Jewish Actor Skylar Astin on Navigating Hollywood While Embracing Jewish Identity

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There hasn't been a single moment in my life where I haven't felt Jewish being a Jew has always been an intrinsic part of who I am what being Jewish has meant to me however has shifted dramatically ebbed and flowed over time sometimes my Jewish identity was in the background a light that was always on but maybe not the brightest sometimes it's been all about losing myself in Tradition or rejecting tradition other times it's been about faith or lack of faith values or aspirations people food music and yes Israel but my jewishness was never the focus of my public life until the spring of 2021 that spring as you might recall saw violent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians these clashes came right in the midst of covid and at a time when social justice was at the center of many conversations people felt pressured to make declarative statements on complex issues most of us barely understand the details of the conflict were confusing the noise loud from all sides and in that chaos I saw an opportunity to maybe help folks to educate to foster a more nuanced fact-based curious and considerate examination of the current events the Jewish experience and society as a whole slowly I began to dip my toes more and more into this newly discovered role as a filter I began writing and speaking more about a range of topics regarding the Jewish Community but what has always been at the center of my advocacy is a simple basic desire for Jews and really anybody to openly celebrate and take pride in who we are since the horrors of October 7th I and all Jewish Advocates like me have been working in overdrive to put out all kinds of fires to stem the tide of anti-jewish hate to uplift commiserate and Enlighten we've been in reactive mode for year now which has been important but I didn't want to lose sight of my core Mission which brings us to this podcast why am I doing this why should you bother listening to me if you're not Jewish is this show even for you the show's purpose is three-fold as I said I want to celebrate what it is to be Jewish while at the same time educating and dispelling many myths about what being Jewish looks like there is no wrong way to be Jewish and I've observed that so many people Jews themselves included do not fully understand or appreciate how vast the spectrum of jewishness is how different it can feel and look to each individual person while being equally whole and sacred and valid number two we need to normalize Jews talking about Jewish stuff you don't have to be a rabbi or work at a Jewish organization or have a PhD to discuss being Jewish it's not uncool it's not weird and it shouldn't feel uncomfortable we have as much right to Revel in our personhood as anybody else there is such a pervasiveness of fear in Jewish culture after so many centuries of persecution a a seemingly unending historical cycle of hate that is rearing its ugly head in full force today but we as a people need to push aside that fear and embrace our identity people respect those who respect themselves everywhere you look there are examples of different groups celebrating their identity Excavating and debating their identity in a way that is natural and wonderful it's time for Jews to do the same third I wanted to provide notable Jewish public figures and non-jewish allies with a safe space to explore and discuss their own unique connections to jewishness as leaders in their fields these prominent professionals are rarely given the opportunity to answer deep questions about Jewish identity and my hope is is that in doing so both my guests and our audience will be enriched by this vibrant and candid experience as for why should anyone listen to this well we're going to have a good time the saint dat line we will be delving into meaningful and perhaps serious topics but it will always be with an air of calm compassion camaraderie and curiosity we'll also dive into topics outside of the Jewish experience and best of all there'll be an opportunity every week for you to ask questions of me and my guests which we will answer together on air and finally I know some of you are wondering if I'm not Jewish is this show even for me the answer is absolutely yes this show is for everyone you will learn something valuable whether it be new facets of your favorite celebrity new understanding about Jews and Judaism new ways to look at the world or maybe just discovering something new in yourself I've been putting this show together for nine months now and I'm absolutely thrilled to be getting started thank you for joining me on my Jewish journey and allowing me to be part of yours this is the first episode of being Jewish with me Jonah plat [Music] [Music] I love that theme music it was written by my friend Gabe man amazing composer recording artist thank you Gabe today it's our first ever episode and I am sitting down with someone I have both admired and known for years he is an actor a singer a musician a writer you might know him from the Pitch Perfect movies or so help me Todd or the real ones might know him from Broadway hit Spring Awakening or maybe a select few know him as the bar mitzah boy who gave out CDs with his face on them welcome Skyler Aston hey buddy how are you I'm great thank you so much for being here I'm so happy I said yes right away but I did not know that I was also on the inaugural episode yes I feel very special you should so the reason I wanted you specifically to be the first guest is really when I was thinking about coming up with this show I thought about you because you're somebody that I know is proudly Jewish is connected to their Jewish identity but has faced push back at times or perhaps like not always been able to be comfortably open and talking about Jewish issues all the time and I I really wanted to create a safe space for you and others like you to be able to do that so really you've been an inspiration hey thanks man I'm happy to be here and talk about being Jewish we know each other for a long time uh we met obviously cuz my brother Ben was in Pitch Perfect yes Skyler you were in the hospital waiting room for the birth of my second nephew that is very true that is a fun fact I know right I was just hanging with Ben and then I don't know how that actually came up I think they were like yeah my sister's in labor and it was just up the street and we were going to hang out after and he's like I mean you could come and I like am so close with your fam and I think I like overheard obviously your mom on the phone being like tell them to come it's going to be a wait and I'm now one of those guys that could go up to someone and be like I was there when you were born literally literally yeah speaking of births let's like go back to the beginning of your Jewish Journey as as you were growing up as a kid like what was Jewish for you then well my town was fairly Jewish I wasn't like in a Jewish Community by any means but like there was there were a few temples um there was a Jewish Day School and growing up since like the town over like there weren't really many Jewish people but I just thought that the world is half and half I didn't know that I was a minority I didn't even know like much else I just thought it's like do you celebrate hanuka or Christmas and when I went to Hebrew school of course and like learned a lot about like the history of the Jewish people people that I kind of like understood that and then experienced some some of that like kind of firstand so you said you went to Hebrew school like how how observant were you guys growing up what you celebrate what what were the we were pretty reformed I feel I'm very like culturally Jewish um I we are like high holidays people so we're like rashash Shani yam kapor are kind of the only days we really would would go as a family and then of course for like events like uh bris or life events or or bar mitzvah and stuff like that so we weren't like you know I think in my Hebrew school we like did a Suka for sukot and some stuff like that but I have a very I had a very base knowledge other than just kind of the reform curriculum you know at my Hebrew school has that shifted at all as you've grown up as an adult or is it still about like the Traditions from family have you made your own it's shifted a little bit especially kind of like recently I mean I just like we never had Shabbat growing up uh just because we weren't that that religious but like I I happen to like love everything it represents I love introducing people to shabbat totally um and I I just think like I I I resonate more with it nowadays especially as like and ethnicity I mean I did like a 23 in me and it came back Jewish what other religion does that happen with and you know I've seen well because Jews are not just a religion people exactly and that and I feel like that I understand more and I'm very prideful of that and um so I carry that with me like as you say like I'm very open and H and proud of my identity like it's in that kind of way especially love that yeah uh have you had any fun Shabbat dinners lately I had a really fun one with my friends Brandon and angel in like this they live in like this Tunga Canyon it was this like there very like LGBT group so it was like a very like gay shabat which was very fun just like we were just like kind of like messing with the traditions and I know doing a little bit of like witchcraft with it like it was just really it was really sweet and like very very like welcoming cuz I don't even think many of the people there were Jewish like definitely the people that held it were and it was just like it was just such a symbol to me that like Shabbat could be like anything whatever it means to you or at least like that's how I observe it you know I my my family's always been like you know come to Hanukkah come to Passover like you're more than welcome and that's that's kind of the part of the Traditions that I like I resonate a lot with you and me both yeah um going back in time again mentioned going to a lot of bar mitzvah mhm were you Bar Mitzvah I was bar mitz was there a theme to your party there was a theme to my party my parents uh since they paid for it they chose the theme so it was like a thing where I I it wasn't like a controlling thing I think like I was one of the few like memb like I I followed the order in like thinking it's like very important and excited but I wasn't like a kid that was like for mine it's going to be this and that and like so it never really dawned on me what I would do and I felt that that was very fair um they chose gracious of You For Me music and specifically the Dave Matthews Band I was uh it was Skyler and the Dave Matthews Band so I actually thought that kind of nailed it did did you like the Dave Matthews man or did they like I love the Dave Matthew's man so at least like they they listened and yeah no I don't think they could even sing one single Dave Matthews song but it was like my centerpiece was like a cut out of me playing like the bass with like Dave Matthews so yeah I think I got to see like what happened for my brother Jason it was like such a fun party and it was such a fun experience and you know they had all like the decorations so and I'm very indecisive too so I was very like yeah no no I don't want to know and it was fun like it was you know it was like a surprise like you walk in the catering hall and they're like you know show you you're like the you didn't know anything yeah no no I truly didn't know anything I had plenty to learn with the ha Torah and all that kind of stuff do you remember any of your don't remember a thing I mean I remember the Alias I remember like certain parts of like I think the give a Root's kind of a banger like I always like that one but yeah I I I don't speak much Hebrew nor do I remember it was a lot of memorization too because it's truly a tape recorder and you just drilling this right that I mean that's why I was curious especially as you know as a musician like for me it's like it's like drilled in there like like like row row row your boat like just it's comes right out I think I I didn't get into like theater especially or really really seriously into music to like after that time in my life like High I kind of got into theater so I think had those synapsis already been firing it would probably be in there but at that point I was so nervous like I mean now I've done theater and all this kinds of stuff but I was so nervous to be singing or even speaking in rhythm in front of people it was like I had a panic attack the morning of my B mitz but because I was like wait I can't believe I have to do this in front of people and I've never really been a performer other than like a couple piano recitals but I could hide behind a piano this was like front and center you know kind of sing sing but not like you don't want to be that like musical theater boy that's like but you know we can carry a tune so it'll we have a nice tone obviously when we sing so you can't really get away from that so I remember people thought I did such a beautiful job on my on my sure you did so you know that's that's very encouraging for folks if you know if your kids are 12 13 they're not showing signs a full musical Talent yet they could still turn into Skyler ason as an adult exactly pretty you never know where your Torah portion can leg as a kid so you were born Skyler Aston lipstein mhm very Jewish name and when you were 15 you your agent suggested you drop that name and just go by Skyler Aston something many entertainers have famously done before you sure what was that decision process like for you you know what's interesting because like in hindsight I think back of it back to it and I feel like it seems like more of a serious decision now and when you talk about it cuz you have to almost explain it's like are you erasing part of your identity is there something that you don't like about your name cuz I actually very proudly I love my last name and I never uh like shy away from it you like you know I really know what your real last name and I was like it's not like I'm like you can't tell oh my God keep this secret for me it was literally uh it was as if someone's like so you're going to school you should probably get like a number to pencil and you should probably do that like someone they were just like you should probably change your name it's just like seems more of like a a more of a stage name sound uh it is interesting though because like I'm not going to be one of those actors that you know like 20 years into my career now I'm going to like change it and and and really but I do resonate more with my last name and I kind of Wonder like what would have happened had I questioned that more or or um didn't do that you know what I mean if my career would have been the same probably you know I hope so I hope it's not just because of my name that would be another issue I'm sure but uh no it wasn't like that dramatic of a situation I was just so young and just trying to like get my foot in the door so I I think that that just was like oh that that'll be a good you Universal sounding names I can play a bunch of different kinds of roles and and that was really all all that went into that so going back to the career have you ever been in a situation at any point in your career where you were made to feel uncomfortable because you were Jewish I mean there's been a lot of times where I've been told you know we're looking for more of that classic All-American look which I always kind of know what that means um I've been told for like theater things like I'm like not not white enough or like not um and like this is not me playing the violin for myself but just to answer your question like definitely um it's definitely come up where they've even kind of said like you know oh no or or what happens a lot is I'll sign on to a role and the last name is like McCarthy or like something like that and then it becomes like Altman or like you know what I mean or shonberg and like it happens a lot with the Jewish part and uh it happens a lot with singing where there's like nothing there's no singing in the script and then immediately in the blue Pages it's like now he sings a song well you know you got to work with what you got you got the talent you got to you got to use it it's fine I mean I like signing up for things knowing I'll be singing rather than like it's suris you have a solo yeah we're doing a because it's not even a musical or it's not even a thing where the character would ever sing but now he has like a hobby where he also has like an AC capella group or something like that I'm like that's not how that works um that's the only time that that's ever frustrating and then yeah the Jewish thing it tends to happen and then there's like a plethora sometimes of like Jewish jokes and sometimes that's not really written by a Jewish writer which isn't the best yeah you know what I mean that never I never and then I puts me in kind of an uncomfortable situation where I'm like hey like I'm fine doing this but like why you know what I mean or or can we not make that about could we just know no Jewish stuff it could be his name or something like that and then I I always worry that that kind of makes me seem like I'm now not wanting to you know that's the totally tricky calculus about it it's like you want to be able to advocate for yourself especially with other groups you know it's there's a very clear line about writing jokes for other minority groups or whatever but with Jews there like there tends to be a little more leniency towards that because you know as David Bal fam says Jews don't count totally well this is a good segue because I want to ask you about onscreen representation onc screen especially in this past year we saw a lot of examples of famous historical Jews being played by non-jews mhm and as I always say it's like it's not like it's like a 50/50 it's like all of them are non Jews so you know we had Bradley Cooper we had Helen mirin we have the the funny girl tour totally I think that Jewish people should be playing Jews especially when it's ju just like every other minority like in especially nowadays like you know people understand the error of their ways in the past like God what were we thinking why were we casting you know Jonathan price and Miss Saigon and like you know things like that it's like Mickey Rooney in be tiffan and you know I think Sarah Silverman like mentioned like jewface right and it's you know there's prosthetic noses and there's just all sorts of things that are just they really don't feel helpful and they feel like quite the opposite and I even even answering this question I feel like I have to like make a bunch of disclaimers being like not saying that not saying but like why can't I actually just say like that that it it it does bother me I try to take it a little bit on a case-by casee basis there are times where I'm more okay with it than others for example like with the Helen mirin one when I think about it I'm like who's going to get that movie made right and she's like she spent time in Israel she knows the family she had the blessings of everybody and there's there's only so many people in the world who are at a Helen Mir level in that age range and whatnot but then I'll see something like I saw a production of the Leman Brothers Trilogy the Leman brothers are three Jewish European guys all three guys were clearly not being played by Jewish people I mean the Helen Marin thing should be the ception to the should be the exception and I think more often than not it's that's not even remotely it it's just like one of many yeah I I mean like right the the ratio right now is so incorrectly skewed where it's like they all go to non-jews as opposed to like every once in a while a Helen mirin plays a role like that it's always I always say the thing of like if je you people say that Jewish people run Hollywood they're not putting them as the leads though especially when it's about that I I think like the core Mis understanding at the heart of that and like all the Jewish issues we face today is is the misund understanding that Judaism is just a religion right that a bunch of people share and not that Jews are a person that it's an ethn religion that it's a tribe and I feel like if people had that understanding it could really filter in an an important way into things like this yeah but people are like what's the big deal it's just like a religion it's like why Jew can play Christian Christian can play Jew what what totally I've never seen like any other other group where where people try to tell you what they are more than Judaism yeah it's it's wild it's like the the the gall you know of some people to just be like well you're not this you're this and it's actually only this and you probably people think and it's I don't know what it is I mean I'm sure we could talk up sure at length about where it stems from and why but it that that always kind of blows my mind especially lately totally when people try to really explain something that you're like hey this is like in not only my DNA but it's like I've I've went to school for this I like I've I I've read up on this for so many years because it directly involves my people I had a a social media person um into my comments recently you know trying to convince me of something I wasn't going to be convinced of being like well you should read this book I was like all right you be Jewish for 37 years I'll read that book and then we can have a conversation right I mean I appreciate people at least reading a book trying rather than just but no we know we know what's up right you know we know ourselves that's true so in 2022 you did a special called recipe for change which I watched and was really fun first like what was that experience like it was like such a cool unique thing they put on it was so cool um we we ate at Nancy silverton's house who's just like this incredible W rid eat a homecooked meal in Nancy silverton's house that in of itself is very special but then just the conversation and just being with people it was really nice it was obviously pre pre- 107 and so it was just a slightly more wholesome chat about combating anti-Semitism and it just felt like it was it just had such good intentions and everyone was you know on the same page just on kind of historical anti-Semitism and how there's still so much today and you know just people more celebrating all kinds of you know Mahi Jews sapharic Jews asazi Jews people's connection to people in Israel and uh and it was just a wonderful Shabbat dinner honestly it's so cool that was recorded with cameras and stuff like that I'm glad cuz people got to see it I think it got nominated for an Emmy um but yeah it was an amazing amazing thing to be a part of it was it was really fun to watch but what what struck me was like the it seemed like the impetus for that show was the insane rise in anti-Semitism and this was 2022 right you know and and uh Jonathan greenblat of the ADL who was at the dinner he goes into like you know it's it's doubled it's tripled it's like it's increasing it's increasing and that was two years ago right so like how crazy and how different does it feel now from two years ago when you literally did a special because of a rise in anti-jewish hate right well um I think like it was actually 2021 when there was a flare up in in Gaza uh when I kind of really went head first and like really wanted to get a understanding and what's actually funny is that still with just so much research so much reading so much like Intel from all sides of everything to really get a a good understanding I still don't consider myself remotely an expert or someone who remotely can like you know stand on a soap box and um though I feel like I entered the conversation a lot sooner than a lot a lot of people of today uh you know I something I've said on social media is just like um whether or not you believe in the government over there whether or not uh you know no matter what like it it's no excuse for the attacks for uh any you know people should not be scared to go in their place of worship but people don't realize that Jews have had that feeling since before 107 I mean like there's a lot of metal detectors and things like that I think about it every time I'm driving on a Sunday morning and I see everybody walking out a church and hanging out on the steps I'm like oh we have like concrete barricades there and we got armed guards and bulletproof glass there it's and that's it's a necessity unfortunately and and it has been and it's just something just like again like to your point of having 37 years of being Jewish rather than reading one book like we we know this like we've been told it uh and then we've we've now lived and experienced this you know uh I um sometimes in New York I deliver food to Holocaust Survivors and I was speaking to one AES just after 107 thank you and it feels like the least I could do and just to hear these stories and I and we weren't even talking about 107 though it was on the news and he was just like you know talk asking him all sorts of questions about his experience really they're just offering up so much and telling so much and and he says I just the tears in his eyes and he's like I just like the question I keep asking myself to this day is why and it was just so sad because to really know um the innocence of of of so much of the people who have experienced the worst forms of anti-Semitic hate uh that is something that I thought at 8 years old when I was in Hebrew school when I was first learning about Chrystal KN and the Holocaust and and the prgrams I was just like why I just don't understand it especially now going back to what I said of like thinking that I'm like half of the world right you know so I'm just like wait why the people that celebrate this people just hate them just because that it's my very base knowledge but now you know years later 30 years later like I still find myself asking that question and so does this poor man who has every reason to have his own theories you want to talk conspiracy theories um and he still really it boils down to like why that's it's very poignant because it's I mean it is so true I'm sure most Jewish people have that thought cross their minds often just like why us and even saying this on camera in this medium I feel like oh well people think we're playing the victim and we're victimizing anytime you say anything that's that's even ingrained but but truly at the at the core of it like I you know you talk to your Jewish friends and neighbors and people that are were scared especially like you know in the first few months after the attack it's uh there is a sense of um fear but also a sense of security and feeling like you're not alone in that fear of like why is this happening what's going on like why are people like I you know uh when I was a little bit more active on social media about everything like I would say something and hold space for everyone one involved you know what I mean and really see things not so black and white the way I actually do see them and make just a really important distinction about how just because you know a people are not their government and how you know that directly translates to anti-semitic attacks in California in Australia um rallies and like do we see what this spread is and just to kind of point that out and I'm sure you've seen the most bulletproof conf you know distinctions you can make you're met with the meanest most horrible frightening things that anyone's ever said about you and you're and it's flooded and it's like a um it it kind of it's not like it hasn't discouraged me but it really realized that like it made me realize that it's it's it I don't know if it's I don't know what it's doing actually if it's helping if it's hurting it it made me feel very confused actually what you posting that yeah I mean it's not like like look I'll always stand up for what I believe in um but to continue to make those distinctions especially since it's kind of all on the same theme I was like I don't know if this is and forget about like me being attacked and like oh I don't want to lose followers it wasn't about that it was like I just feel like um it felt almost like I was stirring up more hate uh by trying to bring awareness to it which was just a weird feeling uh it's not saying like so now I don't or whatever I just it was just a weird it made me like lose a little bit of faith in in that like in just people I guess uh so it's been it's been like a I guess a really troubling time because I haven't gone away from the conversation I just have them off social media yeah uh and I I have them with people who are you know sometimes willing to listen but I just don't ever want it to get to a shouting Place uh because that's that's not where I'm like entering this conversation from but it really quickly becomes that and and and really quickly from people who are not involved at all yeah it's they're always the loudest the people who this is have no skin in the game whatsoever right who think they know the most about they can be you know they can feel passionate with their empathy for what they think is happening or or um you know for only one the one side of the story that they may know or or just actually the blatant disregard to actually really learn what happening in any real true context because it just fits a very comfortable um mold for them just about who we are y uh I like to say like I don't think like Hitler would have really cared if you um believe in God he would have killed you because it's in your blood we know that's true so didn't matter if you never picked up a prayer book in your life exactly so when people say it's just a religion it's like well it's actually kind of it's really complicated it and I've just been doing a lot of soul searching about that and like nothing has changed in fact I'm more more proud and and more willing to have these conversations and the only reason why I'm not banging my chest on social media because it's a really destructive conversation also it's really devastating yeah um because in trying to say anything you can't deny the horrors on both sides just like the devastation and the pain and and the little suffering and the death it's a really awful conversation so to be like beating your chest super hard like in in either way is just it's a it's a weird stance I appreciate everything you do and I've told you so much like I I I learn a lot you know what I mean I I I appreciate you saying what you say because sometimes I can't like boil my thoughts down the way you can I think your mom and I talked about you becoming an accidental activist she told me that which I I think that that's kind of a apropo for for what you you've got going on I mean here we are now yeah literally literally I will say as somebody who spends a lot of time talking to people and Jews on social media you know you ask whether you're helping or not I know for sure that there are people that you are helping when you put that stuff out people who feel seen and empowered and braver by seeing you and you know when I when I post stuff and people will say something to that effect I'm like it doesn't feel like I'm being like Brave or something feels like I'm saying what I want to say but people do feel emboldened by it and they they're like wow you know and I and I know that you are reaching people when you do say stuff the part that's tricky is it's like you know I I've posted or been a part of posting something that has like nothing to do with the conflict whatsoever but it's even tangentially related to being Jewish and you're getting comments about the conflict on it I could say happy rashash sh and I'll get well what about the people and it's like that's you know again what other people would you have the nerve to do that with but yeah it is tough but but you're right like uh I I feel so much for Jewish young people and people in colleges um experiencing just like really really um brutal anti-Semitism I I I I mean if if I can lend a voice and let them know that like I am one of you and that you are not alone and then like I felt versions of that in my own life like then then it is absolutely worth it it feels like a a responsibility to be you know people don't understand how few Jewish people there are in the world and then on top of that how many people have like influential voices that can in platforms so it does feel like something that I'm I'm I definitely stand by everything that I say that's awesome so on the flip of that as you're looking around you know the entertainment industry how does it feel to see you know certain colleagues perhaps taking to to the airwaves with anti-israel or anti-jewish sentiment have you seen that yeah I've seen a lot of that um it's really when it the issues get very conflated and I feel read up enough and knowledgeable enough to know when something is blatantly anti-semitic and I think that that's a word that has even been like weaponized and now people tell you what anti-Semitism is I mean again like what other group is someone telling you not only what you are but like what being racist towards you is and looks like there some people out there that I'm just like I've never um like you are you're posting about lunch and hating Jews that's it that's your whole social media come to my show also Jews are horrible you know here's my baby also Jews are horrible which is just a w it's just it was heartbreaking honestly it was really so tough to see I think even before Israel retaliated how many people were like Pro just providing this context uh of just you know the most brutal attack on on Jewish people since the Holocaust and people were non-jewish people were American as we know and like uh all sorts of countries and I don't know there's just um it really quickly snapped into this like very comfortable Western Narrative of oppressed versus oppressors and white settlers versus uh colonized people and it just uh and you couldn't get a word in edgewise all of a sudden yeah that was my experience with it and have you had to you know come face to face or work with any of these people in this time people that you know hold these sentiments I have um how does that go you know this is the first time I I've spoken about it and that's pretty much all there is to it I I haven't said a word yeah you're are are you thinking it while you're doing what you have to do or you're able to like put that away I'm like I'm here to do a job I'm going to do the job I'm Pro I'm a professional like I I protect my professionalism by not engaging because I don't I'm not an expert I don't know how composed I can stay right I think if I were to have a conversation I would be prepared to make sure I was the most composed and I just don't think it belongs in a professional setting if someone said something that was absolutely insane in my you know in your presence but it would be but it is crazy to see someone post something 14 minutes ago when you know I'm literally at work with you and it's like never crossed your mind you know me you know I wear a m every day you know you know but like that it's so important to you that you overlook that so there you go that is your profile that is your voice that is your right I guess um but I'm going to be over here keeping it professional because I think that that's just how I want to operate in these in that situation because I I just think I could I I would get really upset yeah uh and uh that just doesn't belong at work and I I I'm glad you share that I think understanding what that experience is like and what that calculus is is really important for people to hear sure I've shut just I've shut it down a few times what do you mean like I just I've given like a don't go there look you know or like uh you know or someone says something thing that's like blatantly uh just something that they shouldn't say I I'm good at shutting things down fast without saying something rude or a curse word or something like that and I think like that enough that enough has been like a you don't want to go there kind of a thing no no threats of course but like just just a a real a real sign of like and I think people know better too because they they don't want to be doing that at work either right um so it's like you said they don't it's like they don't even think about it right that this is going to be somehow offensive to you right right which is crazy someone would said something could work like I know je I've known a lot of Jewish people I know how to say that like word it was like a Shalom or something like that I was like I think I know more than mean it was like something like I'll do it in just because it is it's funny and and by the way like in that moment that was that person wasn't being anti you know that person being bad matters and the way you know a person that matters that was just me kind of like standing up for my identity in that moment in that group setting and I feel like a lot of people would do that and should do that to me if I was mansplaining someone's ethnicity or religion or something like that and they'd say I think I would know and I would go you're you're right you know what I mean so it's like that is the most I've ever kind of engaged especially at the workplace nice have you ever been to Israel I have not never um and I've always wanted to it's been like an absolute dream of mine that I was always working I always wanted to right I mean you've been working since professionally since what age like 15 I think the birthright age is what like 16 I think it's 18 18 okay my sister did it she had the best time ever she always talks about it and I've actually it's been like a dream of mine to go I've I've always wanted to and it was like very very top of my bucket list to go to so I will definitely go I'm going in like two weeks if you want to come are you actually yeah um I can't in two weeks but but but no I will definitely be we'll talk I'll help you get there okay good you have written a script called the Hanukkah guy yes tell me about the Hanukkah guy I just wanted to make that like kind of classic the Santa Claus jingle all the way kind of Christmas movie but family but for but with Hanukkah important question yeah how do you spell Hanukkah C or h i do the the Smokey Robinson chanuka Chuka yeah the c h n u what was that clip from what did he call it he called it chanuka which is very sweet he was like making a cameo for someone and he was just like I don't know what chanuka is but happy chanuka and it's just like so I love that I've seen that a bunch of the least offensive funniest thing it's just so wholesome and we love it also the Jewish New Year Russia shanaah uh as as you mentioned earlier it's right around the corner what are your Jewish New Year resolutions ooh or wishes for the new year poof I mean peace uh in the world and for me personally I want to be on my phone a little less that's actually kind of like a a Jewish New Year and a regular New Year thing um just for the times where I just don't need to be and uh I don't know just happy and healthy just a sweet little apple and honey New Year beautiful yeah okay so the the last thing I want to do is we're going to take some questions and comments that our followers have left for us uh on the being Jewish podcast Instagram uh okay here's an important one from Melissa 9797 kala rip or slice rip I mean well I'm a ripper Terror breaker like when I snack and anything I'm just very like there's always crumbs whenever I've I've eaten there um sliced for the uh like for the Shabbat or rashishana or because my mom always makes um holla French toast the next day which is incredible that is exactly why I prefer a slice cuz I make it in in the mornings for my kids on Saturday yes but rip it to shreds you can't you got no French toast exactly so when it's like when it's home turf it's got to be sliced but I went to shabbat recently where it was a kind of a tear situation ripping pass well then you can kind of get a big chunk for yourself the I I I feel like the best move is the combo where like you're ripping half of it off and then you save you slice a little bit off to save for the rip and slice exactly nice Paige Megan asks who is your favorite wrestler my favorite wrestler wow you came so fast ready with that yeah well well my childhood favorite wrestler was Shawn Michaels uh my my screen name was Heartbreak Kid which was his nickname I I watch some WWF back in the day um and nowadays probably it's very he's he's like the most popular but I I think Roman Reigns is is incredible so the tribal Chief I acknowledge Him for that's for the one for the one person who got you you really know your wrestling I'm still very involved I love it it's my soap opera that's awesome yeah um a camp Ram Alum who had you lead song for my color war team I'm eternally grateful what's your take looking back on your summer camp experiences asks Rachel Rothman so I need to I need to know what leading song means and I want to know about summer C I think she means okay so so at the so we we used to do Rama games which is like I have a color War where like the the the camp was divided into four teams it was red blue yellow gold and white and there was always a theme every year and so at the very end of camp like the last week the whole Camp would be like divided into four teams and you can compete in everything I mean it's like a field day Olympics kind of a situation where you could be going head-to-head in basketball or baseball but also just like the spoon races and even we did this at my Camp yeah so even like by the way we're we're in a podcast called being Jewish explaining summer camp to people I'm sure people understand but basically like at the very end there's song and cheer and that's when you do like a you know thirde Eye Blind song but you make it about your team name so there was always a theme so it's if it was like the if the theme was Hollywood they'd be like famous Hollywood movies of that time so it was like the green the the yellow Batman Forevers or whatever probably something that probably fit the color a little bit more that that dated us right there yeah yeah it sure did it's 1994 yeah so that's that's when this was so I probably you know being one of the kids who could sing I Remember in a song and sheer but I guess maybe I did I don't know she thinks she did yeah I must have um and yeah you just sing like dummy lyrics to to a pop song you didn't write the lyrics I definitely didn't because those were like the lieutenant generals and the generals of had a whole the staff yeah the counselors the counselors who were then put in charge of the team they would write it and we would perform it with so much heart and soul it was so funny because this is before I ever did any theater or singing and this is like a you know it's a it's not a Theater Camp which I've also then went to later in life this is like a camp where it's like hey guys we're going to sing and I need to see passion and I need to see volume and that because I remember there was a big Point allowance for the song and cheer winners it's kind of like whoever wins song and cheer you're gonna have a good chance at the end wow so Rachel I'm I'm glad you still remember that amazing um Amanda Palin asks do you have any dream Jewish Broadway roles um I don't know no there's not a ton it's not a not a wealth of options there's there's there's parade like Ben just did which is a great role and a great sing sure um you know maybe like in my 40s I could do Tavia that could be fun yeah I think I've outgrown the other roles now other than that is that the two Joseph Joseph I like Joseph I I always kind of wanted to do Joseph that was my first musical I ever saw and maybe I'll be the first male Fanny Bryce and there you go boom I'd watch that last question from Jewish fertility Foundation okay uh what is your go-to shower song do you have a go-to shower song I don't have a go-to shower song that sometimes I listen I put my speaker of like a waterproof speaker that I'll put in the shower so I'll just kind of Shuffle but I love singing along to Bruno Mars I love singing along to Justin Bieber are you a shower singer in general yeah I'm a shower singer like anyone's a shower singer I don't think it changes based on your ability like people like do you are you someone who just like randomly things it's like yeah yeah cuz just because I see like everybody but it's not I'm not like really committing I'm just you know it's similar like when you're in the car karaoke you're kind of just singing along yeah Skyler thank you so much this has been a a dream first episode and thank you for being so open and honest about everything of course I'm I'm just so happy you were here I'm so happy to be here man thanks for having me I'll be back for sure right on 100th episode [Music]