Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman are two of the most dynamic, interesting, and thought-provoking Jewish leaders today. Two seasoned educators who love to talk, listen, laugh, challenge, and grow, Mijal and Noam are the Wondering Jews, leading us through thought-provoking discussions that are as serious as they are entertaining.Whether you're a seasoned scholar or just curious about Jewish culture, this show offers a refreshing perspective that's both enlightening and enjoyable. It's not just a podcast; it's a thoughtful conversation that invites everyone to wonder about the rich tapestry of Jewish ideas in the context of our daily lives. Brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media.

Recent Episodes

Ask Us Anything: Zionism, Israel, and the Books We Love
May 7, 2025 – 27:01
BONUS: What the Heck Is the World Zionist Congress and Why Am I Being Asked To Vote? With WZC President Tova Dorfman
May 2, 2025 – 36:34
Feeling Hopeful This Yom Haatzmaut with Haviv Rettig Gur
May 1, 2025 – 49:33
Holocaust Education is Broken. Dara Horn Knows How We Can Fix It
Apr 23, 2025 – 44:47
Special Crossover: The Star of David (Jewish History Nerds)
Apr 16, 2025 – 36:48
A Passover Conversation with Rabbi Wolpe: Jewish Solidarity & Survival In a Difficult Year
Apr 9, 2025 – 41:02
Why I’m Not a Jew of Color: Mijal Bitton Unpacks Her Controversial Essay
Apr 2, 2025 – 39:18
Faith Without Halacha? Jewish Practice in the Modern World
Mar 26, 2025 – 31:36
What We’ve Lost In Modernity: A Conversation with Sarah Hurwitz on Faith
Mar 19, 2025 – 48:30
Where Was God?: Purim and Post-Holocaust Theology with Tanya White
Mar 12, 2025 – 46:30
The Weaponization of International Law with Natasha Hausdorff
Mar 5, 2025 – 51:53
Exploring Religious Zionism with Yair Ettinger
Feb 27, 2025 – 39:12
Should Jews Move to Israel?: Zionism, Aliyah, and Jewish Identity
Feb 20, 2025 – 45:03
Is "Zionism" Dead?: Re-Defining Identity in 2025
Feb 12, 2025 – 44:56
A Journey through Zionism: Identity, Politics and Faith #1 Listener Pick (Re-release)
Feb 5, 2025 – 44:38
Wondering about Zionism with Haviv Rettig Gur : #1 Staff Pick (Re-release)
Jan 29, 2025 – 55:42
Meghan McCain on Antisemitism and Politics: Live from the JFNA: #2 Staff Pick (Re-release)
Jan 22, 2025 – 46:49
Campus Encampments and Jewish Identity: #3 Staff Pick (Re-release)
Jan 15, 2025 – 40:34
Haredim and the Israeli Army: #4 Staff Pick (Re-release)
Jan 8, 2025 – 39:21
Can ChatGPT replace my Rabbi?: #5 Staff Pick (Re-release)
Jan 1, 2025 – 33:13
Unpacking Hanukkah: History, Miracles, and the Meaning of Light
Dec 25, 2024 – 39:08
Speaking to the Soul: Yirmiyahu Danzig's Journey Through Identity, Empathy and Dialogue
Dec 18, 2024 – 45:21
Does Interfaith Dialogue Work After 10/7?
Dec 11, 2024 – 45:57
What Do Trump’s Picks Mean For Jewish America?: with Ted Deutch of the AJC
Dec 4, 2024 – 43:22
What Are We Thankful For? Personal Reflections from Mijal and Noam
Nov 27, 2024 – 39:31
Elon Gold: Laughing through Faith, Identity, and Resilience
Nov 20, 2024 – 36:33
Meghan McCain on Antisemitism and Politics: Live from the JFNA
Nov 14, 2024 – 44:03
The Jewish Vote and Preserving Democracy with Lauren Markoe
Nov 6, 2024 – 39:46
Navigating Israel, Identity, and Empathy in a Changing World
Oct 30, 2024 – 39:03
What Lies Ahead for Israel with Haviv Rettig Gur
Oct 22, 2024 – 48:53
Finding Joy in Sukkot and Beyond
Oct 15, 2024 – 31:09
The Anniversary of October 7th with Amir Tibon
Oct 7, 2024 – 47:34
Rosh Hashanah Reflections: Joy, Grief, and Solidarity
Oct 2, 2024 – 33:27
Remembering Carmel, Ori, Hersh, Eden, Alexander, and Almog
Sep 11, 2024 – 10:23
New episodes coming soon!
Aug 21, 2024 – 00:53
A Journey Through Zionism: Identity, Politics, and Faith
Aug 14, 2024 – 40:17
Tisha B'Av: A reflection of Jewish history and unity
Aug 7, 2024 – 31:52
Haviv Rettig Gur Emergency Episode: The Druze, Hezbollah, and Ismail Haniyeh
Jul 31, 2024 – 58:35
Can Summer Camp Complete Your Education?
Jul 24, 2024 – 34:36
Political Polarization: Can We Heal?
Jul 17, 2024 – 32:08
Special episode: Paths to peace with Chloe Valdary
Jul 10, 2024 – 42:56
The American Dream: A Personal Reflection
Jul 3, 2024 – 22:45
What does Judaism mean to you?
Jun 26, 2024 – 40:55
Can ChatGPT replace my Rabbi?
Jun 19, 2024 – 28:42
Cultural Crossroads: Exploring Sephardic and Ashkenazi Communities
Jun 11, 2024 – 38:50
Unraveling the Complexities of Yom Yerushalayim
Jun 5, 2024 – 36:50
Special Episode: Wondering about Zionism with Haviv Rettig Gur
May 29, 2024 – 53:16
Navigating Faith and Judaism
May 22, 2024 – 34:37
Campus Encampments and Jewish identity: What Happens Now?
May 15, 2024 – 37:00
Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut in the wake of Oct. 7
May 8, 2024 – 30:55

Recent Reviews

nucuplmnjuyh

Magen David episode

What a pity that this interesting subject was covered by such millennials (?). Schwab’s up-speak and Steiner’s nasal little girl voice made it unlistenable for me.
arthousecleaner

Megan McCain on the show was AMAZING

I love your show - Having Megan Mccain on just took it over the top- Meghan makes me feel like Christians support the Jewish people- Meghan is gorgeous, brilliant and so well spoken- Amazing show-
andymanyfold

Binge

I have been traveling over the past three days and I have been binging this podcast - these two are quick, intelligent, thoughtful, witty and fun. And they are not precious and pious. “Things in the past used to be so great” is what people often say. These two make me think the opposite - these are two amazingly thoughtful people/Jews that portend a bright future.
stevemchey

Engaging, Honest, Intelligent, Compassionate

Love getting these two’s takes on Jewish news. It feels like being in a room of friends.
Eroq

Engaging and thoughtful

These conversations are so intense and thought provoking. There is a lot of superficial and antagonistic thought processes on the Israel/Jewish identity. This is especially prevalent in the US press we are exposed to. I want to learn more about my identity and culture through thoughtful debate and these two hosts get me to think about what it can be to be Jewish in America in this period of history. Thank you so much for intelligent discourse on topics that can be so polarizing.
WritingAllison

Noam and Mijal are a healing balm for today’s world.

This is an engaging and enlightening new podcast with a perfect team of two thinkers. I love how they model what healthy discussion and disagreement on various Jewish topics can look like. I love their various lenses and wisdom, humor and personalities (specifically, I love Mijal’s non-nonsense-get to the pointness paired with Noam’s playfulness and self-reflectiveness). The co-hosts have a deep desire to bring forth truth and compassion while holding a great love for all of humanity, for the Jewish people and Israel.
MarylandTransplant

Great Conversations

I love Noam from Unpacking Israeli History and he’s great here too. Mijal is also wonderful. Their honest, nuanced, thoughtful conversations about tough topics are a breath of fresh air. This is just what I was looking for as a Zionist diaspora Jew who is both pro-Palestinian and Pro-Israel.
Max, Sermon Snippets Podcast

Refreshing and thought-provoking

It is so good to hear such distilled conversation about the complicated topics related to Jewish life, especially right now. The moral clarity and insight you both bring to the table make this podcast a true gem. Thank you for making this happen! Can’t wait to listen to each episode!