JEW-ISH

My guest this week is Jake Cohen. Jake is a professional chef who studied at the Culinary Institute of America, during and after which he spent time working the line at DANIEL and ABC Kitchen in New York City. He then moved into food media, contributing to notable publications such as Saveur Magazine, TastingTable.com and Time Out New York. Jake is about to release his first book, 'Jew-Ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch.' You can follow Jake on Instagram @JakeCohen, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_podcast.

I'm delighted to welcome back Ben Freeman to the podcast in celebration of the release of his book 'Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People.' In our conversation, we spoke about what inspired Ben to write this book, his own personal journey with Jewish pride, and the main message he wants people to take away from the book. You can purchase Ben's book from Amazon or all other major book retailers. You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenMFreeman, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast.

My guest this week is Isaac De Castro, co-founder of Jewish on Campus, a social media-based organisation that focuses on fighting and bringing attention to antisemitism on college campuses. Isaac is originally from Panama City, and is currently studying History of Architecture and Urban Development at Cornell University. You can follow Jewish On Campus on Instagram @JewishOnCampus, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast.

My guest this week is Brian Chase. Brian is the drummer for Grammy nominated indie rock band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and he also runs his own record label, Chaikin Records, specialising in experimental and avant-garde music. In our conversation, we spoke about Brian's Jewish upbringing, the perception of God in Jewish liturgy, and the different ways he has interpreted Jewish practices to fit within the framework of his own life. You can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast, and if you're enjoying the podcast, please consider becoming an official patron at patreon.com/jewishthepodcast. 

My guest this week is Amy Albertson. Amy is a Chinese-American Jew, originally from California. Amy went through her own personal journey discovering her Jewish identity, culminating in her moving to Israel for 6 years. You can follow Amy on Instagram @theamyalbertson, and you can find out more about Amy and her time in Israel at amyalbertson.com. You can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast. If you enjoyed the podcast, please consider becoming an official patron at patreon.com/jewishthepodcast.

My guest this week is American musician Ezra Furman. Ezra has released 5 albums, and also wrote the original soundtrack for the Netflix series Sex Education. In 2018, they also wrote the 33⅓ book on Lou Reed's classic album Transformer. In our conversation we spoke about Jewish musicians and the impact they had on our own musical journeys, our own Jewish identities and how they play a part in our music, and the challenges Ezra has faced keeping Jewish practices on tour. You can follow Ezra on Twitter @EzraFurman, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast. If you're enjoying the podcast, head over to our Patreon to find out how you can become an official patron. 

To celebrate the wide range of guests I've had on the podcast, I've decided to do a best of 2020 episode highlighting some of my favourite conversations I've had this year. I've learned so much from my guests this year, and I can't wait to continue learning in 2021. If you'd like to support the podcast, please consider becoming an official patron here. Happy new year!

My guest this week is Rabbi Josh Yuter. Rabbi Josh was ordained in 2003, and was the Rabbi of Stanton Street Shul in New York City between 2008 – 2014. Other than his Rabbinical studies, he is also an award-winning blogger writing on various issues pertaining to law, theology, and society. In our conversation, we spoke about his duties as a Rabbi, whether social media can be used as an effective tool to fight antisemitism, and the role that Israel plays in modern Jewish identity. You can follow Rabbi Josh on Twitter @JYuter, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast. Happy Hanukkah!

My guest this week is Israeli writer, activist and international speaker, Hen Mazzig. Hen is a Mizrahi Jew with heritage from Iraq and North Africa. He served in the IDF for 5 years as a humanitarian officer, working as an intermediary between the IDF and the Palestinian Authority, the UN, and the many non-governmental organisations that work in the West Bank. You can follow Hen on Twitter and Instagram @HenMazzig, and you can follow me on Twitter @Jewish_Podcast.

My guest this week is Josh Cole. Josh is Head of Comedy at BBC Studios and is the founder of Buttmitzvah, an immersive queer Jewish clubnight that’s entertained thousands at sold out parties in London & New York. In our conversation, we spoke about how Josh came up with the idea for Buttmitzvah, his thoughts on Jewish comedy and Jewish comedians, and his identity as a gay Jewish person. You can follow Josh on Instagram @joshc0le, and you can follow me on Twitter @jewish_podcast.