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).”

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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.

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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.

🚨 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

The edJEWcation trio is back together and possibly breaking cosmic laws by existing in the same place at the same time. After surviving time zone changes, jet lag, and Jay’s daylight-savings complaints, we dive headfirst into the wild, wise, and occasionally weird world of First Kings.

This episode has it all:
📖 David can’t get warm, so things get a little… biblically awkward.
👶 Solomon inherits the throne at age 12 (no pressure, kid).
⚖️ The OG “split the baby” moment proving once again that ancient Israel didn’t need Maury (but we date ourselves).
💍 700 wives, 300 concubines, and one very patient temple-permit department.
🦁 Solomon’s throne puts the Iron Throne to shame.
💰 And we learn why prosperity might be the hardest test of all.

ChayaLeah reflects on modern boundaries (thank you, Mel Robbins), the Rabbi reminds us that Jews are tribal, not racial, and Jay manages to squeeze in Chabad.org and a Baruch joke.

It’s history, humor, and heresy (lightly toasted), exactly the way we like it.

This week, Jay and ChayaLeah sit down with Professor Jeffrey Veidlinger of the University of Michigan — historian, author of In the Midst of Civilized Europe, and director of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute — for a hauntingly relevant conversation about the pogroms that swept through Ukraine between 1918 and 1921.

They explore how ordinary neighbors became murderers, why humiliation often cuts deeper than death, and how centuries of trauma ripple through Jewish identity to this day. From the streets of the shtetl to the chaos of modern social media, the conversation moves between past and present — revealing unsettling parallels between old hatreds and new headlines.

It’s a deeply human, deeply Jewish episode that asks: what does it mean to live — and rebuild — in the midst of civilized Europe?

This week on edJEWcation, we go full wandering-Jew with an episode that starts in the December Project (a book about preparing for death) and somehow winds its way through Hemingway, Dostoevsky, Hasidic storytelling, Masada, Jonathan Sacks, the Nakba, Judge Caprio, and why your neighbor’s sukkah is basically Jewish Home Depot cosplay.

In between, we wrestle with:

• Why fiction can sometimes tell the truest stories

• How Jewish stubbornness, sacred texts, and a portable identity kept us alive when every other ancient culture disappeared

• Why Sukkot is the Babe Ruth of underrated mitzvot (and why American Jews still don’t show up)

• The awkward Jewish instinct to love every Jew except the ones on our own block

• Israel as hammer vs. nail…and why too many Jews still prefer the nail

• Judge Caprio, Rhode Island’s saint of traffic court, and why mercy belongs on the bench and in the Beit Midrash

It’s history, politics, theology, pop culture, and K-pop (yes, really) all shaken into one of the most edJEWcation episodes yet.

This week on edJEWcation, we sit down with William Mehrvarz, whose story takes us from the streets of Tehran to the Shabbat tables of New York. Born into a devout Shia Muslim family in Iran, William’s path veered when a camp roommate handed him a Bible written in Farsi. What followed was years of secret study, political upheaval, and dangerous choices, culminating in his escape from Iran, asylum in America, and ultimately, conversion to Judaism.

We talk with William about:

• The contrasts between Fridays in Tehran, filled with hate-filled chants vs. Shabbats filled with song and rest

• How his first marriage exposed his hidden faith and nearly cost him everything

• The loneliness and beauty of his conversion journey

• What it means to be proudly both Persian and Jewish

• And why he believes America may be living in a “golden age” for Jews outside of Israel

It’s a story of risk, resilience, and renewal — a reminder of how one person’s search for truth can transform an entire life.

In this episode, Jay contemplates changing his Hebrew name, which leads ChayaLeah and the Rabbi into a conversation about identity, the mystical energy of names, and how prayer has become the least-popular Jewish pastime (sorry, Pew survey).

Along the way, we talk about why Jews often find davening uninspiring, how Hasidic meditation works (hint: it’s not sitting cross-legged with Sam Harris), and why prayer is less about Amazon-delivery miracles and more about dialogue.

We also wrestle with forgiveness, when an apology is genuine, when it’s demanded, and what to do if the other party won’t accept it. Plus: barbecue feuds in Texas, Taylor Swift at the stadium, and the challenge of marking October 7 two years later.

It’s an episode about reconnecting with G-d, with each other, and with what it really means to be Jewish when the world feels like it’s shaking.

As the High Holidays come into focus, we take a step back to reflect on prayer, community, and the meaning behind the words we say in shul. From the powerful sound of the shofar to the quiet struggles with Hebrew versus English prayer, we share honest conversations about connection, detachment, and what it really means to stand before G-d. Along the way, we discuss Tashlich by the lagoon, the challenge of keeping students engaged, the rise of alienation in modern life, and why screens can never replace genuine community. We even manage to wander into Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and the golden age of the Celtics. At its heart, this episode is about finding inspiration where you least expect it and remembering why the holidays matter.

Links:

• Psalm 27

• What is Tashlich

This week on edJEWcation, we dive into a nearly forgotten chapter of Jewish history: the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry of 1946. Born out of the Harrison Report (which we discussed previously) and Truman’s pressure to open the gates of Palestine, this joint British-American commission investigated the plight of Holocaust survivors, Arab opposition, and the realities on the ground in Mandatory Palestine.

Jay and ChayaLeah unpack the committee’s findings, calls for 100,000 Jewish visas, the acknowledgment that no other country would take in Jewish refugees, and candid observations on Jewish resilience, Arab demands, and British reluctance. Along the way, we uncover unexpected details, from malaria maps that shaped partition lines to the striking language describing the Jewish mix of “pride and frustration.”

Why did the British ignore their own commission’s recommendations? How did Zionist advances in health and education widen the gulf between Jews and Arabs? And why does this report, once seen as pivotal, barely register in collective memory?

It’s a story of hope, betrayal, and the ongoing tension between Jewish pride and Jewish frustration, a snapshot of 1946 that still echoes today.

In this week’s episode, we pause from our usual lighthearted approach to reflect on a tragedy shaking the Jewish and wider American communities: the assassination of Charlie Kirk. However one viewed his politics, Charlie was a forceful supporter of Israel and a vocal opponent of antisemitism, unafraid to confront hostile audiences on college campuses and beyond. His final, unfinished work on the importance of Shabbat reminds us that wisdom can sometimes come from unexpected voices.

In his honor, we turn to the Bible to explore the righteous non-Jews who stood alongside the Jewish people in moments of need…figures like Eliezer, Jethro, Pharaoh’s daughter, Rahab, Ruth, and Cyrus the Great. Their courage, loyalty, and moral clarity remind us that righteousness is not bound by heritage and that even in the darkest times, allies can emerge to protect what is sacred.

This is a sobering conversation about the cost of division, the fragility of moral courage, and the enduring hope that others will rise to stand with the Jewish people.