edJEWcation

When the British Museum quietly updated some of its ancient Near East exhibit labels from "Palestine" to "Canaan," the internet exploded. But what does the history actually say?
Israel tour guide, Jewish educator, and Substack writer Alex Stein joins Jay and ChayaLeah to break it all down, from the Bronze Age Canaanites and the Hyksos to Herodotus, to Hadrian officially naming the Roman province "Palestina" in the second century CE. Along the way we get into Jewish indigeneity, the archaeology of the Israelite conquest (spoiler: it's complicated), dual-narrative tourism, and how you'd even begin to explain any of this to a sixth grader. This is the episode for anyone who wants to actually understand the history beneath the headlines, without the yelling.
Where to find Alex:
Make sure to check out Alex’s upcoming Love of the Land Tour in October!
From Palestine to Canaan article

What happens when a wealthy man buys up all the synagogue seats and blocks the aisles? Or when a rabbi tries to convince the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a trained engineer, that an ocean liner basically "runs itself" on Shabbos?
In part 2 of their Responsa deep dive, the edJEWcation crew explores how Jewish law evolves to meet the real world, from Talmudic property rights to Shabbos doorbells in modern Brooklyn. The Rabbi, ChayaLeah, and Jay cover it all: the Cypriot chicken saga, the kosher cheeseburger question raised by lab-grown milk, getting a "hetter" (permission slip) for nail polish at the mikvah, and a last-minute Shabbos wedding in medieval Krakow that required some seriously creative legal reasoning. It's Jewish law as it's meant to be…living, breathing, and endlessly fascinating.

In this special birthday episode, ChayaLeah and Jay sit down with the man of the hour, the Rabbi, as he turns 70.
Born in Montreal on March 4th, 1956 (the 22nd of Adar on the Jewish calendar), the Rabbi reflects on a life he never could have predicted: from growing up in a non-Chabad home and boarding a bus to a New Jersey yeshiva on a whim, to serving as a Schlaich in Seattle, building a Chabad presence in Boston's Kenmore Square, and eventually putting down roots in California where, through decades of challenge, a global pandemic, and more than a few permit headaches, his community finally found a permanent home.
Grounded in the wisdom of Pirkei Avot (which calls 70 "ripe old age," a fullness and satisfaction), the Rabbi shares what it really feels like to look back on a life of purpose, sacrifice, and gratitude. Funny, honest, and genuinely moving, this episode is a masterclass in what it means to "keep breathing" until the sail comes in.

What if the holiday that looks the most like a carnival is actually hiding the most profound questions in Judaism? Professor Tanya White, Bar-Ilan University professor, host of the Books and Beyond podcast, and one of the most engaging Jewish educators alive, joins Jay and ChayaLeah to unpack the Book of Esther like you've never heard before.
We explore why God's name doesn't appear once in the Megillah (and what that means for us today), the concept of "radical seeing" and the stunning parallel between Purim and our post-October 7th world.
ChayaLeah opens up about Esther's loneliness and sacrifice, Jay brings a story about a Cold War spy finding God in his daughter's ear, and Tanya shares an "invisible string" that will genuinely move you. This is the Purim episode you didn't know you needed.

Where to find Tanya-
Torah Chat on WhatsApp
TanyaWhite.org
Books and Beyond Podcast
Tanya’s Instagram

Books & articles we discussed-
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst: the children’s book Tanya shares the beautiful “invisible string” story from

Why Grow Up? by Susan Neiman: philosopher’s book on the problem of evil that Tanya references in discussing adversity and resilience

Rav Soloveitchik’s concept of “fate to destiny”: consider linking to Kol Dodi Dofek or a summary essay

God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel: Heschel’s concept of “radical amazement”

Witness by Whitaker Chambers: his memoir is where the famous “daughter’s ear” moment comes from

Was Theodor Herzl a secular visionary or a spiritual seeker? A hero or a heretic? On the 130th anniversary of his landmark manifesto Der Judenstaat, Professor Gil Troy, presidential historian, Zionist scholar, and editor of The Zionist Ideas, sits down with Jay and ChayaLeah for a conversation that covers all of it: Herzl's complicated relationship with Judaism, why he was persona non grata in Haredi education, the emotional power of standing at his grave on Mount Herzl, and why Professor Troy’s concept of "identity Zionism" speaks directly to Jewish students navigating hostile campuses today. Along the way, the hosts bring their signature mix of head and heart, Jay digs into the intellectual history while ChayaLeah shares what it was like to discover Herzl as an adult after growing up Chabad, where his picture wasn't exactly hanging on the wall. It's a timely, moving, and surprisingly fun deep dive into the father of modern Zionism.
To learn more about Professor Troy’s work, you can find it at his website GilTroy.com
A selection of works:
To Resist the Academic Intifada: Letters to my Students on Defending the Zionist Dream

The Zionist Ideas: Visions for the Jewish Homeland: Then, Now, Tomorrow

The Essential Guide to October 7th and its Aftermath: Facts, Figures, History