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

Join me for a fascinating conversation with documentary filmmaker Paula Eiselt, the Emmy-nominated, Peabody- and DuPont-Columbia award-winning director behind 93 Queen, Aftershock, and Under God.

In this interview, we dive into her groundbreaking film 93 Queen, which tells the story of Hasidic women in Boro Park who founded their own all-female EMS service. In a community where Hatzalah, the all-male emergency response team, is seen as the crown jewel, this move sparked intense debate and resistance. Paula’s film goes far beyond the surface narrative of women breaking barriers—it offers an intimate, nuanced portrait of Hasidic women’s lives, struggles, and determination.

We also talk about Paula’s creative journey, her upcoming film We Met at Grossinger’s (premiering in late 2025), and what it means to tell stories that sit at the intersection of tradition, change, and human complexity.

📌 Explore further:
Watch 93 Queen: https://amzn.to/45G6PgU
Paula’s website: https://www.paulaeiselt.com/
Paula on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pizelt/

📌 Stay connected with me:
YouTube: @FriedaVizel
Instagram: instagram.com/friedavizel
Twitter: twitter.com/FriedaVizel
Website: friedavizel.com

📌 Other videos you might be interested in:
The Aguna Crisis: https://youtu.be/_H1hjrS2MLo
She's blind in the Orthodox community: https://youtu.be/28lP8j8swA0
Why I left Hasidic Education Activism: https://youtu.be/IRTvj1_4_14
A non-Jewish teacher's testimony of teaching Hasidic boys: https://youtu.be/lR7UL9b_xNU


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/WSYIhDbY0VY

In this conversation, I speak with Rabbi Mayer Schiller, a Hasidic Jew based in Monsey, New York, known for his deep knowledge of the Hasidic community and his rare combination of freethinking, humanist, and unflinchingly critical views. We touched on big themes like Zionism, sectarian divides, and other hot-button topics.

Outro Music selected by Rabbi Schiller Agudah Achas (feat. Yoel Blum)
https://youtu.be/u6TuUxzx8ek?si=GKkJDKlpgD1t5cWo
It's the verse ״ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם from the High Holiday prayers. It's translated as "And they all formed one union to do your will with a whole heart." Very apt to my conversation with Rabbi Mayer Schiller!

Join this channel to get early access to videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD2OaOinKRQMK4dclGOw4QA/join

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

In this video, I sit down with Mattel, a young YouTuber from the Hasidic community whose passion for languages is truly inspiring. Mattel creates content in many lesser-known tongues, especially Jewish languages, with a unique focus on Hasidic Yiddish. She travels the world on her own, learns constantly, and generously shares that journey with her audience. On her channel, she has opened up with deep honesty—including a moving video in Yiddish about her brother’s suicide that touched me profoundly. Her work and her journey are only just beginning, and it’s an honor to highlight a new voice carrying Jewish languages into the future.

👉 Check out Mattel’s channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@multisingual1241 —
📌 Connect with me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel 
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@friedavizel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FriedaVizel Patreon: 
https://www.patreon.com/friedavizel
Website: https://friedavizel.com


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Link to video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/Uj5wHch-kx4

MOVIES WE DISCUSS IN THIS VIDEO:
Yentl – https://amzn.to/3HmMZPQ
Fiddler on the Roof – https://amzn.to/4lhQbKo
Walk of Shame – https://amzn.to/3UPS0n4
Hester Street – https://amzn.to/3JdvMJ7
Crossing Delancey – https://amzn.to/4mzRvcA
Sophie’s Choice – https://amzn.to/3JdvRfT
Avalon – https://amzn.to/3HmNpFU
A Serious Man – https://amzn.to/4fto21L
Holy Rollers – https://amzn.to/45nuSRF

Join me for a lively, insightful conversation with David Akerman from the channel  @_yiddishkeit   \ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_yiddishkeit/) as we dive deep into Jewish representation in film—from iconic classics to quirky cult favorites. We talk themes, stereotypes, hidden gems, and the ways Jewish life is brought to the screen.

Whether you grew up on Fiddler, cried at Sophie’s Choice, laughed at Crossing Delancey, or were fascinated by A Serious Man, this is a conversation for film lovers, cultural explorers, and anyone curious about the Jewish stories cinema tells.

RELATED VIDEOS ON MY CHANNEL:
Unorthodox – https://youtu.be/v-VWUgQBTvQ
93 Queen – https://youtu.be/QWLnKjrpcuA
City of Joel – https://youtu.be/Ovl9HbcTuUI
Four Seasons Lodge – https://youtu.be/1J6pNHymChE

CONNECT WITH ME:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel/
TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@friedavizel
Website – https://friedavizel.com


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this conversation: https://youtu.be/1zQ1rSDUUVE

A Balcony in Kazimierz: A Candid Conversation on Jews, Poland, and Post-Holocaust Memory
In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, I sit with Naomi Seidman on the balcony of our apartment rental in Kazimierz—the historic Jewish district of Kraków, Poland—for an unscripted conversation about Jewish memory, return, and identity.

Together, we reflect on what it means for Jews to come back to Poland after the Holocaust. Are we tourists or pilgrims? Survivors by inheritance or outsiders looking in? How do we process the tension between grief, history, and belonging? What responsibilities—if any—come with being second- or third-generation descendants of Holocaust survivors?

Some of the most moving moments of this video were actually recorded off-camera with a hot mic—raw, vulnerable, and unfiltered. We decided to share them because they speak to the kind of honest, searching conversations I believe matter most.

🎥 Edited by Lee Kupak
📸 Videography by Michał Sosna: https://www.instagram.com/michalsosna/
📚 **Books by Naomi Seidman:**
• *The Bais Yaakov Project: A History of the Bais Yaakov Movement for Girls*
https://amzn.to/3UpygGG
• *Freud’s Jewish Question: Lust, Hate, and the Jewish Politics of Psychoanalysis*
https://amzn.to/3TV0GYV
• *Faithful Renderings: Jewish–Christian Difference and the Politics of Translation*
https://amzn.to/40Bak6J
🎬 Link to my other video with Naomi: 
On Naomi's life story | https://youtu.be/aAHE9YNnxf8
A Heretic in the House | https://youtu.be/TrEQ_PMnVFQ
🙏 Special thanks to the University of Toronto for helping cover part of the costs of producing this video.

🔗 Stay connected:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel
Twitter (X): https://www.twitter.com/friedavizel
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@friedavizel
Website: https://www.friedavizel.com

💛 Huge thanks to my channel members
Your support makes these conversations possible. Thank you for believing in independent, heartfelt Jewish content.

Music Credits:
1. Calling Home by Alex-Productions | (https://onsound.eu/)
Music promoted by (https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/)
Creative Commons CC BY 3.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
2. Music provided by "Vivek Abhishek"
(https://www.youtube.com/user/VivEKhsihbA/videos)
Music used : "polish dance" originally composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek" - (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLByBt4wYTQ)
Follow on Facebook:
(https://www.facebook.com/VivekEKhsihbA/)
Follow on Instagram:
(https://www.instagram.com/vivek.abhishek.music/)
3. "AERØHEAD - Fragments" is under a Creative Commons (BY-NC 3.0) license:
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)
(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZbM1a4PKQ6haa2Ap4TSdg)
Music powered by BreakingCopyright:    • 🔥 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_SJmiVLM_g)
#JewishHistory #Kazimierz #Poland #HolocaustMemory #PostHolocaust #JewishIdentity #NaomiSeidman #FriedaVizel #JewishHeritage #HonestConversations #JewishCulture #SecondGeneration #Krakow #KazimierzBalconyTalks #JewishDiaspora #HolocaustLegacy




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Video link: https://youtu.be/5JUhkH71qUc


How Hasidic Women Dress: A Conversation with Pearl from Williamsburg
What does modest clothing mean in the Hasidic world—and how is it taught from such a young age?
In this video, I sit down with Pearl, a Hasidic woman from Williamsburg who has been dressing in this tradition for over 70 years. We talk about how Hasidic girls begin learning the rules of modesty at age 3, what kinds of clothing are considered appropriate, and how fashion trends are received within the community.
We also discuss:
– The difference between weekday and Shabbos outfits
– How community standards evolve (or don’t)
– Why new clothing styles can become controversial
– And what it’s like to follow these customs over a lifetime
This is a rare glimpse into the everyday experience of Hasidic women’s fashion and the ideas behind it—all from someone who’s lived it for decades.
#HasidicWomen #HasidicFashion #WilliamsburgBrooklyn #JewishTraditions #OrthodoxJudaism #ModestFashion #PearlFromWilliamsburg

Music credit:
1. Song: Planet Nine 
Music by:   / infraction  
Provided by:
https://bit.ly/YouTubeEMW ⚫
2. Song: Chill
Composer: Sakura Hz
Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6x1zYZR6PXhEmDY89G4rzg
License: Creative Commons (BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music powered by BreakingCopyright: https://breakingcopyright.com
3. Music track: floral by massobeats
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Free To Use Music for Videos

4. Music track: Magnificent by Pufino
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
No Copyright Music (Free Download)
5. Music track: rose water by massobeats
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Free To Use Music for Videos


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Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/aAHE9YNnxf8

What was it like to grow up in 1960s Boro Park as the daughter of survivors—and as a girl who wanted to run? In this candid and unfiltered conversation, scholar Naomi Seidman opens up about her Orthodox Jewish upbringing, her discomfort with the gender roles she was expected to fulfill, and her deep desire to escape. We talk about her path to becoming a PhD, how her parents responded, and the haunting legacy of her father’s own doctorate from the University of Warsaw—earned just as war was about to erupt. A deeply personal, often funny, and unforgettable reflection on memory, identity, and rebellion.


📍 Follow me on:
Instagram: @friedavizel
TikTok: @friedavizel
YouTube: @friedavizelbrooklyn
Website: friedavizel.com

#JewishBrooklyn #NaomiSeidman #BoroPark #OrthodoxJudaism #JewishWomen #JewishVoices #SecondGenerationStories #Yiddishkeit #JewishStudies #FriedaVizel #UnfilteredConversations #BrooklynHistory #JewishHeritage #OralHistory #HasidicBrooklyn


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/UZTQRkr-rIs

Long before social media became what it is today, the internet met Rebbetzin Rivka Leah Zelwig—a charmingly extreme ultra-Orthodox rebbetzin who covered her mouth when she laughed and dispensed earnest advice with impeccable comedic timing. But who was behind this early viral sensation?

In this deeply personal interview, I sit down with Danielle Jacobs, the brilliant performer behind the character, for a conversation that moved me to tears more than once. Danielle opens up about her traumatic and unstable childhood in a home steeped in religious extremism, her lifelong connection to faith and spirituality, her natural gifts for dance and performance, and the painful limitations placed on talented women in the Orthodox world.

This is a raw, beautiful conversation with a woman whose story is as powerful as her presence.

👉 Follow Danielle:
YouTube: @sodanielleicious
Instagram: @sodanielleicious

And don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast for more heartfelt interviews and stories.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Link to video version of this interview: https://youtu.be/IRTvj1_4_14

In this interview, Naftuli Moster reflects on his years as the face of a controversial campaign to reform secular education in Hasidic boys’ yeshivas. As the founder of YAFFED (Young Advocates for Fair Education), Moster positioned himself as a critic of the yeshiva system in which he was raised, arguing that Hasidic schools fail to meet basic educational standards required by state law.

Over the years, he became a polarizing figure — praised by some for challenging religious insularity, and criticized by others as antagonistic to the community he came from. To many within the Hasidic world, he came to represent an external pressure campaign that misunderstood or misrepresented their values and way of life. 

In 2022, Moster resigned from YAFFED, and in this candid conversation, he speaks openly about why he chose to step away. Was it burnout, a shift in priorities, or something deeper about the limits of advocacy? We explore his personal journey, how he views his impact now, and what he’s turned to since leaving the public spotlight. 

📌 Topics include:

• Life growing up in Borough Park as one of 17 children
• His decision to publicly challenge the yeshiva system
• The backlash and media attention
• Why he ultimately left activism
• What he’s doing today

🔔 Subscribe for more thoughtful interviews on culture, community, and change. #NaftuliMoster #HasidicEducation #YAFFED #YeshivaDebate #JewishCommunity #CulturalTensions #OrthodoxJudaism #Education



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/XYPuTNOry3U

When I was Hasidic, dieting and brisk walking were part of life—but the gym? Muscle-building? Weight training? That was unheard of. Today, a new movement is emerging from within the Hasidic world: a growing culture of strength training, gym routines, and fitness—all adapted to fit the unique rhythms and values of Hasidic life.

In this interview, I talk with Shmilly Feldman (@chasidish_lifter), a young and energetic Hasidic man at the forefront of this trend. We explore how Hasidic workout culture is evolving—with its own twists: gender separation, modesty, and the challenge of balancing fitness with a calendar full of celebratory (and food-heavy) holidays.

Shmilly shares his personal story of growing up in the Satmar school system with no gym class and how he became a self-taught weight trainer. He reflects on the limitations of the Hasidic boys' secular education, the drive to self-educate, and what that means for his generation.

It’s a candid and thoughtful look at the cultural quirks of lifting in a shtreimel world.
🎥 Watch now and meet the Chasidish Lifter 👉 @chasidish_lifter

#Hasidic #JewishCulture #Fitness #WeightTraining #Satmar #JewishLife #HasidicMen #SelfEducation #StrengthTraining #ChasidishLifter


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.