Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025 Mijal and Noam dive into the first national study of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the United States. The study was directed by Dr. Mijal Bitton at NYU in partnership with JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa). Mijal and Noam discuss a missing chapter in the Ameri...

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 gro...

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 undergroun...

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 abo...

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: ⁠...

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 deto...

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...

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 funera...

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 e...

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...

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 era...

In this re-release of one of our most popular episodes, Noam Weissman and Mijal Bitton speak with journalist Haviv Rettig Gur about the history, ideology, and persistence of antisemitism. They trace its roots from early Christian and Islamic theology through Marxist and nationalist movements, examine how it has evolved in the Arab world and on American campuses, and discuss why the current wave fe...

In a year of division, can Jewish unity still hold? In this special re-release of Wondering Jews, Mijal Bitton sits down with Rabbi David Wolpe for a deep, candid conversation about Jewish solidarity, peoplehood, and the meaning of freedom. They explore why the Seder remains Judaism’s most beloved ritual, how to handle political disagreements at the table, and why Jewish identity is rooted in comm...

In one of the most talked-about episodes of Wondering Jews, Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman dive into the emotional and complicated questions facing Jews today: If you love Israel… why don’t you live there? Listen again or for the first time to Mijal and Noam open up about the cognitive dissonance of loving Israel while living in the Diaspora. Along the way, they reflect on the insights of Jewish g...

What does Chabad have to offer a fractured world in 2025? Mijal Bitton and and Noam Weissman are joined by renowned Chabad scholar and speaker Rabbi YY Jacobson to explore the enduring power of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s legacy. Together, they unpack Chabad’s worldview, its nuanced relationship with Zionism, and its bold answer to antisemitism. Rabbi Jacobson shares how every Jew—religious or secular...

What does it mean to be Jewish in NYC after Zohran Mamdani’s surprising victory in New York's Democratic mayoral primary? In this candid and passionate conversation, Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman reflect on fear, populism, and the strategic mistakes and opportunities facing the Jewish community. From public safety to coalition-building, they explore why this moment matters far beyond New York — a...

Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman sit down with award-winning author and media entrepreneur Zibby Owens to explore what it means to publicly embrace Jewish identity after October 7th. Zibby shares her journey from a largely secular literary figure to an outspoken Jewish advocate. They discuss cancel culture, Zionism, the challenges Jewish authors face in publishing, and the power of Jewish moms stepp...

What happens when the artists we love express hatred toward Israel—or Jews ? This week, hosts Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman confront this issue, from Bob Vylan leading chants of “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury to Dave Matthews Band calling for a Gaza ceasefire. Listen to this timely conversation on the emotional and moral dilemmas of supporting artists whose politics feel threatening. The Free...

(Note: this episode was recorded before Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primary of the NYC mayoral election.) Journalist and historian Haviv Rettig Gur returns to Wondering Jews to explore why antisemitism persists across centuries —from medieval Europe to modern American campuses. Together, Haviv, Mijal and Noam unpack how conspiracy theories, religion, and political ideologies fuel hatred of...

Mijal and Noam break down the emotional and spiritual aftermath of the last twelve days of war that mainstream media is missing. Moving beyond geopolitical analysis, they explore what it means to hold space for empathy—toward both Israelis carrying the trauma of October 7th and Iranians suffering under authoritarian rule. Plus, real-time updates from their Israeli team dodging missile warnings whi...

Noam and Mijal pause the punditry and explore how ancient biblical wisdom offers profound guidance for navigating the uncertainty, fear, and complexity of today’s Jewish moment. In this special, bonus episode, they dive into the weekly Torah portion of Shlach—the story of the scouts in the Book of Numbers to help think through the chaos facing Israel today. Michael Walzer's Exodus and Revolution H...

 Mijal and Noam sit down with Rabbi Joe Schwartz in Tel Aviv as Israel faces an unprecedented war with Iran. With missiles falling and sirens wailing, Joe shares what life looks like on the ground—from parenting under fire to the emotional toll of global Jewish silence and solidarity. Together, they explore the theological, political, and deeply personal stakes of this moment, discuss Prime Minist...

In this urgent crossover episode of Wondering Jews and Unpacking Israeli History, Noam Weissman is joined by military analyst and author Yaakov Katz to break down Israel’s unprecedented airstrike on Iranian nuclear and military targets. As events unfold in real time, they explore the historical roots, strategic timing, and existential stakes of the operation—drawing connections to Israel’s past st...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Noam and Mijal are joined by Dr. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. and grieving father of Major Moshe Yedidya Leiter, z”l, who fell in Gaza after October 7th. Together, they confront hard questions: What does it mean to lead while grieving? How does one reconcile faith and sacrifice in wartime? Together, they explore the importance of dis...

Mijal and Noam revisit their conversation about Zionism, anti-Zionism, and Jewish identity—framed by the recent murder of two Israeli embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim in Washington D.C. Together, they debate whether anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic, whether all criticism of Israel qualifies as anti-Zionist, and how to define terms like “Zionism” in different contexts—acad...