A 10-part podcast series helping Jewish emerging adults build healthy relationships through psychology, clinical expertise, and Jewish wisdom.
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MEET YOUR HOSTS
Certified Sex Therapist & Individual and Couples Therapist, Co-host of Intimate Judaism
Talli Yehuda Rosenbaum is an internationally recognized individual, couples and sex therapist who has spent decades helping people build healthy, connected intimate lives. She writes and lectures widely on sexuality within religious communities.
Rabbi & Educator, Co-host of Intimate Judaism
Rabbi Scott Kahn is an educator and CEO of Jewish Coffee House. He is known for creating thoughtful conversations that integrate Torah, philosophy, and real-life experience, making difficult topics both accessible and deeply rooted in Jewish values.
Hosted by Rabbi Scott Kahn and certified sex therapist Talli Yehuda Rosenbaum.
Produced by Jewish Coffee House · Powered by Intimate Judaism.
Why we created this series
Every young Jewish adult deserves clear, thoughtful guidance about relationships, sexuality, and marriage. Too often, those conversations don't happen.
That's why we created this 10-episode series: thoughtful, evidence-based conversations that integrate psychological insight with Torah values. Whether you're preparing for future relationships, beginning to date, engaged, newly married, or simply seeking a healthier understanding of intimacy and sexuality, these episodes offer practical guidance, honest discussion, and a framework that takes both your Jewish commitment and your wellbeing seriously.
Between eighteen and twenty-five, young adults navigate dating, desire, boundaries and identity — often with no trusted place to ask. This series offers exactly that: clear, compassionate, evidence-based guidance rooted in both psychological insight and Torah values.
Torah values and clinical science are not competing authorities. Talli and Rabbi Kahn model how the two can be held at once, so nobody has to choose between their religious values and their well-being.
Language for difficult conversations, an accurate understanding of bodies and intimacy, and a framework for building relationships defined by Halacha, consent, dignity and mutual care.
Who this series is for
Ages 18–25, in college, seminary, the army or early career. Honest answers about intimacy, dating and desire — without embarrassment or euphemisms.
Language and framing for conversations that often get avoided at home. Listen alongside your child, or on your own, to prepare.
A shared, halachically sensitive reference you can recommend with confidence to students, congregants and campus communities.
Clinically grounded material from a licensed sex therapist, useful for clients navigating intimacy within a religious framework.
The complete series
Many Jewish young adults reach their wedding night with almost no real guidance on intimacy and sexuality. Rabbi Scott Kahn and sex and relationship therapist Talli Rosenbaum open the series by explaining why these conversations need to start years before the chuppah, and what's ahead in the next nine episodes.
PlayIntimacy isn't a set of rules or an activity that a couple learns about right before a wedding. Intimacy is experienced in close connections that are built through years of attachment, friendship, and self-awareness. This episode explores how early attachments, childhood bonds and dating experiences shape one's capacity for feeling closeness, safety and trust.
Coming soonJudaism views sexuality as a sacred, joyful, and meaningful part of married life, with the potential to deepen love, connection, and exclusivity. This episode walks through six core values behind Jewish intimacy, from Tzelem Elokim (image of God) to Ahavah (love), and why they still offer real guidance for modern relationships.
Coming soonMany young adults enter marriage without knowing basic anatomy, or believing myths about virginity and gender differences. This episode provides real, accurate information on bodies, arousal, and consent, replacing shame and confusion with the confidence to communicate.
Coming soonWhat exactly are the halachic red lines before marriage, and why? This episode breaks down shomer negiah, yichud, and physical boundaries honestly, including how couples navigate desire, disagreement, and consent when the ideal and the reality don't quite match.
Coming soonMany young adults encounter questions or challenges related to pornography, masturbation, or both, often in silence and shame. This episode addresses these topics directly: what Jewish law says, why they can be so difficult to navigate, and how to strive for growth without being crushed by shame.
Coming soonMarriage in Judaism is a covenant, not a conquest. This episode explores what Kiddushin really means, why the Torah insists a spouse remain an ish rather than a ba'al (partner, not owner), and what makes a Jewish marriage more than a legal or romantic bond.
Coming soonThe laws of niddah are often learned under time pressure, leaving little room to explore their meaning, practical application, and impact on relationships. This episode explains what niddah actually requires, why the mikvah experience can be difficult for many women, and how these laws, approached honestly, can deepen a couple's connection.
Coming soonFor many Orthodox young adults, navigating questions about sexual orientation can feel lonely and confusing. This episode addresses terminology, halacha, conversion therapy, and mixed-orientation marriage with honesty, nuance, and compassion.
Coming soonIn this uplifting final conversation, Rabbi Scott Kahn and Talli Rosenbaum bring together the themes of the series while exploring the foundations of healthy married intimacy, including consent, mutual respect, and open communication. They reflect on what listeners have learned, address common misconceptions, and offer guidance for continuing the journey toward meaningful, informed, and fulfilling relationships.
Coming soonFrequently asked questions
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Bring the conversation to your community
Interested in a live workshop, panel, or conversation for your school, campus, shul, or organization? Invite Scott and Talli to bring the conversations behind ISEA to your community.