Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews

April 10, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 52 - Moses and the Justice League

Passover is around the corner, so of course, we will look at the hero who, to avoid the destruction of his people, was sent by his parents to eventually grow up to be the hero we all look up to. I’ll give you a hint, they’re a member of the Justice League. …Wait, who were you thinking of?

00:00:38 Barak likes J...

March 27, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 51 - You Are So Not Invited To My Borg Mitzvah

Star Date: April 5, 2063. Earth has finally made contact with other intelligent life in the universe, so we better ask them all the important questions: Do lobster people keep kosher? How many people attend a Borg’s b’nai mitzvah service? And why does Ethan think Star Trek: First Contact can hold its own wi...

March 13, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 50 - Funny, You Don’t Look Jewish …with Special Guest Fabrice Sapolsky

Purim is around the corner (some may say it’s around three corners) and throughout the holiday we disguise who we really are. Together with comic creator and publisher, Fabrice Sapolsky, we explore some comic heroes who hide in plain sight and we discuss how these decisions are refle...

February 28, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 49 - Hogwarts School of Judaism and Wizardry…With Special Guest Rabbi Emma Gottlieb

Filled with decades of knowledge, halls filled with history, and helping to teach the young ones the history, culture, and practices of their people. As we explore the starting point for the wizarding youth attending Hogwarts, joined by Rabbi Emma Gottlieb, we explore...

February 14, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 48 - What If Creation Wasn’t The Beginning?…With Special Guest Roy Schwartz

Judaism encourages us to ask questions. In this episode, we try to answer Marvel’s biggest question of What If…? We discuss the most recent animated addition to the MCU and debate how the question could be used to change our view of our own Jewish history.

00:01:49 T...

January 31, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 47 - Echo of Resilience

Our Jewish history has been passed down through the generations and some experts may say that has made us more resilient. Superheroes learn about their ancestors’ ups and downs, but one in particular has shown the impact those stories can have when you fully embrace your past. L’dor vador.

00:00:38 Shoutout to Spertus...

January 17, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 46 - The Incredible Samson

You may have grown up hearing the story of Samson, whose strength was connected to his hair. Did you know that it was also tied to one of his emotions? RDY gently guides us on a comparative look of how Samson’s love of Delilah and his destructive anger ties him to certain gamma based characters in Marvel comics.

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January 3, 2024
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 45 - Our Heroes and Transformative Grief

Ethan returns and shares about his brief hiatus from the show due to the loss of a loved one. In this episode, we celebrate the life of Kiya, we each discuss how our grief has shaped us, and the difficult personal experiences and choices that can come from losing someone dear to us.

00:00:48 Final remi...

December 20, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 44 - Loki and the Whale…With Special Guest Joshua Edelglass

In this episode, we timeslip between Loki, the TVA, and Nineveh with our guest, Josh Edelglass. We go back in time to talk about Loki season 2 and his learned compassion for others, just like Jonah who gained compassion for his fellow man (and many beasts as well). So pull up your throne at ...

December 6, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 43 - Love, Jews + Robots …With Guest Host Joshua Sky

Our guest host this week, Joshua Sky, is not only a writer for popular properties like He-Man , Heavy Metal Illustrated, and Ben10, but he is also a massive Sci-Fi fan. He gives us an in depth look at how the era of Science Fiction started as well as the multitude of Jewish influences on its progres...

November 22, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 42 - Treehouse of Talmud …With Guest Host Rabbi Benjamin Sharff

This week, guest host Rabbi Benjamin Sharff crashes into our living room couch and teaches us about the Jewish connections from the longest running sitcom in television history, The Simpsons. The incredible discoveries made here will have you saying “ay, caramba!”

00:02:31 Torah...

November 8, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 41 - Ahsoka Tano, RJE

In this episode, Ethan teaches us what makes Ahsoka and her Star Wars Rebels teammates different from those who came before them. Is it how they were taught? Or how they were teaching others? And which of the series’ characters are the most Jewish? Jump on a intergalactic traveling purrgil and let’s find out together!

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October 25, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 40 - Top 5 Jewish Characters ...With Special Guest Isaac Brynjegard Bialik

We welcome back Isaac to the show in this exploratory look at Jews in pop culture. We count down each of our top five favorite Jewish characters in pop-culture. We may have had some overlap in our choices, but were there any that we forgot?

00:02:15 Coming this January...

October 11, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 39 - Indiana Jones and the Dial of Beshert

Jock! Start the podcast! This episode we explore the most recent installment to the Indiana Jones franchise and the titular character’s entanglement with destiny. We also ask why everything belongs in a museum? And why did it have to be snakes? We don’t know. We’re making this up as we go. Just be glad we did...

September 27, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 38 - The Latest Last of Us …With Guest Host Rabbi Eric Linder

This episode’s guest host, Rabbi Eric Linder, reintroduces us to the recent HBO drama The Last of Us and its artful history. We’re not playing games when we explore the connections between this retelling of the Playstation hit to a few poignant biblical texts.

00:04:38 The Last ...

September 13, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 37 - Jews in Space? …With Special Guest Dr. Miriam Mora

The Co-Creator of JewCE (the Jewish Comics Experience), Dr. Miriam Mora, joins us as we explore strange Jew worlds, seek out Jew life and Jew civilizations, and boldly discuss which of the numerous Star Trek species are Jewish. You may find some of our conclusions highly illogical, but just kno...

August 30, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 36 - Cobra Chai …With Special Guest Dr. Betsy Stone

Torah Smash has special guest Dr. Betsy Stone to help us as we prepare ourselves for the High Holy Days. We always tend to take a look inward and think of all the people to which we may have done wrong, because every year even though sometimes our heart knows, our head forgets. So we look at the proce...

August 16, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 35 - Genesis of the Spider-Verse …With Special Guest Danny Fingeroth

In this episode, we explore the converging and diverging realities of Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse with one of the writers and editors of the Spider-Man comics, Danny Fingeroth. We explore the origins of The Spot, canon events in Marvel and the Torah, and a startling discovery ...

August 2, 2023
Torah Smash! The Podcast for Nerdy Jews
Episode 34 - Mishpacha of the Galaxy

Think back to the families that came before us: Abraham and Sarah; Rebecca and Isaac; Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah; and of course Rocket, Lylla, Teefs, and Floor. Join as we review the many different family structures within the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and some surprising connections to a few families from ...