It takes two
to Torah

It takes two
to Torah

by Rabbi Dov Linzer & Abigail Pogrebin

Released September 10th, 2024

An Orthodox Rabbi and Reform Journalist Discuss and Debate Their Way Through the Five Books of Moses

It Takes Two to Torah is not just an education, it’s an invitation – to join the oldest Book Club in the world.

It Takes Two to Torah is not just an education, it’s an invitation – to join the oldest Book Club in the world.

This book is a Torah conversation-starter for families on Shabbat, for religious school instructors with students of all ages, for individuals who have never found a way to read the entire Torah in bite-size, relatable nuggets, and for seasoned Torah readers looking for new insights. Most of all, it is a snapshot of what Torah study is meant to be: a real-time, candid, instructive, challenging exchange of responses to ancient text.

Meet the Authors

Abigail Pogrebin

Abigail Pogrebin is the author of “Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk About Being Jewish” and “My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew” which was published by Fig Tree Books LLC and was a finalist for a National Jewish Book Award. She has written for The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Tablet, The Forward, and The New York Times and moderated public conversations for The Streicker Center, the Shalom Hartman Institute, the JCC in Manhattan, and Jewish Broadcasting Service. She is a past president of Central Synagogue in New York.

Rabbi Dov Linzer

Rabbi Dov Linzer is the President and Rosh HaYeshiva (Rabbinic Head) of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT), an Orthodox rabbinical school and Torah center which promotes a more open and inclusive Orthodoxy.A leading Torah voice in the Modern Orthodox community, Rabbi Linzer serves as religious mentor to YCT’s students and its over 200 rabbis in the United States and Israel. He has written for The Forward, Tablet and The New York Times, has published hundreds of teshuvot (responsa) and scholarly Torah articles, and hosted a number of highly popular Torah podcasts.

Recent Articles & Interviews

What People are Saying

“Rabbi Linzer and journalist Pogrebin (My Jewish Year) discuss 52 weekly readings of the Torah in this intellectually lively adaptation of their Parsha in Progress podcast. Aiming to step outside their “echo chambers,” the authors draw fresh insights…. Such openness gives the book its spark and propels the authors’ broad-minded consideration of such questions as the value of ritual versus belief and what the Bible might have to say about gender identity. Rigorous and readable, it’s a stimulating addition to modern-day Torah scholarship.”

-Publishers Weekly

“Articulate, eloquent, fascinating, insightful, thoughtful and thought-provoking, It Takes Two to Torah: An Orthodox Rabbi and Reform Journalist Discuss and Debate Their Way Through the Five Books of Moses is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the Torah, Jewish Religious Studies, and the first five books of the Old Testament.”

– Midwest Book Review

“This unlikely, inspired pairing of an esteemed Torah scholar (Orthodox) and brilliant journalist (Reform) leads to some of the most spontaneous, moving exchanges about our tradition’s foundational text. Linzer and Pogrebin embody the magic of talking Torah–arguing, asking, letting it meet you where you are. It Takes Two to Torah is a gift to anyone who wants to be part of this eternal conversation and be enlightened and surprised -even rabbis who read it every year.”

–RABBI ANGELA BUCHDAHL, Senior Rabbi, Central Synagogue, New York City

“Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer illuminate the Torah through discussion in the most joyous, insightful, conversational way. They make what could be an academic concept- to investigate and discuss the true meaning of the Torah- into delightful banter, coming at it from two very different perspectives. They give us permission to question and interpret the layers of the text and in so doing, realize that it is the questioning that makes us human. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and learned so much along the way.”

-JULIANNA MARGULIES, Actor/Producer/Author