

Ask a Jew
Ask a Jew
Yael Bar tur, secular sinner, and Chaya Leah Sufrin, pious Haredi, ask each other the hard questions, from Torah to Tinder askajew.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 12, 2025 • 1h 21min
Accidental antisemitism
This week we welcome one of our favorite journaists of the moment, Olivia Reingold of The Free Press!We discuss her Jewish roots, atheism, how she went from an NPR fangirl to working for (gasp!) Bari Weiss, what’s wrong with Gen Z, accidental antisemitism, reading each and every one of Zohran Mamdani’s tweets, Mahmoud Khalil, and at the end we get into a very heated argument about…podiatrists. That said, the most controversial thing Olivia says is that she watches gaming playthrough youtubes.You can find Olivia on X (but be nice), Instagram, and of course read and watch everything she’s done at The Free Press. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 31, 2025 • 1h 17min
Hey Jewish People!! You're OK
We are so excited to have the one and only Babka King, Chris Cares None with us!If you haven’t seen Chris’s videos on Instagram and TikTok where he reviews foods from different ethnicities, with some special love to Babka and Rugelach, why are you even still here? MORE VIDEOS https://askajew.substack.com/Chris rose to fame after his Jewish food reviews attracted both love and hate, and let us tell you - do not throw hate at this guy unless you’re ready to be showered with LOVE. We talk about social anxiety, how Chris felt as a black man visitng Israel for the first time, why Golden Retrievers changed his attitude towards white people, compassion for both Israelis and Palestinians, and more! Chris is like a ballistic missile of positivity and energy, so hope you will enjoy this explosion of love.Make sure to follow Chris on Instagram and TikTok - just don’t come hungry. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 27, 2025 • 52min
Unconditional Love on the Spectrum
Happy Sunday and a blessed week to everyone, except Mandy Patinkin. In this catch-up we talk about the unfolding situation in Gaza (spoiler: some healthy disagreement!), the meaning of being able to criticize someone you love, toothaches and heartaches.Also:You don’t hate the UN enoughSome Astronomer talk…sorry if no one cares anymore. But have you seen this great response they put out?? .Lena Dunham is an awful, awful geniusJonah and the Whale and BuddhismA spotify recommendationAn evergreen reminder: If you only rediscover your Judaism when it's time to criticize Istael, we don't care what you think. And finally - you can find Chaya Leah’s birthday gift on our Substack!!! This kind of reminds me of the time Homer Simpson got Marge a bowling ball with his initials on it. I must have watched it 300 times!! But she loves it too. Don’t forget please that there are 50 hostages, in Gaza, many alive. They need to come home, now. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 20min
Helen Lewis Spills the Tea
Helen Lewis is a big deal y’all, and yes we’d be saying that even if she didn’t have a British accent. She’s a staff writer at The Atlantic, author of the new book The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea , as well as Difficult Women: An Imperfect History of Feminism. She has written and presented several BBC (ooh!) Radio shows including "The New Gurus"and our personal favorite, "Helen Lewis Has Left the Chat. You can also find her right here on Substack, at Helen Lewis. Good for the Jews is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.We talk overrated geniuses, AI and the class divide, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and other very serious topics that Helen manages to make really fun.Also:* London survived The Blitz, so we’ll all be ok* Jewish Rumspringa* Helen Lewish isn’t Jewish, but the Manosphere thinks she is* Chess.com is the new 4Chan* The Genius Myth* Was Shakespeare a black trans woman?* 1600s LinkedIn* Einstein was Mid, but he had great branding* AI and the class divide* The Ayatollah has a suprise for us* Gout and IQ* Helen Lewis has left the chat* WhatsApp drama is life* Greta Thunberg created Zionists * What people don’t understand about Israelis is….* Helen admits that America is beating the UK!* Oh wait, now she’s talking about inequality* Babies need to start pulling their weight and giving more to charity* 2025 feminismThanks for reading Good for the Jews! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 10, 2025 • 53min
Group Therapy with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman
Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist, podcaster, mentalist and author of 11 (!!) books. We had him on to talk about his latest “Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential, and were diagnosed with Vulnerable Narcissm (Yael) and being a Neurotic Jew (CL). We also mocked our negative self-talk, evaluated the usefuleness of self-deprecating humor, and learned about Dr. Scott’s attempt to bring peace to the Columbia campus where he teaches. Read his book, and sign up for his newsletter right here on Substack! Thanks for reading Good for the Jews! This post is public so feel free to share it.Also covered:* Rabbi feel-good* Who’s going to read a book that says your’re the problem? (the answer: Jews)* Negative self talk is for losers* You are not your thoughts* Women love mind-reading* Opera sucks* Collective anxiety and pain* Making sense of teaching at ColumbiaDid we tell you to buy the book? Buy the book!Good for the Jews is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 3, 2025 • 46min
Battle of the Moms
Bethany Mandel is the co-author of the bestseller “Stolen Youth” (with former guest Karol Markowicz!) and blogger/podcaster at The Mom Wars. We recorded this one a little while ago (there’s been an entire war in between) so excuse our tardiness. We talk conversion, birthing 6 kids at home (well, one in a car), homeschooling and much more. Enjoy!Also:* How Bethany chose Judaism at the ripe age of seven. Matza ball, books and no Jesus? I’m in.* The bad, bad Rabbi that converted Bethany.* Bethany’s oldest daughter is a settler-in-training.* Give me your most modest swimsuit, please.* John Podhoretz has strong feelings about epidurals* Having a baby, much like flying a plane, doesn’t make any sense.Check out “The Mom Wars” right here on SubstackIf we don’t see you, happy 4th of July! Go America! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 23, 2025 • 1h 5min
The Reverse Exodus Kindertransport Spring Break Cruise Evacuation
Chaya Leah is back from Israel, and boy does she have a story to tell! It has everything: bombs, planes, boats, sandwiches, and horny birthright kids. We’re so happy she’s home safe, and hope that her grandchildren will retell her story to the next generations. You can also read her testimony in this Times of Israel piece.As promised, here is a link to the Chabad in Cyprus and the Chabad in Germany, if you want to pay them back for all the food, and in general just thank them for their kindness. Want photos and videos to go with this episode? Go to askajew.substack.com and check out our latest post! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 18, 2025 • 44min
Mother of All Bombs
Since Chaya Leah is lost at sea somewhere between Cyprus and Natanz, I was joined by Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov, formerly a senior contributing editor, diplomatic reporter and knesset Reporter for The Jerusalem Post, and of course former Ask A Jew guest. We talked Iran, Israel, Trump, Bibi, sexy war planes, and what it’s like raising a family in war. You can follow Lahav on X and sign up for her newsletter on Substack of course.If you’re a substack subscriber, you caught this live and got to ask your questions - so thank you for joining! Make sure to become a subscriber so you can watch the video, get more alerts and join us next time. Askajew.substack.comFrom our sister podcast edJEWcation, consider helping out the Chabad of Cyprus, which became a temporary shelter for a bunch of stranded, hungover and horny Birthright students who were evacuated from Israel.. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 13, 2025 • 41min
Operation SURPRISE with Andrew Fox
Thank you to Andrew Fox for jumping on our live Substack video to talk about Israel, Iran, and answer your questions. Send your prayers to the IDF, the people of Israel, and the people of Iran. Good for the Jews is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 7min
Wait Wait...Tell Me Everything!
Uri Berliner was a senior business editor at NPR for 25 years, when he decided to set his tote bag on fire and spill the tea. We talk to him about his bombshell essay, How NPR Lost America, NPR’s coverage of Israel, viewpoint diversity, journalism, podcasts and much more.It seems like every time we publish an episode, we add a line that says “we recorded this before that terrible thing that happened”. So we recorded this one after the horrific murders of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in DC, but before the Boulder terrorism attack. The sentiment is always the same, the grief and anger just get even stronger. If you want to talk, our Substack chat and comment sections are open. Askajew.substack.comNote:The thing that happens when you know the media is wrong about one thing and believe them on another is apparently called the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect: "Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the "wet streets cause rain" stories. Paper's full of them.In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know." – Michael Crichton (1942-2008) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe