

Ask a Jew
Ask a Jew
Yael Bar tur, secular sinner, and Chaya Leah Sufrin, pious Haredi, ask each other the hard questions, from Torah to Tinder askajew.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 23, 2024 • 1h
Paragliding into the Superbowl like...
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

Jan 17, 2024 • 1h 47min
AAJ 84 Nick Gillespie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space
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

Jan 8, 2024 • 1h 17min
Pizza Bagels - with Mike Pesca
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

Jan 2, 2024 • 1h 24min
Righteous Among the Gentiles - W/ Michael Moynihan
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

Dec 21, 2023 • 2h 7min
A Rabbi "Jewsplains" Christmas Music
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

Dec 15, 2023 • 1h 13min
Vote
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

Dec 6, 2023 • 1h 10min
Every Dog Will Have Its Day
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

4 snips
Nov 29, 2023 • 1h 13min
Spirals of Silence w/ Jonathan Rauch
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.

Nov 21, 2023 • 1h 13min
The 4 Horsemen of the Jewpocalypse
~~Save the Date - December 13th Hannukah party in NYC~~Follow substack for more info: askajew.substack.com~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sam Harris is amazing. Me too, unless you’re a jewWHO? Unicef? UNHRC? GTFOIlhan "some of my best friends are Jewish" Omar For the soul - Escaping Twin Flames on Netflix 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

Nov 16, 2023 • 1h 6min
Gen Z and the Z word - with Blake Flayton
We welcome young journalist and activist Blake Flayton, fresh off a ground invasion into academia. He tries to explain to us what is wrong with the kids today, what TikTok and peer pressure has to do with it, and why we need different kinds of Jews on campus.Stay in touch - sign up for our substackBlake’s NY Times piece about antisemitism on campusFollow Blake on TwitterMake Zionism Sexy AgainJoing 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


