Talking the Talk: Ep 380

This week on Unorthodox, we’re preparing for Yom Kippur by learning how to communicate better. 

We interview linguist Deborah Tannen, who coined our favorite phrase, “cooperative overlap.” She explains the real reason why we’re always interrupting each other on this show, and shares some tips for talking to people with different conversational styles. 

We talk to Julie Rice, co-founder of Soul Cycle, whose new project, Peoplehood, teaches people how to better listen and communicate with each 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.