The Koren Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Remembering Rav Steinsaltz zt"l Sep 07, 2020

Show notes

Just over a month ago, we lost our dear friend and teacher Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz. I impact that Rav Steinsaltz had on the world cannot be overstated and his achievements in the world of Jewish publishing, teaching, and beyond made him stand out as one of the greatest sages of the modern age.
Rav Steinsaltz published over 300 books across the entire gamut of Jewish thought and was the single most prolific commentator on classic Jewish works having written and published commentaries on Tanakh, Mishna, Gemara, Rambam, and Tanya as well as dozens of books of his own original ideas. The relationship Koren Publishers had with Rav Steinsaltz, and with the Steinsaltz Center is one we treasure and has produced some of the finest works of Jewish thought and scholarship. What set Rav Steinsaltz apart, aside from his incredible mind, was his impeccable character even in the face of some of life's most difficult challenges. His insight, wit, humility, and grace opened the world fo Torah and Jewish learning to countless people. May his memory be a blessing.
We were honored to sit with Rabbi Menachem (Meni) Even-Israel, director for the Steinsaltz Center, and Rav Steinsaltz's son to hear first-hand about who his father was and the influence he had. We also spoke with Matthew Miller, Publisher of Koren Publishers, to hear about how the relationship between Koren and Rav Steinsaltz began.
Useful Links:
www.korenpub.com/collections/rabbi-adin-even-israel-steinsaltz
www.steinsaltz-center.org/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJVEgfDNM3s
www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-iIqNyN7ps

Ethical living: Modern Orthodoxy and Mussar with Rabbi David Silverstein and Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg Aug 31, 2020

Show notes

The month and Elul and the approach of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur bring with them the overwhelming desire for introspection and self-reflection. Although we are all familiar with some of the classic works of mussar and ethics building, the Modern Orthodox community tends to shy away from the formal study of mussar. We sat down with Rabbi David Silverstein, assistant Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orayta, and Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg, Mashgiha Ruhani of Migdal Oz to discuss why mussar tends to take a back seat in the Modern Orthodox world, a different approach to the study of ethics and our understanding of mitzvot and halakha, and to get some inspiration ahead of the High Holidays.
Rabbi David Silverstein - Rabbi Silverstein is the Sgan (Assistant) Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta, located in the Old City of Jerusalem, and previously served as the Director of the Overseas Program at Yeshivat Hesder, Petach Tikva. Rabbi Silverstein lectures widely on the philosophy and meaning of Jewish law and is the author of Jewish Law as a Journey: Finding Meaning in Daily Jewish Practice from Menorah. Originally from New Jersey, Rabbi Silverstein lives with his wife and four children in Modiin, Israel.
Rabbanit Shayna Goldberg - Rabbanit Goldberg teaches in the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz and is a contributing editor at Deracheha.org. She previously taught halakha at the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School in Teaneck, NJ, and served as a yoetzet halacha for Congregations Rinat Yisrael and Ahavat Torah, as well as for Kehilat Kesher, all in New Jersey. She lives in Alon Shevut, Israel, with her husband and five children.
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Torah and Technology with Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld and Rabbi David Fohrman Aug 17, 2020

Show notes

The impact technology has had on Torah is huge. We sat down with two people at the forefront of using tech and the internet to teach Torah to millions of people around the world. Whether creating an opensource platform to give access to the full range of Jewish texts in Hebrew and English to allow people to share their own learning, or creating an outlet for ideas that, previously, had no means of reaching people on the scale they deserved.
Rabbanit Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld is the Chief Learning Officer at Sefaria.org, an online database, and interface for Jewish texts. She is passionate about Talmud education and about expanding Jewish textual knowledge for all.

Her previous experience includes serving as Director of Education at the Center for Jewish Life – Hillel at Princeton University as part of the OU’s Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus, as well as serving as faculty at the Drisha Institute and at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy. Sara studied Talmud and Jewish Law at various institutions of Jewish learning in Israel and America including Midreshet Lindenbaum, Drisha, Nishmat, and Beit Morasha, and speaks on various Jewish topics at synagogues, schools, and in university communities.
Rabbi David Fohrman is the founder and CEO of Aleph Beta, a non-profit media company that produces high-quality Torah videos, highlighting a unique methodology in studying Torah text in a way that is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally engaging. Rabbi Fohrman also lectures internationally on Biblical themes. He served as a senior writer and editor for ArtScroll’s Schottenstein Edition of the Talmud and taught Biblical themes at Johns Hopkins University. His published works include The Beast That Crouches at the Door, The Queen You Thought You Knew, The Exodus You Almost Passed Over and the new Genesis: A Parsha Companion soon to be published by Maggid Books.
Get 10% off your next order from www.korenpub.com with code PODCAST at checkout and get 1 month free on a Premium Membership from alephbeta.org with code PARSHACOMPANION
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Useful links:
Sefaria: www.sefaria.org
Aleph Beta: www.alephbeta.org
TedTalks: www.ted.com
Koren Publishers: www.korenpub.com

Learning From the Margins with Rabbi Pini Dunner - Jewish History part 2 Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

Continuing our exploration of Jewish history, we are joined by Rabbi Pini Dunner, senior Rabbi of Beverly Hills Synagogue and author if Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs: Episodes From the Margins of Jewish History.
We discuss the importance of not just learning Jewish history what we can learn from some of the lesser-known episodes of the past. Rabbi Dunner, a renowned expert in Jewish manuscripts and prolific collector of Jewish books and polemics, tells us about how we can understand these strange episodes and what lessons we can learn from them.
Rabbi Dunner’s family can trace itself back over 1,000 years in Europe’s most prominent Jewish communities. He is descended from some of Judaism’s most illustrious rabbis, including the medieval rabbinic luminary “Rashi”, and the revered “Maharal” of Prague.
After studying in rabbinical seminaries in the U.K., U.S., and Israel, Rabbi Dunner began his rabbinic career in Russia, as the Assistant Rabbi at Moscow’s iconic Choral Synagogue. He later served as a rabbi in London, and in 1998 presided over the launch of the innovative Saatchi Synagogue for young Jewish professionals in London’s West End.
Since 2011, Rabbi Dunner and his wife Sabine, together with their six children, have lived in the U.S., where he is the Senior Rabbi of Beverly Hills Synagogue in California. Rabbi Dunner also serves on the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), and on the board of the Israel Christian Nexus, an interfaith organization focusing on cross-communal advocacy and support for Israel.
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Useful links:
https://rabbidunner.com

History is the Story of People with Rabbi Berel Wein - Jewish History part 1 Jul 27, 2020

Show notes

We had the privilege to talk to the world-renowned historian, educator, lecturer, and rabbi, Rabbi Berel Wein for some inspiration ahead of Tisha B'Av.
In the first of this special, 2 part episode on Jewish history, Rabbi Wein reveals what first got him excited about learning history, what makes the study of Jewish history unique, what messages we can take with us into the future by learning about the past, and what the purpose of Tisha B'Av really is.
Rabbi Berel Wein, the founder, and director of the Destiny Foundation, has, for over 25 years, been identified with the popularization of Jewish history through his more than 1,000 lectures heard world-wide, his 15 books, history courses, educational tours and, most recently, dramatic and documentary films.
Rabbi Wein is a graduate of the Hebrew Theological College and Roosevelt College in Chicago. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from De Paul University Law School and a Doctor of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Theological College.
Rabbi Wein has published several books including many with Maggid Books. Rabbi Wein also authors and edits a monthly newsletter – The Wein Press – a source of information and inspiration on topics of Jewish interest. He also pens a weekly column for The Jerusalem Post.
Currently, The Destiny Foundation is in the process of translating Rabbi Wein’s riveting accounts of Jewish history into a series of films on Jewish personalities – the first, entitled Rashi-A Light After The Dark Ages, was released in 2000, and Rambam/The Story of Maimonides had its premiere in New York, in November 2004. Currently, in production, The Destiny Foundation is preparing a 10-part documentary series, based on Rabbi Wein’s history of the Jews in the twentieth century, Faith & Fate.
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Useful links:
https://www.rabbiwein.com/
https://www.jewishdestiny.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCplrOMkTLJTyKEKVLAnR_kA

Walking the Line - Halakha and Modern Orthodoxy Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

In this week's episode, we explore some of the unique challenges Modern Orthodox Jews face in trying to balance a commitment to halakha while engaging in the modern world.
We are joined by Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody and Rabbanit Laurie Novick who share their wisdom and insight in this fascinating discussion on how to find that balance, what some of the difficulties are, and what the future of Modern Orthodox halakhic observance looks like.
Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody is the founding director of the Tikvah Overseas Students Institute. A columnist for The Jerusalem Post since 2007, Brody previously served for a decade as a senior instructor at Yeshivat Hakotel and as a junior research fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute. Brody’s writings focus on making Jewish texts accessible to broader audiences while applying them to contemporary social and ethical dilemmas. His work has appeared in Mosaic, First Things, The Federalist, Tablet, Tzohar, The Forward, Hakirah, and other popular publications, and has been cited in Israeli Supreme Court decisions. His first book, A Guide to the Complex: Contemporary Halakhic Debates (Maggid Books), received a 2014 National Jewish Book Award. A summa cum laude graduate of Harvard College, he received rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, an MA in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University, and his Ph.D. from Bar Ilan University Law School, where he continues to serve as a post-doctoral fellow. Originally from Houston, Texas, Rabbi Brody now lives in Modi’in with his wife Rocky and five children.
Rabbanit Laurie Novick is Director and Head Writer of Deracheha: Women and Mitzvot. Deracheha is an initiative of Yeshivat Har Etzion's Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash and the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash For Women – Migdal Oz. She has worked as a senior responder on Nishmat’s Health and Halacha website, www.yoatzot.org, since 2002, and taught at Nishmat for many years. Rabbanit Novick is also a member of a pilot cohort of Yoatzot Halacha who received advanced training in fertility issues and Halakha. She has degrees in Bible, Jewish Education, and Talmud and has also done additional graduate work in Counseling.
Get 10% off A Guide to the Complex: Contemporary Halakhic Debatesand the rest of your order at www.korenpub.com with code PODCAST at checkout
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You can email us at podcast@korenpub.com
Useful links:
The Tikvah Fund: https://tikvahfund.org/overseas/
Jewish Law Live: https://www.youtube.com/jewishlawlive
Jerusalem Post - Ask the Rabbi: https://bit.ly/2DXQzim
Deracheha: Women and MItzvot: https://www.deracheha.org/
Nishmat Yoatzot Halacha: https://www.yoatzot.org/home

The Big Gadol Debate - Does Modern Orthodoxy Have Gedolim? Jul 06, 2020

Show notes

In the past few months, Modern Orthodoxy has suffered the loss of some of this generation's greatest leaders including Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm zt"l and Rabbi Dr. Nachum Rabinovitch zt"l.
Our leaders have also faced challenges and had to find creative answers to some incredibly challenging questions arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic but does Modern Orthodoxy have Gedolim? What is a Gadol? Do Modern Orthodox Jews subscribe to a system of centralized leadership or do we draw on a wealth of different sources to come to a more pluralistic system of religious leadership?
Inspired by contributions at The Lehrhaus, we sat down with Prof. Chaim Saiman (Lehrhaus Consulting Editor, Professor and Chair in Jewish Law at Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law, Dayan at the Beth Din of America) and with Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank (Maggid Shiur at Yeshiva University, RIETS, and the Mazer School of Talmudic Studies) to discuss.
To read the original articles discussed in this episode see here:
https://thelehrhaus.com/commentary/the-market-for-gedolim-a-tale-of-supply-and-demand/
https://thelehrhaus.com/commentary/netanel-wiederblank-response/
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Approaching Times of Crisis Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

In the first-ever episode of the Koren Podcast, we sit down with Rabbi Reuven Ziegler to talk about approaching times of crisis. Rabbi Ziegler gives us unparalleled insight into the hashkafa of Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik (the Rav), and Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and how each approached life's most challenging times. We see how we can learn from these two Torah giants to gain strength in these difficult times.
Rabbi Reuven Ziegler is Director of Research at the Toras HoRav Foundation, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Yeshivat Har Etzion's Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash, Editorial Director of Koren Publishers and Chair of the Editorial Board of Maggid Books.
Get 10% off On Repentance by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Adapted and Edited by Pinchas H. Peli) and By His Light by Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein with code PODCAST here: https://bit.ly/2V2cpXq

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