July 29, 2025
Delphine Horvilleur, the ‘Reformed’ French Rabbi Making Waves
Hadassah Magazine PresentsAbout this episode
Tune in as Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein interviews Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur , author of the recent best seller How Isn't It Going? Conversations After October 7 and the inspiration behind the hit streaming series Reformed, which is loosely based on her award-winning 2021 essay collection Living With Our Dead . One of only a handful of female French rabbis, Horvilleur has become a leading public intellectual in her native country and a powerful proponent for plurality and interfaith dialogue. The New York Times has called her "the rare public intellectual to bring religious texts into the public square." And the French Elle Magazine , which put her on the cover, said she "finds the right words to describe our time and our ghosts." In this episode, Horvilleur recounts her unconventional path to the rabbinate (with stops in medical school and as a journalist along the way), and talks about why being a female rabbi and a reform rabbi is still so unusual in France. She delves into the TV show inspired by her book, talking about what the show gets right and where it departs from her own experience. Tackling larger questions about "What is true leadership" and "What is the purpose of rabbinic leadership," she turns to the antisemitism facing French Jews, how it anticipated what American Jews are facing today and what it looks like in France at this moment. She says: "I'm pretty convinced that I want to dedicate my rabbinate to the bridge building business, but I have to admit that in a situation like ours it's quite obvious and normal and understandable that people also want to strengthen protective walls around their Jewish identity. And the question for me as a Jewish leader is ... how do you reconcile these two existential needs." Further Resources Read our review of Reformed Read a review of Horvilleur’s How Isn’t It Going? Conversations after October 7 and purchase a copy here Read our review of Horvilleur’s Living with Our Dead and purchase a copy here Check out Tenoua , the online French-language journal of Jewish thought and culture that Horvilleur helms Watch the program recording here. Follow Hadassah Magazine Presents wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Help others discover our podcast by writing a review. Liked this episode? Share with a friend! The show is hosted by Hadassah Magazine Executive Editor Lisa Hostein and produced by Hadassah Magazine with the support of the Engagement and Marketing divisions of Hadassah. Our podcast editors are Arielle Kaplan and Eli Hershko. Get more of Hadassah Magazine ! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Subscribe to get the latest print magazine delivered to your mailbox. Please send any follow-up questions or feedback to engagement@hadassah.org