Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

In the aftermath of October 7th, our feeds were filled with reports of antisemitism at Columbia and UCLA, among other colleges. But are these schools part of a broader trend, or merely outliers that received outsize attention? In this episode, Noam sits down with Ethan Goetz, a leader of Jewish student life at the University of Miami. The discussion isn't about what other colleges are doing wrong. Instead, Ethan lays out what Miami is doing right, and shares a moving story about his own Jewish journey. There's also plenty of sports talk, cholent recipes, and a spontaneous recital of...

Is ambition a virtue that allows us to reach our full potential? Or is it a trap that leaves us dissatisfied and burnt out? With Florence Pugh starring in a new Netflix adaptation of Noam's favorite book (East Of Eden), it seems like a great time to wonder about the ambitions of Steinbeck's most notorious character, and why that matters for the rest of us. Along the way, Mijal has her own thoughts on a viral "would you rather" question, Jewish leadership, and Simchat Torah. Jon Polin's SAPIR article on reluctant leadership can be read here: https...

In the immediate aftermath of October 7th, 2023, there were incredible signs of unity within and alongside the Jewish people. But there were also moments of profound division. Three years later, how has this infamous date--and the subsequent war in Gaza--brought people closer together, or further apart? Mijal and Noam's discussion is one of hope: perhaps tragedy has united us more than television or social media would have us believe. Emotions run high as Mijal and Noam reflect, reminisce, and discuss the future of Israel and the Jewish people in this new reality. This episode is generously sponsored...

Antisemitism on social media seems worse than ever. Scrolling through Instagram, X, or TikTok is enough to make any Jewish person hyperventilate. But are things as bad in real life as they are on the internet? And if not, how can we learn to take the trolling with a grain of (kosher) salt? There's no better guide than Mikey Greenblatt, who turns nasty comments on his posts into "Jewish Fan Mail." In a heart-to-heart with Noam, Mikey explains how his connection to audience members means so much more to him than vitriol from anonymous bots and trolls. ...

In an era where we're more stressed, more depressed, and more isolated than we've ever been, what will it take to feel that elusive thing called "happiness?" How will we know when we've found it? This week, Mijal and Noam are doing a deep dive into whether the "pursuit" of happiness is problematic, why pain can sometimes bring us closer to joy, and just what exactly is written on Noam's t-shirt. This episode is sponsored in memory of Leo M. Bernstein. Thank you to The Bernstein Foundation for their generous support and partnership. Follow @wonderingjews...

Olga Namer grew up in a Syrian Jewish Orthodox community and got married at the age of 18. Two years later, she was divorced and heartbroken. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, she turned tragedy into opportunity, pursuing a career in comedy and using her act to process her breakup. In this episode, Olga opens up to our hosts about being caught between comedy and community, poking fun at Zohran Mamdani, and relationship advice. Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Visit ⁠jewishlives.org⁠ to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a d...

In an era where public figures double down instead of apologizing, and social media puts our every word under the microscope, saying "I'm sorry" feels scarier than ever. So what can help us conquer that fear? In this episode, Noam and Mijal explore guilt culture versus shame culture, accountability, and the "five percent" rule. Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Visit jewishlives.org to explore and buy books from the Jewish Lives book series. Use the discount code JLIFE to get a discount. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. <...

Will the war ever truly come to an end? Can two populations with so much pain find common ground? Or is the hurt too deep, too vast to overcome? There are no questions more urgent than these, and there is no better guest to wonder with than Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian activist and author of Hamas And Its Two Million Hostages. With Noam, Ahmed shares his own own tragic story of loss, why he holds Hamas responsible for the plight of the Palestinian people, and what Israel--and the world at large--can do to truly bring about peace. <...

This fall, Mijal and Noam are thinking of the big questions that the High Holy Days can bring with them. We're off this week, so it seemed like a good time to revisit a discussion with Rabbi Avi Killip, who has big questions of her own: About Jewish movements and denominations, technology and religion, and why the trappings of modern life aren't making us as happy as they should. Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

As threats to Jews spike around the globe, there's a part of the world with a brighter outlook--and it's not where you'd expect. This week, Noam and Mijal are joined by Jason Isaacson, the Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer for the American Jewish Committee. Jason has been working tirelessly to normalize relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries for decades. He sees plenty of challenges ahead, but plenty of hope as well. Learn more about AJC at ajc.org Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and...

As antisemitism has exploded in Canada, debate has raged within its Jewish community. Is the government doing enough to combat Jewish hate? What does it mean to be zionist? Why are young Jews walking away from Israel? Maytal Kowalski, the executive director of JSpaceCanada, has leapt headfirst into all of these uncomfortable questions. In this episode, Noam and Maytal discuss her unique background, the bond between Canada's Jews, and her strong views on Israel and progressive politics. Learn more about JSpaceCanada at jspacecanada.ca Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram...

On December 14th, 2025, a pair of gunmen killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach. For Jewish leaders like Jeremy Leibler (Zionist Federation of Australia), the killings were shocking--even as concerns around antisemitism continued to grow after October 7th. Will Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism be a meaningful step towards change? Jeremy speaks openly to Mijal and Noam about the commission, his legacy as the child of Holocaust survivors, and what is giving him hope. Learn more about the Zionist Federation of Australia at zfa.com.au Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked...

There are many words to describe influencer and activist Matthew Nouriel: Persian, Jewish, Gay, Zionist... But when you belong to so many different communities, do you really belong anywhere at all? As Mijal discovers, Matthew's answer is an emphatic "yes." His Mizrahi family may have struggled to accept him, but they never left him behind. Now, Matthew is using his voice to encourage Jews of all kinds to make that same embrace.Learn more about JIMENA by visiting https://www.jimena.org/Mijal's study for JIMENA is at https://sephardicstudy.org/ Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked...

How do you even begin to define love? How are we supposed to balance love of family with “love thy neighbor?” These are the kinds of questions Rabbi Shai Held tries to tackle in his latest book, Judaism Is About Love. Shai is President and Dean of Hadar and host of the podcast Answers WithHeld. Together with Mijal and Noam, he wonders about how to balance the needs of our Jewish family with the biggest family of all: humanity. For more on Shai’s book visit https://hadar.org/torah-tefillah/books/judaism-about-love And be sure to che...

Actress and philanthropist Moran Atias was raised in a Moroccan Jewish home that expected her to marry young and have children, just like the generations before her. Her mother married at 18. Her grandmother was wed at the age of 12. When Moran broke from that tradition, it threatened to tear her family apart. In this deeply personal conversation, Moran shares her unforgettable journey towards motherhood with Noam and Mijal. To check out Moran's TED Talk, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO1CBhA67Hs And don't miss Moran's latest TV credit, Joseph of Egypt, when it drops...

As Mijal and Noam explore the idea of "family" through the Jewish lens, it's necessary to step back and wonder if the Jewish people are an extended family of their own. We're off this week, so we're revisiting an episode from last fall, where are hosts start with a basic question: What is Judaism? Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Does identity define us or limit us? In this crossover episode with Unpacking Israeli History, Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet personality Nas Daily. Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What does it mean for parents to act as priests? Does teaching a child to swim mean more than just laps in a pool? In our first episode exploring family through the Jewish lens, Noam and Mijal are tackling profound, meaningful questions about Judaism within our four walls. Our hosts break down the reciprocal obligations between parents, children, and siblings, with plenty of personal anecdotes to illuminate their significance.Mijal's article on the priestly blessing can be found here: https://open.substack.com/pub/mijal/p/4500-blessings?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Get in touch at...

Can a musical teach Torah? Why is Fiddler on the Roof beloved in Japan? The answers to these questions could have implications for the future of the Jews and their place in the world. Noam sits down with Jennifer Tepper, a theatre historian, and Etai Benson, a Broadway actor, to discuss the art of crafting stories, and the innovative ways in which Judaism has intersected with the stage. If you’re interested in bringing Etai’s new show, The Book of Steve, to your synagogue or Jewish space, write to MountCarmelProductions@gmail.com Jennifer Tepper’s new...

Mijal is back, and this week we're responding to your comments! Spurred on by awesome listeners like you, our reunited hosts ponder the dynamic relationship between Zionism and Reform Judaism, the question of Jewish continuity, the hot-button issue of affordability, and more. We have the best audience in the world, and we hope you'll keep commenting and writing to us at wonderingjews@unpackedmedia.org for the next Q&A episode. Mijal's article "The Future Is Sephardic" can be read here: https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/the-future-is-sephardic/ Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow...