(44) Navigating Grief Through Jewish Tradition … with Elissa Felder
Release Date: 11/26/2025
(55) Aliyah: Varnished and Unvarnished … with Shifra Gewurtz
The Orthonomics Podcast
In this episode we discuss aliyah with Shifra Gewurtz, reflecting realistically on the challenges, the realities, and the successes. We talk about her long-term goal of making aliyah, the decision-making process, the many logistics involved, family issues (lots of teenagers involved), housing, taxes and income, tuition and health costs, what surprised her, and more. Shifra is passionate and honest in our conversation. She previously had her own retail business in New York, currently works for the Orthodox Union, and is also a dating life and marriage coach. I will add that she is my niece and...
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(54) Splitting Hairs … with Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Broyde
The Orthonomics Podcast
In this episode we discuss with Rabbi Dr. Michael J. Broyde the evolution, especially in the past half century, of communal standards for tzniut in dress, particularly among women; whether laws of tzniut over the millennia have been objective and fixed, or subject within bounds to changing societal norms; possible U.S. societal changes that might affect tzniut in the Orthodox community; the positive benefits of increasing diversity in the Orthodox community, especially in the U.S.; Haredi shifting values relating to learning and working, Rabbi Broyde is a professor of law at Emory University...
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(53) Caring for Your Health – Halachically … with Dr. Sharon Galper Grossman
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...
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(52) The Health and Related Concerns of Orthodox Jews … with Dr. Jennie Berkovich
The Orthonomics Podcast
In this episode, we discuss with Dr. Jennie Berkovich the results of our recent survey of over 1,100 Orthodox Jews, relating to their health concerns and issues. Dr. Berkovich is a board-certified pediatrician focused on improving access to care for children, while also educating communities about pediatric health. She is also the Director of Education of JOWMA – The Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association – the organization that collaborated with us on this study, and she authored substantial sections of the report, providing her medical reactions and advice on the health issues...
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(51) Jewish Preparedness and Self-Defense … With Harry Weller
The Orthonomics Podcast
Harry Weller is extremely knowledgeable on the topic of how we as Jews can defend ourselves, be prepared for and able to respond to threats. In this episode we discuss the need for, and resources available for Jews to learn self-defense, preparedness, how to deal with potential threats, and even the topic of gun ownership. Harry Weller is a long-time Connecticut attorney who served for decades as a Senior Assistant State’s Attorney in the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. He is known for his work as a prosecutor and appellate litigator, handling a wide range of criminal appeals on...
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(50) Rethinking, While Also Caring … with Rabbi Steven Greenberg
The Orthonomics Podcast
Rabbi Steven Greenberg is an Orthodox rabbi and author. Ordained at Yeshiva University, he has spent years teaching, writing, and speaking across the Jewish world about tradition, ethics, and religious change. Specifically, as co-founder of the group Eshel, he was one of the earliest voices calling for inclusion of LGBTQ individuals – gay people – within Orthodox Judaism. How do we do that? On the one hand, we must think deeply about how Torah speaks to this reality. At the same time, we must care for people living this reality right now. Rabbi Greenberg joins us to explore where Orthodoxy...
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(49) The Cost of Orthodox Life: Are Things Really Getting Worse? … With David Sheril
The Orthonomics Podcast
In this episode we discuss the cost of Orthodox / frum life. What factors affect it, and how? We discuss overall finances (how many are doing OK; how many are not doing OK?); the impact of children’s education costs; housing costs in Orthodox neighborhoods; kosher food prices; competitiveness and “showiness”; whether and how incomes are keeping up; is the Orthodox situation getting worse, including compared to the U.S. as a whole?; and, finally, to what extent are people holding up under cost pressures? My guest, David Sheril grew up Britain. His family became baalei teshuvah...
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(48) An Excellent Jewish Learning Resource … With Audrey Lichter
The Orthonomics Podcast
Audrey Lichter is a long-time Jewish educator and community leader, and the founding Executive Director of the Chai Mitzvah program. Audrey has worked in Jewish education for over 30 years, including as the founding principal of Yachad, the community high school in Greater Hartford, Connecticut. She has been active as a lay leader, received community awards, and has been involved locally and nationally in Jewish day school and educational initiatives. Her leadership background and deep experience in Jewish learning helped shape Chai Mitzvah into a program that emphasizes personal meaning and...
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(47) Self-Identification, Leaving Orthodoxy, Divorce, Therapy, and More … With Miriam Moster, PhD
The Orthonomics Podcast
Miriam Moster has a PhD sociology, she is a Mellon Humanities Public Fellow and a Wexner Graduate Fellow. Her research explores Jewish communities, education, and the experiences of individuals navigating the boundaries of insular religious worlds. “Navigating the boundaries” means moving from one sector of Judaism and observance to another sector and lifestyle; and she has published widely on these topics. Her work is distinguished by an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, narrative, and cultural studies to better understand how people view and construct their own personal...
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(46) Addictions and Suicides in the Orthodox Community … with Zvi Gluck, CEO of Amudim
The Orthonomics Podcast
Thanks to the Halacha Headlines podcast and Dovid Lichtenstein for allowing us to share this important episode with the Orthonomics audience. Halacha Headlines is an excellent podcast, primarily aimed at the Yeshivish community but with important insights for all Orthodox Jews. It is available at all podcast platforms. For further information about the issues discussed, go to . The Nishma Research Health Assessment Survey of the Orthodox community is available through January 18, 2026 at . You may send feedback or questions to .
info_outlineElissa 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.