Shofar, So Good!

The concept of making the world a better place is a cornerstone of Judaism. There's even a phrase for it: Tikkun Olam. In the Shofar, So Good! Season 2 finale, host Kate Mishkin explores the ancient concept, its mystical interpretations, and how the idea evolved and entered our collective consciousness.

Further reading and resources:

• Tikkun Olam: Repairing the World (My Jewish Learning)

• Aleinu: A Call to Divine Service (My Jewish Learning)

• Tikkun Ha'am: Repairing Our People by Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin

• The Shalom Center (Detroit, Michigan)

• Martini Judaism Podcast (Religion News Service)

• Repair the World

• American Jewish World Service

• The Talmud on study vs. action (Sefaria)

• Pirkei Avot on doing work you may not finish (Sefaria)

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Written and performed by Nan Schwartz

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

* Word of mouth is important. So if you like what you heard this season, please share Shofar, So Good! with a friend. For more information about Jewish rituals and practices, visit https://myjewishlearning.com/. From holidays and history to belief and big questions, My Jewish Learning helps people explore Judaism's traditions, ideas and how they shape modern Jewish life. You can also join our warm and welcoming daily kaddish minyan and take classes — ranging from mahjong basics to biblical Hebrew.

In this episode, host Kate Mishkin explores the Rosh Hashanah atonement ritual of tashlich, tells us what Judaism says about repentance and forgiveness — during the High Holidays and year-round — and gets some practical advice for saying "I'm sorry" from Jewish experts on apologies.

Further reading and resources:

• Tashlich, the Symbolic Casting Off of Sins (My Jewish Learning)

• Teshuva, Or Repentance (My Jewish Learning)

• The 10 Days of Repentance (My Jewish Learning)

• Sorry, Not Sorry: The Real Path to an Apology (At the Well)

• 6.5 Steps to a Good Apology (Sorry Watch)

• Pirkei Avot on Appeasing an Angry Person (Sefaria)

• How To Repent: Teshuva In 7 Steps (Rabbi Seth Goldstein on TikTok)

• Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies by Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy

• Getting to Sorry: The Art of Apology at Work and at Home by Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy

• Jewish Broadcasting Service

• Nashuva

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Written and performed by Nan Schwartz

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

In this episode, host Kate Mishkin explores the role of the chevra kadisha, or Jewish burial society. She talks with volunteers who ensure that dead bodies are ready for burial according to Jewish tradition. Their work, Kate discovered, is physical, emotional and surprisingly life-affirming.

Further reading and resources:

• Tahara, Preparing the Body for Burial (My Jewish Learning)

• How To Form A Chevra Kadisha (My Jewish Learning)

• Email mini-course: A Jewish Journey Through Grief (My Jewish Learning)

• Kavod v'Nichum

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Written and performed by Nan Schwartz

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

In Episode 3, Shofar, So Good! host Kate Mishkin delves into havruta learning, the Jewish tradition of studying Torah in pairs. The goal of this paired endeavor: arguing "for the sake of heaven." Kate explores what exactly that means, teaches us about Jewish history's most famous study partners, and learns how AI is changing havruta learning. Then, Kate and her dad become havrutas.

Further reading and resources:

• Havruta: Learning in Pairs (My Jewish Learning)

• Project Zug

• Whole and Broken Tablets: Aging in Rabbinic Literature (Project Zug)

• Beit Midrash Research Project (Brandeis University)

• Words as Weapons: The Story Of Rabbi Yochanan And Resh Lakish (Exploring Judaism)

• AI on Sefaria

• https://ohrbit.ai/

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Nan Schwartz

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

In this episode, host Kate Mishkin visits a mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath, in Los Angeles. She examines the origins and evolution of mikveh immersion — and how, in some circles, the ritual is stretching itself to adapt.

Further reading and resources:

• What is a Mikveh? (My Jewish Learning)

• The Mikveh's Significance in Traditional Conversion (My Jewish Learning)

• Non-Traditional Uses for Mikveh (My Jewish Learning)

• A Detailed Explanation of Niddah, or "Family Purity" Laws (My Jewish Learning)

• Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh

• Mass Center for Jewish Journeys — Community Mikveh

• ImmerseNYC

• Adina Blaustein, Yoetzet Halakhah

• Dr. Jordana Topp, Yoetzet Halakhah

• Miriam Ezagui on TikTok

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Nan Schwartz

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

In this episode of Shofar, So Good! host Kate Mishkin explores the origins, formula, and meanings behind Jewish blessings — and considers why the Talmud prescribes saying 100 blessings a day. She hears what happens when scientists try to measure whether saying Jewish blessings makes us happier and more grateful. The results: Not what the researchers expected.

Further reading and resources:

• "Jewish Prayer Has Become My Favorite Morning Ritual" by Avie Herman (Kveller)

• A guide to common Jewish blessings (My Jewish Learning)

• "The Happiness Prayer: Ancient Jewish Wisdom for the Best Way to Live Today" by Rabbi Evan Moffic

• Rabbi Meir on daily blessing obligations (Sefaria)

• Sinai & Synapses

• The Social Emotions Lab at Northeastern University

Credits:

• Writer/producer: Kate Mishkin

• Story producer: Gabrielle Birkner

• Fact-checking: Rachel Scheinerman

• Sound design/mixing: Jonathan Shifflett of Studio Phonic

• Interstitial music: Written and performed by Nan Schwartz

• Outro music: "Swirls & Eddies," written and performed by Grace Corsi

• Art direction: Grace Yagel

Shofar, So Good! is a podcast from My Jewish Learning, a division of 70 Faces Media. Ami Eden is the CEO of 70 Faces Media, and Rebecca Phillips is the publisher.

This podcast was originally developed in the Jewish Writers Institute Digital Storytellers Lab and produced with support from Maimonides Fund. Special thanks to Rebecca Friedman.

In Season 2 of Shofar, So Good! host Kate Mishkin teams up with My Jewish Learning to explore Jewish rituals and practices — where they came from, how they evolved and why they endure. The first episode drops August 13, 2026, right in time for Elul. See you then.

Thank you for listening to all five episodes of "Shofar, So Good!"

Today, we're featuring a bonus episode of the podcast "Martini Judaism," in which Kate was a guest. The show, hosted by Rabbi Jeff Salkin, is for people who want to be shaken and stirred. Episodes are well-produced, deep, and thought-provoking.

Listen to Martini Judaism wherever you listen podcasts, read Jeff's column here, and watch this space for more information on Season 2.

Jonah Platt is a multi-talented activist and performer whose work's taken him from Broadway ("Wicked"), to Hollywood ("Being the Ricardos") to -- most recently -- the world of podcasting.

Jonah's the host of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, a podcast that highlights the range of Jewish identity and voices.

This is one of Shofar, So Good's bonus episodes while we're in between seasons. If you'd like to support the production of Season 2, please visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support, or simply spread the word about this show.

Rabbi Daniel Raphael Silverstein was the perfect person to talk to as I was grappling with what it meant to be Jewish.

He's a rabbi, educator, meditation teacher, MC/poet and director of Applied Jewish Spirituality, an online portal that brings the tradition's spiritual wisdom to life. Among his other accomplishments: He's a cofounder of Lines of Faith, a Muslim-Jewish hip hop and poetry collective.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to support our Season 2 efforts.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Music: Nan Schwartz

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

Early on in my career, I packed my bags and moved to West Virginia to work as a journalist. That's where I first met Rabbi Victor Urecki, rabbi at B'nai Jacob Synagogue.

I immediately appreciated who he was within the walls of the synagogue, but outside — Rabbi Urecki engaged with the community, often in interfaith conversations, consistently as a positive presence for West Virginians.

In this episode, we talk about belonging, religion as a tool to bring people together, and how Rabbi Urecki's meeting the moment with new traditions.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Production Assistant: Jack McDonald

Music: Nan Schwartz

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

The forces that've kept me from Judaism, including interfaith marriage and anti-semitism, are not unique to my family. But they have uniquely kept me from being Jewish.

In this episode, I try to learn where Judaism was lost in my family, and why it might be more difficult than expected to reclaim my heritage.

This episode is about what it means to be lost and found, and who's considered Jewish by law.

Learn more about Rabbi Lisa Rubin, Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch, and Rabbi Mark Washofsky.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Editor: Lacy Roberts

Music: Nan Schwartz

Sound design/mixing: Jesse Perlstein

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Production Assistant: Jack McDonald

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

One of the traditions that's most drawn me to Judaism is the annual tradition of reflection and atonement.

Turns out, that's kind of daunting. But it might make us better people in the end.

In this episode, I talk to three rabbis about what it means to atone. Then, I talk to my younger sister about how her life experiences made her incredibly comfortable saying sorry.

Learn more about Rabbi Joshua Aaronson, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, and Rabbi Susan Goldberg.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Editor: Lacy Roberts

Music: Nan Schwartz

Sound design/mixing: Jesse Perlstein

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Production Assistant: Jack McDonald

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

In this episode, I learn about how we mourn, and how we remember the dead.

But even more importantly, I learn about how Jews' relationship with death informs the way we live our lives today.

I'll call two rabbis whose work requires them to look death head-on.

Learn more about Eitan Levine, Rabbi Lynn Liberman and Rabbi Morris Panitz.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Editor: Lacy Roberts

Music: Nan Schwartz

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Sound design/mixing: Jesse Perlstein

Production Assistant: Jack McDonald

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

If and when we pray, who are we praying to? Is anyone listening?

In this episode, I talk to rabbis who help me understand different types of prayers, and how to find -- and keep -- the faith.

Learn more about Rabbi Morris Panitz and Rabbi Josh Rose.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Editor: Lacy Roberts

Sound design/mixing: Jack McDonald

Music: Nan Schwartz

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

Growing up, many of my friends' families had Shabbat dinners. It wasn't a tradition in my house, but I've always liked the idea of slowing down and sharing a communal meal after a long week. But I've also found it incredibly daunting.

In this pilot episode, I call on two rabbis — one who considers Shabbat a slowing of time, and one who sees it an opening of space. Both explain their reasons for Shabbat, and help me understand mine.

Learn more about Rabbi Adam Naftalin-Kelman and Rabbi Marc Margolius.

Producer: Kate Mishkin

Editor: Lacy Roberts

Sound design/mixing: Zachary Goldberg

Music: Nan Schwartz

Show Art: Laura Mishkin

Production Assistant: Jack McDonald

Made with support from the Jewish Writers' Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab and the Maimonides Fund.

Additional thanks to Robert Mishkin, Natalie Mishkin, Andrew Mishkin, Conrad Pope, Barbara Mutnik, Matt McKinney, Rekha Murthy, Ian Coss, Janine Okmin, Sarah Lefton, Rebecca Friedman, and the Digital Storytellers Lab cohort.

Please support this podcast! Tell a friend, rate/review the show, and visit http://shofarsogoodpodcast.com/support to make a financial contribution to the production of Season 2.

Coming January 22: A series about a search for lost identity and what it means to be human. From how we apologize, to how we think about a higher power, host Kate Mishkin interviews rabbis and children about what we believe and why.

This is "Shofar, So Good!"

For more on the podcast, including how to support the show, visit https://www.shofarsogoodpodcast.com/

I'm Jewish, but was never raised with the religion.

Even so, I've spent my entire adult life trying to reclaim the traditions and values that feel both intrinsic and foreign to me.​

I can imagine I'm not alone.

Enter "Shofar, So Good!", an audio documentary series about my search for Jewish answers.