The Wandering Jew

That’s So Kvetch is back and just in time for Valentine’s Day! In honor of the day, I wonder about my relationship with love, why I am so attracted to it, and how it’s impacted me both positively and negatively. Why does love make people go so dumb? It’s based in science! I talk about the chemicals and hormones behind love. Lastly, I talk about the important role of having hope and believing in order to get to love. We need to be kind to ourselves when we experience these feelings because it is so human to want to connect with someone else. I hope you’ll enjoy this honest and validating episode. Cheers to a brand-new season! (0:00-7:30) - Why I left and why I’m back! (7:30-11:30) - Redefining being a Jew in Jerusalem (11:30-18:00) - Intro - Why am I so obsessed with love? (18:00-28:55) - The science behind lust, attraction, and attachment (28:55 -33:30) - Hope is the first step to getting to love (33:30 -end) - Dating catch up, my current dating mentality, and pep-talk! Email Thatssokvetch18@gmail.com for thoughts, ideas, or questions!

In this episode, I chat with one of my oldest YU friends Aaron Shakib about dating apps and more! Oh, the joy! We cover everything from name puns as pick-up lines, to the dreaded “hey” text message, and tips to eliminate the awkwardness! In the end, meeting people is fun, and the more people you meet, the more likely you are to find that one and only. Aaron’s positive approach is sure to leave you uplifted and refreshed, guaranteed!

Hey everyone, welcome back to The Wandering Jew! Fellow creatives, this episode is for you. After a hiatus, I am excited to return to this platform so that I can share more about my journey to building up my illustration career. I start with talking about the war going on in Israel and segued into 5 things I’ve learned so far in this journey, from how to stay structured, dealing with discomfort, lack of certainty and believing in myself. It’s a rocky journey, but it has been interesting, fruitful, and fun too! I end with talking about how my spiritual connection to God has developed during this war and finding meaning during difficult times. I hope you enjoy this episode.(0:00 -3:40): Intro and a brief history of the podcast (3:40-(8:48): War life in Israel and resilience(8:48-13:40): Why I’ve decided try to become a freelancer(13:40-27:40): 5 things I’ve learned so far(27:40-end): Leaning into religion during war time and blessing

Recorded back in May before the war with Iran**In this episode, I chat with my dear friend Racheli about self-growth. We start off talking about how she grew into herself, how we became friends, and comparing the version she was to the person she is now. We get into moving to Israel during corona times, transitioning from her introvert era to her adventurous era, and babbling about summer plans, sewing mitpachats, diabetes summaries, and all the unique Racheli things that make her who she is. We talk summer bucket lists, the challenge of letting go of control, making meaning out of ritual and what brings joy even if you don’t love the source of the tradition. There’s a political tangent about what it feels like to live through conflict and how we each deal with it in our own way.(0:00 – 6:52) Intro and chit chat(6:52 – 12:00) What did Racheli learn about herself before she moved?(12:00 – 16:30) Summer plans babble(16:30 – 30:00) Reflections on living through a war in Israel(36:00 – end) Growth in her 20s and making meaning out of rituals

Future Olim - this one’s for you. In this episode, I sit down with one of my oldest friends in Israel, Alex Porcelain, to talk about what it’s really like to move here and start over. We cover everything from navigating grocery stores, Hebrew mistakes, navigating bureaucracy, and that moment when Israel starts to feel like home. We both reflect on how you don’t need to change who you are to live here, you just need to try. We talk about belonging, missing home, friends who are thinking about making Aliyah, and why we wish more people would take the leap. It’s not impossible. Eventually, you just… live here. We end with some hot takes and a little Porcedawg TikTok magic, of course.(0:00–3:38) – Intro(3:38–12:40) – The early stages of Aliyah: excitement, confusion, and first impressions(12:40–16:11) – Feeling Israeli and the journey of learning Hebrew(16:11–26:00) – Honest advice for acclimating to Israeli life(26:00–32:00) – Bureaucracy, more Hebrew, and learning to navigate the system(32:00–40:00) – Being far from home and watching friends make the leap(40:00–end) – Alex's TikTok journey

In this episode, I chat with my coworker and first Israeli guest on the podcast, Shira Sa’ar! We talk about identity, culture, and the realities of life in Israel. We discuss the different Jewish subcultures in Israel, from Mizrahi to Ashkenazi, and compare them to Jewish communities in the U.S. Then we get into Shira's perspective on political correctness, stereotypes, and why Israeli discourse often leaves little room for complexity. Then, we finish off with a fun game comparing Israeli and American words and Yiddish slang! 0:00 - 7:22 | Shira’s army service and upbringing 8:40 - 14:22 | Jewish subcultures in America vs. Israel 14:22 - 20:00 | Stereotypes, racism, and social divisions in Israel 20:00 - 25:30 | The role of nuance and complexity in Israeli discourse 25:30 - 32:39 | Dating norms, meeting the parents, and cultural expectations 32:39 - End | Israeli vs. American slang + Yiddish quiz

In this episode, I chat with Abby Yucht—fellow immigrant, poet, and case manager with a masters in social work. We dive into the question: Do artists have to be dramatic, or does drama just come with the territory? We explore the role of art in life’s chaos, creating street poems, and what it means to be an artist during difficult times.Our conversation weaves together a full  world—bouncing between getting poetry published, the magic of Jerusalem, and the ever-evolving experience of Aliyah. We dive into reverse culture shock, and how place shapes personality, while laughing about cultural differences, and using our American-ness for good.(0:00) – Intro(4:50 - 9:54) – Abby’s creative journey: from a cappella to poetry(9:54 - 17:40) – What does it mean to be an artist? + Poetry talk(17:30 - 20:00) – Art after October 7th(20:00 - 30:06) – Publishing poetry + Abby shares “Jerusalem Scenes” poem(30:06 - 39:48) – How Aliyah changed Abby’s perspective(40:00 - end) – Advice to her younger self

In this episode, I chat with Jude Bronstein, a disability advocate and fellow olah. We discuss what their life is like dealing with having cerebral palsy, how to be a disabilities advocate and owning your struggles without pushing yourself too hard. Jude shares how to learn to accept your different states of mind rather than resist them.I hope you appreciate this real, down-to-earth and honest episode. Follow Jude’s work at disabledreamer.com or on Instagram @disabledreamer.(0:00-4:00) - Jude is a long time podcast listener!(4:00-15:00) - Cerebral Palsy and writing as a coping mechanism(15:00-26:51) - Being a disability advocate(26:51-35:00) - How to build a positive mindset during difficult times(35:00-38:00) - IFS theories (38:00-end) - Advice for getting through hard times 

In true “wandering Jew” fashion, in this episode I chat with fellow Jerusalemite, film-maker, artist, writer, and now future Jewish educator! From Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem, Ryan has really explored himself in a variety of facets. From teaching himself yiddish to being a French boujee film maker to making all kinds of art, he leaves no stone unturned.We talk about the importance of going out of your comfort zone and not limiting yourself to being one type of Jew. I hope you enjoy this artsy and whimsical episode.(0:00-7:38) - Ryan’s windy journey from Paris to Estonia to Jerusalem!(7:38-10:21) - Jewish upbringing and being a patrilineal Jew(10:21 -16:15) - Writing Yiddish in the snow(16:15-21:00) - Ryan’s awakening in Jerusalem + Rebecca’s final college art project(21:00 -27:00) - Adjusting to Jerusalem life (27:00-32:20) - Jewish expression can change and grow (32:20 - 40:00) - Tennis metaphor(40:00 -end) - Final lessons and breakthroughs

In this episode, I chat with my roommate Emma, who lived with me for the past 10 months for research abroad in pursuing her Phd. Emma and I come from very different backgrounds in our zionism, and we really got into some hard-hitting questions about terrorism, colonialism, and the establishment of Israel. Though there were moments we disagreed, I felt grateful for our cordial and cathartic conversation. My goal was to share my belief in the importance of open dialogue and creating space for different perspectives. (0:00-5:30)- About the PHD and wartime in Israel (5:30-9:30) - Emma’s upbringing  (9:30-13:55) - Being complicit in your country’s crimes  (13:55-20:10) - How is Israel supposed to combat terrorism? What is terrorism? (20:10-27:25) - Is Israel placed on a higher moral ground than other places and is it antisemitism? (27:25-35:22) - The founding of Israel and settler colonialism (35:22-43:10) - Rebecca’s reflections on her journey in Aliyah and Zionism (43:10-end) - Emma’s last thought on anti-Zionism and progressive values

Welcome to a brand new season of The Wandering Jew! In this episode, I chat about where I’ve been, what the new podcast will be about, stories from my recent trip in New York visiting family and friends, eating grapes on new years with a group of strangers, and a little pep-talk about believing in yourself. I hope you enjoy this light introduction episode.  Baby we’re back!  (0:00-3:29) - How the new pod will be different from That’s So Kvetch! (3:329-10:43) - What I’ve been up to and NYC nostalgia (10:43-13:22) - Spanish grapes superstition on New Years (13:22-23:35) - Confidence tips from career coach, and strategies to believe in yourself (23:25-end) -  Making space for new dreams final blessing + explanation of the wandering jew

This episode is for all spiritual seekers out there! In this episode, I chat with Maggi, who runs her own art business based in Jerusalem. Together we discuss the ups and downs of her spiritual journey and how to deal when you hit a spiritual low. Also an olah chadashah, we begin with her Aliyah story and what inspired her to move in the first place. Then we dive into how things spiritually shifted for her through trauma and life changes, and what happened when she stopped feeling as connected. We explore questions like: What does God really want from us? Does he tally our actions? What do you do when your family isn’t as religious? Does God want us to push ourselves to do things that don’t feel authentic to ourselves? I hope you enjoy this cathartic and vulnerable episode.  (0:00 -11:26) - Birthright, spiritual experiences and conversion (11:26-22:00) - Leaving seminary and new questions arising (22:00-28:00) - What are all these rules really about? (28:00-35:00) - The role of religious guilt and shame, and why is religion so divisive? (35:00-42:00) - Owning yourself and self compassion (42:00-end) - final blessing

In this episode, I dive into the stages of moving to a new country. Future olim, this episode is for you! I start off with a debrief from last week’s incredible Purim celebration. I dressed as a man and the cross-dressing experience lent to a very fun social experiment and I share all the hilarious reactions as well as an exploration of masculinity vs. femininity. Then, I dive into the 5 stages of acclimating to a new country, share stories from learning Hebrew, difficult Saturday nights, to building up my confidence. It’s amazing to look back at how much things have changed and evolved. Lastly, I finish off with a little piece of Torah and a meditation on redemption and what it can bring to our own lives. As always, you can email thatssokvetch18@gmail.com for any ideas or thoughts that came up for you! (0-3:38)- Intro (3:38-15:40) - Purim debrief and reactions to my costume (15:40-27:24) - 1st three stages, culture and language barriers (27:24-32:37) - Assimilation, biculturalism, and snails? (32:37-end) - Torah on redemption and final blessing!

In this episode, I have a conversation with Bodhi River, community builder, bodyworker, and soon-to-be joining a school for communal learning in Italy! Together, we dive into how to let go and create closure for yourself in situations when you don’t get it. Through a series of metaphors from the blue ball to the regenerative cake, we talk about dealing with rejection, having healthy boundaries, loving ourselves, and feeling full all on our own. We can truly depend on ourselves to give ourselves love! I hope you’ll enjoy this cathartic and hopeful episode. Happy listening! (0:00-10:18)- Bodhi’s life at the kibbutz (10:18-15:00) How to notice when you are giving yourself away (15:00-27:00) Refueling yourself all on your own (27:00-35:55) Managing desires, expectations on others, and self-regulating on dating apps (35:55 -end) Embracing your inner child + final blessing

In this episode of “the pod”, I chat with Sarah, an old friend from Stern, currently in dental school, and Adam (new friend!), currently in law school, about the woes of dating! We dive into the concept of dating checklists, how to meet potentials at Key Food, who should pay for dates, feminism, Hex and Co (the board game cafe dating spot), some poetry, lessons from heartbreak, and more! Through laughs, *just water*, and shared anecdotes, we talked about how important it is not to regret loving or having been loved and appreciating the journey of dating as it comes. Be a lover, not a hater! Happy listening!

RebeccaKpodcasts, once again! In this episode, I chat about getting back together with exes and some of my experiences in the matter, the concept of “bad timing”, cutting things off cold turkey,  and poems by Erin Hanson and Elizabeth Bishop on loss. To top it all off, we’ll finish with some insights from the Book of Kohelet. Kohelet is a doozy and offers lots of existential wisdom (my favorite kind!) and I hope you enjoy this reflective episode.

In this episode, I chat about my recent birthday festivities and reflect on parts of my growth. I share how I learned the importance of embracing the mess of who you are and the value in impressing yourself over others. Then in terms of boizzz, I talk about a catch-22 and the concept of the "people-lover". Steer clear of the people-lover! Then, we top it off with a dope story from the Gemara about an awesome woman named Yalta and the 400 wine barrels she smashed. Cool beans. Hope you all enjoy :)