This week we are joined by Rabbi Gersh Lazarow, founding rabbi of Shtiebel in Melbourne, for a conversation we have mostly avoided on this show. We recorded it a few days after the anniversary of October 7. It is frank, sometimes uncomfortable, and one of the more important episodes we have done. We discuss personal journeys, cultural traditions, and identity. Gersh shares his story of leaving apartheid South Africa and how he came to be a rabbi and build Shtiebel. We delve into faith and culture, the war in Gaza, the experience of Jewish Australians over the past three years, and how hard it has become to hold complexity when everything pushes us into sides.

We close on how people with very different views can still sit at the same table, what the rabbinical tradition of debate offers here, the need for community and understanding amidst division, with an emphasis on the role of language and shared experiences in fostering connection.

A reminder that our first live show is at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday 25 November, 6 to 9pm. Invitations go out this week.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates
• 03:34 Welcoming Rabbi Gersh Lazarow
• 05:32 Rabbi Gersh's Journey and Background
• 11:01 Exploring Faith and Spirituality
• 14:00 Cultural vs. Religious Identity
• 19:12 The Complexity of Current Events
• 26:30 Navigating the Dichotomy of Opinions
• 30:48 The Impact of Technology on Discourse
• 35:33 The Pain of Innocence in War
• 36:38 Accusations and Social Dynamics
• 37:19 Emboldened Voices and Experiences
• 41:04 The Ugliness of Modern Warfare
• 43:54 Personal Responsibility in Discourse
• 46:45 Navigating Community and Identity
• 50:55 The Shift in Political Discourse
• 54:21 Historical Context and Responsibility
• 57:10 Building Community Amidst Tension