Israel is in turmoil, divided on questions of how best to handle Gaza, how to answer the world, with its pointed fingers at Israel, and how best to resolve the IDF's need for manpower (and the Haredi avoidance of the draft). Shoshanna and Anne tackle these issues that seem urgent in Israeli society today - even when we know our discussion is limited in its ability to fix all that's wrong with the world today.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Sorrow at losing a loved one is said to be love with no place to go, but we have discovered that sharing loss grows community. Shira Lankin Sheps and Tzipora Lifchitz join Anne and Shoshanna to reflect on what happens when we grieve with friends and what it means to keep a person's presence alive -- in this case, our dear friend, Laura Ben-David z"l.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Where were you when Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program and Iran sent ballistic missiles at civilian population centers in return? Shoshanna and Anne compare their experiences. Plus, a reminder that making extreme changes to your personal modesty is not the Jewish way to help Israel or anyone.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Who are the women who fight for Israel? What are their challenges? Should they be welcome to every position? They garner tremendous support -- but not from everyone (why not?!). Shoshanna and Anne address these questions and more.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Some people chase meaning their entire lives; others have it as a constant guiding force. Chochmat Nashim board member and best friend Laura Ben-David talks to Shoshanna and Anne about why she joined she signed on as our first board member, what working toward a healthy Jewish community mean to her, and why she has invested so much of herself in the Jewish Life Photo Bank.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

The recent election for the World Zionist Congress startled Shoshanna and Anne in two key ways: 1) Too many people were voting for parties that they didn't truly identify with; 2) Many in the Diaspora don't know much about Israeli society (including, most shockingly, that so many non-Haredi Orthodox Jews serve in the IDF). Here's Chochmat Nashim's cry for due diligence, which of course goes beyond this specific election.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

For Jewish marriage to be holy, Jewish divorce must have dignity. Shoshanna and Anne host Chochmat Nashim Board Member Rabbi Chuck Davidson to talk about his groundbreaking work to keep Jewish marriage holy, through the organization, Chuppot.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

In our annual pre-Pesach preparation episode, Shoshanna and Anne talk with Dr. Tanya White to bring Torah to the seder table: on slavery, liberty, the heritage of Jewish identity, and God's constant presence, even when the times feel impossible.

Listen to Chochmat Nashim's pre-Pesach preparation conversations from the past three years, with Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld, Rachel Sharansky Danziger, and Dr. Tammy Jacobwitz, respectively.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

The Orthodox Union did some research about why some people leave the Orthodox fold. Shoshanna and Anne review their findings and discuss what we can and can't learn from their process and conclusions.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips

Chochmat Nashim is sharing the results of its multi-year survey of Jewish courts around the world to improve the beit din experience, the first ever of its kind, and Shoshanna and Anne discuss the results and why they're important. Moreover, the topic of agunot, women chained in Jewish marriage despite their desire to divorce, was recently discussed in the Knesset, and one MK may be taking action to improve the situation.

Music: "Misery" by The Whips