Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

Why Is It So Hard To Admit When We're Wrong?

In an era where public figures double down instead of apologizing, and social media puts our every word under the microscope, saying "I'm sorry" feels scarier than ever.

Can Israelis And Palestinians Ever Live In Peace? With Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Will the war ever truly come to an end? Can two populations with so much pain find common ground? Or is the hurt too deep, too vast to overcome? There are no questions mo

Revisiting The Future Of Judaism With Rabbi Avi Killip

This fall, Mijal and Noam are thinking of the big questions that the High Holy Days can bring with them. We're off this week, so it seemed like a good time to revisit a d

Is The Middle East Finally Ready To Accept Israel? With Jason Isaacson

As threats to Jews spike around the globe, there's a part of the world with a brighter outlook--and it's not where you'd expect. This week, Noam and Mijal are joined by J

Maytal Kowalski Is Having Tough Conversations With Canadian Jews

As antisemitism has exploded in Canada, debate has raged within its Jewish community. Is the government doing enough to combat Jewish hate? What does it mean to be zionis

Can Australia's Jews Ever Recover From Bondi? With Jeremy Leibler

On December 14th, 2025, a pair of gunmen killed 15 people attending a Hanukkah event on Sydney's Bondi Beach. For Jewish leaders like Jeremy Leibler (Zionist Federation o

Matthew Nouriel Always Had Shabbat

There are many words to describe influencer and activist Matthew Nouriel: Persian, Jewish, Gay, Zionist... But when you belong to so many different communities, do you re

The Meaning of Love with Rabbi Shai Held

How do you even begin to define love? How are we supposed to balance love of family with “love thy neighbor?” These are the kinds of questions Rabbi Shai Held tries to ta

The Family Cycle Moran Atias Had To Break

Actress and philanthropist Moran Atias was raised in a Moroccan Jewish home that expected her to marry young and have children, just like the generations before her. Her

Revisiting The Question: What Is Judaism?

As Mijal and Noam explore the idea of "family" through the Jewish lens, it's necessary to step back and wonder if the Jewish people are an extended family of their own. W

Nas Daily: The Identity Crisis October 7 Forced Me to Face

Does identity define us or limit us? In this crossover episode with Unpacking Israeli History, Noam searches for answers with Nuseir Yassin, better known as internet pers

Learning To Swim: How Jews Build Resilient Families

What does it mean for parents to act as priests? Does teaching a child to swim mean more than just laps in a pool? In our first episode exploring family through the Jewis

Telling The Jewish Story with Jennifer Tepper and Etai Benson

Can a musical teach Torah? Why is Fiddler on the Roof beloved in Japan? The answers to these questions could have implications for the future of the Jews and their place

Mijal and Noam Answer Your Questions About Denominations

Mijal is back, and this week we're responding to your comments! Spurred on by awesome listeners like you, our reunited hosts ponder the dynamic relationship between Zioni

Stars Of David: Jews at Carnegie Hall with Kathleen Sabogal

Jews have left an indelible mark on the fabric of America, impacting activism, music, and religion. One venue holds so many inspiring examples of these contributions: Car

Matbucha And Mishpucha: Life As An Israeli-American Chef with Michael Solomonov

For years, the famous Philly chef Michael Solomonov has grappled with his American and Israeli identities. What can his journey teach us about American Jews and their rel

Revisiting Chabad with Rabbi YY Jacobson

In the wake of our Denominations series, many of you wrote to us asking "what about Chabad?" As a leading resource for all Jews, it makes perfect sense to consider how Ch

What's So Funny About Antisemitism? With Raanan Hershberg

America has enjoyed a golden age of Jewish comedy: Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer are just some of the luminaries that have graced our stages and televisions

Is the Zabar's Story A Jewish Story? With David Zabar

Please fill out this short survey. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠unpacked.bio/podsurvey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to hear from you! The story of Zabar's--a NYC foodie fixture--is bigger than bagels:

Is the Future Non-Denominational? With Rabbi Avi Killip

Do the words that once categorized Jews--reform, conservative, orthodox--still matter today? And if they don't... then what's next? To answer these questions and close ou