edJEWcation

We’re back — and we’ve got feelings . Well, one of us does. Right out the gate, the Rabbi had to get something off his chest. Apparently, he’s been “dumped.” And by that, he means he wasn’t in a couple of episodes. (No actual dumping occurred. No hearts were broken. Unless you count his.) So, naturally, we spent the first few minutes of this week’s episode addressing The Great Podcast Snub of 2025...

It occurred to us that Passover will be the first holiday we have covered twice during the podcast, so we had to come up with a new angle for discussion this year (the two Passover episodes we did last year are below). So, this year, we decided to delve into how the concept of freedom is discussed in the Bible. First, Jay discusses a funny encounter he had in the airport during his recent business...

This week, we welcome Sal Litvak to the show…better known as the Accidental Talmudist . In the first part of this conversation, Sal shares his unique Jewish journey, from his immigrant roots in Chile to his spiritual seeking and eventual reconnection with Judaism through the Talmud. He discusses the impact of personal loss, the rediscovery of his faith, and his commitment to teaching and sharing J...

Have you noticed the large number of internet trolls who are “just discovering” things recently? Or have uncovered secret truths that “you aren’t allowed to talk about?” If you have, you’ve probably seen one of the “just discovered” things that “they aren’t allowed to talk about” is that Communism was actually a secret Jewish cabal led by the likes of Karl Marx (who was Jewish) and Joeseph Stalin...

Do you like Halloween? Do you like Jews? Well, then you’ll love Purim. In this conversation, we explore the significance of Purim through its historical narrative in the Book of Esther, the key characters, and the holiday’s customs. ChayaLeah and the Rabbi reflect on their personal experiences with the holiday (probably involving drinking too much) and the evolution of Purim traditions over the ye...

If you spend time on X/Twitter (which I would never waste my time doing), you’ve probably seen a bunch of internet morons talking about how “they’ve read the Talmud and here’s this horrendous thing it says.” Today, we discuss why they are full of nonsense (this is family programming). But first, we begin discussing a recent Pew Research poll that shows that the decades-long slimming of American re...

This week's episode was a high-wire act. What I thought would be a slight aside to kick things off ended up being the entire episode. You never know what those crazy Jews are going to do… We start discussing what I thought was a profound insight from this week's parsha (don’t mind if I do!), Exodus 22:21-23 if you want to read along, which led us to a broader discussion about the importance of jus...

Oh boy. Here we go… This week we decided to tackle the oh-so-non-controversial, milquetoast, mundane topic of the big A. No, the A does not stand for Alcoholism, Agamemnon, or Adult Diapers. It stands for Abortion. We’ve batted around discussing it for a while now and decided to avoid it (for probably obvious reasons). However, the great Kat Rosenfield wrote an article for The Free Press last week...

This week, we present to you all the second installment of the edJEWcation book club. This month, we discuss Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein. When I first suggested this book for the book club, ChayaLeah and the Rabbi looked at me as if I had two heads (each with a yarmulka on). However, after reading it, I think they came around. The book deals with several profound human questions, each of w...

After a few weeks of intense conversations, we decided to lighten it up a bit and talk about happiness and what’s so great about it, both generally and in the Jewish context. In this conversation, we discuss the importance of a joyful home and delve into the emotional nature of happiness and gratitude. We discuss the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and the importance of joy in spiritual prac...

In this episode, we cover a lot of ground with our guest and true Renaissance woman, Sarah Skwire. We originally invited Sarah to discuss an article she wrote about the significance of George Washington's letter to the Hebrew congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. During that portion of the discussion, we explore the letter’s historical context, Washington’s deft usage of language in the lette...

With the growth of the number of countries legalizing euthanasia to various degrees, we thought it would be a good topic to discuss this week. You know, why not hit on another lighthearted topic, amiright? In our conversation, we discuss the importance of life in Judaism, the moral dilemmas surrounding euthanasia, and the role of rabbis in guiding families through end-of-life decisions. We touch o...

When ChayaLeah said she wanted to discuss “the big d,” I thought she meant delis, which got me excited because I can actually add something to that discussion. Alas, it was not to be. Apparently she meant divorce, which depressed me on several levels. Anyway, in this conversation, we start by discussing the impact of the horrendous California fires on the Jewish community, emphasizing the importan...

Welcome back for another edJEWcation discussion. This week, we’re talking Tzedakah (or charity, for everyone who didn’t attend Hebrew school). In this conversation, we explore: The significance of charity in Judaism, Personal stories of giving The Torah’s perspective on charitable obligations The impact of charity on individuals and communities The historical context of philanthropic practices in...

On this episode, we discuss the Jewish perspective on capital punishment. The discussion includes: A discussion about current events, including the recent horrific murder on the New York subway Contrasting the Jewish religious perspective with American justice. The role of justice in society and the biblical foundations of punishment. The importance of objective morality and the challenges of ensu...

Today, we discuss the holiday where the Jews try to go head-to-head with the Christians…Chanukah. During our discussion, we cover: The intersection of humor, joy, and historical context within Jewish culture, particularly focusing on the significance of Chanukah. The importance of humor in Jewish identity, the complexities of Jewish joy, and the historical events surrounding Chanukah, including th...

Welcome to the seminal edition of the edJEWcation book club. To usher in the monthly event, we read The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal. During our wide-ranging discussion, we discuss: Some of the most impactful (both positively and negatively) responses to Wiesenthal’s conundrum The complexities of forgiveness, discussing various perspectives on the moral implications of granting forgiveness to tho...

In this conversation, we explore the complex topic of redeeming captives from a biblical perspective. We discuss: The emotional and ethical dilemmas faced by families of hostages, Historical precedents in Jewish law, and the teachings of Maimonides. The implications of valuing captives, gender differences in redemption, and the broader societal impacts of these practices. Ethical considerations su...

On this episode, we trade a Polish Jew (the Rabbi) for a Russian Jew, Masha Merkulova. Masha is the founder and Executive Director of Club Z. Club Z ’s mission is to create a student network of educated and articulate activists who are committed to Zionism and advocate for themselves, Israel, and the Jewish people. During the episode, we discuss: Masha’s upbringing in the Soviet Union Her revelati...

This week on edJEWcation we do something a but different, we discuss the vacation the Rabbi and ChayaLeah took. Ok, that may be underselling it a bit. In World War Two, roughly 90% of the 3 million Jews living in Poland at the time were murdered…the Rabbi is a child of two of those survivors. To commemorate their family and all the deceased Polish Jews, the Perelmuter family organized a family tri...

This week, we talk about the founder of the Hasidic movement…the life and legacy of the Baal Shem Tov. We discuss: His early life and spiritual awakening The impact he had on Jewish spirituality Early opposition to the Hasidic movement The distinct customs, modes of prayer, and the joy that Hasidism brought to the Jewish people during a time of despair. The challenges of faith and the importance o...

Welcome back (In the Welcome Back Cotter melody…am I dating myself?). After a looooooooong holiday period, we are finally recording a new episode for the first time in a month. And do we have a barn burner for you!!!!! But first, here are a couple of quick updates about the show: When we started the show, we began by splitting the episodes into cultural topics and Parsha discussion, but in case yo...

This is a short episode based on a substack post I made last week about the IDF's killing of Yahya Sinwar and what our response should be. If you don't subscribe to our Substack you can find the post here - https://edjewcationpod.substack.com/p/dont-dance-on-graves And you can find a link to the X post I reference here - https://x.com/amjadt25/status/1847199234828693879 We'll be back soon with ful...

Have you ever seen a Jew build a house? Unlikely. The closest we get is during the Sukkot holiday. That alone makes the holiday notable, but there are other reasons we should pay attention to the holiday, and we will discuss all of those in this episode, along with a bonus discussion about Simchat Torah. In this episode, we’ll get into- The origins and traditions of Sukkot The significance of the...

Alright all you sinners…this one’s for you. This episode is everything you ever wanted to know about how to get back in Hashem’s good graces. You know it, you love it…it’s Yom Kippur . On this episode we discuss: Yom Kippur is often misunderstood as a heavy holiday, but it is fundamentally hopeful. The day is an opportunity for new beginnings and letting go of past baggage. Fasting on Yom Kippur i...