Call Your Mother

Jordana brings in Kveller editor Lisa Keys to talk to Mimi Lemay. Lemay was raised ultra-Orthodox, left that way of life and married a non-Jew. She talks about how her own life influenced the way she parents her three children, one of whom realized at age two and a half that he was not the gender that he’d been born into.

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats 

“Funky and Groovy” by Unique Sound 

“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott

“Gentle Talk” by Marscott

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana chats with filmmaker Tiffany Shlain about giving up technology one day a week and about her special assistant, Clara, who just happens to be an AI bot. Then Gram tells us how keeping a paper calendar saved her from a wildlife invasion in her kitchen.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Gentle Talk" by Marscott
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana talks to Darcy Lockman, author of All The Rage: Mothers, Fathers And The Myth of Equal Partnership. The two discuss everything from how even moms who work outside the home carry more of the mental and actual load than dads in heterosexual relationships, why that’s the case and what we can do about it. The two women also agree that a person does not need a vagina to load a dishwasher. In discussing the topic over the phone, Shannon reveals that her husband may not be able to handle more than he’s doing, as he is apparently challenged by gravity.

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats 

"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana and Shannon are recuperating from the onslaught of Jewish holidays, so we’ve decided to reboot this episode with the inimitable Judy Gold. Anti-Semitism, ageism, complaints that she's mocking her late mother — nothing's too precious for comedian Judy Gold to tackle. She discusses coming out, being disinherited, the legacy of Joan Rivers and so much more. Then, Jordana's mother offers her own five cents on what sets Jewish mothers apart.

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats 

"Study Session No Melody" by MellowSTU

"The Makings" by Nangdo

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana and Shannon talk with Lisa Heffernan, one of the creators of the wildly successful website Grown and Flown. They tackle the challenges of how to raise independent children and then discuss what happens when those children leave home. Lots of travel and sex? Or maybe depression? Results may vary! Grown doesn’t have to mean flown, as the ladies discuss with Gram. And Shannon shares getting into a verbal skirmish with behavior police in a movie theater.

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Study Session No Melody" by MellowSTU

"Lo-Fi Afternoon" by Marscott

"Jet Setter" by MellowSTU

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

This week, the tables are turned as Jordana and Shannon interview the interviewer. Juju Chang is ABC’s anchor for Nightline, mom to three boys and a Korean-born woman who came to Judaism later in life. From when she helped her mother clean hotel rooms as a young immigrant, to becoming a powerful news correspondent on the front lines of the news, Juju has been a thoughtful and introspective person. She talks about her transition into Judaism, and the way that feeling like an “other” has influenced her journalism and her life. Also, Shannon chats with Jordana about smart “older brother” dogs in a thinly-veiled attempt to proselytize dog ownership, and Gram talks about her “limited,” eight-week-long experience growing up with a dog.

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Lo-Fi Afternoon" by Marscott

"Rewind Back" by Marscottt

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana talks with Sarah Hurwitz who was a speechwriter for both Barack and Michelle Obama and the sparks of meaning Sarah found from her search into Judaism that she details in her new book. Jordana also talks to Shannon about how weighing a baby on a scale is a lot like weighing a turkey, and calls Gram to find out how to make Yom Kippur have any resonance for little kids. Also, there’s talk about scooping bagels.

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound

"Study Session No Melody" by MellowSTU

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Jordana and Shannon sit down with Mira Jacob, most recently the author of the graphic memoir “Good Talk: A Memoir In Conversations,” to talk about living as a woman of color married to a Jewish man and raising an Indian-Jewish son in 2019 America. Also, she talks about what it’s like to navigate life with Trump-supporting in-laws. 

Music:

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Sultry Glance" by Perfect Solution Music

"Ambient Magic" by JulioKladNiew

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Jordana is hosting solo this week, and she’s given a run for her money by her two guests! Sharon Feldstein is mom to actors Beanie Feldstein and Jonah Hill, and Patsy Noah is mom to Maroon 5’s Adam Levine. Noah and Feldstein have redirected their vicarious celebrity spotlight to their initiative Your Mom Cares. While Noah and Feldstein are personality opposites (just you wait!), they have been close friends since they were teens and both happened to raise famous children. Stay tuned to learn about Beanie Feldstein’s “Funny Girl”-themed third birthday party!

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Swing America" by Dimusic 

"Sultry Glance" by Perfect Solution Music

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

In this week’s episode, Jordana and Shannon sit down with Leslie Shapiro, a suburban Jewish mom of three whose life took a dramatic turn when she went from being a social drinker to becoming an alcoholic. The three talk about Leslie’s struggle with alcohol, its effects on her life and relationships, and her route to becoming a recovering alcoholic with three years plus of sobriety under her belt. Lest you think the episode is all serious, Shannon shares why she loves goat yoga (yes, that’s not a typo), and Gram advocates scream therapy. 

Music: 

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound

"Ambient Magic" by JulioKladNiew

"Gentle Talk" by Marscott

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

It’s a meeting of podcast minds! Zibby Owens, host of the terrific podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books, talks with Jordana about her love for reading (spoiler: These moms DO have time to read books). They also talk about second chances at love, second marriages, and parenting. Also, Jordana talks to co-host Shannon Sarna by phone to catch up after the birth of Shannon’s beautiful baby (mazel tov!). And Gram takes a few seconds on her way home from Costco to talk about her own experience as a mother of a newborn having a bris.

Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.

Music:

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound

"Rewind Back" by Marscott

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

The summer break is over, and Call Your Mother is back with a new season. Jordana and Shannon talk with Jason Rosenthal on the phone from his office in Chicago. Jason’s wife Amy, a well-known author of adult and childrens’ books, wrote a viral Modern Love piece in The New York Times entitled “You May Want To Marry My Husband,” which was published only days before Amy died of ovarian cancer. Jason talks about grief and loss, his new life in the wake of his wife and parenting the couple’s three children. Jordana shares her “What Happened On My Summer Vacation Story” about getting yelled at in Italy by, of all people, George Clooney (no, really). And Gram shares what to do when your kid says, “Mommy, I’m fat.”Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.

Music:

"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats

“Lo-Fi Afternoon” by Marscott

“Study Session No Melody” by MellowSTU

“Jet Setter” by MellowSTU

"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana and Shannon are on summer break, so we are going back to the beginning and resharing our first-ever episode. Celebrity chef Einat Admony, whose restaurants include Balaboosta and Taim, dishes (see what we did there?) about morning orgasms, likens kids to farts (“You just like your own”), and opines about guilt.Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Libertad" by Eaters
"Red Hot Mama" by Sophie Tucker
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana and Shannon are on summer break, so we've gone into the archives and we're resharing this powerful episode. Jen Simon invited herself to peoples’ houses for a single reason: to raid their cabinets for opioids. A middle-class suburban Jewish mom, she didn’t fit the addict stereotype and kept her dependency a secret from friends and family. Jen talks candidly with the Call Your Mother team about coming clean and getting clean.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Outsider's Paradox" by Springtide
"Valantis" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Spills" by Blue Dot Sessions
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan (ft. Habit Blcx)

Jordana and Shannon are on break, and we’re re-upping this interview with best-selling author Jennifer Weiner. Jennifer talks about Mrs. Everything, her epic novel that’s been a summer hit. Taking on history, loss, feminism, and more, it's the product of the author’s frustrations with life as an American woman. Jordana and Shannon talk with Jennifer about divorce, writing, and her mother, Fran, who always refused to answer specific questions about her sex life. She also tells the team about her struggle to love her body, why she sometimes rages at her deceased dad, and what she likes about making challah.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Assassin" by Ikebe Shakedown
"Shake It and Break It" by Lanin's Southern Serenaders
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Feminist filmmaker Shaina Feinberg talks with Jordana and Shannon this week about the blurred line between truth and fiction in her films. The three women discuss representation in movies, dealing with grief through humor, and the intersection between parenting and ambition. And then Jordana reveals her sort-of date with Quentin Tarantino.

Music
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Rewind Back" by Marscott
"Swing America" by Dimusic
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Get ready for things to get a bit weird. On this week’s episode, Shannon and Jordana talk with one of Israel’s most famous authors, Etgar Keret. Etgar, whose new collection, Fly Already, will be published in the U.S. in September, is best known for his short absurdist short stories. Then Shannon and Jordana call Gram who lectures on the dangers of letting kids drink alcohol.

Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.

Music
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Study Session No Melody" by MellowSTU
"Sultry Glance" by Perfect Solution Music
"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Bat Sheva Marcus has been called "The Orthodox Sex Guru" by The New York Times, but she’s so much more — sure, she’s an Orthodox Jew, but she is also empowering women by giving them the information they need on how to best enjoy sex, in all its various forms. Bat Sheva talks to Jordana and Shannon about vibrators, orgasms, and pleasure in relationships — and how to handle rabbis’ involvement in one’s sex life. This episode is a real pleasure for everyone.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Sultry Glance" by Perfect Solution Music
"Study Session No Melody" by MellowSTU
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Jan Kaminsky is a nurse, a professor, a mother of three and an advocate for equality. With her wife, she runs Rainbow Health Consulting, which helps to educate health providers on how to best care for LGBTQ patients. Jan talks to Shannon and Jordana about how to be more inclusive Since Jordana’s mother has the sheer chutzpah to be away on vacation, Jan steps into the breach, giving Shannon advice on how to handle coed sleepovers at age 7 as well as e-mail invitations sent only to moms, not dads. Shannon also shares about her new pet, and Jordana’s family is #blessed...with impetigo.

Music:
"Voicemail" by Khronos Beats
"Gentle Talk" by Marscott
"Funky and Groovy" by Unique Sound
"Best I Can" by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx

Jordana and Shannon sit down with social media influencer Ilana Wiles, the mom behind Mommy Shorts and one of the ruling parents of Instagram. The three talk about deciding what to post to social media about their kids and how someone takes a "mommy blog" and transforms it into a lucrative career. Shannon ponders her 2-year-old’s recent breast fixation and “Gram” takes on how new mothers can best handle societal expectations around breastfeeding.

Got a story to share? Email us at callyourmother@kveller.com. We’re waiting to hear from you. Or leave us a voicemail at 908-248-4273.

“Voicemail” by Khronos Beats
“Gentle Talk” by Marscott
“Waxing Waning” by Ketsa
“Best I Can” by Jasmine Jordan ft. Habit Blcx