Trailer
When I was a kid, it was popular to give as a gift to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs a book called “The Jewish Book of Why.” It was full of questions and answers. In fact, it was so popular, that they released a sequel: “The Second Jewish Book of Why.”
I always playfully thought they should have called it “The Jewish Book of Why Not,” since I never seemed to get a straight answer to any of my questions. So many “It depends…”
I received both books as Bar Mitzvah gifts. Two decades later, I became a rabbi. So… I guess the answers weren’t that bad.
I’m Jesse Paikin, and I’m a rabbi from Canada. I’ve worked with some of the most innovative and forward thinking Jewish communities across North America. And after teaching for close to twenty years, I’ve also started noticing that many people ask a lot of the same kind of questions:
Is Judaism a religion?
How does prayer work?
What does it mean to be Jewish, and not believe in God?
Where did Judaism come from?
Are the Torah and Bible considered the literal word of God?
Why would I want to keep kosher? Can I have a pet pig?
Are hell and Satan a thing in Judaism?
I have recently discovered Jewish ancestry - does that mean I’m Jewish?
Maybe you’ve had some of these questions yourself. Congrats, you’re in good company! Maybe you’ve also been frustrated with getting the answer: “well… it depends.” Or an answer that you felt wasn’t giving you the whole picture.
Maybe you’re curious, but never knew who to ask. Or sometimes, you don’t have time for an hour-long class. Maybe you don’t want to go on a late-night YouTube bender. Or get lost diving deep into Wikipedia. Maybe you don’t know a rabbi or a teacher. Maybe... you’re afraid to ask the question. Or afraid of what the answer might be.
I recently started getting frustrated that I didn’t always have time to answer all the questions people were asking beyond “it depends…” That really frustrating answer I often got to what felt like the most important question in the world to me.
So welcome to Shoot. A new short-form explanatory Jewish podcast, with expansive questions and diverse commentary.
One big Jewish question each episode.
With answers that have integrity and inspiration. And always where to turn next to learn more.
All in under 30 minutes each.
New episodes arriving before the end of 2021.
Thanks to Stephanie C, Steve B, Michelle C, Noah F, Elliot K, and Sarah P for lending your voices to this recording!