Jewish food is no longer confined to what you’d find on a deli menu. Bourekas, shakshuka, adafina, jachnun, and harira have claimed their place on the Jewish dining table right alongside blintzes, cholent, kugel, borscht, and matzoh ball soup.

Join guest scholars Ari Ariel, Hélène Jawhara Piñer, and Noam Sienna, along with host Avishay Artsy as they explore the diverse world of Sephardic Jewish food, where recipes can tell us about immigration, assimilation, memory, identity, the Jewish past and potential futures, and so much more.

Every year on Purim, Jews around the world stage shpiels, or plays, that not only feature people in costumes, but cross-dressing as well. These Purim events have allowed Jews to participate in drag throughout history, and have opened the door for other traditions like cross-casting in theater.

In this episode, we’ll hear from scholars Golan Moskowitz and Naomi Seidman, former drag queen Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, and host Erin Phillips about Jewish historical examples of drag, Jewish contributions to the art and culture of drag, and how Jews have used drag to explore trauma, identity, and belonging.

The Jewish life cycle includes rituals and customs to mark major rites of passage – birth, coming of age, marriage and parenthood. Likewise, there are traditions of how to navigate death and mourning, including how to care for the deceased and comfort the living, which is where we find Jewish burial societies.

In this episode, guest scholars Cornelia Aust, Samuel Heilman, and Howard Lupovitch, along with host Avishay Artsy, look at the history of Jewish burial societies, how they have served their communities, and how they continue to evolve today.