This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating the very 2020 calendar crossover of Christmas and the 10th of Tevet, a minor Jewish fast day. Our Jewish guest is writer and comedian Merrill Markoe, whose new graphic memoir is “We Saw Scenery: The Early Diaries of Merrill Markoe.” Our Gentile of the Week is Phillipe Etienne, the French ambassador to the United States, who gave us a lesson in the French notion of secularism and discussed rising anti-Semitism in France. Join us Monday, Jan. 11 at 6 p.m ...
Dec 24, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 255
This week on Unorthodox: Hallmark Hanukkah movies, puppies for Hanukkah, and so much more. First we talk with linguist Sarah Bunin Benor, who made her first Unorthodox appearance all the way back on Ep. 102. She returns to the show to explain why some people say “lat-key” instead of “latke,” and settle other holiday pronunciation debates. Then it’s time for some music to get us in the holiday spirit! Jazz guitarist Peter Curtis tells us about being so inspired by the fact that Jewish songwriters...
Dec 10, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 254
This week on Unorthodox, one Mark Oppenheimer is not enough. Our first guest is Colorado Governor Jared Polis, who is the state’s first Jewish governor and the first openly gay governor in the U.S. He tells us about his Jewish upbringing, extolls the many virtues of the State of Colorado, and explains why he’s got his eyes on 2022, not 2024. Next we talk to the other Mark Oppenhemer: the South African advocate, podcaster (our own Mark Oppenheimer was a guest on his show, Brain in a Vat), and gen...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 253
This week, a mini-holiday mashup. First, associate producer Robert Scaramuccia brings us the story of Aaron Hartman, a Jewish man from Atlanta, GA with Williams Syndrome, and his very unique pandemic birthday present. We also bring you a Hanukkah gift guide that includes products our listeners make themselves! Find these suggestions and more by joining our Facebook group. Join the hosts Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. for the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s Generation to Generation event, which i...
Nov 26, 2020•22 min•Ep. 252
This week on Unorthodox, Mark says goodbye to a staple of his childhood as Friendly’s files for bankruptcy. To cheer him up, we’ve got two great Jewish guests. First we talk to comedian Gilbert Gottfried, whose voice you may have recognized on our 2019 episode celebrating the publication of our book, “The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia.” He explains why comedy in dark times is essential and cathartic, tells us about his own podcast, "Gilbert Gottfried’s Amazing Colossal Podcast," where he schmoozes ...
Nov 19, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 251
This week on Unorthodox, we remember Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who died this week at 72. He first visited the show in December 2018, and he returned in September 2020 to discuss his most recent book, “Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times.” May his memory be a blessing. Our Gentile of the Week is Tom Colicchio, head judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and founder of Crafted Hospitality. He shared his love of whitefish in Tablet’s “100 Most Jewish Foods” book, and he joins us to talk abou...
Nov 12, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 250
This week, we’re dropping an early episode to keep you company while you vote. Our first Jewish guest is Eve Barlow, a Scottish music journalist in LA who has lately started calling out anti-Semitism in America and abroad, including in her recent Tablet essay, “Wake Up America, and Smell the Anti-Semitism,” Next we talk to Gentile of the Week Vineet Chander, the Hindu chaplain at Princeton University and the first full-time Hindu chaplain at a U.S. university. And for a final treat, we’re joined...
Nov 02, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 249
Comedian Judy Gold on her new book, “Yes I Can Say That,” and California Representative Katie Porter on the key to pandemic economic recovery This week on Unorthodox, we’re spoiling the new Borat movie for you. But we have two all-star returning guests that more than make up for it. Jewish guest Judy Gold was on our January 2018 live show with Father Jim Martin, and she joins us again to tell us about her new book. “Yes, ICan Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble.” Sh...
Oct 29, 2020•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 248
This week on Unorthodox, we’re recovering from our potentially poisonous etrog-tinis. Our first Jewish guest is actor and comedian Michael Ian Black, best known for "Wet Hot American Summer" and VH1’s “I Love The …” series, whose latest book is "A Better Man," a meditation on masculinity written in the form of a letter to his college-aged son. He tells us about the book, which is far more earnest than you might expect from the comic actor, and why he wants to offer boys and young men a better pa...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 247
This week on Unorthodox, it’s Nobel Prize season! We're celebrating by airing a special virtual live show, presented by ORT America, featuring actress and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik, who shares our hobby of Googling Nobel Prize winners to see if they’re Jewish. Stars—they’re just like us! Listen as we chat with the Blossom and The Big Bang Theory actress about discovering observant Judaism in college, singing Jewish music with her quartet, and getting stopped by star-struck fans in synagogue. S...
Oct 15, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 246
This week on Unorthodox, we're shaking that lulav and etrog for Sukkot. To help us understand the various Jewish holidays that arrive in quick succession after the High Holidays—Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shemini Atzeret—we talk to Roberta Kwall, author of Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World. She tells us about the traditional “smashing of the willows” and other lesser known Jewish practices that can add meaning to our modern Jewish identity. Then we're joined by Peter Sagal, host...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 245
Just a few updates while we take the week off to celebrate 5781. Please join us for a virtual live show presented by ORT America with special guest — actor, author, and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik. Details at bit.ly/unorthodoxliveevents Please consider donating to Unorthodox! Our annual fundraiser is underway, and we're trying to get to 1,000 donors. Everyone who gives will be entered into a raffle to spend some virtual time with the hosts. Donate at bit.ly/unorthodox2020fundraiser. Join Mark fo...
Oct 01, 2020•4 min
Each year for Yom Kippur, we bring you a special episode all about apology and atonement. (Listen to our previous episodes: from 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015.) This year, we’re focusing on the theme of reconciliation—across the political divide and the religious spectrum, and beyond. Our first story comes from Chris Haugh and Jordan Blashek, two friends who decided to drive across the country together in 2016. Chris, a Berkeley born, Obama-loving liberal, and Jordan, a former marine and prou...
Sep 24, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 244
As the sun set for Rosh Hashanah this past Friday night, Jews in America and across the world learned of the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was like a gut punch, resounding across social media. The 87-year-old trailblazing Supreme Court Justice-- the second female Justice-- spent her entire career, her entire life really, fighting for equal rights for women and minorities, fighting so that everyone could have an equal shot. Her death, which plunges the country into a fight over exactly when, a...
Sep 21, 2020•21 min
This Jewish New Year will definitely be different from all others, but we're here to help you ring in 5781 with as much enjoyment and enlightenment as possible. First we talk to Rabbi Sandra Lawson of Elon University about her plans for High Holiday services on campus this year, as well as her experience as a gay, black rabbi navigating the Jewish world. She also shared how she uses music and social media to get her rabbinic message out to broad audiences. You can follow Rabbi Sandra on Twitter,...
Sep 17, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 243
Our Jewish guest is Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and a former member of the Knesset. He talks to Liel about his new collection of short stories, The Night Archer, plus how writing fiction has long been an escape from his day job in politics. Our Gentile of the Week is political satirist and journalist P.J. O'Rourke. He talks to Mark about his latest book, A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land, plus whether conservatives can be as funny as liberals, and ...
Sep 10, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 242
This week on Unorthodox, summer trips to the beach spark our latest debate: Do Jews like the beach? Our Jewish guest is Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, who returns to the show to talk about his latest book, Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times. Listen for Rabbi Sacks' advice for how we can build a more moral society, plus why he thinks the themes of the High Holidays have never been more relevant, and his take ...
Sep 03, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 241
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...
Aug 13, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 240
This week on Unorthodox, we're calling an emergency meeting of the Unorthodox club. First we talk to Rachel Shukert, a longtime Tablet contributor (and a contributor to The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia!) who is an executive producer and showrunner for The Baby-Sitters' Club reboot on Netflix. She tells us about growing up reading the series of books by Ann M. Martin, recreating the 90's series as a TV show set in the present, and what she's learned about today's teenagers from working with the act...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 239
This week on Unorthodox, we’re observing Tisha B’Av, the commemoration of the destruction of both temples in Jerusalem. Observant Jews typically fast on this day, and because the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av falls during the summer months, it makes for one strange and somber day at Jewish summer camps. Because the destruction of the ancient temples can seem a bit, well, distant, the Ninth of Av has become in recent years a kind of catch-all day for Jewish mourning: a commemoration of all ...
Jul 29, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 238
This week on Unorthodox, we're working on our topspin. Our first guest is Noah Rubin, a former Wimbledon junior singles champion who went pro at age 19. He tells us about his tennis-themed bar mitzvah, the reality of life on the professional circuit, and his project Behind the Racquet: a website and podcast that sheds light on the often overlooked mental health challenges that face professional tennis players. Our next guest is Jenny Caplan, who teaches religious studies and Jewish studies at To...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 237
This week on Unorthodox, we puzzle over swastika jewelry and celebrities saying anti-Semitic things. We also hear from Zack Banner, the Pittsburgh Steelers player who spoke out against anti-Semitism. Read his full interview with Tablet’s Yair Rosenberg on tabletmag.com. Our Jewish guest is Brad Kolodny, author of Seeking Sanctuary: 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island, a photo-filled survey of Jewish life in the New York City suburb. He tells us about some of the most iconic synagogues in the ...
Jul 16, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 236
This week on Unorthodox, we're talking Yiddish, curse words, and much more. Our first guest is return Gentile of the Week John McWhorter, linguist and host of the Lexicon Valley podcast. John was a guest on the show back in 2016, and then we did an Unorthodox/Lexicon Valley crossover episode the following year. He returned to the show to tell us all about his upcoming book on curse words (note: this segment is definitely NSFW) and his enduring love of Yiddish. In addition to that interview, whic...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 235
This week on Unorthodox, we explore the role Jews played in the American psychedelic movement of the 1950s and 60s, and learn why some rabbis and spiritual leaders today are advocating for using psychedelics to unlock Jewish spiritual experiences. First, we talk to Jesse Jarnow, author of Heads: A Biography of Psychedelic America, who tells us about the emergence of psychedelic use in mid-century America, and the many Jews involved in that countercultural scene. Then, contributor Alix Wall bring...
Jul 02, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 234
This week on Unorthodox, three books to add to your summer reading list. Our first guest is historian and U.C.L.A professor Sarah Abrevaya Stein, who is the author of Family Papers: A Sephardic Journey Through the Twentieth Century. She tells us how she pieced together the Levy family story across generations and continents through their correspondence, what this family's journey can teach us about the global Sephardic experience, and what the records we leave behind today might look like to fut...
Jun 25, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 233
This week, we reflect on the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests that have spread across the world, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets to decry racism and police violence. Our first guest is Jason Kirschner, Mark's first cousin and close friend from childhood. Their Northeast Jewish suburban upbringings were strikingly similar, except that Jason is black. The cousins catch up by phone, and discuss race for the first time. Then we talk to Rabbi Alex Ozar of ...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 232
This week on Unorthodox: Nazi alligators and Hitler's childhood home. First we talk to Naama Shefi of the Jewish Food Society, who returns to the show along with Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, the fourth-generation owners of Russ and Daughters, to tell us about their work feeding healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can support the Jewish Food Society's initiative here. Then we sit down with Israeli musician Yair Nitzani, who talks about the strange reality of being a r...
Jun 11, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 231
This week on Unorthodox, we're proud to present our third annual conversion episode. On Shavuot, the Jewish holiday that starts tonight at sundown, we read the Book of Ruth, which tells the story of a Moabite woman who converts to Judaism and becomes the great-great-grandmother of King David. Shavuot is the perfect time to celebrate those who convert to Judaism, and on today's episode you'll hear a variety of stories featuring Jews by choice and their different journeys. (Listen to our 2019 epis...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 230
Description: Join us this Saturday, May 23 at 9 p.m. for a virtual Unorthodox live show! It's part of the Great Big Jewish Food Fest, and we'll be joined by Bon Appetit's Sarah Jampel. RSVP at bit.ly/unorthodoxjff. This week on Unorthodox, we're heading to Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. Our guest is Matthew Weiner, creator of the TV series 'Mad Men' and 'The Romanoffs,' and an executive producer on 'The Sopranos.' He joins us to talk about why everyone seems to be binge-watching 'Mad Men' lately,...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 229
This week on Unorthodox: How to build an eruv in Animal Crossing, and saying goodbye to Jerry Stiller. Our first guest is former Israeli Member of Knesset Einat Wilf. Well known in Israeli politics for her left-wing positions and advocacy of education and women's rights, she joins us to talk about her shift in thinking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which culminated in a book she co-authored, newly published in English, called The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 228
