edJEWcation

edJEWcation
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Your weekly dose of Jewish wit and wisdom. Each week Rabbi Abba Perelmuter, Chayaleah Sufrin, and Jay Covitz explore Jewish history, culture, and writings. Whether you're a relapsed Jew or an old pro there is something for us all to learn.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Dear Rabbi: Caring For Aging Parents

    We’re kicking off a brand new segment called “Dear Rabbi,” where we bring real-life issues to the Rabbi and actually get into it with honest, often hilarious, sometimes painful conversations about the stuff people are quietly struggling with. First up: how to care for elderly parents without losing your mind, your marriage, or your lunch break. In this episode, we get into: Setting boundaries with elderly parents (and why that’s easier said than done) The difference between being a caregiver and being a nurse Why your parents just want to feel significant — and no, a text does NOT count The generational divide around phones, Uber apps, and why nobody remembers their Kaiser password What to do when your relationship with your parents is, well, complicated The Rabbi’s reflection on his Holocaust-survivor father and putting yourself in your parents’ shoes Jay on caring for his mom while raising a young daughter and feeling guilty about feeling guilty ChayaLeah admitting which of her four sons she’d trust with her medications (spoiler: it’s not all of them) Plus a hot take on Matzo manufacturers who dare to sell non-Kosher-for-Passover matzo. The audacity. Whether you’re navigating aging parents yourself, trying to figure out how much you’re really capable of giving, or just looking for permission to laugh about the hard stuff, this one’s for you. Grab a coffee, settle in, and remember: your parents just want you to call. Got a question for Dear Rabbi? Email us at edjewcationpod@gmail.com or message us on Substack.

    58 min

  2. 9 APR

    Plagues, Purpose & Passover Planning

    We kicked off this month's Zoom talking about the Rebbe's birthday and why his legacy still hits so hard, from growing Chabad's global mission to his no-nonsense philosophy on turning obstacles into opportunities. Then we got into full Passover mode: ChayaLeah is prepping a community Seder for 120 people and her game plan is SPEED. We broke down the Ten Plagues (why those plagues, why that order, and how long they actually lasted), talked about why you don't need a minimum number of people for a Seder (but the more the merrier), and heard from Moshe Perelmuter live in Israel about what Passover looks like during wartime, with packed grocery stores but empty Jerusalem streets. We also explored studying the Tanya, which the Rabbi describes as essentially a self-help book for the Jewish soul. And Goldie dropped some hilarious childhood stories about sharing a bedroom with ChayaLeah. It's Passover prep meets life advice meets family chaos.

    57 min

  3. 1 APR

    The Seder is a 3,500 Year Old Hack

    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 Egypt Exodus 13:18 - Circuitous route out of Egypt The Four Questions explained - Chabad.org The Rebbe’s seder table - Chabad.org

    1hr 1min

  4. 25 MAR

    Up From Slavery: A Jewish Take

    In this edJEWcation Book Club episode, Jay brings the crew one of his all-time favorite books: Up From Slavery, the autobiography of Booker T. Washington. Born into slavery in 1856 and emancipated at nine, Washington went on to found the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and reshape what education could mean for a freed people. Jay, ChayaLeah, and the Rabbi explore the surprising parallels between Washington's vision of education as moral training and the Yeshiva model, debate the Torah's relationship with labor and productivity, and push back hard on today's victim mentality culture. The Rabbi even draws a line from Booker T. Washington to the Rebbe and the Maggid of Mezritch. It's a wide-ranging, warm, and surprisingly moving conversation about resilience, legacy, and what it really means to build something from nothing. Books mentioned in this episode: Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Open by Andre Agassi

    1hr 2min

  5. 18 MAR

    Canaan, Palestine, Judea... What Are We Even Calling This Place?

    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

    57 min

  6. 11 MAR

    Can You Uber on Shabbos...and other Responas

    What happens when a wealthy man buys up all the synagogue seats and blocks the aisles? Or when a rabbi tries to convince the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a trained engineer, that an ocean liner basically "runs itself" on Shabbos? In part 2 of their Responsa deep dive, the edJEWcation crew explores how Jewish law evolves to meet the real world, from Talmudic property rights to Shabbos doorbells in modern Brooklyn. The Rabbi, ChayaLeah, and Jay cover it all: the Cypriot chicken saga, the kosher cheeseburger question raised by lab-grown milk, getting a "hetter" (permission slip) for nail polish at the mikvah, and a last-minute Shabbos wedding in medieval Krakow that required some seriously creative legal reasoning. It's Jewish law as it's meant to be…living, breathing, and endlessly fascinating.

    1hr 4min

  7. 4 MAR

    70 Years, One Unforgettable Journey...the Rabbi turns 70

    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.

    1 hr

  8. 26 FEB

    Tanya White on What Purim Really Means

    What if the holiday that looks the most like a carnival is actually hiding the most profound questions in Judaism? Professor Tanya White, Bar-Ilan University professor, host of the Books and Beyond podcast, and one of the most engaging Jewish educators alive, joins Jay and ChayaLeah to unpack the Book of Esther like you've never heard before. We explore why God's name doesn't appear once in the Megillah (and what that means for us today), the concept of "radical seeing" and the stunning parallel between Purim and our post-October 7th world. ChayaLeah opens up about Esther's loneliness and sacrifice, Jay brings a story about a Cold War spy finding God in his daughter's ear, and Tanya shares an "invisible string" that will genuinely move you. This is the Purim episode you didn't know you needed. Where to find Tanya- Torah Chat on WhatsApp TanyaWhite.org Books and Beyond Podcast Tanya’s Instagram Books & articles we discussed- The Invisible String by Patrice Karst: the children’s book Tanya shares the beautiful “invisible string” story from Why Grow Up? by Susan Neiman: philosopher’s book on the problem of evil that Tanya references in discussing adversity and resilience Rav Soloveitchik’s concept of “fate to destiny”: consider linking to Kol Dodi Dofek or a summary essay God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel: Heschel’s concept of “radical amazement” Witness by Whitaker Chambers: his memoir is where the famous “daughter’s ear” moment comes from

    1hr 3min
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About

Your weekly dose of Jewish wit and wisdom. Each week Rabbi Abba Perelmuter, Chayaleah Sufrin, and Jay Covitz explore Jewish history, culture, and writings. Whether you're a relapsed Jew or an old pro there is something for us all to learn.

Information

  • Creator
    edJEWcation
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © edJEWcation
  • Show Website
    edJEWcation

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