By edJEWcation
The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.
We’re coming up to the busiest Jew time of the year and it all starts with Rosh Hashana, so this week, we’ll give you all a primer on the holiday.
We’ll talk about-
The importance of food in Jewish culture
Understanding Rosh Hashanah and Attending Synagogue
Overcoming Intimidation and Finding Meaning in Synagogue Services
Reflection and Personal Growth during Rosh Hashanah
A Time for Reflection and Self-Improvement
The Difference Between the Jewish New Year and the Secular New Year
The Significance of the Shofar
The Opportunity for Change and Reflection
The Wake-Up Call of the Shofar
The Rebbe's Blowing of the Shofar
The Two-Day Celebration of Rosh Hashanah
Observance of Two Days and Temple Rituals
Changes in Rosh Hashanah Celebration
Modern Additions and External Rituals
Influence of Social Media and Consumerism
Authenticity and Self-Reflection in Rosh Hashanah
The Power of Prayer
We hope everyone has a happy new year! Shanah Tovah!
Make sure to e-mail your questions to [email protected]
In this episode, we talk about…a month. No, that’s not the episode's length; that is its topic. Specifically, the month of Elul (I know, I know…trust me, the episode is much more interesting than it sounds).
We discuss:
Elul’s significance as a time for reflection before Rosh Hashana
The month’s biblical origins
What does the “King in the Field” have to do with Elul
The importance of the concept of אני לדודי ודודי לי, or I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine
Personal struggles with spiritual practice
Then, we transition to this week's Torah portion, where we discuss the story of how Jacob obtained Esau’s birthright in exchange for a bowl of soup.
We also cover the all-important topic of what a Shonda transliteration is.
Please send us your questions to [email protected]
You can also now find us on YouTube here.
For those of you who are not of the "very online" set, Tucker Carlson interviewed Darryl Cooper, also known as MartyrMade, on his show this week. The interview set off a firestorm because of Cooper's, let's be generous and say poorly informed World War 2 opinions.
After that, some old tweets emerged in which he made some quite disparaging remarks about Judaism and its relationship to Christianity.
We discussed one of those tweets during our weekly recording this week, but rather than waiting for the entire episode to come out in about ten days or so, we thought we would clip that section and send it out now because the discussion is so in the zeitgeist at the moment.
It appears the original tweet we discussed has been since deleted, but you can find it screenshotted here.
Certain dimwitted fools (given this is a family show, that’s the best descriptor I can give) on the internet have been making claims about Judaism based on the preachings of a small group of zealots known as False Prophets. In today’s episode, we will discuss the two most famous members of the group, Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank.
We’ll discuss:
As you may have noticed in the subhead above, we’re now on YouTube, so if that’s your application of choice to listen to podcasts, you can check us out there. The channel has our entire back catalogue of episodes and will be updated each week with our new ones.
Link to YouTube
Remember to e-mail us with any questions at [email protected]
With all the online anti-semitism and Jewish conspiracy theories in the dark corners of the internet (thanks, Candace Owens), we decided to take one of the issues head-on and discuss the concept of Kabbalah and its core teachings.
Including:
The history of Kabbalah, its mystical nature, its relationship with traditional Judaism, and the Zohar
The blurred line between Kabbalistic practices and halakhic (legal) practices, as well as the misconceptions and commercialization of Kabbalah in popular culture.
How Kabbalah offers a deeper understanding of the spiritual world and our connection to God.
How it relates to daily Jewish practices and rituals.
The effect Kabbalah has had on Jewish history.
We then go on to this weeks parsha and discuss Isaac and Rebekah’s challenge with getting pregnant and the theme of infertility in the bible, and ultimately the birth of their twin sons, Jacob and Esau.
Please drop us a line at [email protected] with any questions or comments.
We hope everyone has a great weekend!
Get ready for a fun and insightful episode of edJewcation! This time, we're diving into the world of mitzvahs (commandments) that are all about women power. From the perfect challah to lighting Shabbos candles without burning down the house, and navigating the delicate waters of family purity—we’ve got you covered. The hosts sprinkle in some history, a dash of modern-day practices, and plenty of laughs as they highlight the spiritual significance behind these traditions. Just wait for the tense exchange between ChayaLeah and her Dad, whose side are you on?
But wait, there’s more! We shift gears to the weekly Parsha, Genesis 24, where Abraham is on a mission to find the perfect wife for his son Isaac. Spoiler alert: It’s not your typical matchmaking story! We chat about why Abraham wasn’t keen on Isaac going along for the ride, the servant’s prayer for some divine dating help, and Rebecca’s star turn as the future matriarch of the Jewish people. With insights, blessings, and a wedding to top it all off, this episode is like a Shabbos meal—nourishing, comforting, some family tension, and all with a touch of sweetness.
This weeks Parsha
Most internet influencers acquire an audience by emoting more positivity in a single Insta post than the average person can conjure in a week…but on edJEWcation, that’s not how we roll, thus the title of this week's episode, where we will discuss two supremely depressing topics.
For the first topic, we discuss the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar, the three weeks and the holiday of Tisha B’av (which happens to be the day this episode is released). This is an annual mourning period during which Jews mourn the destruction of the first and second temples, along with numerous other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people.
Then, for the parsha, we will discuss Genesis 23, the story of Sarah’s death and Abraham’s acquisition of the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron.
For everyone honoring the holiday today…we hope you have an easy fast and enjoyed your ashy egg last night (it's an inside joke).
This week's Parsha - Genesis 23
And now for something a little bit different…
On this episode, we are thrilled to welcome our first guest to edJEWcation, when ChayaLeah and Jay trade in the Rabbi for the Chief Historian of Operation Benjamin, Shalom Lamm.
Operation Benjamin is an organization that ensures Jewish soldiers who were killed in World Wars One and Two but improperly buried are given the Jewish burial they deserve. This may seem easy, but as you will discover, it is anything but.
You may remember that a few episodes ago, we discussed this article from the NY Post about the discovery of the body and reburial of World War 2 soldier Nathan Baskind.
After reading that article, we researched Operation Benjamin, were bowled over by their work, and decided to invite Shalom onto the show to discuss the efforts to repatriate Lt. Baskind and Operation Benjamin overall.
Among other topics, we discuss:
Shalom’s background and how he transitioned from the business world to military history
The origins of Project Benjamin
The process they use to go about identifying Jewish soldiers
The complexities they face in this process
Connecting with families on this painful topic
What made the Nathan Baskind case a particularly challenging and rewarding one
It’s important to note that Operation Benjamin never asks the soldiers’ descendants for money while at the same time assisting them with international travel for the rededication ceremony, as needed. They are a 501(C)3 charity 100% funded by donors. So, if you are interested in donating, their donations page can be found here: Donation Page.
Since we have been neglecting the parsha recently, we decided to spend this week focusing on one of the essential stories of the Old Testament, The Binding of Isaac.
In this episode, we explore:
Different interpretations and perspectives on the story, including the idea that Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son was a test of his faith and the belief that G-d wanted Abraham to say no to the command.
The significance of the sacrifice's location and Isaac's age during the event.
The moral implications of the story and the challenges it presents in understanding the nature of G-d.
The themes of devotion, blind faith, sacrifice, and getting out of one's comfort zone.
If the story is more about the nature of G-d vs. Abraham or Isaac.
What the story tells us about being a good role model for our children.
The concept of martyrdom in Judaism and Rabbi’s mixed views on the topic.
Sarah’s role in the story and the complexity of her position.
Have a question you are dying for us to answer? Want to recommend a topic? Drop us an e-mail at [email protected]
Enjoy!
The podcast currently has 31 episodes available.