The Carpool Guys

Jon Ackerman
  • 5.0 (14)
  • JUDAISM

The Carpool Guys Podcast is where three real Jewish dads — Asher Dworetsky, Jon Ackerman, and Dave "From Flatbush" Tannenbaum — buckle up for unfiltered conversations about fatherhood, marriage, midlife, and the beautiful chaos of raising a family in the Jewish community today. These guys have made mistakes, learned lessons mostly the hard way, and have just enough life experience to be dangerous with advice. From career crossroads to screen time battles, from Shabbos table debates to parenting fails, from Israel and what it means to us as Jews to the everyday moments that make you laugh, cry, and question every decision you've ever made — The Carpool Guys go there. Whether you're married or single, a parent or a kid who still needs one, navigating life or just trying to figure it all out — this is your podcast. Humor, heart, and meaning, every other week. No filter. No script. Just real talk from three guys who are very much still figuring it out too. Buckle up. New episodes every other week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

  1. APR 30

    When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn: Allison Blass on Parenting a Child with Cancer, Faith, and Finding the Funny

    Send us Fan Mail When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn: Allison Blass on Parenting a Child with Cancer, Faith, and Finding the Funny Some episodes stop you in your tracks. This is one of them. Allison Blass — longtime listener, friend of the show, and one of the funniest people to ever sit across from the Carpool Guys — joins Jon, Asher, and Dave to share the story of her daughter Perry's cancer diagnosis, treatment, and remarkable recovery. What begins as a frightening story of a six centimeter mass discovered on a Friday afternoon twenty minutes before Shabbos becomes something else entirely: a masterclass in parenting under pressure, faith in the hardest moments, and the kind of stubbornness that saves lives. Peri, Allison's oldest child, was diagnosed with one of the rarest malignant tumors on record — one of only twenty cases ever documented. She went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy, a week in the ICU with fungal pneumonia, hair loss, wild food cravings, and a surgery she woke up from demanding a double burger from Smash House. She was walking within hours, home by Shabbos, and is now a completely healthy teenager heading to high school next year. But this episode is about so much more than the medical story. Allison opens up about what it means to keep your other children grounded when one child needs everything. She talks about the friends who showed up without being asked and the ones who said "let me know if you need anything" — and why that phrase, though well intentioned, puts the burden on exactly the wrong person. She shares how her family turned every moment of the process — the hair donation, the chemo mug, the smash room — into a kiddush Hashem. And she delivers one of the most important lessons this show has ever aired: when someone you love is going through something devastating, it is not their job to comfort you. Also: gherkins, sushi rolls, an accidental antipsychotic mix-up, a son who slept for fifteen hours, Megan Trainor's Walk of Shame playing in an operating room, Disney turkey legs, and the best shirt ever made. Allison, thank you for your vulnerability, your humor, and your heart. Peri — you are extraordinary. Ad meah v'esrim. 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find the show! 📩 carpoolguyspod@gmail.com 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 0:57 — Jon Is Back! Welcome Home After Surgery 4:29 — Introducing Allison Blass: Longtime Listener, First Time Guest 6:02 — Meet Allison: Giant Bear, Banned from Little League, Parent of Three 8:32 — Setting the Scene: Who Is Peri and Where Does the Story Begin? 9:08 — Allison's Career and Life Before the Diagnosis 10:05 — The First Signs Something Was Wrong: December 2024 15:58 — How Do You Tell Your Daughter She Needs Surgery? 25:10 — Perry's Mindset: Control, Preparation, and a Double Burger From Smash House 29:12 — April 9th: When the World Really Turned Upside Down 30:20 — Hearing the Word Malignant: "Everything Went Quiet" 32:30 — Turning Every Moment Into a Mitzvah: Hair Donation to Chai Lifeline 41:00 — What Allison Learned About Perry She Didn't Know Before 49:27 — NED: No Evidence of Disease — Perry Is on the Road to Survivorship 52:05 — Who Showed Up and Who Didn't: What You Learn About People in a Crisis 54:30 — "Don't Say If You Need Me" — The Most Im Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    1h 21m

  2. APR 16

    "Adulting" The Terrifying and Hilarious Moment You Realize You’re the Adult in the room (And You are Clueless What to Do)

    Send us Fan Mail Dave and Asher Hold It Down: Adulting, and the Things We Still Can't Figure Out Jon's out. The substitute teachers are in charge. In this episode, Dave and Asher fly solo for the first time in nearly two years of podcasting — and somehow manage to hold it together. Mostly. They spend most of the episode wrestling with one deceptively deep question: at what point did you realize YOU were the adult in the room? And does knowing that actually make you feel like one? From colonoscopies to root canals and Gatorade-plus-antacid pre-fast routines, Dave and Asher take an honest — and very funny — inventory of what it means to be in your 40s. They talk about watching athletes you grew up idolizing retire and become millionaires while you're still figuring out the thermostat. They talk about mentoring the next generation at work while privately Googling how to hang a picture frame. They talk about laundry — a lot — and the creative workarounds that keep households running when you're too proud to admit you never really learned. But underneath all the humor is something genuinely real: the weight and beauty of being the generation in the middle. Old enough to be the ones people turn to. Still young enough to remember when we thought the adults had it all figured out. Plus: substitute teacher stories, a very eventful little Tyke's car incident, a parent-teacher conference confession, LeBron vs. Jordan, a prank from Toys R Us, and the world's most relatable Seder question. Jon — we miss you. Come back soon. 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts — it genuinely helps more people find the show! 📩 carpoolguyspod@gmail.com 📱 @carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 00:00 — Cold Open: Dave Asks His Wife About His Maturity. She Laughs. 00:27 — Welcome to the Carpool Guys Podcast 01:02 — Jon Is Out — Dave and Asher Go It Alone 01:22 — Substitute Teacher Stories: Mrs. Bach, Mrs. Henry, and a Saved Life 05:47 — Dave's Career Started as a Sub — Shout Out to Rabbi Hammer 07:16 — Smart Boards, Coaching Boards, and the HANC Basketball Championship 08:34 — Orange Juice, Decaf Coffee, and the Post-Fast Routine Debate 09:30 — The Bagel, Tuna, Herring, and OJ Breakfast Club 10:49 — The Big Question: When Did YOU Become the Adult in the Room? 12:10 — Colonoscopies, Pillboxes, Gout, and the Reality of Getting Older 14:09 — Root Canals, Dental Inheritance, and the First Cavity at 30 15:00 — When Athletes You Grew Up With Are Now Retired Millionaires 17:36 — LeBron vs. Jordan: The Eternal Debate 18:16 — Taking Pictures WITH Athletes vs. Taking Pictures OF Your Kids With Athletes 19:49 — Adulting at Work: You Don't Need All the Answers 21:00 — Mentoring the Next Generation: The Shift From Sink-or-Swim to Sit-Down-and-Talk 24:30 — Supervising Interns for the First Time: It's a Little Scary 25:47 — The 15-Year Window of Adulthood and What Comes After 27:09 — Taking Care of Your Health Differently: Recovery, Moderation, and Lactaid 28:01 — The Adulting Moment: Adding an Antacid to the Pre-Fast Routine 29:02 — Things Our Parents Did That We Wish We Knew How to Do 29:33 — The Picture That Fell Off the Wall and the Les Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    53 min

  3. MAR 29

    Never Through Egypt… Until They Did: Rabbi Ouriel Hazan & Eli’s Story

    Send us Fan Mail Leaving Egypt: A Father & Son Take on Coming Home for Pesach What do you do when your son is in yeshiva in Israel, sirens are going off daily, Pesach is approaching fast, and every flight home keeps getting canceled? You find another way. Even if that way goes through Egypt. In this episode, Asher and Jon sit down with Rabbi Ouriel Hazan, head of school at HANC West Hempstead, and his son Eli, a student at Mevaseret Yeshiva in Israel, who recently made it home to New York through one of the most memorable journeys you'll hear this year. From Eilat to the Egyption border crossing, through the Sinai Desert in a speeding van during a hailstorm, past a head-on collision, through Sharm el-Sheikh airport, and on to Rome before finally landing at JFK, Eli crossed four continents in 40 hours to be home for Pesach. But this episode is about a lot more than the travel story. Rabbi Hazan opens up about the emotional weight of parenting from a distance during wartime, the WhatsApp chat chaos that gripped every yeshiva parent group, the moment he flipped from "we are absolutely not sending him through Egypt" to "we are sending him through Egypt," and why he kept the whole plan secret from his own parents, including his Egyptian-born father, who had strong feelings about Egypt. Eli shares what yeshiva life actually looked like during the Iran war, what it felt like to run to the mamad, what it meant to experience those moments alongside his fellow Jews in Israel, and why — despite everything — he can't wait to get back. It is funny, honest, a little nerve-wracking, and deeply moving. A story about family, faith, decisive parenting, and one unforgettable ride through the Sinai Desert. 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts , Spotify, and YouTube... it helps more people find the show! 📩 Email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com 📱 Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to the Carpool Guys Podcast 00:43 — Good Pods Glory: The Guys Hit Number One on Jewish Podcasts 02:30 — Introducing Rabbi Ouriel Hazan and Eli Hazan 04:15 — Rabbi Hazan's Year in Israel and the Original Pesach Plan 07:00 — Life at Mevaseret When the Iran War Broke Out 10:30 — The Rebbe Van Shows Up: Yeshiva Life During Wartime 13:00 — Sleep Deprivation, Sirens, and the Emotional Toll 16:00 — The Parent WhatsApp Chat Chaos Begins 19:30 — When Delta Cancels and Plan B Becomes Necessary 23:00 — "We Are Absolutely Not Sending Him Through Egypt" (or... are we?) 26:30 — The Concierge Service, the Cancellation, and the Last Two Spots 30:00 — Eli Finds Out He's Going to Egypt... Tomorrow 33:00 — The $500 Cash, the Bribes 37:00 — Crossing the Border: Nine Desks, VIP Tours, and Armed Escorts 42:30 — The Sinai Drive: 90 MPH, No Cell Service, Hail, and a Head-On Collision 49:00 — Sharm el-Sheikh Airport: Bag Ransom, Boarding Passes, and a Yankee Hat 55:00 — Rome Layover, Nine Hours, and Crackers for Dinner 57:30 — The Reunion and a Sigh of Relief 59:30 — The Bigger Conversation: Judgment, Social Media, and Choosing Without Guilt 01:02:00 — What This Generation Has Witnessed and What It Means 01:04:00 — Chag Sameach and Closin Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    1h 5m

  4. MAR 11

    Sirens, Safe Rooms, and Staying Strong: Real Stories from Our Friends and Family in Israel

    Send us Fan Mail Life in Israel Right Now: Real Stories from Friends on the Ground In this powerful and personal episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast, we take a step out of the carpool line and into the real lives of people we know and care about. We’re joined by Nava Mermelstein (yes… Asher’s sister) and her son Meir Simcha, along with recent Olim Sarah and Yehoshua Auman, who many of you may remember from our hometown of West Hempstead. Since making Aliyah, their lives have taken on a new reality as they raise families in Israel during the recent war with Iran. They share what daily life actually looks like right now, from the sudden blare of sirens to the routine of heading to the mamad (safe room), and the strange balance of navigating real danger while still doing all the normal parenting things: getting kids to school, making dinner, and arguing about bedtime. But this conversation isn’t just about fear or headlines. It’s about resilience, community, faith, humor, and the incredible ability of families to keep moving forward even in uncertain times. We hear what it feels like the first time a siren goes off, how children process moments adults struggle to understand, and the surprising ways life still finds moments of normalcy — and even laughter. It’s a conversation about Aliyah, parenting, perspective, and what it means to build a life in Israel even when the world feels upside down. This episode offers a rare and deeply human window into what life looks like on the ground right now... told not by commentators or analysts, but by friends. And yes… there are a few classic Carpool Guys moments along the way. If you’ve ever wondered what daily life in Israel feels like during times like these, this episode will stay with you. Chapters & Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to the Carpool Guys Podcast00:43 – Introduction: The Reality of Life in Israel Today01:04 – Firsthand Accounts: Interview with Nava Mermelstein and her son Meir Simcha07:34 – The Sound of Sirens: Emotional Responses to Air-Raid Alerts09:14 – Adapting the Routine: Daily Life Under Pressure13:56 – The Move to Israel: Reflections on Making Aliyah14:34 – Finding Light: Faith, Hope, and Miracles18:03 – Strength in Numbers: Community Solidarity and Respect for Soldiers22:12 – The Great Snack Debate: Favorite and Overrated Israeli Treats30:21 – Introducing Sarah and Yehoshua Auman: Perspectives on Security and Home43:24 – Looking Up: Witnessing Missile Interceptions45:46 – Kids in Crisis: Humor and Resilience in the Younger Generation52:05 – Deep Dive: Food Quirks and Cultural Guilty Pleasures58:14 – Living with Constant Alerts: A Summary of the "New Normal" Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    1h 3m

  5. FEB 18

    Why Won't Our Kids Just Put Down Their Phones and Screens!!!!!! (Let's Look In The Mirror 😬😳)

    Send us Fan Mail 📱 Phone Modeling Matters: Before We Blame Our KidsThis episode starts in serious territory and ends somewhere uncomfortably close to home. Asher, Dave, and Jon open with a raw conversation about the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping story and the unsettling feeling of violence “not supposed to happen here.” The guys unpack media reactions, double standards, the NBA controversy surrounding Deni Avdija, and the uncomfortable cultural conversations that follow global events. But then the episode pivots. High school acceptance week hits close to home. The stress. The comparisons. The tension. The rejection. The identity questions. The transfer portal jokes. And that leads to the real conversation of the night: Kids. Phones. Parenting. And the uncomfortable truth that before we tell our kids what to do… we might need to look at ourselves first. When do you give a child a smartphone?  Are we raising anxious kids or modeling anxious behavior?  Are we frustrated with their screen time… while scrolling ourselves? This episode becomes less about controlling kids — and more about owning the behavior we model. It’s funny. It’s honest. It’s a little uncomfortable. Which means it’s probably important. If you’re navigating parenting in the age of smartphones, social pressure, high school decisions, and digital overload — this one’s for you. 👉 Follow @carpoolguyspod  👉 Leave a 5-star rating  👉 Share this with a parent who needs it ⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps 00:58 – The Nancy Guthrie Story  A serious warm-up conversation about kidnapping, media attention, and why stories like this shake us. 05:36 – NBA Controversy & Deni Avdija Spike Lee, social media reactions, and the absurdity of singling out an Israeli athlete. 09:47 – High School Acceptance Week Jon introduces the emotional rollercoaster of acceptance day. 10:34 – The Stress Our Kids Feel Comparisons, curiosity, rejection, and how kids process it differently. 12:57 – Starting Fresh vs. Needing Anchors Dave’s experience going somewhere alone — and why every child is wired differently. 16:19 – The Pivot: Kids & Cell Phones When do you give a child a phone? And why is this so complicated? 17:00+ – The Bigger Question: What Are We Modeling?  Before we lecture our kids about screen time… what are we doing? Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    57 min

  6. JAN 28

    Is ChatGPT Making Life Easier… or Ruining Everything? 😭🤖

    Send us Fan Mail Snow days, Zoom school, airport chaos, parenting fails, awkward Publix conversations, and AI anxiety—this episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast has it all. Jon Ackerman, Asher Dworetsky, and Dave From Flatbush kick things off debating the most controversial modern parenting question: Is a Zoom snow day even a real snow day? From kids celebrating surprise days off to parents questioning what learning actually happens on Zoom, the guys break down why snow days should stay sacred. From there, the conversation takes a turn into classic Carpool Guys territory:  ✈️ Airport pickup mishaps  🚗 Becoming an Uber… to become an Uber  🍪 The unspoken rules of taking snacks from someone else’s house  ⭐ Giving (and receiving) five-star ratings—both earthly and divine Along the way, they share winter vacation highlights, parenting moments that test your patience (and your dignity), celebrity misidentifications, and one unforgettable Publix checkout encounter involving Bible verses, Israel, and a heartfelt “Shalom.” The episode wraps by teeing up a bigger Shabbos-table conversation: how AI is changing our lives, our kids, and the way we think about learning, work, and the future—and whether we should be excited, terrified, or both. If you love podcasts about parenting, Jewish life, family humor, modern fatherhood, relatable conversations, and real-life chaos, this episode is for you. 👉 Follow @carpoolguyspod, leave a 5-star rating, and tell us what topic you want to hear next. ⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps 00:00 – Cookie Etiquette & House Rules Is it okay to take snacks when you’re doing someone a favor? Where do we draw the line? 00:56 – Surprise Snow Day Energy Kids celebrating, parents coping, and the joy of one more day off. 02:05 – The Zoom Snow Day Debate Should snow days still be sacred—or has Zoom changed everything? 03:27 – What Are Kids Actually Learning on Zoom? Honest takes from parents who lived through it. 04:15 – Multi-Day Snowstorms: What’s the Right Balance? Snow day vs. Zoom day—how should schools handle it? 05:31 – Fire Drills, Payback, and Vacation Chaos When real life mirrors your job a little too closely. 06:06 – Like, Subscribe, and Join the Community Why the Carpool Guys care so much about listener engagement. 07:41 – Being Recognized IRL From Shabbos taps on the shoulder to pizza shop shout-outs. 08:31 – Podcast Topic Requests Gone Wrong Why “global warming” might not be a Shabbos-table hit. 09:27 – Airport Pickup Gone Sideways No keys, slow Uber drivers, and a lot of stress. 12:22 – The Snack Question Returns Black-and-white cookies, pantry boundaries, and moral dilemmas. 13:39 – Five-Star Ratings (Earthly & Heavenly) Uber reviews meet Jewish philosophy. 14:27 – Happy Birthday & Mazel Tov Corner Celebrations for friends of the show. 15:52 – Winter Vacation Stories & Parenting Moments Fire alarms, celebrity mix-ups, and unforgettable meltdowns. 21:05 – Parenting Through Public Temper Tantrums Judgment, discipline, and standing your ground. 23:18 – Publix, Bible Verses, and Jewish Anxiety An interaction Jon will never forget. 26:48 – Introducing the Big Topic: AI & The Future Are we helping our Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    1 hr

  7. JAN 18

    The Drive By: Dave on location...In the Everglades 🐊 🐊 🐊 Did he make it out?!?

    Send us Fan Mail Would you want to crash-land here?! 😳🐊 Dave takes us inside the Florida Everglades, explaining exactly why this is the last place you’d ever want to make an emergency landing… and yes — there are ALLIGATORS. This moment is funny, terrifying, and somehow educational all at once — the kind of real-life storytelling that only happens when parenting, travel, and bad hypotheticals collide. 👉 Listen to the full story on the latest episode of the Carpool Guys Podcast. Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    1 min

  8. JAN 14

    Can You Survive Winter Vacation Without Losing Your Mind?!? ⚠️ Warning ⚠️ we may have already 🤯🤯🤯

    Send us Fan Mail Winter break sounds relaxing — until it actually begins. In this episode of The Carpool Guys, Asher, Dave, and Jon dive into the realities of winter break and family vacations, exploring the excitement, stress, anxiety, and unexpected joy that come with extended time off and traveling together. Through relatable stories and plenty of humor, they unpack why winter break often feels like anything but a break. The conversation touches on the pressure to create the “perfect” family vacation, the stress of travel and logistics, and the temptation to compare your holiday experience to everyone else’s highlight reel. Asher, Dave, and Jon make the case for prioritizing authentic experiences over perfect photos, embracing the chaos when things go wrong, and recognizing that the most meaningful holiday memories are often unplanned. They also share practical, real-life advice on planning family vacations that actually fit your family’s needs, avoiding empty parenting threats while traveling, making intentional time for your spouse during school breaks, and using humor as a powerful tool to navigate family challenges. Whether you’re packing bags, already on the road, or just trying to survive winter break at home, this episode offers laughter, perspective, and reassurance that you’re not doing it wrong — you’re just living real life. 00:00:00 Introduction to Winter Break00:03:00 Family Vacation Anxieties00:06:00 The Importance of Authentic Experiences00:09:00 Navigating Family Dynamics00:12:00 Creating Lasting Memories Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at carpoolguyspod@gmail.com Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

    32 min
See All (17)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

The Carpool Guys Podcast is where three real Jewish dads — Asher Dworetsky, Jon Ackerman, and Dave "From Flatbush" Tannenbaum — buckle up for unfiltered conversations about fatherhood, marriage, midlife, and the beautiful chaos of raising a family in the Jewish community today. These guys have made mistakes, learned lessons mostly the hard way, and have just enough life experience to be dangerous with advice. From career crossroads to screen time battles, from Shabbos table debates to parenting fails, from Israel and what it means to us as Jews to the everyday moments that make you laugh, cry, and question every decision you've ever made — The Carpool Guys go there. Whether you're married or single, a parent or a kid who still needs one, navigating life or just trying to figure it all out — this is your podcast. Humor, heart, and meaning, every other week. No filter. No script. Just real talk from three guys who are very much still figuring it out too. Buckle up. New episodes every other week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

Information

  • Creator
    Jon Ackerman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Carpool Guys
  • Show Website
    The Carpool Guys

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