This week on edJEWcation, Jay and ChayaLeah sit down with Dr. Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, professor at the University of Pittsburgh and head of the Center for Governance and Markets, for a conversation that bounces from Uzbekistan to Squirrel Hill, from Hasidic wedding songs to Taliban tribal law.
We explore:
Why minhag Yisroel Torah hi (“Jewish custom is Torah”) resonates far beyond Jewish life.
- How customs in Afghanistan and Central Asia parallel Hasidic practices.
The heartbreak of Tree of Life, the shock of October 7th, and the question Jews whisper now: do we belong here?
Why making Judaism political is dangerous—and how joy and tradition may be the antidote.
What Ukraine, Russia, and bomb shelters in Israel reveal about resilience.
Plus: the great baby shower debate, whether Judaism is Western, Eastern, or something bigger, and why havruta (learning in pairs) might just save the next generation from their phones.
It’s a journey through customs, community, and what keeps us Jewish—even when the world feels like it’s unraveling.
