Walter Russell Mead, a historian, pundit, and popular author, is encyclopedic about politics, culture, and history. On What Really Matters, Mead and Tablet deputy editor Jeremy Stern help you understand the news, decide what news matters and what doesn’t, and enjoy following the story of America and the world more than you do now. Check out Walter Russell Mead’s Tablet column at https://www.tabletmag.com/columns/via-meadia.
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Tablet Magazine Podcasts
As Jews around the world engage in a seven-and-a-half year cycle of Daf Yomi, reading the entire Talmud one page per day, Tablet Magazine's new podcast, Take One, will offer a brief and evocative daily read of the daf, in just about 10 minutes. New episodes will be released daily Monday through Friday.
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From weekly series examining unique angles on Jews’ place in the world, to inquiries into the details of Jewish text and tradition, Tablet Studios podcasts bring you insight and inspiration for the modern-day Jew. Our shows include How to Be a Jew, Unorthodox, Rootless, Re-Form, and more to come.
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Hebrew School is a game show podcast where kids play fun games to learn about all things Jewish! Season 3 features comedy by Joel Chasnoff, storytelling by Peninnah Schram, and songs by Lenny Solomon and our house band Shlock Rock. The Jewish Education Project has created accompanying games and activities for families, as well as resources for educators to use our podcast in the classroom. Want to be a contestant on Hebrew School? Visit tabletm.ag/hebrewschool to apply. Hebrew School is a pr ...
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The Jewish tradition of counting the Omer, or Sefirat Haomer, marks the 49 days between the second night of Passover and the start of Shavuot, and offers daily opportunities for spiritual challenge and growth. Join host Kylie Unell in her daily effort to make meaning out of this age-old tradition and stretch her soul as she does it.
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From the team behind Unorthodox—the #1 Jewish podcast—comes a new eight-part series detailing the hidden history of Jews and the Ivy League. Gatecrashers tells the story of how Jews fought for acceptance at elite schools, and how the Jewish experience in the Ivy League shaped American higher education, and shaped America at large. Hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, each episode focuses on one Ivy League school: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and the University of Pen ...
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Before CNN and Fox News, before shock jocks and powerful pundits, there was Father Charles Coughlin, an ambitious priest who invented political talk radio as we know it, brought down one president and crowned another, and was at one point considered the most powerful man in America. He was also a rabid antisemite who wrote fan mail to Mussolini and cheered on Hitler, and who used his enormous platform to spread hate. In this 8-part podcast, Detroit journalist Andrew Lapin weaves together arc ...
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This companion podcast to Dara Horn’s new book People Love Dead Jews takes listeners beyond the book to some of the strangest corners of Jewish history, exploring how the popular mania for dead Jews warps our understanding of both past and present. In this series, you’ll meet flamboyantly gay Civil War Jewish spies, Japanese “Jewish specialists” trying to build their own Jewish state, genius Victorian identical twins and genius Lubavitcher identical twins, American and Soviet Jewish moviemak ...
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Champion! Magazine is the premier tablet publication covering comic books and pop culture. Download the free app here for your iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/champion!-magazine/id455870554?mt=8
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This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss the Trump administration's apparent speech crackdown, the Saudi-Pakistani mutual defense pact, the rise of cocaine cartels in Mexico, the recent events that shook the Western order, and why rightwing influencers are obsessed by Israel and Jew hatred.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s pages, Zevachim 5 and 6, intent once again takes center stage: even a valid offering is incomplete if the mind isn’t in the right place. To mark the season, we share a special segment from our sister podcast Sivan Says, with Sivan Rahav-Meir guiding us into Rosh Hashanah. Can intentionality transform not just sacrifice but also the way…
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On today’s page, Zevachim 4, the rabbis teach us the magic and meaning of korban shelamim, the one kind of sacrifice we could carry out of the Temple and share with folks we love. How did that sacred take out help create community and bring about peace and love? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s page, Zevachim 3, the rabbis wonder what happens when a sacrifice is offered properly, but with the wrong intention. The act stands, yet the obligation remains unfinished—forcing a repeat. Do we, too, risk having to “do it twice” when our head and heart aren’t in it the first time? Listen and find out.…
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On today’s page, Zevachim 2, we open the mysterious world of Kodashim—the Talmud’s deep dive into sacrifices. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin reminds us that these offerings were never about feeding God, but about drawing close through holiness. What does it mean to treat the conceptual as more real than the material? Listen and find out.…
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Horayot 13 and 14 - Becoming Sinai Together
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13:22On today’s pages, Horayot 13 and 14, the daf points from titles to trust—authority in halakha is earned by the community, not decreed from above. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explore how consensus, not charisma, sustains Torah leadership. When recognition follows service, communities become the guarantors of their own standards. How should com…
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On today’s pages, Horayot 11 and 12, the Talmud weighs status and standing: when someone leaves the fold, what counts as a step back in—intention, confession, changed behavior? We’re sharing that Unorthodox piece from Robert Scaramuccia on the work of apology when details are fuzzy but responsibility remains. Robert’s story comes from Unorthodox’s …
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This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss Russian drones entering Polish airspace, Israel's failed strike on Hamas leadership in Qatar, Trump's decision to rename the Defense Department the War Department, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s page, Horayot 10, foresight at sea gives way to a lesson on appointing scholars who resist promotion—“be a servant to this people.” The Presidentscher Rav, Dr. Tevi Troy, joins us to connect rabbinic leadership to modern presidential appointments. It reframes advancement as obligation, not reward. When should the truly capable say yes—an…
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On today’s page, Horayot 9, the Talmud contrasts offices and obligations across king, court, and anointed priest. Leadership by title expires; leadership rooted in service and love persists. What kind of authority actually lasts? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s page, Horayot 8, the rabbis teach that you can’t be both righteous and idolatrous at once. It’s a clear line: affirming false gods dissolves the obligations of Torah. What makes idolatry the baseline test of a person? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s pages, Horayot 6 and 7, the rabbis tackle a version of the Ship of Theseus: if all the members of a community are replaced over time, does the community itself remain? Rav Papa answers yes—because a congregation never truly dies. How does Jewish life carry on? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s pages, Horayot 4–5, the debate turns on a missing vav, and whether mitzvot should be read as singular or plural. It’s a dazzling example of how language itself becomes a gateway to spiritual meaning. And because this week’s Torah portion is filled with mitzvot, we’re also sharing a special conversation from our sister podcast Sivan Says,…
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On today’s page, Horayot 3, we encounter both compassion and responsibility: don’t legislate beyond what people can bear, and never let a leader duck the burden of judgment. It’s a double reminder that law must bend toward mercy and that power must never escape accountability. How do those values challenge us today? Listen and find out.…
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On today’s page, Horayot 2, we begin a brand new tractate—the final one in Seder Nezikin. Here the rabbis ask: what happens when leaders make mistakes in judgment and law, and the people follow? With Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, we explore how Judaism models humility by insisting that even kings, priests, and courts can err. Why does Jewish tradition pla…
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This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss US naval warships in Latin America, the latest poll of American opinion on Gaza, Trump's attempt to fire the governor of the Federal Reserve, and Xi Jinping's summit with Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 76, we close a chapter on idolatry only to open a deeper one about the human soul. With Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin, we explore why the Torah warns against graven images, and how this commandment teaches us that our worth—like divinity itself—is always beyond what meets the eye. Why is invisibility the ultimate form of truth…
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On today’s pages, Avodah Zarah 74 and 75, the Talmud explores the delicate balance of protecting Jewish practice while still engaging with the larger world. Mark Oppenheimer, the Corduroy Rav, joins us to discuss what ancient keg-cleaning instructions can teach us about pluralism, coexistence, and the ever-present dangers of idolatry in modern form…
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On today’s pages, Avodah Zarah 72 and 73, the rabbis dive into the logic of kosher: when does a forbidden flavor render food off-limits, and when does it not? Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to explain how this principle grew into the modern system of kosher certification. What does it really mean to trust the food we eat? Listen and find out.…
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 71, we encounter a grim teaching: a gentile thief could face death even for a tiny crime. The Talmud wrestles with the balance between law and compassion, and so do we. So today, we revisit a conversation with Sister Helen Prejean, a tireless voice against the death penalty. What can ancient law teach us about one of t…
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 70, the rabbis reflect on a strange case: thieves breaking into wine cellars. Instead of harsh judgment, they remind us to presume purity—even for those who stumble. Can transgression and hope coexist in the same breath? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 69, the rabbis debate how best to seal a barrel of wine to ensure it hasn’t been tampered with. From corks to screw tops, what can this age-old conversation teach us about trust, preservation, and innovation? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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Avodah Zarah 67 and 68 - The Flavor of Faith
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10:00On today’s pages, Avodah Zarah 67 and 68, the Talmud digs into beans, vinegar, and the science of taste. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to show how the rabbis’ rules of flavor transfer—through heat, salt, and soaking—mirror the ways we absorb spirituality. Can food metaphors help us understand how to infuse our lives with holiness? Listen and find …
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On today’s pages, Avodah Zarah 65 and 66, we meet a minister in rose water and Rava himself debating pleasure versus power. Dr. Tevi Troy, our very own Presidentischer Rav, helps us draw lessons from presidents, CEOs, and moguls who thought they were untouchable—until the government reminded them otherwise. Can political reality burst even the stro…
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 64, the rabbis introduce the strange prohibition of giving a “free gift” to a gentile. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin helps us unpack what’s at stake, from communal bonds to baseless love, and why family ties redefine generosity. What does Judaism teach about gifts without strings? Listen and find out.…
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On today’s page, Avodah Zarah 63, the Talmud suggests that sometimes smashing things apart clears the way for something better. But how do we know when destruction is holy, not harmful? Listen and find out.By Tablet Magazine
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This week, Walter and Jeremy discuss why Americans are moving less, Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, declining alcohol consumption in the US, and the Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.By Tablet Magazine
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