Why Good Intentions About Aliyah Often Backfire, with Rabbi Efrem Goldberg (289)

About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities and challenges of promoting aliyah among Jews living outside of Israel, featuring insights from Rabbi Efrem Goldberg.

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/ - and paid subscribers get this and other episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast ad-free and with early access and additional bonus content! Why do some of our most deeply held truths end up pushing people away instead of drawing them closer? It's a question that comes up in all areas of religious life, but it becomes especially charged when we talk about aliyah. Few topics generate as much passion, and sometimes as much frustration, as the question of whether Jews living outside of Israel should move, and how people who sincerely believe that the answer is yes, should convey that message. Rabbi Efrem Goldberg argues that we need to carefully consider what we promote, and the way that we promote it. Even when we are right, we can still be ineffective, and sometimes even counterproductive. In this candid conversation, we examine how aliyah is often promoted, why certain approaches can alienate rather than inspire, and how some of Chazal's tough statements about those who do not make aliya should be interpreted today. We also ask whether there are…

People in this episode

Host: Scott Kahn

Guest: Rabbi Efrem Goldberg

Topics covered

• aliyah
• Jewish identity
• religious life
• Israeli and American Jews
• communication strategies

Keywords

• aliyah
• Jewish identity
• Rabbi Efrem Goldberg
• Scott Kahn
• religious communication
• Israeli Jews
• American Jews

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Orthodox Conundrum Commentary, Substack

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