Jewish Public Media (All Feeds)

A classic Talmudic discussion about having first-time sex on Shabbat is often taught to adolescent yeshiva students. What effect might this explicit, technical text have on their emerging sexuality? We read the passage and discuss on this mini text episode of The Joy of Text.

This month on the podcast Rabbi Annie Lewis is joining us to talk about the Israeli TV show Shtisel, which is now available on Netflix, and making decisions about gender for Jewish baby namings and bar/bat/bnei? mitzvah celebrations. Further readings Shtisel TV show ‘Shtisel’ subtly changes ultra-Orthodox perceptions by Jessica Steinberg in the Times of […]

On this episode* we answer a listener question about women’s hair covering, changing norms, and the connection between hair and “erva” (nakedness). Then we talk about sexuality in Kabbalah with Dr. Sharon Faye Koren, author of Forsaken: The Menstruant in Medieval Jewish Mysticism, who discusses why sex plays a central role in Kabbalistic thought and why medieval Kabbalism was, despite […]

This month on the podcast Yael Kalman is joining us to talk about Chanukkah books for kids. For our second topic, we’re discussing the Forward’s list of “Sexiest Jewish intellectuals Alive (and one Dead).” Plus, endorsements, and a special round of endorsements in honor of Zahava, who couldn’t join us for the recording this week. Further […]

In what could be the first parent-child sex talk on record, Rav Hisda gives his daughters advice about how to increase their husband’s desire during sex. Or is it the benefits of being modest? We discuss the different interpretations of this cryptic text and the continued relevance of its lessons.

This month on the podcast we’re talking with Rebecca Kirzner the HIAS Campaigns Director of Community Engagement, about the work HIAS does and how it has been dealing with the wake of the shooting at Tree of Life synagogue. We also talked about how synagogues can and should deal with security, and about the play Observance, […]

Welcome back to The Joy of Text! We’re kicking off Season 4 with a fact or fiction quickfire round: Is sex really a “double mitzvah” on Shabbat? Is daytime sex verboten? And what is up with the “hole in the sheet?” We clear up these and other common myths and misconceptions — or are they? […]

This month on the podcast we’re talking about the High Holiday season. We’re just off a solid month of holidays, and we thought it might be a good time to reflect on what makes the chagim, or holidays, successful and/or meaningful to us. And we’re talking about the matriarchs. How do we feel about the […]

This month on the podcast we’re talking about #MeToo in the Jewish world and about Spike Lee’s new film, Blackkklansmen, which follows a black detective in Colorado Springs as he and a Jewish colleague infiltrate the local chapter of the KKK. Further reading #MeToo in the Jewish community My personal and professional reckoning with Steven […]

This month on the podcast we’re talking about the Ashkenazi Jewish food renaissance with Liz Alpern, entrepreneur and co-founder of the Gefilteria, and co-author of the Gefilte Manifesto. And for our second segment we’re talking about the new film Neshikot B’Ivrit, or Hebrew Kisses, by filmmaker Manya Lozovskaya. Further reading Ashkenazi Jewish food renaissance The Gefilte Manifesto: […]