Embracing Yiddish Language, Theater, Culture, and History, with Rokhl Kafrissen
Clarissa talks to Rokhl Kafrissen, a Yiddish cultural critic and playwright. You may know her from her column in Tablet Magazine, Rokhl’s Golden City, or her blog, Yiddish Praxis. Rokhl and Clarissa talk about her venture into the world of Yiddish, and what it's like to fill the gap in her knowledge of our own history. They also talk about Rokhl’s new play that explores the ethical dilemmas that can show up when collecting Yiddish folklore. This conversation was recorded in the summer of 2020.
Feminist and Full of Chutzpah w/Alma Editor Molly Tolsky
Clarissa talks with Molly Tolsky, longtime editor of Kveller and the founding editor of the Jewish culture site, Alma. Alma describes itself as feminist, and full of chutzpah. They cover a wide range of topics and something about them makes you feel like you're just hanging out with a really cool friend. This interview was recorded in January 2020. Molly talks about her creative journey, the story of how Alma came to be, and how her personal Jewish identity has been influenced by her work in the Jewish media world.
Hebrew Tattoos w/Artist and Calligrapher Gabriel Wolff
Clarissa talks with artist and calligrapher, Gabriel Wolff. They talked about his journey to finding his niche as a Hebrew calligrapher, specifically for tattoo art, and the ways that Jews are using tattoos to wrestle with and communicate their individual and group identity. Gabriel also shared how he sees his art as part of our collective struggle as Jews to find a way past a "post-traumatic experience of life.”
Writing about Jews and Pop Culture w/Writer Abraham Riesman
Clarissa talks with writer Abraham Riesman. This conversation was recorded in December 2019 when Abe was writing a biography of the Jewish Marvel Comics Icon Stan Lee. The book is titled “True Believer, the Rise and Fall of Stan Lee,” and is slated for release February of 2021. Abe talks about his journey as a writer, reclaiming Jewish history and culture that has been left behind or erased, and finding his way to becoming what he calls “a born-again Jew.”