The Wandering Jew Studio

In true “wandering Jew” fashion, in this episode I chat with fellow Jerusalemite, film-maker, artist, writer, and now future Jewish educator! From Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem, Ryan has really explored himself in a variety of facets. From teaching himself yiddish to being a French boujee film maker to making all kinds of art, he leaves no stone unturned.

We talk about the importance of going out of your comfort zone and not limiting yourself to being one type of Jew. I hope you enjoy this artsy and whimsical episode.

(0:00-7:38) - Ryan’s windy journey from Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem!

(7:38-10:21) - Jewish upbringing and being a patrilineal Jew

(10:21 -16:15) - Writing Yiddish in the snow

(16:15-21:00) - Ryan’s awakening in Jerusalem + Rebecca’s final college art project

(21:00 -27:00) - Adjusting to Jerusalem life 

(27:00-32:20) - Jewish expression can change and grow 

(32:20 - 40:00) - Tennis metaphor

(40:00 -end) - Final lessons and breakthroughs

In this episode, I chat with my roommate Emma, who lived with me for the past 10 months for research abroad in pursuing her Phd. Emma and I come from very different backgrounds in our zionism, and we really got into some hard-hitting questions about terrorism, colonialism, and the establishment of Israel. Though there were moments we disagreed, I felt grateful for our cordial and cathartic conversation. My goal was to share my belief in the importance of open dialogue and creating space for different perspectives.

(0:00-5:30)- About the PHD and wartime in Israel

(5:30-9:30) - Emma’s upbringing 

(9:30-13:55) - Being complicit in your country’s crimes 

(13:55-20:10) - How is Israel supposed to combat terrorism? What is terrorism?

(20:10-27:25) - Is Israel placed on a higher moral ground than other places and is it antisemitism?

(27:25-35:22) - The founding of Israel and settler colonialism

(35:22-43:10) - Rebecca’s reflections on her journey in Aliyah and Zionism

(43:10-end) - Emma’s last thought on anti-Zionism and progressive values

Welcome to a brand new season of The Wandering Jew! In this episode, I chat about where I’ve been, what the new podcast will be about, stories from my recent trip in New York visiting family and friends, eating grapes on new years with a group of strangers, and a little pep-talk about believing in yourself. I hope you enjoy this light introduction episode. 

Baby we’re back! 

(0:00-3:29) - How the new pod will be different from That’s So Kvetch!

(3:329-10:43) - What I’ve been up to and NYC nostalgia

(10:43-13:22) - Spanish grapes superstition on New Years

(13:22-23:35) - Confidence tips from career coach, and strategies to believe in yourself

(23:25-end) -  Making space for new dreams final blessing + explanation of the wandering jew

This episode is for all spiritual seekers out there! In this episode, I chat with Maggi, who runs her own art business based in Jerusalem. Together we discuss the ups and downs of her spiritual journey and how to deal when you hit a spiritual low. Also an olah chadashah, we begin with her Aliyah story and what inspired her to move in the first place. Then we dive into how things spiritually shifted for her through trauma and life changes, and what happened when she stopped feeling as connected. We explore questions like: What does God really want from us? Does he tally our actions? What do you do when your family isn’t as religious? Does God want us to push ourselves to do things that don’t feel authentic to ourselves? I hope you enjoy this cathartic and vulnerable episode. 

(0:00 -11:26) - Birthright, spiritual experiences and conversion

(11:26-22:00) - Leaving seminary and new questions arising

(22:00-28:00) - What are all these rules really about?

(28:00-35:00) - The role of religious guilt and shame, and why is religion so divisive?

(35:00-42:00) - Owning yourself and self compassion

(42:00-end) - final blessing

In this episode, I dive into the stages of moving to a new country. Future olim, this episode is for you! I start off with a debrief from last week’s incredible Purim celebration. I dressed as a man and the cross-dressing experience lent to a very fun social experiment and I share all the hilarious reactions as well as an exploration of masculinity vs. femininity. Then, I dive into the 5 stages of acclimating to a new country, share stories from learning Hebrew, difficult Saturday nights, to building up my confidence. It’s amazing to look back at how much things have changed and evolved. Lastly, I finish off with a little piece of Torah and a meditation on redemption and what it can bring to our own lives.

As always, you can email [email protected] for any ideas or thoughts that came up for you!

(0-3:38)- Intro

(3:38-15:40) - Purim debrief and reactions to my costume

(15:40-27:24) - 1st three stages, culture and language barriers

(27:24-32:37) - Assimilation, biculturalism, and snails?

(32:37-end) - Torah on redemption and final blessing!

In this episode, I have a conversation with Bodhi River, community builder, bodyworker, and soon-to-be joining a school for communal learning in Italy! Together, we dive into how to let go and create closure for yourself in situations when you don’t get it. Through a series of metaphors from the blue ball to the regenerative cake, we talk about dealing with rejection, having healthy boundaries, loving ourselves, and feeling full all on our own. We can truly depend on ourselves to give ourselves love! I hope you’ll enjoy this cathartic and hopeful episode. Happy listening!

(0:00-10:18)- Bodhi’s life at the kibbutz

(10:18-15:00) How to notice when you are giving yourself away

(15:00-27:00) Refueling yourself all on your own

(27:00-35:55) Managing desires, expectations on others, and self-regulating on dating apps

(35:55 -end) Embracing your inner child + final blessing

That’s So Kvetch is back and just in time for Valentine’s Day!

In honor of the day, I wonder about my relationship with love, why I am so attracted to it, and how it’s impacted me both positively and negatively. Why does love make people go so dumb? It’s based in science! I talk about the chemicals and hormones behind love. Lastly, I talk about the important role of having hope and believing in order to get to love. We need to be kind to ourselves when we experience these feelings because it is so human to want to connect with someone else. I hope you’ll enjoy this honest and validating episode. Cheers to a brand-new season!

(0:00-7:30) - Why I left and why I’m back!

(7:30-11:30) - Redefining being a Jew in Jerusalem

(11:30-18:00) - Intro - Why am I so obsessed with love?

(18:00-28:55) - The science behind lust, attraction, and attachment

(28:55 -33:30) - Hope is the first step to getting to love

(33:30 -end) - Dating catch up, my current dating mentality, and pep-talk!

Email [email protected] for thoughts, ideas, or questions!

If you are in a moment in your life where you are wondering “where am I going next?” or “how am I going to create the future I want?”, then this episode is for you! Also for my close friends, consider this a grand catch-up! In this reflective episode, I chat about the ups and downs of living in Jerusalem. I go into detail about why I moved, and share cute stories about crying on the trains, dancing in the shuk on Hanukkah, practicing my Hebrew on dating apps, and more! I also chat about some of the things I’ve been struggling with and observations about Israeli culture and why I actually really vibe with it. Ultimately, it is difficult to be in a state of flux, but it is also ok to be in a state of finding. This hopeful and calm episode will surely entertain you. Happy listening!

(0:00- 7:32) Where I’m at in life right now

(7:32-19:00) Wonderful moments with Israeli people

(19:00-24:30) Concerts, artsy things and cigarettes

(24:30-29:00) Bubby cart Osherad fiasco

(29:26-34:15) 7 Things I’ve learned so far

(34:15-end) The in-between phase is hard

I enjoy diving into stigmas and talking about Jewish culture, and this episode is non other than that. First, I share updates and funny stories from my new life in Israel. Then, I chat about the stereotype of being a Jewish good girl and bad girl and how it’s affected me, and how I think it affects the Jewish world. I also share the scandalous story of Lilith and her symbolism in Jewish feminist lore. Happy listening!

(0:00-9:14) Intro and funny moments in Israel

(9:14-12:20) Why this topic is important

(12:20-18:42) Adam and Lilith’s fight

(18:42-22:25) Bad girl stigma heart spill

(22:25-31:11) why this stereotype happened and cognitive dissonances in Judaism

(31:11-34:00) How to deal with feeling like a “bad girl”

(34:00-end) obscure midrashim and conclusion

I moved to Jerusalem in Israel - to a land that Hashem will show me the way - my own personal Lech Lecha journey. In this episode, I chat about the recent move, and the big and little adjustments that I’ve dealt with in the two weeks I've been here. Then, I share a story from the Gemara about a woman named Homa and R’ Hisda’s daughter. (Which I learned at Pardes from Gila Fine!) In the story, Rabba becomes aroused by the skin of his dead friend’s wife and runs home to consummate his urge with his wife. You’ll have to listen to hear what happens next and learn about ironies and hypocrisies within the story. This is a juicy one. Happy listening!

(0:00-12:37) - Little and big adjustments

(12:37-17:32) - What transcends language?

(17:32-26:00) The story of Homa, the femme fatale

(26:00 -29:00) Hasidut question: Should love come from the mind or the heart?

(29:00 -end) My blessing to you!