Savitsky Talks

Savitsky Talks: Steve interviews Yael Aldrich

Orthodox Union — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:05:56 +0000

Interview with Rabbi Haber

Orthodox Union — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 13:01:34 +0000

Steve and Rabbi Efrem Goldberg Discuss Transgendered People in the Jewish Community

Orthodox Union — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 12:47:43 +0000

Interview with Dr. Loike

Orthodox Union — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 21:12:25 +0000

Rabbi Weinreb talks about Rabbi Ben Zion Shenker, z”l

Orthodox Union — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 21:27:47 +0000

How one Florida yeshiva actually lowered tuition

Orthodox Union — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 19:34:16 +0000

Steve Savitsky interviews Adam Englander, Head of School of the Katz Hillel Day School in Boca Raton, about how his school lowered its tuition by $1,000.

Interview with Rabbi Korobkin: Politics from the Pulpit

Orthodox Union — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 15:21:10 +0000

Steve Savitsky talks with Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, rabbi of Congregation Beit Avraham Yosef of Toronto. They discuss Rabbis talking politics from the pulpit.

Savitsky Talks: Is the Torah in Favor of Gun Control?

Orthodox Union — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 21:35:15 +0000

In this episode of Savitsky Talks, Stephen Savitsky talks with Rabbi Josh Flug about his latest article for Jewish Action where he discussed the Jewish perspective on gun control.

Savitsky is the former chairman of the board and a past president of the Orthodox Union. Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Savitsky Talks: An Interview with Rabbi Menachem Genack

Orthodox Union — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 21:34:40 +0000

Rabbi Menachem Genack

In this episode of Savitsky Talks, Steven Savitsky talks with Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, about his relationship with Rabbi Yisroel Belsky z’tl and the role of the posek of the Orthodox Union.

Interview with Dr. Leslie Ginsparg Klein

Orthodox Union — Tue, 17 May 2016 16:00:54 +0000

Savitsky Talks with Ron Solomon

Orthodox Union — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:40:08 +0000

Savitsky Talks with Norene Gilletz

Orthodox Union — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:37:23 +0000

Savitsky Talks with Rafael Medoff

Orthodox Union — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:36:07 +0000

Savitsky Talks with Rabbi Oberstein

Orthodox Union — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 17:33:56 +0000

Steve Savitsky Interviews Howard Spielman

Orthodox Union — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 16:09:12 +0000

Savitsky Talks: Reclaiming the Dignity of the Rabbinate: an interview with Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer

Orthodox Union — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 15:22:00 +0000

In this episode of Savitsky Talks, Steve Savitsky interviews Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer about his latest article for Jewish Action, “Reclaiming the Dignity of the Rabbinate.”

“The rate of rabbinic scandal involvement is minuscule percentage-wise compared to any other profession out there,” stated Rabbi Gordimer.

Hunting the Graveyards for Americas Holiest Jews

Orthodox Union — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:56:41 +0000

Listen: Savitsky Talks: The Benefits and Consequences of Today’s Technology

Orthodox Union — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:59:16 +0000

In this segment of Savitsky Talks, Steven speaks to Dr. Eli Shapiro, a social entrepreneur and creator of the Digital Citizenship Project that aims to teach children a healthy attitude towards technology. His article: “Take Two Tablets and Skype Me in the Morning: The Challenges of Our Children’s Technology,” will be forthcoming in the next issue of Jewish Action.

“We don’t have a mesorah in how to raise kids effectively when it comes to technology,” explained Dr. Shapiro.

Savitsky Talks: Who Will Support The State of Israel?

Orthodox Union — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 19:28:45 +0000

In this episode of Savitsky Talks: Steven speaks with Heshy Zelcer, CEO of Hakirah: The Flatbush Journal of Jewish Law and Thought, about his latest think-piece: “Who Will Support the State of Israel?”

“The mood of the American people is shifting a little bit away from supporting Israel,” Zelcer states. “A lot of this is coming from a Protestant ethic of supporting the underdog. While Jews were being killed it was fashionable among the lefties to support Israel. Now that Israel is flourishing, they’re looking for someone else to support.”

Zelcer also discusses the psychological barriers that exist in the charedi community against supporting Israel.

Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Savitsky Talks: Do We Have Free Will?

Orthodox Union — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 16:51:59 +0000

In this episode of Savitsky Talks, Stephen interviews The New York Times bestselling author Dr. David Lieberman about his new book, “How Free Will Works: The Blueprint to Take Charge of Your Life, Health and Happiness.” (Feldheim) The book explores the Jewish view of free will along with notions of maazel and divine providence.

“It’s important for a person to really own and embrace that Hashem creates a level playing field and when a person wants to change the quality of their life, they need to change the quality of their choices,” says Dr. Lieberman. “Even if a person has ‘bad maazel’ it doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy a high-quality of life.”

Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Savitsky Talks: Rabbi Alex Ozar—Author of Headaches and Head Coverings

Orthodox Union — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 17:20:41 +0000

In this segment of Savitsky Talks, Stephen Savitsky talks with Rabbi Alex Ozar, a YU musmach who is currently pursuing a PH.D. at Yale in philosophy of religion. Rabbi Ozar wrote the incredibly popular three-part series, “Headaches and Head Coverings.” Rabbi Ozar writes about the reasons why he wrote the series and the laws and history concerning why married Jewish women cover their hair.

Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Savitsky Talks: What’s Next for the Iran Deal?

Orthodox Union — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 15:43:04 +0000

President Obama has already gotten the votes he needs to support the Iran Deal. What happens next? What happens to the relationship between America and Israel? In this audio segment, Stephen Savitsky, interviews Robert G. Sugarman, former chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and past national chair of the Anti-Defamation League, about the future of the Iran Nuclear Deal. Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Savitsky Talks: Rabbi Aharon Fried

Orthodox Union — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:55:31 +0000

In this audio segment, Stephen Savitsky, a member of the executive committee of the board of directors for the Orthodox Union, interviews Rabbi Dr. Aharon Fried about better methods to teach our children how to read Hebrew. Savitsky is the former chairman of the board and a past president of the Orthodox Union. Savitsky Talks is a weekly 20 minute audio program with interviews and discussions that probe and explore contemporary Jewish life. For a full archive, click here.

Steve and Rabbi Hillel Goldberg

Orthodox Union — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 12:38:12 +0000

Interview with Anita Tucker

Orthodox Union — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 21:32:43 +0000

Steve Chats with Eli Genauer

Orthodox Union — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 21:29:43 +0000

Interview with Rabbi Natan Slifkin

Orthodox Union — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 16:17:00 +0000

Steve and Rabbi Slifkin talk about the Rabbi’s Zoo in Israel, which features animals from around Israel and found in the Tenakh.

Interview with Dr. Nathan Aviezer

Orthodox Union — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 16:16:41 +0000

Dr. Nathan Aviezer on his reply to Richard Dawkins, who is widely recognized as: “The World’s Most Famous Atheist.”

Listen: Do Jews Have a Future in Europe?

Orthodox Union — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:17:25 +0000

In conjunction with the cover story of the Spring 2015 edition, Steve Savistky talks about the future of Jews in Europe with Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations.

The Future Role of Women in Orthodox Jewish Life

Orthodox Union — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 16:41:13 +0000

Listen to the full interview

In a new Savitsky Talks series, Stephen Savitsky talks to his interviewees about the future of the role of women in Orthodox Jewish life.

This week, Stephen spoke with Rabbanit Chana Henkin, founder of Nishmat, the Center For Advanced Torah Study For Women.

Rabbanit Henkin spoke about the state of women’s learning today vs. previous generations, providing fascinating insight on how societal changes in the secular world most likely brought about the monumental growth in women’s talmudic and advanced halachic study.

Today Nishmat has gradated 80 yoatzot halacha, and plans to have 100 by the summer. The yoatzot—who are found across the world, from Israel to London to North America—have recieved a staggering 250,000 halachic questions in just over a decade.

Listen to the full interview

The topic will be discussed in greater detail by Rabbanit Henkin and others at the 2014 OU Convention, being held December 26-28 in Tarrytown, NY.

Other Convention speakers include Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Malcolm Hoenlein, Rachel Friedman, Rabbi Dr. Elie Abadie and many others.

Space is limited – register today at ou.org/convention.

Previously, Stephen sat down with Lisa Septimus, yoetzet halacha in the Five Towns.