Ask a Jew

Yassine Meskhout is a public defender, a Moroccan, an anarchist, a liberterian, a cyclist (*shudder*) and now, our new best friend. We’ve become obsessed with his writing since his viral November 2023 essay “The Jewish Conspiracy To Change My Mind” and the banger, “Why I write About the Jews”. We talk to Yassine about working with criminals, trying to figure out why some of his friends were celebrating on October 7th, why ICE shouldn’t shoot Mandy Patinkin, and how his father, who believes Israel created ISIS, also believes the Jews should have their own state.Check out substack for a fun Israeli-Moroccan inspired Spotify Playlist!Also:* First things first - would an ex-Jew fool Hitler?* Escaping the lack of McDonalds in Morocco through the diversity lottery.* DJ Smack-that-ass, Esq.* The life of a public defender - eleven magic words.* The system works, mostly.* Minnesota, ICE, and what expectations we should have from law enforcement.* Trying to understand the celebrations of October 7th.* Doubling down on Islam as a kid* This amazing story about Yassine’s father:* Western leftists - please find meaning elsewhere.* The hard truth Jews need to hear - not everyone is an antisemite, some of them are just stupid.* How to protest well.* Everyone needs to stop being so confident.* Leave a white woman, take a white woman. 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

Much more on Substack!Iran, Lebanon and Syria, Oh My!Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a fellow at the The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), hailing from Beirut via Baghdad and all the way to Washington DC. We talk about how he learned Hebrew by chatting with Israeli soldiers on the lebanese border, why he was wrong about the new leader of Syria, and why peace with Israel can only help the Arab and Muslim world.Follow Hussain on X and keep up with his work at the FDD!Also:* Does everyone in Lebanon hate us? Only 3 out of 4 people.* Seeing Israel beyond the F-16s, through AM radio and pop culture.* The most dangerous thing Hussain ever did - read an Israeli newspaper on the Columbia campus.* Holding our breath for Iran.* But don’t hold your breath for Syria.* Some advice for dealing with idiots.* Coming soon - Hussain’s book, The Arab Case For Israel!* The are only three Christians left in Baalbek, Lebanon - and that’s bad for Muslims.* The uselessness of the UN Peacekeeping Force.* Can Israeli and Saudi Arabia make it work?* Bring in George Clooney!* Our $7,000 aren’t a match for Qatari money. 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

Iran who? Venezuela what? The hottest place you need to know about right now is a little Muslim democracy in the horn of Africa called Somaliland. Recently, Israel just became the first country to recognize Somaliland as it cements its independence from Somalia, and we are now all in the honeymoon phase. We invited our new best friend Saeed Ibrahim, founder and editor of Somaliland Chronicle, to answer our hard-hitting geopolitical questions like “where is Somaliland?” and “what do you eat there?” Saeed took us through the history of the region, the longstanding bond with Israel, the reactions on the street (they like us! They really like us!), the relationships with their not-so-nice neighbors, and why countries should be on their oxygen masks first before they help others. But first, where are we?Also:* How are the daycare centers?* Come for the camels, stay for the sea cucumbers.* Oh, a real genocide. * Houthis be maaaadddd.* Location, location, location.* Any kosher hotels?* How can we be good allies?* Do you know who Mandy Patinkin is?* A Hebrew lesson - Um Shmum! * The African Union? Please. Good for the Jews is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Here are some celeberations on the streets of the capital Hargeisa after the recognition:Thanks for reading Good for the Jews! This post is public so feel free to share it.And a visit from Israel’s Foreign Minister:Thank you for listening! If you made it this far, it is your duty to the people of Israel and Somaliland to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It will really help us gain independence. Just click on the button below and hit those 5 stars. 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

Last night we went Live on Substack with our listeners and AAJ BFF and The Free Press contributer, Eli Lake. Bummed you missed it? Want to watch a video version? Subscribe for free at askajew.substack.comRead Eli’s latest about Venezuela, Iran and others, “Why the Venezuela Operation Won’t Embolden America’s Enemies” 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

Our podcast daddy Michael C. Moynihan is back from the dead for a long (and long awaited) discussion on conspiracy theories, antisemitism, dumb people, and why you shouldn’t end every conversation with a Jew with: BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEDOPHILES??Anyway, it’s not too late to update your 2026 resolutions, and our guest’s advice is to maybe this year, dislike yourself a little bit more. Not in a self-harm way of course, but a bit of self-hatred never hurt any writer, let’s put it that way.Also:* The Talmud is very oxen heavy* Maybe the Somali daycare thing isn’t that bad, or maybe we are just afraid they’ll come after Yeshiva’s next.* Christopher Hitchins didn’t hate religious people.Oh great, we made it 23 mins before talking about Mandy Patinkin* An argument about sexual assault.* Would you go back in time and punch Mandy Patinkin?* Holcoaust books for everyone.* Why should Moynihan’s Goyishe daughter care about antisemitism?* Antisemitism explains dumb people.* Why does Europe suck?* The Intellectual broken windows theory.* But what about the peaophiles???* Knowledge is something ((they)) aren’t telling you.* The book I refered to is Kindly Inquisitors by the dear Jonathan Rauch, buy it immediately and also listen to our episode with him.* Wait, Zionists killed Kennedy now?* Antisemitism is just math.* People should really learn to to hate themselves more.All of the love to The Fifth Column community!! We love you, Michael loves you, we all love each other. None of us would be doing this without you. <3Good 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit askajew.substack.comHi everyone,Last night we were supposed to interview Michael C. Moynihan, but unfortunately he tragically passed away. At least that’s what we think, we don’t know where he is. Godspeed Michael, we’ll miss you and carry your legacy.Anyway, his disappearance is your gain, if you’re a paying subdcriber! We jumped on Substack to chat about our holiday, answer your questions,…

All photos and videos to accompany this episode are on our substack! Askajew.substack.comIn this episode we cover the events of last week, from the horrific murders in Sydney, to Ben Shapiro at TPUSA, to - of course - Mandy Patinkin.In case you missed it, Ben Shapiro took to the stage last week at Turning Points USA’s AmericaFest, and in front of 30,000 people, for 30 glorious minutes, tore into all the haters. And yes, he named names. I was wondering in the episode what the reaction was in the room to Ben’s speech, or rather - how many of these kids are actually buying into the Candace/Tucker nonsense? This week I got my answer, when Blake Neff, Charlie Kirk’s producer, posted the results of a straw poll of the attendees (most were under 30 years old btw).Well, well, well. Would you look at that. Almost 87%, wait, let me spell that out - EIGHTY SEVEN PERCENT, view Israel as either a top ally or one ally of many. Only 13.3% don’t view Israel as an ally at all. This is not to say the online poison spewed by many of these straight-up antisemitic f*******s isn’t real. But perhaps, after all, the kids are alright. You see, the problem with all these people as I explain is that they went full retard, aka full antisemite. They could have gotten away with it if they just harped on about the manufactured famine or the USS Liberty, maybe even the dancing Israelis conspiracy theory would have gone over smoothly with people who enjoy alternative facts and dance recitals. But they went full batshit, mossad-tried-to-kill-me, Israel-made-me-pay-for-sex-with-girls, Brigitte-Macron-is-a-man, Jewish-bees-are-trying-to-kill-me, crazy. And they are losing. Take some free advice from a PR person - stick to the acceptable antisemitism of lying about Israel and parroting Hamas talking points. It’s worked for the left.Ok, enough about politics. In this episode we also cover:* Our response to Sydney - don’t cancel any events. Show up stronger. Here is the Weest Village Chabad event on the first night of Hanukah. It was packed, joyful, and freezing. That’s how we roll.* How low or high is the bar to be a good Jews? Chaya Leah thinks you need to celebrate a holiday that isn’t in the top 5 and not wear wool and linen together, Yael thinks you just need to listen to this podcast (and would and Instagram story or two kill you?)* A wonderful Shabbat Dinner in Long Beach ful of listeners and love.* You can’t scream people into being on your side.* A beautiful sermon to an empty room:* Hanukkah movie recommendation!UPDATE: I watched this movie. It is not good. Watch the Alicia Silverstone one instead.Never a bad time to remind you that all your favorite Christmas songs were written by Jews. How do we know? A few years ago we had a Rabbi on who talked to us about the Jewish roots of many Christmas songs. It’s a story of immigration, love and hope. You should definitely listen, and yes - there’s a Spotify playlist. 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

You know Andy Mills from such podcasts as “The Daily” from The New York Times, “The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling” from The Free Press, and most recently, the award winning show “The Last Invention” about the Al revolution from his new company ”Longview Investigations”.We discuss wether or not Al has a soul, human-robot babies, why some of the founders of the technology think we need to stop it like, now, and what does connection with humans look like in the age of machines.Over the weekend, we were all consumed by the events in Sydney, that sadly seemed inevitable. The Australian Jewish community is so small, as is the Chabad family, and almost everyone in these two groups knows someone that was affected. In days like these, Jews are often advised to lay low, keep their heads down, and not draw too much attention to themselves. Do we really need to celebrate publicly? Maybe replace that star of david necklace with something a little less conspicuous? In light of that, we share two videos of two different celebrations right here in NYC. The more we try to kill us, the louder we sing. Happy Hanukkah! 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

Dr. Mijal Bitton, a dynamic spiritual leader and sociologist, shares her journey as a Sephardic Jew from Buenos Aires. She dives into the balance of tradition and inclusion within the Downtown Minyan, addressing the importance of Jewish identity amid external definitions. The discussion touches on reclaiming Jewish confidence, navigating political schisms in American Jewry, and the struggle for women's agency in traditional communities. Plus, Mijal offers intriguing TV recommendations and insights on contemporary Torah narratives.

Chaya Leah is back from Vegas, and boy does she have some stories to tell (not the kind you think, though. They are much, much worse). Also, are orthodox Jews allowed to celebrate Thanksgiving? Was Yael disappointed when she met hostages in real life? And what did Chaya Leah say to make an Uber driver pull over because he was laughing so hard? If you love our show, please consider becoming a subscriber on askajew.substack.com. It's free! For now...EMBARRASSING - I confuse Chaim Herzog and Chaim Weizmann I guess, so ignore everything I said about him. Ireland still sucks though, that part has been fact-checked.We cover:* Slot machines are life.* Looking for a Minyan at The Venetian,* Chaya Leah loved the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil show, especially the part about Israel.* Two very special guests for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.* These hostages have some dark humor, and we’re here for it.* The antisemites are sometimes right.* Netanyahu is asking for a pardon. We have nothing to add.* Ireland still sucks, but our listeners from there are the best.* I gets Chaim Herzog and Chaim Weizmann confused, SORRY.* The truth about the Hannibal Directive is that you’re all idiots.* The IDF killed everyone on October 7th and also it was a good thing.* What’s the most normal country?* The Australian World War 1 memorial in Israel.* Normalize Normalization.* Who is worse, Peter Beinart or Mandy Patinkin?* How do we fix Israel’s image? By doing nothing.* Mamdani’s transition team is just as bad as you think it is.Questions? Concerns? Want to tell Chaya Leah she is “lanky”? Email us at askajewpod@gmail.com 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