Respect Your Elders: Ep. 240

This week on Unorthodox: The Israeli hockey star playing for Auschwitz.

Our first guest is Esther Povitsky, who played Maya on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend“ and whose new Comedy Central stand-up special is “Hot For My Name.” Esther tells us about growing up in Skokie, IL, why she decided to include her parents Maury and Mary in her special, and how her Jewish identity has influenced her comedy.

Next we talk to Natan Sharansky, the legendary refusenik (the term for Jews who were refused exit visas by the Soviet authorities). He was imprisoned for nine years — at one point being held a Soviet gulag — and after his release he emigrated to Israel, where he served as a member of the Israeli Parliament and the head of the Jewish Agency. He tells us about his new memoir, “Never Alone: Prison, Politics, and My People,” and what he's learned over a lifetime of activism.

Joan Knows Best is a weekly video series featuring Joan Nathan cooking her favorite Shabbat recipes with her son, David Henry Gerson. This Friday, August 14, at 1 p.m. EDT, they'll be making a rhubarb tart with fresh strawberries and currant glaze. Tune in on Tablet's Facebook page, and get the recipes and more info here.

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