"Tiktoks are short, podcasts are long, and we are in the middle." You might even say you're.... JUST BETWEEN 😎

So glad this show is back! I’ve always listened to the podcast but there’s just something about this format I love ❤️

honestly ive been having a terrible depressive episode and one of the few things that manages to cheer me up is the return of the couch episodes.

Those doggos and I are just peacefully listening to everything they have to say.

This was so nice! Don’t hear many Jews in the diaspora talk about their Jewish identity often, I appreciate you guys💙

It's interesting that Allison sees that as a difference between Judaism and Catholicism because growing up Catholic and now being agnostic I've always thought culturally Judaism had a lot of similarities to Catholicism in the way that we both often identify with it without actually believing in God and treating it as more of a cultural thing. And like the whole trauma aspect where like trauma was inflicted upon Jews by the rest of the world and trauma was inflicted on Catholics by Catholicism...

I love you guys, y’all are just like friends that I catch up with every so often. I feel like I could talk to y’all about anything and already understand all of the references from your personal lives 😅

you guys should have ezra furman on the pod! she's a great musician who is also jewish and trans. and talks a lot on the intersection of her identities, and how they've evolved is her music and online ❤❤

I look forward to these every week. love you guys!!

This one got me cackling out loud! As someone that was raised catholic and also went to a Jesuit university, I understand completely how John feels about catholicism, approaching it from a more intellectual side! Indeed a lot to study haha I love this format *so much* but also think this could be a great conversation for topixxx(babyY)!! It would be super interesting to hear more about your relationship with your Jewish identity and how you navigate it both in the current climate and in the balance between spirituality and culture.

Great to see y’all back on the couch, still warms my heart every time :)

wow I am so grateful for the return of the couch show. thank u both kindly

so happy you dropped back into my algorithm again :) been catching up the old favourites but happy to be back up to speed again. there probably isn't even a chair opposite but for me it's a very comfy one listening to your stories!

It's funny - I'm not Jewish, but I'm from a predominantly affluent Jewish town in the Northeast, so I attended a lot of bar/bat mitzvahs and was invited to celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Passover at my friends' homes growing up. That means I understand a lot of the jokes and references. My husband is Jewish and grew up in the same town as me, but since his family wasn't super religious, *I* often end up being the one to teach *him* about random Jewish customs/traditions 😅

This genuinely cheered me up so much. I love you guys

I am so happy that the couch show is back. I will rewatch old couch shows even if I've seen them a million times!

Great episode guys, been here since the beginning and it gave me such a lovely nostalgic feel

so nice to see these eps back - love u all :)

I enjoy these videos so much! Thank you for posting them!

This is so cool, there wasn't a lot of religious diversity where I grew up (small town in Latam) and I only learnt about Judaism on TV (Rugrats and The Nanny, mostly). It is really nice seeing this other part of your identity.

I love the outfits, mug, and dogs in the video! (Plus, the people are cool, too)

The end bit absolutely killed me

Love that the couch talks are back :) 10/10 content

As a former Catholic, I do wish there was more of a way to be "culturally Catholic" where you observe some holidays a traditions but unfortunately Catholics are not very chill.

first! i missed ur videos, u have changed a lot! i love it ❤

I would love to hear y’all talk about the difference between being spiritually jewish and culturally jewish. As a gentile it always rose my curiosity. How connected do you two feel to the spiritual aspect of judaism? Is it a practice or are you mostly involved in the cultural-religious ceremony and culture? Does the ceremony have meaning for you because of the connection to your family / memories or is it personal? Love this episode clearly lol

I actually laughed out loud at this video alone in the airport which is almost rare so well done. loved it

love this! im jewish and my boyfriend is not jewish (also from the uk and im from the us so there's also that) and there's so much that goes over his head. he didnt even know what hanukkah WAS when we first met. i love judaism so much bc its not preachy or strict. if you're jewish, you're jewish. there's nothing you need to do. i also definitely see it as a cultural thing (as it IS an ethno-religion and not just a religion) and if you get it you get it. yall should also read Jews Don't Count it was very eye opening into the ways anti-Semitism sneaks into everything and no one seems to care that much.

They’re back! ❤

I love that these are being made

yayyy couch show is back :D

You guys just reminded me of this daytime Christmas movie my mum forced me to watch because it centred around a Jewish man and a Catholic woman teaching each other about each others culture around Christmas time.

I was raised by a Jewish mom and a Catholic dad and was raised Catholic but also had a lot of culturally Jewish elements. When you said Judaism doesn’t want you, I laughed out loud. One of my good friends is in the process of converting and my mom is like “why? No one in her family is Jewish? How’d she learn about it?” But then would fight people who told us as kids we couldn’t be Catholic because our mom was Jewish. 😅

love the couch showwww

I was raised humanistic jewish, so we celebrated the holidays, learned some of the history and songs, and did some of the prayers but only as tradition not thinking they would do anything. As I've gotten older I want to learn more about jewish culture and traditions, but sadly all the jewish people around me are either far more into the beliefs, or only know about as much as me. I'd love to hear more about both of your practices! Edit: Allison I'm the same way, I make way more jew jokes when I'm around people who aren't! Also that luggage joke was actually really validating because I laughed immediately, it's stuff like that that makes me feel like I really am connected to the culture even if it's not in the ways you'd expect for a religion

Love love love couch show so much! Invite Ariel again too!

Daily shower accomplished high five 🤚

"They really perfect the vibe and the food and the music" of Christmas: indeed we did, but to be fair we got Jewish dudes to write a lot of that music for us.

Love y'all so dearly

Love Gabe’s shirt here

I've been watching these videos since very nearly the beginning of this channel and I still have no idea what the situation is.

I definitely have not underatood The Situation between Gabe and Allison since at least 2017.

Which episode was the Overton window learning from?

As someone who was raised as a social justice catholic this really resonates. I went to a catholic school and loved it. Being smart was valued and it was more multicultural than other private schools. The nuns at my school were pretty nurturing. But i really don’t get the more conservative ideas and am agnostic. I also resent that only the ugly side of Catholicism is resented in media and the Fox News types have appointed themselves the mouthpiece of a faith more rich and complex than just reactionary talk show hosts.

Gabe and Allison this is off topic, but your hairs look great

I've learned about Jewish stereotypes through this channel and other similar content online. I grew up in a very catholic country and went to catholic school so I am relating a lot to this conversation but from the other side lmao. I remember when I was 16 I went on a date with this Christian boy and I was very confused that he didn't know basic catholic stuff, because to me it was common knowledge.

I feel like the perceptions of religious communities vary considerably from country to country. They’re also tied to whether the groups practicing these faiths are also cultural minorities. Being Catholic in Brazil seems to mean something vastly different than being Catholic in the United States, so much so that we even have the concept of non-practicing Catholic. I think this is tied to the fact that Brazilian Catholicism is full of syncretism and is influenced by African and indigenous faiths as well. In the US, Catholics are a religious minority and the faith is/was common among immigrants who belong to cultural minorities, so it appears to be more conservative than protestant faiths.

See, I’m the opposite of Allison. Born and raised Catholic, and very interested in learning about Judaism. I completely get it Edit: I just found a copy of Profiles of Courage at my dad’s house, so the Irish Catholic JFK thing also tracks.

i luv the couch show :')

I was so thankful to get to meet you both during our meet and greet and let you know how much I just naturally end up loving Jews (and that maybe its a minority thing). Not sure which one of you responded with it might be because of a mutual dark sense of humor and I didn't quite get it until that Holocaust joke that had me cracking UP. Do you really know what happens if you get caught!?

Very late to this party but didn't know Gabe had come out as Trans ❤️🎉Chazak chazak v'nitchazek 🏳️‍🌈

I was a sysadmin for a US Jesuit university for a dozen years. One of the priests had a motorcycle and we'd occasionally ride together. I was raised United Methodist but a fundie sect. It was in a majority Roman Catholic area and "you may not date someone who isn't UMC" was a rule my parents maintained. A number of RC classmates were under similar rules as well.

I didn’t know either of you were practicing! Neat! We love Jewish people.

not that you all asked for ideas but I'd love if you could react to some of your old videos for example: ALLISON EXPLAINS AVENGERS ENDGAME HAVING NEVER SEEN AVENGERS ENDGAME

I think it's hard for a lot of non-Jews to understand how differently Judaism functions from other religions, especially christianity. They joke about it but it's true. We don't go seeking out people to join. You can convert, but it's a very long and intensive process. And most Jews nowadays connect with Judaism on a cultural level, not a spiritual one. But I'm still very proud to be Jewish. It's such a rich tradition and culture and history. I don't believe in God at all but I am still and always will be Jewish.

Gabe, the word you were trying to think of there was that Jews don't proselytize :) It's not like no one ever gets to convert to Judaism, but they have to find their own way there -- no one's proselytizing at them.

I have a similar experience to you, Gabe. My Jewish education was queerphobic and horrible. I had a terrible time. And I am now coming back to the Jewish community. I am also interested in alternative conceptions of god! I love that shit!

As someone who was raised catholic and only exposure to Jewish traditons was mostly through bar and bat mitzvahs the HORAH IS LIT

As someone from an irish catholic family, the jfk joke made me laugh out loud. extremely true!!

lol at the ending

Lmaooo yess I died. I was raised in the Jewish orthodox world and also went to religious schools and am also gay. This is so funny. I have this same experience with the non Jews I date. But also I sometimes feel misunderstood and have to filter speech, no amount of explaining would make it so that they understand. So I just have to be okay with it

As someone who knew very little about Judaism, Miriam Anzovin's Daf Reactions shorts/tiktoks is a hilarious way to learn about the Talmud.

omg coming from the South, i knew maybe 2 Jews and 3 Catholics in my entire school (everyone else came from Christian families) so i knew NOTHING about these other religions until i got to college and made more Jewish and Catholic friends! i can relate to Alex so hard

Ok, I have been watching you all since the video skit where Allison is concerned about something growing down there (Don't Get Turned On). Since then, nothing and so much has changed! Alison still has her 10/10 socks dangling, while finding humor in the tough stuff and Gabe is still searching for truth. I most understand Gabe as it's hard to pull your way out of a religious family, without going to some extremes, but once you're fully out, you can look back and start looking back without the same amount of emotional fog. Sorry, Allison, my eyes were exclusively on the dangle and sugar.

couch videos my beloved

The culture shock or gap makes total sense to me. I'm atheist but culturally Christian (more specifically Anglican) in the UK, so def not a minority, lol, and chronically single - but I have still had friends etc who were Jain or Muslim or whatever where I'd casually reference something and they'd just be like ??? Like Lazarus, or using the phrase "feeding the five thousand", or something; stuff I'm referencing as more culture/history than religion but also like, oh yeah, ofc you don't know what that is.

As an Irish Catholic the JFK thing is so real like why does my grandmama have so many pictures of him

Can I petition for the sign on the wall to make a comeback

Can’t believe that dog is still going (respectfully). So cute and so old

This is so interesting! I think I tend to assume most liberal people my age are atheist unless they actively talk about their religion frequently. Maybe that’s just the common thing in my friend group though: all raised some kind of Christian, but have mostly stopped believing and/or practicing.

You guys crack me up lol

Fellow Jew with a very dark sense of humour. Lol. Always love these classic JBU videos!

Woooo 🎉

I love hearing you guys talk about Judaism!

I also did not know any of the stereotypes about Jewish people as a catholic. When people were saying that Jewish people had big noses and showed me pictures of Anne frank i genuinely couldn’t see it. I felt like everyone had big noses. I know I did so I was like ?????

As a non-Catholic who grew up in Ireland but was never indoctrinated into the faith, I find it so hard to think of a life of where I don't know waaaay more than I want to about Catholicism, it sounds so peaceful ahaha

I don't even know what an outdoor mall is...

Love the cultural dark sense of humour!

The first two weddings I went to growing up were lesbian weddings at my synagogue. I feel like my home community's commitment to embracing diversity is a major reason why I still connect to Judaism despite not relating to many historical teachings or a traditional view of G-d. I wish more Jewish communities recognized the power of embracing diversity, by welcoming Jews of color and non-Ashkies, LBGT+ Jews, disabled and neurodivergent Jews, patrilineal Jews, interfaith families, etc. Not to mention constructive discussion of Israel/Palestine and other divisive but important conversations. Many Jewish communities I've taken part in over the years have been anywhere from weird to outright hostile about the diversity of thought, background, and experience among our people, and it makes me so mad that these same people then have the nerve to complain about young people "abandoning their communities." What if their communities abandoned them first? Much love to anyone in that situation-there are accepting communities out there if you want them, both Jewish and non-Jewish.

Do you know the short story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank?” It is relevant to Gabe’s comment about asking if people would hide them if there was another holocaust

and see I'm half Irish-Catholic and the JFK joke just sent me to the moon. my very very catholic aunt LOVES the kennedys.

❤️

Every doctor and therapist I have to explain that yes I complain a lot but thats just part of Judaism and I'm supposed to be at least a little annoyed all the time thats normal

9:22 let’s just be honest. At this point, Christmas is much more a cultural holiday than a religious one. Not that it matters, this is just something I’ve thought about for some time now and it’s something I’ve come to realize

💖

Please reply to Tiktok's messages. I want to translate part of your book, Overthinking about You, and I need your help, please.

I love that Judaism embraces joy but always remembers the suffering of past and present (see Crazy Ex Girlfriend song)

We didn’t want any person to marry us, so we had a Quaker wedding 💒 where your union is self-united.

Coming from a Catholic Latin American country it's funny to me that you feel the need to say "Catholicism does have a culture" as if there was any doubt 😂. This is not meant as criticism, it's really just funny from where I'm looking and I understand you two are looking from somewhere else 😜 I used to be a Catholic because it's the default but I got more and more disappointed of it and I haven't seen myself as one for many years. But when I moved to a majority Protestant place I noticed that I am still culturally a Catholic. And I love it.

Comment for the algorithm, Xoxoxo

Living around Christianity it is a strange feeling to be raised in a religion that does not proselytize.

my parents are interfaith couple and allison my dad still finds making jew jokes to my mom (who is catholic) hilarious after thirty years of marriage

I’m Protestant and my boyfriend is Catholic (both gay, both traumatised by it lol). It’s so interesting because we make similar observations. Catholicism is a lot more rooted in culture identity and evangelical Protestants are fully just about Jesus and hating ourselves.

as a jew who works as a cantor for the catholic church i vibe so hard with literally everything in this video lmao

My husband is Jewish and I’m Catholic and OH BOY I was not ready for how drunk I was going to be at Passover. Now I pregame with carbs so I don’t get trashed by the end of the Seder.

Gabe is 100% on the nose that Irish Catholic American culture is being absolutely _obsessed_ with JFK

One of my partners is Jewish and I’m like agnostic/neo pagan

“That’s why I don’t know anything, girl” 😂😂😂

Christmas is absolutely more of a cultural holiday than a religious holiday. In many countries more people celebrate Christmas than there are Christians.

Calling your non-Jewish partner anti-semitic is peak humor.