The podcast explores the significance of folding chairs in Jewish culture and their connection to Thanksgiving. It also discusses a craft along for Israel, reflections on setting a place at the Shabbat table, and the act of donating knitted hats to soldiers in Israel.

Dark times call for bright lights, and we’re excited to announce Tablet’s Hanukkah Bazaar, taking place Sunday, Dec. 3 in New York City, featuring 40+ amazing vendors. Find out more at hanukkahbazaar.com. Today we head Across the Jew.S.A to Washington D.C., for a special dispatch from this week’s March for Israel. We also talk with Israeli writer Etgar Keret. Known for his short story collections, he’s pivoted in the weeks since the Oct. 7 attacks and is channeling his energy and talents toward helping his fellow Israelis who are looking for hope, and a bit of entertainment. And finally, Stephanie catches up with her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sister, LeElle Slifer, who has several relatives who were abducted or murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7. LeElle tells us why it’s been so important to share her family’s story widely here in the U.S. Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along. We’re meeting virtually every Monday in November to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at tsinger@tabletmag.com.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SPONSORS: Visit the Contemporary Jewish Museum on December 9 for Shabbat at Jewseum to celebrate Hanukkah with a day of art, stories, and community. Book tickets at thecjm.org. Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards honor up to 15 Jewish teens from across the United States with an award of $36,000 to recognize their impact and leadership to repair the world. Learn more at DillerTeenAwards.org.Be proudly Jewish with our book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, covering everything from Jewish history and pop culture to holidays and food. Get a 20% discount on Newish Jewish and the entire Artisan Books Hanukkah shop with code UNORTHODOX.

Dan Senor, writer and political advisor, discusses his book "The Genius of Israel" and its surprising insights on Israel's resilience. Gila Sacks, daughter of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, shares what her father might have said about the current moment. The podcast also covers news consumption, open letters, renaming of the Anne Frank Daycare Center, romcoms, Israeli resilience, faith and rituals in Israeli culture, and acts of kindness.

In this episode, the hosts discuss controversial opinions and anti-Semitism on college campuses, the fight for equal treatment, and contemplate motivations. They delve into the Jewish Priorities project and difficult conversations, explore living in a Jewish community in Chevron, visit the Weizmann National Museum of American Jewish History, and highlight the impact of a program called La Casa on Latin Jewish teens in Miami. They also celebrate a recent marriage and the rescue of an Israeli soldier.

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 began and sheds light on what our role is amidst it. We’re also joined by artist Jeanette Kuvin Oren, who you may remember from last year’s Hanukkah episode. She tells us about the art classes she’s been teaching to displaced children in Israel. Join our Beautifully Jewish Craft-Along. Over the next 6 weeks, we’re going to meet virtually to craft in support of children being treated in Israel’s hospitals and to support the brave men and women of the Israeli Defense Forces. Find out more at tabletmag.com/craftalong.     The croched star in this week's episode art is by Adi Assas who you can find on Instagram: @adidiloopsListen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here. Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SPONSORS: Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, opening October 15th. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org. 

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 for more eyewitness audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here.Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869.Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SPONSORS: Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionists, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. The Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust’s newest exhibit is ‘Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark.’ Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. The National Yiddish Theater presents Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust, running Nov. 14 to Dec. 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org.

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 audio accounts from Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage here.Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

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 Malkeinu” performed by Regina Spektor, and “Eli, Eli” sung by from Jenny Penkin and J.Lamotta.Listen to the Testimonies Archive for more eyewitness audio accounts from the Hamas massacre in Israel, and read Tablet’s coverage of the war here.Reach us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at tsinger@tabletmag.com.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

Discussion on the recent sophisticated attack in Israel involving Hezbollah and Iran, speculation on the intentional timing of the attack. Examination of Iran's involvement and the revelation of a command center. Debate on the billions of dollars given to Iran and its potential impact. Exploration of Israel's political unrest and concerns about future conflict. Analysis of past incidents involving US agents and anticipation of Russian and Chinese involvement. Debate on reassessing views on the Iran deal and US-Iran alignment. Discussion on redefining pro-Israel sentiments and understanding power dynamics.

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 the book (from the publisher, your local bookstore, or anywhere else), upload a picture or screenshot of your receipt to tabletm.ag/preorder and fill out the short, accompanying form. You’ll then get invited to a special virtual event with Liel and will get entered to win one of 10 gift packages curated by Liel himself! We also interview Leore Dayan, the creator and screenwriter of Normal, a new, semi-autobiographical Israeli TV show from Israeli production company Dori Media that’s currently available to stream on ChaiFlicks. Leore is the grandson of Israeli military legend Moshe Dayan and the son of famed director Assi Dayan. He shares with us how his complicated family legacy impacted him and informed Normal. We love to hear from you! Send us emails at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Check out our Unorthodox tees, mugs, and hoodies at tabletstudios.com. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive. To book us for a live show or event, email Tanya Singer at tsinger@tabletmag.com.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Join our Facebook group, and follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.SPONSORS:Hadassah is hosting “Inspire Zionism: Tech, Trailblazers and Tattoos,” a two-day online event featuring panels with inspiring Zionist women, hosted by our own Stephanie Butnick. To join the conversation October 25 and 26, register at go.hadassah.org/inspire. Visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to see their new exhibit, Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark, opening October 15th. Plan your visit at www.mjhnyc.org. The National Yiddish Theater is presenting Amid Falling Walls, a tribute to the indomitable Jewish spirit during the Holocaust. You can see the show November 14 to December 10 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Get tickets at nytf.org.