Advertise on podcast: The Carpool Guys

Send us Fan Mail Three years after October 7th, Jon, Asher, and Dave set aside the usual format to commemorate the day with personal reflections and two interviews about hope, courage, and Jewish unity. The episode opens with the hosts sharing where they were on October 7th, 2023. Dave remembers getting the news in fragments from the security guards outside shul and deciding whether to go ahead with a scheduled community program. Jon recalls the next morning in shul, when an accidental alarm sent a room of parents and children to the floor and made the distance to Israel feel very short. Asher describes waiting for information with family in Israel, including parents who had made Aliyah only weeks earlier. Dave also reflects on a chesed mission to Israel, where he visited soldiers in hospitals and saw the unity of the Jewish people up close. Sam Kramer is a longtime friend of the show and a former West Hempstead resident who made Aliyah and now lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh. On the night after October 7th, she helped start a WhatsApp group to share positive and hopeful stories. It grew into Israel Good News Only, now about 30,000 members across 26 WhatsApp communities, with a newsletter as well. Sam shares how the group began, why membership grows on the hardest days, her view on the media's portrayal of division in Israel, and how the work deepened her love for the Jewish people. She closes with a charge for listeners: look at what you already have to give, and use it. Rabbi Ben Menorah made Aliyah as a child, served in the IDF, and became a campus rabbi at Binghamton University with his wife Ellie. He tells the story of October 7th on Simchat Torah weekend in Binghamton, the decision to fly to Israel, and rejoining his reserve unit on the northern border. He speaks candidly about the first nights waiting for an attack, the weight of leaving his family and community, the toll of the war on soldiers, and the loss of friends and neighbors. He also shares why he believes the answer for the future is Ahavat Yisrael, and recommends Nivut, an organization that supports lone soldiers and veterans. The episode closes with the Question of the Week: How has October 7th changed you? Each host shares an honest answer, and we invite you to share yours. 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod Please rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people find these conversations. Chapters with Timestamps 2:17 Dave's Memories: News Through the Security Guards 13:13 Introducing the Two Interviews 14:30 Sam Kramer Joins the Conversation 15:01 How Israel Good News Only Began and Grew to 30,000 Members 19:11 A Recent Miracle in Israel and What It Reflects About the Country 25:50 The Stories Behind the Group: Miracles, Unity, and Soldiers Coming Home 39:36 Sam's Charge: Use What You Have to Give 44:32 Rabbi Ben Menorah Joins the Conversation 47:08 October 7th on Simchat Torah Weekend in Binghamton 51:59 Flying Back to Israel and Rejoining His Unit 55:08 A Community That Showed Up With Support 1:02:05 Walking to Shul Past the Homes of the Fallen 1:03:43 Reflections on the Beeper Operation 1:05:12 Looking Forward: Strengthening Ahavat Yisrael 1:08:08 Supporting Lone Soldiers and Veterans Through Nivut 1:10:40 Question of the Week: How Has October 7th Changed You? ------ Don’t wait another day to join the Israel Good News Only WhatsApp https://chat.whatsapp.com/G04PSmfxeqtIyH1xgiUiXK?mode=gi_t Or Follow IGNO on Instagram: Instagram.com/israelgoodnewsonly Or grab the newsletter in your email inbox. Every other week, a summary and highlights, no overwhelm: Subscribe here 👉🏻 www.IGNO.kit.com Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Chag Samayach Everyone! Dave from Flatbush counts down his top 5 Non House or Sukkah places to live... and there are some... takes. Agree? Disagree? email us at [email protected] and we'll discuss in an upcoming episode! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail As the High Holidays approach, Jon, Asher, and Dave slow down for a more reflective conversation, though not without the usual chaos first. Asher recaps a passive-aggressive flag football sideline standoff (WhatsApp texts only, naturally), the ongoing Tisha B'Av beach chair debate, and a genuinely great bit about Dave's new "I Already Davened" personalized shirt, born from Dave's guilt about being seen walking past shul during Mincha without going in. Happy birthday shoutouts go out to Asher's daughter Ayelet and Dave's daughter Tzivi, both born the same week, with a sweet story about Tzivi getting her whole class hooked on the podcast without even telling them her dad was one of the hosts. Then the conversation turns toward the season itself. The guys share the chazanim who live permanently in their heads during the Yamim Noraim, from childhood cantors and grandfathers to the ongoing Menachem Brick versus Yossi Brick debate. They get into a genuinely funny and surprisingly heated ranking of holiday niggunim (Machnisei Rachamim is controversial, "the good Chamol" is sacred, and there is exactly one correct opinion on all of it), plus their personal pre-Yamim Noraim rituals: mikvah trips, shofar traditions passed down from grandfathers, and Asher's streak of listening to Rabbi Fran's Erev Yom Kippur drasha. The tone shifts into something more personal as each of the guys shares an honest resolution for the new year, from increasing Torah learning and davening for others by name, to simply reaching out more to the people they love. It's funny, it's real, and it closes out the way this show does best: humor and heart in the same breath. Plus: the great Slichos start-time debate (does 9pm count?), the Announcer's Test performed in full from memory, and a genuinely moving reflection on what Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur mean across the Jewish people. We want to hear from you: what has been your favorite part of this season? Reach out and let us know, and while you're at it, reach out to someone else too. 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 0:22 — Welcome Back From Vacation (Sort Of) 1:46 — The Flag Football Sideline Standoff 7:36 — Happy Birthday Ayelet Dworetsky 7:46 — Happy Birthday Tzivi Tannenbaum, Secret Podcast Recruiter 17:23 — The "I Already Davened" Shirt Origin Story 20:32 — Setting the Scene: Heading Into the Yamim Noraim 21:38 — The Chazanim Who Live in Your Head: Grandfathers and Childhood Shuls 33:53 — Pre-Season Rituals 42:38 — New Year's Resolutions 50:16 — The Big Question: Is This Season Joyful, Scary, or Both? 59:51 — Question of the Week! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Dave from Flatbush is. Ack to defend his vacation pet peeves, but what doesn’t he want his doc to know? It’s the Drive By!!! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Asher addresses his vacation pet peeves from last episode. Did they play out as he expected? Was Dave more right than we all thought? Find the answers here on this short Drive By update episode! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Vacation Pet Peeves That Drive Us Crazy Special episode alert: Asher is joined in-studio by his son Gavi! Before getting into the main event, the guys catch up on end-of-summer chaos: Dave's house felt eerily quiet with his family away at Camp Kaylie for the month (he may or may not have kept score during ESPN Jeopardy), and he surprised his daughters with a fully renovated shared bedroom, split into two separate rooms, managed top to bottom by friend of the show Tzvi Goldgrab while the family was away. Asher is off to Niagara Falls for the family's first real road trip, with a Shabbos stop in Monroe along the way. Then it's time for the main event: an ode to the beloved School of Mock podcast, done mock-draft style. Jon, Dave, and Asher each draft their top vacation pet peeves, and the results are equal parts hilarious and painfully relatable. Kids throwing up in the car. The mysterious ten-minutes-before-you-get-home meltdown. Vacations that are somehow busier than real life. Kids who refuse to carry a single bag into the house. Resort fees. And a uniquely Jewish entry: the vacation Mincha guy who insists everyone daven together, whether you want to or not. Plus: Dave's unexpected Buddhist monk era, an incident involving an unbuttoned shirt at a bar mitzvah, Asher's stance on GPS-checking Mincha compass guys, and Jon's surprisingly controversial pet peeve about anticipating the school year a little too much. Question of the Week: What are you most looking forward to as summer winds down? 📩 Email us your own vacation pet peeves at [email protected], or better yet, join the WhatsApp community and tell us there. 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod 0:30 — Welcome Back, Featuring Special Guest Gavi 1:35 — Happy Birthday, Jon! 3:10 — Round the Horn: Dave's Quiet House While the Family Was at Camp Kaylie 8:26 — Jon's Pet Peeve Preview: School Supply Season 18:45 — The Fake Potty and the Portable Toilet Debate 19:54 — Intro to the Vacation Pet Peeve Mock Draft, Ode to School of Mock 21:16 — Draft Order Set: Jon Leads Off for His Birthday 55:56 — Question of the Week: What Are You Most Looking Forward To? Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail The Drive By: What's Your Take on Camp Tipping? Camp season is winding down, which means one thing: it's tipping season. In this Drive By, Jon and Asher tackle one of the most debated end-of-summer questions in the Jewish community: what is the right way to tip camp counselors? Asher, who works in camp himself, makes the case for consistent, thoughtful tipping. Counselors are the surrogate parents for your kids all summer long, and undertipping as a statement isn't just cheap, it's genuinely insulting. Jon pushes back on the scale of it, noting that some sleepaway camps hand parents a list of 50 different staff members to tip, turning a gesture of gratitude into an overwhelming financial obligation on top of an already expensive tuition. The conversation moves into the real debate: pooled tips versus individual tips. Should camps collect everyone's tips and distribute them evenly, or should counselors get exactly what their specific families give them? Jon floats an alternative: a flat salary with a merit-based bonus at the end of the summer, removing tipping from the equation entirely. Asher shares a genuinely painful story about a camper who spent all summer promising a $100 tip from his famous musician father, only for it to never materialize. This one is homework for the listeners. What is the right camp tipping policy? Pooled? Individual? Salary plus bonus? The guys want your take. 📩 Email your answer to [email protected] or join the WhatsApp group! There are prizes!!! 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts and Spotify! 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Tech Trouble Can't Stop Us Twelve tries. That is not an exaggeration. This episode nearly did not happen at all, with mic failures, internet outages, and enough technical chaos to make the guys question whether the pod was cursed. But true to form, nothing stops The Carpool Guys, not even the internet itself apparently breaking on them mid-record. Jon opens with a wild vacation story: his first trip away with his wife in 18 years of marriage, interrupted by a 2am call that a tree had fallen through their roof mid-storm, flooding the house while they were away. Thankfully his in-laws and a roofing company with an unbeatable name saved the day. He also recounts a cliff jump into a pool that Dave and Asher are determined to make sound far less heroic than Jon remembers it. Then Dave tells one of the wildest stories this show has ever aired: a golf outing where a friend sliced a ball so badly it hit a groundskeeper in the head, followed days later by Dave going viral after calling into WFAN and discovering the trivia question being discussed on air was about him, from a contest 19 years ago. The math on that coincidence alone is worth the listen. Asher brings a genuinely relatable rant about school and camp nurses over-diagnosing kids to get them out of the office, sparking a real debate about where the line is between caution and convenience. Plus a full and extremely honest conversation about backwash, kids' germs, drinking from their water bottles, and where everyone draws their personal hygiene line. Also in this episode: a Hatzalah call mistaken for a celebrity motorcade, palate expander pill struggles, suppository home remedies from a father in law who was a pharmacist, an unfortunate Shabbos bathroom emergency involving a clogged toilet and a lucky pocket full of tissues, and the debate over whether Dave should have shouted out the podcast during his viral radio moment. Happy Birthday to Jon's wife Nechama. And Happy early National Middle Child Day to Asher, who considers it the most important day of the year. Question of the Week from Dave: It's 8pm, you have no internet, what are you doing? 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. Five stars please! though on this particular episode maybe three will do. 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod 0:57 — Twelve Takes In: The Craziest Tech Difficulties Ever 1:32 — Round the Horn: Jon's Vacation and the Tree on the House 9:28 — Dave Went Viral On WFAN Last Week! 11:42 — The WhatsApp Poll: Would You Laugh? 19:52 — Asher's Turn: The School Nurse Rant 23:12 — Jon's Story: The Nurse Who Questioned His Parenting Authority 28:23 — The Water Bottle Debate: Would You Drink From Your Kid's Bottle? 32:05 — Dave's Suggestion Goes Too Far Too Fast 35:50 — The Shabbos Tissue Emergency: A Clogged Toilet and a Snake Situation 39:12 — Question of the Week: No Internet at 8pm, What Do You Do? 41:12 — Happy Birthday Shoutout to Jon's Wife Nechama 41:50 — National Middle Child Day: Asher's Favorite Day of the Year 44:14 — Closing: Like, Subscribe, Join the WhatsApp Group Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Shabbos Ground Rules: Whose Side Are You On? The whole team is back together, and Dave was not going to let his absence go unnoticed. He missed the guys so much he had major FOMO from his own podcast, and he is here to make sure everyone knows it. The guys kick off with a proper What Are We Thinking About segment, catching up on WhatsApp group energy, a wave of positive feedback from the Imposter Syndrome episode, and a very unfortunate JetBlue saga that left Jon's 15 year old daughter stranded in LA after a canceled flight. Shout out to NCSY Give West staff for stepping up when JetBlue fumbled completely. Asher recaps a beautiful Shabbos and a truly heroic attempt at watching the World Cup finals, which he did not enjoy even a little bit and has some thoughts about. Then the guys get into the real topic of the night, and arguably the most important unspoken debate in Jewish community life: Shabbos meal etiquette and ground rules. What is the appropriate end time for a Shabbos meal? Is there a statute of limitations on re-inviting someone who has said no twice? Is it acceptable to drop a potluck commitment for a better offer later in the week? Can you ask to bench early because you want to take a nap? The guys poll their WhatsApp group, argue passionately, call in a wife for a live ruling, and somehow still do not fully agree by the end. Also in this episode: the group chat name "Tannen GONE," sponsored voice notes as a business idea, indoor soccer nostalgia, a hockey stick fight in yeshiva that ended in an awkward equipment return, the potluck versus real invitation hierarchy, and a legitimately deep question from a camper about celebrity status that Asher refuses to answer. Question of the Week: What level of celebrity do you think we are? 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. Five stars please! 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 1:05 — Dave's FOMO Over Missing an Episode 2:40 — The Voice Note Debate Continues — Dave Says He's Getting 20x More Now 3:35 — Shout Out to the WhatsApp Group and First Raffle Winner Naftali Pfeiffer 6:01 — Great Feedback on the Imposter Syndrome Episode 8:03 — Dave's Month at Camp Kaylie Training the Intern Program 11:28 — Jon's JetBlue Nightmare: Daughter Stranded in LA 14:46 — Asher's Honest World Cup Review: The Most Boring Sport in the World 21:50 — Main Topic: Shabbos Meal Ground Rules and Etiquette 26:12 — The Poll Results: What's the Acceptable End Time? 28:03 — Jon's Real Question: How Long Do You Wait to Re-Invite Someone Who Said No Twice? 31:17 — Dave's Confession: The Fear of Being Invited Back by People You Don't Want to See 32:42 — Asher's Devious Idea: Inviting Someone the Week of Their Simcha 35:19 — The Potluck Downgrade Rule: Can You Drop a Potluck for a Better Offer? 35:36 — Calling in the Wives for a Live Ruling 38:00 — The Yeshiva Hockey Fight Story and the Awkward Stick Return 40:47 — The Couch Sleeping Debate 42:51 — Can You Ask to Bench Early Because You Want a Nap? 44:10 — Question of the Week Setup: The Camper's Celebrity Question Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Dave is back, and he has some thoughts on our last episode, WhatsApp Voice Notes, and more! It’s your 2 Minute Drive By! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Imposter Syndrome: The Struggle is real... but am I? Dave is off at Camp Kaylie helping with their intern program, which means Jon and Asher are flying solo tonight, and somehow still managing to fill nearly an hour with conversation, tangents, and a very important child in underwear watching fireworks from a car roof. But before all that, Jon and Asher kick things off with a proper What Are We Thinking About segment. Asher just visited Camp Kaylie himself and cannot say enough about the staff, the Rabbeim, and the magical island they have built there. Shout out to Mommy Rachel, the first husband of Camp Kaylie, and Izzy, who not only cleaned Asher's car before he left for the summer but refused money for it and waited to open his brand new phone until after camp started. Meanwhile Jon spoke to a group of OU AI interns today, felt like the smartest person in the room for about four minutes, and then realized he was the oldest person in the room by approximately one generation. Which brings us to the topic of the week: Imposter Syndrome. The guys dig into what it actually feels like to walk into a room and wonder whether you belong there, at work, at a Shabbos table, in a job interview, in your own career. Jon talks about the period in his professional life when he felt stuck at the bottom rung, and how learning to podcast, of all things, unlocked something in him that changed his trajectory. Asher opens up about taking on a new leadership role without his longtime mentor as a safety net, and what it felt like to suddenly be the person everyone else was looking to for answers. There is also a real conversation about the difference between imposter syndrome and humility, why saying "I don't know" is actually a sign of confidence, the Dunning-Kruger curve, setting professional boundaries during long weekends, and the difference between being a team player and being a doormat. Plus: the word "correct" as a conversational power grab, how long is too long for a WhatsApp voice note, the era of asking permission before calling someone, Camp Kaylie visiting day survival, the chain of yelling from How I Met Your Mother, root beer floats as a spiritual experience, the grand finale that nobody can identify, and one of Asher's children watching July 4th fireworks from the roof of a car in their underwear. Big announcement: The Carpool Guys WhatsApp listener community is launching. Email [email protected] to get in. Also coming soon: Official Carpool Guys car magnets. Yes, really. Question of the Week from Jon: What is your favorite part of the Fourth of July, and what is your least favorite? 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts.  📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 0:59 — What Are We Thinking About: Asher Visits Camp Kaylie 1:17 — Happy Birthday Izzy — Our Number One Listener 4:57 — The Word "Correct" as a Conversational Power Grab 8:26 — How Long Is Too Long for a WhatsApp Voice Note? 16:30 — Announcement: The Carpool Guys WhatsApp Listener Group Is Launching 18:39 — Jon Speaks to the OU AI Intern Program Today 22:19 — Topic of the Week: Imposter Syndrome, the Struggle Is Real 26:01 — Why Saying "I Don't Know" Is Actually a Sign of Confidence 28:43 — When Early Career Overconfidence Gets in the Way of Actually Learning 29:38 — Asher's Mentor Susan Heckler: It's the Conversation After the Conversation 31:00 — How Learning to Podcast Unlocked Something in Jon Professionally 38:00 — The Chain of Yelling From How I Met Your Mother and What It Has to Do With Work Culture 40:13 — You Never Know What's Going On in Someone's Life, Even as a Therapist 43:08 — Question of the Week Is Sponsored by Asher in Honor of Dave 50:30 — WhatsApp Group Launch: How to Join Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Asher and fam are on the way to visiting day at Camp Kaylie… and perhaps a rendezvous with Dave from Flatbush? What are your favorite visiting day customs? What about the mishaps? Send us an email with your visiting day stories and we may share them on the next episode of The Carpool Guys! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail From Comedy to Courage: Eli Lebowicz Joins the Carpool If you have ever wondered what it looks like when one of the funniest people in the Jewish world sits down with three dads who have absolutely no idea how to use Google Chrome, wonder no more. Comedian Eli Lebowicz joins Jon, Asher, and Dave for what is without question the funniest episode The Carpool Guys have ever recorded. Eli is the mind behind J Sketch, the Jewish comedy account that has produced some of the most shared and quoted content in the Orthodox world — Jewish Jeopardy, the Sium sketch, the supplies to Israel video, and dozens more. He is also one of the sharpest voices in Jewish comedy working today, using humor not just to get laughs but to make real points about Jewish identity, antisemitism, and what it means to be proud of who you are. But this episode is not just a comedy interview. Eli talks about how J Sketch got started, how he comes up with his Torah-based material, why he went to Israel to perform during the Iran war, and what it actually looks like to fight antisemitism with humor in 2025. There is a genuine conversation about Jewish identity and what it means to be proud of who you are — wrapped inside one of the most chaotic, hilarious, and completely unscripted hours this show has ever produced. Also in this episode: Dave catches a tiger shark and attends a Trevor Bauer game in the same week, the guys do a Shabbos lunch together for the first time and Jon melts the ices, missing giraffes in Virginia, Asher's mother prefers the recorded version of him, the origin of the Sota joke, a Paroh bathroom theory that may be too long but is definitely funny, Dave's colonoscopy note, the Twizzler straw debate, and the most important question of the episode — how many holes does a straw have? Oh, and Eli's Netflix special will be called "Remind Me After Shabbos." Mark your calendars. Question of the Week from Dave: What is your road trip go-to snack? ��️ Find Eli Lebowicz online:  🌐 elicomedy.com  📱 Instagram: @elicomedyagram  🐦 Twitter/X: @EliLebowicz 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. Five stars please! 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 0:27 — Welcome + What Are We Thinking About This Week 6:51 — Eli Lebowicz Joins the Carpool! 13:37 — The Secret Origin of J Sketch 25:06 — The Evolution of Jewish Comedy: It's Not Just Stand-Up Anymore 36:47 — The Origin of the Sota Joke: Mortal Kombat Meets the Parsha 50:45 — Eli During the War: Comedy as a Frontline Tool 57:35 — Upcoming Shows: Chai Lifeline Alumni, Cheese Store Singles Event, Catskills Summer 57:53 — Five Rapid Fire Questions 1:04:24 — Question of the Week: What Is Your Road Trip Go-To Snack? 1:11:22 — Thank You Eli, Closing Shoutouts, and How to Find Eli Online Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Emergency Episode: The New York Knicks Are World Champions We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming because the New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA World Champions, and the Carpool Guys could not let that go unmarked. Jon, Asher, and Dave jump on for an emergency episode the morning after, and the energy is exactly what you'd expect. Asher has been a die-hard Knicks fan his entire life and is fully in his feelings. Dave, a self-described "Knicks fan since last week," brings the perspective of a Nets-Knicks-Nets-Nets fan who got swept up in the run despite himself. And Jon, a lifelong Timberwolves fan with zero skin in the game, brings the outsider's view of a city losing its mind in the best possible way. The guys talk about the crossing guard who stopped them on the way to shul to share the news, the shul security guards who somehow always know the score before anyone else, the WhatsApp groups that have not stopped buzzing for a week, and the wild story of someone who rented a hotel in Seattle just in case Game 7 fell on Shabbos. There's a real conversation about the Jalen Brunson story, why an underdog who was written off by everyone resonates so deeply, and what it means to say "we" when your team wins. Plus: a debate about New York sports rivalries, Dave's complicated Knicks-Nets history, a tribute to the Dallas Mavericks for the Luka and Brunson draft disaster, and a very memorable story involving Rebbe Hecht, a basketball hoop, and a coach bus. Question of the Week from Asher: What are the top three sports moments you've ever watched live or experienced in real time? Mazel Tov to Knicks Nation. And to Asher, Steven Mermelstein, and Meir Simcha specifically. Enjoy this one. 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. Five stars please! 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 0:25 — Welcome to an Emergency Episode: The Knicks Are Champions 1:22 — Asher Has Been a Knicks Fan "Since Last Week" 11:19 — Are the Knicks New York's Most Universal Team? 12:06 — The Brunson Underdog Story and Why It Resonates 13:43 — Izzy Calls It at Halftime: The Comeback Theory 15:45 — Why Years of Losing Make This Run Mean More 21:53 — Ranking New York Sports Rivalries 29:48 — Question of the Week: Top Three Sports Moments of Your Life 37:43 — "We Did It" vs. "They Did It": The Great Sports Fan Debate 38:36 — Closing: The Brunson Pose, a Logo Idea, and Mazel Tov to Knicks Nation Please give us a 5 Star Rating! Don't forget to like and subscribe! Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!

Send us Fan Mail Some people spend their whole lives searching for where they came from. Sarit Saffer-Allal spent hers perfectly content not knowing — until one birthday changed everything. Born in South Africa and adopted at just two weeks old into a warm, observant Jewish family, Sarit always knew she was adopted. She had a loving upbringing, a strong Jewish identity, and no particular urgency to open the box. Then she turned 35, looked at her two kids, her only known blood relatives, and quietly asked herself: who am I really? What followed is one of the most extraordinary stories the Carpool Guys have ever heard. Sarit opened her adoption file, discovered her birth name was Gina Thompson, learned her birth mother had hidden the pregnancy entirely, and found out she had a brother she never knew about. Then, through a single Facebook message, she discovered something nobody saw coming. A half-sister. Adopted in South Africa. Also into a Jewish family. Also in Toronto. Living less than two kilometers away, or as the guys needed it translated, up the street. In this conversation, Sarit opens up about what it felt like to read someone else's biography that turned out to be her own. She talks about confronting a birth mother who denied her existence, flying to New Zealand to meet a birth father who welcomed her with open arms, and navigating the beautiful chaos of suddenly having an entirely new family, while making sure her adoptive family, who chose her and raised her, knew they were never being replaced. And underneath all of it runs a quietly profound thread: what does it mean to be Jewish when you were chosen to be? When your birth mother was not Jewish, your adoptive parents converted you, and your half-sister ended up on the same street living the same life? For Sarit, this journey answered that question once and for all. She did not stumble into Judaism. She was placed there. And she owns it completely. Also in this episode: Dave nearly gets arrested at the Israel on Fifth parade while photobombing a news crew, Jon's Israel parade video attracts 9,000 views and 91 comments of varying hostility, a mouse gives a peace sign, Asher shows up late, Jessica Tish is everyone's hero, Dave dreams of Saratoga, Jon loves a good garage sale, and Asher got stung by a thousand bees at the bay. Question of the Week from Dave Tannenbaum: If you could get lost for a day and go anywhere, 24 hours, travel time included, where would you go? 🎙️ Rate and review The Carpool Guys on Apple Podcasts. Five stars only, please. 📩 [email protected] 📱 @carpoolguyspod 🔗 linktr.ee/carpoolguyspod ⏱️ Chapters with Timestamps 1:02 — Dave Nearly Gets Arrested at the Israel on Fifth Parade 8:15 — Jon's Israel Parade Video: 9,000 Views and 91 Comments of Chaos 17:30 — The Mayor Who Didn't Show Up and Jessica Tish Is Our Hero 20:15 — Shout Outs: Happy Anniversary Avi + In Memory of Daniel Chernikov 23:00 — Introducing Sarit Saffer-Allal: NCSY Colleague and an Incredible Story 25:10 — Sarit's Background: Born in South Africa, Raised in Israel, Living in Toronto 28:00 — The 35th Birthday That Changed Everything 30:15 — Opening the Adoption File: Reading Someone Else's Biography 40:15 — Did Sarit Ever Get the "Choose Your Judaism" Moment? + She Chooses Live on Air 44:45 — "We Found a Sister and She Lives in Canada" — The Message That Changed Everything 57:00 — The Birth Father in New Zealand: A Total Surprise Who Welcomed Her Completely 1:02:30 — What This Journey Did to Sarit's Jewish Identity 1:05:00 — October 7th and the Moment She Knew She Was Chosen to Be Jewish 1:07:00 — Expanding Your Heart: Adding Family Without Replacing Family 1:13:00 — Dave's Question of the Week: Get Lost for a Day — Where Do You Go? Please rate and review The Carpool Guys! You can email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @carpoolguyspod Send us a question, a comment, birthday wish, shoutout, or anything else fun and positive, and maybe we'll feature your addition on the next episode of The Carpool Guys Podcast!