20 APR 2023 · This week: The chaos of Elon Musk’s Twitter has chased users and news organizations away, while a new wave of Twitter clones try to recreate the sense of community it has. So what does this mean for the Jews, and why should anyone care? I talk about that with Serge, the founder of Babka Social, a new Jewish social media platform. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc Babka Social: https://babka.social/explore Babka blog: https://blog.babka.social/ 23 kHz project: https://blog.babka.social/2023/02/announcing-23khz/ Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/explore If you want to try out Mastodon: https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/08/what-is-mastodon/ and https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-get-started-use-mastodon/ "Using Mastodon can feel like eating your vegetables": https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/18/mastodon-users-twitter-elon-musk-social-media "Actual usage of the fediverse continues to increase month by month": https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/08/lazy-reporters-claiming-fediverse-is-slumping-despite-massive-increase-in-usage/ Hunt for the next Twitter: https://www.theverge.com/23686584/twitter-alternative-social-media-platforms-mastodon-bluesky-activitypub-protocol Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xV0WNmIqMyiIxoMXrrG996J6XK4up2AXDchOY28-VqQ/edit?usp=sharing

7 APR 2023 · This week: Jewish women rarely get a fair shake in pop culture, often showing up as flat stereotypes like the “Jewish American Princess” trope. But over the past decade, especially on TV, that’s been changing. So I talk with Dr. Samantha Pickette, author of “Peak TV’s Unapologetic Jewish Woman,” all about that. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc Buy the book! For 30% off, code: LXFANDF30: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781793633156/Peak-TV%E2%80%99s-Unapologetic-Jewish-Woman-Exploring-Jewish-Female-Representation-in-Contemporary-Television-Comedy Other writings: https://www.heyalma.com/in-hulus-fleishman-is-in-trouble-jewish-women-defy-their-stereotypes/ Bagel Report with Pickette: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetic-bagels-feat-dr-samantha-pickette/id1487559377?i=1000602602260 Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GJ4c83Gskcn-jRSeiKNGujXJWxGbmwEH_Gm2Uyweu44/edit?usp=sharing

23 MAR 2023 · This week: The Israeli president says the country is on the brink of civil war because the current government is trying to make the Israeli Supreme Court powerless. So let’s talk about judicial reform, and how the long-time-coming crisis is really the Occupation finally and fully biting Israel in the ass. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc Big reads on historical context: https://newrepublic.com/article/163005/israel-supreme-court-right-wing-enemy-people https://www.972mag.com/simcha-rothman-coup-judicial-system/ Moment Magazine: https://momentmag.com/israeli-supreme-court/ https://momentmag.com/deri-israel-supreme-court/ JTA Elon Moreh: https://www.jta.org/archive/israels-supreme-court-rules-elon-moreh-in-samaria-must-be-removed Christian Science Monitor: https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2015/1116/Why-Israel-s-right-wing-is-gunning-for-nation-s-Supreme-Court Proposed Constitution: https://en.idi.org.il/articles/47894 Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UwG9b7qiFlcr5Ujo4dEBw-Y7XttEOWRTw4OCGozyhGs/edit?usp=sharing

2 MAR 2023 · This week: ChatGPT and other AI chatbots have become all the rage, bringing an idealistic vision of revolutionizing work and communication. Some say that Jewish organizations should now be using these tools. So it’s time for a reality check on how these AI chatbots can affect the Jews. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc EJP piece: https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/a-case-for-jewish-nonprofits-to-use-chatgpt/ ChatGPT goes to law school: https://twin-cities.umn.edu/news-events/chatgpt-goes-law-school Clergy and ChatGPT: https://apnews.com/article/technology-artificial-intelligence-kentucky-religion-65822bf1c46de7630d3441e9ff4ff41a Bing chatbot going rogue: https://apnews.com/article/technology-science-microsoft-corp-business-software-fb49e5d625bf37be0527e5173116bef3 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/15/23599072/microsoft-ai-bing-personality-conversations-spy-employees-webcams Jewish education: https://www.lookstein.org/blog/how-jewish-studies-teachers-can-use-chatgpt-part-2/ Time Magazine investigation: https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/ Washington Post stories: https://wapo.st/3mdc70E https://wapo.st/41vQWGW Plagiarism: https://futurism.com/cnet-ai-plagiarism https://slate.com/technology/2022/12/lensas-a-i-avatars-the-uncomfortable-places-their-magic-comes-from.html?via=rss_socialflow_facebook Environmental: https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/11/11/132004/the-computing-power-needed-to-train-ai-is-now-rising-seven-times-faster-than-ever-before/ https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/06/06/239031/training-a-single-ai-model-can-emit-as-much-carbon-as-five-cars-in-their-lifetimes/ AI bias: https://hbr.org/2019/10/what-do-we-do-about-the-biases-in-ai Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QA1MbNJq1xim6BPfgnkrvWEimPg9cdGDY7Rb15vwIFI/edit?usp=sharing

16 FEB 2023 · This week: A group of LGBTQ students are suing Yeshiva University, representing a club called the YU Pride Alliance, to get it officially recognized by the school. The court case speaks to the future of queer Jews in Modern Orthodoxy — so I talk with Rachael Fried, the executive director at JQY, an organization in New York City that supports LGBTQ youth and young adults from Orthodox homes. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc JQY: https://www.jqyouth.org/ Yeshiva University FAQs referenced by Fried: https://5townscentral.com/2022/09/01/r-dr-ari-berman-addresses-questions-regarding-yeshiva-university-the-supreme-court/ Overview of legal fight: https://religionnews.com/2022/12/16/ruling-instructs-yeshiva-university-to-recognize-lgbtq-club/ Deep dive on community divisions around YU: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/07/yeshiva-university-announces-lgbtq-club-amid-lawsuit New York Jewish Week reporting: https://www.jta.org/2022/09/14/ny/supreme-court-returns-yus-case-against-gay-pride-club-to-lower-courts-but-signals-its-interest-in-the-issue https://www.jta.org/2022/09/16/ny/yeshiva-university-suspends-all-student-clubs-as-it-appeals-case-against-lgbtq-alliance https://www.jta.org/2022/09/20/united-states/jewish-queer-youth-provide-grants-to-y-u-student-clubs-amid-suspension https://www.jta.org/2022/09/21/ny/lgbtq-alliance-puts-demands-on-hold-after-yeshiva-university-suspends-all-student-clubs https://www.jta.org/2022/10/24/ny/yeshiva-university-fighting-lgbtq-club-launches-one-of-its-own https://www.jta.org/2023/01/11/ny/state-lawmakers-challenge-yeshiva-universitys-claims-to-public-funds Adoptions story referenced by Fried: https://apnews.com/article/religion-lawsuits-tennessee-nashville-58900a55eb9344d4a51143325fa609c3 Transcript for this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ocq695uUUjpS-Y7aBnlzs7sX6Tc5TOHo_vbivOC9YDk/edit?usp=sharing

2 FEB 2023 · This week: About 100 years ago, in the wake of the Russian Revolution and the pogroms that followed, millions of Jews in Eastern Europe became Soviet Jews. But what really is a Soviet Jew? And how does that history affect Jews today? That’s what I talk about with UW Professor Sasha Senderovich. To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com Cincy Jewfolk: https://cincyjewfolk.com/ The Bagel Report: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/the-bagel-report/ Our Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jewfolkinc Senderovich's website for speaking info: http://www.sashasenderovich.com Buy "How The Soviet Jew Was Made": https://www.amazon.com/How-Soviet-Jew-Was-Made/dp/0674238192 Gary Shteyngart's review: https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/02/09/beyond-the-pale-how-the-soviet-jew-was-made-senderovich/ Late Stalinism: https://www.amazon.com/Late-Stalinism-Aesthetics-Evgeny-Dobrenko/dp/0300198477 Legacy of Blood: https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Blood-Pogroms-Ritual-Soviets/dp/0190466456?ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_wLYKDQor6hKavfR_QItdQfhrEYx9j8Yq3VV0QHNDcw/edit?usp=sharing

22 DEC 2022 · This week: It’s the last episode of the year, and a sort of follow up to both last year’s Hannukah Sucks episode, and this year’s State of the Union episode. After all, the holiday season can be a wonderful and frustrating time for Jews. So I have a chaotic chat about it with some of my coworkers here at Jewfolk. To donate: https://tcjewfolk.com/donate/ Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com To subscribe: https://tcjewfolk.com/#subscribe_form For our other podcasts: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/ Our store: https://jewfolk-inc.creator-spring.com/ FolkMedia Consulting: https://jewfolkmedia.com/ To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Context on our talk about the University of Minnesota not changing its start date for Rosh Hashanah: https://tcjewfolk.com/why-the-u-wouldnt-change-its-rosh-hashanah-start-date/ My piece with photos about how I came to appreciate Christianity (referenced in the episode): https://tcjewfolk.com/christianity-in-israel/ Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iUIKG6QgVf0l5UCFXlhfRl3tKtT_yvZYQXp4HYHUVZA/edit?usp=sharing

8 DEC 2022 · This week: It’s time to revisit the story of hasidic yeshiva schools in New York City having poor secular education. After all, it’s important not just to understand what is happening, but why and how things came to be this way. So I talk to sociologist Matty Lichtenstein about her research on hasidic yeshiva advocacy. Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com To subscribe: https://tcjewfolk.com/#subscribe_form For our other podcasts: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/ https://jewfolk-inc.creator-spring.com/ https://tcjewfolk.com/donate/ To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Lichtenstein's work: https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~mlicht/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Lichtenstein-Legitimizing-Tactics-2022.pdf https://www.jta.org/2022/09/14/opinion/i-studied-how-new-york-citys-hasidic-yeshivas-gained-legitimacy-heres-what-i-learned https://watson.brown.edu/people/poctdocs/lichtenstein Yaffed: https://yaffed.org/ The NYT story: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/nyregion/hasidic-yeshivas-schools-new-york.html Update on NYS education rules: https://www.jta.org/2022/09/12/ny/new-york-finalizes-rules-requiring-private-schools-including-yeshivas-to-prove-they-meet-standards Orthodox economy: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/leticiamiranda/amazon-orthodox-jews https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/nyregion/hasidic-jews-amazon.html Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hpQpXfCzcaL5PscDzKXXFLJ6UFHaPe7Qv6eS51Axedc/edit?usp=sharing

27 NOV 2022 · This week: Welcome to part II of coverage of Israel’s recent election. In the last episode, I talked about the rise of bigoted far-right politicians not being the huge watershed moment many of us feared. In this one, I’ll talk about what it does represent, for Israel, but mostly, for American and Diaspora Jews. This episode is also known as: I can't believe I'm talking so much for so long I'm very very sorry. Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com To subscribe: https://tcjewfolk.com/#subscribe_form For our other podcasts: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/ https://jewfolk-inc.creator-spring.com/ https://tcjewfolk.com/donate/ To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ Some extremism: https://www.jta.org/2019/07/17/ny/israel-as-a-halacha-government https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/politics/1565084064-israel-s-transportation-minister-smotrich-qualifies-position-on-jewish-law-governing-the-state https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/five-avigdor-liebermans-worst-outbursts-israels-defence-minister American Jewish reactions to the elex: https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/israel-overnight-from-a-source-of https://forward.com/opinion/523500/american-jews-defending-israel-elections-2022/ https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-723063 Law of Return: https://www.timesofisrael.com/bid-to-scrap-law-of-return-grandchild-clause-likely-to-fail-but-part-of-wider-fight/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-rabbi-calls-for-government-to-change-immigration-law-to-keep-non-jews-out/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-rare-critique-top-us-jewish-leader-warns-against-proposed-limit-on-law-of-return/ Republican pro-Israel-ism: https://www.jta.org/2022/10/24/politics/aipac-jewish-gop-leaders-silent-on-trumps-warning-to-u-s-jews-to-get-their-act-together-on-israel https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-721026 Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kfUC8UveqoOeBX1SmbBW-dm8ODDp5u65d4n0LNmp9mg/edit?usp=sharing

10 NOV 2022 · This week: On November 1st, Israel had its fifth national election in under four years. And frankly, a lot of Jews are panicking, because the results put an extremist, far-right, and racist group of Israeli politicians in line for power. So let’s dig into what happened, how to understand it, and what might come next. Say hello! Lev@tcjewfolk.com To subscribe: https://tcjewfolk.com/#subscribe_form For our other podcasts: https://tcjewfolk.com/podcast/ https://jewfolk-inc.creator-spring.com/ https://tcjewfolk.com/donate/ To help Ukraine: https://tcjewfolk.com/resources-to-help-ukraine/ TC Jewfolk midterm coverage: https://tcjewfolk.com/simon-wins-third-term-on-good-night-for-jewish-candidates/ Notable coverage of the Israeli elex: https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-is-the-projected-winner-but-it-was-ben-gvir-crowned-on-election-night/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/labor-leader-michaeli-who-refused-meretz-merger-blames-lapid-for-lefts-demise/ Tovah Lazaroff analysis: https://m.jpost.com/israel-elections/article-721326 https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/israel-overnight-from-a-source-of https://forward.com/opinion/523500/american-jews-defending-israel-elections-2022/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-israeli-left-has-lost-more-than-an-election/ NYT from 1988: https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/06/world/israel-bans-kahane-party-from-election.html?pagewanted=1 Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dE_HEJT-4bbo8I7Osk2mukBsvHuSZr7tYTRjhwUZdrI/edit?usp=sharing