In this deeply personal episode, Shelley Silas guides us through her intricate journey of Jewish identity, shaped by her unique heritage, family dynamics, and the profound impact of loss.

Our Guest

Shelley Silas is a playwright and storyteller whose work delves into the nuances of identity and cultural belonging. Her plays, including "Calcutta Kosher," reflect her diverse heritage and the challenges of navigating multiple identities.

Key Topics

• Multifaceted Identity: Exploring the intersection of Baghdadi Jewish heritage, Indian roots, and LGBTQ+ identity.
• Family and Loss: How significant life events, especially the loss of family members, reshape one's understanding of Jewish identity and cultural practices.

Your guide

Short definitions of terms mentioned in this episode:

• Sephardi - Jews descended from Iberia and the Spanish diaspora
• Ashkenazi: Jewish people descended from Germany and Northern France
• Mizrahi: Jews from the Middle East and North Africa
• Shul: Yiddish word for synagogue
• Kippah: A small skull cap worn by Jewish men

Want to learn more? Listen to previous episodes where we discuss identity.

• S1E1 The Big Three Origin Stories
• S1E7 “Identity is overrated” with Dr Orphira Gamliel

References & Resources

• The Royal Literary Fund - Shelley Silas's profile and works, including "Calcutta Kosher"
• Jewish Museum London - blog entitled Understanding the Indian Baghdadi Jews

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Show credits

Host / Producer: Eylan Ezekiel

Post-production: Communicating for Impact

Artwork: Emily Theodore

Music: Aleksafor utransndr Karabanov

Sound effects: Serge Quadrado

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Professor Yakov Yadgar as our guide, we explore how nation-states, particularly Israel, shape and sometimes constrain Jewish identities while emphasising the importance of celebrating diverse histories and practices, especially those of Mizrahi heritage.

Our guest

Yaacov Yadgar is a Professor of Israel Studies at Oxford School of Global & Area Studies and Oxford Department of Politics & International Relations. Read more about his work.

Key topics

• Diversity of Identity: The importance of recognising Mizrahi histories and cultures to move beyond a Eurocentric view of Jewish identity.
• Nationalism vs. the Individual: How state influence creates tension between nationalised and localised Jewish practices, impacting personal identity.

Your guide

Short definitions of terms mentioned in this episode:

• Ashkenazi - Jewish people descended from Germany and Northern France
• Mizrahi - Jews from the Middle East and North Africa - this term has a complex history
• Sephardi - Jews descended from Iberia and the Spanish diaspora

Want to learn more? Listen to previous episodes where we discuss identity.

• S1E1 The Big Three Origin Stories
• S1E7 “Identity is overrated” with Dr Orphira Gamliel

References & Resources

• Yadgar, Y (2024) To Be a Jewish State: Zionism and the New Judaism. NYU Press

Videos

• UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies (2024) To Be a Jewish State: Zionism as the New Judaism
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Dive deeper into the Jewniverse

Subscribe to our Substack

Who Jew you think you are?

Share your story

Find us elsewhere, here!

Show credits

Host / Producer: Eylan Ezekiel

Post-production: Communicating for Impact

Artwork: Emily Theodore

Music: Aleksafor utransndr Karabanov

Sound effects: Serge Quadrado

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Passover bonus episode, Penny Rabiger and Eylan Ezekiel share their Pesach traditions and the meaning of this festival, often referred to as 'Jewish Christmas'. If you are Jew-curious, you'll learn a little more about why this festival means so much to Jews, of all flavours - and ... if you are Jewish, it's a chance to reflect on the way we make meaning from the Exodus story.

Thanks to The Maccabeats for their quality singing to cover up Penny and Eylan's

The Seder plate

We'd love to hear from you if you think your have a Jewish identity that struggles to be heard - whether you are Sephardi, Mizrachi, from South America, and/or if you are non-Zionist, Secular, LGBTQ+, Liberal, or Orthodox. If you’d like to be involved in our projects, such as being a guest on the podcast,

please contact us here https://forms.gle/sx7Nic2rCnTNEG289

Find us elsewhere, here!

Show credits

Host / Producer: Eylan Ezekiel

Post-production: Communicating for Impact

Artwork: Emily Theodore

Music: Aleksafor utransndr Karabanov

Sound effects: Serge Quadrado

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.