Torah Smash: The Podcast for Nerdy Jews

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Torah Smash: The Podcast for Nerdy Jews

Where our lives of Jewish learning collide with our love of Nerd Culture! Stay connected with our hosts on all our new episodes and content.
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20/11/2024

Blow the dust out of your cartridges, it's time to get nostalgic with your favorite plumbers!

We side scroll through the innovative level of Super Mario World 1-1. Alongside our guest, Sparkle Peters, Twitch streamer and host of the Game Life Chronicles podcast, we discuss tutorial levels, games that keep you stuck in a hole, and why it feels so good to do good things for other people. No need to save scum your game or call the Nintendo Power hotline, this episode has everything you need!

Listen to Episode 68 - Super Mitzvot Bros. ...With Special Guest Sparkle Peters
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-68-super-mitzvot-bros

18/11/2024

Grab your plumber outfit, your fire flowers, and your dinosaur best friend, we're finally talking about Mario!

On this week's episode, we'll be joined by the host of the Game Life Chronicles podcast, Sparkle Peters, to explore the innovation of Super Mario Bros World 1-1 and why many call it the best video game of all time. So good in fact... that only one of us really remembered the actual level?

Be sure to up, down, up, down, left, right, a, b, start, and then hit subscribe so you don't miss this week's super episode!

06/11/2024

Approaching the one year anniversary of Kiya's death, Ethan opens his heart once again to talk about this past year of mourning.

We are joined by returning guest, Dr. Betsy Stone, to learn the differences between grief and loss. Grief is so multilayered and complex, that of course we make sure to spend time to discuss Star Wars and Star Trek. Did you catch any of Worf's Jewish mourning practices?

Listen to Episode 67 - Grief, Loss, and Lifesabers ...With Special Guest Dr. Betsy Stone
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-67-grief-loss-and-lifesabers

23/10/2024

We learned from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that last month, September 2024, was a pretty monumental time in Earth's history. ...Wait, have you heard of the Bell Riots?

Join us this episode as we explore the reasoning behind this historic event and what went wrong. We talk about why good plans go awry as well as share some other favorite futuristic historic events. Just make sure you thank Captain Sisko... errr... I mean Gabriel Bell for the peaceful solution.

Listen to Episode 66 - Good Ideas Gone Wrong
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-66-good-ideas-gone-wrong

17/10/2024

Why does Deadpool love Sukkot?
No fourth wall!

Wishing everyone a chag sukkot sameach! Don't forget to shake your lulav, etrog, and chimichangas!

09/10/2024

Only a few more months until the first live action appearance of the Israeli superhero Sabra hits the big screen. We wanted to make sure we were all ready for it together!

Join us for a historical look back at the appearances and background of Sabra from Marvel Comics. With comic book historian, Sasha Kaplan, we look at Sabra's first appearances, we discuss the changes and meaning around her name, and we review what skillsets or powers we may expect to see in the movie.

Our fingers are crossed that she makes a better first impression in live action.

Listen to Episode 65 - Sabra: The Hero Not The Hummus ...With Special Guest Sasha Kaplan
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-65-sabra-the-hero-not-the-hummus

07/10/2024

We're still a few month's away from the next Captain America movie hitting theaters, but we were too excited about the potential of an Israeli superhero making their appearance.

On this week's episode, we'll be joined by special guest, Sasha Kaplan, to help us on a deep dive in the superhero Sabra before they make their first live action appearance on the big screen!

Be sure to grab your comics and hit subscribe so you don't miss this week's extraordinary historical look into Sabra!

27/09/2024

The Joker exists because of Batman.
Yeah? Well, Batman exists because of the Joker!

In our recent episode, we discuss the recent rises and falls of antisemitism. Do acts of love and support increase because acts of evil increase? Or vice versa? How long can this balancing act continue?

Listen to Episode 64 - The Good, The Bad, and The Antisemitic ...With Special Guest Linda Maizels
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-64-the-good-the-bad-and-the-antisemitic

Spertus Institute

25/09/2024

It's been almost a year since the attack on Israel on October 7. It has been hard to talk about the war anywhere. It seems even harder to talk about antisemitism without someone pointing to this terrible conflict as a response.

Join our conversation as we explore the rises and falls of antisemitism through this past year and farther back in history. We're joined by Dr. Linda Maizels, a scholar and researcher on antisemitism, to discuss why antisemitism is so persistent, how we can mitigate the hate, and if there is any chance of hope. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of nerdy stuff, too. After all, we are talking about the struggling balance between good versus evil.

Listen to Episode 64 - The Good, The Bad, and The Antisemitic ...With Special Guest Dr. Linda Maizels
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-64-the-good-the-bad-and-the-antisemitic

Linda also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Spertus Institute, where she teaches a course for the Master in Arts in Jewish Professional Studies (where Ethan was introduced to her) and lectures for their Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism.

23/09/2024

This past year has been especially difficult. Since October 7th, it doesn't feel like you can talk about the antisemitism in the world without someone shifting the conversation to the attacks happening in and around Israel.

On this week's episode, we'll be welcoming special guest, Dr. Linda Maizels, to help us uncover some of the patterns of antisemitism in the world and where they are mirrored in nerd culture. We'll talk about the rises and falls of antisemitism both in last year and much prior to that.

She is an expert on this topic as it was a focus of her master's thesis, her doctoral dissertation, and she is an adjunct professor at Spertus Institute where she teaches a course on antisemitism for their Master in Arts in Jewish Professional Studies and lectures for their Leadership Certificate in Combating Antisemitism.

Be sure to hit subscribe so you don't miss this week's discussion that's both timely and, unfortunately, timeless.

14/09/2024

Some of the best superheroes in the world are older. Captain America, Wolverine, Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, and now Rabbi David N. Young joins those ranks!

We wish you much happiness in this year as you move from being our Bruce Wayne to our very own Alfred. The good news is, now we know you're not a muppet, because muppets don't age!

Happiest of birthdays, RDY!

11/09/2024

Should we follow the teachings of Rabbi Dooku? Or perhaps lessons are better learned from Darth Hillel.

When knowledge is sought, you can find both darkness and light. The new Star Wars show challenges to saw that teachers are for sure important, but without students there would be no teachers. We just need to be careful about the focus we put on the teacher and how we decide to teach the student. Regardless of the lesson, WOW, what a cast in this show, right?

Listen to Episode 63 - The Rav and The Acolyte
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-63-the-rav-and-the-acolyte

28/08/2024

There are at least 36 righteous individuals in the world, so Marvel Jesus, has to be one of them right? RIGHT?!

Join us as we break down the 4th wall and discuss the- oh my gosh, wait! Did you see all the afikomen in this movie? We can't contain ourselves! How did they get away with all of this? And did they actually get away with all this? Download our new episode to find out!

Listen to Episode 62 - Deadpool & Lamed Vavnikim
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-62-deadpool-and-lamed-vavnikim

20/08/2024

We talked Inside Out 1 and 2, but Disney/Pixar never stops at 2. So what's next?

After fan favorites like Bing B**g and Nostalgia filling the background roles, we venture our guesses into what emotions or ideas will come next in this franchise. Perhaps Riley will finally get to experience Jewish guilt?

Listen to Episode 61 - inside Mussar 2
Link in Bio!

14/08/2024

We've bottled up and suppressed this conversation long enough. Time to open the vault and let all of our emotions out!

Join us as we do our best to avoid the sar chasm in this new episode where we look at two of Disney Pixar's emotional hits, Inside Out 1 and 2, and how they mix with a popular Jewish practice about behavior. We also discuss what emotions we think were missing from the films and what we want to see next!

Listen to Episode 61 - Inside Mussar 2
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-61-inside-mussar-2

12/08/2024

We're almost at the end of the summer, which means that our 5 Year Quest Summer Fundraiser is almost at an end!

We love being able to explore Judaism through modern, nerdy, pop-culture references and we know you do as well! So please take a moment to give a little support to your favorite Jewish Nerdy podcast!

https://www.torahsmash.com/donate

Thanks in advance from Barak Malkin Ethan Lane-Miller David N. Young

05/08/2024

Nerdaism? Outcasts? The Cool Kids Tables?

If the different groups of people who read and practice the teachings of the Torah and have a monotheistic belief in god are together called "Judaism", then what do we call the groups of people together who are obsessive, intelligent, and socially inept?

Hear our thoughts in our recent episode!
Episode 60 - All Nerds Think About Is Sects ...With Special Guest Melissa Raub
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-60-all-nerds-think-about-is-sects

31/07/2024

Judaism is divided into sects, or branches, such as Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist, to name a few. Does overlap for these occur on a spectrum or a Venn diagram?

Join our discussion with special guest, Melissa Raub from M3, as we discuss the branches of Nerdaism and how they compare to Jewish belief structures. Listen to find out what kind of nerdy Jew you are!

Listen to Episode 60 - All Nerds Think About Is Sects ...With Special Guest Melissa Raub
https://www.torahsmash.com/post/episode-60-all-nerds-think-about-is-sects

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