Jew-ish | Jew curious? Questions and answers for the Jews, non-Jews, and all the Jew-curious out there
What is being "Jewish"? What are Jews? What do Jews believe? What do Jews (really) do? What's happening in those mysterious synagogues with all that weird language (it's Hebrew)?
Jew curious?
The thing about being Jewish is, you can't tell us apart by looking (well, not always), we often look the same, dress the same, work and play and eat right alongside our non-Jewish counterparts, and yet, as a teeny tiny minority--only 0.2% of the global population, and 2-3% of the U.S. population--plenty of people have probably never met a Jewish person, or if they did, they didn't even know it.
For as much as we share (and it's probably way more than you think), somehow, moving through the world as a Jew really is different. Everything looks different through a Jewish lens, even for those who aren't particularly religious, the ones who describe themselves as "Jew-ish."
But honestly, none of this is really that mysterious. And, if you're curious or confused, you can always just ask the internet--or, now you can also come here and check in with your new Jewish friend.
So, if you have questions about being Jewish, we're here to introduce, explain, ask alongside, and generally demystify Judaism for Members of the Tribe (Jews) and goyim (non-Jews) alike, exploring and showcasing the infinite ways there are to be Jewish.
Episodes
31 episodes
Jewish holidays: Happy Purim Repost for 2026
What is Purim? When is Purim? Is Purim really "the Jewish Halloween"? In this fun repost, Baby Brother Zev and then-girlfriend, now-wife Osnat set us straight about the super-fun Jewish
Two years after October 7, the family of one freed hostage says "it's enough already"
Two years ago, Liz Hirsh Naftali was working in real estate, organizing for the Democratic party, and enjoying life as a mom and auntie. Then, she awoke in Tel Aviv one day, and her world had been ripped apart: her family killed, her 3-year-old...
Rosh Hashanah for my non-Jews: repub from 2024
This episode was originally published for Rosh Hashanah on October 9, 2024.One of my nearest and dearest non-Jewish friends asked if she could join me for Rosh Hashanah l...
People are starving in Gaza, hostages are still missing, and the U.S. remains Israel's closest ally. What's a Jewish lawmaker to do?
Right after a flurry of activity around Israel and Gaza on the Hill, I connected with Congressman Greg Landsman, one of only 32 Jews in Congress (9 in the Sen...
Jews having babies with Jews! No, not the old fashioned way
Jews and money and babies, oh my! Our mission of destigmatization continues with a look at IVF, and some Jewish perspectives on fertility--and infertility--with Sarah Shah, Director of Operations for the
Talking On Being Jewish Now with Zibby Owens
Ask a Jewish question, get a Jewish answer: It's complicated. It would be impossible to fully represent the richness and variety of Jewish experiences, but who better to try than a bunch of writers? So, author, publisher, and podcaster
Can you be a Christian, and still be a Jew?
As a wise rabbi once said (It was Rabbi Susan Shankman, our very first episode), there as many ways to be Jewish as there are Jews. Well, friend-of-the-show
Still Jew-ish! Season 3 Trailer
Your Jewish friend is back!! Season 3 of Jew-ish has a whole new roster of stories and voices from all the usual and unusual suspects: Jews, non-Jews, former Jews, and the generally Jew-curious. As usual, we'll tackle the questions ...
The Christmas Hanukkah (Chrismukkah?) Hallmark(style) love story you've been waiting for!
Content warning: mentions of self-harm, SA, eating disorders and addiction. On the first night of Hanukkah 2024, I give to all of you, my seventh-grade bestie and USA TODAY bestselling author ...
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur questions answered, repub from 2023
What is Rosh Hashanah? How do you wish someone a good Yom Kippur? What are the High Holy Days? All this and more with Jewish educators spanning two generations, who happen to also be my family! This episode is republished from 2023, and...
A non-Jew's first Rosh Hashanah, one year after the October 7 Hamas attacks
You may know Rosh Hashanah as the Jewish New Year, and you're mostly right (it's technically the anniversary of creat...
Mysticism and Judaism and dreams, oh my!
Growing up Conservative Jewish in Ohio, Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld turned away from her family traditions after her beloved father was murdered. Judaism became an unbearably painful reminder of her lo...
Don’t be afraid of the dark, that’s where creation begins
We all know "in the beginning, there was darkness," right? The first line of the first book of the Old Testament (AKA the Torah). But did you know, there was also “chaos and void”? And then, of course, God created everything. So we're told....
What’s really going on in Israel, Part 2: how do we even begin to talk about a "solution"?
It’s been six months since Hamas attacked Israel, killing nearly 1200 people, kidnapping around 250, and triggering Israel’s devastating war on Gaza. The
What is Purim and why do we celebrate it? The story of Purim, what to wear, what we eat, and how it's done in Israel
It's Purim! So when Baby Brother Zev and his girlfriend Osnat came down to DC to peep some cherry blossoms, I made them come to tell you all what is Purim, the super-fun Jewish
What's really going on in Israel, Part 1
An American, a Canadian and an Israeli Jewish educator walk into a….well a discussion. About the Israel-Hamas war, the state of Gaza and state of mind of Israelis, no less. So, this conversation is really no joke. Huge thanks to Yair Alon, Adam...
When you nickname your generational trauma "Holocaust hoarding"
Have you ever wondered if your “quirks” might actually be manifested trauma? Or more like…that they probably ARE? Victoria Dozer was curious about her mom’s pretty typical Jewish-mom-quir...
Jews Love Trees! It's true! It's also Tu Bishvat
What is Tu Bishvat (also spelled Tu BiShevat)? Well it's the birthday of the trees, also called the New Year of the Trees, so happy new year to you, and happy new year to the trees, and welcome back to Jew-ish! Trees have a very s...
Jew-ish Presents: The Curl Code
Introducing our sister podcast, the Curl Code! Hosted by Wafaya Abdallah, owner of Curly Oasis, a curl salon and education platform in Rockville, MD, the Curl Code explores individual stories of...
Toxic polarization and how not to be part of the problem
There’s polarization, and then there’s toxic polarization. We all know what that feels like, especially at this moment around Israel and Palestine. For many of us, the temperature of the rhetoric is so incendiary that even though we might have ...
Leaving the Mormon Church and becoming an “asker”
Erick Cloward was raised in the Mormon Church in Utah, in a not-always-happy home. He talks about it a lot on his podcast, The Stoic Coffee Break (which is an absolut...
What does Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur mean, and what do you do?
Happy Jew Year! Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and together with the 10 days of deep contemplation between them, they are known as the Days of Awe, or the High Holy Days–but apparently only i...
What does "culturally Jewish" even mean?
Finally, the basic question: What is being “culturally Jewish”? Getting at the difference between a culture and religion, how identity manifests in modernity and how it came to be this way is heady stuff, and of course, in true Jewish fashion, ...