Why are ritual circumcision, conversion and Jewish identity at the forefront of Israel’s religious and political debate? In this episode of “Judeacation,” JNS Middle East correspondent Josh Hasten sits down with Rav Hayim Leiter, founder of Magen HaBrit, for a candid and fascinating conversation from the biblical heartland of Israel.
Broadcast from the JNS Media Hub in Jerusalem, this episode dives deep into life in Judea and Samaria, as Leiter—a mohel, wedding officiant and member of a private Orthodox beit din—explains his mission to protect the sacred Jewish ritual of brit milah and make it safer and more accessible for Jewish families around the world.
Leiter shares compelling personal stories, including his work in Nairobi’s emerging Jewish community; his reaction to the arrest of a mohel in Ireland; and his thoughts on the tensions between Israel’s Chief Rabbinate and private rabbinic institutions. The discussion also covers Israel’s political climate, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s wartime leadership, and the future of Jewish life in Judea and Samaria.
Plus: Surfing with sharks, religious freedom and the unexpected intersections of tradition and modernity in Israel’s evolving identity.
