Orthodox Conundrum

Sexual abuse is a terrible problem in all communities, and unfortunately, the Orthodox world is no exception. Is the Orthodox community better or worse than others? Have things improved over the past few years as awareness has increased - or have things gotten even worse? And is there reason to hope for the future? Join Scott Kahn as he interviews Shana Aaronson, the COO of Jewish Community Watch (http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/) about a problem that we dare not ignore. Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes - just go to itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ortho…rum/id1289716034, click on "View in iTunes," and you're ready to go. Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

In our last episode, we asked if the ends justify the means in Torah Judaism; the answer, we stated, must be a resounding NO. Nevertheless, in the realm of politics in Israel, religious political parties often act as though any means - including the violation of Halacha - is acceptable in the service of reaching the parties' goals. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn looks at religious political parties in general, and why he feels that they are doing a disservice to Torah Judaism. Even more to the point, Scott argues that religious political parties are anti-Torah almost by definition. This is not a podcast that recommends any particular candidate or party; instead, it's a serious look at issues that are too often ignored, in the hope that listeners will perhaps think twice before casting their ballots - no matter whom they support. Listen to the podcast for a timely discussion you won't want to miss. Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes! Just go to itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ortho…rum/id1289716034, click on "View in iTunes," and you're ready to go. Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

In this bonus mini-episode for Yom Kippur, the Orthodox Conundrum offers a reminder about something we all know, but so often forget: the message we're sending our children, spouse, and friends when we look at our phones while sitting at the table. Please take five minutes to listen, and share the message that starting today, #NoScreensAtTheTable.

Do the ends justify the means? This old question has been debated endlessly, but within Torah Judaism, the answer must be a resounding NO. Nevertheless, too often in the Torah community, the ends are treated as so important that violations of some of the most serious prohibitions in the Torah are countenanced in the context of achieving a seemingly noble goal. In this episode of the Orthodox Conundrum, Scott Kahn discusses this issue in the context of the well-known kiruv rabbi, Yosef Mizrachi, and his seemingly questionable methodology. He also carefully distinguishes between elements of Mizrachi's approach with which he disagrees, and those which he claims are a violation of Torah norms. Listen now to this careful yet passionate discussion. Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes! Just go to itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ortho…rum/id1289716034, click on "View in iTunes," and you're ready to go. Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com

The Israeli Chief Rabbinate has become a lightning rod for criticism - and in many cases, quite deservedly so. The institution is broken; should we try to fix it, or junk it altogether? Rabbi Seth Farber, the founder of ITIM, believes that it can be a force for good - but only if it changes its narrow and, in his opinion, incorrect understanding of Halacha and its place in the State of Israel. In this episode of The Orthodox Conundrum Podcast, Scott Kahn discusses these and other issues with Rabbi Farber, including the op-ed he wrote for the New York Times on August 1, and whether publishing it in so public a forum is merely giving fodder for people who look for new reasons to dislike Israel. Please subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes! Just go to itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ortho…rum/id1289716034, click on "View in iTunes," and you're ready to go. Music: Happy Rock by bensound.com