PODCAST · religion
Can We Talk?
by Jewish Women's Archive
In each episode of Can We Talk?, the Jewish Women’s Archive features stories and conversations about Jewish women and the issues that shape our public and private lives. Visit us at jwa.org.
Episodes
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Gender and Democracy in the Israeli and US Elections
In the coming weeks, voters in Israel and the United States head to the polls, and the results will have profound consequences for both countries. In this episode of Can We Talk?, political analysts Dahlia Scheindlin and Jim Gerstein join us to explore gender and democracy in the upcoming...
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'Kid Sister' and Jewish Life in New Zealand
In this bonus episode, we talk with Simone Nathan, the creator, writer, and star of Kid Sister, a funny and heartfelt TV series from New Zealand about a young Jewish woman navigating family expectations, falling for a non-Jew, and figuring out what she wants from her life. Simone talks about...
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Flatbush Girl Takes on Get Refusal
Adina Sash, AKA Flatbush Girl, uses controversial methods to fight for agunot, women trapped in their marriages because their husbands refuse to grant them a get, or Jewish divorce. She calls out get refusers by name, rallies her Instagram followers against them, and even uses images of women’s...
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A New League of Their Own
Pass the crackerjacks! It's the inaugural season of the Women’s Pro Baseball League. This is the first women’s professional league in the US since the women of the All-American Girls Baseball League got their chance on the field while the men were off fighting in World War II. In this episode, we...
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Joan Rivers and Treva Silverman: Partners in Comedy (Re-release)
For the last of our summer re-releases, we're sharing the second episode in our two-part series on Joan Rivers. It features a conversation between Joan and her longtime friend and comedy partner, Treva Silverman. Joan and Treva talk about what it was like to be women in comedy in the 60s and 70s,...
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Remembering Gloria Steinem
Feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem died on September 2, 2026. In this special episode, JWA's CEO Judith Rosenbaum remembers her lunch date with Gloria 21 years ago, the feminist legacy of Gloria's grandmother Pauline Perlmutter Steinem, and Gloria's affirmation that she "threw her lot in" with the...
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Joan Rivers, Can We Talk? (Re-release)
While the podcast is on hiatus, we're listening back to some of our favorite Can We Talk? episodes. This time, an episode featuring a 2006 interview with Joan Rivers from JWA's documentary Making Trouble: Three Generations of Funny Jewish Women. This is the first episode in a two-part series…
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Coming of Age with Judy Blume (Re-release)
While the podcast is on summer hiatus, we're listening back to some of our favorite Can We Talk? episodes. First up, an episode from 2020 called Coming of Age with Judy Blume. To mark the 50th anniversary of the iconic novel Are you There God, It's Me Margaret? Nahanni and Judith re-read the book...
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Bonus Episode: Camp!
Sheket bevakasha! We're in the thick of summer, so we're talking about—what else?—camp! In this special summer episode, Nahanni, Judith, and Jen talk about The Floaters, a fun new movie set at a Jewish summer camp, and how the film fit—or didn't—with their camp experiences and their kids'. Then,...
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Episode 144: Can We Talk? 2025-26 Season Wrap
In this episode of Can We Talk?, Jen Richler, Nahanni Rous, and Judith Rosenbaum recap the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 podcast seasons, revisiting episodes about a Jewish woman in a Japanese internment camp, America’s first TV mom, a Tel Aviv–Ramallah romance, and much more. Send us Fan Mail You…
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Episode 143: A Tel Aviv–Ramallah Love Story
Sari Bashi’s memoir Upside Down Love chronicles the tumultuous early years of her relationship with Osama (a pseudonym for the man she eventually marries). Sari is an Israeli Jewish woman and Osama is Palestinian. The book is set between Tel Aviv, where Sari lived at the time, and Osama’s home in...
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Episode 142: Antisemitism in the UK
UK-based columnist and author Hadley Freeman joins us to discuss the wave of violent attacks on British Jews, which has spurred UK prime minister Keir Starmer to declare antisemitism a crisis. In her Sunday Times column, Hadley writes frequently about antisemitism, gender, and politics. She is…
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Episode 141: The Quiet Radicalism of Judy Blume
For generations of readers, Judy Blume's novels made growing up feel less lonely. In this episode, Judith Rosenbaum talks with Mark Oppenheimer, author of a new biography of Blume, about their favorite Blume titles, what’s Jewish about her work, and why her novels are radical in ways people often...
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Episode 140: A Jewish Iranian Expat Watches the War Unfold
It is a tense moment in the war between the United States and Israel, and Iran. A temporary ceasefire is set to expire, and it is unclear whether diplomacy will resume or violence will erupt again. Roya Hakakian is a writer, journalist, and political commentator and the author of Journey from the...
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Episode 139: Inheriting Holocaust Memory
What does it mean to be a third-generation descendant of Holocaust survivors? Jen reflects on her grandparents' experiences in the Holocaust—the ones they shared and the ones they didn't—and her responsibility to learn about and share them with her children. She also talks to Rachael Cerrotti,...
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Episode 138: A New Look at RBG
In the years since her death, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been remembered as a feminist icon and, more recently, a figure some blame for the Court's sharp rightward turn, the fall of Roe v Wade—even the decline of American democracy. In this episode of Can We Talk?, we take a new look at RBG’s…
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Episode 137: Word of the Week: Zaftig
The word zaftig has been used to describe everyone from 1930s burlesque dancers to Marilyn Monroe to buxom bubbies. But what does it really mean? Is it only for women? And is it a compliment—or an insult? English-Yiddish dictionary editor Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath helps answer these questions in...
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Sparking Jewish Joy with Stephanie Butnick
In this bonus episode of Can We Talk?, Jen Richler talks to Stephanie Butnick, founder of the Jewish lifestyle newsletter GOLDA, about sparking Jewish joy through rituals, books, art—and shopping. Send us Fan Mail You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app....
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The Pilot's Pilot (Re-Release)
To mark our 10th anniversary, we're re-releasing our pilot episode about...pilots! Elynor Rudnick and Zahara Levitov grew up on different continents: one in America, one in British-ruled Palestine. In the 1940s, they were both young Jewish women with pilot's licenses. During some of the most...
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Episode 136: How Jewish Women Shaped SNL
From "Jewess Jeans" to "Coffee Talk" to "Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy," Jewish women have left their mark on Saturday Night Live as cast members and as characters. In this episode of Can We Talk? we look at the evolving role of Jewish women on the show over its 50 years on TV. Original cast member...
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Episode 135: LGBTQ Jews in the Federal City
Step into the history of queer Jews in Washington, DC, as Nahanni tours the Capital Jewish Museum’s current exhibit, “LGBTJews in the Federal City” with curators Jonathan Edelman and Sarah Leavitt. Through artifacts, photos, and oral histories, the exhibit looks at decades of federal…
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Episode 134: The Jewish Girl Who Joined the Islamic Revolution
Guita Sazan grew up in a Jewish family in Tehran in the 1960s and 1970s, during the reign of the Shah. She was a teenager during the Islamic Revolution against the Shah and was inspired to join the struggle, even becoming a practicing Muslim. But as time went by, the new regime became more and…
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Episode 133: An Israeli Trauma Therapist on Healing After October 7
On October 9, 2023, two days after the Hamas attack, Israeli trauma therapist Merav Roth visited survivors of Kibbutz Be’eri in the hotel they had been evacuated to. Some had seen family members murdered; others were raped or fled homes that were set on fire. Merav stayed and worked with them for...
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Bonus Episode: Remembering Susan Stamberg
Public radio icon Susan Stamberg died on October 16, 2025, at the age of 87. In this special episode, we pay tribute to Susan by listening back to our 2018 interview in which she discusses her New York accent, how early NPR audiences responded to hearing a woman deliver the nightly news, and what...
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Episode 132: Two Years Later
Two years after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, we speak with family members of Vivian Silver and Hayim Katsman, Israeli peace activists who were murdered that day. Hayim’s mother Hannah Wacholder Katsman and Vivian’s son Yonatan Zeigen share how they are carrying on their legacies. Send us Fan...
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Episode 131: Together in Manzanar: A Japanese Jewish American Story
In the spring of 1942, at the height of World War II, Elaine Buchman Yoneda became the only Jewish woman on record to be imprisoned in an American concentration camp. Manzanar was one of the detention centers—commonly known as Japanese internment camps—where the US government imprisoned 120,000...
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Episode 130: Molly Goldberg, America's First TV Mom
From 1929 until the mid 1950s, Molly Goldberg was America’s favorite Jewish mother. Her character was written, acted, and embodied by Gertrude Berg, the first female showrunner and the first woman to win an Emmy for television. First on radio, then on television, The Goldbergs was a hit show and...
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Mah Jongg Tov (Re-Release)
For the last of our summer re-releases, we're taking you back to an episode from 2017 about mah jongg, an ancient Chinese table game that’s embedded in Jewish culture. Send us Fan Mail You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. We're also on YouTube! Don't...
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Bonus Episode: Our Hot Summer Picks
In this special summer episode, Judith, Nahanni, and Jen each share something they've read, watched, or listened to this summer that Can We Talk? listeners will love. Judith: Reformed (streaming on Max) Nahanni: The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden; Journey From the Land of No by Roya Hakakian; As…
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Zohra El Fassia (Re-Release)
While the podcast is on summer hiatus, we're listening back to some of our favorite Can We Talk? episodes. This time, an episode from 2021 about Moroccan Israeli singer Zohra El Fassia. Send us Fan Mail You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. We're also...
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Word of the Week: Yenta (Re-release)
While the podcast is on summer hiatus, we're listening back to some of our favorite Can We Talk? episodes. First up, an episode from 2022 all about the word yenta: where it came from, what people think of it, and how its meaning changed over time. Enjoy! This episode includes music by Alicia Jo...
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Episode 129: Idit Klein on a Quarter Century of Queer Jewish Leadership
Supporting and embracing queer Jews has been Idit Klein's mission for over a quarter century. Since 2001, she has led Keshet, which is now the largest organization for LGBTQ+ Jews in America. With her departure from Keshet approaching, Idit sat down with her longtime friend Judith Rosenbaum, to...
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Episode 128: Orthodox Women Rabbis Crack the Stained-Glass Ceiling
In June 2025, the thirteenth cohort of Orthodox women rabbis graduates from Yeshivat Maharat, the first Orthodox yeshiva in North America dedicated to ordaining women. In this episode, we look at the status of the so-called stained-glass ceiling for Orthodox women rabbis as they seek pulpit...
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Episode 127: The Scribe and Her Quill
For centuries, writing a Torah scroll was a sacred task reserved for men. But a couple of decades ago, a handful of women decided to pick up the quill—without waiting for permission—and paved the way for other women to do the same. In this episode of Can We Talk?, we hear from women who write…
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Episode 126: In Memory of My Mother
In this special Mother’s Day episode, Nahanni interviews her mother, Emma Rous, who died this winter. They talk about how Emma’s teenage activism in a Protestant youth group influenced her politics, her conversion to Judaism in 1971, memories of her first Yom Kippur, what it was like to invent…
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Episode 125: Making Gay History, the Nazi Era: Frieda Belinfante (Special Episode)
In honor of Yom Hashoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, we're sharing a podcast episode from Making Gay History’s current series about the Nazi era. Frieda Belinfante was a Dutch musician and underground activist who risked her life to help save hundreds of Jews from the Nazis. She’s one of…
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Bonus Episode: Our Stories, Our Resistance
At the Jewish Women's Archive, we’re closely following the attacks on democracy unfolding around us every day. In this special Can We Talk? audio essay, our own Judith Rosenbaum, JWA's CEO, calls out President Trump's moves to erase the histories of women and other marginalized groups. A version…
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Episode 124: Dayenu: Jewish Climate Action Now
The climate crisis has entered an alarming new era. Since President Trump started his second term, the Environmental Protection Agency has fired scores of climate scientists and is trying to roll back climate protections and slash clean energy funding. For organizations like Dayenu: A Jewish Call...
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Episode 123: Message From Ukraine: Three Years Later
As the war between Ukraine and Russia enters its fourth year, Nahanni checks in with Vlada Nedak, the CEO of Project Kesher Ukraine. While American officials try to broker a temporary ceasefire, attacks on the ground in Ukraine are intensifying. Dozens of people have been injured and killed in…
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Episode 122: Miriam Anzovin on Power and Gender in the Megillah
In this special Purim episode, Talmudic TikToker and storyteller Miriam Anzovin joins us to talk about the darker side of the Purim story, especially the role of gender. We start with a dramatic retelling of the Megillah, with Miriam's very contemporary spin on the traditional tale. Then we take…
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Bonus Episode: Sonnet for America: Reprise
Just over eight years ago, Judith and Nahanni were looking for solace after Donald Trump rode a xenophobic, misogynistic and hate-filled campaign to his first presidential victory. In a November 2016 episode of Can We Talk?, we turned to the poet Emma Lazarus, the Jewish woman who gave the statue...
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Episode 121: Alaska's Jewish Pioneer Daughter
On August 4, 1869, a Jewish baby girl named Josie became Alaska’s first pioneer daughter. Josephine Rudolph was born in Sitka, Alaska to German immigrants, and returned to Germany when she was 6 years old. Seven decades later, her American birth saved her life when the Nazis came to power.…
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Episode 120: Until 120!
It’s a Can We Talk? party! Welcome to our 120th episode 🥳. We're celebrating this milestone podcast style—Jen gets Judith and Nahanni reminiscing about the early days, we revisit clips from some of our favorite episodes, and we hear "Until 120!" in six languages. We’re honored to be feted by…
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Episode 119: Erez Zobary Sings Her Yemenite Roots
Toronto R & B musician Erez Zobary was always proud of her Yemenite Jewish identity, but didn't explore it in her music - until now. Her new album, Erez, is a soulful, personal collection of songs that draws on her family's stories of life in Yemen and Israel. In this episode of Can We Talk?…
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Episode 118: The Femme Fatale in the Sukkah
This Sukkot, we're welcoming a special guest into Can We Talk?’s virtual sukkah: the Talmudic “femme fatale” Homa, one of the women featured in her new book, The Madwoman in the Rabbi's Attic. In this episode, Talmud scholar Gila Fine tells Homa’s story, reinterprets it from Homa’s perspective…
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Episode 117: One Year Later
A year after Hamas’ brutal October 7 attacks on Israel, the war is far from over. Israel is fighting on multiple fronts—with Hamas in Gaza, with Hezbollah in Lebanon—while war threatens to explode with Iran. Hamas is still holding 101 hostages in Gaza, 33 of whom have been confirmed dead by the...
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Episode 116: Jean Carroll, First Lady of Laughs
Before Joan Rivers, there was another Jewish woman who broke ground as a stand-up comedian. Her name was Jean Carroll, and although she was a household name in the 50s and 60s, today she has been mostly forgotten. Grace Kessler Overbeke hopes her new book about Jean Carroll, First Lady of Laughs,...
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Episode 115: Dr. Ruth's Radical Legacy
The iconic Dr. Ruth Westheimer died earlier this year at the age of 96. Dr. Ruth was a trailblazer for her candid and joyful talk about sex, regularly using words like "masturbate" and "vibrator" on the air, and talking about sexual pleasure— including women's sexual pleasure—at a time when few...
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Bonus Episode: A Visit to Pine Ridge Reservation
In this bonus episode, Nahanni Rous shares stories from a trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Nahanni visits a solar energy training center, a skateboarding competition, and the annual Oglala Nation powwow, and meets people who are trying to build a better future, both by...
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Episode 114: Can We Talk? 2023-24 Season Wrap
In this episode of Can We Talk?, Jen, Nahanni, and Judith recap the past two seasons of the podcast, in which we entered the uncharted territory of a post-October 7 world. We discuss our approach to creating episodes about Jewish women’s responses to the attack on Israel and the ensuing war in...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
In each episode of Can We Talk?, the Jewish Women’s Archive features stories and conversations about Jewish women and the issues that shape our public and private lives. Visit us at jwa.org.
HOSTED BY
Jewish Women's Archive
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Can We Talk? have?
Can We Talk? currently has 170 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Can We Talk? about?
In each episode of Can We Talk?, the Jewish Women’s Archive features stories and conversations about Jewish women and the issues that shape our public and private lives. Visit us at jwa.org.
How often does Can We Talk? release new episodes?
Can We Talk? publishes regularly with 170 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Can We Talk??
You can listen to Can We Talk? on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Can We Talk??
Can We Talk? is created and hosted by Jewish Women's Archive.
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