Explore every episode of the podcast GOLDA Girls
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome to GOLDA Girls | 01 May 2026 | 00:46:12 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, former host of the hit Jewish podcast Unorthodox, is back with a brand new show that brings together an all-star group of Jewish women to discuss the issues facing our community each week: from the headlines dominating their feeds to the dramas lighting up their group chats. GOLDA Girls is a show about culture, community, identity, and the everyday moments shaping our modern Jewish lives. Stephanie is joined by Jewish Insider reporter Gabby Deutch, Rabbi Diana Fersko of The Village Temple, and novelist Esther Chehebar. This week, the GOLDA Girls dive into mahjong, mohel microcelebrities, and the massive amount of money pouring into the bagel business. Plus, they answer your burning questions about Jewish life. GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This week’s episode is also sponsored by:
GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. Edited by POLDHU. Subscribe to GOLDA’s newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on: | |||
| Coming Soon: GOLDA Girls | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:00:45 | |
| Jewish Mother's Day with Jill Kargman | 08 May 2026 | 00:46:33 | |
Stephanie Butnick, founder of GOLDA and former host of the hit podcast Unorthodox, brings together an all-star group of Jewish women to discuss culture, identity, and the everyday moments shaping our modern Jewish lives. This week, Stephanie and her co-hosts, journalist Gabby Deutch, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and novelist Esther Chehebar, discuss Jewish Mother’s Day, bageling, and more. Influenced writer and star Jill Kargman joins the show to tackle an “Ask GOLDA” listener question about banning phones at bat mitzvahs. GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This episode is also sponsored by Joyva, a fourth generation family business that crafts tahini, halvah and confections in Brooklyn, NY. Get your Joyva deliciousness today. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. Edited by POLDHU. Subscribe to GOLDA’s newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Please consider leaving us a rating or review. Stay GOLDA! | |||
| Cheesecake, Congress, and Joan Rivers with Julie Klausner | 22 May 2026 | 00:58:11 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick and her co-hosts—journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko—discuss how Shavuot became all about cheesecake and explore the Jewish implications of the race to replace longtime New York Congressman Jerry Nadler. Special guest Julie Klausner joins the show to answer a listener question in Ask GOLDA. This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Zabars and JCC Manhattan’s Literie candle collab. Gabby: The musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Diana: Mabel’s Labels for camp packing. Esther: Costco kosher cheesecake and Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi. Upcoming GOLDA Events: Tuesday, May 26 — New York City: GOLDA Mahjong Night is back on the Upper East Side for mahjong mavens, newcomers, and everyone in between! Sign up here. Wednesday, May 27 — New York City: Join GOLDA for the kickoff event in our series at The Harmonie Club. Stephanie Butnick will be talking to three contemporary Jewish writer Rachel Kadish (The Weight of Ink), Menachem Kaiser, (Plunder), and GOLDA Girls co-host Esther Chehebar (Sisters of Fortune)—about their work and the rich tradition of Jewish storytelling. Sign up here. Check out all of our events here. Want to bring GOLDA Girls to your community? Email us at hi@goldaguide.com. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This episode is also sponsored by:
GOLDA is a Jewish lifestyle destination built around one idea: making Jewish life bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. We’re edited by POLDHU. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Who Speaks for Us? | 15 May 2026 | 00:46:50 | |
This week, GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick and her co-hosts, journalist Gabby Deutch, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and novelist Esther Chehebar discuss what Jewish leadership looks like today. Reflecting on the death of Abe Foxman and the fractured moment in Jewish life, the GOLDA Girls spotlight people who have stepped up to offer meaningful, clear-eyed leadership in different ways. They include: Sarah Hurwitz, speechwriter and author of As a Jew and Here All Along. (Gabby pick) Mijal Bitton, spiritual leader and writer of the Committed Substack. (Esther pick) Rachel Goldberg Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and the author of When We See You Again. (Diana pick) Avital Chizik-Goldschmidt, writer and cofounder/rebbetzin of The Altneu. (SB pick) GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This episode is also sponsored by:
GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. Editing by POLDHU. Subscribe to GOLDA’s newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Please consider leaving us a rating or review! Stay GOLDA. | |||
| GOLDA Interviews: Fran Fabriczki, Author of 'Porcupines' | 13 May 2026 | 00:19:54 | |
On this special episode of GOLDA Girls, Stephanie Butnick talks to author Fran Fabriczki about her novel Porcupines, which is the latest selection from Nu Reads, the Jewish book subscription series (and our show’s sponsor!). The novel tells the story of Sonia, a Jewish immigrant from Budapest, and her 5-year-old daughter Mila, a Los Angeles native looking to piece together her mom’s mysterious past. GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. Edited by POLDHU. Subscribe to GOLDA’s newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on: | |||
| Good Hair, Good Books with Zibby Owens | 29 May 2026 | 00:50:10 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick and her co-hosts—journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko—untangle our Jewish relationship with our hair: from the flat-ironing to the chemical straightening and the embrace of natural curls. “Totally Booked” podcaster and publisher Zibby Owens joins the GOLDA Girls to share her summer reading picks and help answer a listener question. Zibby’s Summer Reading Picks: Forty Love, by Jane Costello https://go.shopmy.us/p-61258518 The End of My Life Is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker, by Annabelle Gurwitch https://go.shopmy.us/p-61258621 Enormous Wings, by Laurie Frankel https://go.shopmy.us/p-61258692 The Lost Mozart, by David K. Israel https://go.shopmy.us/p-61258845 With Friends Like You, by Amy Chozick https://go.shopmy.us/p-61258983 The Half Life, by Rachel Beanland https://go.shopmy.us/p-61259683 Breathing Under Water, by Jacqueline Friedland https://go.shopmy.us/p-61259804 (Zibby’s new book, Between Chapters: How I Started Over, Took Some Chances, and Found the Plot, will be out in September. You can preorder it here.) GOLDA Girls’ Summer Reading Picks: Stephanie: Like Wafers and Honey, by Leah Eskin https://go.shopmy.us/p-61259961 Esther’s pick: Long Island Girls, by Gabrielle Korn https://go.shopmy.us/p-61260781 Gabby: I Feel Bad About My Neck, by Nora Ephron https://go.shopmy.us/p-61260758 Diana: The Book of Psalms (Check out the Jewish Publication Society’s 2002 translation or scholar Robert Alter’s 2009 translation with commentary) Jewish Book Council’s Pick: The World Between, by Zeeva Bukai (Kate Schmier, Director of Publishing Relations, Jewish Book Council)
This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: 90210 star Ian Ziering’s daughter’s bat mitzvah. Gabby: The giant green pickle announcing the arrival of the U.K’s first Jewish culture month. Esther: Tsion Cafe in Harlem, run by chef Beejhy Barhany. Diana: New York City’s Israel Day Parade this weekend. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This episode is also sponsored by:
GOLDA is a Jewish lifestyle destination built around one idea: making Jewish life bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. We’re edited by POLDHU. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your recoew to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Everything with Chive, Knicks in Five | 12 Jun 2026 | 00:48:17 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko chat about the Tony Awards, Gabby’s recent Jewish insider article on AI’s implications for Jewish life, and the bagel-fueled excitement over the Knicks’ NBA Finals run. The hosts also share their summer wedding gift recommendations in response to a listener who wrote in looking for some inspiration: GOLDA Girls' wedding gift picks: Crystal candlesticks from Happy Kangaroo Cherry blossom challah board from Happy Kangaroo Eye tray from ABC Carpet & Home Travel shabbat candles from Emanuel Smash glass from Tchotchke Smash Hamsa from Tchotchke This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Congregation Rodeph Sholom sponsoring West Side Campaign Against Hunger’s recent block party. Gabby: Camp Ramah celebrating alumni Caissie Levy’s Tony Award win by sharing this 2015 video of Levy singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Mis in Hebrew. Esther: A mother-daughter trip to Home Goods. Diana: Bat mitzvahs! GOLDA is a Jewish lifestyle destination built around one idea: making Jewish life bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. GOLDA Mahjong Night is popping up on Tuesday, June 23 at one of our favorite restaurants on the Upper East Side for a night of open play (no instruction). Location will be revealed to attendees the week before the event. Sign up here. Sign up for Diana’s snail mail newsletter Modern Jewess here, and Gabby’s Substack here. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune here and Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, here. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Temple Dues and Hunky Jews with Noam Ash | 05 Jun 2026 | 00:57:53 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko break down two hot topics: the rising cost of Jewish life in America, and Sacha Baron Cohen and Brett Goldstein’s unlikely turn as the summer’s leading men—and what it means when our funny guys are also the hunks. Our guest is Noam Ash, the screenwriter and star of Bookends, which premiered this week in New York City and is heading to film festivals across the country. He tells us about working alongside Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Caroline Aaron— who play the grandparents Noam’s character moves in with after a breakup—and what he learned while workshopping his film with the Jewish Writers Institute (applications are open for their Digital Storyteller’s Lab and Screenwriters Lab). Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This episode is also sponsored by:
GOLDA is a Jewish lifestyle destination built around one idea: making Jewish life bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. Sign up for Diana’s snail mail newsletter Modern Jewess here, and Gabby’s Substack here. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune here and Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, here. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. Our executive producer is Ariel Shapiro. We’re edited by POLDHU. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Jewish Father's Day with Ted Deutch | 19 Jun 2026 | 00:30:43 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, and Rabbi Diana Fersko chat with a special guest for Father’s Day: Former U.S. Congressman, current American Jewish Commitee CEO, and dad-of-the-pod Ted Deutch. This week’s Father’s Day-themed Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: A (free) subscription to Sapir for Father’s Day Gabby: Jewish servicemen and women, especially Gabby’s Pa Bernie. Diana: The fathers in the Torah, especially Jacob. Ted Deutch: Jewish summer camp. GOLDA is a Jewish lifestyle destination built around one idea: making Jewish life bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe to our newsletter at www.goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. GOLDA Mahjong Night is popping up again on Tuesday, June 23 on the Upper East Side and Wednesday, July 15 in Flatiron. These are open play events (no instruction); location will be revealed to attendees the week before the event. Sign up here. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter Modern Jewess here, and Gabby’s Substack here. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune here and Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, here. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Mazel Tov, Taylor! with Jackie Tohn | 10 Jul 2026 | 00:41:14 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick and novelist Esther Chehebar are joined by guest host Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie’s former co-host on Unorthodox and the author of Judy Blume: A Life, to break down how Jewish—or not—the mega-wedding of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce was. Plus, Stephanie sits down with Nobody Wants This actress Jackie Tohn to discuss her new Jewish summer camp film, The Floaters. Events: Join GOLDA for an NYC opening weekend screening of The Floaters on Sunday, June 12 at 7 p.m. at Quad Cinema. After the screening Stephanie will be moderating a conversation with the film’s director Rachel Israel and producer Shai Korman. Get your tickets here: https://go.shopmy.us/p-69518036 . Esther will be part of a Hadassah virtual panel on the Sephardic and Mizrahi experience in the United States on Thursday, July 16 at 7 p.m. Register here: https://go.shopmy.us/p-70548076 Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com (voicenotes are best; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.) This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Esther: The Jewish volunteer watch group Shomrim, who jumped into action during the floods in Monmouth County. Stephanie: Audrey Gelman’s collaboration with the Wallach Project, which preserves lost German-Jewish textile making. Mark: Funny Business, an upcoming cultural history by Matt Singer of the Judd Apatow-era of comedy. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at jewishinsider.com/authors/gabby-deutch and subscribe to her Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. Buy Mark’s biography of Judy Blume at https://bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593714447 Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Stars, Stripes, and Sha-BBQ with Jake Cohen | 03 Jul 2026 | 00:49:14 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko are joined by cookbook author Jake Cohen to talk all things 4th of July, from being Jewish in America as the country turns 250 to kosher-friendly BBQ prep. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com (voice notes are best; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from). This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: America! Gabby: Jews representing at Pride 🌈 Diana: The Golem of Prague—which comes in many souvenir versions (and even a gold pendant). Esther: Mel Brooks turning 100. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at Jewish Insider here, and subscribe to her Substack here. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, here, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, here. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune here, and her children’s book I Share My Name, here. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, here. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Summer Camp Ready with Molly Yeh | 26 Jun 2026 | 00:46:54 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, and Rabbi Diana Fersko are joined by Food Network star Molly Yeh to discuss all things Jewish summer. Check out today’s GOLDA newsletter to get Molly’s summer essentials. They also answer a listener question about matchmaking. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com (voicenotes are best; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.) This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: voting, especially with little kids. Gabby: Eyal Shani’s restaurant Malka in West Palm Beach. Diana: Unsolicited gifts, like the fish fork her mother-in-law sent her. GOLDA is a newsletter that makes Jewish life feel bright, beautiful, and full of meaning. Subscribe at goldaguide.com and follow GOLDA on Instagram at @goldaguide. GOLDA Mahjong Night is back with a night of open play (no instruction) on Wednesday, July 15 in Flatiron. Location will be revealed to attendees the week before the event! Get your ticket here. Sign up for Diana’s snail mail newsletter Modern Jewess here, and Gabby’s Substack here. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune here and Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, here. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. A Walk on the Moon is the exciting new musical based on the iconic hit movie, starring Talia Suskauer and Max Chernin, and featuring the voice of Tovah Feldshuh. We’re giving away tickets: to enter for a chance to win, email hi@goldaguide.com or message us on Instagram @goldaguide telling us your favorite Jewish summer movie. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Tribe Vibes with Ariel Elias and Olga Namer | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:48:13 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk mahjong, Deal Delights, and the old-school kind of influencing. Comedians Ariel Elias and Olga Namer join the show to talk about mining their personal experiences in their comedy (Ariel is from Kentucky and Olga is from Brooklyn’s Syrian community) and help a listener figure out the online dating scene for our Ask GOLDA segment. You can catch Ariel and Olga performing at Borscht Belt Fest 2026 on July 25 and 26 in the Catskills. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com (voicenotes are best; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.) Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at jewishinsider.com/authors/gabby-deutch and subscribe to her Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| GOLDA Interviews: Portia Elan, Author of ‘Homebound’ | 23 Jul 2026 | 00:19:11 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick talks to author Portia Elan about her novel, Homebound, which is the latest selection from Nu Reads, the Jewish book subscription series (and our show’s sponsor!). This ambitious, multi-timeline novel features interwoven stories from 1983, 2078, and 2586 that navigate identity and belonging. Homebound manages to be both futuristic and deeply human—and also incredibly Jewish. GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, the Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off. Visit www.NuReads.org to get started today. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Catskills, Torah, and Defying Gravity with Talia Suskauer | 24 Jul 2026 | 00:52:29 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, and Rabbi Diana Fersko are joined by Talia Suskauer, star of the new Off-Broadway musical A Walk on the Moon, to talk Jewish theater, playing Elphaba on Broadway, and learning to play mahjong for her role in the 1960s Catskills-set musical. With the High Holidays around the corner, the Girls set some Jewish New Year’s resolutions, which this year include getting into regular Torah study—with help from our friends at the Simchat Torah Challenge. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com (voicenotes are best; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.) Leave us a review and we’ll send you a GOLDA sticker! Email a screenshot of your review to hi@goldaguide.com. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. This week’s Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Blueprint Literary, Jessica Kasner Jacobs’ new agency dedicated to amplifying voices from Israel. Diana: The Mi Shebeirach prayer (NOT the Debbie Friedman version) Gabby: Klezmer music! Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at jewishinsider.com/authors/gabby-deutch and subscribe to her Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. You can check out Stephanie’s interview with Nu Reads featured author Portia Elan about her new novel, Homebound, in the GOLDA Girls feed. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This week’s episode of GOLDA Girls is also brought to you by the Simchat Torah Challenge. The Simchat Torah Challenge is your weekly reminder that ancient Jewish texts are surprisingly good at modern life. If you haven't yet joined the world’s oldest book club and the community of tens of thousands, sign up here. You can listen to GOLDA Girls on:
Stay GOLDA. | |||
| Challah Baking and Reverse Bageling | 31 Jul 2026 | 00:42:45 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk challah and “reverse-bageling,” and help a listener step up her Shabbat practice in our Ask GOLDA segment. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com. You can also send us a voicenote; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Phish’s cover of “Avinu Malkeinu” at Madison Square Garden this week. Diana: Tu B’Av, this week's Jewish holiday of love. Gabby: Baseball Upcoming events: Tuesday, August 18 — Southampton, NY: Join GOLDA for a special kids Mini Mahj event at ColorPop Workshop’s Southampton studio. Beginners welcome! Ticket includes one adult + one child (6 and up); sign up here. Thursday, September 17 — New York City: GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick interviews Dr. Beth Ricanati at the launch event for her book The Braided Prescription: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Practice of Making Challah. 7 p.m. at The Strand Columbus; register here. Find out about all of our upcoming events at goldaguide.com/p/events. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at jewishinsider.com/authors/gabby-deutch and subscribe to her Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. You can check out oue interview with Nu Reads featured author Portia Elan about her new novel, Homebound, in the GOLDA Girls feed. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This week’s episode of GOLDA Girls is also brought to you by the Simchat Torah Challenge. The Simchat Torah Challenge is your weekly reminder that ancient Jewish texts are surprisingly good at modern life. If you haven't yet joined the world’s oldest book club and the community of tens of thousands, sign up here. | |||
| Mahjong vs. Canasta and Tennis vs. Pickleball with Matthew Futterman | 14 Aug 2026 | 00:44:10 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk mahjong vs. canasta, Sephora products coming to Israel, and the challah wars unfolding in the GOLDA Girls groupchat. Sportswriter Matthew Futterman, whose new book is The Cruelest Game: Chasing Greatness in Professional Tennis, joins the hosts to break down tennis vs pickleball, Novak Djokovic’s dinner order, and how tennis tells the story of post-war American Jewish life. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com. You can also send them as a voice memo; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: People mishearing Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas lyric “he’s choosin’ Texas I can tell” as “there’s Jews in Texas I can tell” Gabby: Jane Bordeaux’s Hebrew cover of Choosin’ Texas Esther: The upcoming Leonard Cohen tribute concert organized by the late musician’s family Diana: David cards Upcoming events: Tuesday, August 18 — Southampton, NY: Join GOLDA for a special kids Mini Mahj event at ColorPop Workshop’s Southampton studio. Beginners welcome! Ticket includes one adult + one child (6 and up); sign up at luma.com/dggc7sfe. Thursday, September 17 — New York City: Stephanie Butnick interviews Dr. Beth Ricanati at the launch event for her book The Braided Prescription: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Practice of Making Challah. 7 p.m. at The Strand Columbus; register here. Find out about all of our upcoming events at goldaguide.com/p/events. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Subscribe to Gabby Deutch’s Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Get Gabby’s new Golda hat from LVL III—use code IYKYK for $5 off. Sign up for Diana Fersko’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther Chehebar’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie Butnick’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. You can check out Stephanie’s interview with Nu Reads featured author Portia Elan about her new novel, Homebound, in the GOLDA Girls feed. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. | |||
| Galliano Gall with Rabbi Arielle Stein | 07 Aug 2026 | 00:48:12 | |
GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk deviated septums, Jewish nose jobs, and why “ENT” is an important Jewish acronym. Rabbi Arielle Stein, the high-fashion rabbi featured in Vogue, joins the group to discuss the controversial decision by the Met’s Costume Institute to honor disgraced fashion designer John Galliano. Send us your Ask GOLDA questions at hi@goldaguide.com. You can also send us a voicenote; be sure to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from. Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Nova survivor and Israel’s 2025 Eurovision contestant Yuval Raphael’s performance of Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu with a gospel choir in Toronto this week. Diana: Caffe Aronne’s new location in the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Gabby: Kiddush lunch after Shabbat services. Esther: A recent parents’ tennis tournament in support of her children’s school. (She lost in the first round but remains positive about the concept.) Upcoming events: Tuesday, August 18 — Southampton, NY: Join GOLDA for a special kids Mini Mahj event at ColorPop Workshop’s Southampton studio. Beginners welcome! Ticket includes one adult + one child (6 and up); sign up here. Thursday, September 17 — New York City: GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick interviews Dr. Beth Ricanati at the launch event for her book The Braided Prescription: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Practice of Making Challah. 7 p.m. at The Strand Columbus; register here. Find out about all of our upcoming events at goldaguide.com/p/events. Subscribe to GOLDA at goldaguide.com and follow us on Instagram at @goldaguide. Where you can find the GOLDA Girls: Follow Gabby’s writing at jewishinsider.com/authors/gabby-deutch and subscribe to her Substack at gsdeutch.substack.com. Sign up for Diana’s print newsletter, Modern Jewess, at modern-jewess.com, and buy her book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, at rabbidianafersko.com/books. Get Esther’s novel Sisters of Fortune at bookshop.org/a/110357/9780593734544, and her children’s book I Share My Name, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781532432187. Buy Stephanie’s book, The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia, at bookshop.org/a/110357/9781579658939. GOLDA Girls is a production of GOLDA Media. The show is executive produced by Ariel Shapiro and edited by POLDHU. Sponsors: GOLDA Girls is presented by Nu Reads, a new Jewish book subscription series curated by the Jewish Book Council that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. You can check out Stephanie’s interview with Nu Reads featured author Portia Elan about her new novel, Homebound, in the GOLDA Girls feed. Use code NuGolda at checkout for 15% off your subscription. Visit NuReads.org to get started today. This week’s episode of GOLDA Girls is also brought to you by the Simchat Torah Challenge. For years, you’ve heard the familiar holiday melodies and prayers. But what if you could actually read along in Hebrew? Head to simchattorahchallenge.org/shema to sign up to get their free Hebrew reading crash course book and videos. You can also enter to win a Shema-inspired print created by Jewish artist Hannah Pearlman. Go to simchattorahchallenge.org/golda to sign up and enter to win. | |||