Was Hanukkah really a war of Jews vs. Greeks — or a Jewish civil war we chose to forget?

Was Hanukkah really Jews vs. Greeks — or a Jewish civil war we chose to bury under a story about oil?

In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz revisit the Hanukkah story through the sources. From Maccabees I and the politics of Ptolemy vs. Antiochus, to the lone Talmudic mention of the oil miracle (Shabbat 21b), they show how a messy internal power struggle became a clean miracle narrative.

1. Hanukah began as a Jewish civil war — not just Jews vs. Greeks.
2. Each generation rewrites the Maccabees to fit its own battles.
3. The shamash — the helper candle — may be Hanukkah's real hero today.

[00:00] Hanukkah beyond oil and miracles

[03:12] Why the Talmud barely explains Hanukkah

[05:01] The forgotten Jewish civil war

[07:22] Hellenists vs. Maccabees reexamined

[09:48] Power, empires, and internal factions

[12:30] Modern culture wars through Hanukkah

[14:55] Why the rabbis hid the conflict

[17:05] Hillel vs. Shammai as metaphor

[19:10] The shamash in Israeli children's stories

[23:40] Hanukkah as a model for unity

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Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Imagine being told you belong to a faith that is fighting to keep you out—and refusing to leave.

In this week's Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz welcome Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the first openly gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation.

1. Vulnerability transforms the meaning of Torah.
2. Bottom-up change is reshaping Orthodoxy.
3. The tradition has the capacity — and the precedent — to grow.

[00:00:12]

Rabbi Steve Greenberg's coming-out context and the question of LGBTQ+ Jews as teachers of Torah.

[00:03:11]

Steve's Yom Kippur aliyah story and being vulnerable to the text.

[00:04:46]

Confronting the biblical verses; reframing what Leviticus might mean.

[00:06:22]

Tamar's courage and parallels to LGBTQ+ belonging.

[00:08:57]

"Bottom-up Judaism": queer Jews staying, not leaving — shifting the halachic landscape.

[00:11:39]

Google rabbis, post-COVID authority shifts, and personal autonomy in community life.

[00:15:08]

Israeli changes: rejecting the Rabbanut, forming new models of partnership.

[00:17:42]

A painful role-play with a rabbi exposes how harmful "lifelong celibacy" messaging is for gay teens.

[00:21:19]

New data on LGBTQ+ rabbinical students and why queer spiritual sensitivity strengthens Jewish leadership.

[00:24:56]

Parents as powerful advocates: Orthodox families pushing shuls and schools to stop rejecting their children.

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Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Eshel: https://www.eshelonline.org/

Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion — and most of us don't even see the battle lines.

In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Professor Adam S. Ferziger to explore the quiet revolution reshaping Israeli Judaism. Drawing on his new book, Agents of Change, Ferziger reveals how American Modern Orthodoxy—its values, institutions, and worldview—has profoundly influenced Religious Zionism and the broader Israeli religious landscape. From the tension between nationalism and modernity to the emergence of a new Israel-born generation, we uncover the cultural, political, and spiritual crossroads Israel now faces. Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion—and American Jews are playing a bigger role than anyone expected.

1. American Modern Orthodoxy Has Become a Quiet Force in Israeli Judaism
2. Israeli Religious Zionism Is Splitting Into Two Distinct Paths
3. Israel's Next Generation of Leaders Will Be Religious — But Neither Haredi or National Religious

• [00:00:00] Jacob returns from exile with wealth, family, and a new identity; exile reframed as productive, not just punishment.
• [00:01:00] Intro to Professor Adam Ferziger and his book Agents of Change about American Jews reshaping Israeli Judaism.
• [00:02:00] Host sets the frame: modern Orthodoxy's influence on Israeli religious life, education, feminism, and LGBTQ inclusion.
• [00:03:00] Ferziger's personal story: gap year yeshiva, Aliyah in 1987, building family and rabbinic life in Kfar Saba.
• [00:04:54] Early political snapshot: the failed "Meimad" experiment and how Anglo moderates felt marginal and deviant.
• [00:06:36] Shift in the 2000s: religious-Zionist camp diversifies; modern Orthodox voices gain legitimacy and visibility.
• [00:09:05] Explaining American Modern Orthodoxy: Torah plus general culture, YU, day schools, Rav Soloveitchik's synthetic model.
• [00:14:10] Rise of "Hardal": nationalist-Haredi style religiosity, stricter halakha, and a more redemptive, messianic Zionism.
• [00:21:45] The "agents of change": eight American rabbis/educators whose Israeli students indigenize and radicalize their ideas.
• [00:34:15] Why this matters beyond religion: "Israeli Judaism" and how moderate Orthodox trends may shape Israel's future leadership.

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Adam Ferziger's Book https://nyupress.org/9781479817559/agents-of-change/

Ready to discover how reviving a lost language can reshape the whole Middle East? Ta Shma (come and hear)

Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Shadi Khalloul—IDF paratrooper veteran, founder of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, and one of the world's most passionate advocates for reviving the Aramaic language. Together, they explore Parshat Vayetzei and the hidden "Rosetta Stone" moment in Genesis 31, where Jacob and Laban name the same monument in Hebrew and Aramaic.

1. Aramaic is the Hidden Backbone of Jewish Life
2. Aramaic Once United the Ancient World—And Can Still Bridge Communities Today
3. Israel's Aramean Christians Are a Forgotten but Loyal Minority whose story will surprise and inspire you

[00:00:00] Opening: Jewish prayers written in Aramaic & introduction to Shadi Kaul

[00:01:03] Shadi's unique role: soldier, educator, reviver of Aramaic culture

[00:02:12] Shadi's background: identity, community history, and connection to Israel

[00:03:47] Serving in the IDF and discovering his Aramaic purpose in the U.S.

[00:05:32] Founding the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association & education initiatives

[00:07:14] Plans for Aramaic towns, schools, and coexistence programs

[00:09:22] Daily language reality: Arabic spoken, Aramaic preserved in prayer

[00:11:48] Parallels with Jewish language revival and historical connections

[00:14:27] Shadi's family displaced in 1948 and the ongoing struggle for recognition

[00:32:41] Aramaic as the ancient international language—the "first internet"

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Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/691050

Israeli Christian Aramaic Association - http://www.aramaic-center.com/?lang=en

A History of the First World Language - https://a.co/d/fjHe9C1

Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

What if one of the Torah's greatest heroes was actually its most scandalous trickster?

In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Adam Mintz dive into one of the most provocative moments in the Torah: Jacob's audacious act of deception to secure his father Isaac's blessing in Parashat Toldot. Rather than smoothing over the ethical wrinkles, we sit with the discomfort, exploring why the Torah insists on portraying our third patriarch as a trickster—and what we're meant to learn from a hero whose virtues are tangled with flaws.

1. The Torah Embraces Imperfect Heroes prompting readers to grapple with imperfection as part of the human and spiritual journey.
2. Biblical stories were shaped by and for public reading; audiences came with expectations based on oral traditions and prior knowledge.
3. Spiritual growth often requires confrontations with failure and the "divine ruse"—a process of growth through challenge, not perfection.

• [00:00:00] Geoffrey opens the episode and introduces the problem of Jacob stealing the blessing.
• [00:00:25] He reframes the question: maybe the Torah wants us to sit with the discomfort.
• [00:00:47] Overview of themes: ancient oil traditions, imperfect heroes, Maimonides on change.
• [00:01:08] Show intro + housekeeping (YouTube, Substack, source sheet, reviews).
• [00:01:27] Main question of the week: why portray Jacob this way, and are we projecting modern morality?
• [00:02:18] Opening character analysis: Jacob's name, symbolism of "heel holder," zig-zag personality.
• [00:04:01] Plot recap: Isaac asks Esau for hunted game, Rebecca overhears and initiates the plan.
• [00:05:02] The key deception moment: Jacob tells Isaac, "I am Esau your firstborn."
• [00:07:27] Esau's character through rabbinic commentary: glutton, outdoorsman vs. Jacob the tent-dweller.
• [00:22:03] Jacob's consequences begin: exile, never seeing his mother again, being tricked by Laban.

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Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/689945

Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

What happens when women finally enter the conversation that's been about them all along?

In this episode of Madlik: Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Prof. Rabbi Wendy Zierler — Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR, ordained by Yeshivat Maharat, and author of Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry.

1. Expect to rethink assumptions about primary biblical characters—especially the matriarchs—and appreciate the living tradition of midrash as a vehicle for creativity and challenge.
2. Hear how feminist perspectives and modern poetry revitalize Jewish text study, offering new interpretations for "the life of Sarah"—and the legacies that women shape.
3. Explore the argument that literary and artistic creation in Hebrew is as much a part of Jewish commentary as classic text study.

[00:00:00] Geoffrey introduces the episode and guest Rabbi Professor Wendy Zierler, setting up a feminist exploration of Sarah's story in Genesis.

[00:02:31] Discussion begins on Sarah's laughter and how women's scholarship reframes her response and role in Torah narratives.

[00:03:46] Wendy explains the irony of "Chayei Sarah" focusing on Sarah's death and how reading the gaps reveals her inner life.

[00:05:36] They examine Abraham and Sarah's separation after the Akedah and what it reveals about love, obedience, and divine testing.

[00:09:02] Wendy argues the Akedah causes a rupture—between Abraham and Sarah, Abraham and Isaac, and even Abraham and God.

[00:12:40] The hosts explore new feminist midrash: Sarah's imagined agency, waiting for angels, and representing love over fear.

[00:17:22] Conversation turns to Sarah's burial choice as an act of leadership that shaped the matriarchal roots of the Jewish story.

[00:19:53] Transition to Wendy's book Going Out with Knots and how Hebrew poetry became her lens for mourning and feminist study.

[00:21:41] Wendy teaches Leia Goldberg's reinterpretation of "the three pillars of the world," highlighting women's creative renewal of tradition.

[00:26:42] Discussion closes with Yehuda Amichai's outsider voice, women's return to Hebrew literature, and modern creativity as living midrash.

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Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/

Link to Wendy's Book: https://jps.org/books/going-out-with-knots/

Link to theTorah.com article: https://www.thetorah.com/article/sarah-finally-separates-herself-from-abraham

A Netflix rom-com jokes that Judaism "encourages me to argue." Turns out, that's not a joke—it's what set Abraham apart.

A Netflix rom-com gives us a throwaway line that might be the most Jewish thing ever said on screen. When a young rabbi admits that Judaism loves two opposing opinions, his girlfriend lights up: "A religion that encourages me to argue? Love that." It's meant as a joke, but this week's Torah portion proves her right. Sarah laughs at divine promises, Abraham bargains with God over justice, and on Mount Moriah, even silence feels like protest. Judaism doesn't shy from disagreement—it builds holiness out of it. In Nobody Wants This Argument With God, we explore how faith, laughter, and dissent became inseparable in the Jewish imagination.

1. From Sarah's laughter to Abraham's debate, the Torah's heroes don't obey blindly — they question boldly.
2. In Judaism, arguing with God isn't heresy — it's how prayer begins.
3. Laughter is not only a survival mechanism its an act of defiance.

• [00:00:00] Opening story – bingeing "Nobody Wants That" and connecting its theme of argument to the Abraham story.
• [00:01:22] Framing the Torah portions – arguing as Judaism's "love language."
• [00:02:19] Introduction to the podcast and this week's Parsha topic.
• [00:05:34] Beginning analysis of Genesis 18 – Sarah's laughter and disbelief.
• [00:08:09] Discussion of women's Torah commentary and reinterpretation of Sarah's fear.
• [00:12:30] Transition to the Sodom narrative – Abraham arguing with God.
• [00:17:41] Exploration of rabbinic interpretations that amplify Abraham's argument.
• [00:20:07] "Prayer as battle" – how the rabbis turned debate with God into daily practice.
• [00:26:13] Transition to the Binding of Isaac – silent inner arguments and faith.
• [00:30:44] Closing reflections – dialogue with God as Judaism's defining feature and farewell.

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3,000 years after Abraham heard the call to go forth, a group of 20 somethings booked a one-way ticket to Ben-Gurion.

What if the journey of Abraham in the Torah mirrors the modern-day aliyah experience? In this episode we dive into the modern-day "Lech Lecha" story with Noah Efron from The Promised Podcast. From his Young Judea roots to teaching at Bar Ilan University, Noah shares his journey of making aliyah (immigration to Israel) from America in the early 80s, offering a fascinating perspective on what it means to "go forth" in our generation.

1. The power of community in the aliyah experience
2. The unique perspective of being both an insider and outsider in Israel
3. The evolving nature of Israeli society towards greater inclusivity

[00:00:00] – Opening narration: "Picture standing on the edge of an unfamiliar land…" — Sets up Abraham's journey and the metaphor for modern Aliyah.

[00:00:48] – Introduction of guest: Geoffrey introduces Noah Efron and outlines his background—academic, political, and as host of The Promised Podcast.

[00:02:00] – Podcast welcome + theme framing: Geoffrey and Rabbi Adam introduce the episode's focus—connecting Abraham's "Lech Lecha" journey to Noah's personal Aliyah story.

[00:05:46] – Noah begins his Aliyah story: Reflects on family, children, and how Young Judaea shaped his decision to move to Israel with his wife and friends.

[00:09:54] – Community and creation: Noah describes building new communities, egalitarian spaces, and shaping Israel through civic involvement and local politics.

[00:11:22] – Raising Israeli-born children: Noah reflects emotionally on seeing his kids grow up Hebrew-speaking, communal, and connected—contrasting American vs. Israeli culture.

[00:15:42] – Anglo influence in Israel: Discussion turns to American Jews' cultural and social contributions—environmentalism, NGOs, and pluralism—forming a distinct "ethnic group" within Israel.

[00:20:31] – Bridging identities: Noah explains how he respects Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) culture and values, despite being secular-left politically—revealing his nuanced, integrative outlook.

[00:28:24] – Text study & reflection: Geoffrey brings in a Midrash about Abraham choosing industrious Canaanites; parallels to modern Israeli industriousness ("startup nation") and shared society.

[00:29:55] – Closing vision: Noah's optimism—believing Israeli society continues to expand its "us," becoming more inclusive, compassionate, and interconnected. Ends with reflection on Ger v'Toshav (stranger and citizen) identity.

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