I agree with the person who said this was like Fresh Air for Jews. Not every topic intrinsically interests me (literature, for instance), but they do it well enough that I found myself absorbed by shows that I thought I'd probably skip (especially the music episodes, which are fantastic).
This is a place to find the best in contemporary issues, culture and religion for Jews who have no relation to organized Judaism. I think it is still trying to figure out what it wants to become but the growing pains are brilliant to watch.
I enjoy listening to Sarah Ivry interview a diverse group of guests while I run. Thanks for a great podcast that engages listeners in thought provoking conversation.
This podcast is as important to me as Fresh Air. Sarah Ivery does a wonderful job interviewing, and always presents a wide variety of interesting and surprising topics.
This is one of the best podcasts available right now (though, as a Jew, I’m admittedly biased): interesting, well-produced, lively, engaging. I cannot wait for each new episode to be posted. Now, with the new Israeli series once-a-month, it has gotten even better (the last one about the adopted Down Syndrome children just broke my heart).
Great producers, intelligent interviewing and captivating topics. My only issue is that it’s predictably left wing on religion/politics. Tablet would be stronger if it had a wider range of opinions.
this is one of my favorite podcasts. Each episode is interesting and they cover a broad spectrum. Some, such as this weeks episode on the myth of the origins of Jewish moneylending, make me head straight for the bookstore. Or library.Many kudos and keep up the good work.
This show is consistently thought-provoking, fresh and entertaining. There's a great variety of subjects -- from cartoonists to historians, writers to musicians -- approached with intelligence and an open mind by two skilled interviewers. And it's so refreshing to hear women at the helm! This isn't the same stuff you can hear elsewhere. No rambling, bloviating or navel-gazing here. In 15 or 20 minutes, you'll learn a lot and want to talk to someone about what you've heard. This is one of the podcasts I listen to religiously, as it were. You don't have to be Jewish to appreciate it. I bet you'll get hooked and recommend it to others, too!
A wonderful weekly journey into Jewish and Israeli culture, art, history, current affairs, economics, and theology. All are masterfully wound together in an engaging story-like presentation. The listener gets to learn, understand, and relate all at the same time. Makes me proud to be a Jew. Keep up the wonderful work!
Vox Tablet is undoubtedly one of the best podcasts on Jewish life and culture. Every week I’m surprised and intrigued. Its production quality is excellent. I’ve recommended it to everyone I know, to both Jews and non-Jews.
I always find the Vox Tablet stories interesting to listen to. Originating as articles from the online Jewish-themed Tablet magazine, they can be anything from interviews with musicians or authors, to cultural themes. So, one week may give you a biography of Menachem Begin, another clarinetist David Krakauer or an exploration of the Moroccan communities where Jews lived for centuries, but left 50 years ago.
Sarah Avery is an awesome interviewer. She’s got Terry Gross chops, and I like the way she pronounces “chazzanus.” Great episode, but in fact, I’ve enjoyed all the ones I’ve listened to.
Whenever I hit play on Vox Tablet's latest podcast, I am delighted by by the range of topics, insightful interviews, and the new things I learn. The 'casts are short and sweet and worth a listen!
The last two Vox Tablet podcasts that I heard confirmed my opinion: Utterly fascinating--and superb use of the podcast medium. "Epichorus" ("New Songs for Old Prayers") recounted a Jewish-Muslim collaboration to bring East African music to Jewish liturgy. The fascinating topic was presented with a mix of music and explanation, exploiting the strengths of the podcast medium. "Harold Kushner Reads Job" started with a challenging task: How to top a remarkable book--Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People." They succeeded. Kushner's own voice presented his insights clearly--and they were even more striking than before.
The Tablet web site is filled with enjoyable, quirky stories and sprightly writing. I keep hoping the podcast will deliver something similar in an audio format, but it keeps disappointing. I'm finding it earnest, humorless and dull, which is a huge surprise given the material it has to draw on. It's not all bad -- it's thoughtful and informative, if soporific, and there have been a few really good episodes. I am just getting tired of enduring the tedium to hear the occasional winner. As a longtime listener, I am seriously considering unsubscribing and just reading the web site. Hoping the tone and approach will change one of these days.
I've been listening to this podcast for years and every week I'm amazed at the topics they explore. There are stories about Jewish communities (both historical and current) around the globe and fascinating interviews with authors of new books. I've heard about many different types of Jewish music that I'd never heard of before and also about the history of Jewish foods both familiar to me and new. I've listened to Sara Ivry tell me about an Sukkah building contest with architecture students and heard her interview people in a dying small-town Southern Jewish community. Vox Tablet takes me someplace new and Jewish every week and I love it! Download it today.
Vox Tablet is a sparkling gem of a podcast, addressing all things Jewish. Host Sara Ivry and producer Julie Subrin consistently put together engaging and interesting feature stories on culture, literature, arts, and people.
Sarah Ivery is a good interviewer and her guests are always interesting. I look forward to each new podcast. Anyone who listens to This American Life, Fresh Air and other NPR Podcasts should scribe to Vox Tablet!
Vox Tablet seems to be getting better all the time. Host Sarah Ivry is becoming a stronger interviewer (although, at times, she seems a little unfocused -- "Family Jewels" story, for example). And the stories are off the beaten path, so I'm not listening to something I've already read about or heard somewhere else.
I am creating a Podcast Network of my own at JCastNetwork.org, and must say that if the shows on our network are as good as Vox Tablet it, then we will have succeeded 100%. I have enjoyed Vox Tablet, and think that the content is amazing, the quality is phenomenal, and I love my weekly fix.
The great thing about VT is that you never know what you will get. An interview with an author? A walk through a neighborhood? A piece of creative writing... the one thing you can be sure of is that you will always enjoy it.
I work in security. The hours are long and the scheduel random. In this are the FM radio is geared toward 8th grade. Podcasts are a must and the VOX Tablet has been one of my favorites. A nice way to stay connected and have a story on a Jewish theme to ponder as I'm catching a moment. Thanks for making it and please keep it coming.
Have been listening to this podcast almost since its inception as Nextbook podcast years ago. Wouldn't miss a new episode and find it difficult to delete the old ones from mp3 player. Sara Ivry is a delight. Show tends to treat Judaism as a cultural phenomenon more than a religion and to objectify observant Judaism and approach religious practice as a curiosity. But I love it.
I've been listening to Vox Tablet for a few years, discovering it in its NextBook incarnation. It's one of the best podcasts I regularly download, and is certainly the best Jewish podcast that I know of.
Sarah Ivry is a pleasure to listen to, and she asks insightful questions. After years of happy listening to WNYC's Leonard Lopate and Brian Lehrer, as well as the ubiquitous syndicated NPR voices like Terry Gross, I thought I was familiar with top-notch interviewing, but Ivry surpasses those more prominent and established figures.
The podcast's editing and production is also exceptional.
This is one of my favorite podcasts. Sarah Ivry is an excellent interviewer, and the topics she selects are always surprising, from transgender Jews to the founder of MAD Magazine. I think anyone who enjoys Fresh Air would enjoy this podcast: the two programs share a similar sensibility. The production quality is very good, and I award extra credit for being the only Jewish-related podcast I subscribe to that does not open with loud klezmer music.
I love the Vox Tablet (nee Nextbook) podcasts. First, the subjects are invariably fascinating. Second, the length of the podcasts is perfect. They are neither too short nor too long. I often listen while exercising or running, and find that it's infinitely better than music for me. On many occasions, I have purchased a book or a piece of music based on the podcast. I'm almost never disappointed. I would pay for this podcast - that's how much I enjoy it.
As one of the very few good sources of news on (recent) Jewish culture, be it religious or secular, Vox Tablet is now on perpetual download. The only down part is that it's a weekly... You know you're doing well when people want more. ; ) Good job!!
