Talking Tachlis Podcast

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 relationship with God. (So, you know, nothing too heavy.)   Check out Ma'ayan's trans media list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kfhVjbsLz5cXU5G0OyvSp8IOHSJlFWaUmSXYL-I8S7c/edit?usp=sharing

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 clash (or not?) between Jewish and Western values.   Gary Shteyngart in The New Yorker - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/10/11/a-botched-circumcision-and-its-aftermath   Rabbi Hayim Lieter response to Gary Shteyngart - https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-new-yorkers-botched-circumcision-article/   NYT Abortion Rights and Trans Rights Are Two Sides of the Same Coin - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/10/opinion/trans-abortion-rights.html   Torat Chayim Statement on SB8 -  http://www.toratchayimrabbis.org/orthodox-rabbis-oppose-texas-senate-bill-8.html?fbclid=IwAR35nvjMLTQFDtF2-qun_n2-1USHQragtPP6ZFXJd520vcxbOvblwNfZ33k   https://forward.com/life/406674/orthodox-jewish-women-abortion-stories/

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 spending bill angered centrist Democrats, and led vocal Republicans to label the party as anti-Israel. Uri and Rivky break down the vote, and ask, is this breakdown of bipartisan support real? What’s actually going on? Divestment from Unilever  https://www.ai-cio.com/news/states-divest-unilever-stock-over-ben-jerrys-boycott/ Kamala Harris  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6gmAiVU7UA AOC Letter explaining her "present" vote  https://twitter.com/RepAOC/status/1441488402906447872 Rashida Tlaib and Ted Deutch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_63LUw57E8 Michael Oren in Tablet https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/aid-israel-michael-oren

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 Shabbat, being a diplomatic correspondent, and bias in media.    Links: Understanding false rape allegations: https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Overview_False-Reporting.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20180101025446/https://icdv.idaho.gov/conference/handouts/False-Allegations.pdf https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/1996/96sec2.pdf     New Statement from YU-  https://yeshiva.imodules.com/controls/email_marketing/view_in_browser.aspx?   Commentator article about the aftermath - https://yucommentator.org/2021/09/campus-sexual-assault-harassment-are-yus-top-priority-dean-bacon-says/   Stuck in hotel for Shabbat with Bennett - https://www.timesofisrael.com/getting-to-know-the-pm-our-unexpected-shabbat-in-a-dc-hotel-with-bennett/ Other pieces by Lazar Be

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 to this very troubling story? Is YU indeed as at fault as this woman describes? Should universities be handling sexual assault investigations in the first place?     Links: Article in Commentator - https://yucommentator.org/2021/08/i-thought-rape-culture-didnt-exist-at-yu-until-i-was-raped/   YU Statement - https://yucommentator.org/2021/08/university-statement/   Columbia Rape Case - https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/07/24/media-circus-surrounding-mattress-girl-case-changed-conversation-sexual-assault   5% false allegation rate - https://eprints.qut.edu.au/91459/   Music -  Santana - Soul Sacrifice - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFvLDAU6EhA

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 reaction to an Orthodox baseball player to LGBTQ members, dealing with painful Jewish law, and asked, what are the priorities of the modern Orthodox community?

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, Israeli? They also discuss the Iranian defector who dedicated his medal to Israel, and the Palestinian-American sprinter, Hanna Barakat. Ben and Jerry's in NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/28/opinion/ben-and-jerry-israel.html Tablet articles about Yeshivish speak https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/politics-and-the-yeshivish-language https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/community/articles/long-live-jewish-english Iranian-Mongolian Silver medal winner in Judo dedicates medal to Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/winning-judo-silver-in-tokyo-iranian-defector-mollaei-dedicates-medal-to-israel/ Music Abie Rotenberg - Yeshievishe Reid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od9-pn4LsLA John Williams - Olympic Fanfare and Theme https:/

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 of the day, is this good for the Jews or bad for the Jews? (and does it matter?) Head of Ben and Jerry's board Anuradha Mittal on Twitter https://twitter.com/AAlwuhaib1977/status/1416474183433863172 DeBlasio Press Conference https://youtu.be/jQu8o7-DhRY?t=2925 NYT review of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's new book https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/books/review/ayaan-hirsi-ali-prey.html R.E.M. - Losing My Religion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKvCV8MFIaw

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 social medial evil? How did Facebook, run and started by two Jews, become something seen as so evil? Dr. Schwartz tweet: https://twitter.com/Doc_RPS/status/1417434623915839520 Jacob Steinmetz drafted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXg2mLnnAyo Ben and Jerrys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1INSCM9Xnxc The Forward - How Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg Created the World's Most Dangerous Golem: https://forward.com/culture/472950/how-mark-zuckerberg-and-sheryl-sandberg-created-golem-sheera-frenkel/ Commentary Magazine - What Is To Be Done About Facebook: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/christine-rosen/what-is-to-be-done-about-facebook/ My Unorthodox Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a553JOZq-4

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 Jews at?

Boycotting Israel and Israeli products is common these days. But a recent incident in Philadelphia stood out. An organization called “Eat Up the Borders” whose mission is to “help promote small, family, or immigrant owned businesses” organizes a food festival, called “Taste of Home,” which was meant to showcase local immigrant chefs and the cuisine of their countries of origin. One of the participating food trucks was “Moshava,” a local food truck run by Israeli born chef Nir Sheynfeld. In the days leading up to the event, Sheynfeld’s truck was disinvited from the festival due to rumored protests and what the organizers said was a concern for the safety of the Moshava food truck. Following an uproar regarding this decision, the entire event was canceled. Were the actions of the festival antisemitic or merely a form of protest against the state of Israel? Links: Food Truck: https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/07/01/philadelphia-city-council-approves-hearing-over-food-truck-festival-that-disinvited-israeli-vendor-m

Last month, during the latest flareup between Gaza and Israel, dozens of Jewish and Israel studies scholars published an open letter, in which they defined Zionism as “a diverse set of linked ethnonationalist ideologies … shaped by settler colonial paradigms … that assumed a hierarchy of civilizations” and “contributed to unjust, enduring, and unsustainable systems of Jewish supremacy.” This week, Uri and Rivky interview Dr. Joshua Karlip, professor of Jewish History, who wrote a response article in Tablet, arguing that these scholars are blaming Jews for antisemitism. Related links: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/the-flight-from-jewish-peoplehood https://israelpalestinejs.weebly.com/ https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-un-jews-natan-sharansky

Israel had another election last week, but instead of talking about politics, this week Uri speaks with first time author Ira Mosen about coexistence and peace in Israel. His book, First Among Nations, deals with many of the tensions in Israel, from the conflict with the Palestinians to the rifts within Jewish Israeli society. They talk about the motivation behind writing the book, some personal anecdotes relating to these themes, and more! https://iramosen.com/ https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-7353741-0-9 https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/sports/first-among-nations-a-novels-complex-view-of-soccer-and-coexistence-656982 https://www.amazon.com/First-Among-Nations-Struggle-Perseverance/dp/1735374105

This week's guests started an organization called Nahamu, which fights against forced marriages in the Jewish community. Eve Sacks and Yehudis Fletcher discuss why they became activists on this issue, how they define forced marriage, some of the challenges they have encountered, and even some parallels between these issues and the Meghan and Harry saga with the British royal family. http://nahamu.org/ Nahamu Position Paper: http://nahamu.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Position-Paper-on-FM-Nahamu-Feb-2021.pdf

Uri talks with Dr. Steven Fine about his scholarship in Jewish history and archaeology. Why are these subjects important? What are some of the challenges a religious person could encounter when studying these subjects? They also discuss some of Dr. Fine's work related to the Menorah, the Arch of Titus, the Samaritan people, and more! YU Center for Israel Studies: https://www.yu.edu/cis Samaritans Project: https://www.yu.edu/cis/samaritans-project Arch of Titus project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj4ZMG6hpdI NY Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/nyregion/chasing-5th-century-clues-from-a-womans-tombstone.html?smid=em-share Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/yeshiva-students-challenge-myths-of-the-menorah-1408069132

Jewish Horror is not a film genre you hear about often, but there is an excellent new movie in that category, and it's called The Vigil. This week Uri speaks with the creative team behind The Vigil- Writer/director Keith Thomas Star of the film Dave Davis Actor and Associate Producer Malky Goldman Producer Rafi Margules They discuss the inspiration for the film, the setting of Hassidic Williamsburg, learning Yiddish, hearing about shadim and Jewish demons as kids, and much more. Thank you to IFC Films and Tamar Simon of Mean Streets Management for making this conversation possible. Movie Synopsis: A Tale of Supernatural Horror in Hassidic Brooklyn. A man providing overnight watch to a deceased member of his former Orthodox Jewish community finds himself opposite a malevolent entity, in writer-director Keith Thomas' electrifying feature debut. https://www.thevigil.movie/ The Vigil trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsMcckth7oU Zusha - Ashrei: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgtim2kxFaA

On last week's episode of Saturday Night Live, Michael Che, the co-host of the Weekend Update segment (and SNL's head writer) made a joke about Israel only vaccinating Jewish citizens. People have called the joke misleading and hurtful, and many have demanded an apology. To talk about this issue we are joined this week by Jewish comedian Eli Lebowicz. Eli and Uri discuss a range of topics including- when is it ok to make jokes about Jews and Israel, is there a double standard in comedy when it comes to Israel, are Holocaust jokes ever OK, and more. Eli's website www.elicomedy.com www.purimfunnystory.com SNL Michael Che Israel Joke https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=78&v=9X_HgJ3KMvY&feature=youtu.be What Jewish comedians made of Michael Che's Israel joke https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/what-jewish-comedians-made-of-michael-ches-israel-joke-660127 Dead Goyim Leg https://nypost.com/2021/02/24/nbc-pulls-nurses-episode-accused-of-being-anti-semitic/ Elon Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

This week Uri speaks with former president of Yeshiva University Richard Joel. President Joel recalls his childhood and discusses some of his reflections from his time at YU. They also talk about creativity in the Orthodox community, the future of YU and modern Orthodoxy, and President Joel clears up once and for all whether or not he is first cousins with Billy Joel.

This week Uri interviews Dr. Phillip Schwartz, who received his Ph.D. in neurobiology/development/oncology from Harvard Medical School and is currently working on a Covid-19 vaccine. They discuss the different types of vaccines, the potential risks involved with vaccines, and the current Covid-19 vaccine rollout in both the US and Israel. They also discuss the possible origins of the Covid-19 virus, as well as the mutations it is currently going through.

This week Uri speaks with the very talented Dr. Shayna Weiss. They discuss Dr. Weiss's upcoming book about gender separation in Israel, her experience teaching at the US Naval Academy, her involvement with sometimes controversial Israeli TV shows, and more! Shayna's Twitter page https://twitter.com/shaynamalka Shayna's essay about teaching Israeli history at the US Naval Academy https://www.dropbox.com/s/m3lh9tatf46varo/Teaching%20the%201948%20War%20at%20the%20Naval%20Academy%20final%20version.docx?dl=0 Aviv Alush on Instagram https://instagram.com/avivalush?igshid=rfjo93ue6b72