This is an Orthodox, the universe's leading Jewish podcast, I'm Leah Libuitz.

And this week on the show, you'll hear from the son of a famous pointy-eared Starfleet officer, spent some time with the

immensely thoughtful Rabbi Jeff Salkin, and join tablets Gabe Sanders as he reflects on the

transformational power of St. Caddish for his father.

Because this week, it's the Father's Day episode of Unorthodox.

Which, if you think about it, is a little bit strange. Why? Because the Jewish

mother is a thing. It's a cultural icon, a shorthand we all understand. The

Jewish mother is that great big presence that fills up the entire sky

like in that Woody Allen movie long ago. She's caring, doting, overbearing, maligned, adored indispensable.

She's there in so many books and movies and TV shows, from Portnoy's complaint to Gertrude

Berg to Mrs. Maisel and her own marvelous mom that be can and have filled books and books

and books just discussing the merits of the Jewish mother.

But the Jewish father? Now, that's a different story. We have Abraham, of course, who, let's be honest here, has had some, shall we say, issues with fatherhood we have Isaac who doesn't do much better with

his own kids Jacob and Esau and Jacob his kids well I think you know how that

story goes.

The patriarchs are remarkable men, nation-builders, strong, brave and pious,

but I doubt that many of us look at our precious firstborn and say, you know who I would

like to model myself after as a father, the guy who tied his son to the altar and raised

a knife. Add to that the whole business about matrilineal descent and it's easy for Jewish

dads to feel a bit like an afterthought. Now of course there's a lot more to Jewish fathers than that and of course we could

learn so much not just from the patriarchs but also from some of the most

amazing Jewish dads out there today.

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