One podcast. One book club. One theme: Jewish romance. Courtesy of HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB.Jewish books! Let me preface by saying that I experience a lot of hyperactive obsessions in my life where I become passionately engulfed in something random. Currently, for example, I can’t stop listening to history podcasts, something I actually used to be against. However, what’s been on my “obsession goal list” for ages that I keep forgetting about? Reading more Jewish books. Pre-COVID, there was a small period where I tried to accomplish this but failed. I was only familiar with two classic Jewish authors, Chaim Potok and Philip Roth. I tried to read Roth’s American Pastoral, but its prose was too heavy for me. In 2020, while stuck at home, I read plenty of Potok’s hits, including The Chosen and My Name Is Asher Lev, and LOVED them. It’s been a while since I picked up a book with a Jewish story or a book by a prolific Jewish author, but thanks to the HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB podcast, my passion for Jewish literature has reemerged.
Now, before you gasp, don’t worry. This podcast has nothing to do with erotica. Well, some of the books may have sexy premises, but this isn’t a “sexy” podcast. Its hosts, stepsisters Raizel Mintz and Malya Levin, are just goofing around. Sometimes the best way to get someone’s attention is to say a “shocking” word. Mintz and Levin do that and then fool you with a comforting, funny, and very insightful nosedive into current Jewish romance novels. Their sense of humor is evident in their podcast title and description too.
“Raizel and Malya review Jewish romance novels and movies for your listening pleasure. Keywords: Hanukkah Chanukah Hannukah Hanukah Channukah Hannukkah Chanuka Hanukka”
With its debut episode having premiered last March, the HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB is relatively new with the ability to go on for a long time with the world’s vast expansion of Jewish romance novels. Unbeknownst to me, I had NO IDEA Jewish romance novels were a trend. Then again, I also don’t read a lot of romance novels. Through its 18 episodes so far, Mintz and Levin have transitioned from reviewing Hanukkah-themed novels to Jewish-themed romance novels to Jewish-themed made-for-TV romance films. They even interviewed Aleeza Ben Shalom, host/matchmaker of Netflix’s hit show, Jewish Matchmaking (2023).
Regardless of “Hanukkah” and “love not being the signature themes of the podcast anymore, the hosts’ candid observations and affable personalities have continued to make this one of the most original podcasts I’ve listened to in a long time. Book clubs we all know, but digital book clubs focused on not just Jewish books but romantic Jewish books and movies? In the endless spectrum of podcasts, the HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB is certainly a new one.
I do admit that I was hesitant to look into this podcast for many reasons. As I stated, I don’t read romance novels. I also don’t attend and have never been a member of any book club, let alone a “digital” one. I even have trouble reading books alone because my brain is focused on five billions things. (The current book I’m reading? I have NO CLUE what’s going on.) I was dubious to think I could be entertained and oddly moved by a podcast book club based around a theme I’m not familiar with. Through their reviews of schmaltzy, guilty-pleasure books, Mintz and Levin loosen up that pessimistic side of us doubting the existence of true love.
In an interview with Jewish Journal¸ the hosts explain the unexpected pull romance novels can have on singles out there. It’s just up to the singles themselves to gain confidence.
“Once you’re fully evolved, then you can connect with somebody and have a real relationship,” says Malya. “I actually feel like that’s a little naïve. We’re all messed up and flawed. You’re not going to get to some mountaintop where you’re like, ‘I’ve healed myself and now I’m ready!’ We’re all works in progress.”
“Works in progress” is a fantastic way to describe any human. Everyone, singles and “taken,” learns and grows each day. For romance novels, despite their eye-rolling titles and descriptions, these stories give us hope. They help us believe in true love, no matter how over-the-top or predictable their plots may be. I think the unique thing about the Hanukkah Erotica Podcast is how Mintz and Levin are fully aware of this. These aren’t ignorant women who “fan-girl” over everything. They know perfectly well that romance novels and films can be silly, and that’s totally OK. They’re a guilty pleasure but also a peculiar form of healing for anyone seeking their soulmate. Do I sound schmaltzy? Have I become curious in reading more romance novels?! Possibly…
Here is a preview of some books and movies that Mintz and Levin chat about:
- Shmutz by Felicia Berliner. A novel about an ultra-Orthodox woman in Brooklyn who questions her sexuality after secretly watching porn.
- Menorah in the Middle (2022), directed by Jordan Kessler. A Hulu film about an engaged woman who returns to her hometown for Hanukkah and reconnects with an old friend… and potential new flame.
- The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman. A novel about a New York divorce attorney realizing she possesses the same matchmaking skills as her deceased grandmother did.
- Jewish Summer Camp Mafia by Malina Saval. A YA novel about a 17-year-old girl who reluctantly goes to a sleepaway camp in the Poconos where she falls for a handsome counselor who unfortunately isn’t Jewish.
- The Purim Fling by Sara Marks. A novelette about a post-graduate woman who begins a relationship with a man she met at a – you guessed it – Purim party.
Go to wherever you get your podcasts and listen to an episode or two. Also, remember that there’s
nothing to be embarrassed about with romance novels. Who cares if they’re schmaltzy? Isn’t love schmaltzy already? There’s no need to feel ashamed. And who knows? If you’re a cynical, single podcast listener out there, perhaps the HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB will galvanize you to get up and get on the dating scene…
HANUKKAH EROTICA BOOK CLUB is available to stream wherever you get your podcasts.