A Few Blocks from Ground Zero: Rabbi Moshe Elefant on 9/11, Twenty-Five Years Later
Twenty-five years after 9/11, Rabbi Moshe Elefant, newly appointed CEO of OU Kosher, joins Rabbi Gil Student to remember the morning the OU's downtown offices went dark. A conversation about memory, vulnerability, and what a world that lost its innocence asks of us before Rosh Hashanah.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, the Orthodox Union's headquarters sat two blocks from the World Trade Center. Rabbi Moshe Elefant was on the train.
Twenty-five years later, Rabbi Elefant, who was named CEO of OU Kosher this year, succeeding Rabbi Menachem Genack, sits down with Rabbi Gil Student to talk about what he saw from the bridge that morning, how the OU ran out of his house for two weeks while downtown Manhattan was closed, the mashgiach stranded in Colombia as Rosh Hashanah approached, and what Rav Belsky zt"l told the staff during the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah that followed: that some days divide the world into before and after.
The conversation also looks back on Rabbi Elefant's thirty-nine years at the OU, which he joined on October 1, 1987, and closes with a dvar Torah on bi'arti hakodesh min habayis: serving Hashem with fire, and where that fire is built.
This episode accompanies the Fall 2026 (5787) issue of Jewish Action and was sparked by Anne Neuberger's essay "Twenty-Five Years After 9/11: A Call to Serve," now available online.
Read the article: https://jewishaction.com/reflections/twenty-five-years-after-9-11-a-call-to-serve/ (https://jewishaction.com/reflections/twenty-five-years-after-9-11-a-call-to-serve/)
Read the issue: jewishaction.com/current-issue (jewishaction.com/current-issue)
Subscribe to the magazine by becoming an OU member: ou.org/membership (ou.org/membership)
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9 Jul 2026
America at 250: Isaac Leeser, Ezra Stiles, and the Orthodox Jewish Story with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm
n honor of America's 250th anniversary, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, CEO of BZ Media and host of Good Faith Effort, to explore the Orthodox Jewish experience in America through the 1700s and 1800s. Drawing on the Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action, this conversation brings to life some of the most remarkable and overlooked figures in early American Jewish history.
The two dive deep into the life of Isaac Leeser, the penniless, self-taught chazzan who became the ArtScroll of his era. From the first successful Jewish periodical to the first American English translation of the Tanakh, Leeser single-handedly built much of the infrastructure of American Jewish life, all while enduring profound personal hardship and the steadfast support of the legendary Rebecca Gratz.
The conversation then turns to Ezra Stiles, the Hebrew-loving president of Yale during the Revolution, and his deep friendship with Rabbi Yitzchak Karigal, a mekubal from Chevron whose influence reached the founding of American higher education. Rabbi Lamm closes with a moving account of how Orthodox rabbis navigated the halachic challenge of mourning Abraham Lincoln when the national day of mourning fell on Yom Tov Sheini of Shavuos, and what it reveals about being both fervently Jewish and deeply American.
A sweeping, story-rich episode about faith, scholarship, and the Jewish roots of the American experiment.
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The Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action is available at jewishaction.com.
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Jewish Action has just launched its first-ever large print edition, making every article accessible to readers who struggled with standard print.
To help keep this program alive and growing, you can donate here: https://jewishaction.com/donate (https://jewishaction.com/donate)
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4 Jun 2026
A Torah View on Living with a Disability with Mrs. Michal Horowitz
What does the Torah teach us about disability, identity and the profound power of gratitude?
In this deeply personal and Torah-rich conversation, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Mrs. Michal Horowitz, author of Abled: A Torah View on Living with a Disability, to discuss her remarkable journey from a fully hearing child to suffering from severe hearing loss as an adult, and the chizuk she has drawn from Torah along the way.
Mrs. Horowitz, a Master's-level audiologist who is a popular Torah teacher and lecturer, weaves together memoir, halachah and hashkafah in a way that speaks to everyone carrying a "pekel." Together, Mrs. Horowitz and Rabbi Student explore the practical and spiritual obligations our communities have toward those with disabilities.
This episode is a companion to the Summer 2026 issue of Jewish Action, which features a review of Abled and a special section on physical accessibility in the Jewish community.
Read the full articles and explore the Summer 2026 issue at jewishaction.com.
Donate to the Large Print Issue at jewishaction.com/donate
23 Apr 2026
Rabbi Menachem Genack on the Rav, Aggadah, and the Publishing of "Aggadot HaRav"
Rabbi Gil Student speaks with Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher and general editor of OU Press, about "Aggadot HaRav, Vol. II," the newly published collection of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s lectures on the Aggadic passages of Masechet Berachot.
Rabbi Genack reflects on his close relationship with the Rav, the unforgettable power of the Rav’s shiurim and public derashot, and the ongoing relevance of his Torah more than three decades after his passing. The conversation also explores the Rav’s unique approach to Aggadah, the work behind bringing these lectures to print, and why the Rav’s voice continues to shape Jewish thought today.
26 Mar 2026
Torah in the Age of Artificial Intelligence ft. Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph
In this episode of Jewish Action: The Podcast, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Orthodox Union, to explore the Spring 2026 cover story on Torah in the age of artificial intelligence.
They discuss whether the anxieties surrounding AI are overblown or warranted, how the disappearance of "grunt work" is upending the way we train the next generation of professionals and talmidim, and what the Chazal model of oral learning might actually teach us about a world where writing is no longer the primary path to knowledge.
The conversation also turns to the OU's Torah app Orbit, the risks of outsourcing human connection to a chatbot, and why the antidote to an AI-saturated world might just be going to minyan.
This episode is a reminder that the most important question to ask about any powerful tool is not what it can do, but what you are trying to accomplish with it.
Read the spring 2026 issue at https://jewishaction.com/current-issue/ (https://jewishaction.com/current-issue/)
11 Feb 2026
Living Nach: A Conversation with Rabbi Gil Student and Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman
In this episode of Jewish Action: The Podcast, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman for a wide-ranging conversation about Torah learning, women’s leadership, and how Torat Imecha Nach Yomi quietly grew into a global movement.
What began as a vision to introduce women to a sustained, daily engagement with Navi—one perek at a time—has become the largest Navi classroom in history, with tens of thousands of participants learning together across continents. Recorded as the program approaches another major siyum, this conversation traces the journey from the early days of Nach Yomi at the Orthodox Union to the launch of Torat Imecha in January 2020, just weeks before COVID reshaped communal life.
This episode is about more than a program. It’s about living with Nach, finding community through Torah, and discovering how ancient texts continue to speak—clearly and urgently—to the Jewish present.
Whether you’ve followed Nach Yomi from Yehoshua to Divrei Hayamim, are considering joining the next cycle, or are simply curious how women’s Torah learning is shaping the future, this conversation offers a thoughtful and deeply human look at what happens when learning becomes a shared journey.
22 Jan 2026
Celebrating 40 Years of Jewish Action ft. Rabbi Yaakov Glasser
In this milestone episode, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Jewish Action magazine. Returning for the conversation is Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Managing Director of Community Engagement at the OU, who provides a "behind-the-scenes" look at the multifaceted work of his department—from Torah apps and shul leadership to the Impact Accelerator for Jewish entrepreneurs.
We dive deep into the Winter 2025 retrospective issue, tracing the magazine's evolution from a simple newsletter in 1985 to a premier journal of Jewish thought.
Whether you are a longtime reader or a new subscriber, join us for a thoughtful reflection on where we’ve been and a skeptical, yet hopeful, look at where the next 40 years might take us.
Visit the archives at jewishaction.com/past-issues
22 Dec 2025
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt”l, The Loss of a Leader ft. Rabbi Yaakov Glasser
In this deeply moving and wide-ranging conversation, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, Managing Director of Community Engagement at the Orthodox Union, to reflect on leadership, responsibility and the legacy of Rabbi Moshe Hauer, zt”l.
Recorded in the shadow of profound loss and at a pivotal moment for the Jewish community, this episode offers an intimate look at how Rabbi Hauer thought, built, challenged and inspired with bold vision and unwavering commitment to Klal Yisrael. From the unprecedented 180,000-letter campaign to the White House, to Rabbi Hauer's insistence on thoughtful dialogue over slogans, and to his deep belief in Torah as the engine of Jewish life, Rabbi Glasser shares personal stories and behind-the-scenes insight into what true communal leadership looks like.
20 Nov 2025
Building a Community: Stories from the Ground Up ft. Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, Founding Director of the OU Women’s Initiative
What does it mean to build Jewish life in places where every person truly counts?
In this episode, Rabbi Gil Student sits down with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, Founding Director of the OU Women’s Initiative, to talk about the power of small communities and the people who help them flourish. Drawing on her nine years as Rebbetzin of the Birmingham, Alabama community, Rebbetzin Shmidman shares what it means to create a vibrant Torah life far from major Jewish centers—and how warmth, consistency, and genuine care can transform a town.
Together they discuss what larger communities can learn from smaller ones, the importance of positivity and stamina in leadership, and the daily opportunities to make a kiddush Hashem through simple acts of connection and kindness.
This episode was recorded shortly before the sudden passing of Rabbi Moshe Hauer zt”l, our teacher and friend. The team at Jewish Action dedicates this conversation to his memory, with gratitude for his vision and guidance that continue to inspire our work.
9 Oct 2025
Between Nusach and Niggun: The Chazzan’s Evolving Role ft. Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman
In this episode of Jewish Action: The Podcast, Rabbi Gil Student speaks with Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman, founding director of the OU Women’s Initiative, about one of the Fall 2025 issue’s most buzzed-about articles. The conversation opens with the now-viral “cantorial controversy,” when Jewish Action accidentally printed the sheet music for We Wish You a Merry Christmas in an article about High Holiday chazanus. What began as an embarrassing oversight became an unexpected opportunity to reflect on mistakes, apologies, and humor in the season of teshuvah.
From there, Gil and Adina turn to the larger questions at the heart of the article: how has the synagogue soundscape shifted from the grandeur of classical chazanus to more participatory styles of prayer, and what do we gain—and lose—in the process? Along the way they explore nusach, nigunim, silence, and the tension between performance and participation.
Don’t forget to follow, rate and share this episode!
11 Sept 2025
Behind Greatness: Rebbetzin Tobi Kaplan’s Role + Wally Klatch on Living with Dementia | Rabbi Yisrael Motzen
Host Rabbi Gil Student is joined by Rabbi Yisrael Motzen (Ne’er Tamid; Assistant to the OU EVPs; Director, Kol Echad) to unpack two standout pieces from the Summer 2025 issue of Jewish Action.
Part 1 — Rebbetzin Tobi Kaplan:
Beyond the legend of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zt”l is the remarkable story of his wife, Rebbetzin Tobi Kaplan—from the Mississippi Delta to Boro Park—whose hospitality, editing help, and unwavering partnership powered his prolific impact.
Part 2 — “Living with Dementia”:
Through Wally Klatch’s first-person reflection, we explore humility, identity, and gratitude in the face of cognitive decline—what’s lost, what opens up, and how Jewish sources help us honor and support loved ones with dignity.
Themes we cover
What makes a rebbetzin’s partnership essential—and viable—today
Production vs. charisma: why clear Torah thinking wins
Memory, identity, and kavod: shattered luchos and respecting a talmid chacham who forgot his learning
Gratitude (Modim) as a daily practice—and a path through hard times
Why support groups matter, Jewish and general
Also mentioned: A teaser of the Fall 2025 issue: Building a Community—profiles of people who moved in and made an outsized impact.
Listen & subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
Read the Summer 2025 issue at jewishaction.com.
28 Aug 2025
Gush Katif & Voices of Valor | Rebbetzin Emma Katz
Welcome to the Jewish Action Podcast, the official podcast of Jewish Action Magazine from the Orthodox Union. Join Rabbi Gil Student, Director of Jewish Media, Publications, and Editorial Communications at the OU, as he sits down with thought leaders and community voices to explore the issues shaping the Jewish world.
In this episode, Rabbi Student is joined by Rebbetzin Emma Katz, Rebbetzin of Congregation Anshei Chesed in Linden, New Jersey, and Community Program Coordinator for the OU Women’s Initiative. Together, they dive into the Summer 2025 issue of Jewish Action, focusing on two powerful themes:
20 years since the Disengagement from Gush Katif – reflecting on trauma, resilience, and the role of faith in recovery.
Voices of Valor – profiling extraordinary women like Meira K and Adina Fernandez (the “Now Jewish Nanny”) who are using their platforms to advocate for Israel and inspire Jewish pride.
27 Aug 2025
Jewish Action | THE PODCAST Trailer
Get a sneak peek at our first episode with Rebetzin Emma Katz!
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