2 Jews Talking

"'Cause time goes by like hurricanes, and faster things..." If you've been looking for some sort of sign that it's time to interview your grandparents or older relatives — this is it. In this very special mini-sode, Erika shares one of the first interviews she ever did of her grandparents and gives a few pointers in how to get started documenting family stories. Have a short family story you'd like to share? Send us the file at 2JewsTalking at gmail dot com — we'd like to combine them all into one awesome episode.

We sit down with Sean Malin, writer, film critic, Santa Clarita-resident, and Josh's former camper. We talk about how growing up a precocious kid set him on a path toward become a writer, and how he can't help but see the world through a cinematic lens. Sometimes we're reoccurring characters, but as you get older you become the star of your coming of age story.Find Sean online... Twitter: @cinemalinsWebsite: cmfilmcommentary.com

We sit down with historians Dr. Caroline Luce and Dr. Max Baumgarten. They both study the history of Jews in Los Angeles. Caroline writes about leftist Jews in Boyle Heights at the beginning of the 20th century. Max writes about Jews in LA between 1965 and 1992. A really great conversation about how Jews arrived in LA, and how they became a part of the city.We learned about the pogroms that brought us here, bagel unions, leftist 3rd seders, the Watts Riots/Rebellion, the Black-Jewish alliance that elected Tom Bradley, and how Jewish life in diasporic suburban Los Angeles was always different from New York.There is so much more to talk about, but in the meantime find Caroline & Max and their projects online...mappingjewishla.orgcenter for jewish studies@maxbaumgarten

Recorded in San Francisco a few weeks back, Josh catches up with Sarah Nathan. She talks about moving to a new city, finding community in the Jewish and Craft Beer worlds, and that if you're selling etched-glass crafts on Etsy you can make more money if you call them Judaica.Sarah has followed her passion to land her dream job as the VP of Business Development and Executive Grain Hawker at ReGrained, a company that harvests grain from urban craft breweries and upcycles it into delicious, nutritious, and sustainable snacks.https://www.regrained.com/

This week we dive into a jam-packed episode about American history, culture, identity and more with English professor Dr. Brian Garcia. He joins us to talk about about how myths and stories have created American identity, and how Make America Great Again is part of a long tradition. Brian talks about growing up in Portuguese Artesia, where grandmas aren't supposed to speak English. Erika drops some knowledge from Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. And Josh accurately identifies a Simulacrum! We also open up the mailbag for the first time since like March (sorry about that.) Send us an email at 2JewsTalking@gmail.comFind Brian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/loquatsandmilk

Josh went up to San Francisco last week, and interviewed his old bud Donald C Cutler. DCC is an expert in Public Relations and a member of San Francisco's Jewish community. We had a lot to talk about. DCC explains how Trump's war on the NFL is part of his larger goal of "controlling the narrative." DCC talks about how we can utilize messaging strategies to combat Trumpism. It's not just about winning the argument, it's about mobilizing people to accomplish a goal. He knows that Jews have got to show up in solidarity with other communities, and while this era looks bleak, he sees glimmers of hope for a better future.Find Donnie on Twitter @TheDonnieCCListen to his Elul playlist here: http://spoti.fi/2y3liFrDonnie is also the president of Donalds Against Trump.

We sit down with Ramou Sarr, Federal Employee, screenwriter and former co-host of Black Girls Talking podcast to chat about dating apps, the original T.G.I.F. lineup, and having a podcast about identity. It's one of those real fun hang out episodes. twitter.com/ramouWatch Ep 1 of BRUNCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF0dnkY6GEY

In this week's episode of 2JT, we sit down with members of the DSA's Jewish Solidarity Caucus. Miranda Sklaroff, Sam Forman, and Jon Danforth-Appell breakdown the basics of democratic socialism, and how their Jewish identities inform their politics. It's an episode packed with the history of Jewish socialism, everything you wanted to know about the Democratic Socialists of America, their organization's controversial decision to support BDS, and how to pronounce "Kugel." Find our guests on TwitterMiranda - @CAPuffinSam - @SamHelloHiJon - @GrouchoMarxistJewish Solidarity Caucus - @solid_jews ‏

Lisa Grissom of Reboot joins Josh & Erika to talk about the Days Of Awe, the 10-day period of reflection during the High Holidays between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. With a deck of Reboot's signature 10Q cards, the group looks back on 5777. Want to 10Q at home? Sign up at DoYou10Q.com [Also this is the "Dad Who Would Quiz You On The Way Home From Hebrew School" Erika was referring to.]

This week we're happy to bring back Shmuel Gonzales, The Barrio Boychik.Shmuel talks about his experience on the front lines of a recent Orange County protest. He was attacked by white supremacists, but the Mexican American Jewish kid in the yarmulke, got taken to jail not the fascists who attacked him. Shmuel, a gifted historian, also talks about the long history of the KKK, Nazis, and antisemitism in Southern California. This very important episode shows that the antifascist fight we've been engaged in for decades is not just history. Antisemitism still must be confronted in Southern California in 2017. You can see the historical photos talked about in this episode on Shmuel's Instagram: @BarrioBoychikShmuel heads to court later this month. For more information on how to contribute to his legal defense fund, head to his website: https://barrioboychik.wordpress.com***It's the month of Elul, and we thought you might want to celebrate by listening to Donnie Cohen-Cutler's epic Elul Is Here playlist on Spotify.

Summer's almost over and the original 2 Jew duo have reunited to kickoff a new season. Josh is back from Europe, and talks about eating well, the Jewish things he saw abroad, and has special news about his sweetie. Erika talks about her summer, how to deal with all the stressful news, and on detoxing from social media.This season we delve deeper into issues of antisemitism, tikkun olam, food, detoxing from social media, and being Jewish in Trump's Amerika.Special thanks to Mr. Rami Raff, who was such a great summer co-host!

Erika and summertime guest host Rami Raff discuss some exciting trends emerging in the world of pop culture. We cover: GLOW, WWF, RuPaul's Drag Race, Wonder Woman, Doctor Who — and manage to cram a ton of other pop culture references into this episode as well. Don't forget to STAY TUNED for a very, very special dispatch from Joshua Heller at the end of this episode.

The world is experiencing a refugee crisis at a level never before seen in recorded history. Yet many of us don't even have a clear definition of the word "refugee". In this week's episode, we chat with Rabbi Rachel Grant Meyer about her work with HIAS, what inspired her to become a Rabbi, and what gives her hope for the over 65 million refugees worldwide. For more on how you can get involved: https://www.hias.org/resources

Rami and Erika chat with David Wolkin ("Professional Jew" and Most Handsome Person on Comics Twitter) about OneTable, an organization that helps Millennials host and attend unique Shabbat dinners. In this episode you'll learn how you can personalize and customize your own Shabbat dinner and rituals and about the workings of a Twitter community you may have never even heard of. Also, shout out to Waffles the dog. For more info on OneTable: https://onetable.org/

With Josh away on his Summer World Tour, summer guest host Rami Raff and Erika play a version of "friend speed dating" to get better aquatinted. Pop culture references covered in this episode include (but are not limited to): Fraggle Rock Welcome Freshmen The Simpsons The Nanny The Killers Golden Girls Seinfeld

In this week's episode Josh hands over the proverbial torch to Summer Host and Orignal Friend Of The Show, Mr. Raaaaami Rafffffff. They talk about what Jewish scholars think about the summer. Rami asks Josh about his EUROTrip. Then Rami explains what it takes to be a Summer Movie. Josh is saying Au Revoir for The Summer, while Rami & Erika dive deep into a Summer season of 2 Jews Talking!

Join us as we turn the clock back 20 years and relive a monumental year in both of our lives (for different and similar reasons). Plus Josh tells us all about his 1997 party and his 1997 Zine and Erika shares from her recently unearthed 1997 diary. We'll also talk about fashion, music and pop culture of the year that gave Smash Mouth its first single. (For a copy of Josh's Zine Venmo $8 to @ Heller)

Josh heads to Salt Lake City, Utah to kibbitz with Justin Field about what it's like to be a Jew in the only place where Jews are considered gentiles. We talk hosting a seder in the Mormon capital, the city's craft beer scene, all that sweet nearby nature, and Justin's podcast Thunderdice Empire. https://thunderdiceempire.com/

On our 53rd episode, we look back at the year that saw so much unexpected turmoil in a general sense but also the personal growth that Josh and Erika found in their own lives and how this very podcast and our listeners made it all possible. (It's our Paper Anniversary, y'all!)

Why do Jews like keeping track of which celebrities are Jewish? Who makes for a good Jewish Spirit Animal? And which movie won Best Picture at the 1987 Academy Awards? We answer these questions and more in our 52nd episode with hilarious TV writer Jeanne Leitenberg (https://twitter.com/jleitenberg).