The Canadian Jewish Shmooze

Saying Goodbye

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 21:32:07 -0000

If you haven't heard: The CJN is shutting down, which means this podcast is going on indefinite hiatus. For now, we'll call it goodbye. Hear the paper's staffers share their fondest memories, and listen to an interview with Dr. Daniel Kalla about COVID-19, in this (for now?) final episode of the Canadian Jewish Shmooze.

Feel free to keep in touch: find Michael on Twitter @mfraiman, and Alex @alexmrose.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing. Like The CJN Podcast Network on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Related Links

To our readers: Everything has its season. It is time. (The CJN)
Novelist asks: What if the plague came back? (The CJN)

Shmoozing From Self-Isolation

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 18:27:31 -0000

In this special work-from-home edition, Michael and Alex discuss how COVID-19 has affected religious and artistic Jewish institutions. Also, they ask whether Hunters, Amazon's new and painfully Jewish show, is worth binging during your self-isolation.

Related Links

Hoarding, not supply, causing kosher shortages (The CJN)
Coronavirus: More challenges, more Jewish responses (The CJN)

Remembering Norene Gilletz

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 17:06:51 -0000

We've got a major announcement in today's episode: co-host Alex Rose, sadly, is leaving the show. Fortunately, we couldn't be happier with his replacement, Ella Burakowski, who joins in-studio to recall her favourite memories of Canada's queen of kosher cuisine, Norene Gilletz. Plus: Michael interviews musician and composer Adi Berkovits about his upcoming concert, an homage to his father's journey home from Auschwitz.

Note: In this episode, Ella mistakenly calls the book co-authored by Norene and Daniella Silver "The Silver Palate". She meant "The Silver Platter". Look it up, it's a good one!

Related Links

Do Jews Need to Worry about Bernie Sanders?

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:32:51 -0000

Some say the Democratic presidential frontrunner is bad for the Jews. Or at least bad for Israel. Or maybe even a self-hating Jew! Is he any of these things? And speaking of international politics: What's the story with Israel's impending third election? On this all-politics episode, our guest is Yoni Belete, a former staffer at the Israeli embassy in Ottawa, who helps breaks down the ongoing political issues foremost on Jewish minds.

Related Links

Breaking Down Trump's Peace Plan

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 19:20:48 -0000

Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century" is proving to be little more than a hollow marketing campaign. To better understand the situation from the Israeli perspective, Etery Podolsky, a Russian-Israeli graphic designer at The CJN, joins Michael and Alex to offer her take on the plan's value. Plus: Hear an excerpt from our new podcast, Kol Avrum, where host Avrum Rosensweig sits down with Syrian refugee Aboud Dandachi to chat about Syrians' perceptions (and misconceptions) of Israelis.

Related Links

Listen to the full first episode of Kol Avrum at The CJN Podcast Network
The key points of the Trump Middle East peace plan explained (The CJN)
Canadians react to the ‘Deal of the Century’ (The CJN)
How to Solve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, According to Psychology Research (Haaretz, paywalled)

Introducing Our New Podcast Hosts

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 16:44:45 -0000

The CJN Podcast Network is launching four new shows! In this episode, Avrum Rosensweig, Rebecca Eckler, Dan Aviv and Noah Liebtag personally introduce themselves and their programs, which will feature lengthy interviews, culinary investigations and celebrations of our community.

Also on this episode, Ella Burakowski talks about her Holocaust advocacy work and our roundtable debates the big question: Do Jews need to worry about the board game "Secret Hitler"?

Related Links

Secret Hitler board game removed from Montreal stores (The CJN)
Hidden Gold, Ella's book
The CJN Podcast Network homepage: Stay tuned for new shows, starting January 30

Was Ilhan Omar Really the Biggest Anti-Semite of the Year?

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 16:49:00 -0000

This year, an anti-semitism watchdog organization voted Ilhan Omar "anti-semite of the year." But... is she really? Plus, Michael and Alex flip through the pages of history to commemorate 60 years of The CJN.

Related Links

From Yoni’s Desk: Unity never gets old (The CJN)
Alleged Monsey stabber indicted on six attempted murder charges (The CJN)
"Antisemite of the Week" (stopantisemitism.org)

The Year in Review

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 16:19:03 -0000

In our final episode of 2019, we invite CJN editor Yoni Goldstein, advice columnist Ella Burakowski and reporter Ron Csillag to discuss their favourite stories of the year. Scroll down to read their picks.

Yoni's Picks

Ella's Picks

Ron's Picks

The Funny Times, They are a-Changing

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 22:25:51 -0000

Mark Breslin, founder of Yuk Yuk’s, chats about the evolution of comedy, the death of Jewish delis and why, despite the controversy, he booked Louis C.K. for a week of sold-out shows in Toronto. Plus: Alex breaks down a violent protest at York University, where supporters of Israel and Palestine exchanged words and fists.

Related Links

Yuk Yuk's online
"Breslin: Why I brought Louis C.K. back from the dead" (The CJN) "Counterpoint: I didn't consent to Louis C.K. masturbating in front of me" (The CJN) "Palestinian, Israeli supporters clash at York University" (The CJN)

Howard Shore and the Joys of Jewish Summer Camp

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 20:59:56 -0000

Forgiving a German the Crimes of his Nazi Grandfather

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 18:39:57 -0000

Should Jews hold a grudge against a man whose grandfather was Rudolf Hoess, the Nazi commander of Auschwitz? Alex interviewed the infamous Nazi's grandson for The CJN, and reports back about what he learned. Plus: Avrum Rosensweig, host of the longform interview podcast Hatradio!, joins to chat about his podcast and the results of the Canadian election.

Related Links

Hatradio.ca
That Immigrant Fixing Your House Probably Saw Hell(HuffPost)
Hats off for podcasting(The CJN)
Jewish voters reflect on election day conflict (The CJN)

Debating the Jewish Vote

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 17:52:16 -0000

On this week's edition of the The Canadian Jewish Shmooze, Alex and special guest host Joe Fish speak to Zack Babins, a political consultant and former parliamentary staffer, about Jewish stories in the upcoming Canadian Federal Election. Stick around for Zack's debate with CJN copy editor Jesse Kline, and for the discussion on whether Jews need to worry about the Conservative Party's targeted flyers to Jewish people.

Related Links

The most Jewish federal ridings(The CJN)
Response to Conservative's targeted campaign ads(The CJN)

Borei Pri Ha-Vegan

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 20:36:23 -0000

As veganism grows worldwide, all sorts of Jews and Israelis are joining the movement. Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin, the new associate rabbi at Beth Tzedec, joins in-studio to discuss her personal path to veganism and how it figures into a Jewish lifestyle. Also: a discussion of Spain's new right of return for Sephardic Jews, and parsing Conservative leader Andrew Scheer's foreign-policy stance towards Israel and Palestine.

Related Links

Rise of the vegan Jew (The CJN)
Scheer proposes 25% cut to foreign aid, redirecting funds to kids in conflict zones (Global News)
Over 130,000 Jews of Sephardic heritage applied for Spanish citizenship under law of return (JTA)

In a Tiff with Shane Gillis

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:54:39 -0000

There was plenty of Jewish cinema at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, so cinephile and CJN online editor Leora Heilbronn joins in the studio to chat about a few of the big titles, including Jojo Rabbit, The Vigil, The Painted Bird, Lyrebird and Incitement. They also discuss two recent instances of anti-Semitism: more than one politician in New Jersey using "Jew" as a verb, and Shane Gillis's four-day career as a star on Saturday Night Live.

Related Links

The Marvelous Mrs. Nussbaum

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 21:26:04 -0000

Emily Nussbaum is the TV critic at The New Yorker. She's won a Pulitzer Prize and has a new book of essays and profiles out called I Like to Watch, and will be coming to give a talk at the Toronto Reference Library on Oct. 16. She joins Michael for an in-depth chat about the current state of Jewish TV, why The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is overrated, and why so many people freakin' love Shtisel.

Do Jews Really Need to Worry about Rashida Tlaib Being in Israel?

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 20:52:20 -0000

Do Jews really need to worry about the possibility of Palestinian-American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib being in Israel? Hosts Michael and Alex pose the question to writer Dave Hazzan, who also chats about his recent CJN essay on the difficult double life of being a patrilineal Jew.

The Do's and Don'ts of Jewish Yoga

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 15:20:37 -0000

When our ancestors were exiled from the Holy Land, they lost an important physical – and spiritual – connection to the religion. This week’s guest is Kinneret Kim Dubowitz, an Orthodox yoga instructor who explains how bringing movement back into Judaism can help bridge a spiritual gap felt by many modern Jews.

Shemini Atzeret vs. Elections Canada

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 15:36:48 -0000

The court battle aiming to push Canada's federal election to accommodate observant Jews is heating up. CJN intern reporter Ben Barak hit the streets to hear public opinion on the case, and he joins podcasts hosts Alex and Michael in studio to chat about what he found out.

The Gross, Honest, Jewish World of Natalie Norman

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 20:46:54 -0000

Is it okay for non-Jews to play Jews on TV? Can politicians make amends for old anti-Semitic tweets? Special guest Natalie Norman — a comedian, storyteller and self-described “plus-sized Jewess” — joins in-studio to chat about those topics and her career. Catch a sneak preview of her raunchy debut comedy album, The Big Reveal, and learn how she balances a comic’s downtown lifestyle with her own mental health and a surprisingly spiritual Jewish life.

Related Links

Find The Big Reveal on iTunes and Spotify
"NDP candidate removed over ‘unacceptable’ anti-Israel tweets"
"The end of peak Jewish TV"

Special Announcement: A Short Summer Vacation

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 14:15:03 -0000

The CJN office is coming up on a summer vacation, so the Canadian Jewish Shmooze and Menschwarmers are taking a couple weeks off. But when we get back, we've got some exciting news — The CJN Podcast Network is growing.

The Words We Should Not Speak

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 20:52:25 -0000

Jews throw around word like "goy" and "shiksa" between themselves in good fun. But when that language bleeds into the outside world, Jews may need to check themselves before offending others. Plus: Do Jews need to worry about the word "genocide" when applied to Indigineous Canadians? And an update to our segment about the Netflix roast of Anne Frank. CJN operations manager Ella Burakowski co-hosts.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading

Wining about Anne Frank

Fri, 31 May 2019 13:21:14 -0000

Is it kosher to roast Anne Frank? Can wine made in a West Bank settlement be labelled a "Product of Israel"? Is this the end of a golden age of Jewish television? Hosts Michael and Alex dig into these issues on the sixth episode of The Canadian Jewish Shmooze. CJN reporter Ron Csillag guest stars.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading

You've Lost that Calming Feeling

Thu, 16 May 2019 20:10:10 -0000

Do Jews really need to worry about Democratic Congresswoman's Rashida Tlaib's "calming feeling" about the Holocaust? Michael and Alex put her words into context, also chatting about the influx of annual hate-crime reports flooding in.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading

Dear White People, the Jewish Edition

Thu, 02 May 2019 16:08:30 -0000

Hosts Michael and Alex ask Rivka Campbell about the constant struggle of being recognized in Jewish spaces, from synagogues to kosher restaurants. They also chat about the viral story of the owners of a Winnipeg café who allegedly staged an anti-Semitic attack against themselves, and whether Jews really need to worry about a recent cartoon in the New York Times international edition.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Find out more about Rivka Campbell’s documentary here. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading:

Beresheet Brings Out the Anti-Semites

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:13:26 -0000

On this week's podcast, hosts Alex and Michael chat about some of the gross anti-Semitic and needlessly anti-Israel comments on Beresheet's crash landing; the hypocrisy of Quebec's secularism bill, banning religious Jews who work in the public sector from wearing kippot or headscarves; and whether Jews need to worry about the no-refund policy on Passover food. Noah Liebtag joins, with a guest appearance by CJN editor-in-chief Yoni Goldstein.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading

Do Jews Need to Worry About Sebastian Gorka?

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 14:52:31 -0000

In today’s episode, CJN operations manager Ella Burkowski joins podcast hosts Alex and Michael to discuss the Canadian postal union’s anti-Israel stance; Ella’s monthly advice column, “Ask Ella,” which has been running for 24 years; and whether Jews need to worry about Sebastian Gorka, in the wake of a TanenbaumCHAT school trip to New York City that introduced him to about a dozen students.

The Canadian Jewish Shmooze is hosted by Michael Fraiman and Alex Rose, and edited by Michael Fraiman. Our intro music is by Vanya Zhuk, and our outro music is by Latché Swing.

Related Reading:

Introducing the CJN Podcast

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:41:53 -0000

The CJN is launching a bimonthly podcast, wherein hosts Alex Rose and Michael Fraiman discuss the biggest stories facing our community.

On our first episode, hosts Alex and Michael invite CJN Reporter Ron Csillag talk about his recent cover story on a groundbreaking new survey, which offers a never-before-seen glimpse into Canadian Jewry.

They also chat about a feud in Prince Edward Island, which grew so heated that one newspaper columnist quit his job after being called a “Zionist goon”.

Finally, they ask if Jews really need to worry about the bizarre anti-Semitic float in Aalst, Belgium.

The Canadian Jewish News podcast is hosted by Alex Rose and Michael Fraiman, and edited by Michael Fraiman. The intro music is “Robot Gedonist” by Vanya Zhuk, and outro music is “Hungaria” by Latché Swing.