أفضل بودكاسات Conundrum (2025)

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Winchester Mystery House: Cursed Mansion or Haunted Legend 39:46

23h ago39:46

39:46

Step into one of the most mysterious and haunted locations in America—the Winchester Mystery House. A mansion built under the guidance of spirits, with doors leading to nowhere, staircases twisting into oblivion, and a history drenched in paranormal encounters. Was Sarah Winchester truly haunted by the ghosts of those killed by her family’s rifles,…

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The Mainstreaming of Meir Kahane: A Halachic, Moral, and Theological Mistake, with Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky (241) 1:00:32

5d ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Several recent articles have raised a troubling question: Is Rabbi Meir Kahane making a comeback? In the wake of the horrific murder of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas, some influential pro-Israel voices have turned to Kahane’s ideas, reviving a debate that many thought was long settled. In this episode, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky and I dive deep into wh…

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Episode 43 - Ed Gein: The Killer Who Inspired Hollywood’s Most Terrifying Villains 39:43

8d ago39:43

39:43

Episode Description: Step into one of the most horrifying true crime stories in history as we uncover the twisted life and crimes of Ed Gein—the grave robber and murderer who turned his farmhouse into a real-life house of horrors. From his isolated childhood under the rule of his fanatical mother to his disturbing obsession with human remains, we’r…

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The Abuser’s Tool Box: Domestic Abuse in the Orthodox Community, with Keshet Starr (240) 1:05:57

12d ago1:05:57

1:05:57

Domestic abuse is one of those topics that, sometimes, we simply wish would go away. It’s certainly among the very worst experiences that a person can have, yet it brings forward feelings of shame and failure, such that people are often reluctant to acknowledge that they are victims. Sometimes, they can’t even name it - either because they don’t re…

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Episode - 42 Bobby Mackey’s: The Most Haunted Nightclub in America 38:22

15d ago38:22

38:22

New Episode Alert: The Haunting of Bobby Mackey’s Music World! Welcome to the most haunted honky-tonk in America—where the music plays, the whiskey flows, and the spirits? Well… they do more than just linger. This week on Total Conundrum, we’re taking you inside Bobby Mackey’s Music World, a country bar with a terrifying past. From a blood-soaked s…

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The Vanishing Art of Jewish Conversation (and What To Do About It), with Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble (239) 1:20:13

19d ago1:20:13

1:20:13

The act of talking - dignified and informative conversation, where people connect on a serious level with one another - is essential to the Jewish experience. This goes back to the very creation of Adam; the Torah describes God as breathing a breath of life into Adam, after which he became a nefesh chaya - a living soul. Targum Onkelos famously tra…

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Episode 41 - Ted Bundy - Story of a Murderer 39:25

22d ago39:25

39:25

New Episode Alert! This week on Total Conundrum, we’re diving into the chilling, twisted mind of Ted Bundy—one of America’s most notorious serial killers. From his charming facade to the horrifying crimes that shocked the nation, we’re peeling back the layers of his story like a true crime thriller you won’t believe. What We Cover: ⚠️ Bundy’s eerie…

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Religious Jews and Dishonesty: Tax Fraud, Zoning Violations, Downplaying Risk, and More, with Rabbi Jeremy Wieder (238) 1:03:12

26d ago1:03:12

1:03:12

The Torah is very clear that theft is forbidden; no one doubts that this is true. It is, accordingly, very disturbing that religious Jews as a community don’t seem to be more ethical in these matters than people who don’t see the Torah as their guide to life. I am not suggesting that Orthodox Jews are worse than anyone else in these matters; I cann…

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Episode 40 - Haunted History of Tonopah 40:10

29d ago40:10

40:10

Total Conundrum Podcast – Show Notes Episode Title: The Haunted History of Tonopah Episode Description: Welcome to Total Conundrum, where we explore the weird, the eerie, and the downright bizarre! In this episode, we’re diving into Tonopah, Nevada—a town built on silver but haunted by its tragic past. From mine disasters to mystery plagues, haunte…

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The Ethics of Population Transfers & Prisoner Swaps, Defining "Innocent Civilians," and Other Urgent Ethical Dilemmas, with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody (237) 51:02

1M ago51:02

51:02

Ever since President Trump presented his plan (or his idea, as it’s unclear how planned out this really is) about resettling the Arab population of Gaza, the Jewish world has been in an uproar. Very loud voices on both sides of the issue have been talking not so much about its feasibility - many are extremely skeptical that this could ever come to …

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Episode 39 John Wayne Gacy - The Killer Clown 36:23

1M ago36:23

36:23

Welcome to Total Conundrum, where we delve deep into the darkest corners of true crime history. In today’s episode, we’re exploring the horrifying legacy of John Wayne Gacy, also known as the Killer Clown. Strap in; this journey through the mind of one of America’s most notorious serial killers is not for the faint of heart. Segment 1: The Descent …

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When the Doctor Becomes the Patient: A Conversation with Dr. Avi Rockoff (236) 1:04:39

1M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

What is it like for a doctor, who has spent his life treating patients, to become a patient himself? That was the experience of Dr. Avi Rockoff when he learned that he had a very serious form of prostate cancer, and which he chronicles in his new book, When the Doctor Becomes the Patient. He was exposed to what he terms “the medical industrial comp…

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Episode 38 - The Manson Family 50:37

1M ago50:37

50:37

Welcome to Total Conundrum, where we peel back the layers of the most chilling true crime stories. Today, we’re diving deep into the twisted world of Charles Manson and his infamous family. Strap in; it’s going to be a wild ride. Segment 1: Who Was Charles Manson? ● Early Life of Charles Manson: Discussion on Manson’s early life in Cincinnati, his …

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History Repeating Itself: Diaspora-Israel Tensions in 200 BCE and 2025 CE, with Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich (235) 1:14:51

2M ago1:14:51

1:14:51

William Faulkner in Requiem for a Nun famously wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” I repeatedly thought of that line as I read Dr. Malka Simkovich’s recent book, Letters From Home: The Creation of Diaspora in Jewish Antiquity. In that book she investigates the relationship of Jews living in the Land of Israel and Jews who remained …

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The Fragility of Jewish Existence Comes to Israel: Applying the Thought of Rabbi Sacks to a Post-October 7th Jewish World, with Dr. Tanya White (234) 1:10:44

2M ago1:10:44

1:10:44

I recorded this episode hours before the first three Israeli hostages were slated to be released, and as a ceasefire was just beginning to be implemented by Israel and Hamas. Many people have noted that while Hamas is parading throughout Gaza and claiming victory - which is an absurd inversion of reality - and while the vast majority of the world i…

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The Ceasefire: What It Means, Who Benefits, and What Must Happen Next, with Dr. Matthew Levitt (Orthodox Conundrum Special Episode) 32:41

2M ago32:41

32:41

With the news that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal, Scott spoke to counterterrorism and intelligence expert Dr. Matthew Levitt to learn what the ceasefire entails, in what ways this falls short of Prime Minister Netanyahu's insistence upon total victory, how victory should be defined, why this ceasefire is happening now, whether Ha…

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The Kingsville Connection - Chapter Five 32:07

2M ago32:07

32:07

Send us a text Let's take yet another step back in time. The year is 1948 and some strange things have been taking place on the Long Grass Ranch which is located near Kingsville, Texas. It's hard to phantom but the eerie shenanigans taking place so very long ago will eventually directly affect our current day story. Cinch up your saddle folks!…

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Do You Care Enough About Israel? (And Do Israelis Care Enough About You?) (233) 1:10:13

2M ago1:10:13

1:10:13

Do Jews outside of Israel care enough about Israel? This is a loaded and perhaps unfair question. How could anyone make that determination? Nevertheless, it’s something I’ve been grappling with for some time, and I decided to pose this question on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook. Many people commented, both on the group and in p…

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The Kingsville Connection - Chapter Four 14:52

2M ago14:52

14:52

Send us a text A dark and nefarious agenda birthed over eighty years ago is still going strong and affecting not only Kingsville, Texas, but the rest of the world as well.بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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The Kingsville Connection - Chapter Three 26:02

2M ago26:02

26:02

Send us a text Our story continues with new realizations and revelations. Three chapters in and we're still only treading water in the shallow end of the supernatural pool. Chapters four and five will drag you into the deep end whether you're ready or not, so stay tuned.بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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Downplaying Sexual Abuse, and Writing to a Judge to Request Leniency: When Good Intentions Go Very, Very Wrong (232) 1:29:31

2M ago1:29:31

1:29:31

This episode of the Orthodox Conundrum discusses sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material. Listener discretion is advised. Sexual abuse is a problem everywhere, and the Orthodox community is no exception. While there unquestionably is more awareness of the problem today than there was in the past, there is still a long way to go before we can b…

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“The Torah is Hospitalized and in Bandages” - The Thought of Rav Shagar on Chanukah, Israel, Religious Choice, and More (Special Chanukah Episode) 1:04:59

2M ago1:04:59

1:04:59

We live in times in which, I believe, we in the Orthodox world need to open ourselves to new ideas and new thinking that will help enhance our love and appreciation for God and His Torah. Maybe the best example of a contemporary thinker who has opened the doors of perception while remaining fully committed to Torah, halacha, the Jewish people and t…

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Children Under the Radar: A Live Orthodox Conundrum Conversation (SPECIAL EPISODE) 1:10:31

3M ago1:10:31

1:10:31

An almost insidious problem that affects so many kids is being “under the radar”... that is, they’re generally ignored in school, camp, or other social settings by the teachers or group leaders because they’re doing “fine” - and I use that word advisedly. He or she is not the class genius, not the kid who asks questions, not the troublemaker, not t…

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It's Time for a Jewish Middle Earth: Cultivating Imagination in Torah Teaching with Olivia Friedman (231) 51:50

3M ago51:50

51:50

Is Jewish education too focused upon a rationalist and scientific worldview, such that we sometimes don’t leave enough room for the imagination? I think that this may be true for large segments of the Orthodox world, particularly among the Modern Orthodox population. While we dare not undermine the great advances that our scientific worldview has g…

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A Surreal Southern Christmas 4:50

3M ago4:50

4:50

Send us a text A bonus episode for Season 2, our Christmas gift to you. We hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We'll continue "The Kingsville Connection" chapters after the New Year.بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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Inviting God Into Partnership: Finding Resilience with Rachel Sharansky Danziger (230) 1:12:26

3M ago1:12:26

1:12:26

While the Jewish people, and all people of good will, continue to face deep uncertainty about what’s happening in Israel and around the world - as I record this on Sunday afternoon, we are just beginning to process the end of Assad’s rule in Syria and trying to figure out if it’s a net positive or negative for democratic countries in general and Is…

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'Tis the Season to Spend Lavishly: Confronting the New Orthodox Materialism, with Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt and Professor Chaim Saiman (229) 1:21:20

3M ago1:21:20

1:21:20

"Anything is permitted, as long as it's for a mitzvah." Really? We live in a world where consumerism and materialism are not only dominant themes of everyday life, but also positive values in their own right. It’s disturbing that the Orthodox Jewish community is not at all immune to this influence; in fact, many sub-communities within the Orthodox …

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Hope, Gratitude, and Faith in a Time of Anxiety, Pain, and Despair, with Dr. Erica Brown (228) 1:07:33

4M ago1:07:33

1:07:33

Every time I speak with Dr. Erica Brown, I come away enriched by her deep thinking and religious and emotional sensitivity. And this conversation, which delves into psychological and theological questions surrounding anxiety, hope, gratitude, and faith, may be our most memorable discussion yet. The Thanksgiving holiday takes place later this week i…

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"Just Because It Didn't Happen, Doesn't Mean It Isn't True": Analyzing and Appreciating Aggadah with Gila Fine (227) 1:03:11

4M ago1:03:11

1:03:11

There was a time not long ago when aggadah - which, broadly speaking, refers to the non-legal passages in the Talmud - was largely ignored; students studying in yeshiva would run through these texts quickly, if at all, using almost all of their mental energy and time thinking through the halachic, or legal passages of the Gemara. While that was lik…

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The Kingsville Connection - Chapter Two 21:04

4M ago21:04

21:04

Send us a text Our story continues and you better buckle up your mental seatbelt because it's gonna be a crazy ride. Chapter one started off in the 1970's and chapter two finds us in present day Kingsville. What will upcoming chapter three reveal? You'll need to stay tuned to find out.بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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Chareidi Political Influence in Jewish Life, and Why It Truly Matters: A Conversation with Rabbi David Stav (226) 42:12

4M ago42:12

42:12

Over the past two weeks, there has been increasing conversation in Israel among the Religious Zionist community about the continued refusal of many ultra-Orthodox Jews to consider enlisting in the Israeli army. Many of us have been discussing this issue for months or years; but it came to a head in the past couple of weeks largely because of the at…

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Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Trump... Why Orthodox Jews Should Vote for Harris: Two Rabbis Make Their Best Pitch (225) 1:17:04

4M ago1:17:04

1:17:04

With the United States presidential election only hours away, I wanted to offer a supporter of each major presidential candidate the opportunity to explain why Jews in general, and Orthodox Jews in particular, would be better off supporting either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris for president. To that end, I invited two politically involved Orthodox …

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The Biggest Desecration of God's Name (224) 1:14:51

5M ago1:14:51

1:14:51

Today I’m talking about something that I’ve spoken about before, repeatedly, both on this podcast and on my Substack, Orthodox Conundrum Commentary: the problem of a large number of Chareidi, or ultra-Orthodox Jews, who receive army exemptions, usually (though not always) because they’re learning in yeshivot. Why am I talking about this again? Have…

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The Kingsville Connection - Chapter One 17:29

5M ago17:29

17:29

Send us a text It's 1974 in Kingsville, Texas and a 5th grader's older sister has disappeared under strange circumstances yet his parents seem to have an easy explanation. Chapter one is just the beginning of a multi-decade spanning story that will push the boundaries of your imagination and your concept of reality.…

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Biblical Criticism, Academic Bible Study, and Orthodox Judaism with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) 1:00:14

5M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

As we complete our seventh season of the Orthodox Conundrum, we're pleased to present a classic episode from three years ago, in which Professor Joshua Berman of Bar Ilan University discusses academic Bible study, Biblical criticism, and Orthodox Judaism. It was a very interesting episode, which raised crucial questions that Orthodox Jews need to c…

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Trailer for Season 2 Chapter 1 0:45

5M ago0:45

0:45

Send us a text We're scheduled to drop Chapter 1 of The Kingsville Connection on 10/25/2024. This will be episode one of season 2 of A Series of Crazy Conundrums.بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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The Day That Never Ended... And What We Can Learn From It, with Rav Chayim Soloveichik (223) 48:53

5M ago48:53

48:53

"Today marks one year since one of the worst days of all of our lives, October 7th. I actually was unsure of how to record an appropriate episode; what, exactly, could I add to the conversation? What is there to say that hasn’t yet been said? And how can I relate it to the season in which we find ourselves, right in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Ki…

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Gavriel Bloom z"l: A Hero in a Land of Heroes (222) 49:19

6M ago49:19

49:19

Later this week we will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, also known as the Day of Remembrance, Yom HaZikaron. According to Chazal, Hashem (so to speak) remembers us on this day for the good… and we, too, should look at those people who set sterling examples for us over the past year, and try to learn from their deeply meaningful lives. One of those people …

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Reorganizing the Letters of Reality: A Mystical and Chassidic Approach to Prayer, with Rabbi Dovid'l Weinberg (221) 1:08:11

6M ago1:08:11

1:08:11

One of the beautiful aspects of Torah Judaism is its insistence on eilu v’eilu divrei Elokim chayim - that two different and even potentially contradictory approaches can both represent the words of the living God. Opening our minds to differing ways of seeing Torah - that, in the words of many ancient texts, there are seventy facets to the Torah, …

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Podcast Trailer - Season 2 2:52

6M ago2:52

2:52

Send us a text Coming in October 2024, season 2 of "A Series of Crazy Conundrums - The Podcast". This time, it's one story told in book form, chapter by chapter and spanning from the early 1970's until present day, in Kingsville, Texas. Stay tuned for "The Kingsville Connection"بقلم Tom DiFrancesca III

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How Does Prayer Work? A Rationalist Approach to Tefilah, or What Larry David Got Wrong (220) 1:09:33

6M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

We stand in the middle of the month of Elul, and are moving quickly towards Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur - days largely spent in the synagogue in prayer. Throughout those days as well as the rest of the Ten Days of Repentance, we ask that God grant us a year of life, goodness, and peace. While we have so much to be thankful for, we may be forgiven …

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"The Gamblification of Everything" - Gambling, Orthodox Jewish Adolescents, and the Big Problem That's Getting Worse (219) 51:04

6M ago51:04

51:04

Many people often talk about addiction and dependence; and in doing so, they may use those terms inexactly. When it comes to gambling, however, those words are, unfortunately, correct. Problem gambling is a growing problem in the United States - particularly online gambling, which has been growing exponentially since the Supreme Court decided, in 2…

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Teaching Our Students to be Zionists Rather than "Pro-Israel": A Conversation with Dr. Noam Weissman (218) 1:02:47

6M ago1:02:47

1:02:47

Scott recorded this interview with Dr. Noam Weissman on Monday afternoon, the day after we learned about the terrible execution of six hostages soon before they were discovered by the IDF, presumably in order to make sure that they did not make it back home alive. And today, Hamas continued its psychological torture by saying that it will release v…

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The Ongoing War, and a Potential Mental Health Crisis in Israel and the Diaspora (217) 1:18:09

7M ago1:18:09

1:18:09

This podcast is being released less than a day after the Israeli army preemptively struck thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, doing so just fifteen minutes before those launchers were supposed to fire hundreds of missiles into northern and central Israel. Thank God that as of now, Israel clearly won this exchange. We don’t know what…

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Is Israel a Light Unto the Nations... And Should It Even Bother Trying? A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi (216) 55:31

7M ago55:31

55:31

The October 7th massacre, and the subsequent war against Hamas, other Iranian proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, and Iran itself, have caused many people throughout the Jewish world to reconsider what Israel means to them, and what kind of society Israel should create. Many continually return to the idea that Israel should be a light unto the …

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Tisha B'Av and Bad Theology: A New View of Megillat Eicha with Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman (CLASSIC EPISODE) 1:10:39

7M ago1:10:39

1:10:39

“What does Eichah have in common with climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, Holocaust deniers and those that claim that the 2020 presidential elections were stolen?” Rabbi Dr. Joshua Berman sent this to Scott, who was intrigued and immediately invited him back onto this podcast to discuss what he meant. More than anything else, we need a way to rel…

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Ikar HaDin, Chumra, and Minhag: The Phenomenon of Greater Stringency in the Orthodox World, with Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky (215) 59:37

7M ago59:37

59:37

Sometimes it’s called a move to the right. Other times it is seen as a rejection of lax religiosity. Some people think of it as an admirable commitment to serving God as best as possible. Others decry it as representing an unacceptable change from traditional Jewish practice. All these and more are reactions to the unquestionably real phenomenon of…

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Arrests and Mob Violence at Sdei Teiman: What Happened, What It Means, and Why It Matters (BONUS EPISODE) 40:08

8M ago40:08

40:08

This is a rush-release bonus episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, to help us all get to the bottom of what happened yesterday at the military detention center at Sdei Teiman. We will learn what the nine arrested soldiers were accused of, the manner that they were arrested, and the reason for the protests of numerous right-wing members of Knesset. Wha…

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Can the Glass Ceiling Be Broken? Women's Leadership and Its Limits, with Joanne Greenaway (214) 54:39

8M ago54:39

54:39

One of the most difficult issues facing Modern or Centrist Orthodox Jews today is the question of how to increase and encourage the participation of more women in leadership roles, while also working within the halachic parameters that set limits on how extensive those leadership roles are allowed to be. When we add two thousand years of socializat…

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When Reverence Becomes Pseudo-Idolatry: The Phenomenon of Gadol Worship, with Rav Yitzchak Shurin (213) 1:03:41

8M ago1:03:41

1:03:41

For the past two thousand years, Torah observant Jews have acknowledged that our greatest scholars deserve respect, and have an extraordinarily deep and broad understanding of the vast sea of the Torah sheba’al peh, the Oral Law. In recent times, however, proper respect for talmidei chachamim has often morphed into a pseudo-idolatry of gedolim, whe…

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