Weird Being Jewish: Three Rabbis Walk Into a Podcast

What happens when three friends who are also rabbis get together to discuss Jewish life, religious life, rabbinic life and life life? Rabbis Jeffrey Weill, Matt Reimer and Josh Rose don't know but aim to find out. In the process they'll share their thoughts about pressing issues we all face - in the Jewish community and beyond.

S2E11 Do You Want Hope or Honesty from Your Rabbi? 11/18/2025

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 parse the difference between timeless petitions (peace, redemption) and policy-laden hopes, and ask what prayer means if God isn’t a vending machine. From machzor-as-cycle to Judaism-as-forward-motion, from teshuva as “return” to hope as an act of agency, they argue that perspective is one of the few things we truly control. Even in bad times, people still make music, love each other, and build meaning. The episode lands on a clear thesis: if you believe there’s hope, you’ll act like it—and that behavior is the point. Plus: Ned Flanders, Devo, and why ending in honesty might be the most Jewish move of all. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/38920540

S2E10 Are Jewish People "A People"? 11/05/2025

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 synchronized, worldwide Shema. Both admit strong, visceral bonds to other Jews, yet note how personality, humor, music, and shared culture can sometimes trump tribal ties in day-to-day affinity. They then interrogate whether “peoplehood” exists or is better treated as an aspirational story worth preserving despite deep political and theological fractures. Weill recalls an Israeli guide who felt more kinship with an Arab Israeli bus driver than with U.S. Jews, raising questions about nationhood vs. Jewishness. He references Eric Alterman’s We Are Not One to underscore disunity, while Rose argues the dream still has value even if the facts don’t add up neatly. They close by distinguishing love for the Jewish collective from friction with particular Jews, debating “myth” vs. “dream,” invoking (and nitpicking) Herzl’s “If you will it…” line, and, fittingly, ending where they began—on music. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/38917480

S2E9 The "Weirdness" of Jewish Identity at This Moment 09/16/2025

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 today - Rabbi Josh was calling in from a remote undisclosed location in Southern Oregon. We've done our best to make things sound ok. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/38241290

S2E8 Which Music Brings us to God? 08/15/2025

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 /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/37827115

S2E7 Do Rabbis Believe that Judaism is "True"? 05/27/2025

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/36735950

S2E6 Yom HaShoah: What Does it Mean Today? 05/05/2025

S2E6 Yom HaShoah: What Does it Mean Today? /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/36433435

S2E5 What (and Where) is Conservative Judaism, Anyway? 04/01/2025

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 Jewish movement. Along the way they reflect on the meaning of Jewish law and ritual and its significance in contemporary Jewish life and where things might be headed *Note: The audio of Rabbi Josh's voice is terrible in the first part of the conversation. Our apologies! /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/35952135

S2E4 Death Words! Jewish Phrases Connected to Death and Dying 03/13/2025

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/35677710

Gaza, Trump and the Jews 02/27/2025

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/35466545

What’s the Rabbi Wearing?? And Other Pressing Questions 02/13/2025

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/35265800

The Enemy is.... us? Judaism, Trumpism, and the Obligation to Speak Out 02/07/2025

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 in the conversation. Join us! /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/35199545

Hope and Responsibility: Living in the World Now 11/06/2024

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 themes of hope, responsibility, and the challenges of maintaining civility and moral judgment in a complex, divided world. Take a listen! /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/33819746

Looking Back on Israel: One Year Later 10/11/2024

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/33421042

In Command! Mitzvah and Commanded-ness 07/03/2024

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! /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/32001477

WBJ: Fake Yous - Imposter Syndrome 06/21/2024

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.... /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/31843367

WBJ: Leadership, Values, and 34 Felonies 06/05/2024

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/31607577

WBJ: Can Rabbis Be Antizionists? 05/29/2024

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. /episode/index/show/df5eebd6-2163-47f8-8a68-f15e4849c290/id/31516267

Weird Being Jewish: Three Rabbis Walk Into a Podcast

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