Podcasts for Comfort, Education, Distraction
In the days, weeks, and months following October 7th, 2023, there seemed to be two options: launch oneself into the barbed morass that is social media, or find/create the softest, most innocuous place possible, and disappear into that. Neither of these choices are flawless, of course, the world has a way of nudging its way in, regardless of our attempts to shield ourselves.
It’s clear that we’re in a marathon, which means it’s more important than ever to find ways to de-escalate our brains.
So Lilith asked nine Jewish feminists about the podcasts they’ve been listening to — for comfort, for sanity, for enlightenment, and for laughs. Here’s what they said.
Rav Avigayil Halpern
Author of the Substack Approaching
“As a professional Jew (), I try to maintain a bit of church-and-state in my podcast habits. Which is to say, my reading is very focused on the news and analysis of the news; I try to keep my ear-space lighter.
To that end, Normal Gossip (including every back episode) has been a deeply welcome distraction as I wash dishes and take the bus.
I also really enjoyed Danny Lavery’s Big Mood, Little Mood, which has sadly ended.
Material Girls is a happy medium between serious analysis and more fun topics: the podcast features two feminist academics using critical theory to better understand pop-culture, and I always come away feeling both entertained and enlightened.
The only Jewish or newsy podcast that I listen to with any regularity has been Jewish Currents’ On the Nose – a favorite episode was their recent conversation about the rise of the religiously observant left in Israeli society.”
Dr. Shayna Weiss
Senior Associate Director of the Schusterman center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University (and co-author of the It’s No Ibiza substack with Dr. Melissa Weininger)
“Always Shir Echad (One Song). Who? Weekly. Explain Boston to Me. Nightingale of Iran. Abba Sheli V’ani (My Father and Me), where Israeli comedian Orel Tsabari interviews his dad. And Merkhav Mugan (Safe Room), interviews with people about their normal routines when the circumstances aren’t normal.”
Calla Halles
Executive Director, A Preferred Women’s Health Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
“Some trivia about me: I wanted to work in pro sports. My MBA is Sports/Entertainment management, my college/grad research is centered on sports, all my jobs before this one revolved around sports. That being said — the podcast that has gotten me through the past two years is the Kelce Brothers’ podcast, New Heights. It’s a genuinely happy kind of show, a uniquely supportive fanbase for sports media (there’s literally a segment of the show called ‘no dumb questions’ where they pull questions off Reddit and answer them), and surprisingly wholesome (despite the foul language — they’re pro athletes, if 5 minutes goes by without a curse, someone’s probably unconscious).”
Steph Herold
Researcher who studies abortion onscreen
“I am a big fan of For Heaven’s Sake from the Shalom Hartman Institute. Yossi Klein HaLevi and Donniel Hartman have become beloved teachers who I rely on every week to keep me focused on listening to and supporting the Israeli Left, and leaning into compassion and complexity.”
Therese Shechter
Filmmaker and Writer
“Pop culture stuff, all hosted by women: Articles of Interest and Decoder Ring. (I’m going to assume the hosts of these two, Avery Trufleman and Willa Paskin, are Jewish and feminist). Also, You’re Wrong About, and Culture Study Podcast.”
Rachel Faulkner
Director of National Campaigns and Partnerships, National Council of Jewish Women
“Here’s some that have been great for me, only one of which actually addresses the post Oct 7 world directly. Mostly I’ve sought out new ways of thinking about channeling grief and redefining activism.
- All There Is With Anderson Cooper – S2 E7: Mama Shu: Turning Loss into Love.
- Becoming The People Podcast – S1 E1: What It Takes To Heal with Prentis Hemphill + adrienne maree brown.
- IKAR Podcasts: Glow in the F*cking Dark – Rabbi Sharon Brous & Tara Schuster in Conversation.
- Chutzpod – S3 E11: Teaching While Jewish.”
Judith Rosenbaum
Feminist educator, historian, writer, and activist, CEO, Jewish Women’s Archive
“In terms of Jewish podcasts, I was drawn to two themes: insight into Jewish women’s experiences (I’m pretty consistent in my interests, I know), or how a post-Oct 7 perspective might change our understanding of history/texts/ritual. So two podcasts I listened to were: Voices of Women at Wartime, produced by the Center for Women’s Justice,Critical Sources, a short-run podcast produced by the Association for Jewish Studies.
I also put a lot of time into helping produce JWA’s podcast, Can We Talk? – which was the primary platform where we addressed October 7, through six special episodes.
Mostly, though, I live in a very Jewish world, I sought out podcasts that took me outside that perspective. When times are difficult, I’m drawn to poetry, so in the past several months, I’ve particularly enjoyed:
Poetry Unbound, with Padraig O Tuama, which takes a different poem as its focus in each short episode, and Commonplace Podcast, with Rachel Zucker, which is sort of the opposite approach: very long, wide-ranging conversations with writers about making art, love, humanity, social change, etc.”
Kohenet Pleasance Silicki
“Some I have sent to my people over this time, the ones I return and return to:
- You’re Going to Die– the episodes with Mara June, Sonya Renee Taylor, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Abigail Benson and Aditi Sethi are some of my favs but there really are so many that have supported my system this year.
- We Are the Great Turning – the whole series is incredible Joanna Macy in her 90’s with such tenderness in her being for her contributions to how we move through this time.
- THE EMERALD- Oh Justice. Just wow. As a Kohenet, I’m obsessed with gender and prayer! So this episode of Identity/Crisis on Toratah was so magical for the dreaming, visioning into the world to come and playing with story as a path towards healing. And then the music that accompanies this work has been a FOUNDATION for me this Winter/ Spring for healing.”
Rabbi Heather Miller
“My usual list:
On the current topic of the day: Unpacking Israeli History I’m really enjoying Wondering Jews.
If I want to force myself to grapple with something that might challenge my own thinking (which I believe is necessary in order to solidify one’s own beliefs): Honestly with Bari Weiss.
There are podcasts I used to listen to and really enjoyed until they started expressing views that I found really hurtful in my Judaism and I had to take them out of the rotation. Making that decision made me really sad, but it stung every time they said certain things. It was the first time I decided to stop following something for my own mental wellbeing and I still struggle with that tension.”
