Photocollage: Tablet Magazine; original photos: Library of Congress; Esaias Baitel/AFP/Getty Images
Unorthodox

In the Bag

Ep. 179: Designer Rebecca Minkoff, podcaster Gretchen Rubin, and novelist Moriel Rothman-Zecher, plus Jewish Iditarod finisher Blair Braverman

May 2, 2019
Photocollage: Tablet Magazine; original photos: Library of Congress; Esaias Baitel/AFP/Getty Images

It’s a star-studded, carb-filled post-Passover episode! Our first Jewish guest is designer Rebecca Minkoff, who tells us about sewing her own bat mitzvah dress, starting a handbag and clothing company with her brother, Uri, and her early involvement with—and break from—the Women’s March (plus how she continues to support women today).

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Our second Jewish guest is Moriel Rothman-Zecher, author of Sadness Is a White Bird, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in debut fiction. He tells us about moving from America to Israel as a teen—a journey mirrored by the book’s protagonist—and how, after years of being excited about the idea of serving in the Israel Defense Forces, he ultimately become a conscientious objector, serving two weeks in military jail after refusing to join the IDF.

Our gentile of the week is Gretchen Rubin, whose latest book is Outer Order, Inner Calm. She explains how getting control of our stuff helps us get control of our lives, and describes the four personality tendencies (upholders, questioners, obligers, and rebels) that animated her last book. Her question for us is what Jews think about rainbow bagels.

Plus, we call Blair Braverman, the Jewish dog sledder who recently completed the Iditarod!

Join us Wednesday, May 29, at 8 p.m. at the Hollis Hills Bayside Jewish Center for a live taping with special guests Leon Neyfakh, host of the podcasts Slow Burn and the forthcoming Fiasco, and FiveThirtyEight writer and podcaster Clare Malone. Get your tickets here.

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This episode is sponsored by Harry’s. Get your free trial shave set at Harrys.com/UNORTHODOX.

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.

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