The CJN Podcasts

•

Channel • 9 Shows

Science Fiction

Science Fiction

Complete series
Judaism

Judaism

Updated weekly
Judaism

Judaism

Complete
Spirituality

Spirituality

Complete
Daily News

Daily News

Updated daily
Judaism

Judaism

Complete
Sport

Sport

Every two weeks

08/02/2024

Why UNWRA should be dismantled: Canadian UN watchdog Hillel Neuer weighs in

Two weeks ago, Canada joined the United States and other top Western donors in announcing they will suspend further funding to UNWRA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees. The move comes after intelligence from Israel and other sources proved the extent to which thousands of UNWRA employees and their family members have ties to Hamas—in some cases, even being full Hamas members and taking part directly in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, kidnapping and hiding hostages. Canadian lawyer Hillel Neuer runs the Geneva-based UN Watch, which helped reveal some of that damning evidence. He brought to light a 3,000-member UNWRA teachers’ chat group on Telegram that vocally supported the attack on Israel. UN Watch also exposed the identities of UNWRA teachers who proudly trumpet anti-Israel hate on their social media accounts. UNWRA has now launched its own official investigation, due at the end of April. But already there are calls to allow the discredited agency to be allowed to weed out the few “bad apples”, and for full funding to be restored. due to the humanitarian emergency and displacement of the vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million residents during Israel’s war with Hamas, now entering its fifth month. Hillel Neuer joins Ellin Bessner on _The CJN Daily _to explain why he thinks UNWRA should be disbanded permanently—but probably won’t be. What we talked about: Learn more about Canada announcing it will pause funding for UNWRA, and what new agencies will get the money instead, in The CJN Watch Hillel Neuer’s testimony (eight minutes) before the U.S. Congress on Jan. 30, on YouTube Read when the UN launched investigation in 2014 after missiles were discovered in UNRWA buildings in Gaza during war with Israel, in The CJN Credits: The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here. Hear why The CJN is important to me.
17/07/2023

Canada’s Anglican church removes prayer about converting Jews, but takes one-sided stance on Israel-Palestine issue

As you may have heard, the church representing over one million Anglicans in Canada has voted to formally replace an old prayer calling for the conversion of Jews, although it is hardly used any longer. Anglican officials formally expunged it from the official Book of Common Prayer, during a synod held over the Canada Day weekend. They replaced it with a new prayer for reconciliation with the Jews. While Jewish leaders say the move is a very welcome gesture on the one hand, they are upset with a second resolution adopted at the same meeting which is strongly critical of Israel and what the Church sees as the human rights abuses of the Palestinians. But the resolution was initially going to be even harsher, until a Canadian rabbi addressed the meeting and told them why they had to change some of the wording that compared Israelis to white, settler colonialists' treatment of Canada’s First Nation communities. On today’s The CJN Daily, we speak to Rabbah Gila Caine, of Temple Beth Ora in Edmonton, about how she found herself teaching Judaism and Israel to the third largest body of Christians in Canada. What we talked about Find out more about Rabbah Gila Caine of Temple Beth Ora in Edmonton, at her website. Read our past coverage of the Anglican Church mulling removing the prayer for conversion of Jews in The CJN, from 2019. Learn more about how the United Church of Canada’s harder stance on the Middle East angered Canadian rabbis in 2022, on The CJN Daily. Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our intern is Ashok Lamichhane (@jesterschest on Twitter).Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.
05/07/2024

Settling for Biden

It was true before Oct. 7, but especially afterwards: an increasing number of progressive-minded people are viewing Jews as settlers in Israel. "Go back to Europe," some especially antisemitic ones chant at rallies. But it begs the question: if Jews are settlers in Israel, where aren't we settlers? Ben Wexler, a writer and academic who recently graduated from McGill University, has been thinking about this question a lot. He recently published an essay in the French Jewish magazine K. Les Juifs, l'Europe, le XXIe siècle, titled "The Eternal Settler". In it, Wexler discusses the troubling rise in antisemitic violence, often carried out under the guise of decolonization and conflated with criticism of the Israeli government. To explore the topic more, Wexler joins to discuss colonization, settler identity and the perception of Jews as settlers. And after that, he joins hosts Avi and Phoebe in talking global political trends: the rightward shift of France, the United States and Canada may be good for Israel... but is it good for the Jews? Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack.
14/09/2023

Shakshuka like a Polaroid Picture

As Rosh Hashanah draws near, we wanted to take our annual look back at the biggest news stories of 5783. To get a sense of what topics dominated the Jewish news landscape, Avi and Phoebe invite Marc Weisblott, managing editor of The CJN, to dissect the media trends, from Israeli politics to the neverending mission of ending Jew hatred. But before that, the panel tackles the biggest news story of the final week of 5783: shakshuka lady. Launching off Phoebe's column on the politically charged debate, they examine whether the 29-year-old TikTokker, who all but taunted parents by showing off how she learned to make shakshuka because she doesn't have kids, is emblematic of a wider discussion about public perceptions of singlehood—especially in the Jewish community. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack.
09/11/2022

Holocaust survivor Robbie Waisman's life story is now an award-winning YA book

Robbie Waisman was the youngest of six children growing up in Poland, having just turned eight years old when the Nazis invaded. While his whole family was killed except for him and one sister, Waisman survived a ghetto, a slave labour camp, typhus and the Buchenwald concentration camp. After moving to Canada to start a new life, Waisman kept quiet about his time in Europe until prominent Holocaust deniers began making headlines in the 1980s. He decided it was time to share his story and revisit his past. Fast-forward several decades and Waisman, now 91, is a well-known educator and public speaker—whose story is now a book for young adults. Boy From Buchenwald came out last spring, but just won an award at the Toronto International Festival of Authors. To mark the 84th anniversary of Kristallnacht—when, on Nov. 9, 1938, Nazis burned Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues across Germany and Austria—Waisman and his co-author, Susan McClelland, join The CJN Daily to describe the impact they hope his life's story will make on young readers. What we talked about: Order a copy of The Boy From Buchenwald Learn about Waisman at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre Read about Waisman in The CJN archives (2016) Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We're a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
09/06/2022

Born This Way

Over recent years, the Jewish community has grown from merely being aware of queer Jews to standing where we are today: leaders and activists in almost every denomination are working to actively include queer Jews in Jewish law and practice. Queer and nonbinary Jews no longer settle for pointing out their existence and right to be included; they're crafting narratives that explain how deeply and intricarely their queerness and Judaism are intertwined. To dissect these issues and share their personal stories, we're joined by two inaugural members of the Queer Jewish Incubator, a new project run by the Miles Nadal JCC in downtown Toronto. Sadie Epstein-Fine is working on a play about one of Tevye's daughters being queer, and Toby King is gathering and archiving information about queer-Jewish wedding ceremonies to examine the various ways in which those couples celebrate their love. After that, you'll hear an excerpt from The CJN's podcast Rivkush, in which host Rivka Campbell interviews Michael Twitty, the award-winning cookbook author, chef and voice for social justice, who describes life at the intersection of being Black, Jewish and gay. What we talked about Learn about the Miles Nadal JCC's Queer Jewish Incubator Visit Sadie Epstein-Fine's website at sadieepsteinfine.com Contribute to Queering the Jewish Wedding Listen to the full interview with Michael Twitty on _Rivkush_ Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
28/07/2022

Definitely Not the Mafia

Earlier this summer, we produced an episode on the modern ethics of kosher food. It was so popular, the following week we recorded a spiritual sequel, tackling the high cost of kosher meat. The result: the executive director of the Jewish Community Council of Montreal, Rabbi Saul Emanuel, reached out wanting to share their side of the story. Rabbi Emanuel also heads up Montreal Kosher, better known as MK—sometimes jokingly referred to as "Mafia Kosher". This week, Avi had the chance to speak with Rabbi Emanuel and challenge him directly about some of his organizations' choices. Why can't halakhah evolve? Why insist on arcane rules when jobs and affordability are at stake? Why compare Montreal's meat prices to New York's, when the cost of living is so much cheaper in La Belle Province? His answers result in some heated debate with our own resident rabbi podcast host. After that, Gabe Pulver from Menschwarmers pops in to break down how Canada ranked at the Maccabiah Games, and Nathan Englander sat down with Ilana Zackon to describe the experience of adapting one of his books into a stage play for the first time. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.
30/08/2019

Jew or Not Jew: NFL Owner Edition

This week, Mensches Jamie and Gabe preview the upcoming NFL season through a Jewish lens and challenge each other to a game of "Jew or Not Jew" about the NFL owners. See if you can beat their scores! Menschwarmers is hosted by Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsh, and produced and edited by Alex Rose. Michael Fraiman is the supervising producer. Our music is “Brass” by 4bstr4ck3r feat. Daman. You can follow the Menschwarmers on Twitter and check out more podcasts by The CJN Podcast Network here.
29/11/2023

Just freed by Hamas, 10-year-old Ofri Brodutch wants to come to Canada, her uncle says

This past weekend, Canadian physicist Aharon Brodutch enjoyed an emotional reunion in an Israeli hospital with his kidnapped sister-in-law, Hagar, and her three children, all of whom were taken by Hamas on Oct. 7. The Israelis from Kibbutz Aza were set free on Sunday, Nov. 26 as part of the ongoing hostage deal reached between Israel and Hamas. They'd been held for more than seven weeks since the attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 240 people taken hostage. Brodutch said the four freed hostages have lost a lot of weight and were not ready to leave the hospital yet. His brother, Avichai—Hagar's husband—managed to survive the attack that day, but was wounded in the fighting trying to defend his community. Aharon Brodutch spoke to The CJN Daily host Ellin Bessner just before boarding a return flight to Toronto. He recounted the tense moments leading up to his family's release and explained why his 10-year-old niece, Ofri Brodutch, who attended a Jewish summer camp this year in Ontario, wants to come back to Canada. What we talked about Learn more about Aharon Brodutch’s campaign to convince Canada to do more to free the hostages, on The CJN Daily and in The CJN Read how Shira Brodutch assembled a stroller protest in Toronto to draw attention to Hamas’s kidnapping of 33 Israeli babies, in The CJN Support The CJN by donating to the future of what Jewish Canada sounds like Credits The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. Our title sponsor is Metropia. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here.
07/08/2023

Why do Jews love jam bands?

There's a certain type of Jew, usually Ashkenazi, sometimes Israeli, with a mop of curly hair, an acousitc guitar and an affinity for marijuana, who will inevitably love bands like The Grateful Dead and Phish. Those groups are collectively known as "jam bands", which play lengthy, musically complex songs, often in concert, always with a hefty reliance on improvisation. Once synonymous with psychedelic drugs, the jam band scene has gone mainstream in recent decades—and for a myriad reasons we'll dissect on today's episode of Culturally Jewish, Jews are buying front-row tickets. This summer, the Ashkenaz Festival in Toronto is putting on its first-ever summer jam concert series. Producer Michael Fraiman visited the first show to ask concert-goers why they felt Jews loved jam bands; after that, Ashkenaz artistic director Eric Stein joins Ilana and David for a discussion about the surprisingly deep connections between Deadheads and Yiddishkeit. Credits Culturally Jewish is hosted by Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Our producer is Michael Fraiman, and our theme music is by Sarah Segal-Lazar. Additional music this episode by La Banda Morisca and The Other Ones. Special thanks to everyone who spoke to us at the Ashkenaz concert: Jason, Don, Howard, Isabella, Aviva, Max and Sam. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To support The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt, please consider a monthly donation by clicking here.

News, views and perspectives on Jewish life through a Canadian lens.