Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for ...
Ben M. Freeman’s previous two books, 2021’s Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People and 2022’s Reclaiming Our Story: The Pursuit of Jewish Pride were powerful arguments for rejecting Jew-hate, both internal and external.
His latest book, The Jews: An Indigenous People, coming out Feb. 27, is the first scholarly book to tackle the topic of the Jewish people’s indigenous ties to the land of Israel. We discuss the defining characteristics of what it means to BE a Jew, and how that relates to us in the modern, post-October 7th world.
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.
Want to send us an email? Send it off to [email protected]
For more podcasts, visit tabletmag.com/podcasts
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38:19
How to be a Jew … Like Lisa Edelstein
Lisa Edelstein has always been a woman of many hats, from 80’s “It” girl, to acting in shows like House, and painting.
She joins us to talk about her latest exhibition, “Dance Me to the End of the World,” and how the paintings are so …. Jewish. We also talk about how her Judaism has affected the rest of her career, and how 10/7 impacted her work and relationships.
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.
Want to send us an email? Send it off to [email protected]
For more podcasts, visit tabletmag.com/podcasts
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23:27
How to be a Jew … and a pragmatist
On the brink of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Yohanan ben Zakkai made an astonishing decision.
When faced with an opportunity to ask for anything from the new Roman emperor, Vespasian, rather than choosing to ask him to spare the Temple, Yochanan asked only for permission to start a school and preserve Jewish teachings in Yavneh, south of modern day Tel Aviv.
Rabbi Marc Katz argues that this decision underscores how the Rabbis were the ultimate pragmatists in his new book Yochanan’s Gamble: Judaism’s Pragmatic Approach to Life. Is Katz right, and how should we consider pragmatism through a modern perspective?
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36:57
UPDATE: How to Be a Jew … in Los Angeles right now
We are re-releasing this episode with an update from Courtney on the situation in Los Angeles.
History-making wild fires have been raging nearly out of control across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, businesses, schools, and even synagogues. How is the community responding, and what can the greater jewish community do? Rabbi Beau Shapiro joins us to give a clergy’s eye view on how our faith helps us cope with loss and events beyond our control.
Support Links:
Nechama Disaster Relief
Los Angeles Fire Department Fund
Baby2Baby
Wildfire GoFundMe spreadsheet for vetted families who are impacted
MULAN Resources hub
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.
Want to send us an email? Send it off to [email protected]
For more podcasts, visit tabletmag.com/podcasts
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37:08
How to Be a Jew … in Los Angeles right now
History-making wild fires have been raging nearly out of control across the Los Angeles area, destroying homes, businesses, schools, and even synagogues. How is the community responding, and what can the greater jewish community do? Rabbi Beau Shapiro joins us to give a clergy’s eye view on how our faith helps us cope with loss and events beyond our control.
Support Links:
Nechama Disaster Relief
Los Angeles Fire Department Fund
Baby2Baby
Wildfire GoFundMe spreadsheet for vetted families who are impacted
MULAN Resources hub
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews.
Want to send us an email? Send it off to [email protected]
For more podcasts, visit tabletmag.com/podcasts
Hosted by Courtney Hazlett, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and Josh Kross, each episode of How to Be a Jew takes a look at a current, cultural topic and what it means for us as Jews, and how we react to it because we are Jews. We interview actors, artists, and other creators about their work, Jewish thinkers about the most pressing problems facing us today, and once in a while, the Jewish-adjacent icons who occupy an interesting space in our world.
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