As we observe the days of mourning before Tisha B’Av, we reflect on another profound experience of grief: the ending of a marriage. Divorce has its own mourning process, yet even when a marriage must end, it can end with dignity, compassion, and integrity. Talli Rosenbaum and Rabbi Scott Kahn speak with mediator and to’enet rabbanit Shoshie Goldstein about healthy co-parenting, navigating divorce in the Orthodox community, and finding a path toward healing.
October 7 changed countless lives. But for many Jewish people across the world, the deeper challenge has been what came afterward: months and years of ongoing stress, uncertainty, grief, and vigilance. In this episode, Talli Rosenbaum and Rabbi Scott Kahn explore how chronic stress affects relationships, intimacy, and sexuality, and why connection remains one of our most important sources of resilience and healing.
To register for the Miluim Couples Workshop, led by Micki Lavin-Pell and Dovid Davis, click here.
To learn about the Eden Center’s Marriage in the Shadow of Miluim workshop, click here.
For subsidized therapy for soldiers and reservists, click here.
To learn about Merkaz Silber at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, which provides mental health support to reserve soldiers, security personnel, and their families, click here (Hebrew).
To read “Navigating Reconnection In Your Marriage After Miluim” by Karen Goldberg, click here.
To read “The Challenges of Marriage in the Shadow of War” by Chaim Weiss, click here.
To read “Halakhic Considerations for Army Wives Observing Taharat Hamishpacha” by Gabriela Broner, click here.
To read “Israeli sex lives: Casualties of the war with Hamas” by Brian Blum, click here.
To read “This is how you can console your partner in these challenging times” by Lori Stadtmauer, click here.
How should Orthodox educators address masturbation with teenage boys—and what happens when the message is only about prohibition?
Dr. Dan Jacobson offers a thoughtful, experience-based approach that balances halacha, mental health, and the lived reality of adolescents, focusing on reducing shame, fostering responsibility, and speaking about sexuality in a healthier, more honest way.
To download a free copy of Dr. Jacobson’s booklet, Light in the Darkness: Torani Psychological Perspectives on Shmirat HaBrit, go to drdanjacobson.com.
When observing the laws pertaining to niddah, women are often taught not to look at their bodily discharges, to avoid becoming niddah. With our guests Lisa Septimus and Malka Chana Amichai, we explore the halachic logic behind “don’t look,” the tension it creates with body awareness, and whether halacha undermines or advances body literacy.
In this Q&A episode of Intimate Judaism, we respond to honest questions about desire, restraint, identity, mental health, and intimacy within Jewish life. We touch on topics including bisexuality, workplace boundaries, what is permitted within marital intimacy, postpartum depression and low desire, shmirat einayim, and even whether leaving the lights on matters. Throughout, we focus on integrating emotional well-being with halachic integrity, rather than shame or self-erasure.
In this episode, we explore the many reasons men may avoid sexual intimacy. Challenging the myth of the “always-ready” husband, this episode explores the physical, psychological, relational, and religious factors that shape male sexuality. We discuss she impact of sexual guilt, shame, performance anxiety and trauma on sexual motivation and function, and offer guidelines for reconnection with compassion and understanding.
How can Jewish educators guide teens through questions about bodies, desire, and values without shame or fear? Talli and Scott sit down with Shuli Taubes to discuss why high school education about sex and sexual ethics matters, what healthy frameworks look like, and how schools can partner with parents to raise confident, thoughtful, and compassionate young adults.
In this premiere episode of the eighth season of Intimate Judaism, we collaborated with Together in Happiness, an organization dedicated to helping couples navigate marriage. Together, we are releasing a recording of a lecture delivered by cohost Talli Rosenbaum. In this talk, Talli discusses how Jewish marriage mirrors the relationship of the Jewish people with God, and draws upon the concepts of teshuva to provide a template for relational repair in marriage.
Dr. Sara Glass, author of “Kissing Girls on Shabbat” was raised in the Hasidic community of Gur. Today, she is trauma therapist, identifies as queer, and though she is no longer religious herself, works with women along the religious and LGBTQ spectrum. We spoke to Sara about the risks and dangers of sexual experimentation when leaving religious life, and the complexities of integrating being gay and religious.
How do we talk to our kids about sex in a way that’s honest, healthy, and grounded in Jewish values? In this episode of Intimate Judaism, Talli and Scott speak with Yonina Rubinstein to explore how parents can approach conversations about sexuality with sensitivity, clarity, and confidence. We discuss practical strategies for different ages and stages, the importance of modeling a positive attitude toward intimacy, and how halacha (Jewish law) and tradition can serve as a guide—not a barrier—to raising sexually healthy children. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just thinking ahead, this episode offers an essential roadmap for navigating “the Talk” in a way that’s both open and deeply rooted in Jewish life.
The interface between young adults’ religious values and their sexual experiences before age 16: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318798839_The_interface_between_young_adults’_religious_values_and_their_sexual_experiences_before_age_16
Links (in Hebrew) that Yonina mentioned regarding rabbis’ views on masturbation: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2oKJ0ADNn1DEk9fMl1Q3Q8 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioglmmV8s3I.