Is covering your mirrors during shiva a superstition or Jewish law? What about breaking the glass at a wedding? Tashlich? 

Rabbi Shira and Hanna discuss the ideas of Jewish luck and bad luck and where they fit into law and tradition. And they welcome a VERY special guest – Hanna’s mother Miriam. Her sister has had a string of bad accidents and she wants to know if changing her mezuzah will ward off future health scares.  

Is it Kosher to question Kashrut?

A listener writes, “Why do Jews have Kosher rules? And how would you suggest a previously unobservant Jew approach Kashrut, if at all?”

Rabbi Shira admits that teaching the laws of kashrut is one of the hardest things she has to do as a rabbi. She does her best to make sense of it all and gives her best pitch for a mindfulness-based Jewish eating practice.

Wine is central to Jewish ritual, but what if drinking isn’t safe for you? A listener in recovery dreads what used to be his favorite holiday, Passover. He writes that he dreads all the wine talk and dreads having to explain why he's opting out. He asks, "Can I skip the Seder this year?"

Rabbi Shira and Hanna are joined by Rabbi Sue Reinhold of the Torah of Recovery to explore why wine matters, how Judaism understands both joy and danger in drinking, the stigma around addiction in Jewish communities and practical ways to participate, or not.

With the world feeling particularly heavy, Rabbi Shira and Hanna wonder if, in addition to moments of anger and resistance, they can find a way to bring joy into this year’s Passover Seder. They’re joined by Rav Jericho Vincent, the founding rabbi of Temple of the Stranger, a growing mystical Jewish community in Brooklyn, NY.

After a listener misgenders someone at synagogue, a torrent of feelings, recriminations and emails ensue, leading one congregant to email another with the subject “Hey Asshole.”

Rabbi Shira and Hanna welcome Rabbi Lily Solochek of The Liberal Jewish Synagogue in London, whose work focuses on creating inclusive Jewish communities, especially for queer and trans people and families.

Is Botox kosher?

What about filler, extensions or hair dye? Can a good Jew be too vain? And does Judaism value beauty? 

A listener reaches out for help when her two daughters are horrified to discover their feminist mom has a secret desire for luxurious lashes. 

Rabbi Shira and Hanna help her navigate personal vanity, Jewish values and 21st century parenting. And they reveal their own insecurities and zoom primping rituals. 

We’re back for Season 7!

Purim is a time to reveal the hidden, unmask your shadow self and, perhaps, get super sloshed. But a listener wonders about having a psychedelic experience on Purim.

Rabbi Shira and Hanna get advice from Rabbi Zac Kamenetz, the founder of Shefa, an organization working to integrate safe and supported psychedelic use into the Jewish spiritual tradition.

Learn more about Shefa

Read about the shadow self

This is a session from the 2025 Jewish Federation of North America General Assembly,  the JFNA GA, entitled Redefining Jewish Life Through the Lens of Economic Reality.