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Artwork for The Frieda Vizel Podcast

The Frieda Vizel Podcast

Frieda Vizel
Hasidic Judaism
Judaism
Hasidic Community
Holocaust
Kiryas Joel
Hasidism
Zionism
Israel
Jewish Identity
Orthodox Judaism
Identity
Family
Cultural Identity
Yiddish
Women's Rights
Antisemitism
Comedy
Jewish Culture
Haredi Community
Workout Culture

Welcome to in-depth conversations on Hasidism, Judaism, NYC, culture, education, religion and more!This podcast is hosted by popular Youtuber Frieda Vizel, who has been studying the Hasidic community for more than ten years.This is the podcast version of the video conversations which are also published on Youtube. Please reach out with feedback. Here's the youtube channel if you prefer to see the ... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes142Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
JudaismReligion & SpiritualitySociety & Culture

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Artwork for The Frieda Vizel Podcast

Latest Episodes

Video link to this episode: youtu.be/LK2b0mAYKqA

I'm tired of big youtubers conflating all Hasidic groups as one.

They are so different.

The community in Crown Heights is really different from the communities in Williamsburg.

I visited b... more

video link to this interview: youtu.be/NtFI3NL4dFE?si=zOhqSNq6aijFxcc4

In September 2026, the Satmar community experienced a major historic event. After decades of the community being split into two rival factions, the two brothers who led t... more

Video link to this podcast: youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdug

In September 2026, news broke that Hasidic Rabbis will meet with president Trump. This was revealed when the Satmar Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum stepped up to his congregation on Shabbos and pre-emp... more

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Recent Guests

Yumi Lowy
Jewish singer and recording artist who grew up Satmar Hasidic in Williamsburg
Satmar Hasidic community
Episode: The major battle that split Satmar in two | Yumi Lowy
Jeff Parnell
Born into Jehovah's Witnesses, later left the faith; shares personal story and insights
Former Jehovah's Witness
Episode: Forty years of missionizing the faith before losing it | Jeff Parnell
Shia Friedman
Guest who grew up in Kiryas Joel and shared life story from a male perspective
Hasidic community of Kiryas Joel
Episode: My experience of Kiryas Joel boyhood to manhood | Shia Friedman
Gita Katz
Hasidic woman sharing personal life story and experiences
Hasidic community in Williamsburg
Episode: Alone but not lonely; inside this Hasidic woman’s world | Gita Katz
Pessy Unstressing
Instagram personality known for relatable Yiddish humor and personal storytelling
Pessy Unstressing (Instagram)
Episode: Expelled from school and their world destroyed | Pessy Unstressing
Eddy Portnoy
Historian at YIVO, expert on Ashkenazi Jewish life and the National Desertion Bureau
YIVO
Episode: The National Desertion Bureau | Eddy Portnoy
Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
Renowned scholar of Jewish culture, folklore, and performance studies
POLIN Museum (former chief curator of the core exhibition)
Episode: At 83, this Jewish icon has a story to tell | Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
Doran Shafrir
From The Easy Way YouTube channel; discusses philosophy, geopolitics, and culture
The Easy Way
Episode: What is anti-semitism? | Doran Shafrir
Dovid Bashevkin
Rabbi, prominent Jewish podcaster and intellectual voice in the modern Orthodox community
18forty, Yeshiva University (educator)
Episode: When life is like weaving a quilt | Dovid Bashevkin

Hosts

Frieda Vizel
Host of the podcast; independent creator with extensive focus on Hasidic life and NYC culture
Lovina Zook
Guest on multiple episodes; ex-Amish background and culture-focused creator

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 97 ratings
  • A valuable voice and guide to modern chassidic life & challenges

    Leaving an insular community and then providing a sympathetic look into it requires a rare combination of thick skin & kind heart. Vizel is a generous interviewer of her subjects, and has inspired me to listen with a more open mind to her interviewees, especially those whose religious or political outlook differs significantly from my own. That by itself would be valuable, but she also includes unique insights and personal narrative that are not available elsewhere.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    EtzChaim
    United States9 months ago
  • Frieda is a Star!

    Thank you, Frieda, for continuing to create and share about this community. Your long form interviews are really well done and I always look forward to a new one dropping. I grew up in a city with no ‘visible’ Jewish community (Brisbane, Australia) and only encountered the Hasidic community in Melbourne, which had/has one of the highest percentages of Holocaust survivors after Israel and New York, I think.

    I particularly love the respect with which you treat your subjects, and your attitude to ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jenniferajackman
    Australia2 years ago
  • Thoughtful Insights From a Charming Host

    Frieda Vizel is informed by her life experiences and delivers insights into the community in a fair and kind manner. She is thoughtful in her approach of telling the story of this community.

    Ms Vizel’s kind heart and thoughtful intelligence delivers a podcast that will delight and inform the listener.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    moparfan176
    United States2 years ago
  • Must Listen Hasidic Judaism Explored

    Every episode informed, on-point, often humorous, often serious and moving with interviewer Frieda Vizel’s knowledgeable, gentle and probing interview style. My favorite podcast! Highly recommend. A+++

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ZelMal
    United States3 years ago
  • Amazing

    One of my favorite podcasts!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Groupworker
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Fans appreciate long-form, compassionate storytelling and thorough exploration of sensitive topics.
Listeners value the host's balance of personal narrative with broader cultural and historical context.
Listeners praise the host for respectful, nuanced interviewing and openness to diverse Hasidic perspectives.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Forty years of missionizing the faith before losing it | Jeff Parnell
Q: What ultimately led you to leave, and what was that transition like?
Questioning began years earlier, but it culminated during COVID when Zoom meetings revealed performative aspects of the culture. A pivotal moment came from a casual conversation with an outsider who recognized I had left, which confirmed the internal truth for me and pushed me to abandon the faith, starting a difficult but liberating journey of rebuilding my life.
Forty years of missionizing the faith before losing it | Jeff Parnell
Q: What were the pressures of preaching and belonging to the group as you grew up?
Preaching was an ingrained duty, even as the personal experience could feel coercive. There was a constant conflict between wanting to show love to others and the push to persuade complete strangers, often at the expense of authentic relationships, which intensified the sense of us-versus-them within the community.
Forty years of missionizing the faith before losing it | Jeff Parnell
Q: How did you start in the faith, and what was your upbringing like in Buffalo?
I was raised in a mixed community in Buffalo with two parents who were Jehovah's Witnesses. The upbringing was deeply centered on door-to-door preaching, with a strong sense of insularity and a belief in paradise after life, which shaped how I viewed family, community, and the outside world.
Alone but not lonely; inside this Hasidic woman’s world | Gita Katz
Q: Do you have any regrets in looking back in your life?
She reflects that her main regret is not spending enough time with her children due to perfectionism and being overly involved in community and chores, and wishes she had balanced that with more focused family time.
Jews and Poland; how we tell Polish Jewish history | Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
Q: What is the current state of Polish public discourse on Poland's wartime past and its reflection on Polish-Jewish relations?
There's a broad spectrum of views, with some people willing to confront difficult issues, while others engage in revisionist histories that defend Poland's image by downplaying Antisemitism or exaggerating positive Polish involvement.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Frieda Vizel Podcast

What is The Frieda Vizel Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on deep, thoughtful conversations about Hasidism, Judaism, NYC culture, education, and religion, often through intimate, long-form interviews with Hasidic and related communities. Guests frequently share personal journeys—leaving insular worlds, balancing tradition with modern life, and navigating family dynamics, marriage, and career—from filmmakers and educators to community observers. A standout trait is the host's respectful, curious interviewing style that brings insider perspectives to broader audiences, plus a willingness to tackle sensitive topics like antisemitism, memory, and public discourse around Jewish life. Listeners can expect nuanced storytelling, cultural education, and candid discussions that illuminate l... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Frieda Vizel Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Frieda Vizel Podcast:

1. Stories Of Hope With Tzipora Grodko
2. Meaningful People
3. Inspiration for the Nation with Yaakov Langer
4. Pod By Pen
5. Orthodox Conundrum

How many episodes of The Frieda Vizel Podcast are there?

The Frieda Vizel Podcast launched 3 years ago and published 142 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Frieda Vizel Podcast?

Recent guests on The Frieda Vizel Podcast include:

1. Yumi Lowy
2. Jeff Parnell
3. Shia Friedman
4. Gita Katz
5. Pessy Unstressing
6. Eddy Portnoy
7. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett
8. Doran Shafrir

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