Unorthodox Tablet Studios

This week on the show, we’re examining the most Beautifully Jewish object of all time: the Torah. In celebration of Shavuot, Beautifully Jewish hosts Stephanie Butnick and Tanya Singer explore creative, unexpected ways of connecting with the Torah. 

Israeli journalist Sivan Rahav-Meir, host of the Tablet podcast Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally, shares how she found her way into the Torah, and the daily wisdom it offers her.   

Dr. Carol Meyers of Duke University, who as Stephanie’s professor inspired her love of Jewish stories, explains why it’s so important to examine women’s lives, in the Bible and beyond. 

Lili Shain tells us about Torah Stitch by Stitch, a project started by the late artist Temma Gentles, in which people around the world cross-stitched panels featuring every verse in the Torah. If you’re as excited by Torah Stitch by Stitch as we are, you’re in luck: We’re going to be hosting a Beautifully Jewish stitch-along where we’ll all learn to cross stitch together. We’ll be stitching meaningful verses selected for us by Lili Shain herself. Join us at tabletm.ag/beautiful to become a member and get access to the pattern and instructional videos (you don’t need any experience in cross stitching, we promise!). 

Daniella Rabbani and Zalmen Mlotek perform “Der Eybershter Iz Der Mekhutn,” or “The Almighty Is The Bride’s Father,” a Yiddish song about the relationship between the Jews, the Torah, and the divine. You can read the English translation here. 

We’re keeping the Shavuot learning going: Join us Tuesday, June 11 from 9 p.m. to midnight for a special event featuring Liel Leibovitz, Tablet critic-at-large Marco Roth, and special guests reading and moderating a discussion of modernist literature in the upstairs lounge of The Russian Samovar at 256 West 52nd Street in Manhattan. In the spirit of Shavuot, expect riffing on passages by Marcel Proust, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, as well as from the Torah. Register here.

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Since October 7, Meir Panim has provided over 2.5 million meals, essential items, and care packages to IDF soldiers and displaced families, as well as organizing events and daily support for thousands. Donate at meirpanim.org/unorthodox. 

ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming platform, presents Kafka, its newest exclusive drama series on the life of legendary author Franz Kafka. Starring Joel Basman, David Kross, and Christian Friedel, the show uncovers the mysteries, scandals, romances, and imagination of the author behind masterpieces like The Metamorphosis. Visit ChaiFlicks.com and use code KAFKAPOD at checkout for 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

Unorthodox is off this week, but today we’re sharing an episode of the Tablet podcast Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally, featuring Sivan Rahav-Meir and our own Liel Leibovitz. 

Parshat Bechukotai’s got a lot of blessings, and a lot of curses. Follow God’s commandments, you’re in the clear. Don’t follow them, some gnarly stuff can happen. Persecution. Exile. A divine wrath. But could it be that it’s all a blessing, even the curses? That the worst sin isn’t some particular action, but apathy towards our connection to God? Tune in to find out.

Sivan Rahav-Meir is a leading Israeli journalist, media personality, and Torah scholar. You can sign up for her The Daily Thought WhatsApp group, where Sivan sends small insights about Judaism and current affairs.

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS: 

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Since October 7, Meir Panim has provided over 2.5 million meals, essential items, and care packages to IDF soldiers and displaced families, as well as organizing events and daily support for thousands. Donate at meirpanim.org/unorthodox. 

This week on the show, we’re catching a wave. 

Producers Courtney Hazlett and Elie Bleier head to Tel Aviv to learn about the history of Israeli surfing from surfer Arthur Rashkovan. 

Accompanying Tablet’s just-published reflections from Jewish college students about a semester like no other, producer Josh Kross heads to the University of Chicago to catch up with one of the essay writers. 

You’ll also hear from Stephanie and Liel about the Torah class they led in a local correctional institute, organized by the Aleph Institute.  

Learn more about becoming a Tablet member at tabletm.ag/uomember. Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

Koren Jerusalem, the largest religious Zionist publisher in the world, has published roughly 1,500 titles in Hebrew and English over the last sixty years. You can pre-order the English translation of the bestselling book One Day In October, documenting the stories of the heroes of October 7, at korenpub.com.

This week on the show, we’re Eden Golan’s biggest fans. 

TikTok phenom and cookbook author Eitan Bernath tells us about the Jewish foods featured in his new series, “Eitan Explores: Mexico City.” 

Rabbi Shai Held of the Hadar Institute and the Answers WithHeld podcast delves into his new book, Judaism Is About Love. 

And Orthodox clothing designer Rivky Itzkowitz shows off Impact Fashion, her size-inclusive fashion brand offering modest clothing for all.  

The Israeli Eurovision winners heard in today’s episode are: “A-Ba-Ni-Bi” by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, “Hallelujah” performed by Milk and Honey, “Diva” by Dana International, and “Toy” by Netta Barzilai. 



Remember Shavit Romero, the gentile IDF soldier whose story we brought you a few weeks ago? He was just released from the hospital and now his real battle is beginning. If you’d like to support him as he recovers, you can chip in here:
https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/shavit

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Find out about our upcoming events at tabletmag.com/unorthodoxlive

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

Emanu-El Downtown’s Religious School Lab opens this fall in Manhattan for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, offering a welcoming community, pick-up from local schools, and one-to-one virtual Hebrew instruction. Visit EmanuelDowntown.org for more.

On May 21 at 7pm, The 14th Street Y in New York City is hosting a conversation with cast members from the Tony-nominated play Prayer for the French Republic. Cast members including Tony nominee Betsy Aidem will talk about the play’s themes of Jewish identity, French culture, and Zionism in times of rising antisemitism. Visit 14streety.org to learn more and get tickets to Broadway at 14Y. 

This week on the show, we’re opening a dialogue. 

Jewish actor Noa Tishby and Gentile sports commentator Emmanuel Acho share what they learned from each other while co-writing their new book, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew. 

Actor Michael Rapaport and Dr. Aliza Erber talk about their involvement in the Sharing Memories project, an effort by Israeli aid organization Latet and Meta in Israel that’s bringing Holocaust survivors’ stories to social media for Yom HaShoah. 

And we speak with Barnard College senior Noa Fay about speaking out as a Zionist during weeks of disruption from anti-Israel protests. 

Learn more about becoming a Tablet Member at tabletm.ag/uomember.

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

The BGU MBA International Program is a one-year English-language MBA led by industry experts in Israel’s innovation hub. Designed for global success, the program includes entrepreneurship masterclasses, networking opportunities, and hands-on startup idea development, all within a vibrant campus. Learn more here. 

Brandeis University offers an online master’s certificate in Jewish Professional Leadership, training creative and compassionate Jewish leaders on a flexible schedule. Learn more at brandeis.edu/hornstein.

This week on the show, we’re diving into the newest must-watch Israeli television series, thanks to our friends at ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service.

Israeli filmmaker Rama Burshtein-Shai discusses her new drama, Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith set in an ultra-Orthodox community near the Sea of Galilee. 

Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new ChaiFlicks subscriptions and a seven-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.

We’re excited to share a special opportunity for Unorthodox listeners to join Tablet. As Tablet members, you’ll get exclusive access to Tablet events, a chance to hear your name in an on-air mazel tov, and more! Learn more at tabletm.ag/uomember. 

Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

SPONSORS:

Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Koler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started.