Daniel and Harry are joined by Gila Pfeffer, author of Nearly Departed, to discuss Zach Braff's 2004 indie darling Garden State, directed by and starring Braff alongside Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard.

The trio debates whether the film is "actually" Jewish or just Jewish-coded, digging into Ian Holm's distant Jewish father, the humorous Doctor Cohn, and how two decades of over-prescribed lithium leave Andrew frozen in grief.

They talk through the funeral and Shiva scenes as the real emotional catalyst of the film, Portman's Sam as a defining "manic pixie dream girl," and Gila's own perspective on Jewish mourning rituals as an Orthodox writer. As always, they close out with some stretch-of-the-pod theories — mikvah bathtubs and Holocaust reparations included — before rating the film's Jewishness on their 1 to 5 scale.

Gila's Links

• Buy Gila's Book Nearly Departed
• Follow Gila on Instagram
• Subscribe to Gila's Substack



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Daniel and Harry are stuck in detention with Rachel Israel, director of The Floaters, so they figured they might as well record a podcast about the 1985 film The Breakfast Club, written and directed by John Hughes.

Together, they revisit the iconic coming-of-age classic and its five high-school stereotypes—the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess, and the criminal—and ask whether those labels really tell us anything about who we are. They discuss the film's surprisingly earnest exploration of identity, friendship, family and parental pressure, why its 95-minute running time feels almost radical today, and how The Breakfast Club paved the way for generations of teen movies to come.

They dig into the film's unexpected Jewish connections—from synchronized dancing and Jewish joy to the idea of detention as a kind of Shabbat or synagogue experience. They also discuss Rachel's own film The Floaters, Jewish summer camp, and the influence The Breakfast Club had on her filmmaking.

Plus, it's our favorite question: How Jewish is The Breakfast Club? The answer may involve a little creative stretching—but that's never stopped us before.

Rachel's Links

• Check out The Floaters in a city near you

Connect with Jews on Film online:

Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm

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Returning guest and comedian Eli Leibowicz joins Harry and Daniel to discuss Bob Fosse's Lenny (1974), starring Dustin Hoffman as the groundbreaking—and deeply controversial—comedian Lenny Bruce. Together, they explore why Bruce remains one of the most influential figures in stand-up comedy, even decades after his death.

The conversation dives into Bruce's Jewish identity, the role of Yiddish in shaping his voice, and how Jewish humor became a vehicle for challenging authority and exposing hypocrisy. Along the way, Harry, Daniel, and Eli compare Bruce's legacy to modern comedians, debate the changing boundaries of free speech, and ask whether comedy is at its best when it entertains an audience—or unsettles one. They also discuss Dustin Hoffman's acclaimed performance, Bob Fosse's striking filmmaking, and why Lenny remains a fascinating portrait of an artist who refused to stop asking uncomfortable questions.

• “Lenny” on ImDB - https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0071746/
• “Lenny” Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqvNOq8kGB8

Eli's Links

• Follow Eli Leibowicz on Instagram
• Eli's Website

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod