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In this episode, we talk to writer, performance artist, and organizational consultant Alissa Schwartz (she/her) and book worker, artist, and publisher Patrick Barber (he/they) about Alissa’s book Ancestral Performance Art, published through Patrick’s publishing company - Impeller Press. We talk with them about so many things - but it centers around how we can build deeper relationships with our ancestors (not just genealogical, deceased, human ancestors - but all ancestors!), through speculative work, re-narrativization, and drag.  We are so appreciative to them both for this conversation and if you’re in NYC, we hope you’ll come see Alissa perform an ancestral drag piece at our upcoming Hanukah Market with Pushcart Judaica on December 14th! Some links to things mentioned in this episode… -Alissa’s new book! -Alissa’s first book -Patrick’s publishing company & instagram -Alissa’s website & instagram -Theydy Bedbug’s drag class -Helen Klonaris’s workshop -My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem [This episode was recorded in August 2025.] Big thanks to Alissa and Patrick for being on the pod, Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join Jessie (she/her) and guest interviewer (and beloved Making Mensches collaborator) Jesi (fae/they) for their conversation with artist Liz Awesome (he/him) 🎨 Jessie, Jesi, and Liz talk all things trash, art, and Judaism - as well as ways to infuse our lives with liberation, anger, and grief. As Liz says, “We already have everything we need, and we’re throwing it away in the trash.” They discuss the ways that the internet both inhibits and encourages our modes of connection, including how we can best leverage the algorithm to ensure the most marginalized stories are being amplified and heard. Some links to things mentioned in this episode… Politics of Disposability bell hooks on composting anger [This episode was recorded in August 2025.] Big thanks to Liz for being on the pod, Jesi for co-facilitating this interview, Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hi Mensches! In this episode we’re joined by Wes (Wendy Elisheva Somerson), author of new book An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing: Somatic Practices to Heal Historical Wounds, Unlearn Oppression, and Create a Liberated World to Come. This is a rich conversation filled with so much wisdom from Wes talking about trauma and somatic healing, taking actionable steps to address fear and shame in our bodies, how living into intention (kavanah) can guide us, and truly… so much more. We’re so excited for this episode to finally be out in the world and can’t wait for you to listen. You can buy Wes’s book from the publisher - North Atlantic Books, at Third Place Books in Seattle, at Jewitches, or at any local bookstore. While Wes does not recommend purchasing the book on Am*z*n, they do ask that you go and write a review there to help boost the book :) Some links to things mentioned in this episode… Ruach Healing Group Sefaria  The Embodiment Institute   [This episode was recorded in July 2025.] Big thanks to Wes for being on the pod, Emily from North Atlantic Books, Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome back, Mensches! Join us for a conversation with Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegal, co-authors of Ashkenazi Herbalism and new book Woven Roots: Recovering the Healing Plant Traditions of Jews and Their Neighbors in Eastern Europe. We discuss how Deatra and Adam began doing this work, the main differences between Woven Roots and Ashkenazi Herbalism, communal care in the Pale, the process of recovering traditions, plant medicine, and so much more.  You can buy both of their books on Jewitches.com. Some of the things they mention during this episode are… Yizkor books Memoirs of a Grandmother Our episode with Julie WeitzRokhl KafrissenMax Dashu and the Suppressed Histories Archives [This episode was recorded in July 2025.] Big thanks to Adam and Deatra for being on the pod, Emily from North Atlantic Books, Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join Making Mensches for our special conversation with Binya and Xava, creators of Shel Maala Yeshiva - a digital-first queer Yeshiva! We talk about the importance of queer, anti-zionist, accessible Torah and Talmud study, the rewards and challenges of this work, abolitionist and anti-zionist Torah, and so much more. We can’t wait for you to listen, and we hope you’ll join us for our joint event on MAY 23RD - both in NYC and online on Zoom. Please RSVP for more details! The work Shel Maala does is essential, please consider supporting their work! Join one of their classes, such as the one we discuss in this episode, Torah from the Inside Out: Cohort for Incarcerated People and Allies. If you’re curious about (or want to support, we hope!) Matir Asurim, you can find more info here. [This episode was recorded in March 2025.] Big thanks to Xava and Binya for being on the pod, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

We hope you're as excited as we are for this conversation with Joey Ramona, iconic Toronto based punk rock tattooer, visual artist, and a self-described “weird Jewish punk guy.” We talk with Joey about being an anti-zionist Jewish tattooer, about how tattoos can help people deepen their connection to Judaism, about the concept of doikayt and researching ashkenazi tradition, about mutual aid and community organizing, and so much more! If you want to book an appointment with Joey, reach out to them at [email protected]⁠ We feel so lucky that we get to have incredible conversations with people we admire so much 3 Links to things we discuss in the episode: The zine Joey made a few years ago about Jewish tattooingToronto Indigenous Harm Reduction orgSudan Solidarity Collective Toronto PYM chapterJews Say No to Genocide [This episode was recorded in March 2025.] Big thanks to Joey for being on the pod, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us as we talk to Stephanie (they/them), founder of Taste of Olam Haba, a vibrant Jewish community in Central Arkansas founded in 2021. We discuss the growth of Taste of Olam Haba and what building this community has looked like, what it's been like to engage with the rise and presence of fascism in the South, backlash from zionist Jewish community, and much more. Thank you to Stephanie and Taste of Olam Haba for this conversation and for all the work you do in Arkasas! If you're in Central Arkansas and looking for anti-zionist Jewish community, make sure to connect with Taste of Olam Haba. Stephanie is also a co-founder of Little Rock Peace for Palestine, and you can find more information about their work here. This episode is the first in what will be an ongoing conversation series with Jewish spiritual communities that exist outside of major cities, in an effort to uplift these spaces and discuss the unique challenges and joys that these communities face. [This episode was recorded in March 2025.] Big thanks to Stephanie for being on the pod, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠⁠

Join us for an extra special episode with ⁠Ayeola Omolara Kaplan⁠ and ⁠⁠Hadar Cohen⁠, two of the talented artists who created pieces for the ⁠⁠DWELL in Revolution project. In this episode, we discuss their creation processes, the ancestors that they depicted, why this project is important, and everything in between. Listen to the full episode to hear ⁠Shelby Handler⁠ reading their piece from DWELL! So much work went into this beautiful project, a project that enables folks to learn about and honor their anti-zionist ancestors. It is so essential that we see these examples of anti-zionism in our history, so that we can strengthen our own anti-zionist foundations. It’s equally as essential to begin learning about ancient ancestral practices and rituals that zionism has tried to stamp out of Judaism. ⁠⁠If you don’t already have it, you can purchase the DWELL zine here.⁠⁠ [This episode was recorded in February 2025.] Big thanks to Ayeola and Hadar for joining us, to Shelby for reading their piece, and to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠⁠⁠

Join us for an extra special episode with Micah Bazant and Ollie Schwartz, two of the main organizers of the DWELL in Revolution project, as we discuss the creation process and intention behind the zine, in addition to discussing the complexities and joy that are a part of organizing for our movement.  So much work went into this beautiful project, a project that enables folks to learn about and honor their anti-zionist ancestors. It is so essential that we see these examples of anti-zionism in our history, so that we can strengthen our own anti-zionist foundations. It’s equally as essential to begin learning about ancient ancestral practices and rituals that zionism has tried to stamp out of Judaism. Stay tuned for the second part of this series where we talk with two of the artists included in the project about their creation process! If you don’t already have it, you can purchase the DWELL zine here. [This episode was recorded in February 2025.] Big thanks to Micah and Ollie for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠

For this episode, we are joined by ⁠Ariella Aïsha Azoulay, who graciously talks with us about her recent book, “The Jewelers of the Ummah: A Potential History of the Jewish Muslim World.” Ariella is a film essayist, theorist, curator of archives, and professor currently teaching Modern Culture and Media in the Department of Comparative Literature at Brown University. Ariella talks us through Jewelers of the Ummah, discusses what the Jewish Muslim world is, how empires dictate history and peoplehood to serve their own interests, what principled anti-zionism looks like, how she has deepened her ancestral connections, and much much more. This is not an episode to miss! Every second is full of wisdom and steadfast love.  Join us in two weeks for an exciting episode with more than one special guest 👀 [This episode was recorded in February 2025.] Big thanks to Ariella for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠

we're back after our mid-season hiatus with our first episode in a long time that's just Jessie and Elana! we talk about the present moment and some of our upcoming events, and at the end is a rewind to our Instagram Live episode on tu b'shvat from 2022 (which was somehow THREE years ago). we've obviously grown and learned so much since then but enjoy our baby selves talking tu bish join us for our virtual tu b'shvat poetry event,find our events calendar here,and sign up for our newsletter! comment and let us know if you want more of us chit-chatting 👀

In our midseason finale, we are joined by Eliana Rubin, who talks (among many, many other things) about their new book, “Taking the State out of the Body: A Guide to Embodied Resistance to Zionism.” Eliana builds transgressive relationships with bodies, land, and lineage through their work as a somatic practitioner, politicized facilitator, anti-Zionist organizer, full spectrum doula, land steward, and queer pleasure instigator. They run a somatic facilitation practice with Sanctuary Embodied aimed at resourcing organizers in developing embodied leadership and power for movements for justice. While discussing her brilliant book, Eliana gives insight to what somatics are, how somatic practices can support us through challenging conversations with Zionists, speaks to some of the plants and body parts that informed the book - like calendula, redwoods, and the vagus nerve, and talks about the pitfalls of individualistic models of therapy. Eliana goes beyond fighting for liberation, and teaches us how to live for liberation.  Find more of Eliana on their instagram or website, and go buy the book ASAP! We truly could not recommend it enough. We will be back with more episodes in February, see you then! [This episode was recorded in November 2024.] Big thanks to Eliana for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠

Golems, Dybukks, Psychedelics, oh my! Today we are joined by Julie Weitz (she/her) - diasporic performance artist, Fulbright Scholar, and co-creator of the Tzitzit Project - some of you may know her as @MyGolem_is_here. In this episode, Julie reflects on her time in Poland and the ways that we can reconnect with our ancestral homeland outside. Julie talks about recent and past projects, what brought her to performance art, and the ways her work is informed by anti-zionism. We can’t wait for you to listen! UPCOMING OFFERING FROM JULIE: Online Dybbuk Workshop Sunday, December 8 at 11am pst / 1pm cst / 2pm est / 8pm cet / 9pm ist Registration Link: https://www.flipcause.com/secure/event_step2/MTkzNzI1/289544  Join artist Julie Weitz for a dynamic online workshop exploring ancestral folktales about the dybbuk and Jewish rituals of exorcism. Drawing from her extensive research and artistic practice, Weitz will share stories, images, and videos that illuminate the cultural and spiritual significance of the dybbuk. Participants will also explore simple, accessible movement techniques inspired by Yiddish dance, fostering embodied connections to their ancestors. The session incorporates insights from Holy Names for Our Dybbuk, Weitz’s performance art project that reimagines dybbuk exorcism as a movement-based ritual at sites of Jewish memory in Poland. Conducted in English, this workshop welcomes participants of all backgrounds and requires no prior experience. Come dressed comfortably and ready to engage in storytelling, movement, and learning. All ticket proceeds will support the artistic collaborators of Holy Names for Our Dybbuk. If funds are a concern, use the discount code DISCOUNT50 at checkout for 50% off. Links to things we mention in this episode: -No State Manifesto -Rabbi Aaron Tamares -The Great Dominatrix -Kosmic Kamels (@kosmickamels) [This episode was recorded in October 2024.] Big thanks to Julie for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠⁠you can do so here.⁠

We are joined by the brilliant Jules Pashall (they/he) for this episode! Jules is a fat, white, trans/queer Jew who holds space as a somatic, creative and spiritual practitioner. Their offerings are built on the belief that undoing violent hierarchies and how they live in our bodies is part of the path of soul retrieval and collective liberation. For 15 years, they have been exploring fat as a resource for transformation. Jules holds a master’s degree in Somatic Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies and their writing can be found in The Fat Studies Journal and Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: Toward an Inclusive Somatics. In this episode, we explore all things fat. How Judaism loves fat, how fat is connected to liberation, how fatness is weaponized in our world, how people can be invited into - and celebrate! - their fat, and so so much more. Jules is an endless well of wisdom and we imagine you will feel as inspired by them as we do after listening!  UPCOMING OFFERINGS FROM JULES: -Feeding the Erotic: A Jewish winter journey spanning Hannukah to Tu Bshvat Dec 19-Feb 13th Thursdays 8-10 ET / 5-7 PT (Led by Jules and elana june margolis) -Tonguing the Divine: a Tu B’shvat Retreat at Mariposa Institute in Ukiah, CA 2/14-2/17 (Led by Jules and elana june margolis) -One on one work with new clients for 10 weeks of “a season of practice” - follow him for more information! You can read “thank god i’m fat: gifts from the underbelly” by Jules here and join his email list here to stay updated on upcoming offerings. [This episode was recorded in August 2024.] Big thanks to Jules for joining us, to Jessie for editing the podcast, and to Nate for our podcast music. If you want to support our work, ⁠you can do so here.⁠

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Oren Kroll-Zeldin, who is the assistant director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco where he is also an assistant professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Oren recently published his first book, “Unsettled: American Jews and the Movement for Justice in Palestine.” You can buy the book here! “Unsettled digs into the experiences of young Jewish Americans who engage with the Palestine solidarity movement and challenge the staunch pro-Israel stance of mainstream Jewish American institutions. The book explores how these activists address Israeli government policies of occupation and apartheid, and seek to transform American Jewish institutional support for Israel.” As we talk with Oren, we delve into the research that led to Unsettled and explore the growth of anti-zionist community and activism over the last few decades. We talk about necessary tools in liberation movements and the complex nuances of organizing. We are deeply grateful to Oren for this conversation and hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed having it. Links: Check out this article by Oren Check out this article Oren mentions by Sarah Anne Minkin about Palestinians as present absentees