Claim OwnershipWayward Children: Jewish Monsters, Magic, and the Stories We Tell
Subscribed: 9Played: 66
Subscribe
© 2025 Wayward Children: Jewish Monsters, Magic, and the Stories We Tell
Description
According to Jewish tradition, the world around us is filled with demons, ghosts, giants and angels, and creatures of all types. But Judaism today tends to downplay and rationalize them away, to the point where they’re just forgotten dusty metaphors. But for millenia, Jews have lived with these creatures and have had practical means for coping with them.
Join Jack Zaientz a scholar of all things Jewish folklore and mythology and John Baltisberger, the award-winning author of Jewish horror and fantasy as they explore the topics of mythic Judaism and discuss it's survival and use in modern day culture both pop and otherwise.
30 Episodes
Reverse
This week the boys are back with some practical advice. Jews have been engaging in protective ritual since as long as we had things to protect. From hamsa to Mezuzah our practices know no limits, and in today's climate you can't be too careful! So gather round and learn how to protect yourself and your home today! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST!...
Jack and John are back in the water horse saddle again! Riding those Sheydim across the sunset and into the river! That's right this week we discuss WATER DEMONS! Well... not so much water demons as water AND demons. Demons in water? Look, here's the thing... bathrooms are dangerous y'all. Here's a link to the rabbinic essays Jack talks about: https://t.co/CbdARQtbuQ Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitte...
This week we talk about Omens! Hilariously this episode was supposed to go up before Hannukah but John has been through the ringer. ALSO hilariously Jack talks about how its okay that John is not good about hitting posting deadlines. But here's your episode! Do not take this as an Omen that John will miss the next episode deadline! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET...
This week we discuss CHANNUKAH! That's right, the reason for the season is latkes, dreidels, candles, and of course goblins! But what are goblins in the Jewish tradition? Why are they involved in Channukah? Why is Channukah a punk rock and metal holiday? All this and more in this very special CHANNUKAH EPISODE of Wayward Children! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patre...
This week Jack and John try to take it a bit easy and then argue about animals! Listen as we describe a terrible frog, a clever ass, and of course how fables modern and ancient fit into the fabric of sacred mythology. Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books Intro and outro music ‘Skin and Bones’...
This week we talk about the sexiest figure in Jewish mythology. The queen of demons, a woman who looked the archetypal man in the eyes and said. "No, I will not be subservient. I am woman, and I would rather be a queen of demons than serve anyone." John may be really excited to delve into this one... Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYW...
This week Jack and John throw curses around like it's nobody's business! Listen to Jack read off traditional Yiddish curses. Did you know we tried to curse Hitler? Check out the storied history of curse prevention, and watch as Jack puts John on the spot to make curses up just for you! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHI...
John and Jack delve into one of their favorite topics, THE GIANT WARS. This is an insane topic as it's rife throughout both the Tanakh and the Talmud. There is ample liturgical evidence of giants and the Jewish people fighting them. So let's delve into our biggest fans, be the Nephilim, Raphaim, or just Yao Ming. (To our knowledge, Yao Ming is not a being made of fire, nor is he a listener, but we could be wrong!) Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jac...
This week John and Jack meet up in person in sunny oppressive Austin, Texas to discuss which ghosts have the most in this episode of Dybbuk-Centric episode of Wayward Children. Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books Intro and outro music ‘Skin and Bones’ composed by Yoshie Fruchter and performe...
An amazing special episode, we bring on a descendent of the Rebbe to discuss his storied and near-mythic family history, Story of Rabbi Menachem Tzvi of England (Rabbi with an Earring #2) https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1148-11The wedding memento of Pessi and Dovie Levy (Rabbi with an Earring #3 and other family stories) https://collive.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Levy-Fischer-Memento.pdfSefer Shimmush Tehillim https://halakhah.com/rst/tehillim.pdfSend us a text ---------...
There are few things that bring a group of Jews together faster than and better than food. This episode Jack and John dive into the culinary traditions of Judaism is more specifically those traditions' place in mysticism. Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books Intro and outro music ‘Skin and Bo...
John and Jack talk about speaking quietly and carrying a big stick, while speaking very loudly. This episode is all about canes, staffs, and staves, magic and meaningful throughout Jewish history and mythology! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books Intro and outro music ‘Skin and Bones’ compo...
Jack and John discuss messianic myths of Judaism as well as various messianic figures that have existed through our history. ProphetsJoseph Della Reina StoryOvergrowth by John BaltisbergerSend us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books Intro and outro music ‘Skin and Bones’ composed by Yoshie Fruchter...
Happy Passover everyone! This week we cover myths and folklore surrounding the seder plate and legends of the Exodus from kaiju to angels! a few extra links: Roman Prostitute Elijah!Elijah: Private Dick (checker)Miriam's WellMarti's Kaiju Frog ShirtSend us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggadah Try It Books ...
We're doing it, okay. You can stop yelling at us. We are finally covering the legend of the Golem on Wayward Children. All this really means is that Jack and John are going to yell and rant at each other for roughly an hour. But it's all in good fun... I promise. A couple of extra links this week: https://www.jmberlin.de/blog-en/2016/12/bread-and-golems/https://ezrarose.itch.io/Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find Jo...
This week John and Jack discuss witches, but with the added super cool bonus of a full-fledged interview with New York-based cultural critic, playwright, and teacher of Everyday Ashkenazi Magic, Rokhl. Aunt Taiblele Link https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/language-literature-culture/yiddish-translation/aunt-taibeleYou can also get artist Marti's shirt based on this episode here: https://t.co/60Vw6wC1zjSend us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter...
Did you know there were Jewish unicorns? Like several different types and styles of Jewish unicorns? And they aren't Jewish just because they like Challah and klezmer music! Join John as he gets educated by Jack on the vast lore of Jewish unicorns including how they are STILL represented today in Jewish culture and decor! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READI...
In case you didn't guess from the convoluted title, this week we are talking about divination practices. (You really should have seen that coming.) What is it about knowing the future that gets us all hot and bothered? Why are there so many methods of divination when divination is ruled as an abomination in Dueteronomy? The only way to know for sure is to dive in with John and Jack! Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Websi...
As much as we love when you stick a bunch of googly eyes to a kitten and say it's a biblically accurate cat (and we do love that), biblically accurate angels aren't all that... well biblically accurate. Jack and John discuss angels in folklore, writing, and liturgy. Send us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GET THE WAYWARD CHILDREN SHIRT! Shop Aggad...
This week John and Jack teach you how to protect yourself from the evils that infuse the world! From magical charms to keep demons away, burning incense, to actions you can take to put the kaibosh on evil spells from people, we got it all for you! Don't forget to check out: THREE CHARMS FOR KILLING ADOLF HITLERSend us a text ----------------------------------------------------- Find Jack on Twitter or his Website Find John on Twitter or his Website or his Patreon GET OUR READING LIST! GE...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States