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Jewish Action Podcast episode 2

Gil StudentSep 12, 25
1 minute read
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Host Rabbi Gil Student is joined by Rabbi Yisrael Motzen (Ner Tamid; Assistant to the OU EVPs; Director, Kol Echad) to unpack two standout pieces from the Summer 2025 issue of Jewish Action.

Part 1 — Rebbetzin Tobi Kaplan:

Beyond the legend of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zt”l is the remarkable story of his wife, Rebbetzin Tobi Kaplan—from the Mississippi Delta to Boro Park—whose hospitality, editing help, and unwavering partnership powered his prolific impact.

Part 2 — “Living with Dementia”:

Through Wally Klatch’s first-person reflection, we explore humility, identity, and gratitude in the face of cognitive decline—what’s lost, what opens up, and how Jewish sources help us honor and support loved ones with dignity.

Themes we cover:

  • What makes a rebbetzin’s partnership essential—and viable—today
  • Production vs. charisma: why clear Torah thinking wins
  • Memory, identity, and kavod: shattered luchos and respecting a talmid chacham who forgot his learning
  • Gratitude (Modim) as a daily practice—and a path through hard times
  • Why support groups matter, Jewish and general

Also mentioned: A teaser of the Fall 2025 issue: Building a Community—profiles of people who moved in and made an outsized impact.

Listen to the episode here

Gil StudentSep 12, 25
1 minute read

Gil Student

Rabbi Gil Student is the Editor of TorahMusings.com, a leading website on Orthodox Jewish scholarly subjects, and Director of the Halacha Commission of the Rabbinical Alliance of America. He writes a popular column on issues of Jewish law and thought featured in newspapers and magazines, including the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Action magazine, The Jewish Link, The Jewish Echo and The Jewish Vues. In the past, he has served as the President of the small Jewish publisher Yashar Books and as the Managing Editor of OU Press. Rabbi Student currently is serving his third term on the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America. He serves on the Editorial Board of Jewish Action magazine and the Board of OU Press. He has published five English books, the most recent titled Articles of Faith: Traditional Jewish Belief in the Internet Era, previously served as the Book Editor of Jewish Action magazine, and served as the American editor for Morasha Kehillat Yaakov: Essays in Honour of Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

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