On this week’s episode of Unorthodox: whether schools should close for Jewish holidays, exporting American extremism to the West Bank, and Rosh Hashanah resolutions from host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz.
Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Avi Shafran, director of public affairs for Agudath Israel of America, an umbrella organization for ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, Jews. He explains why he dislikes the term ultra-Orthodox, why secular Jews shouldn’t feel hostility toward more observant Jews (and vice versa), and the message he wishes he could impart upon non-observant Jews.