Best Jon Spira Savett Podcasts (2024)

1
Chapter 1 Encore: Measuring Deeds 35:36

12M ago35:36

35:36

This is an encore presentation of our very first podcast episode, about Chapter 1 of The Good Place after an introduction to our whole project! We’re republishing it primarily for anyone who is just discovering Tov! in time for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year holy day, which is a time for exploring all the themes in The Good Place as they apply …

1
What I’ve Learned (So Far) About Teshuvah From “The Good Place”, By Jon 39:37

1y ago39:37

39:37

This episode is Jon Spira-Savett’s attempt to collect my thoughts about how The Good Place illustrates, riffs on, critiques and expands on the Jewish concept of teshuvah (personal change as “returning”), especially as taught in the writings of Rabbi Moses Maimonides. What have I learned so far, and has it affected me in my life? This episode is an …

1
Special Episode: Pamela Hieronymi, Philosopher and Consultant on The Good Place! 1:09:38

1y ago1:09:38

1:09:38

Yet another “insider” conversation with someone from the Good Place team! Pamela Hieronymi is a philosophy professor at UCLA with whom Michael Schur spoke early on in the show’s development. Pamela talks with Dan Ross and Jon Spira-Savett about some of the moral emotions, like envy, resentment, and blame; whether one can in fact try to be good and …

1
Live Show With Rebecca, Dan, Sari and Jon (June 29, 2023) 1:04:03

1y ago1:04:03

1:04:03

Rebecca Rosenthal, Dan Ross, Sari Laufer and Jon Spira-Savett roam around our reflections after this Jewish rewatch of the entire series! We four have been the most frequent co-hosts of Tov! We’re joined by co-host Daniel Kirzane. Some of our topics include which main characters continue to resonate for us or strike us in new ways; aspects of the s…

1
Live Virtual Event This Thursday and You’re Invited! 1:33

1y ago1:33

1:33

Listen to or watch the recording of the live show here! Rebecca Rosenthal, Dan Ross, Sari Laufer, and Jon Spira-Savett will be co-hosting a conversation with some of our reflections on rewatching The Good Place with a Jewish lens, and we’ll respond to your questions in the Zoom chat or the Facebook live feed, and we’re happy to have you talk with u…

1
Chapters 52-53: It’s Not Over Until... (Not the Podcast Finale) 1:01:57

1y ago1:01:57

1:01:57

On The Good Place, friends and family arrive, and everyone wrestles with what to do there and whether or when to choose a final, peaceful end. Tahani stays as an architect, Jason and Chidi leave, Michael exits into life as a human, and Eleanor’s sparks go into the universe and perhaps return to earth. On the podcast, Elliot Goldberg and Jon Spira-S…

1
Chapter 51: Living in a World to Come 41:42

1+ y ago41:42

41:42

On The Good Place, our group finally gets to the actual Good Place, where they discover that an eternity of perfection has led to boredom and stagnation even for those who were moral giants on earth. So they propose a new option, that people can stay as long as they like and then choose when it’s time to bring their existence to a peaceful end. On …

1
Chapter 50: You Be The Judge 51:13

1+ y ago51:13

51:13

On The Good Place, it’s time to pilot the new assessment system and and train its operators. Eleanor and Chidi are both afraid the other will have second thoughts about their relationship after reading their individual file, and Michael has trouble handing responsibility off to Vicky. On the podcast, Savannah Lipinski (new co-host!) and Jon Spira-S…

1
Chapter 49: How Much Memory Do You Need? 50:08

1+ y ago50:08

50:08

No, the title isn’t a question about your next laptop… On The Good Place, Janet brings everyone including the Judge and Timothy Olyphant into her void, where Chidi presents his concept for an updated afterlife based on multiple reboots and learning from one’s prior lives. On the podcast, Rebecca and Jon talk about how we access and use our imperfec…

1
Chapter 48: Synthesis -- Learning, Friendships, Goodness 47:49

1+ y ago47:49

47:49

Both The Good Place and the podcast are pulling many threads together as the series moves toward its finish! On The Good Place, Chidi gets back all his memories from life and the afterlife, including the questions he has asked each friend, mentor, and partner along the way and how those conversations have informed his quests for truth and a soulmat…

1
Chapter 47: Funerals, Maybe Not Just at the End? 44:51

1+ y ago44:51

44:51

On The Good Place, the Judge weighs Michael’s arguments that the experiment has proved successful, and while they wait for the verdict, our humans and Janet hold a series of as-if funerals for each other. On the podcast, Sari Laufer and Jon Spira-Savett talk about their own experiences as rabbis who officiate at funerals, and entertain various intr…

1
Chapter 46: What We Owe Our ”Enemy” 42:16

1+ y ago42:16

42:16

On The Good Place, Michael’s last-minute attempt to salvage the experiment and win some extra points for the new humans puts Brent alone in a sinkhole. Simone and John decide to leave him there, but Chidi gets in with Brent and ends up face-to-face with him for the final seconds of the year On the podcast, Rebecca Rosenthal and Jon Spira-Savett dis…

1
Special Episode: Kirston Mann, Costume Designer on ”The Good Place”! (Just in Time for Purim!) 59:28

1+ y ago59:28

59:28

To coincide with Purim, the festival with masks and costumes, we talk with Kirston Mann, costume designer on “The Good Place”! Sari Laufer, Ilana Schachter, and Jon Spira-Savett talk with Kirston about what her work entails and hear her insights into how costume serves storytelling on television. We delve into the characters of Eleanor, Tahani, Jan…

1
Chapter 45: Human Nature, or Just a Bad Week? 38:17

1+ y ago38:17

38:17

On The Good Place, Michael tells Bad Janet about a week halfway through the experiment that made things worse because of Brent, yet despite the setback the team regroups. On the podcast, Leora Kling Perkins and Jon Spira-Savett mull over the Talmud-era debates on whether humans should have been created in the first place. Does addressing questions …

1
Chapter 44: Be(come) Yourself -- A View From College 47:59

1+ y ago47:59

47:59

On The Good Place, Tahani worries that her entertaining skills aren’t a valuable contribution to the experiment, Michael goes up against Vicky wearing a Michael suit at Demon-Con, and Derek tries to fill in for Janet while Michael and Jason are off trying to rescue her from the Bad Place. On the podcast, Jon Spira-Savett talks with two college stud…

1
Chapter 43: Ethics Without God, Judging Without Evidence 53:58

1+ y ago53:58

53:58

On The Good Place, Eleanor and the others have to assess Glenn’s claim that Michael is actually demon Vicky in a Michael suite -- and they have to help keep the neighborhood going in the meantime without Michael and it turns out without Janet, who has been kidnapped by the Bad Place). On the podcast, Elliot Goldberg and Jon Spira-Savett mull over e…

1
Chapter 42: Feedback 45:39

1+ y ago45:39

45:39

On The Good Place, Eleanor tries to orchestrate Chidi’s growth behind the scenes by sending Jason to reveal that he is not a monk and to swear Chidi to secrecy. Yet it only leads Chidi to stomachaches. Tahani tries the same with John by bringing him to various VIP experiences so she can coax him to learn ethics, but eventually she has to figure out…

1
Special Episode: Todd May, Philosopher and Consultant on The Good Place! 56:31

1+ y ago56:31

56:31

Our second “insider” conversation with someone who worked on The Good Place! Todd May is a philosopher to whom Michael Schur reached out early in the show because of Professor May’s book Death (The Art of Living). Todd talks and laughs with Jon Spira-Savett about a range of topics, including: motivation (of characters on the show, and of Jon); comm…

1
Chapters 40-41: Shadow, Mask, Mentor –- Three Ways (Back) to You 57:10

1+ y ago57:10

57:10

On The Good Place, it’s the start of a new and final season! Eleanor poses in Michael’s role as architect and tries various plans to reshape Brent. When she struggles, the group loses faith in her and so does Eleanor herself, until a pep talk from Michael leads her to change her perspective (and her outfit). On the podcast, it’s also the start of a…

1
Chapter 39: Who Could Be A Friend? (Season 3 Finale) 1:00:20

2y ago1:00:20

1:00:20

On the final episode of Season 3 of The Good Place, Tahani encounters John the gossip columnist, and Eleanor leans on the group as Chidi decides he needs to erase his memories of her when Simone arrives in the new experiment. On the podcast, Elliot Goldberg and Jon Spira-Savett return to the theme of friendship – through their experiences as “archi…

1
Chapter 38: Points and Counterpoints 54:10

2y ago54:10

54:10

On The Good Place, Michael and Shawn battle before the Judge over whether the complexity of modern life, coupled with the four humans’ progress, require a reassessment of the point system. Chidi comes up with the idea of a new experiment involving different humans, and the Judge tweaks the ground rules before ordering Michael and Shawn to comply. O…

1
Special: Eric Kissack, Editor on The Good Place! 53:32

2y ago53:32

53:32

Our first conversation with someone involved in creating The Good Place, editor Eric Kissack! Eric talks with Sari, Rebecca, Dan and Jon about what an editor does generally, and what it was like to collaborate with Michael Schur for all four seasons. Eric reflects on some of his favorite episodes and moments, both professionally as an editor and as…

1
Chapter 37: Righteous For One’s Generation? 44:46

2y ago44:46

44:46

On The Good Place, the group arrives at the Good Place and encounters Gwendolyn and the Good Place committee, and Tahani tries to help Janet and Jason deal with the revelation about their prior relationship. On the podcast, Leora Kling Perkins and Jon Spira-Savett explore, apply, and wonder about the Talmudic concept of “righteous in one’s generati…

1
Encore: Yom Kippur Should Be a Dance Party (Chapter 23) 45:02

2y ago45:02

45:02

For this week of Yom Kippur, the Jewish “day of atonement”, we bring you again our earlier episode that addresses the themes of the holy day and suggests a Good Place-style addendum to the traditions of the day! Look for a brand new episode from us soon, and then a special with our first show insider, editor Eric Kissack! On The Good Place the grou…

1
Chapter 36: Who Am I? 35:08

2y ago35:08

35:08

On The Good Place, it’s the iconic “Janet(s)” episode! In Janet’s void all the humans look like Janet; Chidi and Eleanor help each other find who they are and save the universe for now in the process; and Janet helps Michael find who he is as they meet the accountants whose computers tally up all humans’ experiences. On the podcast, Rebecca Rosenth…

1
Chapter 35: Is Jewish Utilitarianism a Thing? 42:23

2y ago42:23

42:23

On The Good Place, Michael and Janet meet Doug Forcett, who lives his life as a happiness pump after discovering the point system; Eleanor deals with her own greater knowledge of the big picture; and Jason teaches Chidi Jacksonville-style pool, where you make up your own rules and point values. On the podcast, Shmuly Yanklowitz (rabbi/kidney donor …

1
Chapter 34: Free Will 46:09

2y ago46:09

46:09

On The Good Place, Michael gives Eleanor special equipment so she can see some of the reboots, to demonstrate to her that she has had free will and constantly acted in ways that Michael couldn’t predict no matter how much he orchestrated. On the podcast, Elliot Goldberg and Jon Spira-Savett talk about (obviously) free will, and whether in Judaism a…

1
Chapter 33: Your Behavior or Your Self? 33:28

2y ago33:28

33:28

On The Good Place, Eleanor’s terrible mother Donna Shellstrop has become Diana Tremaine, suburban citizen and responsible almost-stepmom, and Eleanor tells her to let go of the last fears rooted in her past. On the podcast, Sari Laufer and Jon Spira-Savett wonder whether and how much change makes you truly different, and if you can call it teshuvah…

1
Chapter 31: Time and Teshuvah 40:23

2y ago40:23

40:23

On The Good Place, Michael reveals the whole system to the humans, as well as the Jeremy Bearimy, nonlinear reality of time in the afterlife. On the podcast, Marc Israel (new rabbi on the team!) helps Jon make room for the idea that teshuvah might require something different than a Maimonidean awareness of past experiences in sequence of which we a…

1
Chapter 32: Hard Truths and Okay Lies 42:24

2y ago42:24

42:24

On The Good Place, Chidi tries to break up with Simone without telling her the whole story, and Jason faces the facts about his father Donkey Doug but bends the truth to save Pillboi. On the podcast, Dan Ross and Jon Spira-Savett use the episode to explore the midrashic interpretation of “truth sprouts from the earth” and attempt to clarify an unde…

1
Chapters 29-30: A Threefold Cord Is Not Easily Broken 43:48

2y ago43:48

43:48

On The Good Place, the group assembled in Australia is tested by Trevor’s efforts at sabotage and Eleanor’s frustration at sharing Chidi, and Michael and Janet come up with new ways to keep the four from leaving. On the podcast, Rebecca and Jon discuss how the group is a biblical threefold cord, something different from both pair relationships and …

1
Chapters 27-28: Nudge 37:18

2y ago37:18

37:18

It’s a new season of The Good Place! On the show, Michael keeps sneaking down to earth to intervene in the four humans’ lives without their realizing, in order to get them all to Australia to learn with Chidi and participate in Chidi’s and Simone’s new study. On the podcast, Geoff Mitelman and Jon Spira-Savett explore nudges, neuroscience, and near…

1
Special Episode: The Midpoint 25:04

2y ago25:04

25:04

It’s halfway through The Good Place and therefore this podcast too! We mark the occasion with a reflective conversation among Rebecca Rosenthal, Dan Ross, Lela Spira-Savett, and Jon Spira-Savett. Settle your Season 2 bets about which characters the podcast’s co-hosts resemble today and wish they would be more like. Then we muse personally about the…

1
Chapter 26: Motivations and Rewards; Or, A Little Bit of Everything! 40:24

2y ago40:24

40:24

On the season 2 finale of “The Good Place”, the Judge and Michael agree on a new way to assess the four humans’ improvement. They send Eleanor back to the day she died but this time she doesn’t, and she sets out to change. On the podcast, Rebecca and Jon circle back to discuss different types of motivations and rewards that encourage or result from…

1
Chapter 25: Six Scales, Any Better Than Just One? 56:23

2+ y ago56:23

56:23

On “The Good Place”, the humans meet the Judge, who gives each of them an individualized test that they all must pass or none of them can go on to the real Good Place. On the podcast, Elliot Goldberg and Jon stress test the Talmud’s six-part afterlife questionnaire on Eleanor, Tahani, Jason and Chidi, and wonder why all-knowing beings love binge-wa…

1
Chapter 24 Encore: Mask, Costume, True Self 48:25

2+ y ago48:25

48:25

We recorded this originally out of chapter order and released it to coincide with the holiday of Purim! Re-releasing it now in "Good Place" sequence. On “The Good Place”, the humans and Janet put on costumes and assume new identities to pass through demon headquarters on their way to the Judge. On the podcast, Ilana Schachter (rabbi), Daniella Rism…

1
Chapter 23: Yom Kippur Should Be a Dance Party 44:29

2+ y ago44:29

44:29

On “The Good Place” the group spends a last night listening to music and dancing and reflecting individually and in pairs, before leaving the neighborhood and resolving to make their way to the actual Good Place. On the podcast, Rebecca and Jon talk about teshuvah as looking back; consider Hillel’s teaching about self, others, and the importance of…

1
Chapter 22: Faith Is Just Another Word for Looking Out for Clues 38:58

2+ y ago38:58

38:58

On “The Good Place” Shawn offers Michael a promotion, and among the humans only Eleanor has faith that Michael is actually still on their side. On the podcast, Leah Jones and Jon talk about how little they know about Kierkegaard – but how a leap to faith opens you to clues, lessons, and ethical possibilities you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. C…

1
Chapter 21: Soulmates Reconsidered 40:56

2+ y ago40:56

40:56

On “The Good Place”, Janet makes and reabsorbs Derek, her rebound guy; Tahani and Jason almost get married; and Eleanor reveals to Chidi their love from a previous reboot. On the podcast, David Shyovitz and Jon roam through Talmudic and medieval Jewish texts about soulmates – whether they are earthly or for the next world, whether they are decreed …

1
Chapter 20: Because Friends -- And Lying Reframed 42:16

2+ y ago42:16

42:16

On “The Good Place”, Janet’s glitching prompts Michael and Janet to talk about the lies at the beginning of their relationship and now, and Michael realizes that they are friends. On the podcast, Myra and Ben and Jon overinterpret paper clips. Then they look for a broader view of lying and truth-telling, and discuss how friendship relates to speaki…

1
Chapter 19: How to Learn From the Trolley Problem 44:31

2+ y ago44:31

44:31

On “The Good Place” Michael turns the famous trolley problem into another form of torture for Chidi, while Jason says being mean to someone who is being nice to you is bad but he can’t put his finger on why. On the podcast, Geoff Mitelman (rabbi/science guy!) and Jon discuss how philosophical models torture us and teach us, and how understanding ou…

1
Chapter 18: Through an Existential Crisis 43:32

2+ y ago43:32

43:32

On “The Good Place” both Michael and Tahani experience their own crises — existential, midlife, and otherwise — and Eleanor and Jason help them through it. On the podcast, Julee Levine and Jon wonder which dimensions of such crises spur us forward, with some help from the biblical book of Ecclesiastes. Click here for show notes!…

1
Chapters 16-17: Is It Just Me or Is the Divine Evolving Too? 40:40

2+ y ago40:40

40:40

On “The Good Place”, Michael reboots the neighborhood hundreds of times but the humans and even the demons outmaneuver him every time in a new way. So finally he offers the humans to stop erasing their memories and to work together with them against Shawn and Vicky. On the podcast, Daniel Kirzane (new rabbi co-host!) and Jon discuss reboots of the …

1
Chapter 24: Mask, Costume, True Self (Purim Episode!) 48:38

2+ y ago48:38

48:38

We’re publishing this episode out of sequence to link up with Purim, the festival of costumes and the story of Esther! On “The Good Place”, the humans and Janet put on costumes and assume new identities to pass through demon headquarters on their way to the Judge. On the podcast, Ilana Schachter (rabbi), Daniella Risman (hazzan=cantor), and Jon Spi…

1
Chapters 14-15: When My Soul Was in the Lost-and-Found 32:55

2+ y ago32:55

32:55

On “The Good Place”, Michael reboots, Janet gives Eleanor back her Chidi note, and the humans find each other again. On the podcast, Jon and Dan connect teshuvah with losing and finding things, animals, and people, and explore a classic Jewish teaching that “twists” what it means to be wise, honored, rich, or happy. Click here for show notes!…

1
Special Episode: Season 1 in the Books! 18:40

2+ y ago18:40

18:40

We celebrate the end of our first podcast season with some reflections from Jon and Dan, and our first young person interview with Lela Spira-Savett! Find out the score after one quarter of the series in the which-Good-Place-character-are-rabbis-most-like sweepstakes! Click here for show notes.By Jon Spira-Savett

1
Chapter 13: Leaving the Garden 46:05

2+ y ago46:05

46:05

On “The Good Place” Eleanor figures out that they are not in the Good Place after all, and on the podcast Jon and Rebecca discuss the essence of a Good Place and whether Eve was on to something when she got the two of them out of the Garden of Eden! The parallels between Eleanor and Eve and Moses really fly, so strap on tight! Find complete show no…

1
Chapter 12: How To Be Medium 42:14

2+ y ago42:14

42:14

On “The Good Place” Eleanor, Jason, and Janet visit Mindy St. Claire, and on the podcast Jon and Sari discuss many ways of being medium, and how medium relates to isolation, selfishness, and possibility. (But funnier than it sounds!) Find complete show notes for the episode here!By Jon Spira-Savett

1
Chapter 11: Mixed Motivation 47:25

2+ y ago47:25

47:25

On “The Good Place” Eleanor can’t make up points while that’s her main motivation, Chidi can’t fall in love unless he’s sure he has the right motivation, and Jason has purity of motivation and no ability to translate it into appropriate action. On the podcast, Jon and Rebecca explore when pure motivation might necessary and when mixed motivations o…

1
Chapter 10: Decision Hygiene -- and Soulmates, Part 1 41:35

3y ago41:35

41:35

On “The Good Place” Chidi is paralyzed by choices at all stages of life and afterlife – and on the podcast, Jon and Dan own up to their own indecision sources, explore the processes of good and bad “decision hygiene”, and open the conversation about soulmates. Find complete show notes for the episode here!…

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