The first Jew Gone Zen Podcast episode of 2025. Recorded on the eve before the outcome of the "DEAL" & hostage release was truly known, I was on the edge of my studio seat praying for the condition of Emily, Romi and Doron... and having an existential crisis about whether or not to release such an optimistic-angled podcast episode over the same weekend.
Now that our hostages are home safe, and in relatively good physical condition, here it is — in all its idealistic glory.
May 2025 be an interesting year... or rather, a "SHANA MEANYENET" ...
שנה מעניינת

And for those just discovering the Jew Gone Zen Podcast this year....
While sitting zazen at a 5-day Zen meditation sesshin that happened to coincide with Yom Kippur, the words "Jew Gone Zen" kept circling around in my head. I didn't know what it meant or what it would become, but one week later, in a post-October 7th world, it became clear.
I was going to start a podcast - and question... EVERYTHING - including my own Jewish identity.
WELCOME TO MY CHANNEL OF RELENTLESS QUESTIONING . . . .  W O N D E R   W I T H   M E
🇮🇱🙏🏼✡️🧘🏻‍♀️🎗️

The last Jew Gone Zen Podcast episode of 2024 … and what a perfect conversation to close my first year of post-October 7th podcasting with…  

I recently met Eva Izsak-Niimura by chance — at the Jewish Community of Japan — having wandered in on a Shabbat in Tokyo “just to see what a synagogue in Japan was like...” (in case you needed proof that we all turn into our mothers...) 

Eva’s entire existence is the most Jew-Gone-Zen story I’ve ever heard — even before I read her book — which may, in fact, be the most impactful book I’ve ever read. Through the ever-changing lens of a mother-daughter relationship, “Songs My Mother Taught Me” — addresses themes of identity, generational trauma, and the desire to re-invent oneself and escape the past, l’dor v’dor, until the cycle inevitably repeats itself again.  

Titled “Shneinu” or “the two of us” in Hebrew, and “Lettres a la Mere” (referencing Kafka’s “Letter to a Father”) in French, the book was written, Eva says, to commit to paper many of the thoughts that people generally feel too ashamed to talk about — in hopes of bringing to light that even our deepest darkest thoughts may actually not be all that unique… 

But the best part of my conversation with Eva was the fact that we recorded this podcast on December 16th, my Mom’s birthday — though episodes typically come out the 18th of every month, due to the time-zone difference between Japan and New York, this final episode of the year was released one day later, December 19th — on what would have been my Dad’s birthday.  

I can’t think of a better way to honor my parents — especially after having read this book.

"Songs My Mother Taught Me" on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Songs-My-Mother-Taught-Me-Eva-Izsak/dp/1647426987

This conversation took place on November 4th, 2024 — the day before the election — (or, what we now know as the "Nakba" of the Democratic Party) . . .

I met David Hilfstein as my sound engineer at a gig at Bethel Woods (where the infamous Woodstock Music Festival was held) — the day after Yom Kippur; and the day before leaving for Japan.

We bonded over how refreshing it was to meet a friendly Jewish face in a musical space since 10/7, where we had both been feeling increasingly unwelcome lately. One thing led to another — including my mentioning I had a podcast, and David revealing that as a lifelong Democrat, he would be voting for Trump this election.

This episode is the culmination of my many lingering questions after the "homework" David assigned me while in Japan:

Maher Bitar, Ariene Tabatabai, Robert Malley

(look up these names if they're totally unfamiliar)

With the results of the election behind us, my hope is that this episode can provide insight into the perspective of the "other side" — whichever "side" you happen to find yourself on.

When the world turns upside down, you can either resist it — or turn with it.

Just don't forget to pack your critical thinking.

A candid conversation with my non-Jewish, Zen-practicing husband, on the evening of October 7, 2024.

Join me as I sit down with activist, DEI-alternative start-up entrepreneur, and musician Chloé Valdary (@chloevaldary @theoryofenchantment @beatsbyparadox), and we discuss her Theory of Enchantment as an alternative approach to DEI that doesn't dehumanize anyone or assume anyone's lived experience (read: white people). We then delve deeper into how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was actually the impetus that inspired her to create the Theory of Enchantment — waaaay before 10/7.

Unique as well about the Theory of Enchantment approach is that it incorporates music and pop culture; so, naturally, we pivot to some of her own, including an original song Chloé wrote about the sophisticated (and in my opinion, hilarious) paradox of the words "Israel" and "Jihad" actually having the same meaning.

"Israel, Palestine, Wrestle, Strive"

All the things that I said, they're a'coming, they're a'coming

All the things that I read, they're a'coming, they're a'coming

All the words that I wrote down, they're a'coming, they're a coming.

I'm gonna wrestle

With my ego

Call me Israel!

Call me Jihad!

Oh wait, that's a fabulous paradox

They both mean wrestle,

Yeah I wrestle!

Said I'm gon' wrestle

With my ego!

Call me Israel!

Call me Jihad!

Wait what a sophisticated paradox

I know, I, I,

Made it,

I'm coming for you!

I'm coming for you!

Tired of your foolishness

I heard a long time ago

They said you were brothers!

You had the same father

and different mothers.

I heard a long time ago

There was a family feud

Ishmael, Isaac!

I'm calling on, calling on you!

What a sophisticated paradox!

What a fascinating paradox!

What a sophisticated paradox!

I'm coming for you, I'm coming for you!

https://www.theoryofenchantment.com/

https://soundcloud.com/beatsbyparadox/

I'm going to Israel tomorrow and I'm too lazy to write a description. Let this episode speak for itself.

(and maybe that's a hint as to what Zen is)

J

In part 2 of my conversation with Will Van Den Broeck, I bring in my very own Vander-husband, Eric Vanderzee, where we continue our discussion of the unexpected challenges of intermarriage in a post-Oct. 7 world. Tune in for an unfiltered interview between a single Jew who thinks he needs to marry Jewish, and a married Jew who didn't. (Me).

My argument: What if intermarriage doesn't "dilute" Judaism, but rather, "distills" it?

In this episode, I sit down with Paris-born Flemmish-American Jew, Will Van Den Broeck, who I was initially excited to interview because of the similarity of his last name to my non-Jewish husband's: Vanderzee. (Van Den Broeck meaning "from the creek" and Vanderzee meaning "from the sea").

But I was just as excited to dig in to his perspective on his own Jewish upbringing - having been raised between France, Belgium, and NY - and having spent time in Israel living in Lod, for Fellowships and a deeper understanding of Israeli/Arab/Palestinian relations within and without.

Join us for a dynamic conversation discussing interfaith relationships, Israel's intermarriage law and the meaning of "democracy", tradition vs. modern interpretation, what it means to be a "secular Jew" in Israel, deep love for the country despite "Separation of Synagogue and State," unfiltered midrash on the previous episode on Jewish Indigeneity - and a variety of other passionate tangents.

I thought I understood my feelings towards Israel and its significance to the Jewish People before... but Lani Mekeel broke my brain about it.

I always felt Jewish indigeneity to Eretz Israel on a deep level - that it went without saying (how could anyone deny this?) - I had no idea there were so many people out there seriously debating this obvious truth and actively working to convince the world otherwise.

Lani opened my eyes to the similarities between Jewish and Native struggles of assimilation and erasure, colonization and reconnection - and a crash course on indigeneity.

Join me and recent rabbinical school graduate, Tori Greene, as we discuss our parallel Miami-Jewish upbringings and reflections on developing our own Jewish Identities in adulthood.

We also talk activism and advocacy (are we making it worse?), liberal Zionist social media strategy, the intertwined-ness of music and Judaism, and a handful of nuggets of rabbinic wisdom on various topics from alternative Torah interpretation to kol isha, “a woman's voice”; (we end this episode with Tori’s original song, “Ariel,” the first song she has written since October 7th).

Also, tefillin are sexy.