He Left Orthodox Judaism—Then Debated Rabbi Mizrachi With Manny Yosipov

Manny Yosipov joins Gabi for a wide-ranging conversation about leaving frum Orthodox Judaism without losing his curiosity, spirituality, or openness to new ideas. Manny discusses the fallout from debating Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, the nuance he discovered within biblical teachings, and why even the commandment to honor one’s parents deserves to be questioned. He reflects on Shabbat, religious community, and the gradual process that led him away from frum life. The conversation expands into economics, government regulation, oligopolies, Amazon, spirituality and drugs, and the fascinating idea that myths evolve much like genes. Manny and Gabi also explore how language shapes culture, how leaving religion affects parenting, and what it means to raise children who can think openly for themselves. Finally, Manny shares ideas from neuroscience that influence how he lives, thinks, parents, and understands the brain—including the strange and revealing world of dreams. An open-minded conversation about Orthodox Judaism, religious deconstruction, spirituality, parenting, economics, mythology, language, neuroscience, and life after certainty.