Martini Judaism

I had weird reading habits when I was a kid.

For one thing, no one ever told me that there were certain books that boys should read, and certain books that girls should read, and that there was a mechitza (a barrier in a traditional synagogue that separates the sexes) between the two of them.

What did I know? That was how I came to devour the entire Harriet the Spy series.

Because, well, I liked spies.

And then, there was Judy Blume, born Judith Sussman, in 1938.

Judy Blume...

What does the Torah actually say about immigrants — and what does it demand of us?

Rabbi Jeff Salkin sits down with one of the Jewish world's leading theologians, Rabbi Shai Held, to explore the Bible's most repeated commandment: love the ger — the stranger, the sojourner, the immigrant. Held argues that "immigrant" is not just the most accurate translation of ger, it's the most morally urgent one. When the Torah says to love the immigrant, it's making a claim on us every single day.

Together, Salkin and Held trace the Torah's radical counter-vision to Egypt — a societ...

On Purim, Jews read Esther — a story of survival in the face of annihilation.

This episode connects that ancient warning to today’s confrontation with Iran. Is this war, self-defense, or tragic necessity? We explore Amalek, radical evil, human rights, and what it means to hold both the sword and the prayer book in a dangerous world.

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Michael Kimmel’s Playmakers reveals how Jewish immigrants built America’s toy industry—and reshaped modern childhood. From teddy bears to superheroes, they turned outsider grit into imagination, comfort, and cultural revolution. This isn’t just toy history; it’s a story of identity, reinvention, and why play became one of America’s most powerful ideas.

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As the ground shifts beneath our feet, where is our faith?

For your consideration: Rabbi Elan Babchuck. He is the founding director of Glean Network, an incubator for faith-rooted innovation; the executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL); Fellow with the Faith & Media initiative advocating for improved representation of faith in media; and a nationally recognized commentator on religion, technology, and the evolving needs of communities today.

And what ahs this to do with earthquakes?

In 1837, there was a devastating earthquake in northern Israel...

When did Jews start covering their heads? Certainly not in the Bible. The practice emerged during rabbinic times, and not everywhere. 

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Why Do Jewish? Love, Obligation, and the Courage to Show Up

Imagine a familiar conversation in any household across the world.

“Do we have to go to the school concert tonight?”
There’s no law. No statute. No external requirement.

And yet—you go.

Why? Because love creates obligation. Not the other way around.

That deceptively simple truth sits at the heart of my conversation with Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, on this episode of Martini Judaism.

For generations, Jews have argued a...

Historian Pamela Nadell joins us to confront an unsettling truth: antisemitism didn’t come to America—it was born here. In her powerful new book, Antisemitism: An American Tradition, Nadell traces how hatred of Jews took root in the New World, evolved with the nation itself, and continues to shape our politics, culture, and conscience.

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The Days of Awe are upon us. They always hit me with a familiar, bracing urgency: Look at your life. Consider your words, your choices. Where have you failed? Whom have you harmed? What will it take to begin again?

If we’re honest, most of us spend these days trying to clean up the usual messes: the casual slight, the simmering resentment, the careless word that cut deeper than we knew. We rehearse our regrets, and we whisper our promises to do better.

But once in a while, a life comes along that reminds us...

Former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz on faith, identity, and resilience.

What happens when a White House insider turns her attention to Jewish wisdom, identity, and survival in a turbulent age? Rabbi Jeff Salkin sits down with Sarah Hurwitz—former speechwriter for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and author of Here All Along and As a Jew—for a conversation that is sharp, soulful, and deeply relevant. Together they explore the challenges of antisemitism on campus, the tug-of-war over Israel, and why “cultural Judaism” isn’t enough. Hurwitz makes the case for reclaiming Jewish identity on our own te...

What if everything you think you know about the Scopes “Monkey Trial” is—well, a little off? Jeff Salkin sits down with Doug Mishkin—lawyer, singer-songwriter, and amateur Scopes trial historian—for a deep dive into Inherit the Wind, the 1960 Hollywood classic that shaped generations of assumptions about religion and science.

They explore what the film gets right, what it gets deeply wrong, and what the real Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, and John Scopes might say about today’s culture wars. From evolution to eugenics, liberalism to scripture, this episode reveals how a century-old trial still echoes in de...

The late Arthur Hertzberg was one of American Judaism’s greatest rabbis and intellectual leaders.

But he did not start out that way.

More than 70 years ago, he was a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. One of his teachers was Mordecai Kaplan, one of American Judaism’s most seminal thinkers and rabbis, and the founder of the Reconstructionist movement.

The day came for young Arthur to deliver a trial sermon before the student body and the faculty. Afterward, Rabbi Kaplan lambasted Arthur for the ideas that he had presented.

As we mark Jewish Heritage Month, how do we embrace the heritage of Southern Jews?

Ask Shari Rabin, one of the rising stars of Jewish studies in America. She is associate professor of Jewish studies, religion, and history and chair of Jewish studies at Oberlin College. This "born-in-Milwaukee-moved-to-Atlanta-after-her-bat-mitzvah" woman has just written a new book -- "The Jewish South: An American History." I could not put it down, and you will love our conversation.

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Trigger warning: this episode contains references to sexual violence.

October 7 reminds Jews of what happened in Hebron on August 24, 1929. In her book "Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict," Yardena writes:

On that morning, 3,000 Muslim men armed with swords, axes, and daggers marched through the Jewish Quarter of Hebron. They went from house to house, raping, stabbing, torturing, and in some cases castrating and burning alive their unarmed Jewish victims...Infants were slaughtered in their mothers’ arms. Children watched as their parents were butchered by th...

Why does the death of the Pope touch me, as a Jew?

I cannot think of a Pope who had the depth of relationships with the Jewish community as this Pope had enjoyed. As Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he had a close working relationship with the Argentinian Jewish community. His response to the 1994 bombing of the AMIA center in Buenos Aires -- until 2001, the most lethal terrorist attack in the Western Hemisphere -- was notable for its compassion. He had visited synagogues in Argentina.

Moreover, he collaborated with Rabbi...

I was talking with a Roman Catholic-raised friend who no longer practices the religion of his youth. At a certain point in the conversation, he snorted about "cafeteria Catholics," which sardonically describes those who adhere to parts of Catholic teachings or practice certain rituals, but dissent from others.

It made me realize I am a "cafeteria Jew."

Which brings me to Kate Mishkin, the creator of a compelling podcast with an enviable pun as its title, "Shofar, So Good."

In her podcast, she engages in t...

My friend, Vanessa Hidary.

Vanessa Hidary is a cool person. She is a spoken word artist, an educator, and an advocate. She is a trail-blazer. Her work has had a profound impact on both the Jewish community and beyond. Recently, the ADL honored her as a "Hero Against Hate." 

Vanessa embodies the bravery of Queen Esther, the pride of Mordecai, and a little bit of Vashti's attitude thrown in for good measure. She is a one woman megillah.

How did we first meet? We were at a Jewish conference together – the Conversation, which was...

What do Batman and Superman have to do with Jewish identity?

Other than the fact that their creators were Jews: Batman by Bob Kane, and Superman by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster?

It is more than that. It is about having multiple identities.

About a decade ago, I interviewed for a rabbinical position. A past president of the synagogue asked: "Rabbi, are you a Jew first, or an American?”

This was my answer.

"With all due respect: If that question could wear clothing, it would be a Nehru jacket. It...

"If God lived in our neighborhood, we'd throw stones through His [sic] windows."

I do not know who originally said that, though I think that the original was in Yiddish.

But, it's true.

And, if you were to ask me whether Jewish worship has a "design flaw," I would say that this is it: almost nowhere in our services do we get to yell at God, and to protest God's actions and in-actions.

We want our worship experiences to be uplifting and inspirational. But, we are missing out on the emotional...

Remember the 10th commandment?

"Thou shalt not covet"?

This past week, many preachers violated that commandment.

They were coveting the sermon Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde delivered at the National Cathedral during a service the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, in which she pleaded with Trump to show mercy to the most vulnerable among us.

(Speaking Jewish right now: If I had been blessed with the opportunity to address the president, I would not have used the word "mercy." I would have asked him to show compassion and to do justice...

It happened exactly four years ago.

I am speaking of January 6, 2021 -- the attack on the US Capitol Building by supporters of Donald Trump – claiming that President Biden had stolen the election. It was, to quote Bill Kristol, our national day of shame. It was, to borrow FDR’s iconic phrase, a day that will live in infamy.

There were many things that we cannot unsee, and that we cannot unhear.

Among the rioters that stormed the Senate chamber was a man who provided us with one of the most memorable and disturbing imag...

Last week, we observed the first yahrzeit (anniversary of a death) of Dr. David Ellenson -- past president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, past provost of that institution, a professor at that institution for a generation – a teacher, a theologian, a historian of Jewish ideas, a world class thinker. Someone said that “David was always the smartest person in the room, and he never let you remember that.”

If you could look up the word mensch in a dictionary, you would see David's photograph. You could meet him and never know he possessed one of the gr...

If you encounter someone who wants to talk about God, odds are that person isn't Jewish. Why?

I am talking to a friend of mine about his experience on various dating sites. He tells me that from time to time, he will come across a profile that seems promising. And then, right there in the first paragraph, the woman will write: “Must love God.”

As he scrolls down a little further, he sees that she is a Christian – and that she inevitably describes her politics as “conservative.”

“I don’t get it,” he says to me. “Why i...

Rabbi Jeff Salkin sits down with Rabbi Jonah Pesner, one of American Judaism's most prominent voices and the director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Together, they dive into the deeply rooted relationship between Judaism, politics, and social justice, exploring why so many Jews align with liberal causes while maintaining a vibrant spectrum of political thought within the community.

From the historical and spiritual foundations of Jewish values to modern-day challenges in maintaining empathy amidst polarization, Rabbi Pesner offers insights that are both grounded in tradition and urgently relevant. The conversation spans critical topics, including:<...

On Tuesday, July 16, I and a group of rabbis traveled south from Jerusalem — to the Gaza envelope.

There, we visited the places that Hamas had ravaged on Oct. 7, 2023.

We visited the site of the Nova music festival, where we said kaddish for the young victims.

We visited Kibbutz Nir Oz. We walked through the rubble of the burnt houses, the burnt kitchen, the places where people died, and the places where people were taken hostage. One-quarter of the residents of Nir Oz were killed or taken hostage.

I have experienced many mo...

Two of my favorite people — Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer — who have just written a new book, "It Takes Two To Torah: An Orthodox Rabbi and Reform Journalist Discuss and Debate Their Way Through the Five Books of Moses," with a foreword by Mayim Bialik. This is a book about each Torah portion, as read through their lenses, and is a series of conversations and intellectual wrestling matches.

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First, this modern Orthodox rabbi was one of the first rabbis to really touch my life and to engage me in what my Protestant colleagues would call “formation.”

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg was a congregational rabbi in Riverdale, NY; the founder of the Jewish studies program at City College of New York; the creator of CLAL, the Center for Learning and Leadership – which is a think tank for Jewish pluralism and intra-Jewish conversation.

I first met Rabbi Greenberg and his wife, Blu, the major Jewish feminist leader, when he engaged me to work with a bunch of mod...

We need to take the spiritual journey of Ana Levy-Lyons with the gravity it deserves. Truth be told: There is a shortage of rabbinical students. Jews need rabbis. Levy-Lyons obviously has the human, intellectual and spiritual skills for it. I look forward to welcoming her as a Jew, and certainly as a colleague.

But there is far more to this story than is readily apparent. This is not only a story about how someone has entered Judaism. It is also a story about how someone left the Unitarian Universalists. The reason for that departure...

Jews have been living on an emotional roller coaster.

In recent weeks, we experienced a welcome "high." Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was under serious consideration for vice president on the Democratic ticket.

Then, in recent days, for many Jews, a "low" when Josh Shapiro was passed over in favor of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Jews have a right to be disappointed.

But along with that disappointment, let us realize the Shapiro possibility contains two serious lessons for American Jews.

First, the purpose of an election is not to make...

More than forty years ago, as I prepared to ascend the pulpit for my first High Holy Days sermon as a rabbi, one of the elders of my congregation, dear old Arthur Leibowitz, pulled me aside.

“Rabbi,” he said to me, “Preach the Dickens at ’em.”

I said to him: “OK, Arthur. Just please don’t have any great expectations.”

American Jews already know, intuitively and rationally, that they are living in the "worst of times." The rise of antisemitism, both in the United States and abroad, and the ongoing, unfolding horror of October 7 and it...

“I am running away to join the circus.”

It was 2004, and my synagogue in Atlanta had welcomed Amichai Lau-Lavie as a guest speaker. Amichai had been the founder of Storahtellers, a ritual theater company, which was an innovative approach to presenting Torah in synagogue. He had come to our congregation along with what could only be described as a madcap ensemble of actors, singers and theater professionals – who also knew Torah. 

They dramatized the Torah portion. And, much more.

The congregation was mesmerized.

The next day, we had breakfast. This is what I...

I am experiencing serious FOMO.

I am totally bummed that I am going to be out of the range on Monday to watch the solar eclipse.

So, let's talk about Judaism and eclipses.

Are there eclipses in the Bible? Most likely. It is possible that the plague of darkness during the Exodus from Egypt was a total eclipse of the sun. Likewise, when the sun stood still in the book of Joshua, that also might have been an eclipse. There are also references to solar eclipses in medieval Jewish texts, especially as they...

What are the three little words that rabbis almost never, ever, say to their congregations.

Hold on, because I am about to say them.

God loves you.

That is the topic of Rabbi Shai Held's new book, "Judaism Is About Love,"` which is also the topic of today's "Martini Judaism" podcast.

Wait a second, you are saying. Isn't this supposed to be Martini Judaism -- not Martini Evangelical Christianity? Am I reading the wrong column, or has Jeff Salkin decided to convert?

Neither.

Let’s face it: “God...

A very intelligent young person once asked me: “When did the Bible stop?”

“What do you mean?” I responded.

“I mean,” she said, “when did they decide that the Bible was finished? Why can’t we simply add on to it? Why can’t it be like a loose-leaf notebook, where you put things in and take them out whenever you need to?”

I admit I had found that question to be, well, irreverent.

Now I am not so sure. Now I actually think it was a great question and I have been asking it...

It is November 10, 1938. It’s in a small city in Germany. It is the night after Kristalnacht, the night of broken glass that ushered in the mass roundups and the killings that would become the Holocaust, what we call the Shoah in Hebrew.

There are a group of men shoved together in a cell. They are all of different ages. One of them turns to a much younger man, a rabbinical student who was no more than twenty years old.

“You! You are a rabbinical student. You are a student of Judaism. So tell us – what d...

The other day, I was talking to someone about a friend of mine who had converted to Judaism, a.k.a., joined the Jewish people.

My conversation partner stopped me in my tracks.

"I don't believe in that," he said. "You can't convert to Judaism. You can't just join the Jewish people. You either are Jewish, or you are not. What — you take a class, and you take a test and they dunk you (in the mikveh, the ritual bath) and poof — you're Jewish?!?"

"No!" he continued. "You have to have a yiddishe nesh...

Did you ever think, in your wildest imagination, that the events of October 7 would lead to an all out culture war that would involve every sector of American intellectual and academic life?

Me neither.

And yet, here we are -- with the result that many American Jews are now questioning the role of the university in their lives, and in the life of the Jewish community.

To help us discern the depths of the university and the Jews, check out the podcast -- a conversation with Mark Oppenheimer. He has been writing about...

“Don’t know much about history…” Those were the immortal words of Sam Cooke.

It happens to be true. Many of us don’t know much about history. Just think of the way that we use the word. Someone gets fired from a job, and what do we say? “She’s history.”

But, I love history, especially American Jewish history. No one has nourished that love of history more than Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University, past president of the Association for Jewish Studies and Chief Historian of the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia...

No one ever asks, "Why should India exist?" Or Albania. Or the United States. Or any country in the world.

Except for one country: Israel.

So, let me make this simple — and overly simplistic. Why does Israel exist? Here are my two R's of Israel.

Do you know what it’s like to fall in love?

I don’t mean falling in love with a romantic partner.

I am talking about the moment of falling in love with a performer — because you know that person gets it and gets you and understands you.

That is what happened to me back in 1991, when a friend of mine played me an album called “From Strength to Strength” by Peter Himmelman.

That title is a biblical quote. It’s what Jews say to each other at significant moments in life: “May y...