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In the fourth installment of the edJEWcation book club, we discuss The True Believer by Eric Hoffer

Written in 1951 by a longshoreman with an unsettling grasp of human psychology, The True Believer asks a simple question with terrifying implications: why do ordinary people become fanatics?

In this edJEWcation Book Club episode, we dig into Eric Hoffer’s timeless analysis of mass movements, self-hatred, humiliation, certainty, and the seductive power of belonging. From Nazism and Communism to campus encampments, TikTok activism, and online extremists, we debate whether Hoffer was describing history or diagnosing our present.

We wrestle with uncomfortable questions:

• Is hatred easier to organize than love?

• Are today’s movements real revolutions or just cosplay with slogans?

• Why do people crave certainty so badly?

• Why do some religions help people lead meaningful lives, and others turn them into fanatics?

Along the way, we talk loneliness, social media, male humiliation, Holocaust jokes in unexpected places, and why not knowing might be the most Jewish answer of all.

Plus: a surprise detour into Marty Supreme, Timothy Chalamet, and why humiliation might be the hidden engine of fanaticism.

Read the book. Question everything. And maybe, just maybe, turn your phone off.

If you haven’t already, remember to subscribe by clicking the link below:

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Why do Jews fast, and what is fasting actually supposed to do?

In this episode of edJEWcation, we dive into the 10th of Tevet, one of the lesser-known Jewish fast days, and use it as a gateway to explore the deeper meaning of Jewish fasting, repentance, and communal responsibility. The Rabbi walks us through the historical origins of the fast, the siege of Jerusalem that led to the destruction of the First Temple, while Jay asks the questions many people are thinking but rarely ask.

Along the way, we unpack:

• What the 10th of Tevet commemorates and why it still matters

• How Jewish fast days differ from Yom Kippur

• Maimonides’ radical idea that tragedy demands introspection, not dismissal

• Whether suffering is “random” or spiritually meaningful

• How fasting connects to modern events, including October 7th

• Why Judaism emphasizes action, mitzvot, and responsibility over asceticism

We also zoom out to the weekly Torah portion, exploring Jacob’s final words to his sons, leadership failures, anger vs. passion, and what it means to be accountable, not just historically, but right now.

This is not an episode about being hungry. It’s an episode about meaning, memory, and what Jews are supposed to do with history.

📖 Topics include: Jewish fasting, the 10th of Tevet, destruction of the Temple, repentance in Judaism, Rambam on suffering, Jewish theology, Torah commentary, and Jewish responses to tragedy.

Friendly reminder to subscribe to edJEWcation on Substack so you can be included in all the happenings about the podcast and join our next monthly Zoom call.

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In this episode of edJEWcation, we unpack Kings II, one of the wildest books in the Hebrew Bible, through the lens of Jewish history, Biblical storytelling, and modern meaning.

From the dramatic transition from Elijah to Elisha, to miracles that feel both supernatural and surprisingly practical, we explore Hebrew Bible stories that center on prophets, power, faith, and moral responsibility. Along the way, we discuss why salvation in the Bible so often comes from underdogs and outcasts, including one of the most unlikely heroes in all of Scripture.

The conversation widens to tackle antisemitism, Israel’s place in world attention, collective Jewish trauma, and what Biblical history teaches us about societies that lose their moral compass. Why does the world obsess over Israel? Why do prophets speak uncomfortable truths? And why does the Bible keep choosing the people everyone else ignores?

Blending Torah learning, Biblical history explained, cultural commentary, and a healthy dose of edJEWcation banter, this episode connects ancient texts to the questions people are asking right now about faith, meaning, and identity.

As promised, we hosted our first edJEWcation Zoom call on the 3rd night of Chanukkah this week, and a great time was had by all. We got the light the menorah with the Rabbi, had some great questions, and got to do some deep Jewish philosophizing.

We opened the first Zoom to all our listeners, and we may keep it that way for a little while, but eventually it will be exclusively for paid members of the edJEWcation community.

We’ll let you know the date for our January call soon, and we hope to see you all there!

Chag Chanukah Sameach everyone!

What are you doing on December 16th at 8PM (aside from lighting your second Menorah candle)? Well, now you have plans…join us for our first listener Zoom call. We’d love to chat with you.

What do Vegas slot machines, King Solomon’s thousand wives, and Elijah’s world-class trash-talking have in common? Apparently… everything. In this week’s episode, ChayaLeah returns from her very spiritual pilgrimage to Las Vegas (don’t ask) and the crew dives back into Kings I, where the Jewish kingdom splits faster than Jay can say “Bubastite Portal Relief.”

We unpack Solomon’s great rise and even greater follies, why foreign influence can derail even the wisest man alive, how Jeroboam becomes the Biblical poster child for “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” and why miracles don’t magically fix people (looking at you, Golden Calf).

Then we hit one of Tanakh’s greatest showdowns: Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal complete with the OG trash talk, pyrotechnics, and an unexpected lesson about finding God not in the earthquake, fire, or whirlwind…but in the quiet.

Plus: archeology nerdery, theological curveballs, parenting warnings from ancient Israel, and the official announcement of our first-ever edJEWcation community Zoom (yes, Rabbi is learning about it in real time).

All this and more in a biblical rollercoaster that goes from Shlomo to Shishak to Still Small Voice in under an hour.

In this pre-pre-PRE-Hanukkah special (because we refuse to let Christmas music win), the crew breaks down the real Hanukkah story: the oil, the civil war, the Hellenists, the hammer, and the heroic home court advantage, while also inventing a brand-new Hanukkah tradition involving sword fights and presents hidden in a makeshift Temple.

Along the way, we tackle assimilation, Jewish identity, why no one ever explained the whole “Greeks vs. Syrians” thing, and the surprising appearance of a tall FBI agent who would “take a bullet for the Jews.” Happy early Hanukkah… and don’t forget to pick up your free Chabad menorah.

We’re running on zero sleep, too much Friendsgiving, and a very inflated sense of our own importance, so naturally, it’s time for… a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT.
This week, Jay and ChayaLeah unveil edJEWcation’s brand-new Substack subscription levels which include monthly Zoom hangs, one-on-one sessions, and why none of this means we’re going behind a paywall. (Relax. Don’t throw things.)

Plus: why Substack isn’t scary, why the Rabbi needs a bigger platform, and why Jewish content matters right now more than ever.

Come for the news. Stay for the self-deprecating humor and accidental Jewish pep talk.

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🚨 ALERT! Have you ever wanted to Zoom with the three of us? Or maybe even have some one-on-one time? Well, the world is now your oyster because we’ve officially launched several subscription tiers, with our first Zoom taking place sometime after Thanksgiving!

These will just be the starting points (we have a lot of goodies cooking), so keep your eyes peeled — and don’t worry, we’ll also personally annoy you to make sure you don’t miss out.

If you’re interested in joining us, click here

On to the episode…

What was supposed to be a wholesome Thanksgiving episode turned into… well… a cross-continental Chabad saga, a philosophical smackdown over near-death experiences, a masterclass on meaning, and a heated debate about why every family should avoid politics at dinner. Rabbi shares wild scenes from the Chabad convention (VIP ropes included), Jay reveals his Mossad side-hustle, and ChayaLeah gives the only real Thanksgiving advice you need: don’t be alone, and don’t talk politics. A very gishmak pre-Thanksgiving hang with your favorite dysfunctional trio.

Have you ever wanted to Zoom with the three of us? Or maybe even have one-on-one time? The world is now your (very kosher) oyster, as we have officially launched several subscription tiers, with our first Zoom taking place sometime after Thanksgiving.

These will just be starting points, as we have a bunch of additional goodies planned, so be on the lookout (but we’ll also, of course, annoy you to make sure you’re aware).”

If you're interested in joining us..click here to sign-up!

On this week’s episode of edJEWcation, ChayaLeah and her father go rogue, no Jay in sight but don’t worry, they’ve brought in reinforcements. Their dear friend (and ChayaLeah’s former teacher… who may or may not have been fired for not giving a final), Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie, joins the show to talk about his brand-new book Undaunted and the absolutely wild, cinematic life of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn.

Buckle up. This episode has everything:

• The Rebbe’s dramatic escape from the Nazis involving the U.S. government, covert German officers, and a Berlin train station standoff straight out of a movie.

• Soviet prisons, secret archives, and midnight research missions including Rabbi Eliezrie literally walking into a Russian prison and saying, “Hi, I’m from America, can I see the cell where the Rebbe was held?”

• A behind-the-scenes journey into writing a serious, archival-level biography four years of 6:00am writing sessions, thousands of documents, and trips across Russia, Latvia, and Poland.

• The Rebbe’s reinvention superpower from Tsarist Russia to Communist Russia to Poland to America… and somehow becoming the spark that reshaped modern Jewish life.

• Why women were absolute powerhouses in the Rebbe’s life from Rebbetzin Rivka to the Frierdiker Rebbe’s wife and daughters… and the 18-year-old girls in Riga casually chazering ma’amarim like it’s no big deal.

• The usual family bickering and gentle humiliations that our listeners have come to love including who was the “good kid” in yeshiva (hint: it wasn’t the Rabbi).

It’s history, it’s heart, it’s humor, and it’s a masterclass in how one Rebbe’s courage shaped world Jewry delivered with the classic edJEWcation cocktail of warmth, wit, and total chaos.

If you’re interested in joining us, click here

ALERT - Have you ever wanted to Zoom with the three of us? Or maybe even have one-on-one time? The world is now your oyster, as we have officially launched several subscription tiers, with our first Zoom taking place sometime after Thanksgiving.

These will just be starting points, as we have a bunch of additional goodies planned, so be on the lookout (but we’ll also, of course, annoy you to make sure you’re aware).”

On to the episode…

Jay kicks things off with a pop quiz that (shockingly!) doesn’t totally embarrass ChayaLeah, the Balfour Declaration gets its due, and the laughter rolls from there. Joined by journalist and historian Oren Kessler, author of the award-winning Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, the trio time-travel back to the messy, fascinating years that set the stage for everything that followed in Israel’s story.

If you’re interested in joining us, click here

Along the way:
🕵️‍♂️ We meet muftis, mayors, and media moguls from Mandate Palestine.
📜 Discover how the first two-state idea appeared.
💰 Learn why so many anti-Zionist Arab leaders secretly sold land to Jews.
🗞️ Unpack how newspapers (and propaganda) shaped the conflict.
🕰️ And of course, discuss how much Churchill loved Jews.

There’s banter, history, and a few “wait what?!” moments as Oren proves that real history can be just as wild as the memes about it.

So pour some coffee (or something stronger) and join us for another edJEWcational ride through the past.