Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

Mijal and Noam step back from politics to ask bigger questions: how should Jews meet a world where hostages come home under a ceasefire, Nick Fuentes inches into mainstream discourse, and NYC debates Mamdani? Fresh off a trip to Israel, Mijal shares what resilience looks like on the ground in a culture that rejects self-pity. Mijal and Noam discuss a strategy to fight antisemitism on both sides and explore why “moral clarity” matters.

Note: This episode was recorded before New York's Mayoral election.

Here is a link to Mijal Bitton's Substack: Can We Still Believe in the World?

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

In this special crossover episode, host Noam Weissman shares one of the most powerful conversations he’s ever had—an interview with Eli Sharabi, who survived 491 days as a Hamas hostage in Gaza. Noam talks to Eli about his new memoir, Hostage, where he recounts life 50 meters underground: the starvation, humiliation, and small acts of spiritual defiance that kept him alive. Eli's wife and two daughters were murdered on October 7th and his brother was murdered in Hamas Captivity. Together, they confront the hardest questions of morality and meaning, including: And how does one rebuild life after unbearable loss? What does it mean to retain faith while facing evil?

Hostage⁠, by Eli Sharabi

Note: This episode first aired on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History. Mijal Bitton will be back next week.

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

In this special crossover episode, Noam Weissman explores what it feels like to live through this moment in Israel. Mijal is away so Noam sits down with writer and Times of Israel editor Sarah Tuttle-Singer, author of Jerusalem Drawn and Quartered, for a raw, empathetic conversation about daily life in Jerusalem after October 7. They talk about euphoria and grief around hostage returns, the “toxic resilience” many Israelis carry, and the small acts of kindness that still break through.

Here are links to Sarah Tuttle-Singer's work.

BREAKING: Deep Concern Grows for Susan Sarandon, Mark Ruffalo, and Roger Waters⁠

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/author/sarah-tuttle-singer/

⁠Jerusalem, Drawn and Quartered: One Woman's Year in the Heart of the Christian, Muslim, Armenian, and Jewish Quarters of Old Jerusalem 

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

As Sukkot begins, Mijal and Noam revisit a favorite episode about what it really means to live with fragility and joy. From stepping into temporary huts to Rabbi Nachman’s teaching to “always be in a state of joy,” they explore how Judaism reframes happiness—not as comfort or control, but as presence, purpose, and connection.

Mijal Bitton: ⁠Committed by Mijal Bitton  | Substack⁠

Martin Seligman: ⁠Pursuit of Happiness⁠

Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz (Harvard study on happiness): ⁠The Good Life⁠

Noam Weissman's Jewish Journal article about Sukkot: ⁠Living in the Joy of Sukkot⁠

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

What is Shabbat -- really? Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman go beyond the long list of “don’ts” to uncover the deeper joy and purpose of the Jewish Sabbath. Grounded in Genesis, Exodus, Heschel, and Rav Soloveitchik, they explore Shabbat as a 25-hour “palace in time”—a weekly digital detox, spiritual reset, and celebration of meaning.

We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here:

https://simchattorahchallenge.org/

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Sabbath

Joseph B. Soloveitchik :The Lonely Man of Faith

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

In this special episode of Wondering Jews, Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman sit down with Prof. Moshe Halbertal to reflect on the High Holidays. Together they explore why the “Days of Awe” feel both intense and joyful, and how teshuva, tefillah, and tzedakah can restore a sense of agency and open the future.

https://its.law.nyu.edu/facultyprofiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile.overview&personid=20653

We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here:

https://simchattorahchallenge.org/

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

Why do Jews mark life’s biggest moments with rituals—and what happens when those rituals clash with modern life? In this rich, personal, and sometimes hilarious episode, Mijal and Noam take you on a journey through the Jewish life cycle—from brit milah to bar mitzvah, weddings to funerals. They explore how different communities (Syrian, Moroccan, Ashkenazi, Persian, and more!) celebrate, grieve, and navigate transitions. Along the way, they ask tough questions about tradition, cost, creativity, and meaning—and how showing up for others may be the most Jewish act of all.

We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here:

https://simchattorahchallenge.org/

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

BOOK NOW FOR UNPACKING ISRAELI HISTORY LIVE IN LA - Nov 12 at Sinai Temple with special guest Ronen Bergman. Last stop for 2025! Use the coupon code UIH20 to get a discount on your tickets: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/UIHLA25⁠

Prayer can feel abstract—so Mijal and Noam get practical. In the second part of our In the Beginning mini-series on foundational Jewish topics, Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman explore what Jewish prayer (tefillah/davening) is. They look at why we pray, who we pray to, and the words we use. From fixed liturgy to personal expression, this episode offers a clear, text-based guide to deepen Jewish prayer practice.

We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here:

https://simchattorahchallenge.org/

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Here is a link to: This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation, by  Alan Lew and Norman Fischer 

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025

Is it a religion, a people, a culture, a nation - or something that refuses tidy boxes? In the first episode of our In The Beginning mini-series where we'll be covering foundational Jewish topics, Mijal and Noam trace how Jews have defined themselves or been defined across centuries and why it matters now more than ever; impacting belief, peoplehood, culture, land, shared destiny and so much more.

We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here:

https://simchattorahchallenge.org/

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Here are links to additional resources mentioned in the episode.

Leora Batnitzky's How Judaism Became a Religion: An Introduction to Modern Jewish Thought

The Tanya

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠

⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠

⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠

⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold 

Mijal and Noam sit down with award-winning author Dara Horn (People Love Dead Jews) to tackle one of the most urgent questions today: What’s wrong with Holocaust education—and how do we fix it? Together, they explore why most American students meet Jews only as Holocaust victims, how teaching the Shoah without Jewish civilization erases the very culture the Nazis tried to destroy, and why that erasure actually fuels antisemitism rather than combating it. From Holocaust denial to October 7th, from the “big lie” at the heart of Jew-hatred to the paradox of Jewish sovereignty, Dara doesn’t hold back. This episode, originally released on Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a call to rethink how we talk about Jews, Judaism, and antisemitism.

Click ⁠here⁠ to read more about Dara Horn and her work, including 7 books.

Get in touch at our new email address: [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠youtube⁠.

------------

This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand.

For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:

⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠

⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠

⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠

⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold