CSK-er George Schwartz and I are excited to premiere a brand new podcast, “Cooler Heads, Thoughtful Conversations on Complex Jewish Issues.” Here is our little blurb: “ Rabbi Scott and George Schwartz are like brothers from another mother—two minds, one mission. From the moment they met, their conversations have only grown deeper and more thought-provoking. In today’s polarized media landscape, we believe it’s time for cooler heads to prevail. That’s why we created Cooler Heads, a brand-new podcast dedicated to lowering the temperature on divisive issues and fostering thoughtful, empirical, and less emotion-driven discussions. Join us as we explore some of the Jewish world’s most complex and intractable conflicts with nuance, curiosity, and a commitment to deeper understanding.” George and I will seek to produce “Cooler Heads” podcast episodes on topical issues that we believe need a bit more “digging deep” and “airing out.” We look forward to your feedback which you can offer via the comments section in the two formats with which we will share them: my podcast, "Conversations with the Rabbi" (available on Itunes) and the Congregation Shma Koleinu You Tube Channel. Our first episode begins and ends with the lives and deaths of recently returned and deceased Israeli hostages, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas. We discuss the situation from the breathtakingly broad intransigence that has enabled the violence in and around Israel to persevere and the breathtakingly narrow heartbreak in discovering what was done by Hamas to babies. Please give a listen and let us know what you think. Rabbi Scott