This week, Uri and Rivky discuss a recent Tablet article: “Secular Synagogues Take Root in Israel.” (Thanks to astute Tach-head Adi for the tip!) As the article documented, there is a recent rise of non-observant Israelis looking for deeper spiritual connection to Judaism, and they're finding it in new ways, like through secular synagogues. But is a secular synagogue an oxymoron? Is this movement inspiring, or sacrilegious, or both? And could/should such a movement exist here in the United States? Related links: Secular Synagogues Take Root In Israel: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/295429/secular-synagogues-take-root-in-israel Reform/Conservative Movements In Israel: http://jppi.org.il/new/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/RisingStreams.pdf Neturei Karta clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUjiJpshGCw

This week, Uri and Rivky speak about the recent march against antisemitism, where over 10,000 marched from Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn to protest the recent antisemitic incidents. Many have mentioned the less-then-huge participation of Hasidic and Haredi groups. Uri and Rivky ask, when is it appropriate to focus on, or let go of, different factions within a larger community? How do we foster love, community, and unity when some groups reject others? See more here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/nyregion/anti-semitism-solidarity-march-nyc.html https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/25000-people-march-against-anti-semitism-in-new-york-city/ AOC at the march: https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1213915349302882304

This week, instead of hearing from Uri and Rivky, we hear from you: the Tach-Heads! You spoke about who you tend to agree with, the issues from this past year that you thought were the most important, the things you want us to discuss in the future, and the people you want us to interview.

In the last few weeks, antisemitism has been back in the news. (Did it ever leave?) President Trump released his executive order on combating antisemitism, and, in that same week, Jews were gunned down in a kosher grocery store in Jersey City, an unprecedented act that shook many of us to our core. Uri and Rivky ask, what about the executive order was so controversial? And, what happened in Jersey City? Is there a larger meaning to it all? And, ultimately, is there any connection we can draw between these two events? Links: Executive Order: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-combating-anti-semitism/ NY Times The Daily "A Fight Over How to Fight Anti-Semitism": https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/18/podcasts/the-daily/anti-semitism.html? The Hill "Why We Should Applaud Trump's executive Order On Anti-Semitism": https://thehill.com/opinion/civil-rights/474271-why-we-should-applaud-trumps-executive-order-on-anti-semitism Yair Rosenberg "Trump's Redefinition of Jewish Identity That Wasn't": https://yair.substack.com/p/trumps-redefinition-of-jewish-identity Mark Stern "No, the Trump Administration Is Not Redefining Judaism as a Nationality": https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/12/trump-antisemitism-executive-order-israel-judaism.html Met Council in Jersey City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNaq3neip3w&t= Rabbi Jill Jacobs tweet chain: https://twitter.com/rabbijilljacobs/status/1205573834667151360 Music: Boyz II Menorah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5YNNkR1hJI

This week, Uri and Rivky spoke with Gary Rosenblatt. Before retiring several months ago, Gary had been the Editor In Chief at the Jewish Week for almost thirty years, and he now serves as Editor At Large. They spoke about the responsibilities of journalism, what “Jewish” journalism looks like, and how to filter bias and respond to criticism when reporting on your own community. Gary also reflects on the most important stories he wrote, and didn’t write, over his career in journalism. Between the Lines: Reflections on the American Jewish Experience -A Collection From 20 Years of Columns as the Editor of The Jewish Week: https://www.amazon.com/Between-Lines-Reflections-Experience-Collection/dp/0615917496 Gary Rosenblatt, "Stolen Innocence": https://www.bjpa.org/content/upload/bjpa/stol/Stolen%20Innocence%20-%20Gary%20Rosenblatt%20-%20Jewish%20Week%20-%20Sexual%20Abuse.pdf NY Times on Lanner article: https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/10/business/media-paper-seen-as-villain-in-abuse-accusations-against-rabbi.html Yedidya Gorsetman and Gary Rosenblatt, "Has The ‘Tough Love’ Rebbe Gone Too Far?": https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/has-the-tough-love-rebbe-gone-too-far/

This 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 Pruzansky's blog https://rabbipruzansky.com/   Rabbi Pruzansky's Wikipedia page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Pruzansky Music: Phish - Avinu Malkenu 12/1/19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4yBXU8o2-k

This 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?

Last 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.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/10/28/astrology-in-the-age-of-uncertainty Wikipedia Jewish Astrology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_views_on_astrology  Enneagram https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality  Ari Moshe Wolfe http://www.arimoshe.com/ Shifra Baderhttp://kosherastrology.com/ Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c7Q4hjcBjA

What 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 speak about religion?

Though 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 and Muslims. Jews and Conservatism conference: https://www.jewishleadershipconference.org/