Discourse
Speech and Criticism
Tishrei 5787 / September–October 2026
In this year’s Yom Kippur booklet, the Jewish Ethics Project explores the power and responsibility of speech at a time when public and communal discourse can so easily become polarised.
Drawing on Torah, rabbinic sources and contemporary Jewish thought, the booklet examines lashon hara, silence, rebuke and the role of constructive criticism. Contributions from Rabbi Professor Sam Lebens, Rabbanit Joanne Greenaway and Rabbi Yuval Cherlow consider how we can develop greater discipline and wisdom in what we say - and what we choose not to say.
The booklet also includes a selection of writings by Chief Rabbi Lord Jakobovits on speech, criticism and Jewish responsibility.
Download the booklet here.
The Ethics of Halacha in Speech and War
In this episode of the Jewish Ethics Project podcast, Elkan Adler speaks with Rav Yuval Cherlow, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Orot Shaul and founding member of Tzohar, about the ethical foundations of halachah in times of conflict and public discourse. The conversation explores the tension between prohibitions on lashon hara and the responsibility to speak out against wrongdoing, as well as broader questions of truth, misinformation, sexual abuse reporting, and the moral obligations of a Jewish state in war.