Walter Russell Mead, a historian, pundit, and popular author, is encyclopedic about politics, culture, and history. On What Really Matters, Mead and Tablet deputy editor Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what news matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. Check out Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column at https://www.tabletmag.com/columns/via-meadia.
…
continue reading
As Jews around the world engage in a seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the entire Talmud one page per day, Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Take One, will offer a brief and evocative daily read of the daf, in just about 10 minutes. New episodes will be released daily Monday through Friday.
…
continue reading
From weekly series examining unique angles on Jews’ place in the world, to inquiries into the details of Jewish text and tradition, Tablet Studios podcasts bring you insight and inspiration for the modern-day Jew. Our shows include How to Be a Jew, Unorthodox, Rootless, Re-Form, and more to come.
…
continue reading
Hebrew School is a game show podcast where kids play fun games to learn about all things Jewish! Season 3 features comedy by Joel Chasnoff, storytelling by Peninnah Schram, and songs by Lenny Solomon and our house band Shlock Rock. The Jewish Education Project has created accompanying games and activities for families, as well as resources for educators to use our podcast in the classroom. Want to be a contestant on Hebrew School? Visit tabletm.ag/hebrewschool to apply. Hebrew School is a pr ...
…
continue reading
The Jewish tradition of counting the Omer, or Sefirat Haomer, marks the 49 days between the second night of Passover and the start of Shavuot, and offers daily opportunities for spiritual challenge and growth. Join host Kylie Unell in her daily effort to make meaning out of this age-old tradition and stretch her soul as she does it.
…
continue reading
From the team behind Unorthodox—the #1 Jewish podcast—comes a new eight-part series detailing the hidden history of Jews and the Ivy League. Gatecrashers tells the story of how Jews fought for acceptance at elite schools, and how the Jewish experience in the Ivy League shaped American higher education, and shaped America at large. Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, each episode focuses on one Ivy League school: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and the University of Pen ...
…
continue reading
Before CNN and Fox News, before shock jocks and powerful pundits, there was Father Charles Coughlin, an ambitious priest who invented political talk radio as we know it, brought down one president and crowned another, and was at one point considered the most powerful man in America. He was also a rabid antisemite who wrote fan mail to Mussolini and cheered on Hitler, and who used his enormous platform to spread hate. In this 8-part podcast, Detroit journalist Andrew Lapin weaves together arc ...
…
continue reading
This companion podcast to Dara Horn’s new book People Love Dead Jews takes listeners beyond the book to some of the strangest corners of Jewish history, exploring how the popular mania for dead Jews warps our understanding of both past and present. In this series, you’ll meet flamboyantly gay Civil War Jewish spies, Japanese “Jewish specialists” trying to build their own Jewish state, genius Victorian identical twins and genius Lubavitcher identical twins, American and Soviet Jewish moviemak ...
…
continue reading
Champion! Magazine is the premier tablet publication covering comic books and pop culture. Download the free app here for your iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/champion!-magazine/id455870554?mt=8
…
continue reading
A look ahead to Saturday's grand opening of the New Meadowlands grandstand and a recap of this past weekend's Matron stakes at Dover Downs and Windy City Pace at Maywood Park will be highlighted on this week’s edition of “Eye on Harness Racing,” the U.S. Trotting Association’s weekly online video news magazine, sponsored by TrackMaster. Also on this week's show, Paul Ramlow takes a look at the upcoming TVG FFA races and the Progress Pace elimination in the segment "Paul's Paddock Picks." Tra ...
…
continue reading
On today’s pages, Avodah Zarah 65 and 66, we meet a minister in rose water and Rava himself debating pleasure versus power. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, helps us draw lessons from presidents, CEOs, and moguls who thought they were untouchable—until the government reminded them otherwise. Can political reality burst even the stro…
…
continue reading
On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 64, the rabbis introduce the strange prohibition of giving a “free gift” to a gentile. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin helps us unpack what’s at stake, from communal bonds to baseless love, and why family ties redefine generosity. What does Judaism teach about gifts without strings? Listen and find out.…
…
continue reading
On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 63, the Talmud suggests that sometimes smashing things apart clears the way for something better. But how do we know when destruction is holy, not harmful? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss why Americans are moving less, Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, declining alcohol consumption in the US, and the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 62, the rabbis weigh in on whether wages earned from idolatrous wine are permitted, offering a lesson about work, boundaries, and moral compromise. But how do we know when a job crosses the line? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 60 and 61, the Rabbis debate touchless wine presses, leading to speculation about Rashi’s side hustle—wine maker, egg seller, or both. But what does this teach us about balancing learning with making a living? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 58 and 59, a wine dispute between rabbis turns into a debate about which towns raise the most learned Jews—and why staying rooted matters. But how can your zip code shape your soul? Listen and find out. Please visit this link to sign up for some learning in honor of Marvin Singer, who passed away this week.…
…
continue reading

1
Avodah Zarah 57 - Don't Get Too Comfortable
23:06
23:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:06In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 57, the rabbis continue their discussion of the laws of wine. The Gemara relates a story which takes place in a city where the Jewish inhabitants ruled, and enjoyed access to influence and power, which the Gentile residents did not. There's a link between this story and this week's Torah portion of Eikev, in …
…
continue reading
On today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 56, the sages discuss wine. It's easy to understand that wine created for the purpose of idol worship is expressly forbidden. But regular wine—not expressly Kosher, yet definitely not created for idolatry—is still not allowed. Why? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading

1
Avodah Zarah 55 - When Suffering Keeps Its Promise
7:41
7:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:41On today’s page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 55, a Roman general’s question about God’s “jealousy” opens the door to parables about human nature, trust, and why even pain seems to follow rules. But why would God let hardship happen at all? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss plummeting public school enrollment, Netanyahu's five-point war plan for Gaza, Nvidia's weird China deal with the White House, and the political, diplomatic, and strategic similarities between Napoleon Bonaparte and Donald Trump.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading

1
Avodah Zarah 53 and 54 - Certain Philosophers
7:48
7:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:48In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 53 and 54, the sages continue their discussion on the laws of idol worship. Today, however, we zoom out for a more philosophical conversation. For example, if idol worship is forbidden, why does G-d allow it to exist? Within the context of the discussion, what is the nature of G-d, nature, and our own free w…
…
continue reading

1
Avodah Zarah 51 and 52 - Idols and Chicken Soup
15:24
15:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:24In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 51 and 52, our sages continue their discussion of idol worship. The conversation raises questions around who may gain monetary benefit from different forms of idolatry. We take a pause to zoom in on a very specific contemporary innovation: podcasts. What connection does our host make between the world of pod…
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 50, the sages continue their discussion regarding idol worship, and whether objects once used toward idolatry can, once discarded, transcend their former status. Surely some old rocks once used in an altar can eventually be used to build a road, no? Listen and find out.…
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 49, the sages continue their discussion regarding idolatry. It's a classically talmudic conversation, with a lot of details around whether a small fragment, or even pebble, which may or may not have been part of a shrine for the god Mercury, still holds the status of a prohibited idol. Are we overthinking thi…
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 48, we pause to focus on one of the greats of the Talmudic era, Rav Sheshet, who was blind, and who possessed great intellectual prowess. Today we learn about an 'ashera', a tree that is used for idol worship, which is permitted to walk underneath, if there's no other way to reach one's destination. Rav Shesh…
…
continue reading
In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 46 and 47, the sages continue their conversation about idol worship. Their discussion is far reaching; what happens when your home shares a wall with a place of idol worship? What if the wall collapses? Can that space next to that shared wall be used for, say, a bathroom? Listen and find out.…
…
continue reading
In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 44 and 45, the sages continue their discussion about idol worship. The conversation gives rise to another, which seeks to clarify whether it's kosher to contemplate matters of Torah in the bathhouse. And what's the issue? We can perceive it as an insult to G-d, but can't it also be a way to elevate the munda…
…
continue reading
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss transatlantic pressure on Israel, Arab pressure on Hamas, Xi Jinping's new infrastructure play in Tibet, Trump's criticism of India's relationship with Russia, the significance of Trump's trade deals with Japan and the EU, and tips for haggling in bazaars, souks, and night markets.…
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 43, the sages continue their discussion regarding objects used for idolatry, returning again to the question of who may revoke the idolatrous status of an object. As usual, there's a lot of nuance in their conversation, but at the heart of it all, what unexpectedly inspiring lesson can we learn from somebody …
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 42, the sages continue their discussion of forbidden idols, or objects used in idol worship. Who has the right to revoke the status of an object in question? And what is our relationship to that object? And finally, what is the deeper meaning of the discussion? Listen and find out.…
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 41, the sages continue their discussion of pagan idol worship. They decode which statues are idols and which are merely ornamental, based on contextual clues, such as setting, or what the figure depicting is holding. But then a strange question is raised, and nobody can answer it. What does it mean? Listen an…
…
continue reading
In today's pages of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 39 and 40, the sages open the third chapter of the tractate with a discussion on statues and idols. The sages explore which statues are permitted and which are forbidden, whether jewelry is permitted, whether an object that was once used in idol worship can be used for something else, and more. The topic of …
…
continue reading
In today's pages, Avodah Zarah 37 and 38, we meet one of the great heroes of the Talmud, Rabbi Yose ben Yoezer. Although we meet him as he weighs in on whether the consumption of a certain breed of locust is permitted (Rabbi Yose ben Yoezer says yes), the shadow he casts on the whole tradition of the study of Jewish law is, in fact, massive, and ve…
…
continue reading
This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the White House's new "AI action plan," protests against Zelensky in Ukraine, hot conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, and the role of public intellectuals throughout history.By Tablet Magazine
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 36, the sages continue their discussion on halachot pertaining to goods made by gentiles, and whether Jewish people can consume them. There's a larger discussion here, one about tradition and continuity. For further insight, we are including this week's episode of our sister podcast 'Sivan Says'. This week's …
…
continue reading
In today's page of Talmud, Avodah Zarah 35, the sages continue their discussion of laws pertaining to which items Jewish people can consume, if they are manufactured by people who are not Jewish. But the teaching contains a metaphor, comparing a Torah scholar to a container containing a good scent. But what broader application does this metaphor ha…
…
continue reading