About this episode
Is Reform Judaism losing its soul—or finding a new one?I’m back after the holidays + semester kickoff with a 🔥 conversation you do NOT want to miss. I sit down with Rabbi Sam Stern (Topeka, KS)—some jokingly call him the Chief Rabbi of Kansas—to unpack a growing shockwave: the rise of anti-Zionist rabbis in liberal movements (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist). How did we get here? Should rabbinical schools have a Zionism litmus test? And we square off over the big one: Does Reform Judaism actually have a future?Along the way we get into:Why some rabbinical campuses feel “cool-to-hostile” on IsraelPost-denominational Judaism vs. movement loyalty (and why Chabad changed the game)Liturgy wars: innovate or keep the text and reinterpret?Particularism is back—are young Jews craving more Jewish specificity, not less?Politics, social justice, and what rabbis should/shouldn’t say from the pulpitIf you care about Judaism, Israel, or the future of Jewish leadership, this one will make you think (and probably argue in the comments).Chapters00:00 Welcome back + why I’ve been posting less02:10 Who is Rabbi Sam Stern?05:20 The rise of anti-Zionist rabbis—what changed?12:40 Should HUC/RRC/others require a Zionism baseline?18:55 Is Reform Judaism still relevant—or already post-denominational?27:30 Particularism vs. universalism (what Gen Z actually wants)36:40 Liturgy: edit the siddur or reinterpret tradition?49:10 Campus life, advocacy, and the Israel conversation58:30 Where do we go from here?If you’re new: subscribe for weekly deep dives.If you’re not: drop a comment—Should rabbinical schools screen for Zionism? Yes/No and why.#judaism #Zionism #reformjudaism #jewishpodcast #israel #jewishidentity #HUC #rrc #conservativejudaism #AntiZionism #Campus #liturgy #PostDenominational #KansasRabbi #RabbiSamStern