Episodi
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That feeling you have in the pit of your stomach? We’re all there. A mix of hope, fear, anger and grief. An American friend asked me if I’m happy about the hostage deal, and it was hard to use that word in this context. Though I support the deal (like most Israelis) and believe it is the moral choice, it makes me sick to my stomach that we even had to negotiate with these b******s, not to mention give them anything that doesn’t drop from the wing of an F-15. More about that, and our listener Zoom in a minute. In the meantime, we present you this rare, early-release, joy-to-the-ears kvetch fest with two of our favorite ladies and co-hosts of Normally, Mary Katharine Ham and Karol Markowicz. You may know these ladies from either of their frequent apperances on Fox News, CNN, the NY Post, and any other place where people pay them to say what they think about things. They each also have two great podcasts of their own, The Karol Markowicz show (that’s, uh, Karol’s) and Getting Hammered.
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The next few weeks will be rough
As of today, 33 hostages are set to be released in the phase of the deal, with each day bringing new challenges and mind-f***s from the enemy. There are total of 98 hostages in Gaza, aged 2 to 86, and there is no guarantee that we will ever move into the 2nd or 3rd phases of the deal that are meant to bring them all home.
To clarify how evil Hamas is (in case you don’t get it in our podcast, we can be a little subtle sometimes), they are set to release the first group of hostages in about 12 hours, and they still haven’t told us who they are. Nor have they told us who is alive. For example, you all may have heard about little Kfir Bibas, who just celebrated his 2nd birthday as a hostage. He was kidnapped at the age of 6 months, and he and his brother Ariel (5) and mother are expected to return in this phase of the deal. We don’t know if these babies will return home in their mother’s arms or in body bags.
As many have said before me including head of the Shin Bet, the deal isn’t good - but it’s the right deal. I don’t think we could live with ourselves if we didn’t push for it, not just for our 98 brothers and sisters, but for our sense of solidarity and responsibility to one another. Every Israeli feels like they have been missing a limb for the last 15 months, and we need to be able to be whole again to move on. This may sound sentimental, and not like the tough, calculated soldiers that people expect us to be. But in a sense, the reason people put on a uniform to begin with and run into the line of fire is to save strangers and protect families, and who would we be if we didn’t do that now?
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Listener Zoom
Another weepy Zoom coming your way! Please join us Monday at 9pm EST for a much-needed group therapy session. Will you learn anything? Maybe, I don’t know. If you want to learn ask Dan Senor for a Zoom. Will you share all the feels and laughs with friends and strangers and leave feeling uplifted? 100%. Will send a separate email with details so watch this space.
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Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, host of the FDD Morning Brief, and formerly a terror finance analyst for the US Treasury. There’s a lot to talk about this week, especially the hostages, an upcoming ceasefire deal that brings up all kinds of feelings, and of course - Houthi dance moves. Follow Jonathan on X and don’t forget to check out the Morning Brief wherever you get your podcasts.
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If you’re feeling anxious about a potential hostage deal, that’s probably the right reaction. As I write this, it seems like a hostage deal will be signed in the coming hours, with the first phase being the gradual release of 33 hostages - whose condition is unclear. We the public (and probably others close to the negotiation table too) have no idea who is dead and who is alive, how long this will take (looks like weeks at the least), whether or not it will even happen, and of course what the outcome will be. It’s like diffusing a bomb over the course of several weeks, every wrong move can create an explosion. There are more unkowns than knowns, and i’ve even gone back to edit this last paragraph in the last few minutes based on new information. We will cry tears of happiness for every life that can be pulled out of that hellhole, and tears of heartbreak for every one left behind. Anyway, to quote my friend Lishay Lavi, whose husband and father of her 2 young daughters is a hostage and is not on the first phase list: “There is no euphoria or celebration here. We fight till the very last hostage is home.” I may write a longer post about this later.
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Episodi mancanti?
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This week we welcome on of our favorite podcast hosts and top 5 favorite lesbians, non-Jew Katie Herzog! Katie is the co-host of the wonderful Blocked and Reported podcast about internet drama with Jesse Singal, which makes her a victim of antisemitism by association.
Join the conversation on Substack today! Askajew.substack.com
We discuss:
* Wigs
* Head nipples
* What’s the difference between Seattle and Portland
* Hurricane Helene
* America needs a good enemy
* New Year’s Resolutions
* Meditation changed my life or whatever
* Katie Arafat
* Katie is a Bird Flu prepper
* Jews and dogs - a mismatch made in heaven
* Podcast couples therapy
* Don’t buy the merch
* Do Jews surf?
Want to help us grow? Rate and review us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Follow Katie on X and most importantly, start listening to Blocked and Reported! We really want to give them a
We still have a few copies of the Queers 4 Palestine calendar left! Order now.
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What do you people call it? 2025? Anyway, we hope it’s awesome! Is your new year’s resolution to listen more of the Jewish weave, covering everything from Hanukkah to TJ MAxx? If so, you’re in for a treat.
Also:
* Our sufganiyot (seasonal donuts) game-plan
* Being Jewish out loud
* Are celebrities allowed to be jewish?
* A 2nd Hanukkah without the hostages
* The bombshell Assad divorce
* We are the lovechilds Marie Kondo and a Tazmanian Devil
* We’ll also introduce a new segment: The Jewish draft! Who’s in and who’s out this week? Listen to find out. Or you could also scroll below to see the photo. By the way he’s been posting one for every night, hasn’t hit a Jewish person in his quotes just yet, but it’s night 7 so figners crossed!
Also, here’s a video of a lovely celebration on 5th avenue, complete with irrate commuters and confused tourists. Jewish Joy in your face, it’s the NYC way!
Have you ordered your copy of the Queers 4 Palestine calendar yet? If not, take your time, i’ve been doing the fulfillment and already have spent more than the doctor’s recommended time in the post office. But also hurry up because we have a limited supply! Special thanks to the wonderful Nika Scothorne for the design.
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Any New Year’s resolutions?? Share below for accountability and feedback.
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Brendan O’Neill is the chief political writer for Spiked and host of The Brendan O’Neill Show podcast. He writes for numerous publications, including the Daily Mail, the Spectator, the New York Post and The Australian. His latest book is After the Pogrom: 7 October, Israel and the Crisis of Civilisation (Spiked, 2024) which you should all buy immediately.
Brendan attempts to explain to us what the HELL is wrong with Ireland, why he as a non-Jew had such a strong reaction to October 7 (he’s against it, just to be clear) and why the right wing variety of antisemitism is giving the left a run for it’s money.
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Merry Christmas to all our non-Jewish listeners! You’re our favorites. We hope you enjoy the day in your matching pajamas eating chestnuts and riding reindeer or whatever it is you do. We respect your tradition, though we don’t quite understand it. I think it has something to do with a Palestinian refugee fleeing Israeli tanks 2,000+ years ago and giving birth to Jesus at a checkpoint. Here’s an AI generated image of Jews celebrating Christmas. 8/10.
It’s also the time of year when we love to resurface one of our favorite episodes: “All I want for Christmas is Jews”. In this episode Rabbi David Komerofsky “Jewsplains” how the best Christmas songs were written by Jews, and tells a beautiful story of immigration, fantasy, and the American Dream.
We also have playlist of the best songs written by Jews, so enjoy!
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This week we welcome Judy Gold, comedian, writer, actor and author of "Yes, I can say that! When they come for the comedians we're all I trouble".
We go everywhere in this one - feminism, lesbians Israel, comedy, cat calling - you name it, we laugh about it. Don't listen if you have kids in the car (unless your kids are cool)
Follow Judy on Instagram, check out her website, and catch her performing comedy live weekly She also hosts the podcast “It’s Judy’s Show”, but she hasn’t invited us on so don’t listen.
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Jonathan Elkhoury is just your typical Lebanese, Israeli, Christian, Gay Zionist.
Born in Lebanon, Jonathan fled the country at the age of 8 with his family when Hezbollah took over their village. Since his father was in the South Lebanese Army and worked closely with the IDF, the family (along with about 6,000 other SLA members and their families) were offered refuge in Israel, where they have been living since.
Follow Jonathan on Instagram, X and Facebook,
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It's not too late to sign up for our Hanukkah party Dec 12th! (unless you are listening to this after Dec 12th, in which case it's too late). See askajew.substack.com for details.
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The girls share everything they know about Syria (not much), argue passionately about faith in the Messiah vs. faith in the Iron Dome, and try to determine who is the better Jew (the answer may suprise you!)
In New York Dec 12th? Join us both for our Hanukkah party! Check askajew.substack.com for details or email [email protected].
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Chaya Leah heeds the activists' advice and goes back to Poland. Also: Trumps hottest cabinet picks, our *least* favorite type of antisemites, and a wholesome dip into Mormon Twitter. Don't forget to RSVP for our Hanukkah party, Dec 12 in NYC! Details on Askajew.substack.com. Happy Thanksgiving!
Links:
The Perelmuters in Poland
Hanukkah party details
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Today we welcome Zibby Owens, bestselling author, CEO, bookstore owner , “book-fluencer”, and host of the widely succesful “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books” podcast. Most recently she published “On Being Jewish Now”, a collection of essays on Jewish identities in a post-October 7th world.
Save the Date! Dec 12th AAJ Hanukkah Party in NYC! Sign up for substack for details: Askajew.substack.com
Check out Zibby’s website, check out Zibby Media, follow her on Instagram and Facebook, and of course - buy 👏 the 👏 book!
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DECEMBER 12 HANUKKAH PARTY IN NYC! Follow askajew.substack.com for details.
Some rational and irrational responses to the election that are sure to equally offend all the listeners, plus movies, planes, the orthodox draft in Israel, and more. This is probably the only podcast where a passionate argument about skincare will lead to a passionate argument about a hostage deal.
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Looking for a non-election podcast? How about 75 minutes of soothing soviet antisemitism? We got you. Our guest today is Izabella Tabarovsky, a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism. We discuss how everything old is new again, why being a self-hating Jewish celebrity is sooooo 1970s, and what you can do today to de-program your brain from stale propaganda.
You should read pretty much everything Izabella has ever written: start here.
The Z3 institute for Jewish Priorities (there’s a conference you can go to in the Bay Area!)
18 brave Georgian Jews in 1969
We should all be Refusenicks
Wikipedia is Disinformation with a hard D
No, it really sucks
Club Z so you can raise non-self hating kids
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Bonjour from Paris! (Bonjour means “hello” in French). Miss us? We missed you, each other, and the sound of our own voices. That maybe explains the fact that neither of us could shut up on this one, in fact we almost forgot we were recording and maybe went a little more vulnerable than expected (people like that stuff, right?). In this episode, we catch up about the holidays, Iran, the beef between Johnny Depp and Rabbi Sufrin, and of course our election ambivalence. There's lots more on Substack for you to read, and you can comment and chat there as well.
Links:
Yezidi girl saved from Gaza testimony - actual trigger warning.
The story we discussed about a woman named Dafna from Kibbutz Reim.
Everything is Illuminated movie recommendation
Don't Dance on Graves - EdJewCation
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In this week’s episode of “people we thought were Jewish” - Christine Rosen! Christine is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, columnist for Commentary magazine, cohosts of The Commentary Magazine Podcast, and author of the new book The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.
We talk about Christine's very unique acknowledgments page, the good, bad and ugly of technology, IRL friendships vs. online friendships, and how with great rights come great responsibilities.
Buy the book The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.
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On the eve of October 7th, we gathered with 100+ of our closest friends (you guys!) to share our feelings, frustrations, sad tears and happy tears. Don't worry, we still found some space for holocaust jokes and hot dictators. Thank you to everyone who joined, from Portland to Iran - we are very lucky to have you. Special thanks to Super Friends and former guests Eli Lake (The Reeducation, The Free Press) and Mike Pesca (The Gist) for jumping on and sharing their wisdom. Listen all the way to the end for an uplifting finish (Or dare I say...a happy ending).
Need a community? We have one! Join askajew.substack.com to continue the conversation on chat or comments.
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Sunday October 6 listener Zoom!! Go to askajew.substack.com for details.
Shana Tova from the bomb shelter! Just kidding, the IDF said we can go out, plus, after an hour we finished folding laundry and drinking a bottle of whiskey, and we were bored. This episode was recorded before Iran launched a ballistic missile attack at our faces, so if we sound a little too cheerful and irreverent....well, I guess that's on brand. Pics and links here on substack.
In this one:
Who’s less hot, JD Vance or Tim Walz?An update on Nicole Kidman’s wigs on The Perfect CoupleOur low expectations from celebrities these daysGeorge Washington wrote a nice letter once to Jews an we’re still talking about itA distressed hostage back from Hamas captivity, and Noa ArgamaniEl Al to people trying to get flight tickets to Israel: Don’t.What kind of Orthodox is this?Is Austria’s far right leader hot? AAJ investigatesAn on-an-off relationship with G_dWe may have made a big mistake offing that austere religious scholar Hassan NasrallahOur friend Eli Lake about the importance of winning, in The Free PressA Sephora for BeirutWhy do Orthodox women always do this for a living?And a listener has an R-rated Auschwitz related question…Joing the AAJ conversation on Susbtack! askajew.substack.com
Email us your questions [email protected]
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This episode is brought to you by the Federated States of Micronesia. No, they aren't paying us for sponsorship, but they are the only country that still loves us, so this one's on us!
This week we discuss the Hezbollah pager explosions, the list of countries that can no longer sit with us, Hassan Nasrallah's glow-up, decolonized pizza at MIT, tips on how to focus,and more.
The UN being the UN
MIT activists disrupt Israeli professor, steal pizzas (and a happy ending!)
The Man from Vilna - how to think about Simchat Torah this year (lyrics here)
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Greg Lukianoff is a First Amendment lawyer, President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), and co-author of the hits "The Coddling of the American Mind" with Jonathan Haidt and "The Canceling of the American Mind" with Rikki Schlott. He joins us to talk all things free speech, like why campuses are burning, how violence is kind of bad, actually, and why he fights for our right to say dumb things, and be called out on them.
Also:
What should keep us up at night?Culture of free speech vs. the law of free speechActually, violence is bad2023 was the worst year for deplatforming in historyHarvard is so mad at Greg right nowEven antisemites have free speech rights :(Are the universities redeemable?You're anti-intellectual! No, you're anti-intellectual! Blame the lack of viewpoint diversityStudents + admins = troubleAre you ever sick of all this free speech nonsense?Kids need to be told they are stupid more oftenFIRE-branded Shabbat dinners, coming soon to a table near youFollow Greg on Twitter/X if you please, and also on Substack at The Eternally Radical Idea
The article that inspired the book The Coddling of the American Mind in The Atlantic (2015)
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David Christopher Kaufman is a columnist and editor at the NY Post and an adjunct fellow at the Tel Aviv institute. He joins the girls this week to talk elections, Israel, and the identity of the half black, half Jewish, totally Zionist American journalist.
Also:
* The mood in Israel
* The difference between being a Jew and being Jewish
* Why Hamas is like dating in New York
* A Zionist Jew and a non-Zionist Jew walk into a bar...
* We all feel the same and it hasn't stopped for a day
* The pressure on young black Jewish kids
* The black struggle is not the Palestinian struggle
* Pro-Trump Jews, identity politics, and Kamala Harris
* Doug Emhoff is the "right kind of Jew"
Follow David on X and Instagram
And read his writing in the NY Post
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We are joined by Brianna Wu, the Executive Director of Rebellion Pac, who proudly calls herself queer, progressive - and a friend of Israel. We discuss growing up in Mississippi, what progressives can learn from Hasidic Jews, the Women's March, Gamergate, being an inspiration for a Law & Order episode, her global ranking as an elite Super Mario 2 Runner - and more!
Follow Brianna on X
The famous Law & Order episode based on Brianna's story
Brianna's Super Mario run
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