Hebrew School Dropouts

What’s This Podcast
About?

Welcome to Hebrew School Dropouts! You don't need to have actually dropped out of Hebrew school to be a Hebrew School Dropout. Maybe you went for a few years and had a bar or bat mitzvah before calling it quits. Maybe you skipped the whole thing entirely. Maybe you're exploring Jewish identity for the first time after a 23andMe surprise. What matters is the mentality: you're skeptical of easy answers, allergic to platitudes, and curious whether Judaism might have more to offer than you assumed. Our show is for secular, spiritual-but-not-religious, unaffiliated, and questioning people who want to engage with Jewish wisdom as adults — honestly, irreverently, and with real substance. Hosted by Rabbis Rena Singer and Noah Westreich of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, this show is about ideas, not identity politics. Every episode follows a three-part structure. We start with funny, surprising, and sometimes absurd stories from rabbinic life — the moments that don't make it into sermons. Then we dive deep into Jewish philosophy, history, and the questions at the heart of modern Judaism. Our next part is a fresh look at Jewish holidays, rituals, and traditions, exploring why they exist and what they might mean for contemporary life. Whether we're wrestling with God and spirituality, examining lifecycle ceremonies, navigating Israel and antisemitism, or rethinking prayer, we bring intellectual rigor without the stuffiness — learning without judgment. If you're seeking connection to heritage, ancestry, and something larger than yourself — if you want an introduction to Judaism with adult questions and no guilt, this is your show. Welcome to Hebrew School (dropouts)!