Match Game
Ep. 165: Director Scott Ellis on working on ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,’ and Pittsburgh matchmaker Tova Weinberg on what men and women really want
This week on Unorthodox, we’re setting it up.
Our Jewish guest this week is longtime matchmaker Tova Weinberg, who founded the Jewish dating website Saw You at Sinai. In an interview recorded at our Hanukkah live show in Pittsburgh, she tells the hosts about ditching dentistry to become a matchmaker (she estimates she’s made 350 matches over the past 40 years), and her opinion on what it is that men and women really want. She also helps out a listener with some first-date tips. Special thanks to the Natan Fund for helping to make the Pittsburgh live show happen.
Our Gentile of the Week is producer Scott Ellis, whose long list of theater and television credits includes The Good Wife, Weeds, She Loves Me, and more. He sits down with Stephanie to talk about getting his start on TV with the sitcom Frasier, getting nominated for an Emmy for an episode of 30 Rock, and being entrusted by The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino to direct a few episodes of the award-winning Amazon series. (Scott even got Stephanie and producer Josh Kross into Season 2, Ep. 3 as extras—check out the very last scene).
We’re heading to the West Coast! We’ll be at Adat Shalom in Los Angeles Friday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. for a special Shabbat show with actor and director Lauren Miller Rogen and Iranian-Jewish philanthropist Rachel Sumekh; get your tickets here. Then we’ll be at the Stroum JCC in the Seattle area Feb. 2 for a live show with Dan Savage of the Savage Lovecast. Get your tickets here.
We love to hear from you! Send comments and questions for Unorthodox to [email protected] or leave a message at our listener line: 914-570-4869.
Want more Unorthodox in your life? Follow us on Twitter and Instagram to see what happens behind the scenes! Show your love for Unorthodox with our new T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baby onesies. Get yours here.
This episode is sponsored by JChef, the new kosher meal kit. Go to Jchef.com/unorthodox and use coupon code Unorthodox30 to get 30 percent off your first order.
Additional support comes from The Branch, a new podcast from Hadassah that explores how positive relationships between Israeli Jews and Arabs can bring new hope for a truly shared society. Check it out at Hadassah.org/thebranch.
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.
- UnorthodoxShaken, Not SchnorredEp. 405: Interviews with Brett Gelman, Zibby Owens, and The Sporkful’s Dan Pashman, plus news of a Jewish James BondMarch 28, 2024
- UnorthodoxA Beautifully Jewish ShabbatEp. 404: Dishing on the day of rest with cookbook author Adeena Sussman and Judaica designer Micaela Ezra; plus a taste of Tablet’s new parsha podcastMarch 21, 2024
- UnorthodoxIrrefutably JewishEp. 403: Phil Rosenthal on writing a children’s book with his daughter Lily; a classical Jewish school in New York City; Oscar meshugas; and moreMarch 14, 2024
- UnorthodoxSpiritual Swear JarEp. 402: Eylon Levy on crafting Israel’s message; Andrew Goldberg on Armenia; plus Joshua Malina, pickleball icon March 7, 2024
- UnorthodoxWe Can HelpEp. 401: AJC CEO Ted Deutch on antisemitism in America, a visit to a Brooklyn school welcoming Ukrainian refugees, our new favorite children’s book, and a visit from Kosha DillzFebruary 22, 2024
- UnorthodoxKosher FiestaEp. 400: Dr. Phil on his new TV network; plus a look at how Israel’s Maaleh Film School is pivoting post-Oct. 7; and a listener question about tablewareFebruary 15, 2024
- UnorthodoxSlam DunkEp. 399: NBA All-Star Allan Houston’s new faith initiative, and revisiting the Michael Milken trialFebruary 8, 2024
- UnorthodoxHigher GroundEp. 398: Jewish actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler on 25 years since ‘The Sopranos,’ plus a visit to try Israel’s best hummus dishFebruary 1, 2024
- UnorthodoxThings RememberedEp. 397: Uncovering a tale of complicity and justice, sonic studies, and a little red dress for International Holocaust Remembrance Day January 25, 2024
- Unorthodox100 DaysEp. 396: Marking a grim milestone since the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre and honoring the hostages still held in GazaJanuary 18, 2024
- UnorthodoxFirst DraftsEp. 395: Kicking off 2024 with comedian Moshe KasherJanuary 11, 2024
- UnorthodoxHeading NorthEp. 394: A visit to Jewish Montreal; Gadi Taub on ‘Israel Update’; getting Kafkaesque at the National Library of IsraelDecember 28, 2023
- UnorthodoxUnorthodox in IsraelStories recorded on the ground from a country mourning, healing, and coming togetherDecember 18, 2023
- UnorthodoxMidnight OilEp. 393: Nine stories for HanukkahDecember 14, 2023
- UnorthodoxShine BrightEp. 392: Celebrating the beauty of Hanukkah with Jonathan Adler, Homegrown Kosher, and moreDecember 7, 2023
- UnorthodoxEveryday HeroesEp. 391: Bernard-Henri Lévy’s new film about Ukraine, and Brooke Eby on raising awareness about ALSNovember 30, 2023
- UnorthodoxSitting TogetherEp. 390: A Beautifully Jewish Thanksgiving, featuring an iconic folding chair and a conversation with knitwear designer Inbal GrossNovember 22, 2023
- UnorthodoxDark Times, Bright LightsEp. 389: Reporting from the March for Israel in Washington, D.C.; Etgar Keret’s writer’s block; LeElle Slifer on advocating for her kidnapped Israeli cousins; and Tablet’s Hanukkah BazaarNovember 16, 2023