The Orthonomics Podcast

In this episode, we continue our discussion of health, including some references to our recent survey of the community, with Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman. Dr. Grossman is a Harvard-trained physician (MD) with a Master of Public Health degree (MPH), a radiation oncologist, public-health scholar, and a Jewish law (halacha) scholar and educator, known for bridging modern medicine and Jewish ethics and halacha, especially on issues related to women's health and preventive measures. She previously served on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Grossman is deeply involved in advanced Jewish legal scholarship. She completed the Morot L'Halakha program at Matan Women's Institute for Torah Studies, and she provides the observant Jewish community with expert medical knowledge uniquely melded with deep halachic knowledge and appreciation. She has written widely on these topics in such publications as Tradition, Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, and The Times of Israel. Click HERE to see Dr. Grossman's article in the OU Jewish Action Pesach Newsletter: "The Ozempic Seder: Navigating Weight-Loss Medicine on Pesach." For our recent report, "The Nishma Research / JOWMA Orthodox Jewish Community Health Needs Assessment Survey" – click HERE. For a related article in The Jewish Press, "How Healthy are Orthodox Jews?" – click HERE. Many articles by Dr. Grossman are available at The Times of Israel – click HERE. If you have any suggestions for our upcoming survey on "Gap Year Experiences and Impacts" please email them to us – click HERE.

Dena Schusterman is the author of "Stories Carry," a personal memoir about faith, belonging, and the inherited stories that shape us. As the daughter of Chabad emissaries in 1970s Berkeley, California, and now a Chabad shlucha herself in Atlanta, Dena, mother of eight, has spent her life straddling two worlds – deeply rooted in Hasidic tradition while fully engaged in modern society.   Her book has a unique style, interweaving stories from her past, her parents, and grandparents. It's a fun read that will definitely get you thinking … great for Jewish book clubs. As Mayim Bialik wrote, "Dena's stories have the power to move us both because we can clearly see our own life in them and also because we cannot. Raised in an observant and committed Jewish home, she has lived a life so different from what many of us have experienced."  LINK to Dena's website LINK to the book at Amazon LINK to the book at Mercer University Press LINK to the OU's AI site If you have suggested questions you would like us to ask in our upcoming broad survey on the topic of technology, email them to [email protected]

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is a prominent Orthodox rabbi, educator, and social justice activist, best known for founding multiple justice-oriented Jewish organizations and for his prolific writing on ethics and spirituality. Raised in an interfaith family, he chose Judaism as his religious path at a young age and eventually pursued rabbinic training and advanced academic study in ethics and moral development. He holds master's degree from Harvard and from Yeshiva University, a Ph.D. from Columbia, and rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. In this episode, we discuss why he sees a need for improved social justice in the world and the role that Orthodox Jewry and his organization can play to effect change, the origins of his efforts to infuse kashrut standards with ethical consideration, how to combat antisemitism by living our mission in the world, treatment of immigrants and the homeless, igniting Jewish passion among the young through social actions, why we cannot align Torah values with political partisanship, how Jews should be strategic in partnering with potential supporters when it comes to Israel advocacy, reminding us of the many great partners that we have in the U.S., the need for spiritual advocacy in the Orthodox community, and the need to strengthen Jewish-Christian relations. Finally, he tells us about his forthcoming book: "Psalms Between Us: A Rabbi and His Christian Mother on Faith, Love, and Loss." Links: LINK to the Uri L'Tzedek Orthodox Social Justice LINK to his book: Psalms Between Us: A Rabbi and His Christian Mother on Faith, Love, and Loss." 

Henry Kopel is a retired federal prosecutor with over 30 years' experience involving national security matters, domestic terrorism, and violent crimes. He most recently authored the extremely ambitious and informative book "War on Hate," which, as one reviewer (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) notes, "raises important questions about how free societies in the West can best be defended from the challenge of Islamism." He is also the author of "The Case for Sanctioning State Sponsors of Genocide Incitement" in the Cornell International Law Journal and has published many op-ed commentaries on Middle East issues. He is a graduate of Brandeis University, Oxford University, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has served as a teaching assistant in the government department at Harvard College and lectured on prosecuting hate crimes at the University of Connecticut Law School. In this episode we discuss the reasons for terrorist and genocide and why there is much misunderstanding of their causes, the role of mass ideological hate indoctrination, the psychology behind terrorist and psychopathic behavior and the triggers of such behavior, why the Western world, educational institutions and the  media are blind to the causes of terrorism, the secret deals thar certain East European nations made with the PLO, the "Palestiniazation" of Middle East studies at colleges, and more. Henry Kopel's book "War on Hate: How to Stop Genocide, Fight Terrorism, and Defend Freedom" is available at AMAZON and other booksellers. He also has numerous articles at The Times of Israel, including: • The Democrats' Duplicitous Hypocrisy on the US-Iran MOU (7/2/26) • On Iran, Both Left and Right Agree: Better to Denounce Jews than Defend Freedom (5/19/26) • To Defeat Antisemitism, Target the Lies of Anti-Zionism (2/17/26) • How the West Let the Intifada Go Global – And How the Diaspora Can Defeat It (12/27/25) • The Israel-Loathing Left Has Become the Future of America's Democratic Party (11/26/25) • Diaspora Jews Must Confront the Toxic Ideology Behind the Violence (6/4/25) • No Professor Rosensaft, Kamala Harris is Hardly the 'Pro-Jewish' Candidate (8/29/24) • How the Keffiyeh Became the 21st Century's Swastika (5/19/24) • To End Hamas Horrors, De-Nazify Palestinian Culture (10/19/23)

Ari Schaffer is a Young Israel shul member and board member, founder of CT for Israel, a grassroots group advocating for Israel and opposing antisemitism throughout Connecticut. He is also on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Hartford. For his day job, Ari is the Communications Director at the Buckley Institute, which is dedicated to promoting intellectual diversity and free speech at Yale University. He previously worked for the Georgia Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the White House. In this episode we discuss how Ari was instrumental in creating a very active Grassroots Activist organization that has been effective in advocating for Israel, fighting antisemitism, and bringing the Jewish community together as a powerful voice for Israel and the Jewish people. Our hope is that this conversation will inspire others to undertake such efforts.