Nice Jewish Girls (Unpacked)

Sarah Hurwitz is a former speechwriter for some of the most prominent politicians in the United States—from Barack and Michelle Obama to Hillary Clinton to John Kerry. Over the past few years, however, her path has shifted, and her work has expanded to the Jewish community. Now, as a modern Jewish thinker and author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life—in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There), Sarah Hurwitz shows a journey through Judaism that deeply moving and far from linear. Learn about Sarah Hurwitz's work here: https://sarahhurwitz.net/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media  

Dr. Erica Brown is an educator, interviewer, and Jewish leader. With an extensive career in writing and academia, Dr. Brown has also committed herself to preseving Jewish history by perfecting the art of the interview. She's spoken with major leaders in the Jewish world: from Jeffery Goldberg to Deborah Libstaft to Sarah Hurwitz. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Erica Brown: http://www.ericabrown.com ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

This week, Julia sits down with features editor at Variety,  Malina Saval. The two discuss the power of Jewish history and its continuation through to representation in modern media.

This week, Julia sits down with Alyza Lewin, the president of the Louis D. Brandeis Center and lawyer who has argued before the Supreme Court. The two discuss the legal case against antisemitis, including Alyza's contribution to legal precedent. 

On today’s episode, Julia sits down with election integrity advocate Jenny Cohn. The two discuss the brave confidence it takes to have a career change. They dissect the importance of the internet during the COVID-era in connecing the Jewish community across space, and they talk about the many ways that one can build a Jewish identity.

Nice Jewish Girls introduces another podcast from Unpacked: Unpacking Israeli History. Season 3 just launched, and we're running the first episode here, entitled Hebron: When Tensions Erupt.   In the summer of 1929, Jews and Arabs alike found themselves caught in an unbearably bloody battle. The aftermath of a deadly riot showed the Jews of British Mandatory Palestine that the British couldn’t protect them, leading them to unite under the banner of Zionism. In this episode, Noam unpacks the 1929 Hebron Riots and considers why it may be considered “Year Zero” of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

On this week's episode of Nice Jewish Girls, Julia sits down with Representative Alma Hernandez, a state representative from Arizona, and an impassioned Jewish advocate. Alma unpacks her unique and inspiring Jewish background, and the two discusss the importance of education in the fight against antisemitism. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Alma Hernandez' work here: https://www.almaforarizona.org/about_alma. ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and this week, on Nice Jewish Girls, Julia talks to Elana Silber, the powerhouse CEO of Sharsheret. Sharsheret is a national organization supporting Jewish women and families facing breast and ovarian cancer. They talk about the impact of Sharsheret, the resilience and hope of women, and tools for women to make the best decisions for themselves. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Sharsheret and their amazing, life-saving work, here: https://sharsheret.org/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

On this week's episode of Nice Jewish Girls, Julia sits down with Sophie Ross, a writer on fashion, beauty, and influencer culture from New York City. They discuss the importanance of positive Jewish representation in pop culture.

This week, Julia sits down with former New York Times reporter on tech and internet culture, Nellie Bowles. This podcast discusses the experience of Jewish conversion. Nellie explains how Judaism has given her a unique and inspiring view of tech journalism.

Dr. Einat Wilf is a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Einat uses her unique identity as a Zionist, a feminist, and an atheist to be a progressive advocate for Israelis. She is an advocate, educator, politician, and author. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~ Learn about Einat Wilf: http://www.wilf.org/English/einat-wilf/ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

This week, Julia sits down with Emmy nominated and Board Certified Plastic Surgeon behind the hit Netflix show Skin Decision, Dr. Sheila Nazarian. The two discuss hope and Jewish survival. Listen to Dr. Nazarian's new podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-closet/id1661721192

This week, Julia sits down with Jill Wagner, anchor at Cheddar News. The two discuss the bravery it requires to publicly discuss the issues struggles facing your community—and the hope that comes with it. Don't miss it!

Dani Goldblatt is a Kosher Barbecue chef and teacher of Jewish subjects. Her career centers around making the implicit relationship between food and Judaism explicit. In a field that has historically lacked both female and Jewish representation, Dani shows us the impact our work can have—on one family at a time. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Dani Goldblatt:  https://www.holysmokeskosherbbq.com/about.html  ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

Fleur Hassan Nahoum is the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem. In this conversation, Fleur and Julia delve into the different heights feminism has taken Jewish women in Israel and throughout the diaspora. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Fleur Hassan Nahoum: https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/fleur-hassan-nahoum ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

On today’s episode, Julia sits down with Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, former national security advisor for then-Senator Kamala Harris, and Senior Policy Advisor for the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power. The two discuss the importance of female leadership and mentorship.

This week, Julia sits down with Rachel Azaria,  member of Knesset and feminist advocate. The two discuss the transformation of feminist ideas in Israel and the growth of gender equality in Isreali society.

Ashley Seruya is a therapist and advocate for mental health and body positivity. In this conversation, Julia and Ashlet delve into the complexities of intergenerational trauma, mental health, and gender roles in the Jewish community. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Ashley Seruya: https://ashleymseruya.com ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

This week's episode is sponsored by the World Jewish Congress, as Nice Jewish Girls proudly joins the We Remember campaign to commemorate the 6 million Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust. This week on a very special episode of Nice Jewish Girls, Julia sits down with Holocaust survivor and public speaker Tova Friedman. Tova tells her story of survival at Auschwitz, and she speaks on enduring hope in the face of hardship. Don't miss this critical episode.

This week, Julia sits down with Laura E. Adkins with Laura Adkins, Opinion Editor at the Forward. The two discuss female representation in journalism and Opinion writing, while delving into what makes a story worth sharing. Don't miss it!

This week, Julia sits down with Jordyn Tilchen, Jewish activist and entertainment editor. The two discuss Jewish activism and the power of comedy.

This week, Julia sits down with sports entertainer and founder of Girl at the Game, Gabrielle Starr. The two discuss gender discrimination in the sports industry while delving into the distinctly impact that sports have had on Jewish history in America.

Eve Barlow is a music journalist, an activist, a Twitter provocateur, and an impassioned and vocal Zionist and feminist. She is a bold voice both online and on paper—both for her unabashed commitment to advocacy and her vulnerability in the face of antisemitism. In this conversation, we dig into both Barlow’s impressive career as well as her enduring experiences as an activist and voice for change.   ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Tehila Friedman's work here: https://evebarlow.contently.com/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

Keshet Starr is one of the leaders in the fight against get (divorce) denial in the Jewish community. Julia Jassey and Keshet Starr sit down together to learn about Keshet's experience as a lawyer and a marriage equality advocate. Keshet Starr and women like her are changing the lives of so many Jewish women. Perhaps one day get denial is just a part of a history lesson. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Keshet Starr's work here: https://www.ou.org/women/counting-toward-sinai-podcast/counting-toward-sinai-tefillah-series-speakers/mrs-keshet-starr-esq/ ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media  

Tehila Friedman is a former member of Knesset, Israel’s parliament and a champion voice in the Orthodox Feminist world. Friedman is a part of a new generation in Israeli politics who are setting the groundwork for a new wave of Israeli politics and new wave of religious feminism. In this conversation, we discuss the complex relationship between the identities Tehila holds, and we explore the impact of their synergy on the future of the Jewish world. Needless to say, she is so much more than a Nice Jewish Girl. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Tehila Friedman's work here: https://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=1038 ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

This week, Julia sits down with Michal Cohen, the Chief Marketing Officer of Jewish on Campus. The two discuss the challenge of campus antisemitism and the power that comes with giving young voices a seat at the table.

Nice Jewish Girls introduces another podcast from Unpacked: Jewish History Unpacked. Whoever said history was boring clearly never heard these stories Join hosts Yael and Schwab each week as they take a dive into some deep cuts of Jewish history. From the Jewish Da Vinci Code to mass suicide pacts, explore true stories that feel larger than life. This episode tells the story of Josephus Flavius. It's maybe one of the wildest characters in Jewish history, and that's saying something. That's largely because unlike most historians, he didn't just chronicle the story; as Yael tells Schwab in this week's episode, Josephus, or Yosef ben Matityahu, wrote himself into the story - and what a story it is. This week, we learn about Josephus and the siege of Yodfat, and they ask, what does it mean for us to write yourself into the story of Jewish history?

This week, Julia sits down with Director of Community Engagement for the Anti-Defamation League, Carly Pildis. This podcast discusses the experience of career change—from politics to Jewish community work—while inpsiring the continued hope of passing on legacies between generations.

For the past six years, Stephanie Butnick has been changing the Jewish community as one of the co-hosts of Unorthodox, the most popular Jewish podcast on iTunes. In this inaugural episode of Nice Jewish Girls, Julia speaks to Stephanie about how studying religion brought her to Jewish media, what particular Jewish culture is, how she found her voice as an editor, and podcaster, and how she became a strong, proud Jewish woman. ~~~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Listen to Unorthodox: https://www.tabletmag.com/podcasts/unorthodox ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media

This podcast is not about Nice Jewish Girls. It’s about Jewish girls who are so much more than nice. It’s about journalists and authors, speechwriters and senators, prime ministers and rock stars.   This podcast will redefine the way we see Jewish women—not as Jewish American Princesses, not as nags or klutzes, not as bossy or loud. As strong, as smart, as fearless. As Esthers, as Rachels, as Miriams. This podcast is about bad (bleep) Jewish women.   Together, we will celebrate our history and empower the next generation of Jewish women. And I am so excited to begin.   My name is Julia Jassey, and I come from a long line of inspiring Jewish women. Every week, we’ll be speaking to Jewish women who are breaking new ground and changing history.   Subscribe to Nice Jewish Girls wherever you get your podcasts, and you’ll automatically get our first episode when it drops next month.   Nice Jewish Girls is brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media.

Maytal Shainberg is a business developer, an Orthodox Jewish woman, and an advocate for other women in her community. In this conversation, Maytal shows us an important example of representation for Orthodox Jewish women in the business world—a community that is misunderstood and misrepresented. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Maytal Shainberg here: ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

Shayna Weiss is a scholar of Judaism, gender, and Israeli culture at Brandeis University. She has entered the space of Jewish academia at the helm of a multi-dimensional renaissance. Women are playing a more prominent role in academia and the Jewish world than ever before; at the same time, the field of Jewish studies is at an inflection point. We sit down with Shayna Weiss, a leader in the field and a key figure in this shift. Needless to say, she is so much more than a Nice Jewish Girl. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Shayna Weiss' work here: https://www.brandeis.edu/israel-center/news/newsletter-november-2018-meet-shayna.html  ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media  

This week, Julia sits down with Paula Eiselt, award-winning filmmaker and documentary creater. The two discuss the importance of positive representation and accessibility through film for the entire Jewish community. 

On this week's episode of Nice Jewish Girls, Julia sits down with Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, an esteemed New York writer and journalist. They discuss the importance of giving Jewish voices from all backgrounds a voice inside and outside of the community. Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked ~~~~ Learn about Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt: http://www.avitalchizhik.com. ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.

Carly Rothenberg Friedman is an entreprenuer and founder of My Tzedakah Fund, a tech platform dedicated to bridging the gap between next generation philanthropists and worthy Jewish charities all over the world. In this conversation, we dive into her experience beginnning her own business with an all-female team, and we ask the question: Why Tzedakah? Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked  ~~~~ Learn about Carly Friedman's work here: http://MyTzedakah.com ~~~~ Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.  

Nice Jewish Girls introduces another podcast from Unpacked: Unpacking Israeli History. Season 4 just launched, and we're running the first episode here, entitled Ma'alot: 30 Seconds That Devastated A Nation. It was supposed to be a fun field trip. A little celebration in honor of Israel’s 26th birthday. Over a hundred religious high school students, exploring northern Israel and sleeping under the stars. But the three Palestinian terrorists who sneaked in from Lebanon had other plans. This is the story of the Ma’alot massacre. It’s a story of horror and blood. But it’s also a story of hope and resistance. A reminder that every hour of our lives matters.

This week, Julia sits down with Sabrina Miller, a political writer and reporter as well as advocate against antisemitism on campus. As a student at Britsol University, Miller became a powerful voice against antisemitism, and she joins us today to share the strength of her story.

This week, Julia sits down with Jewish advocate and influencer Amy Albertson. The two discuss the power and diversity of Jewish identity.

Sophie Frieden is an Orthodox feminist activist and co-founder of Jewish on Campus. She runs a Tiktok account called Frum Feminist, which represents two super different communities: religious Orthodoxy and feminism. ~~ Learn more about Unpacked: https://jewishunpacked.com/about/ Visit Unpacked on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/unpacked Unpacked is a division of OpenDor Media.