GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, Rabbi Diana Fersko, and special guest Sophia Rivka Rossi talk about seeking spirituality in our hyper-connected era and the new season of Nobody Wants This. Send in your GOLDA Grams: record a voice note or voice memo and email it to [email protected] to be included in an upcoming episode. Tell us who you are, where you’re calling from, and what you’re thinking about. Recommendations: Sophia’s Substack, Between FriendsHuman &...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk about Stephanie’s recent trip to Metro Detroit to interview Dara Horn at an event for the local Jewish community. Plus the state of Jewish humor, Nathan Fielder’s new movie You Can See Everything, and a “Type A challah baking” listener update. Recommendations: Dara Horn’s new book: bookshop.org/a/110357/9781668090169 The Talmud Daily from Dovid Bashevkin: talmuddaily.org/Good for the Jews: ...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko talk Jews and Halloween. This week’s guest is writer and comedian Jamie Denbo of The Beverly Podcast. Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Lin Manuel Miranda performing “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” at the 30 Rock 20th anniversary celebration. Esther: Jerry Seinfeld telling hecklers he’s donating their ticket sales to Israel. Diana: Hearing a subway saxophonist play Jewish music. Jamie Denbo/Beve...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko discuss the grand finale of the High Holiday season—Simchat Torah—plus a new survey that says Americans aren’t inviting each other over for dinner anymore. They also commemorate the third anniversary of Oct. 7 and explore how to talk to kids honestly and age-appropriately about it. This week's guest is Israeli writer Iddo Gefen, author of Jerusalem Beach, Mrs. Lilienblum’s Cloud Factory, and the Substack N...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko discuss the Sunkist Fruit Gem drama and the new Hanukkah sweater Barbie doll, and answer a listener’s “Type A challah question.” This week’s guest is Jessica Siskin, author of the new novel Looks Perfect. Recommendations: The Balloon Museum Looks Perfect, by Jessica Siskin Good for the Jews: Stephanie: Challah Back Girls Esther: Shul bonnets Diana: The sukkah Jessica: The Chabad guys outs...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick talks to Ron Segal, the Israeli-born, Berlin-based author of Delicate, the latest pick from our presenting sponsor Nu Reads, the Jewish subscription series that brings remarkable literature straight to your door. Delicate is a brilliant and haunting novel about memory, and the Holocaust, and the stories we leave behind. The book is officially out in English next year, but Nu Reads subscribers have early access to it, along with exclusive experiences with autho...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko break through their post-break-fast delirium to discuss fasting for Yom Kippur while parenting, the tri-state-area run on rainbow bagels for break-fast, and Sotheby’s upcoming Magnificent Judaica sale (aka the new Met Gala). Chef and recipe developer Arielle Nir joins the GOLDA Girls to share how she updates the Persian, Moroccan, and Israeli recipes she grew up with for a new generation—and offers two Suk...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, novelist Esther Chehebar, and Rabbi Diana Fersko are joined by Mamaleh Jewelry founder Dara Katz to kick off 5787. The Girls talk about the behind-the-scenes stress of the High Holidays, the Macklemore drama, and more. They also go back to basics and dig into the Shema prayer, with some help from the Simchat Torah Challenge’s Shema Initiative. And of course, there’s jewelry involved: join the Shema Initiative and enter to win a Shema bracelet by Oriya Je...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar and Rabbi Diana Fersko welcome the new Jewish year the GOLDA Girls way: by saluting the “temple dress” wardrobe staple, breaking down why some Jews avoid leather shoes on Yom Kippur, and wondering how the shofar blower trains for the High Holidays, aka the shofar Super Bowl. The GOLDA Girls also say farewell to co-host Gabby, who will be joining the Atlantic as a staff writer later this month. We love you...

GOLDA founder Stephanie Butnick, journalist Gabby Deutch, novelist Esther Chehebar and Rabbi Diana Fersko break down their High Holiday hosting prep, continue the “bageling” discussion with a moving listener letter, and sound off about John Galliano bowing out of his Met Costume Institute honor. We also get our heads in the game for the Jewish New Year with some inspiration from the Simchat Torah Challenge. Good for the Jews picks: Stephanie: Gal Gadot’s appearance on the Armchair Exper...