Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: ⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025⁠⁠ Book for the Jerusalem Marathon "Return, Reconnect, and Run for Resilience" tour: ⁠⁠sababatravel.com Mijal and Noam dive into one of Judaism’s biggest—and most deliberately open-ended—questions: What does Judaism say about the afterlife, Olam HaBa, the World to Come? They explore why humans across cultures care so deeply about life after death—justice, grief, meaning, and reward—and why the Torah is famously sparse on the subject. Drawing on classical Jewish sources from the Mishnah and Talmud to Maimonides, they unpack what Jewish tradition does (and doesn’t) say about what comes next, including Olam HaZeh vs. Olam HaBa, Gan Eden, resurrection, and the risks of turning religion into a system of spiritual rewards. The takeaway: Judaism insists there is something beyond this life—while refusing to let speculation about the afterlife distract from the sacred work of living well right now. Here is a link to the story from the Talmud discussed in the episode:  https://www.sefaria.org/Taanit.22a.7?lang=bi   We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here: https://simchattorahchallenge.org/ https://www.sefaria.org/texts Get in touch at [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: ⁠https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025⁠ Book for the Jerusalem Marathon "Return, Reconnect, and Run for Resilience" tour: ⁠sababatravel.com Mijal and Noam dive into the fraught conversation around tzniut (modesty), blending Jewish sources with personal stories and lived experience. They unpack what Jewish law actually says, debunk common myths about dress codes, oppression, and liberation, and wrestle honestly with how modesty shows up in real communities. Ultimately, they expand tzniut beyond clothing—toward dignity, humility, self-awareness, and agency. We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here: https://simchattorahchallenge.org/ https://www.sefaria.org/texts Get in touch at [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

A Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach became the site of one of the deadliest antisemitic attacks in the diaspora in decades. Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy, who grew up in Sydney and now lives in Jerusalem, joins Noam and Mijal to explain what happened, why many in the community say it was “horrifying but not shocking,” and what this moment demands next. Here's a link to donate to the Bondi terror attack response:  https://donate.thedorfoundation.org.au/bondi-beach-terror-attack-response/donate Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: ⁠https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025 Get in touch at [email protected]. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Help us take Unpacked podcasts further by supporting our crowdfunding campaign: https://unpacked.bio/podgift2025 Book for the Jerusalem Marathon "Return, Reconnect, and Run for Resilience" tour: sababatravel.com In Part 2 of The Battle Over Jewish Storytelling: A Hanukkah Conversation, Mijal sits down with Dr. Tanya White to explore the deeper meaning of Hanukkah—beyond the oil. Together they unpack the three major narratives of the holiday: the historical Maccabee revolt, the rabbinic miracle of the oil, and the Al Hanisim prayer that weaves together human courage and divine presence. Speaking from Israel after October 7, Tanya reflects on a new “renaissance of the spirit” and what Hanukkah can teach us today about Jewish resilience, covenant, and hope. This timely, inspiring conversation reframes Hanukkah as a story of agency, faith, and the light we create together. Here is a link to ⁠ Dr. Tanya White website, where you can learn more about her work and find links to her podcast. https://www.tanyawhite.org/ We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here: https://simchattorahchallenge.org/ https://www.sefaria.org/texts Note: Noam Weissman will be back next week's episode . Get in touch at [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In preparation for Hanukkah, Mijal sits down with her friend and bestselling author Sarah Hurwitz to rediscover the holiday’s deeper meaning. Together they explore the grown-up story of the Maccabees, the complexities of assimilation and resistance, and how Hanukkah’s themes echo the identity struggles facing Jews today. Drawing on insights from Here All Along and As a Jew, Sarah reflects on courage, community, and what it means to live proudly and unapologetically Jewish in 2025. Here is Sarah Hurwitz's website with links to her books and bio: https://www.sarahhurwitz.net/ Here All Along As a Jew We’re proud to be collaborating with Sefaria and The Simchat Torah Challenge, on this episode along with all the other episodes of our “In the Beginning” mini-series. Learn more about these two incredible organizations here: https://simchattorahchallenge.org/ https://www.sefaria.org/texts Note: Noam was traveling at the time of this recording. Get in touch at [email protected] and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. Follow @unpackedmedia on Instagram and check out Unpacked on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠