In this episode we discuss with Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Broyde the evolution, especially in the past half century, of communal standards for tzniut in dress, particularly among women; whether laws of tzniut over the millennia have been objective and fixed, or subject within bounds to changing societal norms; possible U.S. societal changes that might affect tzniut in the Orthodox community; the positive benefits of increasing diversity in the Orthodox community, especially in the U.S.; Haredi shifting values relating to learning and working,

Rabbi Broyde is a professor of law at Emory University School of Law and a leading scholar at the intersection of law, religion, and Jewish ethics. He is also Berman Projects Director and senior fellow at Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion, and teached Jewish Law at Columbia University.

His most recent book, "Splitting Hairs," which we discuss in some detail, is a rigorously argued and refreshingly candid halakhic study of women's hair covering and tzniut more broadly. It is available at Amazon … click HERE.

Ordained at Yeshiva University, he served for many years as a dayan on the Beth Din of America and was the founding rabbi of Young Israel of Toco Hills in Atlanta. He holds a JD from New York University School of Law and has authored hundreds of articles and numerous books on Jewish law, family law, bioethics, religious freedom, and comparative religious law.

In recent years, he has written on such topics as religious arbitration, kidney transplants and vouchers, Jewish law and modesty, and a modern explication of the Book of Genesis.

Rabbi Broyde can be reached at [email protected], and he welcomes emails.

A Times of Israel interview about his new book is available at this LINK.

In this episode, we continue our discussion of health, including some references to our recent survey of the community, with Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman.

Dr. Grossman is a Harvard-trained physician (MD) with a Master of Public Health degree (MPH), a radiation oncologist, public-health scholar, and a Jewish law (halacha) scholar and educator, known for bridging modern medicine and Jewish ethics and halacha, especially on issues related to women's health and preventive measures. She previously served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Grossman is deeply involved in advanced Jewish legal scholarship. She completed the Morot L'Halakha program at Matan Women's Institute for Torah Studies, and she provides the observant Jewish community with expert medical knowledge uniquely melded with deep halachic knowledge and appreciation. She has written widely on these topics in such publications as Tradition, Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, and The Times of Israel.

Click HERE to see Dr. Grossman's article in the OU Jewish Action Pesach Newsletter: "The Ozempic Seder: Navigating Weight-Loss Medicine on Pesach."

For our recent report, "The Nishma Research / JOWMA Orthodox Jewish Community Health Needs Assessment Survey" – click HERE. For a related article in The Jewish Press, "How Healthy are Orthodox Jews?" – click HERE.

Many articles by Dr. Grossman are available at The Times of Israel – click HERE.

If you have any suggestions for our upcoming survey on "Gap Year Experiences and Impacts" please email them to us – click HERE.

In this episode, we discuss with Dr. Jennie Berkovich the results of our recent survey of over 1,100 Orthodox Jews, relating to their health concerns and issues.

Dr. Berkovich is a board-certified pediatrician focused on improving access to care for children, while also educating communities about pediatric health. She is also the Director of Education of JOWMA – The Jewish Orthodox Women's Medical Association – the organization that collaborated with us on this study, and she authored substantial sections of the report, providing her medical reactions and advice on the health issues raised.

Links:

For the full report, "The Nishma Research / JOWMA Orthodox Jewish Community Health Needs Assessment Survey" – click HERE.

For a related article in The Jewish Press, "How Healthy are Orthodox Jews?" – click HERE.

To access the JOWMA website, click HERE. Note that the website has information on many resources available to healthcare providers and to the public.

There are many pages in the report labeled as "Medical Observations & Recommendations – Prepared by JOWMA," and these were all prepared by Dr. Berkovich in connection with the most frequently mentioned health concerns. In our conversation, Dr. Berkovich mentioned the "Plant-Forward Diet," and this is explained in a bit of detail on pages 28-29 of the report.

Dr. Berkovich mentioned JOWMA's forthcoming book, "The Jewish Woman's Health Handbook" (summer of 2026). If you want to be informed when the book is released, just send an email to [email protected], with "JOWMA Book" as the subject, and we'll send you an email when the book is released.

Harry Weller is extremely knowledgeable on the topic of how we as Jews can defend ourselves, be prepared for and able to respond to threats. In this episode we discuss the need for, and resources available for Jews to learn self-defense, preparedness, how to deal with potential threats, and even the topic of gun ownership.

Harry Weller is a long-time Connecticut attorney who served for decades as a Senior Assistant State's Attorney in the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. He is known for his work as a prosecutor and appellate litigator, handling a wide range of criminal appeals on behalf of the state. He argued numerous cases in the Connecticut Appellate and Supreme Courts, including high-profile criminal matters.

He was a recipient of awards such as Prosecutor of the Year and the University of Connecticut School of Law's Public Service Award for his contributions to criminal justice. In addition, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at UConn Law School.

Here is a LINK to the Legion Program, which Harry describes in this episode.

Rabbi Steven Greenberg is an Orthodox rabbi and author. Ordained at Yeshiva University, he has spent years teaching, writing, and speaking across the Jewish world about tradition, ethics, and religious change.

Specifically, as co-founder of the group Eshel, he was one of the earliest voices calling for inclusion of LGBTQ individuals – gay people – within Orthodox Judaism. How do we do that?

On the one hand, we must think deeply about how Torah speaks to this reality. At the same time, we must care for people living this reality right now.

Rabbi Greenberg joins us to explore where Orthodoxy has been – and where it may be heading – on some of its most challenging and important questions.

Here is a LINK to Eshel for more information. Or enter into your web browser: https://www.eshelonline.org/

If you have any comments on this episode, suggestions for future episodes, or just want to chat about research in the Jewish world, please email [email protected].

In this episode we discuss the cost of Orthodox / frum life. What factors affect it, and how? We discuss overall finances (how many are doing OK; how many are not doing OK?); the impact of children's education costs; housing costs in Orthodox neighborhoods; kosher food prices; competitiveness and "showiness"; whether and how incomes are keeping up; is the Orthodox situation getting worse, including compared to the U.S. as a whole?; and, finally, to what extent are people holding up under cost pressures?

My guest, David Sheril grew up Britain. His family became baalei teshuvah when he was nine years old. When David was eleven, his family made aliyah, and he moved to the US at age 22, in 2005. David attended Mir Yerushalayim and Ner Yisroel, he served as a Jewish high school rebbe for several year,; and then attended law school. He is currently General Counsel for a privately held real estate transactional, management, and lending company. David resides in Clifton, New Jersey, with his wife Miriam (formerly an officer at the Federal Reserve Bank and now Head of Product at an international fintech startup) and their three children.

If you have any comments on this episode, suggestions for future episodes, or just want to chat about research in the Jewish world, please email [email protected].

Finally, our Orthodox Community Health Needs and Assessment Survey will be online through January 19, and here is a LINK to take the survey, if you are inclined to do so.

Audrey Lichter is a long-time Jewish educator and community leader, and the founding Executive Director of the Chai Mitzvah program.

Audrey has worked in Jewish education for over 30 years, including as the founding principal of Yachad, the community high school in Greater Hartford, Connecticut. She has been active as a lay leader, received community awards, and has been involved locally and nationally in Jewish day school and educational initiatives. Her leadership background and deep experience in Jewish learning helped shape Chai Mitzvah into a program that emphasizes personal meaning and lifelong Jewish engagement.

She and her son Simon are the producers of a biweekly lecture series on Zoom called Scholar's Circle that features eminent scholars on topics relating to Israel, antizionism and antisemitism and the Middle East. Lectures are free and open to the public and can be accessed through the ChaiMitzvah website.

Chai Mitzvah offers a huge array of Jewish study opportunities, suited to men, women and teens across all of Judaism.

The books by Scott Shay that Audrey mentions are: Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry (2007); In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism (2018); and Conspiracy U: A Case Study (2021). More information is available at Scottshay.com.

Links to:

The ChaiMitzvah Website

The ChaiMitzvah Scholars Circle Section

The Nishma Research Jewish Study Summary

What people want to learn – 605 VERBATIM Responses

Miriam Moster has a PhD sociology, she is a Mellon Humanities Public Fellow and a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Her research explores Jewish communities, education, and the experiences of individuals navigating the boundaries of insular religious worlds. "Navigating the boundaries" means moving from one sector of Judaism and observance to another sector and lifestyle; and she has published widely on these topics.

Her work is distinguished by an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, narrative, and cultural studies to better understand how people view and construct their own personal identity and how they fit into a community.

In a wide-ranging conversation, we talk about adults who leave the observant community, the acceptance and value of research in the Haredi community, divorces and their impact on changes in religiosity and religious self-identification, Shabbat for singles, the greater acceptance and "mainstreaming" of therapy, and the dangers and cautions relating to therapy.

Thanks to the Halacha Headlines podcast and Dovid Lichtenstein for allowing us to share this important episode with the Orthonomics audience. Halacha Headlines is an excellent podcast, primarily aimed at the Yeshivish community but with important insights for all Orthodox Jews. It is available at all podcast platforms.

For further information about the issues discussed, go to http://amudim.org.

The Nishma Research Health Assessment Survey of the Orthodox community is available through January 18, 2026 at http://bit.ly/orthodox-health-2025.

You may send feedback or questions to [email protected].

Harry Maryles is the author behind the blog Emes Ve-Emunah (which is now also released as a Substack publication).

For many years he has written extensively and prolifically on issues of Halacha (Jewish law), hashkafa (Jewish philosophy), and contemporary matters affecting Orthodoxy. He does not shy away from sensitive or controversial issues, and his columns are just excellent. I've very much enjoyed reading his column and we have even interacted from time to time.

He is a rabbi and holds a psychology degree, and also publishes essays and commentary for news-and-analysis outlets such as The Times of Israel.

If you want to read his fascinating posts, here is a link to his BLOG, where he has been posting for many years, and here is a LINK to his new Substack, where you can subscribe to get his postings via email.