Talking Tachlis Podcast

This week, Uri and Rivky ask about the recent reporting about their Charedi brothers and sisters. Namely: A. the measles outbreak that was recently brought from the Charedi community in Israel to the Charedi community in America. And B. the recent NY State decision to push for a deeper investigation into Charedi schools, which detractors claim provide graduates with basically no secular education. They ask, what responsibilities do religious communities have towards their adherents? And, what rights should religious communities have to make their own choices, medical, educational, or otherwise? And, what happens if the government decides to go further, say, into things that are more "controversial" - e.g. regulating circumcision, ritual slaughter, and more? Related links: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/han/alert/2018/alert39-measles-outbreak.pdf https://www.app.com/story/news/health/2018/11/19/measles-outbreak-new-jersey-health-experts/1981507002/ https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/n

This week, Uri and Rivky talked about the bipartisanship that showed itself, as usual, in the responses to the death of George H.W. Bush, before they got into their main topic: the NY Times opinion piece published last week, entitled “The Hypocrisy of Hanukkah.” Michael David Lukas, a secular Jew, grapples with what it means to be a Jew in modern America, especially one who wants to commemorate Hanukkah, but doesn't feel comfortable with the underlying messages of the holiday. We ask, is Lukas's argument fair? Do we sympathize with his dilemma? Is the original meaning of Chanukah no longer something worth celebrating? Or is he missing the point? George Bush and Dana Carvey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfVAEcxv4vo

Last week, Airbnb announced it would stop listing homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Much of the world considers the settlements, built on land Israel captured in the 1967 war, to be a violation of international law - but Israel considers the land to be disputed, not occupied. Immediately, many in our community were up in arms, with many calling for a boycott of Airbnb. Uri and Rivky ask, should we be boycotting Airbnb? Is Airbnb’s removal of Jewish homes in the West Bank antisemitic? Is BDS, by definition, antisemitic? And finally...they solve the settlement issue! You’re welcome, y’all. Relevant reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/19/world/middleeast/airbnb-west-bank.html https://forward.com/opinion/414774/tantrum-over-airbnb-in-west-bank-settlements-shows-adls-moral/ https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-liberal-zionists-faced-a-test-with-airbnb-we-flunked-it-1.6682739? https://twitter.com/DrMichaelOren/status/1064569695901229056 Music from the episode: Portnoy: https://www.youtube.com/w

This week, Uri and Rivky compare their travel woes from last week's storm, and then Uri gives several more disclaimers about how he isn't a supporter of Jews for Jesus. (The lady doth protest too much?) They then dive into this week's topic - an article written by writer and editor, Gal Beckerman, entitled American Jews Face A Choice: Create Meaning or Fade Away, which reviewed five new books touching on American Jewish identity, and what will sustain it in the future. Beckerman argues that what defines the experience of non-Orthodox Jews in America today is not antisemitism, it’s assimilation. So, how will American Jews continue to affiliate as Jews? What will continue to bind them to any sort of Jewish identity? Uri and Rivky ask, is non-Orthodox Judaism really doomed to be killed by assimilation? How does Israel, and Zionism, relate to this? And how does Orthodoxy fit into this? Relevant articles: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/books/review/steven-weisman-chosen-wars.html?module=inline h

On Saturday morning, October 27, a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, killing 11 people and injuring 6 more. The shooting is being called the deadliest antisemitic attack in US history. What lessons can we learn from this horrible tragedy? Does this represent a resurgence of antisemitism? Is that resurgence connected to the rise of Donald Trump? Is it fair to tie the threat of antisemitism to the Republican party? Relevant links: FBI Hate Crimes Statistics: https://ucr.fbi.gov/hate-crime/2017/topic-pages/tables/table-1.xls https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/the-slaughter-in-pittsburgh/ https://twitter.com/simonerzim/status/1056504354444902400 https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/03/us/new-york-temple-antisemitic-messages/index.html https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-farrakhan-s-hate-speech-leads-to-actual-abuse-of-jews-i-experienced-it-1.6634780

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss Avi Shafran's opinion piece: “A Safer Space For Women In Orthodox Judaism’s Rules For Sex.” Shafran argues that the secular world might do better with adopting some of Orthodox Judaism's rules for modesty - and that maybe they would protect women, especially in the age of #metoo. They ask, is it true? Does Orthodoxy has a safer, more respectful approach to women than the secular world? Relevant links: 1. Shafran: https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/272690/a-safer-space-for-women-in-orthodox-judaism 2. Jankovits response: https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/273000/no-rabbi-orthodox-women-are-not-safer 3. Shafran, redux: https://www.rabbiavishafran.com/a-safer-space-for-women-redux/

This week Rivky and Uri start with some feedback: should the podcast be more Jewish? Then they discuss the recent case of Lara Alqasem, an American student who was detained in Ben Gurion airport for her ties to the BDS movement. Why did Israel do this? Do actions like that have counter-productive results? Finally, Rivky and Uri discuss what they will do when they win the $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot. Links: Bechdel Test: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechdel_test NYT Op Ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/opinion/israel-lara-alqasem-bds.html US law prohibiting unsanctioned boycotts: https://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/enforcement/oac#boycottlaws French law considering BDS to be a hate crime: https://brandeiscenter.com/french-courts-treat-bds-as-a-hate-crime/ Lorde Lawsuit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/31/world/middleeast/israel-lorde-concert-boycott-law.html White Flight Of Derek Black: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-white-flight-of-derek-black/2016/10/15/ed5f906a-8f3b-11e6-a6a3-d5006

This week, Uri and Rivky break down an exciting new film, Empathy Inc., by an up and coming director, Yedidya Gorsetman. They then dive into their main topic. 3 academics have revealed an elaborate hoax - they wrote 20 fake scholarly papers, that they then submitted to various prestigious academic journals in the fields of Gender and Sexuality, Feminism, Queer studies, and Race studies (which they grouped in a field they called "Grievance Studies.") Each paper used fashionable buzzwords and made up data to support purposely absurd and ridiculous conclusions. Too many were accepted for publication. Uri and Rivky ask, what was the point of this hoax? Did they succeed? Is academia too concerned with constructivism, and not concerned enough with "objective truth"? Related links: https://www.newsweek.com/ben-shapiro-genius-academic-hoax-exposed-liberal-arts-colleges-dont-care-1155013?amp=1 https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/arts/academic-journals-hoax.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVk9a5

Rivky and Uri are back! Talking Tachlis has finally returned after our long break for the holidays. This week, they talk about the only thing to discuss: Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. They ask - how can we possibly separate the people from the politics? Is there a war on men? And, in a more global, philosophical sense, when we're in an unprovable he said/she said argument about sexual misconduct - who do we believe?

This week, Uri and Rivky look back on 5778 and the first year of Talking Tachlis. What were our most controversial topics? Which episodes got the most listens? Which episodes were our favorites? Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsSpAOD6K8 Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwOfCgkyEj0

This week, Uri finally tried the Impossible Burger! When we finish wishing Uri mazal tov, Rivky and Uri dive into the recent report from Ramaz about sexual abuse in the school. The report is thorough, and sad, and prompts us to ask - how do we feel about Ramaz, and the way they handled this situation? Should we have a gender bias when we consider abuse, and especially, abuse of children? What do we expect differently from our schools and institutions in the future? The Ramaz report: http://files.constantcontact.com/3b4ce217001/846bf29b-0cd5-4b37-b4c0-10908bebfa1e.pdf Legendary Orthodox Rabbi Aware Of Sexual Abuse Of Children, Report Says: https://forward.com/news/national/409376/legendary-orthodox-rabbi-aware-of-sexual-abuse-of-children-report-says

This week, Uri and Rivky dive into the light and breezy topic we all know and love, Nazis. They discuss the recent deportation of the 95-year-old Jakiw Palij, a former Nazi volunteer guard. They ask, why deport Palij? Did Palij get what he "deserved"? What is justice, and who does it serve? NY Times https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/nyregion/nazi-queens-deported.html NPR https://www.npr.org/2018/08/21/640474479/alleged-nazi-labor-camp-guard-deported-to-germany The Believer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psJbF8G6Zjw

This week, Uri tells Rivky about his new favorite movie: 93Queen. Then they dive into the insane story of Professor Avital Ronell and the sexual harassment investigation brought against her by her former graduate student, Nimrod Reitman. The story is made even more upsetting by a letter signed by dozens of leading intellectuals and academics, supporting Dr. Ronell. Rivky and Uri ask, what should we focus on??? Are their identities - queer, Israeli, academic - important? What does this “reverse” #MeToo moment teach us about power? How much does identity politics play a role? Read all about it here: 1. NY Times broke the story: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/13/nyregion/sexual-harassment-nyu-female-professor.html 2. Professor Zizek explains why he signed the letter: https://thephilosophicalsalon.com/why-did-i-sign-the-letter-in-support-of-avital-ronell/ 3. Jezebel: https://jezebel.com/what-are-we-to-make-of-the-case-of-scholar-avital-ronel-1828366966 4. Splinter News on sexual harassment in the academy: https:

Rivky is back! This week Uri and Rivky start off by catching up on their adventures from the last couple of weeks. Then they get into Israel's new Nation-State bill. What is it? Is it good? Is it bad? Does it actually change anything? Catch up on everything below: The Nation-State Bill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Law:_Israel_as_the_Nation-State_of_the_Jewish_People The Atlantic (critique of the law): https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/israel-nation-state-law/565712/ The Forward (defense of the law): https://forward.com/opinion/406355/everything-youve-heard-about-israels-nation-state-bill-is-wrong/ Music: Come Back - Moshav Band - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvGmJ5W_uy4&list=PLMDLWerIqLUutFdnYvLEAooH19CUv7qeY

This week Uri speaks with another very special guest host, immigration lawyer Laura Berger. But before getting into a discussion about America's immigration policies, they first try to make sense of the ever decreasing interaction and dialogue between liberals and conservatives in the US. Washington Post article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/20/half-of-liberals-cant-even-stand-to-be-around-trump-supporters/ NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/16/opinion/sunday/family-separation-immigration-trump.html Brookings Institution: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/06/26/violence-drives-immigration-from-central-america/ Music: Paul McCartney - Let Em In https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y0v7zpHJkU

This week we have another special guest co-host! Former Maccabeat Imu Shalev joins Uri for a conversation about their favorite music videos, as well as Imu's current work with Aleph Beta. What is Aleph Beta? You'll have to listen to find out! Aleph Beta: https://www.alephbeta.org/ Maccabeats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRaQSbuTiBg

Rivky checks in to say hi and give her take on last week's discussion. Our first mini episode, and a chance to get your "Rivky fix" until she returns to the studio in a couple of weeks!

This week Uri has a conversation with returning guest host Miki Friedmann. Miki wants to know- what's the deal with Rivky and Uri always starting every topic with a disclaimer about who they aren't? They take a short trip down memory lane, and then they discuss the trials and tribulations of living life with a kippah on one's head.

This week, Uri and Rivky recap last week's episode and special guest Deena Klein. They then discuss Sasha Baron Cohen's new show, " Who Is America?" and ask - is the show any good? Is it unfair to the guests? And, of course, is it good for the Jews? Next, they dive into Scarlett Johansson (another member of the tribe). Was it wrong for Johansson to be cast as a transgender man? And, what about Business Insider - were they correct in removing Greenbaum’s article from their website? What about Greenbaum’s very public decision to resign over this whole thing? Clip from SBC new show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkXeMoBPSDk Joe Walsh explanation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9LjwRRO9fk&t=3s Guam capsize question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cesSRfXqS1Q Scarlett Johansson https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/13/entertainment/scarlett-johansson-film-exit/index.html Daniella Greenbaum removed article https://www.weeklystandard.com/daniella-greenbaum/here-is-the-column-about-scarjo-that-busines

This week with Rivky away preparing for her wedding, Uri has a conversation with friend of the podcast, Deena Klein. She discusses what it's like to be gay in the Orthodox community, and where she sees things heading in the future. Eshel Pledge: http://www.eshelonline.org/pledge/ Ruth Bader Ginsberg on SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II8IkwDVnsI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzSd-Kz-zA