Elli Fischer: 'The Torah ideal is for Israel to be a religious state'

The Torah wants Israel to be a religious state, Rabbi Elli Fischer says. Just, maybe, not right now. A historian, writer, translator, and educator, Elli Fischer extensively explores the relationship between Jewish law and the Jewish state, in the past, present, and future. Elli was a previous guest on 18Forty's Zionism series and a 3-Month Book Journey Leader. A founding editor of The Lehrhaus , Elli was ordained by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and is working toward a doctorate in Jewish History at Tel Aviv University; his work has appeared far and wide. Now, he joins Sruli Fruchter to answer 18 questions on Israel, including messianism, democracy, and the future of religion in the Jewish state. This interview was held on May 14.