Democracy Hipster - With Yascha Mounk Oh look, Yascha Mounk wrote another book. " The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time" is really great (just like all the others), so we invited Yascha on to talk about democracy around the world in 2023, why identity politics is bad for everyone, post-liberalism on the right and left, Germany and Israel being BFFs, Donald Trump , social media, and the death of self critique. 🔔 Yascha rings the Holocaust bell at 4:15 🔔 Also - how Jewish is ...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 16 min
As a Rosh Hashana gift to ourselves (and our listeners) we spent an hour with the Beyonce of Rabbis, the honey to our apple, the horseradish to our Gefilte - Rabbi David Wolpe! He joins us from Cambridge where he is a visiting scholar at Harvard Divinity School (ohh-la-la), though you may remember him from such rabbinical masterpieces as “Most Influential Rabbi in America” (Newsweek), and “50 Most Influential Angelinos” (LA Magazine). A frequent cordial sparring partner of atheists like Sam Harr...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 28 min
Why did G_d forsake the people of Israel at Burning Man? Did Abraham work in a gift shop? You’re so not invited to my Bat Mitzvah (J/k please come) Would you read your angsty teenage diary on stage? These people did and its hilarious. Hot 12 year old boys Our traumatic stories from 6th grade Marraige is good, I guess Esther Perel on artificial intamacy 🔔Holocaust Bell rings late! 42:42 🔔 A Holocaust Instagram story? What happened to hot Nazis? Some PR advice for the Goyimn Defense League (Mayb...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Remember when diversity wasn’t an annoying word that makes you think of 5 hour office HR power point presentations? Our guest today is diverse in the coolest way possible - not just his background, but his experience and work as well. Yirmiyahu Danzig tells us all about his upbringing as a Carribean/American/Israeli Jew, his military service in the heart of the conflict alongside Israeli soldiers of all religions, and his online work building bridges with our Arab neigbors. 🛎 Holocaust bell din...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 6 min
The Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk of Jewish podcasting are back this week, talking about the latest tragedy to befall the Jewish people, prosthetic noses. We learn that this is the Jewish month of self reflection , debate whether israel should have a Sunday, and answer listener questions about autopay on Shabbat. For your Qs, our email is askajewpod@gmail.com . Next stop - the Tel Aviv light rail! We discuss public transportation and the conflicts between orthodox men and scantitly clad female p...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 19 min
The girls welcome Israeli author and co-founder of the Tel Aviv, institute Hen Mazzig. Hen, who identifies as a Queer, Mizrahi Zionist, has a huge online footprint, where he shares stories about Israel that people may not have seen before. We talk about everything from his family's Jewish roots in North Africa and Iraq, American Jews and Israel, being a Mizrahi or Sephardi Jew, progressive politics, and more! You can find him at Henmazzig.com or on social media @Henmazzig. Check out his book "Th...
Aug 11, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Chaya Leah is back from Italy and France The hazards of kosher fine-dining in Europe Harvard loves dead Nazis Yael is traumatized by classic Europe Americans love standing in line The Jewish ethics of having an affair You don’t *have* to love thy neighbor in America A solemn yet insightful conversation about Israel Is hatred of the religious people in Israel out of control? Save us, Eurovision! Barbie’s Kosher Dreamhouse Archie comics were more damaging than Barbie Congratulations Rabbi Shmuly! ...
Jul 31, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Yael is stuck in Texas, so Chaya Leah and her father, Rabbi Aba Abba Perelmuter, take to the stage for some light Torah studies. They were left with explicit instructions to answer listener questions, but you know, these people...instead they have an enlightening conversation about the Talmudic interpretations of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, honoring thy father and thy mother (complete with loopholes), and this weird modern idea of following your passions. Subscribe to our Substack askajew.subst...
Jun 30, 2023•1 hr 7 min
This week we are joined by author and journalist Matti Friedman , who recently penned " Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai " (you can hear him discuss it with Bari Weiss here ) and before that the incredible " Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel " about the founding of the Mossad and the nation. A former AP correspondent, Matti blew the lid on what the media gets wrong about Israel, in this badass essay in The Atlantic and in Tablet. We cover a lot of ground in this one...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 18 min
New segment: What kind of Jew is this? Podcast about K-Pop and the war in Gaza (Hebrew) Robbie Williams does Pride TLV Don’t forget to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and follow us on Substack and instagram @askajewpod Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this wi...
Jun 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min
We are back with our friend and reluctant mentor, Meghan Daum! Meghan is an author, host of The Unspeakable podcast, co-host of A Special Place in Hell with Sarah Haider, and founder of the Unspeakeasy, a special online community for special online women (we are both members!). As usual, we start light and breezy by gushing over hot dictators and 90's TV dads, and end up musing about regret, marriage, and successful divorces. Here's what made the cut: Jews and Muslims both hate pets Whatever you...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 40 min
The girls are very excited to welcome a real doctor to today’s episode, and not just any doctor - Dr. Drew Pinsky! In case you you live under a rock (or in Israel): Dr. Drew is a board certified physician and addiction medicine specialist known for his shows Loveline, Celebrity Rehab, Teen Mom , and currently Dr. Drew After Dark , the Dr. Drew Podcast , and The Adam and Drew Show (co-hosted by Adam Carolla) - busy guy! He is not to be confused with Dr. Dre, as Wikipedia warns us. You can find hi...
May 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min
We are thrilled to chat with Batya Ungar-Sargon, deputy opinion editor for Newsweek and author of "Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy." In this Megillah (am I doing this right?): The Islamic jihad comes for the Backstreet Boys What kind of Jew is Batya? Jewish matchmaking I'm not Jewish, I'm Israeli: An intervention Our various Jewish Identities Batya's bananas background Jews from authoritarian countries rule Is Bernie Sanders a messianic Jew? Batya's great un-wokening Working cl...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Just in time for Mother's Day, we are joined in the studio by the man who birthed us, Matt Welch! From his humble beginnings as a Newsie in Prague, to head of a podcast empire and reluctant cult leader, Matt makes idol worship almost acceptable to a religious Jew. Most importantly, Chaya Leah and Yael's love story began when they were both listening to The Fifth Column, the podcast Matt hosts with Kmele Foster and former guest Michael Moynihan. So extra special. In almost two hours, we cover: Wh...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 45 min
Join us for our first real meetup in NYC, May 8th! Details in the episode. For more info: Sign up for our Substack newsletter askajew.substack.com , and email us at askajewpod@gmail.com *The rebranding of Antisemitism https://nypost.com/2023/04/28/nyc-council-progressives-vote-no-from-end-jew-hatred-day/ *Guess who leads the hate crimes chart?? That's right baby. *Whine smarter, not harder *We discuss which of our friends and non-Jewish guests would hide us in the event of a holocaust, and the a...
May 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Chaya Leah reviews a strip show on Vegas (relax, it was men!) A blasphemous Seder A passionate defense of peeling tomatoes Karens of the Bible Holocaust bell dings at: 15:50 A terrible disease and the only known cure is subscribing to our podcast and rating it five stars Death is really bad you guys Meet us for drinks in New York on May 8! Listeners questions about Passover loopholes and the Rebbe Questions? Email us at askajewpod@gmail.com Save the date for our New York meetup on May 8! Sign up...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Eli Lake is back to guide us through the desert and into freedom, stopping along the way to talk about Kanye, Iraq, Ukraine, Israel, Trump, Alvin Bragg and Nickelback. Not quite the 10 plagues, but something. Follow Eli at @Elilake on Twitter, and us on Substack, at AskaJew.substack.com Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This is...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 33 min
Mark Epperson, ordained Presbyterian minister turned musical theatre performer, comes to educate us about Jesus Christ. You know who else loves you? We do! That's why we're having a Zoom hangout Sunday, April 2nd. Subscribe to askajew.substack.com for details. Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ This is a public episode. If you'd...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 15 min
Yael is back from Mexico, where she is profiled at the airport and almost gets a tattoo from an Argentine of German descent. Chaya Leah first tells a horror story of an interfaith breakfast, and then proceeds to offend everyone who loves the New Testament. Something for everyone on this episode of Ask a Jew! Email us your questions at askajewpod@gmail.com , follow us on Substack askajew.substack.com and Instagram @askajewpod Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us y...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Get out your jazz hands! In this episode of "Ask A Jew," men and women are dancing together! We welcome our two Broadway correspondents, playwright Jeremy Kareken ("Lifespan of a Fact"), and actor, director, singer and Jewish activist Ari Axelrod. Not a big theatre fan? Don't worry, we get to the holocaust real fast! We also discuss recent acts of antisemitism on and off Broadway (off Broadway antisemitism is a little smaller but usually still interesting), disagree a bit about micro-aggressions...
Mar 03, 2023•52 min
Tom Brady, Ozempic, Madonna, and other heroes from the bible are discussed in this week's episode. We also give free medical advice, answer your questions about the NBA, and tell a lot of stories that start with, "I probably shouldn't say this on the podcast, but..." Remember to email us your questions at askajewpod@gmail.com And to like, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts ! Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min
This week we discuss Netflix's new romcom "You People," which frankly we find offensive to people who like funny movies and attractive male leads. We also learn about a Kosher Superbowl halftime show, what Orthodox kids learned from Dr. Drew, and... our very ambitious underage stalker. Dumb questions about Judaism? Email askajewpod@gmail.com Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 5 min
This week we interview David Ben-Moshe, a black guy from Baltimore who discovered Judaism while serving time in federal prison for drug and gun charges, and now lives in Israel as an orthodox Jew. Yup. Don't worry, we ask ALL the important questions in this episode, like "What kind of drugs did you sell," "Will we lose weight if *we* go to prison?" and "How did you find Jews to hang out with?" (answer: the white guys without the swastika tattoos) David takes us through the pretty awesome spiritu...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Ever look at the Knesset and tell yourself, "Wow, we're lucky the US congress is so normal"? This week, we call on Lahav Harkov of the Jerusalem Post to help us untangle the swamp of israeli politics (mixed metaphors by design). Follow Lahav on Twitter: @LahavHarkov on Substack at lahav.substack.com/ And don't forget to sign up to our Substack askajew.substack.com , Send all your compliments, grievances and questions to: askajewpod@gmail.com Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substa...
Jan 23, 2023•1 hr 12 min
The girls welcome hilarious stand-up comedian Dan Naturman, who you may know from America’s Got Talent and Last Comic Standing . You can catch Dan on instagram @DanNaturman , and don’t forget to follow Ask A Jew @askajewpod and on Substack askajew.substack.com Questions? Complaints? Askajewpod@gmail.com Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com Email us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ...
Jan 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Much like the 90s sitcoms that made us the women we are today, this week’s episode starts out with talks about nudity and boyfriends and ends with a heartwarming message about something or other. Also: *The Yad Vashem food court review. * Israeli dogs aren't cute. * Chaya Leah is baffled by thongs. And bikinis. * Yael does a mitzvah. * Sometimes you just shouldn’t believe in yourself. * Asian and Jewish super-babies. *Chat GPT has a Jew problem. We also answer to your listener questions about ma...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Two episodes a week? It must be some kind of non-denominational holiday season miracle! For this episode, we got a Rabbi who’s an expert on Christmas music. No, really. David Komorovsky is a rabbi in Canton, Ohio. Growing up in the Midwest with a Jewish community the size of a high school football team, Rabbi David amassed an encyclopedic knowledge of all things Goy, including our peoples guilty pleasure: Christmas music. We talk to Rabbi David about the age old antisemitic trope that Jews are b...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 20 min
Happy Chanukah! If you don't know, Chanukah is an 8-day holiday in which Jews around the world celebrate the miracle of chocolate-covered gold coins. During this episode, Yael Jew-splains the holiday to a mortified Chaya Leah, who issues one or two corrections. We talk about playing sports in the nude (it's a Greek thing, you wouldn't understand), Christmas envy, and holidays blues. Chaya Leah wonders how Yael doesn't fall into deep depression over the holidays, and maybe vice versa. We talk abo...
Dec 20, 2022•48 min
Best friend of the Jews and righteous among the podcasters, Michael Moynihan of The Fifth Column is our special guest this week. We feel especially blessed to interview our goyfriend (in person!) since The Fifth Column sort of gave birth to Ask A Jew, though no one really takes responsibility (think Three Men and a Baby ). We spend 90 precious minutes holding hands around the small table in the studio covering a wide range of topics like antisemitism, the holocaust, and trashy bars in Boston We ...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 40 min
Welcome to our two-part anniversary show! With Yael preparing to leave the homeland and Chaya Leah coming off the high of her son's Bar Mitzvah, we discuss cute holocaust survivors, how fun it is to ignore the latest anti-semitism viral thing, and make a passionate case for why Taylor Swift is the Israel of the music industry. On the second part, you will hear an excelled interview with David Bernstein of The Jewish Institute for Liberal Values , about his new book, Woke Antisemitism . Sadly Yae...
Nov 28, 2022•1 hr 30 min
