Making Mensches: Not Your Bubbe's Torah School

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Radically honest conversations about everything you wish you learned in Torah school! makingmensches.com instagram.com/makingmensches twitter.com/makingmensches email us at makingmensches@gmail.com Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/makingmensches/support

Making Mensches


    • Apr 9, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 42m AVG DURATION
    • 55 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Making Mensches: Not Your Bubbe's Torah School

    Depicting Our Ancestors: DWELL Artist Feature with Ayeola, Hadar, Shelby

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2025 39:03


    Join us for an extra special episode with ⁠Ayeola Omolara Kaplan⁠ and ⁠⁠Hadar Cohen⁠, two of the talented artists who created pieces for the ⁠⁠DWELL in Revolution project. In this episode, we discuss their creation processes, the ancestors that they depicted, why this project is important, and everything in between. Listen to the full episode to hear ⁠Shelby Handler⁠ reading their piece from DWELL!So much work went into this beautiful project, a project that enables folks to learn about and honor their anti-zionist ancestors. It is so essential that we see these examples of anti-zionism in our history, so that we can strengthen our own anti-zionist foundations. It's equally as essential to begin learning about ancient ancestral practices and rituals that zionism has tried to stamp out of Judaism. ⁠⁠If you don't already have it, you can purchase the DWELL zine here.⁠⁠[This episode was recorded in February 2025.]Big thanks to Ayeola and Hadar for joining us, to Shelby for reading their piece, and to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠

    Ancestral Connection in Movement Work: Exploring Ushpizine Practice with the DWELL in Revolution Team

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 28:37


    Join us for an extra special episode with Micah Bazant and Ollie Schwartz, two of the main organizers of the DWELL in Revolution project, as we discuss the creation process and intention behind the zine, in addition to discussing the complexities and joy that are a part of organizing for our movement. So much work went into this beautiful project, a project that enables folks to learn about and honor their anti-zionist ancestors. It is so essential that we see these examples of anti-zionism in our history, so that we can strengthen our own anti-zionist foundations. It's equally as essential to begin learning about ancient ancestral practices and rituals that zionism has tried to stamp out of Judaism.Stay tuned for the second part of this series where we talk with two of the artists included in the project about their creation process!If you don't already have it, you can purchase the DWELL zine here.[This episode was recorded in February 2025.]Big thanks to Micah and Ollie for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠

    History Is Not Innocent with Ariella Aïsha Azoulay

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 60:21


    For this episode, we are joined by ⁠Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, who graciously talks with us about her recent book, “The Jewelers of the Ummah: A Potential History of the Jewish Muslim World.” Ariella is a film essayist, theorist, curator of archives, and professor currently teaching Modern Culture and Media in the Department of Comparative Literature at Brown University.Ariella talks us through Jewelers of the Ummah, discusses what the Jewish Muslim world is, how empires dictate history and peoplehood to serve their own interests, what principled anti-zionism looks like, how she has deepened her ancestral connections, and much much more. This is not an episode to miss! Every second is full of wisdom and steadfast love. Join us in two weeks for an exciting episode with more than one special guest

    back to our roots

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2025 36:45


    we're back after our mid-season hiatus with our first episode in a long time that's just Jessie and Elana!we talk about the present moment and some of our upcoming events, and at the end is a rewind to our Instagram Live episode on tu b'shvat from 2022 (which was somehow THREE years ago). we've obviously grown and learned so much since then but enjoy our baby selves talking tu bishjoin us for our virtual tu b'shvat poetry event,find our events calendar here,and sign up for our newsletter!comment and let us know if you want more of us chit-chatting

    Aligning Our Bodies with Liberation featuring Eliana Rubin

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 52:43


    In our midseason finale, we are joined by Eliana Rubin, who talks (among many, many other things) about their new book, “Taking the State out of the Body: A Guide to Embodied Resistance to Zionism.” Eliana builds transgressive relationships with bodies, land, and lineage through their work as a somatic practitioner, politicized facilitator, anti-Zionist organizer, full spectrum doula, land steward, and queer pleasure instigator. They run a somatic facilitation practice with Sanctuary Embodied aimed at resourcing organizers in developing embodied leadership and power for movements for justice. While discussing her brilliant book, Eliana gives insight to what somatics are, how somatic practices can support us through challenging conversations with Zionists, speaks to some of the plants and body parts that informed the book - like calendula, redwoods, and the vagus nerve, and talks about the pitfalls of individualistic models of therapy. Eliana goes beyond fighting for liberation, and teaches us how to live for liberation.  Find more of Eliana on their instagram or website, and go buy the book ASAP! We truly could not recommend it enough. We will be back with more episodes in February, see you then! [This episode was recorded in November 2024.] Big thanks to Eliana for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Grounding Us In the Divine with Julie Weitz

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 74:51


    Golems, Dybukks, Psychedelics, oh my! Today we are joined by Julie Weitz (she/her) - diasporic performance artist, Fulbright Scholar, and co-creator of the Tzitzit Project - some of you may know her as @MyGolem_is_here. In this episode, Julie reflects on her time in Poland and the ways that we can reconnect with our ancestral homeland outside. Julie talks about recent and past projects, what brought her to performance art, and the ways her work is informed by anti-zionism. We can't wait for you to listen! UPCOMING OFFERING FROM JULIE: Online Dybbuk Workshop Sunday, December 8 at 11am pst / 1pm cst / 2pm est / 8pm cet / 9pm ist Registration Link: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/event_step2/MTkzNzI1/289544  Join artist Julie Weitz for a dynamic online workshop exploring ancestral folktales about the dybbuk and Jewish rituals of exorcism. Drawing from her extensive research and artistic practice, Weitz will share stories, images, and videos that illuminate the cultural and spiritual significance of the dybbuk. Participants will also explore simple, accessible movement techniques inspired by Yiddish dance, fostering embodied connections to their ancestors. The session incorporates insights from Holy Names for Our Dybbuk, Weitz's performance art project that reimagines dybbuk exorcism as a movement-based ritual at sites of Jewish memory in Poland. Conducted in English, this workshop welcomes participants of all backgrounds and requires no prior experience. Come dressed comfortably and ready to engage in storytelling, movement, and learning. All ticket proceeds will support the artistic collaborators of Holy Names for Our Dybbuk. If funds are a concern, use the discount code DISCOUNT50 at checkout for 50% off. Links to things we mention in this episode: -No State Manifesto -Rabbi Aaron Tamares -The Great Dominatrix -Kosmic Kamels (@kosmickamels) [This episode was recorded in October 2024.] Big thanks to Julie for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Judaism Loves Fat with Jules Pashall

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 52:08


    We are joined by the brilliant Jules Pashall (they/he) for this episode! Jules is a fat, white, trans/queer Jew who holds space as a somatic, creative and spiritual practitioner. Their offerings are built on the belief that undoing violent hierarchies and how they live in our bodies is part of the path of soul retrieval and collective liberation. For 15 years, they have been exploring fat as a resource for transformation. Jules holds a master's degree in Somatic Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and their writing can be found in The Fat Studies Journal and Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: Toward an Inclusive Somatics. In this episode, we explore all things fat. How Judaism loves fat, how fat is connected to liberation, how fatness is weaponized in our world, how people can be invited into - and celebrate! - their fat, and so so much more. Jules is an endless well of wisdom and we imagine you will feel as inspired by them as we do after listening!  UPCOMING OFFERINGS FROM JULES: -Feeding the Erotic: A Jewish winter journey spanning Hannukah to Tu Bshvat Dec 19-Feb 13th Thursdays 8-10 ET / 5-7 PT (Led by Jules and elana june margolis) -Tonguing the Divine: a Tu B'shvat Retreat at Mariposa Institute in Ukiah, CA 2/14-2/17 (Led by Jules and elana june margolis) -One on one work with new clients for 10 weeks of “a season of practice” - follow him for more information! You can read “thank god i'm fat: gifts from the underbelly” by Jules here and join his email list here to stay updated on upcoming offerings. [This episode was recorded in August 2024.] Big thanks to Jules for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠you can do so here.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Unsettled with Dr. Oren Kroll-Zeldin

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 73:14


    In this episode, we talk to Dr. Oren Kroll-Zeldin, who is the assistant director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco where he is also an assistant professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Oren recently published his first book, “Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine.” You can buy the book here! “Unsettled digs into the experiences of young Jewish Americans who engage with the Palestine solidarity movement and challenge the staunch pro-Israel stance of mainstream Jewish American institutions. The book explores how these activists address Israeli government policies of occupation and apartheid, and seek to transform American Jewish institutional support for Israel.” As we talk with Oren, we delve into the research that led to Unsettled and explore the growth of anti-zionist community and activism over the last few decades. We talk about necessary tools in liberation movements and the complex nuances of organizing. We are deeply grateful to Oren for this conversation and hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed having it. Links: Check out this article by Oren Check out this article Oren mentions by Sarah Anne Minkin about Palestinians as present absentees --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    We Rely on Each Other with Ezra Star and Jen Deerinwater

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 60:47


    Join us as we talk to Ezra Star (he/they) and Jen Deerinwater (Jen), two organizers with Disability Divest, as we talk about Disability Divest and their work, how genocide is a mass disabling event, and how Ezra combines his drag and Judaism. Ezra, also known by their drag name - Neuro Cosmos - is a queer, anti-zionist, disabled drag artist in DC and one of the organizers of Disability Divest. Jen is the Founding Executive Director of Crushing Colonialism, Crushing Colonialism is an Indigenous-led nonprofit that uplifts and supports Indigenous people through arts, media, and traditional storytelling. Jen is a fellow organizer of Disability Divest! Some helpful links: Sins Invalid  Disability Divest (@disabilitydivest) • Instagram photos and videos Tefillat Trans - SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva Big thanks to Jen and Ezra for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, you can do so here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Finding G-d at the Waters Edge w Rabbi Chel

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2024 43:33


    Join us as we talk to ⁠Rabbi Chel Mandell (they/them). Chel is the founder and rabbi of TzimTzum Community in Santa Cruz, CA. Tzimtzum is a community of queer, trans, and gender-expansive Jews centering the Jewish diasporist experience; refocusing on Jewish tradition, ritual, and community gathering in Santa Cruz.  We talk with Rabbi Chel about molding Jewish tradition for our communities, centering their practice around the surf, and the process of building their community.  You can learn more about Tzimtzum here and we encourage you to join if you are in Santa Cruz! Huge thank you to Chel for joining us for this episode, Jessie for editing the podcast, and Nate for our podcast music. If you are interested in supporting our work, ⁠you can do so here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Bound Together with Leora Fridman

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 51:54


    Join us as we talk to Leora Fridman (she/her). Leora is a Jewish writer whose work is concerned with issues of identity, care, ability, and embodiment. Leora is the author of upcoming book “Bound Up: On Kink, Power, and Belonging” which is “an autotheoretical journey through bondage, domination, and intimacy, [in which she] uncovers how Jewish historical trauma can be challenged and explored in embodied relations.” “Bound Up” comes out TOMORROW and you can pre-order it here! If you're based in NYC, check out ⁠Leora's New York launch event for Bound Up: October 10, 2024⁠. If you're outside of NY, you can still see Leora on her book tour! Leora is an absolute trove of knowledge and links to the various things she mentions can be found below: Dispossession, Diasporas, & Doikayt: Shellyne Rodriguez, Molly Crabapple, and Andreas Petrossiants in conversation at PPOW Gallery Is Holocaust Education Making Anti-Semitism Worse? By Dara Horn Sins Invalid's 10 Principles of Disability Justice You Barely Even Work Here: On Higher Education and the Myths of Neutrality by Leora Fridman The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez Unthinking Mastery by Julietta Singh  Jo Kent Katz: Transcending Jewish Trauma Dori Midnight Kruim Yachad (Torn Together): Diasporist Grief Work for the Long Haul Understanding Antimsemitism: An Offering to Our Movement - A Resource from Jews for Racial & Economic Justice New Jewish Culture Fellowship Kaddish for an Unborn Avant-Garde by Maia Ipp How To Tell When We Will Die: On Pain, Disability and Doom by Johanna Hedva Studies in Hysteria by Sigmund Freud and Joseph Breuer Cruising Utopia by José Esteban Muñoz Another Freedom: The Alternative History of An Idea by Svetlana Boym A Birth of One's Own: On Inheritance, Curation, and Production by Leora Fridman Static Palace by Leora Fridman Huge thank you to Leora for joining us for this episode, Jessie for editing the podcast, and Nate for our podcast music. If you are interested in supporting our work, you can do so here. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Solidarity is Safety with Chaia

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 54:24


    Join us as we talk to Chaia (she/her), a Jewish dance music artist who makes Kleztronica - electronic and techno music that uses samples from yiddish and klezmer music. Chaia's first single is out TODAY and we are so excited to share our conversation with her where she talks all things yiddish, techno, kleztronica, and everything in between. Listen to Chaia's new single, ⁠Borough Park⁠, out as of 9/13/24. If you are in NYC, check out the ⁠Diasporic Techno Night ⁠Chaia mentions, happening Friday 9/13 all evening. If you're on the West coast, Chaia has lots of events coming up there! You can also find her at the Pop Montreal Festival. You can find all her events on ⁠her website⁠. Chaia writes about her single, “Borough Park samples my grandmother describing her childhood growing up in Borough Park. She would always tell me a story of her childhood there by prefacing it with “this might shock you.” Her childhood in the Jewish community there was very different than we imagine Jewish community operating today. It was pluralistic, interdenominational, mixed gender, mixed class. It sounds like the community that I imagine creating today. A community that I found small microcosms of in the queer Jewish, anti-state, and klezmer communities. A community that I've also found in the techno world. This is a story of that community paired with a Yiddish song called Oyfn Oyvn (sung here by a young Ethel Raim), which talks about a girl who convinces a boy to sit with her on an oven not by appealing to his background, or by physical force, but with gentle love and embrace." Chaia is a wealth of knowledge and she shares so much of it with us in this episode. Some of the things she mentions are: The book, "Assembling a Black Counter Culture" by Deforrest Brown Jr The ⁠Clear the Floor collective ⁠ The ⁠Yiddish Song of the Week archive⁠ ⁠Hankus Netsky - NECMusic⁠ Juan Atkins (the "Godfather of techno")  The ⁠Ruth Rubin archive ⁠ ⁠Itzik Gottesman ⁠ ⁠Ethel Raim ⁠ ⁠Lily Henley⁠ fellow musician making Ladino music ⁠Micah Simone⁠, Jewish-Egyptian-American dance artist ⁠Avia Moore⁠, who also runs the ⁠Klez Kanada festival⁠ ⁠Pepi Litman ⁠- The Yiddish drag king   The ⁠Yiddish New York festival⁠ ⁠LEVYOSN⁠ - the Klezmer band Chaia is part of  Thank you to Chaia for joining us, Jessie for editing the podcast, and Nate for the podcast music. If you are interested in supporting our work, ⁠you can do so here.⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Embodied Resistance: AZ Jewish SWers & the Fight for Liberation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 76:16


    [This conversation was recorded live on 8/18/24 as a part of the Embodied Resistance event.] Join Making Mensches for a conversation with Leilah Feinstein and Ayelet Cartolina, discussing Tu B'av, s*x workers in Judaism, and how s*x workers play a role in our fight for liberation. [The images mentioned by Ayelet can be found here!] Ticket sales from this event allowed us to raise $308 toward evacuating two families from Gaza, and we encourage you all to continue sharing and donating: Venmo & PayPal — @minahilakbar76 CashApp — $4shM3   PayPal: ⁠minahilakbar330@gmail.com⁠ If you're interested in going to the Sex Worker Open Mic Night and bringing letters or art for the solidarity book mentioned, it's ⁠Sept 20th from 6-10pm at Starr Bar in Brooklyn⁠.  We encourage you to check out ⁠A Stripper's Guide Podcast⁠ - a resource for sex workers and femmes. You can find Leilah at ⁠@leilahfeinstein⁠! You can read more of Ayelet's work ⁠on his blog⁠. Some resources that we used to inform our conversation are below:  ⁠Tu B'av⁠ ⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.12.18?lang=bi&aliyot=0⁠  ⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Isaiah.23.16?lang=bi⁠  ⁠https://www.sefaria.org/Kiddushin.40a.17?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en⁠  ⁠https://www.nswp.org/country/israel⁠  ⁠https://decriminalizesex.work/why-decriminalization/briefing-papers/decriminalization-is-the-only-solution/⁠  ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xai-how-are-you/id1500147124⁠   Here's t⁠he specific link to the episode about kink work and Talmudic halakhah⁠. ⁠https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/maacah-wife-of-david-midrash-and-aggadah⁠  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Anti-Zionism in the 70s (Part 2) with Bill

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 52:21


    Welcome to part 2 of our episodes with Dr Bill! Some of you may know Dr Bill from the ⁠blog series he penned for our website⁠, describing his journey as an anti-zionist Jew in the 70s and 80s. We wanted to bring him on the podcast so you could hear from him in this way. He's very keen on questions, so please dm or email us if you have any for him. It would make him very happy to answer them :) We'll be back with another episode soon

    Anti-Zionism in the 70s with Dr Bill

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 41:12


    We're bacccckkkk! Did you miss us? We've channeled our energy over the last 10 months to organizing around the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and aim to continue focusing our attention on Gaza while bringing back the podcast as a way to amplify calls for an end to genocide and occupation. Our first episode back is with Dr Bill! Some of you may know Dr Bill from the blog series he penned for our website, describing his journey as an anti-zionist Jew in the 70s and 80s. We wanted to bring him on the podcast so you could hear from him in this way. He's very keen on questions, so please dm or email us if you have any for him. It would make him very happy to answer them :) We will be back with part 2 next week, so stay tuned! Already donated to direct funds to Gazans and want to support our work? You can do so here. Get daily updates and info on events on our Instagram or our newsletter. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Diasporism as Action with The Jewish Diasporist Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2023 55:07


    We have definitely not been conducting ~business as usual~ the last two months as we focus our time and energy on amplifying Palestinian voices and doing what we can from here to fight for a liberated Palestine. We are back in the midst of this hiatus to bring you a joint episode with The Jewish Diasporist podcast! We talk about how The Jewish Diasporist podcast started and what it means to identify as a "diasporist," a bit about the founders personal backgrounds, and how they conceive of the connection between anti-zionism and diasporism. Stay tuned for future collaboration with them, and as usual, free Palestine, by any means necessary. Some things of note: -The photo for this episode is of Ben in front of his great great grandfathers home in Poland. He was able to track down the exact home with the help of Zach. -DONATE to help Tzion Kaukira provide copies of the torah in Luganda in the 12 synagogues across Uganda. Listen to their episode with Tzion here! -Zach, one of the founders of The Jewish Diasporist, is from Poland and is eager to help other folks with lineage there discover family history. If you want to take him up on this, feel free to reach out to him by emailing contact@jewishdiasporist.com -Jordan talks more about the ecology of love on this episode of The Jewish Diasporist -Zach wrote this piece for Forward about the Polish parliament Hanukkah incident, we encourage folks to give it a read if they don't know about the incident --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan: Toward Liberation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2023 28:28


    It feels weird to be posting about a new podcast episode while genocide rages on, but we offer this episode on Cheshvan as a reflection on what is happening in the world and a space for Jewish ritual that feels so necessary in order to bolster us as we continue fighting against ethnic cleansing. If this resonates with you and you want this right now, feel free to listen. If it doesn't, leave it here, and keep amplifying Palestinian voices, keep protesting, keep calling / emailing / mailing letters to your representatives demanding a ceasefire and no more aid sent to Israel, keep struggling for Palestinian liberation. For additional information, head to our instagram From the river to the sea 

    Sukkot 101: Vision Forts with Sol Weiss (they/them)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2023 51:17


    Join us as we talk all things Sukkot and art and agriculture and Judaism with Sol Weiss (they/them)! During this episode, we talk about the idea of sukkah's as vision forts, what it means to be in healing relationship with the land, collective composting, and so so much more.  Some links to things that we discuss in this session are:

    Yom Kippur 101: Starting Over Again, and Again, and Again...

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2023 44:19


    g'mar chatima tova to all you lovely listeners!

    Let Yourself Belong with Rebekah Erev [Rosh Chodesh Tishrei]

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2023 47:30


    This episode we talk all about the month of Tishrei with Rebekah Erev (they/them)

    Jewish Enough with Veronica Stewart-Frommer

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 47:01


    Join us for this expansive conversation with Veronica Stewart-Frommer, lead singer of the band Melt, and anti-nuclear weapons activist ❤️‍

    Explicitly Anti-Zionist with Micah Bazant

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2023 39:00


    Join us as we talk to Micah Bazant (they/them) a visual artist and cultural strategist who works with social justice movements to reimagine the world. We talk to Micah about some of their zines, TimTum and Miklat Miklat, the connections between abolition and Judaism, the importance of being explicitly anti-zionist, healing from generational trauma, and what dreams we all have of the world to come. For more of Micah's work, check out their website! Here is the link for the talk Micah mentioned, about Anti-racism in Creative Practice, and for the Creative Wildfire Project. We deeply encourage listeners to support Ashley Diamond. Next week, we will be talking to Veronica (they/she/any pronouns). Veronica is an artist, writer, and anti-nuclear weapons activist! As usual, thank you to Nate for our podcast music and to Jessie for editing the pod! #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Make Art For Your Friends with Anna Rajagopal

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2023 50:51


    On this episode, we talk with Anna Rajagopal about being Houston's biggest fan and the significance of our geographic homes, about loving and losing - especially in relation to Queer community, and the power of art and joy as resistance.  We discuss Anna's pieces about their friend and community member Audrey, those can be found HERE and HERE. We also talk about their poem Alona Naomi, which can be found HERE. Anna asked us to highlight the Instagram art page Art Auction for Palestine and talks about For the People, the queer/BIPOC Houston show management page. They have a show coming up in October if you are Houston based! They recently had their writing featured as an art piece at the Everything Is Special Art Show by Hotel Chlorine. If you want to read more of their published writing, you can find it here. Join us next week as we talk to Micah Bazant (they/them), a visual artist and cultural strategist who works with social justice movements to reimagine the world. As usual, shoutout to Nate for our podcast music and shoutout to Jessie for editing the podcast! #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Preservation Through Poetry with Astera

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2023 40:00


    Join us for a beautiful conversation with Astera (she/they) about diaspora, preservation, and the significance of language - especially Ladino ❤️‍

    The Power of Transformation with Naomi Weintraub

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2023 38:23


    Join us as we talk with Naomi Weintraub (they/them). Naomi is currently the Community Artist-in-Residence at the Jewish Museum of Maryland. Their art practice explores themes of play, queerness, anarchism, and environment. We talk with them about living on Jewish time, and queer time, the power of Jewish ritual and the power of transformation, and Jewish anarchism!  You can get in contact with Naomi on their instagram and check out their art on their website. We talk about the Olam Haba planner created by Rebekah Erev and Nomy Lamb, which you can find here. We also talk about Rebellious Anarchist Young Jews (RAYJ) and the podcast that Naomi hosts for The Jewish Museum of Maryland, Disloyal. The books they plug at the end of the episode are: “There's Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart” “With Freedom in Our Ears”   “Practical Anarchism” See you next week when we talk to Astera (she/they)! Astera is a multhiethnic sefardi writer, pianist, and photographer who is passionate about preserving diasporic languages and customs alive, anti-zionism, and creating. As always, s/o to Nate for our podcast music! #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Tattooing As Radical Resistance with Nick/Tahini

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2023 27:38


    Join us as we talk to multi-talented artist @tahini.jpg ❤️‍

    Leaving Space for Nuance with Parker Sera

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 35:17


    We go full poetry nerd mode in this episode with Parker Sera! Join us as we talk about leaving room for nuance, the importance of activism in Judaism, and unpacking the relationship between art and capitalism.  You can find Parker on instagram or check out their website. The work we talked about is here and here. Definitely check out her linktree and website for all her work. She will also be reading a play THIS SATURDAY in Philly, you can find details here. She'll also be reading some poems in Philly on August 18th, but follow her for more details on that as they come! Join us next week when we talk to Nick! Nick, or Tahini, (they/them) is an Agender Jewish artist, tattooer and farmer residing in Northern NY, originally from the Philadelphia area. As always, thank you to Nate for our podcast music! #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Unabashed Black, Queer Joy is Healing with ZAI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2023 34:48


    Join us for another installment of The Artist Series with our incredible guest Zai, ⁠@kxngzaire⁠ ❤️‍

    Honoring and Breaking From Tradition with Aviva La Viv

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2023 45:11


    Join us as we talk with @avivalaviv about their art and Jewish lineage ✨Aviva talks about art as a connective force and holding space for the dichotomy that exists in our world

    The L'Chaim of It All with Mia Montalvo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 33:43


    If you missed it live you're going to want to tune into this especially fitting Summer Solstice episode with @playscapeart 

    Getting the Ball Rolling with Daniel Kushner

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2023 41:13


    Join us for our FIRST episode of this incredible series with Daniel Kushner! We talk about Daniel's time performing as Motel in Fiddler, how his anti-zionism shows up in his art, and the importance of dialogue. To check out more of Daniel's work, follow him on ⁠IG⁠ and read his article ⁠here⁠! @mmontalvo_xo on IG! S/o to Nate for our podcast music

    Rosh Chodesh: The Divine Feminine and the Pull of the Moon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 23:57


    In celebration of Rosh Chodesh Sivan we are finally uploading our episode on the Divine Feminine and the Pull of the Moon, which was recorded at Union Theological Seminary on October 20th, 2021. We were so honored to present at Chapel and still feel so strongly about this episode. Since this episode was recorded, we have begun hosting consistent Rosh Chodesh circles every month and love to talk all things new moon, astrology, and Judaism! Check out our instagram @makingmensches for more of our Rosh Chodesh content

    Tzedek: Pursuing Justice

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 18:50


    May Day felt like the most appropriate day to release our episode on Tzedek, or Justice, as a podcast episode! [Originally recorded on February 10th, 2022] Join us for an expansive session on justice - where we talk about everything from Maimonides' ladder of giving, to water and rest being metaphors for justice, and reparations being tzedekah

    Getting Cheeky with God: Circumcision

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2023 39:07


    This week we bring you the last episode from last year's series with @fckingthefineprint! Join us as we discuss cultural perceptions of circumcision, consent, what Judaism says about circumcision, and much much more

    Getting Cheeky with God: Judaism Demands Abortion Access

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 33:15


    Another episode from last years series with @fckingthefineprint, this one on abortion and Judaism! Obviously SO much has shifted in the abortion access landscape since this time last year, much of it for the worse in terms of legal restrictions. Please keep in mind a lot of those shifts had not yet happened when we recorded, but make sure to check out any of the many organizations and individuals fighting for abortion access and care. Also, apologies for the sound quality! We had some tech issues but it should be mostly understandable :) Judaism demands access to SAFE and QUALITY abortions, and we talk about this and much more in this episode. Shoutout to @fckingthefineprint for this amazing joint series and to Nate for our podcast music! For more info, check out Making Mensches on all platforms, or linktr.ee/makingmensches [Episode originally recorded on April 28th, 2022] #Abortion #ReproductiveJustice #ReproductiveHealth #AbortionRights #Judaism #JewishLearning #RadicalJudaism #SexEducatjon #SexualLearning #AbortionAccess --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/makingmensches/support

    Getting Cheeky with God: Menstruation and the Mikveh

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2023 32:43


    We did this awesome series with F*cking the Fine Print almost a year ago and this was the second episode in this four-part series, now available as a podcast! Re-listen if you were listening last year or listen for the first time for some gems. In this session, we talk about all things menstruation, reclaiming the mikveh, and much much more

    Getting Cheeky with God: Sex, Pleasure, and Judaism

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 50:11


    We did this awesome series with F*cking the Fine Print almost a year ago and decided it was about time we brought it to the podcast format! (Episode done on IG, April 12th, 2022) In this session, we talk about pleasure, Judaism, religion and sex, abstinence, non-goal oriented sex, and much much more

    For the Love of Yenta's

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2023 31:39


    The three yentas get back together to gossip some more, this time with the theme of Judaism in mind! join us as we talk about L'shon Hara, Miriam, and everything in between

    Gossip Is IN in 2023!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2023 26:02


    Join 3 yentas as we gab about all things gossip and spill all the tea about how gossip actually is super important!

    Internalized Antisemitism

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2022 43:43


    *Apologies for the subpar audio! We had some technical difficulties this time around. In the final episode of our series on antisemitism, we talk about what internalized oppression is, how internalized antisemitism shows up in our lives, and what internalized antisemitism IS NOT (hint: it's not antizionism!)

    Jewish Generational Trauma (The Holocaust and Beyond)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2022 35:00


    In the third episode of our Antisemitism series, we talk about Jewish generational trauma.. what it is, how we experience it, and how to begin healing from it. You're definitely going to want to join us for this one and catch up on the first two episodes of the series before our final installment on December 28th, on Processing Anti-Semitism as Jews and Dealing with Internalized Antisemitism! All the sources we mention can be found by signing up for our newsletter (or at this link: linktr.ee/makingmensches) Shoutout to Nate for our podcast music! #Trauma #GenerationalTrauma #HealingTrauma #HistoricalTrauma #JewishTrauma #AntiZionistJews #AntiSemitism #AntiSemitic #JewishResistance #JewishLearning #RadicalJudaism #PalestinianLiberation #JewishLiberation #BlackLiberation #Liberation #zionismisnotjudaism #zionismisracism #Podcast #JewishPodcast #podcasts #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #applepodcast #podcasters #itunespodcast #podcastlife #podcasthost #podcaster #podcastmovement #podcastseries #podcastjunkie #podcasting #podcast

    Grappling with Antisemitism

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2022 51:54


    Join us as we talk about the recent antisemitism that has made it into the mainstream and talk about how we process it as Jews, what accountability looks like, and what it means to experience antisemitism with caveat

    Defining Antisemitism and Breaking Down Tropes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2022 35:42


    The first part of this four-part series talks about antisemitism and breaks down some common antisemitic tropes! We wanted to ground this series in this information before moving on to talking more deeply about the impacts of antisemitism and the ways it surrounds us in the mainstream. Watch or listen to learn & join us on NOVEMBER 30th at 8pm EST to talk about grappling with antisemitism from celebrities and peers

    NYBTS Book Club: "A Land with a People" Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 43:59


    Shabbat Shalom! In Part 2 of our book club, we discuss the second half of “A Land With A People”

    NYBTS Book Club: "A Land With A People" Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2022 50:39


    We're back with a book club! Join us as we talk about the first two sections of A Land With A People, “A History” and “Displacement and Memory." We wrestle with the messy contradictions that exist in these conversations and talk about what we learned, what was not new but framed well for us, and what we struggled with. We'll be back NEXT WEEK on 10/27 at 8pm EST for Part 2 of this book club. S/o to @naebirdwav on IG for our podcast music, and Mazel Tov to him and Nicole on their wedding! You can find us at @makingmensches on IG and Twitter, and our website is makingmensches.com #BookClub #JewishResistance #AntiZionistJews #RadicalJudaism #JewishEducation #JewishLearning #Podcast #JewishPodcast #podcasts #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #applepodcast #podcasters #itunespodcast #podcastlife #podcasthost #podcaster #podcastmovement #podcastseries #podcastjunkie #podcasting #podcast

    A Non-Stance is a Stance - with Anna Rajagopal

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2022 67:31


    You're going to want to listen to this episode! The last episode of our August series with the incredible @annarajagopal

    Doikayt and L'dor V'dor: Hereness Through the Generations - with Arielle and Amanda Gordon

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2022 57:16


    Join us for a family conversation about anti-zionism with Elana's two cousins Arielle and Amanda

    "Reaching For a Jewish Ethics Beyond Zionism" - with Zohar Gitlis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2022 77:04


    Join us for an INCREDIBLE session with @zoharzip where we unpack her thesis, “Reaching For a Jewish Ethics Beyond Zionism”

    Jews Are Not A Monolith - with Evan Cole

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2022 37:05


    Join us for our INCREDIBLE conversation with @evan.cole

    Palestine Liberation IS Climate Justice (Bal Taschit - Do Not Destroy)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2022 26:20


    In our FINAL episode of our July series on how Jewish ethics support anti-zionism, Elana and Jessie talk about how the destruction of Palestinian land and livelihood is a direct contradiction to the value of “do not destroy” (bal taschit)

    The Courage to Call Out Anti-Zionism (Ometz Lev)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2022 23:25


    This week join us as we talk about Ometz Lev - courage! We talk about the courage that it takes to be vocal about anti-zionism in Jewish spaces, the importance of language, and the necessity to break cycles of generational and historical trauma

    Claim Making Mensches: Not Your Bubbe's Torah School

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