The Adventures in Jewish Studies podcast was created to fulfill the Association for Jewish Studies‘ mission of fostering greater understanding of Jewish Studies scholarship among the wider public. Podcast episodes are designed take listeners on exciting journeys while exploring a wide range of topics, from the contemporary to the ancient, in ways that are informative, engaging, and fun.

Launched in 2018, the Adventures in Jewish Studies is currently wrapping its second season. Each episode features the voices of AJS members as they share their expertise and research with listeners.

Podcast episodes are geared to the general listening public and have also been used in a variety of educational settings.

Why We Need Your Help

• Our podcast was started with a generous grant two years ago and that grant has come to an end. While we have some funding secured, it’s not enough for a full season. We’re looking for funding to make sure the podcast continues and that the momentum we’ve built over two years doesn’t end.
• Overseen by experienced producer Jeremy Shere, each episode costs several thousand dollars to produce as each episode involves research, interviewing of experts, writing a script, recording the show, and editing. While this is labor-intensive, listeners have told us time and time again that the quality of this podcast exceeds much of what is out there in the Jewish podcast market and we want to keep producing at this level.
• With the continuation of the Covid-19 pandemic, this podcast will find new life in audiences stuck at home and in Jewish studies classes online. Funding will help us transcribe the text of all the episodes so that we can share this info with listeners who are hearing impaired.

Your Impact

Simply put, your contribution will allow us to make Season 3 of Adventures in Jewish Studies even better than the first two seasons. Specifically, with your help we will be able to:

• Explore an even wider range of Jewish topics
• Reach a wider audience of Jews and others eager to learn about Jewish history, culture, religion, and more
• Include the voices of more Jewish Studies scholars who continue to build an invaluable body of knowledge about Jewish civilization throughout the centuries
• Provide Jewish educators with audio and print materials (in the form of transcribed podcast episodes) to engage their students in new and exciting ways
• Continue pushing the boundaries of how Jewish educational content is produced and delivered

The AJS podcast will be a valuable educational teaching tool this fall.

Click the play button ► to listen to any of the episodes below or download the podcast at your favorite podcast source.

Season 1

Episode 1: Appetizing: An American New York Jewish Food Tradition

Episode 2: The Origins of the Jews

Episode 3: The Yemenite Children Affair and the Story of the Mizrahi Jews in the Development of the State of Israel

Episode 4: Portnoy’s Complaint at 50

Episode 5: Are Jews White?

Season 2

Episode 1: (False) Messiahs: Messianism in Jewish History and Thought

Episode 2: The Marvelous Mrs. Carroll

Episode 3: The World of Jewish Languages

Episode 4: The History of the Passover Haggadah

Episode 5: The Conversion Episode

Episode 6: Camp!