Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/teadpfXWCO4

Martha Ross grew up Old Order Amish in Middlefield Ohio, left it, and now does YouTube videos about it on the channel  @AmishTransformed  . Please check out her fundraiser for her husband's much needed dental work here: https://gofund.me/d49b3276

Link to video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/MnFddZtaWdQ

This is the song to advertise the Tzohar organization, which I have referenced in the episode comparing the Netflix Unorthodox show to this song. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/78XBSSDdwjo?si=aXMAEQ4pOPnYhbwZ
I am sharing the music since it's essentially and ad and it will help create a fuller resource/reference to my commentary

Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/78XBSSDdwjo

The stories we tell affect the ways we process events around us. How we make sense of things like someone's departure from a community. Every society has their own stories; their own mythologies, their own tropes.

In this video, I do an analysis of two different societies and their tropes, by comparing the Netflix show Unorthodox with the music video "Mein Kind, Eiku". Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Filmed by Ryan Scharfenberg / https://www.instagram.com/mmm_moire/

Edited by Lee Korak / @LeeKorak Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mayo.nap?igsh=ZXp4bm8zZTJ2aXVr

1. Music: Dark Investigation by Soundridemusic Link to Video: • NoCopyright Panic Tension Suspense Th...
2. Credits: Music: Dark Investigation by Soundridemusic Link to Video: • NoCopyright Panic Tension Suspense Th... 
3. Chillpeach - In Dreamland : • [no copyright music] 'In Dreamland ' ...

Video link: https://youtu.be/28lP8j8swA0

Please support Rochel Yenty Bodek's wonderful work by donating: https://insightbeyondeyesight.org/donate Rochel Yenty Bodek is a Hasidic woman who lost her sight as a young woman due to a genetic condition. She has faced tremendous challenges as a wife and mother in the Hasidic community and has risen to the challenge with tremendous resilience. In this interview she talks with a lot of candor about the challenges and strengths of the Hasidic community and how she approaches her disability in this realm.

If you appreciate my work and think it's important, please consider financially supporting it by becoming a channel member or sending a donation. It takes a team of multiple people to make this channel run and your support means so much.

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/hKN0_75EuqE

Anna Shternshis is a Professor of Yiddish studies and the director of the department of Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto and the author of "Soviet and Kosher", "When Sonia Met Boris" and the forthcoming "Jews in the soviet union: post war life, hopes and fears". In this interview we talk about the fascinating history of the Jews of the Soviet Union, the oral histories Anna collected from Yiddish (and non-Yiddish) speakers born before 1929, and the Yiddish songs she recovered from during the holocaust.

Some links for Anna Shternshis here:
Soviet and Kosher: https://amzn.to/4irTnT6
When Sonia Met Boris: https://amzn.to/4bxypzC
Her project to set holocaust songs to lyrics, titled Yiddish Glory: https://www.yiddishglory.com/
Link to the University of Toronto: https://german.utoronto.ca/anna-shternshis/
Twitter: https://x.com/shternsh

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/pVfY5wZlPec

There's a whole emerging world of Hasidic theater, acted by men, and including a cast and stories of men only. This has been a tiny element of the Hasidic world for years - it definitely wasn't a viable career for anyone until recently. In recent years, the Hasidic theater scene has exploded. So much talent is coming to the fore. It was so much my pleasure to talk to Ari (Arye) Abromowitz, who is a veteran of this scene, who has been there from the beginning of this "revolution" and has been in many ways its face as he acted in many productions. I learned so much about this arts scene from Ari and this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Link to Ari and Friends: https://mostlymusic.com/products/ari-friends-season-1-episode-1-video
Edited by Lee Korak / https://leekorak.site/

Video version of this interview here: https://youtu.be/kMxyRkjljm8?si=hcjjD0_-izvquKxB

Today's interview is about psychedelics, Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, and one extraordinary woman's journey! Please join me for the interview with Bruchy Moskovics. Bruchy was raised in the Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel. Her story is like no one's I've ever heard, and the way she tells it will take you to another world -- a world of faith, thoughtfulness, and living connected with something very alive within. Bruchy is now a child therapist and also does post-psychedelic integrative therapy, and her work often addresses a Yiddish-speaking crowd. In this interview she both shares her story and also explains what psychedelic therapy is, and how it's coming to play a role in the contemporary Hasidic community.

Bruchy's Instagram account is: https://www.instagram.com/bruchymoskovics/
Thumbnail photo credit of Hasidic man smoking: Abe Kugielsky - https://www.instagram.com/hasidiminusa/

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/ctuFi83643E


Antonia Lassar is a Jewish comedian who grew up with very little Judaism. She later became interested in various forms of religion, going on a seeker's journey for community with soulful musical connection. She loves singing and is a professional comedian. Our journeys couldn't be more different, yet we have so much in common in our appreciation of religious Judaism that doesn't always work for us. In our long form interview we talked about Antonia's background, about the Chabad sect, about the ritual of mikvah immersion, and much more.

Check out Antonia here: 
Antonia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antonialastar/
Antonia on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@antonialastar Antonia's website: https://antonialassar.com/


Many many thanks to the Mandel Cultural Leadership program for helping make this happen. Special thanks to the wonderful Eva Heinstein whom I love.

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/blLciT0egb4

Jessica Roda just published the book "For Women and Girls Only" on Orthodox Jewish women's performances. You can find her book here: https://amzn.to/4jKRJgj

In this long form discussion we talk about what's happening in the scene of Orthodox Jewish women's performances. Because of modesty rules, women are not allowed to perform in front of men. So oftentimes their reach is limited. In Roda's work, she charts how women's perfomances has become a whole economy thanks to the internet and women's creative ways of approaching the Kol Isha issue.

Check out Jessica's book and Jessica on Instagram and Twitter:
https://x.com/RodaJess
https://www.instagram.com/jess_roda/ 

This interview is brought to you with the support of Fairfield University. This video is brought to you with the generous support of Fairfield University / Bennet Center for Judaic Studies. The Bennett Center for Judaic Studies is a unique academic center that strives to enrich the intellectual, cultural, and spiritual dialogue of Fairfield University. Continuing the vision of Carl and Dorothy Bennett, the Center fosters continued learning experiences and campus-wide awareness about Jewish history, ethical values, and religious observances. It also seeks to engage the Greater Fairfield communities through inspiring lectures and annual programs. https://www.fairfield.edu/academics/centers-and-institutes/bennett-center-for-judaic-studies/index.html