Explore every episode of the podcast Not in Heaven
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classically Avi | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:48:57 | |
It's time to head back to school—but this year, for some Jewish students in North America, school is going to look a little different. Some will be receiving what's known as a "classical" education: a curriculum based on a return to fundamentals, a focus on time-tested great books and a rejection of mandates that emphasize diversity and inclusion. There are plenty of classical schools popping up, including Jewish ones. The Emet Classical Academy in Manhattan is welcoming its first-ever cohort of students this fall, with its founders kickstarting their work earlier than expected due to parents and students feeling unsafe in the public system. Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, the chief education officer of the Tikvah Fund, which operates the school, joins to explain why his team felt compelled to create a new space for Jewish students of all backgrounds. And before that, Rabbi Eric Grossman, head of school at the Akiva School in Montreal, sits down with Avi and Phoebe to talk more broadly about this trend toward classical education in Jewish circles and beyond. To wit: if most of Jewish education is based on the Torah and Mishnah, how much more classical can you get? Credits
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| The Wild, The Innocent and the Poilievre Shuffle | 23 Aug 2024 | 00:47:28 | |
Canadian Jews may have noticed a trend in their communities this summer: Conservative politicians making the rounds. Leader Pierre Poilievre, Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman and even former prime minister Stephen Harper have all made numerous appearances at synagogues, pro-Israel rallies and fundraising galas. It's nothing new to see the country's political right wing court Jewish voters—such a swing was cemented under Harper's government—but it feels especially pronounced this summer, coming up on the one-year anniversary of Oct. 7 and an approaching election. But Jewish institutions have historically been apolitical, and the broad rightward shift almost certainly makes members of the community feel excluded. What are the ramifications of this tight-knit union? Here to dissect the issue is The CJN's political columnist Josh Lieblein. He joins Bonjour Chai co-hosts Avi and Phoebe, who return from their summer vacations—Phoebe's having been blissfully apolitical in Europe, while Avi's culminated in a drive back to Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. And after that, Phoebe explains the bigger picture behind the abrupt cancellation of a book event in Brooklyn—not even because the author was Zionist, but because the interviewer was. Credits
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| Bot Rabbis for Jesus | 07 Jun 2024 | 00:46:25 | |
Israel had some strange bedfellows in the news this week. The New York Times unveiled that country's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs created social media bots that posted AI-generated comments to influence American lawmakers and the general public; meanwhile, a rally against antisemitism in Manhattan drew headlines when it was revealed that the organization behind the rally was a Messianic Jewish group that aims to convert Jews to believe in Jesus. While the stories are different, the underlying theme is the same: Israel is increasingly isolated around the world, with ever-sinking public opinion and international allies growing distant. When good PR is hard to come by, you end up with AI-created bots and Jews for Jesus as suddenly noteworthy friends. Avi and Phoebe discuss these topics on this week's episode of Bonjour Chai, with special guest Rabbi Michael Skobac of Jews for Judaism, an organization created in direct response to Jews for Jesus. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack. | |||
| None is Not Enough | 07 Jul 2022 | 00:57:20 | |
It's a trend extending beyond Jewry, beyond Canada, but persists in our nation nonetheless: younger people are donating less than their parents' generation, and when they do get involved in philanthropy, they're doing it differently. Several Jewish organizations have taken up the mantle to try and engage younger donors, and this week, an episode of The CJN Daily spotlit the recent Canadian expansion of the Jewish Future Pledge, which aims to get Jews to promise a certain percentage of charitable donations in their wills to Jewish causes. To better understand the realities of giving Jewishly, we're joined by two organizers in the space: Mark Silberman is the chair of the Jewish Future Pledge in Atlanta, and Danielle Segal is the program director for Honeycomb, a resource for Jewish youth philanthropy. Plus, recurring guest David Koffman speaks about the life and impact of the late Irving Abella, who passed away this week, and our weekly nachas segment gives a shout-out the Jewish connections to the new Minions movie. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| As Canadian as Possible, Under the Circumstances | 30 Jun 2022 | 00:36:44 | |
To celebrate Canada Day, we have a special audio feast of Canadiana lined up. First up, we chat with a recent immigrant from Israel to Montreal, Shauli, who moved here with his partner and their toddler in November to find work and a better life as a gay couple; then we're joined by Yoni Goldstein, editor and publisher of The CJN, to discuss the state of Canadian Jewry and how one of the biggest Canadian Jewish stories—the death of Julia Koschitzky—reveals a lot about who we are as a community. Lastly, we've got a jumbo-sized nachas segment of our favourite books, songs and movies from the last few years in Canadian Jewish life. Happy Canada Day! Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| The Kosher Empire Strikes Back | 24 Jun 2022 | 00:55:02 | |
Last week's episode about the state and ethics of kosher food drummed up a lot of responses from our listeners—so many, in fact, we decided to run a spiritual sequel of sorts this week. Montreal's Vaad Ha'ir, the organization responsible for MK kosher supervision, launched a new initiative justifying the high cost of kosher meat in the city. But Avi wasn't impressed by what he saw as propaganda, as he noticed inconsistencies and assumptions in their argument's details. To better understand the whole story, he decided to bring in Steven Lapidus, a professor at Concordia University and expert in Montreal's kosher scene. Plus, in response to a reader's question about Jewish hot spots to visit in Montreal, we're launching a summer travel series. This week, all three hosts share their insider tips as to the best places to eat and explore in the city. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| You Are What You Eat | 16 Jun 2022 | 01:02:01 | |
Kosher has been in the news a lot lately. A restaurant in Hamilton came under strutiny because the rabbi that certified its kosher status wasn't Orthodox; in Toronto, the popular Slice N Bites restaurant was asked to stop seating customers on Saturday nights because too many teens were using it as a hangout spot; and in the U.S., a restaurant had its certification pulled after its owner, Shalom Yehudiel, was charged with sexually abusing a minor. With these stories fresh in our minds, we're dedicating the whole episode to kosher conundrums: the politics, ethics and decision-making that goes into keeping, certifying and even justifying the current state of kosher. Our three hosts come from very different stances on these issues, and invite Richard Rabkin, the managing director of the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR), to help navigate the waters. Plus, chef and entrepreneur Zane Caplansky pops in to explain his own frustrating kosher odyssey, while our weekly Word of Wisdom comes from Rabbah Aliza Libman Baronofsky and Rabbah Amy Newman, who both graduated from Yeshivat Maharat this week. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Born This Way | 09 Jun 2022 | 00:59:52 | |
Over recent years, the Jewish community has grown from merely being aware of queer Jews to standing where we are today: leaders and activists in almost every denomination are working to actively include queer Jews in Jewish law and practice. Queer and nonbinary Jews no longer settle for pointing out their existence and right to be included; they're crafting narratives that explain how deeply and intricarely their queerness and Judaism are intertwined. To dissect these issues and share their personal stories, we're joined by two inaugural members of the Queer Jewish Incubator, a new project run by the Miles Nadal JCC in downtown Toronto. Sadie Epstein-Fine is working on a play about one of Tevye's daughters being queer, and Toby King is gathering and archiving information about queer-Jewish wedding ceremonies to examine the various ways in which those couples celebrate their love. After that, you'll hear an excerpt from The CJN's podcast Rivkush, in which host Rivka Campbell interviews Michael Twitty, the award-winning cookbook author, chef and voice for social justice, who describes life at the intersection of being Black, Jewish and gay. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Sally Priesand's Semicentennial | 02 Jun 2022 | 00:53:49 | |
It was almost 50 years ago today, on June 3, 1972, that Sally Priesand broke ground as the first-ever female rabbi ordained in North America. But still, even half a century later, rabbis who happen to be women face different expectations, treatment and discrimination than their male counterparts. To talk about what's changed, what hasn't and what life is like as a female rabbi, we've assembled a panel for a special hour-long discussion the subject. What's changed in the last 50 years? What hasn't? How do congregations of different denominations react? What work still needs to be done? To examine these issues, we have three experts from across the country: Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, Canada's first and longest-serving female Rabbi in Canada, who was ordained in 1983; Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold, the first Orthodox Jewish woman to serve as synagogue clergy in Canada; and Rabbi Ilana Krygier Lapides, an independent, non-denominational rabbi in Calgary. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Chai Means Live | 26 May 2022 | 01:16:05 | |
It's a little-known fact that the first Jews in Canada were actually Sephardim, founders of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Montreal in 1768. Over subsequent years, Ashkenazi Jews would follow from Europe, becoming the dominant Jewish culture; it wasn't until the mid-20th century that Middle Eastern Jews arrived to add their own contributions to the Canadian Jewish mosaic. The often quiet history of Sephardic contributions to Jewish culture—not just in Canada, but in Israel, the United States and elsewhere as well—is the focus of a new book and digital-preservation project called Sephardi Voices, spearheaded by Henry Green, a professor of Judaic and religious studies at the University of Miami and the founding director of the Jewish Museum of Florida. In partnership with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, we invited Green to share stories and insight into the Sephardi world in Canada and beyond for the first-ever live virtual taping of Bonjour Chai. Plus, we get to know Mohammed Hashim, the executive director of the CRRF, who outlines his organization's work, paths toward a more comfortable dialogue between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine Canadians, and what his favourite kosher restaurant is. Later, David and Ilana actor-splain why Jewish representation matters in film and television, and what it was like working on Jewish theatre shows this year. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| The Kulturkampf Edition | 19 May 2022 | ||
Festival season is upon us, which means Canadian Jews are marking their calendars with the myriad dates slotted for cultural celebrations across the country. But who are these events made for, and who actually shows up? Are Jewish festivals designed only for those with the means to buy tickets, or is there a greater mandate to foster community through innovation and outreach to younger audiences? We pitch the question to Helen Zukerman, artistic director of the Toronto Jewsh Film Festival, which Avi believes is too narrow in its scope (though Ilana and David disagree); after that, the heads of KlezKanada and Ashkenaz Festival, Sebastian Schulman and Eric Stein, join to discuss their efforts in crafting Jewish festivals that are fundamentally diverse, unique and engaging. Plus, we'll hear from Shlomo Steinmetz on the yahrzeit of his son Dovi, who died at the Mount Meron tragedy in Israel last year. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Plan B from Olam ha-Ba | 12 May 2022 | 00:57:13 | |
With the United States embroiled in the fight over abortion rights, many Canadians have turned to reflect on our own nation's history with the once-controversial practice. A key figure in Canada's pro-choice movement was Henry Morgentaler, a Holocaust survivor and doctor who offered safe abortions for women who didn't qualify for one within Canada's once-restrictive system. Morgentaler endured jail time and blatant antisemitism for his convictions, but won out in the end, as abortions became effectively decriminalized following a landmark 1988 Supreme Court decision. Today, advocates in Montreal are pushing to name a park after the late doctor, who has no monument commemorating his contribution to Canada. To discuss his legacy, and how antisemitism seeped into the debate, his daughter, Goldie Morgentaler, joins to share stories of her father's fight for reproductive freedom. And zooming out for a religious look at the issue, Avi sits down with Rabbi Daniel Korobkin from the Beth Avraham Yosef of Toronto Congregation to discuss how abortion is handled in halakhah. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Ilana is Significantly Younger than Israel | 05 May 2022 | 00:52:05 | |
York University has been in the Jewish news a fair bit recently, after their student union bungled an educational session on antisemitism and the school's name was labelled one of the least safe campuses for Jews in Canada. But there is always another side to these stories—one which often involves students protesting for Palestinians' rights. University administrators are often caught between these two camps, trying to mediate the on-campus iteration of a centuries-old geopolitical struggle. It's a line often walked by Rhonda Lenton, the president of York University. On today's episode, she joins for a lengthy and wide-ranging discussion on how her administration strikes that balance, what she's gleaned from her own studies into Canadian Jewry as a sociologist, and how York's Jewish identity has changed over the decades. Plus, Avi and Ilana debate how Mother's Day seeped into the Jewish holiday calendar, and we wish Ilana and the State of Israel a very happy birthday. One is 74; the other, 29—guess which is which? Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Hipster Tznius | 31 May 2024 | 00:54:01 | |
When Israel's Judaica store, a prominent retailer in the Toronto area, announced it was closing after 40 years, it felt like another moment in an unfortunately increasing trend: the decline of Jewish "third spaces", places beyond the home and office where Jews feel comfortable and welcome. Synagogues are closing and merging; community centres are broadening to welcome non-Jewish community members; now retailers are feeling pressure from Amazon and Etsy luring away their customers. Meanwhile, the type of engaged Jew who might visit these third spaces is on the decline, while younger generations are ever-more socially isolated, spending more time online. What are we losing when these spaces disappear? And what will take their place? To navigate the topic, we invited on Elise Kayfetz, the founder of Vintage Schmatta, a pop-up vintage fashion store in Toronto's Kensington Market, which taps into her Jewish heritage—and transformed her living room into an unexpected Jewish third space in the city. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack. | |||
| Six Million are Still With Us | 28 Apr 2022 | 00:43:50 | |
Jews are no strangers to the apocalypse. Having survived centuries of persecution and the biggest genocide in human history, generational trauma and fears of fatality come pretty naturally to us. Jay Baruchel is no exception. He's transformed those anxieties into a brand-new TV show, debuting Apr. 30 on Crave, called We're All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel), in which he explores the myriad ways in which humanity can end, from nuclear disasters to alien invasions. For Yom ha-Shoah, Baruchel joins the program to chat about how his Jewish heritage helped inspire the show and take a stab at the ultimate post-apocalyptic question: what happens to us after we die? Plus, David lays out the latest development in the truly never-ending Israeli/Palestinian wine saga, Avi plays highlights from the JNF's recent Tech Shuk in Montreal, and Rabbi Joshua Corber discusses modern takeaways from Yom ha-Shoah. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Mayim and Yayin | 21 Apr 2022 | ||
After Mayim Bialik lost her father, she began a year of mourning, culminating in thoughts and feelings that she'd end up culminating into her first screenplay. The actress, best known for the The Big Bang Theory and now hosting Jeopardy!, is now making her debut as a writer and director with As They Made Us, a drama about a dying father, played by Dustin Hoffman. Ilana sat down with Bialik to talk about her real-life inspiration, transitioning from performer to director, and how she incorporated subtly accurate pieces of Jewish representation that didn't feel blunt or crass. Plus, we're re-running an interview from last Passover with Orel Gozlan, the hazzan at Congregation Or Shalom in Montreal and an Instagram comic, about the Sephardic celebration Mimouna. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| The First Annual Great Canadian Seder | 14 Apr 2022 | 01:24:21 | |
It's the first annual Bonjour Chai Passover extravaganza! In this super-special edition, we bring you stories from 20 prominent Canadians about what Passover means to them. Pull up a chair, break off some matzah and join us at the virtual seder table alongside Evan Solomon, Zach Hyman, Bob Rae, Ya'ara Saks, Melissa Lantsman, Nathan Englander, Lisa Rubin and a whole slew of rabbis, CJN podcasters and community leaders, swapping stories and reflecting on the meaning of freedom in these unique times. Our guest list, in order of appearance:
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| There's Nothing Funny About War Crimes | 07 Apr 2022 | 01:17:42 | |
Shocking images from Ukraine emerged this week, depicting war crimes and massacres happening in Bucha, a town outside Kyiv. Suddenly, onlookers are using the word "genocide" to describe what has, until recently, most often called a war. But is it a genocide? Do these crimes against humanity qualify, or do we risk watering down the term if we apply it too quickly or too often? Jews, in particular, have a stake in any global conversation on the subject, as comparisons to the Holocaust will inevitably come up. To unpack these complex issues, we're joined by two guests: Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, and Frank Chalk, the director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| The Boy Who Cried Wolf | 31 Mar 2022 | 01:20:16 | |
For over a decade, Jews have been the number-one most-targeted religious group in federal and municipal hate crime reports. Just a few weeks ago, StatsCan released the latest edition of its annual paper, proving the trend correct yet again. But headlines don't tell the whole story. Is Jewish prominence on these lists the result of zealous Jewish communities over-reporting minor incidents? Or is it more indicative of other groups' hesitance to even bother calling the police in the first place? To navigate these waters, we're joined by Mark Mendelson, a former homicide detective with the Toronto police, current private investigator and crime expert for Bell Media. Plus, David catches up with actor Jake Epstein about his latest theatre show, Boy Falls From the Sky, as well as a career that's taken him from Degrassi to Broadway to Jewish Hallmark hero. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Blankets and Bedding | 24 Mar 2022 | 00:50:51 | |
It's been a month since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, forcing 10 million Ukrainians to leave their homes, including nearly four million refugees. Many have fled to neighbouring Poland, which is where a number of Canadian Jewish community and non-profit leaders have flown to personally engage with and witness the tragedy unfold. Back on Canadian soil, numerous charities and NGOs, including Jewish ones such as B'nai Brith, continue to hold donation drives where they accept old clothing, blankets, shampoo, personal hygiene products, flashlights and more. These are understandable reactions to a global crisis. But they may not be helping as much as people think. It's become evident that refugees in Poland have ready access to many items being donated, and flying boxes of old clothing from Canada to Europe may not be the best use of anyone's time, money or resources. Goods can be purchased in Europe and transported much more efficiently, affordably and with less of a carbon footprint. Meanwhile, the abundance of rabbis and community leaders travelling to the border has been criticized as mere "disaster tourism." To dig into these issues, we're joined by Kate Bahen, the managing director of Charity intelligence Canada, a watchdog organization that provides transparency and resources for Canadians looking for the smartest ways to donate their dollars. Plus, our resident rabbi explains to David what it means that he's a kohen in the modern world, we catch up on updates from past episodes, and the hosts discuss an age-old question: is daylight saving time good for the Jews? What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Modern-Day Haman | 17 Mar 2022 | 00:57:48 | |
It's not making headlines nationally, but Quebec is ushering in Bill 96, legislation that will further cement French as the province's dominant language. While Canadians may be familiar with various provincial government attempts to ensure French remains the primary language, Bill 96 goes a step further: it will require all new immigrants to send their children to French-language schools after a three-year, non-renewable grace period. Why does this matter for Jews? Because Canada has a rabbi shortage. There is no Canadian rabbinical school outside the ultra-Orthodox movement, which means many shuls end up hiring Americans who move here with their families. While some American rabbis may be excited to force their children to become fully bilingual French, it's a big ask—and a significant hurdle for the two synagogues in Montreal currently looking for new rabbis. Our own resident rabbi in Montreal breaks down what this all means, and chats with a representative of one rabbinical search committee about the ramifications. Plus, Ilana chats with her long-time friend, who is one biological daughter of the infamous Norman Barwin, a disgraced doctor who illicitly used his own sperm to inseminate more than a hundred of his fertility patients. And also: Happy Purim! What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| Bonjour High | 10 Mar 2022 | 01:06:51 | |
In the days ahead of Purim, we wanted to take a step back from all the serious news and focus on some lighter fare. To honour King Achashverosh, who ruled from Hodu to Kush, we convene a roundtable of expert Canadian Jews in the cannabis industry to dive into the weeds of what marijuana usage looks like in the Jewish community. Cannapreneur Abi Roach and the men behind the startup Oy Vapes join. Plus, we're bringing you laughs from some of Canada's funniest young Jewish comics. Comedian Laura Leibow is here to announce her new jewish comedy podcast on The CJN Podcast Network, Shticks and Giggles, and you'll hear bits from her fellow downtown-Toronto funnymen Nick Nemeroff and Dan Rosen. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video. | |||
| One Down, 119 to Go | 03 Mar 2022 | 01:08:37 | |
It's the one-year anniversary of Bonjour Chai, and to celebrate, we're taking a look ahead at what the future of Judaism looks like. As more Jews engage with their culture outside of Federations and traditional synagogues, what are the "new establishments" coming up? How do they take shape? Who's behind them, and are they indeed the future of Jewish life? We think of Bonjour Chai as one of those new establishments, but there are more popping up across Canada. To analyze the issue, we're joined by Rabbi Yossi Sapirman, who left his bricks-and-mortar pulpit to start Living Jewishly, an organization that aims to connect with Jews of all ages through experience-based, rule-breaking routes; and Orly Zebak, a designer and artist who co-founded Niv Magazine, an independent Jewish online arts zine, at the outset of the pandemic. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Ukraine is Not Weak | 24 Feb 2022 | 00:48:34 | |
Ukraine has one of the largest Jewish populations in the world. But as Russia invades the Eastern European nation this week, the country's Jews—as they so often find themselves—are getting caught in the middle. Within 24 hours of the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared his intention to "de-Nazify" Ukraine, despite Ukraine having a Jewish president and being a generally safe country for Jews. Meanwhile, Jews in Ukrainian cities like Uman worry the war may exacerbate pre-existing tensions between the local Hasidic community and their non-Jewish neighbours. Yet in the broader scheme of things, any aftershocks for Jews—and even Ukraine itself—may simply be incidental to Putin's long-term plan, which is to recapture the glory, and territory, of the former Soviet Union. To help understand the Jewish component to the ongoing conflict, as well as how Israel fits into all this, we're joined by two guests of Jewish Russian descent: Semyon Dovzhik (@semyondovzhik), a freelance journalist in Toronto, and Ruty Korotaev (@rutykorotaev), a graduate student at the Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, who specializes in Russian media and disinformation. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| I've Got Schisms | 24 May 2024 | 00:41:55 | |
Last September, Eitan Hersh, a political science professor at Tufts University in Boston, tried something that hasn't been done before: he created a class teaching conservative ideas to students of his private liberal college. He felt there was a gap in the school's poli-sci curriculum, sensing that graduates were leaving without understanding the central ideas of the political right. He included articles from the National Review, videos of Tucker Carlson and essays by conservative Black intellectuals such as Glenn Loury and Thomas Sowell. The results, summarized in a recent longform feature in Boston Magazine, hint at the effectiveness of teaching politically diverse opinions on campus: most students (of this admittedly self-selecting group who are even willing to engage with the curriculum in the first place) did seem to positively grapple with the ideas, understand them better and have reasonable debates in an open academic forum. As pro-Palestinian tent protests continue dividing post-secondary institutions across North America, and political polarization feels more prevalent than ever before, we're joined by Hersh on Bonjour Chai to discuss what he learned by running this "conservative thought experiment" over an entire semester. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack. | |||
| Parliamentary Cop | 17 Feb 2022 | 00:43:12 | |
Last weekend, acclaimed Canadian director Ivan Reitman passed away at 75. The director of such 1980s classic comedies as Ghostbusters, Meatballs and Stripes was not only one of the most prominent and influential Jewish Canadians in Hollywood, but an integral part of the Canadian film industry, whose name and impact has become synonymous with the Toronto International Film Festival. Len Blum, Reitman's longtime friend and screenwriting collaborator, joins to discuss the late filmmaker's work, his deep Jewish heritage and how his family's background as Holocaust survivors led him to the career that would make him famous. Plus, the hosts discuss how former Bonjour Chai host Melissa Lantsman is making international headlines for clashing with Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Hate is Just a Four-Letter Word | 10 Feb 2022 | ||
This week, Conservative MP Kevin Waugh introduced a private member's bill to amend the criminal code by prohibiting Holocaust denial. It came the same week NDP MP Peter Julian introduced a similar amendment that would ban hate symbols like swastikas and Confederate flags. That both sprung up shortly after the trucker convoy arrived in Ottawa—in which swastika-bearers and Holocaust deniers mixed with activists protesting vaccine mandates—is no coincidence. But would any of this legislation actually work? Does it violiate freedom of expression? Would it actually lead to a reduction in hate crimes? Waugh joins from his office in Ottawa to explain his bill. Then the hosts speak with Julius Grey, a prominent Jewish human-rights lawyer in Quebec, about the legal implications. Plus, for Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month, Ilana chats with Maayan Ziv, a photographer with muscular dystrophy who is a prominent activist for inclusivity in the arts, technology and infrastructure. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Wait, Whoopi Goldberg Isn't Jewish? | 04 Feb 2022 | 00:58:44 | |
The Olympics kick off this weekend, but sports are far from the biggest story. Instead, international media attention has turned to the persecution of China's Uyghur population, a Muslim minority of about 12 million suffering genocide at the hands of the Chinese government. For many, this is not just a humanitarian crisis, but a deeply Jewish issue: a million Uyghurs are being held in concentration camps, organized by a government trying to erase their cultural identity. Rabbi Anthony Knopf joins from England to explain why Jews need to pay attention—and what they can do to help. Plus, the hosts discuss the Whoopi Goldberg controversy and the rise of Jewish Orthodox libertarianism that's coalesced with the trucker convoy in Ottawa. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen | 27 Jan 2022 | ||
Just in time for International Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, a new study by Liberation75, a Canadian organization focused on Holocaust awareness and education, announced that only two-thirds of Canadian students confidently believe the Holocaust happened. The organization's solution, based on this troubling fact, is that Holocaust education must become mandatory in school curriculums. Not all our hosts agree. If schools add mandatory Holocaust education, what other important histories and facts will be left out? And if we do teach kids about the Holocaust, what shape will it take? Are museum field trips and documentaries really the most effective tools in the era of social media? The hosts debate these questions, and later speak with Holocaust survivor, educator and author Max Eisen, who recently was appointed to the Order of Canada. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Rabbis Throwing Chairs | 20 Jan 2022 | 00:51:59 | |
This week, JSpaceCanada's president, Karen Mock, who is in her 70s, is stepping down to let a new, younger voice steer Canada's largest organization that promotes both progressive and Zionist stances. Whoever takes over will face a difficult challenge: in a political climate marked by extreme polarization in favour of both Israel and Palestine, how do progressive Zionists make their pitch? To discuss, we assembled an expert panel to dissect the issue. Avi and Ilana are joined by Sharon Koifman, founder of the organization "Progressive Zionists"; Jeremy Appel, a progressive journalist in Calgary and frequent contributor to The CJN; and Michael Morgenthau, a member of JSpaceCanada. Plus, the hosts express their feelings about the recent hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Ob-La-Di, Omicron, Life Goes On | 13 Jan 2022 | 01:04:10 | |
Nostalgia is in vogue these days—in politics, pop culture and food trends—and Judaism is no different. As North American Jewry evolves, nostalgia for our mid-20th century cultural traditions, from deli sandwiches to the Yiddish language and Holocaust remembrance, has taken hold as perhaps the dominant definition of Western Jewish identity. Rachel B. Gross has studied these trends for her book, Beyond the Synagogue: Jewish Nostalgia as Religious Practice. She argues that, in an era of conventional religious decline, this focus on nostalgia should be considered the new North American Jewish religious practice—which would itself counter the very idea that religion is even in decline. In fact, what religion looks like may simply be changing. Plus, Avi speaks with Lieby Lewin, the Chassidic man in Montreal who confronted two members of the media in a video that quickly went viral. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| The Only Thing Orderly in Canada Right Now is the Order of Canada | 06 Jan 2022 | 01:11:46 | |
Of the 135 recent appointees to the Order of Canada, at least 19 are Jewish. The recipients come from diverse fields of medicine, the arts, community activism and religion. For this week's episode of Bonjour Chai, The CJN's weekly current affairs podcast, we've invited four on for one-on-one interviews to discuss their lives and careers: Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl, Cara Tannenbaum, Jane Heyman and Olga Korper. Plus, Avi sits down with Rabbi Daniel Korobkin to discuss his latest editorial in The CJN about the Chaim Walder controversy, and the hosts catch up after the winter vacation. What we talked about:
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| It's the End of the Year as We Know it, and I Feel Fine | 29 Dec 2021 | 01:20:23 | |
What were the biggest Canadian Jewish stories of 2021? What did readers of The Canadian Jewish News care about? What stories transcended the community? In a special end-of-year one-on-one, Avi sits down with Yoni Goldstein, editor and CEO of The Canadian Jewish News, to discuss the year's most popular stories and recurring themes. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Bon Jew, Bad Jew | 16 Dec 2021 | 00:59:18 | |
In late November, Michael Toledano, a Jewish documentary filmmaker, was arrested while recording from behind the blockades of Wet'suwet'en activists in British Columbia. His arrest made headlines across the country, prompting many Jewish Canadians to ask: What has the relationship between these two communities looked like throughout history? From bigotry to ghettoization, genocide and colonialism, there are many parallels—and also many distinctions. David Koffman, assistant professor of history at York University and an expert in Canadian Jewish history, joins to discuss. Plus: The hosts wrap up 2021 in Jewish culture and debate the right way to respond to Christmas greetings. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Moderate Mrs. Maisel | 09 Dec 2021 | 00:55:20 | |
A new trailer for the very Jewish, very popular TV show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel recently dropped, announcing its next season for February. Notably, the lead actor, Rachel Brosnahan, is not Jewish. Is that okay? Should non-Jews play Jewish characters on film and TV? Two Jewish actors approach the issue from opposite sides and duke it out. Plus, the hosts debate Canada’s diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympics, and the recent convoluted controversy around the Toronto District School Board attempting to censure a Jewish trustee for speaking out against antisemitic teaching materials. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Gatekeepers of Heaven | 17 May 2024 | 00:44:49 | |
You may not know who Joe Roberts is. But some people online, who may or may not have ever met the man face-to-face, claim to know him extremely well—to the point that they are posting photos of his grandmothers' graves, scouring the web for his tweets and published articles, and making bold statements about whether he's really who he says he is. Whether, for example, he's even Jewish. The former the chair of the JSpace Canada board, Roberts has found himself at the centre of this Extremely Online controversy largely because he (a self-described political left-winger) began more vocally supporting Israel post-Oct. 7, sparking many left-leaning Twitter users to turn on him. Rather than dive into the veracity of Joe Roberts's Judaism, on today's episode of Bonjour Chai, we're looking at the gatekeepers themselves: who feels they have the right to determine someone else's Jewish identity and why. Plus, Phoebe discusses a new viral Zionist blacklist spreadsheet, and Avi struggles to figure out whether tacky Jewish graphic tees are worthy of a nachas or broigus. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack. | |||
| The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming About BDS | 02 Dec 2021 | 00:54:15 | |
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind for Jewish students at the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus. The campus student union passed a motion supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, which would curtail activities and services that "normalize Israeli apartheid." The main issue that sprung up: kosher food. Who's going to find a kosher caterer that supports BDS? To understand the resolutions, as well as what daily life is like for Jewish students at U of T's Scarborough campus, we're joined by Tyler Samuels, a graduate from the campus who now works at Hasbara Fellowships Canada. Plus: We discuss the CBC's recent list of 18 "words and phrases you may want to think twice about using" and how it affects Jews; our hosts debate latkes versus sufganiyot; we've got a whole slew of recommendations for Hanukkah music, movies and books; and Ilana recites a snippet from Lemony Snicket's modern classic, The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming. What We Discussed
Our Hanukkah Recommendations
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Crass Commercial Hanukkah | 25 Nov 2021 | 00:50:22 | |
In the last decade, executives at the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime have realized that Hanukkah exists. Now every year seems to bring a new heaping spoonful of shmaltz for Jewish audiences and anyone bored of watching the same Christmas stories told with new wide-eyed actors. Recent entries have been Mistletoe & Menorahs and Love, Lights, Hanukkah!, while this year's Eight Gifts of Hanukkah puts its own semitic spin on the format. But how should we feel about these movies? Are they a sincere effort to educate Middle America about the Seleucid Greek takeover of a small province of Jews and their successful revolt and rededication of the temple? Or is it a shallow attempt at forcing onscreen diversity? We discuss. Plus: Hear about the final book in our month-long book club, Leonard Cohen, Untold Stories: From This Broken Hill, Volume 2 by Michael Posner. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andre Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Community Ensures Continuity | 18 Nov 2021 | 01:03:34 | |
Some news: we're launching a Slack channel. If you want to join our community in a tangible way—at least until we can start hosting live events—and chat with Avi, Ilana and David about Jewish topics (or anything at all), email bonjour@thecjn.ca to get the exclusive invite. You can also now follow and engage with us on Twitter @bonjourchai. To navigate this world of online community-building, we invited Jesse Brown, host of the popular Canadaland podcast, to join the show. He shares his thoughts on how social media plays a role in building Jewish communities, the role of institutional gatekeeping online and how podcasting is in fact very much like Judaism. Plus, we discuss the third book in our month-long book club, Gary Barwin's Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Circumspect About Circumcision | 11 Nov 2021 | 00:56:16 | |
Ritual circumcision for Jews came under heavy fire in October. First, an article came out in the New York Times in which writer Gary Shteyngart recalled his own botched circumcision and how it pains him to this day. That same week, by coincidence, an organization called Bruchim went live. Their mission: advocating on behalf of Jews who don't feel comfortable with circumcision. It's a sensitive subject. But Eliyahu Ungar-Sargon, our guest this week and a founding member of the board of Bruchim and filmmaker who created a documentary about circumcision, doesn't shy away from these discussions. Plus: We have a guest appearance by Margaret Atwood, who explains why she loves the Book of Job, and the hosts dig into the second book in our month-long book club: Gideon's Bible by Rick Salutin. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| The Week Jews Buy Halloween Candy on Sale | 04 Nov 2021 | 00:50:13 | |
It's a question that grows more disturbing every time it pops up in the news: Should private sellers of antiques be allowed to sell Nazi memorabilia? Some will argue history cannot be rewritten and these antiques are simply testaments to a different era; others will decry any sale as profiting off genocide, and insist such items belong in a museum with proper context. But how can you regulate the sale of private goods? Should we worry about the threat of white supremacists buying old Nazi goods to hang on their walls? Our hosts discuss. Plus: We're kicking off the first-ever Bonjour Chai book club! Read along as Avi, Ilana and David discuss a different Jewish book each week, starting with Joanne Levy's Sorry For Your Loss. Levy joins to discuss her work and kick off our literary liaison. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| G'Day, Jewish Mate | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:55:57 | |
As a group, Jews have one of the lowest rates of organ donation in the world. And as a country, Canada also ranks at the bottom of opt-in organ donations, well below other developed nations. The pandemic has exacerbated the problem, putting thousands of people on lengthy waiting lists for life-saving procedures. But the scarcity has existed long before COVID—and will persist afterwards. There are numerous misconceptions about organ donation in Judaism, including misinterpretation of halachic law and cultural taboos. But what are the facts? What are the statistics like in Israel? How should Canadian Jews move forward, as provinces debate shifting from an opt-in to an opt-out system? To discuss these issues, we're joined by Robby Berman, the director and founder of the Halachic Organ Donor Society, and Elena Solomon, a Jewish woman in Toronto who's life depends on her finding a kidney donor soon. What we talked about
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Welcome to the Prairies | 21 Oct 2021 | 01:00:20 | |
This coming week marks the third anniversary of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue, where 11 people from Pittsburgh's Jewish community lost their lives. Mark Oppenheimer, host of the popular Jewish podcast Unorthodox, has written a book on the event, its precursors in the community and the aftermath of the tragedy. He joins today to discuss his book, Jewish podcasting and the difference between Canadian and American Jews. Plus: The Bonjour Chai team welcomes our new third host. Hear David Sklar introduce himself to you, our loyal listeners. What we talked about:
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Ilana Zackon and David Sklar. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Rabbis Love Cheshvan | 14 Oct 2021 | 00:45:00 | |
The high-holiday season is always been a stressful time for rabbis. Week after week, throughout September and October, they are busier than perhaps at any other time of the year. Congregation attendance numbers are at their peak, and congregants are calling them day and night with personal questions. Plus, back-to-school season means heightened stress for anyone with young families—rabbis included. Now add the pandemic on top of that. COVID-19 introduced a whole new set of problems: How do you keep your family safe when congregants want to meet in person? How do you navigate virtual sermons if you're not tech-savvy? What can be done for rabbis' mental health during these stressful times? We're joined by Esther Altmann, a Montrealer living in New York who works as the director of pastoral education at Yeshiva Maharat, to discuss how rabbinic burnout has been exacerbated by the pandemic, and what congregants can do to help. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Mixed Use Does Not Equal Mixed Dancing | 07 Oct 2021 | 00:49:05 | |
Housing affordability is not a uniquely Jewish issue, but Jews face a unique challenge. Practising Jews, in particular, have certain geographic requirements—being close to synagogues, kosher markets and other community members—that make housing especially unaffordable. As home prices across Canada soar, ground zero remains its major urban centres—and therein, Jewish communities tend to be pricier than the city average. What are the implications for young Jews priced out of the market? What changes need to happen to ensure Canadians can afford their homes in decades to come? What does a breaking point look like—or have we reached it already? To help answer these questions, , we're joined by Zev Mandelbaum, CEO of Altree Developments in Toronto. Show Notes
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Truth Before Reconciliation | 30 Sep 2021 | 00:54:00 | |
On the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canadians have an opportunity to reflect on the brutal history and treatment of Indigenous people in the country. What can the Canadian Jewish community do to work toward reconciliation with Indigenous people? Do we have a unique obligation to advocate for the cause? To answer these questions, we're joined by Deborah Corber, head of Corber Consulting, whose work has focused on government relations with the Indigenous community for more than 25 years. Related Reading
Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| The Tedious B | 10 May 2024 | 00:55:15 | |
College campuses have been heated spaces for Jewish students for a long time. The rapid spread of tent-in protests that began at Columbia University last month has only exacerbated the issue, giving an international platform to pro-Palestinian (and anti-Zionist) students and faculty members grounded in our post-secondary institutions. Jewish and non-Jewish protesters, both faculty and students, have been outspoken on these campus quads. But one cohort has been relatively silent: professors of Jewish studies. While Zionism is not inherent to Judaism, most Jews do support Israel, and rather than advocating for Jews on campus, these professors—who are generally more left-leaning—are often either siding with the pro-Palestinian protesters or simply keeping quiet. This is the thesis that sparked an in-depth piece published this week in Mosaic, a journal of Jewish ideas, called "Jewish Studies against the Jews". The author, Andrew Koss, joins Avi and Phoebe to explain his research and turn a critical lens on the state of Jewish academia in the United States, Canada and beyond. And before that, the hosts have a few questions about Jewish Heritage Month. Why does it exist? Does it actually do anything? And how does teaching kids the hora celebrate "diversity and equity", as our public school boards suggest? Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Support the show by subscribing to this podcast, donating to The CJN and subscribing to the podcast's Substack. | |||
| Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head | 23 Sep 2021 | 00:29:24 | |
We're nearly at the end of a frantic late-summer blitz, combining a tight 36-day federal election campaign with Jewish high holidays, the beginning of the school year and Avi's daughter's bat mitzvah. As fall rolls in, the hosts enjoy a leisurely chat with political correspondent Josh Lieblein, who breaks down the coming and goings of what was, as Seinfeld fans like to put it, "an election about nothing." Dig a little deeper, however, and you'll find a lot of political shifts between Liberals and Conservatives that portend a more seismic election next time around. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Back to School, Back to Shul | 17 Sep 2021 | 00:47:33 | |
With most congregations returning to some semblance of normalcy, one of the biggest questions is how children—who cannot be vaccinated—can safely return after 18 months away. There's no consensus among congregations, resulting in a hodgepodge of ad hoc rules across the country. How can Canada's religious leadership navigate this uncertain future? Is there a right decision? Joining the hosts to unpack some of these issues is Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold, a member of the clergy team at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim and the president of the Montreal Board of Rabbis. Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold, Melissa Lantsman and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||
| Consider us the Canadian Jewish 'As it Happens' | 10 Sep 2021 | 00:55:53 | |
Years ago, Mishy Harman wondered about his fellow Israelis. There seemed to be so many differences within the country—political, ideological, sociological—and yet he didn't personally know anybody who wasn't like himself. He wanted to change that. That desire to meet different people propelled him to create Israel Story, a long-form radio documentary show modelled after This American Life. Now heading into its sixth season, it tells nuanced, diverse Israeli stories that shed light on the country beyond the geopolitics. Harman joins Avi and Ilana to discuss the show's origins and indulge in the world of Jewish podcasting. Plus: With widespread vaccination bringing congregants back to shul, some are still wary of being indoors with a crowd. It begs the contrarian question: Will they ever feel safe enough to return to synagogue again? Credits Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Ilana Zackon. Michael Fraiman is the producer. Andrew Goulet is the technical producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. Find more great Jewish podcasts at thecjn.ca. | |||