Talking Tachlis Podcast

By Talking Tachlis Podcast

What's Talking Tachlis Podcast about?

Join 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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Talking Tachlis Podcast episodes:

03.27.2023
187. Rethinking Israel Education With Dr. Noam Weissman
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...
03.01.2023
186. Why Do Some People Hate Eruvs?
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...
02.14.2023
185. What Do You Mean, You People?? (The Movie)
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...
02.08.2023
184. My Surrogacy Journey with Aliza Abrams Konig
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...
01.24.2023
183. Ethical Orthodoxy: A Manifesto with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier
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...
01.17.2023
182. Does The New York Times Hate Orthodox Jews?
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...
01.10.2023
181. A Conversation with the Creators of Jewish Horror Film "The Offering"
THE OFFERING opens in theater and on demand starting this Friday, January 13th. Watch the trailer @ https://youtu.be/oMc-iybcRdc Uri discusses the film and some of its Jewish themes with one of the stars of the film Emily Wiseman, director Oliver Park,...
01.03.2023
180. George Santos and the Jews
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...
11.16.2022
179. Dave Chappelle: Friend or Foe?
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...
11.02.2022
178. Solving Discrimination...With Discrimination?
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,...
10.06.2022
177. What Is Going On With Miami Boys Choir?!? with Mordechai Levovitz
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...
09.21.2022
176. Yeshivas In The New York Times' Crosshairs
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...
09.14.2022
175. Who Are The Samaritans? with Drs. Steven Fine and Jesse Abelman
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...
09.08.2022
174. Crisis at YU
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...
08.31.2022
173. Redefining Antisemitism
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,...
08.16.2022
172. An Update on Ukraine with Lazar Berman
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...
08.10.2022
171. Should We Care About Jewface?
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...
08.03.2022
170. Tisha B'Av and Self Flagellation
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...
07.27.2022
169. To Whom Does the Western Wall Belong?
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....
07.19.2022
168. Do We Care About Space Exploration?
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....
07.14.2022
167. Is The Supreme Court Helping Religion Or Hurting It?
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...
07.05.2022
166. What Does July 4th Mean To Us?
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...
06.29.2022
165. Grappling With The End Of Roe
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...
06.21.2022
164. Will YU Allow an LGBTQ Club?
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...
03.29.2022
163. The Slap Heard 'Round The World
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...
03.24.2022
162. Purim Spiel Gone Wrong?
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,”...
03.14.2022
161. Reporting On The War In Ukraine with Lazar Berman
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...
03.01.2022
160. Heading Into Ukraine with Lazar Berman
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.
02.24.2022
159. Who is the Tinder Swindler? with Dr. Shayna Weiss
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...
02.17.2022
158. Mandate Madness
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...
02.09.2022
157. Whoopi’s Whoopsie
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...
02.02.2022
156. TikTok Talmud
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....
01.19.2022
155. Is It Safe To Go To Shul?
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...
12.30.2021
154. Reflections and Refractions
This week, along with clips and letters from listeners, Uri and Rivky reflect on last week's doozy of an episode.
$154. Reflections and Refractions$
12.23.2021
153. A Palestinian Perspective with Amer Zahr
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....
12.16.2021
152. Should Government Fund Religious Schools?
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...
12.10.2021
151. Cancel Mel Gibson?
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...
11.18.2021
150. Is American Zionism Unraveling?
“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...
11.10.2021
149. Trouble at Park East Synagogue With Ben Sales
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...
11.04.2021
148. How Bad is Antisemitism, Really? With Laura E. Adkins
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?...
10.28.2021
147. Judaism and Gender Identity with Ma'ayan Seligsohn
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...
10.14.2021
146. Jewish Perspective on Texas SB8 with Rabbanit Leah Sarna
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...
10.06.2021
145. What Does the Iron Dome Bill Kerfuffle Actually Mean?
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...
09.12.2021
144. Naftali Bennett's DC Shabbaton with Lazar Berman
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...
09.02.2021
143. Rape Culture at YU?
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...
08.25.2021
142. Examining Modern Orthodoxy with Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz
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...
08.10.2021
141. Israel and the Olympics
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,...
07.28.2021
140. Losing Her Religion
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...
07.21.2021
139. Facebook: Praiseworthy Platform or Ghastly Golem?
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...
07.14.2021
138. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Representation Problem
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...

What's Talking Tachlis Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Talking Tachlis Podcast episodes:

187. Rethinking Israel Education With Dr. Noam Weissman

186. Why Do Some People Hate Eruvs?

185. What Do You Mean, You People?? (The Movie)

184. My Surrogacy Journey with Aliza Abrams Konig

183. Ethical Orthodoxy: A Manifesto with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Zuckier

182. Does The New York Times Hate Orthodox Jews?

181. A Conversation with the Creators of Jewish Horror Film "The Offering"

180. George Santos and the Jews

179. Dave Chappelle: Friend or Foe?

178. Solving Discrimination...With Discrimination?

177. What Is Going On With Miami Boys Choir?!? with Mordechai Levovitz

176. Yeshivas In The New York Times' Crosshairs

175. Who Are The Samaritans? with Drs. Steven Fine and Jesse Abelman

174. Crisis at YU

173. Redefining Antisemitism

172. An Update on Ukraine with Lazar Berman

171. Should We Care About Jewface?

170. Tisha B'Av and Self Flagellation

169. To Whom Does the Western Wall Belong?

168. Do We Care About Space Exploration?

167. Is The Supreme Court Helping Religion Or Hurting It?

166. What Does July 4th Mean To Us?

165. Grappling With The End Of Roe

164. Will YU Allow an LGBTQ Club?

163. The Slap Heard 'Round The World

162. Purim Spiel Gone Wrong?

161. Reporting On The War In Ukraine with Lazar Berman

160. Heading Into Ukraine with Lazar Berman

159. Who is the Tinder Swindler? with Dr. Shayna Weiss

158. Mandate Madness

157. Whoopi’s Whoopsie

156. TikTok Talmud

155. Is It Safe To Go To Shul?

154. Reflections and Refractions

153. A Palestinian Perspective with Amer Zahr

152. Should Government Fund Religious Schools?

151. Cancel Mel Gibson?

150. Is American Zionism Unraveling?

149. Trouble at Park East Synagogue With Ben Sales

148. How Bad is Antisemitism, Really? With Laura E. Adkins

147. Judaism and Gender Identity with Ma'ayan Seligsohn

146. Jewish Perspective on Texas SB8 with Rabbanit Leah Sarna

145. What Does the Iron Dome Bill Kerfuffle Actually Mean?

144. Naftali Bennett's DC Shabbaton with Lazar Berman

143. Rape Culture at YU?

142. Examining Modern Orthodoxy with Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz

141. Israel and the Olympics

140. Losing Her Religion

139. Facebook: Praiseworthy Platform or Ghastly Golem?

138. Lin-Manuel Miranda's Representation Problem