“Beer is Man’s Life”: TaZ on Hadash, Featuring Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt – The Jewish Drinking Show, Episode #91
How important was beer to 17th century Jews? Apparently, more significant than you or I might guess. In fact, one 17th century rabbi argued that it was significant enough to create a leniency to a Biblical commandment in certain circumstances. In a comment to Rabbi Moses Isserles’ gloss on Shulhan Arukh YD 293:3, Rabbi David HaLevi […]
Rav Hai Gaon on Music in the Drinking House, featuring Rabbi Daniel Isaac – The Jewish Drinking Show, episode #90
Music and drinking – two things that we often find go together really well. Yet, Rav Hai Gaon found music in the drinking house to be a problematic matter, which would have lasting consequences. Discussing a couple of rabbinic responsa of Rav Hai Gaon’s is Rabbi Daniel Isaac, who is currently completing his PhD (his […]
Wine for 12th Century Jewish Traders in the Indian Ocean, featuring Professor Elizabeth Lambourn
For business, people sometimes have to travel. For some, that may mean travelling for long periods of time, as some Jewish traders in the twelfth century experienced. Ultimately, though, what did they drink? To explore these questions, the 89th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show features Professor Elizabeth Lambourn discussing what alcohol did Jewish traders […]
Drinking in the Hayyei Adam, featuring Dashiell Ferguson
The 87th episode of The Jewish Drinking Show features Dashiell Ferguson discussing drinking in Rabbi Avraham Danzig‘s חיי אדם (hayyei Adam “A Person’s Life”). This work was published in 1810 and was not only a useful handbook for Jewish practice in the 19th century, but also was used as an important source for later works […]
Homa’s Day in Court, featuring Noam Sachs Zion
The newest episode of The Jewish Drinking Show is now out on an intriguing Talmudic incident involving a widow demanding wine in court. Featuring first-time guest, Noam Sachs Zion, we discuss an incident involving Abayye’s widow, Rava, and Rava’s wife, about which he wrote in Wine, Women and the War of the Sexes, which is […]
Taverns in the Talmud? Featuring Professor Laura Lieber
Taverns in the Talmud? Dancing at taverns in the Talmud? Yes, this is certainly a curious topic. We don’t often think about taverns in the Talmud, but I was struck by Professor Laura Lieber’s discussion of the term בי כובי in her “Daru in the Winehouse: The Intersection of Status and Dance in the Jewish […]
Rabbi Moshe Isserles’ Censored Responsum on Gentile Wine, featuring Professor Marc Shapiro
Perhaps one of the most famous instances of Jewish censorship involves wine🍷 Joining The Jewish Drinking Show to discuss this wine-related instance of Jewish censorship is Professor Marc Shapiro. A graduate of Brandeis (BA) and Harvard (PhD), Professor Shapiro holds the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at Scranton University and is the author of numerous […]
Medieval Rabbis on Gentile Wine, featuring Prof. David Freidenreich
With gentile wine being seen as off-limits in the times of the Mishnah and Talmud, how did post-Talmudic rabbis advise on this matter? Joining the 83rd episode of The Jewish Drinking Show is Professor David Freidenreich. Prof. Freidenreich is the Pulver Family Professor of Jewish Studies at Colby College, where he serves as director of […]
Cocktails in Mochers Magazine with Yissie Steinhart
A new Jewish publication this year that has created some interesting buzz is Mochers magazine. The magazine, which some consider to be like an Orthodox GQ magazine, considers itself to be “the premier Jewish Men’s Lifestyle experience. From hobbies to collections, get the ultimate guide and journey for the modern day Jewish Gent.” As such, […]
Pandemic Pivoting in Israel with Joel Haber
How has the alcohol industry in Israel pivoted during the COVID-19 global pandemic? Returning as a guest to The Jewish Drinking Show to answer this question is Joel Haber. Haber speaks on how breweries, distilleries, and more have pivoted during this time period. Haber has been working on “The Taste of Jewish Culture”, a project on Jewish […]