The Wandering Jew

Rebecca Kerzner
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The Wandering Jew

The Wandering Jew is a podcast about Aliyah, spirituality, mental health, and being your best self. Featuring interesting people that will help capture a glimpse of what life is like in Israel right now.

  1. FEB 26

    Jude Bronstein: Disability Advocacy, Mental Health & Owning the Struggle

    In this episode, I chat with Jude Bronstein, a disability advocate and fellow olah. We discuss what their life is like dealing with having cerebral palsy, how to be a disabilities advocate and owning your struggles without pushing yourself too hard. Jude shares how to learn to accept your different states of mind rather than resist them. I hope you appreciate this real, down-to-earth and honest episode.  Follow Jude’s work at disabledreamer.com or on Instagram @disabledreamer. (0:00-4:00) - Jude is a long time podcast listener! (4:00-15:00) - Cerebral Palsy and writing as a coping mechanism (15:00-26:51) - Being a disability advocate (26:51-35:00) - How to build a positive mindset during difficult times (35:00-38:00) - IFS theories (38:00-end) - Advice for getting through hard times

    45 min

  2. FEB 13

    Ryan Galer: Starting Over Jewishly

    In true “wandering Jew” fashion, in this episode I chat with fellow Jerusalemite, film-maker, artist, writer, and now future Jewish educator! From Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem, Ryan has really explored himself in a variety of facets. From teaching himself yiddish to being a French boujee film maker to making all kinds of art, he leaves no stone unturned. We talk about the importance of going out of your comfort zone and not limiting yourself to being one type of Jew. I hope you enjoy this artsy and whimsical episode. (0:00-7:38) - Ryan’s windy journey from Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem! (7:38-10:21) - Jewish upbringing and being a patrilineal Jew (10:21 -16:15) - Writing Yiddish in the snow (16:15-21:00) - Ryan’s awakening in Jerusalem + Rebecca’s final college art project (21:00 -27:00) - Adjusting to Jerusalem life  (27:00-32:20) - Jewish expression can change and grow  (32:20 - 40:00) - Tennis metaphor (40:00 -end) - Final lessons and breakthroughs

    47 min

  3. JAN 30

    Emma: When Your Roommate is an Anti-Zionist

    In this episode, I chat with my roommate Emma, who lived with me for the past 10 months for research abroad in pursuing her Phd. Emma and I come from very different backgrounds in our zionism, and we really got into some hard-hitting questions about terrorism, colonialism, and the establishment of Israel. Though there were moments we disagreed, I felt grateful for our cordial and cathartic conversation. My goal was to share my belief in the importance of open dialogue and creating space for different perspectives. (0:00-5:30)- About the PHD and wartime in Israel (5:30-9:30) - Emma’s upbringing  (9:30-13:55) - Being complicit in your country’s crimes  (13:55-20:10) - How is Israel supposed to combat terrorism? What is terrorism? (20:10-27:25) - Is Israel placed on a higher moral ground than other places and is it antisemitism? (27:25-35:22) - The founding of Israel and settler colonialism (35:22-43:10) - Rebecca’s reflections on her journey in Aliyah and Zionism (43:10-end) - Emma’s last thought on anti-Zionism and progressive values

    47 min

  4. JAN 13

    The Pod is Back! NYC, Grapes, and Believing in Yourself

    Welcome to a brand new season of The Wandering Jew! In this episode, I chat about where I’ve been, what the new podcast will be about, stories from my recent trip in New York visiting family and friends, eating grapes on new years with a group of strangers, and a little pep-talk about believing in yourself. I hope you enjoy this light introduction episode.  Baby we’re back!  (0:00-3:29) - How the new pod will be different from That’s So Kvetch! (3:329-10:43) - What I’ve been up to and NYC nostalgia (10:43-13:22) - Spanish grapes superstition on New Years (13:22-23:35) - Confidence tips from career coach, and strategies to believe in yourself (23:25-end) -  Making space for new dreams final blessing + explanation of the wandering jew

    28 min
  5. Maggi Feldman Deutsch: Are Spiritual Lows Really Lows?

    04/10/2023

    Maggi Feldman Deutsch: Are Spiritual Lows Really Lows?

    This episode is for all spiritual seekers out there! In this episode, I chat with Maggi, who runs her own art business based in Jerusalem. Together we discuss the ups and downs of her spiritual journey and how to deal when you hit a spiritual low. Also an olah chadashah, we begin with her Aliyah story and what inspired her to move in the first place. Then we dive into how things spiritually shifted for her through trauma and life changes, and what happened when she stopped feeling as connected. We explore questions like: What does God really want from us? Does he tally our actions? What do you do when your family isn’t as religious? Does God want us to push ourselves to do things that don’t feel authentic to ourselves? I hope you enjoy this cathartic and vulnerable episode.  (0:00 -11:26) - Birthright, spiritual experiences and conversion (11:26-22:00) - Leaving seminary and new questions arising (22:00-28:00) - What are all these rules really about? (28:00-35:00) - The role of religious guilt and shame, and why is religion so divisive? (35:00-42:00) - Owning yourself and self compassion (42:00-end) - final blessing

    44 min
  6. Unicorns, Beards, and The Stages of Acclimating to Israel

    03/17/2023

    Unicorns, Beards, and The Stages of Acclimating to Israel

    In this episode, I dive into the stages of moving to a new country. Future olim, this episode is for you! I start off with a debrief from last week’s incredible Purim celebration. I dressed as a man and the cross-dressing experience lent to a very fun social experiment and I share all the hilarious reactions as well as an exploration of masculinity vs. femininity. Then, I dive into the 5 stages of acclimating to a new country, share stories from learning Hebrew, difficult Saturday nights, to building up my confidence. It’s amazing to look back at how much things have changed and evolved. Lastly, I finish off with a little piece of Torah and a meditation on redemption and what it can bring to our own lives. As always, you can email thatssokvetch18@gmail.com for any ideas or thoughts that came up for you! (0-3:38)- Intro (3:38-15:40) - Purim debrief and reactions to my costume (15:40-27:24) - 1st three stages, culture and language barriers (27:24-32:37) - Assimilation, biculturalism, and snails? (32:37-end) - Torah on redemption and final blessing!

    38 min
  7. Bodhi River: How to Give Yourself Closure

    03/02/2023

    Bodhi River: How to Give Yourself Closure

    In this episode, I have a conversation with Bodhi River, community builder, bodyworker, and soon-to-be joining a school for communal learning in Italy! Together, we dive into how to let go and create closure for yourself in situations when you don’t get it. Through a series of metaphors from the blue ball to the regenerative cake, we talk about dealing with rejection, having healthy boundaries, loving ourselves, and feeling full all on our own. We can truly depend on ourselves to give ourselves love! I hope you’ll enjoy this cathartic and hopeful episode. Happy listening! (0:00-10:18)- Bodhi’s life at the kibbutz (10:18-15:00) How to notice when you are giving yourself away (15:00-27:00) Refueling yourself all on your own (27:00-35:55) Managing desires, expectations on others, and self-regulating on dating apps (35:55 -end) Embracing your inner child + final blessing

    45 min
  8. Season 2: The Science Behind Love

    02/17/2023

    Season 2: The Science Behind Love

    That’s So Kvetch is back and just in time for Valentine’s Day! In honor of the day, I wonder about my relationship with love, why I am so attracted to it, and how it’s impacted me both positively and negatively. Why does love make people go so dumb? It’s based in science! I talk about the chemicals and hormones behind love. Lastly, I talk about the important role of having hope and believing in order to get to love. We need to be kind to ourselves when we experience these feelings because it is so human to want to connect with someone else. I hope you’ll enjoy this honest and validating episode. Cheers to a brand-new season! (0:00-7:30) - Why I left and why I’m back! (7:30-11:30) - Redefining being a Jew in Jerusalem (11:30-18:00) - Intro - Why am I so obsessed with love? (18:00-28:55) - The science behind lust, attraction, and attachment (28:55 -33:30) - Hope is the first step to getting to love (33:30 -end) - Dating catch up, my current dating mentality, and pep-talk! Email Thatssokvetch18@gmail.com for thoughts, ideas, or questions!

    43 min
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5
out of 5
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About

The Wandering Jew is a podcast about Aliyah, spirituality, mental health, and being your best self. Featuring interesting people that will help capture a glimpse of what life is like in Israel right now.

Information

  • Creator
    Rebecca Kerzner
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rebecca Kerzner
  • Show Website
    The Wandering Jew

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