The Cat’s Meow

This week on Unorthodox, we talk Birthright, Hobby Lobby, and Jay-Z.

Our Jewish guest is historian Jenna Weissman Joselit, whose latest book is Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments. She tells us how the Ten Commandments, which have become so politicized, were actually once a unifying force in America, and dishes on the 19th-century drama over a Lower East Side synagogue’s stained-glass depiction of the Decalogue. Then she tests us on whether we can list all Ten Commandments from memory.

Our gentile of the week is cat therapist Carole Wilbourn, who co-founded the first veterinary hospital exclusively for cats in 1973 and who has treated behavioral problems in more than 13,000 felines. She brings motorized cats that coo at us while she explains the Wilbourn Way, which incorporates feline Reiki and is designed to treat animals and their guardians. She also helps Stephanie with her problem cat, Cat Stevens.

Exciting news: We’re doing a live show Tuesday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m. at JCC Manhattan! More information/tickets here.

We love hearing from you! Email us at [email protected]—as always, we’ll share our favorite notes on air.

This episode is brought to you by Harry’s. Go to Harrys.com and enter code UNORTHODOX at checkout to get a free post shave balm.

Unorthodox is also brought to you by Hello Fresh. For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit hellofresh.com and enter code UNORTHODOX30.

Unorthodox is a smart, fresh, fun weekly take on Jewish news and culture hosted by Mark Oppenheimer, Stephanie Butnick, and Liel Leibovitz. You can listen to individual episodes here or subscribe on iTunes.