House of Neshama

In this episode, Isa and Ariel are joined by a very special guest, Yishaq Ben Dorit! Yishaq is a published writer as well a proud student of religion, history, and philosophy. They are also someone who is especially dedicated to the struggles and transformations of non-Ashkenazim, Jews of Color as well as non-Rabbinics. They dive into multiple topics such as Jewish diaspora history, the importance of oral storytelling traditions, and the need to challenge ashkenormativity. You'll also get to hear about the ways much of their inspiration and pride in their Ethiopian heritage and Beta Israel identity stemmed from their family and teachers along their path. Having been raised by a family of teachers and storytellers, not only is educating others about Jewishness important to them, but so is continuing with one's relationship to Jewishness outside of the classroom and scripture. So, it's no surprise that Yishaq certainly plants important seeds in this interview and drops gems that we hope everyone truly sits and grapples with. You can check out Yishaq's work here: “What is Black Judaism?” (explores the diversity of Black Jewry) “Ashkenormativity Is a Threat to All Jewish Communities” : Ethiopian Jews like myself have faced racism from within the Jewish community for far too long. “It's Hard to Celebrate Sigd Knowing My Ethiopian Family Is in Danger How the Jewish Holidays Helped Me Deal with the Trauma of This Year Learn more about Tlaim, the upcoming Jews of Color cookbook that Yishaq is an editor/ contributor to! -- Episode Glossary here! -- Resources Yishaq recommends: The Other Zions The Black Panther Haggadah The Theodosian Empire and the Rabbinic Refusal of Religion "A Short History of The Jews" by Michael Brenner https://www.972mag.com/ Direct Mutual Aid / Charity for Families & Children in Gaza - CREDITS Hosted and Produced by Ariel Rachel Peckler and Isa K.G. Starring Guest: Yishaq Ben Dorit Edited by Isa K.G. Social Media Artwork by Ariel Rachel Peckler Original music featured in this episode, including our show music, all composed by Marni Loffman. You can find their original and covered music on TikTok, SoundCloud and Instagram under the handle @singing_jewess --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/house-of-neshama/message

Shalom! We are happy to announce that our sixth episode has now been released! In the soup today, we dive into being Jewish…on the internet! Yes, very meta. Since House of Neshama mainly lives online! So, you will hear us, Isa and Ariel, reflect on which platforms we've felt more or less comfortable expressing our authentic Jewish selves on ---whether its posting Shabbat candles every Friday for Instagram, leaving cryptic notes in Hebrew on Snapchat, or simply reminding all of your non-Jewish Facebook friends, what you'll be up to during Christmas day. In other words, this episode explores some of the many ways we've “come out”--- as Jewish— through our digital platforms. At times, it may be in fleeting moments. Other times, edged into a permanent archive… But, ultimately, we hope to remind our fellow wandering Jews, however bold or subtle one may declare their Jewish identity online, each Jewish story and expression is just as valid and authentic, as the next. Let us know what you think! – For kosher love notes sent from our neshama to you, full of tasty spillover from this episode and more Jewish musings, check them out here! (https://medium.com/@houseofneshama!)

In the soup today, Isa sits down with our very first guest, the incredible, inventive, soulful, multi-talented Marni Loffman, otherwise known as the SingingJewess. Marni is a self-described collaborative being as well as song/prayer creator, performer, educator, and so much more. Most often their work surrounds music, education, connection, and healing. And for those who may not know… they're the composer behind our show's theme music! So, in this episode, you will hear Marni muse over something called nigunim which translates into English most simply as wordless melodies, often heard in different prayer spaces and across the expansive and diverse Jewish music world. And in their words, it's something that “exists in everyone and is even a language of our soul beyond words.” We are so excited for you to sit with Marni's reflective and wise words about its fascinating history, contemporary revival, and the generative, healing, and creative life that nigunim has taken on within Marni's own musical, religious, and spiritual world. And they've even offered us a musical treat of a new song they've chosen to debut right here, on the House of Neshama (we're kvelling). So, you'll definitely want to stick around after the interview for that! So, get comfortable and prepare yourself for an insightful and beautiful journey, we hope this episode takes you on (it certainly did for us). – We want to acknowledge that this episode dives into Marni's personal experience and relationship to nigunim. However, the full history of nigunim is multifaceted, complex, and cannot be covered in a single episode. So, we invite you to learn more by visiting the following resources: The Nigun | My Jewish Learning Introduction to Volume 6 - Milken Archive of Jewish Music Sephardic Music: A Century of Recordings – For kosher love notes sent from our neshama to your inbox, full of tasty spillover from this episode and more Jewish musings, subscribe here! (http://eepurl.com/h0GQAb!)

What do the films Shiva Baby, BlacKkKlansmen, and The Great Dictator all have in common? All feature memorable Jewish characters on-screen, however the actors portraying said characters…not so much. In this episode, we explore the spicy topic of non-Jews (from Adam Driver to Charlie Chaplin, Rachel Sennot to Rachel Brosnahan) portraying iconic Jewish characters in cinema and the silver screen! We dive into our takes on the success (or not) of their portrayal and muse over the broader ethics and controversy of it all. – Adam Driver in Spike Lee's Blackkklansmen starts at 4:02 Rachel Sennot in Emma Sigelman's Shiva Baby starts at 11:38 - Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator starts at 26:32 – For kosher love notes sent from our neshama to your inbox, full of tasty spillover from this episode and more Jewish musings, subscribe here! (http://eepurl.com/h0GQAb)!

We are reheating our matzo ball soup for this minisode while we do some post-Pesach pondering about why this year's Seders was different from all other Seders! And what our hopes are as young Jews today (powerful Jewish matriarchs tomorrow

Shalom all! Welcome to the House of Neshama podcast-- your matzo ball soup for the wandering Jewish soul. In the soup today, we cover themes and experiences of synchronicity within the Jewish experience (or at least ours), resiliency of the Jewish spirit, and an encounter with a certain “Patty” character that led to a vulnerable and nuanced conversation about microaggressions and the racialization of the Jewish community. -- Produced by and featuring Ariel Rachel Peckler and Isa Kaufman-Geballe Edited by Ariel Rachel Peckler Original music composed by Marni Loffman. You can find their original and covered music on TikTok, SoundCloud and Instagram under the handle @singing_jewess -- To learn more, feel free to visit our digital home of all things sacred, hilarious, and complicated within the Jewish community @houseofneshama. If you're interested in collaborating, being a guest, promo inquiries, etc., feel free to write to us at neshama.interact@gmail.com! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/house-of-neshama/message

Shalom all! Welcome to the House of Neshama podcast! Neshama is the Hebrew word for “soul” which is what this show is meant to nourish. In this first episode, you will get to know your hosts Ariel and Isa, two Jewish twenty-somethings who have come together to explore what Jewishness means to them. They will be diving into their upbringings in Seattle and New York, their intersecting identities, experiences facing microaggressions, feeling excluded within non-Jewish spaces, familial stories and rituals and related musings. -- Produced by and featuring Ariel Rachel Peckler and Isa Kaufman-Geballe Edited by Isa Kaufman-Geballe Original music composed by Marni Loffman. You can find their original and covered music on TikTok, SoundCloud and Instagram under the handle @singing_jewess -- To learn more, feel free to visit our digital home of all things sacred, hilarious, and complicated within the Jewish community @houseofneshama. If you're interested in collaborating, being a guest, promo inquiries, etc., feel free to write to us at neshama.interact@gmail.com! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/house-of-neshama/message