That Jewish News Show: An Orthodox rabbi on why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community
Laura and Benyamin discuss LGBTQ+ issues in the Orthodox community, the eye-popping antisemitic emails between two Los Angeles attorneys and what advice the Talmud and Jewish tradition has for Taylor Swift fans
Graphic by Laura E. Adkins
That Jewish News Show
An Orthodox rabbi on why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community
June 7, 2023
On the June 7, 2023 episode of That Jewish News Show, Laura E. Adkins and Benyamin Cohen of the Forward discuss the revelation of eye-popping antisemitic emails between two Los Angeles attorneys, and what advice the Talmud and Jewish tradition has for Taylor Swift fans. They were joined by Rabbi Jonathan Leener of the Prospect Heights Shul, a Modern Orthodox congregation in Brooklyn, to discuss why his synagogue supports the LGBTQ+ community, and how he’s working to convince his colleagues in the Orthodox community to do the same. Rabbis, he said, “should be a voice for the most vulnerable members of a community.”
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That Jewish News Show is hosted and produced by Laura E. Adkins and Benyamin Cohen of the Forward. Our theme music is by The Fly Guy Five.
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Referenced articles, books and music
News of the Week
“Prominent law firm partners who made offensive comments about Jews and others resign” by Jacob Kornbluh in the Forward
“Taylor Swift fans have amnesia. So did Jews after Sinai” by Mira Fox in the Forward
Main Interview:
Why I, as an Orthodox rabbi, am committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion
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Benyamin: Shiny Happy People on Amazon Prime
That Jewish News Show is a thoughtful look at the week in Jewish news from journalists at the Forward, which has been driving the American Jewish conversation since 1897. In each episode, hosts Laura E. Adkins, the opinion editor, and Benyamin Cohen, the news director, bring you beyond the headlines and interview the newsmakers behind those stories.
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