Extended Kiddush

5 February 2026With the Super Bowl just three days away, we sat down this morning to take a look back at the past week, including TST events, Talia’s trip to see “Chess” in New York, Marissa’s day in Boston, and the joy Dan felt when he learned that Massachusetts has its own special groundhog. We also celebrate the first rehearsal of “KPop Haman Hunters”, discuss the differing opinions on who spoke The Ten Commandments, and do our own version of the Grammys. We also get ready for a VERY busy weekend here at TST- with a Yeladim/B’yachad/pizza combo, a B Mitzvah/Extended Kiddush/evening reception, and a full Sunday of programming… or, a full first part of the day, since there’s a football thing or something at dinnertime. We’ve also got an aspirational bonus track about another Patriots championship, so….. Go Pats!

S1:E31- Never Take The Red Line29 Jan. 2026Well, we survived Snowmageddon this week and are back for a special Thursday podcast recapping our snow days, the Patriots advancing to the Super Bowl, and Dan and Talia's experience at the Bruins game on Tuesday. We celebrate the return of the Morocco trip, the launch of Mussar 2 and our Ethical Wills classes, the JFS clothing drive, and the surging popularity of Mah Jongg at TST.. and beyond. We do a short learning about Beshallach, talk about times we were wrong this week, and get SUPER-EXCITED FOR KPOP HAMAN HUNTERS at Purim. Stick around for the bonus track, as always. 

22 January 2026We’ve got a snowstorm on the way, but nothing gets in the way of this podcasting crew as we hit the 30-episode mark. This week, Dan and Talia are joined by Jenna and Renata, and we dive into a review of all things TST-related and TST-adjacent. We’ve got congregants in Morocco, guests in the building from CJP, Rabbi Lisa stepping in to all of the clergy activities, and a whole bunch of future experiences. We also do a little learning about The Ten Plagues, discuss “What’s Wrong This Week” (ice hazards, Oscar nominations, sprained thumbs), realize the importance of Watch City Brewery (z’l) to various relationships, and end up with a banger of a bonus track inspired by a certain song from a certain show on HBO. Stay warm and safe out there!

15 January 2026We’re back this week with special guest Stephen Greenstein and a look back at a phenomenally successful run of events, including Tu B’Shevat/Havdalah, a skating afternoon in Framingham, and Wednesday’s author event. We get down in the weeds about snakes vs. serpents and the word tanin in the Torah, Dan and Marissa have a miraculous story from Sunday’s Bruins game, Stephen tells us the shortest possible story of his life, and we reflect on surviving the great Verizon outage of 2026. Also: Necco wafers, Dan’s lunch on Friday, Wayland adult basketball, and our BEST BONUS TRACK OF ALL TIME. See you next time for Episode 30.

S1:E28- 5-Star Rating6 January 2026Happy New Year! We kick off 2026 with a back-to-work podcast that features quite a grab-bag of topics. We’ve got a review of vacation, a requiem for MTV, and some surprising information about what Moses’ name actually means. We also get excited for Marc Baker’s visit tomorrow, our book event next Wednesday, a first-of-its-kind Yeladim Tu B’Shevat/Havdalah combo this Saturday, and a whole lot of events coming up. Dan gets sad that there are not more Stranger Things fans at TST, Talia surprisingly opts for the large-print Mah Jongg card, and Marissa remembers the weekend storm that almost flooded her B Mitzvah . Finally, we take an unexpected detour into the songs of Simon & Garfinkel and jukebox musicals, drop a bonus track about coming back to work, and somehow almost meet Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

23 December 2025This week, we finish up the year with a last-minute podcast before Marissa jets off to Florida. We review assorted holiday gift swaps, Marissa’s pilgrimage to Marblehead, and Dan’s proud Jewish moment at a Bruins game. We also review the Chanukah tarantella that was performed at services on Friday night, the hilarity of the staff Chanukah celebration, and admire the amazing photos from the Bring-Your-Own-Menorah situation. We finish up by taking a look back at some of our favorite moments from this year on the show, and have another moment when we lose our minds over… almonds. Enjoy the bonus track, and see you in 2026!

S1:E26- I Was Only Right This Week15 Dec 2025Chanukah is here, and so are we for our penultimate podcast of 2025. We review a long list of recent events, Talia’s weekend trip to Aruba, and our successful world (or TST) record for indoor pizza that we set on December 5. We also get quizzed on a range of obscure Jewish traditions related to Chanukah candle-lighting, discuss the new teas at the coffee bar (and how do you pronounce “pekoe”?), and prepare for an almost-filled-up blood drive on Saturday. Talia gives a report from the Lego Menorah event, Dan talks about the TST Chanukah lighting on Route 20, and Marissa basks in the afterglow of another full sanctuary last Friday night. We’ve also got Dan’s father’s 80th birthday, Marissa’s upcoming trip to Florida, and a Chanukah Europop boy-band bonus track. Chag Sameach!

S1:E25- We Bought A Ladder5 December 2025We’ve got a full house today as Jenna and Renata join us for a just-before-Shabbat episode full of action. We recap Thanksgiving and review our musical highlights from the day, discover our cultural blindspots (i.e. who hasn’t seen Harry Potter, The Wizard of Oz, The Godfather, Toy Story, and The Sound of Music), and have polite disagreements about lip syncing. We also talk about TST’s recent purchases of a ladder (for The Lego Menorah) and a new office chair (for our newest employee), review this week’s events, and prepare to smash the indoor record for pizza on Consecration Shabbat. We also do some PG-13 learning about mandrakes, get ready for a bevy of Chanukah activities, and prepare for various other events… like the TST Blood Drive, the Reyim Dinner, and, of course, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. And, as always, a bonus track to get you ready for the Festival of Lights.

S1:E24- A Small, Sour Thing25 Nov 2025We had a great time today in our final episode before Thanksgiving. Talia and Marissa reflect on “Wicked: For Good”, Dan gets back in touch with Israeli music, and we recap a festive Friday and weekend here at TST. We also debut “Times We Were Wrong This Week” as a segment, do some deep learning about cranberries and the blessings we might say over them (spoiler alert: there are at least three options), and have an eye-opening chat with John Legg. We look ahead at December, which is packed with events, as usual, and also give some final updates about our plans for the next few days. Most importantly, if you’ve ever wondered what our names might look like with some colonial flair, this episode is for you. Make sure to check out our bonus track about, what else- cranberries. Happy Thanksgiving!

S1:E2320 November 2025All Sliced UpLife comes at us fast- we blinked and 23 days went by without a podcast. We are back this week with a recap of a whole bunch of TST events, learn about Jacob and Esau, talk to John Legg about 3D printing, and go deep on Thanksgiving. Talia preps for Wicked For Good, Dan gets into some cranberry minutiae, and Marissa expands her footprint at home. We also celebrate the completion of the ELC outdoor classroom and community brick pathway, look at “Hineni” in the Jewish tradition, and break the indoor record for community pizza dinner attendance. Stick around for a Thanksgiving-fueled bonus track

28 October 2025S1:E22- 100 is the new 50 Fresh off the plane from Atlanta, Marissa is back from the Civil Rights Trip and is ready to update us on that amazing experience and her first time at Buc-ee’s. We catch up on pre-Thanksgiving activities, Dan’s acorn squash, and “Nobody Wants This”, Talia gives us the latest on the bricks for the community pathway, and we hear firsthand about Mussar from the newest Mussarnik. We learn about the secret plagues of Lech Lecha and King Melchitzedek, Dan prepares to go to Israel, and we get ready for a gauntlet of November events. Also: The Dybbuk, the Reyim Dinner, and the closure of the Friendly’s in Pembroke. Stick around for a K-Pop inspired Hebrew song about the community pathway, of course.

15 October 2025As XK celebrates its 21st birthday (of sorts), we also celebrate the return of the live hostages, the end of the holidays of Tishrei here at TST, and, of course, the release of the new album from Taylor Swift. We actually crown a Yom Kippur champion (no spoilers here), review the excitement of October 5 with the food drive, Sukkah building and softball bbq, and get ready for even more events coming up. We also celebrate the 95th birthday of Marissa’s Nana, learn some new things from Bereshit, and get ready for Rabbi Lisa’s class and Mussar kicking off next week. Stick around for a recording of the choir singing “Pitchu Li” from Yom Kippur morning and a next-gen audio track using an advanced model about the return of the hostages.

S1:E20- Who Won Rosh Hashanah?9.25.25While basking in the glory of a Rosh Hashanah well-celebrated, Dan, Marissa, and Talia are back with what can only be described as the Best. Pod. Ever. We review recent events like the Sept. 20 social night at TST, Dan’s day at Gillette with Talia’s husband, the Red Sox on the cusp of making the playoffs, and (finally) Jenna Brockman coming to temple. We also do a first-ever “Who Won Rosh Hashanah?” bracket featuring 16 holiday highlights going head-to-head (we could not crown a single winner, so we had FOUR champions), do a little bit of learning, and marvel at Talia saying yes to everything. Dan also attempts to discuss the "6-7" craze and fails spectacularly. Stick around for a little Rosh Hashanah bonus track. SHANA TOVAH!!!

S1:E19- Shofar, So Good9.9.25Some weeks we are too busy to podcast, and other weeks we are too busy to podcast but do it anyway- you can guess what kind of week this was! Today we welcome Marissa back to the pod and hear about her time away, and then launch into a review of a very busy week here at TST. The opening of the ELC, a pizza dinner for 200 people, Natick Days, the first Sunday of Hineni, and the Board Kallah all took place within just five days. We do some learning about the shofar, including the famous “interrupting shofar” from the Talmud, ask birthday girl Talia Hirsh four questions, and get jazzed for a fall full of programming here at the temple. Also, as usual, a bonus track about the shofar with a K-Pop vibe. See you next week for Episode 20!

S1:E18- The 614th Commandment27.8.25After a three-week break, we are back, sadly without Marissa, but with an appearance by TST’s newest staff member Renata Feinstein! We cover a lot of ground about what we’ve all been up to, review the ongoing work in and around the building, learn about some lesser-known material from Shoftim, and talk about a very busy few weeks just right around the corner. Renata comes by and we talk about East Coast/West Coast living, Come From Away and country music, preferred snacks from BJ’s, and climate zones at TST. Make sure to listen for updates about pizza dinners, High Holy Day registration, enrollment numbers for our education programs, Camp Shabbat with Omri Shklar, and more. We also struggle to agree on what the best episode of this podcast has been- what do you think? Not to be missed, a bonus track which honors Renata’s first few weeks with us.

5 August 2025: Everything Is ForwardWell- Logan’s back from the Mountain Time Zone, Marissa is Red Sox TikTok famous, Dan saw back-to-back wins at Fenway, Talia encountered sea snails, John Legg throws shade at… fish, and Jenna preps for Renata’s arrival next week. We talk about the end of ELC camp, TST’s PMC riders, and building improvements, review some ridiculous Talmudic arguments, check in on the community brick pathway, and get ready for a work-from-home week on Aug. 18. Later on, we’ve got some quality squirrel banter, not one, but two bonus post-outro audio tracks, and a potential road trip? You never know.

S1:E16- Land-Based, Water-Adjacent29 July 2025 It’s our first episode without Logan, but we make it up with both Jenna and Talia in the studio as we hear about weekend travels, High Holy Day registrations, Alison’s borscht recipe and a congregant gazpacho recipe taking the world by storm, and the putting together of the FY25 Annual Report. Dan celebrates his 23rd wedding anniversary at Fenway and in Gloucester, Talia makes friends on her Wayland lunch excursion, Marissa gets ready for Bravo Night at Fenway, and Jenna pumps us up for the arrival of Renata Feinstein in less than two weeks! We do some learning about fast days on the Jewish calendar, do a little astrology, John Legg reminds us all about how he ended up at TST, Talia’s brother gets on board with KPop Demon Hunters, and somehow we get into some hot takes about coffee and the Cape. Stick around for a bonus song about, what else, fast days in Judaism. See you in August!

22 July 2025Amidst a perfect stretch of summer weather, we make time to talk about kitchen demolition, Jenna’s camp trips, the excellent response to the High Holy Day registration email, and more! Dan endorses “KPop Demon Hunters”, we’ve got a rebellion in Nonantum, taco options in the Seaport, and the highs and lows of being a Red Sox fan, while learning about the magic of the number 42 in this week’s parasha, the Torah, and beyond. Logan gets ready to go to Montana, Marissa makes plans for Chicago, and Jenna preps for Ocean City, while Dan awaits his 23rd wedding anniversary next week. We also get into the ancient, modern, and natural wonders of the world, as John Legg envisions retirement in… Ecuador. Not to be missed, as usual, is this week’s bonus track about what else- the call that ended the Sox game on Monday night.

15 July 2025After a below-average morning in the building, we dig deep to save the day with the help of Talia Hirsh. We recap Rabbi Lisa’s first class, Shabbat at the Lake, the new issue of Chai-Lights, and the successful end of the Imagine The Possibilities campaign.We’ve also got the Red Sox on a heater, Marissa heading toFenway for a Red Sox-adjacent experience, Logan name-shaming Biblical Hebrew names, some Ring Camera shenanigans, and floods in the NY/NJ area. Dan talksabout the Daughters of Zelophehad from this week’s Torah portion, John Legg discusses potatoes and parking, and Talia elevates, perhaps, the TST Ice Program. Not to be missed: Logan’s secret segment, a bonus track, and sipping gin with Ryan Reynolds.

7.7.25After a one-week hiatus, we’re back this week and turn this podcast on its head as Marissa steps into the hosting chair. We jump off into a review of summer in the office, the start of camp in the ELC, a quiet Shabbat on July 4, and a bevy of staffing changes. Marissa participates in drill shaming, Dan plots to get down to the Oasis concert at MetLife Stadium, Logan gets jazzed about the Book of Judges, and given this week’s Torah portion, we have to talk about talking donkeys and other mystical/magical animals in the Jewish tradition.Also this week: using the phrase “Writ Large”, Red Snapper Night in Portland, the double meaning of the term “Food Desert” this summer, all-you-can-eat pancakes in the Berkshires, the Hoosac Tunnel, John Legg weighs in on the metric system, and we talk about coins again for a second.