Jewish Action The Podcast

America at 250: Isaac Leeser, Ezra Stiles, and the Orthodox Jewish Story with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm

n honor of America's 250th anniversary, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, CEO of BZ Media and host of Good Faith Effort, to explore the Orthodox Jewish experience in America through the 1700s and 1800s. Drawing on the Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action, this conversation brings to life some of the most remarkable and overlooked figures in early American Jewish history. The two dive deep into the life of Isaac Leeser, the penniless, self-taught chazzan who became the ArtScroll of his era. From the first successful Jewish periodical to the first American English translation of the Tanakh, Leeser single-handedly built much of the infrastructure of American Jewish life, all while enduring profound personal hardship and the steadfast support of the legendary Rebecca Gratz. The conversation then turns to Ezra Stiles, the Hebrew-loving president of Yale during the Revolution, and his deep friendship with Rabbi Yitzchak Karigal, a mekubal from Chevron whose influence reached the founding of American higher education. Rabbi Lamm closes with a moving account of how Orthodox rabbis navigated the halachic challenge of mourning Abraham Lincoln when the national day of mourning fell on Yom Tov Sheini of Shavuos, and what it reveals about being both fervently Jewish and deeply American. A sweeping, story-rich episode about faith, scholarship, and the Jewish roots of the American experiment. ---------------------------- The Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action is available at jewishaction.com. ---------------------------- Jewish Action has just launched its first-ever large print edition, making every article accessible to readers who struggled with standard print.  To help keep this program alive and growing, you can donate here: https://jewishaction.com/donate [https://jewishaction.com/donate] Music: Music licensed through Soundstripe: 4CUIPKUXDRIJTA6N UNUFH33LVOJUKL3S GF5QIM42IDVWCS88

A Torah View on Living with a Disability with Mrs. Michal Horowitz

What does the Torah teach us about disability, identity and the profound power of gratitude?  In this deeply personal and Torah-rich conversation, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Mrs. Michal Horowitz, author of Abled: A Torah View on Living with a Disability, to discuss her remarkable journey from a fully hearing child to suffering from severe hearing loss as an adult, and the chizuk she has drawn from Torah along the way. Mrs. Horowitz, a Master's-level audiologist who is a popular Torah teacher and lecturer, weaves together memoir, halachah and hashkafah in a way that speaks to everyone carrying a "pekel." Together, Mrs. Horowitz and Rabbi Student explore the practical and spiritual obligations our communities have toward those with disabilities. This episode is a companion to the Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action, which features a review of Abled and a special section on physical accessibility in the Jewish community. Read the full articles and explore the Summer 2026 issue at jewishaction.com. Donate to the Large Print Issue at jewishaction.com/donate

Rabbi Menachem Genack on the Rav, Aggadah, and the Publishing of "Aggadot HaRav"

Rabbi Gil Student speaks with Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher and general editor of OU Press, about "Aggadot HaRav, Vol. II," the newly published collection of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s lectures on the Aggadic passages of Masechet Berachot. Rabbi Genack reflects on his close relationship with the Rav, the unforgettable power of the Rav’s shiurim and public derashot, and the ongoing relevance of his Torah more than three decades after his passing. The conversation also explores the Rav’s unique approach to Aggadah, the work behind bringing these lectures to print, and why the Rav’s voice continues to shape Jewish thought today.

Torah in the Age of Artificial Intelligence ft. Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph

In this episode of Jewish Action: The Podcast, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Orthodox Union, to explore the Spring 2026 cover story on Torah in the age of artificial intelligence.  They discuss whether the anxieties surrounding AI are overblown or warranted, how the disappearance of "grunt work" is upending the way we train the next generation of professionals and talmidim, and what the Chazal model of oral learning might actually teach us about a world where writing is no longer the primary path to knowledge.  The conversation also turns to the OU's Torah app Orbit, the risks of outsourcing human connection to a chatbot, and why the antidote to an AI-saturated world might just be going to minyan.  This episode is a reminder that the most important question to ask about any powerful tool is not what it can do, but what you are trying to accomplish with it. Read the spring 2026 issue at https://jewishaction.com/current-issue/ [https://jewishaction.com/current-issue/]

Living Nach: A Conversation with Rabbi Gil Student and Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman

In this episode of Jewish Action: The Podcast, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman for a wide-ranging conversation about Torah learning, women’s leadership, and how Torat Imecha Nach Yomi quietly grew into a global movement. What began as a vision to introduce women to a sustained, daily engagement with Navi—one perek at a time—has become the largest Navi classroom in history, with tens of thousands of participants learning together across continents. Recorded as the program approaches another major siyum, this conversation traces the journey from the early days of Nach Yomi at the Orthodox Union to the launch of Torat Imecha in January 2020, just weeks before COVID reshaped communal life. This episode is about more than a program. It’s about living with Nach, finding community through Torah, and discovering how ancient texts continue to speak—clearly and urgently—to the Jewish present. Whether you’ve followed Nach Yomi from Yehoshua to Divrei Hayamim, are considering joining the next cycle, or are simply curious how women’s Torah learning is shaping the future, this conversation offers a thoughtful and deeply human look at what happens when learning becomes a shared journey.