The Zal

For those seeking social media clout, there’s the strong temptation to pilfer what has already proven to work.  “If the creator of this content got so much attention - why can’t I!?” they ask themselves rhetorically as they press “post” on the piece as if it’s their own.  The more guilt-ridden types will at least sprinkle on their “reaction” while most won’t even bother doing that. In this shortie, Adam and Dovid riff on the morality, patheticness and implications of this disturbingly common practice.  Credit to Tzil V’zemer for the motivating song.

A family heirloom made its way into Adam’s possession: a Siddur (prayer-book) that’s around 150 years old. In this jubilee episode we discuss the provenance of this Siddur and its original owner, the meaning of a small selection of prayers and what a 30-something-not-typically-a-prayer-book-user is meant to do with this priceless book. Music from this joyous Klezmer ensemble and Prince (who doesn't need our humble link).

The Reddit forum r/Judaism is the world's largest anonymous Jewish community.  If you know the internet, and you've ever been in a comment section, you might think this faceless space would be cesspool of crazies, haters and pedants. And it sure would be if it weren’t for a handful of committed moderators: our guests in The Zal. We ask what it takes to maintain a forum whose mandate includes everything from complex legal clarification to Jewish feelings of loneliness to baby-Yoda Purim costumes. Together, we (try to) define anonymity, and ways to prevent its pitfalls while promoting its perks. "Got myself a Jew" from Uncle Mel Music by Stephanie Chou

Tamir Goodman is the only basketball player in history to play at a D1 level while fully observing Shabbat. It’s a story that includes shocks, setbacks and lots of uplifting moments. Glancing at the Wikipedia version of Tamir’s story would lead most to exclaim “Yoshke! This guy sacrificed a lot to keep Shabbat!” But this isn’t how Tamir sees it. Shabbat kept him. The ups and downs of Tamir’s path were received with a sage-like equanimity which he attributes to wearing G-d’s jersey. Videos: Tamir's background; and the 1999 SNL skit with Jerry Seinfeld playing the "Jewish Michael Jordan" (16:30). Music by Flint — "Cloudy Skies," "Glitch Flop."