The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: The major battle that split Satmar in two | Yumi Lowy

   video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/NtFI3NL4dFE?si=zOhqSNq6aijFxcc4In September 2026, the Satmar community experienced a major historic event. After decades of the community being split into two rival factions, the two brothers who led the rival factions met again. But not just anywhere, but at the White House. After so much time of hurt and estrangement, the rabbis wished each other a sweet year before heading into the White House to meet with the president, Trump, and advocate on behalf of their Jewish community. This is a great time to look back at how this split happened and record some oral history. Yumi Lowy grew up Satmar and paid a lot of attention to the battles. These are his memories. As is the case with oral histories, other people will have other stories. I so look forward to more perspectives in the comments.Follow Yumi Lowy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yumilowy/For more on the early battles in Kiryas Joel, watch my interview with lawyer Michael Sussman: https://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10sMy interview with Hasidic reporter Joseph Kornbluh: https://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXMEMy reflections before the Trump visit: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdugReb Aaron Teitelbaum and AI: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vABecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

   September 06, 2026·1h 14min
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   Number 2: Hasidic Rabbis to visit Trump | Reflections

   Video link to this podcast: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdugIn September 2026, news broke that Hasidic Rabbis will meet with president Trump. This was revealed when the Satmar Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum stepped up to his congregation on Shabbos and pre-emptively told his community that although he accepted an invite to sit with the president, he doesn't want the teenage boys to get too into it and excited about it. In this video, I unpack, from my own personal experience, what I think motivated the speech, what I think motivates the visit, and a little context on the Hasidic community's relationship to America.To watch the full video of my maroon binders, click here:https://youtu.be/ZRhOovJLcBYSome other thoughts on politics - here about NYC mayor Mamdani:https://youtu.be/FMgh3_O13HgMy interview with Hasidic reporter Jacob Kornbluh who covers the Mamdani beathttps://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXMEA conversation with a Satmar woman (Pearl!) about the dynasty:https://youtu.be/tPiKqDCtyIo0:00 Personal reflection2:58 Rabbi's address to students8:23 Analyzing the visit11:28 Political controversy12:21 Historical context14:17 Personal intersectionsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

   September 02, 2026·17min
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   Number 3: Forty years of missionizing the faith before losing it | Jeff Parnell

   Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/Yy4Tzw-UAUcBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

   August 30, 2026·40min
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   Number 4: My experience of Kiryas Joel boyhood to manhood | Shia Friedman

   Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/vEkKjydfG3gThe Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel is an unusual community in the state of New York. It's all Hasidic, very insular. It is shaped around the Satmar Hasidic code of behavior which includes speaking Yiddish, strict gender roles, and insularity from secular society. The community is so gendered that growing up male versus growing up female are completely different experiences. I, as this channel host, have shared much about the female experience. However, there is little I know about the male experience. Through my network of people from Kiryas Joel, I recently got to know Shia Friedman - who is a rare example of someone from Kiryas Joel who is willing to talk on my channel on the record. We sat down to chat, primarily to understand his life as a male who grew up Hasidic. Obviously, Shia's story reflects only Shia's experience, but it can give us some insights just as my experience gives us some insight as well.We talk about the school day of Hasidic boys, the relationship to teachers, the expectations of learning an extreme amount, the lack of English and secular education, attitudes towards women, marriage rituals, and stepping out of the box. I think there's a lot that's covered in this brief episode, and I so look forward to your thoughts. Shia's instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/shia__friedman/My instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel/Check out some of my other videos on Kiryas Joel:What it was like for me to grow up in Kiryas Joelhttps://youtu.be/uHu_17N9GdEMy response to the Tyler Oliviera video on Kiryas Joelhttps://youtu.be/ZlWRN4jo-CAInterview with lawyer Michael Sussman on the early years of kiryas joelhttps://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10sInterview with Fradel Neuman who comes from Kiryas Joelhttps://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

   August 23, 2026·35min
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   Number 5: AI threatens the Hasidic community; a fiery speech by Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum

   Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vAIn this video, I provide a translation and analysis of a powerful Yiddish speech by the Grand Rabbi of the Satmar Hasidic sect, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum. He addresses what he describes as the "new Satan" threatening today's generation: Artificial Intelligence.I offer a unique context as someone who grew up in the community. I share personal stories, including a poignant encounter at my son's opsherin, to illustrate the complex relationship between Hasidic leadership, tradition, and the relentless march of technology.In this video, we explore:-The Rabbi's Warning: How AI is viewed as a "mutation" of past technological temptations like computers and smartphones.-The "Kosher Phone" Dilemma: Why even filtered devices are now seen as gateways to unsupervised access to the world.-Cultural Preservation: The community's ingenious and sometimes desperate tactics for balancing modern necessity with spiritual isolation.-A Personal Journey: I reflect on how the internet changed my own life and why I find the Rabbi’s cautionary stance more logical than many might expect.Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: My background and the significance of the speech 01:18 Personal story: Meeting Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum 08:24 The Hasidic community’s "dance" with technology 11:52 The Recording Begins: The "Flaming Speech" against the new Satan 17:09 Why AI is seen as a mutating evil inclination 21:05 The history of Hasidic solutions: Filters and bans 25:22 The "woe to us" dilemma: Why the Rabbi chose to speak out 30:25 How AI chatbots are accessed via kosher phone numbers 33:50 My reflections: Is the Rabbi’s warning extreme or insightful?Join the conversation: How do you think we should manage the influence of AI on children and vulnerable communities? Does the Hasidic approach offer any lessons for the secular world, or is it too extreme? Share your thoughts in the comments below.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

   August 16, 2026·38min
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