Making Mensches (Making Mensches)
Explore every episode of Making Mensches
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
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| 01 Nov 2023 | Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan: Toward Liberation | 00:28:28 | |
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 🇵🇸 Thank you to Nate for our podcast music, and Jessie for editing the pod! | |||
| 17 May 2023 | Rosh Chodesh: The Divine Feminine and the Pull of the Moon | 00:23:57 | |
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 👀 As always, shoutout to Nate for our podcast music and for more resources check out linktr.ee/makingmensches #RoshChodesh #Mooncycles #LunarCalendar #NewMoon #DivineFeminine | |||
| 28 Jul 2022 | Palestine Liberation IS Climate Justice (Bal Taschit - Do Not Destroy) | 00:26:20 | |
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) 👀 Shout out to @naebird for our sick podcast music!
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| 13 Jul 2023 | Leaving Space for Nuance with Parker Sera | 00:35:17 | |
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 | |||
| 24 Sep 2023 | Yom Kippur 101: Starting Over Again, and Again, and Again... | 00:44:19 | |
g'mar chatima tova to all you lovely listeners! 🕊️ We hope that this episode can be a helpful guide to your Yom Kippur observance, as we break down what Yom Kippur is and talk about… ❤️🔥 the idea of Yom Kippur being a dress rehearsal for our death ❤️🔥 our feelings on fasting ❤️🔥 how the Unetanneh Tokef represents the power of oral tradition ❤️🔥 Kol Nidre honoring a history of forced conversions, and much much more. However you choose to observe, we hope it’s meaningful 🕯️ Join us next time for a Sukkot episode with Sol Weiss (they/them) 🥳 As always, shoutout to Nate for our podcast music and to Jessie for editing the pod! | |||
| 29 Dec 2022 | Internalized Antisemitism | 00:43:43 | |
*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!) 🥳 S/o to Nate for our amazing podcast music, and sign up for our newsletter HERE: linktr.ee/makingmensches
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| 11 Aug 2023 | Make Art For Your Friends with Anna Rajagopal | 00:50:51 | |
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 | |||
| 21 Jul 2023 | Tattooing As Radical Resistance with Nick/Tahini | 00:27:38 | |
Join us as we talk to multi-talented artist @tahini.jpg ❤️🔥🕯️🍃 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 | |||
| 15 Jun 2023 | Getting the Ball Rolling with Daniel Kushner | 00:41:13 | |
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!
S/o to Nate for our podcast music 🥳 | |||
| 02 Dec 2022 | Grappling with Antisemitism | 00:51:54 | |
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 🤍 Shout out to Nate for our podcast music!
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| 25 Mar 2025 | Ancestral Connection in Movement Work: Exploring Ushpizine Practice with the DWELL in Revolution Team | 00:28:37 | |
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. | |||
| 08 Aug 2024 | Anti-Zionism in the 70s (Part 2) with Bill | 00:52:21 | |
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 👀 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. | |||
| 02 May 2023 | Tzedek: Pursuing Justice | 00:18:50 | |
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 💚💚
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| 24 Oct 2023 | The Courage to Call Out Zionism (Ometz Lev) | 00:23:25 | |
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 👀
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| 22 Jun 2023 | The L'Chaim of It All with Mia Montalvo | 00:33:43 | |
If you missed it live you’re going to want to tune into this especially fitting Summer Solstice episode with @playscapeart 🌞🐚🎨
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| 23 Feb 2023 | For the Love of Yenta's | 00:31:39 | |
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 👀 Shout out to Nate for the podcast music and Jessie for editing the pod! | |||
| 25 Aug 2023 | Jewish Enough with Veronica Stewart-Frommer | 00:47:01 | |
Join us for this expansive conversation with Veronica Stewart-Frommer, lead singer of the band Melt, and anti-nuclear weapons activist ❤️🔥 We talk all about what it means to feel "Jewish enough" and how we can end up using our Jewish identities, or proximity to Judaism, as a shield of sorts when talking about Palestinian liberation and how we can move away from that. We talk all about Veronica's activism around nuclear disarmament and how their identities effortlessly find their way into their art. We also discuss the power of mourning together - especially on the large-scale with folks who engage with their music. There is so much juicy goodness in this episode, we can't wait for you to listen! 🫐 Get tickets to Melt's fall tour and listen to their newest song “Walk to Midnight” 🎶 We will be back in a few weeks with an episode for Rosh Chodesh Tishrei 👀 Thank you to Nate for our podcast music and Jessie for being the podcast editor extraordinaire 🙏 #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries | |||
| 02 Aug 2024 | Anti-Zionism in the 70s with Dr Bill | 00:41:12 | |
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. | |||
| 09 Feb 2023 | Gossip Is IN in 2023! | 00:26:02 | |
Join 3 yentas as we gab about all things gossip and spill all the tea about how gossip actually is super important! 💅 Shout out to Nate for our music and Jessie for editing the pod <3 #Gossip #Yente #Yenta #GossipGirl #JewishResistance #JewishLearning #RadicalJudaism #JewishLiberation #Liberation #Podcast #JewishPodcast #podcasts #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #applepodcast #podcasters #itunespodcast | |||
| 08 Jul 2022 | Hochai’ach Tochee’ach | 00:20:54 | |
Shabbat Shalom! 🥳 Welcome to the first episode of our July series on how Jewish ethics and principles support anti-zionism ✡️ We’re starting off with Hochai’ach Tochee’ach - you shall rebuke! We talk about calling in as community care and how calling in is a sign of love we are all obligated to engage in 💚 See you next week! #Rebuke #CallingIn #Community #JewishResistance #Love #AntiZionism #AntiZionistJews #JewishEducation #JewishLearning #Podcast #JewishPodcast #podcasts #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #applepodcast #podcasters #itunespodcast #podcastlife #podcasthost #podcaster #podcastmovement #podcastseries #podcastjunkie #podcasting #podcast🎧 #podcast #podcaststudio #newpodcast #podcastinglife #podcastlove #podcastaddict #podcastshow #podcastersofinstagram | |||
| 06 Jul 2023 | Unabashed Black, Queer Joy is Healing with ZAI | 00:34:48 | |
Join us for another installment of The Artist Series with our incredible guest Zai, @kxngzaire ❤️🔥 In this episode we talk with Zai about the power of visibility, the liberation that lies in simply existing, avant garde fashion for trans folks, and so much more! Check out @beyondstudios.nyc and listen to ZAI on all music platforms, search The Purge feat Big Water if you can't find ZAI Read the NYT article ZAI was featured in! Come back next week when we talk to @parker.sera - a queer, Ashkenazic actor, poet, theatre maker and teaching artist 🫶🏼 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 | |||
| 22 Oct 2024 | We Rely on Each Other with Ezra Star and Jen Deerinwater | 01:00:47 | |
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: 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. | |||
| 17 Nov 2022 | Defining Antisemitism and Breaking Down Tropes | 00:35:42 | |
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.
If you want to check out our sources, sign up for our newsletter or click this link: https://linktr.ee/makingmensches Shout out to Nate for our podcast music! | |||
| 04 Apr 2023 | Getting Cheeky with God: Judaism Demands Abortion Access | 00:33:15 | |
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 | |||
| 04 Nov 2024 | Unsettled with Dr. Oren Kroll-Zeldin | 01:13:14 | |
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 | |||
| 15 Dec 2023 | Diasporism as Action with The Jewish Diasporist Podcast | 00:55:07 | |
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 | |||
| 26 Aug 2022 | A Non-Stance is a Stance - with Anna Rajagopal | 01:07:31 | |
You’re going to want to listen to this episode! The last episode of our August series with the incredible @annarajagopal 🥳 If you want to reach out to Anna, you can contact them on their Instagram or Twitter!
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| 07 Aug 2023 | Preservation Through Poetry with Astera | 00:40:00 | |
Join us for a beautiful conversation with Astera (she/they) about diaspora, preservation, and the significance of language - especially Ladino ❤️🔥 Astera brings light to how powerful preserving language - like Ladino - and culture are, as ways to engage with art and continue creating art, and as ways to push back against zionism and other settler colonialism. You can listen to Astera’s podcast HERE, read their poem we talk about HERE, and read their article we mentioned HERE. If you want more of their poetry, it’s HERE. She also plays piano HERE and has a mixed media IG HERE. Also, stay tuned because they will be published in Lilth Magazine this fall! 👀 The song Jessie mentioned can be found HERE. Join us for our next episode with @annarajagopal, they/she, a South Asian Jewish writer and poet anchored in Houston, Texas. 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 | |||
| 29 Nov 2024 | Grounding Us In the Divine with Julie Weitz | 01:14:51 | |
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: -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. | |||
| 02 Jul 2022 | Reflecting on a Year of Anti-Zionism | 00:21:16 | |
It’s been a little over a year since we published israel Won’t Save Us: Moving Towards Liberation. Since then, we’ve identified openly as an anti-Zionist Jewish organization. This decision has brought us into community with incredible Jewish organizations, educators, and organizers who have welcomed us and encouraged us to keep going. We’ve also faced backlash from Jewish communities and lost opportunities as well. We are so grateful for the people who have reached out to share their stories, lessons, and advice. In this episode, we reflect on our decision to publish the article and our experiences since! Be back next week with the beginning of our July series on how Jewish ethics support anti-zionism 👀 #AntiZionism #AntiZionistJews #JewishEducation #JewishLearning #Podcast #JewishPodcast #podcasts #podcastcommunity #podcastnetwork #applepodcast #podcasters #itunespodcast #podcastlife #podcasthost #podcaster #podcastmovement #podcastseries #podcastjunkie #podcasting #podcast🎧 #podcast #podcaststudio #newpodcast #podcastinglife #podcastlove #podcastaddict #podcastshow #podcastersofinstagram | |||
| 23 Sep 2024 | Bound Together with Leora Fridman | 00:51:54 | |
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:
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. | |||
| 09 Apr 2025 | Depicting Our Ancestors: DWELL Artist Feature with Ayeola, Hadar, Shelby | 00:39:03 | |
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. | |||
| 28 Oct 2022 | NYBTS Book Club: "A Land with a People" Part 2 | 00:43:59 | |
Shabbat Shalom! In Part 2 of our book club, we discuss the second half of “A Land With A People” 🤍 S/o to @naebirdwav on IG for our podcast music You can find us at @makingmensches on IG and Twitter, and our website is makingmensches.com
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| 27 Jul 2023 | The Power of Transformation with Naomi Weintraub | 00:38:23 | |
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” 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 | |||
| 01 Oct 2024 | Finding G-d at the Waters Edge w Rabbi Chel | 00:43:33 | |
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. | |||
| 18 Sep 2023 | Let Yourself Belong with Rebekah Erev [Rosh Chodesh Tishrei] | 00:47:30 | |
This episode we talk all about the month of Tishrei with Rebekah Erev (they/them) 🪐 Rebekah is the co-creator of the Dreaming The World To Come planner and podcast and of the Queer Mikveh Project! They bring us all of the wisdom and nourishment we could ask for leading into Tishrei. For more of their work, visit https://rebekaherevstudio.com/ We talk about… 🕯️ embracing all the tiny moments of joy and love 🕯️what it really means to dream the world to come 🕯️how time is just a spiral and we are constantly starting over 🕯️ letting ourselves belong Check out the Al Nes (for the miracle we enlivened) - the supplement to the Al Chet they mention in this episode. They also mention the JVP Havurah Network, and talk about the Cheshvan episode of Dreaming The World to Come with Yishaq Ofori Solomon. *** If you’re interested in setting up a somatic coaching session with Rebekah, please email them at rebekah@rebekaherevstudio.com to set up a consult! *** For more about Tishrei, check out our Tishrei post on instagram Join us next time for our first episode just us in ages, as we talk about Yom Kippur 🕊️ #artistsoninstagram #JewishArtists #QueerArtists #AntiZionistArtists #JewishArt #QueerArt #ArtAsResistance #Art #QueerJews #Jewish #JewishResistance #Podcast #PodcastsOfInstagram #JewishPodcast #IGLive #Conversations #Pride #ArtistSeries #RoshChodesh #Tishrei #NewYear #SweetNewYear #NewMoon #Virgo #Libra #JournalPrompts #Judaism #JewishSpirituality #JewishRitual #NewMoonRitual #RoshChodeshCircle | |||
| 05 Aug 2022 | Jews Are Not A Monolith - with Evan Cole | 00:37:05 | |
Join us for our INCREDIBLE conversation with @evan.cole 🥳 As always, shout out to @naebird for our awesome music!
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| 21 Oct 2022 | NYBTS Book Club: "A Land With A People" Part 1 | 00:50:39 | |
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." 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🎧 #podcast #podcaststudio #newpodcast #podcastinglife #Reflection #JVP #Book | |||
| 14 Jul 2022 | An Obligation to Intervene: Al Ta'amod Al Dam Reyacha | 00:15:59 | |
This week we talk about how the Jewish value of not being a bystander supports anti-zionism! Shout out to @naebird on IG for our amazing music!
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| 18 Nov 2024 | Judaism Loves Fat with Jules Pashall | 00:52:08 | |
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. | |||
| 17 Aug 2023 | Explicitly Anti-Zionist with Micah Bazant | 00:39:00 | |
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 | |||
| 10 Mar 2025 | History Is Not Innocent with Ariella Aïsha Azoulay | 01:00:21 | |
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 👀 [This episode was recorded in February 2025.] Big thanks to Ariella 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. | |||
| 18 Aug 2022 | Doikayt and L'dor V'dor: Hereness Through the Generations - with Arielle and Amanda Gordon | 00:57:16 | |
Join us for a family conversation about anti-zionism with Elana’s two cousins Arielle and Amanda 👯♀️
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| 27 Mar 2023 | Getting Cheeky with God: Menstruation and the Mikveh | 00:32:43 | |
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 💕 Check out F*cking the Fine Print on IG @fckingthefineprint (Episode originally done on IG, April 21st, 2022) #Menstruation #Periods #PeriodSex #SexPleasure #RadicalJudaism #JewishLearning #SexEducation #SexualLearning #Mikveh #Water #Blood | |||
| 13 Sep 2024 | Solidarity is Safety with Chaia | 00:54:24 | |
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:
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. | |||
| 06 Sep 2024 | Embodied Resistance: AZ Jewish SWers & the Fight for Liberation | 01:16:16 | |
[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: 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://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 | |||
| 02 Oct 2023 | Sukkot 101: Vision Forts with Sol Weiss (they/them) | 00:51:17 | |
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: 🌱 The COVID Grief Network (now, Reimagine) 🌱 Being with Grief workbook that Sol illustrated, which is for sale now! (Being with Grief: a Book of Doodles & Prompts: a creative workbook for young adults (and beyond) who’ve experienced significant loss. Part coloring book, part journal, and part ritual guide, this workbook offers 67 pages of low-stakes, self-directed ways to engage with loss on your own terms. Written by Noach Cochran, Katherine Evering-Rowe and Chloe Zelkha, illustrated by Sol.) 🌱 Jewish Agricultural Calendar by the Jewish Farmer Network, illustrated by Sol, available for purchase now as well 🌱 The book Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkins 🌱 Melanie Kaye Kantrowitz and radical diasporism 🌱 Tzedek Lab, where Sol is the Director of Communications & Resource Sharing 🌱 The Sacred Orchard poster and series, created with Dori Midnight (Sacred Orchard: an 18"x24" poster made in collaboration with Dori Midnight exploring seven trees in Jewish magic, myth and medicine. Part of a series that includes a smaller poster on Jewish amulet craft and protection plants, and a Jewish plant magic postcard set.) 🌱 Ushpizin(e): Sukkot edition of Ki Li Ha'aretz, Linke Fligl's zine on reparations and homecoming in Jewish diaspora. (available for download at https://linkefligl.com/zine and in hard copy at https://www.pushcartjudaica.com/shop-old/p/ushpizine-sukkot-zine-ritual-guide) More about Sol: “Sol has served their communities as a visual artist, ritualist and educator for over a decade, using cultural organizing to explore how land, kinship and Jewish tradition can support us in overcoming oppression, healing from colonization and building new worlds. From 2017-2021, they were Co-Director at Linke Fligl queer Jewish chicken farm, where they cultivated wild queer community, held earth-based ritual space and co-facilitated programs for anti-colonial Jewish land connection. They have been on the strategy team for the JVP Havurah Network, a co-founder and ritual leader of Nishmat Shoom, and Director of Operational Change at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. When they’re not in the print shop, the kitchen or the garden, Sol is working with Tzedek Lab as Director of Communications and Resource Sharing to support a growing network of visionaries and changemakers moving the Jewish world towards justice for all.” As always, shout out to Jessie for editing the pod and Nate for our podcast music! | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | Honoring and Breaking From Tradition with Aviva La Viv | 00:45:11 | |
Join us as we talk with @avivalaviv about their art and Jewish lineage ✨
Aviva also highlights The Generations Project and their cousins book, The Cost of Free Land by Rebecca Clarren.
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| 16 Dec 2024 | Aligning Our Bodies with Liberation featuring Eliana Rubin | 00:52:43 | |
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. | |||
| 28 Jun 2022 | The Mikvah | 00:20:46 | |
We’ve been waiting to talk about the mikvah with y’all and hope you’ll tune in to learn all about the beautiful ways it’s been reimagined 💧
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| 12 Aug 2022 | "Reaching For a Jewish Ethics Beyond Zionism" - with Zohar Gitlis | 01:17:04 | |
Join us for an INCREDIBLE session with @zoharzip where we unpack her thesis, “Reaching For a Jewish Ethics Beyond Zionism” 💚 If you want to reach out to Zohar about her work, you can reach her on instagram @zoharzip The audio is a little choppy in the beginning but don’t stop listening bc it gets a whole lot better 😇 See you next week on WEDNESDAY for our next session with @arielllllllllle and @amandagordon10 🥰
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| 11 Apr 2023 | Getting Cheeky with God: Circumcision | 00:39:07 | |
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 💕 NOTE: Around the 11 minute mark the audio cuts out so it sounds like Madison is saying that the percentage of circumcised people worldwide is 7.7% but it’s actually 37.7%. 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 May 4th, 2022] #Circumcision#GenitalMutilation#Bris#Judaism #JewishLearning #RadicalJudaism #SexEducatjon #SexualLearning | |||
| 11 Feb 2025 | back to our roots | 00:36:45 | |
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 bish join 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 👀 | |||
| 15 Dec 2022 | Jewish Generational Trauma (The Holocaust and Beyond) | 00:35:00 | |
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🎧 #podcast | |||
| 20 Mar 2023 | Getting Cheeky with God: Sex, Pleasure, and Judaism | 00:50:11 | |
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 💕
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