The Orthonomics Podcast
by Mark Trencher
The Orthonomics Podcast explores issues of importance to the Orthodox Jewish community, through the dual lenses of data – drawn from a wide range of sources – and informed conversations with knowledgeable and often opinionated experts. Each episode also includes a segment titled "What do you want to know about the Orthodox community?" In which our guest, as well as our listeners, get to pose their questions on issues that intrigue them, and we answer your questions.
Episodes
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(63) The Stories That Carry … with Dena Schusterman
Dena Schusterman is the author of "Stories Carry," a personal memoir about faith, belonging, and the inherited stories that shape us. As the daughter of Chabad emissaries in 1970s Berkeley, California, and now a Chabad shlucha herself in Atlanta, Dena, mother of eight, has spent her life…
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(62) An Orthodox Rabbi Changing the World … with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is a prominent Orthodox rabbi, educator, and social justice activist, best known for founding multiple justice-oriented Jewish organizations and for his prolific writing on ethics and spirituality. Raised in an interfaith family, he chose Judaism as his religious path…
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(61) The War on Hate … with Henry Kopel
Henry Kopel is a retired federal prosecutor with over 30 years' experience involving national security matters, domestic terrorism, and violent crimes. He most recently authored the extremely ambitious and informative book "War on Hate," which, as one reviewer (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) notes, "raises...
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(60) You Can Make a Difference … with Ari Schaffer
Ari Schaffer is a Young Israel shul member and board member, founder of CT for Israel, a grassroots group advocating for Israel and opposing antisemitism throughout Connecticut. He is also on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford. For his day job, Ari is the...
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(59) Orthodox Jewish Fertility and Family Size … with Viva Hammer
Viva Hammer is a fifth generation Australian who moved to New York after finishing law school. She served as a lawyer in the private sector and then at the US Treasury and in the US Congress. She is a partner in a DC law firm and holds academic positions at Brandeis University and the Australian...
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(58) The Gift of Life … with Mindy Schaper
Mindy Schaper is a unique personality. Not only did she volunteer a kidney to save the life of a young man whom she did not know, but she also volunteered as a surrogate mother, carrying the child of an Orthodox couple full-term … and she did this twice! So now you understand the title of this...
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(57) A Surge in Conversions to Judaism … with Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander
In this episode we discuss the recent surge in Jewish conversions and the reasons for this surge, especially in Israel. Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander is the President and Rosh HaYeshiva of the Ohr Torah Stone network in Israel. It comprises 32 educational institutions, leadership development...
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(56) An Orthodox Jewish Woman Activist … Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll
Our guest is Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a well-known Orthodox Jewish writer and activist whose work focuses on women's rights in Orthodox Judaism and the visibility of women in religious life. Born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, she moved to Israel with her family, where she has become a...
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(55) Aliyah: Varnished and Unvarnished … with Shifra Gewurtz
In this episode we discuss aliyah with Shifra Gewurtz, reflecting realistically on the challenges, the realities, and the successes. We talk about her long-term goal of making aliyah, the decision-making process, the many logistics involved, family issues (lots of teenagers involved), housing,...
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(54) Splitting Hairs … with Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Broyde
In this episode we discuss with Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Broyde the evolution, especially in the past half century, of communal standards for tzniut in dress, particularly among women; whether laws of tzniut over the millennia have been objective and fixed, or subject within bounds to changing…
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(53) Caring for Your Health – Halachically … with Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman
In this episode, we continue our discussion of health, including some references to our recent survey of the community, with Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman. Dr. Grossman is a Harvard-trained physician (MD) with a Master of Public Health degree (MPH), a radiation oncologist, public-health scholar, and…
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(52) The Health and Related Concerns of Orthodox Jews … with Dr. Jennie Berkovich
In this episode, we discuss with Dr. Jennie Berkovich the results of our recent survey of over 1,100 Orthodox Jews, relating to their health concerns and issues. Dr. Berkovich is a board-certified pediatrician focused on improving access to care for children, while also educating communities…
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(51) Jewish Preparedness and Self-Defense … With Harry Weller
Harry Weller is extremely knowledgeable on the topic of how we as Jews can defend ourselves, be prepared for and able to respond to threats. In this episode we discuss the need for, and resources available for Jews to learn self-defense, preparedness, how to deal with potential threats, and even...
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(50) Rethinking, While Also Caring … with Rabbi Steven Greenberg
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is an Orthodox rabbi and author. Ordained at Yeshiva University, he has spent years teaching, writing, and speaking across the Jewish world about tradition, ethics, and religious change. Specifically, as co-founder of the group Eshel, he was one of the earliest voices…
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(49) The Cost of Orthodox Life: Are Things Really Getting Worse? … With David Sheril
In this episode we discuss the cost of Orthodox / frum life. What factors affect it, and how? We discuss overall finances (how many are doing OK; how many are not doing OK?); the impact of children's education costs; housing costs in Orthodox neighborhoods; kosher food prices; competitiveness and...
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(48) An Excellent Jewish Learning Resource … With Audrey Lichter
Audrey Lichter is a long-time Jewish educator and community leader, and the founding Executive Director of the Chai Mitzvah program. Audrey has worked in Jewish education for over 30 years, including as the founding principal of Yachad, the community high school in Greater Hartford, Connecticut....
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(47) Self-Identification, Leaving Orthodoxy, Divorce, Therapy, and More … With Miriam Moster, PhD
Miriam Moster has a PhD sociology, she is a Mellon Humanities Public Fellow and a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Her research explores Jewish communities, education, and the experiences of individuals navigating the boundaries of insular religious worlds. "Navigating the boundaries" means moving from…
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(46) Addictions and Suicides in the Orthodox Community … with Zvi Gluck, CEO of Amudim
Thanks to the Halacha Headlines podcast and Dovid Lichtenstein for allowing us to share this important episode with the Orthonomics audience. Halacha Headlines is an excellent podcast, primarily aimed at the Yeshivish community but with important insights for all Orthodox Jews. It is available at...
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(45) A Man of Emes v'Emunah … Truth and Faith … Harry Maryles
Harry Maryles is the author behind the blog Emes Ve-Emunah (which is now also released as a Substack publication). For many years he has written extensively and prolifically on issues of Halacha (Jewish law), hashkafa (Jewish philosophy), and contemporary matters affecting Orthodoxy. He does not...
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(44) Navigating Grief Through Jewish Tradition … with Elissa Felder
Elissa Felder is a: • Renowned speaker • Author of the book "From One Life to the Next Life" • The Coordinator of Core's Communities of Practice Elissa also mentioned Chai Mitzvah and the excellent Sourcebook and Materials they have prepared for follow-up discussion of the topics she raises.
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(43) What Comes After Orthodox Divorce, for Men and Women … with Esther Eisner
Esther Eisner is the founder of AfterForever.org, an online support community for Jewish divorcees. As a divorcee herself, Esther has experienced firsthand some of the challenges of rebuilding – both one's home and ones' self – post-divorce. She started After Forever to help others get back on...
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(42) Health, Covid and More … with Dr. David Wolpaw, MD
David Wolpaw reacts to the top health issues that Orthodox Jews recently told us are most important to them, including how their priorities compare with those of the general population. We also have a wide-ranging conversation covering such topics as attitudes toward vaccines, trust in medical...
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(41) Diet and Fitness in the Orthodox Community … With Rocky (Yerachmiel) Bochner
Rocky Bochner is a data analyst and behavioral neuroscientist … and also both a certified personal trainer and a certified nutrition coach in the New York City Orthodox community. It is the latter – exercise and diet – that bring him to this program, in connection with our upcoming health survey....
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(40) Divorce and the Law … With Attorney Deborah S. Chames
This episode continues our series on divorce, with our guest Deborah Chames, a highly respected partner at a Miami law firm. Deborah represents family law clients at Kluger, Kaplan, a Southeast Florida firm with clients nationwide. She handles high-net-worth divorces and high-conflict divorces....
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(39) The Broad Role and Value of the Beth Din … With Rabbi Shlomo Weissmann
We did a recent divorce survey and discussed the findings in episode 37. This episode is the first of several follow-ups on that topic. The Beth Din of America serves as a national rabbinical court, affiliated with the Rabbinical Council of America and the Orthodox Union. It addresses a broad...
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(38) Emunah and Physics: A Jewish Resolve …with Dr. Berel (Zachary) Epstein
Dr. Berel Leib (Zachary) Epstein lives in Baltimore with his wife and children. He learns at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. He also is a theoretical physicist and a Senior Staff Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he engages in advanced research aimed at supporting...
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(37) Marriage & Divorce … What Works and What Doesn't
In this episode, we interview Esther Eisner and David Sheril, two of the members of our Community Advisory Group that helped to develop this study. We discuss a wide range of findings among Modern Orthodox and Haredi Jews, including the causes of divorce and the factors that help to create a...
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(36) From the Right – With Rabbi Dov Fischer
Rabbi Dov Fischer was ordained at Yeshiva University, has held leadership roles in numerous Jewish organizations, and is the founding rabbi of Young Israel of Orange County, California. He is also an accomplished trial attorney, writer, and prominent leader in advocacy relating to Orthodox Jewish...
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(35) Yoetzet Halacha and Community Scholar – Ruthie Braffman Shulman
Ruthie Braffman Shulman is passionate about the importance of women's roles in Torah Leadership positions, and she currently serves as the Director of Women's Torah Leadership at Micah Philanthropies, where she develops and supports women in Torah leadership positions at shuls. Simultaneously…
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(34) "In-Town" vs. "Out-of-Town" Living … with Rabbi Dr. Noam Weinberg
Rabbi Weinberg is a distinguished Jewish educator, relationship coach, and speaker, renowned for his expertise in fostering healthy relationships and guiding personal development. He received his rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University, he holds a master's degrees in marriage and family...
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(33) The Evolution of Orthodoxy… With Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff
In this episode, our wide-ranging discussion covers the size of the Orthodox and Modern Orthodox community, how and why the Orthodox have become a minority, the cost and standards of living of Orthodoxy, some under-valued benefits, and even some sport trivia! Our guest, Rabbi Zev Eleff received…
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(32) A Peek Into the Hasidic World … with Frieda Vizel
Frieda Vizel was raised in the Satmar Hasidic community. At age 25, she left that community and pursued higher education, culminating in a master's degree at Sarah Lawrence College. Since 2013, she has been offering walking tours of Hasidic Williamsburg. Her tours provide insights into the...
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(31) Orthodox Divorces: Why? Why? Why? … with Betzalel Rothstein
Betzalel Rothstein is a Certified Divorce Coach and Mediator who is highly regarded and has been involved in hundreds of divorce cases over the past 10 years either as Mediator, Coach, Parenting Coordinator or Consultant. He has extensive experience in dealing with difficult topics such as…
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(30) Rabbi Steven Gotlib: A Thoughtful and Bold Voice for Our Complicated Times
In this episode, we have a wide-ranging discussion, touching on such topics as: • Significant differences between US and Canadian Jewry/Orthodoxy • Interactions and public conversations across among various denominations • The evolving role of women in Modern Orthodoxy • Has politics become a...
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(29) Aliza Bulow: Empowering Orthodox Jewish Women & Strengthening Our Homes
Aliza Bulow is an author, educator and mentor to Jewish women around the world, who founded CORE, an organization that empowers and connects Orthdox Jewish women. Core connects, develops and sustains women who engage in klal (the collective community) work. Core supports women in three main ways:...
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(28) Moish's Believe It or Not! Bet you didn't know that about Orthodoxy ...
In this episode we present some surprising facts about Modern Orthodoxy and the Orthodox community as a whole, based upon Nishma Research surveys between 2016 and 2024. We explore the size and growth of the community, religious beliefs and practices, political views, the finances of living an...
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(27) Haredi Expert, Researcher and Founder of Mispar.com, Dina Goldman
Dina Goldman is at the frontier of researching and understanding the Chasidish and Yeshivish communities. She has spent over a decade working in marketing and advertising within the Orthodox Jewish community. Seeing how many businesses really lack solid information that they need, she founded...
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(26) The First-Ever Community Middot Report Card
Middot (and we're talking mainly about interpersonal behaviors) are so important, especially in these stressful days. So we are pleased to present this as a dual-platform episode, being released on both Orthonomics and The Franciska Show … both covering important issues in the Orthodox Jewish...
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(25) Author, Educator, Coach, Speaker … Ruchi Koval
Ruchi Koval is a parenting coach and motivational speaker who has inspired personal transformation in thousands of people. She is the co-founder and Associate Director of JFX (Jewish Family Experience), an innovative community in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been a Jewish educator for two decades,...
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(24) Interview with an Orthodox therapist, Dr. Chaya Lieba Kobernick
Dr. Chaya Lieba Kobernick is a licensed clinical psychologist and the Founder and Director of The CBT/DBY Center (https://www.thecbtdbtcenter.com/ … email [email protected]), with clientele in both Israel and the U.S. She received her doctorate at Long Island University, and also trained at...
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(23) The Issues We Raise; the Questions We Ask … with Halachah Headlines Author and Podcaster Dovid Lichtenstein
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…
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(22) Prolific Commentator Joseph Kaplan … Modern Orthodox and Feminist
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...
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(21) Rabbi Yehuda Albin … Melding Torah Teaching and Personal Coaching
Rabbi Yehuda Albin grew up as a Reform Jew in Scarsdale, NY. He was exposed to Judaism and his father ran several secular Jewish camps for youth. He became religious in Jerusalem, after graduating Bowdoin College with the highest honors. Then he studied the Torah and the Talmud for nearly a…
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(20)Jacob Kornbluh – Senior Political Reporter at The Forward; and Member of the Brooklyn Hasidic Community
Jacob Kornbluh is the senior political reporter for the Forward. Kornbluh, a member of the Hasidic community in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, covers politics with a Jewish angle and regularly interviews government officials, political commentators and security experts on issues that...
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(19) Baruch Lytle – African-American Convert, Satmar Hasid, and Award-Winning Jewish World Journalist
Baruch Lytle is an African American Orthodox Jew from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and he identifies as a Satmar Chasid. He describes his conversion to Judaism as the defining moment of his life and greatest accomplishment. He is also an award-winning journalist, having written nearly 200 articles for...
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(18) A Conversation with Orthodox World Pundit… and "The Man in the Middle"… Michael Feldstein
Michael Feldstein is a keen observer and commentator on all aspects of the Orthodox Jewish community, and his weekly columns in the Jewish Link newspaper draws an enthusiastic readership. His upcoming (January 2024) book, "Meet Me in the Middle," is a collection of 75 of his essays and, in this...
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(17) Starting a Conversation: A Pioneering Survey of Those Who Have Left the Orthodox Community
This episode is an exploration of a pioneering study of people who have left the Orthodox community, as we examing journeys, practices, beliefs, identity, community and relationships, across Chasidic, Yeshivish and Modern Orthodox segments of the population. In this episode, we review many...
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(16) Covid – Micro and Macro Experiences, with Rabbi Tuvia Brander and Dr. Daniel Staetsky
In this episode, we first look at how Covid affected a shul and community, and we discuss with Rabbi Brander the creativity, innovations, and possible lasting changes that took place. We then discuss with a leading demographer the impact that Covid had on the Jewish community in terms of actual...
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(15) A Conversation with Journalist, Author, Podcast Host, Religious Explorer, Magician, Film Critic, and Albert Einstein Avatar – Benyamin Cohen
In this episode, we speak with Benyamin Cohen, news director at The Forward, author of "My Jesus Year: A Rabbi's Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith," named one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly, "The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our...
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(14) Fertility, Mortality, Life Expectancy, Changes in Self-Identification, and Orthodox Population Growth – with Demographic Expert Dr. Daniel Staetsky
In this episode, we speak with the noted Jewish world demographer Dr. Daniel Staetsky about population trends, particularly in the Haredi world. Dr. Staetsky is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research (London), and has published widely on Jewish, Israeli and European...
About this show
The Orthonomics Podcast explores issues of importance to the Orthodox Jewish community, through the dual lenses of data – drawn from a wide range of sources – and informed conversations with knowledgeable and often opinionated experts. Each episode also includes a segment titled "What do you want to know about the Orthodox community?" In which our guest, as well as our listeners, get to pose their questions on issues that intrigue them, and we answer your questions.
Hosted by
Mark Trencher
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