The Commentary Magazine Podcast Don't Eat That Friday-Night Brisket!
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Nov 7, 2025 The hosts dive into the uproar over the Heritage Foundation's suggestion of Gentiles joining Shabbat dinners, questioning the potential for dialogue. They explore the hospitality aspect of these gatherings and poke fun at gefilte fish as a cultural symbol. The conversation shifts to the alarming antisemitic backlash online and whether personal interactions can combat prejudice. They also investigate the implications of right-wing populism and the troubling persistence of youth radicalism, all while assessing power dynamics within conservative circles.
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Shabbat Dinner Is Simple And Communal
- Shabbat dinner is a brief, communal Friday-night meal with a few blessings, not an intensive religious conversion or service.
- John Podhoretz argues inviting non-Jews to it is benign and aims to humanize Jews rather than force belief.
Outrage Reveals Hidden Antisemitic Id
- Online reactions to modest outreach ideas revealed raw anti-Semitic hostility and moral outrage framing.
- Podhoretz sees those reactions as exposing the evil inclination behind modern antisemitic rhetoric.
Keep Hospitality Low-Pressure
- Use Friday-night dinners as low-pressure hospitality, not formal outreach or conversion attempts.
- Seth Mandel advises keeping gatherings informal, with phones allowed and no coercive rules to foster real conversation.
