Best Clare Barron Podcasts (2025)

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Bonus Episode: Mitzvot, Malarkey, and Medical Ethics with Jennifer Margulis 29:12

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5M ago29:12

29:12

In this bonus episode, Eli sits down with journalist and human rights advocate Jennifer Margulis to explore her journey from accepting circumcision as a given to becoming one of its most thoughtful critics. Jennifer shares how her views were first challenged in her 20s during a human rights fellowship, how Jewish tradition and American medical cult…

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Connecting The Dots 38:37

5M ago38:37

38:37

What a season it’s been on the Bruchim Podcast! Eli and Max debrief the conversations we’ve had with an incredible variety of guests. We cover: hatafat dam brit, including its ethics, lived experience (for good and bad) and future possibilities; the significance of circumcision as a ritual act vs. a bodily state; the medicalization of circumcision …

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Foreskin Fears and Fantasies with Jonathan Allan 48:36

5M ago48:36

48:36

We talk a lot about Jewish circumcision on this podcast, but what’s the significance of the foreskin? Can we even think about the foreskin apart from circumcision? Eli and Max are joined by Prof. Jonathan Allan (Brandon University), author of Uncut: A Cultural Analysis of the Foreskin, to tackle these questions. We discuss the impact of the foreski…

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The Unmodified Body with Clare Chambers 49:22

5M ago49:22

49:22

Your body is good enough just as it is — or so Prof. Clare Chambers (Cambridge University) argues in her book Intact: A Defence of the Unmodified Body. She joins Eli and Max to explain her Principle of the Unmodified Body, which is a political principle for resisting pressure to engage in body modification. We discuss the different kinds of reasons…

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Reevaluating Circumcision: A Trans Perspective with brin solomon 49:01

6M ago49:01

49:01

Should Jewish practices related to anatomy be revised in light of new understandings of sex and gender? Should hatafat dam brit replace circumcision both for the bris and for conversion? Eli and Max are joined by brin solomon, author of “Conversion & Circumcision: A Trans Approach,” to discuss brin’s proposals in this responsum. First we discuss th…

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Choosing Brit Milah with Matthew Barron-Jones 32:16

6M ago32:16

32:16

What is it like to undergo circumcision as an adult for the purpose of Jewish conversion? Matthew Barron-Jones tells Eli his story: how he came to Judaism, what his process of conversion was like, how his circumcision went down, and the spiritual power of being able to choose circumcision for himself. Along the way, Eli and Matt draw some contrasts…

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Prick and Choose Part IV with F. and G. 35:27

6M ago35:27

35:27

A family shaken by a traumatic hatafat dam brit shares their story with Eli and Max. This wrenching personal account touches on hatafat dam brit and conversion; on the moral dangers of hatafat dam brit for children past infancy; and on the unpredictable and overwhelming ways that trauma, especially related to unwanted genital contact, can manifest …

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Prick and Choose Part III with Tim Kynerd, Jason Welle, and Yoshi Goodman 46:15

6M ago46:15

46:15

What is it like to undergo hatafat dam brit? Three men who’ve done it tell Eli and Max their stories: what led them to this ritual, how it went down, what it felt like, how they’ve viewed this experience in retrospect, and what they would want people to know who are considering hatafat dam brit for themselves. The Jewcurious Show, “How to Find a Ra…

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Prick and Choose Part II with Rabbi Oren Steinitz 29:03

7M ago29:03

29:03

How does hatafat dam brit fit into the process of Jewish conversion, and what is the religious and psychological significance of this practice? Eli and Max are joined by Rabbi Oren Steinitz to dig into these questions. Rabbi Oren describes how he talks about hatafat dam brit and circumcision in the conversion process, including the importance of tr…

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Prick and Choose Part I with Max Buckler 45:54

7M ago45:54

45:54

This episode begins our series on hatafat dam brit, a Jewish ritual performed in place of brit milah that involves pricking the circumcision scar to draw a small amount of blood. Eli and Max are joined by Max Buckler, who has recently published the first bioethics paper on hatafat dam brit and its relationship to debates about circumcision. We disc…

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The Medicalization of Circumcision with Elizabeth Reis 49:18

7M ago49:18

49:18

Many Jewish males are circumcised in the hospital without any Jewish ritual, but how did this become the case? Eli and Max are joined by the historian Prof. Elizabeth Reis (CUNY), who has studied the medicalization of circumcision in mid-century New York. While rabbis were glad to see mainstream support for circumcision, they worried about a shift …

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They’re Still Doing This with Ronald Goldman 25:51

7M ago25:51

25:51

How might childhood trauma relate to some of the big problems in our relationships and our world? Eli is joined by the psychologist Dr. Ronald Goldman, a longtime Jewish opponent of circumcision, to talk about Ron’s new book about empathy. Eli and Ron discuss mother-infant bonding and the effects it can have on adults, the systemic issues that prev…

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Insistent Chutzpah with Jessie Kahnweiler 27:30

8M ago27:30

27:30

How do you make decisions about whether to circumcise your future kid? For feminist filmmaker Jessie Kahnweiler, the answer is by making a movie! Jessie joins Eli to discuss what it’s like to make a film about the sensitive subject of Jewish circumcision, how to balance different perspectives on a controversial topic, and the position of women in c…

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The Bioethics of Circumcision with Brian Earp 1:03:07

8M ago1:03:07

1:03:07

Interested in the ethics of circumcision? You’ve come to the right place! Eli and Max are joined by the bioethicist Prof. Brian Earp (National University of Singapore and Oxford University), a leading scholar of genital cutting and bodily integrity. Brian walks us through recent developments in the ethics of bodily integrity, and then we discuss th…

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Season Two Trailer 0:45

8M ago0:45

0:45

Buckle up! Season 2 is about to begin.By Bruchim

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Generative Violence with Na'ama Carlin 57:56

1+ y ago57:56

57:56

In this episode, Eli and Max are joined by Dr. Na’ama Carlin to discuss her book Morality, Violence, and Ritual Circumcision. They talk about Dr. Carlin’s distinction between two types of violence: Manichaen violence, which is done by and to people; and generative violence, which helps to create identities." They discuss the contemporary circumcisi…

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The Ethics of Neonatal Circumcision with Jeff Helmreich 37:25

1+ y ago37:25

37:25

In his second appearance on The Bruchim Podcast, Jeff presents his view on the ethics of circumcision, and Max and Eli respond with their own views on the matter. They discuss the right to bodily integrity, the right to self-determination, the differences and similarities between male and female genital cutting practices, and the possibility that c…

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part III 48:14

1+ y ago48:14

48:14

In the third part of this series, Eli and Max are joined by the moral philosopher Jeff Helmreich. After Jeff gets up to speed on the conversation, he complicates matters by introducing a fifth option for the relationship between ethics and Jewish law. The group digs into the "Oven of Akhnai," a famous story from the Babylonian Talmud. Jeff then tal…

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part II 37:34

1+ y ago37:34

37:34

In the second part of this series, Eli is joined by Bruchim’s Director of Education, Max DuBoff, to look at an essay by Rabbi Ethan Tucker that is directly relevant to the relationship between Ethics and Jewish law. After a brief introduction to Rabbi Tucker’s place in the Jewish world, they try to understand how Rabbi Tucker's view fits into the c…

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part I 1:02:09

1+ y ago1:02:09

1:02:09

Are Jewish law and ethics in conflict? Eli is joined by Max DuBoff, Bruchim's Director of Education, to explore this question. They begin by defining their terms and explaining what they mean by ethics and what they mean by halakha, Jewish law. Max then proposes four possible positions that one might take regarding the relationship between the two,…

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As Yet Unscarred 23:24

1+ y ago23:24

23:24

In this episode, Eli is joined by Bruchim’s Executive Director Rebecca Wald. Rebecca talks about the decision not to circumcise her son and the consequences of that decision. Eli and Rebecca then discuss Rebecca's website Beyond the Bris and how it became one of the premier Jewish websites on the subject of circumcision. They also talk about Rebecc…

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Value in Stuff That Has Endured with Mark Oppenheimer 53:02

1+ y ago53:02

53:02

In this episode, Eli is joined by Bruchim’s Director of Education Max DuBoff and Jewish journalist Mark Oppenheimer. This episode was recorded two days after Hamas’s October 7th attack against Israel so the conversation starts with reactions to the news. The discussion then moves to the role of antisemitism in Jewish-American identity, the importan…

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Belonging 33:43

1+ y ago33:43

33:43

In this episode, Eli is joined by Bruchim’s President, Lisa Braver Moss. Lisa discusses her regret after circumcising her two boys, and how this catalyzed a lifetime of activism about Jewish circumcision. She also reflects on writing a novel about circumcision and a book of ceremonies for alternative baby welcoming ceremonies, also called brit shal…

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A Complicated Complication with Gary Shteyngart 50:15

1+ y ago50:15

50:15

In this episode, Gary Shteyngart joins Eli to talk about growing up as an immigrant and his memories of being circumcised at the age of seven. He talks about "the very painful complications from his circumcision which have haunted him as an adult." Gary talks about the decision to tell his story to the New Yorker, the reception of his article, and …

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Jews Opposed to Circumcision? 29:41

1+ y ago29:41

29:41

Welcome to the Bruchim Podcast! For our first episode, host Eli Ungar-Sargon is joined by Max Buckler, Bruchim’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and a bioethics researcher. They discuss: Is it a contradiction for a Jew to be opposed to circumcision? And what's the basis of Jewish identity? They also talk about the need for an organization like Br…

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Season One Trailer 0:55

1+ y ago0:55

0:55

Welcome to The Bruchim Podcast! The only podcast in the world dedicated to Jews who think differently about circumcision.By Bruchim

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The Spontaneous Creation of a Temporary Community | Sarah DeLappe and Lila Neugebauer 28:57

6y ago28:57

28:57

Longer ago than we care to admit we sat down with Sarah DeLappe and Lila Neugebauer, who together as writer and director created the groundbreaking theatrical experience of "The Wolves.” Topics discussed and dissected: anecdotal storytelling in the rehearsal room, reading Chekhov out loud at Annie Baker’s house, ensemble plays with minimal sets, an…

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I'm Trying to Create a Public Persona Here | Will Eno 25:59

6+ y ago25:59

25:59

Getting to know Will Eno — A+, would recommend. Only if you have time. Life is short. Okay, here we go.By Matt Kagen, The Quickening , Will Eno, Fern Diaz, softFocus

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All These Bodies Are In This Room | Clare Barron 20:47

7y ago20:47

20:47

We talk with Clare Barron about writing, vulnerability, and sex — in theater and in life.By softFocus

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I’m Both a So-Called Poster Boy and Detractor | Ayad Akhtar 25:50

8y ago25:50

25:50

Ayad Akhtar is skeptical about the current role of identity politics in art. Hold on to your hats — it’s a good one.By softFocus

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Everything Was Messy and Really Explicitly Cheap | ERS Theater's John Collins, Scott Shepherd & Pete Simpson 32:40

8y ago32:40

32:40

John Collins, Scott Shepherd and Pete Simpson, members of the theater company Elevator Repair Service, talk about their different paths into ERS and the New York experimental theater scene from the 90s to the present.By softFocus

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I Am My Own Artist | Condola Rashad 29:53

8y ago29:53

29:53

Condola Rashad sits down with Fern and Matt to talk about starting out in New York. Topics include: how to audition, LA vs NYC, how to grapple with coming from a long lineage of artists, and performing in Lynn Nottage’s “Ruined.”By softFocus

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It All Looks So Ridiculous on the Page | The Debate Society 32:17

8y ago32:17

32:17

The Debate Society (Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, and Oliver Butler) has been praised for making plays that are "uncannily familiar and teasingly mysterious at the same time" by The New York Times. On the kickoff episode of softFocus' The Quickening, they talk about how they started. Topics include: chili cook-off fundraising, a first production turnin…

Clare Barron Podcasts

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The Quickening

softFocus

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The Bruchim Podcast

Bruchim

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Bonus Episode: Mitzvot, Malarkey, and Medical Ethics with Jennifer Margulis 29:12

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Connecting The Dots 38:37

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Foreskin Fears and Fantasies with Jonathan Allan 48:36

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The Unmodified Body with Clare Chambers 49:22

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Reevaluating Circumcision: A Trans Perspective with brin solomon 49:01

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Choosing Brit Milah with Matthew Barron-Jones 32:16

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Prick and Choose Part IV with F. and G. 35:27

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Prick and Choose Part III with Tim Kynerd, Jason Welle, and Yoshi Goodman 46:15

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Prick and Choose Part II with Rabbi Oren Steinitz 29:03

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Prick and Choose Part I with Max Buckler 45:54

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The Medicalization of Circumcision with Elizabeth Reis 49:18

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They’re Still Doing This with Ronald Goldman 25:51

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Insistent Chutzpah with Jessie Kahnweiler 27:30

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The Bioethics of Circumcision with Brian Earp 1:03:07

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Season Two Trailer 0:45

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Generative Violence with Na'ama Carlin 57:56

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The Ethics of Neonatal Circumcision with Jeff Helmreich 37:25

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part III 48:14

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part II 37:34

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Ethics and Jewish Law Part I 1:02:09

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As Yet Unscarred 23:24

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Value in Stuff That Has Endured with Mark Oppenheimer 53:02

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Belonging 33:43

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A Complicated Complication with Gary Shteyngart 50:15

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Jews Opposed to Circumcision? 29:41

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Season One Trailer 0:55

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The Spontaneous Creation of a Temporary Community | Sarah DeLappe and Lila Neugebauer 28:57

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I'm Trying to Create a Public Persona Here | Will Eno 25:59

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All These Bodies Are In This Room | Clare Barron 20:47

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I’m Both a So-Called Poster Boy and Detractor | Ayad Akhtar 25:50

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Everything Was Messy and Really Explicitly Cheap | ERS Theater's John Collins, Scott Shepherd & Pete Simpson 32:40

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I Am My Own Artist | Condola Rashad 29:53

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It All Looks So Ridiculous on the Page | The Debate Society 32:17