What the Haredi Draft Crisis Says About Israel
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
Release Date: 07/24/2025
When Shiloh Comes: Religion at Its Best and Worst
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore one of the Torah’s most enigmatic verses—Jacob’s blessing of Judah and the phrase “until Shiloh comes.” Claimed by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, this single line opens a sweeping conversation about the power of religion to shape history—for good and for evil. Drawing on classical commentators, medieval Jewish-Christian encounters, and modern interfaith scholarship, we ask hard questions: What happens when sacred texts become battlegrounds? Can religion be part of the solution to religious...
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Sacred Numbers Without Superstition
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
As we close one year and step into another, we’re revisiting a live Madlik Disruptive Torah conversation recorded in December 2022, back when the podcast was broadcast weekly on Clubhouse in front of a live audience. This episode explores the enduring power of numbers in Jewish thought—especially the number 70. From the seventy souls who descend to Egypt, to seventy nations, seventy languages, seventy judges on the Sanhedrin, and the rabbinic idea that Torah itself has shiv’im panim—seventy faces—this conversation asks what numbers can teach us without turning Torah into...
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Hanukkah: The Civil War We Forgot
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
Was Hanukkah really a war of Jews vs. Greeks — or a Jewish civil war we chose to forget? Was Hanukkah really Jews vs. Greeks — or a Jewish civil war we chose to bury under a story about oil? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz revisit the Hanukkah story through the sources. From Maccabees I and the politics of Ptolemy vs. Antiochus, to the lone Talmudic mention of the oil miracle (Shabbat 21b), they show how a messy internal power struggle became a clean miracle narrative. Key Takeaways Hanukah began as a Jewish civil war — not just Jews vs....
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Bottom Up Torah: How Queer Jews Are Changing Orthodoxy
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
Imagine being told you belong to a faith that is fighting to keep you out—and refusing to leave. In this week's Madlik, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz welcome Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the first openly gay Orthodox-ordained rabbi, for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation. Key Takeaways Vulnerability transforms the meaning of Torah. Bottom-up change is reshaping Orthodoxy. The tradition has the capacity — and the precedent — to grow. Timestamps [00:00:12] Rabbi Steve Greenberg’s coming-out context and the question of LGBTQ+ Jews as teachers of Torah. [00:03:11] Steve’s...
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The Jewish Future Israel Wants… But Fears to Admit
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
Beneath the surface, Israel is fighting for the soul of its religion — and most of us don’t even see the battle lines. In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Professor Adam S. Ferziger to explore the quiet revolution reshaping Israeli Judaism. Drawing on his new book, Agents of Change, Ferziger reveals how American Modern Orthodoxy—its values, institutions, and worldview—has profoundly influenced Religious Zionism and the broader Israeli religious landscape. From the tension between nationalism and modernity to the emergence of a...
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He’s Christian. He Fights for Israel. He Speaks Talmudic Aramaic.
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
Ready to discover how reviving a lost language can reshape the whole Middle East? Ta Shma (come and hear) Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Shadi Khalloul—IDF paratrooper veteran, founder of the Israeli Christian Aramaic Association, and one of the world’s most passionate advocates for reviving the Aramaic language. Together, they explore Parshat Vayetzei and the hidden “Rosetta Stone” moment in Genesis 31, where Jacob and Laban name the same monument in Hebrew and Aramaic. Key Takeaways Aramaic is the Hidden Backbone of Jewish Life Aramaic Once United the Ancient...
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Trickery or Evolution? Rethinking Jacob’s Stolen Blessing
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
What if one of the Torah’s greatest heroes was actually its most scandalous trickster? In this episode of Madlik Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Adam Mintz dive into one of the most provocative moments in the Torah: Jacob’s audacious act of deception to secure his father Isaac’s blessing in Parashat Toldot. Rather than smoothing over the ethical wrinkles, we sit with the discomfort, exploring why the Torah insists on portraying our third patriarch as a trickster—and what we’re meant to learn from a hero whose virtues are tangled with flaws. Key Takeaways The Torah Embraces...
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Sarah's Separation from Abraham | With Prof. Rabbi Wendy Zierler
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
What happens when women finally enter the conversation that’s been about them all along? In this episode of Madlik: Disruptive Torah, Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz are joined by Prof. Rabbi Wendy Zierler — Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at HUC-JIR, ordained by Yeshivat Maharat, and author of Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry. Key Takeaways Expect to rethink assumptions about primary biblical characters—especially the matriarchs—and appreciate the living tradition of midrash as a vehicle for creativity and...
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Nobody Wants This - Argument With God
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
A Netflix rom-com jokes that Judaism “encourages me to argue.” Turns out, that’s not a joke—it’s what set Abraham apart. A Netflix rom-com gives us a throwaway line that might be the most Jewish thing ever said on screen. When a young rabbi admits that Judaism loves two opposing opinions, his girlfriend lights up: “A religion that encourages me to argue? Love that.” It’s meant as a joke, but this week’s Torah portion proves her right. Sarah laughs at divine promises, Abraham bargains with God over justice, and on Mount Moriah, even silence feels like protest. Judaism...
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Israel More Inclusive? An Immigrant's Perspective
Madlik Podcast – Disruptive Torah Thoughts on Judaism
3,000 years after Abraham heard the call to go forth, a group of 20 somethings booked a one-way ticket to Ben-Gurion. What if the journey of Abraham in the Torah mirrors the modern-day aliyah experience? In this episode we dive into the modern-day "Lech Lecha" story with Noah Efron from The Promised Podcast. From his Young Judea roots to teaching at Bar Ilan University, Noah shares his journey of making aliyah (immigration to Israel) from America in the early 80s, offering a fascinating perspective on what it means to "go forth" in our generation. Key Takeaways The power of community in the...
info_outline70,000 mothers are fighting for Israel's future - one draft notice at a time.
Mothers on the Front Line founder Agamit Gelb joins us to discuss the contentious issue of Haredi military service in Israel. We explore biblical parallels from Numbers, where Moses confronts tribes seeking exemption from conquest. The conversation delves into the social contract, national solidarity, and the unique perspective mothers bring to this debate. Agamit shares her organization's efforts to promote equality in service and challenge exemptions through legal and grassroots means. Agamit Gelb and her organization, Mothers on the Front Line, are at the forefront of this debate. Founded in April 2023, months before the October 7th attacks, this group of 70,000 mothers is fighting for equality in military service. But their mission goes beyond mere policy change—they're striving to redefine the very notion of national service and solidarity.
Key Takeaways
- The issue of Haredi military service cuts to the core of Israeli society, affecting fairness and national unity
- Biblical texts offer relevant insights on shared responsibility and leadership in times of national challenge
- Mothers play a crucial role in shaping societal values and can be powerful agents for change
Timestamps
- [00:00:00] – Introduction: The central issue of military service in Israel and its societal implications.
- [00:01:45] – Guest Introduction: Agame Gelb and the founding of Mothers on the Front Line.
- [00:04:55] – October 7th and the catalyst for mobilization of mothers across Israel.
- [00:06:45] – The emotional and demographic power of Israeli mothers and national unity.
- [00:10:40] – Inequality and the principle of service from the perspective of motherhood.
- [00:12:30] – Legal petitions, community organizing, and educational programming.
- [00:16:05] – Biblical context: Reuben and Gad's request and Moses’ moral leadership.
- [00:21:15] – Rabbinic insights on morale, equality, and the impact of opt-outs.
- [00:25:50] – The army’s evolving infrastructure for Haredi service and leadership resistance.
- [00:30:15] – Final reflections: Love of country, courage, and the hope for democratic unity.
Links & Learnings
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Safaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/663980
Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/
Link to Donate to Israeli Mother on the Frontline: https://pefisrael.org/charity/mothers-on-the-frontline/
Link to Imahot Bahazit: https://www.imahot.org/en
Link to Podcast: A mother's Journey to a Beret: https://open.spotify.com/show/6cmqoZdNZnt6lF7LaDLngW?si=cf43c1b1d3504b62(Hooky First Line)