Musician and anthropologist Dr. Galeet Dardashti joins Jewish Culture Club to talk about reclaiming a heritage that skipped a generation. The granddaughter of Yunes Dardashti, one of Iran’s most famous singers, and the daughter of a beloved cantor, Galeet grew up surrounded by Jewish music, but not by the Persian and Mizrahi sounds that shaped her family’s story. In this episode, she reflects on rediscovery: learning her grandfather’s style, weaving together Persian classical poetry and Jewish liturgy in her album Monajat, and exploring what it means to connect with traditions that were once left behind. We also dive into the modern revival of Mizrahi identity in art and culture, the fluid boundaries between “authenticity” and innovation, and the creative freedom that comes from blending many worlds, Persian, Ashkenazi, jazz, pop, and beyond. Plus, as always we ask Galeet her favorite Jewish “hot take,” her bagel order, and her dream Shabbat dinner guest list. Listen now!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Jewish Culture Club, Martine talks with playwright and street performer Nick Cassenbaum, whose work shines a light on British Jewish life with humor, heart, and honesty. From his early days performing on the streets to acclaimed plays like Bubble Schmeises, Nick reflects on how art can preserve traditions while exploring working-class histories. Their conversation moves through the legacy of Jewish theatre in the UK, the challenges of visibility and assimilation, and Nick’s experiences with antisemitism, both past and present. Along the way, they touch on his podcast Mahloket, his creative process, and what keeps him inspired for the future of Jewish culture. Listen now! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author and cultural critic Jason Diamond, known for Kaplan’s Plot and Searching for John Hughes, joins Jewish Culture Club to talk about the working-class Jewish roots of Chicago, family survival stories, and why he proudly claims both his Jewish and Midwestern identities. He and Martine swap stories about Ferris Bueller, bagels, Mahjong, and Mel Brooks, finding humor, heart, and history in what it means to be Jewish beyond New York. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Comedian Ariel Elias joins Jewish Culture Club for a fast, funny, and thoughtful conversation about all things Jewish and pop culture. She weighs in on summer camp (rated!), kugel (overrated!), and why cats might secretly be the most Jewish animal. Ariel and Martine talk Jewish reality TV icons, synagogue smells, and the quiet comfort of shared tradition, plus why Ariel wants to bring back The Red Tent (but with snacks and heating pads). Also in this episode: bagel orders, Jewish jokes, a dream Shabbat dinner guest list, and a deep dive on why Survivor isn't Jewish, but The Amazing Race might be. Warm, witty, and full of Jewish joy, listen now! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when language, movement, and memory meet on the same stage, and in the same family? In this episode, multidisciplinary artists Stav Marin and Neta Weiner join Jewish Culture Club for a wide-ranging conversation about art, identity, and repair. Partners in life and performance, their work spans dance, theater, music, and activism, blending Hebrew, Arabic, and Yiddish into a living, breathing dialogue about belonging and resistance. Together, they reflect on growing up in Israel’s layered landscapes, kibbutzim, Jaffa, art schools, and inherited silences, and how those histories led them to create Cut Loose, a visceral performance piece exploring power, intimacy, and the languages that live inside the body. From teaching in Boston after October 7th to raising their daughter in a bilingual daycare in Jaffa, their story is one of reckoning, tenderness, and the radical act of listening across difference. Don't miss their upcoming Berlin performance and EP release this fall. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Culinary historian and writer Michael W. Twitty joins us for a rich conversation about food, memory, and identity. We talk about Kosher laws as a creative framework, the diverse influences behind Southern cuisine, and his new book Recipes from the American South. Michael reflects on the importance of preserving family recipes as acts of justice and legacy, shares what he’d serve at his dream Shabbat table (hint: it’s a feast), and gives us plenty to savor about the ways food carries history forward. Pull up a chair and join us at the table for a thoughtful, delicious conversation about the stories our meals carry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the first episode of Jewish Culture Club, we talk to Susan Stainman - a visual artist we’ve commissioned to build a Sukkah - alongside her renowned spiritual interlocutor Rabbi Jill Hammer. You can visit Susan’s art installation during one of the ten public programs that make up Sukkot in The Neighborhood - a week-long festival of Jewish arts, culture, and spirituality in an art installation Sukkah in Brooklyn. You can find the full calendar of events here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to Jewish Culture Club– a podcast where we talk to the artists and thinkers shaping the Jewish story today. Subscribe now so you don’t miss our first episode dropping on September 29! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.