Ask a Jew

0:00 - 47:00: the girls catch up on their week for the first part of the episode, talking about the joys of meditation (kind of), the miracle of procastination (with a touch of divine intervention), and a Eurovision recap.47:00: In the second part of the episode, we talk to Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, creators of the October 7 play - yes, this is a off-broadway show made entirely of testimonies of real survivors, portrayed by an amazing cast of actors. It’s playing now in NYC and we highly recommend it. We talk about why two non-Jewish Irish people decided to travel to Israel in November 2023 (for the first time ever!) to tell these stories, how they prepared to stage it, the reactions, and of course - what the hell is wrong with Ireland? October 7 websiteTrailer for the play Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.Review from the NY PostKevin Spacey trial podcastJoing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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 week we are delighted to welcome newly-minted Jew, our number one draft pick for the Tribe this season, the Caitlin Clark of Judaism - Nellie Bowles! Nellie is the Chief Stratgy Officer at The Free Press, formerly of The NY Times, and author of the wonderful new book “Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History” which you should absolutely buy and read (don’t check it out of the library, pay up!).We talk about converting to Judaism, how if you're going to be a lesbian you may as well marry Bari Weiss, why free dental dams are a 👏 human 👏 right (don't google what those are) and why we're spreading a rumor that Timothée Chalamet was just spotted at an IDF recruitment office...Nellie at the Free PressNellie on Twitter/XBuy the dang book alreadyJoing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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

Glory to the Gays! This week we are joined by Ben Appel, author of the upcoming “Cis White Gay: The Making of a Gender Heretic” AND a graduate of the Popular People's University Formerly Known As Columbia.In this struggle session we cover the liberation of the Columbia campus, why Jews and Gays should unite against the world, and why your hairdresser probably hates you.Check out Ben's work at www.benappelwrites.com, as well as on Twitter and Substack. Show notes:A hero is born at UCLAThat great SNL ISIS bitThese videos that never cease to amaze usJoing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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

Sports journalist and Eurovision rainman Sharon Davidovitch discusses Israel's participation in Eurovision, the intersection of geopolitics and culture, and the history of Israeli winners. They also touch on controversial song changes, voting habits, and the challenges faced by Israeli athletes due to political tensions.

Sarah Rose Siskind is a science comedy writer and psychedelic comedian. she came by to tell us about how she hosted a psychedelic Shiva after October 7th, which she also wrote about for Psychology Today. We also discuss how drugs may have influenced Nova festival survivors, why Chaya Leah and Yael need to go on a “trip” to Auschwitz, and proposing to her fiancé at Burning Man.More about SarahSarah's TwitterWhen a Modern Psychedelic Meets an Ancient Ritual of GriefJews Who Toke InstagramI Got Engaged in the Mud at Burning Man - The Free PressJoing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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

Jay, from the Habibi Bros, discusses Iran in a blissfully unaware episode. Topics include Kim Goldman's advocacy, reflections on air travel, career aspirations, self-improvement, cultural symbols, and gratitude towards listeners.

Tom Aharon is an Israeli standup comedian, and co-host of Israel's top commercial daily radio morning show, New Morning. We discuss doing stand up for IDF soliders after Oct 7, Hezbollah's VP of Global Marketing and Natan Sharansky's underwear.Happy Birthday Tom!Notes:The head of Hamas's sister arrested in IsraelBillboards in Hebrew In Iran (Hebrew)Tom's response to John Oliver on IsraelEvery day heroism in Israel Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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. Peter Berkowitz is the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, former Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, executive secretary of the department's Commission on Unalienable Rights, and senior adviser to the Secretary of State. Naturally we talk about princess Kate. But we also cover additction to technology, the growing tensions between secular and religious Israelis, and the bad and worse options in Gaza.Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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

In this episode we cover a failed meditation, a succesful trip to Israel (it's all fine now), and the moral confusion about rapes that aren't planned but just kind of happen. Also: a listener creates a fun game: who said it white nationalist or left wing antisemite? Our apologies to Princess Kate for making fun of her, clearly we recorded this hours before she shared the news of her diagnoses.Also:Chaya Leah is back from Israel and everything is ok there nowBecoming desensitizedWe are not a people who move onChaya Leah and Yael meditating - how do you think that went?Yes in my nameThe Antisemitism spaceThe conversation in the west in no way resembles what is going on in IsraelChaya Leah loves a guy who works at a cemeteryThe family who lost two sons, Noam and Yishai, on October 7thEvery day we wake up in a liberal democratic country is a miracleWe get name checked by Antisemites!HHair Loss and Genocide in Gaza - Here’s the full text of the talk Weaponizing Sexual Violence in Combat Zones that took place at Cal State Long Beach on March 20th. It includes gems like: “I am not denying that rape happened.  There’s a big difference between some rape happening and systematic rape agreed upon in advance” and “Israeli soldiers arresting Palestinian men and stripping them naked is a form of gender violence.”Reclaim genocideYael vs. the casinoAn update about Playboy’s stance on Oct. 7thA fun game from a listener: who said it - white supermacist or left wing activist? Check out Substack to play!We are Antisemitism snobsDivest from Canada  Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.comEmail us your questions askajewpod@gmail.com ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple podcasts and Spotify ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 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

Jennifer Murtazashvili, a professor, discusses her experiences living as a Jewish woman in Afghanistan, differences between American and foreign college students, and an interfaith initiative she co-founded. The podcast explores campus conflicts, societal norms in Afghanistan, challenges faced by Jewish students, and the importance of compassion and unity amidst tragic events.