Hosted by all-star Kveller contributors Jordana Horn and Shannon Sarna, Call Your Mother offers a weekly deep dive into the beautiful hot mess that is parenting while Jewish.
Each episode includes an interview with a notable Jewish mom, shedding new light (and hot takes) on everything from addiction and anti-Semitism to sex and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Nothing’s sacred. Nothing’s taboo.
Listen to the trailer here:
Episodes
Episode 1: Macho, Macho Mama
Celebrity chef Einat Admony whose restaurants include Balaboosta and Taim dishes (see what we did there?) about morning orgasms, likens kids to farts (“You just like your own”), and opines about guilt. Plus, host Jordana describes the ongoing battle with her “feral child” about actually stopping what she’s doing in order to pee.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Libertad” by Eaters
“Red Hot Mama” by Sophie Tucker
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 2: Addicted
Jen Simon invited herself to peoples’ houses for a single reason: to raid their cabinets for opioids. A middle-class suburban Jewish mom, she didn’t fit the addict stereotype and kept her dependency a secret from friends and family. Jen talks candidly with the Call Your Mother team about coming clean and getting clean.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Outsider’s Paradox” by Springtide
“Valantis” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Spills” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 3: Get It in Writing!
Feminist activist and single mom Rachel Sklar talks about being disrespected, political awakenings, and where “leaning in” falls short. Then Jordana’s mom discloses the one failproof item that will get a parent through the night.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“State of Guanarrrrbara (Electromagnetic Mix)” by Boss Bass
“Spills” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 4: Good as Gold
Anti-Semitism, ageism, complaints that she’s mocking her late mother — nothing’s too precious for comedian Judy Gold. She joins Call Your Mother to discuss coming out, being disinherited, the legacy of Joan Rivers and so much more. Then, Jordana’s mother offers her own five cents on what sets Jewish mothers apart.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Bossinha” by Chico Correa and Electronic Band
“The Makings” by Nangdo
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 5: Pop Culture Vulture
Long obsessed with American pop culture, Israeli-born writer Naomi Fry talks about Ben Affleck’s tattoos, Axl Rose’s political awakening, and other phenomena she’s covered for the New Yorker. Plus, Shannon tells us about having a “hygge” moment (and what that means).
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Love of my Life” by BoxCat Games
“Dark Eyes” by Teddy and Marge
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 6: All the Rage
A decade ago, Emily Gould’s confessional blogging and New York Times Magazine cover story — with its sexy bedroom portrait — made her the “It” girl of the digital age. One marriage, two children, and nearly three books later (her second novel comes out in the fall), she’s forsaken “telling all” in order to protect her kids’ privacy. She talks about inequities in parenting responsibility and how they hinder womens’ achievements, including her own.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Evidence Song” by The Good Lawdz
“Soulbox” by Dustmotes
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 7: Ask Her Another
Jordana and Shannon pepper Ophira Eisenberg, the host of NPR’s Ask Me Another, with questions about her rocky road to motherhood, how she decided she wanted to be a comedian (she was only 10!), and when living in the moment is a special kind of hell.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Libertad” by Eaters
“Meeting MT Fox” by Boxcat Games
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 8: High Court
Journalist Dahlia Lithwick joins the Call Your Mother team to discuss pre-Passover blowtorching needs; the Jewish ladies on the Supreme Court; and her son’s love of bacon. Plus, is Shannon’s daughter a sadist? This episode was co-produced by Elissa Goldstein and Sara and Ivry.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Valantis” by Blue Dot Sessions
“A Farewell to Trends” by Dustmotes
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx) (edited)
Episode 9: Who Even Are You, Fran?
Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner talks about Mrs. Everything, her epic forthcoming novel. Taking on history, loss, feminism, and more, it’s the product of Weiner’s frustration with her mother, Fran, who always refuses to answer specific questions about her sex life. Weiner tells the team about her struggle to love her body, why she sometimes rages at her deceased dad, and what she likes about making challah. Plus, Jordana and Shannon get tips on combating sibling rivalry among their kids.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Assassin” by Ikebe Shakedown
“Shake It and Break It” by Lanin’s Southern Serenaders
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 10: Call Me Abba
Trans activist Rafi Daugherty joins the Call Your Mother team to talk about his decision to become a single father by choice. Raised a girl, Daugherty started transitioning in his 20s and never gave up his dream to be a parent. He discusses the challenges of single parenthood, how he talks about gender roles with his kids, pizza, and more. Plus Shannon and Jordana weigh in on “Baby Beluga” and Jordana’s mom talks about accepting the inevitability of parental fallibility.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“I Let” by Sanmi
“Baby Beluga” by Raffi
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Mentioned in the episode:
Keshet
The Kveller Haggadah
Gittel’s Journey
Episode 11: Wheels Up!
Jill Kargman spares nobody and nothing in her books Momzillas and Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut, and in her late, beloved TV show Odd Mom Out. In real life, too, the actress, comedian, and writer finds very little that’s sacred. In a hilarious and wild conversation, Kargman talks about life in DORITO (hint: it’s a neighborhood in Manhattan), being shunned at her daughter’s ballet class, the problem with traveling by private jet, and how she responded to anti-Semitism at her son’s private school. Plus, we learn about the proper size of a bialy and gain more insight into Jordana’s dynamic with her mother.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Good Thing” by Ménage Quad
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Mentioned in the episode:
Momzillas
The Kveller Haggadah
Episode 12: Out of Egypt
Springtime! Matzah! Saltwater! Sacrificial shank bones! To celebrate Passover, the dynamic duo at Call Your Mother talk with the dynamic duo behind Kveller’s very own haggadah. Gabrielle Birkner and Elissa Strauss worked hard to make a haggadah that keeps kids and their parents jazzed and curious about the seder. Then, Marnie Fienberg discusses 2 For Seder, a program she launched to combat anti-Semitism and to honor her late mother-in-law, who was killed in Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life shooting. Plus, Shannon’s daughter makes a surprise appearance and divulges intel about that time her mom almost killed her. Happy Pesach!
Music
“Anna Banana” by Eaters
“Fallen Stars” by Ketsa
“Evidence Song” by The Good Lawdz (edited)
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Mentioned in the episode:
Learn more about 2 For Seder
Check out the Kveller Haggadah
Episode 13: A Mother, Not a Hero
Writer Carla Steckman talks to Jordana and Shannon about losing her not-yet 2-year-old daughter, Talia, to Tay-Sachs Disease, “extreme parenting,” and what we can learn from our own children. Jordana and Shannon catch up after the podcast’s hiatus, about pregnancy (Shannon’s) and escape (Jordana’s).
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Valantis” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Outsider’s Paradox” by Springtide
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Mentioned in this episode:
-Learn more about Tay-Sachs and what you can do to help families facing genetic diseases at the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association (Carla is on its board), which is leading the fight to cure Tay-Sachs and other genetic diseases at www.NTSAD.org.
-Ashkenazi Jews in particular, but truly all couples, are encouraged to do genetic screening before having children (as Carla did). You can learn more about what you can and should do at https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/genetic-screening-and-judaism/.
-Carla is at work on a memoir about her experience parenting Talia. You can read more of her work at www.carlasteckman.com and https://thewarmweightoflove.wordpress.com.
Episode 14: Stop and Go
Jordana and Shannon talk with Jamie Stelter, New York One’s traffic and transit reporter, about Jamie’s six miscarriages, her struggle to get and remain pregnant, and how she has been outspoken about her fertility struggles on social media and beyond. This episode covers the whole circle of life, from the struggle to become pregnant to…well, we’ll let Shannon surprise you. And Jordana’s mom chats about what to do when you get bad advice.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Puzzle” by Tobu
“Libertad!” by Eaters
“Foolin” by Nangdo
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Mentioned in this episode:
Babyquest provides financial help for fertility treatments, which can be extremely expensive and prohibitive for many: babyquestfoundation.org
Episode 15: Jewish in the Winter, Indian in the Summer
Jordana and Shannon sit down with Mira Jacob, the author of the graphic memoir Good Talk: A Memoir In Conversations, to talk about living as a woman of color married to a Jewish man, and raising an Indian-Jewish son in 2019 America. Also, she talks about what it’s like to navigate life with Trump-supporting in-laws. “Gram” chimes in with her thoughts about abortion, and Shannon shares what she really thinks about what her husband puts on a bagel.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Don’t Forget” by Marscott
“Ambient Magic” by JulioKladNiew
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Mentioned in this episode:
Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations
Episode 16: Successful People
Jordana and Shannon chat with Esther Wojcicki, whose daughters include Susan (the CEO of YouTube), Anne (the CEO of 23andMe), and Janet (a Fulbright-winning professor of pediatrics and epidemiology). Esther talks about growing up in an Orthodox household and how it made her strive to raise successful girls. “Gram” lets Shannon know how to figure out when to let kids stay home from school, and Jordana tells about becoming an inadvertent accomplice to (goldfish) murder.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273. Come chat with us in the Kveller Moms Facebook Group
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Mentioned in this episode:
“How to Raise Successful People” by Esther Wojcicki
Episode 17: None of Your Business
In light of increased restrictions on abortion around the United States, this episode focuses on stories of women who were already mothers when they made the choice to have an abortion. Jordana and Shannon sit down with Shannon Berkowsky, who was a mother of two when her third pregnancy developed problems and she had a second-trimester abortion. Voicemails from listeners tell stories of the various reasons behind their choices to have an abortion. And Gram gives advice on what to do when someone gives you WAY too much information.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Hip Hop Happiness” by Mellowsstu
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 18: The Jewish Spinners
Bryce Gruber, a Manhattan mother of five, social media influencer, and founder of The Luxury Spot, comes to chat with Shannon and Jordana. The trio covers everything from Bryce’s appearance on Millionaire Matchmaker, to her marriage to an Israeli she met in shul, to the birth story of her fifth child which almost (literally) killed her. She candidly shares about her fierce love for Antiques Roadshow, how she almost moved to Israel to get the right medical care, and how the perfect lipstick cannot, in fact, change your life (#shocking). Plus, Gram talks about the horrors of children’s birthday parties, and Shannon discusses the ultimate Father’s Day gift: Ambien.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“For Hip-Hop” by Marscott
“Rewind Back” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 19: In Treatment
We talk to writer Lori Gottlieb, who pens The Atlantic’s “Ask a Therapist” column about what it’s like to be a therapist in therapy. Shannon and Jordana talk about their adventures (and misadventures) with therapy. But that’s not all: The bane of modern parenting — SLIME — and places you don’t want your child to put it is discussed, and since Jordana’s mom is on vacation, the team places a call to Shannon’s adorable 94-year-old grandmother.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Evidence Song” by The Good Lawdz
“Fallen Stars” by Ketsa
“Swing America” by Dimusic
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 20: Mommy Shorts
Jordana and Shannon sit down with social media influencer Ilana Wiles, the mom behind Mommy Shorts and one of the ruling parents of Instagram. The three talk about deciding what to post to social media about their kids and how someone takes a “mommy blog” and transforms it into a lucrative career. Shannon ponders her 2-year-old’s recent breast fixation and “Gram” takes on how new mothers can best handle societal expectations around breastfeeding.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Waxing Waning” by Ketsa
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 21: #Janfan
Jan Kaminsky is a nurse, a professor, a mother of three and an advocate for equality. With her wife, she runs Rainbow Health Consulting, which helps to educate health providers on how to best care for LGBTQ patients. Jan talks to Shannon and Jordana about how to be more inclusive Since Jordana’s mother has the sheer chutzpah to be away on vacation, Jan steps into the breach, giving Shannon advice on how to handle coed sleepovers at age 7 as well as e-mail invitations sent only to moms, not dads. Shannon also shares about her new pet, and Jordana’s family is #blessed…with impetigo.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 22: Happy Endings – The Sex Episode
Bat Sheva Marcus has been called “The Orthodox Sex Guru” by The New York Times, but she’s so much more — sure, she’s an Orthodox Jew, but she is also empowering women by giving them the information they need on how to best enjoy sex, in all its various forms. Bat Sheva talks to Jordana and Shannon about vibrators, orgasms, and pleasure in relationships — and how to handle rabbis’ involvement in one’s sex life. This episode is a real pleasure for everyone.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 23: Waters of Weird
Get ready for things to get a bit weird. On this week’s episode, Shannon and Jordana talk with one of Israel’s most famous authors, Etgar Keret. Etgar, whose new collection, Fly Already, will be published in the U.S. in September, is best known for his short absurdist short stories. Then Shannon and Jordana call Gram who lectures on the dangers of letting kids drink alcohol.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 24: Senior Escort Service
Feminist filmmaker Shaina Feinberg talks with Jordana and Shannon this week about the blurred line between truth and fiction in her films. The three women discuss representation in movies, dealing with grief through humor, and the intersection between parenting and ambition. And then Jordana reveals her sort-of date with Quentin Tarantino.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Rewind Back” by Marscott
“Swing America” by Dimusic
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
CYM Rewind: Who Even Are You, Fran?
Jordana and Shannon are on break, and we’re re-upping this interview with best-selling author Jennifer Weiner. Jennifer talks about Mrs. Everything, her epic novel that’s been a summer hit. Taking on history, loss, feminism, and more, it’s the product of the author’s frustrations with life as an American woman. Jordana and Shannon talk with Jennifer about divorce, writing, and her mother, Fran, who always refused to answer specific questions about her sex life. She also tells the team about her struggle to love her body, why she sometimes rages at her deceased dad, and what she likes about making challah.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Assassin” by Ikebe Shakedown
“Shake It and Break It” by Lanin’s Southern Serenaders
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
CYM Rewind: Addicted
Jordana and Shannon are on summer break, so we’ve gone into the archives and we’re resharing this powerful episode. Jen Simon invited herself to peoples’ houses for a single reason: to raid their cabinets for opioids. A middle-class suburban Jewish mom, she didn’t fit the addict stereotype and kept her dependency a secret from friends and family. Jen talks candidly with the Call Your Mother team about coming clean and getting clean.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Outsider’s Paradox” by Springtide
“Valantis” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Spills” by Blue Dot Sessions
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
CYM Rewind: Macho, Macho Mama
Jordana and Shannon are on summer break, so we are going back to the beginning and resharing our first-ever episode. Celebrity chef Einat Admony, whose restaurants include Balaboosta and Taim, dishes (see what we did there?) about morning orgasms, likens kids to farts (“You just like your own”), and opines about guilt.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Libertad” by Eaters
“Red Hot Mama” by Sophie Tucker
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 25: Modern Love
The summer break is over, and Call Your Mother is back with a new season. Jordana and Shannon talk with Jason Rosenthal on the phone from his office in Chicago. Jason’s wife Amy, a well-known author of adult and childrens’ books, wrote a viral Modern Love piece in The New York Times entitled “You May Want To Marry My Husband,” which was published only days before Amy died of ovarian cancer. Jason talks about grief and loss, his new life in the wake of his wife and parenting the couple’s three children. Jordana shares her “What Happened On My Summer Vacation Story” about getting yelled at in Italy by, of all people, George Clooney (no, really). And Gram shares what to do when your kid says, “Mommy, I’m fat.”
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Episode 26: Moms of the Book
It’s a meeting of podcast minds! Zibby Owens, host of the terrific podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books, talks with Jordana about her love for reading (spoiler: These moms DO have time to read books). They also talk about second chances at love, second marriages, and parenting. Also, Jordana talks to co-host Shannon Sarna by phone to catch up after the birth of Shannon’s beautiful baby (mazel tov!). And Gram takes a few seconds on her way home from Costco to talk about her own experience as a mother of a newborn having a bris.
Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Rewind Back” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 27: The Bottle is No Place to Live
In this week’s episode, Jordana and Shannon sit down with Leslie Shapiro, a suburban Jewish mom of three whose life took a dramatic turn when she went from being a social drinker to becoming an alcoholic. The three talk about Leslie’s struggle with alcohol, its effects on her life and relationships, and her route to becoming a recovering alcoholic with three years plus of sobriety under her belt. Lest you think the episode is all serious, Shannon shares why she loves goat yoga (yes, that’s not a typo), and Gram advocates scream therapy.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Ambient Magic” by JulioKladNiew
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 28: We Nag You Because We Love You
Jordana is hosting solo this week, and she’s given a run for her money by her two guests! Sharon Feldstein is mom to actors Beanie Feldstein and Jonah Hill, and Patsy Noah is mom to Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Noah and Feldstein have redirected their vicarious celebrity spotlight to their initiative Your Mom Cares. While Noah and Feldstein are personality opposites (just you wait!), they have been close friends since they were teens and both happened to raise famous children. Stay tuned to learn about Beanie Feldstein’s “Funny Girl”-themed third birthday party!
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Swing America” by Dimusic
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
CYM Rewind: Jewish in the Winter, Indian in the Summer
Jordana and Shannon sit down with Mira Jacob, most recently the author of the graphic memoir “Good Talk: A Memoir In Conversations,” to talk about living as a woman of color married to a Jewish man and raising an Indian-Jewish son in 2019 America. Also, she talks about what it’s like to navigate life with Trump-supporting in-laws.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“Ambient Magic” by JulioKladNiew
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 29: Proximity to Power
Jordana talks with Sarah Hurwitz who was a speechwriter for both Barack and Michelle Obama and the sparks of meaning Sarah found from her search into Judaism that she details in her new book. Jordana also talks to Shannon about how weighing a baby on a scale is a lot like weighing a turkey, and calls Gram to find out how to make Yom Kippur have any resonance for little kids. Also, there’s talk about scooping bagels.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx
Episode 30: The Mikvah was Hilarious
This week, the tables are turned as Jordana and Shannon interview the interviewer. Juju Chang is ABC’s anchor for Nightline, mom to three boys and a Korean-born woman who came to Judaism later in life. From when she helped her mother clean hotel rooms as a young immigrant, to becoming a powerful news correspondent on the front lines of the news, Juju has been a thoughtful and introspective person. She talks about her transition into Judaism, and the way that feeling like an “other” has influenced her journalism and her life. Also, Shannon chats with Jordana about smart “older brother” dogs in a thinly-veiled attempt to proselytize dog ownership, and Gram talks about her “limited,” eight-week-long experience growing up with a dog.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott
“Rewind Back” by Marscottt
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 31: Grown and Flown
Jordana and Shannon talk with Lisa Heffernan, one of the creators of the wildly successful website Grown and Flown. They tackle the challenges of how to raise independent children and then discuss what happens when those children leave home. Lots of travel and sex? Or maybe depression? Results may vary! Grown doesn’t have to mean flown, as the ladies discuss with Gram. And Shannon shares getting into a verbal skirmish with behavior police in a movie theater.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott
“Jet Setter” by MellowSTU
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
CYM Rewind: Good as Gold
Jordana and Shannon are recuperating from the onslaught of Jewish holidays, so we’ve decided to reboot this episode with the inimitable Judy Gold. Anti-Semitism, ageism, complaints that she’s mocking her late mother — nothing’s too precious for comedian Judy Gold to tackle. She discusses coming out, being disinherited, the legacy of Joan Rivers and so much more. Then, Jordana’s mother offers her own five cents on what sets Jewish mothers apart.
Music
Music:
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“The Makings” by Nangdo
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 32: The Waters We Swim In
Jordana talks to Darcy Lockman, author of All The Rage: Mothers, Fathers And The Myth of Equal Partnership. The two discuss everything from how even moms who work outside the home carry more of the mental and actual load than dads in heterosexual relationships, why that’s the case and what we can do about it. The two women also agree that a person does not need a vagina to load a dishwasher. In discussing the topic over the phone, Shannon reveals that her husband may not be able to handle more than he’s doing, as he is apparently challenged by gravity.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 33: Unplugged
Jordana chats with filmmaker Tiffany Shlain about giving up technology one day a week and about her special assistant, Clara, who just happens to be an AI bot. Then Gram tells us how keeping a paper calendar saved her from a wildlife invasion in her kitchen.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 34: Prince Charming
Jordana brings in Kveller editor Lisa Keys to talk to Mimi Lemay. Lemay was raised ultra-Orthodox, left that way of life and married a non-Jew. She talks about how her own life influenced the way she parents her three children, one of whom realized at age two and a half that he was not the gender that he’d been born into.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 35: Red Flags
Jordana talks to Good Morning America’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton about her experience after Dr. Ashton’s long-time husband died by suicide. The two discuss the unique grief and blame cycle in the aftermath of suicide, as well as how Dr. Ashton managed her high-profile career during and in the wake of this life-changing event. Plus, Gram doesn’t pick up the phone — but that’s okay.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“For Hip-Hop” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
CYM Rewind: Modern Love
In this reboot of a summer episode, Jordana and Shannon talk with Jason Rosenthal on the phone from his office in Chicago. Jason’s wife Amy, a well-known author, wrote a viral Modern Love piece in The New York Times entitled “You May Want To Marry My Husband,” which was published only days before Amy died of ovarian cancer. Jason talks about grief and loss, his new life in the wake of his wife and parenting the couple’s three children.
This episode is sponsored by A Good End podcast, a new Jewish conversation around death and dying in the 21st century.
Learn more at agoodendpodcast.com
Brought to you by 70 Faces Media and UJA-Federation of New York.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Jet Setter” by MellowSTU
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 36: Contagion
Shannon is back from maternity leave, and this week she and Jordana (and Shannon’s new baby Jude) sit down with ultra-Orthodox nurse practitioner Blima Marcus. Marcus helped stop the measles outbreak of 2019 in religious communities, and talks about how to confront and combat the spread of misinformation — whether about vaccines or anti-Semitism — with education and compassion. Also, Gram shares her own personal experience with measles.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Sultry Glance” by Perfect Solution Music
“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 37: Borderline
Jordana and Shannon recorded this episode at a live Jewish National Fund event in New Jersey (on the very bima where little Jordana once became a bat mitzvah!), speaking with Israeli community center leader Michal Uziyahu about her life as a person and parent living in Israel next to the border with Gaza. She talks about red alerts, running for shelter, fears of balloons and kites — and how she finds joy in living where she does. Plus Gram is a member of the studio audience and gets to give her two cents on whether or not parents should vet kids’ bar and bat mitzvah speeches.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Rewind Back” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 38: Vodkas & Latkes
Jordana and Shannon talk with Alysia Reiner. Alysia is known for her roles in Orange Is The New Black and The Deuce, but she’s a woman who wears many hats. She talks with Jordana and Shannon about activism, Judaism, producing, her new projects and her unique take on the world in which we live. Plus Shannon shares a tale of a wedding toast gone awry, and Gram reveals her disdain for certain extracurricular activities and glitter.
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Jet Setter” by MellowSTU
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“For Hip-Hop” by Marscott
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
Episode 39: The Second Snip
A very special guest joins Jordana and Shannon for the last episode of Call Your Mother’s first season: Shannon’s husband Jonathan Goldberg, who shares the story of getting a vasectomy after the couple’s third child. The group talk about the theme of responsibility for birth control, while touching on everything from semen in popsicle trays to Japanese sex dolls to Fiddler on the Roof. The hosts call Simon Myerson in the United Kingdom, who shares his own vasectomy tale along with the immortal words, “attached to my junk.”
Music
“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)
