Unorthodox

This week, Unorthodox is publishing daily dispatches from Israel.  Today, we head to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities most brutally attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7. Liel, Josh, and Tablet’s Armin Rosen meet up with Chen Kotler, a lifelong Kfar Aza resident, who shows them the devastation firsthand.  For information about all the individuals and organizations featured this week and ways to support them, head to tabletmag.com/unorthodoxinisrael. For more eyewitness accounts from Israel, listen to the Testimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation.  Unorthodox’s reporting from Israel was made possible thanks to support from the Natan Foundation, the Maimonides Fund, and Tablet. Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on 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 nine stories of Jewish light during a time when it’s never felt more necessary.  Liel brings us a reminder of the true spirit of Hanukkah. We share reflections from attendees and vendors at Tablet’s first Hanukkah Bazaar on how this year’s Hanukkah feels more important than ever. Producer Elie Bleier brings us a story from a makeshift army base near the Gaza Border, where Israeli civilians from across the country traveled to make IDF soldiers a surprising pick-me-up. Sunflowers founder Hadar Kess tells us about her work to help orphaned Israeli children. We bring you a story from our Testimonies Archive, about the 30 day memorial, or shloshim, of Nova music festival victim Oriya Ricardo, and the surprising musical guest who was there. We learn about the heroism of Awad Darawshe, a paramedic murdered at the Nova music festival on October 7th. Brett and Diana Abrams tell us about creating Pizza 4 Moms, which allows Americans to donate meals to be delivered to Israeli fami

This week on Unorthodox, we’re coming to you live from Baltimore, where we appeared at the 2023 Conservative/Masorti Shabbaton & Convening. We’re also sharing a new Beautifully Jewish segment for Hanukkah, featuring designer Jonathan Adler, Gabriel Goldstein of the Yeshiva University Museum, and a trip to visit Ahuva Gottdeiner, aka Homegrown Kosher, in Monsey, NY.  For more Beautifully Jewish, join our new Facebook group.  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:  Simplify your giving with the Jewish Communal Fund, the nation's largest Jewish donor-advised fund. In good tim

This week on Unorthodox, we’re rooting for the heroes.  Our Jewish guest is philosopher and filmmaker Bernard-Henri Lévy, who returns to the show to tell us about the newest film in his Ukraine trilogy, called Glory to the Heroes. The film is a tribute to everyday Ukrainian heroes, including some Ukrainian-born Israeli soldiers who finished their service in the IDF and volunteered to fight for Ukraine. Get tickets for the local U.S. screenings here.  Our Gentile of the Week is Brooke Eby. She was diagnosed with ALS at age 33 and joins us to talk about her experience having a terminal illness at such a young age, and how she’s raising awareness about the realities of ALS.  Join us at Tablet’s first ever Hanukkah Bazaar in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Get your tickets at hanukkahbazaar.com. 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 li

Today, we’re bringing Unorthodox listeners a special Beautifully Jewish Thanksgiving. Beautifully Jewish is a monthly audio series on Unorthodox that explores Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. On today’s segment, hosts Stephanie Butnick and Tanya Singer celebrate an unexpectedly significant object: the folding chair.  You’ll also get an update on the Beautifully Jewish craft-along for Israel and hear from Israeli knitwear designer Inbal Gross, who just days before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks had organized Israel’s first fiber festival.  Join our new Beautifully Jewish Facebook group at tabletm.ag/beautifullyfb. Shop for all things beautiful and Jewish at Tablet’s first ever Hanukkah Bazaar in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 11am-7pm. Get your tickets at hanukkahbazaar.com.  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

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 brav

This week on Unorthodox, we talk with writer and political advisor Dan Senor about his new book, The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World (a follow up to his 2011 book, Startup Nation, also co-written with Saul Singer). This interview will also air on Senor’s podcast Call Me Back. We also speak with Gila Sacks, daughter of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who joins us to talk about what her father might have said about the present moment.  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

This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our travels Across the JEW.S.A. We head to Miami, where newer communities are redefining Jewish life in Florida. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on some of the other stops we’ve made at tabletmag.com/jewsa.  We’re also sharing highlights from the Jewish Priorities conference that Liel and Stephanie moderated at The Weitzman Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia. The conference was inspired by “Jewish Priorities: Sixty-five proposals for the future of our people,” a collection of 65 essays from notable Jewish thinkers about the most pressing issues facing Jews today. 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 aud

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/craftal

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

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, emai

Our hearts and minds are heavy right now, and we here at Unorthodox are working hard to bring you a special episode in the coming days. In the meantime, we know many of you have questions about how we got here. To get to the root of some of them, Tablet Magazine hosted a zoom, moderated by our own Liel Liebovitz, and we want to share it with you now.

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

This week on Unorthodox, we’re celebrating Sukkot in style. We head to the Malina sukkah, where we hear from Joshua’s parents, Fran and Robert, about their family traditions.  We’re also sharing the second installment of Beautifully Jewish, our series celebrating Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. Stephanie and Tanya explore how something as temporary as a sukkah can be a beautiful and meaningful structure, with the help of Rabbi Adam Baldachin of Shaarei Tikvah, artist Yaeli Vogel (Unorthodox listeners get 10% off using that link), and the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. You can see photos and more at tabletmag.com/beautifullyjewish. Then we’re bringing you the latest installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. We learn how Napoleon left his comfort zone and ended up in Israel, a story that ends with the French giving away the Rosetta Stone in exchange for a ride ho

This week on Unorthodox, we’re preparing for Yom Kippur by learning how to communicate better.  We interview linguist Deborah Tannen, who coined our favorite phrase, “cooperative overlap.” She explains the real reason why we’re always interrupting each other on this show, and shares some tips for talking to people with different conversational styles.  We talk to Julie Rice, co-founder of Soul Cycle, whose new project, Peoplehood, teaches people how to better listen and communicate with each other. She tells us why we should be working out our “empathy muscles,” and what we can learn when we finally shut up and listen. We chat with Mitchell Silk, the former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Markets (and the first Hasidic Jew to be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position in the federal government). He recently published the first English translation of the Kedushas Levi, a classic Hasidic commentary on the Torah. He shares how communication, whether in Chinese, Hebrew, or English, is th

This week on Unorthodox, you’re totally invited to our bat mitzvah.  First we talk to Amanda Stern—aka Fiona Rosenbloom—the author of the young adult novel You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which the new Netflix film is based on. She shares (pre-strike!) what it was like to have her novel adapted into an Adam Sandler movie and gives us an update on what she’s working on now.  Then director Guy Nattiv joins us to discuss Golda, his new film about former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. He tells us about the experience of making a film about one of Israel’s most iconic figures, working with Helen Mirren, and more. 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 t

This week on Unorthodox, we’re unveiling our newest series: Beautifully Jewish, hosted by Stephanie Butnick with Tanya Singer. It’s a celebration of the objects that enrich our Jewish identities and observance, from Shabbat candlesticks to menorahs, tallis covers, mezuzahs, and much more.   Each month, Beautifully Jewish will celebrate Jewish material culture, the ritual objects that inspire us, and the people who make them. We’ll also get hands on, helping listeners create new Jewish things to connect with.  We’re starting our journey at the very beginning: Gabriel Goldstein, interim director and chief curator at Yeshiva University Museum, helps us understand the deep connection between Jews and things, tracing it all the way back to the creation of the Mishkan, in Exodus. Fiber artist Heather Stoltz shows us the High Holiday Torah covers she made for her synagogue, Temple Israel Center of White Plains. And Tanya teaches Stephanie to knit, helping her on her journey to explore the many ways in which Judais

This week on Unorthodox, we’re chowing down.  Cookbook author and chef Jake Cohen returns to the show to tell us about his new cookbook, I Could Nosh: Classic Jew-ish Recipes Revamped for Every Day. He also shares some recipes for your Rosh Hashanah table.  Producer Quinn Waller brings us along to Lee Lee’s Baked Goods in Harlem to talk to Alvin Lee Smalls, the man behind some of the best rugelach in New York City.  Tablet writer Maggie Phillips returns to the show to visit PLNT Burger and chat with co-founders Seth Goldman and Julie Farkas about the surprising Jewish ethos behind the business and their work to make burgers available to people of all faiths.  We’re also taking a trip Across the JEW.S.A to the thriving Orthodox community in the Catskills. Across the JEW.S.A. is created with the support of the Jewish Federations of North America. You can catch up on the rest of our travels across the JEW.S.A. at tabletmag.com/jewsa. We love to hear from you! Send us emails at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave

This week on Unorthodox, we’re continuing our journey through the Hebrew month of Elul up to the High Holidays by focusing on music. Rabbi Josh Warshawsky returns to the show to walk us through the melodies of the High Holidays, plus he shares his new version of Hineni.  Then, we’re re-airing a segment with Ladino singer Sarah Aroeste, who shares her musical tribute to the lost Sephardic community of Monastir.  We’re also bringing you our latest installment of The Archive, our series exploring the collections of the National Library of Israel. This week, we dive into the library’s music collection and sound archive.  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