Talking Tachlis Podcast

This week, Rivky and Uri discuss the activist group IfNotNow. The group's goal is to protest the Israeli occupation. What do we think about their mission statement? What do we think about their tactics? Catch up on everything below: If Not Now website: https://ifnotnowmovement.org/ Birthright walk off: https://forward.com/fast-forward/404314/birthright-participants-publicly-walk-off-trip-to-visit-west-bank/ Judaism Unbound: http://www.judaismunbound.com/ Music: Kaveret - Medina Ktana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TElqr2PWU3o Song explanation https://www.jmeshel.com/135-kaveret-medina-ktana-little-country/

This week, Rivky and Uri discuss a panel discussion that took place on June 12 and was organized by Hadar, an egalitarian institute of Jewish learning. The title of the event was "What Feminist Torah Needs To Look Like." Is it about gender? Power? Marginalized identity? Audio of the Hadar event https://www.hadar.org/torah-resource/what-feminist-torah-needs-look The Eurythmics - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drGx7JkFSp4

This week, Uri and Rivky dive into the issue on everyone's minds: the OU honoring Jeff Sessions at their annual policy conference, after the emergence of reports of children being forcibly separated from their parents by immigration authorities. They ask, what is really going on? What are these policies, really? How are the policies under Trump different than Obama, or Bush-era policies? And what about the OU - did the OU make a mistake? What should they have done? Is the anger against the OU deserved? Catch up on everything below: The Trump policy: https://www.vox.com/2018/6/11/17443198/children-immigrant-families-separated-parents https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/16/opinion/sunday/family-separation-immigration-trump.html Jewish groups letter: https://www.ou.org/community/notices/jewish-communal-letter-condemning-family-separation-policy/ Orthodox Union Event: https://www.c-span.org/video/?446982-1/attorney-general-sessions-backs-supreme-court-decision-colorado-baker-case Orthodox Union Letter: https://w

This week, Uri and Rivky begin with some feedback from last week's contentious episode on Michael Chabon's speech. (Hi, Michael!) Then, they dive into the meta-discussion about journalism. What is responsible journalism? Why does Trump, and do politicians in general, seem to have such a contentious relationship with the media? What responsibility do journalists have? What about Jewish journalists - is there a problem with "airing dirty laundry"? Is there media bias? Catch up on everything below: Jewish Week http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/three-pulitzer-winners-one-message-seek-the-truth/ Tuvia Grossman http://honestreporting.com/the-photo-that-started-it-all/ Songs: Michael Jackson ft Paul McCartney - The Girl Is Mine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHp0s2wKajw The Beatles - A Day In The Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM

This week, Uri and Rivky talk about their cravings for the newly-kosher "Impossible Burger" - the first kosher cheeseburger. They ask, what does kashrut mean, when we increasingly approach a world in which everything is kosher? Then, they discuss Michael Chabon's speech at the HUC graduation, in which Chabon makes the case for intermarriage, and tearing down all fences - literal or otherwise. Is Chabon crazy? Does he have a point? Is he racist, or are we? Catch up on everything below: Kosher Cheeseburger https://forward.com/food/401073/the-worlds-first-kosher-cheeseburger-is-here/ Michael Chabon The Speech transcript: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/262965/michael-chabon-commencement Article and video of speech: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/michael-chabon-slams-jewish-inmarriage-in-speech-to-new-rabbis-1.6117366 Graduate who walked out: http://atlantajewishtimes.timesofisrael.com/why-i-walked-out-on-my-graduation/ HUC statement: https://www.jta.org/2018/05/25/news-opinion/in

This week, Uri and Rivky recap Shavuot, and two interesting lectures Uri attended: the first by Bret Stephens and second by John Podhoretz (possible friend of the pod??). Then, they discuss Michael Pollan's new book, "How to Change Your Mind," in which Pollan brings in mountains of research and makes a case for mushrooms, LSD, and other psychedelics. Uri and Rivky ask, does he have a point? How should we, especially in the Jewish, or spiritual, community, think about drugs? Are they a valid path to bring us to meaning, or are they a distraction, another form of escapism? Catch up on everything below: NY Times book review "How to Change Your Mind": https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/books/review-how-to-change-your-mind-psychedelics-science-michael-pollan.html NY Times Magazine cover article: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/05/15/magazine/health-issue-my-adventures-with-hallucinogenic-drugs-medicine.html? A Religious (Christian) perspective: https://www.theamericanconservative.

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss the winner of Eurovision 2018 - Netta Barzilai. They then present some pushback to the new Amy Schumer movie, "I Feel Pretty," especially Amy Hess' fascinating takedown in the New York Times about "beauty standard denialism." They discuss some of the history of feminism, and how different approaches to feminism have dealt with issues of beauty standards and women's empowerment. Catch up on everything below: Netta Barzilai, "Toy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CziHrYYSyPc Amy Hess, ‘I Feel Pretty’ and the Rise of Beauty-Standard Denialism: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/movies/i-feel-pretty-amy-schumer-beauty.html Emily Ratajkowski in Spaghetti Video (NSFW): https://www.instagram.com/p/BcO-ubGgyjh/?hl=en Amy Schumer on being "brave": http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/dont-call-amy-schumers-nude-photo-brave/news-story/d1224c218ccad41481143f9c86f1e178

This week, Uri and Rivky recap the latest Kanye West drama, and talk about some of the backlash. Then, they talk about Bob Dylan's new whiskey company, and they ponder the concept of "selling out." Finally, they recommend a recent episode of This American Life, which tells the story of a group of inner city high school students who were taken to see Schindler's List. Catch up on everything below: Kanye: Slavery is a choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWJBWU7asEg George Bush doesn't care about black people: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIUzLpO1kxI Bob Dylan's New Whiskey: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/28/business/media/bob-dylan-heavens-door.html Tom Jones Coca Cola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qTvhdVYVdE Neil Young "This Note's For You": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSSvzCNBvlQ This American Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI9Num-9EWg

This week, Uri and Rivky talk about this week's hottest event, the Woman Seder, and they discuss Yeshiva University's new Giving Day videos, featuring famous athletes, comedians, and more, and ask, why do we give to YU? Then, they discuss Jordan Peterson, the alt-right's new favorite "public intellectual." They ask, is Jordan Peterson as brilliant as he's made out to be? Is he harming or helping our public discourse? And what does it really mean? Catch up on everything below: Jordan Peterson: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/03/05/jordan-petersons-gospel-of-masculinity https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/who-is-jordan-peterson-favorite-figure-of-the-alt-right-1221615171523 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvsPbOY5Lgg YU ads: https://www.facebook.com/YeshivaUniversity/videos/ New Kanye song about his Trump support! https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/28/entertainment/kanye-west-new-song-donald-trump/index.html

This week, Uri and Rivky ask: we're phasing out signatures on receipts - but why do we have receipts at all?? Then, they discuss what we're all talking about - Natalie Portman's "boycott" of the Genesis Prize ceremony. They ask, what is the Genesis Prize? Does it matter that Natalie Portman isn't attending the ceremony? Is it truly a boycott, or something else? And what does it really mean? Catch up on everything below: NY Times about credit card signatures: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/08/business/credit-card-signatures.html The Forward Is Obsessed With Natalie Portman: https://forward.com/tag/natalie-portman/ What is the Genesis Prize?: http://www.genesisprize.org/ Al Jazeera on Natalie Portman: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/natalie-portman-real-story-180423142753277.html Rachel Azaria: https://twitter.com/azariarachel/status/987209717909991424 Media in the show: Mitch Hedberg on receipts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVTLFoB6yHk Natalie Portman SNL rap: https

This week, Uri and Rivky ask, is there anything offensive about repurposing the Passover story - especially when the Palestinians are sometimes seen as modern day Israelites? Then, they tackle the protests at the Israeli-Gaza border. They ask, what/who are the Palestinians protesting? Hamas claims that the protests are non-violent, and the IDF claims that the protests are smokescreens (literally) for terror - who's lying? Catch up on everything below: NY Times is on it: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/06/world/middleeast/gaza-palestinian-protest-israel.html Sinwar video: https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/videos/10155587475332689/ https://www.facebook.com/StandWithUs/videos/10155585464647689/

Rivky's back! This week, Uri and Rivky discuss Louis Farrakhan, Trayon White, and Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef. They dive into the relationship between the Jewish community and the Black community and ask - is there an intrinsic tension? If so, why is there? (And can they even talk about this without a black person in the conversation? David Brooks weighs in!) Catch up on everything below: Louis Farrakan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quMHNp8QwzI Trayon White: http://www.newsweek.com/dc-councilman-trayon-white-sr-suggested-jews-control-weather-says-sorry-850610 Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-cheif-rabbi-black-people-monkeys-yitzhak-yosef-talmud-sephardic-a8267666.html David Brooks, Speaking As A White Male: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/22/opinion/speaking-as-a-white-male.html Music in the show: Black and Jewish, Funny or Die: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TXNU1nh4E4

This week, Uri introduces a guest host, Miki Friedmann, good friend of Talking Tachlis! They review the Man Seder conversation, and then discuss Rachel Delia Benaim's personal piece in the Forward, about her changing relationship with Orthodox Judaism, in which she argues that there's a new category of millennial Modern Orthodox Jewry - one that cares about Judaism, and Orthodoxy, but is less focused on legalism. Miki and Uri ask, does the Orthodox Jewish community really have a responsibility to include everyone? And, going further, they ask, what does it mean to be "religious" today? Catch up on everything below: Rachel Benaim in The Foward: https://forward.com/life/faith/396266/why-are-modern-orthodox-millennials-like-me-looking-for-a-different-path/ Tova Warburg Sinensky in The Lehrhaus: https://www.thelehrhaus.com/commentary/supporting-womens-avodat-hashem-across-the-lifespan-reflections-and-recommendations/ Neo-Chasidism in the Modern Orthodox Community: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

This week, Uri and Rivky first revisit their discussion on racism in the Orthodox community, and then they dive into AIPAC, which had their annual policy conference last week. Uri and Rivky ask, who is AIPAC really serving? Is it good for the Jews? America? Israel? They end with Rivky's latest book recommendation in the segment, "Did You Read It?" Catch up on everything below: AIPAC: https://www.aipac.org/ AIPAC and Progressives: https://www.jta.org/2018/03/11/news-opinion/aipac-wont-win-back-progressives-faces-hard-truths-israel Trump at AIPAC: https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-jews-most-of-whom-oppose-trump-cheer-us-president-at-aipac/ Music in the show: Throw the Jew Down the Well, Borat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb3IMTJjzfo

This week, Uri and Rivky break down a recent fascinating panel called Social Justice in Modern Orthodoxy. The panel took place in the Jewish Center, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and was co-hosted by the UJA and Hitoreri. Sitting on the panel: Dr. Elana Stein Hain, Rabbi Saul Berman, and Rabbi Elie Weinstock. They ask, what is social justice? Should it be part of Modern Orthodoxy, and if so, why isn’t it? What did we learn from this panel, if anything? Catch up on everything below: The panel: https://vimeo.com/256616927 Music in the show: We Are the World, USA For Africa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRiqpd9pRbI

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss the legacy of Billy Graham, "America's Pastor," who died last week at age 99. Graham changed the face of evangelical Christianity, and was the leader in using modern media to advance his message. Of course, they delve into the infamous Nixon tapes, in which Nixon and Graham chat about the Jewish problem in America. Next, Uri and Rivky talk about the new trends of the "Man Seder" - and ask, why do we have events like these? Are these events divisive and perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes? Or are they simply a creative way to bring men back into the synagogue? Catch up on everything below: 1. Billy Graham obituary: 2. The Nixon/Graham tapes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jNr0_AUSR0&t=40s 3. Billy Graham sermon in Chicago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U89zkUZPd5w 4. George Will on Billy Graham: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/billy-graham-was-no-prophet-thats-why-america-loved-him/2018/02/21/398ce31a-1722-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_stor

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss Facebook - specifically, the new Wired article, Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook—and the World. We ask, is Facebook responsible for the proliferation of "fake" news? Or this even a new phenomenon? Next, we tackle Poland's new controversial new law, which makes it a criminal act to blame Poles for Holocaust crimes. Does Poland deserve blame? Should we feel sympathetic to Poland, after their own experience in WWII? Catch up on everything below: 1. Wired, Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook—and the World: https://www.wired.com/story/inside-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-2-years-of-hell/ 2. Check out this fascinating new technology!: www.facebook.com 3. Background to yellow journalism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_journalism 4. Poland's new Holocaust law: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/world/europe/poland-holocaust-law.html, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/19/the-guardian-view-on-holocaust-responsibility-poland-cannot-wholl

This week, Uri and Rivky discuss the Israel's new decision to deport Eritrean and Sudanese refugees and ask, is this the right choice? Which "value" should Israel live by - accepting refugees, or creating a strongly Jewish homeland? (Or is that oversimplifying it? Perhaps.) Next, they discuss a new Forward article, in which Eli Steinberg claims that while anti-Semitism is no longer in vogue, instead, the world has shifted to become anti-Orthodox. Catch up on everything below: 1. Hava Nagila routine: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israeli-figure-skater-alexei-bychenko-s-routine-to-hava-nagila-1.5808599 3. Sarah Silverman interviews Rabbi Susan Silverman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjbhCrO8vk 4. NY Times refugees article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/opinion/israel-refugees-africa.html 5. UN on refugees in Israel: https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/01/1000062-un-refugee-agency-urges-israel-halt-forced-relocation-african-asylum-seekers 6. How do refugees affect the economy: https:/

This week, Rivky and Uri talk about the Super Bowl, and ask, why are there so many Jewish NFL team owners, but so few NFL players? They also discuss the recent Orthodox Union announcement about female clergy. Catch up on everything below: 1. Jewish Super Bowl: http://www.jpost.com/OMG/A-Jewish-Super-Bowl-trifecta-540377 2. Jewish boxing: https://forward.com/scribe/366045/the-secret-jewish-history-of-boxing/ 3. OU on female clergy: https://www.jta.org/2018/01/31/news-opinion/united-states/orthodox-union-will-not-penalize-synagogues-with-women-clergy 4. Survey of Modern Orthodox American Jews: http://nishmaresearch.com/assets/pdf/Report%20-%20Nishma%20Research%20Profile%20of%20American%20Modern%20Orthodox%20Jews%2009-27-17.pdf Music from the show: 1. The Story of OJ, JAY-Z: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM7lw0Ovzq0 2. Just A Girl, No Doubt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHzOOQfhPFg

This week, Rivky and Uri watch VP Mike Pence's speech in the Knesset, and ask, is this - overall - good for the Jews? Good for Israel? They also discuss the UK's recent appointment of a Minister for Loneliness and ask, if this the government's problem? And if this is a real issue, how can we "solve it"? Catch up on everything below: 1. Mike Pence speech (transcript): http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Full-transcript-of-Pences-Knesset-speech-539476 2. Minister for Loneliness: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/britain-minister-of-loneliness-brexit-jo-cox 3. Hearing Aids to combat loneliness: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2016011/article/14671-eng.pdf Music from the show: 1. The Sound of Silence, Simon and Garfunkel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zLfCnGVeL4 2. Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuS5NuXRb5Y