Ritual

On June 14th, 2026, Katherine Leung launched the Ritual podcast at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington, Vermont. She was joined by moderator Judith Chalmer and project participants Mieko Ozeki and Emily Cohen and their daughters, Naomi Ozeki Blumberg and Anna Bay Adler. This episode is a live recording of the launch party.  Ritual was written and hosted by Katherine Leung. It was produced and edit...

In this episode, host Katherine Leung shares her journey as a Cantonese-American who converted to Judaism and now raises a family in Northern Vermont. We hear from Breana, Alexa, Kyra, Jeny, Jake, Anna, and Rebecca about how they blend their cultural backgrounds into weddings, baby namings, and holiday celebrations. This episode sets the stage for a season of stories about identity, ritual, and co...

In this episode, Katherine explores how language and food serve as lifelines to cultural identity for Asian Jewish families in Vermont. We hear from Jeny, Jake, and Breana about the challenge of holding onto Cantonese when English dominates daily life. Guests also share how the food they grew up eating — from dim sum to matzo ball soup — carries memory, love, and cultural belonging across generati...

In this episode, we see shared values between Asian and Jewish cultures at play. Katherine traces the love stories of couples across three decades in New York and China. We hear from couples like Connie and Alex, Mieko and Josh, and Emily about the deeply personal decisions behind naming their children, and the role grandparents play in fostering love for their culture. Ritual was written and host...

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language. In this episode, Katherine explores what it means to exist between categories — racially, culturally, and beyond. Leaf and Rebecca share what it's like to grow up mixed-race without a roadmap, and how they've each chosen to become the kind of elders and community members they never had. Kyra and others reflect on the experience of being perceived diff...

NOTE: This episode contains explicit language and mention of drug use. In this episode, Katherine explores what it means to choose a place to call home — and what happens when that place doesn't choose you back. Emily and Rebecca share how winding, unexpected paths brought them to New England and the sense of rootedness they found there. Jake tells a different story — one of racism, loss, and ulti...

In this episode, Katherine reflects on the particular relief of friendships that require no explanations. Kyra opens up about embracing her Jewish identity after years of suppressing it; Connie shares how a best friendship shaped the godfather she chose for her son, Moshe; and Lily tells the story of a lifelong bond with another Chinese adoptee — and the uncomfortable questions they've begun askin...

Ritual is a six-part series featuring oral histories from 12 Asian-Jewish families in Vermont. Collected by Katherine Leung during a fellowship with the Vermont Folklife Center, these interviews explore why they moved to Vermont, the cultures and traditions they cherish, and how they navigate their identities in a predominantly white, Christian, English-speaking state.