We are eagerly anticipating Purim—and the only way we thought of topping last year’s weedstravaganza was to get even higher. This week, we’re going psychedelic. With an increasing number of studies testing how they can help people with PTSD or other psychological distress, the stigma around them is slowly shifting. Zac Kamenetz is a rabbi based in California who heads up an institute seeking to integrate psychadelics into Jewish life.

Plus, Phoebe unpacks the Jewish and interfaith angles to the new wave of American Girl dolls, which hail from the historical era of 1999, and Avi calls out advocacy organizations such as the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for what he sees as a hypocritical stance toward the Holy Land.

What we talked about

• Learn about “Kapelya: Unveiling a Feminine Sound in Hasidic Song“
• Visit Shefa’s website

Credits

Bonjour Chai is hosted by Avi Finegold and Phoebe Maltz Bovy. Zachary Kauffman is the producer and editor. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Socalled. The show is a co-production from The Jewish Learning Lab and The CJN, and is distributed by The CJN Podcast Network. To learn how to support the show by subscribing to this podcast, please watch this video.