Talking Tachlis Podcast

This week Uri speaks with the eclectic and fascinating Dr. Moshe Koppel. They discuss Koppel's new book, as well as his political work advising members of Knesset, his work with machine learning and artificial intelligence, his rivalry with Google, and more. To purchase Judaism Straight Up by Moshe Koppel visit https://korenpub.com/products/judaism-straight-up Review of the book https://www.jpost.com/judaism/computer-scientist-explains-and-challenges-religion-in-new-book-653131 Authorship Analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S3ISNNAuLk Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern piece in Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/god-at-the-inauguration-11611252044?fbclid=IwAR3KKVqQKuLsGEvljK8b_lttNkHKlUovJPVEgWDFdiYiiyVAatCjaBWYDc8

Somehow almost a full year has passed since Covid has entered our lives, and although the vaccine is certainly some much needed good news, especially coming at a time of rising cases and hospitalizations, the vaccine comes along with its own set of challenges. The primary question being, who should get the vaccine first and what should be the hierarchy of recipients as the vaccine is rolled out over the next few months? An example of this that hit close to home for a lot of us was the story that broke this week about the Parcare Community Health Network, which serves predominantly Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods in and around NYC. While current NY regulations state that only frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents and staff are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, Parcare was administering vaccines to many people not in these categories, including some prominent modern Orthodox Rabbis. This week, we ask, what happened there? And how should we be making decisions about prioritization of vac

Chanukah has come and gone but we are still in the midst of the "holiday season"! This week Rivky and Uri speak with special guest Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern about an article he wrote in Tablet Magazine last week. The article is titled "Why I Won't Let My Kids Watch That Very Special Christmas Episode". We talk to Stu about what motivated him to write the article, some of the feedback he's gotten about it, the tension between particularism and universalism, and more! Links: Tablet Article - https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/holidays/articles/saying-no-to-very-special-christmas-tv-episodes Stu's Books - https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AStuart+Halpern&s=relevancerank&text=Stuart+Halpern&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

It's Hanukkah! Chanukah! Hannukkahh! That can only mean one thing - it's time for us to be told, on the pages of national newspapers, what the meaning of Chanukah is. So...what is it? Is it about the victory of nationalism over assimilation? Is it about finding light in the darkness? Something else entirely? In this week's episode, Uri and Rivky definitively come up with an answer. You're welcome. Ari Lamm: https://nypost.com/2020/12/09/why-the-cultural-elite-truly-despises-hanukkah/Sarah Prager: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/04/parenting/hanukkah-family.htmlSarah Prager backlash: https://jewishjournal.com/news/325688/nyt-criticized-for-running-saying-goodbye-to-hanukkah-op-ed/Michael David Lukas: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/opinion/sunday/the-hypocrisy-of-hanukkah.htmlAvi Shafran: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/opinion/hanukkah-history-materialism.html

This week, signs started popping up around Washington Heights, telling residents about a public meeting considering changing the name of Bennett Park, named after a famous (and racist) New Yorker. As we ponder this name change, we wonder: when is it appropriate to change a name, or take down a statue? Who should be deemed worthy of a statue, or naming of a park, or a school, or a street, or anything else, if anyone? And the most important question, can Tach-heads join the meeting en masse and push for naming the park Tachlis Park? Links: https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/bennett-park/history https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/nyregion/nyc-fire-department-bennett-medal.html https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/leave-peter-stuyvesant-alone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Redskins_name_opinion_polls

Election Day! This year, more than ever, it feels like "Jewish values" and even halachic arguments seem to have made their way to the forefront of politics in the observant community - including rabbis and halachic authorities making an explicit pitch for a candidate. Is this good? Bad? Should rabbis stay out of politics, and should the only authorities on political matters be Rivky and Uri? https://www.timesofisrael.com/thank-you-rabbis-trump-tweets-after-support-letter-from-13-orthodox-leaders/ https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10218953018199094&set=a.1088917545815 https://www.jpost.com/us-elections/senior-orthodox-rabbis-endorse-donald-trump-647739 https://jewishlink.news/151-community-news/40139-why-orthodox-jews-must-vote-for-joe-biden https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/meet-the-new-york-orthodox-rabbi-voting-for-biden/ https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/10/30/is-it-halachically-permissible-to-vote-for-a-menuval/ https://www.facebook.com/aryeh.klapper https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/20/opi

Last week, Americans for Peace Now held a Yitzhak Rabin 25-Year Memorial Event, remembering the Israeli politician, statesman, and general, 25 years after his assassination. US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a rising star in the progressive wing of the Democratic party, had been scheduled to attend the commemoration, but withdrew after backlash from journalists and Palestinian civil rights groups. Uri and Rivky ask, why did AOC decide not to participate? Was she wrong? And fundamentally, is there room for Zionism in the progressive world? Related links: Roger Cohen NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/opinion/aoc-rabin.html Yair Rosenberg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yair_rosenberg/status/1309514850792599552 Bari Weiss Tablet: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/stop-being-shocked

Many of us have been shocked by mainstream news stories about very large weddings and other Orthodox gatherings in Brooklyn, large resistance to people wearing masks, and even protests that have turned violent. This week, Uri and Rivky speak to Dovid Teitelbaum, to try to understand how the ultra-Orthodox or charedi community is handling the pandemic, and why. Since March, Dovid has been active on social media, posting and writing constantly, trying to raise awareness in the Jewish community about the dangers of Covid-19. Relevant links: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/seeing-the-coronavirus-affair-in-new-york-from-the-orthodox-perspective-645887? https://blog.campsdeichemed.com/2020/03/an-open-letter-to-the-torah-umesorah-vaad-roshei-yeshiva-and-klal-yisroel.html https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10218629446468017&set=a.1570828791309&type=3&theater

Rosh Hashanah and the holiday season are fast approaching. There are all kinds of spiritual and logistical preparations that many of us have already begun, but let's not forget...food. In particular, meat. What does Judaism have to say about our meat-eating habits? The Jewish sources on eating meat are somewhat nuanced. Are we meant to be vegetarians, or is that left-wing moralism? More broadly, how should we be thinking about this issue? BONUS: Stay until the end for an interview with Anna Hanau, co-founder of Grow and Behold. Grow and Behold: https://www.growandbehold.com/

This week, Uri and Rivky are joined by Rabbi Denise Handlarski, the creator and leader of the online community Secular Synagogue. She talks about leading a secular congregation, being a humanist rabbi, what makes Jewish identity/religion important, and the challenges and strengths of intermarriage.

This week, Uri and Rivky play clips from and discuss Seth Rogen's recent appearance on WTF with Marc Maron. Seth and Marc got into fascinating - and Jewy - discussions, which we jump off of, about the lies they were fed about Israel in their childhood, the value of marrying another Jew, chasidic Jews, how they define the “chosen people,” and how their grandparents might reflect on them, looking at their lives today. WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1143-seth-rogen Israel Hayom: https://www.israelhayom.com/2020/08/09/seth-rogens-israel-comments-illustrate-fraying-israel-diaspora-ties/ An American Pickle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBC0pTh6GDM

This week, Uri and Rivky spoke to Yossi Klein Halevi, American-born Israeli author and journalist. Halevi had a lot to say about last week's guest, Peter Beinart, and his recent article calling for a one-state solution. He also talked about the difference between dialogue with Palestinians and dialogue with left-wing Jews, and shared reflections on 15 years after the disengagement from Gaza. Links: Letter To My Neighbor Website: https://www.letterstomyneighbor.com/ Yossi Klein Halevi's books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=yossi+klein+halevi&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

This week, Uri and Rivky sit down for a thought-provoking conversation with journalist and political commentator Peter Beinart. Beinart has made a recent splash in his recent political conversion: he no longer believes in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine; rather, Beinart sees hope in a single secular binational state, with equal rights for Jews and Palestinians. Uri and Rivky ask him about fears for this new state, if he's given up on both Israeli and Palestinian self-determination, and how Judaism has impacted his evolving thoughts. They also discuss antisemitism in America and in the Arab world, the symbolism of the destruction of the Temple, and what other political positions Beinart has changed over the years - and what causes true change. Links: Peter Beinart Jewish Currents https://jewishcurrents.org/yavne-a-jewish-case-for-equality-in-israel-palestine/ Peter Beinart New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/opinion/israel-annexation-two-state-solution.html Peter Beinart 10 yea

Last week, DeSean Jackson, wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, found himself in hot water after posting several insensitive social media posts about Jews. Though he was widely condemned, he was also supported, by fans, teammates, and too many others. Uri and Rivky talk about Jackson's posts and his apologies, and ask, what makes this bigotry different than other bigotry? Related links: Malcolm Jenkins on Drew Brees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljO-TXjk3-Y Malcom Jenkins on DeSean Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URMhErLdfEk Desean Jackson Hitler post https://twitter.com/StopAntisemites/status/1280276810509488128 Desean Jackson 2nd apology attempt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MZmOURgFuI Desean Jackson 3rd apology attempt https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/07/07/desean-jackson-apologizes-again-vows-to-show-its-more-than-just-words/ Julian Edelman on Desean Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQa2vNNQ9bI Zach Banner on Desean Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I94ahSB9q

Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, the longtime leader of Yeshiva University and staunch believer in centrist Orthodoxy, passed away two weeks ago. This week, Uri and Rivky speak to his grandson, Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, about Rabbi Lamm's legacy, including his complex approach to divisive issues, how his sermons speak to us through every generation, and his rabbinic leadership. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/obituaries/Norman-Lamm-Dead.html

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss the tragic death of George Floyd, and the countrywide protests that have been taking place in response. Links: NYT timeline of events https://www.nytimes.com/article/george-floyd-protests-timeline.html Trevor Noah https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c&t=958s

Ignoring the strict guidance from rabbinic and medical leadership, several members of Young Israel of Deerfield Beach held a "secret" minyan - and the response has been swift and fierce. Uri and Rivky ask, were the consequences appropriate? How should we treat people who go rogue? Letter from YIDB leadership: https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/1860074/read-this-letter-florida-shul-to-throw-our-members-who-attended-rouge-minyan.html Elon Musk on Joe Rogan Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYjXbSJBN8 Rabbi Yitz Greenberg: How Charedi Orthodox Theology Failed Its Followers https://njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com/how-charedi-orthodox-theology-failed-its-followers/ Shaul Magid: Covid 19, Haredi Jewry, and "Magical" Thinking https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/covid-haredi-magical-thinking

This week, the cohosts of the Joy of Text podcast, Dr. Bat Sheva Marcus and Rabbi Dov Linzer, speak to Uri and Rivky about their podcast, how to live with the clashes that can come up between Judaism and sexuality, and what healthy sex education could look like in the Orthodox school system.

Danny Senter is many things: a rabbi, EMT, car enthusiast, beekeeper, umpire, clock repairperson, forager, beer brewer...and that's just the beginning. This week, Uri and Rivky speak to the most interesting man in Teaneck about his reflections on the coronavirus pandemic from his perspective as an EMT, as a rabbi in Teaneck, the epicenter in NJ, and about having so many unusual hobbies in the observant community. Beekeeping links: http://njbees.com/index.html https://youtu.be/mjODllEBUm8?t=534

Many of us look around and are driven to despair. But this week, Uri and Rivky speak to Rabbi Dr. Gil Perl, head of school at the Kohelet Yeshiva, about how Kohelet has pivoted in the last few weeks, fabricating special face shields for local Philadelphia medical professionals who are on the front lines battling COVID-19. Rabbi Perl tells us how this project came about, why he sees this as fitting perfectly into the educational model of Kohelet, and how he sees the lessons going forward into a post-corona age, whenever that may be. To donate to the face shield project: https://www.koheletyeshiva.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=804651&type=d&pREC_ID=1875779