Alt+SHIFT Exit Interview

Alt+SHIFT Exit Interview

Author: Tradition Online March 3, 2024 Duration: 59:04
Because TRADITION has always aspired to be more than a quarterly print journal and aims to help shape the conversation and have an impact in our religious community, about five years ago we broadened our reach by expanding our digital-direct offerings, producing shorter-form original content distributed on TraditonOnline.org and over social media—this includes the podcast, expanded coverage of books and cultural criticism, and a platform to feature new authors. Since December 2022 Yitzchak Blau has been producing “Alt+SHIFT”—that’s the keyboard shortcut allowing us quick transition between input languages on our keyboards. For many readers of TRADITION this is the move from English to Hebrew (and back again). Blau has shared his insider’s look into trends, ideas, and writings in the Israeli Religious Zionist world to help readers from the Anglo sphere gain insight into worthwhile material available only in Hebrew. This series is now heading off on hiatus and we thought it would be a good idea to talk with its author about what he’s accomplished in the 30 installments of the column. Yitzchak Blau, Rosh Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem’s Old City, is an Associate Editor of TRADITION. Later in the episode, we meet Moshe Kurtz, who will be stepping in with a new series, “Unpacking the Iggerot,” exploring themes and topics at the intersection of halakha and hashkafa as they arise from the Iggerot Moshe of R. Moshe Feinstein zt”l. He joins us now for a quick preview of what we can expect from that upcoming series. Kurtz is the Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT, author of Challenging Assumptions, and host of the podcast Shu”T First, Ask Questions Later. The post Alt+SHIFT Exit Interview appeared first on Tradition Online.

The Tradition Podcast extends the deep, considered conversation of its long-standing journal into an audio format. Each episode draws from the rich well of Orthodox Jewish thought, but frames these ideas for a contemporary listener grappling with modern questions. You'll hear discussions that sit at the intersection of ancient texts and present-day life, where timeless philosophy meets current ethical dilemmas, historical context informs cultural shifts, and spiritual inquiry finds practical expression. This isn't about delivering simple answers, but rather exploring the nuanced arguments and diverse perspectives that have defined a living tradition for centuries. The podcast naturally delves into the same rigorous topics as the journal-Jewish law, theology, societal trends, and moral philosophy-but with the accessible, engaging flow of a spoken dialogue. It’s for anyone curious about how a vibrant intellectual and religious tradition navigates the complexities of the human experience, offering thoughtful reflection that resonates far beyond the page. Tune in for a series that honors the depth of its source material while creating a new space for auditory learning and reflection.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Tradition Podcast
Podcast Episodes
A Jewish Theology of Consciousness for the Age of AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:43
Generative Artificial Intelligence is now part of daily life—having leaped from science fiction to indispensable daily tool with alarming speed. But what does it mean for us a religious community and as thinking religiou…
No Spare Jews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:31
Late last year TRADITION published our largest issue ever—350+ page volume on the intellectual legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l, released in cooperation with the Rabbi Sacks Legacy on the occasion of his 5th yahrzeit.…
The Jew in America at 250 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:29
From the Editor’s Desk: This special Semiquincentennial podcast is the capstone of our symposium at TraditionOnline.org considering “The Jew in America at 250.” It revisits a series we published in 1976 for the Bicentenn…
Halakhic Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:45
“Out of the sources of Halakhah, a new world view awaits formulation”—so concludes Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s Halakhic Mind, an essay penned in 1944 but only published in 1986. It is the Rav’s most philosophically de…
Reconceiving Conceptualism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:47
The recent annual convention of TRADITON’s publisher, the Rabbinical Council of America, was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work of our journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought. Our editor Jeffrey Saks had a chance to…
Fear and Faith in Religious Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:11
What is the relationship between fear and faith? This question is explored in Rivka Kahan’s recent essay, “Fear and Faith in Religious Life” (TRADITION, Spring 2026). In this episode Kahan discusses these topics with our…
Rav Moshe’s Legacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:13
Ta’anit Esther marks the 40th Yahrzeit of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Those old enough to remember his passing no doubt recall the feeling of colossal loss for the Gadol and Posek HaDor. But, now, four decades on, we must…