Idol Worship

Judy and Yoni mourn (or celebrate) the end of Survivor 50 by kibbetzing a bit about how their feelings about the season changed as it went on, comparing that to Jewish reactions to history. Then, we go live to their finale watch party where they and some special guests chaotically react live to every twist, intentional and otherwise. "Fire Jeff?" Thanks for following along for another se...

"Welcome to Survivor, Mr. Beast." What did those words do? What metaphysical energy did they bring into the Survivor universe? What does it mean for Survivor when an outsider suddenly gains immense power? Yoni and Judy answer those questions and more, ultimately revealing how Mr. Beast's appearance on Survivor shook the foundation of the divine itself and how it might alter our conce...

After a dizzying several weeks of Survivor 50 twists, each of which have clear Jewish parallels, Yoni and Judy take the mics to banter about what Season 50 has delivered so far -- Jewish and secular. Among other scintillating topics, they discuss Coach's characters and what they mean for the Jews, the Survivor editors joining the Talmudic tradition, and the Seder-Survivor pipeline. Enjoy the l...

Yoni and Judy chat about what they took from episodes 2 and 3 of Survivor 50. After memorializing the most recent vote-out (ZT"L), they start things light by discussing which Survivor 50 players would hide them (yes, you're thinking about that right), before getting into Survivor's anti-democratic democracy, and the permissability of speaking lashon hara on Survivor and at home. Enjoy...

Purim is approaching, which means one thing: a new Survivor season is upon us! Judy and Yoni begin their journey breaking down their third season of Survivor x Judaism by talking about the strategies of older players on Season 50, the most MAGA players on Season 50, and where they see the season going from here (Jewishly, of course). Then, they discuss Yoni finding an immunity idol in NYC, a Survi...

Guest episode!!!! Yoni and Judy begin with some light chatter about the afterlife before welcoming a very special guest who shares what it's like to find an immunity idol as part of the pre-Season 50 promo nationwide hunt while Shabbat rapdily approaches. Enjoy!

Judy and Yoni host an emergency podcast to talk about the "Ultimate Survivor Challenge," a stupid name for a pretty cool thing. Then, they move on to some less pressing but more fascinating developments in the Survivor-Judaism universe, as they discuss the Jewish angle on 3 of the most iconic contestants of Season 50. Survivor 50 Challenge: link Cast breakdown with the Coach tattoo as di...

After letting the Season 49 finale marinate, Yoni and Judy briefly roast the gripping conclusion of Survivor 49, before getting into what we really all care about: Billie Eilish Boomerang-Idol-Gate! (Are we doing it right? Are we influencing you?) Judy and Yoni discuss whether this new iteration of advertising on Survivor is different from previous featured products, share some upcoming details of...

One episode left. Great?! Since Survivor fans are so upset with the content of Survivor 49, this is the place to hear Judy and Yoni break down how the betrayals, the strategic misplays, and the Riz each parallel clear themes in the recent Torah portions. They also discuss Judy's extremely questionable 18th birthday gift and the mysterious power of really good Mexican food.

Lock in Idol Worshippers. From what fake idol plays tell us about idolatry, to the Jewish take on revenge, to Spotify Wrapped, the last two weeks of Survivor have given Judy and Yoni lots to cover. They break down the latest updates from the thriving Survivor-Judaism intersection as we head into the final two weeks of Season 49, and offer a sneak peak to what some of their coverage for Season 50 w...

Is controlling an immunity idol on Survivor the same as controlling an entire religion? What kinds of power structures in Judaism parallel Rizo's use of his idol as a threat to other players? Hear gripping analysis of these questions and about Judy's run-in with a new era Survivor icon!

Judy and Yoni briefly discuss the Nov. 11 episode of Survivor 49, keying in on the overlap between Jewish approaches to historical trauma and how new era Survivor contestants share their traumatic experiences. More importantly, they talk about the awesome new hat one contestant debuted at tribal council and make several well-placed I Think You Should Leave references. Finally, in PT, Yoni and Judy...

Halloween Bat Mitzvah parties. Proselytization. 4 Survivor vote outs. The binding of Isaac. Government shutdown discounts. A Survivor-Judaism slant on the NYC Mayoral Election. This episode has it all. Lock in. We're back. Link to the video referenced about getting high on Hashem (remixed) Link to Shannon's parents' watch party Questions? Comments? Email us at idolworship25@gmail.com a...

Welcome back to Idol Worship! After a weeklong hiatus to atone for their many, many sins over the past year, Judy and Yoni return for a special double episode review. Join them as they unpack a shocking and "serpentine" episode replete with references to classic Jewish villains, and analyze the theological implications of shoe banditry. Come for the Torah, and stay for the conspiracy the...

Idol Worship is back! Now gainfully employed, Judy and Yoni return to the mic to break down the first episode of Survivor 49. They cover every Judaism x Survivor intersection from the premiere, including the "Survivor shofar," spirituality practices on Survivor, Rizo's questionable ethical practices, and how the impulse to keep doing things even when you're not totally bought may...

In the roller-coaster season finale of Idol Worship's inaugural season, Yoni and Judy break down the ending of Survivor 48, which included the weird return of David Hamelech, the crowning of a winner, and yes, that slick, slick mud. Then, they are joined for short segments by six (!) loyal listeners, who share their Survivor and/or Judaism journeys, drop their takes on Survivor 48, analyze &qu...

As the mega-cathatartic closure of their college career and Survivor 48 approaches, Judy and Yoni recap the penultimate episode of Survivor 48. They riff on vegetarian suffering on Survivor, analyze the possible Jewish etymology of "kerplunk," and talk about the Christ imagery in recent Survivor individual immunity challenges. Then, our hosts dive into the ecological impacts of going num...

After a brief hiatus that they spent basking in the glory of their magical guest episode, Judy and Yoni are back to discuss the events of the two most recent episodes of Survivor 48 (eps. 10 and 11). Their podcast skills improving by the episode, our hosts get into the mud viscosity scandal, arrogance in the Torah and on Survivor, and yet more tales of the immigrant struggle. They also shoutout th...

Idol Worship is joined by Amir Unger, former host of Hofrim Amok, the world's only Hebrew-language Survivor podcast. That's right, THE LONG-PROMISED GUEST EPISODE IS HERE!!!! Drawing on his wealth of podcasting and Survivor knowlege, Amir joins Judy and Yoni to offer a master recap and analysis of the most recent episode of Survivor 48. First, this elite pocasting trio chats about Eva'...

This week, Judy and Yoni tackle the male loneliness epidemic and the impact of meninism on Survivor 48. Yes, that's right—David HaMelech is at it again! The dynamic duo also discuss Pesach, which Biblical creature we could beat in a fight, unconscious (or conscious?) biases at the split vote twist, and the erosion of democracy on the Survivor 50 voting website. Keep an eye out for a very speci...

Yoni and Judy delve into a menagerie of topics, including but not limited to: David, from the Bible, David, from Survivor 48, Judy's bat mitzvah theme, a rising Star, "Making Survivor Great Again," Yoni's failure to make it into the Jewish safety group chat, kiki/bouba, and a dastardly rock-related epidemic in Yoni's hometown. Keep an eye out for guests coming soon... You can email us at idolworsh...

Yoni and Judy cover a wide range of hot-button issues as they break down the emotional action from Episode 5 of Survivor 48, including the potential for Survivor to serve as a cure to the male loneliness epidemic and the contemporary Jewish approach to the "oppression Olympics." Our beloved hosts then flex their knowledge of the structure of the Torah, and show ignorance regarding the First Gulf W...

Yoni and Judy are back from their rejuvenating spring breaks to talk about the weekly goings-on in Fiji. It's tribe swap week, which of course means Idol Worship is theorizing about why Survivor is appealing to Jewish audiences, who won the contested 2000 Presidential Election, and what horrors might next befall Columbia. Then, Yoni and Judy drop some flaming hot takes on a new round of Survivor 5...

Yoni and Judy make their triumphant return to their mics to break down Episodes 2 and 3 of Survivor Season 48. After giving you a recap of one the CRAZIEST TRIBALS EVER, they banter about everything from the ideal free-throw shooting form, to the lessons of Purim, to the vulgarity of the Yiddish term for...backside. Audiences of all ages are sure to enjoy their lively debate about the merits of id...

Judy and Yoni recap the premiere of Survivor 48 and delve into some riveting topics such as Numbers (the mathematical symbols, not the book of the Hebrew Bible) and Holes (the 2003 film, not the body cavities). They also utilize their constitutional rights to vote for different aspects of Survivor 50 ( https://www.survivor50cbs.votenow.tv/ ). This is not an official endorsement of the anti-final-f...