The Frieda Vizel Podcast

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/bk6Q2RIN_mE

"You're not shutting me up." - Jewish comedy icon Judy Gold, 2026

Judy Gold is a lot of things. She's an icon, she's a comic, a writer, a gay woman who was at the forefront of fighting for LGBT rights. But one of the things that is her foremost descriptor is: Jewish. She was never a comic who was also Jewish. But always a Jewish comic. Her comedy is deeply Jewish. 

Yet since October 7, this has made her work surprisingly difficult. She gets heckled on stage and has lost a lot of the allies she stood side by side with in the fight for marriage equality and her left-leaning politics (including a fierce dislike of Trump). She has continued to be foremost a Jewish comedian anyway. Her style is deeply Jewish, with lots of neurotic mom jokes, a role her own Jewish mother loved to play. "How did we do?" Mom would ask Judy after a show. It was a "we" for mom. 
It's all so Jewish.

In this engaging conversation, I talk to Judy about her values, work, life story, and more.

Check out Judy Gold's website here:
https://judygold.com/
Upcoming show dates here:
https://judygold.com/#timely 
Judy's book here:
https://amzn.to/462Ldwq
Judy on Instagram:
  / jewdygold  

Some parts of the discussion:
-Judy Gold emphasizes the significance of humor in Jewish culture as a means of survival.
Comedy serves as a tool for storytelling and coping with adversity.
-The landscape of comedy has changed, with audiences becoming more sensitive to certain topics.
-Judy's identity as a Jewish comedian is central to her work and personal life.
-She believes in the importance of being unabashedly Jewish in her comedy.
-The challenges of being a Jewish comedian have intensified in recent times.
-Family dynamics play a crucial role in shaping a comedian's material and perspective.
-Judy's early experiences in comedy were influenced by iconic Jewish female comedians.
-Representation in comedy is vital for both the performer and the audience.
-Judy advocates for open dialogue and understanding in the face of political and social issues.

Sound Bites
"I am a proud Jew."
"You're not shutting me up."
"It's important to talk about it."
Follow me on socials
Instagram:   / friedavizel  
Website: friedavizel.com

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Link to video version of this episode:

In this episode, I’m joined by historian Glenn Dynner, who was my professor years ago and played a pivotal role in getting me started as a tour guide. Our conversation focuses on Polish Jewish history, Hasidism, and how Jewish life in Poland developed under pressure, change, and violence.

Before we begin, here are Glenn’s books, which come up throughout the interview:
The Light of Learning: Hasidism in Poland on the Eve of the Holocaust / https://amzn.to/3LNJYdu
Yankel's Tavern: Jews, Liquor, and Life in the Kingdom of Poland /https://amzn.to/4qogrpM
Men of Silk: The Hasidic Conquest of Polish Jewish Society / https://amzn.to/3ZdZJ0j
We talk about Polish Jewish society as a lived world rather than a static prelude to the Holocaust. Topics include the development of Hasidism, the social and economic role of tavernkeeping, responses to antisemitism, and how violence shaped religious and cultural life. We also discuss women in Hasidic communities, underground Torah study during the Holocaust, and the networks that helped preserve religious leadership and scholarship.

The conversation also touches on Glenn’s research trajectory, how historians approach Polish Jewish history, and why earlier frameworks sometimes fall short when trying to understand how these communities functioned over time.

As with all of my interviews, an audio-only version of this conversation is available on the podcast platform of your choosing.

Thanks for watching and listening.

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Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/QuMAGZuI5J0

Frieda and  @_yiddishkeit  discuss the seder with a mix of amazing haggadah illustrations and childhood memories.
 
CHAPTERS 
0:00 intro
2:51 illustrated haggadah 
5:49 the opening rituals of the seder 
10:33 the steps of the seder
14:14 the symbolism of the matzah, maror, wine 
16:37 instructions in Yiddish 
21:04 the story of the Exodus 
23:41 David's childhood Haggadahs 
25:12 the literal-ness of the Sarajevo Haggadah 
30:36 Bird's Head Haggadah 
34:04 Washington Haggadah 
37:15 The white Kittel 
38:20 messianic images 
42:53 the four sons throughout history 
51:26 Hasidic depiction of The Exodus 
53:17 closing rituals of the seder
58:29 David's film about the haggadah

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video link to this trip down memory lane: https://youtu.be/S3c7Px2jMRo

Hasidic Jews go hard for Passover. The goal is not to come into any contact with bread. But this has turned into a full half-year operation for some, like my family. Here I talk about my childhood memories in Kiryas Joel, preparing for Passover. The methodical cleaning, then opening the Passover kitchen, then cooking everything from scratch for the holiday. It was a lot! My favorite part was definitely the cooking, the moment everything was done, and the fresh, hot, half-raw, piping bread after it was all over!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/XLDwhIRumwU

This is comedy.

Baily is the character of the famous Jewish comedian Leah Forster.

I love Baily. She is very kind to me and will help me find a husband soon. She also very willingly shares about her Hasidic life. She's now extremely busy preparing for passover. Hasidic Jews go all out cleaning, cooking, shopping for Passover. To make things easier, Baily went glutton free for a whole year. She has a lot of ideas of how to cut corners and make things easier while she juggles her busy household. She also has very particular ideas about what marriage should be about, and her approach to Passover is not conventional either.

All of this is comedy. For a more serious take on Passover, I have done a video where I reflect on my Passover memories. Check that out here:

https://youtu.be/S3c7Px2jMRo

For more from Baily, see my 3 other interviews with Leah Forster here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhW2QoO54ycwOheypSNe9u6-MgzdEXO2A

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.