As Rosh Hashanah approaches, it is no exaggeration to say that the Jewish people is hurting. Bitterly divided and uncertain about the future in Israel, worried and beset by enemies in the Diaspora, we are a people much in need of a restored sense of purpose.
We have had the privilege of hosting Rabbi David Stav—Chief Rabbi of the city of Shoham, as well as founder and chairman of the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization in Israel—on Israel from the Inside several times in the past.
With stridency and extremism running rampant in the world at large, and in Israel in particular, we invited Rabbi Stav, one of the preeminent, widely admired, and forward-thinking religious leaders in Israel, to share his thoughts with us about what Judaism is—or at least, what it should be—about.
Rabbi David Stav is an Israeli Religious Zionist rabbi and a prominent voice for a more inclusive and accessible approach to Jewish life in Israel. He has served as the Chief Rabbi of Shoham since the 1990s and is the chairman and co-founder of Tzohar, an organization dedicated to strengthening connections between Israeli society and Judaism. A graduate of Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav and qualified as a rabbinical judge, Rabbi Stav has also taught in several educational institutions and served in leadership roles at Ohr Torah Stone. In 2013, he was a candidate for Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. His work focuses particularly on religious pluralism, Jewish identity, marriage, conversion, and bridging the divide between religious and secular Israelis.
The link at the top of this posting will take free subscribers to an excerpted portion of today’s conversation.
For paid subscribers, the link at the top will take you to the full conversation; below, paid subscribers will also find a transcript for those who prefer to read, as always.
With Rosh Hashanah just days away, a quick note that we will be on a slightly reduced publication schedule through the upcoming holiday season. Weekly podcasts for paid subscribers will continue to appear on schedule, but our other regular content will be pared back as we turn our attention to preparing for and welcoming the New Year—which we pray will bring much better tidings to Israel, our region, and the world at large.
