The Orthonomics Podcast

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)

Mindy Schaper is a unique personality. Not only did she volunteer a kidney to save the life of a young man whom she did not know, but she also volunteered as a surrogate mother, carrying the child of an Orthodox couple full-term … and she did this twice! So now you understand the title of this podcast. Mindy Schaper grew up Chassidic in Boro Park, Brooklyn and now identifies as Modern Orthodox. She is a writer and marketing project manager, with degrees in psychology, English and Judaic Studies She helped to found and run Project Makom, an organization that supports people transitioning out of or re‑orienting from the Haredi world and often seeking a place in the Modern Orthodox world. Her video about being an Orthodox Jewish surrogate ("Being an Orthodox Jewish (and Married!) Surrogate" explores the intersection of modern family-building and traditional Halacha. It highlights the profound cultural and religious considerations required, including navigating Kosher dietary laws during embryo transfers and receiving specific Rabbinic guidance on fertility treatments. Here is a LINK to the video. In our post-interview segment, we share results from our recent survey on the issue of how and why Modern / Centrist Orthodox and Haredi identify and define themselves. The findings are in our new study "Issues of the Day: Orthodox Jewish Community Views on Key Current Issues," which also covers: Our strengths and top challenges; Top issues that we need to better understand; Dialogue and relationships with non-orthodox Jews and with non-Jews; and an Update on modern / centrist orthodox attitudes toward women in shul leadership. Click HERE to access the full report; and click HERE to access all of the Orthodox community research.

Our guest is Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a well-known Orthodox Jewish writer and activist whose work focuses on women's rights in Orthodox Judaism and the visibility of women in religious life. Born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey, she moved to Israel with her family, where she has become a prominent voice challenging religious extremism, the erasure of women from public and communal spaces, and broadly advocating for Orthodox Jewish women. In this episode we discuss a number of issues including the increasing erasure of images of women in Orthodox venues. the agunah problem (women who are unable to obtain a get – a Jewish legal divorce – and are chained to former spouses and unable to remarry), women's health issues, their growing roles in Jewish learning, and more. She is a co‑founder of Chochmat Nashim, an organization that creates change in the global Jewish society by challenging dangerous trends in Jewish communities around the world. Using new and traditional media the organization sheds light on societal norms that exclude women and feed extremism. She is also a founder of Rate My Deit Din, a resource and website that evaluates and improves Jewish divorce in the rabbinic court (beit din) system. Courts are rated via user and professional reviews and are offered ways to improve users' experiences. Finally, she is a founder of the Laura Ben David Jewish Life Photo Bank, a dedicated resource for authentic images of Jewish women, families, and communities, aiming to counter erasure.

Elissa Felder is a: • Renowned speaker • Author of the book "From One Life to the Next Life" • The Coordinator of Core's Communities of Practice Elissa also mentioned Chai Mitzvah and the excellent Sourcebook and Materials they have prepared for follow-up discussion of the topics she raises.

David Wolpaw reacts to the top health issues that Orthodox Jews recently told us are most important to them, including how their priorities compare with those of the general population. We also have a wide-ranging conversation covering such topics as attitudes toward vaccines, trust in medical authority and government, social media, Israel, and a little bit of politics.

This episode continues our series on divorce, with our guest Deborah Chames, a highly respected partner at a Miami law firm. Deborah represents family law clients at Kluger, Kaplan, a Southeast Florida firm with clients nationwide. She handles high-net-worth divorces and high-conflict divorces. Guided by 42 years of experience, Chames crafts a strategy that advocates for clients while remaining sensitive. She is the first and only woman on the board of Yeshiva Toras Chaim, the largest Orthodox day school in the South. Her daughter, Melissa, also practices family law at Kluger, Kaplan. Chames works pro bono with the legal services committee of the Orthodox Union. In addition to providing solid advice to those contemplating or pursuing divorce, we discuss trends in Orthodox divorce, what she sees first-hand as the major causes, and she suggests some approaches that could reduce the problems and help young people transition into marriage. Links: Deborah's bio and contact information The Nishma Research 2025 divorce survey, some of which is discussed in this episode.

Dr. Berel Leib (Zachary) Epstein lives in Baltimore with his wife and children. He learns at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel. He also is a theoretical physicist and a Senior Staff Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he engages in advanced research aimed at supporting the United States' technological edge in defense applications. He came to my attention when I received an email from Mosaica Press about his new book "Emunah and Physics: A Jewish Resolve." Mosaica Press writes: "The age of the earth. Archaeological evidence. The nature of miracles. These questions have often been either sidestepped or answered in ways that satisfy neither the scientific mind nor the believing soul. 'Emunah and Physics' does something rare: it takes these questions seriously, without flinching—and without losing the integrity of either science or Torah. "Dr. Epstein explores the blurred and often misunderstood boundaries between what we know, what we believe, and what we are still discovering. This book is not about proving Torah with science, nor is it about bending Torah to fit scientific models. It's about thinking clearly, with humility and depth, and seeing how the two worlds can not only coexist but deeply illuminate each other." Here is a LINK to information about this book.

Rabbi Dov Fischer was ordained at Yeshiva University, has held leadership roles in numerous Jewish organizations, and is the founding rabbi of Young Israel of Orange County, California. He is also an accomplished trial attorney, writer, and prominent leader in advocacy relating to Orthodox Jewish issues. A UCLA Law school graduate, he has worked at major law firms, and has been an adjunct law professor for over 15 years. He is a public commentator, has written for The American Spectator, Israel National News, Forward, the Jewish Press, the Times of Israel, Arutz Sheva, and others, and has a series of YouTube videos containing Torah classes and other discussions, He is a prominent leader of the CJV (Coalition for Jewish Values), where he expresses thoughtful view and policy advocacy on issues related to Jewish Orthodoxy … from the political and religious right (hence the title of this episode). In this episode, Rav Fischer describes his fascinating background, and we discuss advocacy in the Orthodox community, Israel, polling, recent events in New York City, and more. Links and Contact Information: Coalition for Jewish Values - https://coalitionforjewishvalues.org Cross-Currents (At the Intersection of Torah and Current Events) – https://cross-currents.com Subscribe to Rav Fischer's YouTube channel at bit.ly/3REFTbk and follow him on X (Twitter) at @DovFischerRabbi to find his latest classes, interviews, speeches, and observations. To attend any of his three weekly Zoom classes — Sundays on the past week's events impacting Israel and world Jewry, and Tuesdays and Thursdays on the Tanakh (Bible) and Jewish law — send a request to rabbi@yioc.org.