Podcasts are the new rock ‘n’ roll. Celebrity hosts are earning nine-figure megadeals. Some, like Alastair Campbell, Rory Stewart and Emily Maitlis, pack out the Royal Albert Hall. In the USA, at the 2024 Democrat National Convention, so-called ‘content creators’ received their own dedicated space alongside the more traditional print and broadcast journalists.
Podcasts played a big role in the US presidential election as both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris courted big podcasters like Joe Rogan and Charlemagne the God. And a podcast is at the heart of the hit Netflix show Nobody Wants This.
Podcasts are truly the mass medium of the 21st century. They are also democratic, as anyone with a laptop and an internet connection can produce and upload one.
They are a fantastic medium to engage with while doing something else – commuting, doing the housework – and you don’t need to miss out just because it aired when it was Shabbat or when you are busy. I listen (and learn) while walking the dogs, cycling to work, going to the gym, doing the chores and driving.
If you’re not listening to a podcast right now, you’re missing out. If I am in any way typical, we now consume more podcasts per week than any other media (including film, television and newspapers combined).
Here is my suggestion of some long-running Jewish-themed podcasts to keep you entertained and educated over the festive period.
Unholy: Two Jews on the News
Two highly experienced journalists – Yonit Levi of Israel’s Channel 12 News and Jonathan Freedland of The Guardian – discuss the news from Israel and the Jewish world every week. They bring their deep expertise in Middle Eastern politics and Jewish affairs, along with extensive experience covering international news to bear in their discussions which often feature high-profile guests. Their different perspectives – one British and one Israeli – allow them to approach news topics from complementary angles. At the end of each episode, they award a Mensch and a Chutzpah prize to two individuals in the news.
In what bills itself as “the web’s most popular Jewish sports podcast”, the Canadian Jewish News’ Gabe Pulver and Jamie Hirsch explore the world of Jewish sports in monthly episodes. In line with the classic joke from the movie Airplane! about the lack of famous Jewish sporting legends, one would think there wouldn’t be enough material for a podcast but there is. I even appeared on one episode discussing Jewish cricket. The one drawback for us Brits is that is heavily slanted to North American sports.
Jews on Film: Exploring Jewish Stories & Themes in Cinema
Over dozens of episodes, hosts Daniel Zana and Harry Ottensoser investigate all kinds of films to uncover what makes them Jewish. They have covered the obvious productions from Airplane! to Yentl, taking in Uncut Gems, Blazing Saddles and Fiddler on the Roof on the way. But they also cover the less obvious choices such as Stanley Kubrick’s controversial movie A Clockwork Orange (1971). Full disclosure: I was the guest on that episode, where we discussed how Kubrick explored the relationship between power and authority, free choice and accountability from a Jewish perspective and the other subtle allusions Kubrick makes in this, and the rest of the films, to his Jewish background. Like every episode, they finished this one by ranking the film’s production, content and themes on a scale of one to five Jewish stars.
The Jerusalem Post Podcast – Travel Edition
Two ex-pat Brits, Mark Gordon and David Harris, travel around the Jewish world offering tips for travellers with kosher and other needs. They have visited all sorts of places that take them out of their comfort zone like kosher Kilimanjaro. Other destinations are more familiar, such as Antwerp, where from rocks and diamonds to beer, they talk about the gems of Belgium. They also reflect on the Israeli travel industry, including interviews with representatives from Israeli tourist agencies such as El Al.
News Podcasts
The Jewish press has also moved into podcasts and most outlets now offer some form of audio content, including but not limited to The Times of Israel, Haaretz and The Forward.
