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/lazar-berman/ Rabbi Scott Kahn episode about the kotel episode: https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/egalitarian-prayer-at-the-kotel-how-should-orthodox-jews-respond-121/  

Last week, NASA released the first images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. This project took 20 years and $10 billion, and these new images are the most detailed, incredible views into deep space that humans have ever seen. This week, Uri and Rivky ask, is it worth it? What is the point of NASA, and space exploration? And what does any of this have to do with us Jews?

This Supreme Court's first term as a six-justice conservative majority has been really something, as least as it comes to religion. Uri and Rivky discuss, how do we feel about the SC becoming such a "pro-religion" court? Is this a good thing for all religious Americans - or just for Christians? Adam Liptak: https://www.nytimes.com/by/adam-liptak

It's America's Independence Day, and we want to know how we should feel about that.  Are we proud to be Americans?  What does it mean to be patriotic?  Do we have a unique perspective on this as Jews?  How might other groups feel differently?  Rivky calls in from Israel for this international July 4th edition of Talking Tachlis. NY Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/opinion/liberal-patriotism-july-fourth.html Frederick Douglass Speech - What To The Save Is July 4th: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/ Grateful Dead - US Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr-iGxbALnc Love Actually airport scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0fJSvGJOuI

Last week, the Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade, a momentous decision upending nearly 50 years of precedent on abortion. Uri and Rivky aren't legal scholars, or political savants. So instead, this week, they focus on their “unique” contribution, the question of how this relates to our community.

Uri and Rivky are back!! And just in time, too. Last week, the NY Supreme Court ruled that Yeshiva University must recognize the YU Pride Alliance, an LGBTQ student group on campus, as an officially sanctioned Yeshiva University club. Many students, and alumni, are seeing this as a victory. YU is appealing, so we don't know the final decision, but Uri and Rivky ask, who is right here? What could have happened differently? And what meaningful reactions have we seen about this ruling?

Did you watch the Oscars on Sunday night? Trick question, because whether it's a yes or no, you know about this week's topic. Uri and Rivky break down the Chris Rock-Will Smith slap heard 'round the world and ask, what the heck happened? [Update: mid-recording, Will Smith issued a public apology to Chris Rock, but Rivky and Uri, the diligent hosts they are, weren't looking at their phones.]

YULA students last week were treated to a Purim spiel mocking Shalhevet, the other LA-based MO school, for its students' progressive stances on racial justice and gender and sexual equality, displaying signs with slogans like, “Don't Misgender Me,” “#BlackLivesMatter,” “#StopAsianHate” and “Free the gays.” This week, Uri and Rivky ask, does this mean anything bigger about the state of modern Orthodoxy, and its education? Is this a Jewish thing? A frum thing? A high school boy thing? Is this just representative of the country?

This week Uri follows up with Times of Israel correspondent Lazar Berman, after he spent over a week in the Ukrainian city of Lviv reporting on the war.  They discuss the war's escalation, it's ramifications for the current Iran nuclear talks, the Jews of Ukraine, and Israel's perspective on the war.     Lazar's articles on the war for Times of Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/writers/lazar-berman/ Music: Ukrainian folk song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5MyOZ4VQRk Ukrainian national anthem  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDeQVaoTvJM

This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Lazar Berman, correspondent for Times of Israel, who is currently on the ground covering Ukraine. They discuss what's happening in the country, Israel's delicate tightrope, and what to expect in the coming days.

If you haven't yet seen The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, check out the wild story about Shimon Hayut, an Israeli con man, and the women he bilked for hundreds of thousands. In this episode, Uri and Rivky are joined by repeat guest Dr. Shayna Weiss, professor and expert in Israeli history, society, and media, to talk about Hayut's con, how his Israeli, Charedi, and Mizrahi identities come into play, and "gvir culture."

Two years into Covid, our community is as fractured as ever. Recently, Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of Aish, stepped into the fray, criqituing Yeshiva University for the process and mask/vaccine mandates for entering the Seforim Sale this past week. His tweets went viral, and so did his follow-up Facebook post. And as we talk about this story, we ask, what is happening in our community, and how can we get through it?

Last week, we all watched a meltdown in real time, when actor and TV host Whoopi Goldberg asserted that the Holocaust wasn't about race. She doubled down that night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, before finally apologizing on social media that night, and then on The View the next day. Uri and Rivky ask, were Whoopi's comments antisemitic? Can we just blame it on inadequate Holocaust education in America?  What does this whole episode say about “cancel culture”? Whoopi Goldberg on The View - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhITfM4bqO8 Whoopi Goldberg on Late Show with Stephen Colbert - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdkhVQZGSSU&t=7s Whoopi Goldberg apology - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2PZ50UeDVU Joe Rogan apology https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXupo-FHFgc https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/deep-shtetl/61f992de9277230021ae11f7/are-jews-a-race-whoopi-goldberg-holocaust/ https://twitter.com/WhoopiGoldberg/status/1488320164517101574 https://www.timesofisrael.com/whoopi-goldberg-apologizes-after-claiming-holocaust-was-not-about-race https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-695487

Miriam ​​Anzovin is a millennial content producer for JewishBoston.com with a semi-viral, and hyper-niche TikTok account in which she shares reflections on the daily daf. Anzovin's videos are very different than most; they're fun, irreverent, and not quite traditionally educational. So, naturally these videos have created a stir. Uri and Rivky wonder, while some in the Jewish community are obsessed, is Anzovin approaching Torah in a fresh, exciting, new way, or are her videos inappropriate and outside the bounds of reverence for Torah and the Talmud? Is there sexism here? Is there a level of “appropriateness” when we're involved in Torah? Links: https://twitter.com/SamMgelman/status/1487575760277753862 https://www.jta.org/2022/01/28/opinion/raunchy-sarcastic-tiktok-talmud-commentary-isnt-profane-its-torah https://forward.com/culture/480764/daf-yomi-recaps-on-jewish-tiktok-miriam-anzovin/   https://www.heyalma.com/a-woman-went-viral-on-tiktok-for-talking-about-talmud-then-came-the-critics/ https://www.jewishboston.com/read/an-atheist-does-daf-yomi/ https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/take-one

This past shabbat, the rabbi and three worshippers were taken hostage while they prayed at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Three days later, Uri and Rivky talk about what happened, and the reaction across the Jewish community to this terrifying antisemitic incident. Related links: Zac Beauchamp: https://twitter.com/zackbeauchamp/status/1482540030082129921 Bari Weiss: https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/being-jewish-in-an-unraveling-america Rabbi Charlie Cytron Walker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErorId3xt6o Bend the Arc: https://twitter.com/jewishaction/status/1483147042457272324?cxt=HHwWiICy9ZCYmZUpAAAA Avi Mayer: https://twitter.com/AviMayer/status/1482497819529428998?cxt=HHwWjIC-lbH68ZIpAAAA Manishtana: https://twitter.com/MaNishtana/status/1482925365148463109?cxt=HHwWisC5oeiwtJQpAAAA

This week, along with clips and letters from listeners, Uri and Rivky reflect on last week's doozy of an episode.

This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Amer Zahr, Palestinian Arab American comedian, speaker, writer, academic, and professor of law. They speak about whether Jesus was Palestinian, Palestinian identity, a binational state, and what peace can and should look like. Relevant links: https://twitter.com/AmerZahr? https://www.facebook.com/amer.zahr/videos/10109485183153743/?t=198   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_David_Accords https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_exodus_from_Arab_and_Muslim_countries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_in_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Jews   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-DNOnmKkUaY5PZL4kwVKfceXPI8G-lIV   Bob Dylan - Neighborhood Bully - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ETdLfXI6r8

The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Carson vs Makin, in which parents of Maine students alleged that their First Amendment rights were infringed upon by not allowing their children to attend religious schools using the state funding, when other private schools were allowed. Rivky and Uri discuss the court case, and ask, as religious Jews, what do we think about the separation of church and state, school vouchers in general, and government funding of religion? Links: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/opinion/public-schools-religion.html https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/08/us/politics/supreme-court-religious-schools-maine.html https://advocacy.ou.org/content/uploads/WSJ-The-Supreme-Court-Takes-Up-Religious-LibertyAgain.pdf? https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/492/573 https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mihT_GNeRN8  

This week, Joshua Malina, Jewish actor best known from The West Wing and Scandal, published an article in The Atlantic entitled Cancel Mel Gibson: Why is Hollywood still hiring this raging anti-Semite? Malina expresses frustration that Mel Gibson's “Jew-hatred” has not yet gotten Gibson excommunicated from Hollywood. Uri and Rivky discuss Mel Gibson, whether antisemitism is taken less seriously than other bigotry, and whether Gibson be cancelled? Then they end up getting into Chanukah movies (or lack thereof), Seth Rogan and Santa Inc., and basically just talk about media in all its glory.   Links: Joshua Malina article: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2021/12/mel-gibson-anti-semitism/620873/ Seth Rogan tweet: https://twitter.com/sethrogen/status/1275496311102427136 Seth Rogan tweet #2: https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/1466565919023403012 Santa Inc trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEx_CBxNrXY   Mel Gibson Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDfUhlBgfoU   Paul Mccartney - Wonderful Christmastime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TfWo3GsIII

“Blood is flowing in the streets of the Holy Land,” began an open letter signed by just under 100 rabbinical students, and published in May. Last week, Marc Tracy of the NY Times published an article about the letter, its backlash, and what it all means. In this week's episode, Uri and Rivky ask, is it true? Is American Zionism unraveling?   NYT: Inside the Unraveling of American Zionism - The New York Times (nytimes.com)   Letter https://www.google.com/amp/s/forward.com/scribe/469583/gates-of-tears-rabbinical-and-cantorial-students-stand-for-solidarity-with/%3fgamp Response https://forward.com/scribe/469900/my-rabbinical-students-letter-shows-imbalance-and-a-lack-of-empathyfor/?_gl=1*g4r2ni*_ga*YW1wLTBULWsxN2psSG1HYnpCdzZPaXFvb3NxWGVvVkZ0VlVyQzhTSkZvYVVkOVM4Vzh0THFfUkNvNGV5QnhwRHJIRUo.

Park East, a historic synagogue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is going through a critical upheaval. Over the last month, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, the 91-year-old senior rabbi, fired the shul's assistant rabbi, Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt, over an alleged coup. Teams have been formed, and allegations thrown around. This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Ben Sales, JTA reporter, about this story and ask, is this merely salacious gossip about real people and their lives, or does this story actually signify something bigger? Relevant links: https://www.jta.org/2021/10/20/ny/park-east-synagogue-pushes-out-assistant-rabbi-sparking-protest https://www.jta.org/2021/10/27/ny/a-world-famous-rabbi-a-popular-assistant-and-a-succession-crisis-inside-the-rupture-at-park-east-synagogue https://www.jta.org/2021/10/29/ny/park-east-fired-rabbi-says-accusations-of-synagogue-coup-are-completely-unfounded-and-personally-hurtful https://www.jta.org/2021/11/02/ny/fired-park-east-rabbi-holding-rival-services-blocks-from-his-old-synagogue https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/park-east

This week, Uri and Rivky speak with Laura Adkins, Opinion Editor for the Forward and author of the recent piece, “How To Lie With Statistics, Antisemitism Edition." They ask Laura, what do people get wrong about antisemitism? Is antisemitism overblown? What are her fears for the future? https://forward.com/opinion/477551/conflating-anti-zionism-with-antisemitism-erases-violence-orthodox-jews/ https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/31/opinion/how-to-protect-new-yorks-jews.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/27/antisemitism-left-rising/ https://forward.com/opinion/438006/to-fight-anti-semitism-we-must-expose-its-conspiratorial-irrational-and/

This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Ma'ayan Seligsohn, a rebbetzin in Riverdale, NY, who recently came out publicly as trans and nonbinary and use they/them pronouns. They speak to Maayan about their story, the Orthodox community, and their relationship with God. (So, you know, nothing too heavy.)   Check out Ma'ayan's trans media list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kfhVjbsLz5cXU5G0OyvSp8IOHSJlFWaUmSXYL-I8S7c/edit?usp=sharing

You might have heard about SB8, the new Texas abortion bill. This week, Rabbanit Leah Sarna joins Uri and Rivky to talk about why the bill is anti-religion, why Judaism doesn't fit neatly into the left-right political binary, and the clash (or not?) between Jewish and Western values.   Gary Shteyngart in The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/a-botched-circumcision-and-its-aftermath   Rabbi Hayim Lieter response to Gary Shteyngart - https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-new-yorkers-botched-circumcision-article/   NYT Abortion Rights and Trans Rights Are Two Sides of the Same Coin - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/10/opinion/trans-abortion-rights.html   Torat Chayim Statement on SB8 -  http://www.toratchayimrabbis.org/orthodox-rabbis-oppose-texas-senate-bill-8.html?fbclid=IwAR35nvjMLTQFDtF2-qun_n2-1USHQragtPP6ZFXJd520vcxbOvblwNfZ33k   https://forward.com/life/406674/orthodox-jewish-women-abortion-stories/

The U.S. House of Representatives voted to give $1 billion to Israel for its Iron Dome missile-defense system. Even though it ended up passing with overwhelming support, the whole kerfuffle and removal of the Iron Dome funding from the larger spending bill angered centrist Democrats, and led vocal Republicans to label the party as anti-Israel. Uri and Rivky break down the vote, and ask, is this breakdown of bipartisan support real? What's actually going on? Divestment from Unilever  https://www.ai-cio.com/news/states-divest-unilever-stock-over-ben-jerrys-boycott/ Kamala Harris  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6gmAiVU7UA AOC Letter explaining her "present" vote  https://twitter.com/RepAOC/status/1441488402906447872 Rashida Tlaib and Ted Deutch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_63LUw57E8 Michael Oren in Tablet https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/aid-israel-michael-oren

Did you hear about the crazy Shabbat Naftali Bennett, other high level officials, and journalists spent in a DC hotel last week? This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Lazar Berman, diplomatic reporter for The Times Of Israel about that Shabbat, being a diplomatic correspondent, and bias in media.    Links: Understanding false rape allegations: https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20180101025446/https://icdv.idaho.gov/conference/handouts/False-Allegations.pdf https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/1996/96sec2.pdf     New Statement from YU-  https://yeshiva.imodules.com/controls/email_marketing/view_in_browser.aspx?   Commentator article about the aftermath - https://yucommentator.org/2021/09/campus-sexual-assault-harassment-are-yus-top-priority-dean-bacon-says/   Stuck in hotel for Shabbat with Bennett - https://www.timesofisrael.com/getting-to-know-the-pm-our-unexpected-shabbat-in-a-dc-hotel-with-bennett/ Other pieces by Lazar Berman -  https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-walling-itself-in-israel-learns-to-hazard-the-jungle-beyond/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/iron-dome-has-saved-many-lives-but-has-it-made-israel-safer/ Music: Phish - Avinu Malkenu -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az1dEW2LTIw   Traditional Persian Music -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD0PmMDBZow&t=429s   Scottish Gaelic Music -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJolZxVvj-0

Rivky and Uri discuss an anonymous piece published in the Yeshiva College student newspaper. A female student at YU describes being raped by a fellow student and subsequently receiving little to no support from the university. How should we respond to this very troubling story? Is YU indeed as at fault as this woman describes? Should universities be handling sexual assault investigations in the first place?     Links: Article in Commentator - https://yucommentator.org/2021/08/i-thought-rape-culture-didnt-exist-at-yu-until-i-was-raped/   YU Statement - https://yucommentator.org/2021/08/university-statement/   Columbia Rape Case - https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/24/media-circus-surrounding-mattress-girl-case-changed-conversation-sexual-assault   5% false allegation rate - https://eprints.qut.edu.au/91459/   Music -  Santana - Soul Sacrifice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFvLDAU6EhA

Sadly, you're about to hear an Uri-less episode. But Rivky tried! This week, Rivky had an incredibly interesting conversation with Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz, an educator and "amateur sociologist of Orthodoxy." They discussed her recent tweet thread comparing our community's reaction to an Orthodox baseball player to LGBTQ members, dealing with painful Jewish law, and asked, what are the priorities of the modern Orthodox community?

You watching the Olympics? We are...kinda. This week, after their regular Ben & Jerry's segment (they can't stop!), Uri and Rivky talk about #sports. Specifically, the Olympics! Is it weird that many of the Israeli athletes aren't really, ya know, Israeli? They also discuss the Iranian defector who dedicated his medal to Israel, and the Palestinian-American sprinter, Hanna Barakat. Ben and Jerry's in NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/opinion/ben-and-jerry-israel.html Tablet articles about Yeshivish speak https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/politics-and-the-yeshivish-language https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/long-live-jewish-english Iranian-Mongolian Silver medal winner in Judo dedicates medal to Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/winning-judo-silver-in-tokyo-iranian-defector-mollaei-dedicates-medal-to-israel/ Music Abie Rotenberg - Yeshievishe Reid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od9-pn4LsLA John Williams - Olympic Fanfare and Theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCqUESCoB1w

You probably haven't heard of this new show, My Unorthodox Life. Or heard any feedback or responses to it, right? This week, Uri and Rivky discuss, does the show give a fair representation of Orthodox Judaism? And at the end of the day, is this good for the Jews or bad for the Jews? (and does it matter?) Head of Ben and Jerry's board Anuradha Mittal on Twitter https://twitter.com/AAlwuhaib1977/status/1416474183433863172 DeBlasio Press Conference https://youtu.be/jQu8o7-DhRY?t=2925 NYT review of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's new book https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/books/review/ayaan-hirsi-ali-prey.html R.E.M. - Losing My Religion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKvCV8MFIaw

Uri and Rivky open this episode jumping around - from Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz's comparison between Orthodox MLB players and Orthodox LGBTQ Jews, to Ben and Jerry's, to My Unorthodox Life. But they settle on this week's topic: namely, is social medial evil? How did Facebook, run and started by two Jews, become something seen as so evil? Dr. Schwartz tweet: https://twitter.com/Doc_RPS/status/1417434623915839520 Jacob Steinmetz drafted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXg2mLnnAyo Ben and Jerrys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1INSCM9Xnxc The Forward - How Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg Created the World's Most Dangerous Golem: https://forward.com/culture/472950/how-mark-zuckerberg-and-sheryl-sandberg-created-golem-sheera-frenkel/ Commentary Magazine - What Is To Be Done About Facebook: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/christine-rosen/what-is-to-be-done-about-facebook/ My Unorthodox Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a553JOZq-4

Last month, June 2021, In The Heights, the movie, was finally released. Rivky and Uri both have deep ties to Washington Heights, so they feel connected to this movie. They discuss the film, its controversies, and, hey, where are the Jews at?

Boycotting Israel and Israeli products is common these days. But a recent incident in Philadelphia stood out. An organization called “Eat Up the Borders” whose mission is to “help promote small, family, or immigrant owned businesses” organizes a food festival, called “Taste of Home,” which was meant to showcase local immigrant chefs and the cuisine of their countries of origin. One of the participating food trucks was “Moshava,” a local food truck run by Israeli born chef Nir Sheynfeld. In the days leading up to the event, Sheynfeld's truck was disinvited from the festival due to rumored protests and what the organizers said was a concern for the safety of the Moshava food truck. Following an uproar regarding this decision, the entire event was canceled. Were the actions of the festival antisemitic or merely a form of protest against the state of Israel? Links: Food Truck: https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/07/01/philadelphia-city-council-approves-hearing-over-food-truck-festival-that-disinvited-israeli-vendor-mishandled-antisemitic-threats/ https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-a-food-truck-made-peter-beinart-too-zionist-for-the-pro-palestinian-left-1.9928921 Joe Rogan: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/business/joe-rogan.html https://open.spotify.com/episode/2B07nNz3WIl7ptnCpu3TEy Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeYPLhCFrP0&