Weird Being Jewish: Three Rabbis Walk Into a Podcast
Three rabbis and friends—Jeffrey Weill, Matt Reimer, and Josh Rose—gather to discuss Jewish life, religious life, rabbinic life, and life in general. They share their thoughts on pressing issues facing the Jewish community and beyond, exploring topics with humor and insight.
Episodes
S2E21 Do Jewish People Do Mitzvahs for the Right Reasons?
Rabbi Jeffrey is on his annual trip to the Rabbinical Longshoremen convention in Witchita but Rabbis Josh and Matt explore the enduring question of "Why Do A Mitzvzah" and essential question in Jewish life. We explore aligning our intentions with our actions, and explore how to be better Jews.
S2E20 Is Your Rabbi Using AI? Is That Good (or Bad) for the Jews?
the three rabbis take on AI and disagree about its merits and dangers.
S2E19 Strings Attached: The Challenge of Jewish Life in This Moment
Three rabbis reunite after a hiatus with no agenda and plenty to say. They wade into the fraught waters of Israel, the war, Yom HaZikaron, and what it means to hold nuance in a community that often demands a party line — then somehow end up in a heated debate about strings in rock music, Charlie Daniels, and whether Phil Spector ruined "The Long and Winding Road." Josh admits he's been
S2E18 Purim & the Jewish Take on Our World of Chaos
The three rabbis are at it again, plumming the depths of Purim. This episode was recorded before the attacks on Iran, about which Rabbis Jeffrey, Matt and Josh will likely have something to say in the future.
S2E17 A Jewish Take on Anger
Rabbis Matt and Josh kick around the idea of anger - which is having its moment in the world, it seems - and what the Jewish tradition has to say about it. Rabbi Jeffrey is out this week on an all-expense-paid trip to Ferrett, Alabama for their regionally famous hat-expo. He will return for the next episode.
S2E16 Every Jew at 22? The Jewish Gun Debate
In this episode of Weird Being Jewish the three rabbis are at it again. This time, we discuss guns, gun policy, Jewish safety and Jewish culture. Plus a question that could be applied to any number of topics in Jewish contemporary life: since classical sources don't mention guns, how should Jewish tradition inform civic norms and democratic policy?
S2E15 Judaism, Borders, and the Stranger
Rabbis Jeffrey, Matt and Josh confont the complexity of the Jewish tradition and the brutality of the current regime on immigration.
S2e14 Circles of Loss and Jewish Mourning
In this episode Rabbis Jeffrey, Matt, and Josh reflect together on how grief actually works: unevenly, unpredictably, and often shaped less by moral logic than by story, familiarity, and perceived relationship. Prompted by recent acts of violence and loss, they talk through why certain deaths—especially of public figures who have quietly accompanied us through decades of culture and art—can feel m
S2E 13 What the Hell is Going On? (Jewish Answers Only)
The episode opens with the perennial prompt, "What the hell is going on?" and uses a small, concrete moment—an eighth-grader's intense anti-cheating check at a standardized test—to probe larger cultural drift. Are we lowering the baseline of civility and trust, or simply confronting old human problems in new packaging? The hosts toggle between the granular and the global: fraying norms in U.S. and
S2E12 Doing Good, Feeling Joy: A Jewish Take on Happiness
What's the difference between happiness and joy—and does Judaism care? In this episode of Weird Being Jewish, Rabbis Matt Reimer, and Jeffrey Weill and Josh Rose discuss whether Jewish practice actually generates joy or just names it. Along the way, they question the American, individualist chase for "happiness" and weigh it against a communal, ethical frame. You'll hear a sukkah open-house story,
S2E11 Do You Want Hope or Honesty from Your Rabbi?
Just before this past the High Holidays, Rabbis Matt, Jeff Weill, and Josh Rose wrestled with a blunt dilemma: when the world feels bleak, what belongs on the bimah—unvarnished realism, performative uplift, or a hard-won mix of both? They talk about shielding kids from despair, writing sermons that don't lie, and whether prayers for captives can honestly say "speedily" years in. Along the way they
S2E10 Are Jewish People "A People"?
Rabbi Josh Rose and Rabbi Jeffrey Weill open with quick banter about The Clash—correcting a claim that Allen Ginsberg wrote broadly for Combat Rock (it was a spoken-word feature on "Ghetto Defendant")—then pivot to their real topic: Jewish peoplehood. They trade personal moments that made peoplehood feel tangible: a wild wedding hora, a teenage son's ecstatic trip to Israel, and the fantasy of a s
S2E9 The "Weirdness" of Jewish Identity at This Moment
A freewheeling conversation about the weirdness of Jewish life: why Jewishness can feel both beautiful and isolating, how contemporary politics (especially around Israel) strain communal leadership and personal identity, and what the future might hold for Jewish knowledge and belonging. Honest, funny, and sometimes painful — friends trying to think out loud together. The sound is a little uneven t
S2E8 Which Music Brings us to God?
The three (rabbinic) musketeers talk about music, religion and whether and which music should be part of Jewish prayer. Metal? Hip Hop? Traditional? Tune in to find out
S2E7 Do Rabbis Believe that Judaism is "True"?
It might surprise you to know that many Rabbis struggle with some of the Big Questions about the very fundamentals of Jewish religion. One of those - maybe the Biggest - is, "Is Judaism true?" The three rabbis take the question head-on, and gives their perspective. This is Part I of a to-be-continued exploration of The Truth. Enjoy.
S2E6 Yom HaShoah: What Does it Mean Today?
S2E5 What (and Where) is Conservative Judaism, Anyway?
Rabbis Jeffrey and Josh explore the current state of Conservative Judaism. Rabbi Matt is out this week but will be back for the next episode. Jeffrey and Josh are both Reform Jewish rabbis who took the leap into Conservative Jewish congregations. The two of them discuss the simiilarities and differences between Reform and Conservative Judaism and reflect on the current state of the Conservative J
S2E4 Death Words! Jewish Phrases Connected to Death and Dying
Her Memory for Blessing? Peace Upon Him? Blessed is the True Judge? We explore what these distinctly Jewish phrases mean and whether we should use them at all. A delightful conversation about death in this joint episode of Weird Being Jewish and Unveiling Death.
Gaza, Trump and the Jews
The three Jewish amigos sit down and try to make sense of what Judaism and Jewish values have to say about Trump's Gaza "plan." We discuss the political angle but as usual also turn to Jewish teachings and Jewish tradition to see if we can get insight into what's on the mind of so many Jewish Americans right now.
What's the Rabbi Wearing?? And Other Pressing Questions
WBJ Rabbis Reimer, Rose and Weill discuss the expectation that rabbis must act, talk, and, yes, dress like rabbis. Must we? It can feel oppressive at times, but it may also serve an important purpose. That's what we are kicking around in this episode of Weird Being Jewish.
The Enemy is.... us? Judaism, Trumpism, and the Obligation to Speak Out
Rabbis Reimer, Weill and Rose take on the Trumpian turn in the country and whether Jewish people have a paritcular obligation to speak out as Jews about what's happening. They also touch on collective responsibility and - hey, who gets to say who's right and wrong anyway? Raising more questions than answers these three rabbi-friends ponder what's most heavily on all of our minds, and find meaning
Hope and Responsibility: Living in the World Now
Rabbi Matt Reimer, along with Rabbis Jeffrey Weil and Josh Rose, discusses the intersections of the Torah portion Parshat Noach and the contemporary world, touching upon the election and its implications [note: this was recorded last week, BEFORE the election]. They inquire about post-flood life, paralleling it with the uncertainties and potential of the present day. The conversation explores them
Looking Back on Israel: One Year Later
Rabbis Reimer, Rose and Weill join in a conversation about Israel on the one year anniversary of the October 7th attacks.
In Command! Mitzvah and Commanded-ness
The three amigos delve into a central question in Jewish life: If we are commanded, is there a commander? In other words - does God give us rules? And, hey - is there a God? Stay tuned for the big reveal!
WBJ: Fake Yous - Imposter Syndrome
Your rabbi (or priest, pastor) feels like a fake sometimes. And hey, so do you. Rabbis Reimer, Rose and Weill explore this question and find that it leads to the deepest of questions....
WBJ: Leadership, Values, and 34 Felonies
What values are needed in a leader? How does a leader know when to respect norms and when to break sh*t? Rabbis Jeffrey, Matt and Josh talk about the Don's felonious behavior and leadership values.
WBJ: Can Rabbis Be Antizionists?
Matt unfriends Josh, Jeffrey takes a stand, and Josh plays both sides. Three rabbis take on the very serious topic of Judaism and Antizionism.
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