Two things can be true at once: Jewish people are cool and awesome and Palestinians shouldn’t be terrorized and massacred. You are the terrorist you fear. FREE MAHMOUD KAHLIL

Unorthodox was something special. It’s over, though. Move on. This new content is just a final attempt at engagement farming as their audience shrinks

Palestinians aren’t a people and deserve to be ethnically cleansed and sent to permanent refugee camps in unspecified countries. Right guys.

Listening to this made me remember my Great Grandma Joy’s last days and the tall tales she’d tell of her cruise ship getting delayed by pirates in the port of Kansas. President Lincoln’s famous Balfour Proclamation didn’t come up in the most recent episode. But the Obama administration’s recent efforts to undermine the Abraham Accords in 2022 was discussed at length. Listening to someone speak intelligently about current and recent events as if the sequence does not matter—and maybe time is not a thing—was certainly interesting enough for me to award two stars. But this guy is no Art Bell, RIP.

Pack it in and turn off the lights - it was so good while it lasted, but it’s over. There’s nobody home anymore, just Liel, in a dark room, bleating self-righteously into a mic about the far-right “outrage” of the day. What a sad, strange choice Tablet made. Like everybody else, I’ll close the door behind me and find my Jewish programming somewhere else. Best of luck with everything!

Fantastic podcast filling us in on what’s going on in the world as Jews and our supporters.

I really enjoyed “Un-Orthodox”. It was fun, and light-hearted, but serious when it had to be. Not so much this new content. Too much like Talmudic studies.

Liel is a far-right loon whose rantings have nothing to do with Jewish values.

Miss the old show how about both? Enjoyed the guests and content.

Plain spoken, fair and honest policy analysis

What is this garbage? Unorthodox was so good but Rootless is unbearable. Liel should stick to talking about Talmud. Otherwise he’s out of his depth and, to be frank, sounds completely unhinged. I look forward to the day that Tablet produces another good podcast because this ain’t it.

EDITED: after they got rid of Mark, Stephanie and Joshua, it turned to right wing drivel. It was something wonderful at one time and it breaks my heart to see what it’s become. ——————————————— The name captures it perfectly. Unorthodox is unmistakably a Jewish podcast, and it embodies the diversity of Jewish ideas, expereince, philosophy, respectful and irreverent dissent, that represents the best of our culture. Content involves culture and religious content and debate, but it is not by any means directive, or preachy. If you have a desire to engage in Jewish debate, or want to understand the diversity of contemporary Jewish thought, this is a wonderful entry. The format and feel would be utterly familiar to anyone familiar with NPR, and I think Mark could be Ira Glass's doppleganger.

I was a fan of unorthodox for a number of years. Now Tablet has done away with it, but they have hijacked the unorthodox infrastructure and filled it with terrible content. And now they are trying to trade on a reputation that is undeserved to keep a high rating.

I like other shows, miss Un-Orthodox, being force fed Liel’s opinions is running me off.

I’m keeping my review below, which was specifically for the podcast Unorthodox. It was a fantastic show and worth listening to the entire back catalog. But that show is gone. Rootless is nothing like it and I just don’t want anyone listening to it thinking the review that follows has anything to do with it. Rootless is pure right wing ranting which is great if that’s your thing. Just be aware of what you’re in for. You don't have to be Jewish, or even Jew-ish, to enjoy this podcast. The hosts are funny and engaging, with unique (and often contradictory) perspectives on events of the day. As a secular Jew, I've learned a lot and found a renewed interest in the religion and traditions I grew up with.

Very disappointing and one sided. Full of anger and hatred. Really miss Unorthodox, used to look forward to it every week, sadly no more.

What a fantastic show! Absolutely brilliant and thought provoking

This podcast turned into right-wing leaning commentary, which I would’ve unsubscribed to anyways. But the episode on November 20th when Liel said Hegseth’s accuser should not be believed because she was smiling in the surveillance video is offensive and dangerous. Glad to take this off my podcast feed.

Was a big fan of Unorthodox and its multi-dimensional approach to American Jewish life today. So disappointed by the one-sided, right wing shift of the current iteration of the show.

I miss Unorthodox! The Jewish podcast community is flush with analyses of the challenges that we face as a nation. We don’t need another. Unorthodox so deftly balanced facing the realities of our world with stories joy, pride, and humor. Where are we — who are we — without those stories????

There used to be nuance and balance to the discourse on the flagship podcast, Unorthodox. There used to be lighthearted discussions and weighty topics all jn one episode. It used to have a large tent where Jews of all stripes could be comfortable. No longer. The rightward shift of the opinion podcast Rootless is clear and undeniable. Tablet abruptly cancelled Unorthodox and gave us this replacement that has Liel unbounded and free to rant for the first 15-30 minutes and then to bring in one sided guests for ideological discussions that are also very one sided. It’s unfortunate. The way they just shrugged off unorthodox and Stephanie B without a proper sendoff or explanation sits badly. Plus, they have a million different podcasts on one feed which means your feed will be clogged with shows you have no intention on listening but still must deal with the clutter. Tablet, do better.

It's just Liel now and his right wing rants. Used to be great but more just sad.

Once upon a time this was a great example of (2 Jews, 3 opinions) x (3 hosts) = representative differences and productive disagreements. I’m not hearing any of that now. Now we’re just getting exactly one perspective—and you can get that journalistic experience anywhere. The Tablet brand used to be different. Now it’s just yet another dime a dozen political podcast. Just because I agree with its political opinions doesn’t mean I’m not saddened by the loss of the value proposition Tablet had. And more importantly, listening now just makes me miss what this used to be. Sincere thanks to Tablet for all your previous years of reporting. I do hope this new turn is great for you all, even if it’s a loss for me.

Rootless is horrific. Uninformed. Racist. Ignorant. Elitist. 80% of us voted for Harris. Read the room. What a missed opportunity. I’m joining much of our tribe and unsubscribing from Tablet. Unorthodox will remain the best Jewish podcast. Ever. Thank you Stephanie, Mark, and Joshua. You are deeply cherished and missed. Long Live Unorthodox!

I loved Unorthodox when there where three hosts - now it’s just Liel ranting. I’m really sad about this change.

I am really sad to unfollow after years of episodes, live shows, and books. Unorthodox gave us a space to engage with topics no one else covered. Now, we get Liel ranting alone about how DEI initiatives lead to plane crashes, which I’m pretty sure you can get from right wing TikToks already. I really miss the research, in-the-field reporting, and nuance of Unorthodox. Some unpopular opinions are unpopular because they are wrong, not because lots of dumb Jews are brainwashed into blindly following the majority, as Liel would put it. Unsubscribing is taking a stand against this new direction, not a refusal to see and understand the world around us. Stephanie, your fan club misses you dearly.

I was a long time listener and fan of Unorthodox and, despite missing that centrist show, have decided to go along for Liel’s ride over the past several weeks. Till now. The first 10+ minutes of the most recent episode of Rootless is one of the most inane, tendentious screeds on ‘American democracy in peril’ this scholar of history and civics has encountered since the January 6 insurrection. Blaming one party—the Democrats—for the problems of democracy turned you from a brilliant critic and commentator to a driveling hack spouting Giuliani-esque half-truths. Please redeem yourself before your credibility is also at peril.

A bit irreverent, really informative and totally enjoyable! But “Rootless”? Truly a descent…Liel gets to rant solo with no tempering by differing opinions. He has his charm, but it definitely needs containment.

Finally there’s a show that unapologetically directly addresses the elephant in the room: The politics of envy (civilizational suicide) and how it’s infected American culture and, by extension, American Jews.

I love this podcast because it gives you the language to express how it feels to be a Jew in this world witnessing the madness around us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and interpretations of current events which some of us are having trouble making sense of.

Unorthodox used to be a really interesting, sometimes provocative, pluralistic space, with great banter between the hosts and a healthy balance between Mark Oppenheimer and Liel Lebovitz. This radical shift to the Liel Lebovitz show is emblematic of Tablet’s rightward shift during the Trump years, and accelerated by 10/7, and it’s so disappointing that this welcoming, pluralistic space has been replaced by another hardline conservative personality show. in the first episode of Rootless, Liel told listeners to unsubscribe if they didn’t like his extremist views. OK, message received.

Becoming the Liel show was the worst thing that could happen. I miss Mark.

Used to be great. Now it’s just meh.

UPDATE: I was sorry when Mark Oppenheimer stopped co-hosting, but absolutely delighted when Joshua Malina took his place. Besides admiring Josh as an actor, his podcast The West Wing Weekly was as good as a podcast is ever going to be. And if you look up "mensch" in the dictionary, there's his picture. I wish I could give Unorthodox more than five stars. It's one of podcasts I most look forward to each week. I'm not Jewish (either ethnically or religiously)—not religious in any way—but I enjoy and learn from each episode. Hosts Liel, Mark and Stephanie and producer Josh are individually and collectively fascinating and lively personalities, and genuinely good human beings. I've had the pleasure of meeting them at live Unorthodox events, and whenever they're appearing near me, I'll be there. Unorthodox is one of those podcasts you'll end up telling your friends about time and again. Give it a listen.

Not gonna lie, I went down Josh’s entire IMDB list and as I was never a fan of West Wing (cut me some slack, I was a teenager) I could not find a single role of his I can remember. That just means I know him solely for his part on the show. Keep it up and I hope you enjoy reading this. Jerome. PS Leil, next time you’re in DC, I hope to have more moonshine for you.

Intelligent and engaged presenters who balance well between a Jewish and a Judaism-curious audience. Always enjoyable

While living in a small southern town and studying for conversion, Unorthodox played a huge role in filling in the cultural gaps that I so longed to understand. Not a Thursday goes by without me absorbing the latest episode. Thanks to ya’ll for adding so much joy to my Jewish life.

This podcast is always entertaining as well as educational. It had provided me with many hours of entertainment and had been an excellent walking companion. I have recommended it to many!

Interesting, inspiring, entertaining and educational. I started following after listening to “Gate Crashers”. Love the guests, stories, and hosts. So cool that Stephanie went to Duke-the college of my kids! So comforting during these difficult days. Keep it up.

Used to love this podcast. Liel Leibovitz is one of the best Jewish commentators out there. I don’t understand what possessed them to add Josh Malina as a co-host. He is an irrelevant actor and activist for the organization J-Street, which “mobilized” the Biden administration NOT to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, claiming the definition would somehow “hurt Jews on college campuses.” Well, it’s post Oct 7th, and that (obviously) turned out to be dead wrong. I would love to listen to the show but can’t bring myself to support someone who aligns with the shameful, fake pro-Israel J-street.

So grateful for this pod, the wide variety of opinions it offers within a warm welcome community. This pod makes me think (even when I don’t want to) and laugh (even when I thought it wasn’t possible). Essential listening for all.

My mom turned me on to Unorthodox a week ago and I’ve listened to all the episodes since October 7. Thank you for this refreshing content. I really relate to the hosts and the guests on the show. I plan to continue listening!

I’ve been listening to Unorthodox for the past two years, and found it enlightening, thoughtful, and entertaining. I have laughed out loud when listening to conversations with comedians, and got teary eyed when the show guests shared emotional stories of personal triumph. The show does a good job presenting various view points on what it means to be Jewish, and connects Jews from different backgrounds. In these challenging times it’s become an important source of information about the war with in-depth discussions and analysis. Thank you for being wise and kind! תודה רבה! עם ישראל חי!

The clearest, most concise coverage of the current crisis-exactly what I’ve been searching for. Tablet Mag quickly pulled together, so quickly, a group of commentators who had real knowledge and provided logical assessments of the situation. I greatly appreciate it.

I’ve listened since the beginning and never miss a show. I’m especially happy with the addition of Joshua Malina. I love that the J crew keeps me up to date on the news of the Jews and connects me to my people while the military has our family living all over the world. I adore the community unorthodox provides via the podcast and Facebook group. Thank you!

Enjoying every minute!

So enjoying this series! I’m loving this week’s show on all things Jewish food!!! 😋💙 I especially enjoyed your conversation with Jake Cohen! Chag Sameach! Fondly your faithful listener, Amy Solomon

The high holiday series of episodes was very inspiring, thank you for bringing the music of the holidays to lift up my spirit!

I feel like Goldilocks. I have been looking for a podcast on Jewish topics that was not too reverent, not too secular, but just right, and here it is, a lively conversation on the issues of the day and the issues of the millennia (bugs in Roman artichokes? who knew?). I like the different perspectives of the three hosts and they always have fascinating Jewish and non-Jewish guests. The topics range from the most theological and liturgial to the most secular and contemporary and I very much appreciate the engagement on FB as well. I miss Mark, of course, but Josh is WONDERFUL, so smart and funny. I’ve been a fan since Sports Night. Mazel tov and toda raba!

After I received an email from Abby P. Linking her interview on JBS of the cast of Unorthodox, I emailed her to send me the link to pick up this podcast. **Note to producers and advertisers of Unorthodox it cannot be found by searching Apple Podcasts for “unorthodox” or “Tablet.”** The first episode I listed to was 7/20/2023 with Sarah Silverman. Most of the banter I did like, but there were five or so off putting jokes that referenced the Holocaust. Readers of this review: this not a reason to skip this podcast, just a note to the cast that many audience members will find this sort of joking off putting. (This from someone who left the theater during the Producers. It was offensive.) Liel seemed to realize he shouldn’t have drifted into a stupid Holocaust joke about the death march. S. Silverman also referenced the Holocaust. I’d have liked the hosts to redirect her. I wonder if other listeners were as uncomfortable as I was. I’m going back to Unholy podcast.