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DateTitreDurée
19 Sep 20190 — Isaiah 60: The Breasts of Kings00:37:02

This week, we launch our pilot episode with the haftorah portion for the week, Isaiah 60. Find us talking about paradigms of scholarship, collective land ownership, and how to translate "the breasts of kings." Also, listen to the second half of the episode to hear us answer fun questions about ourselves and how this podcast will work in the future!

Around 30 minutes in, Jaz mentions a story but can't remember the citation. It's from Sifra (a midrashic text) in the section Kedoshim, Chapter 4:9. You can read it here.

Content warning: From about 14:50 to 15:15, there is an emergency siren in the background

Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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14 Sep 2019Get Hype!: A Very Special KQ Teaser00:00:58

Kosher Queers starts a glorious 5780 cycle on 24 October, and we're blessing your ears with our wisdoms & giggles in our pilot on 19 September.

Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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24 Oct 20191 — Bereishit: G-d of Many Names00:40:46

The new cycle has begun, and we're talking this week about things that happen in the beginning, which is turns out is a lot of things! Find us talking about fruit that gives you social anxiety, being cursed with heterosexuality, and the mysterious presence of humans who really shouldn't be able to exist yet, narratively speaking, and yet are somehow there anyway.

Full transcript of the episode available here.

Around 26 minutes in, Jaz says they'll try to find the source for the rabbinic interpretation that Abel brought the best thing, and Cain brought a mediocre thing. You can find at least one source for that here, from Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 21:5, though more may exist.

Content note: climate apocalypticism around minute 35 as part of a discussion about the Flood

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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31 Oct 20192 — Noach: The Climate is Our Fault00:41:24

We're talking this week about two completely unrelated stories which are for some reason put in the same parsha! Find us talking about animal husbandry best practices, gay rainbow promises, and some very bad linguistics that manages to have some very good politics.

Full transcript of the episode available here.

At 18:18, Jaz reads the blessing over rainbows. If you'd like to read it yourself, it's here in Hebrew, English, and transliteration.

Content notes: climate apocalypticism all over this episode, but particularly starting at around minute 17. From 20:30 to 25:45 there is a discussion of one section that includes drunkenness, possible incest, deeply messed up family dynamics, and slavery.   

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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07 Nov 20193 — Lech Lecha: Patriarchs and Matriarchs Behaving Badly00:40:43

This week, we're discussing leaving home and name changes, so, big queer feelings are happening up in here. Also, catch us comparing matriarchs and patriarchs to Brokeback Mountain, prescribing appropriate polyamorous behavior, and debating whether you should fight for your home or be willing to relocate when things get rough there. Also, Jaz gives Lulav a confusing rating scale.

Full transcript of the episode available here.

The camp song that Jaz sings/butchers at 4 minutes in is "L'chi Lach" by Debbie Friedman and you can hear it sung properly here. The #Parshachat discussion question mentioned at 32 minutes in can be found here.

Content notes: a police siren can be heard from 21:44-21:55. This episode also contains references to slavery multiple times

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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14 Nov 20194 — Vayeira: Your Only Episode, Which You Love00:52:34

In this parsha, Lot is THE WORST, and we don't understand why he chosen to be was saved from destruction. (Maybe it's G-dly nepotism at work?) Also, someone proposes divorcing G-d, Jaz admits to listening to too many Harry Potter podcasts, and Lulav questions whether the parsha passes the Bechdel test. 

Full transcript available here.

Content notes: This episode has numerous references to rape, sexual assault, and incest that are present in the parsha. There's also a brief discussion of historical slavery in our Continuity Corner, starting at minute 48, and other references to slavery throughout the episode. 

The article Jaz references 52 minutes in is Does the Bible Condone Slavery? by Lev Meirowitz Nelson.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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21 Nov 20195 — Chayei Sarah: Women of Valor AND Agency00:47:21

In this episode, Jaz rejoices in the fact that this is their parsha, Lulav giggles about a promise, and together we make a matriarch gay using the power of midrash. Also, we completely forget when Thanksgiving happens.

Full transcript of the episode available here.

Brin Solomon, who gave us the cool thought in our Continuity Corner, is a musician, composer, and journalist, whose latest work can be found here. Here is their website.

Content notes: This episode contains references to slavery and also deeply dysfunctional families of origin.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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28 Nov 20196 — Toldot: Prankster & Son00:48:48

This week, we gush about trans people in tzitzit, discuss environmental justice via wells, and try to determine what the Torah thinks is a good sibling relationship, while this parsha spins us a tale of a very bad sibling relationship. Also, we tell our ancient spiritual ancestors that, while they were definitely hella dramatic, they could have been more creative liars. Also, we wish they had access to therapy.

Full transcript of the episode available here.

At five minutes in, Lulav talks about Dream Apart and Dream Askew, which are available for purchase here.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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05 Dec 20197 — Vayeitzei: Polycule Therapy Please00:49:48

In this episode, we meet the one man Lulav adores (who happens to be a fictional Jewish communist from 19th century Russia, but that's mere details). Also, we meet four of our foremothers, which is very exciting, and bemoan the fact that only two of them are conventionally considered our foremothers. Plus, tricky tricksters all over the place!

Full transcript available here.

At the top of the show, we discuss The Modern Yentas Interest Form, which appears to still be open for all your matchmaking needs. Also, in the course of that conversation, Lulav references an iconic Ezra Koenig tweet and Jaz tells of a midrash wherein G-d offers the Torah to many nations and only the Jewish people accept it. Shortly thereafter, Lulav quotes this tumblr post. In our Continuity Corner, Jaz gets their linguist kippah on and references EtymOnline's entry for "kibosh" and then references Rachel Stomel's tweet about this bit of Talmud

Note: Jaz's audio gets wonky for a couple minutes there at the end. Apologies for that! Not sure what caused it, but we're working on fixing it for the future.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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12 Dec 20198 — Vayishlach: Brothers, Mothers, and Angels, Oh My!00:52:27

In this episode, Lulav is gone (temporarily! just on a vacation) and so Jaz brings on some surprise guests: their family! You can hear deeply messed up sibling relationships discussed by two siblings who have a close and loving relationship, and hear Jaz's mom muse about how we all have to learn to adapt to name changes, even the Bible.

Full transcript available here.

Content note: this episode features a discussion of rape and subsequent murder from 28:52 until 36:44.

Apologies for the uneven audio quality! It was an issue on the recording end, and we think we've mostly identified the issue, so it shouldn't happen again. Fingers crossed, at least. We're about to bring on a new audio editor, Ezra Faust, who will start by editing a piece of patron-only bonus content for Kosher Queers After Dark next week, so get hype for that and subscribe to the Patreon.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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19 Dec 20199 — Vayeishev: It Wasn't Really Technicolor (But You Can Dream)00:57:19

We have another guest, who brings so much scholarly energy to this podcast. Lulav, Jaz, and Jaz's coworker DiCo talk about parashat Vayeishev, AKA the parsha where Joseph is a super annoying sibling but his brothers react way out of proportion AKA DiCo's B mitzvah portion! Hear us discuss whether Joseph's coat was even rainbow after all, how culpable you are if you MEANT to do a bad thing but didn't actually do it because someone else did that exact same bad thing first, and why we can't trust police chiefs or prison wardens.

Partial transcript available here; we expect it to be a full transcript within the next 24 hours and apologize for the delay.

The article that describes DiCo's speech and debate coaching achievements while omitting his pronouns is here.

Content notes: rape mention at 15:26. Discussion of sexual assault with power dynamics from 33:00 to 34:28, including a lynching mention at 34:14.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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26 Dec 201910 — Mikeitz: In Which We Punk Everyone and Their Brother01:02:07

This week, Jaz and Lulav are back to chatting with no guests, but still have a lot to say! We cover body positivity as defined by dream cows, the afterlife as hyperbole from an aggravated dad, and what makes a name really count as your name anyway.

Full transcript available here.

The Jewish story Jaz tells about the afterlife is outlined in brief here. In our Continuity Corner, Em recommended jewisheastend.com and The London Years by Rudolf Rocker. Rocker's partner, Milly Witkop, is a cool-sounding Jewish feminist and anarchist.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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02 Jan 202011 — Vayigash: Shepherds Abhorrent00:40:11

This week, Jaz & Lulav avoid talking about the state of the world as we enter this bright new decade, and instead enthuse about cool Jewish and/or queer media. Also, we learn about gender discrimination from donkeys, struggle to do very basic math, and get very indignant about Biblical economic policies.

This episode's transcript is available here

In our end of year recommendations, we suggested A Rainbow Thread by Noam Sienna, It's a Whole Spiel, edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman, the music of Anat Hochberg, Hi I'm Case, and King Princess, and the Thai movie "Yes or No?" on Netflix. You can also read the poem by Qalonymos ben Qalonymos here. We also have more Jewish and/or recommendations, which you can find on our Patreon (though right now just for patrons). Also, about 15 minutes in, Lulav references Barbara Kruger's piece Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals).

Content note: From 34:00-35:11, discussion of modern racism and antisemitism.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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09 Jan 202012 — Vayechi: Dead is Dad/ We are sad/ Raided will be Gad/ Bereishit is over — not bad!00:56:10

In this week's episode, children are "not mad, just disappointed" at their parents. We get a cool death poem, magic some son into grandsons, spoil another youngest child, and then decide, once and for all, the proper way to mourn (spoilers: however works best for you, with established ritual there as a fallback support structure if you need one). Also, Jaz sort of ended up in Christmas anthology?

Full transcript available here.

The scene from the Tamora Pierce book about a deathbed prophecy can be found in Trickster's Choice. Jaz also recommended I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver, and mentioned the organization Bend the Arc, which is doing progressive Jewish organizing.

Content notes: reference to a genocide at 15 minutes, discussions of death and dying from minute 32 to minute 36, including a death in the text and mourning riturals and a modern-day massacre, and further discussion of death from around minute 46 to around minute 48.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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16 Jan 202013 — Sh'mot: Cartoonishly Villainous00:50:17

In this week's parsha, literally so much happens. We've got that good intermarriage content. We've got that great disability justice content. We've got that questionably good throwback to Hanukkah content. We also have miracles and dark blood death magic and MULTIPLE women with names and agency and also a lovely line to include in your Jewish name change ceremonies.

Our full transcript can be found here.

At around 16:50, Lulav cites the etymology entry for "Hebrew." At around 32:20, the text that Jaz recommends including in your name change ceremonies is in Sh'mot 3:15.

Content note: this episode discusses Biblical slavery frequently and at length. It also contains mentions of genocide and infanticide.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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23 Jan 202014 — Va'eira: Enough Frogs to Overwhelm Our Oppressors00:47:43

This week, we are joined by long-time friend of the pod Nora Chernov, with whom we discuss embarrassing fandoms, uncircumcised lips, and literal sorcery. We also get some of those good good listener emails, and so get to share a Noach conspiracy theory. 

Full transcript available here

Nora reads some different translations than us, including the JPS Tanakh and the Alter Bible translation. You can read Ethan's full textual breakdown of Noah as a trans man here. The book recommendation we received was for Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings. You can find Nora on Twitter @NoraChernov.

Content notes: This episode contains discussions of slavery and human suffering from natural/divinely created disasters.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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30 Jan 202015 — Bo: G-d Has Needs Too!!!00:50:35

This week, Khesed joins Lulav and Jaz to talk about G-d's need for attention, revolutionary versus incrementalist approaches to liberation, and weird storytelling mechanics (like, why do we get instructions for how to celebrate leaving Egypt before we've left Egypt? listen here to find out*). Also, the whole episode is a Perchik Corner this episode; you have been warned.

This week's transcript is available here. Unfortunately, it is at the time of release only a partial transcript, but we expect it to be a complete transcript within the next few days, and we sincerely apologize for the delay.

This week, we reference Rabbi Sandra Lawson's podcast, which you should definitely check out if you like queer people talking about Torah. 

Content notes: this episode is filled with references to slavery, and contains multiple mentions of deaths of humans and animals. There is a (non-graphic) discussion of the deaths of innocent children around 22 minutes in. There's a genital mention around 36 minutes, and a discussion of genocide from around minutes 43-46. 

*by, "find out," we mean, "hear Jaz's theory, which is absolutely not definitive, but which they firmly stand by."

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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06 Feb 202016 — Beshalach: It's Not a Chidush00:46:18

This week, Jaz and Lulav are joined by Anat Halevy Hochberg, who brings songs, jokes, and hella Talmud knowledge. Anat also quotes from the original Hebrew easily and frequently, and we're NOT AT ALL JEALOUS. (Okay, that's a lie.) We discuss feminist leadership, how to dismantle white supremacy (more difficult than smashing the patriarchy), and quail poop.

Full transcript available here.

Check out Anat's website here, and her Instagram is here. The Indiegogo Campaign for Batya Levine's new album, where Anat will be the vocal director, is here. You can find the lyrics for Shirat Hayam, which Anat sings at 25 minutes, in English and Hebrew here. You can also buy the record Safra by George Mordechai here and find the rest of the Rising Song albums here.

Content notes: we're discussing the obliteration of Amalek (with possible genocide implications) from 8:57 to 13, and from 34:22 to 38.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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13 Feb 202017 — Yitro: Conversion, Commandments, & a Cool Dude00:45:12

By popular request, we opened this week with a conversation about conversion and proselytizing and kiruv, in which we definitely had more than three opinions. Then we got to talk about actively choosing your parents-in-law, some bass-boosted Torah, and calvinballing the misogyny out of our religion.

Full transcript for this episode available here.

Here is the source the thing Jaz says at 2:25, about asking potential converts about why they would want to be Jewish given how much Jews suffer, (from Yevamot, in the Talmud) and directly after it, here's the source on explaining the downsides of needing to keep more mitzvot post-conversion. Here's the story of Hillel and Shammai telling the entire Torah to a gentile while he stands on one foot. Here are some of the many sources on treating converts well. Here's the EtymOnline entry for proselyte.  Here's the thing about the Israelites dying at Sinai and coming back to life. Here's the source from the Talmud (Shevuot 39a) about future generations being at Sinai (and here's an interesting interpretation we didn't talk about on-air that might complicate that). 

Content notes: death mention from 26:25-26:54.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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20 Feb 202018 — Mishpatim: This Is Where Incrementalism Gets Us00:47:27

This week, Jaz, Lulav, and special guest Cassidy Mosity discuss lots and lots of ancient tort law, decide who counts as an enemy you should help out vs an enemy you should sabotage (spoiler: give a wandering pet back to your obnoxious neighbor but don't give gas to the broken-down ICE van), and compare the Torah to other ancient legal codes AND to Winnie the Pooh.

Full transcript available here.

Content notes for slavery, old-fashioned patriarchy, and colonialism, and mentions of racism and the carceral system. It's a rough one this week.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript by Jaz and DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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27 Feb 202019 — Terumah: The Forbidden Yarns00:40:21

This week, we discuss that holiest of things: making handicrafts. Jaz gives one of the shortest ever parsha summaries and still can't make it within the time limit, but nonetheless really shines (glitters?) in this episode where they get to geek out about yarn on air like never before. Also, Lulav throws us back in time to Hanukkah for a sec, and Jaz is apparently a Midas, except that everything they touch turns Jewish. Plus, we speculate on what cherubim could look like, and honestly, please tell us what you think cherubim look like.

The full episode transcript can be found here.

You can join my Facebook group, G-d Save Us From Your Stitchwork: A Place for Crafts & Judaism. You do not have to have any particular level of crafting skill; the group name isn't about commenting judgmentally on your work, but is a riff on this FB group

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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05 Mar 202020 — Tetzaveh: Priestly Drag00:46:25

This week, we go full-on heretical, and discuss the ways in which actually, we're happier without the temple, thanks very much. Also, Lulav tries her hand at another very short summary, we ponder the mysteries of the gemsonas of each of the 12 tribes, and we have a nice sit-down dinner with G-d. 

Full transcript available here.

You can follow @nireh_or on Instagram and check out the books Soul of the Stranger by Joy Ladin and The Orchard by Yochi Brandes and if you like those, you're welcome to also just peruse Jaz's Goodreads. Also Steven Universe is available to watch on Hulu if you'd like to learn about the gem wars and make your own gemsona.

Content note: graphic discussion of animal slaughter from 26:17 to 29:32.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript by Jaz and DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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12 Mar 202021 — Ki Tisa: The Cow Was Just There Bro, I Swear00:42:42

This week, Jaz and Lulav debate if flat taxes are okay if you don't have any inherited wealth and instead just a bunch of stolen money, question whether Aharon and his sons are human, and apply a Mulaney meme to our favorite sibling trio. Also, Jaz reveals their brother's proposal to de-gender the word "fellow," which we need zoomers to get on ASAP. 

The full episode transcript can be found here.

You can check out the Twitter accounts for trans daf yomi and Queer Daf Yomi and disabilitydaf. (UPDATE: As of October 2020, two of those accounts have since changed their handles and are no longer about the daf; to respect the privacy of our friends, we are not linking to their accounts.) Here's the article about the karan/keren translation.

Content note: discussion of a massacre from 24:46-27:49.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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19 Mar 202022 — Vayakhel-Pekudei: Holy Accounting00:47:38

In this episode, we learn about some cool women who are making all sorts of impressive art behind the scenes, speculate on the sexuality of artists, and review some neat gold facts, like that the mishkan uses it to make everything and also it is a terrible building material. Plus, both our hosts learn about new facets of each other; catch us just finding out basics like "where we each grew up" and "what our parents do for a living" after having already been friends for years.

Full transcript available here.

The book that Jaz quotes at 14 minutes in is called The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions by Larry Mitchell. The dvar from Rabbi Ari Lev Fornani that Jaz cites 23 minutes in can be found here. The series by Neal Stephenson that Lulav mentions 27 minutes in, starting with Quicksilver, is called The Baroque Cycle. At 32 minutes, Jaz cites Midrash Tanchumah.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript by Jaz and DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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26 Mar 202023 — Vayikra: Honey & Salt and Fix your Faults00:50:35

In this episode, we learn how sacrifices can lead us to a model of transformative justice, do some science on G-d's food choices, and decide that G-d is definitely on spiro. Also, Jaz outs themselves as a librarian and maybe also offers to burn books, but only because they like books so much? It's confusing. Plus, we get an unexpected bonus segment comparing different philosophies of halachah and different ideas of what Judaism is, so get hype for that.

Our transcript is available here. In everything that's been going on with the pandemic, unfortunately Jaz is a little behind, so the whole thing is here, but it's less polished than usual; it should be up to our usual standards within the next couple days. It should be pretty solid up until the bottom of page 18, which correlates with 29:17.

The comment from the Daat Zekenim on Vayikra 2:13 can be found here. Lulav referred to the parsha summaries created by Isabel Bard, @MyNameisNotBard on Twitter, and you can check out the specific tweet here. Thanks to Theo for sending in a comment, and you can follow Theo @bizzardweird on Twitter.

Content notes: this episode does contain multiple references to animal sacrifice and blood.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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02 Apr 202024 — Tzav: All Vampires are Gay Jews00:41:06

This week, the Torah invents quarantine of people, we are both in favor of cleansing things with fire, and Lulav learns one way in which using Christian sources can lead you astray. Plus, I'm pretty sure we already told you we're doing the haftorah for year two, but if not, we're doing the haftorah for year two!

Our full transcript is available here.

Lulav is real into referencing the Front Bottoms this episode, and you can listen to their song Pale Beneath the Tan here. Also, you can listen to Turn the World Around as sung by Dan Nichols here, which Jaz remembers fondly around 16:30. Also, here is an example of liturgy where the "gives life to the dead" vs. "gives life to all," distinction discussed in minute 19 can be found, and further reading on the Reform movement's process is available here. Here's Rashi's comment on thanksgiving mentioned at 24:37. The tweet that Lulav references at 31:25 appears to be from an account that's now locked, but here's an article about the Iranian linguistic phenomenon.

Note: this episode was recorded pre-pandemic, and so includes references to things like seeing friends in person and making plans to go to a spa, and to be clear, none of those are currently happening or happened in the last few weeks and Jaz definitely didn't go to any spa.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript by Khesed Bein. (Lulav said in the episode that it was going to be done by Jaz and DiCo, but that turned out to be incorrect; our bad.) Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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09 Apr 2020X1 — "8. Eighteen Shades of Grey" from Xai, How Are You?00:24:30

While you're waiting for our Pesach special episode, coming to you this Sunday or Monday, today you can experience a crossover! Jaz went and hung out with Xava on her podcast, Xai, How Are You? They talked Talmud, hair dye, old genders, and also what to do if you don't like prayer.

Full transcript available here.

You can listen to Xai, How Are You? on Soundcloud, follow Xai, How Are You on Twitter, and support Xava on Patreon, which I encourage you to do! You can also support the Let My People Go campaign here and access the Gender Reveal Trans Survival Fund here. You can also read along the bit of Talmud we were discussing, Berachot 28a, here.

Content note: this episode is rated explicit, unlike our usual episodes, mostly for sexual innuendo and swearing.

The audio editing was done by Michael, of the Xai, How Are You? team and the transcript by Jaz. You can also support Kosher Queers on Patreon if you like what we do here.  

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13 Apr 202025 — Pesach: Let Our People Gay01:23:46

It's Pesach! Okay, yes, technically this episode comes out on the middle days of Pesach, during Chol HaMoed, not on the day itself, but we were just filled with so much Pesach energy that we have an extra-long special episode for you, all about the holiday. Instead of going through a parsha, we go through a haggadah, and then hear about cool different ways folks celebrate the holiday.

Full transcript available here.

The Keshet haggadah by Rabbi Nikki DeBlosi can be found here. At 36:50, Jaz cites this JFREJ haggadah, and a piece written by the awesome Koach Baruch Frazier called "Lo Dayenu" can be found on page 5. At 1:07:30, Jaz referenced writing on more accessible seders by Ruti Regan. Some of them are here under the seder tag. Here's one on being overstimulated and one on eating things when you need to.

Also, thank you to everyone who sent in responses to our Passover survey! Shout out to Izzy, DiCo, Rachel, Bec, Tova, Nora, Jessica, Sharon, Ariel, and an anonymous listener!

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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16 Apr 202026 — Shemini: I Warned You About Smells, Bro00:56:07

In this week's episode, some poor unfortunate priest boys meet a sad end, we learn about Lulav's history of moirallegiance, and Lulav accuses Jaz of being cowboy-phobic. Also, lots of kashrut is invented.

Full transcript available here.

Content notes: There is a loud bleeping from 7:38-7:44, where personal identifying information has been removed. Also, this episode includes non-graphic discussion of people burning to death, mostly from 14:00 to 21:17 but with sporadic other references to it.

The bonus content Lulav mentions about a conversation with Khesed will be released on our Patreon this Monday!

The citation about Nadab and Abihu being drunk when entering the Mishkan and rendering a decision in the presence of their teacher can both be found in the Rashi here. At 26:30, Jaz refers to a bit of Talmud regarding a miracle, which can be found in Shabbat 32a and Taanit 20b. Also, the Talmud story that starts at 34:56 can be found in Bava Metzia 59b.

At 41:38, Lulav butchers the plural of the word "octopus." You can hear the word she was trying to say here, and a breakdown of why no one ever needs to say it anyway here. Also, Lulav follows it up with a joke about a wug, which is a reference to the wug test from linguistics. The wug is sort of the unofficial mascot of linguistics, because it's so cute. Jaz recommends The Trans Space Octopus Congregation by Bogi Takács, which is available for purchase from the publisher. Around 49:30, Jaz cites Sanhedrin 17a, found here.

You can also learn more about the Ohlone people here and support Indian Canyon, an indigenous-held piece of land that serves as a safe haven and a place to conduct ceremonies. You can also support or buy a gift certificate to Cafe Ohlone, an indigenous-owned food establishment in the Bay Area currently closed because of COVID-19.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript by Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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23 Apr 202027 — Tazria-Metzora: We Niddah Get Purified, Babe00:48:51

This week, we talk Biblical sexism, cleaning up rashes via blood ritual, and Torah's complete squeamishness about the word "penis." Also featured are 90s boy bands and Talmudic voyeurism, so you know there's a lot of excellent stuff going on.

Full transcript available here.

Content notes: This episode is rated explicit, unlike our usual content, because in the second half of the episode, beginning at around 30 minutes it, there is a long discussion of sex and bodily fluids such as semen and menstrual blood. Also, there's swearing in this episode, and it contains a somewhat gory discussion of animal blood in the context of sacrifices.

The book Jaz recommends at the beginning is True Sex: The Lives of Trans Men at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Emily Skidmore. The Ramban's sexist commentary on women and conception can be found here. You can listen to "MMMBop" by 90s boy band Hanson here (it's a remarkably long song). The bit of Talmud where we get the story about a student spying on their rabbi and justifying it by saying, "It is Torah and I must learn" is in Berachot 62a.

If you'd like to know more about how some communities are handling questions of niddah during the pandemic, the Orthodox Union has written about it here and here, there are articles on Mikvah.org here, and there's a more general news article with an overview from late March. (Note: we don't necessarily endorse any perspectives expressed here.)

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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30 Apr 202028 — Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Yes, THAT Line in Leviticus01:04:51

This week, we discuss the ethics of estimating wrongdoing, offer like half a dozen interpretations of a single line of text, and meet some flirty rabbis in the Talmud who were looking for a unicorn. Also, the Torah said disability justice and "NO WIZARDS!!!"

The transcript is here, but owing to some external life circumstances Jaz, some of it is still in draft form; it will be updated shortly.

You can buy Transangelic Exodus by Ezra Furman here. The story about Bar Kappara at a wedding is in Nedarim 51a. Here's the original article by Pervocracy about the concept of a Missing Stair.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz and DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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07 May 202029 — Emor: Ableism and Festivals00:44:41

This week, we discuss asymmetrical priests, sex worker daughters, and the symbolic meaning of Lulav's name. Also, we talk about different Jewish denominations' responses to intermarriage and a good Tumblr post.

Full transcript available here.

You can buy Knit One, Girl Two by Shira Glassman and support a queer Jewish author while enjoying a fun read. The article from Sinai Synagogue quoting William Herlands' idea of disabled kohanim being out in the community is here. You can also read "Towards Acceptance, Holiness and Removing Stumbling Blocks" by Lauren Tuchman, writing about stumbling blocks from a literal perspective, as a blind rabbinical student. You can read Avi Cantor Has Six Months To Live by Sacha Lamb, and also read their Tumblr post under the name kuzu. You can listen to Sefirat HOmoer here and follow them on Twitter here. Also, thanks to Mona @ediblesocks for the listener question! You can check out the work of one of the creators of the Trans Day of Torah project, Binya Kóatz, here.

Content note: general note for ableism mentions throughout the episode.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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14 May 202030 — Behar-Bechukotai: I Waited 50 Years and All I Got Was This Mortgage Reversal01:06:07

This week's episode includes celebrating sabbaticals, bemoaning Biblical slavery, and comparing campy 90s gay movies to Torah law.

Full transcript here.

Content notes: Around minute 43, there's a discussion of all the graphic curses G-d will rain down for disobeying. Like really graphic. 44:08-44:40 in particular should especially be skipped if you're queasy about cannibalism or mass graves.

At 49:20, Jaz talks about Xava talking about shmita years; you can check that out in episode 5 of Xai, How Are You?.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by DiCo. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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21 May 202031 — Bamidbar: Misparim00:41:50

This week, we discuss the ethics of counting, come up with some alternatives for the English word "tribe," and discover that the Torah believes in West Coast, Best Coast. Plus, we decide that two leaders are boyfriends just because.

Full transcript here.

You can buy Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde from your local independent bookstore. The etymology for the word "tribe" can be found here. You can also check out this report on nuclear waste signage. Also, we reference the Shrieking Shack briefly; they're "a Harry Potter re-read podcast for lapsed fans," which include us, as people who grew up with the books and the fandom and also cannot stand JK Rowling for many reasons (not least of which is the transmisogyny). Anyway, here's the episode we referenced. On a more serious note, you can also check out the results from the 2015 US Trans Survey, and the open letter from the National Center for Trans Equality's former staff on why they left.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by DiCo and Jaz. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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28 May 202032 — Shavuot: What’s a Jew, Anyway?00:25:38

This week, for Shavuot, we answer a question from Xava De Cordova (from Xai, how are you?) and talk about what it means to be a member of a Jewish community. But that's a big topic, so in particular, we're contrasting our perspectives on Christian beliefs in the context of Jewish communities and what it means to hold an expansive idea of community while also valuing Judaism’s uniqueness. Basically, we argue about what Judaism is, but agree that arguing itself is definitely Jewish. Plus, we read some podcast reviews on air!

Full transcript here.

The reference to seeing the name Huna in a dream being a good omen is in Berakhot 57a. Here's the Jewish summer program, Szarvas, that Jaz went on in high school and argued about what it meant to be Jewish. Here is a summary of Maimonides Thirteen Principles of Faith.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Khesed Bein. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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04 Jun 202033 — Naso: More Like "Dropsy of the OVER IT"00:41:16

This week, we talk about water that's maybe poison, maybe magic, and maybe an abortifacient! But maybe just water. Also, we discuss people who are built-in societal dissenters because they're straight-edge genderqueer punks with long hair — I mean, nazarites who have taken a vow not to drink alcohol or cut their hair. Plus, there's a bonus priestly blessing origin story and the same thing 12 times with a different hat.

Full transcript here.

If you're enjoying our work, you should also check out the work of Black queer Jewish creators, such as...

  • Rabbi Sandra Lawson, including her podcast (sadly no longer running), music, and writing. 
  • Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell, a Yiddish singer who combines traditional Ashkenazi and African-American musical traditions. You can buy his music here.
  • Michael Twitty has a book called The Cooking Gene about Southern cooking, family, history, identity, and more which you can purchase. He also has a blog here
  • Chris Harrison writes for the Union for Reform Judaism. His most recent piece is Black Jews are Tired
  • Y-Love, a formerly Hasidic rap artist, whose music you can buy here.

If you've got spare dollars, we're also donating to our local bail funds and urge you to do the same. Here's another list of Black-run orgs you can donate to (and some other additional resources, such as petitions to sign). You can also give directly to things like this fund for Black trans protesters. Also, a Native youth organization in Minneapolis was damaged and could use some help.

Find the Black-owned businesses in your city; here's a list for New York. Plus, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice has a script for NYC about defunding the police that you can adapt for your city, as well as this similar script. Here's an article about the Minneapolis Park Board cutting ties with the police and a petition to end the University of California PD; you can push that where you live.

Here's the children's blessing. The book Jaz read is Leadership in the Wilderness by Erica Brown. The strengths of different ages is from Pirkei Avot 5:21

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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11 Jun 202034 — Behaalotecha: El na refa na la01:01:31

For this week's episode, Jaz and Lulav are joined by guest Julia Franco. Julia introduces us to Tzipporah's gay dads and Miriam's skin condition, Lulav reclaims the word pascal, there are continuity errors, the priests form a long daisy chain of blessings over two bowls, and meanwhile, the rabbis don't endorse procrastination but do endorse second chances to be involved in religious life. 

Full transcript here.

Shout out to Mem on Twitter @shabbosdyke for xer insights about Christian use of terminology. These are vuvuzelot, that Lulav thinks are the holy things that priests are using. Lulav mentioned the podcast Sefirat HOmoer, another queer Jewish podcast. BoJack Horseman, with the character Hollyhock Manheim-Mannheim-Guerrero-Robinson-Zilberschlag-Hsung-Fonzerelli-McQuack, can be watched on Netflix. You can see the verse in Bamidbar 11:10 here. Also, Lulav mentions Gödel's incompleteness theorem super offhandedly, and if you want to read more about that it looks like you can do that here.

Here's the midrash about Miriam telling her father to go back and re-marry her mother. Here's Rabbi Meir saying you can't declare your relatives pure of tzaraat. You can learn more about Alicia Jo Rabins here, and you can buy "Snow" and its album here. Also, if you want to include us in your Jewish archive, drop us a line? Here's Julia's "Prince of Egypt" fanfic and her Tumblr, plus the specific post from her Tumblr that she sent when she was pitching us on coming on the episode.

Content notes: non-explicit sex mention from 34:45 to about 35:45. Also, Julia drops a swear word at 37:21.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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18 Jun 202035 — Shelach: Redacted Scouts00:46:46

This week, Tanakh is used as a pickup line, Moshe gets into an argument with G-d about how everyone has value actually, scouts go exploring and name a place "Grape" even though they shouldn't be able to name it because people are already living there, and the Israelites are incredibly bad at Simon Says. Plus, we spend some time getting to know Yehoshua, but kinda wish we didn't because he's a narc. 

Full transcript here.

The quote from Psalms that Jaz said at the beginning of the episode can be found here. Svara, the organization that sent it to Jaz, also is doing daily drop-in queer Jewish text study, which you can sign up for here. When talking about Grey's Anatomy, Lulav forgot the inimitable Christina Yang. She is culturally Jewish on account of her stepfather & mother, and therefore was the first Jewish main-cast character.

You can buy I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom here and Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars, also by Kai Cheng Thom, here. The reference to Caleb being Miriam's husband comes from the Talmud, from this long bit in Sotah (11b and 12a) where they're talking about a lot of aspects of Caleb's family that are confusing.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by Jaz and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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25 Jun 202036 — Korach: Sacred Anarchy00:48:22

This week, Jaz and Lulav are joined by Xava De Cordova, host of the queer Talmud podcast Xai, how are you? We talk about why a staff helps bring religious traditions together, how cool it is to have 250 union organizers as biblical characters, and the beauty of a time-travelling anarchist visionary. Xava also reveals her secret title as head of the Anti-Moses Sentiment Committee. (Lulav says she's not a member of that particular committee, and instead belongs to the rival Moshe-was-Progressive-to-Some-Extent-But-as-Soon-as-He-Got-a-Taste-of-Power-Became-a-Bootlicking-Liberal Brigade.)

Full transcript here.

You can support Xava on Patreon, follow her on Twitter at @xaihowareyou, and listen to her podcast in a variety of places, including on Soundcloud.

All of us reference sci-fi books this episode! Jaz references the book The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, and Xava speaks to the novel The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin, and Lulav references Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Also, Xava and Lulav discuss Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Of the four of those, I think we can most wholeheartedly recommend The Dispossessed.

Content note: this episode includes non-graphic discussion of death.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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02 Jul 202037 — Chukat-Balak: Flamiroads the Assspooking Angel00:53:36

This week, we tag the parsha like a fanfic (with Major Character Death), treat Biblical poetry like commercial jingles, and conclude that Moshe can't lead anymore because he wouldn't abolish the police and thus isn't a comrade. Plus, there's an annoyed angel who Jaz wants to be friends with, and a posthumous punishment that Lulav disagrees with for unexpected reasons.

Full transcript here.

We discussed some of the conversations around defunding the police; New York just voted on its budget, which Mayor Bill De Blasio claims met activists demands to defund the NYPD by $1 billion, but in reality, a sizable chunk of that is just moving money around. We also talked about Avatar; the Last Airbender, which you can watch on Netflix now! The story of Onkelos talking with Titus and Balaam can be found in Gittin 56b and 57a. You can also check out Friends at the Table, the podcast with very long timescales that we discuss at the end of the episode, and follow it on Twitter @Friends_Table.

Content notes: non-graphic discussion of deaths of Miriam and Aaron from 11:24-13:55. non-graphic discussion of cities being destroyed and conquered from to 21:04-28:25, religiously motivated murder from 41:50-42:28, moderately gross and NSFW reference involving bodily fluids from 45:20-45:50.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript written by Jaz and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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09 Jul 202038 — Pinchas: Dating, Death Prep, and Decadence00:52:05

This week, we get some delightful gay personal news for both co-hosts on the podcast, learn about five sisters who change inheritance law, and derive prison abolition from the Torah's penchant for repetition. Plus, advice and perplexion on how to raise people to be Jewish, complaints about Yehoshua being a narc, and waaayyy too many bulls sacrificed.

Full transcript here.

Lulav's friend Khesed joined us for episode 15 — Bo: G-d Has Needs Too!!!. Around 19 minutes in, Lulav references the "Four Horsemen type people," who are Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett, who were the face of the New Atheist movement. The didactic story Jaz tells around 41 minutes in about a rabbi warmly greeting each person who comes with the same news can be found here. You can find your local bail fund here. You can check out some of Mariame Kaba's work at TransformHarm.org, and follow her on Twitter @prisonculture.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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16 Jul 202039 — Matot-Masei: Lesbian Farm Communes >>> War00:52:07

This week, the gender binary makes things like "discussing big household decisions with your spouse" unnecessarily complicated, we wrestle with what to do with a story that's pretty explicitly genocidal, and Tzipporah is the Elvis of the Tanakh. Also, we root for the groups unionizing against Moshe, who has seemingly gone full evil in this parsha. Plus, Lulav is into the fact that Jaz reads books.

Full transcript available here.

Lulav gave a shout out to her friend Khesed, who you can follow on Twitter @KhesedBein. In this episode, we referred to our guest episode with Anat Hochberg, episode 16, and our Pesach episode, with many comments from listeners. Jaz read A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy by Jane McAlevey.

We talk briefly about about our land acknowledge at the end of the podcast, and wrestling with the atrocities committed against indigenous people in the US. If you're listening to us, it's worth listening to podcasts by indigenous creators as well; I can personally recommend Gender Reveal and All My Relations. Also, you can support MIGIZI, a Native youth center near Lulav that recently burned down and is working on rebuilding.

Content notes: this episode contains extensive non-graphic discussion of textual genocide.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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23 Jul 202040 — Devarim: R-r-r-recap!00:49:26

This week, we start the last book of the Torah, and realize the five books have names that are super focused on words. We also learn about the philosophy behind audio editing, compare the geology of the Middle East to the "middle west" of Wisconsin, and find the true meaning of family (it has to do with hair, and also I guess choice and love and stuff). Plus, some shenanigans with parallel structures in grammar, and measuring the appropriate sizes of beds.

Full transcript available here

Jaz referenced meeting their friend Nora, who came on the podcast for Episode 14 —Va'eira: Enough Frogs to Overwhelm Our Oppressors. Lulav mentioned a recap episode of Friends at the Table that summarized the events of the Autumn and Winter seasons in Hieron; that episode is Spring in Hieron 00: What Came Before, if you want to jump in.

Some Tisha B'Av events this year: 

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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30 Jul 202041 — Va'etchanan: Attractive Heresies00:52:40

This week, there's an unusual amount of singing on the podcast as we receive some liturgy, we roll our eyes at Moshe's incessant complaining, and we learn that G-d requires monogamy from Their long-term partner to really wholeheartedly commit to Am Yisrael. Plus, things older than modern books and semi-heritable responsibilities!

Full transcript available here.

We mention different settings of the Shema in this week's episode. The one Lulav sings is the second in this list, which includes other beautiful/interesting versions to check out! The Wikipedia has a pretty good brief overview of saying "Never Again," and you can join the modern Never Again Action here.

Content Notes: very brief (4 sec) siren at 25:54. Also, non-graphic discussion of genocide from 43:00 to 47:41.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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06 Aug 202042 — Eikev: The Opposite of Iniquity00:52:32

This week, Grandpa Moshe tells us a story for a really long time, the Israelites reject fast fashion, and ~someone special~ gets a date for Tu B'Av. Also, Lulav condemns "nation-ly nations," otherwise known as nation states, and Jaz has a grammatical digression about plural vs singular you.

Full transcript here.

There's a good overview of Tu B'Av here. Lulav references the classic poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll, and if you haven't read it recently, that's always fun. Jaz read Freelance Rabbi by MaNishtana and we both read Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce. You can also see Jaz's old Tamora Pierce fan account, @incorrectTammy. Jaz also references the books When Bad Things Happen to Good People, and How Good Do We Have to Be? by Harold Kushner.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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13 Aug 202043 — Re'eh: G-d Doesn't Like Your Exes00:58:49

This week, we use an extended metaphor about monogamy and knowing G-d, raise some questions about Wicca, and have a good time with rubber ducks. Plus, cool historical info about Karaites and the Talmud, how to figure out if a prophet is just a fake, and why bats are not the same as eagles. Also, if you're into Elder Scrolls Three, apparently this episode is for you.

Full transcript here.

Here's the picture of chai written in rubber ducks! This week Jaz read Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender and The Talmud: A Biography by Barry Scott Wimpfheimer and recommend both for different reasons. Jaz and Lulav watched the movie Bit, which was also good, and featured the actress Nicole Maine, who you can follow on Twitter @NicoleAMaines if you want to check out more of her work; you can also follow our listener Ada, who wrote comments for this week's Continuity Corner, @klezmerwitch.

Jaz says in this episode that they think that child sacrifice was a thing in the ancient Middle East, but the archaeological evidence for that seems kind of scant, so take that assertion with a grain of salt.

Content notes: Discussion of slavery. 

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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20 Aug 202044 — Shoftim: We Want "Justice, Justice," Not "War, War"00:51:02

This week, we figure out what proper conduct would look like for a king, if we absolutely must settle for a monarch (which, we're def not convinced on, but if we gotta have one, they can't be too focused on all their cool partners). Plus, Nate Silver is illegal, judiciaries are a questionable framework given their dubious claims to impartiality, and dating nonbinary people is great because there aren't any obvious terms for us.

Full transcript available here.

At the top of the show, we talked about how Jaz played Monster Prom and Lulav watched The Darkness (so you don't have to). Here's the quote from Ibn Ezra on "Justice, Justice shall you pursue." Jaz cites The View From Somewhere by Lewis Raven Wallace, who also makes a podcast by the same name that you can listen to. Also, follow Jaz's friend who recommended the book, Gabe Schneider, on Twitter @gabemschneider.

Content note: non-graphic discussion of war in the second half of the episode

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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27 Aug 202045 — Ki Teitzei: When You Come Out00:55:18

This week, we talk about re-interpreting things out of existence, gay years, and how you can just be a girl if you want to. We also talk about why virginity is super fake and also a bad idea, and thus it's unfortunate that the Torah treats it like it's real. Plus, a short exercise in finding meaning in under-nuanced stories AND sex worker rabbis.

Full transcript available here.

As regards to the "stubborn and rebellious son" bit, here you can see the commentary in Sanhedrin 68B side by side with the original text.

Content notes: conversation that touches on about sexual abuse between 13:32 and 16:59. Explicit conversation about sex and notions of virginity from 31:26 to 36:44.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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03 Sep 202046 — Ki Tavo: Curse Mountain00:48:21

FILL OUT OUR HIGH HOLIDAYS SURVEY!

This week, we talk about manga Jaz read in middle school, whether it's better or worse to read blessings and curses as gendered, and the possibilities of lesbian separatists. Plus there are wombs that are also minds.

Transcript available here; it may not be fully completed this week, and if not, that will be fixed ASAP.

The books Lulav read, courtesy of Jaz's bookshelf, were Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli, and Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett, all queer YA books with queer authors. (The author of Leah on the Offbeat just came out literally this week.)

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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10 Sep 202047 — Nitzavim-Vayelech: Tenderqueers and Rude Gays00:46:45

This week, we talk about merisms that include everyone in a community, G-d modeling good public health and relationship boundaries, and the inherent holiness taking Torah wildly out of context as our ancestors did before us. Plus, taking care of yourself as a form of teshuvah to practice this holiday season.

Full transcript here.

Content notes: non-graphic discussion of self-harm from 25:09-27:58.

Not in the episode, but possibly of interest to listeners: an organization that Jaz used to work for is starting a new program called Serve the Moment. It's a 10-week part-time paid program where people aged 18 - 29 do service work via a Jewish lens, and also do learning to address the COVID-19 crisis, its economic fallout, and the current movement for racial justice. Corps Members will volunteer with a local community-based organization, learn with peers about systemic change, and mobilize the Jewish community to show up with and for neighbors. The program dates are September 30-December 11. Applications close September 14th.

The informed consent clinic where Lulav got HRT was Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis. The prayer book Jaz ended up purchasing for their friend was the Hadesh Yameinu machzor from Congregation Dorshei Emet (actually called a machzor, not a siddur, because it's for high holidays, not Shabbat or weekdays). The Dan Nichols song that references this parsha is "Kehillah Kedoshah." The oven of Akhnai story starts here.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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17 Sep 202048 — High Holy Days: Sweetnesses, Whoopsies, and Huts00:56:20

This week, for our high holidays special episode, Lulav and Jaz talk about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. Apologies: how do we feel about them? (Answer: we feel a lot of different ways, actually!) Plus some wacky noises, antisemitism-derived liturgy, and one of our many ways of marking novelty.

Transcript available here.

On this episode, we talk about the Ashamnu and the blessing over the lulav. Jaz also references the books This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared by Alan Lew, Return and Renewal by Aharon Lichtenstein, and A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions edited by Esther Shkalim. Thank you to Ada (@klezmerwitch on Twitter), Seth, R (@r3fin3 on Twitter), and an anonymous listener for answering our survey and being part of the podcast! 

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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24 Sep 202049 — Haazinu: In Which We Have Opinions About Poetry00:45:30

This week, we try to define the concept of a parent and the even more confusing concept of a dad, G-d gets reminded about the existence of consequences, and Lulav tells you to drop out of grad school. Plus, Jaz entirely misunderstands a video game, but gets excited about grammar and also poetry, fully living up to being a "word nerd" and not a different kind of nerd.

Transcript available here.

The Kaddish D'Rabanan is available here, if you also want to read it with your chevruta. If you're interested in learning more about Jewish demonology, check out the podcast Throwing Sheyd.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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01 Oct 202050 — V'Zot HaBerachah: Snark for Screen Time & Sweet Send-offs00:53:25

This week, we finish up season 1! We argue about the grammar of G-d, expand the scope of what constitutes a name, and compare divine blessings to reality TV. Plus, Binyamin is a baby who likes to cuddle on G-d's breasts.

We'll be taking a week break next week, and then we'll see you soon for season 2! In the meantime, we're open for guests on season 2 and you can apply or nominate someone else here.

Transcript available here.

You can subscribe to Meli's Weird Jewish Digest for their weekly emails. Notwithstanding Lulav's comments about a certain politician, you can get some help to register to vote here.

Support us on Patreon! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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08 Oct 2020X2 — "Judaism" from Rad Child Podcast01:54:07

This is our season break! We'll be bringing you the beginning of season 2 next week, and in the interim, we have a crossover episode from Rad Child Podcast, which brought Jaz on a guest to talk about educating children about Judaism.

Unfortunately, we don't have a transcript for this episode right now. We're committed to continuing to have full transcripts of all our regular episodes and all the bonus content posted on our Patreon. Since this episode is much longer than our normal episodes, it's not currently in the capacity of our very small team to do a full transcript of someone else's podcast, though we would like to. If you can afford to contribute to our Patreon or our Ko-fi however, we'd be down to hire someone to transcribe it.

We're looking forward to having more guests during season 2; if you'd like to be a guest on season 2 or have someone else in mind who you think would be a fantastic guest, you can apply or nominate someone here. We'll also be launching a new website for our podcast this season and we'll have weekly bonus content for our patrons, featuring Lulav and Jaz playing Jewish rounds of "Do, Die, or Marry." To prepare for our work for season 2, you can support us on Patreon, or, if you prefer, you can give one-time support on our Ko-fi

Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. The intro to this episode was edited by Lulav Arnow. 

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15 Oct 202051 — Bereishit: In the Beginning, There Were Boyfriends00:35:20

Welcome to season 2! Today we're talking about how this season is going to work, along with the haftarah for Bereishit, I Samuel 20:18-42 (and if you're like, "hey, I have a different haftarah," that's cool! It turns out there's a bunch so we're going to tell you in the show notes each week what we're reading for next week.) Anyway, we're blessed to start off with maybe the Tanakh's gayest story of David and Jonathon, and also definitely the gayest rating scales we've ever had.

Transcript available here.

Next week's haftarah reading will be Isaiah 54:1–55:5.

When Lulav says "no disrespect to Schneerson," when talking about visiting Hasidic Crown Heights, she's referring to Menachem Mendel Schneerson, also sometimes called simply "the Rebbe," who was the leader of the Lubavitch/Chabad Hasidic group, and is sometimes on signs where people view him as the moshiach. The actor who played King Silas on NBC's "Kings" was actually Ian McShane, not Edward James Olmos.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website, still somewhat under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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22 Oct 202052 — Noach: It's The Captivity, Hazel Grace00:49:34

This week, we spend like half the episode on background info, and in the back half casually try to figure out what love is, what our obligations to each other are, and if G-d can consent to people hurting us, so you know, just the easy stuff this week. Also, Lulav smushes together the English "Jerusalem" and the Hebrew "Yerushalayim" to create the word "Yerushalem" (thereby maybe accidentally re-creating Aramaic pronunciation?)

Transcript available here. Soon we're going to move all our transcripts to our new website, but for now they're still in Google Doc form.

This week's reading was Isaiah 54:1-55.  Next week's haftarah reading will be Isaiah 40:27–41:16.

Jaz is reading The Prophets by Abraham Joshua Heschel. Lulav makes jokes about the podcast "The Shrieking Shack" and about The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. For more of Jaz yelling at G-d, you can see their poetry included the zine Dodi.

Content note: this episode contains non-graphic discussion of cultural genocide.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website, still a little bit under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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29 Oct 202053 — Lech Lecha: Don’t Have Heroes00:40:40

This week, we talk hammer-based encouragements, raptor husbandry best practices,  and what's worth believing in or not believing in. Spoiler: parasocial relationships are not the way to go.  Also we contemplate having the autonomy to make choices that the prophets don't approve of.

Transcript available here.

This week's reading is Isaiah 40:27–41:16. Next week's reading is Kings II 4:1-37.

You can read "The Nutritionist" by Andrea Gibson here and check out their book, Take Me With You.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website, still a little bit under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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05 Nov 202054 — Vayeira: Old Thou, Younger-Looking You!00:48:16

This week, we talk about a cool trans Ishmael who is really good at her archery, an abundance of father figures and bio dads, and some cute gay prophets.  Lulav also attempts — and absolutely whiffs — a literary reference derived from one of the kings mentioned.

Here's a nonacademic summary of the history of how we stopped using "thou." Jaz recently read Modern Reform Responsa by Solomon Freehof and is currently reading Questions Jews Ask: Reconstructionist Answers by Mordecai Kaplan. You can follow them on Goodreads here. The Moby Dick deepread podcast we mention is Moby Dick Energy, our sibling in being hosted on Buzzsprout.

Transcript available here. Unfortunately, our transcript this week is a little delayed; there is a partial version for about half the episode as of release, and the full transcript should be completed by Friday.

This week's reading is Kings II 4:1-37. Next week's reading is Kings I 1:1-31.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website, still a little bit under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose, Benji Janapol, and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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12 Nov 202055 — Chayei Sarah: The Prophet-Wife Tag Team00:49:16

This week, we have an unfortunately timed conversation and totally coincidental conversation about the feasibility of coups. Plus, Lulav introduces us to Bigger Batsheva, we scoff at (and also honor) the idea of personal continuity, and encounter David being an extraordinarily messy bisexual.

Transcript available here.

This week's reading is Kings I 1:1-1:31. Next week's reading is Malachi 1:1–2:7.

Go listen to Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Also, a note: depending on how you define 'resigned' and 'pope' and 'history', Benedict XVI was the most recent in a tradition of six to eleven Catholic popes who voluntarily renounced their title. He is, as far as we can tell with a cursory Wikipedia search, the only one to have then taken the title of 'Supreme Pontiff Emeritus.'

Content note: rape mention around 25:22 and end of that relevant segment at 25:55.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website, still a little bit under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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19 Nov 202056 — Toldot: Respect for Music-Based Celebrity00:51:20

This week, we discuss whether G-d is threatening people or whether a prophet is just a lady or nonbinary person super burdened by being a divine messenger and also super exasperated at their generation. Plus, a questionable mixed drink, an equally questionable bike ride, and some incredibly snarky Kaplan.

Full transcript available here.

This week's reading is Malachi 1:1–2:7. Next week's reading is Hosea 12:13–14:10.

Jaz was reading Questions Jews Ask: Reconstructionist Answers by Mordecai Kaplan.  "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel" are both on Hulu, and both have fun accompanying re-watch podcasts of Buffering the Vampire Slayer and Angel on Top.

Content note: this episode contains non-graphic references to slavery.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our website, still a little bit under construction, is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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26 Nov 202057 — Vayeitzei: G-d as Domme?00:48:25

This week, we talk about famed prophet and noted bad husband Hosea, learning from our pasts, and if "cow-kisser" is an insult (apparently, yes, but only as a way to tell off rich people). Plus, you get Biblical poetry served with extra bonus poetry on the side, and TSwift standing in a window with a sign reading "I Brought You Out of Egypt."

Full transcript available here.

This week's reading is Hosea 12:13–14:10 and also there's a single line from Micah, 7:18. Next week's reading is Obadiah 1:1-21 (otherwise known as all of the book of Obadiah).

Kipo and The Age Of Wonderbeasts and Crip Camp are both on Netflix.  The quotes about kissing calves was in Sanhedrin 63b.  Here's the Tumblr post about whispering in cows' ears Lulav was referencing. Here's a couple articles about modern Samaritan communities.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our new website is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose and Jaz Twersky. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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03 Dec 202058 — Vayishlach: The Prophecy of G-d's Secretary00:52:34

This week, we read a very short books, take some digressions into more interesting stories, and  discuss how power protects itself. Plus, Jaz would be bad at thievery because all they'd take are some children's books. (Btw, in case you were worried about how much crying was happening, we are okay! It may offer partial context that we did record this on November 6th, 2020.)

Full transcript here.

Remy's Instagram is @ rat_dog_remy and Princess' Instagram is @cessprin_the_chug. Jaz highly recommends the book Something that May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery, and now would be an excellent time of year to buy it from your local independent Black-owned bookstore, as indie bookstores tend to really rely on sales this quarter to stay afloat. Jaz's friend Gabe Schneider is on Twitter @gabemschneider. Thanks to Zoe @TheStonyField for writing in to our Continuity Corner, and here's the Chabad translation of Hosea Ezra cited. 

This week's reading was Obadiah 1:1-21 and Hosea 11:7-12:12. Next week's reading is Zechariah 2:14–4:7.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our website is at kosherqueers.gay. Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jaz Twersky and Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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10 Dec 202059 — Vayeishev: On Occupiers' Time for 2500 Years00:48:39

This week, we ponder creating your own separate traditions before returning to join the Jewish people, visions of angels and holy prosecuting attorneys, and calendars. Plus, some fun bonus stories  of said prosecuting attorney messing with some rabbis.

Full transcript here.

Also, a neat fact that we didn't mention in the episode is that the Orit is the five books of the Torah, plus Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, written in Ge'ez rather than Biblical Hebrew; there's a picture here.  Commedia dell'arte is an Italian theatrical genre popular in the 1400s, wherein the characters are stock caricatures that have the same names even in wildly different works. HaSatan doesn't map onto any of them particularly well, but does feel a little like Arlecchino. The Cheese Man appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer s4ep22, "Restless." The stories of HaSatan come from Job, Kiddushin 81a, Bava Batra 16a, and Rosh Hashanah 16b. You can read Aurora Levins Morales' "V'ahavta" here. Also, here's Debbie Friedman's "Not By Might, Not By Power" and the lyrics to it.

This week's reading was Zechariah 2:14–4:7. Next week's reading is Kings I 3:15–4:1.

Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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17 Dec 202060 — Mikeitz: Fetch Me A Sword00:37:16

This week, we learn about how camels are nonbinary, attempt to define what makes a "real parent," and dissect a famous story in which the women are way cooler than we were led to believe as children.  (Like, for real, there are some single moms in this story who maybe do sex work and maybe are lovers, and definitely roommates who do not get along with the existing power structures of kings and judges.)

Full transcript here.

Lulav mentions doing quiz bowl with NAQT. Here's the reading from the OU rabbi Lulav also talked about.

This week's reading was I Kings 3:15–4:1. Next week's reading is Ezekiel 37:15-28.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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24 Dec 202061 — Vayigash: New Trans Bones00:41:00

This week, we look at some fun goth performance art, which plays with bones and death and a messianic age. We also talk art curation practices, fanfiction vs canon, and the value or lack thereof of inherited roles.

Full transcript here.

The book with lesbians that Jaz recently read was We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia. The two movies we watched were Happiest Season , which you can watch on Hulu, and Last Christmas, which appears to only be available on HBO.  Jaz also mentions that they've been listening to the All My Relations podcast; here's the first episode in their series about indigenous artists.

This week's reading is Ezekiel 37:15-28. Next week's reading is 1 Kings 2:1-12.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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31 Dec 202062 — Vayechi: Specifically Instructed Not To Be Gals00:49:36

This week, we talk about a king's hitlist, deathbed revenge speeches, trusting the state, and the dubious nature of certain Jewish claims to indigeneity.

Full transcript here.

Jaz made a knitted item using the pattern "Mountain Capelet" by Purl Soho. Here's the Matisyahu song that Lulav referenced, "Jerusalem," and here are its lyrics. Yerushalayim shel Zahav, which Jaz references, is a different famous song about Jerusalem.  Jaz mentioned thinking a particular commentary was from the Rashbag, but it was actually from the Ralbag, and is here.  The game of Jewish geography Zoom racing is hosted on Facebook by the page Who Knows One?

This week's reading is 1 Kings 2:1-12. Next week's reading is Isaiah 27:6–28:13 and 29:22-23.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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07 Jan 202163 — Sh'mot: Mitzvah Shmitzvah00:38:05

This week, we're talking about visions of apocalypse, and also the name game. Plus, sometimes a prophet tells people that obviously, things aren't going to work out, and they laugh.

Full transcript available here.

This week's reading is Isaiah 27:6–28:13 and 29:22-23.  Next week's reading is Ezekiel 28:25–29:21.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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14 Jan 202164 — Va'eira: Awful Animal Appellations00:49:14

This week, we talk about ancient puns, trust in intentional living communities, the fallacy of safety, and and a cool crocodile. Plus, Lulav really enjoys some fanfiction and does some sewing. 

Full transcript available here.

The fanfic that Lulav re-read recently and was inspired by is Truth and Measure by Telanu on Archive of Our Own.  Also, props to SR Harris, the fabric company that we shopped at for Lulav's T-shirt quilt.

This week's reading is Ezekiel 28:25–29:21. Next week's reading is Jeremiah 46:13-28.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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21 Jan 202165 — Bo: As Sure As Miami Is Above Water00:41:53

This week, we talked about nations being destroyed and assuming that things will always be the same as they are now and also sang some Woody Guthrie, all while saying almost nothing about the news! Also, some thoughts on fairy cows from an angry man.

Full transcript here.

We encourage saying the shehecheyanu for your first time doing something cool like standing on a frozen lake, but also, not falling in like a March sister in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.  Also, neat fact: the lake we walked across is called Bde Unma, or "that other lake" in Dakota. When Lulav referred to "a McGowan," she was referencing radical climate activist Daniel McGowan.  You can also check out the work of queer Jewish writer R.B. Lemberg here and get the RPG "ayekah" here.

This week's reading is Jeremiah 46:13-28. Next week's reading is Judges 4:4–5:31.

Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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28 Jan 202166 — Beshalach: Oh My Darling, Devorah00:56:34

This week, there are so many women in the story! By which we mean, a full three women, two of whom even get names. This we also get some sung folktales, a female friend who is too cool for you who you know  is silently or not-so-silently judging you, and intermarried rabbis (meaning, of course, rabbis who marry other rabbis).

Full transcript here.

Lulav recommends Harry Potter and the Lack of Lamb Sauce by imagitory. She also mentions the podcast The Shrieking Shack, which is a Harry Potter podcast for lapsed fans, with extremely long episodes. Also, Jaz's friend who had a bat mitzvah recommended this article about swarming in their d'var Torah. You can check out our episode last year on the parsha Shoftim here. You can see the comment from Midrash Tehillim alongside the quote it's pulling from here. You can listen to the groups Jaz mentioned who are doing cool collective queer Jewish music on Soundcloud at the Queer Nigun Project and Let My People Sing and learn more about Let My People sing on their website. This is by no means a comprehensive list; there are many more cool queer Jewish singers.

This week's reading is Judges 4:4–5:31.  Next week's reading is Isaiah 6:1–7:6 and 9:5-6.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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04 Feb 202167 — Yitro: What's Up with the Lips?00:45:11

This week, G-d wears a cute waterfall dress, Isaiah has hot lips, and we all pretend to be angels. Plus, bad survey design and gender-affirming conversion rituals that still involve small amounts of pain on sensitive areas.

Transcript here (still in progress - only finalized through page 9).

Francis Fukuyama wrote a famous book called The End of History and the Last Man, in which he argued that the progression of history was basically over, because with liberal democracy, we've reached our final form. He later walked that position back, however. Also, he's still alive. Incidentally (talking about dystopian futures), Billy Joel's "Miami 2017" is still a pretty good song!

This week's reading was Isaiah 6:1–7:6 and 9:5-6. Next week's reading is Kings II 12:1-17.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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11 Feb 202168 — Mishpatim: Instead Of Fiscal Oversight, How About None?00:44:11

This week, we discuss landlords abusing their power, bizarre managerial strategies, and the esoteric details of synagogue finances. Plus, random questions about vegetarianism and deciding not to trust everybody who shares an identity with you.

Full transcript here.

You can check out Travis Alabanza's play "Overflow" here. The song Lulav quote near the end of the episode is "Power" by Kanye West (lyrics here). You can read more about religious organizations exemptions from the usual rules regarding nonprofits and the problems that can entail here

This week's reading was II Kings 12:1-17. Next week's reading is I Samuel 15:2-34.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Jay Blythe, who you can additionally tip at their Ko-fi. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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18 Feb 202169 — Terumah: Nice.00:51:36

This week, Lulav laughs about the episode number, but then we have to get down to the very serious business of distinguishing between fun gifts and war profiteering. Plus, very sweet eight-year-olds and very unsweet terrible kings. Also, there's lots of music excerpts edited in, so enjoy that.

Full transcript here.

Lulav was listening to "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With G-d)” off of Kate Bush's 1985 album Hounds of Love, and has that song on a playlist shipping the characters Edelgard and Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses (which, it is important to note, is a semi-ironic playlist). Lulav was also listening to Brivele's new song "Zumertsayt" from their forthcoming album Cradle Songs, Grave Songs, which is a cover of "Summertime and the Living is Easy" from Porgy & Bess. Jaz was reading The Art of the Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker. Also, Lulav has now read up more on the situation with the whole "teaching people how to transition" deal, and concurs that it's bad.

This episode includes non-graphic discussion of war and genocide.

This  week's reading is I Samuel 15:2-34. Next week's reading is Isaiah 55:6–56:8.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Send us questions or comments at kosherqueers@gmail.com, follow us on Twitter @kosherqueers, and like us on Facebook at Kosher Queers. Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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25 Feb 202170 — Tetzaveh: Everlasting, Everchanging00:45:26

This week, Isaiah is multiple people, G-d is fractal, and names are everlasting yet malleable and also full of family drama. Plus, converts are important and weather is confusing.

Full transcript here.

There's some more information about the origin of the fast day here and general features of minor fast days like it. Lulav said "quaternary and quintery" and meant "quaternary and quinary." You can also check out Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown and A Year Without A Name by Cyrus Grace Dunham .

This week's reading is Isaiah 55:6–56:8. Next week's reading is Ezekiel 36:16-38.

Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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04 Mar 202171 — Ki Tisa: Cleansing Vibes00:42:11

This week, we talk pornoprophetics, which is a delight, and I guess some other things too, like the ritual impurity of a menstruator and the follies of C.S. Lewis' naming choices. Plus, being Jewish in public and avoiding a chillul Hashem.

Transcript available here; unfortunately, we're currently only transcribed up to 26 minutes, but will have the rest up shortly.

You can get "I Can't Wait To Finally Meet You" by KatSelesnya here or check out the whole Fraudulent Gays game jam bundle here, which has a number of fun games including Hot Gay Bro Dragons, which we have also played together. You can also check out what Kat Selesnya and a handful of other people are up to with regard to podcast stuff at Soses.ca.  Also, see the dragon bros reference at the tumblr blog floccinaucinihilipilification.

This week's reading is Ezekiel 36:16-38. Next week's reading is Ezekiel 45:16–46:18.

Support us on Patreon! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Sara Kam. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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11 Mar 202172 — Vayakhel-Pekudei: Masculinity is a Solitary Prison00:45:54

This week, we talk scent sensitivity, princes who are separate from the people, and which parts of gender are worth salvaging. Plus, pet peeves around new gender trinaries and special days in the calendar where the haftarah has literally nothing to do with the parsha (including this week)!

Full transcript here.

Lulav negatively reviews Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown. Jaz has a new part-time job at Yente Over the Rainbow, where you can go if you're looking for a queer Jewish partner. 

This week's reading is Ezekiel 45:16–46:18.  Next week's reading is Isaiah 43:21–44:23.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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18 Mar 202173 — Vayikra: Made to Glitterify You00:44:02

This week, we talk about how God needs to give humans scaffolds to learn, holy princes are turned to evil nonsense, a Jewish dude gets a tattoo, and there are some rad name shenanigans. Also, craftspeople are literally magical, but then you gotta take responsibility for the things you create.

Full transcript available here

The first couple seasons of "Ink Master" are available on Netflix. The Shrieking Shack podcast is cool and can be found here. The bit that Lulav quotes from the Quran is surah 22:5. The other older text that Jaz pulled from for an alternate translation was printed for the British and Foreign Bible Society. Also, Lulav notes that the first of the ten commandments resembles the Muslim statement of faith. Also you can follow @woolen.honey on Instagram. 

This week's reading is Isaiah 43:21–44:23. Next week's reading is Malachi 3:4–24.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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25 Mar 202174 — Tzav: Mandatory Parent-Child Teshuvah00:51:41

This week, we talk parallels between guillotines and ritual sacrifice, wrestle with ideas of Messianics and also a messianic age more generally, and point out that we apparently all have the power to rob G-d. Plus, there's a 300 year old prophet, and never a golden age.

Full transcript available here.

If you're interested in hearing more about brin solomon's nonbinary siddur, you can follow brin on Twitter @nonstandardrep, where, as a bonus, you also get to hear its thoughts on daf yomi, or you could check out its website. Here's a source about French revolutionaries dipping handkerchiefs in the blood of guillotined people.  You can listen go check out Scam Goddess, and Jaz was wrong; the host, Laci Mosley, is on Twitter @DivaLaci, though they were correct that she's not a blue check. Here's the Xai, How are You patron episode about the Hebrew word for slave. Here's the article about haftarah from the UK Reform movement that Jaz references. Also, small correction: Jaz said that a vav could indicate "and" or "or," which is not accurate; it can indicate "and" or "but."  Here's the listicle about what different emoji hearts mean.

This week's reading is Malachi 3:4–24. Next week is a special Pesach episode.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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01 Apr 202181 — 18 June 2012: Tefillin Modus01:06:42

On this week's episode of "where jewing it man.", the very real podcast about the webcomic Homestuck that we have definitely been running since September 2019, we're talking about if gender is the same as species, why the Statue of Liberty lasts for billions of years, and as always, what on Earth or Alternia is going on? Anyway, happy April Fools y'all, and thank you for joining us in an alternate universe in which we made a queer Jewish Homestuck podcast instead.

Full transcript here.

Here's Judaism Unbound Episode 261 - Canaan Unconquered. There's some more information about Marranos here if you're interested in learning more.

Okay, here are links about some of the things in this episode which we didn't explain on air! Fair warning that these explanations... might make things more confusing, honestly. Here's a ~ATH (pronounced "till death") manual, the characters Calliope and Caliborn/later Lord English and their room, John (the first person in the comic), fetch modus, Andrew Hussie (the creator of Homestuck), blood colors, Seer of Light and other classes, Rose Lalonde, Gamzee, Problem Sleuth, Planet of the Apes, Red Miles, Lil Cal, bunnies, Dave's Bro, and more, unfortunately, but there's not room for all of it. Also, here's the Calliope fic

This week's reading was the Homestuck pages that came out during the two weeks of June 18th, 2012, to July 1st, 2012, which is pages 5098 through 5237. Next week's regularly scheduled Kosher Queers reading is II Samuel 6:1–7:17

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is "Black" by Toby Fox and "Hungry Yid" by Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lulav Arnow, Jaz Twersky, and Lior Gross.

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08 Apr 202176 — Shemini: Populist Dancing00:51:14

This week, we discuss the holiness of workplace safety guidelines, the numerous possible interpretations of a woman with too little few lines on-page, deciding not to create a family with an incompatible partner, and suggestively dancing for G-d. 

Full transcript here.

We played five dimensional chess and you can too. Here's "Freedom" by Langston Hughes, which someone brought to our seder. Here's the thing where conservatives claimed monarchy was key to democracy. I thiiink the novel referenced in this episode that includes the retelling of David and Michal's story is The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks. 

This week's reading was  II Samuel 6:1–7:17. Next weeks' reading is II Kings 7:3-20.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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14 Apr 202177 — Tazria-Metzora: Magical Separatists00:40:20

This week, Jaz has hot takes about major Jewish community events, Elijah's boyfriend says some unnecessarily cryptic stuff, and there are problems with magic systems. Also, there's discussion about magic and then different literary genres for a loooong time, so enjoy that. It even segues into a discussion about the nature of truth, which is always fun. 

Full transcript here.

If you were also at the Trans Jews are Here Convening and would like to share your thoughts about it with the organizers, it looks like their feedback form is still open. You can also check out Xai, How Are You? and Sefirat HOMOer or see the announcement for Uncommon Charm by Kat Weaver and Emily Bergslien. Also, you can read about the lesbian nun,  Benedetta Carlini, who Jaz's mothers owned a book about, in Immodest Acts: The Life of a Lesbian Nun in Renaissance Italy by Judith C. Brown. Plus, if you want to read more about how objective journalism isn't real, you can read The View From Somewhere by Lewis Raven Wallace and subscribe to the newsletter The Objective

This week's reading is II Kings 7:3-20. Next week's reading is Amos 9:7-15.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by Reuben Shachar Rose. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union. 

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22 Apr 202178 — Acharei Mot-Kedoshim: Builders and Falconers01:03:04

This week, we have a special guest on the show, Jaz's friend the Hawk, to talk about ghosts, patriotism, and big parental disses.

Our transcript will be delayed this week unfortunately, but will be up as soon as possible.

The poem Jaz quotes that opens the episode as an epigraph is "You've heard of Ritalin, now what if I told you governments make bodies into crime scenes for no reason at all," by Ray Filar, found in We Want It All: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics edited by Andrea Abi-Karam and Kay Gabriel. The gif Lulav describes in context is from this video. The Hawk's youth movement is Habonim Dror and the camp she works at was Gilboa. You should also definitely see the musical Six by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss if you have the opportunity to, and credit goes to Jaz and the Hawk's roommate, Tori Burstein, for introducing it into our lives.   

This week's reading is Amos 9:7-15. Next week's reading is Ezekiel 44:15-31.

Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, but if you're like "hey what's with this part where Lulav says 'Yehuda' as though recorded later on a different microphone", that's all Lulav. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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29 Apr 202179 — Emor: Big Transliteration would have you believe it's "zedakah"00:38:32

This week, we talked hereditary leadership, divorce contracts, and illegal sweat. Plus vows in moderation, righteous people that were maybe actually just power-grabbing, and 5D Chess. 

Full transcript here.

We really enjoyed 5D Chess. Here's a pretty good overview page on Zadok, and here's a good example of a ketubah text with a halachic prenup from Geek Calligraphy. There are a bunch of other options on ketubah.com if you're looking for one. Also, if you're trans and Jewish, check out the Trans Halakhah Project from Rabbi Becky Silverstein and Laynie Solomon and take their survey! Also, here's a dictionary definition for the word Lulav asked Jaz to define.

This week's reading is Ezekiel 44:15-31. Next week's reading is Jeremiah 16:19–17:14.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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06 May 202180 — Behar-Bechukotai: Bleep Around & Find Out01:02:04

This week, we were joined by Jill Levinson, Jaz's good friend whose bat mitzvah happened on this Torah portion. We touch on a variety of topics, including BBYO, the nature of man, being a thirsty little desert flower, and cuckoo-lding.

Full transcript here.

Jill's erstwhile band is The Ruach. Also, Jill mentions in passing the School Colors podcast and the season of StartUp about Success Academy. Both of those are good podcasts about New York public schools.

To see the part of the Castlevania: Symphony of the Night intro that Lulav was referencing, check out this video. For an explanation of Jaz's slightly misquoted but very apropos chicken reference, see the Wikipedia article on Diogenes

If you missed Isabel Fall’s gorgeous and confounding “Helicopter Story” before she removed it from publication to avoid further harassment, you can catch an archived copy here. “All for the Best” is from the musical Godspell, and you can experience the glories of a production by teenagers in this video. If you heard Lulav singing and it’s gonna bug you until you figure out what the original song was, be buggèd no longer: it’s “Candle on the Water” from the 1977 film Pete’s Dragon.

Finally, the word “erstwhile” doesn’t mean “long-time but idk how regular”, as Lulav would assume from every context she’s seen it in including Jaz’s use up above — it’s just a fancy way of saying “former”.

This week's reading is Jeremiah 16:19–17:14. Next week's reading is Hosea 2:1-22.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by Freya Doughty, a fellow at the Jewish community house Next Dor St Louis. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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13 May 202181 — Bamidbar: SWERP00:53:51

This week, we brought it back around to pornoprophetics by talking about Hoshea. Jaz and Lulav disagree about what level of reality to read the haftarah on, but both agree that the plain reading of this text describes a really gnarly dude being abusive to a sex worker and to their children together. Due to discussion of sexual violence, including descriptions of physical & emotional abuse and mention of a book about sexual abuse of a child, as well as just us talking about sex and kink slightly more than is prudent, this episode is marked EXPLICIT.

Transcript available here. Production on this episode ran up to the wire, and only the first 18 minutes of the transcript is available as of release.

This episode's title is based on the acronym "sex-worker-exclusionary radical feminist" — much like TERFs and often overlapping, they disregard the agency and lived experience of the people they exclude from their feminism. Calling Hoshea a SWERP is more of a joke than an actual comparison to SWERFs, tbh.

The Shrieking Shack is a Harry Potter deepread podcast that just finished all seven horrible books, and which we have referenced frankly a lot on this podcast already. Tegan and Sara are sisters, which is not a euphemism, though they are both famously lesbians. Their music is often polarizing to lesbians — Lulav is a fan, but she knows others who are Deeply Opposed. Dean Kamen invented the Segway, which you definitely don't need to remember or know, but you can see both of them in this picture.

Jaz references The Metaphors We Live By, by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson — you can read an overview of conceptual metaphor on this Wikipedia page. Miguel James's "Contra la policía" is translated by Guillermo Parra on his blog here. Jaz promised links about humiliation play, but they are asleep after a long trip so check this space in the future. Lulav references Vladimir Nabokov, who has written several beautifully poetic books about super gnarly dudes, but Lolita is both his most famous book and the one that Lulav chooses to focus on in her comparison. Also, if someone has read the book and still refers to the titular character by the nickname the abusive narrator created for her or uses the word "nymphet", Lulav advises that you run real fast in the opposite direction.

If you're a current or former sex worker and have quibbles with or additions to the content of this episode, hit us up at kosherqueers@gmail.com.

This week's reading was Hosea 2:1-22. Next week's reading is Judges 13:2-25.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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20 May 202182 — Naso: Angel's on First00:30:22

This week, Jaz was out, so Lulav and guest host Iscah discuss role models who fight altogether too much, being way smarter than your husband, and having your prophesied child take after said husband anyway. They also revisit favorite motifs from Season 1 — like the oath of the nazirite and angels being random messenger dudes who tell you about pregnancy — because they're strangely relevant to this first chapter of Samson's story. Also, the points of reference for Lulav's cohost have shifted from the Talmudic to the Supernatural. You can follow Iscah's work on their public Twitter @JayRBlythe or their personal Twitter @jcatgrl.

Transcript here

I'm Strange (And So Are You) is a webcomic by Moe Espinoza about friends bonding over paranormal investigations, and is currently on hiatus. You can find it on Tapas or its website. Check  out Iscah's Jupernatural Week project! Here is the trailer for the dark comedy about a sitcom wife called Kevin Can F**k Himself. 

This week's reading is Judges 13:2-25. Next week's reading should have been Zechariah 2:14–4:7, but because we made a mistake and did that in the episode for the haftarah of Vayeishev instead, next week we're reading Amos 2:6-3:8.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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27 May 202183 — Behaalotecha: He’s Not Being A Yankee00:43:29

This week, Jaz is back, with some sad personal news but (with the benefit of Lulav's editing prowess) decent podcasting energy! We're talking about mistakes and new connections, condescending to unpleasant people who are nevertheless your people, and $2000 fancy dresses. Plus, elaborate wagon metaphors and the connection between personal breakdown and societal breakdown.

Transcript here.

Jaz mentioned some book recommendations about death. For talking to Jewish children, there's Zayde Comes to Live by Sheri Sinykin illustrated by Kristi­na Swamer. There's also Tear Soup, which is not Jewish, but applicable cross-religiously and for all ages eight and up. Some other books Jaz read about grief in the last year and a half, which were helpful in different ways, include:

  • Saying Kaddish: How to Comfort the Dying, Bury the Dead, and Mourn as a Jew by Anita Diamant, 
  • Rebellious Mourning: The Collective Work of Grief by Cindy Milstein,  
  • Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
  • Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them): A Practical Perspective on Death and Dying by Sallie Tisdale 

You can also listen to the episode "Unconscionable Ex," from what was at the time the Dear Prudence podcast. That's since been converted into a new podcast, also hosted by Danny Lavery, called Big Mood, Little Mood.

This week's reading was Amos 2:6-3:8, even though it should have been Zechariah 2:14–4:7. Next week's reading is Joshua 2:1-24.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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03 Jun 202184 — Shelach: Historical Hotties and Horrible Hebrews00:59:14

This week, we discuss a sex worker who hangs out with a king, extremely inconsiderate invaders, and the vibes of different names. Plus serious dilemmas of moral relativity, words that mean "red," and overly horny Talmudic rabbis. We had to mark it explicit because the text is sexually explicit; it's not our fault.

Transcript here.

Here's Austin Walker's old tumblr blog clockworkworlds and his current work on the podcast Friends at the Table. You can also check out The Objective and follow it on Twitter @ObjectiveJrn ; it's run by Jaz's friend Gabe Schneider, who you can follow on Twitter @gabemschneider. You can check out the Christian fiction podcast Forgive Me! if you're interested in that sort of thing; Jaz listened to the whole thing, and is still not sure if they'd recommend it or not.  Here's a bit about Rachav from the Talmud, in Zevachim 116b and another one from Megillah 15b.

This week's reading is Joshua 2:1-24. Next week's reading is Samuel I 11:14–12:22.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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10 Jun 202185 — Korach: Party Down In Stone Town00:53:53

We brush up on Shmuel's reasons to hate kings, listen to him brag about not being a jerk, name a sheyd, make folk etymologies about a coronation party at Gilgal, and sneak a Degrassi reference in there. Also, in more serious news, we discuss our preferences for positive vs negative mitzvot and compare commandments to perennial queer discourse.

Transcript here.

Check out Xai, How Are You? a queer Talmud podcast hosted by Xava de Cordova, which we like. Lulav references the Bartimaeus Sequence, a series of young adult novels which she liked a lot when she read it approximately 15 years ago. Also, here's the Jewish demon story that Jaz was talking about where a sheyd tricks King Solomon.

This episode carries content warnings for eye trauma (24:06) and animal violence (24:37).

This week's reading is Samuel I 11:14–12:22. Next week's reading is Judges 11:1-33.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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17 Jun 202186 — Chukat: The Other Woman's Son00:54:52

This week, we discuss whether it's a good idea to tell your girlfriend your secrets and let her tie you up, unearned dramatic plot resolutions, and how rough a position messengers must have been in. Plus, what does it really mean to have land "belong" to a "nation" or a "person" anyway? 

Transcript available here.

You can check out Yente Over the Rainbow, which is "a matchmaking service for LGBTQIA+ Jewish people" that Jaz works for. Here's the story about Arnold Schwarzenegger's illegitimate child. Also, we do recommend both Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel (illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman), and this Talmud story about demons that you can dramatize yourself for all your child-entertaining purposes. Here's an Orthodox explainer on Radak, and here's Radak's commentary about how Yiftach's daughter didn't die, she just didn't ever get married.

This week's reading is Judges 11:1-33. Next week's reading is Micah 5:6–6:8.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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24 Jun 202187 — Balak: The Rest is Commentary00:38:46

This week, we talk about mountains as metaphors, Rashi's genital jokes, and being an anti-astrology gay. Plus, we debate anti-assimilation vs anti-colonial readings, and Lulav is a slut for economic interpretation. 

Transcript available here.

Seen and Not Heard is a touching narrative podcast about not getting in fistfights with ableist mothers, and instead figuring out how to live your best deaf Jewish life. You can find a comprehensive list of other works Caroline Mincks here or follow them on Twitter @saucymincks. Lulav's first exposure to beating swords into plowshares was this Magic: the Gathering card. If you're not on Lex but would like to be on Lex, you can download it here.  You can learn more about the work of Jaz's Talmud teacher, Laynie Solomon, on the "Trans & Jewish World-Building" episode of Judaism Unbound, or read their bio here. The song Lulav references about 28 minutes in is "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, which came out two months before Jaz was born. Also, gender reveal parties are bad and here's an explosion to prove it! 

This week's reading is Micah 5:6–6:8. Next week's reading is Jeremiah 1:1–2:3.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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01 Jul 202188 — Pinchas: Treated Like Children, Acting Like Adults00:50:02

This week, we learn about how if you see a stick in a dream, it's because G-d is sticking by you. Also, we diagnose Jeremiah with ADHD, discuss how new relationship energy can disguise problematic dynamics, and Lulav starts writing A Gamer's Translation of Tanakh

Transcript available here.

Lulav is running a game of Heart: The City Beneath by Grant Howard and Christopher Taylor, which you can buy a PDF of here. You can listen to the newest season of the tabletop roleplay podcast Friends at the Table season, Sangfielle, here. Here's the Jack Johnson song "The 3 R's." The song Jaz was talking about, where the number 1 is for G-d, 2 is for the tablets, 3 is for the patriarchs and 4 is for the matriarchs is called "Echad Mi Yodea" or "Who Knows One?" and the full lyrics are available here (and 10 is, in fact, for the commandments). 

This week's reading is Jeremiah 1:1–2:3. Next week's reading is Isaiah 66:1-24.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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08 Jul 202189 — Matot-Masei: Born All at Once00:56:05

This week, we talk about abolishing air forces, the human capacity to change large social institutions, and driving lessons. Plus, Jaz can't remember things about Christian theology but does know you can learn different lessons from history, and Lulav is always down to fight Hashem out back behind your fast food joint of choice.

Transcript available here.

Here are our episodes with Jill and the Hawk! Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott is a public domain work available for your bedtime reading wishes, though be forwarned that it is extremely racist against Chinese people specifically. "Casey at the Bat" by Ernest Lawrence Thayer is another public domain work that we talk about, which has the advantage of being funny, but also, includes old slang that I don't understand, so it seems likely that it's bigoted, but not sure against who.  You can also check out Finnegans Wake by James Joyce if what you really want from your public domain works is for them to give you a headache.

Also Lulav references the quote "I can excuse racism but I draw the line at animal cruelty" from the show Community, that was turned into a meme. Plus, Jaz talks about Bo Burnham's new comedy special, "Inside" and the book of Lamentations (or Eicha). Also, the thing that Jaz was quoting, about the US not being a democracy was by Nikole Hannah-Jones as part of the 1619 Project, and was in particular the article, "Our democracy’s founding ideals were false when they were written. Black Americans have fought to make them true."

This week's reading is Isaiah 66:1-24. Next week's reading is Isaiah 1:1-27.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow and Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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15 Jul 202190 — Devarim: When Your Kid Becomes A Cop00:54:18

This week, we talk about paradigms of childrearing, giving people space for low-stakes disagreement, and also Kanye lines from 2010.

Transcript available here.

You can probably still do games on Dreamwidth. Also, Lulav is running and Jaz is playing a game of Heart: The City Beneath by Grant Howard and Christopher Taylor, which you can buy a PDF of here. Lulav references "POWER" by Kanye West, which you can see here.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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22 Jul 202191 — Va’etchanan: All Flesh Is Grass00:53:36

This week, we talked about creating accessibility rather than uniformity, finding joy for the future out of really tough situations, and keeping kindness on your person in as ordinary a way as wearing your clothes. Also, we shared our first consolation with you; tell us yours, either on social media or at kosherqueers@gmail.com

Content note: we discuss suicide at a whole bunch of different points throughout the episode, non-graphically.

Transcript available here.

Lulav's cool and queer or Jewish bit for this week is the works of gray Folie, whose Patreon you can find here. They've completed Drop-Out and Fresh Meat. Jaz's Consolation was the poem "Hammond B3 Organ Cistern" by Gabrielle Calvocoressi. Jaz also mentions the podcast Ear Hustle, made out of San Quention prison, about life while incarcerated and now also life after incarceration, and specifically talks about their most recent episode, "Home for Me Is Really a Memory." The Friends at the Table episode where they discuss true names can be found here. Lulav made a joke about Mega-Gojira. Apparently that's not a thing, as she discovered with a cursory google and checking this list, but we should be very afraid of Mechag-d.

This week's reading is Isaiah 40:1-26. Next week's reading is Isaiah 49:14–51:3.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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29 Jul 202192 — Eikev: What Makes a Parent00:56:54

This week, we talk about bioessentialist familial claims, the metaphorical home renovations you need to do if you want to rekindle an intimate relationship with your estranged children, and gay math. Also, Lulav fails to pluralize in a language she doesn't know, and we touch the merest surface of the topic of punishing Jeff Bezos.

Transcript available here.

The podcast otipêyimisiw-iskwêwak kihci-kîsikohk, a.k.a. Métis in Space, is hosted by Molly Swain and Chelsea Vowel and is on the Indian & Cowboy Podcast Media Network. Listen to it if you wanna hear two ladies make fun of indigenous stereotypes in sci-fi while also building visions of indigenous futurism.

We also reference the books Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer, Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Full Surrogacy Now: Feminism Against Family by Sophia Lewis, Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, and Watership Down by Richard Adams. We read a lot of disparate books, and also feel fine talking about books we haven't read but have simply osmoted via social media or other podcasts! You can buy at least some of those books (probably all of them, if you order ahead of time) at Next Chapter Booksellers in Minneapolis, where Lulav's friend Em works, and you can follow Em on Twitter @eudaemaniacal.

This week's reading is Isaiah 49:14–51:3. Next week's haftarah reading would be Isaiah 54:11–55:5, but we already read that whole selection for Episode 52, so to avoid repeating ourselves and boring you, we're going to be talking about Shabbat selections like the kiddush, the amidah, and Lecha Dodi. 

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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05 Aug 202193 — Re'eh: SHABBATPISODE00:57:28

This week, people are gay for Shabbat, the Shabbos bride brings a dowry of relaxation, and people re-write prayers to make them more gender-balanced, but forget that Judaism has more than four women. Plus, a formal announcement about what's happening at the end of this season of KQ!

Transcript here.

There are so many different kashrut certifying organizations that each have their own hechsher; you can see a list of some of their symbols here. Here's an Orthodox list of the 39 types of work that are not supposed to be done on Shabbat. Here's the text of the long kiddush in Hebrew, transliteration, and an English translation. Here's the text of Lecha Dodi in Hebrew, transliteration, and an English translation. Shlomo Halevi Alkabetz didn't do a lot that was remembered other than write Lecha Dodi, but you can still read about him briefly here. Here's the text of the part of the Amidah that we talk about in Hebrew, transliteration, and an English translation. Jaz discusses the book is: Heretical Jewish Blessings and Poems, by Yaakov Moshe, which, having now finished it, they don't necessarily recommend - it leans heavily into Buddhism, and they like their heresy to be more organically Jewish. However, fun opening poem. Also, a different but excellent book that's also discussed is Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. 

This week's haftarah reading would be Isaiah 54:11–55:5, but since we already read that in Episode 52, our reading was the kiddush, the amidah, and Lecha Dodi. Next week's reading is Isaiah 51:12–52:12

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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12 Aug 202194 — Shoftim: Go Touch Grass00:52:31

This week, we ponder things that can be both liberatory or oppressive depending on the circumstances, discuss interesting translation choices, and compare divine retribution to "buy one, get one free" sales. Plus, thoughts about debt.

Transcript here.

The part of Job that Jaz was referencing starts at chapter 38:4. Lulav references the "RIP but I'm different" meme. We asked if anyone knows things about modern Jewish Greek translations of the Tanakh and how those compare to Christian translations of the Tanakh into Ancient Greek, so hit us up if you know anything about that. Jaz references the work of scholar Daniel Boyarin, and in particular his book A Traveling Homeland: the Babylonian Talmud as Diaspora. For her Consolation, Lulav brought Family Tree Clinic in Minneapolis. 

This week's reading is Isaiah 51:12–52:12. Next week's reading is Isaiah 54:1-10, which we have done before, but we're doing again from a new angle. 

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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19 Aug 202195 — Ki Teitzei: Queer Futurities00:53:39

This week, we discuss metaphorical big-tent design, and the joys and perils (mostly joys) of not getting back together with your exes. Also, a reminder not to argue with randos on the internet and skepticism about people who talk in vague, idealitistic terms about "queer elders." Plus, journaling as a reality check on our fallible memories and impression of self and the value of just keeping things to yourself for a change.

Transcript available here.

You can listen to "Fire Back About Your New Baby's Sex" by Don Caballero, and it's entirely instrumental, so we choose to believe it means something in line with what we would mean, about refusing to gender babies. Also, we've now finished reading Persuasion by Jane Austen, and enjoyed it! Not our favorite Austen, but probably not least favorite either, though it does feel weird to now be the type of person who has favorite and least favorite Austen books. You can check out the forthcoming podcast doing a queer retelling of Pride and Prejudice, by Caroline Mincks and Cassie Josephs, on its Twitter account @QueerPridePod.

I do recommend A Mosaic of Israel's Traditions by Esther Shkalim for learning about different Jewish holiday traditions from around the world, though note to more radical listeners that it does frame the whole thing around modern Israel as a melting pot. The podcast Gender Reveal, which asks guests about their dreams for the future of gender, is also pretty cool. Jaz's current journal is from the Walnut Wellness Fund, helping provide access to therapy for low-income LGBTQ people, particularly people of color. 

This week's reading is Isaiah 54:1-10. Next week's reading is Isaiah 60:1-22.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Lulav Arnow, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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26 Aug 202196 — Ki Tavo: The Top Surgery of Kings00:42:53

This week, we return to the text from our very first pilot episode, and take a fresh look at it two years later! We talk about taking some distance in different types of relationships to be able to return to them better, the importance of mourning, and excellent gay novels. Plus, no kings! They're all too busy working in service jobs to rule. 

Transcript available here.

You can find out more info about the most recent Philly Trans Wellness Conference. There's also an overview Wikipedia article about the great chain of being. We definitely recommend reading the new book Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar.

This week's reading is Isaiah 60:1-22. Next week's reading is Isaiah 61:10–63:9.

Support us on Patreon or Ko-fi! Our music is by the band Brivele. This week, our audio was edited by Ezra Faust, and our transcript was written by JJ Jensen, who you can follow on Twitter @pantspossum. Our logo is by Lior Gross, and we are not endorsed by or affiliated with the Orthodox Union.

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