7 Jewish podcasts to listen to during quarantine

By Lisa Woolfson

Always wanted to get into podcasts but could never find the time? Well, now’s the time. While you’re self-isolating at home, here are 7 Jewish podcasts to help make sheltering in place worthwhile.

1
“Funny, They Don’t Look Jewish!”

You’ve probably heard this phrase about yourself or someone else at some point. Well this podcast, hosted by Henry Bernstein and Brandon Bernstein, who aren’t related, puts a delightful spin on the stereotype by discussing Judaism in comics — whether that’s Jewish characters, praying in a synagogue or quotes from Jewish texts. If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about Judaism and comic books, this podcast is for you. More

2
“The Promised Podcast”

This weekly podcast is about everything Israel, including politics, society and culture. It’s hosted by Noah Efron, a professor at Bar-Ilan University; Allison Kaplan Sommer, a journalist and columnist for Haaretz; and Don Futterman, the program director for the Israel for the Mariah Fund. If you want to learn about what’s going on in Israel from people who live there, give this a listen. More

3
“The Schmooze”

If you’re interested in the Yiddish language, but don’t speak it, this may be the podcast for you. “The Schmooze” is an English-language podcast from The Yiddish Book Center with news and stories that are related to Yiddish language, culture and literature. The podcast also includes conversations with influential Jewish cultural figures. More 

4
“Judaism Unbound”

This podcast is about analyzing Judaism in a 21st century context. Hosts Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg consider 21st century Judaism while also interviewing leading thinkers in the Jewish world as well as “regular Jews”. If you want to see Judaism in a new, modern light, give this podcast a listen. More

5
“Rabbi, Is Pot Kosher?”

Hosted by Rabbis Avram Mlotek and Jon Leener, this podcast is all about the intersection of Jewish traditions and modern questions, such as, should Jeffrey Epstein get a Jewish funeral? If you have any challenging questions about Judaism, there’s a good chance you’ll find your answer here. More

6
“Jewish History Matters”

If you’re interested in learning about Jewish history and culture, you may want to give this podcast a listen. Host Jason Lustig interviews Jewish studies scholars about past and contemporary Jewish life. This podcast is meant to be accessible to a general audience, so even if you don’t have a lot of background knowledge, don’t be afraid to give it a listen. More

7

“The Kibitz”

Journalist Dan Crane and comedian Jessica Chaffin team-up to discuss everything Judaism including love, comedy, sex, Jewish atheism, anti-Semitism and more with famous guests. If you want to learn about Judaism in a humorous way, give this podcast a listen. More

Lisa Woolfson is a student at the University of Maryland and a member of the Reform Board at Maryland Hillel.