Take out tuna is never sexy.
But in “I’ll Be Home for Hanukkah,” by when Shayna Adler a Jewish woman who keeps kosher, has to travel to rural Alaska, a place where it’s tough to find a kosher restaurant, finds it’s time for fish. The book is one of several Jewish romance novels mothers Raizel and Malya discuss on their funny and informative podcast, “Hanukkah Erotica Book Club.” In this novel, the characters never touch, because they are “shomer negiyah” and won’t touch members of the opposite sex before marriage.
Despite the name, the podcast is not inappropriate. Raizel and Malya are stepsisters who shared their dating stories with each in their 20’s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They’re now 38 and have married the men of their dreams. New Jersey-based Raizel has two children, while Malya, who lives in Brooklyn, has four.
While the pair mostly talk about novels, they will make an exception for a movie or dating reality show. Hulu’s “Hanukkah In The Middle” stars Jonah Platt as Ben, a Jewish man attracted to an old flame who tries to help her family save their bakery by raising $40,000. His strong performance in the light-hearted comedy was a catalyst for them to review the film and to their delight, Platt agreed to come on the show at the last minute and was a mensch, they said.
On the podcast, Platt explained that the latkes they ate were cold by the time characters got to them and the rugelach was from a supermarket. Levin asked Platt how he pronounces rugelach and does so with the “ch” sound while some characters in the film pronounced the word as if it ending in an “ah” sound. Platt also said his wife, who converted to Judaism, is like “Martha Jewart” because she loves to decorate around Hanukkah time.
They conducted an interesting interview with Aleeza Ben Shalom of Netflix’s “Jewish Matchmaking.” Ben Shalom revealed backstage tidbits, such as the fact that she didn’t have total control over which daters would appear on the show. Both said Ben Shalom was generous with how much she shared about her experience making the Netflix show.
In a fun interview with Dani Bergman, a young woman, who appeared on the show and now lives in Miami, she sent in an application not thinking anything would come from it. She also explained what the deal was with David Behar, a guy she dated who had the chutzpah to ask if she wanted to make out, after she told him their relationship was over. It was clear Bergman, who got a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Santa Barbara, can see the light a little more clearly than some others on the show.
They interviewed Felicia Berliner, author of “Shmutz: A Novel” about an Orthodox woman who has an exploration where she challenges what she has been taught. The experience of college puts people in a position where “you have to look at your own expectations and assumptions,” Berliner told Raizel and Mayla, as the protagonist in her book wants to be devout but also a sexual being
Raizel cited Amy Schumer and Jerry Seinfeld as two dream guests they would love to have on.
With 17 episodes under their belt, the hosts have a seamless chemistry that makes for a great listen.
“I think we make a lot of people laugh,” Mintz told the Journal.” People who I haven’t been on touch within a long time send me texts.”
One can enjoy the podcast without reading the books they cover, they stress.
Mintz said she’s always been a fan of romantic comedies and is someone who has had big feelings and big crushes. “I would love hard and feel deeply,” Mintz said. I like the romance genre in general, so I already listen to podcasts about romance.”
On their most recent podcast, for Pride month they discussed Dahlia Adler’s “Going Bicoastal” about a young woman who has to choose between possible romances in New York or Los Angeles.
As for advice for those Jewish singles out there, Mayla said she used to embrace the trope. “Once you’re fully evolved, then you can connect with somebody and have a real relationship,” but she doesn’t any more. “I actually feel like that’s a little naïve. We’re all messed up and flawed. You’re not going to get to some mountaintop where you’re like, “I’ve healed myself and now I’m ready!’ We’re all works in progress…It’s more about finding joy where we are in a lighthearted way. I think that’s what we’re trying to be on the podcast. It’s a lighthearted approach to the genre … it’s enjoying and consuming works of art, talking about them and laughing, while reflecting on our own experiences.”
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