This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our travels Across the JEW.S.A. We head to Miami, where newer communities are redefining Jewish life in Florida. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on some of the other stops we’ve made at tabletmag.com/jewsa. We’re also sharing highlights from the Jewish Priorities conference that Liel and Stephanie moderated at The Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The c...
Nov 02, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 387
This week on Unorthodox, a mixup with a third (reich) party vendor. We speak with Israeli actress Swell Ariel Or, who you may remember from the show Beauty Queen of Jerusalem. She moved to the United States just weeks ago, and gives us her perspective on the war as an Israeli living abroad. You can donate to the Israel Reservist Fund that Or started at: www.israelreservistfund.com. Ani Wilcenski, Tablet’s audience editor, helps us make sense of the social media landscape since the war in Israel ...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 386
This week on Unorthodox, we’re processing our emotions about the war on Israel alongside our listeners. We talk with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm, host of the podcast Good Faith Effort, about turning to Jewish law and ethics for insight on how to deal with a dark and violent moment. Our second guest this week is the actress Lisa Edelstein. She joins us to discuss her newest project, the PBS series Little Bird, as well as her experience as a Jewish actress in Hollywood. Listen to the Testimonies Archive fo...
Oct 19, 2023•2 hr 36 min•Ep. 385
Today on Unorthodox, we’re welcoming Shabbat after a painful week. Rabbi Diana Fersko walks us through the basics of Shabbat, and shares additional prayers we can incorporate into our practice on this particular week. Host emeritus Mark Oppenheimer returns to dispense some corduroy wisdom as we navigate this unprecedented moment, and Liel shares some levity with an unexpected account of how one Jewish mother outwitted her Hamas captives. Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audi...
Oct 13, 2023•22 min•Ep. 384
This week on Unorthodox, we’re sharing stories from Israel. We’ll hear firsthand from those who have faced unspeakable tragedy, and acted with incredible bravery since the terror attack on Oct. 7. You’ll hear from someone who escaped the NOVA music festival, friends donating supplies in Tel Aviv, and a report from the missing persons center near Ben Gurion Airport, where Israelis are coming in droves to look for information about their loved ones. This episode features a rendition of “Avinu Malk...
Oct 11, 2023•56 min•Ep. 383
Our hearts and minds are heavy right now, and we here at Unorthodox are working hard to bring you a special episode in the coming days. In the meantime, we know many of you have questions about how we got here. To get to the root of some of them, Tablet Magazine hosted a zoom, moderated by our own Liel Liebovitz, and we want to share it with you now.
Oct 09, 2023•53 min
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!). This week on Unorthodox, we’re battling the Spelling Bee. Our beloved co-host Liel Leibovitz joins us as our first guest to tell us about his new book, How the Talmud Can Change Your Life: Surprisingly Modern Advice from a Very Old Book. Listeners have a very special opportunity: preorder...
Oct 05, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 382
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Sukkot in style. We head to the Malina sukkah, where we hear from Joshua’s parents, Fran and Robert, about their family traditions. We’re also sharing the second installment of Beautifully Jewish, our series celebrating Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. Stephanie and Tanya explore how something as temporary as a sukkah can be a beautiful and meaningful structure, with the help of Rabbi Adam Baldac...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 381
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...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 380
This week on Unorthodox, you’re totally invited to our bat mitzvah. First we talk to Amanda Stern—aka Fiona Rosenbloom—the author of the young adult novel You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which the new Netflix film is based on. She shares (pre-strike!) what it was like to have her novel adapted into an Adam Sandler movie and gives us an update on what she’s working on now. Then director Guy Nattiv joins us to discuss Golda, his new film about former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. He...
Sep 14, 2023•51 min•Ep. 379
This week on Unorthodox, we’re unveiling our newest series: Beautifully Jewish, hosted by Stephanie Butnick with Tanya Singer. It’s a celebration of the objects that enrich our Jewish identities and observance, from Shabbat candlesticks to menorahs, tallis covers, mezuzahs, and much more. Each month, Beautifully Jewish will celebrate Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. We’ll also get hands on, helping listeners create new Jewish things to co...
Sep 07, 2023•48 min•Ep. 378
This week on Unorthodox, we’re chowing down. Cookbook author and chef Jake Cohen returns to the show to tell us about his new cookbook, I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day. He also shares some recipes for your Rosh Hashanah table. Producer Quinn Waller brings us along to Lee Lee’s Baked Goods in Harlem to talk to Alvin Lee Smalls, the man behind some of the best rugelach in New York City. Tablet writer Maggie Phillips returns to the show to visit PLNT Burger and chat wit...
Aug 31, 2023•2 hr 33 min•Ep. 377
This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our journey through the Hebrew month of Elul up to the High Holidays by focusing on music. Rabbi Josh Warshawsky returns to the show to walk us through the melodies of the High Holidays, plus he shares his new version of Hineni. Then, we’re re-airing a segment with Ladino singer Sarah Aroeste, who shares her musical tribute to the lost Sephardic community of Monastir. We’re also bringing you our latest installment of The Archive, our series exploring the...
Aug 24, 2023•51 min•Ep. 376
This week on Unorthodox, we’re entering Elul, the Hebrew month leading up to the High Holidays. During this period, we try to be a little more introspective, to consider how we spent the last year, and how we are preparing for the next. But how do we do that, exactly? To guide us, Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to discuss the purpose of Elul and how we can get the most out of this month. (Rabbi Bashevskin’s book, Sin•a•gogue: Sin and Failure in Jewish Thought, is another helpful tool.) Then, we ...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 375
This week on Unorthodox, was Oppenheimer a flop-enheimer? Our Gentile of the Week is podcaster and musician Hrishikesh Hirway. He hosted The West Wing Weekly with Joshua Malina, and he returns to Unorthodox to talk about his current podcast (and Netflix series) Song Exploder. He also shares his new single, Cascade, and asks a music-themed GOTW question. We’re also taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A. Liel brings us along to a Jewish summer camp off the beaten path in Colorado. Across the JEW.S.A. i...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 374
This week on Unorthodox, we’re talking about Tisha B’Av and what we can learn from this ancient day of mourning. Then, we’re bringing you an extended conversation with our Gentile of the Week Bill Courtney about the things we all can do to give up resentment and division and commit ourselves to empathy and change. He’s the football coach depicted in the Academy Award-winning documentary, Undefeated, and now hosts the new podcast, An Army of Normal Folks. We love to hear from you! Send us emails ...
Jul 27, 2023•58 min•Ep. 373
This week on Unorthodox: Kosher shrimp cocktail? Our Jew of the Week is comedian and podcaster Sarah Silverman. She joins us to talk about her new—and extremely Jewish—comedy special, Someone You Love, plus what it’s like playing poker with Joshua Malina We’re also bringing you our latest installment from The Archive, our series exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. This week, we learn about the manuscripts of Ahmed Ibn Taymiyya, one of the most influential thinkers in the...
Jul 20, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 372
This week on Unorthodox, class is in session. First, we discuss the new Israeli TV show The Lesson, and talk to the show’s writer and creator, Deakla Keydar. (Sponsor note: You can stream ‘The Lesson’ exclusively on ChaiFlicks; Unorthodox listeners get 40% off a subscription with the code LESSONPOD). Then, we chat with Benyamin Cohen, who runs Albert Einstein’s official social media presence. He returns to the show to tell us about his new book, "The Einstein Effect: How the World’s Favorite Gen...
Jul 13, 2023•53 min•Ep. 371
This week on Unorthodox, we’re playing the name game. First, we’re re-airing a 2019 segment in which our former editor Noah Levinson investigates the real story behind the myth of name changes at Ellis Island. For more, check out A Rosenberg by Any Other Name: A History of Jewish Name Changing in America, written by Kirsten Fermaglich. We’re also bringing you a preview of our new Tablet Studios podcast, What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead. We’re joined by the podcast’s co-host, Tablet d...
Jul 06, 2023•51 min•Ep. 370
This week on Unorthodox, we’re ready to buzz in. Our Jew of the Week is JCC Krakow director Jonathan Ornstein, who returns to the show to tell us about Jewish life in Poland today. Our Gentile of the Week is Antonio Pagliarulo, who joins us to talk about his new book, The Evil Eye: The History, Mystery, and Magic of the Quiet Curse. Plus, we’re taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A. to Deadwood, South Dakota, to learn about its surprising Jewish history. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the suppor...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 369
This week on Unorthodox, we’re looking for the recipe for Coronation Cholent. Our Jew of the Week is Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis. He joins us to talk about life as Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations, what it was like to spend the night at St. James’s Palace when King Charles’s coronation fell over Shabbat, and why he’s so dedicated to interfaith work. Our second Jew of the Week is Zak Rosen. He hosts the podcast The Best Advice Show and co-hosts Slate’s parenting podcast, Mom and ...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 368
This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating our proximity Tony Award. Our Jew of the Week is the comedian Alex Edelman. He returns to Unorthodox to celebrate his solo show, Just for Us, heading to Broadway for the summer. He also shares why it’s important to him to be pushing the conversation on Jewish art forward, beyond the low-hanging fruit of “bubbes, brisket, and bagels." Our Gentile of the Week is author and sportswriter Will Leitch. He joins us to talk about his new novel, The Time Has Com...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 367
This week on Unorthodox, we’re marching together. Or are we? Our Jew of the Week is the comedian Modi. He joined us to talk about coming out to his mother about being a comedian, and why he’s finding what he calls “moshiach energy” in being openly gay—and proudly Jewish. And returning to the show as our most gentilic gentile of the week is our friend and rabbi, Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large for America Magazine. He joined us to talk about his work on LGBTQ issues withi...
Jun 08, 2023•57 min•Ep. 366
This week on Unorthodox, the curious case of the Hitler-branded cocaine. Our Jewish guest this week is David Cowan, who produced the documentary Afghan Dreamers, which follows an all-girls robotics team from Afghanistan as they compete in international competitions against the backdrop of the threat of Taliban rule. We’re also bringing you another installment of our series Across The JEW.S.A., created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. We head to New Orleans for Jazz Fe...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 14 min
This week on Unorthodox, we’re officially welcoming our new co-host, Joshua Malina! To celebrate Joshua’s arrival and his role as Hermann Merz in the Tony-nominated play Leopoldstadt, join us June 22 for a special Unorthodox night on Broadway. After the show, Stephanie and Liel will do a Q&A on-stage with Joshua. Get your tickets at bit.ly/uobroadway. Our Jew of the Week is Aaron Saidman, executive producer of Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaking, as well as its predecessor, Indian Matchmaking. We chat ...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 364
Each year for Shavuot, we air our annual Conversion Episode, in which we share stories of people finding their way to Judaism. This year, inspired by our showrunner Courtney Hazlett’s Tablet article, “Don’t Call Me a Convert,” we’re focusing on the Jewish journeys we’re all on. Plus, at the end of the episode, we reveal our new co-host! But first: We’re talking about interfaith relationships, and what we can learn from them, with Dr. Keren McGinity, interfaith specialist at the United Synagogue ...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 363
This week on Unorthodox, we’re smuggling fruit roll-ups into Israel. First, we chat with Rabbi Ari Lamm about the surprising spirituality of this year’s NBA Playoffs. Journalist Gabby Deutch joins us to talk about her 5-part investigative series about the 1984 murder of Rabbi Philip Rabinowitz of Kesher Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, a crime which remains unsolved nearly 40 years later. We’re also bringing you the second installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collection of ...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 362
This week on Unorthodox, Grover goes to Israel, and we go to Portland, Maine! Our Jewish guest this week is Natasha Feldman, aka Nosh With Tash. She tells us about her new cookbook, “The Dinner Party Project,” and gives us some fool-proof tips on throwing a successful, low-stress dinner party. We’re also sharing the latest installment of our Across the Jew.S.A. series, created with support of the Jewish Federations of North America. Producers Robert Scaramuccia and Quinn Waller traveled to Portl...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 361
After 360 episodes, we’re bidding adieu to our founding host, Mark Oppenheimer. We have good wishes from a famous friend, memories from listeners and Tablet staff, poignant interviews, and a final trip to Friendly’s. To keep up with Oppenheimer happenings, you can subscribe to Mark’s newsletter at markoppenhiemer.substack.com. We love to hear from you! Send us emails and voice memos at [email protected], or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who yo...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 7 min
This week on Unorthodox, we're discussing the protests in Israel and the larger context in which they are occuring. Our Jewish guest this week is the writer Jonathan Rosen. He joined us to talk about his new book, The Best Minds: A Story of Friendship, Madness, and the Tragedy of Good Intentions. We’re also bringing you a dispatch from Armenia. Liel traveled to Yerevan to learn about Birthright Armenia, and how it could teach Israelis and American Jews a lesson or two. Check out Zionism: The Tab...
Apr 20, 2023•2 hr 31 min•Ep. 359
