Thanks, Grandma

At four years old, most human children cannot yet read or write. At four years old, a Great Dane is halfway through its lifespan. And the leading Jewish podcast at four years old? Why, it’s just getting started, giving its hordes of fans a regular diet of candid, emotionally raw reflections on Jews and Judaism; fanning out across the country to find unexpected, surprising stories of Jewish life everywhere; interviewing guests—Jews and Gentiles alike—about the pressing concerns of that very second; and making people laugh, laugh, laugh.

In this short, sweet episode, days ahead of Unorthodox’s fourth birthday, founding host Mark Oppenheimer talks about the genesis of the podcast, which he traces to his grandmother’s funeral, in Philadelphia, in April 1990.

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.