Rischa on the Radio-Zev Brenner Interviews Rabbis Bechhofer and Kivelevitz-Who and What are Leading Us Today?

·55 min·5 clips

Why did only two Rosh Yeshivas issue limited statements about the violent Nabrak demonstrations?

The episode begins with host Zev Brenner introducing Rabbis Avram Kivelevitz and Yosef Gabriel Bechhofer, co-hosts of the Yeshiva of Newark Podcast, which has over 900,000 downloads. Rabbi Bechhofer explains their podcast tackles current issues and classic Jewish texts to stimulate community thought. The conversation first addresses a recent ruling by Israeli Rosh Yeshivas to regulate mixed concerts and music content, noting a generational shift toward songs like 'Thank You Hashem' rather than the heavier themes of the past. They debate whether such rabbinic control is feasible or effective, given modern freedoms and the need for kosher entertainment outlets. The hosts then pivot to the broader question of who leads the Orthodox Jewish community today, observing a lack of overarching leaders compared to figures like Rabbi Moshe Feinstein or the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the past. They point to factionalization, exemplified by a music proclamation signed only by Litvish rabbis, excluding Hasidic and Sephardic leaders. A caller named Jeff aggressively accuses the rabbis of hypocrisy for using immigrant caterers at simchas, which they acknowledge as part of public discourse. The discussion critiques the handling of demonstrations in Israel, particularly the limited rabbinic response to violent incidents, and examines Rabbi Dov Landau's controversial stance against yeshiva students visiting wounded soldiers. They explore the concept of 'Daas Torah' and whether Talmudic brilliance translates to effective communal leadership, contrasting past leaders like Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach with current figures. The episode also covers the declining influence of major organizations like Agudath Israel and the OU, the rising power of philanthropists and anonymous Jewish websites, and the problematic role of handlers who control access to elderly rabbis. It concludes with reflections on the need for leaders to retire gracefully and the challenges of maintaining authority in a digital, decentralized age.

As heard by us

A fast-moving Jewish conversation about authority, responsibility, and the communal pressure that can make leadership costly.

Leadership gives this episode its charge: who counts as a Jewish leader, how authority gets recognized, and why communal pressure can make people slow to step forward.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want to sit with the question of who leads Jewish life when great rabbis, public personas, and philanthropists all enter the picture.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Yeshiva of Newark Podcast