Chutzpod! Podcast: Jewish Wisdom For Modern Advice

 Chutzpod! is a popular podcast that blends millennia-old Jewish wisdom with real-life modern dilemmas. Co-hosted by Rabbi Shira Stutman and journalist Hanna Rosin, the show acts as a modern advice column, exploring topics like relationships, forgiveness, and how to live a meaningful life. 

 The show is designed for a broad audience and focuses on practical spirituality rather than rigid religious doctrine. Listeners tune in for discussions on ethics, mindfulness, current events, and navigating the complexities of the modern world. 

Rabbi Shira Stutman is a nationally recognized faith leader and former senior rabbi at Izeze. Hanna Rosin is an acclaimed journalist and podcast host who previously served as the editorial director of audio at New York Magazine. She is also the host of Radio Atlantic and the co-host of We Live Here Now, both flagship podcasts produced by The Atlantic.

Rosin joined the show in 2023 after the original co-host, actor Joshua Molina, left for other projects. 

 The hosts answer listener-submitted questions, such as whether to forgive an unapologetic friend or how to grapple with global issues.
Accessibility: It is tailored for people of all faiths (or no faith at all).
Jewish Wisdom: It brings a fresh Jewish lens to secular dilemmas and personal development. 

I love this show, not only because Hannah Rosin is on it and I love everything she does, but because it delves into tough issues and handles them with care and thoughtfulness. Also, they bring up issues that would never occur to a non-Jewish person like me. 

For example, an episode in February 2025 where Rabbi Shira Stutman and Hanna Rosin answered a question from a listener named Moshe, whose mother insisted he receive a “super Jewy name,” but what does Judaism say about this? What makes a name Jewish? And can we just name our kids Tom, Dick, or Harry?  

In one episode, Rabbi Stutman surprised and delighted me when discussing the hypothetical possibility of her child marrying outside the Jewish faith and converting to another religion. Rather than condemning such an action, she said that as long as her child was vested in religion, she could live with that. 

The podcast begins with Jewish music and then tackles a different issue every show. Episodes run about 45 minutes and the co-hosts have a nice rapport. I wish my Catholic priest were as articulate, open-minded, and insightful as Rabbi Stutman. His answer to any conundrum is "confess your sins and appeal to God's mercy."

 Chutzpod! can be instructive for Jewish people and for non-Jewish people alike. After all, while religions have many stark differences, they also share common themes that transcend religious dogma. It's no accident that three major religions in the world -- Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all share interwoven origin stories in the same part of the world.