Best Ausland Podcasts (2024)

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How Do I Prepare for the High Holy Days? with Cantorial Soloist Michelle Auslander Cohen and Cantor Jake Harris 49:14

10m ago49:14

49:14

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with two of Temple Beth El’s cantors, Cantorial Soloist Michelle Auslander Cohen and Cantor Jake Harris. They discuss their love of Jewish music and what led them to become cantors, how they engage a large congregation for an exceptional communal experience, what goes into preparing to …

1
Episode 1575 - Jason Ritter 1:38:11

40m ago1:38:11

1:38:11

As a kid, Jason Ritter felt a lot of pressure as the son of a beloved actor who audiences felt like they knew personally. He didn’t feel pressure from his parents, but rather pressure from the world, believing he had to live up to being John Ritter’s son. Jason talks with Marc about how that insecurity, as well as his struggle to find his own ident…

1
Episode 605 – Stephen B Shepard 1:23:42

9m ago1:23:42

1:23:42

Virtual Memories Show 605: Stephen B. Shepard “I wanted to tell the story of his life in seclusion, and why he became famous for not wanting to be famous.” With Salinger’s Soul: His Personal & Religious Odyssey (Post Hill Press), author and retired journalist/editor Stephen B. Shepard explores the life of JD Salinger and the hidden core of an autho…

1
Episode 605 - Stephen B Shepard 1:23:43

5h ago1:23:43

1:23:43

With Salinger's Soul: His Personal & Religious Odyssey (Post Hill Press), author and retired journalist/editor Stephen B. Shepard explores the life of JD Salinger and the hidden core of an author who became famous for avoiding fame. We get into why Stephen decided to chase this elusive ghost, why Salinger didn't make it into his previous book about…

1
Episode 1574 - Eric Roberts 1:17:35

38m ago1:17:35

1:17:35

While putting together his new memoir, Eric Roberts developed a fuller understanding of his life as an actor. As someone whose parents did not help him establish a sense of self, his journey through various roles and personality types was part of figuring out who he was. Eric and Marc compare notes on revelations about parents and Eric looks back o…

1
Bunte Welle - Episode September 14, 2024

6h ago

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Playlist: Peter Alexander - Die süßesten Früchte (fressen nur die grossen Tiere) Nicole - Papillon Bergfeuer - Und die Adler der Cordilleren Nicole - Flieg nicht so hoch mein kleiner Freund Freddy - Kleine Möwe flieg nach Helgoland Fernando Express - Mit dem Albatros nach Süden Gaby Albrecht - Hast du Heute Schon Gelaechelt Heintje - Mein Pony Kast…

1
Liberalism as a Way of Life 55:23

1d ago55:23

55:23

Yascha Mounk and Alexandre Lefebvre discuss taking liberalism seriously as the main moral paradigm of our world. Alexandre Lefebvre is a professor of politics and philosophy at the University of Sydney. His books include Human Rights as a Way of Life and, most recently, Liberalism as a Way of Life. In this week’s conversation, Yascha Mounk and Alex…

1
Episode 1573 - Ali Macofsky 1:23:20

1d ago1:23:20

1:23:20

Hundreds of WTF guests have show business origin stories, but nobody has one like comedian Ali Macofsky, whose impulsive phone call to Ryan Seacrest live on the radio when she was seven years old got the ball rolling on her career. Ali tells Marc about this event and all the other spontaneous decisions in her early life that led to a failed auditio…

1
How Do You Parent From a Spiritual Place? with Dasee Berkowitz and Rabbi Amy Pessah 48:31

2d ago48:31

48:31

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Desee Berkowitz, author of Becoming a Soulful Parent, and Rabbi Amy Pessah, author of Parenting on a Prayer. They discuss how to ensure your child’s spiritual growth, how to prioritize spirituality amid other commitments such as sports and academic demands, small ways to bring spir…

1
Episode 604 – Benjamin Dreyer 1:38:17

7d ago1:38:17

1:38:17

Virtual Memories Show 604: Benjamin Dreyer “When I started the book, what I was doing was trying to replicate everything that I’ve ever read in somebody else’s style manual into my own voice. I realized a) ‘No, you don’t,’ and b) ‘What is your voice anyway?'” Benjamin Dreyer joins the show to talk about the joy of good writing. We talk about his ca…

1
Episode 604 - Benjamin Dreyer 1:38:17

2d ago1:38:17

1:38:17

Benjamin Dreyer joins the show to talk about the joy of good writing. We talk about his career as managing editor and copy chief of the Random House, his post-retirement perspective on that role, the authors he enjoyed working with, the success of his first book, DREYER'S ENGLISH: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (Random House), and hi…

1
Episode 1572 - Lupita Nyong'o 1:31:39

4d ago1:31:39

1:31:39

She may have won an Oscar for her first film role, but Lupita Nyong’o spent the early part of her life hiding her desire to be an actor. Lupita tells Marc about growing up under autocratic rule, living in a country where creative voices were suppressed, and learning how to speak out even when it’s risky. Lupita also explains why she followed up 12 …

1
Bunte Welle - Episode September 7, 2024

5d ago

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Playlist: Lolita - Eine Seefahrt, die ist lustig Shanty Chor Brunsbüttel - Schiff ahoi Freddy Quinn - Nimm uns mit Kapitän auf die Reise Judith & Mel - Heidewitzka, Herr Kapitän Freddy Quinn - Heut geht es an Bord Blauen Jungs - Wo die Nordseewellen Tanzpalais - Das Weiße Schiff der Träume Heintje Simons - Tulpen aus Amsterdam 2 Brüder aus Roosenda…

1
How to Stop Campus From Boiling Over 46:51

6d ago46:51

46:51

Yascha Mounk and Raj Vinnakota discuss how to build a healthy campus community (and keep it). Raj Vinnakota is President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, co-founder of the SEED Foundation, and co-chair of the Civics and Civic Engagement Taskforce for the United States Congress Semiquincentennial Commission. In this week's conversation, Yas…

1
Episode 1571 - Chris Robinson 1:26:39

8d ago1:26:39

1:26:39

It took Chris Robinson a long time to accept being a rock and roll frontman. Even at the height of The Black Crowes’ success, he just thought they were just a group of dudes from Atlanta playing roots music. Now reunited with the band and touring again after releasing their ninth album, Chris tells Marc why it took time and perspective to realize h…

1
What is Love All About? with Rabbi Shai Held 47:54

9d ago47:54

47:54

In this episode, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Shai Held about the concept of love. They define love in a spiritual context, and discuss how you can develop a “posture” of love, how to learn to love yourself, and what it means to love others, as well as how the concept of love connects with those of hate, justice, and protest.…

1
Episode 603 – Nicholas Delbanco 1:24:34

14d ago1:24:34

1:24:34

Virtual Memories Show 603: Nicholas Delbanco “More and more I measure success in terms of the distance between intention and execution.” Nicholas Delbanco returns to the show to celebrate his 32nd book and his first true foray into memoir (or ME-moir), STILL LIFE AT EIGHTY (Mandel Vilar Press)! We talk about how the rediscovery of the 40-page histo…

1
Episode 603 - Nicholas Delbanco 1:24:34

10d ago1:24:34

1:24:34

Nicholas Delbanco returns to the show to celebrate his 32nd book and his first true foray into memoir (or ME-moir), STILL LIFE AT EIGHTY (Mandel Vilar Press)! We talk about how the rediscovery of the 40-page history of art he wrote at eleven years old (!) sparked this project, how he built the book as a mosaic, why he centers it around the homes, t…

1
Episode 1570 - Drew Lynch 1:23:33

11d ago1:23:33

1:23:33

Drew Lynch never planned on being a comedian. But his pursuit of an acting career got derailed by a traumatic brain injury that left him with a stutter and no career prospects. Drew tells Marc the reason he decided to get on stage and put together a standup act, a decision that made him a finalist on America’s Got Talent and helped him land a recur…

1
Bunte Welle - Episode August 31, 2024

12d ago

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Playlist: Julia Lindholm - Danke für die Lieder Geraldine Olivier - Nimm Dir wieder einmal Zeit Klubbb 3 - Das Leben tanzt Sirtaki Semino Rossi - Der Himmel lässt uns nie allein Andrea Jürgens & Nockalm Quintett - Wir greifen nach den Sternen Andrea Jürgens - Wenn der Himmel es will Jantje Smit - Du und ich und die Sommersonne Hansi Hinterseer - Du…

1
James C. Scott on The Perils of State Power 58:17

13d ago58:17

58:17

In one of his final extended interviews, which was recorded three years before his recent death, the late anthropologist James C. Scott and Yascha Mounk discuss the need to be vigilant about the ways in which states do violence to individuals and societies. James C. Scott was the Sterling professor of political science and anthropology at Yale Univ…

1
Episode 1569 - Brendon Walsh 1:26:22

15d ago1:26:22

1:26:22

When the topic of past guests comes up, Marc often mentions Brendon Walsh, a comedian who was on several early WTF episodes as well as Marc’s IFC sitcom. Diving into a full conversation more than a decade since he was last in the garage, Brendon tells Marc about the changes in his life since then, including the break he took from comedy, the tragic…

1
What Do I Have to Do? with Rabbi Dr. Mark Washofsky 49:28

22d ago49:28

49:28

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Rabbi Dr. Mark Washofsky. They discuss the intersection between Reform Judaism and halakha, the ongoing conversation between ancient texts and modern life, and what it means to be “authentically Jewish” within Reform Judaism.By Temple Beth El of Boca Raton

1
Episode 602 – Dash Shaw 1:10:11

18d ago1:10:11

1:10:11

Virtual Memories Show 602: Dash Shaw “Someone told me that reading this book after COVID felt like being a crowd of people again, and that felt great.” Cartoonist and animator Dash Shaw returns to the show to celebrate his phenomenal new graphic novel, BLURRY (New York Review Comics). We talk about the decompressed mode he brought to this book, the…

1
Episode 602 - Dash Shaw 1:10:11

23d ago1:10:11

1:10:11

Cartoonist and animator Dash Shaw returns to the show to celebrate his phenomenal new graphic novel, BLURRY (New York Review Comics). We talk about the decompressed mode he brought to this book, the turning points we encounter in the most mundane situations, his focus on the microscopic moments of doubt we have between two very similar things, and …

1
Episode 1568 - Greg Fitzsimmons 1:22:36

18d ago1:22:36

1:22:36

Greg Fitzsimmons returns to WTF after a 13 year absence, but his dynamic with Marc remains the same as it was when they were comics starting out in Boston almost four decades ago. With a new comedy special out, Greg talks with Marc about his unhealthy relationship with worry, how he broke the self-destructive cycles of his family, and how his relat…

1
Bunte Welle - Episode August 24, 2024

19d ago

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Playlist: Gerhard Wendland - Tanze mit mir in den Morgen Gerhard Wendland - Vagabundenlied Fred Bertelmann - Heimat deine Sterne Drafi Deutscher - Welche Farbe hat die Welt Stefanie Hertel - Über jedes Bacherl geht a Brückerl Peggy March - Mit 17 hat man noch Träume Ivo Robic - Mit 17 fängt das Leben erst an Maria von Schmedes - Ich möcht so gern D…

1
Timur Kuran on Why We Lie About Our Beliefs 1:07:09

20d ago1:07:09

1:07:09

Yascha Mounk and Timur Kuran discuss the perceived social and political pressures that lead individuals to conceal their true beliefs—and what that means for our politics. Timur Kuran is Professor of Economics and Political Science and the Gorter Family Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University. He is the author of Private Truths, Public Lies…

1
Episode 1567 - Paul W. Downs 1:32:01

22d ago1:32:01

1:32:01

Over the past four years, Paul W. Downs has been one of the people responsible for constructing the ongoing story of a lifer standup comic on the show Hacks. Paul talks with Marc about how his comedy background is very different from the fictional Deborah Vance, with his training at the UCB Theater, his days at the vanguard of internet video comedy…

1
How Can We Support LGBTQ+ Individuals to Explore and Express their Most Authentic Selves? with Tracey Labgold 49:48

28d ago49:48

49:48

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Tracey Labgold, Florida Education & Training Manager for Keshet, a non-profit that works for LGBTQ+ equality in Jewish life. They discuss different LGBTQ+ identities, the differences between sexual orientation and gender identity, and the best ways to support those who identify as q…

1
Episode 601 – Jess Ruliffson 1:52:57

26d ago1:52:57

1:52:57

Virtual Memories Show 601: Jess Ruliffson “I started talking to some of my friends who were veterans with the idea of ‘what do you do when come home, after you’ve done your job but also been exposed to some weird stuff?'” Comics journalist Jess Ruliffson joins the show to talk about the origins of INVISIBLE WOUNDS (Fantagraphics), her collection of…

1
Episode 601 - Jess Ruliffson 1:52:57

26d ago1:52:57

1:52:57

Comics journalist Jess Ruliffson joins the show to talk about the origins of INVISIBLE WOUNDS (Fantagraphics), her collection of stories from veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but we wind up talking about guys' butts, among other things. We get into her focus on male vulnerability, the Tim Hetherington photos that led her to make Invisi…

1
Episode 1566 - Michael Rooker 1:26:32

25d ago1:26:32

1:26:32

Michael Rooker is known for playing a variety of menacing and intense characters. But menace was something he was always good at, as the protective older brother of six sisters. And intensity is often something people misread because he’s hard of hearing. Michael talks with Marc about growing up in Alabama with no electricity or running water, his …

1
The Promise and Perils of Contacting Extraterrestrials 1:04:01

27d ago1:04:01

1:04:01

Yascha Mounk and Douglas Vakoch discuss whether it is morally justified to alert aliens to humanity's existence. Douglas Vakoch is an American astrobiologist, extraterrestrial intelligence researcher, and the president of METI International, an organization devoted to transmitting messages to outer space. His books include The Drake Equation: Estim…

1
Episode 1565 - Blair Socci 1:33:35

29d ago1:33:35

1:33:35

Blair Socci comes from an athletic family with a hardened ancestral backstory involving throat slashing and exile. But despite her exterior toughness, Blair spent her youth enjoying poetry, journaling and creative writing. If she hadn't caught the comedy bug, she intended to become a novelist. Blair and Marc talk about her volleyball prowess, how a…

1
How Can Jewish Learning Transform Our Lives? with Rabbi Laila Haas 44:19

30d ago44:19

44:19

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin talks with Rabbi Laila Haas, who joined Temple Beth El's clergy team in June 2024. They talk about how they both fell in love with Jewish learning, their experiences learning in Israel, what Torah means to them, how they find meaning and purpose in their lives through Judaism, and more.…

1
Episode 600 – Joe Coleman 1:36:38

1M ago1:36:38

1:36:38

Virtual Memories Show 600: Joe Coleman “I don’t step back that often when I’m in there, because I’m inside this tiny bit of the universe. For me, that’s what living things are: endless world within world within world within world.” For my 600th episode, the great artist Joe Coleman joins the show to celebrate his phenomenal new career-spanning retr…

1
Episode 600 - Joe Coleman 1:36:38

1M ago1:36:38

1:36:38

For my 600th episode, the great artist Joe Coleman joins the show to celebrate his phenomenal new career-spanning retrospective book, A DOORWAY TO JOE: The Art of Joe Coleman (Fantagraphics). We talk about art, mortality, mythography, history, the corruption of the flesh, the nature of evil, his Odditorium & the power of relics, Dr. Mombooze-o's se…

1
The East German - Jenny 26:41

1M ago26:41

26:41

In this special episode, recorded on the fly during a family vacation in Germany, I sit down with a friend who grew up in former East Germany. Now living in what was West Germany, she shares her unique perspective on the stark contrasts between East and West, as well as her personal experience during the fall of the Berlin Wall—known in Germany as …

1
Episode 1564 - Moon Zappa 1:34:44

1M ago1:34:44

1:34:44

When Moon Zappa was on the show back in 2013, she and Marc started dating shortly thereafter. Now that Moon has just written her memoir, Earth to Moon, she and Marc sit down for their first real conversation since their abrupt breakup. Moon talks about the forensic investigation she did of her life, the emotional damage she took from her mother, th…

1
Bunte Welle - Episode August 10, 2024

1M ago

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Playlist: Lena Valaitis - Farewell (jeder Sommer geht einmal zu Ende) Paola - Mr. Tamburine Man 1980 Heidi Brühl - Mein Weg mit Dir (Spicks and Specks) Ute Freudenberg - Jugendliebe Roy Orbison - California Blue Monika Martin - Massachusetts Cora - Amsterdam Scott McKenzie - San Francisco Paola - Blue Bayou Roy Orbison - Only the Lonely Juliane Wer…

1
Freddie deBoer on “Peak Woke” 1:15:49

1M ago1:15:49

1:15:49

Yascha Mounk and Freddie deBoer discuss whether the sweeping set of progressive ideas that came into force in 2020 has really begun to recede. Freddie deBoer is a writer, academic, and critic. He writes the Freddie deBoer Substack, and is the author of books including the Cult of Smart: How Our Broken Education System Perpetuates Social Injustice a…

1
What is Cognitive Dissonance? with Dr. Martin Segel and Dr. Marissa Roecklein 42:48

1M ago42:48

42:48

In this episode of Essential Questions, Rabbi Dan Levin speaks with Dr. Martin Segel and Dr. Marissa Roecklein about cognitive dissonance, or the discomfort that occurs when you hold two conflicting beliefs at the same time. They discuss why it is so hard to recognize within yourself, what enforces it, and tools to combat it.…

1
Episode 1563 - Beth Stelling 1:30:39

1M ago1:30:39

1:30:39

When Marc saw Beth Stelling’s Netflix special, he knew there was something he found familiar. It turns out they both have a similar process of making comedy out of trauma. Beth talks with Marc about the childhood event that informed most of the way she addresses difficult subjects in her act and how speaking up about an abusive relationship led to …

1
We Love This Camp - A 2024 Final Day Recap + Awards w/ Brett Weiss & Jeremy Kohlenbrener 1:16:15

1M ago1:16:15

1:16:15

Good Evening Everybody! Today was the last full day of camp, and we had an incredible day and evening. Tonight Jason is joined by Brett Weiss and Jeremy Kohlenbrener. They recap an awesome last day of the summer, go through EVERY award given out tonight to shout out the recipients, and break down our values awards, stick awards, and the Nate Wasser…

1
S7E45 - Mid-Day Bonus Pod w/ Grayson Bogan and Will Yudelovitch 18:34

1M ago18:34

18:34

On this mid-day BONUS episode of the podcast we are joined by first year camper Grayson Bogan and third year camper Will Yudelovitch. We catch up on our Twilight League Championship playoffs, look back at the summer, and offer some advice for first year campers. Enjoy! Check back later tonight for our traditional end of summer podcast.…

1
S7E44 - The Sing & Relay w/ Jacob Krasny, Spencer Polovin, Max Rosen, & Jordy Meyers (part 1) then Evan Lieberman & Rex Kohner (part 2) 1:19:48

1M ago1:19:48

1:19:48

We have another two part extravaganza tonight on the podcast. We just finished the two most important events in Green & White: The Sing and The Relay. In part one we bring on Cabin 12 superstars Krasny, Polovin, Rosen, & Meyers to break down the sing, talk about the results of the Sing and do a full preview of every event in the upcoming Relay. In …

1
Episode 599 – Mirana Comstock 1:20:32

1M ago1:20:32

1:20:32

Virtual Memories Show 599: Mirana Comstock “This is the first book in 70 years that can conjure up that era, and there will never ben another book that can, because everyone connected with that era is gone.” This one’s all about legacies: familial, literary, cultural & institutional! Mirana Comstock joins the show to celebrate the publication of Th…

1
Episode 599 - Mirana Comstock 1:20:33

1M ago1:20:33

1:20:33

This one's all about legacies: familial, literary, cultural & institutional! Mirana Comstock joins the show to celebrate the publication of The Algonquin Round Table: 25 Years with the Legends Who Lunch (Excelsior Editions/SUNY Press), by her grandfather, the late literary lion Konrad Bercovici. We get into how Mirana discovered this manuscript, wh…

1
S7E43 w/ Jake Auslander & Zach Field 32:16

1M ago32:16

32:16

We are into our last week of camp and that means the cream of the crop for Green & White games and for podcasts guests. Tonight Jason is joined by veteran campers Jake Auslander and Zach Field to break down Doc's Run, Town Day, Claim the Castle, the Hatchet Hunt, and much, more.

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