In this episode, I speak with Ori Eisenberg, president of KodKod, Malot Sur and related initiatives that create serious, religiously sensitive pathways for Haredi men to enter army service, technology, skilled trades and the workforce. Ori shares his own journey from Israeli yeshiva life to the United States, MIT and the business world, and then back to Israel during the war. We discuss his family background in Poalei Agudat Yisrael, a world that combined Torah seriousness with openness to work, education and civic responsibility, and why he believes that some of those older models may be needed again today. The conversation focuses on the practical work of building alternatives for Haredi men who need a path beyond full-time learning, but who also need to preserve their Torah identity. Ori explains the development of JBH, KodKod and Malot Sur, including tracks in software, cyber, electronics and technical roles inside the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), with Torah learning, rabbinic guidance and a Haredi environment built into the model. We also discuss the legacy of Rabbi Yaakov Farber, who helped build Malot Sur and passed away at only 31. Ori’s Tzarich Iyun essay about him, “When Deeds Exceed Wisdom: Remembering Rabbi Yaakov Farber,” explores how Rabbi Farber embodied action, humility, Hasidic devotion and the courage to build something many people thought impossible. Read Ori’s article here: https://iyun.org.il/en/maremakom/when-deeds-exceed-wisdom-remembering-rabbi-yaakov-farber/ This is a conversation about Haredi society, Torah, army service, work, technology, integration, modernity, rabbinic leadership, October 7th and the search for models that can serve both Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people) and the spiritual integrity of the Haredi community.For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

In this special post-election episode of the Iyun Podcast, we examine the disappointing electoral performance of HaTzibur HaCharedi, the new Charedi political party advocating greater responsibility and engagement in Israeli society.I begin with reflections on a powerful Facebook post by Rabbi Ysoscher Katz about communal identity, belonging, and why dissatisfaction with a community doesn't necessarily translate into a desire to leave or change it. We also consider the influence of Daas Torah (rabbinic authority), the fear of wasted votes, and what election results actually reveal about the appetite for change.I then speak with Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, chairman of the party's rabbinic board, about what went wrong, lessons from the campaign, and why he believes the movement's success cannot be measured solely by votes.Was this simply an electoral failure, or the beginning of a longer conversation about the future of Charedi society?Find Rabbi Ysoscher Katz's Facebook post (Facebook search).

In this episode, I speak with Ziva Glanz, an American-born Haredi woman living in Israel and a candidate with the new Haredi political party, HaTzibor HaHaredi (the Haredi public).Ziva shares her personal journey from Passaic to Israel, her family’s experience with Aliyah (immigration to Israel), and her work helping Anglo families build sustainable communities in Israel. We discuss her efforts to create a new Anglo-Haredi community in Mevaseret, the broader challenge of “reverse Aliyah,” and why successful Aliyah requires not only ideology, but housing, schools, community and support.From there, the conversation turns to politics. Ziva explains why she joined HaTzibor HaHaredi, a new party seeking to represent Haredim who are committed to Torah but also believe that Haredi society must take greater responsibility for Israel’s future.We discuss the draft issue, appropriate service frameworks for Haredim, workforce participation, Haredi poverty, Mamachti Haredi (state-Haredi) education, the role of women, October 7th, “citizen government,” and the need for what Ziva calls Israel 2.0 and Politics 2.0.This is a conversation about Aliyah, Haredi society, Israeli politics, Torah, responsibility, social healing and whether a new kind of Haredi political voice can emerge from within the community itself. For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

It Wasn’t Always So In this episode, I speak with Yair Halevy, a researcher of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) history, thought and sociology, about one of the most fascinating and surprising shifts in modern Jewish history: the transformation from what he calls “old Haredism” to “new Haredism.” Today, many people assume that the Haredi relationship to the State of Israel, Zionism, the army and broader Israeli society has always looked more or less the way it does now. Yair’s research challenges that assumption. We discuss his work on the mainstream Haredi response to the Six Day War, including the remarkable enthusiasm that appeared in Haredi newspapers and among major rabbinic voices at the time. In some cases, the victory was described in deeply religious and even redemptive language, including references to Geula (redemption) and the possibility that history was moving in a dramatically new direction. From there, we explore what changed in the following years. Yair describes three major features of “old Haredism”: a more positive posture toward the State of Israel, greater power in the hands of Haredi politicians and journalists, and a broader social and cultural openness to general Israeli society. By the 1970s, much of that began to shift. The conversation touches on the Six Day War, the rise of a more separatist Haredi identity, the movement of public authority toward rabbinic leadership, the brother-and-sister affair involving Rav Goren, the relationship between Haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) and religious Zionists, and the ways communities reshape their own memory over time. This is a conversation about Haredi society, Israeli history, Zionism, Geula (redemption), authority, openness, separation and the question of whether the present was really as inevitable as it often appears. Learn more about Yair Halevy’s doctoral dissertation, “The ‘New Haredism’ Revolution in Israel in the 1970’s,” here: https://cris.biu.ac.il/en/studentTheses/the-new-haredism-revolution-in-israel-in-the-1970s/

In this episode, I speak with Rabbi Rafael Dembovsky about his new book, Between Torah and Derech Eretz: A Hashkafic and Halachic Analysis of the Torah im Derech Eretz and Torah Only Viewpoints. The conversation explores one of the most enduring and consequential debates in Orthodox Jewish life: What is the proper relationship between Torah and the broader world? For some, the ideal religious life means engaging the world and using its opportunities, disciplines and responsibilities in the service of G-d. For others, the ideal is withdrawal from the outside world in pursuit of spiritual purity, personal perfection and full immersion in Torah. These are often treated as sociological camps or communal identities, but Rabbi Dembovsky argues that the question is much deeper. It is a serious Torah debate, rooted in Chazal (the Sages), Rishonim (early rabbinic authorities) and Acharonim (later rabbinic authorities), with major implications for how we think about education, work, secular studies, bitachon (trust in G-d), hishtadlus (human effort), and the shape of a Torah society. We discuss why this topic cannot be reduced to slogans, why each side has deep sources and serious claims, and how a clearer understanding of the dispute can lead not only to sharper thinking, but also to greater respect across different parts of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people). This is a conversation about Torah im Derech Eretz (Torah with worldly involvement), Torah Only, work, learning, modernity, hashkafa (Jewish thought), halacha (Jewish law), and the challenge of pursuing truth without flattening complex Torah debates into simple communal labels. Order the book from Mosaica Press here: https://mosaicapress.com/product/between-torah-and-derech-eretz/For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

In this episode, we speak with Yechiel Presant about his provocative essay, “Vessels of Blessing: Poverty, Faith, and Human Agency in Charedi Society.” Conversations about Charedi poverty often focus on familiar questions: secular education, professional training, workforce participation, government support and the economic cost of a society centered around Torah learning. Presant does not dismiss those issues, but he argues that they miss something deeper: a religious psychology that can sometimes weaken human agency. At the heart of the conversation is a subtle but powerful question: what happens when emunah and bitachon are misunderstood in a way that makes people passive? If prosperity is seen mainly as a sign that one “deserves” blessing, and poverty is seen as a Divine verdict, then practical effort can begin to feel irrelevant. Instead of asking, “What vessel do I need to build?” a person may wait for blessing to arrive without developing the skills, habits, confidence and discipline needed to receive it. A Breslover chassid, Presant’s argument is not a rejection of Torah values or a call to replace emunah with materialism. It is the opposite. He argues that real emunah should restore dignity, responsibility and initiative. Hashem sends blessing, but human beings must prepare the vessels. This is a conversation about poverty, but it is also about much more than poverty: responsibility, learned helplessness, religious language, human dignity, bitachon and the kind of inner strength Torah is meant to produce. Read the article here: https://iyun.org.il/en/sedersheni/vessels-of-blessing/

What does it really mean to anticipate redemption? In this episode, I speak with Pinchas Freudiger about his provocative critique of contemporary Charedi thinking: that our understanding of Mashiach and Geula has become too passive and too deeply shaped by an exilic mindset.We discuss why Torah must address not only the spiritual lives of individuals and communities, but also the great questions of national life: justice, governance, human dignity and the creation of a model society that can serve as a light unto the nations. Pinchas argues that genuine emunah means believing in the good life the Torah promises, and developing the courage, imagination and practical readiness to begin building toward it.Read Pinchas’s essay, “Did You Anticipate Redemption?”For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

In this episode, we take a hard look at a growing crisis within the Torah world: what happens when a system built around the ideal of total Torah immersion leaves too many young men without genuine learning, productive work, responsibility, or purpose? Drawing on Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer’s provocative essay, we explore how idleness can lead not only to boredom, but to anger, extremism, and the erosion of the dignity and character traditionally associated with a ben Torah. The conversation challenges us to distinguish between protecting the Torah world and defending a system that may no longer be serving everyone within it, and asks what honest leadership, meaningful expectations, and constructive alternatives might look like. Read the article here: “Idleness, Anger, and the Erosion of the Torah World”. (iyun.org.il)For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

Dr. Nechumie Yaffe is a Haredi scholar and lecturer at Tel Aviv University whose work focuses on Haredi sociology and the challenge of translating the lived experience of the ultra-Orthodox world to audiences outside of it. Her research explores the tensions, assumptions, and internal complexities of Haredi society, offering a rare voice from within the community who can both analyze it academically and articulate it authentically.In this episode, we discuss the sociology of the Haredi world, how insiders and outsiders often misunderstand one another, and what is gained when the Haredi experience is explained with nuance rather than caricature.For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletter Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

Esti Salomon is the founder and CEO of Atida, a pioneering Israeli nonprofit creating new pathways for ultra-Orthodox women to serve in elite technological units within the IDF as civilian employees. Under her leadership, Atida has placed more than 400 women in prestigious roles in units such as Unit 8200, the Air Force’s Ofek Unit, the Communications Corps, and the Ground Forces Command. In addition to her groundbreaking leadership, Esti is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Bar-Ilan University, where her doctoral research focuses on the emerging phenomenon of ultra-Orthodox women working within the IDF. In this episode, we discuss the intersection of Haredi society, military service, women’s professional advancement, and Israeli social change, and what Atida’s work reveals about the evolving future of the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel.For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletter Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

Mrs. Miriam Kosman is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, a longtime resident of Bnei Brak, and now lives in Afula in Israel’s north. The daughter, descendant, and wife of distinguished talmidei chachamim, she has emerged as one of Orthodoxy’s most compelling thinkers on the subject of Judaism and gender. Her groundbreaking work, Circle, Arrow, Spiral, draws on academic insight, psychological depth, and the esoteric teachings of Judaism, particularly those of Rav Moshe Shapiro zt”l, to offer a rich and often countercultural framework for understanding masculine and feminine spiritual energies in Torah thought. In our conversation, we explore the theological dimensions of gender in Judaism, along with contemporary expressions, common misconceptions, and some of the stranger distortions that have emerged in the current cultural moment.For more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletter Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

Rabbi Shraga Freedman, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, has dedicated himself to restoring the centrality of Kiddush Hashem as a defining value in Jewish life. Through the work of the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation, he has developed programs, educational materials, and practical resources designed to inspire Jews to live in a way that reflects honor, integrity, and moral beauty. In this episode, we explore the contours of this timeless Jewish concept through its classical Torah sources, consider how it may have lost some of its central place in contemporary religious consciousness, and discuss how to restore it to a position of primacy within the lived experience of Torah observance. You can visit livingkiddushhashem.org for a wide range of resources, including the videos and educational materials featured in this episode. Contact Rabbi Freedman at [email protected] more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletter Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

SHOW NOTES: PROFESSOR BENNY BROWN Professor Benjamin (Benny) Brown is one of the foremost experts on charedi ideology and identity in the modern Israeli academy. He has published widely on a range of topics, including mussar and chassidus, in addition to our topic on this episode, Daas Torah. We explore what Daas Torah means, how it evolved into the operational principle governing much of charedi life today, and how it fits into the broader trends of modernity.MORE ON DAAS TORAHProfessor Lawrence Kaplan, Daas Torah, A Modern Conception of Rabbinic Authority https://www.scribd.com/doc/39842329/Kaplan-Lawrence-Daas-Torah-A-Modern-Conception-of-Rabbinic-Authority Rabbi Anthony Manning’s English Bibliography on “Da’at Torah and Rabbinic Authority”: https://rabbimanning.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Daat-Torah-2017-Bibliography.pdfFor more quality content, join our weekly newsletter: https://iyun.org.il/en/join-our-newsletterOur Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Tzarichiyun

On November 19, 2025, Rabbi Nathaniel (“Nati”) Helfgot - a congregational rabbi and Judaics teacher at SAR in Riverdale - wrote an article at The Lehrhaus titled, “Ben Gurion and Hazon Ish: The Sequel.”In the article, Rabbi Helfgot traces the history of the iconic encounter between these secular-political and chareidi leaders, respectively, in the State of Israel’s earliest days. He then proceeds to document the little-known continuing correspondence between the two figures.This encounter - both the actual historical event and its larger metaphorical import - helps us understand the origins of the ideological fault lines that remain entrenched today, despite a heavily altered demographic landscape. We also examine ways in which chareidi norms have shifted since October 1952, and how the meeting in question might inform relations in our current moment.

On Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah 5786/2025, the Jewish world lost a titanic leader, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, a man who modeled Jewish living and leadership in an extraordinary manner.Rabbi Hauer was the Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, as well as Rabbi Emeritus of Baltimore's Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion.He spearheaded a wide variety of communal initiatives while occupying a rare "middle ground" - passionately committed to core Torah principles, but respectful of and connected to all precincts of the Orthodox community, and beyond.In tribute of this great figure, who exemplifies the ideals that Iyun promotes, we speak with Rabbi Yisroel Motzen, rabbi of the Ner Tamid synagogue in Baltimore, a longtime rabbinic student of the late Rabbi Hauer, as well as his associate at the OU.Rabbi Motzen helps us sketch the contours of Rabbi Hauer's unique personality and hashkafa, and shares principles of his that we might incorporate into our own lives.

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie is a longtime Chabad Shaliach (emissary), co-director of the North County Chabad Center in Orange County, California. Author of the book Secret of Chabad, he has recently released a groundbreaking biography of the “Friediker Rebbe” - the Sixth Rebbe of the Chabad chassidic dynasty - called “Undaunted: How the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn Saved Russian Jewry, Reimagined American Judaism, Ignited a Global Jewish Renaissance.”In this episode, we review Rabbi Eliezrie’s own background and this most recent work, then springboard into an analysis of Chabad’s perspective on Zionism, secular nationalism, army enlistment and the modern state of Israel.

Since inaugurating this podcast, and focusing a long series on charedim and army service, one episode has conspicuously been missing: a full treatment of the halachic parameters of the notion of milchemes mitzvah, as well as an analysis commonly advanced ideals such as "Torah magneh u'matzleh" ("Torah study protects"). In this episode we remedy that void and address these issues that are vital to any Torah-centered Jew.To do so, we speak with Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Lifshitz, a noted rav and rosh Kollel based in Yerushalayim, who has written extensively on these topics in recent months. Rabbi Dr. Lifshiftz is also a professor of philosophy at Shalem College.

Dr. Moshe Koppel is a leading computer scientist in Israel, with a specific expertise in AI. But over past twenty years he has led an intellectual movement promoting judicial reform within Israel.Through his Kohelet Policy Forum, Dr. Koppel researches alternatives to the entrenched judicial dynamics, and advocates for what he considers a more balanced and democratic approach, in line with other Western countries. Obviously, this topic has been at the center of stormy debates and protests in Israel; while it seemed to subside in the wake of the October 7th tragedy, this issue has returned to the foreground, with broad implications for swaths of Israeli society, perhaps most notably, the chareidim.We speak today with Dr. Koppel about the history and intellectual perspective of this movement, how and why it seemed to unravel, and where the typically non-ideological and narrowly focus charedi public fits in to the story.

The charedi communities of the United State and Israel are separated physically by an ocean, but culturally and psychologically by a great deal as well. Many Americans lack basic awareness of current developments on the ground in Israel, the actual attitudes towards army service and general integration being promulgated there.The resulting gap leads to widespread misconceptions, and inhibits Anglos from forming fully informed positions.InStep Together is a new grassroots initiative aimed at remediating this state of affairs. Several notable Anglo-Charedi rabbinic personalities have embarked on a “hasbara tour” of sorts, holding intimate, fireside chat-style conversations in various communities. Rabbis Mordechai Becher, Ron Yitzchak Eisenmann and today’s guest, Yitzchak Adlerstein, have directed their time and talents towards helping thoughtful charedim around the United States grapple with these issues of grave importance.

Tuvia Tenenbom is quite a colorful character. An author, playwright, mathematician, computer scientist, and all-around polymath, Tuvia was raised in a chareidi Israeli home, in the lap of the Chazon Ish, Rav Shach and other great luminaries. His own life veered on a different course, but he recently returned to those ideological precincts, spending a year in Mea She’arim, Jerusalem, fully immersed in the local community.The product of his embedded travels is the book, “Careful, Beauties Ahead: My Year with the Ultra-Orthodox,” an honest and largely flattering portrayal of his time in an otherwise closed society.Tenenbom highlights many of the gifts - fervent religiosity, principled living, embrace of charity and family - that animate chareidi life, yet which so few Israeli “outsiders” ever learn about, much less witness.In an era of intense polarization,Tenenbom’s tome is a reminder that, for all the critique and calls for chareidi reform, the core values must be preserved, radiating out towards the entire Jewish nation, and beyond.

Why are we here? What’s it all about? Obviously, Judaism has quite a bit to say about this topic. In fact, it may be its entire animating essence!Still, as expressed in contemporary living, even those who identify as strictly Torah-observant may respond divergently to this most-important question.On this episode, Tzvi Goldstein will argue that the Chareidi mindset on “the purpose of life” is orientated towards a Next-World (Olam Ha’Ba) perspective, built on a mystical approach popularized by Rav Chaim of Volozhin.Goldstein himself favors what he classifies as a more “centrist”, “This-Worldly” approach, championed by Rav Hirsch and Rav Soloveitchik.Yaakov Resnick pushes back, adding nuance and sophistication to the presentation of Charedi hashkafa, and muddying the picture, just a bit.Stay tuned for our host’s own take at the end of the episode.This conversation was inspired by an article penned by Goldstein on the pages of online publication The Lehrhaus, provocatively titled “Rack up Those Mitzvot,” to which Resnick (along with others) responded with a letter to the editor. (See past Iyun guest Chaim Goldberg’s letter as well.)Yaavov Resnik prefers a lower profile, but for more from Tzvi Goldstein, check out his book, Halachic Worldviews. This unique work explains the background for the "centrist" approach to Torah learning, and offers more than a dozen examples of halachic topics that might be evaluated through the lens of “Torah values.” Tzvi authors a wonderful Substack as well. Give him a follow!

Rabbi Moshe Taragin is a long-time Ram at Yeshivat Har Etzion (“The Gush”), as well as a popular speaker and author on a wide variety of Torah topics. A student of Rav Aharon Lichsteinstein, zt”l and Rav Yehuda Amital, zt”l, R’ Taragin absorbed their weltanschauung over many years.In this episode, we ask him to sketch out, for the uninitiated, the “Dati Leumi” community in which he lives and teaches. Many people beyond this large and vibrant society may be unaware of the variegated options therein, or of just how serious and committed are many of its adherents to limud ha’Torah and shmiras ha’mitzvos. Hopefully, this show can offer a modest corrective to that reality.R’ Taragin speaks with great humility and ahavas Yisroel, and all of his works are well worth our listeners’ attention. Hear some of his classes here and here. And purchase his powerful book about faith post-October 7th, Dark Clouds Above, Faith Below.

One of the under-appreciated concerns - sometimes articulated, often unconscious - held by Chareidim with respect to army service, is the concept of “chain of command.” For a young man whose guiding force in life is G-d, the Torah and rabbinnic authority, submission to faceless officers high up the IDF’s ladder can seem sacrilegious.This is compounded when considering possible halachic matters of life and death: who is authorizing actions that place soldiers’, and others’, lives at risk? Are these decisions guided by Torah principles in any sense?Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody, founder of Ematai, and author of the recently-released instant-classic Ethics of our Fighters, joins us to explore these vexing issues.

“Daas Torah.” These two words are among the most loaded in modern hashkafic - and political - discourse. But what, in fact, does it mean, and how might it apply to the current crisis over chareidi conscription, whatever one’s view of the matter? It would be presumptuous to attempt to treat the topic of Daas Torah comprehensively on one episode of a conversational podcast. One is referred to Lawrence Kaplan’s classic article on the matter, and many other sources, for this more holistic treatment.Instead, we evaluate how this contention is marshaled within the current discourse around Chareidim and army service. Rabbinic opposition often is cited as the most substantial argument against participation. This impulse is deeply embedded in the charedi psyche, and one can argue that this is with good reason: after all, on matters of legitimate communal guidance, who is more qualified to issue directives that will preserve societal commitments and observance?On the other hand, in today’s landscape, many people seek more transparency and wish to debate the issues on their merits, without recoursing to an “argument from authority.” Furthermore, students of even recent history wonder when this issue became so monolithic, and extreme.This fascinating article explores charedii military participation during the War of Independence. Telz Rosh Yeshiva Rav Elya Meir Bloch attended a communal Yom Ha’atmaut celebration in Cleveland in 1954. And consider these statements, cited in a Tzarich Iyun article by Iyun founder Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, made decades ago by the greatest sages of the previous generation:Rav Elazar Shach (1980 letter on behalf of Vaad Hayeshivos): “The right given to yeshiva students of deferring their enlistment into the army, is contingent on his study being his sole occupation. He must not be engaged in any material pursuits, whether during yeshiva hours or outside of them.” Rav Yechezkel Abramski: “Anyone who “abuses this right, is considered a rodef (a “pursuer”) of those yeshiva students who study Torah diligently.” And he instructed Roshei Yeshiva “to conduct a strict vetting of students and remove from their ranks any student whose Torah is not his sole occupation.”The Steipler (in Orchos Rabbeinu): “Those who are registered in yeshiva, allowing them exemption from the army even as they engage in gainful employment, are absolute rodfim.” To be sure, none of these quotes imply a pro-army stance for full-time yeshiva students; quite the opposite. Still, they do reflect a willingness - even responsibility - to reserve this exemption for those most deserving. (And of course, while many opponents would still decry such privilege for full-time learners, a stance that demands army service for all non-learners would be welcomed in our moment by most Israelis, and reflect a far more liberal position than currently espoused.)So…in a society that seems to have grown only more traditional, why has the chareidi community grown more resolute and isolated? Why has the Daas Torah changed? Or is all not as it appears?We will attempt to unravel some of these questions on this episode. ---------------Link to Outro reference:

Rabbi Eliyahu Chait, the youngest child of famed rabbi, author and singer-songwriter Rabbi Baruch Chait, is making a mark of his own. An IDF alumnus of Netzach, R' Eliyahu recognized a need for a post-army framework servicing young men from chareidi backgrounds with serious Torah learning and options for "re-entry" into civilian life. Kochot, his nascent organization, is offering authentic Torah-based experiences to those who have sacrificed for the People of Israel, as they chart a course for the rest of their lives.KOCHOT'S WEBSITE: https://lp.we-be.co.il/kochot/KOCHOT on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gzT Uq775Y4?si= cilGPsZzDsoj8b6Struggling after service? Help us empower Orthodox veterans. Many young Orthodox men returning from the IDF find themselves grappling with their faith and unsure of their path forward. KOCHOT, a Jerusalem-based program, is there for them. We provide these veterans with the support they need to rebuild their connection to Judaism and navigate life after the military. Through a strong spiritual foundation and practical guidance, KOCHOT helps them find meaning and purpose in their civilian lives. Your donation can make a difference. Help us empower these brave veterans as they transition to the next chapter. Donate today! https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML7PCN6QEN3QX/checkout/FPRO5FLJF6A7F2MYAEVE76K7?src=webqr

On this episode, two wonderful, "regular" yungermen - each a talmid chochom of stature who has thought and written considerably about this subject - join us for an "Oxford-Style Debate" (sans the audience).Today's proposition: "The time has arrived for many more chareidim to begin to draft to the army."R' Chaim Goldberg is an educator, clinical psychologist and author.Jewish Press Article: https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/the-idf-a-torah-true-calling/2024/04/12/Substack ("View From Jerusalem"): https://chaimgoldberg.substack.com/Rav Aharon Lichtenstein on the Ideology of Hesder: https://traditiononline.org/the-ideology-of-hesder/R' Mordechai (Mordy) Twersky is an educator and scholar in Har Nof, Jerusalem, Israel.Brief monograph on Chareidi opposition to army service: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xYDEKI7DjfXBzhNR QXz8KomWURliPkqeg4lqJgc85E/edit?usp=sharing

Chareidim & the Army (Pt. 3): What is Nachal Chareidi/Netzach?In Episode 4 of the Iyun Podcast - and Pt. 3 of our mini-series on Chareidim and Army Service - we begin exploring various frameworks that currently exist to absorb those chareidim seeking to draft into military service. We begin with what is known as Nachal Chareidi, or Netzach Yehuda (now Netzach). These two are often conflated, although actually they are related but not identical institutions.We speak with CEO Yossi Levi about these programs, how they are actually constructed, how they differ from other IDF units, and the future of this enterprise.Learn more about Nachal Chareidi and Netzach at https://nahalharedi.org/

In Episode 3 of the Iyun Podcast - and Pt. 2 of our mini-series on Chareidim and Army Service - we interrogate the "moral claim" leveled by Israeli society, broadly writ, against those Jewish brothers who elect not to serve in the IDF. With Moshe's rhetorical repudiation of, "Shall your brothers go to war and you will stay back?" (Bamidbar 32:6) as a backdrop, we evaluate whether this intuitive, viscerally powerful contention is dispositive on this vital topic.Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer has written extensively about this issue, and is joined by Mrs. Ilana Cowland, a noted parent educator and speaker, with "feet" planted firmly in multiple communal "camps."IMPORTANT LINKS:An Open Letter to our Haredi Sisters (Hebrew):https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfT7lDYfGJTKmTysGESMB6-Y-iHHxTU4FmSjFSprLkdzBzyYQ/viewformIlana Cowland's recent Times of Israel column on the current intra-chareidi divide:https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/kornreich-vs-dunner-a-haredi-womans-opinion/? gl=1*1nv2abx* ga*MTAyNjk0MDk4OC4xNjk5OTkxMjAx* ga RJR2XWQR34*MTcxMjIzNzExMi4xMzI1LjEuMTcxMjIzOTM0NS4wLjAuMA"Now It’s Brotherhood’s Turn," by R' Yehoshua Pfefferhttps://iyun.org.il/en/sedersheni/now-its-brotherhoods-turn/

EPISODE SUMMARYThis episode of the Iyun Podcast begins our discussion of the complex relationship between Chareidi society and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Featuring insights from Iyun Institute founder Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer and guest Rabbi Yosef Chaim Simchon, the conversation explores the historical, moral, and societal aspects of Charedi participation in the army. From Rabbi Simchon's personal journey and transformational experiences in the IDF to the nuanced objections within the Chareidi community, this episode offers an in-depth look at the intersection of faith, identity, and national service.TIMESTAMPS00:00 Introduction00:32 Chareidim and IDF: The Core Issues 02:17 Guest Introduction: Rabbi Yosef Chaim Simchon02:26 Rabbi Simchon's Personal Journey11:11 The Moral and Practical Realities of Army Service50:11 Concluding Reflections and Calls for Unity

EPISODE SUMMARYOn this pilot episode of the Iyun Podcast, we begin our in-depth exploration into Chareidi society, focusing on its integration into modern Israeli society and the implications for the Jewish community at large. Featuring Iyun Institute founder and director Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, we delve into the various factions within Chareidi society, including Litvish, Hasidic, and Sephardi groups, and explore the balance between traditionalism and modernity. Our episode also highlights the cultural contributions of the Chareidi community and its evolving role within both Israeli society and the broader Jewish diaspora, aiming to foster a sense of identity and cultural exchange. We begin to outline communal challenges, and sketch out potential pathways for more harmonious integration and participation in the shaping of Israel's future.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Welcome and Introduction03:36 Special Guest: Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer on Chareidi Identity and Challenges06:29 Rabbi Pfeffer's Journey: From London to the Heart of Israeli Chareidi Society10:54 Defining Chareidi Identity: A Complex Tapestry20:02 The Shift Towards Addressing Broader Societal Challenges28:28 Navigating Academia as a Chareidi: Rabbi Pfeffer's Experience35:14 Understanding the Diverse Factions within Chareidi Society41:36 Comparing Hasidic, Litvish, and Sefardi Isolationism45:31 The Spectrum of Chareidi Identity: Traditional vs. Modern01:07:45 The Role of English-Speaking Chareidim in Israel01:12:15 Launching the Iyun Podcast: A New Chapter