Most Hasidim don't have pets. Many of us who leave the Hasidic community, like myself and Naomi Seidman, adopt animals and come to love - deeply! - our furry friends. In this long-form conversation, I talk to Naomi about why we grew up without pets, our attitudes towards animals in the past, and how that has changed. Naomi draws from her recent research into Freud and Max Weinreich to look at the historical relationship between Jews and dogs, and how that might shed light on our own pet journeys.

We also talk about the grief of losing an animal and the challenge of communicating it to the people in our former communities who never had pets.

We also get to meet Naomi's most adorable dog Vanessa, whom you will all love, even if you never had a pet!

Here are some links to Naomi's work:
Heretic in the house: https://www.hartman.org.il/program/heretic-in-the-house/
The Bais Yaakov project: https://thebaisyaakovproject.religion.utoronto.ca
Naomi's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00...

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