Ask a Jew

In this episode, we discuss the personal stories of two fallen IDF soldiers - Ahmad Abu Latif and Cedrick Garin. You can read more about Ahmad in this story from our friend Nancy Rommelmann, and see a video of both young men on our substack, askajew.substack.com.We also share stories and photos from a visit to the site of the Nova massacre and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, warning - it gets a little heavy. But fear not - we leave plenty of time to talk about a bunch of NYPD cops going out for kosher sushi, the pros and cons of herring, and a personality breakdown based on your favorite Ninja Turtle.Have a question? Send it to askajewpod@gmail.com  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

James Kirchick is a journalist and author of the NY Times bestseller "Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington". You may know him from his work in  Air Mail, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others. Follow Jamie on Twitter, read his excellent latest piece in the Atlantic about the importance of protecting free speech, and of course his exclusive interview with Armie Hammer.Don't forget to join us on Substack for a discussion, plus next week will post some photos from Yael's recent visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza that was attacked on Oct 7. You can comment there, it's a nice place to vent and connect with other likeminded people (Substack, not the Kibbutz).You can also support us by giving us a 5 star review and comment on Apple Podcasts, it helps us grow and reach more people! And send your questions to askajewpod@gmail.com In this episode we discuss:Jamie's back storyHow bad is it? Not too bad. But social media is.The definition of ChutzpaDC vs. NYCYoung people are still stupidDefund OaklandThe mood in Israel + Bibi talkOn BerlinOn writingThe scary gaysRichie Torres for presidentTree B'ShvatWhere do you get your news 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

Good morning from Israel, where it is currently October 116th. on this solo pod, the girls occupy familiar and new territories:Being sick at homeWe are brothers?Hostages forever.The Russian roulette that is Jerusalem bus travelChaya Leah guarding trash cansA funny story about false teeth (is there a story about false teeth that isn't funny?)A tribute to Chaya Leah's beloved aunt, may her memory be a blessingWould you gain or lose weight in a Shiva?A very Israel soccer gameWhat is a Ballerina Farm?Holocaust poetryReagan Airport gets "Community Noted"The Rebbe demands....NOTES:Nancy Rommelmann reporting from Israel! https://nancyrommelmann.substack.com/, and on Twitter too,  and of course her pod with Sarah Hepola, Smoke 'em if you got 'em.Beautiful story about a fender bender that is so much more.Film recommendation: MaktubReagan Airport tweet.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

Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason, the libertarian magazine of "free minds and free markets," and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie, he’s also our favorite libertarian! In this episode we talk about:Hollywood’s portrayal of Israel(we all agree that Paul Newman is the perfect looking Jew)Exodus by Leon Uris (the book!) Get the BookExodus (the movie!) Watch the movie here  Excellent article in Mosaic Magazine Read the article hereFiddler on the RoofDoes anyone really care about the PalestiniansAre college students worse today (Nick defends them!) The death of institutionsFree speech on campusLeslie FiedlerCapitalism and the Jews by Jerry MuellerGet the book hereWhy is our political system so broken?We are not our grandparents, but maybe ChayaLeah's kids are.....Jewish PowerAnd much, much more 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

This week on Ask A Jew, the girls sit down with their colleague at the top of the podcasting charts Mike Pesca, who just returned from his first ever reporting trip to Israel. We discuss the war with Hamas, growing up Italian and Jewish, and attempt to answer some of the nation’s most divisive questions like - does ketchup belong on a bagel? Should the voting age be raised to 45? And what kind of Jews wear hats?Mike Pesca is host of "The Gist" the longest running daily news podcast in history, consistently ranked in Apple's Top 20 Daily News charts.  During his 10 years as a correspondent for NPR, Mike has guest hosted All Things Considered and the news quiz Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.  His work has been featured on This American Life,  Radiolab, and Planet Money. He has frequently appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and The PBS Newshour, and written for The Washington Post, The Guardian, GQ, Slate, and Baseball Prospectus.More Mike Pesca  - https://www.mikepesca.com/Here is Mike talking about his Israel trip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMRuqfbfhjoFollow him on Susbtack and Twitter tooUpon Further Review - The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History - https://www.mikepesca.com/publications 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

Join the discussion on Susbtack askajew.substack.comFollow, review and rate Ask A Jew five stars us on Apple podcasts, it helps us grow!  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

This week we are re-airing one of our favorite episodes,  "All I want for Christmas is Jews", from December 2022. In this episode we interview Rabbi David Komerofsky, an expert on Christmas music. I know, right??If Rabbi K's name sounds familiar, it's because his congregation in Canton, Ohio was just the target of a shooting plot by a 13-year-old. Such are the times. But first - Chaya Leah is back from Israel and we talk about the horrors she saw there, as well as the horrors she saw in her hometown of Long Beach.0:47 is where the Christmas Episode beginsAll I Want For Chsitmas is Jews Spotify Playlist Trouble in the LBCJoin the discussion on Substack! 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

Thank you to everyone who showed up at the Hanukkah Party! It was lots of fun, we had donuts, drinks, home made hamentaschen (why not!) and more laughs than awkward introductions. Lets do it again sometime! Pics here.This week:Pray for the social media managerThe IDF is gay, ew/The IDF isn’t gay enoughWould you take a bullet for your Twitter friends?Sweet Chabad kidsWhat it's like in Israel right nowMove over Julian EdelmanThat Spielberg with his Jew obsession, ugh.Do we care what the world thinks?Listener questions! Thank you for writing in, you can send us Qs on substack or email askajewpod@gmail.com. Chaya Leah’s cleaning lady just doesn’t get it!  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

SEE YOU WEDNESDAY, DEC 13 Hanukkah Bash - 3 sheets bar, 134 West 3rd street, 6pm. RSVPMore info on askajew.substack.comIn a nice catch-up episode we discuss this non-fun rollercoaster of emotions, turn our rage to all different directions (this was before the congressional hearing on Antisemitism featuring your favorite  Ivy Leage presidents), discuss masterpieces like "Gremlins 2" and "Untamed Heart", and contemplate the legitimacy of Hanukkah decorations.PLUS:Help Hamas catcalled meCan Jews pull this off?Why going to the movies is sexyThe greatest moment in the movie Gremlins 2Israeli launch non-proportional diss track against Nassrallah and Bellah HadidHorrific testomonies of sexual violenceJoing 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

Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses moral courage, the weaponization of silence, and his fight for gay marriage. Topics include the challenges of free speech, the politicization of academia, and the importance of common culture in democracy. They explore skepticism, fallibleism, and the limitations of social media in uncovering truth. They also address the spread of misinformation and the development of Jewish law.