Shows
JEW GONE ZENBESHERT AF: Swimming in Synchronicity.... 2025The first Jew Gone Zen Podcast episode of 2025. Recorded on the eve before the outcome of the "DEAL" & hostage release was truly known, I was on the edge of my studio seat praying for the condition of Emily, Romi and Doron... and having an existential crisis about whether or not to release such an optimistic-angled podcast episode over the same weekend.Now that our hostages are home safe, and in relatively good physical condition, here it is — in all its idealistic glory.May 2025 be an interesting year... or rather, a "SHANA MEANYENET" ...שנה מעניינת
And for th...2025-01-2126 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 12: Jew Gone Zen... GOES TO JAPAN! Author Eva Izsak... and Songs Her Mother Taught HerThe last Jew Gone Zen Podcast episode of 2024 … and what a perfect conversation to close my first year of post-October 7th podcasting with…
I recently met Eva Izsak-Niimura by chance — at the Jewish Community of Japan — having wandered in on a Shabbat in Tokyo “just to see what a synagogue in Japan was like...” (in case you needed proof that we all turn into our mothers...)
Eva’s entire existence is the most Jew-Gone-Zen story I’ve ever heard — even before I read her book — which may, in fact, be the most impactful b...2024-12-191h 14JEW GONE ZENCH. 11: Lifelong Democratic Jew... for Trump - David HilfsteinThis conversation took place on November 4th, 2024 — the day before the election — (or, what we now know as the "Nakba" of the Democratic Party) . . .
I met David Hilfstein as my sound engineer at a gig at Bethel Woods (where the infamous Woodstock Music Festival was held) — the day after Yom Kippur; and the day before leaving for Japan.
We bonded over how refreshing it was to meet a friendly Jewish face in a musical space since 10/7, where we had both been feeling increasingly unwelcome lately. One thing led to anothe...2024-11-182h 58JEW GONE ZENCH. 10: One Year Later. . . Oct. 365, 2024A candid conversation with my non-Jewish, Zen-practicing husband, on the evening of October 7, 2024.2024-10-1939 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 9: Theory of Enchantment with Chloé Valdary (aka Paradox)Join me as I sit down with activist, DEI-alternative start-up entrepreneur, and musician Chloé Valdary (@chloevaldary @theoryofenchantment @beatsbyparadox), and we discuss her Theory of Enchantment as an alternative approach to DEI that doesn't dehumanize anyone or assume anyone's lived experience (read: white people). We then delve deeper into how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was actually the impetus that inspired her to create the Theory of Enchantment — waaaay before 10/7.
Unique as well about the Theory of Enchantment approach is that it incorporates music and pop culture; so, naturally, we pivot to some of her own, including an...2024-09-191h 16JEW GONE ZENCH. 8: Zen 101 (feat. Eric Vanderzee) ((my non-Jewish Zen-practicing husband))I'm going to Israel tomorrow and I'm too lazy to write a description. Let this episode speak for itself.
(and maybe that's a hint as to what Zen is)
J2024-08-1940 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 7: THE VANDER-JEWS with Will Van Den Broeck (pt. 2)In part 2 of my conversation with Will Van Den Broeck, I bring in my very own Vander-husband, Eric Vanderzee, where we continue our discussion of the unexpected challenges of intermarriage in a post-Oct. 7 world. Tune in for an unfiltered interview between a single Jew who thinks he needs to marry Jewish, and a married Jew who didn't. (Me).
My argument: What if intermarriage doesn't "dilute" Judaism, but rather, "distills" it? 2024-08-0552 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 7: The VANDER-JEWS with Will Van Den Broeck (pt. 1)In this episode, I sit down with Paris-born Flemmish-American Jew, Will Van Den Broeck, who I was initially excited to interview because of the similarity of his last name to my non-Jewish husband's: Vanderzee. (Van Den Broeck meaning "from the creek" and Vanderzee meaning "from the sea").
But I was just as excited to dig in to his perspective on his own Jewish upbringing - having been raised between France, Belgium, and NY - and having spent time in Israel living in Lod, for Fellowships and a deeper understanding of Israeli/Arab/Palestinian relations...2024-07-181h 01JEW GONE ZENCH 6: Indigeneity 101 with Lani MekeelI thought I understood my feelings towards Israel and its significance to the Jewish People before... but Lani Mekeel broke my brain about it.
I always felt Jewish indigeneity to Eretz Israel on a deep level - that it went without saying (how could anyone deny this?) - I had no idea there were so many people out there seriously debating this obvious truth and actively working to convince the world otherwise.
Lani opened my eyes to the similarities between Jewish and Native struggles of assimilation and erasure, colonization and reconnection - and a crash...2024-06-191h 08JEW GONE ZENCH 5: Hebrew School Dropout - Jewish Identity in Adulthood w/ Rabbi (to be) Tori GreeneJoin me and recent rabbinical school graduate, Tori Greene, as we discuss our parallel Miami-Jewish upbringings and reflections on developing our own Jewish Identities in adulthood.
We also talk activism and advocacy (are we making it worse?), liberal Zionist social media strategy, the intertwined-ness of music and Judaism, and a handful of nuggets of rabbinic wisdom on various topics from alternative Torah interpretation to kol isha, “a woman's voice”; (we end this episode with Tori’s original song, “Ariel,” the first song she has written since October 7th).
Also, tefillin are sexy. 2024-05-181h 14JEW GONE ZENCH. 4: Tragic Optimism through Music with Masha SokolBuilding on the theme of the previous episode, "The Eternal Optimist," the Jew Gone Zen podcast welcomes Masha Sokol, musician and Russian-Jewish immigrant (or should I more accurately say refugee?) for a candid conversation on the American-Jewish perspective and the Eastern-European Jewish perspective — where we overlap, as well as where we miss each other.
We delve deeper into Tragic Optimism - a term coined from the book, "Man's Search for Meaning," by Victor Frankl - and how music and Judaism seamlessly intertwine with respect to finding meaning in one's suffering.2024-04-181h 09JEW GONE ZENCH. 3: The Eternal OptimistGot it in before midnight. Shabbat Shalom, I'm proclaiming my new Shabbat the 18th of every month, right after I release this podcast, whichever day of the week it happens to fall... time for my day of rest to begin...
In this episode, we explore the relationship between the Eternal Optimism that is Judaism, "Tragic Optimism", a term coined by Victor Frankl in his book, "Man's Search for Meaning," the first book of the Jew Gone Zen book club (DM @jewgonezen or email jewgonezen@gmail.com to join), and how these mindsets subliminally carry us through our...2024-03-1943 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 2: We Live in the World of the Words We Use (pt. 4): "Justify"This is a word I’ve been meditating on lately. What does it mean to “justify,” and who are we as observers to make that call?
This word has been coming up a lot this week — from unhinged comments from people I know irl to randoms sliding into my DMs, everyone has been demanding to know whether I think that ::insert atrocity:: is “JUSTIFIED” — guess that’s just what happens when you start a podcast dedicated to understanding multiple perspectives (I might even say it’s ‘justified’…)
As I have immersed myself dee...2024-03-0911 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 2: We Live in the World of the Words We Use (pt. 3): "Zionism"Shalom & Gassho everyone, I had not planned on putting out yet another part of this “We Live in the World of the Words we Use” Episode but… HINENI, Here I am…
And since we’re talking about words... “Hineni” is a Hebrew word that means “Here I am”, but it has an even more profound significance as it’s used in the Torah (it’s the response Abraham gives when God calls on him to sacrifice his son, Issac - and when Moses stood before the burning bush and was called by name from within, he too responde...2024-03-0146 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 2: We Live in the World of the Words We Use (pt. 2)Due to how heated the discussion got in the last episode, I had to put out a part 2 in order to reassure the world that my husband Eric and I indeed do not hate each other - and to get back on topic to the title, "We Live in the World of the Words we Use."
(Oh, and I got Eric to admit that he WOULD in fact be inclined to save the Jewish people over any other group if he somehow HAD TO, due to the fact that I am Jewish and I...2024-02-2236 minJEW GONE ZENCH. 2: We Live in the World of the Words We Use (pt. 1)This one got... exciting....
"We Live in the world of the words we use" was one of my Dad's favorite quotes (by Wittgenstein, he can't take credit for it).
But with regards to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, we can see how limited we are by words -- not only words surrounding the conflict (Zionism, genocide, apartheid, refugee, terrorist), but even everyday words that restrict us to dualistic thinking.
Then, listen as Eric and I passionately debate the costs & benefits of tribalism, and how our...2024-02-181h 04JEW GONE ZENCH. 1: Clinging to Jewish IdentityWhile sitting zazen at a 5-day Zen meditation sesshin that happened to coincide with Yom Kippur, the words "Jew Gone Zen" kept circling around in my head. I didn't know what it meant or what it would become, but one week later, in a post-October 7th world, it became clear.
I was going to start a podcast - and question... EVERYTHING - including my own Jewish identity.
In this introductory episode, I discuss the apparent overlap between Jewish and Zen practice (did you know that Jews make up a disproportionate percentage of the Zen community...2024-01-181h 09
Kush ChatJanna PelleThis week for the 50th Episode of The Kush Chat Podcast we are Kush Chatting with Janna Pelle who is the love child of Fiona Apple and Lady Gaga with the alter-ego of David Byrne.
She is a classically trained pianist-turned DIY Pop performer combining elements of rock, soul, and dance into her theatrical live performances.2021-04-0138 min
Inwood Art Works On AirLive N' Local With Samantha EchoSamantha Echo is a singing, songwriting fairy/abomination who was allegedly called into existence as the bastard child of an acid-induced one-night-stand between Leonard Cohen and one of the Disney Princesses (it probably happened at the Chelsea Hotel). She and her music have been described as "somewhere between dangerous and whimsy" (Jack Murray, Unknown Nobodies), meaning that she has fairy wings and a non-threatening babyface but she sings about horrible things; "Dark Fairy Rock" (Jamie Ignao), "Comic Con's Kate Bush" (Janna Pelle), meaning that she has a very high, girly soprano voice and is almost too nerdy to function...2020-06-2529 min