The Orthonomics Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Dovid Lichtenstein is the founder and host of the Halacha Headlines podcast, an amazing and very popular podcast with a huge listenership that is indeed "The most listened to Torah Program in the world.”   Halacha Headlines delves into contemporary issues and current events through the lens of Torah and Halacha (Jewish law). Each episode features discussions with Rabbis, lay leaders, and professionals from around the world, covering a wide range of topics, and the lineup of personalities interviewed includes both Haredi and Modern Orthodox leaders. Those with a deeper background in Jewish text study will gain more from the podcast but I believe everyone will find it interesting. 

Just a few examples from its 476 episodes to date include dealing with traumatic times, raising unspoiled children in a spoiled world, Alexa and electronics on Shabbat, assassinations and targeted killings in Halacha, Shemirat Einayin – including issues of young people and access to pornography, the issue of Israeli Haredim serving in the military, people frum on the outside and struggling on the inside, and much much more!

He has also authored several volumes of a series titled "Mishna Acharonah" on the "Mishna Berura" as well as the "Headlines" book series based on the podcast, and is involved in many charitable projects and organizations​. In our conversation, you’ll get a taste of his huge Jewish knowledge.

Finally, Dovid Lichtenstein is the founder and CEO of the Lightstone Group, one of the largest privately-held real estate companies in the United States, and he is a highly respected business and civic leader.   Here is a link to an article “Nishma v'Naaseh?” which was published in early 2023, and discusses some of the issues mentioning in this podcast episode.

Joseph Kaplan is perhaps the most prolific writer anywhere on topics relating to Modern Orthodoxy. He has written hundreds of articles in The Baltimore Jewish Times, The Jewish Week, Edah Journal, Sh’ma Magazine, New Jersey Jewish Standard, and the Times of Israel. He has written many letters-to-the editor of many publications including 19 that were published in the New York Times.

He recently released a book titled “A Passionate Writing Life,” (https://www.judaicahouse.net/passionate-writing-life) and it starts with the two sentences: “I'm a Modern Orthodox Jew. And a feminist.” He writes extensively about those two topics, and also about politics, the Covid and Trump years, the culture wars, church/state legal issues, Jewish divorce law, liturgy, ritual and much more.
Joseph is a retired lawyer, who practiced as a commercial litigator in New York for 46 years. He and his wife Sharon live in Teaneck, NJ, and have been blessed with four daughters and five grandchildren.

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Naomi Seidman about people leaving Orthodoxy and the related stories, experiences and misconceptions. She shares what she personally learned in leaving her Haredi community, as well as the insights of many others.  

We also draw upon the 2016 study “Starting a Conversation: A Pioneering Survey of Those Who Have Left the Orthodox Community,” in which 885 people recounted their experiences, and we include some verbatim quotes from some of these people, explaining what motivated them and what they want the Orthodox community as a whole to know about their leaving. 

 Recommended: Prof. Seidman’s excellent limited (four episodes) podcast series, Heretic in the House, from the Shalom Hartman Institute.  

A couple of very worthwhile books are:  

Shulem Deen’s All Who Go Do Not Return, a National Jewish Book Award winner. 

Prof. Schneur Zalman Newfield’s Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism. 

 In our "What Do You Want to Know?” segment, we answer a question we are often asked … how many people are leaving Orthodoxy. We cite Rabbi Zvi Grumet’s 2018 study of high school graduates. 

Many of the Orthodox community research studies we reference in this podcast are available and downloadable free at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html.  

Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo, and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support. 
 
Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com). 

In this episode, we speak with Keshet Starr about the agunah (“chained wife”) problem and what is being done to resolve it. Hot off the press (from a large-scale survey that had not yet been released as we recorded this episode), we have new data on the agunah situation and some fascinating verbatim comments from women and men about their divorce difficulties, which we will read and discuss.

Link to ORA to find out more, at http://getora.org.

In our "What Do You Want to Know?” segment, we answer a question we are often asked … why do we do research? Why do we even get into “these issues”?

Many of the Orthodox community research studies we reference in this podcast are available and downloadable free at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html. The document we referred to (things people most love, and those that cause unhappiness, relating to Orthodoxy) is located at this LINK. The infamous and often debated quote alluded to, by Rebbitzen Blu Greenberg, is: “Where there's a rabbinic will, there's a halachic way.”

Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo, and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support. Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

Elana Silber is CEO of Sharsheret (https://sharsheret.org), a national non-profit organization that improves the lives of Jewish women and families living with or at increased genetic risk for breast or ovarian cancer, through personalized support and educational outreach. We address such issues as: which Orthodox groups are at higher risk, what advances are being made, and how can people be helped in facing health, emotional, financial and family impacts? The Sharsheret website has much valuable information and informative links.

In our "What Do You Want to Know?” segment, we examine the cost of an Orthodox life in New York City as compared to the Midwest … and is there a difference in how Orthodox households perceive their overall financial situation? The report "Finances of Orthodox Jewish Life (December 2021)” is downloadable at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html.

Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo, and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support.

Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

Music: “Rumble” by bensound.com.

In this episode, we speak with Prof. David Myers, co-author (with his wife) of the fascinating book "American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic Village in Upstate New York,” and founder of the new Haredi Research Group, a multi-disciplinary group that is aiming to help us all better understand the American Haredi (Chasidic and Yeshivish) community. Information on this fascinating book is at https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691199771/american-shtetl.   "The Haredi Moment Has Arrived” by Eli Spitzer – https://mosaicmagazine.com/essay/jewish-world/2022/01/the-haredi-moment-has-arrived/   Link to the newly created Haredi Research Group.   In our "What Do You Want to Know?” segment, we hear back from a Haredi attorney who tells us that our research is flawed due to an inability to properly reach his community. So we offer an explanation and it seemed that he was reasonably satisfied. You be the judge!   Many of the Orthodox community research studies we reference in this podcast are available and downloadable free at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html.   Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo, and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support.   Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

In this episode, we speak with Rabbi Shimmy Trencher, MSW, who has been an Orthodox Jewish high school dean of students and principal for the past 15 years, has had leadership positions at NCSY, and is the founder of a Jewish high school student self-development program that has positively affected the lives of hundreds of teens.

Many of the Orthodox community research studies we reference in this podcast are available and downloadable free, at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html. We cited some of this research in this episode: click on “REPORT - The Successes, Challenges, and Future of American Modern Orthodoxy (2019)” (page 24) and “REPORT - 2017 Nishma Research Profile of American Modern Orthodox Jews” (pages 56-57) for more information on how the community sees its day schools.

 

The survey data assessing day schools may be found on pages 55-58 at this link: http://nishmaresearch.com/assets/pdf/Report%20-%20Nishma%20Research%20Profile%20of%20American%20Modern%20Orthodox%20Jews%2009-27-17.pdf  

Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo, and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support.

Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

Music: “Rumble” by bensound.com

In this episode we explore key issues that intrigue us, with an emphasis on hearing what people think in their own words. Let's turn the microphone over to you, our listeners!    We will hear people’s thoughts on such questions as: What are the things in your Orthodox community that most bother you … the “pain points”? Is there someone you go to for spiritual guidance? Who and how is this working out for you? Are you and your spouse “on the same page” religiously? Thinking broadly, do you have any questions, issues, or thoughts relating to sexual attitudes, behaviors, practices, halachot, etc. as they affect you? Are there aspects of Orthodox practice where you find yourself being more machmir/ stringent or more meikil/lenient compared to other people in your religious community, and what are they? And more.

This episode is also being presented on the Franciska Podcast.

Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

Music: “Rumble” by bensound.com

In this episode, we speak with Prof. Sam Heilman, who has been studying all sectors of Orthodoxy for almost 50 years. We talk about major shifts that have been taking place and speculate about future directions.

Voice of the Kehilla – Tell us what you think about key issues facing Orthodoxy. We will be doing a joint podcast with The Franciska Show and will report back to you on what we hear back from the community. Take our 6-minute confidential survey at http://bit.ly/Franciska-Orthonomics and you might hear us share your comments.

Many of the Orthodox community research studies we reference in this podcast are available and downloadable free, at http://nishmaresearch.com/social-research.html.

Thanks to Leora Trencher for designing our logo and for giving me (as a birthday present?) a great framed print of the logo; and to Elana Trencher and Aliza Levy for their audio support.

Orthonomics is produced by Scott Kahn of JCH Podcast Productions (http://jchpodcasts.com).

Music: “Rumble” by bensound.com.