Colonel John Spencer, one of the world's leading experts on urban warfare, joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about Israel’s war against Hamas. We dive deep into the realities of modern combat, the strict standards of international law, and the false accusations of "genocide" being leveled against Israel. Colonel Spencer also shares insights from his recent high-profile debate alongside Dave Smith on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where he pushed back against the misinformation dominating media narratives.

We talk about the dangers of influencer-driven disinformation, the moral challenges Israel faces on the battlefield, and what the world gets wrong about the rules of war. We also discuss whether Israel is succeeding in its stated goals, and how the war can conclude without turning into an endless quagmire.

No matter your stage of life, Nishmat's Summer Beit Midrash is the place for you. This program offers transformative Torah learning for women of all backgrounds, in the heart of Jerusalem. Visit nishmat.net/summer-beit-midrash to learn more.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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The Orthodox Conundrum Podcast is off this week, and we'll be back next week with a brand new episode. In the meantime, enjoy this classic episode about Orthodox Jews who leave Orthodoxy.

There’s a phenomenon in the Orthodox world which is called by various names, though most commonly “Off the Derech” or OTD, and “Datlash,” short for “Dati Leshe’avar” - that is, formerly religious. For a community which prides itself on continuity and on passing the tradition from one generation to the next, the idea that people leave Orthodoxy is simultaneously painful and threatening. Why did he or she leave? What didn’t work? Why don’t they see what I see… or perhaps, if we’re being truly honest with ourselves, what do they see that I may be missing? And when the people who reject an Orthodox way of life are members of our family, the difficulties are compounded.

Rabbi Alex Israel has given a lot of thought to this issue and these questions, and his insights are humane, generous, and rooted in Torah. Rabbi Israel and Scott spoke about whether the terms OTD and Datlash - and even “dati,” religious - are helpful or misleading, whether the phenomenon of people moving away from Orthodoxy is becoming more common, how it may be different in Israel and in the United States, whether we should actively try to bring those who have left Orthodoxy back into the Orthodox fold, if an emphasis on dogma is partially to blame, how parents should navigate having a child who is less religious than they are, what we can learn from those who leave Orthodoxy, and more.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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I’m doing something a little different this week. Instead of discussing an issue in the Jewish world, I want to offer some inspirational words about the Seder as we enter the final week before the beginning of Pesach. To that end, I invited several of my podcast guests from the past year to present ideas that they find meaningful, with the hope that they will enhance your own Seder as we navigate celebrating Pesach during this challenging moment in Jewish history.

In this episode, you will hear divrei Torah from Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble, Olivia Friedman, Rabbi Yitzchak Shurin, Rabbi Dr. Judah Goldberg, Rabbi Ben Kelsen, David Bloom, Rabbi Dr. Rafi Zarum, and Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik. You can look in the show notes that accompany this podcast to see the time signatures for each dvar Torah. I hope and expect that their words of Torah and encouragement will resonate with you, and that they will give you additional ideas to think about as we prepare for the Pesach Seder this year.

Timestamps for the divrei Torah:

2:06 - Rav Kook on internal freedom (Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble)

4:49 - Israel as God's first born child (Dr. Yosefa Fogel Wruble)

11:12 - Ha Lachma Ana (Olivia Friedman)

19:37 - Starting with disparagement and ending with praise (Rabbi Yitzchak Shurin)

28:11 - V'hi She'amda (Rabbi Dr. Judah Goldberg)

38:12 - The Ten Plagues (Rabbi Benjamin Kelsen)

55:13 - Dayeinu (David Bloom)

1:00:24 - Pesach, Matzah, u'Maror (Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum)

107:23 - Miyagon l'simcha (Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik)

This week's episode is sponsored by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact. Visit https://jcfny.org/orthodoxconundrum/ to request an information kit.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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We are now less than two weeks away from the night of the Seder, which is almost certainly the most widely practiced example of Jewish education in action. And that raises the issue of how we should define healthy Jewish education in general, and how best we can achieve it.

These questions are doubly important because while there are many wonderful Jewish schools, there are, unfortunately, numerous educational institutions where religious growth and educational goals are met through the use of fear, guilt, charismatic authority, manipulation, and condescension. Whether or not it “works” is irrelevant; education that relies on unhealthy approaches is damaging, unfair, and destructive.

This episode with Rabbi Dr. Judah and Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg, explores fresh, student-centered approaches to Jewish learning that prioritize autonomy, personal meaning, and emotional well-being. We challenge guilt- and fear-based models, advocating for an education that nurtures curiosity and critical thinking, while emphasizing lifelong love of Torah, Jewish law, and Jewish tradition. How can we empower our children and students to take ownership of their learning while staying rooted in the values we want to impart? How do we create environments where kids feel both supported and free to make their own choices? We examine how Jewish education can inspire, uplift, and cultivate independent, engaged learners who embrace Torah Judaism without losing their sense of self.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact. Visit https://jcfny.org/orthodoxconundrum/ to request an information kit.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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This conversation with Rabbi Moshe Taragin presents an introduction to the profound - and profoundly human - religious philosophy of Rav Yehuda Amital zt'l, the founding rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion. Rav Amital's ideas fill a unique niche in the Religious Zionist world today, and in many ways stand as a corrective to some of the ideology that has become dominant in the dati leumi world. His teachings grapple with some of the most pressing tensions in Jewish thought and life: universalism vs. particularism, the relationship between morality and halacha, and the relevance of Tanach as a guide to contemporary events.

In this engaging discussion, Rabbi Taragin and I explore Rav Amital's vision of faith, statehood, and leadership, as well as his emphasis on joy and serenity in religious service. Rabbi Amital’s unique perspective on Zionism, ethics, and spirituality continues to inspire and challenge, offering guidance for those seeking a thoughtful and compassionate approach to Judaism and the modern world.

Perhaps more than ever before, we need to hear his voice loudly and clearly so that Religious Zionism can represent the positive and diverse force that it can be, rather than the sometimes narrow and shallow force that, at times, it is in danger of becoming.

Tune in as we uncover the depth and relevance of Rabbi Amital’s ideas, bringing his legacy to life for today’s listeners.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact. Visit https://jcfny.org/orthodoxconundrum/ to request an information kit.

To purchase Rabbi Taragin's new book, To Be Holy but Human: Reflections Upon My Rebbe, HaRav Yehuda Amital, click here.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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When hundreds of students enthusiastically sing and dance about dodging the draft, while thousands of others protect those same students by spending more and more time in the IDF because of a manpower shortage... something has gone seriously wrong.

When institutions that receive millions of shekels of government money actively undermine the State of Israel by encouraging and celebrating draft dodging... something has gone seriously wrong.

When a minister in the Knesset is involved in creating a hotline that is used to tell people who have received draft notices to ignore them entirely... something has gone seriously wrong.

In this episode, I spoke to Sam Sokol to learn more about the Chareidi political echelon's attempts to enshrine military exemptions into law, and how in the meantime, some Chareidi institutions are literally committing felonies in the service of discouraging military service.

There is a lesson for all of us in this, too. As I assert at the end of the episode: if you are absolutely convinced of the rightness of your ideology such that you won’t listen to anyone else, and when that ideology effectively becomes the most important thing in the world, not only does it become a type of idolatry, but it also can potentially lead you to actions that are immoral, unethical, and illegal. And when you have no respect for the institutions that support you, and engage with them only in order to get from them without any expectation of giving anything back, you may end up doing actions that are immoral, unethical, and illegal. In my opinion, this is a tragedy embodied by some leaders in the Chareidi world.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact. Visit https://jcfny.org/orthodoxconundrum/ to request an information kit.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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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 why this is a dangerous trend—one that must be confronted head-on from a Torah perspective.

While many may be invoking Kahane’s philosophy with Israel’s best interests at heart, we argue that his ideas are fundamentally flawed—halachically, morally, and philosophically. We’ll explore why it’s crucial to openly discuss why Kahanism should not be part of the Jewish discourse, and why those who cite him must rethink their position before it spreads any further.

Tune in to understand why the resurgence of Kahanist thought in certain circles is a threat to the very values we hold dear—and why we must stop it before it gains more traction.

This week's episode is sponsored by Jewish Communal Fund, where strategic philanthropy meets impact. Visit https://jcfny.org/orthodoxconundrum/ to request an information kit.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

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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 recognize it for what it is, or because they are embarrassed and don’t want to admit it.

Yet we can’t ignore it, and all of us need to better recognize the warning signs and the red flags - both for those inside and outside of a relationship - and, should such warning signs exist, what we can potentially do about it.

Because this is such an important (albeit disturbing) topic, I was honored to speak to Keshet Starr, the CEO of Shalom Task Force, to learn more. We talked about the distinction between domestic abuse and domestic violence, the prevalence of male to female abuse versus female to male abuse, examples of non-violent abusive behavior (“the abuser’s tool box”), how can we determine when normal behavior crosses the line into emotional abuse or controlling behavior, the range and spectrum of inappropriate controlling behavior, whether the typical abuser is conscious of being an abuser, the way that an abuser often thinks of himself as “owning” his spouse, answering claims that domestic violence does not occur in Orthodox homes, how abuse takes place in ways that we cannot visibly see, the use of Jewish texts and religious ideas to justify abuse and break boundaries, warning signs and red flags, whether abuse should lead to divorce or if can it potentially be worked on (and why professionals won’t offer an opinion on that question), education against abuse, the meaning of spiritual abuse, barriers to getting help, and more.

To reach the Shalom Task Force’s confidential hotline, go to https://shalomtaskforce.org/contact.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Check out https://jewishcoffeehouse.com/ for the Orthodox Conundrum and other great podcasts, and remember to subscribe to them on your favorite podcast provider. Also visit https://www.jchpodcasts.com/ to learn all about creating your own podcast.

Music: "Happy Rock" by bensound.com