On the season finale of Wholly Jewish season 2, we are joined by NYU student and college organizer Noa Baron (they/them)! Noa shares the personal and Jewish and significance of their name (and their Jewish name-changing ceremony), the importance of deep listening to the queer community, their aspirations as a trans Jewish leader, and the beauty LGBTQ+ Jews bring to the Jewish community. “I think I’ve been able to shed a real sense of fear…and in this, I’ve been more myself in all the ways that I can be,” Noa says. “I want to tell people like me that there is space for us…in Judaism and in the world and that someone like me who lives in this weird in-between space of gender has…the right to exist and the right to take up space.”

On the season finale of Wholly Jewish season 2, we are joined by NYU student and college organizer Noa Baron (they/them)! Noa shares the personal and Jewish and significance of their name (and their Jewish name-changing ceremony), the importance of deep listening to the queer community, their aspirations as a trans Jewish leader, and the beauty LGBTQ+ Jews bring to the Jewish community. “I think I’ve been able to shed a real sense of fear…and in this, I’ve been more myself in all the ways that I can be,” Noa says. “I want to tell people like me that there is space for us…in Judaism and in the world and that someone like me who lives in this weird in-between space of gender has…the right to exist and the right to take up space.”

Noa: The Beauty of Taking Up Space

For LGBTQ+ Jews, coming out stories differ from person to person, and the story of Denis Victorovich Kurmanov (he/him) is no exception. This week, Denis shares his experience immigrating from Moldova at a young age, the pressure he faced to present as straight, how Judaism strengthened him to come out as gay and work as at organizer in his Jewish community, and even a few samples of his poetry. “It was a very slow process of [realizing that]…if God is love, then why should I not have it [too]?” Denis says. “It was a slow coming out. But…it was with full vengeance…and there was no going back. I'd done it all. I'm never going back here. I am!” (Recorded fall 2019)

For LGBTQ+ Jews, coming out stories differ from person to person, and the story of Denis Victorovich Kurmanov (he/him) is no exception. This week, Denis shares his experience immigrating from Moldova at a young age, the pressure he faced to present as straight, how Judaism strengthened him to come out as gay and work as at organizer in his Jewish community, and even a few samples of his poetry. “It was a very slow process of [realizing that]…if God is love, then why should I not have it [too]?” Denis says. “It was a slow coming out. But…it was with full vengeance…and there was no going back. I'd done it all. I'm never going back here. I am!” (Recorded fall 2019)

Denis: Coming Out and Showing Up

Jewish innovation thrives on different perspectives, and it’s so vital that queer Jewish leaders be empowered to share their own. This week, Rabbi Dara Lithwick shares her experience wrestling both with God and coming out as a lesbian. She talks about her work with the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism and the Canadian Parliament, and embracing Torah through a lens of intersectionality. “When you bring different eyes and a different experience…to the study of Torah…it enables our tradition to stay alive and to stay relevant,” says Rabbi Lithwick. “[I bring] all of myself…as a queer woman, as a mom, as a lawyer, as a Canadian…into my read of Torah…And it's a really exciting time…to be a part of all of this.”

Jewish innovation thrives on different perspectives, and it’s so vital that queer Jewish leaders be empowered to share their own. This week, Rabbi Dara Lithwick shares her experience wrestling both with God and coming out as a lesbian. She talks about her work with the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism and the Canadian Parliament, and embracing Torah through a lens of intersectionality. “When you bring different eyes and a different experience…to the study of Torah…it enables our tradition to stay alive and to stay relevant,” says Rabbi Lithwick. “[I bring] all of myself…as a queer woman, as a mom, as a lawyer, as a Canadian…into my read of Torah…And it's a really exciting time…to be a part of all of this.”

Dara: From Parliament to the Bimah

Being queer and Jewish means something different to everyone, and those differences deserve to be celebrated. This week, J Collins (they/them) talks about being a Jewish storyteller and teacher; their connection, as a Jew-by-choice, to Rabbi Akiva’s teachings;, repairing the world in an oppressive political climate; and the dangers of “gatekeeping” in queer and Jewish spaces. “[I]n the transgender community, you're often hit with [the question] of, ‘Am I trans enough?,’…And I've been recognizing some of this in the Jewish community as well: ‘Am I Jewish enough?’” they explain. “[But] whether you call me Jewish or not doesn't matter. I am who I am, and you can't take that away from me.”

Being queer and Jewish means something different to everyone, and those differences deserve to be celebrated. This week, J Collins (they/them) talks about being a Jewish storyteller and teacher; their connection, as a Jew-by-choice, to Rabbi Akiva’s teachings;, repairing the world in an oppressive political climate; and the dangers of “gatekeeping” in queer and Jewish spaces. “[I]n the transgender community, you're often hit with [the question] of, ‘Am I trans enough?,’…And I've been recognizing some of this in the Jewish community as well: ‘Am I Jewish enough?’” they explain. “[But] whether you call me Jewish or not doesn't matter. I am who I am, and you can't take that away from me.”

J: Breaking Down the Gates of Queer Judaism

With so much turmoil and uncertainty happening around us, finding wholeness – with oneself and one’s community – is especially important. This week’s guest, Cantor Laura Stein, shares her perspectives on how we can best care for those around us, the (lack of) tension between being Jewish and being a lesbian, and how her spiritual leadership inspires her social work at Mount Sinai Hospital's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. “I see…my work with the patients as trying to bring wholeness to their lives,” she says. “And for my patients in particular [to] look in the mirror and see who [they] are in a way that reflects who [they] truly are…spiritual pursuit is about [making] the world more whole. I really see that as beginning with these individuals.”

With so much turmoil and uncertainty happening around us, finding wholeness – with oneself and one’s community – is especially important. This week’s guest, Cantor Laura Stein, shares her perspectives on how we can best care for those around us, the (lack of) tension between being Jewish and being a lesbian, and how her spiritual leadership inspires her social work at Mount Sinai Hospital's Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. “I see…my work with the patients as trying to bring wholeness to their lives,” she says. “And for my patients in particular [to] look in the mirror and see who [they] are in a way that reflects who [they] truly are…spiritual pursuit is about [making] the world more whole. I really see that as beginning with these individuals.”

Laura: Creating Peace Out of Wholeness

How can we embrace Judaism from not only a queer perspective, but also a “political” one? Max Antman (he/him), a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, discusses how being a gay man influences his reading of Torah, how his Reform synagogue empowered his gay identity, and the sacred relationship between activism and studying Jewish text. “Judaism is inherently very intertwined with politics,” he says. “[I want] to push the Jewish community forward and…rally behind these issues of equity, justice, diversity, inclusion…I want to be out and talking to people and integrating them into the Jewish community and pushing for progress in our world.”

How can we embrace Judaism from not only a queer perspective, but also a “political” one? Max Antman (he/him), a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, discusses how being a gay man influences his reading of Torah, how his Reform synagogue empowered his gay identity, and the sacred relationship between activism and studying Jewish text. “Judaism is inherently very intertwined with politics,” he says. “[I want] to push the Jewish community forward and…rally behind these issues of equity, justice, diversity, inclusion…I want to be out and talking to people and integrating them into the Jewish community and pushing for progress in our world.”

Max Antman: The Queerness and Politics of Torah

Being wholly Jewish means not having to hide parts of who we are when we enter Jewish spaces - including our queer identities. Caroline Dorn (she/her) discusses the importance of such a community; why Jewish congregations must hold intentional communities for marginalized folks; combining her improv skills with her “extracurricular Judaism"; and the importance of expanding our worldviews. "I think that the best resource that the Jewish community has is people," she says. "It's our relationships. It's our connection to one another. It's how we move through the world and the people that we hold close to us while we do it."

Being wholly Jewish means not having to hide parts of who we are when we enter Jewish spaces - including our queer identities. Caroline Dorn (she/her) discusses the importance of such a community; why Jewish congregations must hold intentional communities for marginalized folks; combining her improv skills with her “extracurricular Judaism"; and the importance of expanding our worldviews. "I think that the best resource that the Jewish community has is people," she says. "It's our relationships. It's our connection to one another. It's how we move through the world and the people that we hold close to us while we do it."

Caroline: Forming a Sacred Queer Community

Judaism is in a constant state of reform, and our approach to LGBTQ+ inclusivity should be, too. Leonard Slutsky (he/him), a Union for Reform Judaism lay leader and college admissions counselor, shares his experiences as a gay cisgender Jewish man; how Reform Jewish spaces affirmed his gay identity; how Judaism inspires his work as a suicide hotline volunteer; and how our communities can better serve queer Jews of all backgrounds. “I feel that it’s my role as someone who has a great deal of privilege, especially within the queer community,” he says, “to use it and help support those who don’t have as much as a voice.”

Judaism is in a constant state of reform, and our approach to LGBTQ+ inclusivity should be, too. Leonard Slutsky (he/him), a Union for Reform Judaism lay leader and college admissions counselor, shares his experiences as a gay cisgender Jewish man; how Reform Jewish spaces affirmed his gay identity; how Judaism inspires his work as a suicide hotline volunteer; and how our communities can better serve queer Jews of all backgrounds. “I feel that it’s my role as someone who has a great deal of privilege, especially within the queer community,” he says, “to use it and help support those who don’t have as much as a voice.”

Leonard: Creating Seats at the Queer Jewish Table

Being queer means something different to everyone who identifies this way. Mo Selkirk (she/her), a queer Jewish mother, spouse, and activist, to name a few, discusses how her grandparents inspired her to embrace Judaism, what it means to be in a queer family, and how presenting as straight has been a blessing and a curse. “My [queer] invisibility is my personal superpower,” she says, “because people will say things to me [when] they don’t know who they’re talking to, and…I have the have the opportunity to educate them.”

Being queer means something different to everyone who identifies this way. Mo Selkirk (she/her), a queer Jewish mother, spouse, and activist, to name a few, discusses how her grandparents inspired her to embrace Judaism, what it means to be in a queer family, and how presenting as straight has been a blessing and a curse. “My [queer] invisibility is my personal superpower,” she says, “because people will say things to me [when] they don’t know who they’re talking to, and…I have the have the opportunity to educate them.”

Mo: Standing in the Closet Doorway

During Shira’s conversation with Eliana Rubin (check out our June 2nd episode, if you missed it), many topics came up – including Eliana’s beautiful, curly hair! In case you couldn’t get enough from episode one, check out this bonus episode all about how she creates those perfect curls.

During Shira’s conversation with Eliana Rubin (check out our June 2nd episode, if you missed it), many topics came up – including Eliana’s beautiful, curly hair! In case you couldn’t get enough from episode one, check out this bonus episode all about how she creates those perfect curls.

The Secret to Eliana's Fabulous Hair

What do we all have in common? We all live - and balance - complex and nuanced identities, that, when braided together, make us wholly ourselves - and “Wholly Jewish.” Join April Baskin, the Union for Reform Judaism’s former vice president for audacious hospitality, as she speaks with Jews of Color who share their experiences, insights, and how their identities enrich and create a more vibrant Jewish community.

On the premiere episode of Wholly Jewish: Season 2, we hear from Eliana Rubin (she/her). Eliana (who went by Elias at the time of this episode’s recording) talks about when she first connected with her nonbinary transfemme identity and her desire to create more queer-inclusive classrooms. "I find that identifying as a Reform Jew and a queer person...are two parts of me that are so integral now to my core identity," she says.

On the premiere episode of Wholly Jewish: Season 2, we hear from Eliana Rubin (she/her). Eliana (who went by Elias at the time of this episode’s recording) talks about when she first connected with her nonbinary transfemme identity and her desire to create more queer-inclusive classrooms. "I find that identifying as a Reform Jew and a queer person...are two parts of me that are so integral now to my core identity," she says.

Eliana: Gender Diversity is So Jewish

Welcome to the first episode of Wholly Jewish: Season 2! Hosted by Jewish performance and ritual artist Shira Kline (she/her), a.k.a. ShirLaLa, this season features interviews with LGBTQIA+ Jews from the Union for Reform Judaism's JewV'Nation Fellowship. Follow along as they share their experiences in Jewish spaces, how their queerness and their Judaism intersect, and their visions of a more inclusive and equitable Jewish community.

Welcome to the first episode of Wholly Jewish: Season 2! Hosted by Jewish performance and ritual artist Shira Kline (she/her), a.k.a. ShirLaLa, this season features interviews with LGBTQIA+ Jews from the Union for Reform Judaism's JewV'Nation Fellowship. Follow along as they share their experiences in Jewish spaces, how their queerness and their Judaism intersect, and their visions of a more inclusive and equitable Jewish community.

B'ruchim Haba'im -  Welcome Back to Wholly Jewish: Season 2!

Fashionista and future rabbi Becky Jaye talks about navigating the world as an Asian Jew – in rabbinical school, in Israel, in the broader Jewish community, and in society at large. “I'm probably the most confident I've ever been in my identity as a Reform Jew,” she says.

Fashionista and future rabbi Becky Jaye talks about navigating the world as an Asian Jew – in rabbinical school, in Israel, in the broader Jewish community, and in society at large. “I'm probably the most confident I've ever been in my identity as a Reform Jew,” she says.

Becky: Kimchi and Latkes

Erica Riddick is a lifelong dancer, an avid learner, and a keen observer who talks about consistent curiosity, intent versus impact, how to have honest conversations, and more. “I like thinking about identity, like who I am and where I’m going in the world,” she says.

Erica Riddick is a lifelong dancer, an avid learner, and a keen observer who talks about consistent curiosity, intent versus impact, how to have honest conversations, and more. “I like thinking about identity, like who I am and where I’m going in the world,” she says.

Erika: Check Your Assumptions at the Door

Meet Destiny Karash Givens, a multiracial Jewish teacher and scientist who’s proving that she can do just about anything – including raising the profile and visibility of Jews of Color. “People automatically have this assumption of the ‘why’ about my Judaism,” she says.

Meet Destiny Karash Givens, a multiracial Jewish teacher and scientist who’s proving that she can do just about anything – including raising the profile and visibility of Jews of Color. “People automatically have this assumption of the ‘why’ about my Judaism,” she says.

Destiny: Jews Like Us are Out Here

Robin Harrison contains multitudes: This Black, Jewish, Disney-loving father, husband, and son tells us about his childhood in Compton, his family’s Jewish studies, and the sense of wonder he cultivates in adulthood. “I want to make a difference for someone,” he says.

Robin Harrison contains multitudes: This Black, Jewish, Disney-loving father, husband, and son tells us about his childhood in Compton, his family’s Jewish studies, and the sense of wonder he cultivates in adulthood. “I want to make a difference for someone,” he says.

Robin: Driven by Curiosity and Joy

Amanda Ryan, a elected official in Nebraska, talks about what it means to her to identify with historically marginalized communities. "I'm pushing people to think outside of what is Jewish and or what is Latino."

Amanda Ryan, a elected official in Nebraska, talks about what it means to her to identify with historically marginalized communities. "I'm pushing people to think outside of what is Jewish and or what is Latino."

Amanda: Identities, Politics, and Spiritual A-Ha Moments

Everlyn Hunter, an honest, insightful West Coast psychologist, embraces her multi-faceted identity – Jewish, Black, multi-ethnic, a lesbian, and more. “All of who I am exists at all times and in every context.”

Everlyn Hunter, an honest, insightful West Coast psychologist, embraces her multi-faceted identity – Jewish, Black, multi-ethnic, a lesbian, and more. “All of who I am exists at all times and in every context.”

Everlyn: Bring Your Whole Self to Everything

Tani Prell Epstein, an artist, Jewish educator, and woman of Color, talks about what drew her to Judaism and how we can all embrace and move toward a fully inclusive Jewish world. “Judaism is the way that I think and love and learn,” she says.

Tani Prell Epstein, an artist, Jewish educator, and woman of Color, talks about what drew her to Judaism and how we can all embrace and move toward a fully inclusive Jewish world. “Judaism is the way that I think and love and learn,” she says.

Tani: We Need Inclusive Jewish Spaces

ReformJudaism.org’s own Chris Harrison, a skilled writer and editor, talks about life as a Black Jew-by-Choice, a networker extraordinaire, and lover of all things Marvel and marvelous. “I always knew I had a calling to communicate, to write, and to be my own authentic self.”

<a href="http://ReformJudaism.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ReformJudaism.org</a>’s own Chris Harrison, a skilled writer and editor, talks about life as a Black Jew-by-Choice, a networker extraordinaire, and lover of all things Marvel and marvelous. “I always knew I had a calling to communicate, to write, and to be my own authentic self.”

Chris: The Blessing of Telling My Stories

As a Jew by choice and of color, it’s great to hear the stories of those with their Jewish and-and’s. Sometimes one can feel isolated even in the most welcoming communities when you’re the only one that’s not like the others...but now I see there is in fact a much wider community than meets the eye. Great listening!

I can empathize

As someone converting to Judaism I sometimes feel like an outsider. This podcast really helps me identify with and feel more comfortable among the Jewish community. It’s both enlightening and inspiring. Truly my favorite podcast.

An engaging, human perspective on the modern Jewish experience

Wholly Jewish

Yolanda Savage-Narva is a Jewish woman of Color, a mother, an activist, an educator, and so much more: “Jewish identity, for me, is multifaceted,” she said. She teaches us to be kind but strong, patient but firm, and always fair, just, and humble.

Yolanda Savage-Narva is a Jewish woman of Color, a mother, an activist, an educator, and so much more: “Jewish identity, for me, is multifaceted,” she said. She teaches us to be kind but strong, patient but firm, and always fair, just, and humble.

Yolanda: Forging Connections Through Conversations 

Come schmooze with Alexandra Corwin, a dedicated Jewish educator, a proud Latina woman, and a lover of Yiddish: “Those identities fill me spiritually and culturally,” she says. We discuss antiracism work, her evolution as a Jewish leader, and teaching social justice to students.

Come schmooze with Alexandra Corwin, a dedicated Jewish educator, a proud Latina woman, and a lover of Yiddish: “Those identities fill me spiritually and culturally,” she says. We discuss antiracism work, her evolution as a Jewish leader, and teaching social justice to students.

Alexandra: 100% Jewish, 100% Latina 

Anjelica Ruiz, a Jewish educator with Hispanic-Filipino heritage, shares personal stories and classroom experiences from the heartbreaking to the heartwarming. “I want to keep teaching and keep bettering myself as a Jew,” she says.

Anjelica Ruiz, a Jewish educator with Hispanic-Filipino heritage, shares personal stories and classroom experiences from the heartbreaking to the heartwarming. “I want to keep teaching and keep bettering myself as a Jew,” she says.

Anjelica: Dia de los Muertos Meets Yom Kippur

Gina Drangel is a trained opera singer and devoted mother who recently became a bat mitzvah. “Feeling so whole with my Jewishness and my Blackness, it completes me,” she says of her beautiful, ongoing journey.

Gina Drangel is a trained opera singer and devoted mother who recently became a bat mitzvah. “Feeling so whole with my Jewishness and my Blackness, it completes me,” she says of her beautiful, ongoing journey.

Gina: The Path I’ve Chosen

Meet Jordan Berg Powers, a social justice leader, family man, and all-around mensch striving to create a world of awareness and kindness. His number-one rule? Leave the world better than you found it. “I come from a long line of activists making change for the better,” he says.

Meet Jordan Berg Powers, a social justice leader, family man, and all-around mensch striving to create a world of awareness and kindness. His number-one rule? Leave the world better than you found it. “I come from a long line of activists making change for the better,” he says.

Jordan: Black, Jewish, and Bettering the World 

The best podcasts about ourselves as well as the world through the lense of Science. Specific topics include things about our brain, emotions to biology, physics and more!

Best Episodes on Science, Humans & The World

The best podcast episodes on parenting. Interviewing experts and talking through common issues surrounding parenting. This topic is filled with important lessons and insights for anyone listening. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!