The War and Treaty’s Michael and Tanya Trotter grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, DC, respectively, but both have family roots in the South. They also grew up in the musical traditions of their churches – Tanya in the Black Baptist Church and Michael in the Seventh Day Adventist Church – where they learned the power of song to move people. After becoming a father at a very young age, Michael eventually joined the armed forces and served in Iraq and Germany, where he took up songwriting as a way of dealing with his experiences there. Meanwhile Tanya embarked on a singing and acting career after a breakthrough appearance in Sister Act 2 alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. Now, after a long and sometimes traumatic journey, Michael and Tanya are married, touring, winning all sorts of awards, and set to release their fifth album together, and their fourth as The War and Treaty. Sid talks to Michael and Tanya about the new record, Plus One , as well as their collaboration with Miranda Lambert, what it was like to record at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, and how they’re blending country, soul, gospel, and R&B. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…
Rivkah Lubitch and Susan Weiss take you behind the closed doors of Israeli Rabbinic Courts to reveal the real stories of women seeking justice under religious law in Israel. Justice Unbound is made possible by the generous support of the Gimprich Family Foundation.
…
continue reading
Susan reveals how Israel’s rabbinic courts concoct an unholy trifecta of rigid formalism, extortion, and violence to deal with women trapped in unwanted marriages. Who really holds the power—the husbands or the dayanim (rabbinic judges)? Should the ends justify the means when punishing get refusers? Susan and Rivkah discuss why change remains elusi…
…
continue reading
What must a woman prove to be divorced in a rabbinic court? Susan shares a shocking case where she learned firsthand that, no matter what a husband does—whether he rapes, beats, cheats, takes another wife, withholds intimacy, or even if his wife is utterly repulsed by him—none of it grants her the right to leave. No fault of his is considered groun…
…
continue reading
According to Jewish tradition, a woman who outlives two husbands is labeled a “killer wife,” believed to bring misfortune to any future spouse. In Israel, a woman suspected of being a killer wife needs special permission to legally remarry. Susan and Rivkah dive into a fascinating 2014 rabbinic court ruling that allows one such woman to escape the …
…
continue reading
As the war in Israel leaves countless families shattered, the issue of chalitza resurfaces with complicated consequences for widows. In this second episode on chalitza, Susan and Rivkah discuss halachic solutions--past and present--and why the current crisis makes it more urgent than ever to address. Learn about what the Center for Women's Justice …
…
continue reading
Susan and Rivkah delve into the ancient ritual of chalitza, a halachic ceremony releasing a widow from marrying her late husband’s brother. What does chalitza mean for women today, especially in the modern state of Israel? What happens to a woman when chalitza can’t—or won’t—be done? Through personal stories, expert insights and a critical lens, we…
…
continue reading
What does the Ottoman Sultan have to do with Jewish divorce in 2025? Susan and Rivkah delve into the surprising origins of Israel’s two-tracked civil system, consisting of religious and secular courts. What is the difference between these secular and religious courts, and how do Israelis decide where to go? Are non-Jews in Israel also bound by reli…
…
continue reading

1
(4) Marrying Outside the Rabbinate, with Rabbi Chuck Davidson of Chuppot
21:50
21:50
Later Afspelen
Later Afspelen
Lijsten
Vind ik leuk
Leuk
21:50Chuppot is an independent rabbinic-halachic organization that marries couples in accordance with Jewish law--but outside the purview of the State Rabbinate. Since its establishment in 2018, Chuppot has married 1600 couples... and counting. Why does an alternative like this exist? And what ramifications does it have for the next generation? Rivkah s…
…
continue reading
Can a Jewish marriage that was never consummated be annulled? Not so fast. Susan Weiss and Rivkah Lubitch tell the story of a 17-year-old girl in a marriage she can’t escape. The episode introduces the halachic concept of “ma’is alay”–“he disgusts me”–circumstances under which a woman cannot stand to sleep with her husband, which has implications f…
…
continue reading
Is polygamy legal in Israel, and is it grounds for divorce? Susan Weiss and Rivkah Lubitch share the story of Rivkah’s client, whose husband married a second wife while refusing to divorce the first. This episode underscores how women pay the price when religious law is imposed by the state. Justice Unbound is made possible by the generous support …
…
continue reading
Susan Weiss and Rivkah Lubitch talk about agunot, Jewish women held in marital captivity. They explain marriage and divorce in Jewish Law, the legal system in Israel, and how things work in the state-backed rabbinic courts. This episode tells the story of one of Rivkah’s first clients, who waited 20 years for her get—Jewish bill of divorce. Justice…
…
continue reading
Rivkah Lubitch and Susan Weiss take you behind the closed doors of Israeli Rabbinic Courts to reveal the real stories of women seeking justice under religious law in Israel. Justice Unbound is made possible by the generous support of the Gimprich Family Foundation.Door Susan Weiss and Rivkah Lubitch
…
continue reading