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{{Short description|Canadian Jewish podcast}}
{{Short description|Canadian Jewish podcast}}
{{Primary sources|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox podcast
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'''''Treyf''''' ({{lang-yi|טרייף}}) is a politically left-wing Jewish podcast hosted by Sam Bick and David Zinman. According to their website, "Treyf is an [[Libertarian socialism|anarchist]] Jewish podcast recorded in occupied [[Mohawk people#Kanienʼkehá:ka communities|Tio'tia:ke]] ([[Montreal]]). The show features discussions about politics and history from a leftist Jewish perspective."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=About the Show|url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/about-the-show/}}</ref>
'''''Treyf''''' ({{langx|yi|טרייף}}) is a politically left-wing Jewish podcast hosted by Sam Bick and David Zinman. According to their website, "Treyf is an [[Libertarian socialism|anarchist]] Jewish podcast recorded in occupied [[Mohawk people#Kanienʼkehá:ka communities|Tio'tia:ke]] ([[Montreal]]). The show features discussions about politics and history from a leftist Jewish perspective."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=About the Show|url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/about-the-show/|access-date=2022-10-29|archive-date=2024-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807141249/https://www.treyfpodcast.com/about-the-show/|url-status=live}}</ref>


== Background ==
== Background ==


⚫
The title of the podcast, Treyf, is a Yiddish word that means "not kosher".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> The show's original tagline, "A Debatably Jewish Podcast," was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that many right-wing Jews would not consider them or their politics to be authentically Jewish or "kosher."<ref name=":4"/> Despite this, according to the ''[[Canadian Jewish News]]'', each episode receives thousands of listens.<ref name=":4"/>
Treyf released its first episode in 2015 and announced a hiatus in June 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite tweet |user=treyfpodcast |number=1535283955376738304 |title=We're taking an extended break from the show!!}}</ref> The show was originally recorded in the production studios of [[CKUT-FM]] before moving to home recording due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. CKUT continues to broadcast a 1-hour digest of the show over the radio each month,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Treyf is a Debatably Jewish Podcast|url=https://ckut.ca/en/content/treyf|website=[[CKUT-FM]]|publisher=Radio CKUT}}</ref> reaching approximately 100,000 listeners.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Advertising|url=https://ckut.ca/en/node/21|website=[[CKUT-FM]]|publisher=Radio CKUT}}</ref>


While the hosts are critical of right-wing Jewish politics and institutions, they are proud of their Jewish heritage. Both hosts attended Jewish schools, enjoy the Yiddish language, and are well-versed in Jewish history and religion.<ref name=":4"/>
The title of the podcast, Treyf, is a Yiddish word that means "not kosher".<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> The show's original tagline, "A Debatably Jewish Podcast," was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that many right-wing Jews would not consider them or their politics to be authentically Jewish or "kosher."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>" Despite this, according to the Canadian Jewish News, each episode receives thousands of listens.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>


Treyf announced a hiatus in June 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite tweet |user=treyfpodcast |number=1535283955376738304 |title=We're taking an extended break from the show!!}}</ref>
⚫
While the hosts are critical of right-wing Jewish politics and institutions, they are proud of their Jewish heritage. Both hosts attended Jewish schools, enjoy the Yiddish language, and are well-versed in Jewish history and religion.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>


== Politics ==
== Politics ==


The hosts are both [[Jewish secularism|secular Jews]] and the podcast takes a materialist view of Jewish life and history.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Prestwich|first=Emma|date=December 24, 2017|title=Canadian Jewish Podcaster Wants Nothing to Do With Religion|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/12/24/treyf-on-congregation-young-jewish-podcasters-talk-racism-ditching-religion-and-being-genderqueer_a_23315432/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224180419/https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/12/24/treyf-on-congregation-young-jewish-podcasters-talk-racism-ditching-religion-and-being-genderqueer_a_23315432/|archive-date=December 24, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[HuffPost]]|publisher=[[BuzzFeed]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> Treyf notably expresses political opposition to [[Colonialism]] in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] and North America, supporting Indigenous resistance to colonial violence.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title=In the Streets: Shut Down Canada|date=2 March 2020 |url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/2020/03/02/in-the-streets-shut-down-canada/}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=In the Streets: 1492 Landback Lane|date=17 October 2020 |url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/2020/10/17/1492-land-back-lane/}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|title=40 Resisting Colonialism in Palestine|date=23 February 2018 |url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/2018/02/23/first_intifada/}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=35 The First Intifada, 30 Years Later|date=30 September 2018 |url=https://www.treyfpodcast.com/2018/09/30/40-resisting-colonialism-in-palestine/}}</ref> The hosts consider themselves to be [[Anti-Zionism|Anti-Zionists]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Weinfeld |first=Morton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P8dODwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA168&dq=%22Treyf%22+podcast+-wikipedia&hl=en |title=Like Everyone Else but Different: The Paradoxical Success of Canadian Jews |date=2018-03-21 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-5309-5 |page=168 |language=en}}</ref> a political position they connect to groups such as the [[General Jewish Labour Bund#Political outlook|Jewish Labour Bund]] and the [[Fraye Arbeter Shtime|Yiddish anarchist]] movement. Bick and Zinman have stated that one of their goals in starting the show was to "bring anti-racist & anti-colonial leftist perspectives to the political discussions happening in North American Jewish communities."<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=Anti-Zionism in your earbuds — Help support the Treyf podcast|date=11 May 2017 |url=https://mondoweiss.net/2017/05/zionism-earbuds-support/}}</ref>
The hosts are both [[Jewish secularism|secular Jews]] and the podcast takes a materialist view of Jewish life and history.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Prestwich|first=Emma|date=December 24, 2017|title=Canadian Jewish Podcaster Wants Nothing to Do With Religion|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/12/24/treyf-on-congregation-young-jewish-podcasters-talk-racism-ditching-religion-and-being-genderqueer_a_23315432/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224180419/https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/12/24/treyf-on-congregation-young-jewish-podcasters-talk-racism-ditching-religion-and-being-genderqueer_a_23315432/|archive-date=December 24, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[HuffPost]]|publisher=[[BuzzFeed]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> The hosts consider themselves to be [[Anti-Zionism|Anti-Zionists]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Weinfeld |first=Morton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P8dODwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Treyf%22+podcast+-wikipedia&pg=PA168 |title=Like Everyone Else but Different: The Paradoxical Success of Canadian Jews |date=2018-03-21 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-5309-5 |page=168 |language=en |access-date=2024-03-08 |archive-date=2024-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806033427/https://books.google.com/books?id=P8dODwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Treyf%22+podcast+-wikipedia&pg=PA168#v=onepage&q=%22Treyf%22%20podcast%20-wikipedia&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> a political position they connect to groups such as the [[General Jewish Labour Bund#Political outlook|Jewish Labour Bund]] and the [[Fraye Arbeter Shtime|Yiddish anarchist]] movement. Bick and Zinman have stated that one of their goals in starting the show was to "bring anti-racist & anti-colonial leftist perspectives to the political discussions happening in North American Jewish communities."<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=Anti-Zionism in your earbuds — Help support the Treyf podcast|date=11 May 2017|url=https://mondoweiss.net/2017/05/zionism-earbuds-support/|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105154326/https://mondoweiss.net/2017/05/zionism-earbuds-support/|url-status=live}}</ref>


== Format ==
== Format ==


During the first year of the show, Treyf episodes were structured around media criticism and short interviews about topical issues.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref> The podcast changed format in its second year, focusing on the emergence of [[Jewish left#21st century|a new generation of Jewish leftist activity]] in the US & Canada by profiling groups, projects, writers, and activists that were becoming more active during that time.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref> By 2018, the format changed again toward episodes with multiple interviews on a specific topic, as well as multiple-episode series exploring a single theme. <ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref>
During the first year of the show, Treyf episodes were structured around media criticism and short interviews about topical issues. The podcast changed format in its second year, focusing on the emergence of [[Jewish left#21st century|a new generation of Jewish leftist activity]] in the US & Canada by profiling groups, projects, writers, and activists that were becoming more active during that time. By 2018, the format changed again toward episodes with multiple interviews on a specific topic, as well as multiple-episode series exploring a single theme.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast|website=[[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s|access-date=2022-10-29|archive-date=2024-08-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806033447/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s|url-status=live}}</ref>


Most episodes of Treyf feature a segment called Shkoyakh, during which each host offers an endorsement ('shkoyakh') or condemnation ('anti-shkoyakh') to someone or something they believe deserves it.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> David Weinfeld, professor of Jewish Studies at Rowan University, has described the tone of the Treyf podcast as "deeply engaging social justice-oriented vaudeville-inflected edutainment."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>
Most episodes of Treyf feature a segment called Shkoyakh, during which each host offers an endorsement ('shkoyakh') or condemnation ('anti-shkoyakh') to someone or something they believe deserves it. David Weinfeld, professor of Jewish Studies at Rowan University, has described the tone of the Treyf podcast as "deeply engaging social justice-oriented vaudeville-inflected edutainment."<ref name=":4"/>

In 2017 Treyf began working with the Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archive to digitize cassette archives of now-defunct Jewish radio shows such as Jewish Digest.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title=Short: Jewish Digest Goes Off the Air|url=https://soundcloud.com/treyfpodcast/short-jewish-digest-goes-off-the-air}}</ref> Treyf then released these segments as part of their 'From the Archives' series.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|title=From the Archives|url=https://soundcloud.com/treyfpodcast/sets/from-the-archives}}</ref>

Voice memos from listeners are played between interviews on Treyf in place of ads.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref> The podcast's theme music is an edited version of the song Maceonectar by Saxsyndrum. Early interstitial music was created by Nick Schofield of Saxsyndrum, while the show's current interstitial music was created by Josh Dolgin aka [[Socalled]].<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref>


== Reception ==
== Reception ==


Treyf was voted one of the 10 best podcasts in [[Cult MTL]]'s annual 'Best of Montreal' polls for 2017,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2017: Media|date=10 May 2017 |url=https://cultmtl.com/2017/05/best-of-mtl-2017-media/}}</ref> 2018,<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2018: Media|date=7 May 2018 |url=https://cultmtl.com/2018/05/best-of-mtl-2018-media/}}</ref> and 2019.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2019: Media|date=7 May 2019 |url=https://cultmtl.com/2019/05/best-of-mtl-2019-media/}}</ref> The show was listed as one of the top ten Jewish podcasts in [[Moment (magazine)|Moment Magazine]]'s 2016 reader poll,<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|last=Isaacs|first=Anna|date=September 13, 2016|title=Top Ten Jewish Podcasts|url=https://momentmag.com/top-ten-jewish-podcasts-reader-edition/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921042259/https://momentmag.com/top-ten-jewish-podcasts-reader-edition/|archive-date=September 21, 2016|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Moment (magazine)|Moment Magazine]]|language=en-US}}</ref> included on [[70 Faces Media|My Jewish Learning]]'s 2017 list of 'How to Learn More About Judaism Online,'<ref name=":18">{{Cite news|last=Rofeberg|first=Lex|date=2017|title=How to Learn About Judaism Online: A Guide to Self-Paced Jewish Study on the Internet.|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-learn-more-about-judaism-online/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212014610/https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-learn-more-about-judaism-online/|archive-date=February 12, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=My Jewish Learning|publisher=70 Faces Media|language=en-US}}</ref> and described as "one of the best podcasts out there" by the leftist publisher Kersplebedeb in 2019.<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|title=David Gilbert Interviewed by TREYF|date=24 May 2019 |url=https://kersplebedeb.com/posts/david-gilbert-interviewed-by-treyf/}}</ref>
Treyf was voted one of the 10 best podcasts in [[Cult MTL]]'s annual 'Best of Montreal' polls for 2017,<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2017: Media|date=10 May 2017|url=https://cultmtl.com/2017/05/best-of-mtl-2017-media/|access-date=29 October 2022|archive-date=7 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807141234/https://cultmtl.com/2017/05/best-of-mtl-2017-media/|url-status=live}}</ref> 2018,<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2018: Media|date=7 May 2018|url=https://cultmtl.com/2018/05/best-of-mtl-2018-media/|access-date=29 October 2022|archive-date=1 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221001152050/https://cultmtl.com/2018/05/best-of-mtl-2018-media/|url-status=live}}</ref> and 2019.<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|title=Best of MTL 2019: Media|date=7 May 2019|url=https://cultmtl.com/2019/05/best-of-mtl-2019-media/|access-date=29 October 2022|archive-date=3 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203200341/https://cultmtl.com/2019/05/best-of-mtl-2019-media/|url-status=live}}</ref> The show was listed as one of the top ten Jewish podcasts in [[Moment (magazine)|Moment Magazine]]'s 2016 reader poll,<ref name=":17">{{Cite web|last=Isaacs|first=Anna|date=September 13, 2016|title=Top Ten Jewish Podcasts|url=https://momentmag.com/top-ten-jewish-podcasts-reader-edition/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160921042259/https://momentmag.com/top-ten-jewish-podcasts-reader-edition/|archive-date=September 21, 2016|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Moment (magazine)|Moment Magazine]]|language=en-US}}</ref> included on [[70 Faces Media|My Jewish Learning]]'s 2017 list of 'How to Learn More About Judaism Online'.<ref name=":18">{{Cite news|last=Rofeberg|first=Lex|date=2017|title=How to Learn About Judaism Online: A Guide to Self-Paced Jewish Study on the Internet.|url=https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-learn-more-about-judaism-online/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170212014610/https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-learn-more-about-judaism-online/|archive-date=February 12, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=My Jewish Learning|publisher=70 Faces Media|language=en-US}}</ref>

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A 2017 [[Daily Hive|Torontoist]] article<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Verman|first=Alex|date=June 15, 2017|title=Toronto's Jewish Left is Alive and Well and Resisting Extremism|url=https://torontoist.com/2017/06/torontos-jewish-left-alive-well-resisting-extremism/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616014819/https://torontoist.com/2017/06/torontos-jewish-left-alive-well-resisting-extremism/|archive-date=June 16, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Torontoist]]|publisher=[[Daily Hive]]}}</ref> described Treyf as part of an increase in "Jewish progressive activism, as well as Jewish anti-fascism." The podcast was described as "leftist media by and for young Jews" and part of "the new Jewish Left" in a 2019 [[Briarpatch]] article. <ref name=":21">{{Cite web|last=Métraux|first=Julia|date=February 13, 2019|title=The New Jewish Left: In Canada, Young Jews Are Fighting Antisemitism While Opposing the Israeli Occupation|url=https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/the-new-jewish-left|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503174150/https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/the-new-jewish-left|archive-date=May 3, 2019|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Briarpatch]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> A 2019 article in the [[Canadian Jewish News]] stated that "While it’s sometimes said that the voice of dissent needs to be shrill to be heard, Zinman and Bick’s banter is positively charming" and that "their shows are well-researched and full of fascinating historical tidbits and astute analysis."<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Weinfeld|first=David|date=August 15, 2019|title=Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio|url=https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220103050247/https://thecjn.ca/perspectives/opinions/weinfeld-in-praise-of-radical-jewish-anarchist-radio/|archive-date=January 3, 2022|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadian Jewish News]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> A 2019 [[The Forward|Forward]] article included Treyf as part of a "trend toward greater intellectualism" in Jewish media.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=Zvi Kalman|first=David|date=November 28, 2017|title=Why Are So Many Jewish Podcasts So Bad — and What Can We Do About It?|url=https://forward.com/culture/388471/why-are-so-many-jewish-podcasts-so-bad-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231103441/https://forward.com/culture/388471/why-are-so-many-jewish-podcasts-so-bad-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/|archive-date=December 31, 2017|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[The Forward]]|publisher=Forward Association|language=en-US}}</ref>

According to [[Jesse Brown (journalist)]], Treyf "fills in a hole, to represent things that are not being represented by the Canadian Jewish News and elsewhere."<ref name=":26">{{Cite web|date=March 27, 2017|title=Canadaland: #177 Being Jewish in Public|url=https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/being-jewish-in-public/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304162157/https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/being-jewish-in-public/|archive-date=March 4, 2021|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Canadaland]]|language=en-US}}</ref> A 2017 [[Canadaland]] article describes the podcast as "unapologetically leftist, loudly Jewish, and completely unashamed to demand more diverse and critical community conversations. Online, audio-based, user-supported, young, and progressive, Treyf is totally different from the media that the Canadian Jewish community is used to."<ref name=":32">{{Cite web|last=Green|first=Alex V.|date=March 27, 2017|title=How Jewish Media Excludes Jewish Voices|url=https://www.canadaland.com/jewish-media-excludes-jewish-voices/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034636/https://www.canadaland.com/jewish-media-excludes-jewish-voices/|archive-date=November 12, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadaland]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>


⚫
A 2017 [[Daily Hive|Torontoist]] article<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Verman|first=Alex|date=June 15, 2017|title=Toronto's Jewish Left is Alive and Well and Resisting Extremism|url=https://torontoist.com/2017/06/torontos-jewish-left-alive-well-resisting-extremism/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616014819/https://torontoist.com/2017/06/torontos-jewish-left-alive-well-resisting-extremism/|archive-date=June 16, 2017|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Torontoist]]|publisher=[[Daily Hive]]}}</ref> described Treyf as part of an increase in "Jewish progressive activism, as well as Jewish anti-fascism." The podcast was described as "leftist media by and for young Jews" and part of "the new Jewish Left" in a 2019 [[Briarpatch]] article. <ref name=":21">{{Cite web|last=Métraux|first=Julia|date=February 13, 2019|title=The New Jewish Left: In Canada, Young Jews Are Fighting Antisemitism While Opposing the Israeli Occupation|url=https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/the-new-jewish-left|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503174150/https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/the-new-jewish-left|archive-date=May 3, 2019|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Briarpatch]]|language=en-CA}}</ref> A 2019 article in the ''Canadian Jewish News'' stated that "While it’s sometimes said that the voice of dissent needs to be shrill to be heard, Zinman and Bick’s banter is positively charming" and that "their shows are well-researched and full of fascinating historical tidbits and astute analysis."<ref name=":4"/> A 2019 [[The Forward|Forward]] article included Treyf as part of a "trend toward greater intellectualism" in Jewish media.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=Zvi Kalman|first=David|date=November 28, 2017|title=Why Are So Many Jewish Podcasts So Bad — and What Can We Do About It?|url=https://forward.com/culture/388471/why-are-so-many-jewish-podcasts-so-bad-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231103441/https://forward.com/culture/388471/why-are-so-many-jewish-podcasts-so-bad-and-what-can-we-do-about-it/|archive-date=December 31, 2017|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[The Forward]]|publisher=Forward Association|language=en-US}}</ref>
In response to listener requests, the hosts developed a 2018 workshop focused on [[Antisemitism]], which they have since facilitated in over a dozen cities.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast| website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01_OrpfMDzY&t=1s}}</ref> The Princeton Progressive described the workshop as "a thoughtful and thought-provoking first step in building a foundation for a leftist understanding of anti-Semitism."<ref name=":25">{{Cite web|title=Dismantling Anti-Semitism with TREYF|date=27 February 2020 |url=http://theprincetonprogressive.com/dismantling-anti-semitism-with-treyf/}}</ref> Transcripts of the Treyf podcast have been used as part of Jewish history classes<ref name=":23">{{Cite web|title=Morris Winchevsky Sunday Shule Schedule|url=https://www.winchevskycentre.org/mwsschedule}}</ref> as well as study groups.<ref name=":24">{{Cite tweet |user=JewishBund |number=1476688653296488450 |title=We had a reading group today}}</ref>


Treyf has been supported by other left-wing Jewish media. In 2019, [[Jewish Currents]] published an edited transcript of Treyf's interview with [[David Gilbert (activist)|David Gilbert]].<ref name=":28">{{Cite web|last1=Bick|first1=Sam|last2=Zinman|first2=David|date=May 17, 2019|title=Office Hours: David Gilbert|url=https://jewishcurrents.org/office-hours-david-gilbert|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517201305/https://jewishcurrents.org/office-hours-david-gilbert/|archive-date=May 17, 2019|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Jewish Currents]]|publisher=[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]|language=en-US}}</ref> Jewschool, the progressive Jewish news website, regularly published the podcast's content between 2015 and 2016.<ref name=":29">{{Cite web|title=Jewschool Author Treyf Podcast|date=5 December 2016 |url=https://jewschool.com/author/treyfpodcast}}</ref> The 2019 [[Jewdas]] Haggadah, published by [[Pluto Press]], includes a several-page 'guest column' from the Treyf hosts.<ref name=":30">{{Cite web|title=A Jewdas Haggadah|url=https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745339801/a-jewdas-haggadah}}</ref> A promotion for the Treyf podcast is also featured on the back cover of editions of Solomon JB Brager's Doykeit zine<ref name=":31">{{Cite web|title=Solomon JB Brager Zines|url=https://www.jbbrager.com/zines}}</ref> and each year's Radical Jewish Calendar marks the date of Treyf's first episode release.<ref name=":33">{{Cite web|title=5783 Radical Jewish Calendar|date=4 June 2023 |url=https://leftwingbooks.net/products/5783-radical-jewish-calendar}}</ref>
According to [[Jesse Brown (journalist)|Jesse Brown]], Treyf "fills in a hole, to represent things that are not being represented by the Canadian Jewish News and elsewhere."<ref name=":26">{{Cite web|date=March 27, 2017|title=Canadaland: #177 Being Jewish in Public|url=https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/being-jewish-in-public/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304162157/https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/being-jewish-in-public/|archive-date=March 4, 2021|access-date=January 5, 2022|website=[[Canadaland]]|language=en-US}}</ref> A 2017 [[Canadaland]] article describes the podcast as "unapologetically leftist, loudly Jewish, and completely unashamed to demand more diverse and critical community conversations. Online, audio-based, user-supported, young, and progressive, Treyf is totally different from the media that the Canadian Jewish community is used to."<ref name=":32">{{Cite web|last=Green|first=Alex V.|date=March 27, 2017|title=How Jewish Media Excludes Jewish Voices|url=https://www.canadaland.com/jewish-media-excludes-jewish-voices/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112034636/https://www.canadaland.com/jewish-media-excludes-jewish-voices/|archive-date=November 12, 2020|access-date=January 3, 2022|website=[[Canadaland]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
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[[Category:Audio podcasts]]
[[Category:2015 podcast debuts]]
[[Category:2015 podcast debuts]]
[[Category:Political podcasts]]
[[Category:Liberal podcasts]]
[[Category:Socialist podcasts]]
[[Category:Socialist podcasts]]
[[Category:Canadian podcasts]]
[[Category:Canadian podcasts]]
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[[Category:Jewish socialism]]
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[[Category:Jews and Judaism in Montreal]]
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[[Category:Yiddish culture in Canada]]
[[Category:Yiddish culture in Quebec]]
[[Category:Secular Jewish culture in Canada]]
[[Category:Secular Jewish culture in Canada]]

Latest revision as of 01:42, 10 November 2024

Treyf
Presentation
Hosted byDavid Zinman and Sam Bick
Genre
LanguageEnglish
Production
No. of episodes95
Publication
Original releaseJuly 21, 2015
ProviderCKUT-FM
Related
Websitewww.treyfpodcast.com

Treyf (Yiddish: טרייף) is a politically left-wing Jewish podcast hosted by Sam Bick and David Zinman. According to their website, "Treyf is an anarchist Jewish podcast recorded in occupied Tio'tia:ke (Montreal). The show features discussions about politics and history from a leftist Jewish perspective."[1]

Background

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The title of the podcast, Treyf, is a Yiddish word that means "not kosher".[2] The show's original tagline, "A Debatably Jewish Podcast," was a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that many right-wing Jews would not consider them or their politics to be authentically Jewish or "kosher."[2] Despite this, according to the Canadian Jewish News, each episode receives thousands of listens.[2]

While the hosts are critical of right-wing Jewish politics and institutions, they are proud of their Jewish heritage. Both hosts attended Jewish schools, enjoy the Yiddish language, and are well-versed in Jewish history and religion.[2]

Treyf announced a hiatus in June 2022.[3]

Politics

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The hosts are both secular Jews and the podcast takes a materialist view of Jewish life and history.[4] The hosts consider themselves to be Anti-Zionists,[5] a political position they connect to groups such as the Jewish Labour Bund and the Yiddish anarchist movement. Bick and Zinman have stated that one of their goals in starting the show was to "bring anti-racist & anti-colonial leftist perspectives to the political discussions happening in North American Jewish communities."[6]

Format

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During the first year of the show, Treyf episodes were structured around media criticism and short interviews about topical issues. The podcast changed format in its second year, focusing on the emergence of a new generation of Jewish leftist activity in the US & Canada by profiling groups, projects, writers, and activists that were becoming more active during that time. By 2018, the format changed again toward episodes with multiple interviews on a specific topic, as well as multiple-episode series exploring a single theme.[7]

Most episodes of Treyf feature a segment called Shkoyakh, during which each host offers an endorsement ('shkoyakh') or condemnation ('anti-shkoyakh') to someone or something they believe deserves it. David Weinfeld, professor of Jewish Studies at Rowan University, has described the tone of the Treyf podcast as "deeply engaging social justice-oriented vaudeville-inflected edutainment."[2]

Reception

[edit]

Treyf was voted one of the 10 best podcasts in Cult MTL's annual 'Best of Montreal' polls for 2017,[8] 2018,[9] and 2019.[10] The show was listed as one of the top ten Jewish podcasts in Moment Magazine's 2016 reader poll,[11] included on My Jewish Learning's 2017 list of 'How to Learn More About Judaism Online'.[12]

A 2017 Torontoist article[13] described Treyf as part of an increase in "Jewish progressive activism, as well as Jewish anti-fascism." The podcast was described as "leftist media by and for young Jews" and part of "the new Jewish Left" in a 2019 Briarpatch article. [14] A 2019 article in the Canadian Jewish News stated that "While it’s sometimes said that the voice of dissent needs to be shrill to be heard, Zinman and Bick’s banter is positively charming" and that "their shows are well-researched and full of fascinating historical tidbits and astute analysis."[2] A 2019 Forward article included Treyf as part of a "trend toward greater intellectualism" in Jewish media.[15]

According to Jesse Brown, Treyf "fills in a hole, to represent things that are not being represented by the Canadian Jewish News and elsewhere."[16] A 2017 Canadaland article describes the podcast as "unapologetically leftist, loudly Jewish, and completely unashamed to demand more diverse and critical community conversations. Online, audio-based, user-supported, young, and progressive, Treyf is totally different from the media that the Canadian Jewish community is used to."[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "About the Show". Archived from the original on 2024-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Weinfeld, David (August 15, 2019). "Weinfeld: In praise of radical Jewish anarchist radio". Canadian Jewish News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  3. ^ @treyfpodcast (June 10, 2022). "We're taking an extended break from the show!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Prestwich, Emma (December 24, 2017). "Canadian Jewish Podcaster Wants Nothing to Do With Religion". HuffPost. BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on December 24, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Weinfeld, Morton (2018-03-21). Like Everyone Else but Different: The Paradoxical Success of Canadian Jews. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-7735-5309-5. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-03-08.
  6. ^ "Anti-Zionism in your earbuds — Help support the Treyf podcast". 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  7. ^ "IJV Firestarter Chats: Behind the Mics of the Treyf Podcast". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2022-10-29.
  8. ^ "Best of MTL 2017: Media". 10 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Best of MTL 2018: Media". 7 May 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Best of MTL 2019: Media". 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  11. ^ Isaacs, Anna (September 13, 2016). "Top Ten Jewish Podcasts". Moment Magazine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Rofeberg, Lex (2017). "How to Learn About Judaism Online: A Guide to Self-Paced Jewish Study on the Internet". My Jewish Learning. 70 Faces Media. Archived from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  13. ^ Verman, Alex (June 15, 2017). "Toronto's Jewish Left is Alive and Well and Resisting Extremism". Torontoist. Daily Hive. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  14. ^ Métraux, Julia (February 13, 2019). "The New Jewish Left: In Canada, Young Jews Are Fighting Antisemitism While Opposing the Israeli Occupation". Briarpatch. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Zvi Kalman, David (November 28, 2017). "Why Are So Many Jewish Podcasts So Bad — and What Can We Do About It?". The Forward. Forward Association. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  16. ^ "Canadaland: #177 Being Jewish in Public". Canadaland. March 27, 2017. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  17. ^ Green, Alex V. (March 27, 2017). "How Jewish Media Excludes Jewish Voices". Canadaland. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
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