edJEWcation

What makes two rabbis who disagreed about almost everything the most celebrated pair in Jewish history? This week we sit down with Hillel and Shammai, the original dynamic duo, and the answer turns out to be the way they argued, not what they argued about.In this episode, we get into:The lost art of disagreeing with someone you actually like and respect, and why Judaism treats a good argument as something close to sacred.Machloket l’shem shamayim: what makes an argument “for the sake of heaven,” and where the line gets crossedThe Hanukkah menorah debate: do you start with eight candles or one, and why each side is rightThe gentile who asked to learn the whole Torah on one foot, and the very different answers Hillel and Shammai gaveWhy Hillel’s golden rule (”what you don’t want done to you, don’t do to others”) is not the same as “love your neighbor as yourself”Lenient versus strict: how two yeshivas, two personalities, and one open door shaped Jewish lawWhy we almost always rule like Hillel, and the surprising reason it comes down to humilityPull up a chair, pick a side, and remember: the rest is commentary.Resources:Hillel and Shammai, sayings and characterMachloket l’shem shamayim (a dispute for the sake of heaven)Korach’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron

We picked up where we left off with the Twelve Prophets (Trei Asar), and Hosea throws us straight into one of the strangest stories in all of the Tanakh. Gd is furious that the Jewish people are chasing idols, so He gives Hosea an unusual assignment: go marry a woman of ill repute, have kids with her, and name them “Not My People” and “No Mercy.” It’s harsh, it’s strange, and the Rabbi calls it the most dramatic living metaphor any prophet was ever asked to act out.In this episode, we get into:Hosea, the harlot metaphor, and the Kabbalistic question of whether Gd can actually be affected by what we doWhat a prophet (and a leader) is supposed to be: tough on the people, defender to Gd, never a politicianJoel and the locusts, the seven-year famine, and when punishment came measure-for-measureFamous Amos (great cookies, great prophet) and why prosperity might be the harder spiritual testObadiah the convert who saved 100 prophets from Jezebel, the rabbinic tradition that Rome is Edom, and the famous widow with the miraculous oilMicah and the morality prophets: how “idolatry” in our day reads as money, power, and the corruption that comes with successWe also kept circling back to something: most American Jews don’t think about Gd as Someone with expectations. That’s exactly the tension Hosea was preaching into 3,000 years ago. Same story, different costumes. Hit play, and stay with us for Part 3, where we close out the Twelve.

The rabbi’s out this week, so we’re are doing what any self-respecting book nerds would do: geeking out about reading. In this episode, we get into:Jay breaks down his “30 pages a day” habit (spoiler: it adds up to 10,000 pages a year)ChayaLeah confesses her Shakespeare regretsJay’s system for building a daily reading habit (and why you should keep three books going at once)The “Chan-book-ah” book haul: Arab nationalism, Elie Wiesel, Holocaust memoirs, and Jewish prayerChayaLeah’s pitch for Cultural Amnesia by Clive James and why Remains of the Day is still on her mindWhy understanding Jewish prayer word by word is a total game changerLife and Fate by Vasily Grossman, a book they both call the best they’ve ever readHopefully you’ll get some ideas for your next book from this episode.Quote of the episode:"I realized I was never going to be the smartest person in a room, but I could be the most well read." — JayAll the books we mention:Arab Nationalism in the Twentieth Century by Adeed DawishaGod in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua HeschelSouls on Fire by Elie WieselSages and Dreamers by Elie WieselNight by Elie WieselThe Last Consolation Vanished by Zalmen GradowskiHostage by Eli SharabiOn Killing by Dave GrossmanElusive Prophet: Ahad Ha’am and the Origins of Zionism by Steven ZippersteinAs a Driven Leaf by Milton SteinbergAnonymous Soldiers by Bruce HoffmanTo Pray as a Jew by Hayim Halevy DoninThe Hour of Our Death by Philippe ArièsArrows of the Dark (two volumes) by Tuvia FrilingLife and Fate by Vasily GrossmanThe Road by Vasily GrossmanCultural Amnesia by Clive JamesRemains of the Day by Kazuo IshiguroThe Facemaker by Lindsey FitzharrisMy Prayer (two volumes, Chabad teachings on prayer) — could not confirm Amazon listing, may need manual searchRebel and Statesman-The Early Years: The Life and Times of Vladimir Jabotinsky: Volume One by Joesph SchechtmanFighter and Prophet; The Jabotinsky Story; The Last Years by Joesph SchechtmanThe Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - this is ChayaLeah’s book. Jay dissavows

King Solomon had a thousand wives, wrote a book of proverbs, and still felt the need to write a whole passionate love poem about a shepherd boy and a maiden. Coincidence? We think not. In this follow-up to our Valentine’s Day episode, we go deeper into what Judaism actually teaches about love, including what Song of Songs reveals about God’s relationship with the Jewish people, and we bring it all the way down to earth with real talk about marriages stuck in a rut, whether people can truly change, and why “I can’t” usually means “I don’t want to.”In this episode, we get into:Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): literal love poem or divine allegory?Why love is the only personality trait with its own dedicated book in the entire Hebrew BibleWhat Adam and Eve tell us about whether opposites actually attractWhy real love has nothing to do with infatuation, Hollywood, or Taylor Swift (though we do have opinions about her and Travis)Practical advice for married couples who have drifted apart and want to find their way backTrust vs. love: which one is actually the foundation of a lasting relationshipThe Baal Shem Tov’s classic “you can, you just don’t want to” and why it applies to your marriage right nowWhy the Rebbe and Rebbetzin’s relationship might be the greatest love story you’ve never heard"Love goes deeper than what you can do for me. You love the person for who they are and what they are, not what they do for you." — RabbiWhether you're happily married, newly in love, or just trying to remember what you liked about the person across the breakfast table, this episode has something real for you. Come learn, laugh, and maybe text your spouse something nice when it's over. 🕯️❤️Referenced Material-Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) by King SolomonMishlei (Proverbs) by King Solomon

On this chag episode, we tackle a section of the Haggadah that almost everyone breezes past: Jacob's fateful decision to "temporarily" settle in Egypt, only to buy land, put down roots, and stay for 17 years. From that ancient real estate deal, the conversation spirals into the big questions Jewish families are wrestling with right now: What does Israel really mean to diaspora Jews? Is "dual loyalty" just an antisemitic trope, or something worth actually thinking about? Why did 80% of Jews choose to stay in Egypt even after centuries of slavery? We don't talk about rising antisemitism, the war with Iran, and what it means to say "Next year in Jerusalem" from your living room in Long Beach. ChayaLeah shares her family's Passover prep rituals (poster boards, car detailing, kids moving the fridge), and we a passionate case that any level of observance counts. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. 🍷\Resources Mentioned-Genesis 46:27 - Jacob’s family settling in EgyptExodus 13:18 - Circuitous route out of EgyptThe Four Questions explained - Chabad.orgThe Rebbe’s seder table - Chabad.org

When the British Museum quietly updated some of its ancient Near East exhibit labels from "Palestine" to "Canaan," the internet exploded. But what does the history actually say? Israel tour guide, Jewish educator, and Substack writer Alex Stein joins Jay and ChayaLeah to break it all down, from the Bronze Age Canaanites and the Hyksos to Herodotus, to Hadrian officially naming the Roman province "Palestina" in the second century CE. Along the way we get into Jewish indigeneity, the archaeology of the Israelite conquest (spoiler: it's complicated), dual-narrative tourism, and how you'd even begin to explain any of this to a sixth grader. This is the episode for anyone who wants to actually understand the history beneath the headlines, without the yelling.Where to find Alex:Make sure to check out Alex’s upcoming Love of the Land Tour in October!From Palestine to Canaan article

In this special birthday episode, ChayaLeah and Jay sit down with the man of the hour, the Rabbi, as he turns 70. Born in Montreal on March 4th, 1956 (the 22nd of Adar on the Jewish calendar), the Rabbi reflects on a life he never could have predicted: from growing up in a non-Chabad home and boarding a bus to a New Jersey yeshiva on a whim, to serving as a Schlaich in Seattle, building a Chabad presence in Boston's Kenmore Square, and eventually putting down roots in California where, through decades of challenge, a global pandemic, and more than a few permit headaches, his community finally found a permanent home. Grounded in the wisdom of Pirkei Avot (which calls 70 "ripe old age," a fullness and satisfaction), the Rabbi shares what it really feels like to look back on a life of purpose, sacrifice, and gratitude. Funny, honest, and genuinely moving, this episode is a masterclass in what it means to "keep breathing" until the sail comes in.

Was Theodor Herzl a secular visionary or a spiritual seeker? A hero or a heretic? On the 130th anniversary of his landmark manifesto Der Judenstaat, Professor Gil Troy, presidential historian, Zionist scholar, and editor of The Zionist Ideas, sits down with Jay and ChayaLeah for a conversation that covers all of it: Herzl's complicated relationship with Judaism, why he was persona non grata in Haredi education, the emotional power of standing at his grave on Mount Herzl, and why Professor Troy’s concept of "identity Zionism" speaks directly to Jewish students navigating hostile campuses today. Along the way, the hosts bring their signature mix of head and heart, Jay digs into the intellectual history while ChayaLeah shares what it was like to discover Herzl as an adult after growing up Chabad, where his picture wasn't exactly hanging on the wall. It's a timely, moving, and surprisingly fun deep dive into the father of modern Zionism.To learn more about Professor Troy’s work, you can find it at his website GilTroy.comA selection of works:To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to my Students on Defending the Zionist DreamThe Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland: Then, Now, TomorrowThe Essential Guide to October 7th and its Aftermath: Facts, Figures, History

Make sure to subscribe to our substack to keep up to date on the latest edJEWcation episodes and events Subscribe to the edJEWcation Podcast-----The Tucker Carlson situation has everyone asking the same question: when a friend goes off the deep end morally, do you stay loyal or cut them loose? We dig into this through a Jewish lens, from Talmudic principles to modern media ethics, and get surprisingly personal about struggles with Chabad identity and navigating between Orthodox and liberal Jewish worlds. Also in this episode: Why there are 20 Christian Bible study groups on one college campusThe Gene Wilder/Mel Brooks origin storyJoe Rogan's hilariously wrong guess about Jewish demographicsA brutally honest discussion about how we justify breaking our own values (yes, including the hypothetical In-N-Out burger scenario).

Remember to subscribe to edJEWcation for all our latest updates hereIn the fourth installment of the edJEWcation book club, we discuss The True Believer by Eric HofferWritten in 1951 by a longshoreman with an unsettling grasp of human psychology, The True Believer asks a simple question with terrifying implications: why do ordinary people become fanatics?In this edJEWcation Book Club episode, we dig into Eric Hoffer’s timeless analysis of mass movements, self-hatred, humiliation, certainty, and the seductive power of belonging. From Nazism and Communism to campus encampments, TikTok activism, and online extremists, we debate whether Hoffer was describing history or diagnosing our present.We wrestle with uncomfortable questions:Is hatred easier to organize than love?Are today’s movements real revolutions or just cosplay with slogans?Why do people crave certainty so badly?Why do some religions help people lead meaningful lives, and others turn them into fanatics?Along the way, we talk loneliness, social media, male humiliation, Holocaust jokes in unexpected places, and why not knowing might be the most Jewish answer of all.Plus: a surprise detour into Marty Supreme, Timothy Chalamet, and why humiliation might be the hidden engine of fanaticism.Read the book. Question everything. And maybe, just maybe, turn your phone off.

Friendly reminder to subscribe to edJEWcation on Substack so you can be included in all the happenings about the podcast and join our next monthly Zoom call.Just click hereIn this episode of edJEWcation, we unpack Kings II, one of the wildest books in the Hebrew Bible, through the lens of Jewish history, Biblical storytelling, and modern meaning.From the dramatic transition from Elijah to Elisha, to miracles that feel both supernatural and surprisingly practical, we explore Hebrew Bible stories that center on prophets, power, faith, and moral responsibility. Along the way, we discuss why salvation in the Bible so often comes from underdogs and outcasts, including one of the most unlikely heroes in all of Scripture.The conversation widens to tackle antisemitism, Israel’s place in world attention, collective Jewish trauma, and what Biblical history teaches us about societies that lose their moral compass. Why does the world obsess over Israel? Why do prophets speak uncomfortable truths? And why does the Bible keep choosing the people everyone else ignores?Blending Torah learning, Biblical history explained, cultural commentary, and a healthy dose of edJEWcation banter, this episode connects ancient texts to the questions people are asking right now about faith, meaning, and identity.

In this pre-pre-PRE-Hanukkah special (because we refuse to let Christmas music win), the crew breaks down the real Hanukkah story: the oil, the civil war, the Hellenists, the hammer, and the heroic home court advantage, while also inventing a brand-new Hanukkah tradition involving sword fights and presents hidden in a makeshift Temple. Along the way, we tackle assimilation, Jewish identity, why no one ever explained the whole “Greeks vs. Syrians” thing, and the surprising appearance of a tall FBI agent who would “take a bullet for the Jews.” Happy early Hanukkah… and don’t forget to pick up your free Chabad menorah.

🚨 ALERT! Have you ever wanted to Zoom with the three of us? Or maybe even have some one-on-one time? Well, the world is now your oyster because we’ve officially launched several subscription tiers, with our first Zoom taking place sometime after Thanksgiving!These will just be the starting points (we have a lot of goodies cooking), so keep your eyes peeled — and don’t worry, we’ll also personally annoy you to make sure you don’t miss out.If you’re interested in joining us, click hereOn to the episode…What was supposed to be a wholesome Thanksgiving episode turned into… well… a cross-continental Chabad saga, a philosophical smackdown over near-death experiences, a masterclass on meaning, and a heated debate about why every family should avoid politics at dinner. Rabbi shares wild scenes from the Chabad convention (VIP ropes included), Jay reveals his Mossad side-hustle, and ChayaLeah gives the only real Thanksgiving advice you need: don’t be alone, and don’t talk politics. A very gishmak pre-Thanksgiving hang with your favorite dysfunctional trio.