Liel Leibovitz sits down with the French philosopher, journalist, and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy to discuss his new book, Israel Alone

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 month

Then, 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. 

 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.

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.

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 NYC that’s serving non-traditional flavors while still hewing to the legacy of traditional Jewish food.

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 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. 

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. 

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 [email protected], 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/podcasts.

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

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 tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming platform, presents Kafka, its newest exclusive drama series on the life of legendary author Franz Kafka. Starring Joel Basman, David Kross, and Christian Friedel, the show uncovers the mysteries, scandals, romances, and imagination of the author behind masterpieces like The Metamorphosis. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and use code KAFKAPOD at checkout for 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

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.

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 camp’s former commandant, Rudolph Höss. 

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming platform, presents Kafka, its newest exclusive drama series on the life of legendary author Franz Kafka. Starring Joel Basman, David Kross, and Christian Friedel, the show uncovers the mysteries, scandals, romances, and imagination of the author behind masterpieces like The Metamorphosis. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and use code KAFKAPOD at checkout for 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

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 Kaddish for his father. 

Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin of Wisdom Without Walls explains the big ideas behind his new book, Tikkun Ha’am/Repairing Our People: Reimagining Liberal Judaism in America, which calls for a renewed emphasis on Jewish responsibility. 

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming platform, presents Kafka, its newest exclusive drama series on the life of legendary author Franz Kafka. Starring Joel Basman, David Kross, and Christian Friedel, the show uncovers the mysteries, scandals, romances, and imagination of the author behind masterpieces like The Metamorphosis. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and use code KAFKAPOD at checkout for 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

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 professor inspired her love of Jewish stories, explains why it’s so important to examine women’s lives, in the Bible and beyond. 

Lili Shain tells us about Torah Stitch by Stitch, a project started by the late artist Temma Gentles, in which people around the world cross-stitched panels featuring every verse in the Torah. If you’re as excited by Torah Stitch by Stitch as we are, you’re in luck: We’re going to be hosting a Beautifully Jewish stitch-along where we’ll all learn to cross stitch together. We’ll be stitching meaningful verses selected for us by Lili Shain herself. Join us at tabletm.ag/beautiful to become a member and get access to the pattern and instructional videos (you don’t need any experience in cross stitching, we promise!). 

Daniella Rabbani and Zalmen Mlotek perform “Der Eybershter Iz Der Mekhutn,” or “The Almighty Is The Bride’s Father,” a Yiddish song about the relationship between the Jews, the Torah, and the divine. You can read the English translation here. 

We’re keeping the Shavuot learning going: Join us Tuesday, June 11 from 9 p.m. to midnight for a special event featuring Liel Leibovitz, Tablet critic-at-large Marco Roth, and special guests reading and moderating a discussion of modernist literature in the upstairs lounge of The Russian Samovar at 256 West 52nd Street in Manhattan. In the spirit of Shavuot, expect riffing on passages by Marcel Proust, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, as well as from the Torah. Register here.

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Since October 7, Meir Panim has provided over 2.5 million meals, essential items, and care packages to IDF soldiers and displaced families, as well as organizing events and daily support for thousands. Donate at meirpanim.org/unorthodox. 

ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming platform, presents Kafka, its newest exclusive drama series on the life of legendary author Franz Kafka. Starring Joel Basman, David Kross, and Christian Friedel, the show uncovers the mysteries, scandals, romances, and imagination of the author behind masterpieces like The Metamorphosis. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and use code KAFKAPOD at checkout for 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

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, but apathy towards our connection to God? Tune in to find out.

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality, and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Thought WhatsApp group, where Sivan sends small insights about Judaism and current affairs.

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Since October 7, Meir Panim has provided over 2.5 million meals, essential items, and care packages to IDF soldiers and displaced families, as well as organizing events and daily support for thousands. Donate at meirpanim.org/unorthodox. 

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 institute, organized by the Aleph Institute.  

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Koren Jerusalem, the largest religious Zionist publisher in the world, has published roughly 1,500 titles in Hebrew and English over the last sixty years. You can pre-order the English translation of the bestselling book One Day In October, documenting the stories of the heroes of October 7, at korenpub.com.

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 heard in today’s episode are: “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, “Hallelujah” performed by Milk and Honey, “Diva” by Dana International, and “Toy” by Netta Barzilai. 

Remember Shavit Romero, the gentile IDF soldier whose story we brought you a few weeks ago? He was just released from the hospital and now his real battle is beginning. If you’d like to support him as he recovers, you can chip in here:

https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/shavit

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

On May 21 at 7pm, The 14th Street Y in New York City is hosting a conversation with cast members from the Tony-nominated play Prayer for the French Republic. Cast members including Tony nominee Betsy Aidem will talk about the play’s themes of Jewish identity, French culture, and Zionism in times of rising antisemitism. Visit 14streety.org to learn more and get tickets to Broadway at 14Y. 

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 Barnard College senior Noa Fay about speaking out as a Zionist during weeks of disruption from anti-Israel protests. 

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

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’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

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 see what’s happening on campus and talk to students.

Plus, we’re sharing a recent Tablet conversation, moderated by Liel, between professors Shai Davidai of Columbia and Ron Hassner of Berkeley about their efforts to combat antisemitism on their campuses. 

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 Tablet member Zoom on May 9 discussing the issues raised by participants. Find out more at tabletmag.com/sovietjews. 

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 is performed by Paul and Lila Shapiro.)

Jenny Rozbruch, who designed our Unorthodox and Beautifully Jewish logos, shows us the handmade biography she made for her survivor grandmother whose memories had begun to fade. 

Producers Courtney Hazlett and Elie Bleier join photographer Ken Taranto as he documents the damage done to the south of Israel on October 7th, as well as the efforts to rebuild. 

Author Rebecca Sugar discusses her new novel, Everything Is a Little Broken, based heavily on caring for her dad as he ages. 

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, is feeding vulnerable Israelis struggling with cost-of-living increases and the many other impacts of the war. Donations make a difference: $180 provides 130 rescued meals, leaving no one behind this Passover. Visit www.Leket.org/en to donate today. 

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger works to help the millions of people struggling daily with food insecurity, both in the U.S. and Israel. Make a gift at MAZON.org to help ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families with dignity, this Passover and beyond.

Meir Panim has served over one million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless due to the conflict. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

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 need, including many affected by October 7th and the war. 

We also meet Joseph Gitler, who founded Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, to rescue leftover food from farms and restaurants and distribute it to pantries, shelters, and now, temporary housing for displaced Israelis. 

Abby Leibman, president and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, discusses the organization’s efforts to fight hunger through national policy making both in the U.S. and Israel. 

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Meir Panim has served over one million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless due to the conflict. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, is feeding vulnerable Israelis struggling with cost-of-living increases and the many other impacts of the war. Donations make a difference: $180 provides 130 rescued meals, leaving no one behind this Passover. Visit www.Leket.org/en to donate today. 

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger works to help the millions of people struggling daily with food insecurity, both in the U.S. and Israel. Make a gift at MAZON.org to help ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families with dignity, this Passover and beyond.

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

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 by Hamas. 

Mixologist Pam Wiznitzer shares her Ten Plagues cocktail recipes, which she will be debuting this Sunday, April 14, at Tablet’s Passover Pop-Up in New York City. 

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, is feeding vulnerable Israelis struggling with cost-of-living increases and the many other impacts of the war. Donations make a difference: $180 provides 130 rescued meals, leaving no one behind this Passover. Visit www.Leket.org/en to donate today. 

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Meir Panim has served over one million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless due to the conflict. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger works to help the millions of people struggling daily with food insecurity, both in the U.S. and Israel. Make a gift at MAZON.org to help ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families with dignity, this Passover and beyond.

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 food pantry for asylum seekers and stateless residents in Israel struggling with food insecurity. 

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is offering a spring Omer course called “Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character Through Mindfulness and Middot.” Building on the Institute’s 25 years of teaching Jewish mindfulness practices, the course covers Tikkun Middot, the practice of developing desirable character traits. Register by April 7th at JewishSpirituality.org.

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, is feeding vulnerable Israelis struggling with cost-of-living increases and the many other impacts of the war. Donations make a difference: $180 provides 130 rescued meals, leaving no one behind this Passover. Visit www.Leket.org/en to donate today. 

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger works to help the millions of people struggling daily with food insecurity, both in the U.S. and Israel. Make a gift at MAZON.org to help ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families with dignity, this Passover and beyond.

Meir Panim has served over one million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless due to the conflict. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

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 tell us about her debut novel, Blank, plus how she’s helping fight antisemitism in the publishing world. 

Stranger Things actor Brett Gelman discusses his new short story collection, The Terrifying Realm of the Possible, as well as his experience being loudly and proudly Jewish online in the wake of the October 7th attacks.  

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

Meir Panim has served over one million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless due to the conflict. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is offering a spring Omer course called “Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character Through Mindfulness and Middot.” Building on the Institute’s 25 years of teaching Jewish mindfulness practices, the course covers Tikkun Middot, the practice of developing desirable character traits. Register by April 7th at JewishSpirituality.org.

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger works to help the millions of people struggling daily with food insecurity, both in the U.S. and Israel. Make a gift at MAZON.org to help ensure that everyone can feed themselves and their families with dignity, this Passover and beyond.

Leket, Israel’s National Food Bank, is feeding vulnerable Israelis struggling with cost-of-living increases and the many other impacts of the war. Donations make a difference: $180 provides 130 rescued meals, leaving no one behind this Passover. Visit www.Leket.org/en to donate today. 

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 journalist and Torah scholar Sivan Rahav-Meir sits down with our own Liel Leibovitz to draw out practical advice from that week’s Torah reading. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Beautifully Jewish is brought to you with support from Lion Brand Yarns, a fifth-generation, family-owned business passionate about helping people enjoy the pleasures of working with yarn, and committed to creating a more colorful, connected, comforting, and caring world.

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Get 50% off a new subscription and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at ChaiFlicks.com.

Meir Panim has served over 1 million meals to Israelis in need since the start of the war, many of them displaced and jobless. Consider a donation to Meir Panim at israelcharity.org to bring hope to their Passover tables.

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Berkeley Moshav is a multigenerational Jewish cohousing community in Berkeley, California. Open to all backgrounds and family types, Berkeley Moshav offers family-focused, Jewishly diverse living. To learn more, visit BerkeleyMoshav.org and sign up for an information session.

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Get started at JCFNY.org.

The Institute for Jewish Spirituality is offering a spring Omer course called “Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character Through Mindfulness and Middot.” Building on the Institute’s 25 years of teaching Jewish mindfulness practices, the course covers Tikkun Middot, the practice of developing desirable character traits. Register by April 7 at JewishSpirituality.org.

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, where he continues the mission of his father, the late Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, to make Jewish knowledge more accessible through translation and explanation. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management is offering a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation that can be earned while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

The Shalom Hartman Institute’s newest podcast, TEXTing, delves into Torah texts to find relevant insights for modern life. On each episode, Rosh Beit Midrash Elana Stein Hain invites Hartman scholars to consider a different Torah text. Listen at shalomhartman.org/texting or wherever you get your podcasts.  

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Kohler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started. 

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 Yidcore.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management invites you to consider earning your Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

The Shalom Hartman Institute welcomes you to listen to their newest podcast, TEXTing hosted by their Rosh Beit Midrash, Elana Stein Hain. On each episode, Stein Hain invites Hartman scholars to delve into a Torah text and find relevant insights for modern life. Listen at shalomhartman.org/texting or wherever you get your podcasts.

Unorthodox is off this week, but today we're sharing an episode from the Tablet podcast What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead

This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Putin endorsing Biden, Putin dissing Tucker Carlson, Trump dissing NATO, and Biden stumbling in the Middle East.

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 and Liel Leibovitz of Unorthodox.

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 share an interview from a recent Beautifully Jewish craft-along with Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz and his mother. Since October 7, Dillz has been rapping about Jewish toughness in his songs “Bring the Family Home” and “Watermelon,” while his mother has been knitting hats for IDF soldiers.

Beautifully Jewish is brought to you in part by Lion Brand Yarns, a fifth-generation, family-owned business that is passionate about helping people enjoy the pleasures of working with yarn and committed to creating a more colorful, connected, comforting, and caring world.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management invites you to consider earning your Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

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 for talk show longevity. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum this winter for its new exhibit, "First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art." Now on view through April 28. Book tickets today at thecjm.org. 

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 at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum this winter for its new exhibit, "First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art." Now on view through April 28. Book tickets today at thecjm.org.

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. 

Plus, we share another installment of Beautifully Jewish, our series dedicated to celebrating the objects that enrich our Jewish lives. This time, Stephanie and Tanya travel to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center to see a very special dress with a very special story behind it. This segment was created with the support of Lion Brand Yarns. 

Episode art courtesy of Illinois Holocaust Museum, gift in memory of Cantor Leopold Fleischer and family. 

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum this winter for its new exhibit, "First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art." Now on view through April 28. Book tickets today at thecjm.org. 

Lion Brand Yarns is a fifth generation, family-owned business, sold online, at National Craft chains, Mass Market and independent shops. Lion Brand Yarns is passionate about helping people enjoy the pleasures of working with yarn and committed to creating a more colorful, connected, comforting, and caring world.

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 [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum this winter for its new exhibit, "First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art." Now on view through April 28. Book tickets today at thecjm.org.

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 read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum this winter for its new exhibit, "First Light: Rituals of Glass and Neon Art." Now on view through April 28. Book tickets today at thecjm.org. 

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 Michael Doran. You can follow along on Tablet at tabletmag.com/israelupdate. 

Finally, we’re sharing another installment of our country-crossing series, Across the JEW.S.A, created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. Liel travels north to Montreal to visit one of the oldest Jewish communities in Canada. You can catch up on all our travels Across the JEW.S.A. at tabletmag.com/jewsa. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: . 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

NLI, the National Library of Israel, proudly supports our series The Archive. Discover the treasures, collections, and stories of the National Library of Israel here.

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Don’t miss Harmony, the acclaimed new musical from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman that Entertainment Weekly calls “powerful, moving and more resonant than ever.” Get tickets today at HarmonyANewMusical.com.

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 individuals and organizations featured this week and ways to support them, head to tabletmag.com/unorthodoxinisrael.

For more eyewitness accounts from Israel, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation. 

Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 a 700-year-old Coptic Christian tattoo shop in Jerusalem’s Christian quarter, where one of our producers gets some ink.

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, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation. 

Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Don’t miss Harmony, the acclaimed new musical from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman that Entertainment Weekly calls “powerful, moving and more resonant than ever.” Get tickets today at HarmonyANewMusical.com.

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 eyewitness accounts from Israel, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation. 

Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 and ways to support them, head to tabletmag.com/unorthodoxinisrael.

For more eyewitness accounts from Israel, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation. 

Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation. 

Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet.

Write to us at [email protected], 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/podcasts.

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 pick-me-up. Sunflowers founder Hadar Kess tells us about her work to help orphaned Israeli children. We bring you a story from our Testimonies Archive, about the 30 day memorial, or shloshim, of Nova music festival victim Oriya Ricardo, and the surprising musical guest who was there. We learn about the heroism of Awad Darawshe, a paramedic murdered at the Nova music festival on October 7th. Brett and Diana Abrams tell us about creating Pizza 4 Moms, which allows Americans to donate meals to be delivered to Israeli families. Danielle Butin tells us about the work that her foundation, Afya, is doing to donate surplus US medical supplies to Israel. And finally, Producer Josh Kross takes to the streets of Tel Aviv to investigate the latest in the quest to make the perfect sufganiyah. 

Listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel.

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: . 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. In good times or during times of crisis, JCF enables you to respond quickly. Open a fund with as little as $5,000 and let JCF streamline your charitable giving. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Don’t miss Harmony, the acclaimed new musical from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman that audiences are raving about. It’s “powerful, moving and more resonant than ever” says Entertainment Weekly and what we need in a world full of discord. Get tickets today at HarmonyANewMusical.com.

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 from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. In good times or during times of crisis, JCF enables you to respond quickly. Open a fund with as little as $5,000 and let JCF streamline your charitable giving. Act by December 29th to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at JCFNY.org.

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum on December 9 for Shabbat at Jewseum to celebrate Hanukkah with a day of art, stories, and community. Book tickets at thecjm.org. 

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Be proudly Jewish with our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, covering everything from Jewish history and pop culture to holidays and food. Get a 20% discount on Newish Jewish and the entire Artisan Books Hanukkah shop with code UNORTHODOX. 

Don’t miss Harmony, the acclaimed new musical from Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman that audiences are raving about. It’s “powerful, moving and more resonant than ever,” says Entertainment Weekly. Get your tickets today at HarmonyANewMusical.com.

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. She was diagnosed with ALS at age 33 and joins us to talk about her experience having a terminal illness at such a young age, and how she’s raising awareness about the realities of ALS. 

Join us at Tablet’s first ever Hanukkah Bazaar in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Get your tickets at hanukkahbazaar.com.

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

The Jewish Communal Fund is the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Open a fund with as little as $5,000 and let JCF streamline your charitable giving. Act by Dec. 29 to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at jcfny.org.

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum on December 9 for Shabbat at Jewseum to celebrate Hanukkah with a day of art, stories, and community. Book tickets at thecjm.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Be proudly Jewish with our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, covering everything from Jewish history and pop culture to holidays and food. Get a 20% discount on Newish Jewish and the entire Artisan Books Hanukkah shop with code UNORTHODOX.

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 Gross, who just days before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks had organized Israel’s first fiber festival. 

Join our new Beautifully Jewish Facebook group at tabletm.ag/beautifullyfb.

Shop for all things beautiful and Jewish at Tablet’s first ever Hanukkah Bazaar in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 11am-7pm. Get your tickets at hanukkahbazaar.com. 

Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along! We’re meeting virtually every Monday in November to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The Jewish Communal Fund is the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. Open a fund with as little as $5,000 and let JCF streamline your charitable giving. Act by December 29 to lock in the maximum charitable deduction for 2023. Get started at jcfny.org. 

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 talents toward helping his fellow Israelis who are looking for hope, and a bit of entertainment. 

And finally, Stephanie catches up with her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister, LeElle Slifer, who has several relatives who were abducted or murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7. LeElle tells us why it’s been so important to share her family’s story widely here in the U.S. 

Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along. We’re meeting virtually every Monday in November to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum on December 9 for Shabbat at Jewseum to celebrate Hanukkah with a day of art, stories, and community. Book tickets at thecjm.org. 

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Be proudly Jewish with our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, covering everything from Jewish history and pop culture to holidays and food. Get a 20% discount on Newish Jewish and the entire Artisan Books Hanukkah shop with code UNORTHODOX.

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. 

Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along! We’re meeting virtually every Monday in November to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

Be proudly Jewish with our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, covering everything from Jewish history and pop culture to holidays and food. Get a 20% discount on Newish Jewish and the entire Artisan Books Hanukkah shop with code UNORTHODOX. 

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 Philadelphia. The conference was inspired by “Jewish Priorities: Sixty-five proposals for the future of our people,” a collection of 65 essays from notable Jewish thinkers about the most pressing issues facing Jews today.

Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along! We’re meeting virtually every Monday in November to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, opening October 15th. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.

The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History teaches the powerful and true stories of Jewish life in America as an antidote to antisemitism. Visitors of all backgrounds can engage with the varied and vibrant history of American Jews. Find out more at TheWeitzman.org.

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 Israel began and sheds light on what our role is amidst it. 

We’re also joined by artist Jeanette Kuvin Oren, who you may remember from last year’s Hanukkah episode. She tells us about the art classes she’s been teaching to displaced children in Israel. 

Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along. Over the next 6 weeks, we’re going to meet virtually to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and to support the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.     

The croched star in this week's episode art is by Adi Assas who you can find on Instagram: @adidiloops

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. 

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, opening October 15th. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

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 Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here.

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionists, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

The Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust’s newest exhibit is ‘Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark.’ Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater presents Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust, running Nov. 14 to Dec. 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org.

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 eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here.

Write to us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 Malkeinu” performed by Regina Spektor, and “Eli, Eli” sung by from Jenny Penkin and J.Lamotta.

Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from the Hamas massacre in Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage of the war here.

Reach us at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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.

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: preorder the book (from the publisher, your local bookstore, or anywhere else), upload a picture or screenshot of your receipt to tabletm.ag/preorder and fill out the short, accompanying form. You’ll then get invited to a special virtual event with Liel and will get entered to win one of 10 gift packages curated by Liel himself! 

We also interview Leore Dayan, the creator and screenwriter of Normal, a new, semi-autobiographical Israeli TV show from Israeli production company Dori Media that’s currently available to stream on ChaiFlicks. Leore is the grandson of Israeli military legend Moshe Dayan and the son of famed director Assi Dayan. He shares with us how his complicated family legacy impacted him and informed Normal. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, opening October 15th. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. 

The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

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 Adam Baldachin of Shaarei Tikvah, artist Yaeli Vogel (Unorthodox listeners get 10% off using that link), and the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. You can see photos and more at tabletmag.com/beautifullyjewish.

Then we’re bringing you the latest installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. We learn how Napoleon left his comfort zone and ended up in Israel, a story that ends with the French giving away the Rosetta Stone in exchange for a ride home. 

And finally, we hear from producer Josh Kross, who never really connected with Sukkot until he moved upstate and reconsidered how his rural home is sort of like a permanent sukkah. 

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!). We appreciate your support. 

Share your favorite beautifully Jewish things in our Unorthodox Facebook group, via email at [email protected], or on social media using the hashtag #beautifullyjewish. Leave a message on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Special thanks to Josh Mack and Rebecca Frank of the Museum of Jewish Heritage. The Aryeh Steinberger sukkah panels panel loan by Jehuda, George, Robert and Paul, sons of Jeno and Piroska Lindenblatt. Lower panel loan by Magda Tewner, granddaughter of Aryeh Steinberger. In addition, the Museum acknowledges with appreciation Irene White, and Richard and Alexander Platschek and Perel Rosenfeld, children of Andor Platschek Weiss. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

NLI, the National Library of Israel, proudly supports our series The Archive. Discover the treasures, collections, and stories of the National Library of Israel here.

American Jewish University (AJU) invites you to join them for their fall semester of online learning. To learn more and register, visit aju.edu/open and use code Unorthodox for a 10% discount.

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 other. She tells us why we should be working out our “empathy muscles,” and what we can learn when we finally shut up and listen.

We chat with Mitchell Silk, the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Markets (and the first Hasidic Jew to be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position in the federal government). He recently published the first English translation of the Kedushas Levi, a classic Hasidic commentary on the Torah. He shares how communication, whether in Chinese, Hebrew, or English, is the key to revealing what we all have in common. 

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!). We appreciate your support. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

This High Holiday season, help HIAS provide vital services to refugees in more than 20 countries around the world. All donations through September 22 will be matched, doubling your impact. You can learn more at hias.org/unorthodox. 

American Jewish University (AJU) invites you to join them for their Fall semester of online learning. To learn more and register, visit aju.edu/open and use code unorthodox for a 10% discount.

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. He tells us about the experience of making a film about one of Israel’s most iconic figures, working with Helen Mirren, and more.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

This High Holiday season, help HIAS provide vital services to refugees in more than 20 countries around the world. All donations through September 22 will be matched, doubling your impact. You can learn more at hias.org/unorthodox.

American Jewish University (AJU) invites you to join them for their Fall semester of online learning. To learn more and register, visit aju.edu/open and use code unorthodox for a 10% discount.

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 connect with. 

We’re starting our journey at the very beginning: Gabriel Goldstein, interim director and chief curator at Yeshiva University Museum, helps us understand the deep connection between Jews and things, tracing it all the way back to the creation of the Mishkan, in Exodus. Fiber artist Heather Stoltz shows us the High Holiday Torah covers she made for her synagogue, Temple Israel Center of White Plains. And Tanya teaches Stephanie to knit, helping her on her journey to explore the many ways in which Judaism celebrates beauty and craft. 

Share your favorite beautifully Jewish things in our unorthodox Facebook group, via email at [email protected], or on social media using the hashtag #beautifullyjewish.  

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

HIAS: This High Holiday season, help HIAS provide vital services to refugees in more than 20 countries around the world. All donations through September 22 will be matched, doubling your impact. You can learn more at hias.org/unorthodox.

American Jewish University (AJU) invites you to join them for their Fall semester of online learning. To learn more and register, visit aju.edu/open and use code unorthodox for a 10% discount.

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 chat with co-founders Seth Goldman and Julie Farkas about the surprising Jewish ethos behind the business and their work to make burgers available to people of all faiths. 

We’re also taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A to the thriving Orthodox community in the Catskills. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on the rest of our travels across the JEW.S.A. at tabletmag.com/jewsa.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is fighting hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. Visit mazon.org/unorthodox to join their fight to end hunger: Right now your donation will be doubled, up to $100,000!

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 exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. This week, we dive into the library’s music collection and sound archive. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

Cutting Edge Foods is a family business that has been producing premium kosher meats for over four decades. Get 10% off your order at cuttingedgefoods.com with the code UNORTHODOX. 

NLI, the National Library of Israel, proudly supports our series The Archive. Discover the treasures, collections, and stories of the National Library of Israel here.

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, we talk with Rabbi Diana Fersko about her new book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism. (The other book Rabbi Fersko recommends is Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition, by David Mirenberg.) 

We’re also sharing our favorite archival excerpts from our 2021 Elul podcast, How to Fix a Soul in 30 Days, hosted by Kylie Unell.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. 

The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut, is a podcast that explores what holds us together in divided times. Listen to their latest episode about social media at jfeds.org/podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Cutting Edge Foods is a family business that has been producing premium kosher meats for over 4 decades. Get 10% off your order at cuttingedgefoods.com with the code UNORTHODOX.

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. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on the rest of our travels across the JEW.S.A. at tabletmag.com/jewsa.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

PJ Library sends thousands of children free Jewish storybooks and activities every month. Sign up Jewish kids from age zero to 12 to start reading this summer at pjlibrary.org/unorthodox.  

Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire.

The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut, is a podcast that explores what holds us together in divided times. Listen to their latest episode about social media at jfeds.org/podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 the history of Islam. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

PJ Library sends thousands of children free Jewish storybooks and activities every month. Sign up Jewish kids from age zero to 12 to start reading this summer at pjlibrary.org/unorthodox.  

NLI, the National Library of Israel proudly supports our series The Archive. Discover the treasures, collections, and stories of the National Library of Israel here.

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 Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds.”

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS

The Lesson stars Doron Ben-David (Steve from Fauda) and just won Israel’s Best TV Drama Series award. The show is streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, and you can get 40% off your new subscription by using the code LESSONPOD at checkout.

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 deputy editor Jeremy Stern, to discuss the show and play a segment. You can subscribe to What Really Matters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869.

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com.

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS

The Lesson stars Doron Ben-David (Steve from Fauda) and just won Israel’s Best TV Drama Series award. The show is streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, and you can get 40% off your new subscription by using the code LESSONPOD at checkout.

Betrayal: The Failure of American Jewish Leadership is a new book edited by Dr. Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser. Get your copy at Amazon and check out their movement to challenge Jewish leaders at jewishleadershipproject.org.

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 support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on the rest of our travels across the JEW.S.A. at tabletmag.com/jewsa.  

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS

The Lesson stars Doron Ben-David (Steve from Fauda) and just won Israel’s Best TV Drama Series award. The show is streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, and you can get 40% off your new subscription by using the code LESSONPOD at checkout.

Betrayal: The Failure of American Jewish Leadership is a new book edited by Dr. Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser. Get your copy at Amazon and check out their movement to challenge Jewish leaders at jewishleadershipproject.org.

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, Mom and Dad Are Fighting. He joins us to share some of the unconventional advice he’s received.

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 Gandhi’s surprising letter to Hitler, and his correspondence with the Jews of Bombay.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869.

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com.

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS

Hebrew College offers educators a Master in Jewish Education degree, graduate certificates, and non-credit options like short courses, workshops, and coaching. Learn more at hebrewcollege.edu/matarot. 

NLI, the National Library of Israel proudly supports our series The Archive. Discover the treasures, collections, and stories of the National Library of Israel here. 

NATIV is a college leadership gap-year program that invites you to explore Israel from big cities to small villages and historical sites. Grow your independence, make lifelong friends and participate in specialized leadership seminars. Apply today at www.nativ.org. 

Betrayal: The Failure of American Jewish Leadership is a new book edited by Dr. Charles Jacobs and Avi Goldwasser. Get your copy at Amazon and check out their movement to challenge Jewish leaders at jewishleadershipproject.org.

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 Come, and share his insights about the challenges and joys of fatherhood, baseball, and Little League.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869.

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS

Hebrew College offers educators a Master in Jewish Education degree, graduate certificates, and non-credit options like short courses, workshops, and coaching. Learn more at hebrewcollege.edu/matarot

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 issues within the Church, as well as his last book, Learn to Pray and the upcoming Come Forth. 

Join us June 22 for a special Unorthodox night on Broadway! We have a block of orchestra tickets for Leopoldstadt, starring our new co-host Joshua Malina, and after the show Stephanie and Liel will do a Q&A on-stage with Joshua. Get your tickets at bit.ly/uobroadway.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Soul Doctor - On June 13th, experience the untold story of the powerful friendship between high priestess of soul, Nina Simone, and Jewish music icon Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach on the big screen. For one day only, movie theaters nationwide will be screening "Soul Doctor," the smash-hit Broadway musical the New York Times called "inspiring and absorbing with beautiful music." Visit SoulDoctorMovie.com.

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 Jazz Fest and a very special Shabbat. 

Join is June 22 for a special Unorthodox night on Broadway! We have a block of orchestra tickets for Leopoldstadt, starring our new co-host Joshua Malina, and after the show Stephanie and Liel will do a Q&A on-stage with Joshua. Get your tickets at bit.ly/uobroadway.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

PJ Library sends thousands of children free Jewish storybooks and activities every month. Sign up Jewish kids from age zero to twelve to start reading this summer at pjlibrary.org/unorthodox.  

The Jewish Federations of North America represent over 350 Jewish communities in the U.S. and Canada and raise and distribute more than $1 billion annually to build flourishing Jewish communities domestically, in Israel, and around the world. Find out more at jewishfederations.org.

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 Matchmaking. We chat with him about the pressure of representing Judaism on TV, and what his mom thinks of the hit show. 

Our Gentile of the Week is actor Aaron Neil, who plays Ernst in Leopoldstadt on Broadway and shares a dressing room with our own Joshua Malina. He tells us about originating the role of Ernst in London before the show came to Broadway, shares his experience being part of the beloved film ‘Paddington 2,’ and discusses his own faith journey. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

PJ Library sends thousands of children free Jewish storybooks and activities every month. Sign up Jewish kids from age zero to twelve to start reading this summer at pjlibrary.org/unorthodox. 

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 Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and a research associate at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. She consults with Jewish clergy and congregations and has written two books about intermarriage: Still Jewish: A History of Women & Intermarriage in America and Marrying Out: Jewish Men, Intermarriage, and Fatherhood. 

Next we talk with Vicki Messler, who works at a Jewish day school, helps with programming at her local JCC, and is raising a Jewish family, all while not being halachically Jewish herself. She tells us why she’s committed to creating Jewish community, and about her own faith journey. 

Then we hear a candid conversation between our own Liel Leibovitz and his wife Lisa Ann Sandell, which was excerpted from their appearance on Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin’s 18Forty podcast. Liel and Lisa, who are both Jewish, discuss what happened when Liel started living a more observant life about a decade ago, keeping kosher and praying regularly, and taking on a host of other practices that Lisa hadn’t necessarily signed on for as his spouse. Their honest and intimate discussion reveals how we’re all evolving in our Jewish practice, and how those changes play out within ourselves, our families, and our communities. 

Finally, we call up the listener who wrote to us asking, as an “aspiring Jew” going through the conversion process, whether she would ever feel Jewish enough. Spoiler alert: We’re all Jewish enough. 

We want to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 collection of the National Library of Israel. Liel takes a look at Maimonides’ 12th-century manuscripts and learns about the Jewish thinker’s nomadic adventures.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Join Hadassah for “Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges,” a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

Tivnu is a gap year program that brings high school grads to Portland, Oregon for social justice internships, adventures in the Pacific Northwest, and Jewish inspiration. Attend a Tivnu info session on May 18 at 8 p.m. EST, and find out more at tivnu.org.

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 Portland, ME, to learn how Jewish immigrants made a home there, and how today’s Jewish community is helping new immigrants feel at home, too. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Join Hadassah for “Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges,” a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

The Inaugural Global Jewish Fertility Support Summit is taking place Sunday, May 7 via Zoom, and features prominent voices from major fertility organizations worldwide. Learn more and register for FREE at iwassupposedtohaveababy.org.  

Tivnu is a gap year program that brings high school grads to Portland, Oregon for social justice internships, adventures in the Pacific Northwest, and Jewish inspiration. Attend a Tivnu info session on May 18 at 8 p.m. EST, and find out more at tivnu.org.

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Join Hadassah for “Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges,” a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

storymark is a podcast about leaders and the moments that make them. Each guest is leaving a unique mark on their industry and the world—and all are anchored by a connection to Israel. Learn more at storymarkpodcast.org.

The Inaugural Global Jewish Fertility Support Summit is taking place Sunday, May 7 via Zoom, and features prominent voices from major fertility organizations worldwide. Learn more and register for FREE at iwassupposedtohaveababy.org. 

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: The Tablet Guide, a new book edited by Liel Leibovitz and Tablet Magazine. Unorthodox listeners are invited to an exclusive Zoom webinar with Liel where he will discuss the history of Zionism and answer your questions, free with purchase of a copy of the book. Register at tabletm.ag/listenerzoom. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Join The 92nd Street Y, New York for a series of conversations and celebrations with some of today’s leading Israeli thinkers and artists as part of their 150th anniversary series, “Israel at 75,” starting April 16. Tickets at 92ny.org.

Join Hadassah for “Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges,” a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

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’re also bringing you the first installment in a new series called The Archive, in which we explore the collection of the National Library of Israel. We kick things off with a look at Sir Isaac Newton’s Hebrew-inflected writings on … the end of days. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Join The 92nd Street Y, New York for a series of conversations and celebrations with some of today’s leading Israeli thinkers and artists as part of their 150th anniversary series, “Israel at 75,” starting April 16. Tickets at 92ny.org.

Join Hadassah for “Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges,” a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

storymark is a podcast about leaders and the moments that make them. Each guest is leaving a unique mark on their industry and the world—and all are anchored by a connection to Israel. Learn more at storymarkpodcast.org.

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-for-Passover music, 10 Plagues cocktails, and more. Our guide is Tablet’s own “Passover Haggadah: An Ancient Story for Modern Times.” 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSOR: 

Join Hadassah for "Israel at 75: Successes and Challenges," a free Zoom event on May 18 featuring Yossi Klein Halevi, Isabel Kershner, and Hen Mazzig. Register at events.hadassah.org/75.

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 can subscribe to Mark’s newsletter here.) 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSOR:

storymark is a podcast about leaders and the moments that make them. Each guest is leaving a unique mark on their industry and the world—and all are anchored by a connection to Israel. Learn more at storymarkpodcast.org.

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 her comedy, as well as the role of funny Jewish moms in her comedy journey.  Her question for the hosts is a spicy one: how do Jewish parents feel about their kids dating outside the religion? 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSOR:

The Sassoons, now on view at the Jewish Museum, reveals the fascinating story of a remarkable Jewish family. Explore a rich selection of artwork collected by family members over time, including portraits by John Singer Sargent, illuminated manuscripts, and rare Judaica. Learn more at thejewishmuseum.org. 

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSOR:

The Sassoons, now on view at the Jewish Museum, reveals the fascinating story of a remarkable Jewish family. Explore a rich selection of artwork collected by family members over time, including portraits by John Singer Sargent, illuminated manuscripts, and rare Judaica. Learn more at thejewishmuseum.org. 

storymark is a podcast about leaders and the moments that make them. Each guest is leaving a unique mark on their industry and the world - and all are anchored by a connection to Israel. Learn more at storymarkpodcast.org.

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 Side. Her question for the hosts is what to give as a bar mitzvah gift.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors:

The Sassoons, now on view at the Jewish Museum, reveals the fascinating story of a remarkable Jewish family. Explore a rich selection of artwork collected by family members over time, including portraits by John Singer Sargent, illuminated manuscripts, and rare Judaica. Learn more at thejewishmuseum.org. 

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 discover the city’s surprising Sephardic history and learn about the challenges facing of the future of Sephardic Seattle. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors:

Study and practice Jewish sacred chanting with Sacred Chant: Healing the Spirit, Transforming the Mind, Deepening Love, the new four-week program from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Sign up by February 10th at JewishSpirituality.org.

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 voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 his arm. 

Abigail Pogrebin shares a preview of the latest installation of The Minyan, featuring her conversation with 10 Holocaust survivors. You can read the full version at tabletmag.com/minyan. 

Host Mark Oppenheimer offers his take on how to reframe our response to antisemitism. First graders at Central Synagogue in New York City share their favorite blessings in an excerpt from our kids game show podcast, Hebrew School. 

Jewelry designer Rachie Shnay tells us about her Mazel Collection, a line of Star of David bling that Jewish celebrities like Gal Gadot, Debra Messing, Emmanuelle Chriqui, and Selma Blair have been wearing loudly and proudly. 

And finally, Tablet Studios’ general manager Tanya Singer introduces us to her relatives Eva Bender and Samuel Marder, who share their moving story of survival and strength. 

We love to hear from you. Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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, who was our guest a few episodes back. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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, our Gentile of the Week is walker and writer Jonathon Stalls, who tells us about walking across America and his book WALK: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1-3 Miles per Hour. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors:

Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management: Earn your master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more at zschool.huc.edu.

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 Very Special Christmas Episode. Plus, the story of a Jewish mall santa. 

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 very few female Jewish Torah scribes, and learn the story behind this year’s official USPS Hanukkah stamp. 

We love to hear from you! Send us your New Year’s Resolutions at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

Merch alert! Check out our new Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

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.

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 “Biba” Nayfeld and the Rise of the Russian Mob in America. 

We have brand new Unorthodox swag! Get your tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Across the JEW.S.A. is a new Unorthodox project that will showcase 12 of the most inspiring Jewish stories across the country. Nominate your hometown at tabletm.ag/acrossthejewsa. Across the JEW.S.A. was created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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

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 share an interview with food writer and self-professed 'pizza bagel' Shannon Sarna, recorded live at our recent West Orange, NJ live show. She tells us about her new book, Modern Jewish Comfort Food, and shares her tricks for the perfect challah. 

We have brand new Unorthodox swag! Get your tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

Across the JEW.S.A. is a new Unorthodox project that will showcase 12 of the most inspiring Jewish stories across the country. Nominate your hometown at tabletm.ag/acrossthejewsa. Across the JEW.S.A. was created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 interfaith work really looks like (hint: it’s not what you think), and why it’s anything but boring. 

Across the JEW.S.A. is a new Unorthodox project that will showcase 12 of the most inspiring Jewish stories across the country. Nominate your hometown at tabletm.ag/acrossthejewsa. Across the JEW.S.A. was created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

Check out the latest installment of The Minyan, Abby Pogrebin’s roundtable series about the state of the American Jewish community, which features her conversation with 10 Jews with disabilities. Read it at tabletmag.com/minyan

We have brand new Unorthodox swag! Get your tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. 

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

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 daughter Abigail Pogrebin sharing a similar story from Ruth Bader Ginsburg.)  

Across the JEW.S.A. is a new Unorthodox project that will showcase 12 of the most inspiring Jewish stories across the country. Nominate your hometown at tabletm.ag/acrossthejewsa. Across the JEW.S.A. was created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

Institute for Jewish Spirituality: Sign up today for Shema: The Practice of Sacred Listening at JewishSpirituality.org. Registration closes on November 11.

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 Coscarelli, New York Times culture reporter and author of Rap Capital: An Atlanta Story. He explains how Atlanta rap became the most consequential musical ecosystem, tells us about #billiondollarlawyer Drew Findling, and breaks down the long and complicated relationship between Jewish music executives and hip hop artists.

We’re also bringing you a conversation between Tablet executive editor Wayne Hoffman and author Roslyn Bernstein, whose new book, The Girl Who Counted Numbers, is a historical novel set in Jerusalem during the 1961 Adolf Eichmann trial. 

We’re excited to announce Across the JEW.S.A. — a new project that will take us to 12 cities or towns in 2023 to showcase the most inspiring Jewish stories across the country. Nominate your hometown at tabletm.ag/acrossthejewsa. Across the JEW.S.A. was created with support from the Jewish Federations of North America.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

The Other Israel Film Festival returns with eye-opening films and in-depth conversations exploring the relationship between history, culture, and identity in Israeli and Palestinian societies. The festival takes place Nov. 3–10 at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, with films also streaming online. For more information and tickets, visit otherisrael.org.

Institute for Jewish Spirituality: Sign up today for Shema: The Practice of Sacred Listening at JewishSpirituality.org. Registration closes on November 11.

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

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 food. 

Our Gentile of the Week is the multi-talented Faith Salie, a contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, frequent panelist on NPR’s “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me,” and author of Approval Junkie. She brings us Coca-Cola Cake and tells us about growing up Catholic in Atlanta and learning about Judaism as she raises Jewish children with her husband. 

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

The Other Israel Film Festival returns with eye-opening films and in-depth conversations exploring the relationship between history, culture, and identity in Israeli and Palestinian societies. The festival takes place Nov. 3–10 at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, with films also streaming online. For more information and tickets, visit otherisrael.org.

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 Senior Pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago and founder and CEO of Project H.O.O.D. He tells us about the great work he is doing for his Chicago community, including living on a roof to raise money for a new community center. This interview was recorded live at Congregation Beth Shalom in Northbrook, IL. 

Finally, we call up our friend and former colleague Yair Rosenberg, who now writes the Deep Shtetl newsletter for The Atlantic, and who just released a beautiful album of Shabbat music called Az Yashir.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

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.

The series begins in 1965 with Sandy Koufax, and traces the arc of American Jews and sports since then: from probing the so-called Koufax curse that befalls Jewish athletes who play on Yom Kippur to reevaluating the "Jewish Jordan" phenomenon and wondering why Jews love teams that always seem to lose, and much more.

The Franchise premiers on Wednesday, Oct. 12. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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 communities, about Berkeley Moshav and the role that co-housing plays in building community. 

Finally, we’re re-sharing the 2018 trip our former editor Sophia Steinert-Evoy’s took to the only commercial etrog farm in the U.S., in Exeter, CA, to meet the non-Jews running it. 

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

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 of teshuva, and what the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides has to say about asking for forgiveness. 

Professor and author Stewart Davenport, who grew up in Birmingham, AL, shares a candid reflection about arriving at Princeton as a college freshman and seeing the world differently.

Plus, Liel starts a new Tzom Gedaliah tradition with a call to Rabbi Rachel Timoner.

Don’t miss our previous Apology episodes: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021. 

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom: Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.  

HIAS: This High Holiday season, help HIAS help refugees in the United States, Ukraine and more than 20 other countries. Make a matched gift today at hias.org/unorthodox.

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, 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.

We’re heading back on the road! Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive.

We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. 

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.

Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email Tanya Singer at [email protected].

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Sponsors: 

Soom tahini is the perfect ingredient for your fall meals. Use discount code UNORTHODOX22 for 10% off your next order at soomfoods.com.