Jew-ish | Jew curious? Questions and answers for the Jews, non-Jews, and all the Jew-curious out there

A Jew and a Muslim walk into a creative meeting...and a podcast episode is born! On Rosh Hashanah eve and the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Layma Murtaza and I were in an unrelated work meeting, and found ourselves discussing how sad we were to have missed such an obvious opportunity for deep reflection, renewal, sharing, and sardonic exploration of what the heck we're doing with our lives--all of us. Spurred by one of her characteristically simple and suddenly obvious insights, it seemed like the right time to take what small action we could. What action was that you say? Well, talking, of course.

Layma is a creator, traveler, lifelong student, activist, and Afghan American. I connected with her through my work at Their Story is our Story, (shout out to MPAC and their rich engagement with interfaith work, although that wasn't actually part of this connection) and we immediately connected over our love of travel, humans, history and dark humor. Lots of that shows up here as we explore a strangely shared legacy we discovered around her experience after 9/11, and what I think so many American Jews felt after October 7.

For updates, deep dives, glossaries and more, sign up for the newsletter, and join our growing Jew-ish Community! No need to be a Member of the Tribe to belong here.

Jew-ish is back and there's more of it to love! The podcast for the Jews, the non-Jews, and the Jew-curious everywhere is excited to announce we're launching a newsletter, and: The Jew-ish Community (get it!?)!

It's scary to try something new, and I'm counting on you all to help shape this community into something that enriches your life and rewards the time we spend together. Start by signing up for the newsletter, and get the updates as we build the Community together.

The goal is to extend this space for inquiry, opinion, argument, and discussion that we've created with the pod, and that is so central to Judaism, and take part in it together. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of my own voice, but there's something much more satisfying about conversations being two-way.

So come, share experiences, and indulge your curiosity about whatever the heck it means to be Jewish with us.

Think of our online Jew-ish Community like your local JCC: no need to be Jewish to belong here.

Send us Fan Mail

What is Purim? When is Purim? Is Purim really "the Jewish Halloween"?

In this fun repost, Baby Brother Zev and then-girlfriend, now-wife Osnat set us straight about the super-fun Jewish dress-up party where we celebrate a(nother) narrow escape from mass murder, drink wine and eat cookies named after the bad guy. They are now back in Israel, but at the time were on a short stint living here in the U.S.

It's the whole Megillah: Get to the bottom of whatever the heck Hamantaschen are supposed to be, the story of Purim, Queen Esther, Purim constumes, how they do it in Israel, and who really said "Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History." (Spoiler: it was Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich) Also featured: the Israeli tradition of Michloach Manot, why Esther is not in the Torah, and whether Esther and Mordecai are really from the Enuma Elish.

GLOSSARY:

Chag Purim Sameach: Happy Purim! “Chag” means holiday, “sameach” means happy, and Purim is the name of the holiday

Tanach (also spelled Tanakh): the name of the full Hebrew bible, is an acronym for: Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (the Prophets) and Ketuvim (the Writings, also known as the Hagiographa)

Abba: Hebrew for Dad, it’s what Zeb and I call his dad, my stepdad.

Megillah/megillot (plural): meaning scrolls, it refers to the five scrolls included in the Ketuvim, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther

Adloyada: to drink until you can’t tell the difference, also the name of the big Carnivalesque parades in Israel.

Mitzvah: means “commandment,” but often refers to “good deeds." Basically, a thing you should do.

Vashti:The first wife of King Achashverosh (aka Ahasuerus) whose banishment or execution for refusing to dance nude in front of his friends clears the way for Esther to marry the king.

MORE:

https://www.exploringjudaism.org/holidays/purim/esther/16-facts-about-purim-and-the-book-of-esther/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-book-of-esther/

Jews not bowing when it constitutes some form of worship: https://torah.org/torah-portion/mikra-5772-purim/

Sushan Purim: https://reformjudaism.org/what-shushan-purim

Bonus:Origins of Halloween, from Throughline and Moses, as seen onSouth Park

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Two years ago, Liz Hirsh Naftali was working in real estate, organizing for the Democratic party, and enjoying life as a mom and auntie. Then, she awoke in Tel Aviv one day, and her world had been ripped apart: her family killed, her 3-year-old niece kidnapped in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Abigail was eventually returned, but Liz has kept working to free the others. Now, two years into the conflict, 48 hostages remain, only 20 or so believed to be alive, and Gaza is in full-blown humanitarian crisis. Liz has crossed the aisle and the world telling her family's story to help bring an end to the conflict. Her book, Saving Abigail, and her podcast The Capitol Coffee Connection, are both part of her mission to bring people together.

MORESimchat Torah: the yearly celebration of finishing reading the Torah, and starting over again.

United Hatzalah is a community-based, volunteer emergency medical service in Israel.

Kfar Aza: one of the communities hit hardest in the October 7 attacks, along with Be'eri and Nir Oz. Recently, they've begun rebuilding.

The "ceasefire before October 7" claim: while there was some cessation of hostilities between powers at the time, violence against Palestinians in the West Bank in particular, and attacks on Israelis by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and rocket attacks from Gaza had occurred as early as January. What is clear, however, is the October 7 attacks were meticulously planned and aimed at provoking a larger conflict, weakening Israel's diplomatic ties and destabilizing talks with Saudi Arabia. For a deeper understanding, see here, and here, and one of the best sources for background on Hamas, and most things Middle East, in my opinion, the Conflicted podcast.

A survey cited in NPR reporting in July said 80% of Israelis support ending the war in Gaza, but a more recent poll cites 66%. Protests against the warin Israel are widespread, and families and friends of hostages were among the earliest.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

This episode was originally published for Rosh Hashanah on October 9, 2024.

One of my nearest and dearest non-Jewish friends asked if she could join me for Rosh Hashanah last year, and we thought it would be useful to other Jew-curious listeners to share some of her questions and thoughts about that experience.

You may know Rosh Hashanah as the Jewish New Year, and you're mostly right (it's technically the anniversary of creation), but there's much more to it than that! Check the original show notes for tons more info, but I've copied some of the highlights below. Also, check out the Happy Jew Year! episode from 2023, with my mother and brother who are both Jewish educators, to learn even more. They teach me something new every time we talk.

Thanks to my friend and to all the non-Jewish friends who ask questions rather than make assumptions, and everyone who, regardless of creed, cultural background or affiliation, shows up with curiosity and openness in the world. You are welcome here, and the world needs you. Special thanks to Washington Hebrew Congregation, and may you all be inscribed in the Book of Life!

Quick note: my friend and I have known each other a long time, and I can assure you she is a real, credible person. But, because of the nature of her work, we kept her anonymous so she could speak freely and ask all her questions. Also, neither she nor I represent any organization or individual's perspectives or opinions, and all the errors I may make are based on my own lived experience and are entirely my own.

MORE

Rabbi Shankman’s Sermon at Washington Hebrew

The Bimah Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2196108/episodes/12958722

Ancient History of Jews in Israel: there is some evidence of up to 5000 years of the people who became Jews in Israel (Mission of Israel to the UN in Geneva, Israel Museum), but 3000 is a more generally accepted number than the one I say in the show. More here, and here.

For a deeper understanding, there is no better source than my beloved stepdad, William G. Dever, widely considered the world's foremost Biblical archaeologist (I am biased but this is true). Here is a talk on how archaeology and history shape understanding.

From the "Happy Jew Year! What does Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mean" episode (check the link for more):

Mitzvot: Often translated as “good deeds,” the word actually means “commandments.”

Shofar: The horn of a kosher animal, often a ram, ceremonially blown on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Right after a flurry of activity around Israel and Gaza on the Hill, I connected with Congressman Greg Landsman, one of only 32 Jews in Congress (9 in the Senate, 23 in the House). Landsman has been a voice defending Israel and demanding humanitarian aid to Gaza, and like myself, does not believe the two are mutually exclusive. In June, he declined an invitation to his staff from Qatar, saying they could discuss how to end the war in Gaza instead, and since recording, he joined a bipartisan Congressional delegation visit to Israel. We talked on August 1, as Congress went on recess, and much has happened since then that won't be covered in the episode, obviously. But we did cover a lot, including growing up as a Nice Jewish Boy (he has sisters) in Ohio, raising cool kids, and some of the work he is most proud of. More about Greg, his beloved Ohio, and other stuff:

Hebrew Union College was established in 1875 to train rabbis, and is generally considered the birthplace of American Reform Judaism.

Sally Priesand was the first Reform woman rabbi, ordained at HUC in 1972, but the first woman rabbi is Regina Jonas, ordained in Berlin in 1935, and murdered at Auschwitz with more than a million others.

The team now known as the Cincinnati Reds fielded the first known professional team in 1869.

McDonald’s first Filet o’ Fish was sold in 1962 in Cincinnati, developed for Catholic patrons observing Lent.

In 2016, Landsman led the Cincinnati Preschool Promise ballot initiative guaranteeing two years of quality preschool to 3- and 4-year olds in the city, the first voter-approved initiative of its kind.

The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: an unequivocally false, debunked, and antisemitic forgery printed in Russia in 1903 that has been used to bolster and give language to countless conspiracy theories and antisemitic activities, including Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Jews and money and babies, oh my! Our mission of destigmatization continues with a look at IVF, and some Jewish perspectives on fertility--and infertility--with Sarah Shah, Director of Operations for the Jewish Fertility Foundation.

Appropriately enough, this episode is late because I just had my own egg retrieval as part of my IVF journey; which was aided in part by a JFF grant, as well as by the Hebrew Free Loan Association, which you'll hear more about in another episode. So, after I took a little time to recover, it seemed right to pay it forward by sharing about these resources, including a bit about both of our journeys (Sarah too!), and the amazing support--not just financial--from the JFF and the HFL, resources individuals and organizations in the Jewish community have worked to provide for one another. Infertility and IVF are hard, but it's even harder alone. Glad you're here.

GLOSSARY

Mi Shebeirach: a Jewish prayer for healing

Kinahora: a Yiddish expression meaning "not the evil eye" said to ward off bad luck

Niddah: Purity laws restricting when couples can have sex around a woman’s menstrual cycle.

IUI: Intrauterine insemination, an infertility treatment that places sperm directly into the uterus.

MORE

More on the attacks outside the Capital Jewish Museum and in Boulder, CO.

In 2024, Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled that embryos created through IVF were to be treated as children under the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act.

The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is more than double other high-income countries, and twice that again for Black women.

NCJW: National Council of Jewish Women

The "Jews have horns" myth originated from a mis-translation of the Hebrew Bible into Latin by St. Jerome.

Jews in academia: Whilestudies have shown Jews to be over-represented among intellectual elites, including Nobel laureates, we have also long been the target of antisemitic tropes attributing success to conspiracies rather than individual achievement, and a history of antisemitic actions in education, including quotas and conversion requirements.

IVF in Israel

Pres. Trump's executive order on IVF

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Ask a Jewish question, get a Jewish answer: It's complicated. It would be impossible to fully represent the richness and variety of Jewish experiences, but who better to try than a bunch of writers? So, author, publisher, and podcaster Zibby Owens took on the task in her anthology, "On Being Jewish Now" (see what I did there?); also a Substack where anyone can submit an essay. You may know Zibby from her long-running podcast, Totally Booked, (formerly Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books) which started in 2018 and has hosted more than 2100 authors since then. Zibby is a gifted interviewer, but she's also a fascinating guest!

GLOSSARY and More:

The global Jewish population is just under 16 million people, or about 0.19% of the global population. Nearly half reside in Israel, the Jewish ancestral homeland, from which they were expelled by the Romans in 70 CE after residing there for centuries, of which there is recorded history going back to at least 1200 BCE. The Jewish population of the U.S. is approximately 7.6 million, or about 2.4%.

Reform Judaism is a branch of modern Judaism that grew out of early-19th Century assimilationist sentiments in Germany, instituting various reforms including mixing genders in the synagogue, including music and using local language to lead services (as opposed to Hebrew).

Am Yisrael: meaning "people of Israel" appears frequently in the Torah in reference to the Jewish people. The text of the Torah is dated to 1000-1500 BCE. The earliest recorded reference to a state of “Israel” is from the Merneptah Stele, dating to about 1203 BCE.

The 5800 years reference: The Hebrew Calendar year is counted from the traditional biblical date of creation, currently 5785, similar to how Christian custom counts from the traditional date of Jesus' birth. To learn about the archaeological evidence of “Who Were the Early Israelites and Where Did They Come From?”, check out the book by that name, by famed Biblical archaeologist Bill Dever (who is also, full disclosure, my stepdad!).

More on Tikkun Olam with Rabbi Shankman in Episode 1!

More on Zibby pulling out of the National Book Awards.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

As a wise rabbi once said (It was Rabbi Susan Shankman, our very first episode), there as many ways to be Jewish as there are Jews. Well, friend-of-the-show Evan Feinberg is a living example of how one can live their "Jewishness"....as a Christian? Evan is Chairman of the Stand Together Foundation, and through the work he's done with non-profits like CarePortal, Points of Light, and Good Soil, among other things, he's kind of become "the faith guy" at work. We bonded when we met at Stand Together, both being obvious MOTs (members of the Tribe) and each time we worked on a project together, we'd have to spend the first few minutes trying to figure out the latest Gabers he'd discovered in his family tree and how the heck we must be related. TBD, by the way. I'll keep you posted.

But, I discovered later: Evan is a practicing Christian. I'm embarrassed to admit I haven't met many Jews who converted away from Judaism, and I had some questions. Thankfully, he's here to tackle them and present from both perspectives, and I'm pretty confident he'll help complicate your thinking in the same satisfying ways he did mine. Evan is a huge proponent of volunteerism and service, and is starting a new position at Praxis, where he'll continue to share his message: the power that created you (and all things) also empowers you to be a creative force to do good in this world. If you don't know where to start, click any of the links above or go to https://www.catchafire.org/.

GLOSSARY

Christian apologetics: a branch of theology that uses logic and reason frameworks to defend the claims of Christianity.

Tikkun Olam: “world repair,” is a concept that all human beings are responsible for one another and the world, and for repairing harm and damage through their actions, big or small.

Tzedakah: often translated as “charity,” it actually means “justice," reflecting the idea that things like having enough food to eat, shelter and dignity, and helping to provide those things is not charitable, it’s balancing the scales of justice.

Redemptive Entrepreneurship is a concept used by Praxis which centers "creative restoration through sacrifice" to support ventures and individuals working to help solve cultural and societal problems through their organizations.

MORE

CS Lewis’ argument in favor of Christianity, sometimes called the Trilemma, popularized an approach that has been traced as far back as John the Apostle, using a logic framework to argue for the legitimacy of Christ as the messiah.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Your Jewish friend is back!! Season 3 of Jew-ish has a whole new roster of stories and voices from all the usual and unusual suspects: Jews, non-Jews, former Jews, and the generally Jew-curious.

As usual, we'll tackle the questions you're not sure if you should ask, with our usual irreverence, humor, curiosity and deep thoughts.

Jew got questions? We got answers(or know someone who might)! Follow, subscribe and tell a friend!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Content warning: mentions of self-harm, SA, eating disorders and addiction. On the first night of Hanukkah 2024, I give to all of you, my seventh-grade bestie and USA TODAY bestselling author Helena Greer, and the story of Carrigans Christmasland! Inspired by rage-Tweets about Hallmark movies, these steamy stories dare to ask the important question: "what if this beloved trope was gay?" (and Jewish). Helena and I did the math, and we have known each other for nearly 30 years now (yikes...). We met during the formative, chaotic, defining days of trauma that is middle school in our hometown of Tucson. Those experiences, and more, are central to who we have become, and the exploration and identity we began to discover in those days, like so many of us, has shaped much of who we became, and in Helena’s case, her return to writing and the birth of the Jewish Christmas-tree-farm-owning Carrigans. This episode will probably resonate with a lot of '90s kids, but we do discuss some of our and our peers' struggles, including sexual assault, disordered eating, self-harm, addiction, and sexual identity. While we reflect on these as part of our own lives and in compassionate, nuanced, and meaningful terms, it may be a lot for some people to take on, and we recognize that. But, perhaps the most important part of the discussion is how friendship and community can--and did--mean the difference between life and death for alienated, traumatized kids like us and our small band of misfits.

While you will not find anyone with a more wise, loving, hilarious, nuanced take on these and a million other topics than Helena, if you need to skip to around 37:00 where we dig in more to the books themselves, go for it, and if you don't wanna hear about it at all and just wanna get those books, go to: https://www.helenagreer.com/books and pick your bookstore poison!

Other topics include: how Jewish is Jewish enough, and can the daughter of a convert father ever get there? How do you know what flavor of Judaism is right for you? Also: the glory of approaching your forties, the power of rage-Tweets, and some Tucson deep cuts that are surprisingly relatable to anyone with a hometown. GLOSSARYSitting Shiva: From the Hebrew word for seven, sheva, the tradition of mourning for seven days including customs like sitting low to the ground and covering mirrors, bringing the family of the deceased food, and sitting in silence together. Reconstructionist Judaism

BONUS MATERIALUtterback Middle School was the arts magnet school in Tucson.IBT is Tucson's legendary gay bar, open since 1985.Meet Richard SikenMore on Tu Bishvat with Tobin Mitnick.Alcoholics Anonymous today "is not affiliated with any religion," but there's more on its Christian origins in Ken Burns' amazing Prohibition documentary, and many sources online.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What is Rosh Hashanah? How do you wish someone a good Yom Kippur? What are the High Holy Days? All this and more with Jewish educators spanning two generations, who happen to also be my family! This episode is republished from 2023, and was recorded while on a work trip, so it's over Zoom and the sound isn't the best, but it's packed full of information and stupid questions I asked so you don't have to! Find the original episode here: Happy Jew Year! What does Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mean, and what to do

And find 2024's Rosh Hashanah episode here:A non-Jew's first Rosh Hashanah, one year after the October 7 Hamas attacks

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

You may know Rosh Hashanah as the Jewish New Year, and you're mostly right (it's technically the anniversary of creation), but that might be about it. Maybe you have some questions, like: when was Rosh Hashanah 2024 (October 2-4)? What are you supposed to wear (white)? What can you do and not do (don't work, but you don't have to fast)? And a very close friend of mine had a really good one: can I come? The answer: HECK YEAH! So baby had her first Rosh Hashanah, and she let me record her questions afterward, in case it could help other Jew-curious individuals like her--or you? To note: we've known each other a long time, traveled together, met one another's families, and I can assure you she is a real person. But, because of the nature of her work, we decided to keep her anonymous so she could speak freely and ask all her questions. ICYMI: neither she nor I represent any other organization or individual's perspectives or opinions, and all the errors I may make are based on my lived experience and are entirely my own as well (ok Mom?)? Thanks to my friend and to all of our non-Jewish buddies who ask questions, who want to understand, and to everyone who greets the world with curiosity and openness, to all of you. Special thanks to Washington Hebrew Congregation, and may you all be inscribed in the Book of Life! GLOSSARY

MSA / Fus’ha: Fus'ha is the Arabic name for Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is the formal version of the language used in print and media and often taught to foreigners as a foundation for conversational Arabic dialects.

Challot: the plural of challah, the braided Jewish egg-bread we also eat to break fasts and at holidays.

Yamaka: (also "kippah" or "yarmulke") the little hat Jewish people wear in services, or more observant Jews wear all the time, to show reverence for God.

LINKS

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

Rabbi Shankman’s Sermon at Washington Hebrew

The Bimah Episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2196108/episodes/12958722

The “who by stoning and who by drowning” prayer: Unetanah Tokef

Ancient History of Jews in Israel: there is some evidence of up to 5000 years of the people who became Jews in Israel (Mission of Israel to the UN in Geneva, Israel Museum), but 3000 is a more generally accepted number than the one I say in the show. More here, and here.

For a deeper understanding, there is no better source than my beloved stepdad, William G. Dever, widely considered the world's foremost Biblical archaeologist (I am biased but this is true). Here is a talk on how archaeology and history shape understanding.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Growing up Conservative Jewish in Ohio, Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld turned away from her family traditions after her beloved father was murdered. Judaism became an unbearably painful reminder of her loss, and she became a "seeker" of other spiritual pathways as she tried to outrun her mourning. She explored, Buddhism, dance, holistic medicine, and psychology. Eventually, she found her way through dreams and mysticism back to Judaism, embracing traditions like Kabbalah, back to the religion and community she was born into, and discovered she had never really left.

In her books, she uses her unique interpretations and experiences to make Jewish traditions accessible for anyone, offering practices and prayers to make the day to day business of living just a little bit easier for everyone.

GLOSSARY: Zionism: A political movement founded by Theodor Herzl in the 1890s to create a Jewish homeland, based in an assimilationist philosophy and cemented by antisemitic incidents like the Dreyfus affair (the false accusation and imprisonment of a French Jewish military officer that came to symbolize Jews' supposed disloyalty).

Tzitzit: The dangling fringe of the Jewish prayer shawl, called a tallit. Ma tovu: Traditionally said in morning prayers or, for Ashkenazic Jews, upon entering the synagogue, the first lines of the prayer for which it is named mean: "How good are your tents O Jacob, your dwellings O Israel."

Sitting Shiva: From the Hebrew word for seven, sheva, the tradition of mourning for seven days including customs like sitting low to the ground and covering mirrors, bringing the family of the deceased food, and sitting with them, in silence if they want.

La dor va dor: Meaning "from generation to generation," also translated as "forever."

Philological study: Text study using grammar, style and language to analyze meaning and origin.

Pardes: An acronym (Heb. פַּרְדֵ״ס) usually associated with Kabbalah that denotes a specific type of critical text interpretation Kabbalah: A form of Jewish mysticism that became widespread in Provence and Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Gematria: A numerology system using the numbers which are assigned to Hebrew letters (Hebrew letters are also used as numbers)

LINKS ETC: On the idea of prayer replacing “sacrifice”: It is thought that after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE and expulsion of the Jews from Israel that without a central place to make animal sacrifices, the disparate surviving Jewish communities came to see prayer as the new form of sacrifice and "work" (avodah in Hebrew) acceptable to God.

Jonathan SacksConnie KaplanModeh AniSlanted mezuzah

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

We all know "in the beginning, there was darkness," right? The first line of the first book of the Old Testament (AKA the Torah). But did you know, there was also “chaos and void”? And then, of course, God created everything. So we're told. Inspired by the places where "creation" began, Rabbi Adina Allen has made a life and a practice of understanding how all creation and creativity–whether art, new understandings, or life itself–comes from darkness, chaos and void, and how these acts of creation heal us. In her book, "The Place Of All Possibility," Rabbi Allen blends creativity, Torah study, and the open studio art therapy approach she learned at her mother's Open Studio Project to offer a practical guide to inspired creative practice.

But, like this show, the book is not for people of a single tradition or faith, it’s to demystify for and offer to all of us how curiosity, wonder, joy, creativity and healing are accessible, and challenge us to see that when we wrestle with darkness, ideas we already hold, or texts, or artwork, or family or the divisiveness and polarization of a moment, we can find something new in them, and in ourselves, and maybe even start to heal.

GLOSSARY

Shechinah: Also transliterated "Shekhinah," Hebrew for "dwelling" or "settling." Is generally used to refer to the presence of God, and in Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, connotes the divine feminine attributes of God.

Chevrutah: From the Hebrew for "friendship," it is also used to refer to a group who studies together.

Beit Midrash: From "beit" or "bet" in Hebrew meaning "house" and "drash" meaning "inquiry" or "study", the phrase refers to a designated area for the group study of Torah, AKA "study hall."

B’reisheet: Meaning “in the beginning,” it is the first word in the Torah, and starts the first of the Five Books, also called Genesis.

Tohu va'vohu: A Hebrew phrase appearing in the second verse of Genesis, meaning "chaos and void," or "formless and void."

The Shema: Named for the first word, which means “listen,” or “hear,” this is the central prayer in Judaism and is generally translated: “Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.”

Yisrael: Hebrew for “Israel,” the name given to Jacob after wrestling with an angel and being left with a permanent limp, translates literally as “One who Struggles with God.”

Talmud: The central book of law in Judaism comprising the Mishnah and Gemarah, containing centuries of rabbinic opinions.

MORE:

Jewish Studio ProjectThe Sabbath (Shabbat) Bride

Viktor Frankl: The Holocaust survivor and author is perhaps best known for "Man's Search for Meaning," but is also a philosopher and founder of the logotheraphy school of psychology.

The Blind Men and the Elephant

From the Jewish book of law known as the Mishnah Sanhedrin, one passage famously equates saving a life with saving the world: “Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the whole world,” often paraphrased as “He who saves one life saves the world entire.”

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

It’s been six months since Hamas attacked Israel, killing nearly 1200 people, kidnapping around 250, and triggering Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders say more than 100 journalists, and more than 200 aid workers according to the UN, have also been killed, including seven World Central Kitchen workers.

This episode was recorded before a lot of things happened: Sen. Chuck Schumer’s speech on the Senate floor, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s response, Biden and Bibi’s phone call, the Al Shifa hospital raid and the IDF pulling troops out of Khan Younis, to name a few. So, while these items aren't in the episode because they hadn’t happened yet, the larger conversation about what faces us as people committed to a safe and sustainable future for Palestinians, Israelis, and Jews the world over has not become less relevant. This conversation was held and is being published in the spirit of not just trying to keep the light of hope alive, but to look some of the obstacles before us in the face; concepts, pain and trauma through which any future solution must pass.

In the meantime, we try to fight the sense of helpless horror with what little we can do from a distance while trying to make sense of the pain and stay in touch with our humanity with conversations like this one. Find Part 1 here.

Donate to World Central Kitchen here. UN Crisis Relief here. Help the International Rescue Committee here. Find more on Vivian Silva, Women Wage Peace, Israeli societal resilience, Progressive Labor Zionism and HaNoar HaOvedhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HaNoar_HaOved_VeHaLomed

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

It's Purim! So when Baby Brother Zev and his girlfriend Osnat came down to DC to peep some cherry blossoms, I made them come to tell you all what is Purim, the super-fun Jewish dress-up party where we celebrate a narrow escape from mass murder and eat cookies named for the bad guy's hat. Or ears. Or pockets apparently. Depends who you ask. Get to the bottom of what the heck Hamantaschen are supposed to be, what is the story of Esther, what to wear for Purim, how they do it in Israel, and who really said "Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History." (It was Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich) Also featured: the Israeli tradition of Michloach Manot, why Esther is not in the Torah, and whether Esther and Mordecai are really from the Enuma Elish.

GLOSSARY:

Chag Purim Sameach: Happy Purim! “Chag” means holiday, “sameach” means happy, and Purim is the name of the holiday

Tanach (also spelled Tanakh): the name of the full Hebrew bible, is an acronym for the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), the Nevi’im (the Prophets) and the Ketuvim (the Writings, also known as the Hagiographa)

Abba: Hebrew for Dad, it’s what Zeb and I call his dad, my stepdad.

Megillah/megillot (plural): meaning scrolls, it refers to the five scrolls included in the Ketuvim, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther

Adloyada: to drink until you can’t tell the difference, also the name of the big Carnivalesque parades in Israel.

Mitzvah: means “commandment”, it often also refers to “good deeds” in general but means a thing you should do.

Vashti:The first wife of King Achashverosh (aka Ahasuerus) whose banishment or execution for refusing to dance nude in front of his friends clears the way for Esther to marry the king.

MORE:

https://www.exploringjudaism.org/holidays/purim/esther/16-facts-about-purim-and-the-book-of-esther/

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/the-book-of-esther/

Jews not bowing when it constitutes some form of worship: https://torah.org/torah-portion/mikra-5772-purim/

Sushan Purim: https://reformjudaism.org/what-shushan-purim

Bonus:Origins of Halloween, from Throughline and Moses, as seen onSouth Park

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

An American, a Canadian and an Israeli Jewish educator walk into a….well a discussion. About the Israel-Hamas war, the state of Gaza and state of mind of Israelis, no less. So, this conversation is really no joke. Huge thanks to Yair Alon, Adam Levi and Zev Dever for this sometimes hard, always thoughtful, and very nuanced and compassionate conversation, and the healing and shared understanding they are working to reach. You may remember my baby brother Zev from Season 1, when he taught us about how much of modern Western Judaism formed into what we see in places like the U.S. today. He's recently back from Israel, and he and his colleagues Adam and Yair squeezed in a late night podcast recording with me while in D.C. on a listening and discussion tour for their NGO Hechalutz, exploring what American Jewish communities are experiencing in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attack. They bring us clear-eyed assessments of what Israelis and American Jews alike are experiencing, and how those might create challenges or hopes for a peaceful resolution to the war. Listen in to hear what Israel was like in the immediate aftermath of October 7, how Israelis are feeling now, and the implications of coping--or not--with the destruction of some of their most basic concepts of safety and security. This was a long conversation, and cutting too much would have damaged the depth of the discussion, so we've divided it into 2 parts. Please be sure to come back for part 2, where we'll get a deep dive into the huge differences in the discourse for American and Israeli Jews, and hear about the individual, and yet sadly universal, experiences of these three on October 7, and how they personally are working to process all that has happened and all that remains to be faced.

GLOSSARY:

Kibbutz: traditionally agrarian, these communal living settlements now take various forms around an "intentional", voluntary social contract.

Aaliya: from the Hebrew word meaning "to rise" or "to go up", this is the term for becoming a citizen of Israel. "Olim" is the plural noun for people who have done this, like Zev.

Diaspora: a general term for peoples living outside their homeland. Generically often refers to Jews living outside Israel.

Habonim D'ror: MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ezra Klein Show: She polled Gazans on Oct. 6. Here's what she found.Effects of the war on Israeli and Palestinian economies.

Hostage families protest the Israeli government

Israel's far right on resettling GazaLearn about the Rise of the Israeli Rightand Hamas from one of the very best in the biz, NPR's Throughline.

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever wondered if your “quirks” might actually be manifested trauma? Or more like…that they probably ARE? Victoria Dozer was curious about her mom’s pretty typical Jewish-mom-quirk of stashing huge amounts of things, like dishes and toilet paper--stuff that's useful in principle, but that you probably don’t need 20 of--and uncovered that this behavior, inherited and then passed down to Victoria, is a legacy her mom inherited from her Holocaust-survivor father. She nicknamed the habit Holocaust hoarding, and went down a path of exploration; how does the trauma of our elders and ancestors affect our lives each day? And how do we honor them, their struggles and legacies, while working to see it for what it is, and turn towards healing without betraying their suffering? Jews are certainly not the only people who have been targets of genocide throughout their history, and it's so ingrained in Jewish identity that many don't even think about it consciously, but it felt very important to explore how such deeply ingrained existential fear can show up in Jewish life, including in reactions to world events. Victoria's approach in her article for Hey Alma, and our conversation, compassionately recognizes some very Jewish things that might be inherited trauma. She explores accepting the pain of our past without letting it define us, or be an unconscious force shaping our reactions, futures, and the lives of those around us. Victoria is also a planetary scientist, and you will be grateful for her thoughtful perspectives on the weight of generational trauma, hoarding vs environmentalism, and how to greet our own and others’ trauma with loving acceptance, and heal without discarding a legacy we treasure.

GLOSSARY:

M.O.T.: Short for “Member of the Tribe,” a tongue in cheek term Jewish people sometimes use for one another, especially when meeting for the first time, i.e. “Oh hey! Another M.O.T.!”

HSOs: Holocaust Survivor Offspring as referred to in medical literature researching generational trauma.

Eugenics: The misappropriation and inaccurate application of scientific theories such as Darwin’s theory of evolution to justify a belief in the genetic superiority of one race or people over another, ultimately leading to attempts to exterminate entire races and types of people, including the Jews by the Nazis, and mentally ill or otherwise neurodivergent populations in the United States.

Tu BiShvat: See previous episode for a whole TuBishvat lesson!

“Do not destroy”: “bal tashchit” in Hebrew, the principle stems from the idea that the earth belongs to God and careful stewardship of it is therefore our responsibility.

Tikkun Olam: “world repair,” is a concept that all human beings are responsible for one another and the world, and for repairing harm and damage through their actions, big or small.Find Hey Almaon Instagram!

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

What is Tu Bishvat (also spelled Tu BiShevat)? Well it's the birthday of the trees, also called the New Year of the Trees, so happy new year to you, and happy new year to the trees, and welcome back to Jew-ish! Trees have a very special place in Jewish life. We call the Torah, our holiest text (also known as the Five Books of Moses and the Pentateuch) the Tree of Life, and we plant trees to celebrate life events like the birth of a new child. Yep, trees are kind of a thing for Jews, and no one loves them more than Tobin Mitnick, who is probably better known by his IG handle, JewsLoveTrees. When you love something, why beat around the bush, amirite? Tobin is the perfect guest for this tree-centered episode, but he's so much more than his charming social media personality; he's a dad, an actor, a comedian, and avid reader and of course, a huge nerd (like me). So, this episode is a bit of a wild ride, but it's hilarious and you will definitely learn a lot, especially about trees. And, just a heads up: some of the stuff we talk about in this one might not be considered kid-friendly to some, Tobin is a comedian, after all, so give it a listen before playing with kids in the car. Don't forget to pick up Tobin's book:Must Love Trees!But as far as Tu BiShvat knowledge....well, we got a little distracted, so here's some knowledge for ya: The word “Tu” is actually a number, because in Hebrew, numbers are represented by letters, kinda like Roman numerals. Originally, the 15th day of the Hebrew month, Shevat, marked the age of trees for assessing tithing (taxes, essentially), and when it was ok to eat the fruit. But now, it marks the unofficial start of spring, we all get to eat lots of fruit, and some communities even have a seder (a ritual meal) modeled after Passover. More about Tu BiShevat:

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/tu-bishvat-ideas-beliefs/

https://www.shalomdc.org/tu-bshevat-let-trees-teach-us-to-have-roots-and-wings/#:~:text=Some%20celebrate%20with%20a%20special,the%20peak%20of%20their%20power.

https://www.jewfaq.org/tu_bshevat In this episode: Kabbalah (also spelled Kabalah, Cabala, Qabala): Jewish mysticism, based on mostly medieval commentaries on the Torah, primarily the Zohar.

Hasidic (also spelled Chassidic): A branch of Orthodox Judaism originating in 18th-century Eastern Europe based on the teachings of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, also known as the "Baal Shem Tov," which means "Master of the Good Name." Jewish people who follow this tradition are known as Hasidim.

Kaddish: One of the most important prayers in Judaism, the name translates to "holy." Different forms of the Kaddish are said at different times, including the Mourners Kaddish to remember the dead.

The tradition of burying foreskins does indeed exist! Who knew?

Support the show