Tablet Studios
Tablet Magazine
From weekly series examining unique angles on Jews’ place in the world, to inquiries into the details of Jewish text and tradition, Tablet Studios podcasts bring you insight and inspiration for the modern-day Jew. Our shows include How to Be a Jew, Unorthodox, Rootless, Re-Form, and more to come.
Can Orthodox Judaism Be Reformed? with Rabbi Irving Greenberg
One of American Jewry’s leading theologians and thinkers, Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg has spent decades engaging—and enraging—orthodoxy by suggesting it was time for religious Jews to examine some of their closest-held beliefs, including on such controversial issues like gay marriage or female members of the clergy. He joins Liel to discuss his new book, The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism, the role of God during the Holocaust, and why he believes the ancient religion is final
How to Be a Jew ... Like Olympian AJ Edelman
AJ Edelman is the first Orthodox Jew to compete in the Winter Olympics and serves as the pilot of the Israeli bobsled team. He joins us to make the case for Jews in sports, recounts his unconventional path to “sliding sport” acclaim (and the setbacks he’s faced), and talks about what it’s meant for him to represent Israel on an international stage. If you want to sponsor AJ and his team, get in touch with us at podcasts@tabletmag.comHosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross
Is This the End of Woke Capitalism?, With Jennifer Sey
Jennifer Sey was a national gymnastics champion who then won awards for exposing the abuse many female gymnasts suffered at the hands of their male coaches. She was also a celebrated executive with fashion giant Levi Strauss before being canceled for speaking her mind. Now, she’s the founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, a new brand committed to protecting women in sports from males unduly entering their spaces. She joins Liel to share how she ended up behind the president’s desk at the signing of
How to Be a Jew … Among Friends
In today’s hyper-paced, screen-driven world, making—and keeping—new friends has become incredibly challenging. Same goes for nurturing long-lasting friendships. So, what’s a Jew to do?Journalist, author, and unofficial friendship correspondent Anna Goldfarb joins us to talk about modern friendship, a topic she delves into in her book, Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections. During our conversation, we look at how we can keep the friends we want, and successfully build new
Are We Really About to Empty Gaza of Palestinians?, with Tony Badran
Welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump has repeatedly made a bombshell proposal: Empty Gaza of its 1.8 million Palestinian residents, resettling them elsewhere in the Arab world and rebuilding the devastated strip. Tony Badran, Tablet Magazine’s news editor, joins Liel to explain why Trump’s plan is deeply generous, why so many of Washington’s self-proclaimed best and brightest have gotten the Middle East wrong for so long, and about why t
How to be a Jew ... who claims Israel
Ben M. Freeman’s previous two books, 2021’s Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People and 2022’s Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride were powerful arguments for rejecting Jew-hate, both internal and external.His latest book, The Jews: An Indigenous People, coming out Feb. 27, is the first scholarly book to tackle the topic of the Jewish people’s indigenous ties to the land of Israel. We discuss the defining characteristics of what it means to BE a Jew, and how that relates to us in the mod
Are Science and Religion Mutually Exclusive? With Spencer Klavan
Not long ago, a prominent Silicon Valley technologist told anyone who would listen that he believed he would never die because Artificial Intelligence was basically a God-like machine that could override all human frailties, including aging. This idea, says author and classicist Spencer Klavan, isn’t new: the history of science is in large part the story of trying to take the Creator out of the picture, only to come back again to the same stirrings described so eloquently in the first chapter of
How to be a jew … Like Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein has always been a woman of many hats, from 80’s “It” girl, to acting in shows like House, and painting. She joins us to talk about her latest exhibition, “Dance Me to the End of the World,” and how the paintings are so …. Jewish. We also talk about how her Judaism has affected the rest of her career, and how 10/7 impacted her work and relationships. Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural t
Saving Western Values: Rotherham and the Perils of Multiculturalism with Melanie Phillips
Elon Musk recently reignited discussion of a decade-old child sex scandal in England, in which more than 1,000 girls were groomed and raped by gangs largely composed of men of Pakistani descent. The scandal was mismanaged by the authorities, and British journalist Melanie Phillips joins us to share her take on why this is. She discusses how this tragedy was made worse by the impacts of multiculturalism and explains how this ideology puts the values of liberal democracy at risk. She also discusse
How to be a Jew … and a pragmatist
On the brink of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Yohanan ben Zakkai made an astonishing decision. When faced with an opportunity to ask for anything from the new Roman emperor, Vespasian, rather than choosing to ask him to spare the Temple, Yochanan asked only for permission to start a school and preserve Jewish teachings in Yavneh, south of modern day Tel Aviv. Rabbi Marc Katz argues that this decision underscores how the Rabbis were the ultimate pragmatists in his new book Yochanan’
Is the Hostage Deal a Disaster? with Gadi Taub
According to reports, Israel is about to sign a ceasefire deal with Hamas that will secure the return of some hostages in return to a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, paving the way to ending the war. Gadi Taub, the co-host of Tablet’s popular Israel Update podcast and one of Israel’s most influential journalists, opposes the deal. He joins Liel to shed light on the Israeli government’s challenges and missteps, on the incoming Trump administration’s potential and worrying decline in suppor
UPDATE: How to Be a Jew … in Los Angeles right now
We are re-releasing this episode with an update from Courtney on the situation in Los Angeles.History-making wild fires have been raging nearly out of control across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, businesses, schools, and even synagogues. How is the community responding, and what can the greater jewish community do? Rabbi Beau Shapiro joins us to give a clergy’s eye view on how our faith helps us cope with loss and events beyond our control.Support Links:
Nechama Disaster Relief
Los Ang
Can we Forgive Our Worst Enemies? Should We? With R.R. Reno
For the past two years, a group of esteemed Christian and Jewish thinkers and theologians met regularly to discuss the one thing they felt was most sorely missing from the cultural and political landscape: Forgiveness. Rather than rage or despair, they argued, society ought to turn to the possibility that even the bitterest of foes can reconcile and even the most brutal of transgressions be atoned for and forgiven. R.R. Reno, editor of First Things Magazine, joins Liel to discuss the statement t
How to Be a Jew … in Los Angeles right now
History-making wild fires have been raging nearly out of control across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, businesses, schools, and even synagogues. How is the community responding, and what can the greater jewish community do? Rabbi Beau Shapiro joins us to give a clergy’s eye view on how our faith helps us cope with loss and events beyond our control.Support Links:
Nechama Disaster Relief
Los Angeles Fire Department Fund
Baby2Baby
Wildfire GoFundMe spreadsheet for vetted families who are
Will We All Soon Be Haredi? With Rabbi Gil Student
In 2012, tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews packed Citi Field to protest the Internet and demand that believers tune out of the new nascent new medium. Rabbi Gil Student, an influential writer and thinker, opposed the move, arguing that even the most stringently observant Jews could learn to live out their values while still making good use of the new technology. His latest book, Articles of Faith (https://kodeshpress.com/product/articles-of-faith/), is a collection of meditations on this and
How to Be a Jew ... like Jesse Eisenberg
Movies about remembrance are incredibly complicated and difficult to pull off. In his latest film, A Real Pain, actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg tackles grief, family, and memory with echoes of the Holocaust as a haunting background. The film, which was inspired by a piece Jesse wrote for Tablet in 2017, was nominated for four Golden Globe awards.Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic an
How to Be a Jew ... on New Year's
This show takes no weeks off for holidays, whether they are on the Jewish or Gregorian calendars. What are the differences and similarities between Rosh Hashanah and the “secular” new year’s and more importantly how are we marking them? Tablet’s executive editor Wayne Hoffman joins us to discuss the true meaning of starting a new year.Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us
Jewish Studies Unscrolled: “Raisins and Almonds” and Yiddish Folksong in Classical Folk Music with Alex Weiser
Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we explore the history and evolution of “Rozhinkes mit Mandlen” (Raisins and Almonds), the iconic Yiddish lullaby written by Avrom Goldfaden for his 1880 operetta Shulamis. Our guest, Pulitzer Prize finalist Alex Weiser, Director of Public Programs at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, joins us to discuss the song’s transformation from its original folk origins in the rendition, “Unter dem Kinds Vigele” (Under the Child’s Cradle), to a theatrical centerpi
Jewish Studies Unscrolled: American Horror and Sidney Lumet’s film The Pawnbroker (1964), with Jeremy Dauber
Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we delve into a rare cultural intersection: Jewish life and the genre of horror. While Jewish contributions to American culture often focus on comedy, literature, or music, horror remains largely unexplored, even by prominent Jewish filmmakers. We’re joined by Jeremy Dauber, Columbia University professor and author of American Scary: A History of Horror from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond. Together, we examine Sidney Lumet’s 1964 film The Pawnbroker as a rar
Jewish Studies Unscrolled: The Petitions of Rabbi Elijah Guttmacher, with Glenn Dynner
Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we dive into the fascinating world of kvitlekh—19th-century petitions addressed to Rabbi Elijah Guttmacher, a misnagdic rabbi whose miracle-working reputation drew thousands of supplicants. Discovered in a Polish attic in 1932 and preserved by the YIVO Institute, these handwritten pleas offer vivid, if fragmentary, snapshots of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, revealing stories of financial struggles, illness, and family crises. Glenn Dynner, historian
Jewish Studies Unscrolled: Bruce Springsteen, with Rabbis Elliot Cosgrove and Neil Zuckerman
Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we talk about Bruce Springsteen and his iconic song “Thunder Road.” While Springsteen himself isn’t Jewish, this song, and his songwriting in general, invites reflections on themes central to Jewish life: tradition, leaving home, and coming back again. We’re joined by noted Bruce fans, Park Avenue Synagogue rabbis Elliot Cosgrove and Neil Zuckerman. Drawing on their personal connections to the song and their shared journey through rabbinical training,
Jewish Studies Unscrolled: Hostages and Nathan Hanover’s The Abyss of Despair, with Adam Teller
Today on Jewish Studies Unscrolled, we explore Nathan Hanover’s 17th-century work, The Abyss of Despair, or, in the original Hebrew, Yeven Metsulah. The text documents the Chmelnitski Revolt of 1648, a catastrophic uprising that devastated Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. We’re joined by Adam Teller, historian and author of Rescue the Surviving Souls: The Jewish Refugee Crisis of the Seventeenth Century, to examine how Jews across Europe and the Middle East organized a remarkable rescue net
How to Be a Jew ... At Christmas
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.This year, the first night of Hannukah falls on Christmas, so we are talking about how each of us, and Jews in general, relate to the most famous Christian holiday, and how some customs might find their way into our own lives. We are joined by musician Peter Himmelman to discuss his view on the relation
Coming Soon: Jewish Studies Unscrolled
Jewish Studies Unscrolled features host Alyssa Quint in conversation with expert guests and historians. Each episode focuses on a single classic Jewish text and covers topics ranging from a 17th-century hostage crisis, to modern classical interpretations of a Yiddish lullaby.
Rootless: The Best of 2024
It’s been a whopper of a year: Israel at war with Hamas and Hezbollah, a decisive Trump victory, anti-Semitism on the rise, and formerly great American institution on the decline. Yet as this look back at 2024 in Rootless reveals, we’ve many reasons to be hopeful, at home and abroad. Why? Join us in looking back at the year and find out.
Coming Soon - How to Be a Jew
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode we'll take a look at a current, cultural topic and talk about what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.
How to Save New York from Itself, with Nicole Gelinas
When Jordan Neely, a mentally disturbed man with a long rap sheet began threatening his fellow subway passengers one day last year, they were all terrified. But one straphanger, a Marine vet named Daniel Penny, stepped up, wrestling Neely to the ground and putting him in a chokehold. Tragically, Neely, who had health complications and was abusing drugs, died shortly thereafter, and New York’s ideologically motivated District Attorney decided to make an example of Penny. Nicole Gelinas, a senior
How to Change the Way We Think About Abortion, with Erica Pelman
There are few political issues we consider more contentious than abortions. But what if we are getting this critical subject all wrong? Erica Pelman, the founder and director of SHIFRA, a group that helps Jewish women dealing with unplanned pregnancies, tells Liel about her journey from a high-powered job at the Department of Labor to starting her own organization, about the importance of listening to expecting mothers in distress, and about how we should rethink pretty much everything
The Disastrous Lebanon Ceasefire Deal, with Tony Badran
Earlier this week, Israel signed a controversial ceasefire deal with Lebanon, brokered by the Biden administration. Tablet’s news editor Tony Badran joins Liel to explain why the deal is the culmination of Barack Obama’s anti-Israeli vision for the region, how it might complicate the Trump administration’s foreign policy, and what reasons, if any, Israel had for signing such an agreement.
How to Change Politically, with Dr. Sebastian Gorka
In 2017, Liel, back then no fan of Donald Trump, wrote a piece defending one of the president’s advisors, Sebastian Gorka, who was outrageously accused of being an actual Nazi. The reaction it generated sent Liel on a journey of political transformation, one that many Americans have recently shared, away from intimidation and lies and towards freedom and enthusiastic faith in America. Dr. Gorka joins Liel to talk about why Trump’s detractors are still smearing his top aides as extremist
The Strange Death of American Publishing with Adam Bellow
Once upon a time, American publishing houses were paragons of excellence, championing writers like Cytnhia Ozick or Saul Bellow and helping create a robust culture. These days, however, the industry has been hijacked by inflamed activists who are more interested in banning books than publishing them, and who are especially keen to target Jewish writers, editors, and colleagues. Liel is joined by editor and publisher Adam Bellow to discuss how book publishing descended into madness, and
What Just Happened at the Ballot? With Eli Lake and Alana Newhouse
With Donald Trump slated to return to the White House after a truly historic upset, many Americans are feeling joyful and many others bereft. Both may be missing the point, which is that change, in America, often comes by precisely in a string of revolutions, tearing down old and crumbling institutions and replacing them with ones better geared to serve the needs of their constituents. Free Press columnist Eli Lake joins Liel to deliver a quick and insightful recap of what happened on T
What's Really Killing American Democracy, with Will Tanner
With just a few days to go before the 2024 presidential elections, we hear a lot of chatter about American democracy, usually from partisan hacks who are more interested in touting self-serving lies than honing up to inconvenient truths. But the actual hurdles we face as we try to heal our ailing system are much more complicated, and overcoming them is going to take much more than lofty slogans. Liel is joined by writer Will Tanner, who delivers a cautionary tale from the late Roman Republic con
Tablet Radio Hour: Featuring Tablet’s Minyan
On this episode of Tablet Radio Hour, our Minyans are casting their vote. Tablet executive editor Wayne Hoffman, Jamie Betesh Carter and author and journalist Abigail Pogrebin assembled not one, but TWO minyans, one of which was made up of of Harris/Walls supporters and a second made up of of Trump/Vance supporters. They discuss their methods and what they learned from each group and why each group of has chosen their candidate for the upcoming election.You can find the stories from both on Tabl
Reasons to be Hopeful with Peter Himmelman
These days, a lot of people are feeling anxious about America, Israel, and the precarious state of the world. But Jews have always had a superpower—hope, not the facile and silly sort but the kind that motivates people to change the world. Liel is joined by singer, songwriter and author Peter Himmelman, who explains why giving up is never an option, why he chose a life of Jewish observance and reflection over greater fame and fortune, and why he decided to write a deeply moving song ded
Re-Form: Zionism
On this episode of Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement, we use our final episode to look at the current state of Zionism in the Reform movement. We’re joined by Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, whose recent, viral Yom Kippur sermon emphasized his stance that Zionism is an imperative for Jews today. You can watch or listen to the sermon here.
Talking Ta-Nehisi Coates with Karol Markowicz
Ta-Nehisi Coates’s latest book, The Message, details his travels from Dakar, to South Carolina, to the West Bank and Jerusalem. Liel is joined by NY Post and Fox News contributor Karol Markowicz to discuss Coates’s problematic approach to “research,” in which he chose not to speak to Israelis directly.
Re-Form: Interfaith Marriage
On this episode of Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement, we look at the Reform movement’s approaches to dealing with members who are increasingly marrying people of other faiths.We are joined by Rabbi Beau Shapiro from the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and Rabbi Dr. Lisa D. Grant, who serves as Director of the Rabbinical Program at HUC-JIR/New York
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair Part 2: How to Frame a Jew
An ambitious soldier with a fraudulent smoking gun sets off a chain of events that leads to the embarrassment and punishment of an innocent Jew.
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair Part 3: Free Alfred Dreyfus
As Dreyfus wastes away on Devil’s Island, his wife and brother back in France fight for his freedom and exoneration. Dreyfus struggles to survive. We speak to Dreyfus's great-great granddaughter about his legacy.
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair Part 4: Emile Zola Accuses
France's most influential writer of its time, Emile Zola , becomes the champion of the victim, even at his own, perhaps fatal expense. We’re joined by his great granddaughter, who speaks of the cost Zola paid in fighting for freedom.
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair Part 5: Plus Ça Change…
But what about France today, and the world for jews? French activist Carloline Fourest connects the affair to antisemitism today.
Dreyfus: A Very Modern Affair Part 1: The Illiterate Spy
This is an October 7th story, but one that begins not in 2023, but in October of 1894 with the arrest of French military officer Alfred Dreyfus, who also happened to be a Jew. The implications of his framing, arrest, incarceration and the fallout of his eventual exoneration reverberate today. Over this five-episode series, we examine how these events unfolded, and how they connect to the antisemitism that exists today.In this first episode, we begin with the fraught political climate in France,
Foreign policy in the Levant with Tony Badran
The conflict in the Middle East isn’t about religion, or national aspirations, or any of the wonderfully abstract things us westerners like to dream about: Tony Badran, Tablet’s news editor, joins Liel to explain the logic that has governed the Levant since at least the Bronze Age, and argue that Israel now has a historic opportunity to change history by disrupting Iran’s imperialist aspirations in the region.
Re-Form: Mailbox
This week on Re-Form, we’re taking a break from the interviews to look at some of the feedback we’ve been getting from you, our listeners. We find praise, questions, and even a reform rabbi who disagrees with … a lot. If you want to send more feedback reach out at podcasts@tabletmag.com
Introducing Rootless with Liel Leibovitz
On the first episode of our new flagship series, Liel Leibovitz puts the current wars in Israel in context. He is then joined by Amiad Cohen, Founder and CEO of Herut, a leading Israeli think tank, to discuss a novel argument for a path to lasting peace on Israel’s borders.
Re-Form: Inclusivity
On this episode of Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement, we look at the positive impacts of the Reform movement’s focus on inclusivity. We’re joined by Rabbi Karen R. Perolman of Congregation B’Nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ.
Beautifully Jewish High Holiday Table
On this episode of Beautifully Jewish, we’re preparing for 5785 with a focus on the holiday table. Rethinking the table just might ground you and bring some clarity as you get ready for these days of awe. Tanya begins the episode with her reflections on the spiritual significance of the table before she and guest host Shannon Sarna share three interviews that serve up some sage advice. First, we learn about creating your own beautiful holiday table with blogger Rebekah Lowin, aka The Je
Everybody Wants This
This week we talk to Erin Foster, the creator and writer of new Netflix comedy Nobody Wants This, starring Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, and Unorthodox alum Tovah Feldshuh. Then we visit the special collections of Hebrew University.Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomemberPodcast AudioWrite to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcast
Re-Form: Social Justice
On this episode of Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement, we look at the Reform movement’s focus on Social Justice, and how the emphasis on it can impact Jewish practice. We spoke with Rabbi Sari Laufer, Chief Engagement Officer at Stephen Wise Temple in Los Angeles and a veteran of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
Torah Challenges
Executive Producer Courtney Hazlett sits down with Tanya Singer and Talia Elkin to discuss the Simchat Torah Challenge, a new project aimed at getting 10,000 Jews to read the Torah portion every week. Learn more and join the challenge at www.simchattorahchallenge.org. Then, Courtney brings us back to Israel with a visit to the Shura military base to learn about the IDF Rabbinate’s role in catering to the religious needs of all their soldiers, including sending Torah scrolls to battle.
Re-Form: Patrilineal Descent
On this episode of Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement, we look at the Reform movement’s decision about patrilineal descent, and how it re-defined who is a Jew. Rabbi Mark Washofsky joins us to discuss a pivotal 1983 responsa.
Introducing: Re-Form
Introducing, Re-Form: Examining the Challenges and Choices of America’s Largest Jewish Movement. Hosts Josh Kross and Rabbi Diana Fersko walk us through the big decisions — from patrilineal descent to Zionism to intermarriage — that brought the movement to the crossroads it is at today.
Bernard-Henri Lévy on Israel Alone
Liel Leibovitz sits down with the French philosopher, journalist, and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy to discuss his new book, Israel Alone
Beautifully Jewish, Historically Armenian
For this week of our summer vacation, we went to camp, and to the old city. First, we bring you a dispatch from a day of Beautifully jewish Day camp from earlier this monthThen, Liel took a tour of Jerusalem’s Armenian quarter with the Father Koryoun Baghdasarian, Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Dean of the Armenian Theological Seminary of Jerusalem, to get insight into the least examined part of the Old city.
Reel Talk with Swell Ariel Or and Robert Smigel
Two very Jewish movies have just been released. First, Between the Temples, a comedy about a cantor who has lost his way. We talk to director Nathan Silver, and Robert Smigel, who plays a rabbi in the film. Then, there’s a conversation with Swell Ariel Or who stars in Israeli coming-of-age film Kissufim. Along with director Keren Nechmad we discuss what they hope audiences take away from this film, post 10/7.
Winning Metals
This week we’re testing your metal in Israel!FIrst we meet Ben Zion David, an eighth generation jeweler from a Yemenite family. We met him at his shop in Jaffa to find out more.Then we talk to to two Iraelis using martial arts to better themselves and overcome PTSD.
Wall-to-Waller
This week on the show, we’re bringing you two stories from our producer Quinn Waller.First up, we hit the road. After getting to know “Jeff the Truck Driver” through his Unorthodox voice mail submissions about keeping kosher while on his long-haul deliveries, we had to know more about this very unique Jew. Quinn hit the highways to figure out the challenges observant Jews face in this industry. Then, Quinn brings us a story closer to home. She checks out Bagel Joint, a unique new bagel place in
When War Hits Home
It's been almost ten months since the Oct. 7 attacks, and Israelis are adjusting to a new normal. Executive producer Courtney Hazlett visits the Reich family home and speaks with mother and son Osnat and Chen Reich to learn more about daily life since Oct. 7, from coping with grief to the fatigue of war for both soldier and mother.Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember.Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570
Dispatches from Jerusalem
India Abraham, a new immigrant from California who is also a medical tattoo artist, is offering free consultations and reduced-rate scar camouflage for victims of the October 7 massacre. Liel Leibovitz returns to the National Library of Israel for a tour.
Reuven Fenton on Summer Reads
Reuven Fenton has been covering breaking news for the New York Post since 2007. He comes to us today to talk about his first work of fiction, Goyhood: A Novel, and the magic of local news.
Maggie Phillips on Jews and their Christian Allies
As the war moves into its ninth month, having non-Jewish allies is more important than ever to many of us. Tablet Magazine’s own Religious Affairs Correspondent Maggie MacFarland Philips leads a conversation with Luke Moon, Executive Director of the Philos Project and Father Steve Grunow, CEO and Executive Producer of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries as they discuss ways Christian communities can support Jews.
Summer Jams with Zusha and Omer Netzer: Ep. 419
With the 4th of July comes the official BBQ season, so this week we’re bringing you some musicians who can help with your summer soundtrack. We have Shlomo Gaisin and Zachariah Goldschmiedt of the band Zusha, who combine Hasidic vibes with secular styles. We also go to Nashville to talk to the only Jewish-Israeli country music artist there, Omer Netzer.Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our l
Vacation with A.J. Jacobs: Ep. 418
This week on the show, we’re throwing our duffel bags into El Al’s overhead bins.
Journalist and author A.J. Jacobs returns to the show (for the sixth time!) to discuss his newest book, The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning. If you want to catch up on A.J.’s previous stints as Jew of the Week, you can find him on our very first episode, as well as here, here, here, and here.
Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tablet
A Tablet Conversation with Congressman Ritchie Torres
New York Congressman Ritchie Torres sits with Tablet Magazine’s Liel Leibovitz and Alana Newhouse to discuss Zionism, social media’s role in antisemitism, and the necessity of patriotism.
Unorthodox Guide to Summer: Ep. 417
This week on the show, we know what you should add to the queue. Stephanie, Liel, and Joshua have come with their recommendations for the best TV, films, and books for a hot, hot summer. Chelsea Film Festival founder Ingrid Jean-Baptiste joins the show to discuss the festival’s global mission and her Martinique Jewish heritage.Maya Lasker-Wallfisch comes by to talk about The Commandant’s Shadow, a new documentary in which Maya and her Auschwitz survivor mother meet the family of the cam
Father’s Day 5784 with Adam Nimoy, Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, and Gabe Sanders: Ep. 416
This week on the show, we’re marking Father’s Day and Shavuot with reflections on fatherhood, loss, and collective Jewish responsibility.
Director Adam Nimoy shares stories from his memoir, The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy. He details what it was like to be the son of Spock, as well as how he and his father reconnected before Leonard’s death in 2015.
Tablet writer Gabe Sanders returns to the show with a personal essay about finding unexpected meaning while saying Kadd
A Beautifully Jewish Shavuot: Ep. 415
This week on the show, we’re examining the most Beautifully Jewish object of all time: the Torah. In celebration of Shavuot, Beautifully Jewish hosts Stephanie Butnick and Tanya Singer explore creative, unexpected ways of connecting with the Torah.
Israeli journalist Sivan Rahav-Meir, host of the Tablet podcast Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally, shares how she found her way into the Torah, and the daily wisdom it offers her.
Dr. Carol Meyers of Duke University, who as Stephanie’s pro
Unorthodox Presents Sivan Says
Unorthodox is off this week, but today we’re sharing an episode of the Tablet podcast Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally, featuring Sivan Rahav-Meir and our own Liel Leibovitz. Parshat Bechukotai’s got a lot of blessings, and a lot of curses. Follow God’s commandments, you’re in the clear. Don’t follow them, some gnarly stuff can happen. Persecution. Exile. A divine wrath. But could it be that it’s all a blessing, even the curses? That the worst sin isn’t some particular action, bu
Summer Breaks: Ep. 414
This week on the show, we’re catching a wave.
Producers Courtney Hazlett and Elie Bleier head to Tel Aviv to learn about the history of Israeli surfing from surfer Arthur Rashkovan.
Accompanying Tablet’s just-published reflections from Jewish college students about a semester like no other, producer Josh Kross heads to the University of Chicago to catch up with one of the essay writers.
You’ll also hear from Stephanie and Liel about the Torah class they led in a local correctional institut
Eitan Bernath, Shai Held, and Rivky Itzkowitz Are Here to Eat, Pray, Love: Ep 413
This week on the show, we’re Eden Golan’s biggest fans. TikTok phenom and cookbook author Eitan Bernath tells us about the Jewish foods featured in his new series, “Eitan Explores: Mexico City.” Rabbi Shai Held of the Hadar Institute and the Answers WithHeld podcast delves into his new book, Judaism Is About Love. And Orthodox clothing designer Rivky Itzkowitz shows off Impact Fashion, her size-inclusive fashion brand offering modest clothing for all. The Israeli Eurovision winners hea
Conversations with Noa Tishby, Emmanuel Acho and Michael Rapaport: Ep. 412
This week on the show, we’re opening a dialogue.
Jewish actor Noa Tishby and Gentile sports commentator Emmanuel Acho share what they learned from each other while co-writing their new book, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew.
Actor Michael Rapaport and Dr. Aliza Erber talk about their involvement in the Sharing Memories project, an effort by Israeli aid organization Latet and Meta in Israel that’s bringing Holocaust survivors’ stories to social media for Yom HaShoah.
And we speak with
Unorthodox Presents: Fire Dance
This week on the show, we’re diving into the newest must-watch Israeli television series, thanks to our friends at ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service.Israeli filmmaker Rama Burshtein-Shai discusses her new drama, Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith set in an ultra-Orthodox community near the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new ChaiFlicks subscriptions and a seven-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.We
Poison Ivy: Ep 411
This week on the show, we’re reporting from Columbia University, where in recent days anti-Israel protesters have set up an encampment and occupied an administrative building. You can read Tablet’s long-running coverage of the escalating situation on American college campuses here, and Liel’s 2019 article “Get Out” here.Liel and Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse speak with New York City Mayor Eric Adams about the protests, the NYPD response, and more. Stephanie heads to Columbia to
The Minyan: Ep 410
This week on Unorthodox, we’re highlighting the latest installment of The Minyan, Tablet’s roundtable series on American Jewish life, hosted by Abigail Pogrebin. Tablet’s Executive Editor Wayne Hoffman discusses the newest offering, which features a conversation with Jews from the former Soviet Union. Their stories of endurance and emigration resonate always, but especially during Passover.
You can read this and previous installments of The Minyan at tabletmag.com/minyan. And don’t miss the Tab
In Every Generation: Ep. 409
This week on the show, we’re taking time to remember.
Memory is at the core of so much of Jewish life and tradition, especially during Passover. So we’re sharing several stories about memories, from the individual to the collective, and from the difficult to the uplifting.
Tablet writer Gabriel Sanders reads his essay about preparing for his first Passover without his father, who spent the last years of his life with Alzeimer's disease. (The version of Ma Lecha Hayam featured in this story i
Let All Who Are Hungry: Ep. 408
Around the world, food insecurity impacts far too many lives. As the war rages on, and hunger threatens so many inside and outside of Israel, the words of the Haggadah implore: “Let all who are hungry come and eat.” Before we sit down for our festive Passover meals, Unorthodox is shining a light on those who help make sure everyone has access to food, year-round.Producers Courtney Hazlett and Elie Bleier visit the Jerusalem food pantry of Meir Panim, which gives out meals to those in ne
Popping Up: Ep. 407
This week on the show, there’s a new (Jewish) sheriff in town.
First, another story from our recent reporting trip to Israel. Liel sat down with IDF soldier Shavit Romero, who shared his journey from growing up non-Jewish in Tel Aviv, to getting wounded in Gaza and starting his conversion process.
Our Gentile of the Week is Caroline D’Amore, founder of Pizza Girl, who tells us how October 7 and its aftermath sparked her viral support for Israel and her visit to one of the kibbutzim attacked b
Join the Club: Ep. 406
This week on the show, we’re sharing stories from our second reporting trip to Israel.
Former First Lady of Israel Lihi Lapid joins us to discuss her newly translated novel, On Her Own, about two Israeli families in crisis, as well as finding a way through the Jewish state’s present crises.
Jon Polin shares his experience advocating for the return of his son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, nearly 200 days after he was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
And we visit Tel Aviv’s Social Grocery Store, a
Shaken, Not Schnorred: Ep. 405
This week on Unorthodox, we’re hoping the Jewish James Bond rumours are true. Plus, interviews with three awesome Jews: Dan Pashman, host of The Sporkful podcast, joins us to talk about his new cookbook, Anything’s Pastable: 81 Inventive Pasta Recipes for Saucy People, which includes a very special kugel recipe. He also talks about how his Jewish identity inspires his inquisitive approach to food and storytelling. Highlights include a recipe.Podcaster and writer Zibby Owens returns to t
A Beautifully Jewish Shabbat: Ep. 404
This week on the show, we are all about Shabbat. First, we’re sharing the latest installment of Beautifully Jewish, in which Stephanie Butnick and Tanya Singer explore all the beauty of Shabbat with the help of Adeena Sussman, author of the new cookbook, Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours, and AHYIN Judaica designer Micaela Ezra. We’re also showcasing our newest Tablet Studios podcast, Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally with Sivan Rahav-Meir. Each week, Israeli jou
Irrefutably Jewish: Ep. 403
This week on the show, we refuse to refute.
Phil Rosenthal of Somebody Feed Phil returns to the show to discuss his new children’s book, Just Try It!, which he co-wrote with his daughter Lily. (You can listen to Phil’s previous Unorthodox interviews here and here.)
Eric Cohen and Abe Unger introduce their new school, Emet Classical Academy, set to open this fall, which they describe as the nation’s first Jewish classical school.
Rabbi Meni Even-Israel talks about leading the Steinsaltz Center
Spiritual Swear Jar: Ep. 402
This week on Unorthodox, we can’t believe we missed YentaCon.
Our first guest is director Andrew Goldberg, whose new PBS documentary Armenia, My Home uncovers some of the parallels between Armenian and Jewish life.
We also speak with Eylon Levy, official spokesman for the Israeli government. He joined us to talk about manning the war’s digital front, and his viral interview on British TV, aka “the eyebrow incident.”
The version of “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” you heard was by our friends at Yid
What Really Matters - Biden, Tucker, Putin, Trump
Unorthodox is off this week, but today we're sharing an episode from the Tablet podcast What Really Matters with Walter Russell MeadThis week, Walter and Jeremy talk Putin endorsing Biden, Putin dissing Tucker Carlson, Trump dissing NATO, and Biden stumbling in the Middle East.
Jewish Priorities: Life After 10/7 - Can We Even Sit On a Panel Together?
Unorthodox is off this week, but today we're sharing an episode from Jewish Priorities: Life After 10/7, a 6-part series of panels taken from a live event hosted by Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History last October.This discussion focused on the charged rhetoric we’re seeing within the Jewish community during the war in Israel and features Rabbi Shlomo Elkan, Jodi Rudoren, and Rabbi David Wolpe, with moderators Stephanie Butnick
We Can Help: Ep 401
This week on Unorthodox, we won’t be hitting the slopes in Switzerland.
Our Jewish guest this week is Ted Deutch, former U.S. Congressman and current CEO of the American Jewish Committee. He joins us to talk about the AJC’s new Report on the State of Antisemitism in America.
Plus, to mark the two-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, producer Quinn Waller visits an unexpected school in South Brooklyn that is making America feel like home for some of the war’s youngest refugees.
We also sh
Kosher Fiesta: Ep. 400
This week on Unorthodox, we’re kashering the FIESTA dishware.
Our Jewish guest this week is Neta Ariel, director of the Maaleh School of Film and Television in Jerusalem. She shares how her film students are working to raise awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza.
Our Gentile of the Week is Dr. Phil. He joins us to talk about his new television network as well as his new book, We’ve Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity, and offers our hosts some advice fo
Slam Dunk: Ep. 399
This week on Unorthodox, we’re regretting doing those DNA tests.
Our Gentile of the Week is NBA All-Star and former New York Knick Allan Houston, who shares his new faith-based initiative, FISLL. He was joined by FISLL Youth Ambassador, Jewish teen Nate Sugar, to discuss their work.
We also welcome Richard Sandler to discuss his new book, Witness to a Prosecution: The Myth of Michael Milken. Sandler was Milken’s personal lawyer and the book chronicles the injustices of the investigation.
Wri
Higher Ground: Ep. 398
This week on Unorthodox, we’re all about the two-strain solution. We talk to Jewish actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who played Meadow Soprano on the HBO show, The Sopranos. She tells us about her experience on the hit show, and everything she’s been up to in the 25 years since. We also share another story from our Israel trip: producer Elie Bleier takes Tanya Singer to his favorite hummus joint and makes the case that one of their dishes might truly bring peace to the Middle east.Write to us
Things Remembered: Ep. 397
This week on Unorthodox, we’re devoting the episode to stories of remembrance.
We share a teaser from Covering Their Tracks, a new Tablet Studios series that tells the story of the French National Railway’s complicity with the Nazis during WWII, and a decades-long pursuit of justice. We sat down with host and documentarian Matthew Slutsky to discuss the show.
Our Gentile of the Week is Kathryn Huether, a professor of musicology at Vanderbilt who studies sonic representations of the Holocaust
100 Days: Ep. 396
It’s been more than 100 days since Hamas massacred more than 1,300 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more into Gaza. To commemorate this grim milestone, we are pausing our regular programming to honor those who were killed that day and those still being held captive.We’re sharing stories reported from Israel and segments from our Testimonies Archive. List of hostage names courtesy of BringThemHomeNow.org. Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line:
First Drafts: Ep. 395
This week on Unorthodox, we’re trading Shia LaBeouf for Alanis Morrisette.
Our Jewish guest is comedian and podcaster Moshe Kasher, who tells us about his new book, Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes—especially the Jewish stuff.
We’re also sharing another story from our December trip to Israel, about Blend.ar, a nonprofit Arabic and Hebrew-language program that connects Jewish and Arab Israelis.
Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and r
Heading North: Ep. 394
This week on Unorthodox, it’s our final episode of 2023.We bring you the latest installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collection of the National Library of Israel. This one is all about Franz Kafka: his feelings on Zionism, his attempts to learn Hebrew, and the tangled web in which his manuscripts were trapped.Then, we hear from Israeli historian and political commentator Gadi Taub about his new video podcast, Israel Update, which he hosts alongside the Hudson Institute’s
Unorthodox in Israel: Special Delivery
This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel.
On Friday, Tanya Singer delivers the fruits of the Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along, bringing handknit hats to IDF soldiers, crocheted dolls to hospitalized children, and handmade cards to Israelis across the country. Along the way, she encounters all sorts of crafters and creators, and reveals the common threads of resilience and generosity that make the tapestry of the Jewish people so strong.
For information about all the indivi
Unorthodox in Israel: What’s the Buzz
This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel.
On Thursday, we meet some of the non-Jews who make up the Jewish state. We visit El Masar Elementary School in Daliyat El Carmel and speak with Druze students, parents, and teachers affected by the war. We also meet Tareq Nassar and Mona Suliman of the Sinsila Center Beekeeping Project in East Jerusalem, which encourages Muslim women to cultivate profitable and climate-friendly beehives on their rooftops. Plus, a special visit to
Unorthodox in Israel: At the Shuk
This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel. Today, we catch up with cookbook author Adeena Sussman and take a trip to the Shuk HaCarmel, southern Tel Aviv’s famous open-air market, to get a taste of how Israel’s famed food scene has been impacted by Oct. 7 (and, of course, sample the delicious local wares). For information about all the individuals and organizations featured this week and ways to support them, head to tabletmag.com/unorthodoxinisrael.For more eyewi
Unorthodox in Israel: Dogs of War
This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel.
Today, we visit Roy Shimshon at his dog sanctuary in Moshav Tidhar in Southern Israel, where he is caring for nearly 100 dogs, most of whom have been separated from their owners since Oct. 7. His story gives voice to those who can’t speak for themselves: The animals left behind when their owners were killed, kidnapped, or displaced from their homes.
For information about all the individuals and organizations featured this week
Unorthodox in Israel: Kfar Aza
This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel.
Today, we head to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities most brutally attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7. Liel, Josh, and Tablet’s Armin Rosen meet up with Chen Kotler, a lifelong Kfar Aza resident, who shows them the devastation firsthand.
For information about all the individuals and organizations featured this week and ways to support them, head to tabletmag.com/unorthodoxinisrael.
For more eyewitness accounts from Israel, list
Midnight Oil: Ep 393
This week on Unorthodox, we’re sharing nine stories of Jewish light during a time when it’s never felt more necessary.
Liel brings us a reminder of the true spirit of Hanukkah. We share reflections from attendees and vendors at Tablet’s first Hanukkah Bazaar on how this year’s Hanukkah feels more important than ever. Producer Elie Bleier brings us a story from a makeshift army base near the Gaza Border, where Israeli civilians from across the country traveled to make IDF soldiers a surprising
Shine Bright: Ep. 392
This week on Unorthodox, we’re coming to you live from Baltimore, where we appeared at the 2023 Conservative/Masorti Shabbaton & Convening. We’re also sharing a new Beautifully Jewish segment for Hanukkah, featuring designer Jonathan Adler, Gabriel Goldstein of the Yeshiva University Museum, and a trip to visit Ahuva Gottdeiner, aka Homegrown Kosher, in Monsey, NY.
For more Beautifully Jewish, join our new Facebook group.
Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts f
Everyday Heroes: Ep 391
This week on Unorthodox, we’re rooting for the heroes. Our Jewish guest is philosopher and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy, who returns to the show to tell us about the newest film in his Ukraine trilogy, called Glory to the Heroes. The film is a tribute to everyday Ukrainian heroes, including some Ukrainian-born Israeli soldiers who finished their service in the IDF and volunteered to fight for Ukraine. Get tickets for the local U.S. screenings here. Our Gentile of the Week is Brooke Eby.
Sitting Together: Ep. 390
Today, we’re bringing Unorthodox listeners a special Beautifully Jewish Thanksgiving. Beautifully Jewish is a monthly audio series on Unorthodox that explores Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. On today’s segment, hosts Stephanie Butnick and Tanya Singer celebrate an unexpectedly significant object: the folding chair.
You’ll also get an update on the Beautifully Jewish craft-along for Israel and hear from Israeli knitwear designer Inbal G
Dark Times, Bright Lights: Ep. 389
Dark times call for bright lights, and we’re excited to announce Tablet’s Hanukkah Bazaar, taking place Sunday, Dec. 3 in New York City, featuring 40+ amazing vendors. Find out more at hanukkahbazaar.com. Today we head Across the Jew.S.A to Washington D.C., for a special dispatch from this week’s March for Israel. We also talk with Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Known for his short story collections, he’s pivoted in the weeks since the Oct. 7 attacks and is channeling his energy and talent
Words of Wisdom: Ep. 388
This week on Unorthodox, we talk with writer and political advisor Dan Senor about his new book, The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World (a follow up to his 2011 book, Startup Nation, also co-written with Saul Singer). This interview will also air on Senor’s podcast Call Me Back.
We also speak with Gila Sacks, daughter of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who joins us to talk about what her father might have said about the present moment.
Joi
Jewish Priorities: Ep. 387
This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our travels Across the JEW.S.A. We head to Miami, where newer communities are redefining Jewish life in Florida. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on some of the other stops we’ve made at tabletmag.com/jewsa. We’re also sharing highlights from the Jewish Priorities conference that Liel and Stephanie moderated at The Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelph
Closely Knit: Ep. 386
This week on Unorthodox, a mixup with a third (reich) party vendor.
We speak with Israeli actress Swell Ariel Or, who you may remember from the show Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. She moved to the United States just weeks ago, and gives us her perspective on the war as an Israeli living abroad. You can donate to the Israel Reservist Fund that Or started at: www.israelreservistfund.com.
Ani Wilcenski, Tablet’s audience editor, helps us make sense of the social media landscape since the war in Isr
Moving Forward, Together: Ep 385
This week on Unorthodox, we’re processing our emotions about the war on Israel alongside our listeners. We talk with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, host of the podcast Good Faith Effort, about turning to Jewish law and ethics for insight on how to deal with a dark and violent moment. Our second guest this week is the actress Lisa Edelstein. She joins us to discuss her newest project, the PBS series Little Bird, as well as her experience as a Jewish actress in Hollywood. Listen to the Testimonies A
Time for Shabbat: Ep. 384
Today on Unorthodox, we’re welcoming Shabbat after a painful week. Rabbi Diana Fersko walks us through the basics of Shabbat, and shares additional prayers we can incorporate into our practice on this particular week. Host emeritus Mark Oppenheimer returns to dispense some corduroy wisdom as we navigate this unprecedented moment, and Liel shares some levity with an unexpected account of how one Jewish mother outwitted her Hamas captives.Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitn
Voices from Israel: Ep. 383
This week on Unorthodox, we’re sharing stories from Israel. We’ll hear firsthand from those who have faced unspeakable tragedy, and acted with incredible bravery since the terror attack on Oct. 7. You’ll hear from someone who escaped the NOVA music festival, friends donating supplies in Tel Aviv, and a report from the missing persons center near Ben Gurion Airport, where Israelis are coming in droves to look for information about their loved ones.
This episode features a rendition of “Avinu Ma
Israel's War: What's Happened, What's Next.
Our hearts and minds are heavy right now, and we here at Unorthodox are working hard to bring you a special episode in the coming days. In the meantime, we know many of you have questions about how we got here. To get to the root of some of them, Tablet Magazine hosted a zoom, moderated by our own Liel Liebovitz, and we want to share it with you now.
Join Tablet for a Zoom about Hamas’ War on Israel
We, like you, are reeling from this weekend’s brutal attacks on Israel. We are working to bring you voices from survivors, and stories from Israel as people begin picking up the pieces, which you’ll hear soon. But in the meantime, we want to let you know you can join Tablet for a Zoom about Hamas’ War on IsraelAt 12 p.m. Eastern today, Oct. 9, Liel Leibovitz will be moderating a discussion about this weekend’s devastating attacks, and Israel’s next steps. Register at tabletmag.com/israelzoom. A
The Good Book: Ep. 382
Vote for us in the Signal Awards! We’re finalists for our Across the JEW.S.A: Louisville, Kentucky, episode (vote here!) and for our limited series podcast The Franchise: Jews, Sports, and America (vote here!).This week on Unorthodox, we’re battling the Spelling Bee. Our beloved co-host Liel Leibovitz joins us as our first guest to tell us about his new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book. Listeners have a very special opportunity:
Vote for Tablet Magazine's The Franchise
Unorthodox listeners, our show The Franchise has been nominated for the best sports documentary series in Signal Awards’s Listener's Choice competition! And we need your vote as we're currently running in second place behind some dogs on New Hampshire Public Radio.
Voting closes THIS THURSDAY October 5: Now is the time to show your love for us and Jews in sports. Vote NOW by clicking here or by going to https://tabletm.ag/votethefranchise
If you have any issues getting signed in to vote, email
Under the Stars: Ep. 381
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Sukkot in style. We head to the Malina sukkah, where we hear from Joshua’s parents, Fran and Robert, about their family traditions. We’re also sharing the second installment of Beautifully Jewish, our series celebrating Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. Stephanie and Tanya explore how something as temporary as a sukkah can be a beautiful and meaningful structure, with the help of Rabbi Ad
Talking the Talk: Ep 380
This week on Unorthodox, we’re preparing for Yom Kippur by learning how to communicate better.
We interview linguist Deborah Tannen, who coined our favorite phrase, “cooperative overlap.” She explains the real reason why we’re always interrupting each other on this show, and shares some tips for talking to people with different conversational styles.
We talk to Julie Rice, co-founder of Soul Cycle, whose new project, Peoplehood, teaches people how to better listen and communicate with each o
Stealing the Show: Ep 379
This week on Unorthodox, you’re totally invited to our bat mitzvah.
First we talk to Amanda Stern—aka Fiona Rosenbloom—the author of the young adult novel You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which the new Netflix film is based on. She shares (pre-strike!) what it was like to have her novel adapted into an Adam Sandler movie and gives us an update on what she’s working on now.
Then director Guy Nattiv joins us to discuss Golda, his new film about former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir
Beautifully Jewish: Ep. 378
This week on Unorthodox, we’re unveiling our newest series: Beautifully Jewish, hosted by Stephanie Butnick with Tanya Singer. It’s a celebration of the objects that enrich our Jewish identities and observance, from Shabbat candlesticks to menorahs, tallis covers, mezuzahs, and much more.
Each month, Beautifully Jewish will celebrate Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. We’ll also get hands on, helping listeners create new Jewish things to
We Could Nosh: Ep. 377
This week on Unorthodox, we’re chowing down. Cookbook author and chef Jake Cohen returns to the show to tell us about his new cookbook, I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day. He also shares some recipes for your Rosh Hashanah table. Producer Quinn Waller brings us along to Lee Lee’s Baked Goods in Harlem to talk to Alvin Lee Smalls, the man behind some of the best rugelach in New York City. Tablet writer Maggie Phillips returns to the show to visit PLNT Burger and
Sounds of the Season: Ep 376
This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our journey through the Hebrew month of Elul up to the High Holidays by focusing on music. Rabbi Josh Warshawsky returns to the show to walk us through the melodies of the High Holidays, plus he shares his new version of Hineni. Then, we’re re-airing a segment with Ladino singer Sarah Aroeste, who shares her musical tribute to the lost Sephardic community of Monastir. We’re also bringing you our latest installment of The Archive, our series expl
Entering Elul: Ep. 375
This week on Unorthodox, we’re entering Elul, the Hebrew month leading up to the High Holidays. During this period, we try to be a little more introspective, to consider how we spent the last year, and how we are preparing for the next. But how do we do that, exactly?
To guide us, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the purpose of Elul and how we can get the most out of this month. (Rabbi Bashevskin’s book, Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, is another helpful tool.)
Then,
Rocky Mountain High Notes: Ep. 374
This week on Unorthodox, was Oppenheimer a flop-enheimer? Our Gentile of the Week is podcaster and musician Hrishikesh Hirway. He hosted The West Wing Weekly with Joshua Malina, and he returns to Unorthodox to talk about his current podcast (and Netflix series) Song Exploder. He also shares his new single, Cascade, and asks a music-themed GOTW question.
We’re also taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A. Liel brings us along to a Jewish summer camp off the beaten path in Colorado. Across the JEW.S.A.
Working it Out: Ep. 373
This week on Unorthodox, we’re talking about Tisha B’Av and what we can learn from this ancient day of mourning.Then, we’re bringing you an extended conversation with our Gentile of the Week Bill Courtney about the things we all can do to give up resentment and division and commit ourselves to empathy and change. He’s the football coach depicted in the Academy Award-winning documentary, Undefeated, and now hosts the new podcast, An Army of Normal Folks. We love to hear from you! Send us
Kosher Face: Ep. 372
This week on Unorthodox: Kosher shrimp cocktail?
Our Jew of the Week is comedian and podcaster Sarah Silverman. She joins us to talk about her new—and extremely Jewish—comedy special, Someone You Love, plus what it’s like playing poker with Joshua Malina
We’re also bringing you our latest installment from The Archive, our series exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. This week, we learn about the manuscripts of Ahmed Ibn Taymiyya, one of the most influential thinkers in
Lesson Plans: Ep. 371
This week on Unorthodox, class is in session.
First, we discuss the new Israeli TV show The Lesson, and talk to the show’s writer and creator, Deakla Keydar. (Sponsor note: You can stream ‘The Lesson’ exclusively on ChaiFlicks; Unorthodox listeners get 40% off a subscription with the code LESSONPOD).
Then, we chat with Benyamin Cohen, who runs Albert Einstein’s official social media presence. He returns to the show to tell us about his new book, "The Einstein Effect: How the World’s Favorite
The Name Game: Ep. 370
This week on Unorthodox, we’re playing the name game. First, we’re re-airing a 2019 segment in which our former editor Noah Levinson investigates the real story behind the myth of name changes at Ellis Island. For more, check out A Rosenberg by Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America, written by Kirsten Fermaglich.
We’re also bringing you a preview of our new Tablet Studios podcast, What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead. We’re joined by the podcast’s co-host, Tablet
Eyes on the Prize: Ep. 369
This week on Unorthodox, we’re ready to buzz in.
Our Jew of the Week is JCC Krakow director Jonathan Ornstein, who returns to the show to tell us about Jewish life in Poland today.
Our Gentile of the Week is Antonio Pagliarulo, who joins us to talk about his new book, The Evil Eye: The History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse.
Plus, we’re taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A. to Deadwood, South Dakota, to learn about its surprising Jewish history. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the s
Coronation Cholent: Ep. 368
This week on Unorthodox, we’re looking for the recipe for Coronation Cholent. Our Jew of the Week is Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. He joins us to talk about life as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations, what it was like to spend the night at St. James’s Palace when King Charles’s coronation fell over Shabbat, and why he’s so dedicated to interfaith work.Our second Jew of the Week is Zak Rosen. He hosts the podcast The Best Advice Show and co-hosts Slate’s parenting podcast,
Bubble Trouble: Ep. 367
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating our proximity Tony Award.
Our Jew of the Week is the comedian Alex Edelman. He returns to Unorthodox to celebrate his solo show, Just for Us, heading to Broadway for the summer. He also shares why it’s important to him to be pushing the conversation on Jewish art forward, beyond the low-hanging fruit of “bubbes, brisket, and bagels."
Our Gentile of the Week is author and sportswriter Will Leitch. He joins us to talk about his new novel, The Time Has C
Stepping Out: Ep. 366
This week on Unorthodox, we’re marching together. Or are we?Our Jew of the Week is the comedian Modi. He joined us to talk about coming out to his mother about being a comedian, and why he’s finding what he calls “moshiach energy” in being openly gay—and proudly Jewish. And returning to the show as our most gentilic gentile of the week is our friend and rabbi, Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large for America Magazine. He joined us to talk about his work on LGBTQ issu
All That Jazz: Ep. 365
This week on Unorthodox, the curious case of the Hitler-branded cocaine.
Our Jewish guest this week is David Cowan, who produced the documentary Afghan Dreamers, which follows an all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan as they compete in international competitions against the backdrop of the threat of Taliban rule.
We’re also bringing you another installment of our series Across The JEW.S.A., created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. We head to New Orleans for Ja
Unorthodox 2.0: Ep. 364
This week on Unorthodox, we’re officially welcoming our new co-host, Joshua Malina! To celebrate Joshua’s arrival and his role as Hermann Merz in the Tony-nominated play Leopoldstadt, join us June 22 for a special Unorthodox night on Broadway. After the show, Stephanie and Liel will do a Q&A on-stage with Joshua. Get your tickets at bit.ly/uobroadway.Our Jew of the Week is Aaron Saidman, executive producer of Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaking, as well as its predecessor, Indian Matchmaki
The Conversion Episode, 2023: Ep. 363
Each year for Shavuot, we air our annual Conversion Episode, in which we share stories of people finding their way to Judaism. This year, inspired by our showrunner Courtney Hazlett’s Tablet article, “Don’t Call Me a Convert,” we’re focusing on the Jewish journeys we’re all on. Plus, at the end of the episode, we reveal our new co-host!
But first: We’re talking about interfaith relationships, and what we can learn from them, with Dr. Keren McGinity, interfaith specialist at the United Synagogu
The Long Game: Ep. 362
This week on Unorthodox, we’re smuggling fruit roll-ups into Israel.
First, we chat with Rabbi Ari Lamm about the surprising spirituality of this year’s NBA Playoffs.
Journalist Gabby Deutch joins us to talk about her 5-part investigative series about the 1984 murder of Rabbi Philip Rabinowitz of Kesher Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, a crime which remains unsolved nearly 40 years later.
We’re also bringing you the second installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collecti
The Maine Event: Ep. 361
This week on Unorthodox, Grover goes to Israel, and we go to Portland, Maine!
Our Jewish guest this week is Natasha Feldman, aka Nosh With Tash. She tells us about her new cookbook, “The Dinner Party Project,” and gives us some fool-proof tips on throwing a successful, low-stress dinner party.
We’re also sharing the latest installment of our Across the Jew.S.A. series, created with support of the Jewish Federations of North America. Producers Robert Scaramuccia and Quinn Waller traveled to P
The Final Fribble: Ep. 360
After 360 episodes, we’re bidding adieu to our founding host, Mark Oppenheimer. We have good wishes from a famous friend, memories from listeners and Tablet staff, poignant interviews, and a final trip to Friendly’s.
To keep up with Oppenheimer happenings, you can subscribe to Mark’s newsletter at markoppenhiemer.substack.com.
We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us wh
Coming Home: Ep. 359
This week on Unorthodox, we're discussing the protests in Israel and the larger context in which they are occuring.
Our Jewish guest this week is the writer Jonathan Rosen. He joined us to talk about his new book, The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions.
We’re also bringing you a dispatch from Armenia. Liel traveled to Yerevan to learn about Birthright Armenia, and how it could teach Israelis and American Jews a lesson or two.
Check out Zionism: T
Listen and Learn: Ep. 358
This week on Unorthodox, are green eggs and ham kosher?
Our Jew of the Week is audio producer and podcast guru Arielle Nissenblatt, who joins us to talk about all things audio and gives us some podcast recommendations.
Our Gentile of the Week is Andrea Wakefield, co-owner of the Italian restaurant Mrs. Robino’s in Wilmington, Delaware (and Liel’s favorite restaurant on the planet). She joined us at our live show in Wilmington and tells us all about the restaurant and her family’s story.
We’
Passover 101: Ep. 357
This week on Unorthodox, we’re revisiting our 2020 Passover episode, in which we served up everything you need to know to pull off a meaningful and memorable Seder. The episode was created to address the fact that many people were suddenly hosting a Passover Seder for the very first time, under challenging and confounding circumstances, but we think there’s still a lot to be gained from going back to the basics. We walk you through the steps of the Seder, with special guests, perfect-fo
Across the Jew.S.A: Louisville, Kentucky: Ep. 356
This year we’re traveling Across the Jew.S.A – visiting 12 places around the country with fascinating Jewish stories. On this installment, producer Josh Kross and showrunner Courtney Hazlett head to Louisville, Kentucky to learn about the bourbon industry’s Jewish history, find a surprising Seinfeld connection, and more Across the JEW.S.A. is created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.
Send us emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our
In Bloom: Ep. 355
This week on Unorthodox, we’re investigating Faux-hanim.Our first guest is Chanie Apfelbaum, creator of the popular kosher food blog Busy in Brooklyn. She joined us to talk about her new cookbook, Totally Kosher, and share fun ways to incorporate all sorts of cuisines into your kosher cooking. Next we celebrate Opening Day with a chat with Zack Hample, a baseball fanatic who has caught more than 12,000 baseballs at Major League stadiums. Plus, some big news from the Corduroy Rav. (You c
Sesame Shtisel: Ep. 354
This week on Unorthodox, are the Muppets Jewish? Our Jew of the Week is Ruth Markel, whose son, Dan Markel, was murdered in 2014 (the case is featured on the first season of the podcast Over My Dead Body). She joined us to discuss the book she’s written about dealing with the trauma of losing a son to murder, as well as becoming an activist against grandparent alienation. Our Gentile of the Week is comedian Zarna Garg, who tells us how her experience as an Indian immigrant influences he
Bunny Business: Ep. 353
This week on Unorthodox, we’re going down the rabbit hole.
Our Jew of the Week is Hen Mazzig, who joined us to talk about fighting antisemitism online, as well as his new book, The Wrong Kind of Jew: a Mizrahi Manifesto.
Our Gentile of the Week is Gabriel Said Reynolds, who teaches theology at Notre Dame and runs a popular YouTube channel called Exploring the Quran and the Bible.
We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at ou
Tuning In: Ep. 352
This week on Unorthodox, we’re streaming History of the World, Part II.Our Jew of the Week is professor and Jewish comedy expert Jeremy Dauber, who joins us to talk about his new book, Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew. Our Gentile of the Week is actress Elisa Donovan, who tells us about acting in Clueless, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Beverly Hills, 90210, and about the experiences she writes about in her new book, Wake Me When You Leave: Love and Encouragement via Dreams from the Other Si
The Whole Megillah: Ep. 351
This week on Unorthodox, it’s Purim!
We’re bringing you fresh takes about the holiday Purim from our own Liel Leibovitz, as well as friend of the pod—and frequent Take One guest—Dovid Bashevkin.
In honor of Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion month, we visit Shemesh Farms in Malibu, CA, to learn about how they provide meaningful work and community to adults with diverse abilities.
We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail
Threading the Needle: Ep. 350
This week on Unorthodox, pshhhhhhhhhh. Our gentiles of the week are Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis, the hosts of the Jesuitical podcast. We each assign them something to give up for Lent and also prepare Rootless Cosmopolitans for them (the recipe for which can be found on our newsletter). We’re also bringing you the second installment of Across the JEW.S.A., our series highlighting different Jewish communities across America. Stephanie Butnick travels to Seattle, Washington, to discove
New Wave: Ep. 349
This week on Unorthodox, do Jews celebrate Valentine’s Day? Our Jew of the Week is returning guest David Sax, who joins us to talk about his newest book, The Future Is Analog: How to Create a More Human World. Our Gentile of the Week is writer and surfer (and surf writer) William Finnegan, who talks to us about his memoir, Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, and his experiences reporting on war and poverty around the world. We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at unortho
Us People: Ep. 348
This week on Unorthodox, Belgium is still the worst. Our Jew of the Week is the novelist Gabrielle Zevin. She joins us to talk about her newest novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, plus how video games can be vehicles for teaching morality and how she approaches writing about Holocaust survivors. Plus, the hosts discuss the new Netflix disaster that is You People, with insight from our managing producer and Hollywood correspondent, Courtney Hazlett. We love to hear from you! Sen
Reading Together: Ep. 347
This week on Unorthodox, we’re eating macaro(o)ns.
Our Jew of the Week is writer Bill Deresiewicz, who returns to the show to talk about his latest book, The End of Solitude, which laments how we’ve forgotten how to be alone in the digital age.
Our Gentile of the Week is audiobook narrator and author Julia Whelan, who tells us about her new book, Thank You for Listening, and what it’s like to be the voice behind so many of today’s bestsellers.
We love to hear from you! Send us emails and
Memories, Revisited: Ep. 346
This week on Unorthodox, stories of survival and Jewish pride in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
First, host Stephanie Butnick shares the lesson her Holocaust survivor grandparents taught her about taking every opportunity to celebrate life, starting with her over-the-top baby party.
California restaurateur Victor Ivry shares the story of honoring his mother, Auschwitz survivor and “witness to history” Liselotte Ivry, by getting a tattoo of her concentration camp number on
Moving Mountains: Ep. 345
This week on Unorthodox, who deserves a spot on the Jewish Mount Rushmore?
Our first guest is author Rina Raphael, who joins us to talk about her book, The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care.
Then we’re joined by "Weird Al" Yankovic’s drummer of more than 40 years, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, who talks with Liel about bringing brilliant parody music to life for more than 40 years.
Plus, our hosts answer a Gentile of the Week question from Tabitha Soren, w
Hitting the Road: Ep. 344
This week on Unorthodox, we’re starting our journey Across the JEW.S.A.
But first, viral Yiddish singing sensation Mendel Goldman stops by to treat us to his musical stylings.
Then, we bring you the first installment of our new series, Across the JEW.S.A. In the inaugural segment, Liel travels to the first state of Delaware to see the unique way that Wilmington is building Jewish community. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.
Finally, ou
An Unorthodox Christmas Spectacular
This week on Unorthodox, we’re wishing you a Christmas Sameach.
We have two gentiles this week—a Christmas miracle! First, CBS Sunday Morning contributor Faith Salie returns to the show to tell us about how her interfaith family navigates the holidays. We’re also sharing our interview with gospel legend Donald Lawrence, recorded live in Chicago at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly. Then we hear from Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern about why he doesn’t let his kids watch That Ve
Bright Lights: Ep. 342
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Hanukkah with eight stories that bring light to the Jewish world. We talk with 102-year-old former Nuremberg war crimes prosecutor Ben Ferencz, sing with rabbi and musician Josh Warshawsky, and tell stories with Peninnah Schram. We gab with former Real Housewife and new Jew Leah McSweeney and visit Muhlenberg College, a Lutheran liberal arts school that has become an unexpected haven for Jewish students. We stop by the butcher, meet one of the
Work It: Ep. 341
This week on Unorthodox: do Jews have Sweet Sixteen parties?Our Jewish guest this week is the writer Isabel Kaplan. She joins Stephanie to talk about her new novel, NSFW, the subtle ways that sexism crops up in everyday life and work, and more. Our Gentile of the Week is photographer Tabitha Soren. She chats with Mark about her approach to her work as an artist and remembers her on-air days at MTV News. We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com
Tough Talkers: Ep. 340
This week on Unorthodox, we’re lining up outside Santa’s Court at the mall.
First we talk with MSNBC anchor Katy Tur about her memoir Rough Draft. She tells us about her experience covering the Trump campaign, her relationship to her jewish identity, and what it was like growing up with parents who brought new meaning to the phrase, “helicopter parent.”
Then, we catch up with writer and Tablet contributor Douglas Century, who joins to talk about his book, The Last Boss of Brighton: Boris “Bib
Bonus: A Conversation with Tablet’s Editor in Chief Alana Newhouse
Hey there J-Crew! We are dropping into your feed on Black Friday, or Black Shabbos, as we call it, to share a conversation with Tablet’s editor in chief Alana Newhouse, who published a piece this week that offers a new framework for viewing the divides facing Americans today. She tells us why she wrote the piece and what we can take away from it in our own lives. The art is an illustration by Doug John Miller
Truly Thankful: Ep. 339
This week on Unorthodox, the mystery boxes are revealed! Mark, Stephanie, and Liel reveal the contents of their fundraiser giveaways, as well as the lucky winners.
Culinary historian Michael Twitty returns to the show to talk about his new book, Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.
Then, producer Quinn Waller teams up with cookbook author and Food Network star Molly Yeh to make challah in the latest installment of Quinn’s Cook Like a Jew series.
Finally, we sha
Building Bridges: Ep. 338
This week on Unorthodox, we’re hiring a bat-tender. Our Jew of the Week is actor Eric Ladin. You might know him from Ozark, Boardwalk Empire, or the film version of Where the Crawdads Sing. He tells us about growing up in Houston’s Jewish community, plays some Jewish geography (Camp Greylock forever), and introduces Mark to middle-aged dad whiskey. Our Gentile of the Week is author and interfaith leader Eboo Patel. He’s the founder of Interfaith America, and he joins us to explain what
Spirited Debate: Ep. 337
This week on Unorthodox, an upcoming Oppenheimer simcha sparks a spirited debate. Our Jew of the Week is the one and only Letty Cottin Pogrebin—feminist icon, writer, activist and author of the new book Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy. She tells us about her personal Jewish awakening, and about reckoning with her Jewish identity within the feminist movement. (If Cottin Pogrebin’s description of being excluded from the minyan at her mother’s shiva sounds familiar, here is her daugh
Generally Assembling: Ep. 336
This week on Unorthodox, we’re debuting a new look and some brand new merch!
We’ve got three great guests. First, we’re bringing you an interview we recorded live at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly this past week in Chicago. We talked to Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric Fingerhut about the most important issues facing American Jews, what he loves most about his job, and how we build a stronger Jewish community.
Our Gentile of the Week is Joe
Halloween bonus
Liel takes us on a tour of the horror movies of his childhood and wonders how Jews can participate in Halloween… Jewishly. Plus, what horror movies can teach us about us ourselves and Jewish identity
Around the Table: Ep. 335
This week on Unorthodox, we’re getting together around the table.
Our Jewish guest is Phil Rosenthal, who returns to the show to tell us about Season 6 of his delightful travel food show, Somebody Feed Phil, which includes a tribute to his late parents, Max and Helen Rosenthal, and the accompanying cookbook, Somebody Feed Phil: The Book. He also tells us what his Yom Kippur break-fast looks like, why he scoops out his bagel, and why Jews aren’t the only cultural group who finds connection over
Raising the Roof: Ep. 334
This week on Unorthodox, we’re raising the roof.First we check in with Israeli actor Michael Aloni of Shtisel and Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, to hear about his new film Plan A, in theaters and streaming this week. Then we hear from Mordechai Levovitz, founder of JQY, an organization that supports queer Jewish youth, about his personal journey and the ongoing legal battle between Yeshiva University and the YU Pride Alliance. Our Gentile of the Week is Pastor Corey Brooks, founder and Sen
Presenting - The Franchise: Jews, Sports and America
Hey JCrew, we've got something extra we want to share with you.
The Franchise is a new, eight-part series exploring how contemporary American Jewish culture imprinted itself onto sports and how sports imprinted itself onto Jewish traditions. Hosted by Meredith Shiner and produced by the team behind Unorthodox, the No. 1 Jewish podcast, The Franchise highlights the moments and the people—athletes, fans, stat geeks, journalists, and team owners—who are writing this uniquely, American Jewish story.
Absolute Citron: Ep. 333
This week on Unorthodox, we’re shaking the lulav and the etrog and celebrating Sukkot. First, we’re learning all about the global history of the etrog thanks to Be Fruitful: The Etrog in Jewish Art, Culture, and History. We talk to Warren Klein, one of the collection’s editors, and Jenna Weissman Joselit, a favorite Unorthodox guest and contributor to the collection. Next, we talk with Roger Studley, the founder of Urban Moshav, a nonprofit dedicated to creating Jewish co-housing commu
The Apology Episode, 5783: Ep 332
This week on Unorthodox, we’re sorry.
It’s our eighth annual Apology episode, and we’re bringing you stories of reckoning, atonement and… goats?
Stephanie Butnick visits the goats who inhabit a steep, rocky patch of Manhattan each summer to learn about the biblical scapegoat of Yom Kippur, with help from Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky and former Riverside Park Conservancy President and CEO Daniel Garodnick.
What’s repentance all about, anyway? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain the concept
Family Hold Back: Ep. 331
This week on Unorthodox, we’re not holding back.
Our Jewish guest this week is Kim Kushner, who joins us to talk about her Moroccan-influenced take on kosher cooking, her favorite Shabbat meals, and her new cookbook, The Modern Table.
We also bring you Gentile-Jewish filmmaker combo Ken Burns and Sarah Botstein, who tell us about the process of making their new PBS documentary, The U.S. and the Holocaust, which explores America’s response to World War II.
Our annual fundraiser is underway
Class Acts: Ep. 330
This week on Unorthodox, lots of lox drama at one Manhattan synagogue.
Our Gentile of the Week is author and podcaster Michael Lewis, who gamely revisits his 1993 Toy Goy article in the New Republic, tells us about being on the receiving end of antisemitic taunts for attending the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and shares what he learned researching his 2016 book, The Undoing Project, about the friendship between Israeli cognitive psychologists Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman.
Our Jew o
Gatecrashers: Our Newest Podcast
We're excited to introduce Gatecrashers, our newest Tablet Studios podcast. This 8-part series, hosted by our own Mark Oppenheimer, tells the hidden history of Jews in the Ivy League. Each episode focuses on one of the Ivies, and the series spans the last hundred years. Today, Mark shares the trailer and offers a behind the scenes look at Gatecrashers, with the help of Tablet Studios producer Quinn Waller and director of partnerships Tanya Singer. Stick around to the end for an exclusiv
Mystery Box 5782
We're off this week, but our fundraiser keeps going! For every $100 you donate, you’ll be entered to win a mystery gift box curated by Stephanie, Mark, or Liel. Donate at tabletm.ag/mysterybox. We're so grateful for your support, which lets us continue to make not just Unorthodox, but also our growing slate of Tablet Studios shows. One of them is Liel's daily Talmud podcast, Take One, and today he is sharing a favorite episode from the archive.We’ll be in the Chicagoland area on Septemb
Dog Days: Ep. 329
Our annual fundraiser is underway, and this year we’re upping the stakes: for every $100 you donate, you’ll be entered to win a mystery gift box curated by Stephanie, Mark, or Liel. Donate at tabletm.ag/mysterybox, and thank you for your support.Our Jew of the Week is Ilana Horwitz, who teaches the sociology of religion and education at Tulane. She joins us to talk about her new book, God, Grades, and Graduation: Religion's Surprising Impact on Academic Success. Our gentile of the week
Inside and Out: Ep 328
This week on Unorthodox, we’re kicking off our annual fundraiser and upping the stakes: for every $100 you donate, you’ll be entered to win a mystery gift box curated by Stephanie, Mark, or Liel. Donate at tabletm.ag/mysterybox.Abby Pogrebin returns to the show to tell us about the latest installment of The Minyan, her roundtable interview series for Tablet. She spoke with 10 Orthodox women about their identities and experiences and shares some of that conversation, and the insights it
Moving Forward: Ep 327
This week on Unorthodox, we’re getting serious. It’s Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning that commemorates the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. (Read more about it here.)
Our Jewish guest is Rebecca Soffer of Modern Loss, who returns to the show tell us about her new book, The Modern Loss Handbook: An interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience.
Our Gentile of the Week is Walter Russell Mead, who joins us to discuss his new book, The Arc of a Covenant: The
Staying Cool: Ep. 326
This week on Unorthodox, we’re melting down. To beat the heat, we’re bringing you interviews with two very cool Jews. First we talk to singer songwriter Lisa Loeb, who has been entertaining music lovers of all ages since her breakout 1994 hit “Stay.” She shares how her childhood love of summer camp inspired her “Camp Lisa” record and foundation, plus she tells us about her eyewear collection and the similarities she’s discovered between performing for toddlers and drunk adults. Our seco
Funny Girls: Ep. 325
This week on Unorthodox: ‘Funny Girl’ casting shakeups, letters from camp, and more. Our Jewish guest this week is Michael Uslan, who produced the Batman films. He talks with us about comic books as literature, and what makes Batman different from other superheroes. Our Gentile of the Week is Iranian-American comedian and “Fake the Nation” podcast host Negin Farsad. She tells us about being mistaken for a Jew and shares her upcoming projects. We want to hear from you! Take our listener
Mellow Yellow, Ep. 324
This week on Unorthodox, we’re wishing you a hearty ‘Shalom yellow.’Our first Jew of the Week is Mike Pesca, host of the long-running daily podcast “The Gist,” which he recently relaunched independently. He tells us what podcasts he’s listening to, why it’s important to talk to people you disagree with, and about his childhood as a self-described ‘pizza bagel’ (half Jewish, half Italian). Our second Jew of the Week is Argentinian journalist Javier Sinay, author of the newly translated
Good Sports: Ep 323
This week on Unorthodox, we’re packing our trunks and heading to summer camp.
Our Jew of the Week is Meredith Shiner, host of our forthcoming Tablet Studios podcast about Jews and sports. She joins us today to discuss the new Sandy Koufax statue at Dodger Stadium, which was unveiled during Shabbat. Stay tuned for more about Meredith’s show, which launches this fall.
Our Gentile of the Week is Swami Tyagananda, a teacher at the Vedanta Center in Boston and Hindu chaplain at MIT and Harvard
Stage Hand: Ep. 322
This week on Unorthodox, bubbe or buh-bye?
Our Jew of the Week is Zachary Noah Piser, the new star of Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen. He joins us to talk about his experience taking over the title role in the show—which ends its Broadway run this fall—and his Jewish-Asian identity.
We hear from friend of the show Abigail Pogrebin about her new Tablet project, The Minyan, a series of roundtable discussions about the state of the Jewish community in America from a variety of perspectives. She sha
Stirring the Pot: Ep 321
This week on Unorthodox, we’re digging in.
Benedetta Guetta, author of the new cookbook, Cooking alla Giudia, joins us to discuss the fascinating—and delicious—culinary history of the Jews of Italy. We learn that Jews are responsible for bringing the orecchiette pasta shape to Italy, that Jews taught Italians how to cook eggplant, and that the Jews of Italy made kosher prosciutto using goose (here’s her recipe).
Barry Levenson tells us about the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, WI, whic
Mixed Grill: Ep. 320
This week on Unorthodox, three of our favorite guests return to the show to tell us about their latest projects.
First we visit Philadelphia restaurateurs Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook at their new Brooklyn restaurant Laser Wolf, a shipudiya, or Israeli skewer house, named for the butcher in Fiddler on the Roof. You can listen to our 2019 road trip to Philadelphia, where we spoke to Solomonov and Cook at their restaurant Zahav, on Episode 204.
Tablet columnist James Kirchick also returns to
49 Days: Week 7, Malchut
Today we are sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This final week is all about queenliness, and majesty.
49 Days: Week 6, Yesod
Today we are sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This sixth week is all about connection and foundation.
The Conversion Episode, 2022: Ep 319
This week, we present our fifth-annual Conversion Episode. Each year on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of the first convert to Judaism. To celebrate Ruth and all the Jews by choice since then, we’re sharing three deeply personal stories about the path to becoming Jewish.
First we hear from our associate producer Quinn Waller, who is in the process of converting. Despite all her learning and studying, she is still dogged by feelings of inauthentic
49 Days: Week 5, Hod
Today we are sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This fifth week is all about endurance and perseverance.
Unorthodox Comes Alive!: Ep. 318
This week, we’re back together, and totally off the wall. We’re airing the interviews from our live show in Virginia Beach, hosted by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. Our Jew of the Week is Congresswoman Elaine Luria, who represents Virginia's Second Congressional District. She tells us about her 20-year career in the Navy; being a fourth-generation Jewish Alabaman before moving to Virginia; and hosting a Passover Seder on an aircraft carrier. Our Gentile of the Week is NFL Ha
49 Days: Week 4, Netzach
Today we are sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This fourth week is all about Netzach, or endurance and perseverance.
Big Bang Slice: Ep. 317
This week, we’re deep dishing about Licorice Pizza.
Our Jew of the week is actress, neuroscientist, and Jeopardy! co-host Mayim Bialik, who makes her directorial debut with the “very, very Jewish” film As They Made Us.
Mayim wrote the film, about a woman coming to terms with her father’s decline and death, at the end of the traditional Jewish year of mourning following her own father’s death in 2015. She tells us about the film’s casting (Dustin Hoffman and Candace Bergen play the parents to G
49 Days: Week 3, Tipheret
Today we’re sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This third week is all about Tipheret, or discipline and harmony.
The Mothership: Ep 316
This week, we’re celebrating motherhood: the messy, the funny, the sad, and the profound.
First, an interview with Jewish Fertility Foundation’s Elana Frank, host of the podcast Fruitful and Multiplying. Then we talk to comedian Ester Steinberg about her postpartum comedy special, Burning Bush. We also hear from Rabbi Ilana Garber about her son’s diagnosis of Fragile X Syndrome, and Unorthodox producer Robert Scaramuccia shares a moving story about his mother.
We love to hear from you! Send u
49 Days: Week 2, Gevurah
Today we’re sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This second week is all about Gevurah, or discipline and restraint.
Puzzling Through: Ep. 315
This week, we’re putting the pieces together. Our Jewish guest is A.J. Jacobs, whose new book [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622520/the-puzzler-by-aj-jacobs/] is The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, From Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life. He explains why puzzles are such a useful way to see the world, tries to stump us with some Jewish riddles, and tells us what it’s like to appear as a New York Times Crossword clue. Listen to A.J.’
49 Days: Week 1, Chesed
Today we’re sharing a special weekly edition of Kylie Unell’s new podcast miniseries, 49 Days to Stretch My Soul. Kylie is putting her own spin on the Jewish tradition of counting the Omer—the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot—with a daily practice that includes everything from exploring the lyrics of Steven Sondheim, interviewing a ballet dancer, immersing herself in nature, and more. This first week is all about Chesed, or Lovingkindness.
Rootless Cosmopolitans: Ep. 314
This week, we’re grabbing our passports.
First we talk to Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman about their off-Broadway musical Harmony, which tells the true story of the Comedian Harmonists, a trailblazing troupe of Jewish-and-gentile entertainers in 1920s Germany.
Professor Andy Markovits joins us to discuss his new memoir, The Passport as Home: Comfort in Rootlessness, about what he learned growing up as a Jew in Romania and Vienna before emigrating to the United States, and why he’s chosen
Introducing '49 Days to Stretch My Soul'
We're excited to share a brand new Tablet Studios podcast hosted by our friend Kylie Unell. You might remember Kylie's spiritual journey in the lead-up to the High Holidays last year on "How to Fix a Soul in 30 Days". Now, Kylie is back with another show for another holiday season.The Jewish tradition of counting the Omer, or Sefirat Haomer, marks the 49 days between the second night of Passover and the start of Shavuot, and offers daily opportunities for spiritual challenge and growth.
Bonus: Passover Melodies
This week we’re sharing a special bonus episode to accompany your pre-Passover prep.
You heard musician Josh Warshawsky sing the order of the Seder on last week’s Passover episode, proving that even the Haggadah's table of contents offers musical inspiration. Today we’re airing Mark’s interview with Warshawsky, in which the rabbi and song leader discusses the various melodies of the Haggadah and takes us on a song-filled journey from start to finish.
We love to hear from you! Send us your em
A Passover to Remember: Ep. 313
This week on Unorthodox, we’re digging into Passover traditions. Stephanie Butnick rids her home of chametz, or leavened bread, with a legalistic assist from producer Robert Scaramuccia. Featuring Rivkah Slonim. Liel Leibovitz explores the tradition of Jewish first-born sons fasting before Passover, which takes him in some unexpected literary directions. Featuring Erica Brown and Andre Aciman. Producer Josh Kross interrogates the Wicked Child archetype, with the help of his teenage son
What’s Cookin’?: Ep. 312
This week on Unorthodox, we’re calling the lox-smith.
Our Jew of the Week is Massachusetts State Senator Eric Lesser, who worked for the Obama campaign and administration and helped bring the first Seder to the White House. He’s now running for Lieutenant Governor, and he joins us for some Western Massachusetts Jewish geography and Friendly’s reminiscences.
Then we share a segment from our producer Quinn Waller. She’s converting to Judaism, and with her first Passover coming up, she’s gettin
We Are Family: Ep. 311
This week on Unorthodox, we’re all connected. Our Jewish guest is Julie Platt, the new chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, and the mother of some very talented Jewish children. She tells us about the work JFNA is doing to help Jews in Ukraine, and shares her theories on why so many Camp Ramah alums end up on Broadway, her sons included. Our Gentile of the Week is Father Thomas Soroka, an Eastern Orthodox priest at St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Pittsburgh. He’s one of the
Party On: Ep. 310
This week on Unorthodox, we’re throwing a party.Our Jewish guest this week is Judith Rosenbaum, CEO of the Jewish Women’s Archive, who joins us to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the bat mitzvah in America. We talk about the first girl to be become a bat mitzvah, in 1922, plus what bat mitzvahs have meant for Jewish girls and women in the intervening century . We also speak with Debbie Haback, who co-wrote the 1986 Preppy Handbook parody, The Jewish American Princess Handbook.Plus, w
Posted Notes: Ep. 309
This week on Unorthodox, we’re doing the Wordle.
Evan Jacobson is a TikTok saxophone sensation. You might have seen his viral series where he adds sax solos to “songs that don’t need them.” We got him to compose sax solos to such cultural Jewish anthems as "Sunrise, Sunset" and Jeff Buckley’s cover of "Hallelujah."
Shawn Setaro is a writer and podcaster, who created and hosted The Cipher, a hip-hop podcast produced by Unorthodox's own Josh Kross. He talks with us about his new book, Dummy Bo
Rocking and Rolling: Ep. 308
This week on Unorthodox, we’re getting jiggy with it.
Our Jewish guest is Lenny Solomon, frontman of the Jewish rock band Shlock Rock. He talks with us about what it takes to create a great parody song, the role of humor in music, and accounting. You can donate to his fundraiser for his musical, Daniel in Babylon, here. Our Gentile of the Week is professor and writer Devoney Looser, who teaches us about Jane Austen and roller derby, and the surprising ways in which these two subjects intersect
Going Places: Ep 307
This week on Unorthodox, we’re lifting off.
This week we’re doing things a little differently. With the situation in Ukraine heating up, two Tablet writers offer their perspective. Vladislav Davidzon talks to us from the ground in Kyiv and Armin Rosen takes us to Uman for the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.
We love to hear from you! Send us your emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4
Chasing Memory: Ep. 306
This week on Unorthodox, we’re ordering gazpacho for the table.
Our Jewish guest this week is Tablet’s very own Wayne Hoffman, whose new book is The End of Her: Racing Against Alzheimers to Solve a Murder. He talks with us about family legends, coming to terms with his mother’s decline, and the morass of memory. We’re giving away a few free copies of Wayne’s book on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
We’ve got events coming up!
Thursday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, we’ll be doing a live
Old School: Ep. 305
This week on Unorthodox, we’re throwing it back. Our Gentile of the week is writer Chuck Klosterman, whose new book is The Nineties. He tells us why the 90s were the last real decade, plus what it’s like to earnestly promote a book about an era when apathy reigned supreme. We, on the other hand, are happy to be commercial sellouts—we’re giving away copies of The Nineties on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.We love to hear from you! Send us your emails and voice memos at unorthodox@ta
Coming in Hot: Ep. 304
This week on Unorthodox, we’re all self-upgrading to business class.
Our Jewish guest is investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, of Watergate team Woodward and Bernstein, whose new memoir is Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom.
Our Gentile of the Week is The Great British Baking Show semi-finalist Jürgen Krauss, who won our hearts with his Passover plava recipe on Season 9. Krauss, who isn’t Jewish himself but is married to a Jewish woman and raising a Jewish family, tells us about repre
Heroes and Villains: Ep. 303
This week on Unorthodox, we’re bringing you a conversation with Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Temple Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX, who was held hostage along with three congregants during a Shabbat service two weeks ago
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!
Check out The Tab, Tablet magazine's new printable
Safe and Sound: Ep. 302
This week, we’re reflecting on the rabbi and three congregants held hostage at a Texas synagogue last Saturday. We’re also sharing an interview with Mark Podwal, an artist who has illustrated for the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Times —and who has a day job as a dermatologist. He tells us how his art, rich with Jewish themes and imagery, is his expression of his Jewish identitySubscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and f
Family Ties: Ep. 301
This week on Unorthodox, more Israel-related animal conspiracy theories. Before she was Liz Lange, our Jewish guest was Liz Steinberg, niece of corporate raider Saul Steinberg. She tells the story of her family’s spectacular rise and eventual fall in the new podcast, “The Just Enough Family.” Our Gentile of the Week is Delvyn Case, a Christian composer who has written a cantata about the binding of Isaac, based on his reading of one rabbi's midrash that suggests that Abraham actually k
The 300th Episode
This week, we’re celebrating a major milestone: 300 episodes. That’s more than 18,000 minutes of tape over six years, featuring thousands of News of the Jews items, hundreds of amazing Jews and Gentiles of the Week, and way too many jokes about Belgium. We’ve been through a lot together, J-Crew. There was the Saran Wrap vs. tin foil fight, the debate over backing into parking spaces, and endless discussions of what activities might accurately be categorized as “Jewish.” We’ve shared stories of c
Jews on Christmas: Ep 299
This week on Unorthodox, we’re drinking the eggnog and going all in on Christmas.
Did you know your favorite Christmas song was probably written by a Jew? Marc Tracy returns to the show to shed light on the surprising history of Jewish songwriters and Christmas music, and shares a list of the 10 best Christmas songs written by Jews.
It wouldn’t be a bunch of Jews talking about a holiday—even one that isn’t our own—without a serious discussion of food. Jewish cookbook author and New York Times
Big Cheese: Ep. 298
This week on Unorthodox, we’re diving deeper into the cream cheese shortage.
Our first guest is Dorothy Kalins, cookbook writer and former editor in chief of Saveur magazine. Liel talks to her about her new book, “The Kitchen Whisperers: Cooking with the Wisdom of Our Friends.”
Then Liel sits down with retired Harvard professor Ruth Wisse, whose new memoir is “Free Like a Jew: A Personal Memoir of National Self-Liberation.”
Our 300th episode is coming up this month, and we want you to be pa
Mad Mahj: Ep. 297
This week on Unorthodox, we’re prepping for the great cream cheese shortage of 5782.First we call up friend of the show Joshua Malina, who wrote an impassioned essay in the Atlantic asking why, after such a public history of antisemitism, Mel Gibson is still getting work in Hollywood. Then we talk to Yonit Levi, Israel’s Channel 12 evening news anchor, who recently launched the podcast Unholy with The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland. Our Gentile of the Week is University of Oregon profess
Hanukkah 2.0: Ep. 296
This week on Unorthodox, we really can’t stop talking about Hanukkah—read our op-ed all about it in the Washington Post.
First we talk to actress Sarah Podemski, who stars on the new FX on Hulu show Reservation Dogs. She tells us about her “Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi” heritage and growing up in Toronto’s Jewish community, plus her experience working with an all-Indigenous cast and creative team on Reservation Dogs.
Then Liel has a candid conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat ab
Bonus: Stacy Keach on "Vienna"
Stacy Keach joins Liel to discuss his upcoming presentation of the play "Vienna," created by Stacy Keach Zoom Theater (SKZ). The show begins airing on YouTube on Sunday, November 28, and will be available through Wednesday, December 1. Admission is free.
Donations are welcome to benefit The Actors Fund of America. To access the production, visit stacykeachzoomtheater.com.
Bonus: Israel Story's "Pigging Out"
Unorthodox is off this week for Thanksgiving, but we're bringing you "Pigging Out," an episode from our friends at Israel Story:"Not once, but twice, does the Bible admonish us to abstain from eating the flesh of the pig. And though there are many other animals we are commanded to avoid, the pig has—over the centuries—become the quintessential symbol of all that is unkosher, impure, and morally reprehensible. But was that always the case? In an episode that starts in prehistoric times a
It’s Not Jewish Christmas: Ep. 295
This week on Unorthodox, it’s beginning to look a lot like Hanukkah! The Festival of Lights starts Sunday, Nov. 28, and we could think of no better way to kick off a holiday about the triumph of Jewish observance over assimilation than with a special episode featuring some amazing Jews whose work celebrates Jewish culture and identity. Comedian and proud Jew Judy Gold—aka @jewdygold—joins us to discuss embracing her Jewishness on stage and off, and lighting Hanukkah candles in hotel roo
Bagels and Books: Ep. 294
This week on Unorthodox, are we ready for a Better Bagel?
Our guest is novelist Alice McDermott, whose latest book is What About the Baby? Some Thoughts on the Art of Fiction. She tells us about her 1998 National Book Award-winning novel, Charming Billy, as well as her Catholic faith, relationship with the church, and what she misses now that she’s no longer teaching.
Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.
Send co
Happy Returns: Ep. 293
This week on Unorthodox, our national nightmare is over: Stephanie returns to the show!We talk to comedian Alex Edelman, whose new one-man show, “Just For Us,” is about the time he infiltrated a white supremacist gathering. Edelman, who was raised Orthodox, tells us about starting to wrap tefillin again during the pandemic, his work on Saturday Night Seder, and why some Jewish comedians miss the mark for him. “Just For Us” runs Dec. 1-19 at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York.Then we vi
Returning to Pittsburgh: Ep 292
Three years after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting that killed 11 Jews, we return to Pittsburgh with a special episode based on Mark Oppenheimer's reporting for his new book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood.
You’ll hear from the local high schoolers who planned the Saturday night vigil that drew thousands of people, from the Pulitzer-winning editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette explaining how he conceived the paper's famous Hebrew-language f
Spooky Schmoozing: Ep.291
This week on Unorthodox, former guest Gavriel Savit joins us for a spooktacular Halloween episode. We talk about the Jewishness of Dune, William Shatner’s mission to the moon, why some religious Jews don’t celebrate Halloween, and more.
Our Jewish guest is actor, author, and substance abuse counselor Stacey Nelkin, who starred in the 1982 film Halloween III: Season of the Witch. She joins us to reminisce about the critically panned cult classic.
Our Gentile of the week is Carrie Harris, a fict
The Artful Dodger
This week, while Mark’s on book tour and Stephanie is dancing with diapers, we’re bringing you a minisode with a special story of the impact of a single hungry draft dodger. Enjoy!
On October 19 at 12pm ET, Liel will be moderating a live discussion along with Manya Brachear Pashman of American Jewish Committee's podcast, People of the Pod. This is the first in a four-part series by Tablet Magazine and AJC titled “21st Century Europe and the Jews”, which aims to address timely issues related to J
Take Me to Church: Ep. 290
In this week's news, the Orthodox Union won't certify "Impossible Pork," Maccabi Haifa receives an interesting welcome in Berlin, and Mark owns a wetsuit.
Tablet Studios is proud to bring you Radioactive, a new narrative podcast about Radio Priest and renowned antisemite Father Charles Coughlin. Enjoy this sneak peek, as well as Liel's conversation with host Andrew Lapin, and make sure to subscribe
Liel also sits down with pianist Simone Dinnerstein, who recently conducted a walking tour throu
Pardon the Interruption: Ep. 289
This week on Unorthodox, we interrupt our usual programming to talk about interrupting, and the battle between extroverts in introverts.
Liel speaks with Professor Jacques Berlinerblau about his new book The Philip Roth We Don't Know: Sex, Race, and Autobiography, and Mark speaks with Hanna Stein, who portrays Shira Liedman on the Netflix's Never Have I Ever, and who was connected to us by her dad, a proud member of the J-Crew.
We are launching our fundraiser! Please support Unorthodox and the
Modern Day Heroes: Ep. 288
Happy Sukkot, J-Crew! While we sit here in our huts, shaking our palm fronds and citrons,we bring you a slew of Jews redefining the term "modern day heroes."
First, Tablet Chief Administrative Office Sam Hacker heroically swoops in to guest host, saving the show from another week of just Mark and Liel.
Then, Liel speaks with author E. Lockhart, the author of Whistle: A New Gotham Hero, featuring DC Comics' first Jewish superhero in over 40 years, Willow Zimmerman.
Finally, Mark speaks with Jo
The Apology Episode, 5782: Ep. 287
Welcome to our annual apology episode!
As we do every year, we searched far and wide for stories about apologies, forgiveness, and repentance. We hope this episode inspires you to approach Yom Kippur with some new insights and appreciation for making amends.
First, we speak with legal scholar and Former Dean of Harvard Law School Martha Minow about US law and forgiveness, and whether the justice system should perhaps be more forgiving.
Then, Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett, host of the new podcas
A Comforting New Year: Ep. 286
Happy Jewish Year 5782!While we normally celebrate new beginnings on Rosh Hashana, this year we are choosing to turn to the comfort of some of our favorite things. Join us to celebrate Rosh Hashana and celebrate the new Jewish year with the equivalent of a hug for your years.First, we bring you our interview with star of stage and screen Tovah Feldshuh, who spoke with us a couple months back as part of a live show with the Community Scholar Program and the Merage Jewish Community Cente
Sneak Peek: Antisemitism, Explained
While the Unorthodox team is taking a short break, we wanted to share a sneak peek into Antisemitism, Explained, a new project by Tablet journalist (and former Unorthodox guest) Yair Rosenberg.You can watch the whole series at: http://bitly.com/AntisemitismExplainedThe resurgence of attacks against Jews and Jewish institutions across the USA and the globe has brought the issue of antisemitism into sharp focus once again. To understand the historical roots of current antisemitic events a
Much Ado About Diaspora: Ep. 285
While Stephanie is off hanging with baby Edith, Mark and Liel are taking a serious look at the relationship between Israeli Jews and the American Diaspora. Massachusetts born and raised Mark digs deep into Liel’s perspectives about the United States while growing up in Israel, and how they have changed now that he’s been in America for over 20 years.Are the American and Israeli Jewish communities heading for a “divorce" like so many have predicted, or can we bring the communities close
Reviewing Elul: Ep. 284
This week on Unorthodox, we have a very special guest host! Former all-star Unorthodox guest Kylie Unell joins Mark and Liel to talk about the important news of the Jews, including Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher's lack of showers, and Argentina's lack of tact.
Enjoy a sneak peak of Kylie's upcoming Tablet podcast How to Fix a Soul in 30 Days. Get ready for Jewish Year 5782 by traveling along with Kylie as she searches for her soul.
We also speak with GOTW Liam McCabe, senior staff writer for Wi
Lobster Roles: Ep. 283
This week on Unorthodox, it's all about free lobster, dog crimes, and of course...Israeli stray cats.
We speak with Jaren Lewison, star of the Netflix show "Never Have I Ever." He tells us about playing a Jewish character on a hit TV show, working with Mindy Kaling and Andy Samberg, and balancing college life (go ZBT!) and acting.
Then we hear from Gentile of the Week Andrew Gruel, Founder and Executive Chef of Slapfish Restaurant, who spoke with us about his work combating hunger, including p
The Pregnancy Episode: Ep. 282
This week on Unorthodox, we’re talking all things Jewish pregnancy, from traditions and superstitions to genetic testing and fertility treatment.
First we hear from Estie Rose, a genetic counselor and outreach coordinator for JScreen, a genetic testing nonprofit based at Emory University, about the importance of screening for Tay-Sachs, the BRCA gene, and other specifically Jewish conditions when planning for pregnancy.
Then Dr. Bat-Sheva Maslow, a reproductive endocrinologist at Extend Fertil
Homeward Bound: Ep. 281
This week on Unorthodox, we’re observing Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning, and Tu B’Av, the Jewish Valentine’s Day, all at once.
First we hear from Menachem Kaiser, author of “Plunder: A Memoir of Family Property and Nazi Treasure,” his story of attempting to reclaim an apartment building in Sosnowice, Poland that his family owned before the Holocaust, and his unlikely discovery of a familial connection to... Nazi treasure hunters.
Then we talk to NFL reporter Jori Epstein and Holocaust su
Bonus: 'Take One' and 'Hebrew School'
Unorthodox is off this week, but we wanted to bring you the latest from two of our other podcasts. First you'll hear an update from our Tablet colleague Armin Rosen, who spent last week reporting from the aftermath of the building collapse in Surfside, Florida, and who dropped by Take One, our daily Talmud podcast, to weigh in on a page of Talmud that feels eerily relevant to the Surfside tragedy.
Then you'll hear Episode 4 of our kids quiz show Hebrew School, which is back for Season 2, hosted
Rock On: Ep. 280
This week on Unorthodox: Bagels and latkes and shvantzes, oh my.
Our first guest is David Fishof, the longtime music agent and producer who created Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, where music fans get to schmooze with rock icons. He tells us about the Jewish influences behind his work, his favorite musicians to work with, and the new documentary about Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp.
Next we talk to Sports Illustrated’s L. Jon Wertheim, who returns to the show to tell us about his latest book, Glory Days
Family Affair: Ep. 279
This week on Unorthodox, vegemite drama in Israel.Our first guest is Shira Haas, the Israeli actress best known for her starred role on the Netflix series Unorthodox and the Israeli hit Shtisel. She tells us about learning English by watching TV as a kid, how she responds to criticism of Unorthodox’s portrayal of Orthodox Judaism, and her upcoming role as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.Our next guest is Daniel Oppenheimer, brother of our host Mark, who returns to the show to tell us
Hamming it Up: Ep. 278
This week on Unorthodox, the curious case of the kosher ham.
Our Jewish guest is Raviv Ullman, who starred in the early aughts Disney Channel show Phil of the Future and who now hosts the weekly parsha podcast “The Study.” The Israeli-born actor tells us about embracing the rituals of Jewish life during the pandemic, and finding the value of identifying modern themes in ancient Jewish texts, even when those themes might be challenging.
Our Gentile of the Week is investigative reporter Madeleine
Come Together: Ep. 277
This week on Unorthodox, it’s everyone vs. Bibi.Our Jewish guest is Iranian American writer Roya Hakakian, whose latest book, A Beginner's Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious, paints a portrait of what the new immigrant experience in America is really like. She explains how, in addition to the grand ideals of liberty and opportunity offered in America, the mundane day-to-day elements of American life—like being able to return clothing to a store—remain jaw-droppingly lib
Presenting 'The Deal with Nissim Black'
Unorthodox is off this week, but we’re bringing you "The Deal with Nissim Black," a new podcast from our friends over at the Joshua Network, [link out].The show features Nissim Black, who was featured on our conversion episode last month, in conversation with a wide range of Jewish guests. This episode features Nissim’s interview with former Unorthodox guest Eve Barlow . In this conversation, which was recorded about a month ago, Nissim and Eve get deep into their experiences of being J
On the Grill: Ep. 276
This week on Unorthodox, ceasefire in Israel and chaos on social media.
Our Jewish guest this week is former Late Show with Stephen Colbert writer Jen Spyra, who returns to the show to discuss her debut book, a wacky collection of short stories called Big Time.
Our Gentile of the week is novelist John Green, whose latest book, The Anthropocene Reviewed, is based on his podcast of the same name, which reviews various facets of our modern lives using a five-star scale. He also tells us about the i
Israel: Ep. 275
This week on Unorthodox, we’re doing our best to process—and to help you process—what’s going on in Israel and Gaza.
First we talk with Israeli journalist Matti Friedman, whose recent article for Tablet, “Jerusalem of Glue,” highlights the gap between the outward narrative of conflict and the more cohesive day-to-day reality on the ground in the city. He’s been on the show before, talking about his book Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel.
Then we take you into the bomb sh
The Conversion Episode, 2021: Ep. 274
This week on Unorthodox, we’re proud to present our fourth-annual conversion episode. On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of the first convert to Judaism. To celebrate Ruth and all the Jews by choice since then, we’re sharing stories of conversion from all over the world.
First, an interview with New York Times reporter Nellie Bowles, who has been chronicling her conversion process in her online newsletter, “Chosen by Choice.”
Tablet Fellow Nina Lichtenstein describes co
Burning Up: Ep. 273
This week on Unorthodox: Gal Gadot’s pandemic injury.
First we speak to Daniel Pollack-Pelzner, the Linfield University professor who was fired after publicizing accusations of sexual misconduct and anti-Semitism regarding the board of trustees and the college president.
Then we welcome back one of our favorite Gentiles of the Week, Noreen Malone, who is hosting the fifth season of Slate’s Slow Burn podcast, where she breaks down the lead-up to the second Iraq War. Her question for the hosts i
Hot Takes: Ep. 272
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Lag B’Omer (and figuring out what, exactly, this holiday is all about).
Our first guest is Juliet Litman, podcast host and head of production at the Ringer. She discusses one of her favorite podcasts, the surprisingly Jewish “Table Manners with Jesse Ware,” gives us her take on last season’s Bachelorette bagel drama, and offers her pick for the most Jewish sports team.
Then it’s a Jew-Gentile double header: TV producer Amy Solomon, editor of the new boo
Winners and Losers: Ep. 271
This week on Unorthodox, Andrew Cuomo’s Jewish “tree houses” and Israel’s wild boars.
Our Jewish guest is Devin Gordon, author of the new book “So Many Ways to Lose: The Amazin' True Story of the New York Mets—the Best Worst Team in Sports.” He tells us why Mets fandom is a profound spiritual exercise in perpetual disappointment, and Liel offers his take on why the Mets are a fundamentally Jewish team.
Our Gentile of the week is writer, speaker, and activist Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of “How
The Decoders: Ep. 270
This week on Unorthodox, Stephanie is out and Liel and Mark are podcasting from their man cave.Our Jewish guest is author Walter Isaacson, known for his biographies of Steve Jobs and Leonardo da Vinci, whose latest book is The Code BreakerJennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. We talk to him about the Jewish implications for the CRISPR gene editing technology, and the way that Jewish history can be mapped onto the history of scientific developments in America o
Star Treatment: Ep 269
This week on Unorthodox, we’re down to the championship round of our Jewish Name of the Year bracket.
Our Jewish guest is Israeli actress and activist Noa Tishby, whose new book is Israel: a Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth. Tishby, who describes herself as “100% Israeli and 100% American,” tells us about bringing the Israeli show In Treatment to American audiences, her first experience in bridging Israeli and American culture. She also explains how her pro-Israel activism
In Good Company: Ep. 268
This week, we’re filling up on matzo and revealing the Final Four competitors in our Jewish Names of the Year bracket.Our first guest is actress Emmanuelle Chriqui, who starred as Sloan in Entourage and Dalia in You Don’t Mess with The Zohan. She tells us about growing up in Canada to Moroccan Jewish parents, her latest TV role, and her involvement with the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance .Then, Orthodox sex therapist Bat Sheva Marcus returns to the show talk about her new book, Sex
The Markisode: Ep. 267
This week, it’s the full Oppenheimer. First, Mark interviews McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic who recently wrote an article about the future of Mormonism—“the most American religion”—and America. He talks about his own Mormon faith, confirms Mark’s assessment that Jews and Mormons have a lot in common, and asks how to ready his home to invite kosher-keeping Jewish friends over for a meal.
Then, it’s everything you’ll ever need to know about what Jewish law says about pets! Mark off
Passover Prep: Ep. 266
This week, we’re kicking off our Passover celebrations, live from the Oppenheimer home. Mark is joined by four of his children as they sit around the Seder table and wonder where, exactly, all these Passover traditions came from.
Helping them along the way are co-hosts Stephanie and Liel, and a near minyan of all-star guests.
First, historian and Tablet columnist Jenna Weissman Joselit expounds on the material culture associated with the home-based holiday—Seder plates, matzo covers, and afikom
Work and Pray: Ep. 265
This week on Unorthodox, Charles Barkley does the hora.
Our Jewish guest is Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer, who stars in the new Apple TV+ psychological thriller Losing Alice, Israel’s latest international TV export. Zurer tells us about being part of that other hit Israeli show, Shtisel, and about the unlikely acting role that got her cast by Steven Spielberg in his 2005 film, Munich.
Our Gentile of the Week, Father James Martin, joins us again on the show, this time to tell us about his latest b
Presenting ‘Hearing with Tali Farhadian Weinstein’
This week on Unorthodox, we’re sharing an episode of “Hearing with Tali Farhadian Weinstein,” a podcast from Pushkin Industries. Tali is an Iranian-Jewish prosecutor running for District Attorney in Manhattan, and her show features interviews with policy experts, journalists, and community members. In this episode of Hearing, Tali talks to former Unorthodox guest Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of Manhattan's Central Synagogue about the points of intersection around faith, personal identity, and
Reimagining Purim: Ep. 264
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Purim and breaking the mold.First, Stephanie welcomes her special Purim co-hosts, friends of the show Kylie Unell and Abigail Pogrebin, who help her tell the story of Purim and offer their takes on some of the holiday’s larger themes.Next, Stephanie is joined by Anna Solomon, author of The Book of V., a fictionalized redefining of the story of Vashti. She explains that the binaries we’ve been taught — “that Vashti is wanton, wicked, selfish; an
Language of Leftovers: Ep. 263
Ep. 263:This week on Unorthodox, we’re waiting for our Israeli Pizza Hut delivery by drone.
Our first Jewish guest is actress Jackie Tohn, host of the Netflix cooking competition Best Leftovers Ever! She tells us about understanding the importance of leftovers from a young age as the grandchild of Holocaust survivors, and also about using that real-life identity to inform her character Melrose on the hit Netflix series G.L.O.W.
Then we’re joined by linguist Sarah Bunin Benor, who returns to th
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!: Ep. 262
This week on Unorthodox, we’re giving you a taste of some other podcasts we’ve been working on.
First, you’ll hear an episode of Liel’s daily Daf Yomi podcast, Take One, featuring special guest Sister Helen Prejean, a passionate advocate against capital punishment, as they discuss a page of Talmud that references the death penalty.
Next, you’ll hear Stephanie’s interview with Tablet’s newest podcast hosts, Aimee Friedman and Lisa Sandell, about their show Anxiously. Each week Lisa and Aimee grap
Laser Focused: Ep. 261
This week on Unorthodox, we’re firing up our Jewish space lasers.
Mark and Liel talk to legendary actor Ed Asner about his latest project, The Tattooed Torah, an animated short about the inspiring journey of a Torah scroll and the little boy who swore to rescue it from the Nazis, about great TV and why they don't make shows like they used to, and about standing up to your political beliefs, even when you have to pay the price.
Then Liel talks with author Cambria Gordon about her YA book, The Po
Booking It: Ep. 260
This week on Unorthodox, two Jewish guests and a whole lot of books.Our first guest is Zibby Owens, host of the podcast “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books.” She tells us about tirelessly promoting book authors during the pandemic, even as she dealt with her own family’s COVID-19 trauma (and planned two Zoom bar and bat mitzvahs). The resulting quarantine anthology, Moms Don’t Have Time To, features essays from more than 60 writers, including a few Unorthodox guests.Our second guest is
Primary Sources: Ep. 259
This week on Unorthodox, we’re live (virtually) from Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, PA.Our special guests this week are Jamie and Brian Stelter. Jamie Stelter, who had her bat mitzvah at Beth Sholom, is the traffic reporter for NY1, and Brian Stelter is the chief media correspondent for CNN and host of Reliable Sources. They talk to us about filming their TV appearances from their apartment during the pandemic, the first rule of Challah Club, and why they love Shabbat.We’re lo
Q’ing Up: Ep. 258
Our Jewish guest is Mike Rothschild, a conspiracy theory researcher and debunker who is writing a book about the QAnon conspiracy theory. He tells us what QAnon is and explains the anti-Semitism inherent in the conspiracy theory, confirming for us that all conspiracy theories have Jew-hatred at their core. He also confirms that everyone he interacts with in these worlds asks if he’s one of those Rothschilds.Our Gentile of the Week is NPR and Slate sports commentator Stephen Fatsis, auth
Dunk Contest: Ep. 257
This week on Unorthodox: the full Luxembourg.
Our first guest is essayist and critic William Deresiewicz, whose new book The Death of the Artist: How Creators Are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big Tech. He tells us about getting kicked out of Jewish day school as a teen, his work since then, and why it’s so hard to be an artist today.
Our second guest is sportswriter and Tablet contributor Yaron Weitzman, author of the book Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and th
Shalom, 2020: Ep. 256
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating the other New Year.Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts. She tells us about her path to the rabbinate, her passion for Jewish education, and what she’s learned running TBZ’s Hebrew school.Our Gentile of the Week is Peter Sis, the Czech-American illustrator, author, and MacArthur genius. He tells us about his latest picture book, Nicky and Vera, which tells the story of Nicholas Winton, the
Baby, It’s Tevet Outside: Ep. 255
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating the very 2020 calendar crossover of Christmas and the 10th of Tevet, a minor Jewish fast day.
Our Jewish guest is writer and comedian Merrill Markoe, whose new graphic memoir is “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.”
Our Gentile of the Week is Phillipe Etienne, the French ambassador to the United States, who gave us a lesson in the French notion of secularism and discussed rising anti-Semitism in France.
Join us Monday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m
A Whole Latke Love: Ep. 254
This week on Unorthodox: Hallmark Hanukkah movies, puppies for Hanukkah, and so much more.
First we talk with linguist Sarah Bunin Benor, who made her first Unorthodox appearance all the way back on Ep. 102. She returns to the show to explain why some people say “lat-key” instead of “latke,” and settle other holiday pronunciation debates.
Then it’s time for some music to get us in the holiday spirit!
Jazz guitarist Peter Curtis tells us about being so inspired by the fact that Jewish songwriters
Rocky Mountain Chai: Ep. 253
This week on Unorthodox, one Mark Oppenheimer is not enough.
Our first guest is Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is the state’s first Jewish governor and the first openly gay governor in the U.S. He tells us about his Jewish upbringing, extolls the many virtues of the State of Colorado, and explains why he’s got his eyes on 2022, not 2024.
Next we talk to the other Mark Oppenhemer: the South African advocate, podcaster (our own Mark Oppenheimer was a guest on his show, Brain in a Vat), and g
A Little Bit of Turkey and Latkes: Ep. 252
This week, a mini-holiday mashup. First, associate producer Robert Scaramuccia brings us the story of Aaron Hartman, a Jewish man from Atlanta, GA with Williams Syndrome, and his very unique pandemic birthday present.
We also bring you a Hanukkah gift guide that includes products our listeners make themselves! Find these suggestions and more by joining our Facebook group.
Join the hosts Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. for the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Generation to Generation event, which
Friendly Faces: Ep. 251
This week on Unorthodox, Mark says goodbye to a staple of his childhood as Friendly’s files for bankruptcy. To cheer him up, we’ve got two great Jewish guests.First we talk to comedian Gilbert Gottfried, whose voice you may have recognized on our 2019 episode celebrating the publication of our book, “The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia.” He explains why comedy in dark times is essential and cathartic, tells us about his own podcast, "Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast," where he sc
Top Shelf: Ep. 250
This week on Unorthodox, we remember Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who died this week at 72. He first visited the show in December 2018, and he returned in September 2020 to discuss his most recent book, “Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times.” May his memory be a blessing.
Our Gentile of the Week is Tom Colicchio, head judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and founder of Crafted Hospitality. He shared his love of whitefish in Tablet’s “100 Most Jewish Foods” book, and he joins us to talk abo
Get Together: Ep. 249
This week, we’re dropping an early episode to keep you company while you vote.
Our first Jewish guest is Eve Barlow, a Scottish music journalist in LA who has lately started calling out anti-Semitism in America and abroad, including in her recent Tablet essay, “Wake Up America, and Smell the Anti-Semitism,”
Next we talk to Gentile of the Week Vineet Chander, the Hindu chaplain at Princeton University and the first full-time Hindu chaplain at a U.S. university.
And for a final treat, we’re jo
Funny Business: Ep. 248
Comedian Judy Gold on her new book, “Yes I Can Say That,” and California Representative Katie Porter on the key to pandemic economic recovery
This week on Unorthodox, we’re spoiling the new Borat movie for you. But we have two all-star returning guests that more than make up for it.
Jewish guest Judy Gold was on our January 2018 live show with Father Jim Martin, and she joins us again to tell us about her new book. “Yes, ICan Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble.”
Passing it Down: Ep. 247
This week on Unorthodox, we’re recovering from our potentially poisonous etrog-tinis.Our first Jewish guest is actor and comedian Michael Ian Black, best known for "Wet Hot American Summer" and VH1’s “I Love The …” series, whose latest book is "A Better Man," a meditation on masculinity written in the form of a letter to his college-aged son. He tells us about the book, which is far more earnest than you might expect from the comic actor, and why he wants to offer boys and young men a b
Nobel Effort: Ep. 246
This week on Unorthodox, it’s Nobel Prize season! We're celebrating by airing a special virtual live show, presented by ORT America, featuring actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, who shares our hobby of Googling Nobel Prize winners to see if they’re Jewish. Stars—they’re just like us!
Listen as we chat with the Blossom and The Big Bang Theory actress about discovering observant Judaism in college, singing Jewish music with her quartet, and getting stopped by star-struck fans in synagogue.
Shake it Off: Ep. 245
This week on Unorthodox, we're shaking that lulav and etrog for Sukkot.
To help us understand the various Jewish holidays that arrive in quick succession after the High Holidays—Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shemini Atzeret—we talk to Roberta Kwall, author of Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World. She tells us about the traditional “smashing of the willows” and other lesser known Jewish practices that can add meaning to our modern Jewish identity.
Then we're joined by Peter Sagal, ho
Some Unorthodox Updates on an Off Week
Just a few updates while we take the week off to celebrate 5781.Please join us for a virtual live show presented by ORT America with special guest — actor, author, and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik. Details at bit.ly/unorthodoxliveeventsPlease consider donating to Unorthodox! Our annual fundraiser is underway, and we're trying to get to 1,000 donors. Everyone who gives will be entered into a raffle to spend some virtual time with the hosts. Donate at bit.ly/unorthodox2020fundraiser. Join
The Apology Episode — The Reckoning: Ep. 244
Each year for Yom Kippur, we bring you a special episode all about apology and atonement. (Listen to our previous episodes: from 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.) This year, we’re focusing on the theme of reconciliation—across the political divide and the religious spectrum, and beyond.Our first story comes from Chris Haugh and Jordan Blashek, two friends who decided to drive across the country together in 2016. Chris, a Berkeley born, Obama-loving liberal, and Jordan, a former marine
May Her Memory be a Blessing: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
As the sun set for Rosh Hashanah this past Friday night, Jews in America and across the world learned of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was like a gut punch, resounding across social media. The 87-year-old trailblazing Supreme Court Justice-- the second female Justice-- spent her entire career, her entire life really, fighting for equal rights for women and minorities, fighting so that everyone could have an equal shot. Her death, which plunges the country into a fight over exactly when, a
New Beginnings: Ep. 243
This Jewish New Year will definitely be different from all others, but we're here to help you ring in 5781 with as much enjoyment and enlightenment as possible.
First we talk to Rabbi Sandra Lawson of Elon University about her plans for High Holiday services on campus this year, as well as her experience as a gay, black rabbi navigating the Jewish world. She also shared how she uses music and social media to get her rabbinic message out to broad audiences. You can follow Rabbi Sandra on Twitter
Politics and Prose: Ep. 242
Our Jewish guest is Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and a former member of the Knesset. He talks to Liel about his new collection of short stories, The Night Archer, plus how writing fiction has long been an escape from his day job in politics.
Our Gentile of the Week is political satirist and journalist P.J. O'Rourke. He talks to Mark about his latest book, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land, plus whether conservatives can be as funny as liberals, and
All Together Now: Ep. 241
This week on Unorthodox, summer trips to the beach spark our latest debate: Do Jews like the beach?Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, who returns to the show to talk about his latest book, Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times. Listen for Rabbi Sacks' advice for how we can build a more moral society, plus why he thinks the themes of the High Holidays have never been more relevant, and h
Bonus: Israel Story Alone, Together—Part II
We're off this week and next, but we wanted to share a recent episode of Israel Story from their Alone Together mini-series:
Alone, Together—Part II: In the Beginning
Six months ago, very few knew what ‘sheltering in place’ or ‘flattening the curve’ meant. Today, we live in a new world, and it’s often hard to remember what it was like at the beginning.
Visit our website for more information.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Respect Your Elders: Ep. 240
This week on Unorthodox: The Israeli hockey star playing for Auschwitz.
Our first guest is Esther Povitsky, who played Maya on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend“ and whose new Comedy Central stand-up special is “Hot For My Name.” Esther tells us about growing up in Skokie, IL, why she decided to include her parents Maury and Mary in her special, and how her Jewish identity has influenced her comedy.
Next we talk to Natan Sharansky, the legendary refusenik (the term for Jews who were refused exit visas by t
Joining the Club: Ep. 239
This week on Unorthodox, we're calling an emergency meeting of the Unorthodox club.First we talk to Rachel Shukert, a longtime Tablet contributor (and a contributor to The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia!) who is an executive producer and showrunner for The Baby-Sitters' Club reboot on Netflix. She tells us about growing up reading the series of books by Ann M. Martin, recreating the 90's series as a TV show set in the present, and what she's learned about today's teenagers from working with
Investigating Histories: Ep. 238
This week on Unorthodox, we’re observing Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction of both temples in Jerusalem. Observant Jews typically fast on this day, and because the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av falls during the summer months, it makes for one strange and somber day at Jewish summer camps.
Because the destruction of the ancient temples can seem a bit, well, distant, the Ninth of Av has become in recent years a kind of catch-all day for Jewish mourning: a commemoration of all
Backhanded Compliments: Ep. 237
This week on Unorthodox, we're working on our topspin.
Our first guest is Noah Rubin, a former Wimbledon junior singles champion who went pro at age 19. He tells us about his tennis-themed bar mitzvah, the reality of life on the professional circuit, and his project Behind the Racquet: a website and podcast that sheds light on the often overlooked mental health challenges that face professional tennis players.
Our next guest is Jenny Caplan, who teaches religious studies and Jewish studies at
Tour Guides: Ep. 236
This week on Unorthodox, we puzzle over swastika jewelry and celebrities saying anti-Semitic things. We also hear from Zack Banner, the Pittsburgh Steelers player who spoke out against anti-Semitism. Read his full interview with Tablet’s Yair Rosenberg on tabletmag.com.
Our Jewish guest is Brad Kolodny, author of Seeking Sanctuary: 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island, a photo-filled survey of Jewish life in the New York City suburb. He tells us about some of the most iconic synagogues in the
The Big Pictures: Ep. 235
This week on Unorthodox, we're talking Yiddish, curse words, and much more.
Our first guest is return Gentile of the Week John McWhorter, linguist and host of the Lexicon Valley podcast. John was a guest on the show back in 2016, and then we did an Unorthodox/Lexicon Valley crossover episode the following year. He returned to the show to tell us all about his upcoming book on curse words (note: this segment is definitely NSFW) and his enduring love of Yiddish. In addition to that interview, whi
Headspace: Ep. 234
This week on Unorthodox, we explore the role Jews played in the American psychedelic movement of the 1950s and 60s, and learn why some rabbis and spiritual leaders today are advocating for using psychedelics to unlock Jewish spiritual experiences.First, we talk to Jesse Jarnow, author of Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America, who tells us about the emergence of psychedelic use in mid-century America, and the many Jews involved in that countercultural scene.Then, contributor Alix Wal
Summer Reading: Ep. 233
This week on Unorthodox, three books to add to your summer reading list.Our first guest is historian and U.C.L.A professor Sarah Abrevaya Stein, who is the author of Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century. She tells us how she pieced together the Levy family story across generations and continents through their correspondence, what this family's journey can teach us about the global Sephardic experience, and what the records we leave behind today might look lik
Talking it Out: Ep. 232
This week, we reflect on the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that have spread across the world, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to decry racism and police violence.Our first guest is Jason Kirschner, Mark's first cousin and close friend from childhood. Their Northeast Jewish suburban upbringings were strikingly similar, except that Jason is black. The cousins catch up by phone, and discuss race for the first time.Then we talk to Rabbi Alex O
Deep Cuts: Ep. 231
This week on Unorthodox: Nazi alligators and Hitler's childhood home.
First we talk to Naama Shefi of the Jewish Food Society, who returns to the show along with Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, the fourth-generation owners of Russ and Daughters, to tell us about their work feeding healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can support the Jewish Food Society's initiative here.
Then we sit down with Israeli musician Yair Nitzani, who talks about the strange reality of being a
The Conversion Episode, 2020: Ep. 230
This week on Unorthodox, we're proud to present our third annual conversion episode. On Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that starts tonight at sundown, we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of a Moabite woman who converts to Judaism and becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David. Shavuot is the perfect time to celebrate those who convert to Judaism, and on today's episode you'll hear a variety of stories featuring Jews by choice and their different journeys. (Listen to our
Mad Mensch: Ep. 229
Description: Join us this Saturday, May 23 at 9 p.m. for a virtual Unorthodox live show! It's part of the Great Big Jewish Food Fest, and we'll be joined by Bon Appetit's Sarah Jampel. RSVP at bit.ly/unorthodoxjff.This week on Unorthodox, we're heading to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.Our guest is Matthew Weiner, creator of the TV series 'Mad Men' and 'The Romanoffs,' and an executive producer on 'The Sopranos.' He joins us to talk about why everyone seems to be binge-watching 'Mad Men'
Safe at Home: Ep. 228
This week on Unorthodox: How to build an eruv in Animal Crossing, and saying goodbye to Jerry Stiller.Our first guest is former Israeli Member of Knesset Einat Wilf. Well known in Israeli politics for her left-wing positions and advocacy of education and women's rights, she joins us to talk about her shift in thinking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which culminated in a book she co-authored, newly published in English, called The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Pal
Chai Fidelity: Ep 227
This week, it's vinyl records vs. Spotify playlists.
We talk to Nick Hornby, the English author of High Fidelity, Fever Pitch, About a Boy and many other books that were also adapted into feature films. We chatted with him about the new Hulu adaptation of High Fidelity starring Zoë Kravitz as a record store owner in Brooklyn, what music means to the kids today, and how his puzzle hobby is keeping him busy in quarantine.
Then, Stephanie talks to Rachel Rosenthal, who teaches Talmud at the Jewis
Shining a Light; Ep 226
This week on Unorthodox: Anne Frank the vlogger.Our guest this week is Michael O’Loughlin, a reporter at America Magazine and the host of their new podcast 'Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church.' We set down with him in early March to talk about the history of gay Catholics and the AIDS epidemic, the unexpected stories he spotlights on the podcast, and whether the Catholic church was prepared to handle the COVID crisis.A.J. Jacobs also returns to give us an update on a
Queen of Quarantine: Ep. 225
This week on Unorthodox, we're talking about why everyone seems to be talking about Anne Frank these days.Our first guest is comedian Ophira Eisenberg, who tells us about hosting NPR's usually-live game show Ask Me Another remotely, and how humor is helping her through these strange and scary times.Stephanie talks with Israel Story host Mishy Harmon about Israpalooza, the day-long virtual celebration of Yom Ha’Atzmaut. Log on Wednesday, April 29 to hear from Itkhak Perlman, David Broza,
Introducing the new podcast from Tablet Magazine: Hebrew School
Heya, J-Crew! It's us, your favorite chatty Jews. We know, it's not Thursday, and the next episode of Unorthodox doesn't drop for a bit (although, let us tell you, it's going to be a beauty). But we're here today to break a very special bit of news: We've got a brand new podcast!It's called Hebrew School, and it's the perfect game show for kids who want to learn a bit about Judaism and have some fun doing it. Adults will love it too, we promise. Hosted by Stephanie and Liel, and featuri
Lunch Dates: Ep. 224
This week, two Jews and a Quaker walk into a podcast!First, Stephanie has lunch with A.J. Jacobs—over Zoom. He explains his fondness for dining via the videoconferencing service, which he started doing five years ago while working from home. He tells us about returning to the germaphobic habits he worked hard to abandon, reminds us to remain grateful during trying times, and tells us about his puzzling latest project.Then, Mark checks in with Eric Ackland, owner of Amazing Books and Rec
Bonus: Passover Saturday Night
On today’s Unorthodox bonus episode, Liel has a conversation with author Sharon Cameron about her new novel, The Light in Hidden Places, which is based on the true story of a 16-year-old girl who hid thirteen Jews in her attic, while Nazis bunked below. Then we have another joke by Columbia University professor Jeremy Dauber, an expert on Jewish humor.If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/m
Feeding the Family: Ep. 223
This week, an episode all about… food! Listen in as Stephanie tours the Joyva factory and learns about how the Passover jelly rings (and the marshmallow twists, and the halvah bars) get made at the family-run confection company.
Then, live from Encinitas, CA, our interview with chef Einat Admony recorded at The Hive at Leichtag Commons. She tells us about her Taim falafel empire, growing up Mizrahi in Israel, and bringing the eggplant dish known as sabich to American diners.
You’ve heard us ta
Bonus: Passover Preppin'
Today we're bringing you two very special interviews. First, we talk with Marcy Goldman, author of the perfectly named Newish Jewish Cookbook, about her Caramel Matzoh Crunch recipe and what else she's making for Passover.
And then, we listen in on Stephanie's early March visit to New York City restaurant Jack’s Wife Freda. She sat down with owners Maya and Dean Jankelovitz, who told me about their Seders growing up in Israel and South Africa, and offered some expert tips about hosting a Passove
Bonus: Kabbalat Shabbat HaGadol
On today’s Unorthodox dispatch, Liel prepares for Shabbat HaGadol with a conversation with Yeshiva University's Rabbi Dr. Stu Halpern about someone who is clearly missing from the Passover story. You can read Stu's article about it here. Then we have another joke by Columbia University professor Jeremy Dauber, an expert on Jewish humor.If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is t
Our Socially Distanced Seder Guide: Ep. 222
Passover has always offered solace and meaning during difficult times. This year's Seder looks very different from all other Seders, and we've got you covered. This episode walks you through the steps of the Seder, with special guests, perfect-for-Passover music, and more. Our guide is Tablet's new Passover Haggadah: An Ancient Story for Modern Times, which you can still order online on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. A digital version is available at bit.ly/tablethaggadahdigital.
Tell us how you'r
Bonus: Havdalah in 60 Seconds
Producer Josh Kross goes deep into the Facebook group to make another Havdalah service to bring a little light into your Saturday night social distancing.
If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is to say one fancy coffee a month—at tabletmag.com/donate
And, as always, if you want to keep up with all things Unorthodox, join our Facebook group here!
Shalom, friends. Stay well.
Bonus: An Unorthodox Kabbalat Shabbat for March 27
On today’s Unorthodox dispatch, Liel prepares for a much-needed Shabbat with a joke by Columbia University professor Jeremy Dauber, an expert on Jewish humor, as well as a couple songs by Avi Wisnia, and a few timely words of wisdom from this week's parsha.Avi Wisnia is an award-winning singer, songwriter, storyteller and educator based in Philadelphia. For more information visit www.aviwisnia.com or find him on social media @aviwisnia You can also stream and download all music at aviwi
Mimes of the Times: Ep. 221
This week on Unorthodox, the hosts catch up from their home studios and discuss the latest News of the Jews in this strange new world.
Actor and writer Jesse Eisenberg returns to the show to discuss his two new movies out this week, Resistance and Vivarium. He tells us about playing a young Marcel Marceau saving Jewish children in France during the Holocaust in Resistance, and how Coronavirus shutdowns are affecting the movie industry. (You can watch Resistance on Video on Demand starting March
Bonus: Another Unorthodox Havdalah
Producer Josh Kross does another impromptu Havdalah service to bring a little light into your Saturday night social distancing.
If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is to say one fancy coffee a month—at tabletmag.com/donate
And, as always, if you want to keep up with all things Unorthodox, join our Facebook group here!
Shalom, friends. Stay well.
Bonus: An Unorthodox Kabbalat Shabbat
On today’s Unorthodox dispatch, Liel prepares for a much-needed Shabbat with a joke by Columbia University professor Jeremy Dauber, an expert on Jewish humor, as well as a song by the Jewbador, Jim Knable, and a few timely words of wisdom from this week's parsha.If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is to say one fancy coffee a month—at tabletmag.com/donateAnd, as always, if yo
Mailing it In: Ep. 220
This week, our hosts are connecting via Zoom conference to discuss their new remote realities and read a lot of listener mail. We also hear from Tablet writer Yair Rosenberg, who composed and recorded an album of original modern melodies for traditional Jewish songs (listen to the first single, a Mumford and Sons-esque “Shalom Aleichem,” here).
We’re going to continue dropping mini episodes in addition to our weekly Thursday episodes, so watch your podcast feeds for more (and subscribe on iTune
Bonus: Dispatches From The Future
On today’s Unorthodox dispatch, producer Sara Fredman Aeder shares an audio diary recorded over the last week as her family has been living under quarantine in Westchester, NY.
If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is to say one fancy coffee a month—at tabletmag.com/donate
And, as always, if you want to keep up with all things Unorthodox, join our Facebook group here!
Shalom, friends
Bonus: An Unorthodox Reading List
On today’s Unorthodox dispatch, we’re talking to Tablet’s book critic Adam Kirsch about what to read now that you might have a bit more time on your hands.If you want to keep these minisodes going, we’d love for you to rate Unorthodox on iTunes and set up a recurring donation—we suggest $5/month, which is to say one fancy coffee a month—at tabletmag.com/donate. And, as always, if you want to keep up with all things Unorthodox, join our Facebook group here!Shalom, friends. Stay well.
Bonus: All-of-a-Kind Quarantine
On the latest Unorthodox COVID-19 minisode, Mark pulls his daughter Klara, age nine, into his basement studio, where she offers reflections on how real-life self-quarantine differs from the good times she’d come to expect from the scarlet-fever chapter in Sydney Taylor’s classic children’s novel. Also, Mark reflects on attending twins’ double bat mitzvah on Shabbat morning ... despite all the shul closings around the country. With music from Coma Svensson.
If you want to keep these minisodes goi
Bonus: The First Unorthodox Havdalah
Unorthodox producer Josh Kross tries to bring some light at the end of Shabbat with some help from our Facebook group and Stephanie's talk with Swipe Out Hunger's Rachel Sumekh about her organization's response to COVID-19.
Bonus: An Unorthodox Shabbat
While the world is quarantining and canceling around us, we decided to bring you all a little Shabbat light.
Heat Check: Ep 219
This week, it’s coronavirus vs. Purim, with a quarantine update from one of our producers.
Our Jewish guest is Wall Street Journal sports reporter Ben Cohen, who joins us to discuss his new book, The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks. The last of the host’s spouses to appear on the show, Ben tells us about his deep dive into the world of patterns, probability, and statistics, plus the many Israeli psychologists he encountered in his research, and, of course, life with Cat Stevens.
O
Dress for Success: Ep. 218
This week, we’re getting into the festive Purim spirit. Our first guest is fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, who tells us about growing up gay in Brooklyn’s Syrian Jewish community, how his years at Yeshiva at Flatbush instilled in him a strong work ethic, and getting his first taste of high fashion at synagogue. For more from Isaac, check out his memoir, I.M. (You can read Adam Kirsch’s review for Tablet here.)Next Stephanie talks to Simi Polonsky and Chaya Chanin, the sisters behind The
Truth to Power: Ep. 217
This week on Unorthodox: Jewish royal watching, Belgian parades, and more.Liel speaks with Harvard professor emeritus Ruth Wisse about the reissue of her book Jews and Power. She shares her theory about how the impulse to want to be a mensch might be leaving Jews defenseless, why she thinks the Holocaust is being mistaught in American schools, and more.Our Gentile of the Week is Antonia Eliason, an associate professor of law at the University of Mississippi who is running for U.S. Cong
Working It: Ep. 216
This week we’re bringing you two interviews from our live show at the Valley of the Sun JCC in Phoenix, Arizona. First up, we get a double shot of rabbinical wisdom from Pinchas Allouche, the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Tefillah, and Shmuly Yanklowitz, the president & dean of Valley Beit Midrash. They each share the story of their unlikely journey towards becoming a rabbi, and explain how they’re trying to make Judaism accessible to all sorts of Jews today.
Our Gentile of the Week is NB
Whole Hearted: Ep. 215
This week, we’re celebrating secular Tu B’Av, aka Valentine’s Day. The creator of stars of Soon By You, the popular web series that’s basically ‘Friends’ with modern Orthodox Jews, return to the show to update us on their latest season, deciding to take on controversial issues like LGBT dating in the religious world, and what it’s like to write and star in a show about singles now that they’re married.
Next, very few things leave all three of us speechless, but this update from contributor Hal K
Soul Cycles: Ep. 214
This week, we’re putting more truth on the wheel.
First, Mark talks to Mark Galli, who until recently was the editor in chief of evangelical magazine Christianity Today. Just before retiring he published a highly controversial editorial arguing that President Trump should be removed from office. He describes the fallout from the article, and shares his thoughts about where evangelical Christians stand politically and culturally today.
Then we welcome back film critic Jordan Hoffman, who tells
Knowing, Doing, and Being: Ep. 213
This week, presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg are leaning into their Jewishness (see here and here), and we’re here to analyze their efforts.Our Jewish guest is Andrew Rehfeld, the new president of Hebrew Union College, the Reform movement’s rabbinic and educational training ground. He tells us how the institution is adapting to face the challenges of the 21st century, targeting three areas: strengthening Jewish education, Jewish engagement, and Jewish identity; a
Speak Your Mind: Ep. 212
This week, we learn how to complain better. Our first guest is Amy Fish, the ombudsman for Concordia University in Montreal and the author of I Wanted Fries with That: How to Ask for What You Want and Get What You Need. She tells us what she learned working as “chief complaints officer” for a university (and before that a Jewish nursing home!), and shares a few simple tricks to help us all better ask for what we want—and get it.
Then, Mark sits down with Carolyn Karcher, professor emerita at Te
All In The Family: Ep. 211
This week on Unorthodox: Three Jews, infinite opinions.
First, Mark sits down with Yiscah Smith, a Jewish educator, spiritual activist, and author. Yiscah discussed her journey as a trans woman and teacher of Torah; her documentary, I Was Not Born a Mistake will be shown at the New York Jewish Film Festival on Tuesday, January 21. More info here.
Our next guest is Danny Dayan, Israel’s Consul General in New York. Liel spoke with him about the communities he’s prioritized outreach to, the challe
Take One from Tablet Magazine
Unorthodox is off this week, so instead we're introducing you to Take One, the new Daf Yomi podcast from Tablet Magazine hosted by our own Liel Leibovitz.
As Jews around the world begin a new seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the entire Talmud one page per day, Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Take One, will offer a brief and evocative daily read of the daf. We launch the cycle with a brief introduction to the Talmud at large before diving into the text with Tractate Berakhot, page
Best Food Forward: Ep. 210
We’re starting 2020 with our favorite combo: Talmud and food.
First, Adam Kirsch reflects on completing the seven-year cycle of Daf Yomi, the practice of reading one page of Talmud each day, which he chronicled in a column for Tablet. He tells us what he learned as a reader and literary critic from this intense textual undertaking, plus how his life has changed in the seven years since he started. He also makes the case that more Jews should take on Daf Yomi, if only to better understand what o
Christmas in Colorado: Ep. 209
This week, we’re coming to you live from Denver’s JCC Mizel Arts and Culture Center as part of the 12th annual Neustadt Jewish Arts, Authors, Movies, and Music Festival.Our Jewish guest is Sue Salinger, director of the Denver region of Hazon, the environmental organization working to strengthen Jewish life and contribute to a more environmentally sustainable world. She tells us what Jewish tradition teaches us about farming and sustainability, what makes Denver’s Jewish community unique
Hanukkah Helper: Ep. 208
New York-area listeners: Enter to win a spot at our first-ever Unorthodox Shabbat dinner, January 3rd at the Freehand New York.This week on Unorthodox, we’re getting into the Hanukkah spirit. But first, a discussion of the terrifying anti-Semitic shooting at a Jersey City kosher market that killed four people.Then, Rabbi Ari Lamm explains the real story of Hanukkah, which is less about oil and miracles and more about Jews battling each other over assimilation.And since the holiday seaso
Tradition and Myth: Ep. 207
This week on Unorthodox, we’re very literally all over the place.First, we bring you News of the Jews from our live show earlier this week at the Valley of the Sun JCC in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Then we call Wall Street Journal reporter Louise Radnofsky to figure out why so many figure skaters perform to the Schindler’s List theme song.Stephanie sits down with Sarah Hurwitz, a former speechwriter for Michelle Obama and the author of the new book Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spir
Prep-ing for Hanukkah: Ep. 206
This week on Unorthodox, we’re kicking off December with three very festive interviews.
First up, designer Jonathan Adler and his husband, three–time Unorthodox guest Simon Doonan. Jonathan tells us about growing up with a one-room shul-house in rural southern New Jersey and how he developed his love for pottery and ceramics at summer camp. Simon talks about his new book, Drag: The Complete Story, and explains how Barbra Streisand became an icon in the drag world and in gay culture more broadly
Breaking Bread: Ep. 205
Live from Detroit with Jackie Victor of Avalon International Breads and Phil Goldsmith of New York Bagel, plus a road trip to Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, MI
We talked carbohydrates and community on stage at the JCC of Metro Detroit with two Jewish guests who run Detroit institutions: Jackie Victor, CEO and co-founder of Avalon International Breads, and Phil Goldsmith, fourth-generation owner of New York Bagel.
Jackie tells us about opening a bakery in downtown Detroit in the 1990s (much to th
Philadelphia Shel Zahav: Ep. 204
This week on Unorthodox, we’re coming to you from, well, all over the place. First, we check in on our hosts to see what was up when they were in Cincinnati this past weekend, and we even get some news fresh from Cincinnati’s Jewish newspaper, The American Israelite.Our first Jewish guests are Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook, co-owners of the James Beard award-winning restaurant Zahav and several other Philadelphia mainstays. We visited them at Zahav and talked about what makes the place
The Rabbi and the Revolutionary: Ep. 203
This week on Unorthodox, we’re coming to you from Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT. Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author of more than 15 books, including the recently updated and reissued Words that Hurt, Words that Heal. Rabbi Telushkin tells us about the most common types of questions he fields as a rabbi, why he’s so interested in Jewish laws of ethical speech, and what he learned from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.Our gentile of the week is Farooq Kathwari, CEO of the Ethan Alle
Unorthodox Unedited: 2 Jews, Infinite opinions
We’re taking this week off, but we wanted to bring you an unedited look into a conversation Mark was desperate to set up between two of his friends, Liel Leibovitz and Jay Michaelson. These are two Jews who are very in sync in some ways, but extremely different in others. Come explore with them as they talk about some of the most important issues we’re all facing.
Big Mouths: Ep. 202
This week on Unorthodox, comedian Nick Kroll returns to the show to talk about 'Big Mouth,' his raunchy Netflix animated show about puberty, now in its third season. He tells us about hosting Purim talent shows with 'Big Mouth' co-creator Andrew Goldberg at their Jewish day school in Westchester, NY, explains how his own adolescent experiences influenced the show, and shares his bar mitzvah horror story.Our Gentile of the Week is Sarah Blake, author of the novel The Guest Book, which te
Pittsburgh, One Year Later: Ep. 201
This week on Unorthodox, we're marking the one-year anniversary of the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh, which occurred on October 27, 2019. Two days after the shooting, we aired a special episode recorded from Pittsburgh, featuring voices from the community. This year we're revisiting the horror of the massacre and checking in with local Pittsburgh Jews about their reflections one year later.
We talk to Pittsburgh-based writer Beth Kissileff, who explains Jewish notions of vengeance and offe
The 200th Episode
This week on Unorthodox, we're celebrating all the Jewish holidays, including reaching our 200th episode! We talk to a gematria expert to find out just what the number 200 symbolizes in Jewish numerology, and hear some words of wisdom from our boss, Alana Newhouse.
Our first guest is Jodi Kantor, co-author of the new book 'She Said,' which details the allegations of sexual misconduct against Harvey Weinstein first reported on by Jodi and Megan Twohey in the New York Times in 2017. She talks to S
Going Viral: Ep. 199
This week on Unorthodox, a special live show recorded at the San Francisco JCC. We’re joined by guest host Bari Weiss, New York Times opinion editor and writer and the author of How to Fight Anti-Semitism [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/616727/how-to-fight-anti-semitism-by-bari-weiss/].
We also talk to New Yorker writer Andrew Marantz, author of the new book Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.c
The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia: Ep 198
The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, our guide to all things Jewish (and Jew-ish), is here! To celebrate, we put together a very special episode featuring some familiar voices. Get a taste of the book from its contributors and hear about famous Jews, favorite holidays, and beloved Jewish foods from Mario Cantone, Corey Feldman, Tovah Feldshuh, Bethenny Frankel, Gilbert Gottfried, Steve Guttenberg, Tone Loc, Jon Lovitz, Pauly Shore, The Sugarhill Gang, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, and even Margare
The Apology Episode, 5780: Ep 197
We're closing the book on 5779 with our fifth-annual apology episode (listen to previous year's episodes here [https://www.tabletmag.com/tag/unorthodox-apology]). Join us for stories of apologies, discussions about friendship, and an exploration of one of the most controversial figures in recent Jewish history.
First we talk to our Tablet colleague Marjorie Ingall, who co-edits the site SorryWatch.com. She reminds us how to offer a proper apology, and shares the best (and worst) public apologies
The One with the Instagram Rabbis: Ep. 196
This week we're going to party like it's 5779, while we still can. First we sit down with Samantha Frank and Rena Singer, the rabbi and rabbinical student behind Modern Ritual, which models passionate, feminist Jewish life and content on Instagram. They tell us why they're they're thinking beyond congregational posts, and why they believe social media is the way to connect with young Jews today.We also talk to Saul Austerlitz, whose new book is Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the
Love and Prizes: Ep 195
Join us for 'The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia' launch party next Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the JCC Manhattan! There will be wine from our friends at Unorthodox Wines, and you'll be able to buy the book two weeks before its official publication date! Can't make it? Preorder the book and you could win a Zabar's gift basket! To enter, forward a copy of your receipt or confirmation to unorthodox@tabletmag.com.
Our Jewish guest this week is Israeli writer Etgar Keret, winner of the Sapir Priz
Sababa Secrets: Ep. 194
'The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia,' our guide to all things Jewish (and Jew-ish), is out next month! Pre-order your copy today and you could win a Zabar's gift basket—to enter, forward a copy of your receipt or confirmation to unorthodox@tabletmag.com.
This week, two more Jewish guests! We sit down with food writer Adeena Sussman, whose new cookbook is Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen. She tells us why we should be eating more tahini (which is the same thing as tahina), how sh
Let's Stay Together: Episode 193
If you enjoy this podcast, there's something you can do to help keep us going: Donate to the Unorthodox fundraiser and make us stronger in 5780 and beyond. This week, we're pledging our loyalty to Unorthodox with two amazing Jewish guests.Our first guest is actress Michaela Watkins, who you've seen in Casual, Transparent, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. She's in the new film Brittany Runs a Marathon and the new CBS comedy The Unicorn. Michaela talked to Stephanie about playing
The Mezuzah Chronicles
This week: a special update from Stephanie’s apartment and a reminder to donate to the Unorthodox fundraiser! Gifts of $180 and above get you a hot-off-the-press copy of our forthcoming book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia; gifts of any size get you our eternal love and appreciation.
Let us know what you think of the show! Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more.
Follow us
BYOBubbies: Ep. 192
Don't forget to donate to the Unorthodox fundraiser! Help us keep going strong in 5780 and beyond.
This week on Unorthodox: A whole lot of Jewish guests!
First we sit down with Cindy Chupack, an Emmy-winning TV writer and producer who's worked on shows like Sex and the City, Modern Family, and Everybody Loves Raymond. Her latest film, which she co-wrote and directed, is Otherhood, now streaming on Netflix. It's about three mothers whose grown sons seem to have forgotten them, and so together the
Feeding Fleishman: Ep. 191
Donate to the Unorthodox fundraising drive and help us keep going strong!Our Jewish guest is Taffy Brodesser-Akner, New York Times Magazine writer and author of Fleischman is in Trouble. She tells us about the moment she learned her debut novel was a New York Times bestseller, why she writes from such a specific—and jewish—place, and why people are always asking her about Philip Roth.Our Gentile of the Week is Umber Ahmad, the banker-turned baker behind Mah-Ze-Dahr bakery in Manhattan's
Facts and Feelings: Ep. 190
It’s that time of the year: The Unorthodox fundraising drive! Help us keep going strong in 5780 and beyond—donate here.
Our Jewish guest this week is Liz Feldman, writer and creator of Dead to Me, the new Netflix series starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. She tells us about the Jewish elements of the hit traumedy which was just renewed for a second season.
Our Gentile of the Week is Dennis Schleicher, who shares his conversion story. After coming out as gay as a teenager and leavi
A Word From Your Oppenheimer
We're off this week, recharging in various locations, but we didn't want to leave your feed completely empty. Instead, Mark has a story he's been trying to find a place to tell for years. As our fourth birthday approaches, we wanted to expand our own creation myth, back to when Mark was 15 years old.
Here's a few links for when you're done:
First, take our survey here or at http://bit.ly/uosurvey19
Second, our 2019 Fundraiser is here, at http://tabletmag.com/donate
Finding Your Truth: Ep. 189
This week in 'News of the Jews,' Israel's new Education Minister endorsed gay conversion therapy, a controversial and widely discredited practice. We're bringing you an interview (recorded before those comments were made) with Mathew Shurka founder of Born Perfect, an organization that lobbies against conversion therapy. Mathew tells us about his own experience—he spent five years in conversion therapy as a teen—and how he found his calling in activism after an 'It Gets Better' video he
Live from Queens: Ep. 188
This episode was recorded live at the Hollis Hills Bayside Jewish Center in Queens.Our Jewish guest is Leon Neyfakh, who hosts the new podcast Fiasco, which tells the story of the 2000 election. He previously hosted two seasons of the hit podcast Slow Burn—the first focused on Watergate, and the second on the Clinton impeachment. He tells us why he focuses on what it was like to live through these explosive moments in American history as they slowly unfolded, and what he's learned about
Jews Across America, 2019: Ep. 187
In honor of the 4th of July, we present our second-annual Jews Across America episode, celebrating the diversity of Jewish life throughout this great nation. (You can listen to last year's episode here)We have a bunch of star-studded guests! Blair Braverman, the second Jewish woman to complete the Iditarod, joined us at our Chicago live show with her dog, Flame, to tell us about how a Jewish girl from California becomes a dog sledding phenom. (Check out her memoir, Welcome to the Goddam
Bonus: Mark goes on Trumpcast
Unorthodox is off this week, but we have something special for you instead. Mark Oppenheimer was a recent guest on Slate’s Trumpcast, where he explained everything you could ever want to know about Trump and the Jews.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and join our Facebook group.
Running the Stage: Ep. 186
Our first Jewish guest this week is Matthew Futterman, deputy sports editor at the New York Times and author of the new book, Running to the Edge. A 23-time marathoner, Matt breaks down the major transformations in both professional and recreational running over the past few decades, and describes the more meditative aspects of the sport, explaining how running is, for him, a form of prayer.
Our second Jewish guest is Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Joel Grey, whose credits include Cabaret,
Who You Gonna Call? Ep 185
This week, we're celebrating the papas (the PAPAS!)
Our Jewish guest is Violet Ramis Stiel, whose memoir Ghostbuster's Daughter is about growing up as the eldest child of comedy legend Harold Ramis. She tells us about life with an unconventional yet loving father, how her upbringing influenced her own parenting style, and finally grasping the impact her father had on American culture after his 2014 death.
Our gentile of the week is Matt Schneider, who created the City Dads Group and hosts The Mo
The Conversion Episode, 2019: Ep. 184
Last May, in honor of Shavuot, the holiday that celebrates the most famous convert to Judaism, Ruth, we put together a special episode all about conversion. We were so moved by the overwhelming response, both from converts and not, that we made another episode.This year we're back with a whole new range of stories. We hear from Ashley Wallace, who grew up in a Christian family in Alabama and who found support throughout her conversion from her friend Will Docimo.We talk to Rabbi Dr. Stu
The Book of Schmutz: Ep. 183
Tradition, tradition!We sit down with legendary actress Jackie Hoffman, who plays Yenta in the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene's production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in Yiddish, and Motl Didner, the Folksbiene's associate artistic director. Hoffman tells us about learning her lines in Yiddish and her favorite role of all time. Didner teaches us a few key phrases in YiddishWe also chat with Australian punk rocker-turned-novelist Bram Presser, who wrote The Book of Dirt which won the N
Road Tripping: Ep. 182
Our Jewish guest is Judith Viorst, who has written many books for children, including the classic Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. She tells us about her new poetry collection, Nearing Ninety: And Other Comedies of Late Life, which candidly and humorously captures the realities of growing older.Our gentile of the week is Edward Lee, the chef/owner of several restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky. His book Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef's Journey to Discover Americ
Spies like Us: Ep. 181
Spies, sex, and comedy!Our Jewish guest is journalist Matti Friedman, whose newest book, 'Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel', explores the little-known story of four Mizrahi Jews who went undercover as Arabs during the time of the country's founding. He tells us how the story of these young Jewish men from Arab countries, who risked their lives as part of a ragtag intelligence unit, adds texture to the overwhelmingly Ashkenazi narrative of Israel's founding.Our ge
Mom's the Word: Ep. 180
We're talking about the mamas (the mamas) in honor of Mother's Day.
Our Jewish guest is Catherine Reitman, creator and star of the Netflix show Workin Moms. She tells us how spending Mother's Day after her first child was born on a film set far from her family inspired her to create the show, which follows four mothers as they navigate their personal and professional lives after having children.
We also talk to Judith Rosenbaum, executive director of the Jewish Women’s Archive, about their new i
In the Bag: Ep. 179
It's a star-studded, carb-filled post-Passover episode! Our first Jewish guest is designer Rebecca Minkoff, who tells us about sewing her own bat mitzvah dress, starting a handbag and clothing company with her brother, Uri, and her early involvement with—and break from—the Women's March (plus how she continues to support women today).
Our second Jewish guest is Moriel Rothman-Zecher, author of Sadness is a White Bird, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in Debut Fiction. He tells us ab
Unorthodox Presents: Israel Story: Wither Thou Goest
Since we're off this week, we're bringing you a special Kosher for Passover treat in our feed, a taste of our sister podcast, Israel Story. We've got a Ruth-themed episode from them called Whither Thou Goest. If you like what you hear, you should subscribe to their show wherever you listen to ours, AND check out israelstory.org to see their upcoming U.S. tour schedule—they’ll be here from May 7 to may 21st, and might just be heading to your city for a live show. With that, I’ll leave
A Very Unorthodox Passover: Ep. 178
We're getting in the mood for matzo with a jam packed Passover episode.
We speak with New York Times food writer Melissa Clark about her Passover menu, which includes a new brisket recipe, and, later on in the week, matzo lasagna.
Paul Germain, the TV writer responsible for the Rugrats Passover episode, which aired in 1995 and offered a remarkable animated retelling of the story of Exodus, tells us about how that episode got made.
PLUS Cat Goldberg on 4/20 seders, Gabriel Stulman on the Morocca
What's in a Name?: Ep. 177
Everything you ever wanted to know about Jewish last names, with name change stories from our hosts and listeners. Plus, Noah Levinson investigates the story behind immigrant name changes at Ellis Island.Want to share your family's story? Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Couch Surfing: Ep. 176
This week on Unorthodox, it's Adar Madness! Make your picks for Liel's middle name here.
We've got two Jewish guests this week. The first is psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, who writes the “Dear Therapist” column for The Atlantic. Her latest book, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, is about her life as a therapist, and about starting to see a therapist herself after an unexpected and traumatic breakup.
Our second guest is Clevelander Harley Cohen, who was assigned the seat next to Mark on the fligh
Cohen Chronicles: Ep. 175
This week on Unorthodox, you'll never look at an Einstein Bros. bagel the same way again.
Our Jewish guests are David Rossmer and Steve Rosen, co-writers and co-stars in the Off-Broadway play The Other Josh Cohen. They tell us about meeting at the performing arts summer camp French Woods and working together ever since, most recently collaborating on this rollicking musical tale of mistaken identity (apparently there are a lot of Josh Cohens out there!).
Our gentile of the week is Drew Magary, a
The 100 Most Jewish Foods: Ep. 174
This week on Unorthodox, we're celebrating the publication of The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List with an episode dedicated to Jewish food. Throughout the episode you’ll hear from contributors to the book—including Jill Kargman, Gil Hovav, Gail Simmons, Shalom Auslander, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of Food52, and many more—who will be reading their entries.
We talk to Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse, who edited the collection, as well as Gabriella Gershenson, who edited
Swiping Right: Ep. 173
This week on Unorthodox, an update from Belgium, and Lin-Manuel Miranda's bar mitzvah-dancing past.
This week's interviews were recorded live at the Marlene Meyerson Manhattan JCC during our Valentine's Day show. Our Jewish guest is dating app ghostwriter Meredith Golden, whose job is to make your dating profile better and to get you dates! She tells us about the mistakes most men and women are making on their profiles, and polls the audience about with dating apps they prefer.
Our next guests a
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Ep. 172
This week on Unorthodox: two Jews, many opinions!
Returning to the show is writer and illustrator Christopher Noxon. He tells us about his new book, “Good Trouble: Lessons from the Civil Rights Playbook,” an illustrated history of the civil rights movement.
Our second guest is French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, the author of more than 30 books, including The Genius of Judaism. He joins us to discuss his most recent book, The Empire and the Five Kings: America's Abdication and the Fate of the
The Circumcision Episode: Ep. 171
This week on Unorthodox, we've got a special episode dedicated to circumcision and the Jewish mitzvah known as the brit, or bris, that signifies entry into the tribe for eight-day-old Jewish males.
We talk to Dr. Emily Blake, the mohel who performed Mark's son's bris, about why this biblical practice has remained so central to the Jewish experience, even among the non-observant. The folks at BimBam explain Lech Lecha, the parsha in which Abraham and God enter into the covenant that defines the
Seeing Stars: Ep. 170
This week on Unorthodox, we'd like to thank the Academy... and our three Jewish guests!First we get glammed up with shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, who tells us about getting his big break when Aretha Franklin wore his shoes to the 1983 American Music Awards, and how he made red carpet history when he designed $1 million shoes for Mulholland Drive actress Laura Harring to wear to the 2002 Oscars. Since then, the 'shoe cam' has become a standard feature of award shoe red carpets.Then fil
Sleepless in Seattle: Ep. 169
This week, we're live and wide awake from Seattle.Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CEO of Jewish Family Service Seattle. He tells us why helping resettle refugees is about more than simply "Jewish values," describes the surprising pushback he's received from some Jews over his social activism, and explains how he was inspired to become a rabbi after attending a Catholic college.Our gentile of the week is Dan Savage, the Seattle-based sex-advice columnist and host of Savage Love
Unorthodox Loves L.A.: Ep. 168
This week's episode was recorded live at Adat Shalom in Los Angeles.
Our first Jewish guest is Rachel Sumekh, who founded Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit in addressing hunger on college campuses. She tells us why Swipe Out Hunger is a fundamentally Jewish project, inspired in part by her family's dependence on food assistance after her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Iran, and how, as a Persian Jewish woman in the technology and social entrepreneurship world, she's hoping to be more
After the Storm: Ep. 167
This week on Unorthodox, one young man's journey out of white nationalism. Our Jewish guest is Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Eli Saslow, whose latest book is Rising out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist, which tells the story of Derek Black, the son of Stormfront founder Don Black and heir apparent to the White Nationalist movement. After enrolling in a diverse college and befriending a wide range of people—including Jewish students who invited him to weekl
Unorthodox Live in D.C.: Ep. 166
This episode was recorded at Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Association of Reform Jewish Educators. Thanks to our friends at ARJE for making this show happen.Our Jewish guest is food historian Michael Twitty, author of the James Beard Award-winning book The Cooking Gene, who returns to the show to tell us about his years as a Hebrew School teacher, when he was often the first black person his students interacted with, and his next book projec
Match Game: Ep. 165
This week on Unorthodox, we're setting it up.
Our Jewish guest this week is longtime matchmaker Tova Weinberg, who founded the Jewish dating website Saw You at Sinai. In an interview recorded at our Hanukkah live show in Pittsburgh, she tells the hosts about ditching dentistry to become a matchmaker (she estimates she's made 350 matches over the past 40 years), and her opinion on what it is that men and women really want. She also helps out a listener with some first date tips.
Our Gentile of th
Walking the Walk: Ep. 164
This week on Unorthodox: early elections in Israeli, bat mitzvah recaps, and a taste of Liel's listener meetup in Tel Aviv. We have three Jewish guests: Jesse Eisenberg, who in addition to playing everyone from Lex Luthor to Mark Zuckerberg on screen, executive produced the new documentary 'The World Before Your Feet,' which follows Matt Green as he walks every block of of New York City, and was directed by Jeremy Workman. The three of them sat down with Stephanie Butnick to discuss Ma
From the Vault: Vox Tablet with Amos Oz
Back in 2013, Tablet contributor Daniel Estrin spoke to Amos Oz for Tablet's Vox Tablet podcast. Oz died today, December 28, 2018, and we wanted to bring you this episode from the back catalog.
Out of Bounds: Ep. 163
We're closing out 2018 with two interviews with people who stand up—quite literally—for what they believe in. First, we sit down with formerly Hasidic comedian Leah Forster, who has traveled the world performing for religious Jewish audiences, but whose recent gigs were cancelled after religious authorities found out she was gay and threatened to pull the kosher certifications of venues who hosted her. You can follow along with Leah on Instagram.
Then, Mark talks to Presbyterian minister Jeff H
A Very Jewish Christmas: Ep. 162
Tis the season—for Chinese food and a movie!
Our first Jewish guest is Bill Adler, the Def Jam alum who helped Run DMC create their iconic 1987 song "Christmas in Hollis". He tells us how he went from being a music journalist to the second full-time employee at Def Jam in the 1980s; how "Christmas in Hollis," ended up on the soundtrack of films like Die Hard, and how his distaste for cliche holiday music led him to make an annual Christmas playlist for friends and family, and now, you! Listen to
Lords and A-Listers: Ep. 161
This week on Unorthodox, we're getting over our latke hangovers.
Our first Jewish guest is New York Times writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who has written profiles of celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Bradley Cooper, and Melissa McCarthy. She joined us at our recent live show at the Manhattan JCC to talk about how she tries to be a journalist and a mensch, which biblical figure she'd love to profile, and why she enjoys being on Twitter.
We also sit down with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former Ch
The Superstition Episode: Ep. 160
From warding off the evil eye to rules about whistling, Jews are serious about their superstitions. This week on Unorthodox, we hear from listeners about their family customs, talk to Tablet's editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse about the enduring nature of shtetl superstitions, and take a visit to a very lucky spot in Northern Israel. Ptui ptui!
We love to hear from you: Send comments and questions for Unorthodox to Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869.
This
Backstage Pass: Ep. 159
Today's episode comes out a day early, so you can gobble it up before Thanksgiving.
First, comedian Travon Free, a producer on Lena Dunham's HBO show Camping, speaks with producer Josh Kross about anti-Semitic old tweets of his that resurfaced last week.
Liel sits down with Jewish guest Frederick Wiseman, the legendary filmmaker, to discuss his latest documentary, Monrovia, Indiana.
Our gentile of the week, live from Cleveland, is former Rock and Roll Hall of Fame president and CEO Terry Stewart
Thanks in Advance: Ep. 158
This week on Unorthodox, boy are we grateful.
We're grateful for our gentile of the week, Shay Khatiri, the Iranian-born political refugee who raised more than $1 million for the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh following the Oct. 27 massacre. He set up a GoFundMe page, which quickly went viral, and the campaign has so far raised $1.2 million, which will go directly into the synagogue's bank account. He also tells us about being blacklisted by the Iranian government after signing a 2016 lett
Mish-Mosh Mash-up: Ep. 157
This week on Unorthodox, we’ve got a bit of a mish-mash (mish-mosh?) for you.First, a taste of our visit to Cleveland, where we recorded a live episode at the Mandel JCC (and ate a lot of deli).Then, Stephanie sits down with Jewish author Gary Shteyngart, whose new novel Lake Success is about a Manhattan hedge fund manager named Barry Cohen who abandons his wife and son for a Greyhound road trip across America with the backdrop of the 2016 election. In the wake of the Pittsburgh synagog
On Squirrel Hill: Ep. 156
On Saturday morning, 11 Jews were murdered in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Like Jews and their friends everywhere, we were heartbroken by this heinous anti-Semitic massacre, the first-ever large-scale attack against Jews on American soil. To grieve with our brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh and hear their stories, We traveled to Squirrel Hill, the city's Jewish enclave, along with a team from Tablet.
What we found was a unique and committed Jewish community, where congregations are intertwined a
Free Your Palate: Ep. 155
This week on Unorthodox, we're going fer-mental.Liel and Stephanie sit down with chef David Zilber, the director of the fermentation lab at Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant credited with redefining Nordic cuisine. He and Noma chef and co-owner Rene Redzepi just came out with The Noma Guide to Fermentation, which has everything you could ever want to know about fermenting. He tells us about growing up eating Ashkenazi and Caribbean cuisine in Toronto, seeing Drake and the cast of Degrassi
Neighborhood Watch: Ep. 154
This week on Unorthodox, we're on patrol. We talk to Ruchie Freier, the founder of Ezras Nashim, the first all-female volunteer ambulance in New York City, founded and staffed by Hasidic women in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Ruchie and Ezras Nashim are the subject of the documentary '93Queen', made by filmmaker Paula Eiselt, who also joins us.
Ruchie Freier is a New York City Criminal Court judge, and the first Hasidic woman to hold elected office in the US. Paula Eiselt is an independent filmmaker.
Einstein on the Mound: Ep. 153
This week on Unorthodox, we're still recovering from all the Jewish holidays.
Our Jewish guest is Benyamin Cohen, host of the weekly podcast "Our Friend from Israel." He's also the guy who manages the official social media feeds for Albert Einstein, which might just be the best job ever. He tells us about tweeting for the late genius, plus his journey into megachurches while writing his 2009 book, “My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith."
Our gentile of th
Texting with Barney Miller: Ep. 152
This week on Unorthodox, we're going down to the station.Our guests are Hal Linden and Ryan Ochoa, who co-star in the new film The Samuel Project. Linden is best known for his portrayal of police precinct captain Barney Miller in the eponymous TV series, which aired from 1975-1982 (millennials, you can binge it on Amazon Prime), but his prolific six-decade career has included perfomances on stage and in film. Ochoa is an actor and musician who has appeared in the Disney series "Pair of
Farm to Sukkah: Ep. 151
This week on Unorthodox, we're celebrating the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot! Farmers and Etrogs and more!
Who says Jews don't farm? Stephanie Butnick reports from Petaluma, CA, where activist Jews fleeing Eastern Europe in the early 1900s settled and became chicken ranchers. The politically-minded chicken-farming Jews of Petaluma even got a visit from Golda Meir!
What's Sukkot all about anyway? And what's with the lulav and etrog? Liel Leibovitz and producer Josh Kross head to West Side Jud
The Apology Episode: 5779 Edition: Ep. 150
This week on Unorthodox, we're really, really sorry.We're marking the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with our annual apology show. We're joined again this year by Tablet contributor Marjorie Ingall, who runs the website SorryWatch, which analyzes apologies in the news. She goes over the best and worst public apologies of 5778, and offers tips for how to make a meaningful apology.Storyteller Hal Karp tells of how, during a particularly dark period of his life, he goaded
Unorthodox Turns 3! Ep. 149
Happy birthday to us! We're celebrating three years of Unorthodox with a very special episode featuring our hosts, producers, and Tablet staffers reflecting on some of our most memorable segments.Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse revisits our very first episode, and shares her initial doubts about our audio adventure; host Liel Leibovitz reflects on his contentious Ep. 25 interview with Jewish Voice for Peace's Rebecca Vilkomerson, and what he learned from the interaction; and Tabl
Operation Unorthodox: Ep. 148
This week on Unorthodox, we're all about Eichmann. We sit down with Operation Finale director Chris Weitz and actor Nick Kroll to discuss the new film, which depicts the 1960 covert mission to capture Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi architect of the Final Solution, who was living under an assumed identity in Argentina.
Kroll, who is best known as a comic actor, plays Rafi Eitan, the Shin Bet leader who coordinated the mission, alongside Oscar Isaac as legendary Mossad agent Peter Malkin, Ben Kingsley
Keeping the Faith: Ep. 147
This week on Unorthodox, the producers take over while Mark, Liel, and Stephanie are off having summer fun. Shira, Noah, and Josh bring you three stories of people sharing, studying and challenging their faith.
First up, Unorthodox couples counseling. Listeners Ken Rosen and Elettra Pauletto came to us to discuss their pre-marriage anxieties about conversion, kids, and Jewish practice.
Second, Shira sits down with her favorite gentile, Harvard Divinity School professor Charles Stang, to talk ab
Call Us By Your Name: Ep. 146
This week on Unorthodox, we're wining and dining. Our Jewish guest is author Andre Aciman, whose 2007 novel Call Me By Your Name was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film starring Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet. He tells us about being forced to leave Egypt with his family as a teenager, getting recognized on the Upper West Side after the film premiered, and his absolute favorite coffeemaker.
Our gentile of the week is journalist Kevin Begos, whose new book is Tasting the Past: The Science
If I Were a Fiddler: Ep. 145
Tradition, tradition! In honor of a new Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof, we're heading back to Anatevka. Our Jewish guest is Rachel Zatcoff, who plays Tzeitel in The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene Off-Broadway production, Fidler afn Dakh. Our Gentile of the week is James Monroe Števko, who plays Mendl, the rabbi's son. They tell us about learning Yiddish for the show and what it's like working with director Joel Grey and Jackie Hoffman, who plays Yenta. We also sit down w
The JAP Show–Live: Ep. 144
This week on Unorthodox: Is it OK to say 'JAP'? We were joined by Odd Mom Out's Jill Kargman, Broadway legend Tovah Feldshuh, and Jewish Women's Archive director Judith Rosenbaum at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan last week for a lively discussion and debate about the Jewish American Princess stereotype–its origins, implications, and cultural staying power.
We also screened a short film we made about the JAP stereotype, which you can watch here, and heard from audience members about what the
The One With the Mitzvah Tank: Ep. 143
"Hi, are you Jewish?" It's a question you may have been asked in any number of towns or cities by a smiling bearded man wearing a yarmulke. It's one of the trademarks of Chabad, the Hasidic movement that dispatches its young men around town to help Jewish strangers perform a mitzvah—Jewish women are offered Shabbat candles, and Jewish men are encouraged to put on tefillin.We've always been fascinated with this practice, with some of us finding it charming and others, frankly, terrifying
Jews Across America: Ep. 142
In honor of July 4th, we're celebrating the diversity of American Jewish life—which, as we've learned, goes well beyond eating bagels on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Up first, we get a crash course in the history of Jews in the South from Stuart Rockoff, who created the Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities, a rich online resource from the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Next, Sammy Potter tells us about driving an hour to synagogue from his home in Yarmouth, ME, and why h
Losing It: Ep. 141
This week on Unorthodox, we have three special guests. Jonathan Ornstein is the executive director of the JCC Krakow, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. With more than 10,000 visitors a month, the JCC is at the center of a Jewish revival in Poland, that Ornstein, a New York native, is witnessing—and cultivativating—firsthand. We also talk with Gabi Birkner and Rebecca Soffer of Modern Loss, a website that aims to make conversations about grief less fraught and awkward. The
Roots and Boots: Ep. 140
This week on Unorthodox, we’re all about food and futbol. Our Jewish guest is writer and food historian Michael Twitty, whose book The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South, won two James Beard Awards this year. He describes being told that a book by a black, Jewish, gay man would never succeed (and how it felt to prove them wrong!), explains how most of the foods we eat today originated in Africa, and tells us why Jewish food is more than ju
Kung Fu Naches: Ep. 139
This week on Unorthodox, we talk to Rabbi Mike Moskowitz, the new scholar in residence for trans and queer Jewish studies at CBST, the world's largest LGBTQ synagogue. He's the first Orthodox rabbi at the New York City synagogue, and he explains how Judaism, even at its most observant, can make room for transgender adherents—and how Jews could learn a lot from the trans community.
We're also joined by Gentile of the week Matthew Polly, whose latest book is Bruce Lee: A Life. He tells us about
People of the Book: Ep. 138
For our first book club episode, we talk to Israeli-born writer Ruby Namdar about his ambitious second book, The Ruined House, which won Israel's most prestigious literary award and was recently translated into English. The book is set in New York City, where he's lived for the past 18 years, and follows a charming and successful professor named Andrew P. Cohen as he descends into a very peculiar kind of madness. Ruby tells us why he made his protagonist such a specific male archetype,
A Philip Roth Bonus Minisode
Philip Roth died on May 22, 2018, and we wanted to bring you a few pieces while you wait for our next episode. First up, Mark Oppenheimer visited The Gist to talk with host Mike Pesca about Roth's place in the literary and Jewish canon. Plus, our editor Noah Levinson goes on the Newark public library's tour around the Weequahic neighborhood where Roth grew up.
We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869. We may sh
Telling Truths: Ep. 137
This week on Unorthodox, Liel prepares for his role as honorary grand marshal at New York City's Celebrate Israel Parade on June 3. Our Jewish guest is Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and the author of 'Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor.' He tells us how he, as a religious Jew in Jerusalem, came to understand the Palestinian perspective, why he framed the book as a letter to an imagined interlocutor, and the crucial need to recognize that
The Conversion Episode: Ep 136
On Shavuot we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of Ruth, the first convert to Judaism, who ultimately becomes the great-grandmother of King David. In Ruth's honor, this week we're talking about conversion to Judaism, and hearing stories from people around the globe who have chosen to become Jewish—starting with our listeners.
Reporter Abby Holtzman travels to Savannah, Georgia, to bring us the story of a 13-year-old girl who has taken the plunge, literally, to convert to Judaism.
Ra
Motherhood, Burgers, and Bacon: Ep. 135
Our Jewish guest this week is Peninah Lamm Kaplansky, who in 2015 wrote a candid and moving account of her miscarriage, at 21 weeks, and the need for more resources and discussion surrounding infertility and miscarriage in Jewish communities. Our Gentile of the Week is Sister Julia Walsh, a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and a Catholic youth minister. Sister Julia tells us about the painful decision to give up motherhood, something she had always dreamed of, when she entered t
Checks and Balances: Ep. 134
It's Lag Ba'Omer, aka the 33rd day of the Omer, aka the period between Passover and Shavuot! Our Jewish guest is Sen. Joe Lieberman, whose new book, 'With Liberty & Justice: The 50-Day Journey from Egypt to Sinai,' explores the importance of the Omer. He tells us about being one of the most publically observant Jews in politics, why he never wore a yarmulke in the Senate, and whether the Gore White House would have had a kosher kitchen.
Our Gentile of the week is Skylar Inman, the host of Intr
Knocked Out: Ep. 133
Natalie Portman won't accept 'Jewish Nobel Prize' in Israel, plus Jewish artichoke drama in Italy.Our Jewish guest is Rachel Simmons, the author of Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy and Fulfilling Lives. Rachel explains the pressures facing young girls in America today, how we can support our daughters and nieces and friends, and whether things are any better at Jewish schools. Our gentile of the week is Linda Curtis,
Sabra Cadabra: Ep. 132
This week on Unorthodox, we're celebrating 70 years of Israeli food, music, and culture in honor of Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's independence day. First, we're joined by writer and comedian Periel Aschenbrand, who tells us what it's like to be married to an Israeli man. Next, we check out the newest outpost of Israeli chef Eyal Shani's pita empire, Miznon, here in New York, and chat with Shani over his world famous cauliflower pita. We also chat with Israeli singer and activist Yael Deckelb
Walk With Me, Unorthodox: Ep. 131
This week on Unorthodox, a crossover episode! We're joined by Joshua Malina and Hrishikesh Hirway, hosts of The West Wing Weekly podcast, an episode-by-episode discussion of one of television's most beloved shows. Malina, who played Will Bailey on The West Wing, currently stars in Scandal, which will air its series finale later this month. Hirway, a musician and composer, is the creator and host of the Song Exploder podcast. We talk about revisiting the glory days of early aughts TV pro
Ask Unorthodox: Passover Edition: Ep. 130
Download your free copy of the Unorthodox Haggadah! This week on Unorthodox, everything you ever wanted to know about Passover. We answer listener questions, writer Roya Hakakian tells us about Persian Passover traditions, including scallion whipping at the Seder, and producer Josh Kross’s mother-in-law Elsie Apfelbaum shares the magic of Mimouna, the Moroccan festival celebrating the end of Passover (with some help from Josh’s daughter Stella). Jay Miah tells the story of how his fathe
Snowfu: Ep. 129
Proof that Jews don't control the weather? Our live show was cancelled due to snow in the New York area. But thanks to a pre-Passover miracle we were able to record an interview with our gentile of the week, Bart Campolo, in producer Josh Kross' living room. (With everyone's kids, since school was cancelled.) Bart Campolo is evangelical Christian royalty—his father, Tony Campolo, is one of the most well-known leaders of the evangelical left—and became a believer himself as a teenager. H
Leading the Pack : Ep: 128
Our Jewish guest this week is Leah Sarna, a student at Yeshivat Maharat, the first yeshiva to ordain women as Orthodox Jewish clergy. She explains the institutional conflict over female ordination in the Orthodox community and tells us what her role will be at an Orthodox congregation in Chicago after graduation —and what title she’ll go by. Our Gentile of the week is writer Lauren Oyler, who tells us why honest cultural criticism is more important than ever, and recommends some books f
Candy for Salome: Ep: 127
Be part of our next Ask Unorthodox episode, airing during Passover. Send us your burning questions about Jewish ritual, culture, or traditions by March 9. Email them to Unorthodox@tabletmag.com or leave us a message at 914-570-4869.Our first guest is Israeli food writer and tv personality Gil Hovav, whose new memoir, Candies from Heaven, is about growing up in Jerusalem in a close-knit family (and not just any family: Hovav's great grandfather is Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who revived the mode
Winner's Circle: Ep. 126
This week, we're getting our grogger on for Purim. Returning to the show is film critic Jordan Hoffman, who preps us for the Oscars this weekend and offers his picks for the big winners. We're also joined by former FBI counterintelligence agent Asha Rangappa, now a CNN analyst an senior lecturer at Yale, who tells us how being an FBI agent is not what it looks like on TV.
Be part of our next Ask Unorthodox episode, airing during Passover. Send us your burning questions about the holiday, or real
Netflix and Phil: Ep. 125
Our Jewish guest is Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal, whose new Netflix series 'Somebody Feed Phil' chronicles his eating adventures around the word. He tells about the episode filmed in Tel Aviv—with cameos from chefs Michael Solomonov and Uri Buri—and why he thinks food is such a unifying force. Our gentile of the week is June Thomas, managing producer of Slate podcasts and one of the hosts of the Double X Gabfest. She explains why podcast hosts like talking to other pod
Unorthodox Presents: Israel Story: King of the Hill
We're bringing you a special treat in our feed, a taste of our sister podcast, Israel Story. First, we talk to the creator of Israel Story, and then we share one of our favorite episodes, King of the Hill.From the top of Tell El-Ful, an abandoned hilltop in East Jerusalem, you can see all the way from Amman to Tel Aviv, from Jerusalem to Ramallah. And you can also travel back and forth in time, moving between the biblical King Saul and the bearded King Hussein. Along the way, we'll hea
The Kids are Alright: Ep. 124
This week, we talk to writer Molly Lambert, who shares the story of her grandmother Margaret Bergmann Lambert , a German-Jewish high jumper barred from the 1936 Olympics. We're also joined by Annette Ezekiel Kogan and Jeremy Brown of Golem, the klezmer-rock band behind our theme music. They perform a few favorites for us, including 7:40, a song based on the "Hava Nagilah of Russia."But wait, there's more! We visited the Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School, a diverse dual-langu
Across the Pond: Ep. 123
Recorded live at at the Limmud Festival, an international celebration of Jewish learning and culture, in Birmingham, U.K. over Christmas. Mark hosted the show with writer and challah maven Sarah Klegman. Our guests are Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell, a vocalist, composer, and arranger specializing in Yiddish art and folk song, and Gabby Edlin, the founder of Bloody Good Period, which provides sanitary supplies to asylum seekers, refugees & those who can't afford them.Tablet is condu
Leaving the Nest: Ep. 122
Our guest this week is Tova Mirvis, whose memoir, The Book of Separation, tells the story of her decision to leave Modern Orthodox Judaism, a world she recreated vividly for readers in the novels Visible City, The Outside World, and The Ladies Auxiliary.
Our next live show is Wednesday, March 21 at the JCC Manhattan. Tickets here.
Want more Unorthodox in your life? Join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! We love hearing from our listeners. Email us
The Golden Rule: Ep. 121
This week's episode was recorded at the Manhattan JCC. Our Jewish guest is comedian and actor Judy Gold, host of the podcast Kill Me Now. Our gentile of the week is Father James Martin, Jesuit priest and editor at large of America magazine.
Missed the live show? Join us Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. for an intimate, off-the-record chat with Rabbi Sara Luria at Beloved in Brooklyn. Tickets here.
Want more Unorthodox in your life? Join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens be
A Helping Hand
This week, we've got something a little different for you. In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan 27, we sat down with Sandy Myers and Desiree Nazarian of Selfhelp Community Services, an organization that provides assistance to Holocaust survivors in need in the New York area. There are thousands of survivors living in the New York area today, and they have very particular emotional and physical needs as they age. You can read more about the work of the organization—
The Big Q&A: Ep. 120
Come see us live at the Manhattan JCC on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m., with special guests comedian Judy Gold and Father James Martin! More info and tickets here. And on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., we’ll be joining Rabbi Sara Luria for an intimate, off-the-record chat at Beloved in Brooklyn. Tickets here.
This week on Unorthodox, Mark calls up Roy Moore's 'Jewish lawyer,' and Stephanie sits down with Jeffrey Masters, host of the podcast LGBTQ&A, which documents stories of the LGBTQ community.
Song of Songs: Ep. 119
We have two upcoming events! A live recording at JCC Manhattan on 1/24 (tickets here), and a intimate, off-the-record schmooze with the hosts at Beloved in Brooklyn on 1/30 (tickets here). Plus, we're looking for a new producer—maybe that person is... you?This week, Mark sits down with Rabbi Joseph Hample of the Tree of Life Congregation in Morgantown, West Virginia. We're also joined by musicians David Chevan and Warren Byrd of the Afro-Semitic Experience, who tell us about fusing Jewi
Dear Unorthodox: Ep. 118
We'll be recording live at the Manhattan JCC on Wednesday 1/24 at with special guests Judy Gold and Father James Martin! Get your tickets here.
This week on Unorthodox, we respond to your questions on everything from Jewish pregnancy superstitions to what to read and watch while converting to Judaism. Plus we dive into the great tin foil vs. plastic baggie debate.
Want more Unorthodox in your life? Join our Facebook group to chat with the hosts and see what happens behind-the-scenes! And sign up
The Nose Job Episode: Ep. 117
We'll be recording live in NYC on 1/24 with comedian Judy Gold and Father James Martin! Buy your tickets here.
This week: Everything you ever wanted to know about nose jobs, and their particular prominence in American Jewish life. Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse and executive editor Wayne Hoffman discuss their personal experiences with rhinoplasty. Plastic surgeon Jonathan Kaplan, founder of price transparency platform BuildMyBod, breaks down exactly what happens during a nose job, and exp
Is It OK to Call Someone a 'Jew'?
Hey J.Crew! A little bonus content for you this Monday afternoon:Unorthodox host Mark Oppenheimer published an op-ed in The New York Times earlier this year about our aversion to using the word 'Jew,' as opposed to 'Jewish.' On Wednesday, he appeared on WNYC's 'On the Media' with Brooke Gladstone to discuss these ideas in the context of Kayla Moore's recent controversial remarks about the Moores' Jewish attorney. Give a listen, and, as always, let us know what you think at unorthodox@ta
Gelt Trip: Ep. 116
We'll be recording live at the Manhattan JCC on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. with special guests comedian Judy Gold and Father James Martin! Buy tickets here.Our Jewish guest this week is writer Jordana Horn Gordon, who returns to discuss her Hanukkah gifting strategy as the mother of six children. Our gentile of the week is journalist and religion scholar Reza Aslan, who tells us about his latest book, God: A Human History.Want more Unorthodox in your life? Join our Facebook grou
Hanger Management: Ep. 115
This week we're coming to you live from Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City!Our next live show will take place on January 24 at JCC Manhattan, with Father James Martin and comedian Judy Gold. Get your tickets here!Our Jewish guest is food writer Mark Bittman, who just released the tenth anniversary edition of How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. He talked to us about the link between agriculture and global warming, and why Americans need to eat more real food. (But despite that, h
Movers and Shakers: Ep. 114
This week on Unorthodox: Beauty pageant diplomacy, Gal Gadot's Mossad mix-up, and so much more.
Our gentile of the week is Noreen Malone, New York magazine features editor and DoubleX Gabfest panelist. She tells us about growing up Catholic in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Shaker Heights, her powerful 2015 cover story on 35 of Bill Cosby's accusers, and asks whether it's ever okay to call someone "jappy."
Our Jewish guest this week is feminist author, speaker, and psychologist Phyllis Ches
Like a Roman Stone: Ep. 113
Our Jewish guest this week is Lani Santo, the executive director of Footsteps, a New York-based organization dedicated to helping formerly-Orthodox Jews establish new lives outside the insular communities in which they were raised. We discuss the new Netflix documentary ‘One of Us,’ which follows the lives of three Footsteps members.Our gentile of the week is Richard F. Thomas, Harvard Classics professor and author of the new book Why Bob Dylan Matters, which explores the literary theme
Bad to the Bone: Episode 112
This week on Unorthodox, we can't be tamed.Our Jewish guest is Eddy Portnoy, senior researcher and director of exhibitions at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, whose new book is Bad Rabbi: And Other Strange but True Stories from the Yiddish Press. He tells us how he stumbled upon these colorful, less-remembered characters and tales—so many of which seem to involve Jews rioting—and why it's important for a community to examine the good with the bad to truly know its history. Our ge
Food for Thought: Ep. 111
This week on Unorthodox, we've got food on the brain.
Our first guest is Kerry Brodie, founder of Emma's Torch, a cafe in Brooklyn that employs and trains refugees and political asylum seekers. She tells us about her unlikely transition from government work to culinary school, what she learned about refugees by working alongside them in the kitchen, and why she believes food is such a powerful uniting force.
Our second guest is Lily Diamond, the Maui-born blogger behind Kale and Caramel, and the
Eye of Newt: Ep. 110
This week on Unorthodox, we're totally bewitched. Our Jewish guest is novelist Alice Hoffman, whose new book is The Rules of Magic, a prequel to her bestselling 1995 novel Practical Magic, which was made into the 1998 film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. She tells us how she re-immersed herself in the magical Owens family 20 years later, the ways in which her Jewish background influenced her interest in rebellious women, and why it's important to her to redefine the popular mythology
Relatively Speaking: Ep. 109
This week, we're live from JCC Manhattan!
Our Jewish guest is writer A.J. Jacobs—our first-ever guest back in 2015—whose latest book is It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree. He tells us about his unlikely entry into the world of genealogy, the famous—and infamous—relatives he discovered, and, in a 'Maury'-style twist, reveals which hosts are related to him.
Our gentile of the week is actor Kobi Libii, who played Cantor Duvid on Season 3 of 'Transparent' and currently
Chag Sameach, Obama: Ep. 108
Our Jewish guest this week is David Litt, author of Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years, a memoir about his time as a speechwriter in the Obama White House. He tells us about teaching President Obama to say 'chag sameach' for a Passover video, writing jokes for the White House Correspondent's Dinner, and the time his grandpa sent him a water pipeline proposal to show the president.
Our gentile of the week is U.S. Naval War College professor Thomas Nichols, whose latest book is The
New Year, New You? Ep. 107
This week on Unorthodox, we're all about 5778. Our guest this week is Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean of the continuing education institute Mechon Hadar, and the author of The Heart of Torah, a new two-volume book of essays about each weekly Torah portion. He tells us why he dreaded tackling Leviticus but learned the most from it, explains why he's optimistic about the future of Judaism, and gives us some useful advice for the new year.
Come see us live on October 25 at the Manhattan JCC! Ge
I'm Sorry: Ep. 106
This week, we're all about atonement. For our third annual apology episode, we're joined by University of Nebraska–Lincoln professor Ari Kohen, who explains what makes an apology truly bad (and why he stopped blogging about apologies). Mark Osler, a former federal prosecutor turned clemency advocate, tells us about the personal journey behind his career change. Vanessa Zoltan, host of the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, returns with a true story about a family apology that did
We Are Family: Ep. 105
This week on Unorthodox: We recap the Butnick-Cohen nuptials (mazel tov!), Liel has a big reveal, and our guests wrestle with complicated legacies—both personal and political.Our first Jewish guest is Annabelle Gurwitch, the author of Wherever You Go, There They Are, a funny, wise memoir about the families we’re born into—and the families we choose. She talks about growing up with a fabulist father, becoming a drug mule for her elderly mother, her colorful Southern Jewish clan, and the
You Got to Have Friends: Ep. 104
This episode is brought to you by the letter A, for ally.
Our Jewish guest is Brooke Kroeger, author of The Suffragents: How Women Used Men to Get the Vote. She tells us about the men whose support helped women get the vote, and what those of us who want to be allies to marginalized communities today should learn from their efforts. Our gentile of the week is German-Danish historian Thorsten Wagner, the academic director of FASPE: Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics, wh
My Big Fat Jewish Wedding: Ep. 103
If you love listening to Unorthodox, please make a donation before our fundraising drive ends next week!This week: Everything you ever wanted to know about Jewish weddings.Author Anita Diamant tells us about The Jewish Wedding Now, her newly updated guide to planning a meaningful Jewish celebration. Roberta Grossman, director of the documentary Hava Nagila (The Movie) explains how the catchy Hebrew folk song became a staple at Jewish weddings. Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie of New York’s Lab/S
Birthright for WASPs?: Ep. 102
If you love listening to Unorthodox every week, please consider donating to keep us going for another hundred episodes. We put together a bunch of fun gifts, from tote bags to studio visits to an exclusive Sept. 6 cocktail party in New York City with Mark, Liel, and Stephanie.Our Jewish guest is linguist Sarah Bunin Benor, an expert in Jewish languages and the author of Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism, an in-depth study of American Jewish
The Dating Option: Ep. 101
If you love listening to Unorthodox every week, please consider making a donation to keep us going for another hundred episodes. We put together a bunch of fun gifts for donors, from tote bags to studio visits to a cocktail party with Mark, Liel, and Stephanie.We’re #blessed with three Jewish guests this week: Leah Gottfried, Jessica Schechter, and Danny Hoffman, the team behind the popular web series 'Soon By You,' which depicts the dating drama of young, modern Orthodox Manhattanites.
The Big 100
We’re celebrating two years—and 100 episodes!—of Unorthodox with a very unorthodox fundraising drive. We've put together a bunch of fun gifts, from tote bags to studio visits to a cocktail party with Mark, Liel, and Stephanie. If you love listening to Unorthodox every week, please consider making a donation to keep us going for another two years.
This week, we turn the show over to Tablet contributor Periel Aschenbrand, who interviews hosts Mark, Stephanie, and Liel about the past two years of U
Betting the House: Ep. 99
Episode description: This week, we’re coming at you live from JCC Manhattan, with some very special guests and other fun surprises.But first: If you're a fan of Unorthodox—and if you're reading this, you must be!—please consider making a donation to our fundraising drive so we can keep producing the podcast you love for another 99 episodes. We've put together a whole range of fun gifts to sweeten the deal, from tote bags to studio visits to a cocktail party with Mark, Liel, and Stephani
Cinema Verite: Ep. 98
First things first: Don't forget to get tickets for our live show Tuesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at JCC Manhattan!This week, we find out Mark isn't the only Oppenheimer who sneaks into movies without paying. And we've got two Jewish guests joining us: First, our favorite film critic Jordan Hoffman returns to tell us all about the summer's best movies, including the new film War For the Planet of the Apes, which he explains is actually a story about Jews. Then we talk to Stacy Berman abou
The Cat’s Meow: Ep. 97
Hey J-Crew: Before you do literally anything else today, buy a ticket to our next live show in NYC on July 25!
This week we talk Birthright, Hobby Lobby, and Jay-Z—oh my.
Our Jewish guest is historian Jenna Weissman Joselit, whose latest book is Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments. She tells us how the Ten Commandments, which have become so politicized, were actually once a unifying force in America, and dishes on the 19th century drama over a Lower East Side synagogue’s sta
Notes on Camp: Ep. 96
Break out the bug juice—it’s summer camp week on Unorthodox! We’re talking campfires, Color War, and Mark’s traumatic summer at a nudist camp.
Our first guest is Sandy Fox, a doctoral candidate studying language and everyday life in Zionist, Yiddishist, and denominational summer camps. She’s also the founder of Vaybertaytsh, a feminist podcast entirely in Yiddish. She explains how different Jewish ideologies shaped each kind of camp, tells us about a post-war summer camp for children of Holocau
H. Alan Scott on 'Pinkwashing' in Israel
Back in May, we interviewed L.A.-based comedian and writer H Alan Scott about converting to Judaism, surviving cancer, and his deep love of The Golden Girls.
We recently caught up with H Alan by phone to discuss his first trip to Israel (for Tel Aviv Pride!) and his subsequent Newsweek article about "pinkwashing" and the BDS movement. We discussed LGBT politics, Zionism, and anti-Semitism—and of course, hummus. Though we talked before the Chicago Dyke March controversy, this conversation should
Children of Kindness: Episode 95
Description: This week on Unorthodox, don’t even think about cutting Israel out of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Our Jewish guest is journalist and Tablet columnist Jamie Kirchick, who returns to the show to discuss his new book, The End of Europe: Dictators, Demagogues and the Coming Dark Age. He tells us about the emboldening of extremes on both sides of the political spectrum, the dangers of countries like Hungary rewriting their World War II history, and what it all means for the Uni
Talking Jewish With Lexicon Valley: Ep. 94
This week, we recorded a special crossover episode with Lexicon Valley, the podcast hosted by linguist John McWhorter. John was a guest on our show in December 2016, and when we weren’t interrupting him, we were discussing things like the word ‘like’ and his latest book, Talking Back, Talking Black. We sat down with him again for an in-depth conversation about whether there’s such a thing as Jewish English, the beauty of yeshivish, and, of course, the dinner scene from 'Annie Hall.'
Check out Le
Master and Commander: Ep. 93
Our Jewish guest this week is Fred Kuhr, who hosts The Point, a Toronto-based talk show that brings gay and straight men together “to see what happens.” He explains the stereotypes gay men have about straight men, the difference between American and Canadian homophobia, and adjusting to Montreal bagels as a Brooklyn-born expat.Our Gentile of the Week is Jonathan Frakes, best known for his portrayal of Commander William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He tells us about naviga
The Stephen Show: Ep. 92
This week on Unorthodox, we’re still full from all that Shavuot cheesecake. Our Jewish guest is actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who plays Jack Barker on HBO’s Silicon Valley, and whose latest book is My Adventures with God. He tells us about getting recognized in shul (he started going to synagogue twice a day to say kaddish after his mother died), what it’s like to tackle something as intimate as faith while working in Hollywood, and the time he had to shoot a movie on Yom Kippur, even thoug
Wall This Way: Ep. 91
This week, we break down Donald Trump’s Holy Land adventure.
Our Jewish guest is Yascha Mounk, a lecturer at Harvard whose area of research—how to preserve liberal democracy in the face of populism—has made him extremely popular lately. He tells us how worried we should be about rising populist tides in Europe and the U.S., explains some of the difficulties currently facing multiethnic societies, and tells us how it felt when he became a U.S. citizen in March. Our Gentile of the week is Irish no
On the [Jew] Media
Unorthodox host Mark Oppenheimer recently published an op-ed in The New York Times about our aversion to using the word 'Jew,' as opposed to 'Jewish.' Is 'Jew' still considered a slur? By many, yes. Should we reclaim it? Definitely, says Mark.He discussed his op-ed with On the Media's Brooke Gladstone a couple of weeks ago, and we're pleased to share their conversation with you here in full. (Don't worry, the next full episode of Unorthodox will go live as scheduled on May 25!)As always
All Shakshuk Up: Ep. 90
When Maya Jankelowitz and her husband Dean opened Jack’s Wife Freda in New York City in 2012, they mined their respective Israeli and South African upbringings for family recipes and traditional spices. The result was trendy downtown dining with a home-cooked vibe and a dash of nostalgia (the restaurant is named after Dean's grandparents). The pair now run two restaurants, identically named, and just published the Jack's Wife Freda cookbook, which features recipes like peri peri chicken
My Super Sweet Bar Mitzvah: Ep. 89
This week's guest is comedian and writer H. Alan Scott, who was raised Mormon in St. Louis and converted to Judaism when he was 31. He’s preparing for his bar mitzvah by immersing himself in Jewish life and culture, and it’s all being chronicled in Latter Day Jew, a documentary by Aliza Rosen. H. Alan tells us about coming out to his Mormon family, how cancer jumpstarted his conversion to Judaism, and his deep love of The Golden Girls.
Sign up for for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, b
I'm a Ringo: Ep. 88
This week on Unorthodox: chocolate sausage! Our Jewish guest is Tablet’s food columnist Joan Nathan. Her latest cookbook is King Solomon’s Table: a Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World, which features recipes like schokoladenwurst, a dessert that made its way from Berlin to El Salvador in the 1920s (and doesn’t actually have any meat in it). She tells us about drawing inspiration from the flavors and spices of the ancient Jewish world and why so many Jewish chefs today ar
Brand Management: Ep. 87
This week on Unorthodox, we speak to the author of Donald Trump’s favorite book.Our Jewish guest is Danya Shults, the founder of Arq, a website and community inspired by Jewish culture. She tells us how her own interfaith marriage inspired her to help people “connect with Jewish life and culture in a relevant, inclusive, and convenient way,” and explains where—if anywhere—actual religion fits into the Arq universe. Our Gentile of the Week is Michael Knowles, managing editor of the Daily
Cannonball Moment: Ep. 86
This week on Unorthodox, we’re still trying to find those Holocaust centers Sean Spicer was talking about.
Our Jewish guest is filmmaker Ferne Pearlstein, whose latest documentary, The Last Laugh, asks comedians like Mel Brooks and Sarah Silverman whether or not we can joke about the Holocaust. She tells us why she decided to tackle such a taboo topic, how gallows humor can be a survival mechanism, and whether it matters if the joke-teller is Jewish or not. The Last Laugh premieres Monday, Apri
The Bagel Show: Ep. 85
This week on Unorthodox, we’re filling up on chametz before Passover starts. We talk to bagel makers from Montreal to Australia (and Cleveland!), get the scoop on the bagel scene in Israel, and find out how bagels became the unofficial food of the Jews.
Our guests span the globe, but have one thing in common: they love bagels. We talk to Ben Pigette, a lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy who taught himself how to make bagels to impress his Jewish girlfriend. Geoff Hardman, co-founder of the
The Great Depression: Ep. 84
This week on Unorthodox: a Jewish writer and an Episcopal priest walk into a podcast. Our Jewish guest is writer and essayist Daphne Merkin, whose latest book is This Close to Happy: A Reckoning With Depression. She tells us what it was like to write such a personal book—Tablet literary critic Adam Kirsch called it “a hybrid of memoir, case study, and confession”—and discusses the stigma that continues to surround depression in the Jewish community and beyond. Our Gentile of the Week is Father E
Glasnost Ceiling: Ep. 83
This week on Unorthodox, Mel Gibson gives tzedakah. Our Jewish guest is Ukrainian-born writer Sana Krasikov, whose latest novel, The Patriots, explores the effects of the Cold War on three generations of a Jewish-American family, from the 1930s to the present. Our Gentile of the Week is Republican strategist Patrick Ruffini, who tells us what the future of data and technology looks like for political campaigns, and the value of data under a president who is openly dismissive of unfavora
Land's End: Ep. 82
This week on Unorthodox, Mark ditches us for the Holy Land. It was snowing in New York, but we trudged to the studio and were graciously joined by Israeli filmmaker Shimon Dotan, whose latest film is The Settlers, a documentary about the controversial settler movement in Israel (you can read Tablet film critic J. Hoberman's review here). He tells us why he decided to take on such a contentious topic, how he created a nuanced cinematic portrait of a group of people with whom he fundamentally disa
All Aboard: Ep. 81
This week on Unorthodox, Jewish baseball is having a moment.
Our Jewish guest is Adam Irving, whose documentary Off the Rails tells the story of Darius McCollum, an obsessive transit buff with Aspberger’s syndrome who has been arrested 32 times for impersonating New York City subway conductors and bus drivers. Adam tells us how his life has changed since releasing the film (his first) to critical acclaim, getting his start in reality TV, and how he feels about Darrius’s story getting the Hollyw
British Invasion: Ep. 80
This week on Unorthodox, we check in with Jake Turx, the now-famous Orthodox White House reporter who asked Trump about anti-Semitism. Our guests this week are Leah Green and Freddy McConnell, co-hosts of The Guardian’s “Token” podcast. Leah is mixed-race—her mother is Jewish and her father Nigerian—and Freddy is transgender and gay, and on their show they discuss topics like sex, gender, and race with frankness and humor (and British accents). We talk about whether Jews are white, find
And the Oscar Goes To... Ep. 79
This week on Unorthodox, we’ve got two Jewish guests. First up is Scott Feinberg, the awards columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and host of the Awards Chatter podcast, and one of the “most informed Oscarologists,” according to the New York Times. He tells us how he makes his Oscar predictions and where he'll be Sunday night as the winners are announced.Our next guest knows the way to our hearts: homemade hamantaschen filled with sprinkles. Molly Yeh is the author of Molly on the Range
In Florida We Trust: Ep. 78
This episode was recorded live at Temple Israel in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Our Jewish guest is Igor Shteyrenberg, director of the Miami Jewish Film Festival, which in five years he grew from an annual event with 4,000 attendees to the third largest Jewish film festival in the U.S. He tells us his favorite new Jewish films, the most controversial film the festival has screened (hint: there were zombies), and the Jewish movie he’d make if he were given carte blanche to choose from all the actor
X’s and O’s: Ep. 77
This week on Unorthodox, we’re getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit. Or as we call it around here, Secular Tu B’Av.Our Jewish guest is Israeli-American novelist and essayist Ayelet Waldman, whose latest book, A Really Good Day chronicles her experience taking microdoses of LSD to treat her mood disorder. She explains what microdosing is and how it helped her and her marriage, and tells us what it’s like to be married to another writer.Our second guest is a self-described “pizza bagel
Live From New York! Ep. 76
This week’s episode was recorded live at JCC Manhattan. Our first Jewish guest is Canadian transplant and longtime "This American Life" contributor Jonathan Goldstein, who now hosts the podcast Heavyweight. He tells us about mining his personal life for stories to tell on his show and gives us a definitive (if very Canadian) answer on Montreal bagels vs. New York bagels. Our Gentile of the Week is Catholic New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, who tells us about being a conservative voice writi
Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor
This week, in addition to our regular Thursday episode, we’re doing something a bit different. President Trump’s Executive Order on immigration struck us as so troubling, so decidedly antithetical to the Jewish values we hold dear—and such a disappointment given our own paths to this country—that we were moved to respond. On this mini-episode, Liel Leibovitz, Stephanie Butnick, and producer Elissa Goldstein offer brief reflections.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more.
The Truth is Out There: Ep. 75
Our Jewish guest this week is actor David Duchovny, whose latest novel, Bucky F*cking Dent, follows a Red Sox-loving father and son during the 1978 World Series. He tells us how fox Mulder, the fictional FBI agent he played on The X-Files, would feel about James Comey right about now, his favorite X-Files meme, and his long-lost Yale Ph.D. thesis on magic and technology in 20th century fiction.
Our Gentile of the Week is John Cleese, whose memoir, So, Anyway, is out in paperback. The legendary
Staff Pick: Heavyweight
In anticipation of our Wednesday (1/25) live show at the Manhattan JCC (tickets available here), we thought we'd share the season finale of Jonathan Goldstein's Heavyweight podcast. Jonathan is a radio storytelling legend and he'll be one of our guests on Wednesday night, so if you're coming to the show, listen up, and if not, listen anyway. If you like us, we bet you'll like him too.In this episode (#8 Jeremy), Jonathan revisits his tricky relationship with Judaism by reconnecting with
Inaugural Distress: Ep. 74
This week on Unorthodox, Bernie Madoff's prison hot chocolate scheme. We've got two Jewish guests this week: our first is return visitor Rosie Gray, who covered the election for BuzzFeed and is now a staff writer at the Atlantic. Our second guest is Charlie Brotman, who has announced every inauguration parade from Eisenhower to Obama but was snubbed by the Trump inauguration committee.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us with comments, questions and kvetches
Here’s Looking at You, Kinder: Ep. 73
This week on Unorthodox: We’ll always have Casablanca (except Mark).
Our Jewish guest is writer and comedian Lynn Harris, founder of Comedy GOLD, which teaches girls and women how to empower themselves through comedy. Our Gentile of the Week is author and Bloggingheads founder Robert Wright, who was raised Southern Baptist but now practices Buddhism.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us with comments, questions and kvetches atUnorthodox@tabletmag.com (we may
Let My People Go: Ep 72
This week on Unorthodox, Jared and Ivanka go shul shopping in Washington, D.C.
Our Jewish guest is renowned biblical scholar Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, whose latest book examines the life of Moses, one of the most enigmatic biblical figures (you can read an excerpt here). She tells us about exploring the often overlooked aspects of Moses’s life—his speech impediment, for example–and why she believes Moses is one of the most compelling literary characters of all time. (This segment is sponsored by
Have Yourself an Unorthodox Little Christmas: Ep. 71
This week we’re celebrating Christmas the only way we know how: Chinese food and a movie. Plus a bunch of amazing guests!
We’re joined by New York Times reporter Marc Tracy, who tells us about the tradition of Jews eating Chinese food on Christmas, and the Jewish songwriters behind some of the most well-known Christmas songs. Jessica Grose, the editor of the email newsletter Lenny, tells us why it’s OK for Jews to have a Christmas tree. Film critic Jordan Hoffman shares his favorite Christmas mo
Ferris Bueller and the Chamber of Secrets: Ep. 70
This week on Unorthodox, Israeli Burger King debuts the SufganiKing—a hamburger inside a jelly donut.
Our Jewish guest is Jason Diamond, author of the new memoir, Searching for John Hughes: Or Everything I thought I Needed to Know About Life I Learned from Watching ‘80s Movies. He gives us his list of the must-see John Hughes movies. Our Gentile of the Week is actually a Jew and a gentile—Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile—the hosts of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, a podcast that Talmudical
A Cut Above: Ep. 69
This week on Unorthodox, Ivanka Trump steals a kugel. Our Jewish guest is Naftali Hanau, founder of Grow and Behold Foods, the Brooklyn-based purveyor of kosher meat from animals raised on family farms with no hormones or antibiotics. He tells us about being trained as a kosher butcher, or shochet, and why he’s made it his mission to provide ethically-produced kosher meat. Our Gentile of the Week is Glynn Washington, host of NPR’s Snap Judgment. He talks about what it takes to tell stories on th
Into the Woods: Ep. 68
Our guest this week is Rabbi Brent Chaim Spodek of the Beacon Hebrew Alliance, whose mission is bringing Judaism out of the pews and into the daily lives of his congregants. He tells us about his popular Soul Strolls through the idyllic Hudson Valley woods on Saturdays, why it’s OK to watch movies on Shabbat, and why he wants to end the bar mitzvah practice as we know it. Plus, the Jewbadour Jim Knable contributes a ballad about Liel's travel woes.
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new e
Views from the 6: Ep. 67
This week’s episode was recorded live at Beth Tzedec Congregation in Drake's hometown of Toronto. Our Jewish guest is writer and filmmaker David Bezmozgis, who moved with his family from Latvia to Toronto when he was six years old. He tells us just how dangerous he thinks a Trump presidency will be, and why Americans shouldn’t flee to Canada but instead stay and fight. Our Gentile of the week is Julie Nesrallah, mezzo-soprano and host of Tempo, CBC Radio 2’s classical music program. She tells us
Betting on Trump: Bonus Episode
In this bonus episode, Mark chats with his only Facebook friend supporting Donald Trump: Bob Barnes, a Yale classmate he hasn't seen in 22 years. Barnes, a lawyer and self-described populist who hasn't voted in a presidential election since 1992, put $125,000 on a Trump win at 4 to 1 odds in London. Now a half million dollars richer, he talks to Mark about why he supports the President-Elect, how he saw this result coming, and what the left needs to do to win back the middle.
Like listening to U
A Little on the Nose, History: Ep. 66
Torontonians! Join us tonight, Nov. 17, for our live show at Beth Tzedec Congregation at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here.
Today we’re joined by a special guest to help us process what happened in last week’s presidential election, and where we go from here. Former U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, who represented the fourth district of Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013, talks about the impacts of race and class on the election, and what the Democratic establishment needs to address moving forward.
Like listen
Super Tuesday: Ep. 65
Join us next week in Toronto! We’ll be recording a live show at Beth Tzedec Congregation Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here.Surprise! We’re getting our Unorthodox on a little early this week, with a jam-packed episode for you to listen to while you wait on line to vote. Our first Jewish guest is Stephanie’s maternal grandfather, Albert Rothaus, calling in from Boca Raton, Florida. The lifelong Democrat tells us about being a Hillary voter in Trumpland and putting friendship
It's Almost Over: Ep. 64
This week’s episode was recorded live at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass. We’re joined by three great guests to talk about the never evening presidential election.
Our first Jewish guest is Jeremy Hobson, co-host of NPR’s "Here and Now," who has traveled the country to talk to voters about why they support Donald Trump. Our second Jewish guest is Boston Globe op-ed columnist Jeff Jacoby, the lone conservative voice at the newspaper. Our Gentile of the Week is General Tom Hill, a highly decorated
Blame the Puppies: Ep. 63
Boston-area listeners, join us for our live show tonight at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass, at 7:30 p.m.—tickets available here. This week on Unorthodox, Bar Refaeli gets pixelated. Our Gentile of the Week is Sohrab Ahmari, a London-based editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The New Philistines: How Identity Politics Disfigure the Arts. He tells us about watching the presidential election from abroad and his ongoing conversion to Catholicism. Our Jewish guest i
Jack of All Trades: Ep. 62
This week on Unorthodox, Robert Zimmerman gets a Nobel Prize. Our Jewish guest is David Kaufman, editor in chief of Alexa, the luxury magazine of the New York Post. He tells us about visiting Amar’e Stoudemire and his family in Jerusalem, and why moving to Israel was a relief for the former New York Knick. Our Gentile of the Week is Nelson Eddy, the official historian for the Jack Daniels distillery. He tells us about the brand getting kosher certification, and offers to make Liel a Ten
Guilt Trip: Ep. 61
This week on Unorthodox, we’re partying like it’s 5777. Our Jewish guest is Gitl Schaechter Viswanath, co-author of the new Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, an 850-page volume that adapts the Eastern European language for the modern world—and includes a new Yiddish term for 'sexting.' Our Gentile of the Week is actress Tessa Kim, whose one-woman show, The Bad German, tells the story of reconciling her German identity after moving to New York. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign
Sorry Not Sorry: Ep. 60
This week on Unorthodox, we’re gearing up for Yom Kippur with our second annual Apology episode. Marjorie Ingall, Unorthodox regular and co-founder of the website SorryWatch.com, tells us about the best and worst public apologies of the last year. We talk to Richard Cellini, the founder of the Georgetown Memory Project, and the force behind the university’s recent decision to grant preferential admissions to the descendants of the 272 slaves it sold in 1838 to save the school from finan
The Bottle Episode: Ep. 59
Rosh Hashanah has us feeling reflective, so we decided to put together a special mini-episode for the Jewish New Year, featuring stories of new beginnings from our hosts. Mark Oppenheimer discusses how a failure his freshman year in college forced him to rethink his priorities and get a new life, Stephanie Butnick describes the freedom of a semester abroad, and Liel Leibovitz tells an old Hasidic tale of how to talk to God in the Days of Awe.
We'll be back next Thursday with a full-length episod
New England Prep: Ep. 58
This episode was recorded live from the JCC of Greater New Haven. Our Jewish guest is Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who explains what exactly a Lieutenant Governor does. She also tells us how she made her way from Brooklyn to New England, whether she’d run for governor, and what she thinks of Donald Trump. Our Gentile of the Week is humorist and WNPR host Colin McEnroe, who returns for his second visit to the show. He tells us how the 2016 election has driven him back to church, plus how rea
Schwartz Authority: Ep. 57
This week on Unorthodox, who said it: Harry Potter star Emma Watson or Hillel the Elder? Our Jewish guest is professional football player Geoff Schwartz, one half of the first set of Jewish brothers to play in the NFL since Ralph and Arnold Horween in 1923. He and his brother, Mitchell Schwartz, are the authors of a new book called Eat MySchwartz: Our Story of NFL Football, Food, Family, and Faith. Our Gentile of the Week is Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick, founder and president of The Etiq
Fashionably Late: Ep: 56
This week on Unorthodox, the hottest meal in Scottish prisons is… kosher.
Our Jewish guest is Willard Spiegelman, longtime English professor at Southern Methodist University and author of the new book of essays, Senior Moments: Looking Back, Looking Ahead. He tells us the worst fashion trend among college students today and why retiring to Manhattan is the secret to a long life. Our Gentile of the Week is R.J. Hernández, whose new novel, An Innocent Fashion, which tells the story of a Cuban-Amer
Teach Your Children Well: Ep 55
This week on Unorthodox, singer Sia gets sued for a sub-par Tel Aviv concert.Our Jewish guest is Justin Sakofs, creator of MagneticShul, a toy designed to engage kids in ritual Jewish life (yes, we try it out). Our Gentile of the Week is Paris-based writer Thomas Chatterton Williams, who tells us about his perspective on American politics as an ex-pat and his next book, a reckoning with how we define race in America, based on his 2015 essay about being a black man with a blonde daughter
Talkin 'Bout My Generation: Ep 54
This week on Unorthodox, we’re obsessed with the Olympics. Our Jewish guests are 20-year-old twins Jack and David Cahn, co-authors of a new book called When Millennials Rule: The Reshaping of America. They tell us what they think of the 2016 election, which twin is better at chess, and how to prepare for the Millennial takeover. Our Gentile ofthe Week is Gaura Vani, a lifelong Hare Krishna and performer of Mantra Music, which is based on the ancient call-and-response devotional traditio
The Parent Trap: Ep. 53
We’ve got a special show for you this week, Unorthodoxers. We’re excited to have Tablet columnist Marjorie Ingall back on to discuss her new book, Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children, which comes out August 30. In it, she challenges the stereotype of the overbearing, coddling Jewish mother, arguing that Jewish mothers actually instill in their children confidence, independence, and a healthy skepticism of authority. She’s joi
Happy Trails: Ep. 52
This week on Unorthodox, Amar’e Stoudemire ditches the NBA for the Holy Land. Our Jewish guest is BuzzFeed reporter Rosie Gray, who has spent the past six months following the Republican presidential candidates on the campaign trail, producing behind-the-scenes dispatches from everything from white supremacist rallies to contentious Republican meetings, and reporting on Donald Trump’s nomination at the RNC in Cleveland. Our Gentile of the Week is actor, director, and screenwriter Adam Linn, auth
Get Your (Scape)goat: Ep. 51
This week, Vilnius's hottest wedding destination is a former concentration camp. Our Jewish guest is Deena Gottlieb, who just finished her first year of reform rabbinical school. She tells us what that first year in Israel was like (less Real World, more studying), why she wants to become a reform rabbi, and how she gets through to distracted bar mitzvah students. Our Gentile of the week is Arsalan Iftikhar, aka @TheMuslimGuy, human rights lawyer, media commentator, and author of the recent book
The Hot Seat: Ep. 50
This week, we can't stop talking about the Republican National Convention. Our Jewish guest is the very funny Catie Lazarus, writer and host of "Employee of the Month," a monthly live talk show at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, for which she’s interviewed Bette Midler,Jon Stewart, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. She tells us how she found her calling as a live interviewer and about the time she went to Park Slope, Brooklyn to hawk truly local milk—breast milk. Our Gentile of the Week is Scott
The Other Cheek: Ep. 49
This week on Unorthodox, our favorite Jewish gymnast is headed to Rio.
Our Jewish guest is Deborah Pardo-Kaplan, a freelance journalist working on a memoir about her life as a Messianic Jew. She explains what Messianic Jews believe, and her journey from a traditional Jewish upbringing to ultimately adopting those beliefs—plus the unexpected difficulties of dating as a Messianic Jew. Our Gentile of the Week is Bruce Barber, the general manager of WNHU-FM, the campus and community run radio statio
Rock N’ Roll All Night: Ep. 48
Our Jewish guest is writer and illustrator Christopher Noxon, author of the novel, Plus One, and the husband of Weeds and Orange is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan. He tells us why he prefers the term ‘domestic first responder’ to ‘house husband,’ and about the ritual bloodletting required to complete his conversion to Judaism. Our Gentile of the Week is rock critic Jim DeRogatis, co-host of the WBEZ talk show “Sound Opinions.” He tells us how meeting Lester Bangs made him want to become a roc
Hello, Gorgeous: Ep. 47
This week on Unorthodox: Kappa connections, ruff times for dogs in Iran, and a new original song from our in-house Jewbadour Jim Knable.
Our Jewish guest is Rebecca Schiff, whose debut short story collection, The Bed Moved, was published in April . She reads us one of the stories, and tells us what her mom thinks of the sex and pot references in the book, and why she’s attracted to Jewish guys. Our Gentile of the Week is Mo Rocca, NPR ‘Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’ regular. The former Daily Show fix
Don't Hate The Player: Ep. 46
This week, El Al helps herd biblical sheep to Israel. Our Jewish guest is Matthew Futterman, senior special writer for sports at The Wall Street Journal and the author of Players: The Story of Sports and Money, and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution. He tells us how NFL quarterbacks used to sell real estate in the off-season to support themselves, plus what he’s looking forward to at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio and why water polo is an underrated Olympic sport. Our Gentile
Just The Two of Us: Ep. 45
This week on Unorthodox: public swimming pool drama in Brooklyn, and one Jewish man’s unusual sperm donation program.
We don’t have a Jewish guest this week, but we have reached peak gentile: award-winning architect Duo Dickinson, a cradle Episcopalian, joins us for a lively discussion about Jews, WASPs, and the difference between designing a church and a synagogue. We also get a visit from our producer Julie’s daughter Leah, who joins us on-air for a discussion of presumed Republican presidenti
Father Figures: Ep. 44
This week, Unorthodox jumpstarts the Father’s Day festivities with a special episode—because is there any figure more overlooked and misunderstood than the Jewish father? Liel talks to Tablet’s Gabe Sanders about archetypal father figures, starting with the biblical Abraham, and how their own identities changed when they became fathers. Stephanie sits down with Unorthodox regular Marjorie Ingall to break down the problematic aspects of Father’s Day, as well as the tough rap Jewish dads
Cult Following: Ep. 43
This week on the show: Nazis, Taylor Swift, and cats—the Unorthodox trifecta.Our Jewish guest is Chicago native Jeff Aeder, who founded the online Jewish Baseball Museum. The Cubs fan tells us about some of the lesser-known Jewish figures in America’s national pastime, why he thinks we need a museum dedicated to Jews in baseball, and when we can expect a brick-and-mortar outpost. Our Gentile of the Week is Carrie Poppy—writer, actress, and co-host of the podcast Oh No Ross and Carrie, w
Throwback Thursday: Ep. 42
This week on Unorthodox, the '90s are back: The Intifada is all the rage at UC Irvine, 90210's Andrea Zuckerman is on our minds, and a Clinton is running for president.
Our Jewish guest is BuzzFeed News national reporter Amanda Chicago Lewis, who covers the burgeoning marijuana industry and the politics of legalization. In lieu of a Gentile of the Week, we read from a Jews for Jesus pamphlet left in the lobby of our producer Julie’s apartment building.
We love to hear from you! Email us at Unort
School Ties: Ep. 41
This week, Unorthodox goes back to high school. This episode was recorded live from the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, N.C, the world's only International Jewish College Prep boarding school. Our Jewish guest is former North Carolina State Senator Marshall Rauch, who when he was elected in 1967 became the first Jew in the state senate, where he spearheaded legislation making Yom Kippur a state holiday. Our Gentile of the Week is musician Judith Saxton, who is in her tenth year a
On the Rocks: Ep. 40
This week on Unorthodox: Gentiles love Manischewitz, the new Han Solo’s Jewish, and Nazi pugs exist. Our Jewish guest is Rosie Schaap, “Drink” columnist for the New York Times Magazine and the author of Drinking With Men: A Memoir. She tells us why there’s more to bars than drinking and the cocktail essentials every drinker should have at home. Our Gentile of the Week is Doug Henwood, publisher of Left Business Observer and the author of the 2015 anti-Hillary book, My Turn: Hillary Clin
Free Agents Ep. 39
This week on Unorthodox: Broad City skewers Birthright. Our Jewish guest is literary agent and author Betsy Lerner, whose latest book, The Bridge Ladies, tells the story of the women in her mother’s bridge group, which has been meeting weekly for 50 years. Our Gentile of the Week is CNN political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson, who covers the 2016 election with a special focus on identity politics, exploring the dynamics of demographics, race and religion.
We love to hear from you! Email us at U
Irish Spring Ep. 38
This week on Unorthodox, we’re searching for chametz and waiting for the Red Sea to part. Our Jewish guest is comedian David Tuchman, who hosts the lively and irreverent-er OMGWTFBIBLE podcast, which each week features a guest reading from Tuchman’s own translation of the Bible, while he chimes in with jokes. He tells us how getting started in comedy unexpectedly brought him back to his yeshiva roots. Our Gentile of the Week is Irish journalist Maitiú Ó Coimin, who took issue with Mark
Start-Up Nation Ep. 37
This week, Unorthodox heads to Palo Alto, California, for a special live taping at the Oshman Family JCC. Our Jewish guest is Eddan Katz, a cyber-crime lawyer who founded Sudo Room, a hackerspace in Oakland. Our Gentile of the Week is Amanda Bradford, founder and CEO of The League, an invite-only dating app that uses data from Facebook and LinkedIn to match its highly selective pool of ambitious singles. We love to hear from you! Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com. Sign up for our weekly newsl
It's a Bard, It's a Plane Ep. 36
This week on Unorthodox: Tel Aviv, so hot right now. Our Jewish guest is writer Jillian Keenan, whose first book, Sex with Shakespeare, explores her dual passions for the Bard and BDSM. She tells us why she identifies with Caliban from The Tempest, and who she thinks is the most underrated Shakespeare character. Our Gentile of the Week is Jeff Yang, editor and publisher of aMagazine, an Asian American periodical, whose son, Hudson Yang, stars on ABC’sFresh Off the Boat. He tells us abou
Sporting Goods Ep. 35
This week on Unorthodox: Scottish Jews get their own official tartan. Our Jewish guest is L. Jon Wertheim, executive editor of Sports Illustrated and the co-author of the book, This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What we Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon. He tells us how he got into sports journalism, and what he thinks the least Jewish sports are. Our Gentile of the Week is Imani Perry, professor in the Center for African American Studies at Princet
Wonder Women Ep. 34
This week on Unorthodox: Israeli actress Gal Gadot proves she’s Wonder Woman off-screen, too. Our Jewish guest is Ladino singer-songwriter Sarah Aroeste, who tells us what Ladino is, and why it’s so important to keep the Sephardic language and culture alive. She performs a song from her new Ladino children’s album, and (warning!) even gets the hosts to sing along. Our Gentile of the Week is ACLU lawyer Gillian Thomas, whose new book, Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years T
Sticks and Stones Ep. 33
This week on Unorthodox: Name-calling at a basketball game between a Catholic high school and a heavily Jewish public school in a Boston suburb takes a weirdly dark turn. Our Jewish guest is Jessamyn Hope, whose debut novel, Safekeeping, tells the intertwined stories of several strangers who find their way to a kibbutz in the summer of 1994, and was partly inspired by her own brief stay on a kibbutz. Our other Jewish guest (we are short a Gentile of the Week–forgive us!) is legal schola
Genius Bar Ep. 32
This week on Unorthodox: Israeli settlers and Palestinians working together… to grow marijuana. Our Jewish guest is Eric Weiner, author of the new book, The Geography of Genius. He tells us the cities throughout history most conducive to breeding genius, how he really feels about Silicon Valley, and whether cats are smarter than dogs. Our Gentile of the Week is Katherine Connor Martin, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary and the New Oxford American Dictionary. She tells us why "Trumpmentum"
Miracle of Miracles Ep. 31
This week on Unorthodox: the Oscars' Jewish highlights (and lowlights). Our Jewish guest, Adam Kantor, plays the tailor Mottel Kamzoil in the Broadway revivial of "Fiddler on the Roof," which opened in December. He made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Mark Cohen in "Rent." Our Gentile of the Week is writer and comedian Mandy Stadtmiller. She discusses her new Unwifeable column for New York magazine (and her recent wedding) and the mysteries of Kabbalah. We love to hear from you! Email us at Unorth
Brand Awareness Ep. 30
Our Jewish guest this week is Ben Ostrower, whose design firm created Bernie Sanders’ logo. He tells us how campaign logos have evolved over time and how the Obama campaign catapulted branding and logos to the forefront of election-season consciousness. Our Gentile of the Week is Chris Eigeman, who made his acting debut as preppy New York City teen Nick Smith in Whit Stillman’s 1990 film, Metropolitan. He tells us about playing an Upper East Side WASP despite being from Denver and his latest dir
Family Matters Ep. 29
This week on Unorthodox: Klezmer aerobics and the strangest bris story you've ever heard. Our Jewish guest is Daniel Oppenheimer, author of the new book, Exit Right: The People Who Left the Left and Reshaped the American Century. He’s also—you guessed it—the brother of our host Mark Oppenheimer. Our Gentile of the Week is novelist and essayist Roxane Gay, whose latest book, Bad Feminist, cleverly tackles issues in contemporary feminism alongside considerations of culture, identity, and race. We
Unorthodox, Unorthodox, Make Me a Match Ep. 28
This week on a special Valentine’s Day episode, Unorthodox plays Yenta. Our Jewish guest is Jill Kargman—creator, writer, producer, and star of the Bravo comedy Odd Mom Out, a thinly-veiled satire of life and motherhood on the Upper East Side, a world the lifelong New Yorker is no stranger to and isn’t afraid to lampoon. A few weeks ago we put out a call for listeners who wanted to be set up by Unorthodox, and we were so overwhelmed by the amount and quality of the submissions we received that w
Hannah (Montana) and Her Sisters Ep. 27
This week on Unorthodox: Miley meets Woody. Our Jewish guest is word maven Lizzie Skurnick, whose book, That Should Be A Word, is based on her popular New York Times Magazine column of the same name. In 2013 she founded Lizzie Skurnick Books, which reissues classic young adult literature. Our Gentile of the Week is Bill Schulz, former co-host of Fox News Channel's 3 a.m. satirical talk show, Red Eye. He claims Amy Schumer, a frequent guest on Red Eye, based the terrible character Schultz in her
Expelliarmus! Ep. 26
This week on Unorthodox: Bloomberg, Bernie, and Trump, oh my! Our Jewish guest is Mark Seidenfeld, vice president and deputy general counsel at Scholastic, publisher of the wildly successful Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series. He tells us about traveling to Scotland to pick up a manuscript from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling—and then sitting on it during the flight back to New York to keep it safe. Our non-Jewish guest is bioethicist and writer Alice Dreger, whose new book, Gali
Bringing the Heat Ep. 25
Our Jewish guest this week is Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization whose mission includes ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, and which supports the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. She explains why she believes her organization's work is more important now than ever, and spars with Liel over the merits of BDS. Our Gentile of the Week is Mike Albo—writer, performer, and humorist—w
Arts and Letters Ep 24
This week on Unorthodox: Bar Refaeli baby watch begins, and Mel Gibson returns (shudder). Our Jewish guest is painter Archie Rand, whose new book, The 613, is the culmination of his most ambitious project yet: painting visual representations of each of Judaism’s 613 mitzvot, or commandments. Our Gentile of the Week is Catherine Burns, the longtime artistic director of the hit storytelling series The Moth. Her question to the panel is about Jewish burial traditions, and, characteristically, takes
Codes of Conduct Ep. 23
This week on Unorthodox: kosher marijuana, the great bagel scooping debate, and one very WASPy cardigan. Our Jewish guest is Bethany Mandel, author of the Convert's Bill of Rights, which she wrote after learning she was one of the women videotaped by Rabbi Barry Freundel while using the mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath. (The Orthodox rabbi was sentenced in May 2015 to 6 1/2 years in prison for filming more than 150 women, many of them converts, using the ritual bath.) Our Gentile of the Week is wri
The Best of Unorthodox in 2015 Ep. 22
From Drake to Bernie Sanders, Amy Schumer to the presidential election—and, of course, Israeli cats—we’ve covered a lot this year on Unorthodox. We’re ringing in the new year with a special compilation of our favorite moments from 2015, including never-before aired segments, highlights from our live shows, and guests Simon Doonan, sex therapist Bat Sheva Marcus, comedian Dave Hill, lexicographer Erin McKean, and more. Want more Unorthodox? Email us at Unorthodox@tabletmag.com, and sign
I'm Dreaming of an Unorthodox Christmas Ep. 21
This week, Unorthodox celebrates Christmas—or as we call it, Christian Hanukkah—the only way we know how: binge-watching Netflix (the new ‘going to a movie’) and eating Chinese food. We’re joined by Orange is the New Black’s Yael Stone, who tells us about playing the memorable Lorna Morello, a compulsive shopper and lovable stalker, on the hit Netflix show. Her newest role is as Peretta Jones on the SyFy series Childhood’s End, which you can binge-watch after you finish Season 3 of Oran
In Unorthodox We Trust Ep. 20
This week on Unorthodox, a special live taping from the nation's capital featuring Jewish food maven Joan Nathan and New Republic writer Elizabeth Bruenig, and much, much more This week, Unorthodox heads to our nation's capital for a special live episode at the Washington DCJCC. Our Jewish guest is food maven and Tablet contributor Joan Nathan, who discusses her Yemenite chicken soup recipe and explains why we're all missing out on Libyan Jewish cuisine. She tells us about her favorite chefs, vi
Leading Ladies Ep. 19
On this week's episode: America’s most badass Supreme Court Justice and TV’s most visible rabbi. Our Jewish guest is MSNBC reporter Irin Carmon, whose new book, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a smart, entertaining biography of the Supreme Court justice. She tells us about RBG’s recent turn as a feminist pop culture icon, her important role on the Supreme Court today, and the octogenarian’s impressive workout routine. Our non-Jewish guest is actress Kathryn Hahn, who
Unorthodox Celebrates Hanukkah Ep. 18
This week, we're, we’re ringing in the Festival of Lights with a special episode filled with Unorthodox holiday cheer, Adam Sandler’s updated “Hanukkah Song,” and a whole lot of latkes. We’re joined by Jewish competitive eater Don Moses Lerman, who comes out of retirement to see how many Russ & Daughters potato latkes he can eat in five minutes on the air. Tablet columnist Marjorie Ingall, who previously gave us a crash course in pre-Yom Kippur apologies, stops by with some advice o
A Very Unorthodox Thanksgiving Ep. 17
This Thanksgiving, we're thankful for good health, cats, and Drake. But mostly, dear listeners, we're thankful for you. Over the past 17 weeks, you've not only listened to our humble podcast, you've gotten your friends to listen, showed up at our first live taping, and, best of all, written to us to tell us exactly what you think of the show. A lot. We so appreciate you taking the time to write us (even when it's to tell us we talk too fast, or don't know what we're talking about) that
The Birds and the Bees Ep. 16
Our Jewish guest, Bat Sheva Marcus, is a sex counselor, podcast host, and president of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance. She tells us about the most common issues her patients face, the challenges of finding rabinically-approved erotica for observant Jews, and the importance of maintaining a sexual connection in long-term monogamous relationships. Our non-Jewish guest is Mallory Ortberg, founder and editor of feminist literary website the Toast, and Slate's new Dear Prudence advice columni
On a Mission Ep. 15
This week on Unorthodox: Preaching to the unconverted. Our Jewish guest is our very own editor-in-chief, Alana Newhouse. She talks to us about Tablet’s new print magazine and shares exclusive details from the first issue, which comes out next week. Our non-Jewish guest is Dr. Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a prolific writer and podcaster. The evangelical macher poses two questions to the panel: Why are Jews are so reliably Democratic? And what
Our Cats, Our Horas Ep. 14
This week on Unorthodox, our Jewish guest is journalist Alyssa Katz, a member of the New York Daily News editorial board. Her new book, "The Influence Machine," is about the vast political influence—and lobbying money—wielded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She tells the panel what the Chamber of Commerce actually is and how it got so powerful, and explains why, in today's social media-filled political climate, newspaper editorials still matter. Our non-Jewish guest is poet and high-school Eng
Animal Kingdom Ep. 13
This week marks the thirteenth episode of Unorthodox, and we’re ready to party like it’s our bar mitzvah all over again. Our Jewish guest is Wayne Hoffman, executive editor of Tablet and the author of several novels. His latest is An Older Man, which follows 42-year-old Moe Pearlman (the protagonist from Hoffman’s first novel, Hard, about New York City’s gay scene in the 1990s), as he deals with getting older and finding companionship during Bear Week in Provincetown, MA. Hoffman discusses bear
You Do You Ep. 12
This week on Unorthodox, James Franco’s star-studded bar mitzvah for charity (seriously, it raised $2.5 million); a viral video celebrating—with spoken word poetry—the diversity of the Jewish people; and how Malcolm Gladwell can help us understand the recent rash of violent stabbing attacks in Israel. Our Jewish guest is Shulem Deen, whose moving memoir, All Who Go Do Not Return, describes his journey out of the Skverer Hasidic sect. Deen—who’s now on the board of Footsteps, an organization that
School Spirit Ep. 11
This week, we present first-ever Unorthodox live show, recorded at the Slifka Center at Yale University. Our Jewish guest is Shelly Kagan, Clark Professor of Philosophy at Yale. He talks about his reputation as Tough Grader on Campus, and explains what it means that he’s a non-welfarist consequentialist. Our guest gentile of the week—who told us he preferred the term “token goy” or “goykin”—is humorist and WNPR radio host Colin McEnroe. He asked the panel why yarmulkes always seem to fall off hi
Text Messages Ep. 10
This week on Unorthodox, host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz discuss Amy Schumer's $8 million book deal, Ralph Lauren stepping down as CEO of his namesake brand, and Mahmoud Abbas's speech at the U.N. General Assembly. Our Jewish guest is best-selling essayist Sloane Crosley, whose first novel, 'The Clasp,' tells the story of college friends who reunited 10 years later and get swept up in a modern-day treasure hunt across Europe. She tells the
Law and Order Ep. 9
This week on Unorthodox, host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz discuss Ann Coulter's ill-advised tweet during the Republican presidential debate about "f---ing Jews"; the Pope's visit to the U.S.; and a campaign to end the little-known Jewish practice of Kapporos, in which chickens are ritually slaughtered before Yom Kippur. Our Jewish guest is defense lawyer and former Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, whose latest book is "Abraham: The Wor
Chai Fashion Ep. 8
This week on Unorthodox, host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz ring in the year 5776 with the latest news of the Jews. They sound off on a controversial New York Times feature that listed the Democrats in the House and Senate who voted against the Iran nuclear deal--and indicated which of those politicians were Jewish. (The 'Jewish?' column was quickly removed from the chart, and a correction was issued.) Our Jewish guest is writer, model, and
Holy Ground Ep. 7
Host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz sound off about public schools closing for Jewish holidays, and discuss a New York Times opinion piece about how some of the most violent West Bank extremists are from the United States. Rabbi Avi Shafran explains why he dislikes like the term ultra-Orthodox, why secular Jews shouldn't feel hostility towards more observant Jews (and vice versa), and why he doesn't accept reform conversions. Guest non-Jew Al
Hard to Say I'm Sorry Ep. 6
This special Yom Kippur episode of Unorthodox features stories about apologies from host Mark Oppenheimer, writer and Harvard Divinity student Shira Telushkin, and Tablet's Esther Werdiger. What happens when an apology goes wrong? What happens when we’ve done something so awful we can’t face the other person? What happens when somebody apologizes to us—and we can’t forgive? Special guest Marjorie Ingall, who blogs at sorrywatch.com, offers her five rules for what makes a good apology. F
Did You Hear The One About Ep. 5
Tablet staffers Mark Oppenheimer, Liel Leibovitz, and Stephanie Butnick sound off on the news of the week, including the death of the world’s oldest living Jew and a Palestinian prisoner's hunger strike. New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman discusses Amy Schumer, Sarah Silverman, and the new Jewish comedy. Dan Savage, this week's guest non-Jew, asks a question about a long-ago romance lost in translation: specifically, his German boyfriend thinking he was Jewish. Follow Jason Zin
No Business Like Show Business Ep. 4
Tablet staffers Mark Oppenheimer, Liel Leibovitz, and Stephanie Butnick sound off about Jewish rapper Matisyahu getting booted from a Spanish reggae festival for refusing to condemn Israel; Jews in Hollywood signing off on the Iran deal; and former NWA manager Jerry Heller's portrayal in the new film "Straight Outta Compton." Katha Pollitt, longtime columnist for The Nation, discusses being portrayed by Patricia Clarkson in the upcoming film, "Learning to Drive," and the recent political attacks
All's Fair in Love and J-War Ep. 3
Tablet staffers Mark Oppenheimer, Liel Leibovitz, and Stephanie Butnick sound off about the (legal) battle of the Jewish dating apps, a crowd-funded effort to reelect Canada's Jewish prime minister, and a Nazi-themed romance novel. Ophira Eisenberg, stand-up comic and host of NPR's quiz show 'Ask Me Another,' discusses the politics of strangers touching pregnant women's bumps, and why her NPR celebrity status matters not at all to her big Canadian family. Humor writer and guest non-Jew Henry Alf
Return of the Shiksa Ep. 2
Host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz discuss this year’s European Maccabiah Games—a Jewish Olympics of sorts—which are being held this week in Berlin at the stadium Hitler built for the 1936 Olympics. They also sound off on Mike Huckabee’s ill-advised Holocaust analogy, and an investigation into academic rigor at New York City’s Orthodox yeshivas. Celebrity ghostwriter Hilary Liftin discusses her new novel, Movie Star By Lizzie Pepper, a tell-all writte
Sandler vs. Samberg: Ep 1
Host Mark Oppenheimer and Tablet staffers Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz sound off about gay marriage in Israel, the suicide of a formerly Orthodox young woman, and Adam Sandler's latest movie. New York Times bestselling author A.J. Jacobs discusses his latest project: hosting the world's largest family reunion and compiling a massive family tree that includes President Obama, Judge Judy, and yes, Adam Sandler. Writer and 'This American Life' contributor Elna Baker describes leaving the Mo
A New Podcast From The Editors Of Tablet Magazine
Your first listen to the new podcast from the editors of Tablet Magazine.