Beyond the Pale | Jewish Culture and Politics

BEYOND THE PALE explores cutting edge Jewish culture and offers local, national, and international political debate and analysis from a Jewish perspective.

Sundays, noon to 1 p.m., on WBAI/New York, 99.5 FM

Recently Aired

May 12, 2013 — With today's broadcast, Beyond the Pale welcomes the newest members of our radio team, Jesse Meyerson and Alexis Goldstein. On today's show, the team take on Sherrod Brown's (Dem Ohio) and David Vitter's (Rep Louisiana) Brown-Vitter proposed legislation: "Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act" (a/k/a Too Big To Fail). What is the bill about and why does it have the big banks in a panic? Could it really rein in the behemoths?

And would guaranteeing every permanent resident a universal basic income not only solve our unemployment problem but also make us a happier and more creative society?

Journalist Sam Knight talks with Jesse and Alexis about the outcome of Iceland's kitchen ware revolution; was Iceland the only European country that got it right after the 2008 crash?

And finally, in recognition of mothers' day, we rebroadcast Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz's interview with Joyce Antler, author of You Never Call! Your Never Write! A History of the Jewish Mother.

Beyond the Pale will be pre-empted for the balance of WBAI's fund raising drive. We'll be back on the air on June 9th.

May 5, 2013 — Hosted by Alex Kane and Lizzy Ratner, today's Beyond the Pale is an eclectic mix of history, geography, and genres. We begin by talking to scholar and writer Moustafa Bayoumi about the tragic Boston bombings and the anti-Muslim reaction that has erupted in some quarters. From there we turn to theater -- Yiddish theater -- and the magical-allegorical world created by the National Yiddish Theater - Folksbiene's production of "The Megile of Itzik Manger." And we end with a conversation about the struggles of New York's retail workers and the efforts by one group, the Retail Action Project, to bring basic labor standards to one of the city's fastest-growing, and least remunerated, professions.

April 28,2013 — Today's Beyond the Pale, hosted by Jenny Romain with Marissa Brostoff, is a rebroadcast of a December 19, 2010 exploration of the rich tradition of the Cantor ranging from the golden age of the first half of the 20th century to the challenges of today. Listeners will hear from two Cantorial greats of the golden age: Pierre Pinchik (1900-1971) singing Rozo d'Shabbos and Leibele Waldman (1907-1969) singing Shehecheyanuand from two of our guests: Jonathan Gordon (singing a niggun and the Sabboth prayer, V'Shomru) and Judith Berkson (singing Ahavas Oylam from Oylam).

Guests include: Benjamin Matis, Cantor at the Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn NY.

Jonathan Gordon, Cantor at Woodlands Community Temple in Greenburgh NY.

Judith Berkson, soprano, musician and composer whose recordings include LuLu (Peacock Records) and Oylam (ECM). She was also Cantor at Old Westbury Hebew Congregation Kehilat Shir Ami in Old Westbury NY. Her experimental band Platz Machen is inspired by cantorial music and Hebrew liturgy.

April 21, 2013 — Today's show is a re-broadcast of our September 18, 2011 show, hosted by Eve Sicular.

A tribute to the late Amy Winehouse; a look at the music mega-stars in the ultra-Orthodox community with Dr. Mark Kligman; a conversation with novelist and filmmaker David Bezmozgis; and a new film, DevOUT, by Diana Nielle, about lesbians in the Orthodox Jewish community. Plus Eve Sicular spins music.

Playlist for today's show includes:

Love is a Losing Game, Amy Winehouse, from Back to Black

No Jew Will Be Left Behind, Avraham Fried, from No Jew Will be Left Behind
Haleluka Halelu, Lipa Schmeltzer, from Hallel
Hora Yes Loshan Hora No, Lipa Schmeltzer, from Meimka D’Lipa
Kolybelnaia, Anna Guzik, from Shalom Comrade

April 14, 2013 — Fight-back against Chicago school closures: labor journalists Josh Eidelson and Sarah Jaffe talk with Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis in this excerpt from Belabored, a newly launched podcast from Dissent magazine. BTP is thrilled to partner with Dissent and will be featuring more highlights from Belabored in the future.

And Europe will be Stunned: A 3-part video installation by Israeli artist Yael Bartana, at the Petzel Gallery, 456 W. 18th Street in Chelsea, now through May 4th. BTP re-broadcasts Alisa Solomon's July 2009 interview with Bartana.

The Child Catchers: Rescue,Trafficking and the New Gospel of Adoption. BTP co-host Kiera Feldman talks with author Kathryn Joyce about her investigation of the dark side of adoption. You can read an excerpt of Joyce's book, "Orphan Fever: The Evangelical Movement's Adoption Obsession," in the current issue of Mother Jones.