No, they’re not on this episode, but their South Park ordeal got us thinking: Do you stand to lose by letting loose? Is there any importance to unimportance? This time, we put ourselves to a new test: a twenty minute episode. The clock’s ticking as we bounce between the sub-rational and the trans-rational with a bit of royals sprinkled in between.   More on the madness of Purim ..read more

Diversity is no small issue, but what all can it mean? Is our goal to acknowledge the commonality in diversity or to accept diversity as an end in itself?  Current tech and ways of being have helped us silo our understandings *and* our understandings of those understandings. (Zal enough for ya?) In this episode, Adam and Dovid discuss how this siloing happened, what contributes to it, and what might increase the truest kind of diversities in our lives. Music by Nosson Zand, Stephanie Chou, and a clip from one of the wisest films ever made. Come get involved ..read more

New horror film The Offering (out Friday) paints an unusual setting for terror. Instead of the typical sleepy suburb, it's a tight-knit Jewish neighborhood. Instead of clueless homeowners, it's kind — and sometimes wise — ultra-orthodox Jews. Writer and Producer Hank Hoffman, Producer Jonathan Yunger, and lead-actress Emily Wiseman enter the Zal to discuss the film's content, intentions, and implications. Can the accurate depiction of Hasidim in film dispel anti-Jewish tropes, even in the world of horror? Beyond the Jewish context, how much of the genre is sheer entertainment and how much is m ..read more

We've told you a hundred times. We're The Zal, not the Za"L! You know, the place for discourse, not the deceased... But if you insist, we'll talk about the dead.  Join us as we discuss: What does Zichrono Livracha mean? How do Jews mourn? Can you mourn too much? Can a death be celebrated? And many more cheery topics! The Rebbe on death and mourning. Leonard Cohen's 'You Want It Darker ..read more

In all honestly, our completely real sponsors made us do it. Still, we think you'll love what's here at thezal.sellfy.store. In this soft launch, find sweatshirts to mugs, beanies to onesies, all by legendary 19th, 20th, and 21st century companies:  Bananischewitz kosher banana wine: Monkeys like it, so why shouldn't you™ Matzocoin: The crypto of affliction and of course Schmendl's Herring Deodorant: Why smell like a man when you can smell like a fish? Happy Hannukah, happy Christian Hannukah (listen in to correct our pronunciation), and have a glorious Time Until Your Stuff Arrives. Em ..read more

Chazkel (Charlie) Roth was born in 1925 to a Chassidic family. He was a part of the first batch of students in the first Chabad Yeshiva on American Shores. Our recorded recollections of his, published here for the first time, paint a loving and colorful picture.  Charlie became agnostic later in his life but still remained in warm contact with his Jewishness and the Chabad community.  Like many other ‘hippie-Jews’ he rediscovered the depth of his religious birthright by identifying the parallels between the humanistic psychology and Jewish mysticism.  Join Dovid and Adam as we r ..read more

Because it does good or because it's just right? Are we expecting Mazal points to cash in later? What even is charity?   The grayest areas, the Zalliest territory, and all new sponsors for our last episode of the year 5782.   Thanks so much for being with us. Music: Stephanie Chou: http://www.stephaniechoumusic.com Aloe Blacc's "I Need A Dollar": [YouTube ..read more

On last week’s episode, Dovid put a message out for the “simpletons.” Adam’s response, basically: “Dude, harsh!” This week we explore why “simple” isn’t a dig, why true simplicity — in approach and theory and desire and practice — ain’t simple. On tap: the ultimate greatnesses of simplicity, from the divine to the academic to the personified. The old sages’ takes. The DUI field sobriety test. Come get involved. Thank you to our sponsors. Bad music by your co-host; great music by these folks: Jubilee Reed’s full rendition of Anatevka: [YouTube].  Find her EPs here. Haryun Ban’s full rendit ..read more

It's Part 2 with media philosopher Andrew McLuhan. What is the antidote to a tech-triggered racing mind? Is *this* moment in communication evolution fundamentally different than other moments of media transformation? Is it just "kids these days!" all over again? Does tweeting “Get Off Of Twitter!” help? The McLuhan Institute  Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man [Get it from your independent bookstore here]  Music by Stephanie Chou: [Spotify]  And future friend of the pod Matisyahu: [Spotify]  ..read more

On this episode, we grapple with the concerns of legendary philosopher of media and communication Marshall McLuhan. From the scale of person-to-person conversations to broad social change: is evolving technology (and our choices between existing ones) more important than the very things we're saying?   Today, another guest! We talk with Andrew McLuhan, director of the McLuhan Institute (and Marshall's grandson) about these major concerns. Especially on blast: the all-consuming nature of today’s mediums and what society can do to mitigate their worst effects.  As always, we will ..read more