The Pluralist Podcast - with Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg

Orly Erez-Likhovski and Josh Weinberg

Where Israel’s hardest questions meet Jewish values. This podcast brings Israeli lived reality and Diaspora perspective into honest conversation about religion and state, democracy, pluralism, and Jewish responsibility. Hosted by IRAC Executive Director and attorney Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Vice President for Israel and Reform Zionism at the Union for Reform Judaism, each episode creates space for thoughtful dialogue — without slogans, and without simplifications.

  1. 6d ago

    Beginning Again From Where We Are: Rabbi Dalia Marx on Rosh Hashanah 5787

    What does it mean to begin a new year when we are not starting over? Just before Rosh Hashanah, Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg sit down with Rabbi Professor Dalia Marx—scholar of Jewish liturgy, author, and one of the leading voices in Israeli Reform Judaism—to explore what teshuvah, prayer, and hope can mean in this moment. 💙 Support the work of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) Donate to IRAC Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast and share this episode with someone who should be part of the conversation. 📖 Buy From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar http://time.ccarpress.org/ 🎵 Listen to “Adaraba,” discussed in the episode https://youtu.be/JFlGge5Dtjw   After years of war, political division, religious extremism, protest, and trauma, Dalia argues that Rosh Hashanah does not ask us to forget what has happened or abandon justified anger. Instead, teshuvah begins with a deeply optimistic Jewish idea: that there is something good within us to return to—and that we must allow ourselves to believe that things can be different. In our conversation, we discuss: What Rosh Hashanah means when the calendar changes but the problems around us do not.Why October 7 pushed so many Israelis to search for prayer, ritual, and spiritual meaning.What Israelis should carry with them into 5787—and what they should leave behind.How Havdalah became part of the language of protest and what Jewish ritual offered that politics alone could not.Why Dalia believes liberal Jews must offer a compelling Jewish alternative to religious extremism.Whether a society can do teshuvah—and what accountability, repair, and changed behavior would actually require.Why justified anger should be channeled rather than simply abandoned.The difference between teshuvah and forgiveness.And what Dalia would say from the pulpit as we enter a new Jewish year.

  2. Sep 3

    Goodbye 5786: Looking Back to Go Forward

    As Israel prepares to enter 5787 — with national elections just weeks away — Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg return for a new season of The Pluralist Podcast: From Both Sides of the Ocean to look back at an extraordinarily difficult year and ask what Israelis and Diaspora Jews should be working toward next. In this episode: What Israeli and North American Jewish teens learned from one another this summer — and what those encounters reveal about Israel today.If Israel elects a new government, how long will it actually take to repair its relationship with Diaspora Jewry?Looking back at 5786: where did we actually make progress — from bringing the hostages home to long-running IRAC struggles entering the Israeli mainstream?The darkest developments of the past year — from religious extremism and violence in Israel to attacks on Reform congregations in Israel and North America.What rising antisemitism in North America means for Israel and the Diaspora.Looking ahead to 5787: where Orly and Josh see opportunities for change, what worries them most, and whom they are asking for forgiveness — or willing to forgive.The elections may change Israel’s political direction, but rebuilding trust, strengthening democratic and pluralistic Jewish life, and repairing the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry will take much longer. For Orly and Josh, that is also the meaning of hope: not assuming things will get better, but continuing to work toward the society we want to see. Upcoming Israeli Election WebinarsIn partnership with Israel Policy Forum, join the “Everything You Want to Know About the Israeli Elections” series: September 9, 2:00pm ET — Israeli Elections 101 — RegisterSeptember 16, 2:00pm ET — Security Issues & Geopolitics — RegisterSeptember 23, 2:00pm ET — Religious Pluralism — RegisterAnd on October 11 at 1:00pm ET, join IRAC and global Reform Movement partners for a special webinar on what the election could mean for the Israeli Reform Movement, religious pluralism, and democracy. Register here All election webinars and shareable materials: arza.org/webinars

  3. Aug 6

    Why Liberal Zionists Cannot Abandon Israel’s National Institutions with KKL-JNF's Eyal Ostrinsky

    Liberal Zionists cannot influence Israel’s national institutions by abandoning them. In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski speak with Eyal Ostrinsky, Chair of KKL-JNF, the youngest person to hold the position and the first Reform Jew to lead one of the Zionist movement’s most powerful institutions. KKL-JNF is known around the Jewish world for blue boxes, forests, and tree planting. But it is also a major political institution whose decisions affect land, education, environmental policy, the rebuilding of Israel’s north and south, and the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. Eyal explains how participation in the World Zionist Congress elections enabled Reform and liberal Zionist representatives to gain real influence over those decisions. He discusses KKL-JNF’s investments in communities devastated since October 7, its approach to community-led memorialization, and his commitment not to purchase land in the West Bank during his leadership. The conversation also examines the decision to stop support for agricultural farm outposts where programs presented as education for at-risk youth were contributing to settlement expansion, as well as KKL-JNF’s responsibilities toward Bedouin, Druze, and other non-Jewish communities. At a time when many liberal Jews feel alienated from Israel’s government, this episode asks whether national Zionist institutions can offer a different path: neither disengagement nor uncritical support, but organized participation capable of shaping policy, budgets, and the future of Zionism itself. Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, religious freedom, and pluralism. Please share this episode with someone who believes liberal Jews should have a meaningful voice in shaping Israel’s future. Support IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel: https://apzprxtx.donorsupport.co/page/FUNKCDJMHLM

    Why Liberal Zionists Cannot Abandon Israel’s National Institutions with KKL-JNF's Eyal Ostrinsky

  4. Jul 30

    Seeing Israel for Themselves: Yallah! Israel Teens Reflect on What They Found

    Young Jews are often asked to form strong opinions about Israel before they have had the chance to encounter the country for themselves. In this special live episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski sit down in Jerusalem with participants from Yallah! Israel, the URJ’s immersive Israel experience for teenagers. The students reflect on what surprised and challenged them: praying together at the egalitarian section of the Kotel, meeting Palestinian Arab teenagers, visiting Druze and Bedouin communities, confronting Israel’s security reality, and hearing perspectives that did not fit neatly together. Their experiences did not give them a simpler story about Israel. They gave them the knowledge, relationships, and confidence to begin forming their own views. The conversation asks what it takes to build a relationship with Israel that can hold Jewish connection, criticism of the government and Israeli society, responsibility, and hope. It also explores what young Diaspora Jews can do after returning home—not as uncritical defenders or distant observers, but as partners with Israelis working for democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism. Yallah! Israel gives young people the opportunity to see Israel for themselves—and to begin building a relationship worth continuing. Learn more about Yallah! Israel: https://yallahisrael.org/ Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, religious freedom, and pluralism. If this conversation matters to you, please consider supporting IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel: https://apzprxtx.donorsupport.co/page/FUNKCDJMHLM #YallahIsrael #IsraelEducation #ReformJudaism #JewishYouth #PluralistPodcast #IRAC

  5. Jul 22

    Tisha B’Av in an Age of Jewish Power with Rabbi Michael Marmur

    What does Tisha B’Av ask of Jews who have returned to Jerusalem and now possess the power of a sovereign state? In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski speak with Rabbi Professor Michael Marmur, theologian, educator, activist, former provost of Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, and former chair of Rabbis for Human Rights. Together, they explore what Jewish mourning means in an age of sovereignty. If Jerusalem has been rebuilt and Israel represents a renewed Jewish national home, what remains broken—and what would a truly rebuilt Jerusalem look like? The conversation examines sinat chinam, religious and nationalist zealotry, and the dangers of calls for unity that obscure racism, violence, and attacks on democracy. It also confronts one of the most difficult questions facing Jews today: how to grieve Jewish trauma and suffering without becoming blind to the devastation of Palestinian lives, homes, and communities in Gaza and the West Bank. Drawing on the Book of Lamentations, Rabbi Marmur reflects on the line, “Is there any pain like my pain?” and challenges us to recognize that there is pain like our pain. Jewish grief and Palestinian grief are not in competition, and acknowledging one does not diminish the other. The episode concludes with a demanding alternative to easy hope: even when hope feels distant, we still possess responsibility and agency. Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, religious freedom, and pluralism. If this conversation matters to you, please consider supporting IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel.

  6. Jul 16

    Walking the Tightrope of Liberal Zionism with IPF’s Shanie Reichman

    Liberal Zionists can either remain isolated and anxious about Israel’s direction—or organize to help shape its future. In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski speak with Shanie Reichman, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Director of IPF Atid at Israel Policy Forum, about young liberal Jews’ relationship with Israel, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Diaspora engagement, and the institutions and political power needed to advance a different vision for Israel. Learn more about IPF Atid: https://israelpolicyforum.org/atid/ Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for more conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, religious freedom, and pluralism. If this conversation matters to you, please consider supporting IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel: https://apzprxtx.donorsupport.co/page/FUNKCDJMHLM Many young liberal Jews remain deeply connected to Israel while feeling profoundly troubled by its government and uncertain about how their involvement can make a difference. Shanie challenges the idea that they have simply stopped caring. Many are instead watching from a distance, discussing Israel only with trusted friends, and becoming increasingly isolated. This conversation asks how they can move from concern and “quiet doomscrolling” to meaningful partnership with Israelis working for democracy, equality, religious pluralism, peace, and human rights. It also explores what liberal Zionists can learn from movements that have invested patiently in education, leadership, funding, institutions, and political action. Safeguarding the future of both Israel and American Judaism will require a deeper partnership between liberal Jews in Israel and the Diaspora—and a shared ability to help shape Israel’s future. This is a conversation about liberal Zionism, Israel-Diaspora relations, young Jewish leaders, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, democracy, civil society, institution-building, political power, and the future of Israel.

  7. Jul 2

    On Independence Day: Religion, Democracy, and the Promise of America at 250 -Rabbi Michael Holzman

    Religious communities can either deepen division — or help repair democracy. In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski speak with Rabbi Michael Holzman, rabbi of Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation and founder of Faith 250, about America’s 250th birthday, democracy, religious nationalism, and how communities can practice the habits liberal democracy needs. Learn more about Faith 250: https://faith250.org/ Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for more conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, religious freedom, and pluralism. If this conversation matters to you, please consider supporting IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel: https://apzprxtx.donorsupport.co/page/FUNKCDJMHLM As America approaches its 250th birthday, this conversation asks how we celebrate an imperfect democracy without denial or despair. Rabbi Holzman helps us think about houses of worship as “little democracies” — places where people can practice listening, disagreement, responsibility, and care for the vulnerable. This is a conversation about religion, democracy, America at 250, Israel, religious nationalism, interfaith work, civic responsibility, and hope.

  8. Jun 25

    An Insider’s View of the Haredi World with Dr. Yakir Englander

    Israel’s Haredi crisis is about more than IDF enlistment. In this episode of The Pluralist Podcast, Rabbi Josh Weinberg and Orly Erez-Likhovski speak with Dr. Yakir Englander — a scholar, educator, and community bridge-builder who grew up inside Israel’s Haredi community, later left it, served in the IDF, and has spent much of his life working across Jewish, Israeli, and interfaith communities. To learn more about Yakir’s work or to connect with him directly, visit: https://yakirenglander.com/about/ Subscribe to The Pluralist Podcast for more conversations from both sides of the ocean about Israel, democracy, Jewish life, and religious freedom. If this conversation matters to you, please consider supporting IRAC’s work to defend democracy, equality, religious freedom, and pluralism in Israel: https://apzprxtx.donorsupport.co/page/FUNKCDJMHLM As Israel approaches elections, the place of Haredi society has reached a boiling point. Mass protests over army service are disrupting daily life, while the political system continues to avoid a real solution. At the same time, the debate over Haredi integration touches some of the deepest questions facing Israel: shared civic responsibility, women’s rights, equality, education, religious freedom, and the rule of law. Yakir helps us understand Haredi society from the inside — not as a slogan, demographic threat, or political bloc, but as a complex community with different leaders, different fears, different relationships to the state, and growing numbers of Haredim seeking a more modern path. For Orly and IRAC, the question is not only whether Haredim can become more integrated into Israeli society. It is whether Israel can make that integration possible without sacrificing the liberal democratic values that protect us all. If integrating Haredi men into the army requires pushing women out of sight, what happens to female soldiers? If opening academia to Haredi students requires gender-segregated programs, what happens to female lecturers? And if public funding continues to support schools that refuse to teach core subjects, what kind of future are we building — for Haredi children, and for Israel as a whole? This is a conversation about Haredim, democracy, responsibility, fear, power, and the possibility of a shared future.

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Where Israel’s hardest questions meet Jewish values. This podcast brings Israeli lived reality and Diaspora perspective into honest conversation about religion and state, democracy, pluralism, and Jewish responsibility. Hosted by IRAC Executive Director and attorney Orly Erez-Likhovski and Rabbi Josh Weinberg, Vice President for Israel and Reform Zionism at the Union for Reform Judaism, each episode creates space for thoughtful dialogue — without slogans, and without simplifications.

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