Free Daily Podcast Summary
Heritage Words: Daily Summaries Delivered
by HUC Jewish Language Project
Heritage Words features interviews about the words we've inherited and the meaning they bring to our lives. Sarah Bunin Benor is the host.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 weeks ago46 min
Lezbitzen, Queeruv, and Gaymara: Queer Jewish Language with Miryam Kabakov and Eden Moyal
Miryam Kabakov, executive director of Eshel, and Eden Moyal, a sociolinguist, discuss the intersection of queer identity, Jewish languages, and Orthodox spaces. Eden details the sociolinguistic mechanics of identity, explaining how queer Jews use playful portmanteaus like lezbtzn and Gaymara. She describes their linguistic expressions as deeply infused with reclaimed Yiddish words like umtsveyik and transminik to express their dual identities. Through Eshel's advocacy, Miryam builds communal empathy and supports queer Orthodox Jews, best expressed by the slogan, "We're here, we're queer, we're machmir." They conclude by discussing how shifting language over time reflects changing attitudes and helps Orthodox families navigate identity, grief, and religious faith.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer and video editor: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Sep 30, 202650 min
Curses and Code Switching: Dreaming in Yiddish with Sheldon Londner
Sheldon Londner, a secular Yiddishist raised in Los Angeles, shares the powerful legacy of his Polish survivor parents and his lifelong bond with the Yiddish language. Sheldon recounts his parents' miraculous survival of the Holocaust, their journey to America, and how they passed down Yiddish as his first language. He discusses the unique linguistic gift of growing up bilingual, the cultural concept of the "Yiddish gas" (Yiddish street), and the challenges of maintaining fluency without an active speaking community. Today, Sheldon actively preserves this heritage by organizing a weekly Yiddish reading circle.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer and video editor: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Sep 9, 202644 min
From Calcutta to Philadelphia: Baghdadi-Indian Language and Identity with Rahel Musleah
Rahel Musleah, an award-winning journalist and educator, discusses her roots as a Baghdadi-Indian Jew from Calcutta. Rahel details the history of her name, explaining how the Arabic pronunciation ‘Musleah’ contrasts with the Hebrew ‘Matsliach’ due to her family's Iraqi origins. She describes her linguistic upbringing as primarily British English, yet deeply infused with Hindustani and Judeo-Arabic heritage words like awafi and kabrowed. Through leading heritage tours to India and preserving her father's Baghdadi melodies, Rahel celebrates her multifaceted ancestry. She concludes by emphasizing her dedication to passing down these unique, blended traditions to her grandchildren.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Sep 2, 202639 min
Dementia Summons Dad’s Childhood Language: Preserving Kashi with Sabrina Hakim
Sabrina Hakim, an Iranian Jewish real estate administrator in Los Angeles, discusses her upbringing in Tehran and her family’s roots in Kashan. Sabrina describes migrating to California in 1978 during political unrest, overcoming initial language barriers in high school, and growing up speaking Farsi. When her father developed dementia and unexpectedly began speaking Kashi (Judeo-Kashani), Sabrina urgently started documenting his native language. She details her collaboration with the Jewish Language Project and emphasizes the vital importance of preserving endangered Jewish dialects to safeguard family history and memory.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Aug 19, 202648 min
From Taylor Swift to Tehillim: Ashkenazi Identity and Modern Songwriting with Shep Rosenman
Shep Rosenman, an entertainment lawyer and songwriter, discusses his roots as an Ashkenazi Jew from Far Rockaway, New York. Shep details the origins of his names, explaining how his grandmother feared his given name, Shabtai, would link them to the false messiah Shabbetai Tzvi. He describes his linguistic upbringing as primarily English, yet deeply infused with his parents’ Yiddish phrases like “abi gezunt” and “nisht shabbos geredt.” Through his songwriting based on the Psalms, Shep builds spiritual connections and invites listeners to engage with ancient texts. He concludes by discussing his preservation of ancestral Yiddish songs and traditional Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Aug 5, 202654 min
Polish Jewish Life Today with Marek Jezowski and Dominika Zakrzewska-Olędzka
Marek Jezowski and Dominika Zakrzewska-Olędzka, members of Warsaw's progressive Jewish community, discuss their experiences reclaiming their Jewish identity in today’s Poland. Marek recounts fighting the 1982 government to register his daughter's Hebrew name, while Dominika shares her personal process of choosing the Jewish name Lilach. They describe navigating a linguistic landscape where Hebrew and Yiddish words like kippah and shul are integrated into daily conversations. Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Jul 22, 202636 min
Jewish Unity Through Diversity: A Shabbat Conversation
How do you talk about Shabbat? Do you say Hamotsi or Nöten? Kiddush or ‘Adus? Attend knis, kenisa, kal, or shul? This episode features American Jews from various backgrounds – including Syrian, Bukharian, Persian, Iraqi, and Ashkenazi – discussing their Shabbat traditions, with a focus on the unique words from other languages present in their English.Heritage Words – conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives – is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
- Jul 8, 202657 min
Mediterranean Recipes and Rhythms: with Ariel Lazarus, Nissimmi Naim-Naor, and Samuel Torjman Thomas
Ariel Lazarus, Nissimmi Naim-Naor, and Samuel Torjman Thomas discuss their diverse Mediterranean Jewish roots spanning Morocco, Gibraltar, and Libya. The guests detail how family histories are preserved through heritage words, explaining how unique dialects like Llanito and Tripolitanian Arabic pronunciations shaped their identities. They describe their upbringing as deeply infused with ancestral traditions, carrying forward heirlooms like chraime recipes and Andalusian piyyutim. Through their respective arts in food and music, the trio celebrates convivencia and the dynamic quality of Jewish culture. They conclude by discussing the vital social aspect of preserving and sharing these tangible and spiritual heirlooms.Heritage Words - conversations about the words we inherit and the meaning they bring to our lives - is produced by the HUC Jewish Language Project and HUC Connect.Host and producer: Sarah Bunin BenorAssistant producer: Kyle Elbaz FingerhutEditor: Avishay ArtsyVideo editor: Talia EhrenbergTheme music: Maurice El Medioni’s French and Algerian Judeo-Arabic album “Cafe Oran,” featuring the Klezmatics’ David Krakauer and Frank London, courtesy of Piranha Records.
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About Heritage Words
Heritage Words features interviews about the words we've inherited and the meaning they bring to our lives. Sarah Bunin Benor is the host.
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Heritage Words covers topics including Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Judaism. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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