Mad Mahj

This week on Unorthodox, we’re prepping for the great cream cheese shortage of 5782.

First we call up friend of the show Joshua Malina, who wrote an impassioned essay in The Atlantic asking why, after such a public history of antisemitism, Mel Gibson is still getting work in Hollywood.

Then we talk to Yonit Levi, Israel’s Channel 12 evening news anchor, who recently launched the podcast Unholy with The Guardian’s Jonathan Freedland.

Our gentile of the week is University of Oregon professor Annelise Heinz, whose new book, Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture, delves into the Jewish community’s enthusiastic embrace of the tile game.

Our 300th episode is coming up this month, and we want you to be part of it. Has Unorthodox meant something to you, or played a part in your Jewish journey? Has a particular interview made you think, or a special episode stuck with you? Share your Unorthodox story by recording a voice memo on your phone and emailing it to [email protected], or leaving a voicemail at our listener line: (914) 570-4869. Remember to tell us who you are and where you’re calling from.

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