The most recent edition of ‘Tradition’ - for which Mali Brofsky (of RZWeekly!) was guest editor – contained a symposium on ‘Jewish Thought in the Contemporary World: Educational Challenges and Goals’ where 11 contributors shared their thoughts on the definition, meaning and purpose of Jewish Thought. In the latest edition of RZWeekly, we discuss some of those contributions, why Jewish Thought is a valuable endeavour, and how this can and should be expressed in educational settings.

Should the Israeli government establish a bill that would require it to listen to Diaspora Jewry on key issues and check with them before making decisions that impact the Jewish world? In this conversation, we discuss the proposed bill submitted to the Knesset by Blue and White MK Tehila Friedman, what this bill actually represents, and what are our thoughts about the proposition.

Some weeks ago, a documentary was featured on the ‘Kan’ Israeli TV channel exploring the significant financial donations which Christian Evangelicals in America give to Israel, as well as the work of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) which hu those donations. In our discussion we address whether such donations are halachically acceptable, and we consider how we should relate to such donations given the complex theological differences and their potential implications. Plus, a new feature: three "hamlatzot" at the end.

In this week’s podcast, we reflect on the legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l. Rav Johnny Solomon shares his personal memories and reflections, and we discuss what made Rabbi Sacks so outstanding and unique, as a Talmid Chacham, educator, leader, and human being.

In the latest edition of RZWeekly we discussed the question of what it means to be an American Jew, and how changes in how and where American Jews live have affected their sense of identity. Specifically, we consider whether an American Jew should feel fully comfortable in America, or whether they should feel like both a ‘resident’ and a ‘stranger’. We hope you enjoy the show!

Rabbi Benny Lau recently published a guide for families of members of the religious LGBTQ+ community, and more recently in an interview, Rabbanit Malka Puterkovsky suggested that shifts in the dynamics of marital relationships should mean that we should reevaluate the laws of non-intimate touch between husbands and wives when in a state of Niddah. In light of this, Rabbi Avraham Stav wrote a thought-provoking facebook post where he considered why both these well known individuals felt it necessary to make a disclaimer that they were not rendering a halachic ruling, and how we should understand the notion of publicizing of bold halachic perspectives in this manner. Given all this, the RZWeekly team decided to dedicate our most recent episode to explore this question, during which we considered the concept of halachic advocacy, the difference between religious guidance and religious rulings, the classic process of Sages presenting halachic theories to their peers, and whether Rabbi Stav’s observations about Rabbi Lau’s booklet and Rabbanit Puterkovsky’s remarks hold true.

Following last week's discussion about Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, we wanted to know more about the challenges inherent in servicing as an official rabbi in the State of Israel. We are fortunate that Rabbi David Stav, Chief Rabbi of Shoham, agreed to join us to speak about his experiences. In a wide-ranging discussion, Rav Stav explained the official responsibilities of a local rabbi in Israel today, who employs him, what he does (or does not) do every day, and how his work can influence the Israeli public in a myriad of ways.

In the most recent episode of RZWeekly we invited Rabbi Dr. Shuki Friedman (Director of the Center for Religion, Nation and State, and faculty member at the Peres Academic Center) to discuss the important question of whether a Chief Rabbi in Israel may speak his conscience. This discussion follows a recent High Court ruling which stated that Tzfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu must have a disciplinary trial in response to numerous statements he has made over the years. As Justice Stein explained, as a public servant, a Chief Rabbi may speak freely when speaking of halacha, but he may not speak freely when discussing wider social and political issues. Given this ruling, what does it mean to be a Rabbi, and especially a Chief Rabbi, in Is rael today?

In recent months, there has been much public discussion about the Breslov movement, and recently, a fascinating three-part documentary titled ‘Rabbeinu’ was shown on the Israeli ‘Kan’ TV channel exploring the religious and spiritual attraction of Rabbi Nachman in which Rabbi David Menachem asserted that, since disengagement, the Torah of Rabbi Nachman has replaced the Torah of Rav Kook in the Religious Zionist world. In light of all this, we – at RZWeekly – decided to discuss the attraction of Rabbi Nachman to so many Israelis, including Religious Zionists, and why so many men and women have found their place in this unique Chassidic movement.

In the final episode of RZWeekly for 5780, Johnny, Mali and Reuven reflect on their favorite episode in the past year and discuss what they will be praying for in the coming year.