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This week on Unorthodox, we’re throwing it back. Our Gentile of the week is writer Chuck Klosterman, whose new book is The Nineties. He tells us why the 90s were the last real decade, plus what it’s like to earnestly promote a book about an era when apathy reigned supreme. We, on the other hand, are happy to be commercial sellouts—we’re giving away copies of The Nineties on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.We love to hear from you! Send us your emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel.Check out The Tab, Tablet magazine's new printable weekly digest. Laid out in an attractive PDF for reading on a tablet or desktop, or to be printed, The Tab takes you into Shabbat and through the weekend, for free. Get your copy at tablet.ag/tab. Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email tsinger@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors:Harry’s is a great shave at a great price. New customers can get a Starter Set—which includes a five-blade razor, weighted handle, foaming shave gel with aloe, and a travel cover—for just $3 at harrys.com/unorthodox.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re all self-upgrading to business class. Our Jewish guest is investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, of Watergate team Woodward and Bernstein, whose new memoir is Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom.  Our Gentile of the Week is The Great British Baking Show semi-finalist Jürgen Krauss, who won our hearts with his Passover plava recipe on Season 9. Krauss, who isn’t Jewish himself but is married to a Jewish woman and raising a Jewish family, tells us about representing his family’s Jewish faith in his flavors. He also shares a new Passover pavlova recipe with Unorthodox—check it out here.We love to hear from you! Send us your emails and voice memos at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel. Check out The Tab, Tablet magazine's new printable weekly digest. Laid out in an attractive PDF for reading on a tablet or desktop, or to be printed, The Tab takes you into Shabbat and through the weekend, for free. Get your copy at tabletm.ag/tab. Want to book us for a live show or event in your area, or partner with us in some other way? Email tabletstudios@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors:Thirty Six is a new podcast from SoulShop and Bnai Zion hosted by Justin Hayet, who scours Israel to find the 36 most fascinating souls who bring an ancient Jewish tradition to life. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re bringing you a conversation with Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker of Temple Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX, who was held hostage along with three congregants during a Shabbat service two weeks agoSubscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Check out The Tab, Tablet magazine's new printable weekly digest. Laid out in an attractive PDF for reading on a tablet or desktop, or to be printed, The Tab takes you into Shabbat and through the weekend, for free. Get your copy at tablet.ag/tab. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors:Thirty Six is a new podcast from SoulShop and Bnai Zion hosted by Justin Hayet, who scours Israel to find the 36 most fascinating souls who bring an ancient Jewish tradition to life. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.  American Jewish World Service Renew your commitment to tikkun olam with a twice-matched gift to support social justice organizations in 18 countries around the world. Make your donation at AJWS.org/unorthodox. The Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s online introductory course in Jewish meditation will help you find calm in challenging situations. Sign up for “The Gift of Awareness” at jewishspirituality.org and use discount code Unorthodox for 20% off the 8-part course.  

This week, we’re reflecting on the rabbi and three congregants held hostage at a Texas synagogue last Saturday. We’re also sharing an interview with Mark Podwal, an artist who has illustrated for the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Times —and who has a day job as a dermatologist. He tells us how his art, rich with Jewish themes and imagery, is his expression of his Jewish identitySubscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors The Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s online introductory course in Jewish meditation will help you find calm in challenging situations. Sign up for “The Gift of Awareness” at jewishspirituality.org and use discount code Unorthodox for 20% off the 8-part course.   American Jewish World Service Renew your commitment to tikkun olam with a twice-matched gift to support social justice organizations in 18 countries around the world. Make your donation at AJWS.org/unorthodox.Thirty Six is a new podcast from SoulShop and Bnai Zion hosted by Justin Hayet, who scours Israel to find the 36 most fascinating souls who bring an ancient Jewish tradition to life. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Harry’s is a great shave at a great price. Get a trial set for just $3 when you go to HARRYS.COM/UNORTHODOX. 

This week on Unorthodox, more Israel-related animal conspiracy theories.  Before she was Liz Lange, our Jewish guest was Liz Steinberg, niece of corporate raider Saul Steinberg. She tells the story of her family’s spectacular rise and eventual fall in the new podcast, “The Just Enough Family.” Our Gentile of the Week is Delvyn Case, a Christian composer who has written a cantata about the binding of Isaac, based on his reading of one rabbi's midrash that suggests that Abraham actually killed Isaac.Plus, more news from Belgium! Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SponsorsZelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management Earn your master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more about the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at zschool.huc.edu. Scholarships available.AJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world, and when you donate to AJWS this holiday season, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Thirty Six is a new podcast from SoulShop and Bnai Zion hosted by Justin Hayet, who scours Israel to find the 36 most fascinating souls who bring an ancient Jewish tradition to life. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. The Power Of is a new podcast featuring host Noam Weissman and a diverse range of guests discussing how Jewish wisdom can help us find real, practical meaning within our own lives. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. 

This week, we’re celebrating a major milestone: 300 episodes. That’s more than 18,000 minutes of tape over six years, featuring thousands of News of the Jews items, hundreds of amazing Jews and Gentiles of the Week, and way too many jokes about Belgium. We’ve been through a lot together, J-Crew. There was the Saran Wrap vs. tin foil fight, the debate over backing into parking spaces, and endless discussions of what activities might accurately be categorized as “Jewish.” We’ve shared stories of conversion and atonement and nose jobs, and performed live shows across the country, from St. Louis to San Diego, and Denver to Detroit. Along the way, our team wrote a book, welcomed three human children and six podcast babies, and even got to be part of a proposal and then a wedding.Today, we’re celebrating everything that makes Unorthodox the #1 Jewish podcast with a special episode hosted by friend-of-the-show and “Making It” judge Simon Doonan. You’ll hear stories from our hosts—about Stephanie finding her voice, Mark learning what happens when an off-hand comment incites an unexpected online mob, and Liel realizing that fighting about politics isn’t always worth it — and messages from listeners and some of our favorite former guests.On behalf of the entire Unorthodox team, Shalom friends—and thanks for listening.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SponsorsZelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management - Earn your master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more about the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management at zschool.huc.edu. Scholarships available.The Power Of is a new podcast featuring host Noam Weissman and a diverse range of guests discussing how Jewish wisdom can help us find real, practical meaning within our own lives. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.AJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world, and when you donate to AJWS this holiday season, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re drinking the eggnog and going all in on Christmas.Did you know your favorite Christmas song was probably written by a Jew? Marc Tracy returns to the show to shed light on the surprising history of Jewish songwriters and Christmas music, and shares a list of the 10 best Christmas songs written by Jews. It wouldn’t be a bunch of Jews talking about a holiday—even one that isn’t our own—without a serious discussion of food. Jewish cookbook author and New York Times Cooking columnist Melissa Clark tells us about the chocolate babka rugelach recipe she contributed to the Times’ Christmas cookie collection. Our super-intern Quinn Waller—our Quinntern—brings us an amazing personal story about the Christmas spirit she grew up with, and how she continued to believe in Santa long after all her friends stopped. What’s it like being a Jewish ballerina and dancing in “The Nutcracker,” the most Christmas-y ballet of all time? American Ballet Theater principal dancer Skylar Brandt, who this year is performing the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” tells us all about it.  New York-area listeners, travel back in time to 1970s NYC's haute kosher Chinese restaurant, Moshe Peking, for a prix-fixe dinner to remember on December 25, 2021. Chef Eric Huang of Pecking House and Wall Street Grill’s Joey Paulino reimagine the iconic Moshe Peking menu with a 5-course feast of short ribs, duck dumplings, sesame noodles, and more, all under OU supervision at Wall Street Grill. Get your ticket at bit.ly/moshepeking.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SponsorsAJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world, and when you donate to AJWS this holiday season, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards recognize 15 extraordinary Jewish teenagers with $36,000 toward their initiatives. Learn more and apply or nominate a teen at dillerteenawards.org/unorthodox. Spertus Institute’s Certificate in Jewish Leadership is a skill-building resource specifically geared to the particular needs of Jewish organizations. Find out more at spertus.edu/certificate.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re diving deeper into the cream cheese shortage. Our first guest is Dorothy Kalins, cookbook writer and former editor in chief of Saveur magazine. Liel talks to her about her new book, “The Kitchen Whisperers: Cooking with the Wisdom of Our Friends.”Then Liel sits down with retired Harvard professor Ruth Wisse, whose new memoir is “Free Like a Jew: A Personal Memoir of National Self-Liberation.” Our 300th episode is coming up this month, and we want you to be part of it. Has Unorthodox meant something to you, or played a part in your Jewish journey? Has a particular interview made you think, or a special episode stuck with you? Share your Unorthodox story by recording a voice memo on your phone and emailing it to unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leaving a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you're calling from. New York-area listeners, travel back in time to 1970s NYC's haute kosher Chinese restaurant, Moshe Peking, for a prix-fixe dinner to remember on December 25, 2021. Chef Eric Huang of Pecking House reimagines the iconic Moshe Peking menu with a 5-course feast of short ribs, duck dumplings, sesame noodles, and more, all under OU supervision at Wall Street Grill. Get your ticket at bit.ly/moshepeking.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors: AJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world, and when you donate to AJWS this holiday season, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards recognize 15 extraordinary Jewish teenagers with $36,000 toward their initiatives. Learn more and apply or nominate a teen at dillerteenawards.org/unorthodox. Rothys makes stylish and sustainable shoes and accessories. Get $20 off your first purchase at rothys.com/UNORTHODOX.

This week on Unorthodox, we’re prepping for the great cream cheese shortage of 5782.First we call up friend of the show Joshua Malina, who wrote an impassioned essay in the Atlantic asking why, after such a public history of antisemitism, Mel Gibson is still getting work in Hollywood. Then we talk to Yonit Levi, Israel’s Channel 12 evening news anchor, who recently launched the podcast Unholy with The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland. Our Gentile of the Week is University of Oregon professor Annelise Heinz, whose new book, Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture, delves into the Jewish community’s enthusiastic embrace of the tile game. Our 300th episode is coming up this month, and we want you to be part of it. Has Unorthodox meant something to you, or played a part in your Jewish journey? Has a particular interview made you think, or a special episode stuck with you? Share your Unorthodox story by recording a voice memo on your phone and emailing it to unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leaving a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you're calling from. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors:AJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world, and when you donate to AJWS this holiday season, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards recognize 15 extraordinary Jewish teenagers with $36,000 toward their initiatives. Learn more and apply or nominate a teen at dillerteenawards.org/unorthodox. Harry’s is a great shave at a great price. Get $5 off any holiday shave set at harrys.com/unorthodox. 

This week on Unorthodox, we really can’t stop talking about Hanukkah—read our op-ed all about it in the Washington Post.First we talk to actress Sarah Podemski, who stars on the new FX on Hulu show Reservation Dogs. She tells us about her “Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi” heritage and growing up in Toronto’s Jewish community, plus her experience working with an all-Indigenous cast and creative team on Reservation Dogs.   Then Liel has a candid conversation with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat about his new book, The Deep Places, an account of his confounding struggle with chronic Lyme Disease.  Throughout the episode you’ll hear “The Hanukkah Song 2.0” from our friends Kosha Dillz and Nissim Black. We’re looking for listeners to be part of two upcoming episodes. Send us your best Jew-at-Christmas stories, like the time you accidentally ruined Santa for the whole class. And on a more earnest note, has Unorthodox meant something special to you? Share your story for our 300th episode. You can leave us a voicemail at 914-570-4869 or even better, record a voice memo on your phone and email it to unorthodox@tabletmag.com. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at bit.ly/givetounorthodox.Send comments and questions to unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave us a voicemail at (914) 570-4869. You can also record a voice memo on your smartphone and email it to us.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get a behind-the-scenes look at our recording sessions on our YouTube channel!Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, mugs, and baby onesies at bit.ly/unorthoshirt. Want to book us for a live show? Email producer Josh Kross at jkross@tabletmag.com.Check out all of Tablet’s podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.Sponsors:Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards recognize 15 extraordinary Jewish teenagers with $36,000 toward their initiatives. Learn more and apply or nominate a teen at dillerteenawards.org/unorthodox. AJWS supports activism in 18 countries around the world. When you give to AJWS this Hanukkah, your gift will be matched to make double the impact. Give today at AJWS.org/unorthodox. Chai Flicks streams Jewish and Israeli movies and TV, with hundreds of films, series, and documentaries to choose from. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and enter code CHECKOUT to get 50% off your first month subscription.Hanukkah Homecoming Hundreds of communities are throwing Hanukkah Homecoming events this weekend. Find all the Hanukkah happenings in one place at hanukkahhomecoming.org. Tikvah Scholars Program at Yale University brings together Jewish 10th and 11th grade students to push their intellectual limits with world-class faculty. Learn more and apply or nominate a teen at tikvahscholars.org.