Lunch Break with Noah Rinsky at Zabar's
In a way, Old Jewish Men brought me back to Judaism. I first came across it when I saw Liana Satenstein post an Instagram story promoting a “Speed Schmoozing” event. Knowing she’d be there, along with the chance to engage in one of my favorite activities—meeting new people—I decided to buy a ticket. On the day of the event, I had no idea what to wear, so I threw on an Alaïa skater dress that I’d bought and resold about three times. After seeing a picture of myself in it recently, I thought, "Maybe I should buy it again?" But that’s beside the point. At the event, I met Rabbi Matt Green, who would eventually become the rabbi I converted with, and the rest is history. I’ve since attended several OJM events, including one that was even covered by The New York Times. (Unfortunately, that was also the party where my vintage white leather Dior gloves were tragically ruined by cotton candy.) What I’ve noticed at these gatherings is a lively mix: a gaggle of old-timers, some of whom have been featured on the OJM account, and a wave of younger Jewish folks seeking new ways to connect—not just with people their own age or slightly older, but with their faith as well as the broader community, Jewish and non-Jewish alike. When I sat down with Noah Rinsky, I shared a shorter version of this story. Over the course of our conversation, I learned so much about the Old Jewish Men universe and its quirky cast of characters: Dave, whose wife emailed Noah because she thought her husband needed something to do; Aaron, who responded to a Craigslist ad in 2021 and has stuck around ever since; and the latest addition, Bob, known for his love of Hermès ties. Noah started the account in 2015 under the name dadaroundthehouse, chronicling the antics of his father. Later, the account evolved into Old Jewish Men, and it has since grown into a thriving business. Along with social media, they now have a website selling clever merchandise that reflects the humor of the account—and recently, they’ve added a book to the mix. The Old Jewish Men’s Guide to Eating, Sleeping, and Futzing Around is a comprehensive handbook, written by Noah and illustrated by Dick Carroll, that humorously covers everything you need to know to consider yourself an OJM. I had the pleasure of chatting with Noah about the book and more, and where better to do it than over bagels (or in Noah’s case, a bialy) at the counter of Zabar’s? Jalil Johnson (00:00): So, thank you so much, Noah, for joining me. Can you introduce yourself and tell everyone who you are, what you're doing, and what you do? Noah Rinsky (00:08): Why I'm here? JJ (00:09): And why you're here? NR (00:11): My name's Noah Rinsky. I am the curator of an Instagram account called Old Jewish Men, and I wrote a book called The Old Jewish Men's Guide to Eating, Sleeping, and Futzing Around. JJ (00:24): Yes. NR (00:25): So, Jalil was nice enough to have me on his podcast to chat about the book and probably ask me other questions. JJ (00:32): Yes, I'm very excited. I'm just taking out the book right now. It was really a fun read. It was really fun. And I think... NR (00:40): You read it straight through? JJ (00:41): I did. NR (00:41): Wow. JJ (00:42): I kind of... NR (00:43): Sure. I mean, if you read it straight through, great. But it's a toilet book. JJ (00:49): There are a lot of lessons in there. There's a lot that I want to talk about with the book, but I guess the natural start would be to ask you about Old Jewish Men. I kind of know about where it is, but just to give a synopsis to everyone that might not know Old Jewish Men and where the origins of it are. NR (01:07): Wait, what's that? JJ (01:08): I guess to give context to people that are not necessarily familiar with Old Jewish Men, what made you start it? When did it start? NR (01:17): Oh, the account and stuff? Yeah, sure. So, the origin is, I was visiting my parents in the great state of Israel, Tel Aviv. I'm not Israeli—my parent
