Shows
Places, EveryoneThe Broadway Musical "Harmony" - A Live Interview at JCC ManhattanThis episode was recorded live at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on October 9, 2023. It is a conversation with creative and cast members of the Broadway musical, Harmony. They include book writer and lyricist Bruce Sussman, and performers Chip Zien, Julie Benko, Sierra Boggess, and Danny Kornfeld. The narrative of Harmony is set in the 1920s and 30s in Germany, a deeply unsettling time in history, and still the central characters found harmony, not only in the melodic sense but also as a diverse group coming together in partnership. It's an inspiring idea for us all to seek ways to live...2023-10-3136 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan60. J. Harrison Ghee, Some Like It HotTony Award winner J. Harrison Ghee talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about their experience as the first nonbinary performer to win Best Actor in a Musical, living life as your most authentic self, and performing in a hit musical on Broadway.
J. Harrison Ghee Broadway/International Tour: Some Like it Hot, Kinky Boots, Mrs. Doubtfire. Regional: The Color Purple, The Sting. Television: “High Maintenance” (Charles), “Raising Dion” (Kwame). Industrial: Tokyo Disney Sea’s Big Band Beat, Norwegian Cruise Line.2023-07-1938 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan59. Brian Selznick, Big TreeCaldecott winner Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) talks to the Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about how his latest book, Big Tree, started as a Steven Spielberg film, and about the legacy of gay and Jewish children’s book authors.
Brian Selznick is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Invention of Hugo Cabret, winner of the Caldecott medal and the basis for the Oscar-winning movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese. Kaleidoscope, a novel in short stories, was called a "lockdown masterpiece" by the New York Times, and his newest book Big Tree, inspired by a...2023-07-0534 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan58. Camille Kellogg, Just As You AreFirst-time author Camille Kellogg talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about her novel, Just As You Are, a queer rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Camille Kellogg is a queer writer based in New York City, where she works as an editor for children’s and young adult books. She studied English and creative writing at Middlebury College and attended the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference on a fiction scholarship. She’s passionate about queer stories, cute dogs, and bad puns.2023-06-2126 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan57. Steven Rowley, The CelebrantsBestselling author of The Guncle Steven Rowley talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about all sorts of things, including working as a gay author and, of course, his newest book, this month’s TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna pick, The Celebrants.
Steven Rowley is the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus, a Washington Post Notable Book of 2016; The Editor, named by NPR as one of the Best Books of 2019; The Guncle, a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for 2021 Novel of the Year and winner of The 22nd Thurber Prize for American Humor; and The Celebrants, a TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna pick. His...2023-06-0834 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan56. Emily St. John Mandel, Sea Of TranquilityBestselling author of Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman as her final event for the paperback release of her latest novel, Sea of Tranquility. They also talk about why we’re drawn to post-apocalyptic fiction, what it’s like imagining the future of our world, and what she’s working on next.
Emily St. John Mandel’s five previous novels include The Glass Hotel, which has been translated into 25 languages, and Station Eleven, which was a finalist for a National Book Award and the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, was the basis of a limit...2023-05-3040 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan55. Textiles + Sustainability with Preeti Gopinath, Parsons School of DesignFrom the clothes we wear to the sheets we sleep in, textiles are part of daily life, but have you ever really thought about how they’re made? In this episode, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to Preeti Gopinath, the head of the textiles program at Parsons School of Design at The New School. Jason and Preeti talk about what textiles are, how they’re made, and the impact they have on the world around us.2023-05-1737 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan54. The Earth Transformed: A History of Climate Change with Peter FrankopanClimate change has impacted the world since the beginning of time, which Peter Frankopan (The Silk Roads) details in his newest book, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History. A professor of global history at Oxford University, Peter shares his unique perspective on climate change with The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman, including how our society suffers from a soundbite version of history and how small lifestyle changes can have mighty impacts.2023-05-0335 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan53. Electronic Waste + Composting with Christine Datz-Romero, LES Ecology CenterAhead of a Community Recycling Day at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on April 23, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to Christine Datz-Romero, co-founder and executive director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Christine talks about the history of the center, how e-waste works, and what it takes to compost at home.2023-04-1928 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan52. What is the Value of a Story?—Jenny Jackson, editor and authorJenny Jackson, executive editor at Knopf, talks The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman through the book publishing process, from acquiring a title to hitting the shelf. Jenny also talks about her experience on the other side as an author—her upcoming debut novel, Pineapple Street, will be released in March.
Jenny Jackson is a vice president and executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf. A graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, she lives in Brooklyn Heights with her family. Pineapple Street is her first novel.2023-02-2241 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan51. From Falling in Love with Comics to Writing Graphic Novels—Dan Santat, Author + IllustratorProlific author, illustrator, and graphic novelist Dan Santat chats with The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about his process of writing and illustrating picture books, how writing graphic novels is his way of creating his own movies, and the catharsis of writing his memoir, A First Time for Everything.
Dan Santat is the Caldecott Medal-winning and New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and the road trip/time travel adventure Are We There Yet? His artwork is also featured in numerous picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels, including Dav Pilkey's Ricky Ricotta se...2023-02-0837 min
חולמים ניו יורק New York Dreamersפאודה רוצה להיות הוליווד וטהרן היא בסך הכל אופרת סבון, עם Isaac Zablocki.אם אתם בעניין של סדרות וסרטים ישראלים זה הפודקאסט בשבילכם. איציק זבלוקי מנהל את מחלקת הקולנוע בג׳יי סי סי של מנהטן ומנהל מרכז הסרט הישראלי במקום, אומר כי השתן עלה לראש של היוצרים הישראלים והם מנסים לשחק אותה הוליווד. ובכל זאת, מה הסרט הישראלי החדש שהוא חושב שאסור לכם להחמיץ.
Why I don’t like Fauda, with Isaac Zablocki, Director of the Israel Film Center, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan.
If you love Israeli TV series, this is the podcast for you. “The Israeli movie industry is trying to play Hollywood”, says Zablocki. Teheran, for example, he sees as a soap opera- And what is the new Israeli movie you must watch...2023-01-2546 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan50. Michael Crouch, Audiobook NarratorAudiobook narrator Michael Crouch talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about his shift from musical theatre to voiceover acting, the process of preparing to record an audiobook, and some unique techniques and insights on working in audio.
Michael Crouch is a New York City-based actor specializing in voiceover. His audiobook narration has earned numerous industry accolades, including Audie Awards, Earphones Awards, and AudioFile Magazine’s Golden Voice Lifetime Achievement Honor. He can also be heard on national commercials, video games, industrial film, and the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon.2023-01-2537 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan49. It’s Okay to Judge a Book by Its Cover—Elizabeth Yaffe, cover designerTo kick off our season of 76West in celebration of our Books That Changed My Life Festival, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to designer Elizabeth Yaffe about the process of creating that thing you judge most about a book—its cover.
Elizabeth Yaffe is a book cover designer and animator. She currently works in the Viking/Penguin Art Department at Penguin Random House. She has designed covers for authors including Amy Tan, Rebecca Makkai, Jami Attenberg, Kevin Wilson, Timothy Egan, and Sarah Thankam Mathews. She has animated covers for authors including Stephen King, Carola Lovering, Jesse Ball, and Chel...2023-01-1130 min
Speaking SoundlyBONUS: David Krauss (A Crossover with 76West)In this bonus episode David talks about how Speaking Soundly got its start, what he loves most about interviewing his friends and colleagues, and his own musical background and relationship to practice. David is guest interviewed by Jason Blitman of 76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC.Special thanks to 76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC, host Jason Blitman, and audio engineer Matt TemkinFollow Speaking Soundly on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.Follow David on Instagram.You can find out...2023-01-0321 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan48. Will Chef Einat Admony Redefine “Balaboosta”?Chef Einat Admony, founder of the beloved falafel chain Taïm, as well as the acclaimed Israeli restaurant Balaboosta, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about where her love of cooking comes from, tricks to feed picky eaters, and her newfound passion for performing stand-up.
Einat Admony is author of the cookbooks Balaboosta and Shuk and chef/owner of New York City’s popular Balaboosta and Taïm restaurants, which have been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and New York Magazine, among many other outlets. When Einat is not at her restaurants, she can be fou...2022-12-2144 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan47. Will Musician David Krauss’s Trumpet Disappear?David Krauss, principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about what the title “principal trumpet” means, childhood as an “indoor kid,” and the little things he learns about music icons while talking to them on his podcast, Speaking Soundly.
David Krauss is the prodigious host of Speaking Soundly, co-founder of Artful Narratives Media, and principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. As a soloist, he has performed with the All-Star Orchestra on their Emmy Award-winning PBS broadcast and was praised by the American Record Guide for his "singing tone, which is luxurious and inviti...2022-12-0744 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan46. Will Actor David Krumholtz Commit to Hair Acting?Will Actor David Krumholtz Commit to Hair Acting?
David Krumholtz, most known for his roles in Num3ers, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Santa Clause, and dozens of other films and TV shows, is currently starring on Broadway in Leopoldstadt. David talks with The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about impostor syndrome, bar mitzvahs, reconnecting to Judaism, and working with Tom Stoppard on this critically acclaimed new play.
David Krumholtz’s film credits include Life With Mikey, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, Hail, Caesar!, Slums of Beverly Hills, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Santa Clause, The Ice Storm, and...2022-11-1640 min
Conversations with Calvin; WE the SpeciesDIANE UNIMAN; Certified Positive Psych Life Coach; Make Mondays Marvelous Seminars (Inner Peace) NYC; Breast Cancer Survivor; Author, “Bonjour Breast Cancer-I’m Still Smiling;” Lawyer, Musicals, ScreeCONVERSATIONS WITH CALVIN WE THE SPECIES
#breastcancer #author #screenwriter #musicals #lawyer
NEW: DIANE UNIMAN, Author, “Bonjour, Breast Cancer, I’m Still Smiling”
https://www.youtube.com/c/ConversationswithCalvinWetheSpecIEs
191 Interviews. GLOBAL Reach. Earth Life. Amazing People.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE (You can almost find any subject you want)
**
DIANE UNIMAN; Certified Positive Psych Life Coach; Make Mondays Marvelous Seminars (Inner Peace) NYC; Breast Cancer Survivor; Author, “Bonjour Breast Cancer-I’m Still Smiling;” Lawyer, Musicals, Screenwriter
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHwWVOOo4_E
Contacts: We...2022-11-1052 min
Tablet StudiosGenerally AssemblingThis week on Unorthodox, we’re debuting a new look and some brand new merch! We’ve got three great guests. First, we’re bringing you an interview we recorded live at the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly this past week in Chicago. We talked to Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric Fingerhut about the most important issues facing American Jews, what he loves most about his job, and how we build a stronger Jewish community.Our Gentile of the Week is Joe Coscarelli, New Yor...2022-11-031h 30
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan45. Will Filmmaker Yair Qedar Generate More Ideas?Yair Qedar, whose film The Last Chapter of A.B. Yehoshua is featured in the JCC’s 2022 Other Israel Film Festival, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about the creation of this rare and striking look into the life of one of Israel’s most beloved writers. Qedar also shares his journey to becoming a filmmaker and influences on his work.
Yair Qedar is a filmmaker and a LGBTQIA+ activist. His academic training on 20th-century Hebrew literature propelled him into The Hebrews—a documentary project on the Hebrew and Jewish literary canon, centered on filmic portraits of Hebrew writers...2022-11-0235 min
Tablet StudiosAround the TableThis week on Unorthodox, we’re getting together around the table. Our Jewish guest is Phil Rosenthal, who returns to the show to tell us about Season 6 of his delightful travel food show, Somebody Feed Phil, which includes a tribute to his late parents, Max and Helen Rosenthal, and the accompanying cookbook, Somebody Feed Phil: The Book. He also tells us what his Yom Kippur break-fast looks like, why he scoops out his bagel, and why Jews aren’t the only cultural group who finds connection over food. Our Gentil...2022-10-271h 15
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan44. Elissa Sussman, Funny You Should AskAuthor Elissa Sussman and The Lambert Center's Jason Blitman talk about Sussman's new book, Funny You Should Ask, the importance of Jewish representation in fiction, rules of romance novels, and more.
Elissa Sussman is the bestselling author of Funny You Should Ask and three young adult novels. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and her MFA from Pacific University. She lives in her hometown of Los Angeles with her husband.2022-08-1044 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan43. Erika L. Sánchez, Crying in the BathroomErika L. Sánchez (I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter) talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about her new memoir in essays, Crying in the Bathroom, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a rewarding debut memoir in which a sensitive soul finds salvation in poetry and a life in literature.”
Erika L. Sánchez is a Mexican-American poet, novelist, and essayist. Her debut poetry collection, Lessons on Expulsion, was a finalist for the PEN America Open Book Award. Her debut young adult novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, was a New York Times bestseller and a National Book Awa...2022-07-2736 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan42. Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowGabrielle Zevin (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) joins The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman to talk about her latest book, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which Publishers Weekly calls “a one-of-a-kind achievement.” Gabrielle and Jason talk about their shared experience of growing up in heavily Jewish populated areas, how we all play video games whether we know it or not, and how failure can be a creative place.
Gabrielle Zevin is The New York Times and internationally best-selling author of several critically acclaimed novels, including The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which won the Southern California Independent Bookse...2022-07-1346 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan41. Sloane Crosley, Cult ClassicSloane Crosley (I Was Told There'd Be Cake, How Did You Get This Number, The Clasp) talks to The Lambert Center's Jason Blitman about her latest novel, Cult Classic. Sloane and Jason chat about the book's themes, beautiful cover art, the word "supposably," and whether or not mezuzahs are found on interior doors of synagogues.
Sloane Crosley is the author of the novel The Clasp and three essay collections: Look Alive Out There and the New York Times bestsellers I Was Told There'd Be Cake and How Did You Get This Number. A two-time finalist for the Thurber Prize for...2022-06-2942 min
Your Story Our Fight by Lupus LASeason 2 | Episode #2 with Advisory Council Char at ReelAbilities, Owner of Snugs & Sweets and Lupus Patient, Jordana Sandler ManzanoSeason TWO Episode TWO of the Your Story Our Fight® podcast welcomes Jordana Sandler Manzano. Jordana Sandler Manzano, a trained chef, has worked in restaurants and event planning, volunteers for other organizations, and is raising three children with her husband, David. She enjoys putting her culinary degree to work baking challah and other sweet treats for family and friends, and recently began her own business, Snugs & Sweets. Jordana has been involved in many areas of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan for over a decade, and has been a member of the board of directors since 2013. Currently she is chair o...2022-05-2430 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan40. Combating an Epidemic, with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Susan Lechter, and Dana Wechsler LindenIt wasn’t just a perceived need. It was a moral imperative. In looking at the JCC’s burgeoning population of older adults, it became apparent that cards, trips, and discussion groups weren’t just fun, enriching ways to spend time. They were a way station, a way of conquering one of the most insidious epidemics of our time: loneliness. Under the direction of Susan Lechter and thanks to the care and largesse of board member Dana Linden, the Wechsler Center for modern aging would come to represent something more than a place for excellent programs. It would be a lifeli...2021-12-3023 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan39. Adaptations, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Shirley SilverIt took a professionally upsetting and embarrassing incident for Rabbi Joy Levitt to realize how far the JCC, and indeed all Jewish communal agencies, had to go when it came to treating those in its neurodiverse community. But evolve the JCC did, thanks to the largesse and personal knowledge of people like Jack and Shirley Silver, whose Center for Special Needs at the JCC became the home of numerous groundbreaking programs. Among them was Adaptations, a supportive social community for adults in their 20s and 30s that offered individuals with a high level of independence a place to socialize, learn...2021-12-2819 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan38. The Women’s Seder, with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Eve Landau, and Barbara DobkinMa’yan: The Jewish Women’s Project was founded by the JCC in 1993 to serve as a catalyst and a resource for women working for change within the Jewish community. During its existence, Ma’yan promoted Jewish ritual from a new perspective through programs such as its feminist Passover Seder and innovative women’s Haggadah, while continuing to focus on advancing the status of womenstatus within the Jewish communal world. In today’s episode of 76West, Ma’yan Director Eve Landau and Cofounder Barbara Dobkin join Rabbi Joy Levitt to discuss the origins of the first women’s seder, and how the haggad...2021-12-2616 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan37. The Literacy + Math Tutoring Program, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Judy GrossOne of the JCC’s original volunteer initiatives, the literacy and math tutoring program has only grown in size, scope, and value in the years since its founding. Under Program Director Judy Gross, it has expanded into more schools, added facets such as having students practice their skills by reading to therapy dogs, and even survived a pandemic. On today’s episode of 76West, Gross and Rabbi Joy Levitt discuss the origins of this groundbreaking program and learn about some of the incredible volunteers whose generosity has given the program its heart and soul.
To learn more about the Literacy and...2021-12-2320 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan36. The Magnificent Meyersons, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Marti MeyersonFew families have had as profound an impact on the life of the JCC as the Meyerson-Hooper family. From their earliest days as board members to participants in a full range of family programs and activities to their 2018 decision to name the organization after Marti’s mother Marlene, the Meyerson family bestowed an incredible personal and financial gift that will inspire donors and lay leaders for years to come. In today’s episode, we learn about how Marti’s personal journey brought her to the JCC, and how her family’s deep love of the institution led to one of the most...2021-12-1617 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan35. Makom is a Place, with Rabbi Joy LevittToday’s episode of 76West begins with Rabbi Joy Levitt’s life changing trip to teach Judaism to the Dalai Lama, followed by a silent meditation retreat six years later. As soon as Joy and colleagues had a chance to bring meditation to the Upper West Side, they did so in the form of Makom, a space within the JCC that has become a daily refuge for hundreds since the building opened in 2002.
To learn more about Makom at the JCC, visit https://mmjccm.org/makom2021-12-0911 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan34. The Save Darfur Rally, with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Ruth Messinger, and Sarah-Kay LacksOn April 28, 2006, a rally in Washington, DC urged the Bush administration to take action against genocidal atrocities in the country of Darfur. Leading the charge were Ruth Messinger and American Jewish World Service. Rabbi Joy Levitt, then chief program officer, and one of Ruth Messinger’s closest friends, had decided the JCC would take the lead in organizing participants from New York, and enlisted the help of Sarah-Kay Lacks to organize buses to travel to DC. In today’s episode of 76West, you’ll hear the story of how a single utterance in temple led to one the JCC’s largest...2021-12-0215 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan33. Cordoba House and the JCC, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Daisy KhanIn 2009, plans were announced to convert a building in Lower Manhattan into a center for the Muslim community called Cordoba House. Among the leaders of the project were Daisy Khan and her husband Feisal Abdul Rauf, a sufi imam. Khan, a native of Jumma and Kashmir, was the leader of two non-profit organizations, Musilim Leaders of Tomorrow and the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality. In planning the center, Khan reached out to Rabbi Joy Levitt, then the Executive Director of the JCC in Manhattan, for advice both large and small. What resulted was a friendship that sheltered both...2021-11-2425 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan32. Towels, with Rabbi Joy LevittThis week, a story that perfectly encapsulates Rabbi Joy Levitt’s tenure. In the first half, she recalls the opening of the JCC’s building in January 2002, and a crucial element that was missing at the time. In the second part, she talks about how the young JCC positioned its health club to succeed in a market filled with top-notch competitors.
To learn more about the JCC Health Club, visit https://mmjccm.org/fitness-wellness.2021-11-1813 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan31. Embarking on Jewish Journeys, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Rabbi Lori Forman-JacobiJewish Journeys (which began as the Jewish Journey Project) was designed to revolutionize Jewish education. The initiative has grown and morphed over the years, but its basic premise has remained the same: to ignite each child’s spirit, engaging them in activities they love while connecting them with Jewish life and learning. Over the years, Jewish Journeys has brought children together to absorb the concepts, ideas, and traditions that are the building blocks of Jewish life. Under the leadership of Rabbi Lori Forman-Jacobi, it has added a revolutionary online Hebrew learning program and an off-the-bimah B’nai Mitzvah experience. In this...2021-11-1114 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan30. The Other Israel Film Festival, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Carole ZabarIn this episode, Rabbi Joy Levitt discusses the birth of the JCC’s Other Israel Film Festival with board member Carole Zabar, the namesake of The Carole Zabar Center for Film at the JCC. Founded in 2007, the Other Israel Film Festival presents cinema that inspires conversation, taking an in-depth look into Israeli and Palestinian societies and some of Israel’s underrepresented populations. Creating such a festival is a powerful statement for any Jewish organization, but for this JCC, it made perfect sense.
Visit https://mmjccm.org/arts-film/film/other-israel-film-festival to learn more about the festival.2021-11-0417 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan29. The Parkinson's Wellness Program: Rabbi Joy Levitt, Caroline Kohles, and Dr. Alessandro Di RoccoThe groundbreaking Edmond J. Safra Parkinson's Wellness Program was founded in 2007 to help improve the lives of those impacted by Parkinson's Disease. Through education, exercise, support groups, and other programs, and in collaboration with the medical and local communities, people impacted by Parkinson's remain active, connected, and empowered. Through a collaboration between the JCC and the Parkinson's Foundation, supported by Northwell Health, the program has grown into a hub for the New York Parkinson's community, and has been adapted nationally. In this episode, we’ll hear Rabbi Joy Levitt discuss the founding of the program with two of the driving fo...2021-10-2817 min
Tablet StudiosReturning to PittsburghThree years after the Tree of Life synagogue shooting that killed 11 Jews, we return to Pittsburgh with a special episode based on Mark Oppenheimer's reporting for his new book, Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood.You’ll hear from the local high schoolers who planned the Saturday night vigil that drew thousands of people, from the Pulitzer-winning editor of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette explaining how he conceived the paper's famous Hebrew-language front page headline, and from the archivist responsible for cataloging the thousands of pieces of mai...2021-10-2843 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan28. Shabbat Reimagined, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Alice GottesmanAs Rabbi Joy Levitt looked out on the Upper West Side one weekend afternoon, she saw a familiar sight: people going about their lives, trying to fill their time by… spending money. Not everyone was Shabbat observant, but for those who were, or who wanted to be, the JCC devised R&R, a weekly opportunity to be together as a family and a community: an inclusive alternative to the typical New York Saturday. For Friday evenings, there was Shabbat Shabbang, an event designed to welcome the community into the building for a meal, new friends, and fascinating programs. Leading the ch...2021-10-2117 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan27. Leaving the Congregation, with Rabbi Joy LevittIn this episode, we’ll go back to the beginning, when Rabbi Joy Levitt was a congregational rabbi in Plandome, New York, searching for something more. We’ll hear about the forces that acted to bring her to the Upper West Side, before there was a building at 76th and Amsterdam. We’ll hear about a restless spirit ready for a second act, ready to take the show on the road. To apply concepts she’d mastered to a hub for a community that was starved for new ideas, new programs, and Jewish life. The JCC of the Upper West Side, as...2021-10-1411 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan26. Saturday Morning Community Partners, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Todd ElkinsIn this episode, Rabbi Joy Levitt speaks with Todd Elkins, the JCC’s longtime Chief Health + Wellness Officer, about a program near and dear to their hearts—Saturday Morning Community Partners. The program has served as a lifeline for disadvantaged children around the city, and as a cornerstone of the JCC’s values-driven programming for the community.
To learn more about this program, visit https://bit.ly/3a7WkH5.2021-10-0713 min76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan25. The Photography Exhibit, with Rabbi Joy LevittIf you’re listening to this in the fall of 2021, and you’re not aware, the JCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Rabbi Joy Levitt, is retiring at the end of the year. This podcast is for you. If it’s sometime past the fall, maybe the spring of 2022, or the winter of 2026, this podcast is for you, too. There’s something about stories, and this particular storyteller, that’s crucial to understanding what makes—and made—the country’s premier JCC tick. What allowed it to go as fast as it did, to build success upon success upon success. Rabbi Joy Levitt isn’t—w...2021-09-3009 min
Thank You for Coming OutKristen Arnett, Thank You For Coming Out (at the J)
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, in collaboration with Dubbs Weinblatt (they/them) and their podcast, Thank You For Coming Out, is presenting a conversation series that amplifies underrepresented voices from a wide spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. The universal themes will surprise, enlighten, and inspire you. Our first guest for this special series is Kristen Arnett (any pronouns) .
Kristen is the author of With Teeth: A Novel (Riverhead Books, 2021) and The New York Times bestselling debut novel Mostly Dead Things (Tin House, 2019) which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in fiction. She is a...2021-09-1750 minThank You for Coming OutEmery Lee, Thank You For Coming Out (at the J)
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, in collaboration with Dubbs Weinblatt (they/them) and their podcast, Thank You For Coming Out, is presenting a conversation series that amplifies underrepresented voices from a wide spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. The universal themes will surprise, enlighten, and inspire you. Our first guest for this special series is Emery Lee (e/em/eir).
Emery Lee is a kidlit author, artist, and YouTuber hailing from a mixed-racial background. After graduating with a degree in creative writing, e’s gone on to author novels, short stories, and webcomics. When away from reading and wr...2021-08-1258 minThank You for Coming OutJohn Paul Brammer, Thank You For Coming Out (at the J)
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, in collaboration with Dubbs Weinblatt (they/them) and their podcast, Thank You For Coming Out, is presenting a conversation series that amplifies underrepresented voices from a wide spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. The universal themes will surprise, enlighten, and inspire you. Our first guest for this special series is John Paul Brammer (he/him).
Brammer is an author, illustrator, and columnist from rural Oklahoma currently living in Brooklyn. He runs the popular advice column ¡Hola Papi! on Substack (HolaPapi.substack.com), which is syndicated in New York Magazine’s The Cut. His wor...2021-07-1558 minThank You for Coming OutDr. Francois Clemmons, Thank You For Coming Out (at the J)
The Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, in collaboration with Dubbs Weinblatt (they/them) and their podcast, Thank You For Coming Out, is presenting a conversation series that amplifies underrepresented voices from a wide spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community. The universal themes will surprise, enlighten, and inspire you. Our first guest for this special series is Dr. François S. Clemmons (he/him).
Dr. Clemmons received a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College, and a Master of Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. He also received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Middlebury College. In 1973, he...2021-07-011h 14
Tablet StudiosThe MarkisodeThis week, it’s the full Oppenheimer. First, Mark interviews McKay Coppins, a staff writer at The Atlantic who recently wrote an article about the future of Mormonism—“the most American religion”—and America. He talks about his own Mormon faith, confirms Mark’s assessment that Jews and Mormons have a lot in common, and asks how to ready his home to invite kosher-keeping Jewish friends over for a meal.Then, it’s everything you’ll ever need to know about what Jewish law says about pets! Mark offers a reading from a book called Pets in Halacha...2021-03-251h 00
Tablet StudiosPassover PrepThis week, we’re kicking off our Passover celebrations, live from the Oppenheimer home. Mark is joined by four of his children as they sit around the Seder table and wonder where, exactly, all these Passover traditions came from.Helping them along the way are co-hosts Stephanie and Liel, and a near minyan of all-star guests.First, historian and Tablet columnist Jenna Weissman Joselit expounds on the material culture associated with the home-based holiday—Seder plates, matzo covers, and afikoman bags—and wonders why Jewish ritual objects don’t always rise to the leve...2021-03-181h 12
Good News To Go: DiversityReelAbilities Film FestivalOUR MISSIONReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the US dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories and artistic expressions of people with different disabilities.Initiated in NY in 2007, the festival presents award winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.ABOUT USReelAbilities Film FestivalReelAbilities Film Festival was initiated in New York at the JCC Manhattan in 2007...2021-03-0915 min
Driving Forces on WBAIWBAI's City Watch: George Floyd Demonstrations, COVID-19 and moreOn WBAI 99.5 FM's City Watch on Sunday, May 31, 2020, Host Jeff Simmons talked with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in the aftermath of violent demonstrations following the Minneapolis death of George Floyd. The show also featured co-host David Brand's interview with new SBS Commissioner Jonnel Doris; and, interviews with New Yorkers for Parks Executive Director Adam Ganser, and Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan Senior Director of Health and Wellness Caroline Kohles.2020-06-0157 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan24. Colson Whitehead and Ruth MessingerOn the season finale of 76West, we're listening to two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead in conversation with Ruth Messinger, former Manhattan borough president, global ambassador for American Jewish World Service, and current activist in residence at the JCC’s Joseph Stern Center for Social Responsibility. In this podcast, Whitehead discusses his New York Times best seller, The Nickel Boys, in which a strand of American history is dramatized through the story of two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida. Recorded live on February 5, 2020, this event was presented in partnership with The Stern Center for So...2020-05-0737 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan23. Bob Roth, Sharon Isbin, and Dr. Norman RosenthalThis week: “Exploring the Science of Creativity, Meditation, and the Brain," a conversation between renowned psychiatrist Dr. Norman Rosenthal, classical guitar virtuoso Sharon Isbin, and esteemed Transcendental Meditation teacher and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob Roth. In their conversation on the science and art of meditation and creativity, they discuss how stress impacts the creativity centers of the brain, and how meditation can help heal and awaken our senses. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on May 10, 2017.2020-04-2351 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan22. Nathan Englander and Abigail PogrebinThis week, Abigail Pogrebin interviews author Nathan Englander, as part of Abby’s ongoing series at the JCC, What Everyone’s Talking About. Nathan Englander is author of the novels Dinner at the Center of the Earth, The Ministry of Special Cases, and kaddish.com. He’s responsible for the story collections For the Relief of Unbearable Urges and What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank. Englander’s short fiction has been widely anthologized, including in 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on April 17, 2019.2020-04-0851 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan21. Bill T. Jones and Rabbi Ayelet CohenThis week, we're listening to “Idealism and Activism: A Conversation” featuring Choreographer Bill T. Jones with Rabbi Ayelet Cohen. Jones is a multi-talented artist, choreographer, dancer, artistic director, and writer who has, over a 40-plus-year career, received distinguished honors including the National Medal of Arts, a MacArthur "Genius" Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, and two Tony Awards. Rabbi Cohen, a former center head at the JCC, is currently Senior Director of the New Israel Fund for New York and the tri-state region. Recorded before a live audience on January 18, 2016.2020-03-2655 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan20. Lisa Brennan-Jobs and Abigail PogrebinThis week on our podcast 76West, it’s writer Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the daughter of Steve Jobs, talking with Abigail Pogrebin about Brennan-Jobs's intimate, heartbreaking coming-of-age memoir, SMALL FRY, which made it onto The New York Times and The New Yorker’s Top 10 Books of the Year lists. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience on January 15, 2020.2020-03-1258 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan19. Malcolm Gladwell and Abigail PogrebinWe open season 4 with a discussion from January 2013 between one of America’s most admired authors, Malcolm Gladwell, and Abigail Pogrebin. Gladwell is the author of five New York Times bestsellers — The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath. He has been included in the TIME 100 Most Influential People list and touted as one of Foreign Policy’s Top Global Thinkers. In this podcast, Gladwell discusses David and Goliath, and how he created such a singular journalistic niche.2020-02-2700 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanAlex and EllieAlex and Ellie by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanLauren and AlexanderLauren and Alexander by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanCharlotte, Hilary, and SadieCharlotte, Hilary, and Sadie by 76 West2019-12-3102 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanJudith and TheoJudith and Theo by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanAlexandraAlexandra by 76 West2019-12-3100 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanLenox, Jordan, and ErickaLenox, Jordan, and Ericka by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanDianaDiana by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanSheila and SheldonSheila and Sheldon by 76 West2019-12-3102 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanEugeneEugene by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanMichael, Hannah, Yelena, and EstiMichael, Hannah, Yelena, and Esti by 76 West2019-12-3100 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanKatie and RonitKatie and Ronit by 76 West2019-12-3101 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanPete WebbPete Webb by 76 West2019-12-3100 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan18. Kathy Griffin and Yetta KurlandThis week we’re listening to a discussion between two-time Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin with civil rights attorney Yetta Kurland. Griffin has performed for hundreds of thousands of fans around the globe, giving legendary standup performances in a class of their own. In 2014, Griffin made history with her 6th consecutive Grammy nomination and first win, joining Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin as the only other female comedians to ever win Grammy awards for Best Comedy Album. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on August 14th, 2019, and produced by Out at the J, the JC...2019-12-1259 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan17. Judy Collins and Abigail PogrebinThis week, we’ll be listening to a discussion between famed singer-songwriter Judy Collins and Abigail Pogrebin. Collins is a six-time Grammy nominee and winner of one, for her cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” in 1969. Back then, she evoked the idealism and determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, new generations take inspiration from her 55-album body of work and discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century. The talk was recorded on May 24th, 2012. Subscribe to 76West in iTunes or Google Play, or stream anytime from jccmanhattan.org/76-w2019-11-2759 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan16. Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly with Abigail PogrebinThis week on our podcast 76West, we’ll listen to a talk with New York Times reporters Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly, whose book The Education of Brett Kavanaugh investigates the formative years and confirmation of the Supreme Court justice. Asking the questions is Robin’s sister Abigail Pogrebin. To listen, subscribe in iTunes or Google Play, or stream at jccmanhattan.org/76-west. This conversation was recorded before a live audience on November 3, 2019.2019-11-1400 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan15. Nora Ephron with Abigail PogrebinThis week on 76West, we bring you a conversation from 2011 between the late Nora Ephron and Abigail Pogrebin. Ephron was, as the NY Times put it in its 2012 obituary, “a journalist, a blogger, an essayist, a novelist, a playwright, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and a movie director — a rarity in a film industry whose directorial ranks were and continue to be dominated by men.” Her screenplays include Silkwood, Heartburn, and When Harry Met Sally. Her directorial successes include Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Julie & Julia. The conversation was recorded before a live audience on February 16, 2011.2019-10-3159 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan14. Ariel Levy, Daphne Merkin, and Dani Shapiro with Abigail PogrebinThis week's pod features "The Craft of Confession," a discussion between three leading authors of memoirs and Abigail Pogrebin. New Yorker staff writer Ariel Levy talks about her book The Rules Do Not Apply; Daphne Merkin about This Close to Happy: A Reckoning With Depression; and Dani Shapiro about her memoir Hourglass. This talk was recorded in front of a live audience on November 29th, 2017.2019-10-1752 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC ManhattanWholehearted with Koshin Paley Ellison, Jay Michaelson, and Jessica MoreyWe are living in profoundly stressful, isolating times -- a world that poet and Zen teacher Koshin Ellison calls, in his new book, "Zombieland." Even those of us doing spiritual work are often focused on our own internal "stuff" at the expense of authentic relationship and service. As part of the traditional Jewish period of introspection, a Jewish Zen master, a Buddhist rabbi, and a leading teacher of mindfulness to teenagers (yes, teenagers!) come together to share true, funny, and sometimes wise stories of awakening through authentic relationship with others.
Presented by Koshin Paley Ellison, Jay Michaelson, and Jessica Morey...2019-10-031h 02
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan13. Secretary Madeleine Albright with Abigail PogrebinWe open Season 3 with a discussion between one of America’s most admired public servants, Madeleine Albright, and author and former 60 Minutes producer Abigail Pogrebin. Aside from being the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state, Albright is also a former Ambassador to the United Nations. In this discussion, Secretary Albright and Abby discuss the Secretary’s book Fascism: A Warning, a personal, urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience on February 1st, 2019.2019-10-0353 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan12. Candice Bergen with Abigail PogrebinEpisode 12 of 76West, our season two finale, features a discussion between American icon Candice Bergen and Abigail Pogrebin. Acclaimed for her decade-long lead role in the recently revived Murphy Brown, Bergen's acting career – from Carnal Knowledge to Boston Legal -- spans television, film, and Broadway. Her memoir, A Fine Romance, was an instant best-seller. This talk was recorded before a live audience on November 18, 2015.2019-05-3058 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan11. Dr. Lucy Kalanithi with Rabbi Mychal SpringerThis week on 76West, we’ll be listening to a discussion about the NY Times bestselling memoir, When Breath Becomes Air, an intimate look at how Dr Paul Kalanithi, a 36-year-old neurosurgeon, dealt with his stage IV lung cancer diagnosis. This powerful book has impacted millions of readers who, through Dr Kalanithi's insightful writing, follow the journey of a doctor-turned-patient as he evaluates what it means to live. In this talk, Paul’s widow, and author of the book's epilogue Dr Lucy Kalanithi shares Paul's story and the journey her life has taken since its publication. Dr. Lucy Kalanithi is inte...2019-05-1643 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan10. Alan Cumming with Abigail PogrebinOur tenth episode features a discussion between actor, activist, and author Alan Cumming and Abigail Pogrebin. Aside from his Tony Award-winning run in the Broadway musical Cabaret, audiences know Cumming from CBS's "The Good Wife," for which he received Golden Globe & Emmy Award nominations. In his talk with Abby, recorded before a live audience on May 6, 2015, Cumming discusses his work and his revelatory New York Times bestselling memoir Not My Father's Son.2019-05-0255 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan9. Roz Chast with Rabbi David IngberThis week, a discussion between acclaimed cartoonist Roz Chast and Rabbi David Ingber, founder and spiritual leader of Romemu. Since joining the New Yorker in 1978, Chast has established herself as one of our greatest chroniclers of the anxieties, superstitions, furies, and insecurities of modern life. In this conversation, Chast references her best-selling book Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, which chronicles her relationship with her aging parents as they shift from independence to dependence. (While you don’t need the book to follow what Chast is referencing, you can view some of her cartoons here https://bit.ly/2DgF...2019-04-181h 00
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan8: Alan Alda with Abigail PogrebinThis week, it's a discussion between actor, director, and writer Alan Alda and Abigail Pogrebin. For over a decade as the host of PBS' Scientific American Frontiers, and in his role at Stony Brook University's Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, Alda has been helping people grasp complex ideas. In his lively book, If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? the Tony- and Oscar-nominee, and seven-time Emmy Award winner uses his trademark humor to teach us how to better communicate and learn from each other. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience...2019-04-0446 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan7: Ellie Kemper with Abigail PogrebinWelcome to season two of 76West! This week's episode (#7) features a discussion between Ellie Kemper and author and former 60 Minutes producer Abigail Pogrebin. In this pod, Kemper, the star of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Office, and Bridesmaids joins Abby for a conversation about her collection of essays, My Squirrel Days, which hilariously chronicles her adventures, from her childhood in suburban St. Louis to her move to Hollywood and start in show business. This talk was recorded January 30, 2019 in front of a live audience.2019-03-2156 min
Tablet StudiosThe 100 Most Jewish FoodsThis week on Unorthodox, we're celebrating the publication of The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List with an episode dedicated to Jewish food. Throughout the episode you’ll hear from contributors to the book—including Jill Kargman, Gil Hovav, Gail Simmons, Shalom Auslander, Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs of Food52, and many more—who will be reading their entries.We talk to Tablet editor-in-chief Alana Newhouse, who edited the collection, as well as Gabriella Gershenson, who edited the recipes in the book. We also sit down with Dr. Beth Ricanati, the author of Braided: A Journey of a T...2019-03-211h 28
Marc To MarketsInside PhilanthropySend us a textThis month, we take a deep dive into philanthropy and not-for-profit organizations. I’m joined by Hillel Hyman, CFO of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan; Peter Dunn, President and CEO of the Central NY Community Foundation; and Seth Buchwald, a Principal at Bernstein and non-profit specialist. What is the best way to donate wealth, talent, and time to charity? For those already active in the space, we discuss the responsibilities of being involved with a board or investment committee of a non-profit. For those newer to philanthropy, we cover the fundamentals, highlighting the im...2019-03-0441 min
Tablet StudiosUnorthodox Loves L.AThis week's episode was recorded live at Adat Shalom in Los Angeles.Our first Jewish guest is Rachel Sumekh, who founded Swipe Out Hunger, the leading nonprofit in addressing hunger on college campuses. She tells us why Swipe Out Hunger is a fundamentally Jewish project, inspired in part by her family's dependence on food assistance after her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Iran, and how, as a Persian Jewish woman in the technology and social entrepreneurship world, she's hoping to be more of a norm than an exception.Our second Jewish guest is...2019-02-071h 10
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan6: Abigail Pogrebin with Rabbi Joy LevittEpisode 6 of 76West features Abigail Pogrebin, journalist, author, and host of the JCC's What Everone's Talking About series, in conversation with JCC Executive Director Rabbi Joy Levitt. Why does there seem to be a Jewish holiday every minute? And what makes these holidays so powerful and urgent in this modern moment? Abby Pogrebin asked these questions of over 60 rabbis and scholars, taking a deep, personal dive into the Jewish calendar for the first time -- researching and observing every ritual and fast. The resulting entertaining, humorous, and honest book was My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew. And on March 15, 2017...2018-12-2041 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan5: Dan Barber with Abigail PogrebinEpisode 5 of 76West features Dan Barber in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin. Barber has changed not only the way people eat, but the way we think about food. In this discussion, recorded March 25, 2015, the acclaimed chef and revolutionary farmer of Blue Hill, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, discusses his book The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food.2018-12-0645 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan4: Roxane Gay with Abigail PogrebinEpisode 4 of 76West features Roxane Gay, author of the New York Times best-selling books Bad Feminist and Hunger, and the nationally best-selling Difficult Women, in conversation with Abigail Pogrebin. Gay’s writing has appeared in the NY Times, McSweeney's, The Nation, and other publications. She is also the first African-American woman to write for Marvel; her comic series, World of Wakanda, is set in the Black Panther universe. This talk was recorded before a live audience on October 8, 2018.2018-11-2152 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan3: Thomas L. Friedman and Dov Seidman with Rabbi Joy LevittEpisode 3 of 76West features Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times writer Thomas L. Friedman and CEO and author Dov Seidman in conversation with the JCC's Executive Director, Rabbi Joy Levitt. The divisive effects of this new political climate and the breakdowns in truth and trust seem beyond what we have previously experienced. When this country is so divided into "us" and "them," the fundamental American value of "We the People" seems to be at risk. How does this happen? What is the impact on our country? And, from their perspectives, what do we who seek "repair" do next in this climate...2018-11-0800 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan2: Ruth Reichl with Abigail PogrebinWelcome to episode two of 76West, featuring a discussion between Ruth Reichl and author and former 60 Minutes producer Abigail Pogrebin. In this pod, legendary food critic, editor, and best-selling author Reichl describes her journey away from Gourmet magazine and back to her own kitchen, resulting in the book, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life. A six-time James Beard Award honoree, Reichl captures not only her zeal for the great meal, but the joy to be found in small culinary encounters, and how what we eat can animate our lives. This talk was recorded April 20, 2016 in front of a...2018-10-2552 min
On the Other Hand: Ten Minutes of TorahHow to Have Moral CourageIn Parashat Vayeira, Abraham defines Jewish leadership by challenging the powers that be. To discuss this important Parashah, and what it means to be a Jewish leader in the fight for justice, Rabbi Jacobs is joined by Ruth Messinger, the global ambassador for the American Jewish World Service and social justice advocate with JTS and the Marlene Meyerson JCC in Manhattan. 2018-10-2219 min
Tablet StudiosNeighborhood WatchThis week on Unorthodox, we're on patrol. We talk to Ruchie Freier, the founder of Ezras Nashim, the first all-female volunteer ambulance in New York City, founded and staffed by Hasidic women in Borough Park, Brooklyn. Ruchie and Ezras Nashim are the subject of the documentary '93Queen', made by filmmaker Paula Eiselt, who also joins us.Ruchie Freier is a New York City Criminal Court judge, and the first Hasidic woman to hold elected office in the US. Paula Eiselt is an independent filmmaker. '93Queen' is her feature film directorial debut.Join us...2018-10-181h 15
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan1: Colson Whitehead with Rabbi Joy LevittWelcome to the inaugural episode of 76West, featuring a discussion between author Colson Whitehead and JCC Executive Director Rabbi Joy Levitt. Author of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Underground Railroad, as well as the books John Henry Days and Sag Harbor, Whitehead’s conversation with Rabbi Levitt tackles The Underground Railroad and the legacy of slavery in our country today. This talk was recorded at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on May 17, 2017 in front of a live audience.
Produced by Megan Whitman and Eric Winick, with original music written and performed by Perl Wolfe and editing by...2018-10-1137 min
A Good EndEpisode 2: Planning for a Good DeathNo one wants to think about their own death - or the death of a loved one, but these experiences can be meaningful and even life-affirming. Rabbi Joy Levitt shares the experience of discussing end-of-life care planning with her 90-year-old mother and the surprising and touching discoveries she made along the way. Learn how initiatives like Jewish Sacred Aging and What Matters are equipping baby boomers and members of the sandwich generation with the courage, vocabulary, and knowledge needed to have these important conversations with their loved ones Produced and Edited by Lisa M. Gray Produced...2018-10-1121 min
Tablet StudiosEinstein on the MoundThis week on Unorthodox, we're still recovering from all the Jewish holidays.Our Jewish guest is Benyamin Cohen, host of the weekly podcast "Our Friend from Israel." He's also the guy who manages the official social media feeds for Albert Einstein, which might just be the best job ever. He tells us about tweeting for the late genius, plus his journey into megachurches while writing his 2009 book, “My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith."Our gentile of the week is Wall Street Journal sports columnist Jaso...2018-10-111h 07
The Faster Than Normal Podcast: ADD | ADHD | HealthADHD and Summer Camp- with Director of JCC Manhattan Day Camps, Genna SingerGenna Singer grew up going to summer camp. She started early in her single digits and only missed one year. She loves summer camp!! In September of 2002 she joined the wonderful staff at the Marlene Meyerson JCC as Director of After School Programs, while maintaining an active role in the summer camps programs as well. In 2006 she became the Director of Camps and continues to help them develop and grow new, exciting programs! My daughter had a wonderful time here this summer and I was so happy Genna was able to join us today, to talk and educate us...2018-09-2617 min
76West: A Podcast from the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan76West Trailer76West Trailer by Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan2018-09-2101 min
Tablet StudiosThe JAP Show–LiveThis week on Unorthodox: Is it OK to say 'JAP'? We were joined by Odd Mom Out's Jill Kargman, Broadway legend Tovah Feldshuh, and Jewish Women's Archive director Judith Rosenbaum at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan last week for a lively discussion and debate about the Jewish American Princess stereotype–its origins, implications, and cultural staying power. We also screened a short film we made about the JAP stereotype, which you can watch here, and heard from audience members about what the phrase means to them. Let us know what you think about the JAP de...2018-07-261h 13
Tablet StudiosLeading the PackOur Jewish guest this week is Leah Sarna, a student at Yeshivat Maharat, the first yeshiva to ordain women as Orthodox Jewish clergy. She explains the institutional conflict over female ordination in the Orthodox community and tells us what her role will be at an Orthodox congregation in Chicago after graduation —and what title she’ll go by. Our Gentile of the week is writer Lauren Oyler, who tells us why honest cultural criticism is more important than ever, and recommends some books for our listeners to check out. New York-area listeners, join us for a live Unort...2018-03-151h 00