Torat JLIC

Campus conundrum: Do Antizionists have a place in our communities?

In this episode, Don Cantor and Alex Ozar dive into the challenging landscape surrounding Israel on college campuses, particularly elite East Coast institutions. They explore how students, often identifying as Jewish, find themselves navigating a complex and increasingly politicized environment. The conversation includes discussions on balancing community solidarity with diverse viewpoints, as well as the challenges of maintaining meaningful dialogue amidst rising tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The hosts explore the evolving relationship between Jewish identity, political perspectives, and communal belonging.
Key Discussion Points:
The Consumption of Israel in Campus Discourse: Israel is a constant topic in campus discussions, impacting students on a daily basis.
The Changing Landscape: The hosts note a significant shift from their own college experiences, where pro-Israel stances were largely uncontested, to today's environment where diverse perspectives are more prevalent, challenging.
The Progressive Challenge: Progressive political cultures can create situations where Jewish students feel pressured to prove their lack of support for genocide in order to be accepted, creating a hostile situation.
Humility and Listening: The importance of humility and active listening as essential components for engaging with diverse perspectives on Israel. It involves acknowledging the possibility of valid points and considering different viewpoints.
Maintaining Integrity: The necessity of maintaining community integrity and avoiding drastic shifts based solely on changing political sentiments.
The Torah Perspective:
Sharing a teaching from "Seder Olam Zutta" about Yitro's experience at Mount Sinai and the message of not partaking in celebrations of Torah if one did not also share in periods of suffering.
This informs the conversation about identifying with and understanding the plight of the Jewish community, as well as the State of Israel.
This leads to the recognition that Torah and Mitzvos build a life that flows from our solidarity together as a community.
Embracing Diversity: The goal is to encompass as much of the Jewish community as possible within the shared destiny and consensus.
What's Required: Showing love, care, respect, patience. A willingness to engage, learn, and understand even when there is disagreement.

Beyond the Highlights: Torah, Growth, and Real Connection

 
Guest Rav Moshe Moskowitz 
Overview:This episode features Rav Moshe Moskowitz, JLC Director at Johns Hopkins, discussing his approach to Torah learning, his connection to the Pachad Yitzchak, and how he connects with students through Torah. He shares personal stories, offers insights on dealing with challenges, and shares powerful pieces of Torah relevant to the current times.
Key Discussion Points:
The Pachad Yitzchak: Rav Moshe’s journey of appreciating its depth and how it reveals meaning in seemingly simple concepts.
Connecting With Students: Learning their experiences, finding relevant Torah, and understanding their growth is not static.
Campus Work Evolution: Requires hard decisions, meeting students where they are, and understanding that your picture of their success might be wrong.
Torah for Today: Finding the Torah that helps us with our struggles, including balancing the ideas of Eish Kodesh (finding strength) and Derech haMelech (big ideas about connection).
The value of Internalization Using Torah teachings to understand that the best course isn't always action, and to find value in the internal process of an experience.
Torah Within: Recognizing that the voice of God can be found within our own thoughts.
A Sweet Spot that is where your passions meet your students, and finding a way to bring it all together.
The Importance of Translation: Not just repeating Torah but finding ways to create a relevant and transformative experience for students.
Recognizing that not all responses are made for an Instagram post or for a fundraising campaign, but internal and deep.
The Banal and the Good: That some of the most challenging things, and impactful things, happen in ways that feel banal and do not grab headlines.
The Montage and Our Current Culture how the “montage” element of our culture is so destructive because it emphasizes only highlights.
The Need for Action & Feeling Connected: When it comes to action, Rav Moshe shares that we must do it with a sense of being a part of what is going on rather than as a distant spectator and to ask what does going to the “frontlines” look like today.
Takeaway:This episode highlights the importance of seeking deeper meaning in Torah, understanding the complexities of student experiences, and finding the Torah that resonates with each individual. It emphasizes that growth can be internal, gradual, and not always as linear as we might think.

Kabbalah Connection: Mysticism and Unity in Prayer

 
Guest: Rabbi Jeremy Tibbetts, JLIC Director in Jerusalem and Director of Student Leadership for Yavneh
Main Discussion Topics:
Building intentional Jewish community in Jerusalem for English-speaking young adults
Response to October 7th - Community shifted from internal focus to extensive outward aid efforts, including:
Processing ~70,000 shekels in donations
Packing 2,000+ meals
Running a 2-month camp for 100 displaced children
Featured Torah Teaching:
Before prayer, one must accept the mitzvah to "love your neighbor as yourself"
Prayer becomes more powerful when combined with genuine care and connection to community
Importance of bringing others' struggles and pain into one's prayers
Discussion of mystical understanding of prayer as affecting both internal spiritual state and external world
Guest's Background:
Came to Orthodox Judaism from non-Orthodox background
Studied Chassidut for several years before diving deeper into Kabbalah
Currently pursuing Master's in Jewish Thought at Hebrew University
Teaches mystical texts while emphasizing their connection to practical religious life and community building

Meaning over Metrics: Breaking Free from Transactional Judaism

 
In this thought-provoking episode, the hosts explore the challenges of practicing Judaism in a world driven by transactional mindsets and career-oriented motivations. They delve into how modern pressures—especially from social media and career expectations—can transform meaningful religious practices into resume-building or social capital-accruing activities.
Key Themes:
The pervasive tendency to approach Jewish practices (Torah study, mitzvot) as a means of personal advancement
The struggle to perform actions for their inherent meaning rather than external benefits
Strategies for breaking out of purely transactional religious observance
Insights:
Judaism was never meant to be practiced by "angels," but by real, imperfect human beings
The importance of doing things because they matter, not because of potential advantages
Embracing an approach of gradual improvement and self-transcendence
Practical Wisdom:
Start small: Incrementally push yourself to do mitzvot with more genuine intention
Recognize that imperfection is part of the human experience
Use irony and playfulness to maintain perspective on personal growth
The hosts argue that the goal isn't perfection, but continuous, humble effort—doing a little bit better today than yesterday while maintaining an open and compassionate view of oneself.
Memorable Quote:
"God's not asking us to be angels. God's asking us as human beings to try to do a little bit better today than we did yesterday."

Reimagining Success: A Jewish Perspective on Value and Purpose

Episode Overview
A profound exploration of how contemporary society views success, challenging the prevailing economic logic and offering a distinctly Jewish approach to finding meaning beyond material accumulation.
Key Themes
Beyond Transactional Living
Critiquing the tendency to view all activities as instrumental means to economic ends
Challenging the relentless pursuit of social and material capital
Exploring alternative ways of understanding value and success
Cultural Resistance
Judaism as a countercultural framework for resisting purely economic thinking
The importance of activities pursued for their inherent worth
Rejecting the constant pressure to monetize every experience
Deep Dive: Spiritual and Cultural Insights
Meaningful Practices
Torah study as a non-transactional pursuit of knowledge
Shabbat as a weekly ritual of resistance against constant productivity
Prioritizing intrinsic value over external markers of success
The Contemporary Challenge
Intense economic pressures on young adults
The transformation of personal experiences into commodities
Navigating meaning within contemporary constraints
Critical Reflections
How do we find purpose beyond economic productivity?
What activities have value simply because they matter?
Can we reclaim spaces of genuine learning and connection?
Personal and Communal Implications
Resisting the impulse to leverage every experience for future gain
Valuing knowledge, beauty, and spiritual growth
Creating meaningful lives beyond resume-building

Duty Calls: From Campus to Combat

In this powerful episode, we speak with Tzvi and Tali Wohlgelernter, who share their experiences during the October 7th and its aftermath. Tzvi served in the IDF reserves for six months while Tali maintained their JLIC community and family life. Their story provides insights into maintaining Jewish unity, family resilience, and community leadership during crisis.
Guest Background
- Tzvi and Tali previously served as JLIC directors at Rutgers University for three years- Currently serve as JLIC Mizrahi directors in Israel- Parents to four daughters- Tzvi was called up for reserve duty on October 7th, 2023
Key Moments
October 7th Experience
Started as a normal Simchat Torah morning
Multiple sirens disrupted services
Tzvi was activated as part of the first responders unit
Community quickly mobilized to secure the city
Military Service
Tzvi served in multiple roles:  1. Religious support for an artillery unit  2. Writing Torah-based inspiration for commanders  3. Yasar unit (classified combat unit handling sensitive missions)
Community Impact
Tali managed both family and community responsibilities
Community members stepped up to help maintain programs
Expanded into new chesed opportunities related to the war
Developed stronger bonds between religious and non-religious community members
Notable Quotes
"We don't just have to love each other because there's a mitzvah. We actually have to really respect different people and respect that they have a value that they're working on." - Tzvi
"These tears that we're shedding as individuals and more importantly, as a nation... ultimately will blossom into something beautiful." - Tali 
Additional Notes- Discussion highlighted need for mental health support for military families- Emphasized importance of maintaining unity gains post-crisis- Demonstrated role of Torah leadership during national emergency
 

Duty Calls: Torah From A Tank - Balancing Spirituality and Service in Israel

Rabbi Eitan & Elana Philips, leaders of the M.D. Katz JLIC program at Tel Aviv University, share their experiences during the Israel-Hamas war that began on October 7, 2023. They offer insights into the war's impact on academic and community life at Tel Aviv University.
Key Topics:1. The M.D. Katz JLIC program: A "home away from home" for international students2. October 7, 2023: Rabbi Eitan's military service3. Adapting to war: Maintaining student connections remotely4. Personal growth: "Mesirat nefesh" (self-sacrifice) in wartime5. Religious perspectives: Biblical parallels and Judaism's role in modern Israel6. Community leadership: Elana's experience during her husband's service7. Future outlook: Plans and challenges for the upcoming semester8. Tel Aviv University's role in Israel's academic landscape
This episode explores themes of faith, duty, and resilience in the face of conflict, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of academic, spiritual, and military life in Israel.
 
Recorded August 7, 2024

Duty Calls: Grassroots Action and Torah Wisdom in Times of Crisis

Episode Description:In this episode, we speak with Rabbi Joe Wolfson about his experiences building and leading Jewish communities during challenging times - from COVID-19 in New York City to the recent Israel-Hamas war. Rabbi Joe Wolfson shares inspiring stories of grassroots volunteerism, reflections on finding meaning through Torah study, and insights on sustaining hope and action in difficult circumstances.
Key Topics Covered:• Rabbi Joe Wolfson journey from the UK to leading JLIC communities in NYC and Jerusalem• Coordinating volunteer efforts and support for evacuees and soldiers during the Israel-Hamas war• Finding new resonance in Torah texts and Jewish wisdom during times of crisis • The power of small acts of kindness to create positive change• Balancing action with processing grief and trauma• Sustaining hope and community engagement over the long-term
Notable Quotes:"The magic of this work is that it does restore a sense of agency to people."
"We've witnessed so much beauty. We have seen such incredible strength of our society and we've witnessed things we never expected."
"The role of rabbis and community leaders...is to say to our communities and to Israel in this extremely depressed moment: It's going to be good. It's going to be ok."
About the Guest:Rabbi Joe Wolfson is the director of JLIC's first young professional community in Tel Aviv. He previously served as co-director of JLIC at NYU. Rabbi Wolfson studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and received his rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.
 
Recorded July 10, 2024