Welcome to Hebrew School Dropouts!
You don't need to have actually dropped out of Hebrew school to be a Hebrew School Dropout. Maybe you went for a few years and had a bar or bat mitzvah before calling it quits. Maybe you skipped the whole thing entirely. Maybe you're exploring Jewish identity for the first time after a 23andMe surprise.
What matters is the mentality: you're skeptical of easy answers, allergic to platitudes, and curious whether Judaism might have more to offer than you assumed. Our show is for secular, spiritual-but-not-religious, unaffiliated, and questioning people who want to engage with Jewish wisdom as adults — honestly, irreverently, and with real substance.
Hosted by Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, this show is about ideas, not identity politics.
Every episode follows a three-part structure. We start with funny, surprising, and sometimes absurd stories from rabbinic life — the moments that don't make it into sermons. Then we dive deep into Jewish philosophy, history, and the questions at the heart of modern Judaism. Our next part is a fresh look at Jewish holidays, rituals, and traditions, exploring why they exist and what they might mean for contemporary life.
Whether we're wrestling with God and spirituality, examining lifecycle ceremonies, navigating Israel and antisemitism, or rethinking prayer, we bring intellectual rigor without the stuffiness — learning without judgment.
If you're seeking connection to heritage, ancestry, and something larger than yourself — if you want an introduction to Judaism with adult questions and no guilt, this is your show. Welcome to Hebrew School (dropouts)!
All content for Hebrew School Dropouts is the property of Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Welcome to Hebrew School Dropouts!
You don't need to have actually dropped out of Hebrew school to be a Hebrew School Dropout. Maybe you went for a few years and had a bar or bat mitzvah before calling it quits. Maybe you skipped the whole thing entirely. Maybe you're exploring Jewish identity for the first time after a 23andMe surprise.
What matters is the mentality: you're skeptical of easy answers, allergic to platitudes, and curious whether Judaism might have more to offer than you assumed. Our show is for secular, spiritual-but-not-religious, unaffiliated, and questioning people who want to engage with Jewish wisdom as adults — honestly, irreverently, and with real substance.
Hosted by Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, this show is about ideas, not identity politics.
Every episode follows a three-part structure. We start with funny, surprising, and sometimes absurd stories from rabbinic life — the moments that don't make it into sermons. Then we dive deep into Jewish philosophy, history, and the questions at the heart of modern Judaism. Our next part is a fresh look at Jewish holidays, rituals, and traditions, exploring why they exist and what they might mean for contemporary life.
Whether we're wrestling with God and spirituality, examining lifecycle ceremonies, navigating Israel and antisemitism, or rethinking prayer, we bring intellectual rigor without the stuffiness — learning without judgment.
If you're seeking connection to heritage, ancestry, and something larger than yourself — if you want an introduction to Judaism with adult questions and no guilt, this is your show. Welcome to Hebrew School (dropouts)!
What does it mean to "do" Hanukkah / Chanukah / Hanukah?
Hebrew School Dropouts
33 minutes
1 day ago
What does it mean to "do" Hanukkah / Chanukah / Hanukah?
Note: this episode was recorded before the horrifying shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia.
The Chanukkah / Hanukkah / Chanuka episode... in which the rabbis discuss rebellious b'nai mitzvah children, receiving underwear gifts for Hanukkah, and the right way to light the candles.
In this episode, hosts Noah and Rena get into our modern celebration of Hanukkah. The history, rituals and traditions, latke crispiness hacks, and why decorating is a thing (p.s. it's actually a commandment!)
We want to note that this episode was recorded before the horrifying shooting at Bondi Beach in Australia. We are sending our love to Jews in Australia and Jews around the world who are mourning the loss of those precious lives.
Credits
Hosted by Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich of Temple Emanu-El San Francisco
Produced and edited by Arielle Nissenblatt
Engineered and scored by David Woje
Production company Pinwheel by Audily
Timestamps
[00:00:00 – 00:03:45] Welcome! From dark chapels to honest teens[00:03:45 – 00:07:30] Can a Jewish mother be responsible for picking the rabbi that marries her kid?[00:07:30 – 00:12:45] Hanukkah, capitalism, and competing with Christmas[00:12:45 – 00:19:45] Why we light the menorah this way[00:19:45 – 00:25:15] Public miracles, safety, and Jewish visibility[00:25:15 – 00:33:30] Latkes, handwashing, and mindful rituals
Hebrew School Dropouts
Welcome to Hebrew School Dropouts!
You don't need to have actually dropped out of Hebrew school to be a Hebrew School Dropout. Maybe you went for a few years and had a bar or bat mitzvah before calling it quits. Maybe you skipped the whole thing entirely. Maybe you're exploring Jewish identity for the first time after a 23andMe surprise.
What matters is the mentality: you're skeptical of easy answers, allergic to platitudes, and curious whether Judaism might have more to offer than you assumed. Our show is for secular, spiritual-but-not-religious, unaffiliated, and questioning people who want to engage with Jewish wisdom as adults — honestly, irreverently, and with real substance.
Hosted by Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, this show is about ideas, not identity politics.
Every episode follows a three-part structure. We start with funny, surprising, and sometimes absurd stories from rabbinic life — the moments that don't make it into sermons. Then we dive deep into Jewish philosophy, history, and the questions at the heart of modern Judaism. Our next part is a fresh look at Jewish holidays, rituals, and traditions, exploring why they exist and what they might mean for contemporary life.
Whether we're wrestling with God and spirituality, examining lifecycle ceremonies, navigating Israel and antisemitism, or rethinking prayer, we bring intellectual rigor without the stuffiness — learning without judgment.
If you're seeking connection to heritage, ancestry, and something larger than yourself — if you want an introduction to Judaism with adult questions and no guilt, this is your show. Welcome to Hebrew School (dropouts)!
