464 episodes

Unorthodox is the universe’s leading Jewish podcast, hosted by Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Joshua Malina. Each week we bring you News of the Jews, interesting guests—one Jewish and one gentile—and so much more.

Unorthodox Tablet Studios

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

Unorthodox is the universe’s leading Jewish podcast, hosted by Stephanie Butnick, Liel Leibovitz, and Joshua Malina. Each week we bring you News of the Jews, interesting guests—one Jewish and one gentile—and so much more.

    Irrefutably Jewish

    Irrefutably Jewish

    This week on the show, we refuse to refute.

    Phil Rosenthal of Somebody Feed Phil returns to the show to discuss his new children’s book, Just Try It!, which he co-wrote with his daughter Lily. (You can listen to Phil’s previous Unorthodox interviews here and here.)

    Eric Cohen and Abe Unger introduce their new school, Emet Classical Academy, set to open this fall, which they describe as the nation’s first Jewish classical school.

    Rabbi Meni Even-Israel talks about leading the Steinsaltz Center, where he continues the mission of his father, the late Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, to make Jewish knowledge more accessible through translation and explanation. 

    Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

    Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

    SPONSORS:
    The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management is offering a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation that can be earned while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

    The Shalom Hartman Institute’s newest podcast, TEXTing, delves into Torah texts to find relevant insights for modern life. On each episode, Rosh Beit Midrash Elana Stein Hain invites Hartman scholars to consider a different Torah text. Listen at shalomhartman.org/texting or wherever you get your podcasts.  

    Fire Dance, a tale of passion, fulfillment, and faith, is now streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks, the Jewish streaming service. Starring Yehuda Levi and Noa Kohler, the series paints a picture of an ultra-Orthodox community at the foot of the Sea of Galilee. Unorthodox listeners get 50% off new subscriptions and a 7-day free trial with code FIREPOD at checkout. Visit ChaiFlicks.com to get started. 

    • 1 hr 31 min
    Spiritual Swear Jar

    Spiritual Swear Jar

    This week on Unorthodox, we can’t believe we missed YentaCon. 

    Our first guest is director Andrew Goldberg, whose new PBS documentary Armenia, My Home uncovers some of the parallels between Armenian and Jewish life.

    We also speak with Eylon Levy, official spokesman for the Israeli government. He joined us to talk about manning the war’s digital front, and his viral interview on British TV, aka “the eyebrow incident.” 

    The version of “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” you heard was by our friends at Yidcore.

    Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

    Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

    SPONSORS:
    The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management invites you to consider earning your Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

    The Shalom Hartman Institute welcomes you to listen to their newest podcast, TEXTing hosted by their Rosh Beit Midrash, Elana Stein Hain. On each episode, Stein Hain invites Hartman scholars to delve into a Torah text and find relevant insights for modern life. Listen at shalomhartman.org/texting or wherever you get your podcasts.

    • 1 hr 9 min
    What Really Matters - Biden, Tucker, Putin, Trump

    What Really Matters - Biden, Tucker, Putin, Trump

    Unorthodox is off this week, but today we're sharing an episode from the Tablet podcast What Really Matters with Walter Russell Mead
    This week, Walter and Jeremy talk Putin endorsing Biden, Putin dissing Tucker Carlson, Trump dissing NATO, and Biden stumbling in the Middle East.

    • 30 min
    Jewish Priorities: Life After 10/7 - Can We Even Sit On a Panel Together?

    Jewish Priorities: Life After 10/7 - Can We Even Sit On a Panel Together?

    Unorthodox is off this week, but today we're sharing an episode from Jewish Priorities: Life After 10/7, a 6-part series of panels taken from a live event hosted by Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History last October.
    This discussion focused on the charged rhetoric we’re seeing within the Jewish community during the war in Israel and features Rabbi Shlomo Elkan, Jodi Rudoren, and Rabbi David Wolpe, with moderators Stephanie Butnick and Liel Leibovitz of Unorthodox.

    • 50 min
    We Can Help

    We Can Help

    This week on Unorthodox, we won’t be hitting the slopes in Switzerland.

    Our Jewish guest this week is Ted Deutch, former U.S. Congressman and current CEO of the American Jewish Committee. He joins us to talk about the AJC’s new Report on the State of Antisemitism in America. 

    Plus, to mark the two-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, producer Quinn Waller visits an unexpected school in South Brooklyn that is making America feel like home for some of the war’s youngest refugees. 

    We also share an interview from a recent Beautifully Jewish craft-along with Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz and his mother. Since October 7, Dillz has been rapping about Jewish toughness in his songs “Bring the Family Home” and “Watermelon,” while his mother has been knitting hats for IDF soldiers.

    Beautifully Jewish is brought to you in part by Lion Brand Yarns, a fifth-generation, family-owned business that is passionate about helping people enjoy the pleasures of working with yarn and committed to creating a more colorful, connected, comforting, and caring world.

    Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

    Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

    SPONSORS:
    The Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management invites you to consider earning your Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Innovation while you work. Learn more at ZSchool.huc.edu. Generous scholarships available.

    • 1 hr 10 min
    Kosher Fiesta

    Kosher Fiesta

    This week on Unorthodox, we’re kashering the FIESTA dishware. 

    Our Jewish guest this week is Neta Ariel, director of the Maaleh School of Film and Television in Jerusalem. She shares how her film students are working to raise awareness for the hostages still held in Gaza. 

    Our Gentile of the Week is Dr. Phil. He joins us to talk about his new television network as well as his new book, We’ve Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity, and offers our hosts some advice for talk show longevity. 

    Write to us at unorthodox@tabletmag.com, or leave a voicemail on our listener line: (914) 570-4869. 

    Unorthodox is produced by Tablet Studios. Check out all of our podcasts at tabletmag.com/podcasts.

    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
1.3K Ratings

1.3K Ratings

La Manifesta ,

A high point of my week

UPDATE: I was sorry when Mark Oppenheimer stopped co-hosting, but absolutely delighted when Joshua Malina took his place. Besides admiring Josh as an actor, his podcast The West Wing Weekly was as good as a podcast is ever going to be. And if you look up "mensch" in the dictionary, there's his picture.

I wish I could give Unorthodox more than five stars. It's one of podcasts I most look forward to each week. I'm not Jewish (either ethnically or religiously)—not religious in any way—but I enjoy and learn from each episode. Hosts Liel, Mark and Stephanie and producer Josh are individually and collectively fascinating and lively personalities, and genuinely good human beings. I've had the pleasure of meeting them at live Unorthodox events, and whenever they're appearing near me, I'll be there. Unorthodox is one of those podcasts you'll end up telling your friends about time and again. Give it a listen.

Ani Yehudi ,

The one and only Josh.

Not gonna lie, I went down Josh’s entire IMDB list and as I was never a fan of West Wing (cut me some slack, I was a teenager) I could not find a single role of his I can remember. That just means I know him solely for his part on the show. Keep it up and I hope you enjoy reading this. Jerome.
PS Leil, next time you’re in DC, I hope to have more moonshine for you.

izzyisascam ,

An old friend

While living in a small southern town and studying for conversion, Unorthodox played a huge role in filling in the cultural gaps that I so longed to understand. Not a Thursday goes by without me absorbing the latest episode. Thanks to ya’ll for adding so much joy to my Jewish life.

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