Ask a Jew

Yael Bar tur, secular sinner, and Chaya Leah Sufrin, pious Haredi, ask each other the hard questions, from Torah to Tinder

askajew.substack.com

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213 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes213

Newest first

Aug 24, 2022 · 1 hr 5 min
ASK A JEW: Moishe the Grouch
It's a back to school special! Today we talk about the trauma inflicted by Sesame Street (spanning continents and age groups), Chaya Leah's business idea for a fat-person only gym, the holy site to all religions that is Target, and some podcast recommendations that will make you smarter. Plus, did Covid kill swinging? Also, what is swinging? At some point of course we get serious (not too serious, but a little) and talk about how Yael's relationship to Judaism has changed since meeting Chaya L
Aug 16, 2022 · 1 hr 18 min
ASK A JEW: America Don't Worry, Israel is Behind You, with Eli Lake
Today we welcome national security correspondent, journalist and podcaster Eli Lake. Since we have such an esteemed guest with us, we spend plenty of time talking about reality tv, hot members of congress, and circumcisions. But also: why are people so obsessed with Israel, the ortho-woke, Salman Rushdie, Trump vs. Netanyahu, Kanye West, Zen and the art of dodging missiles, getting high in the bible, and much much more...
Aug 10, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
ASK A JEW: Little Miss Has No Confidence
In this episode of AAJ the girls go real deep on being confident and dealing with their shortcomings, all while blaming their moms (and the Holocaust) for their problems. They also discuss Yael's bday party that you weren't invited to, ChayaLeah's obsession with a Mormon family on Instagram, why Yael refuses to be saved by a podiatrist, and of course, cats that look like Hitler.
Aug 3, 2022 · 57 min
ASK A JEW: The Naked and Afraid Archeologist
Yael and Chaya Leah debate the hot issues of the day, from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to something happening to someone in China? (We weren't really paying attention). Also: how we define our Judaism (surprisingly the girls have very different answers for this), the best and worst airports, Chaya Leah gets fat-shamed by an (anti-semitic) TSA dog, Yael pulls off a major international smuggling operation at the age of 14, and much much more! Book recommendation: Spies of No Country, by Mat
Jul 19, 2022 · 1 hr 8 min
ASK A JEW: Better Sorry Than Safe
Chaya Leah and Yael welcome parenting guru and "America's Worst Mom", Lenore Skenazy. We talk about how to let your child grow freely (whatever the opposite of helicopter parenting is), deadly laundry baskets, anxious parents, and crappy kids. We talk about the importance of play, take some questions about screen time, and how parents and kids can slowly learn how to chill. This is a great conversation even if you don't have kids! Lenore is the president of Let Grow, the nonpartisan nonprofit p
Jul 12, 2022 · 1 hr 14 min
ASK A JEW: Revenge of the Rabbi
Rabbi Aba Perlmutter is back! He wanted to talk about laughter, but being the serious pundits that we are, we went straight to abortions. The orthodox take might surprise you. We also get some spiritual guidance on how not to hate our fellow man (even though they can be really annoying), discuss why we should hold the center and love our country, why we don’t need a Jewish president (or king), Chaya Leah’s royal aspirations, what the rabbi thinks about Meghan and Harry, the Jewish view on divorc
Jul 5, 2022 · 56 min
ASK A JEW: The First Ladies
Your two favorite Jews and backup Jew Nancy Rommelmann are back to talk about everything but abortions! We start with a historical overview of the hotness of First Ladies, a certain Israeli first lady's fondness for cases of pink champagne (I mean, who amongst us?), the royal family, getting older (related), gardening (super related) and Jews surviving in the wild in Peru (the Jews are related to the host). Also: * The Holocaust weight loss challenge * Bodega guy - friend or bro? A crisis comm
Jun 15, 2022 · 58 min
ASK A JEW: Every Cow Has a Hebrew Name
Chaya Leah manages to ruin Yael's surprise birthday party within the first 5 minutes of the episode. Yael talks about her vegan vacation in Northern Israel, and the girls discuss the Queen's birthday (like, *the* queen, not Yael), our giant fanbase in Kuwait, a listener question about Jewish quibbles over the letters S and T (as in Shabbas vs. Shabbat), new Hebrew words that just dropped, Yiddish is so hot right now, Starbucks makes America great, and even a talmudic take on Amber Heard and John
Jun 1, 2022 · 1 hr 7 min
ASK A JEW: Anti-Racist Fetus
The girls welcome Coleman Hughes. If you haven’t heard the name, Coleman is a gifted writer, musician, rapper, podcaster, and probably a Nobel Prize winning physician too. After Chaya Leah makes it awkward right off the bat, we move to topics like: * Afros make you closer to G_d * The season when Hasidic people bloom * Seeing the best in people * Coleman doesn’t know much about the israeli Palestinian conflict and we love him for it. * Campus wars vs actual wars * Anti-racist fetus * Colem
May 25, 2022 · 34 min
ASK A JEW: No Sleep Till Brooklyn
If NYC felt extra holy this week, it was because Chaya Leah and Yael were roaming the streets together, handing out blessings and kissing babies. They got in the sweltering studio to talk about meeting fans IRL at the Fifth Column event, going on a tour of Crown Heights, being mocked (rightfully) by waiters at a kosher Chinese restaurant, and more. Also, Chaya Leah maps out Brooklyn, which is kind of like a West Side Story of Jews but with less dance-fighting. And the girls settle an age-old que
May 17, 2022 · 1 hr 2 min
ASK A JEW: We Will Happily Replace You!
Yael prepares for the arrival of the great Rebbe aka Chaya Leah, and the girls plan all the Jewy stuff they will do on the Lower East Side. Also: A Jewish version of “the purge,” body shaming, loving yourself and other lies.
May 10, 2022 · 1 hr 6 min
ASK A JEW: Abortions For Some, Miniature American Flags For Others
The girls talk a bit about abortions but don’t worry, they quickly move on to the holocaust. Also, Chaya Leah tries to educate Yael on upcoming Jewish holidays (the next one involves cheese!), Yael talks about Israeli Memorial Day (no cheese), and much much more! Sign up on Substack, askajew.substack.com And leave us a review on Apple podcasts if you so please.
May 3, 2022 · 1 hr 9 min
ASK A JEW: The 1/5th That Moved to Substack
The girls welcome Liel Leibovitz, editor-at-large of Tablet magazine. Read Liel’s essay that made people yell at him. This may have been the Jewiest episode we ever recorded, but goys fear not - we’ll be back with the usual nonsense next week. Also: Please join us on Substack! Comment! Email! Give money! Or just sign up and say hey. https://askajew.substack.com/
Apr 26, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
ASK A JEW: Unorthodoxxed
The girls recap Passover and the Libs of Tik Tok kerfuffle. Also: * Everything and nothing is antisemitic * Blockchain! Books! And why we’re not as smart as we’d like to be. * Yael recommends a book about how to focus but she can’t remember what it’s called * Jonathan Haidt is a dreamboat * Social media is bad. No wait it’s good. * Friends are very important and never too late to find them - go get ‘em. *Chaya Leah tells a dumb beautiful story that will make you cry And nothing about Elon M
Apr 20, 2022 · 1 hr 25 min
ASK A JEW: 3 Jews, 2 Drink Minimum.
The girls fawn over Noam Dworman, owner of Comedy Cellar, and the NYC comedy scene's very own godfather, if the godfather was Jewish and generally just a cool guy. We talk about his personal history to the industry through his father, the holocaust being funnier than slavery, what American Jews get wrong about Israel, Will Smith (...we recorded this a little while ago), why comedians are funny, Hasidic Jews and COVID, comedy and COVID, and how we all love Orthodox Jews unless we're on a plane.
Apr 12, 2022 · 49 min
ASK A JEW: Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Pyramid - A Passover Special
High off an interview on Meghan Daum's "The Unspeakable" podcast, Yael calls an emergency episode to Jew-splain the story of Passover to an eye-rolling Chaya Leah. If you want to know all about the Seder, Hagaddah, and the meaning of the story of the Jews leaving Egypt, go listen to something else. If you want an interpretive dance version that blurs fact and fiction with elegance and style, we got you. Happy Passover!
Mar 29, 2022 · 1 hr 9 min
ASK A JEW: Say Whatever You Want As Long As It's Funny or True
Just the girls this time for an intimate chat about modesty, free speech, and share the one truth about Hunter Biden that no one is brave enough to speak. Also the Messiah is coming - are you prepared? Start working on your resurrection-bod, because you're (almost) all invited. Plus: Chaya Leah proposes giving Ukrainians 50% off Starbucks on their birthday, and Yael tells a real war story about a woman who fired tampons into Lebanon.
Mar 21, 2022 · 2 hr 9 min
ASK A JEW: The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
Special Edition! We won't lie, this one got a bit out of control. Maybe we were starstruck, maybe hungover from Purim, or maybe our conversations are that good. Either way, you get over two hours of content, from Corey Haim to Corey Feldman. Since a lot is going on, here are some approximate time stamps to guide you home in episode notes!
Mar 15, 2022 · 1 hr 4 min
ASK A JEW (15): Ashke-Normative
Chaya Leah tells the tale of how she and her girlfriends traveled around the country in a van solving mysteries with a dog... or that might be Scooby Doo. But the part about traveling around the country with a van full of Jews is true! Also, Yael tries to compliment the Rebbe but ends up offending him (of course) by comparing him to the pope. Bonus content: Purim, Brad Pitt, diets, and an accidentally deep conversation towards the end about the F word (feminism) Trigger warning: You may never
Mar 8, 2022 · 55 min
ASK A RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN JEW
This week, the girls welcome Karol Markowicz of the NY Post to discuss Russia, Ukraine, and Jews. It gets real Holocausty, real fast. They also talk about Karol's wonderful essay about struggling to belong in Jewish spaces in woke times, the secret to dealing with having more people for Shabbat than food, and some COVID mask talk just for fun. Follow Karol on Twitter @Karol

Ask a Jew

ASK A JEW: Moishe the Grouch

ASK A JEW: America Don't Worry, Israel is Behind You, with Eli Lake

ASK A JEW: Little Miss Has No Confidence

ASK A JEW: The Naked and Afraid Archeologist

ASK A JEW: Better Sorry Than Safe

ASK A JEW: Revenge of the Rabbi

ASK A JEW: The First Ladies

ASK A JEW: Every Cow Has a Hebrew Name

ASK A JEW: Anti-Racist Fetus

ASK A JEW: No Sleep Till Brooklyn

ASK A JEW: We Will Happily Replace You!

ASK A JEW: Abortions For Some, Miniature American Flags For Others

ASK A JEW: The 1/5th That Moved to Substack

ASK A JEW: Unorthodoxxed

ASK A JEW: 3 Jews, 2 Drink Minimum.

ASK A JEW: Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Pyramid - A Passover Special

ASK A JEW: Say Whatever You Want As Long As It's Funny or True

ASK A JEW: The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

ASK A JEW (15): Ashke-Normative

ASK A RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN JEW