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:

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:

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:

Have a question you are dying for us to answer? Want to recommend a topic? Drop us an e-mail at [email protected]

Enjoy!

With ChayaLeah fresh off her trip to Florida, where the Hassdim enjoyed an outdoor wedding in 900-degree weather, with wool coats on, the gang comes back together to finish their discussion on the Rebbe by talking about his ten Mitzvah campaign.

The purpose of the campaign was to inspire less observant Jews to partake in some of the 613 Jewish mitzvahs

The ten mitzvah’s of the Rebbe’s campaign are:

You can learn more about the 10 campaigns here.

This episode is a special tribute to the Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, on the 30th anniversary of his passing.

Along with discussing his biography and leadership of the Chabad movement, we discuss some of the key elements of the Rebbe’s philosophy, such as being of service to others, the need to fulfill one’s purpose in life, not succumbing to self-pity, the benefit of placing oneself in uncomfortable situations, the urgency of the current moment, his deep belief in G-d and the Torah, and his embrace of all Jews, no matter how religious.

The Rabbi and ChayaLeah also discuss their personal connections to the Rebbe and his impact on their lives.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Rebbe, I highly recommend the book Rebbe: The Life and Teachings of Menachem M. Schneerson, the Most Influential Rabbi in Modern History, by Joseph Telushkin

Even most non-Yids know that Shabbat is the day of rest, but did you know there are 39 categories of work that are prohibited on the Sabbath? If not, you better listen to this episode where we discuss some of them, or you’ll just go on sinning every Sabbath and be none-the-wiser.

We’ll talk about the benefits of Shabbat in the reconnecting with family and community, the history and significance of lighting the Shabbat candles, the Saturday evening Havdalah service which closes out the Sabbath, and many other questions around the commandment and poignancy of celebrating the Sabbath.

Then, we’ll make the hardest of hard turns…moving from the serenity of Shabbat to the fire and brimstone of our Parsha of the week, Sodom and Gomorrah.

Why did G-d feel it necessary to give Abraham warning that he was going to destroy the city? Why did G-d listen to Abraham when he negotiated for the lives of the innocent people who lived there? What does this tell us about the Bible’s perspective on collective punishment?

Links for the week:

Parsha: Genesis 18:17 - 18:33

Recommended Reading: The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Here's the description - When most goys think of being Jewish, they think the little hats, eight crazy nights, and no cheeseburgers; well it's that last thing we're talking about today…kosher.

But first, we'll do something we rarely do…cover a recent event. We'll discuss a New York Post story about a Jewish World War 2 soldier who was lost behind enemy lines only to have been discovered two years ago buried in a mass grave with Nazi soldiers and the efforts undertaken to give him a proper burial.

NY Post Article: https://nypost.com/2024/06/01/world-news/remains-of-jewish-american-soldier-recovered-after-being-buried-with-nazis/

When we get to the kosher topic, we'll discuss-

For this week's parsha, we'll discuss the Angels who visit Abraham and Sarah and tell them the good news about Isaac's coming.

To round it out, our buddy Eli Lake wrote us a little ditty about keeping kosher (with an AI assist). It's a banger…