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568 episodes — Page 11 of 12
Betting on Trump: Bonus Episode
In this bonus episode, Mark chats with his only Facebook friend supporting Donald Trump: Bob Barnes, a Yale classmate he hasn't seen in 22 years. Barnes, a lawyer and self-described populist who hasn't voted in a presidential election since 1992, put $125,000 on a Trump win at 4 to 1 odds in London. Now a half million dollars richer, he talks to Mark about why he supports the President-Elect, how he saw this result coming, and what the left needs to do to win back the middle. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and kvetches. We may share your letter on air. Shalom, friends.
A Little on the Nose, History: Ep. 66
Torontonians! Join us tonight, Nov. 17, for our live show at Beth Tzedec Congregation at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here. Today we’re joined by a special guest to help us process what happened in last week’s presidential election, and where we go from here. Former U.S. Congressman Barney Frank, who represented the fourth district of Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013, talks about the impacts of race and class on the election, and what the Democratic establishment needs to address moving forward. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and kvetches. We may share your letter on air. Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. Shalom, friends.
Super Tuesday: Ep. 65
Join us next week in Toronto! We’ll be recording a live show at Beth Tzedec Congregation Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets here. Surprise! We’re getting our Unorthodox on a little early this week, with a jam-packed episode for you to listen to while you wait on line to vote. Our first Jewish guest is Stephanie’s maternal grandfather, Albert Rothaus, calling in from Boca Raton, Florida. The lifelong Democrat tells us about being a Hillary voter in Trumpland and putting friendships on ice during the election. Our second Jewish guest is Tablet columnist Jamie Kirchick, who tells us which Republicans have most disappointed him this election season and the worst thing he’s been called on Twitter. Our third Jewish guest is National Review Washington editor Eliana Johnson, who describes the mood in her office these days and tells us why she’s not voting the top of the ticket. Our Gentile of the Week is legendary Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, who offers his election predictions and tells us whether he ever gets sick of ‘-gate’ being added to the end of every political scandal. Also, producer Noah Levinson reports from a Melania Trump event. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and kvetches. We may share your letter on air.
It's Almost Over: Ep. 64
This week’s episode was recorded live at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass. We’re joined by three great guests to talk about the never evening presidential election. Our first Jewish guest is Jeremy Hobson, co-host of NPR’s "Here and Now," who has traveled the country to talk to voters about why they support Donald Trump. Our second Jewish guest is Boston Globe op-ed columnist Jeff Jacoby, the lone conservative voice at the newspaper. Our Gentile of the Week is General Tom Hill, a highly decorated combat infantryman and diplomat who retired from the U.S. Army after 36 years of active service to the nation, who explains why he thinks high-ranking military officers shouldn’t involve themselves in elections. We’re also treated to some new songs, performed live by our in-house Jewbadour, Jim Knable. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints, and we may share your letter on air! Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. Today’s episode is also brought to you by Primary, offering stylish basics for babies and kids in fun colors and soft fabrics, all under $25. Go to Primary.com/unorthodox and use the promo code UNORTHODOX to save 25% off your first purchase, AND free shipping!
Blame the Puppies: Ep. 63
Boston-area listeners, join us for our live show tonight at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass, at 7:30 p.m.—tickets available here. This week on Unorthodox, Bar Refaeli gets pixelated. Our Gentile of the Week is Sohrab Ahmari, a London-based editorial writer for the Wall Street Journal and the author of The New Philistines: How Identity Politics Disfigure the Arts. He tells us about watching the presidential election from abroad and his ongoing conversion to Catholicism. Our Jewish guest is filmmaker and anthropologist Noam Osband, who profiled Baruch Marzel, one of the leaders of Israel's far-right—and a distant relative of Osband’s—for his latest documentary, The Radical Jew. He tells us what surprised him most about the political firebrand, and plays us a song about puppies on his ukelele. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints, and we may share your letter on air! This week's show is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. Today's episode is also brought to you by HelloFresh, the leading meal-delivery kit service. For $35 off your first week of deliveries, visit hellofresh.com and enter the promo code UNORTHODOX when you subscribe!
Jack of All Trades: Ep. 62
This week on Unorthodox, Robert Zimmerman gets a Nobel Prize. Our Jewish guest is David Kaufman, editor in chief of Alexa, the luxury magazine of the New York Post. He tells us about visiting Amar’e Stoudemire and his family in Jerusalem, and why moving to Israel was a relief for the former New York Knick. Our Gentile of the Week is Nelson Eddy, the official historian for the Jack Daniels distillery. He tells us about the brand getting kosher certification, and offers to make Liel a Tennessee Squire. We’ve got another live show coming up! Join us at Hebrew College in Newton, Mass, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m.—tickets available here. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. This episode is brought to you by the new film Denial. From the screenwriter of The Hours and The Reader comes the true story of one woman’s court battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. Starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson.
Guilt Trip: Ep. 61
This week on Unorthodox, we’re partying like it’s 5777. Our Jewish guest is Gitl Schaechter Viswanath, co-author of the new Comprehensive English-Yiddish Dictionary, an 850-page volume that adapts the Eastern European language for the modern world—and includes a new Yiddish term for 'sexting.' Our Gentile of the Week is actress Tessa Kim, whose one-woman show, The Bad German, tells the story of reconciling her German identity after moving to New York. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. This episode is brought to you by the new film Denial. From the screenwriter of The Hours and The Reader comes the true story of one woman’s court battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. Starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson.
Sorry Not Sorry: Ep. 60
This week on Unorthodox, we’re gearing up for Yom Kippur with our second annual Apology episode. Marjorie Ingall, Unorthodox regular and co-founder of the website SorryWatch.com, tells us about the best and worst public apologies of the last year. We talk to Richard Cellini, the founder of the Georgetown Memory Project, and the force behind the university’s recent decision to grant preferential admissions to the descendants of the 272 slaves it sold in 1838 to save the school from financial default. We also speak with Dvorah Telushkin, mother of our co-producer Shira Telushkin and the Upper West Side's most obsessive apologizer. We hear a story about the tough conversations in which we ask for forgiveness from others—or ask others to ask for forgiveness from us—from ImmerseNYC founder Rabbi Sara Luria. This episode is brought to you by the new film Denial. From the screenwriter of The Hours and The Reader comes the true story of one woman’s court battle for historical truth against a Holocaust denier. Starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Wilkinson. Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air. To fill out the Panoply survey go to www.megaphone.fm/survey.
The Bottle Episode: Ep. 59
Rosh Hashanah has us feeling reflective, so we decided to put together a special mini-episode for the Jewish New Year, featuring stories of new beginnings from our hosts. Mark Oppenheimer discusses how a failure his freshman year in college forced him to rethink his priorities and get a new life, Stephanie Butnick describes the freedom of a semester abroad, and Liel Leibovitz tells an old Hasidic tale of how to talk to God in the Days of Awe. We'll be back next Thursday with a full-length episode—a special Yom Kippur show dedicated to apologies. You can listen to last year's apology show here. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
New England Prep: Ep. 58
This episode was recorded live from the JCC of Greater New Haven. Our Jewish guest is Connecticut Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, who explains what exactly a Lieutenant Governor does. She also tells us how she made her way from Brooklyn to New England, whether she’d run for governor, and what she thinks of Donald Trump. Our Gentile of the Week is humorist and WNPR host Colin McEnroe, who returns for his second visit to the show. He tells us how the 2016 election has driven him back to church, plus how reality TV impulses have invaded the political realm. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air. Today’s episode is brought to you by Harry’s. For a great shave at an affordable price, go to Harrys.com and use promo code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get their free trial set and post-shave balm.
Schwartz Authority: Ep. 57
This week on Unorthodox, who said it: Harry Potter star Emma Watson or Hillel the Elder? Our Jewish guest is professional football player Geoff Schwartz, one half of the first set of Jewish brothers to play in the NFL since Ralph and Arnold Horween in 1923. He and his brother, Mitchell Schwartz, are the authors of a new book called Eat MySchwartz: Our Story of NFL Football, Food, Family, and Faith. Our Gentile of the Week is Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick, founder and president of The Etiquette School of New York, which offers lessons on everything from dining etiquette and table manners to social media protocol and workplace small talk. She tells us the most frustrating etiquette faux pas she sees young people committing today, and asks us about proper etiquette for a non-Jewish person attending a synagogue. Join us Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m., at our live taping at the JCC of Greater New Haven. Tickets are available here. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
Fashionably Late: Ep: 56
This week on Unorthodox, the hottest meal in Scottish prisons is… kosher. Our Jewish guest is Willard Spiegelman, longtime English professor at Southern Methodist University and author of the new book of essays, Senior Moments: Looking Back, Looking Ahead. He tells us the worst fashion trend among college students today and why retiring to Manhattan is the secret to a long life. Our Gentile of the Week is R.J. Hernández, whose new novel, An Innocent Fashion, which tells the story of a Cuban-American Ivy League grad who lands an internship at an elite fashion magazine and assumes a genteel-sounding name and pedigree, is based on his own experiences (R.J. interned at Vogue under the name Seymour Glass.) He tells us why he felt he had to hide his heritage to make it in the high fashion world, and schools us on Fashion Week, currently underway in New York City. Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
Teach Your Children Well: Ep 55
This week on Unorthodox, singer Sia gets sued for a sub-par Tel Aviv concert. Our Jewish guest is Justin Sakofs, creator of MagneticShul, a toy designed to engage kids in ritual Jewish life (yes, we try it out). Our Gentile of the Week is Paris-based writer Thomas Chatterton Williams, who tells us about his perspective on American politics as an ex-pat and his next book, a reckoning with how we define race in America, based on his 2015 essay about being a black man with a blonde daughter. His question for us: Are Jews white? Like listening to Unorthodox? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get new episodes and more. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
Talkin 'Bout My Generation: Ep 54
This week on Unorthodox, we’re obsessed with the Olympics. Our Jewish guests are 20-year-old twins Jack and David Cahn, co-authors of a new book called When Millennials Rule: The Reshaping of America. They tell us what they think of the 2016 election, which twin is better at chess, and how to prepare for the Millennial takeover. Our Gentile of the Week is Gaura Vani, a lifelong Hare Krishna and performer of Mantra Music, which is based on the ancient call-and-response devotional tradition known as Kirtan. He leads us in a chant and even tells us we have good voices. Like listening to us each week? Consider making a contribution to support the show. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
The Parent Trap: Ep. 53
We’ve got a special show for you this week, Unorthodoxers. We’re excited to have Tablet columnist Marjorie Ingall back on to discuss her new book, Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children, which comes out August 30. In it, she challenges the stereotype of the overbearing, coddling Jewish mother, arguing that Jewish mothers actually instill in their children confidence, independence, and a healthy skepticism of authority. She’s joined on-air by Rav Danya Ruttenberg, author of Nurture the Wow: Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting, which came out this spring. Our fundraising drive is coming to an end. Thank you to everyone who contributed, we geniunely appreciate the support (and funny notes!). And if you’re catching up on episodes, it’s never too late to give some shekels to your favorite Jewish podcast. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
Happy Trails: Ep. 52
This week on Unorthodox, Amar’e Stoudemire ditches the NBA for the Holy Land. Our Jewish guest is BuzzFeed reporter Rosie Gray, who has spent the past six months following the Republican presidential candidates on the campaign trail, producing behind-the-scenes dispatches from everything from white supremacist rallies to contentious Republican meetings, and reporting on Donald Trump’s nomination at the RNC in Cleveland. Our Gentile of the Week is actor, director, and screenwriter Adam Linn, author of the 2012 novel American Sexy. He tells us how he came to direct movies despite losing his eyesight at a young age, and the most annoying thing to hear as a blind person. This episode marks one year of Unorthodox. If you’ve enjoyed listening to the show as much as we’ve enjoyed making it, please consider making a contribution. We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected] with comments, questions, and complaints. We may share your letter on air.
Get Your (Scape)goat: Ep. 51
This week, Vilnius's hottest wedding destination is a former concentration camp. Our Jewish guest is Deena Gottlieb, who just finished her first year of reform rabbinical school. She tells us what that first year in Israel was like (less Real World, more studying), why she wants to become a reform rabbi, and how she gets through to distracted bar mitzvah students. Our Gentile of the week is Arsalan Iftikhar, aka @TheMuslimGuy, human rights lawyer, media commentator, and author of the recent book Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies & Threatens Our Freedoms. He has an interesting question for the panel: As members of a community that has been historically scapegoated, what advice can you give to seven million American Muslims who are witnessing the rise of Islamophobia here in the United States today? Like listening to us each week? Consider making a contribution at tabletmag.com/donate. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
The Hot Seat: Ep. 50
This week, we can't stop talking about the Republican National Convention. Our Jewish guest is the very funny Catie Lazarus, writer and host of "Employee of the Month," a monthly live talk show at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, for which she’s interviewed Bette Midler, Jon Stewart, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. She tells us how she found her calling as a live interviewer and about the time she went to Park Slope, Brooklyn to hawk truly local milk—breast milk. Our Gentile of the Week is Scott Jones, lead pastor at Ascencion Church, and the host of Mockingcast, the podcast of the online magazine Mockingbird (we're calling it the Christian version of our show). Over pizza-flavored Goldfish and whiskey, he tells us how a fundamentalist Christian friend from childhood with a really good curve ball led him to Jesus, and asks about the most Jewish cocktail (Manischewitz fizz). Like listening to us each week? Consider making a contribution at tabletmag.com/donate. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
The Other Cheek: Ep. 49
This week on Unorthodox, our favorite Jewish gymnast is headed to Rio. Our Jewish guest is Deborah Pardo-Kaplan, a freelance journalist working on a memoir about her life as a Messianic Jew. She explains what Messianic Jews believe, and her journey from a traditional Jewish upbringing to ultimately adopting those beliefs—plus the unexpected difficulties of dating as a Messianic Jew. Our Gentile of the Week is Bruce Barber, the general manager of WNHU-FM, the campus and community run radio station at the University of New Haven. He asks about yarmulke protocol for non-Jews in a synagogue, and we call up an expert to get the answer. Like listening to us each week? Consider making a contribution at tabletmag.com/donate. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Rock N’ Roll All Night: Ep. 48
EOur Jewish guest is writer and illustrator Christopher Noxon, author of the novel, Plus One, and the husband of Weeds and Orange is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan. He tells us why he prefers the term ‘domestic first responder’ to ‘house husband,’ and about the ritual bloodletting required to complete his conversion to Judaism. Our Gentile of the Week is rock critic Jim DeRogatis, co-host of the WBEZ talk show “Sound Opinions.” He tells us how meeting Lester Bangs made him want to become a rock critic, and how to discover good new music today. If you like listening to us each week, consider making a donation to support the show at tabletmag.com/donate. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Hello, Gorgeous: Ep. 47
This week on Unorthodox: Kappa connections, ruff times for dogs in Iran, and a new original song from our in-house Jewbadour Jim Knable. Our Jewish guest is Rebecca Schiff, whose debut short story collection, The Bed Moved, was published in April . She reads us one of the stories, and tells us what her mom thinks of the sex and pot references in the book, and why she’s attracted to Jewish guys. Our Gentile of the Week is Mo Rocca, NPR ‘Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me’ regular. The former Daily Show fixture and VH1 commentator (he Loves the 80s) tells us about the time he judged a Trump-owned Miss U.S.A. pageant, his hamantaschen-baking habit, and what gentiles say when the Jews leave the room. If you like listening to us each week, consider making a contribution to keep Unorthodox going until 120. All sorts of on-air goodies await those who donate at tabletmag.com/donate. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Don't Hate The Player: Ep. 46
This week, El Al helps herd biblical sheep to Israel. Our Jewish guest is Matthew Futterman, senior special writer for sports at The Wall Street Journal and the author of Players: The Story of Sports and Money, and the Visionaries Who Fought to Create a Revolution. He tells us how NFL quarterbacks used to sell real estate in the off-season to support themselves, plus what he’s looking forward to at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio and why water polo is an underrated Olympic sport. Our Gentile of the Week is longtime book editor Ann Patty, whose memoir, Living with a Dead Language: My Romance with Latin, is about how she decided to learn Latin after leaving the publishing industry. She tells us about the Vassar students she met in her introductory Latin class, and the week-long Latin camp she’s attending this summer. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Just The Two of Us: Ep. 45
This week on Unorthodox: public swimming pool drama in Brooklyn, and one Jewish man’s unusual sperm donation program. We don’t have a Jewish guest this week, but we have reached peak gentile: award-winning architect Duo Dickinson, a cradle Episcopalian, joins us for a lively discussion about Jews, WASPs, and the difference between designing a church and a synagogue. We also get a visit from our producer Julie’s daughter Leah, who joins us on-air for a discussion of presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Father Figures: Ep. 44
This week, Unorthodox jumpstarts the Father’s Day festivities with a special episode—because is there any figure more overlooked and misunderstood than the Jewish father? Liel talks to Tablet’s Gabe Sanders about archetypal father figures, starting with the biblical Abraham, and how their own identities changed when they became fathers. Stephanie sits down with Unorthodox regular Marjorie Ingall to break down the problematic aspects of Father’s Day, as well as the tough rap Jewish dads get—and how that’s wrapped up in the Jewish mother stereotype. Mark sits down with his dad, Tim Oppenheimer, who opens up about everything from his father’s many marriages and divorces to his own depression after his youngest child left for college. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast
Cult Following: Ep. 43
This week on the show: Nazis, Taylor Swift, and cats—the Unorthodox trifecta. Our Jewish guest is Chicago native Jeff Aeder, who founded the online Jewish Baseball Museum. The Cubs fan tells us about some of the lesser-known Jewish figures in America’s national pastime, why he thinks we need a museum dedicated to Jews in baseball, and when we can expect a brick-and-mortar outpost. Our Gentile of the Week is Carrie Poppy—writer, actress, and co-host of the podcast Oh No Ross and Carrie, which investigates fringe science and religious groups. She tells us the wackiest movement she’s encountered and what she thinks draws people to these kinds of groups. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Throwback Thursday: Ep. 42
This week on Unorthodox, the '90s are back: The Intifada is all the rage at UC Irvine, 90210's Andrea Zuckerman is on our minds, and a Clinton is running for president. Our Jewish guest is BuzzFeed News national reporter Amanda Chicago Lewis, who covers the burgeoning marijuana industry and the politics of legalization. In lieu of a Gentile of the Week, we read from a Jews for Jesus pamphlet left in the lobby of our producer Julie’s apartment building. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
School Ties: Ep. 41
This week, Unorthodox goes back to high school. This episode was recorded live from the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, N.C, the world's only International Jewish College Prep boarding school. Our Jewish guest is former North Carolina State Senator Marshall Rauch, who when he was elected in 1967 became the first Jew in the state senate, where he spearheaded legislation making Yom Kippur a state holiday. Our Gentile of the Week is musician Judith Saxton, who is in her tenth year as Trumpet Artist/Faculty and Brass/Percussion Chair at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and is principal cornet of the North Carolina Brass Band. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
On the Rocks: Ep. 40
This week on Unorthodox: Gentiles love Manischewitz, the new Han Solo’s Jewish, and Nazi pugs exist. Our Jewish guest is Rosie Schaap, “Drink” columnist for the New York Times Magazine and the author of Drinking With Men: A Memoir. She tells us why there’s more to bars than drinking and the cocktail essentials every drinker should have at home. Our Gentile of the Week is Doug Henwood, publisher of Left Business Observer and the author of the 2015 anti-Hillary book, My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency. He tells us what he thinks will happen to Bernie’s campaign and who he’d vote for in a Clinton-Trump election. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. Come see us live May 16 at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Free Agents Ep. 39
This week on Unorthodox: Broad City skewers Birthright. Our Jewish guest is literary agent and author Betsy Lerner, whose latest book, The Bridge Ladies, tells the story of the women in her mother’s bridge group, which has been meeting weekly for 50 years. Our Gentile of the Week is CNN political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson, who covers the 2016 election with a special focus on identity politics, exploring the dynamics of demographics, race and religion. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. Come see us live at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, on May 16. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Irish Spring Ep. 38
This week on Unorthodox, we’re searching for chametz and waiting for the Red Sea to part. Our Jewish guest is comedian David Tuchman, who hosts the lively and irreverent-er OMGWTFBIBLE podcast, which each week features a guest reading from Tuchman’s own translation of the Bible, while he chimes in with jokes. He tells us how getting started in comedy unexpectedly brought him back to his yeshiva roots. Our Gentile of the Week is Irish journalist Maitiú Ó Coimin, who took issue with Mark Oppenheimer’s characterization a few episodes back of Irish as a language no one speaks anymore. He schools us on the vibrant and large Irish speaking community, and curses Mark out in Irish. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. Come see us live at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, on May 16. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Start-Up Nation Ep. 37
This week, Unorthodox heads to Palo Alto, California, for a special live taping at the Oshman Family JCC. Our Jewish guest is Eddan Katz, a cyber-crime lawyer who founded Sudo Room, a hackerspace in Oakland. Our Gentile of the Week is Amanda Bradford, founder and CEO of The League, an invite-only dating app that uses data from Facebook and LinkedIn to match its highly selective pool of ambitious singles. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. Come see us live at the American Hebrew Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina, on May 16.
It's a Bard, It's a Plane Ep. 36
This week on Unorthodox: Tel Aviv, so hot right now. Our Jewish guest is writer Jillian Keenan, whose first book, Sex with Shakespeare, explores her dual passions for the Bard and BDSM. She tells us why she identifies with Caliban from The Tempest, and who she thinks is the most underrated Shakespeare character. Our Gentile of the Week is Jeff Yang, editor and publisher of aMagazine, an Asian American periodical, whose son, Hudson Yang, stars on ABC’sFresh Off the Boat. He tells us about his enduring love for comic books, and what it’s like having his 12-year-old son star on a sitcom. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Sporting Goods Ep. 35
This week on Unorthodox: Scottish Jews get their own official tartan. Our Jewish guest is L. Jon Wertheim, executive editor of Sports Illustrated and the co-author of the book, This is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What we Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon. He tells us how he got into sports journalism, and what he thinks the least Jewish sports are. Our Gentile of the Week is Imani Perry, professor in the Center for African American Studies at Princeton. She tells us why she thinks Bernie Sanders should have more support from African American voters, and what she really thinks of Drake. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Wonder Women Ep. 34
This week on Unorthodox: Israeli actress Gal Gadot proves she’s Wonder Woman off-screen, too. Our Jewish guest is Ladino singer-songwriter Sarah Aroeste, who tells us what Ladino is, and why it’s so important to keep the Sephardic language and culture alive. She performs a song from her new Ladino children’s album, and (warning!) even gets the hosts to sing along. Our Gentile of the Week is ACLU lawyer Gillian Thomas, whose new book, Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed American Women’s Lives at Work, explores the impact of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited gender discrimination in the workplace. She tells us how much progress we've actually made in the 50 years since the trailblazing women she profiles took their fight for workplace equality to the Supreme Court. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Sticks and Stones Ep. 33
This week on Unorthodox: Name-calling at a basketball game between a Catholic high school and a heavily Jewish public school in a Boston suburb takes a weirdly dark turn. Our Jewish guest is Jessamyn Hope, whose debut novel, Safekeeping, tells the intertwined stories of several strangers who find their way to a kibbutz in the summer of 1994, and was partly inspired by her own brief stay on a kibbutz. Our other Jewish guest (we are short a Gentile of the Week–forgive us!) is legal scholar Lawrence Douglas, whose latest book, The Right Wrong Man: John Demjanjuk and the Last Great Nazi War Crimes Trial, chronicles the dramatic effort to try the former Nazi known as Ivan the Terrible. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Genius Bar Ep. 32
This week on Unorthodox: Israeli settlers and Palestinians working together… to grow marijuana. Our Jewish guest is Eric Weiner, author of the new book, The Geography of Genius. He tells us the cities throughout history most conducive to breeding genius, how he really feels about Silicon Valley, and whether cats are smarter than dogs. Our Gentile of the Week is Katherine Connor Martin, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary and the New Oxford American Dictionary. She tells us why "Trumpmentum" doesn’t hold a candle to "Joementum," and asks about the difference between the words kippah, yarmulke, and skullcap.
Miracle of Miracles Ep. 31
This week on Unorthodox: the Oscars' Jewish highlights (and lowlights). Our Jewish guest, Adam Kantor, plays the tailor Mottel Kamzoil in the Broadway revivial of "Fiddler on the Roof," which opened in December. He made his Broadway debut in 2008 as Mark Cohen in "Rent." Our Gentile of the Week is writer and comedian Mandy Stadtmiller. She discusses her new Unwifeable column for New York magazine (and her recent wedding) and the mysteries of Kabbalah. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Brand Awareness Ep. 30
Our Jewish guest this week is Ben Ostrower, whose design firm created Bernie Sanders’ logo. He tells us how campaign logos have evolved over time and how the Obama campaign catapulted branding and logos to the forefront of election-season consciousness. Our Gentile of the Week is Chris Eigeman, who made his acting debut as preppy New York City teen Nick Smith in Whit Stillman’s 1990 film, Metropolitan. He tells us about playing an Upper East Side WASP despite being from Denver and his latest directing project. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Family Matters Ep. 29
This week on Unorthodox: Klezmer aerobics and the strangest bris story you've ever heard. Our Jewish guest is Daniel Oppenheimer, author of the new book, Exit Right: The People Who Left the Left and Reshaped the American Century. He’s also—you guessed it—the brother of our host Mark Oppenheimer. Our Gentile of the Week is novelist and essayist Roxane Gay, whose latest book, Bad Feminist, cleverly tackles issues in contemporary feminism alongside considerations of culture, identity, and race. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Unorthodox, Unorthodox, Make Me a Match Ep. 28
This week on a special Valentine’s Day episode, Unorthodox plays Yenta. Our Jewish guest is Jill Kargman—creator, writer, producer, and star of the Bravo comedy Odd Mom Out, a thinly-veiled satire of life and motherhood on the Upper East Side, a world the lifelong New Yorker is no stranger to and isn’t afraid to lampoon. A few weeks ago we put out a call for listeners who wanted to be set up by Unorthodox, and we were so overwhelmed by the amount and quality of the submissions we received that we enlisted the help of an expert: professional dating coach Nancy Slotnick. She preps us for our first Unorthodox matchmaking session, in which we meet Shira Ginsburg, a cantor and singer based in New York City who’s looking for her beshert. Know a great guy for Shira? Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Hannah (Montana) and Her Sisters Ep. 27
This week on Unorthodox: Miley meets Woody. Our Jewish guest is word maven Lizzie Skurnick, whose book, That Should Be A Word, is based on her popular New York Times Magazine column of the same name. In 2013 she founded Lizzie Skurnick Books, which reissues classic young adult literature. Our Gentile of the Week is Bill Schulz, former co-host of Fox News Channel's 3 a.m. satirical talk show, Red Eye. He claims Amy Schumer, a frequent guest on Red Eye, based the terrible character Schultz in her hit film Trainwreck on him. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Expelliarmus! Ep. 26
This week on Unorthodox: Bloomberg, Bernie, and Trump, oh my! Our Jewish guest is Mark Seidenfeld, vice president and deputy general counsel at Scholastic, publisher of the wildly successful Harry Potter and The Hunger Games series. He tells us about traveling to Scotland to pick up a manuscript from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling—and then sitting on it during the flight back to New York to keep it safe. Our non-Jewish guest is bioethicist and writer Alice Dreger, whose new book, Galileo’s Middle Finger, explores the at-times contentious clashes between scientists and activists throughout history. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. This episode of Unorthodox is brought to you by Harry’s. Stop overpaying for a great shave. Go to Harrys.com and enter the code UNORTHODOX at checkout for $5 off your first order.
Bringing the Heat Ep. 25
Our Jewish guest this week is Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization whose mission includes ending the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, and which supports the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement. She explains why she believes her organization's work is more important now than ever, and spars with Liel over the merits of BDS. Our Gentile of the Week is Mike Albo—writer, performer, and humorist—whose next project is an off-Broadway performance based on his 2015 memoir, 'Spermhood: Diary of a Donor.' His question for the panel is simple: Why are gay Jewish men so good in bed? We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Arts and Letters Ep 24
This week on Unorthodox: Bar Refaeli baby watch begins, and Mel Gibson returns (shudder). Our Jewish guest is painter Archie Rand, whose new book, The 613, is the culmination of his most ambitious project yet: painting visual representations of each of Judaism’s 613 mitzvot, or commandments. Our Gentile of the Week is Catherine Burns, the longtime artistic director of the hit storytelling series The Moth. Her question to the panel is about Jewish burial traditions, and, characteristically, takes the form of a story. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Codes of Conduct Ep. 23
This week on Unorthodox: kosher marijuana, the great bagel scooping debate, and one very WASPy cardigan. Our Jewish guest is Bethany Mandel, author of the Convert's Bill of Rights, which she wrote after learning she was one of the women videotaped by Rabbi Barry Freundel while using the mikveh, or Jewish ritual bath. (The Orthodox rabbi was sentenced in May 2015 to 6 1/2 years in prison for filming more than 150 women, many of them converts, using the ritual bath.) Our Gentile of the Week is writer Rand Cooper, who asks the panel the ever-important question, "Is Jewdar real?" We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
The Best of Unorthodox in 2015 Ep. 22
From Drake to Bernie Sanders, Amy Schumer to the presidential election—and, of course, Israeli cats—we’ve covered a lot this year on Unorthodox. We’re ringing in the new year with a special compilation of our favorite moments from 2015, including never-before aired segments, highlights from our live shows, and guests Simon Doonan, sex therapist Bat Sheva Marcus, comedian Dave Hill, lexicographer Erin McKean, and more. Want more Unorthodox? Email us at [email protected], and sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
I'm Dreaming of an Unorthodox Christmas Ep. 21
This week, Unorthodox celebrates Christmas—or as we call it, Christian Hanukkah—the only way we know how: binge-watching Netflix (the new ‘going to a movie’) and eating Chinese food. We’re joined by Orange is the New Black’s Yael Stone, who tells us about playing the memorable Lorna Morello, a compulsive shopper and lovable stalker, on the hit Netflix show. Her newest role is as Peretta Jones on the SyFy series Childhood’s End, which you can binge-watch after you finish Season 3 of Orange is the New Black. She tells us about moving to the U.S. from Australia, where she grew up, and directs us to watch her new show using that distinctive Morello accent. We’re also joined by Jennifer 8. Lee, whose book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles explores, among other things, the relationship between Jews and Chinese food. She tells us why chow mein is “the chosen food of the chosen people,” and how Chinese food on Christmas became a veritable Jewish American tradition. She also tells us about the Dumpling Emoji Project, her campaign to get a dumpling added to the canon of emoji available on your smartphone. While you’re Netflix-ing on Christmas Day, check out the excellent documentary she produced, The Search for General Tso. We wish you a merry, Unorthodox Christmas, no matter how you celebrate. Now pass the lo mein. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. You can watch SyFy's Childhood's End online at http://www.syfy.com/childhoodsend/episodes, and Orange is the New Black on Netflix at https://www.netflix.com/mx-en/title/70242311. For more on Jennifer 8. Lee, check out http://www.jennifer8lee.com/, and http://fortunecookiechronicles.com/. Show your support for the dumpling emoji campaign at https://www.change.org/p/unicode-consortium-we-need-a-dumpling-emoji.
In Unorthodox We Trust Ep. 20
This week on Unorthodox, a special live taping from the nation's capital featuring Jewish food maven Joan Nathan and New Republic writer Elizabeth Bruenig, and much, much more This week, Unorthodox heads to our nation's capital for a special live episode at the Washington DCJCC. Our Jewish guest is food maven and Tablet contributor Joan Nathan, who discusses her Yemenite chicken soup recipe and explains why we're all missing out on Libyan Jewish cuisine. She tells us about her favorite chefs, visits to the White House, and which president she considers the 'most Jewish.' Our non-Jewish guest is Elizabeth Bruenig, who writes about Christianity, politics, and poverty for the New Republic. She tells us how a Methodist from Texas ended up at Brandeis University—and then converted to Catholicism. Her question for the panel is whether Bernie Sanders' campaign has been exciting for Jews to watch. For more Joan Nathan, visit http://joannathan.com/, or get her Tablet recipes at http://www.tabletmag.com/author/jnathan. You find Elizabeth Bruenig's articles athttps://newrepublic.com/authors/elizabeth-bruenig. For more of our in-house Jewbadour, Jim Knable, check out jimknable.com. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Leading Ladies Ep. 19
On this week's episode: America’s most badass Supreme Court Justice and TV’s most visible rabbi. Our Jewish guest is MSNBC reporter Irin Carmon, whose new book, Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, is a smart, entertaining biography of the Supreme Court justice. She tells us about RBG’s recent turn as a feminist pop culture icon, her important role on the Supreme Court today, and the octogenarian’s impressive workout routine. Our non-Jewish guest is actress Kathryn Hahn, who tells us what it’s like to regularly play Jewish characters (see: Transparent, Afternoon Delight, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days). She explains how she prepared for her latest role as Rabbi Raquel Fein on Jill Soloway’s Amazon hit Transparent, which returns Friday for Season 2. She asks the panel about Judaism’s earliest female rabbis. Our next episode will be a live taping on Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Washington DC JCC, in Washington, D.C. You can buy tickets at http://thejdc.convio.net/site/Calendar?id=151257&view=Detail. To buy Notorious RBG, go to http://notoriousrbg.tumblr.com/book. For more Transparent, check out amazon.com/transparent. We love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast.
Unorthodox Celebrates Hanukkah Ep. 18
This week, we're, we’re ringing in the Festival of Lights with a special episode filled with Unorthodox holiday cheer, Adam Sandler’s updated “Hanukkah Song,” and a whole lot of latkes. We’re joined by Jewish competitive eater Don Moses Lerman, who comes out of retirement to see how many Russ & Daughters potato latkes he can eat in five minutes on the air. Tablet columnist Marjorie Ingall, who previously gave us a crash course in pre-Yom Kippur apologies, stops by with some advice on how not to make Hanukkah all about the presents for kids, and recommends the best new Jewish children's books. Tablet’s art director Esther Werdiger also returns this week with a tale of Hanukkah Down Under—where the holiday falls smack in the middle of summer, and instead of snowflakes and fireplaces there are arbecues and beach parties. We're recording a live show December 15 at 7 p.m. at the Washington DC JCC in Washington, D.C. You can buy tickets here: http://thejdc.convio.net/site/Calendar?id=151257&view=Detail. Let us know what you really think of Unorthodox! Email us at [email protected]. You can sign up for our weekly newsletter at http://bit.ly/UnorthodoxPodcast. For more about Don Lerman, check out his website: http://www.donmoseslerman.com/. You can find Marjorie Ingall's list of the best children's books of 2015 here:http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-life-and-religion/195314/best-jewish-childrens-books-2015.