The Bagel Report

The Bagel Report

The Bagel Report is a pop-culture entertainment podcast featuring award-winning culture and entertainment writers Esther D. Kustanowitz and Erin Ben-Moche. Each episode, these entertainment junkies discuss all things Jewish in the arts & entertainment world while exploring how Jewish identity is portrayed on the big and small screen. Follow us on social @estherk and @ebenmoche and on Twitter and Facebook @TheBagelReport .

Episodes

January 9, 2026 52 mins
It's 2026 and the bagels are using Festivus as a metaphorical sage so they're ready for 2026.
 
Esther and Erin start with what's out, and what's in for Jewish trends in entertainment... Hot rabbis...OUT.....authentic Jewish encounters between celebrities...IN.
 
As awards se...
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"What is this a crossover episode???" Yes, listeners, it is!

This week, Esther and Erin are featuring an episode of the Heritage Words podcast, featuring friend of the pod Sarah Benor and Raphael Bob-Waksberg, creator of Bojack Horseman and Long Story Short.

The bagels spoke to RBW earlier this year about creating the most Jewy show on TV. 

In this episode, RBW discusses his Ashkenazi roots, exposure to Yiddish in pop culture, and...

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December 19, 2025 34 mins

Writer/director/actor Jonah Feingold joins the bagels this week to talk about his new indie film "31 Candles," which blends a Hallmark Christmas movie with Jewish culture.

The movie follows a 30-something New Yorker who becomes a bar mitzvah...only to win over his former camp crush, who is now a b'nai mitzvah tutor.

The three also remember the legendary Rob Reiner and talk about his influence on Feingold's movies. 

"31 Candles" hea...

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October 31, 2025 43 mins

What is Jewish identity in the world of Nobody Wants This, Netflix's breakaway romcom hit about a rabbi and his non-Jewish girlfriend? Joyful? Overly casual and simplistic? Emotionally and spiritually unattainable? Erin and Esther
 continue talking about Season 2, praising the characters' chemistry and the show's potential...
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Nobody Wants This, Netflix's Jewy rom-com series, is back for Season 2, and the bagels are here for it. Not only did they binge-watch the show, but they also praised the show's portrayal of Jewish life, the depth of its Jewish female characters, and the show's realistic depiction of Jewish LA. Whether you watched the whole thing or checked out after 15 minutes, Esther and Erin think viewers should give this Jewish content a watch...

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September 21, 2025 49 mins
This week, Esther and Erin are gearing up for the High Holy Days! 
But before they do, they talk holiday baked goods, particularly challah and bagels. For most of this episode, the bagels are on location, at NYBD Bakery, for a conversation with owners Lenny Rosenberg and Adaeze Nwanonyiri about the bakery's multicultural offerings. From red velvet kola nut cupcakes t...

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August 22, 2025 31 mins

This week, Esther and Erin break down some of their favorite moments from Netlflix' super jewy animated series "Long Story Short." The show is created by Bojack Horseman writer and showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg, so you know it will be funny, heartfelt, and real. They don't want to spoil it for you...so you have to watch so you can tell us what you think! This is definitely a show the bagels will be talking about in the future...s...

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This week, Esther and Erin spoke to TV writing genius Raphael Bob-Waksberg, known for shows like BoJack Horseman, Undone and Tuca & Bertie.

The bagels chatted him up about his latest project: Long Story Short, an animated comedy about the Schwooper family. Jumping through the years, the series follows the Schwooper siblings from childhood to adulthood, chronicling their triumphs, disappointments, joys, and compromises. It's funny, ...

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August 10, 2025 65 mins

This week, Esther and Erin discuss the Hollywood Bowl's recent star-studded Jesus Christ Superstar and how, for a show about Jesus... it's pretty Jewish. They explore Billy Joel's Jewish roots in a new HBO Max documentary and Erin shares her true feelings about Mel Gibson's upcoming Passion of the Christ sequel. The bagels also break down the Jewish moments in ...

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July 18, 2025 71 mins

After a total of three screenings of "Bad Shabbos," Erin and Esther break down the movie and praise its Jewish authenticity.

They also discuss how the film portrays Jewish mothers in contrast to how Netflix's Emmy-nominated series, "Nobody Wants This," does....

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June 20, 2025 40 mins

This week, Esther and Erin took a field trip to Village Well in Culver City because they had a LATTE to talk about!

From Andor's series finale to the themes of Reformed and Amy Poehler's new podcast, the bagels break down what they're watching and what they're listening to. Erin, in honor of Esther's birthday, also asked Esther about her rose, thorn, and seed for the year.  

Check out these links:

Reformed Trailer 

Spaceballs 2: Th...

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This week, Erin and Esther sit down with Tzivia Schwartz Getzug, a consultant for DreamWorks' iconic animated film The Prince of Egypt. With its star-studded cast, stunning visuals, and unforgettable soundtrack, The Prince of Egypt was a landmark in animated storytelling, and now Tzivia takes us behind the scenes of the epic retelling of the Exodus story, sharing her role in shaping the film's extensive outreach to fai...

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February 21, 2025 71 mins

Esther and Erin reunite to discuss new jobs, the devastating wildfires, and the upcoming awards season. They also review films like indie comedy Bad Shabbos, Marvel sequel Captain America: Brave New World, and Oscar-nominated Holocaust epic The Brutalist. Later, the Bagels celebrate 50 years of Saturday Night Live and discuss the sentimental value it brings to...

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This week, Esther and Erin are celebrating Hanukkah...and all the award show nominations trickling in. They congratulate "A Real Pain" and the Netflix rom-com favorite "Nobody Wants This" and later break down "September 5," the historical drama about the Munich Olympics massacre and the ABC Sports team that covered the events.  

 

Check out these links:

Six13's Wicked Hanukkah
The Maccabeats Hanukkah

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This week, Esther and Erin speak with Jessica Jablon from Sharsheret, an organization supporting Jewish women and families affected by breast and ovarian cancer. They discuss Sharsheret's services, including mental health support, genetic counseling, and the successful "Pies for Prevention" program, which has raised over $115,000 this year. The conversation also highlights breast cancer storylines in TV and film and the importance ...

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This week, Esther and Erin defy gravity and geek out over the movie musical, "Wicked." They analyze the complex relationships between Elphaba and Glinda and themes of outsiderhood and privilege. They do a deep dive into the clever Easter eggs, including potential connections to "Frozen," the Wizard's portrayal by Jeff Goldblum, and the connections to Jewish identity and social justice. Plus, they delve into the symbolism of the cha...

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This week, Esther and Erin break down Jesse Eisenberg's new Jewy film, A Real Pain, and what makes his and Kieran Culkin's performances so captivating. They also dive into the high-stakes thriller September 5th, a gripping retelling of the Munich Olympics Israeli hostage crisis and what it brings up in a post-Oct. 7th world. The bagels even talk about the new Paramount+ documentary about an Israeli-Palestinian boy band that came to...

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Erin and Esther are celebrating the fifth anniversary of this little ol' podcast! After some reflections on all we've lived through since October 2019 (!!),  the Bagels move down the Jewish interpretive road, examining "Agatha All Along" — its bar mitzvah episode and other moments and images that remind us of Jewy things. Looking ahead to November, the Bagels discuss A Real Pain, the movie written and dir...
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As the Bagels reflect on the Jewish New Year and the anniversary of the Oct. 7th terror attacks in Israel, they are also uplifted thanks to a conversation about Reboot Studios' latest project, "We Should Eat." Written and directed by Shaina Feinberg and developed by Alysia Reiner, the short tells the story of a Jewish family with a Filipino father and Jewish mother. The duo tells Esther and Erin about th...

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September 27, 2024 64 mins

Nobody Wants This? More like somebody wants this! Rabbinic representation gets the Hollywood treatment in the new Netflix romantic comedy series "Nobody Wants This," about atheist podcaster Kristen Bell falling for rabbi Adam Brody. The show's trailer and title set up negative expectations, but how did the series portray Jewish life and ritual? Is the show engaging enough for a second season? And what could a show like this do for ...

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