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The study of Gemara dominates the daily schedule of most yeshivot. Beyond yeshiva, Daf Yomi has become an international phenomenon with people taking time out of their daily schedules to study a page of Talmud. What is Gemara learning all about? Why is it prioritized over the study of Jewish thought or Tanakh? In this episode, Rav David Silverstein is joined by Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky of Yeshivat Sha'alvim to discuss these questions as well as address the different learning methodologies used to convey the profundity of Gemara learning.
Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky serves as a Ram at Yeshivat Sha’alvim, where he teaches Talmud and contemporary Jewish thought. He studied at Yeshiva University and received a B.A. in Psychology, M.S. in Jewish Education, and Semicha as a member of the Wexner Semicha Honors Program. He is also an alumnus of YU’s prestigious Kollel Elyon and currently serves as the associate director of NCSY Kollel. He has given shiurim and presentations throughout North America and has published articles on a wide range of topics, including Talmud, Jewish Education, and the Sociology of the Modern Orthodox community. He resides in Sha’alvim with his wife, Dr. Ilana Turetsky, and their four children.
Questions? Feedback? Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed?
Email us at oraytapodcast@gmail.com and we look forward to "continuing the conversation."
Music from "Ashreinu" by Omek HaDavar
Recorded in the Old City of Jerusalem at Yeshivat Orayta (orayta.org) | Facebook | Instagram
Rabbi Yehuda Turetsky serves as a Ram at Yeshivat Sha’alvim, where he teaches Talmud and contemporary Jewish thought. He studied at Yeshiva University and received a B.A. in Psychology, M.S. in Jewish Education, and Semicha as a member of the Wexner Semicha Honors Program. He is also an alumnus of YU’s prestigious Kollel Elyon and currently serves as the associate director of NCSY Kollel. He has given shiurim and presentations throughout North America and has published articles on a wide range of topics, including Talmud, Jewish Education, and the Sociology of the Modern Orthodox community. He resides in Sha’alvim with his wife, Dr. Ilana Turetsky, and their four children.
Questions? Feedback? Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed?
Email us at oraytapodcast@gmail.com and we look forward to "continuing the conversation."
Music from "Ashreinu" by Omek HaDavar
Recorded in the Old City of Jerusalem at Yeshivat Orayta (orayta.org) | Facebook | Instagram
Creators and Guests
Host
Rav David Silverstein
Rabbi David Silverstein is the Sgan (Assistant) Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, and previously served as the Director of the Overseas Program at Yeshivat Hesder, Petach Tikva. Originally from New Jersey, Rabbi Silverstein lives with his wife and four children in Modiin, Israel.
What is The Curious Jew?
Judaism is a civilization built on big ideas—about God, morality, community, purpose, and what it means to live a meaningful life. But in a rapidly changing world, how do these timeless concepts speak to our modern reality?
The Curious Jew is a forum for thoughtful conversation, spirited debate, and intellectual exploration of Judaism’s most enduring questions and contemporary challenges. Through engaging discussions with leading rabbis, scholars, authors, and communal figures, we go beyond the surface to examine the core ideas shaping the Jewish future.
Hosted by Rabbi David Silverstein and produced by Yeshivat Orayta, our goal is not simply to provide easy answers, but to cultivate curiosity, challenge assumptions, and inspire a more thoughtful, self-aware, and committed Judaism for the twenty-first century.
Whether you're deeply learned in Torah text or just beginning your intellectual journey, The Curious Jew invites you to join the conversation. New episodes drop bi-weekly.
Intro music by Mykola Odnoroh.