Podcasts by Stuff Jews Should Know
All episodes
What is Yom Kippur? from 2016-10-09T10:56:26
Everyone knows that Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish Year, but did you know that the Talmud lists it as one of the top two happiest? How can a day that deals with such heavy themes as s...
Listen
What Are the Ten Days of Repentance? from 2016-10-05T10:58:01
What do Jews do between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? The answer to that question could impact your entire year! Join Mottle and Batya on this new episode of Stuff Jews Should Know for a fun, light...
Listen
What is Rosh Hashanah from 2016-09-27T10:00:01
Classic Rosh Hashanah episode of Stuff Jews Should Know. Have a good and sweet new year
Listen
What is Tu b’Av? from 2016-08-18T11:01:01
Often referred to as the Jewish Valentine's Day, Tu b'Av is the Jewish Holiday of Love. How does Judaism view a holiday dedicated to love? Batya and Mottle explain the origins the ancient celebrati...
Listen
What to do with a new Jewish Baby from 2016-05-06T07:34:05
Mazal Tov! You have a new Jewish baby. What is next? Have you chosen a name? Brit Milah? What is a Shalom Zachor or a Shalom Bat? How much do you know about a Pidyon haBen? Mottle and Batya take yo...
Listen
What is Purim from 2016-03-20T15:06:24
Purim commemorates the salvation of the Jewish People from a genocide in the 5th Century BCE in the Persian Empire. On one hand it is the most festive, joy filled day of the year, but to the Jewish...
Listen
Jewish Customs about Death and Mourning from 2015-12-03T19:34:47
Death is an experience that every human being comes in contact. Judaism has an incredible'toolbox'for dealing with this universal experience.
Listen
Bar and Bat Mitzvah from 2015-11-16T13:32:57
Where does the concept of a Bar Mitzvah come from? Today you are a man, tomorrow you are a 7th grader again. Was it always that way? Batya and Mottle dig deeper into this well known Jewish life cyc...
Listen
What are the Major Denominations in Judaism? from 2015-10-29T16:41:47
Maybe the question should be'why are there'major denominations in Judaism? Batya and Mottle explore the major denominations and the origins, and try to get beyond the labels.
Listen
Conversion to Judaism from 2015-10-22T10:25:57
Why does Judaism make it so difficult to convert? What are the steps required to become a Jew? How are the laws of conversion today different than they were in the past? What is the difference betw...
Listen
What is the Temple Mount? from 2014-11-06T13:26:46
For two thousand years where ever Jews where in the world, they have directed their prayers toward a hill in Jerusalem. What is the significance of this hill historically, and spiritually? Certai...
Listen
What is a Jewish Wedding? from 2014-10-31T09:34:13
What makes a wedding a Jewish wedding? Mottle and Batya walk you through the entire day from start to finish. You will be shouting Mazal Tov an feel like were there!
Listen
What is Jewish Prayer? from 2014-10-21T11:03:40
Mottle and Batya are back with the Season Premier of Stuff Jew Should Know! Where does Jewish prayer come from? How is it different? This is Stuff Jews Should Know.
Listen
What is Yom Kippur again? from 2014-10-01T11:53:36
The Classic Stuff Jews Should Know Yom Kippur episode. Prepare for the Day of AtONEment with Mottle and Batya. NEW SEASON of SJSK begins October 21.
Listen
What is Shavuot? from 2014-05-30T08:43:47
Shavuot is one of the three main biblical festivals celebrated by the Jewish People. It commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. It is also intimately connected to Israel's ancient ag...
Listen
What is Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day) from 2014-05-23T08:50:36
Special show in honor of Yom Yerushalayim! The anniversary of the Reunification of the Eternal Capitol of the Jewish People after 2000 years of Exile.
Listen
What is Lag b’Omer from 2014-05-16T09:41:26
Lag b'Omer is the best Jewish Holiday you never heard of! Outside of Israel, it is rarely celebrated, but in the Land of Israel, it is an ecstatic celebration of joy with deep Kabbalistic themes. J...
Listen
Jews and Tattoos from 2014-02-04T13:03:25
If I have a tattoo am I allowed to be buried in a Jewish Cemetery? Lot's of people ask this question but what what does Jewish law say? Does Jewish law conflict with your Bubbie's advice on Ta...
Listen
What are Tefillin? from 2014-01-28T09:30:20
What are those black leather boxes that you see men wearing at the Western Wall? Do women wear tefillin? What are they made of? What is the deeper spiritual meaning behind this ancient Jewish custo...
Listen
What is Thanksgivikah? from 2013-11-22T08:33:45
First time EVER!!! and last time for 77,000 years! Chanukah and Thanksgiving overlap into the cultural sensation Thanksgivikah!!! There is actually a depth to this more than the menurkey, and Turk...
Listen
What is the Book of Genesis? from 2013-10-18T09:24:22
It is the beginning of the five books of Moses. We are familiar with the stories, but what is the common thread that ties them all together? Why start what is predominantly a book of laws with a bo...
Listen
What is Succot? from 2013-09-24T11:06:06
For seven days the Jewish People dwell in temporary huts, place with fruit, and rejoice over water? What is going here?! Live from their succah in the hills of Judea, join Mottle and Batya to exp...
Listen
What is Rosh Hashana? from 2013-09-03T17:45:34
Shana Tova u'mtuka!! Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year is upon us. Learn about the deeper meanings behind this holiday with Reb Mottle and Batya. Explore what the Jewish New year really means and...
Listen
What is Elul? from 2013-08-21T07:13:15
Elul is the Jewish month of Return! No better time for Stuff Jews Should Know to return from summer hiatus with a whole crop of episodes, geared for the high holidays. This week Mottle and Batya sp...
Listen
What is a siddur? from 2013-06-20T08:23:30
In a continuation from last weeks important Jewish Books, Mottle and Batya zoom in on the siddur. What is a siddur? Some people would say it is a prayer book, however that is not what the word mean...
Listen
What are the main Jewish Books? from 2013-06-11T11:40:43
Everyone knows that the Torah is the center of Jewish Life. But what do Jews mean by Torah? Is it the Five Books of Moses? The"Old Testament"? Does the Stuff Jews Should Know podcast count? Joi...
Listen
What is Passover Chol haMoed from 2013-03-28T13:19:23
Everyone knows about the Passover Seder, but did you know that Passover is really a week long celebration. The Seder is definitely a highlight, and possibly the most celebrated of all of the Jewis...
Listen
What is a Passover Seder? from 2013-03-22T12:12:51
There is probably no more well known Jewish ritual throughout the year than the Passover Seder. So many people have memories from childhood, positive and negative, and sometimes both at the same t...
Listen
What is Rosh Chodesh? from 2013-03-12T14:09:36
Rosh Chodesh is the most important holiday, that Jews don't really celebrate! It is absolutely essential to Jewish life, in fact, the celebration of the beginning of the month is the very first co...
Listen
What is Tu b’Shvat? from 2013-01-22T10:38:55
The New Year for Trees! Tu B'Shvat offers a unique opportunity for insight into living and personal growth. Throughout the centuries, Mystics have used the tree as a metaphor to understand God's re...
Listen
What is Shabbat? from 2013-01-14T09:25:58
There is a saying that goes,"more than the Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews"! Why has a day that has so much apparent restriction to it, been so loved and revered by Jews for thous...
Listen
What is a Mezuzzah? from 2013-01-03T20:36:43
Everyone knows what a mezuzzah is right? Or do they? A mezuzzah is NOT the case hanging on the doorpost, but rather it is the scroll inside the box. The mezuzzah is the gateway to the Jewish hom...
Listen
What is Kosher–Part 2 from 2012-12-27T09:23:49
We got lots of great comments and questions from last week's show, we decided to do a What is Kosher part 2 episode. In this week's episode Mottle and Batya cover kosher symbols, fruits and vegetab...
Listen
What is Kosher? from 2012-12-20T14:43:26
What does Kosher mean? Is it that a rabbi blessed it? What makes something kosher and something else not kosher? Shouldn't it be more about what comes out of a person's mouth and not what goes i...
Listen
The Chanukah food special–Stuff Jews Should Know from 2012-12-15T21:05:45
Every Jewish holiday has it's own special foods associated with it. These holiday foods aren't just foods, they have deep symbolic and historical significance. Mottle and Batya explore the world of...
Listen
What is Chanukah? from 2012-12-06T13:24:15
Chanukah comes from very real historical events that happened right here in the Land of Israel, 2200 years ago. And like with many things in Judaism, that I know I grew up with, it has been reduce...
Listen
What is Judaism? from 2012-01-16T09:25:58
ju·da·ism/ˈjo͞odēˌizəm/Noun: The monotheistic religion of the Jews, based on the laws revealed to Moses and recorded in the Torah (supplemented by the rabbinical...The Jews collectively....
Listen