J’Oy Vey: What the push towards ‘Jewish Joy’ misses

“Jewish joy” is having a moment. It shows up in grant guidelines, new organizational mission statements and frothy headlines like “This Hanukkah Episode of NPR’s Tiny Desk Is Full of Jewish Joy,” “How to Connect to Your Jewish Joy,” “What Brings Cookbook Author Leah Koenig Jewish Joy” and “Simchat Torah: A road map for Jewish joy.”

In spring 2027, Jewish Joy LLC—an umbrella organization that includes The Jewish Joy Book Club, The Jewish Joy Box, Jewish Joy Publishing and Jewish Joy Media—is hosting Jewish Joy Con: three funtastic days of Jewish pop culture, merch vendors and book lectures at a sprawling convention centre in Fort Lauderdale. (Jewish Joy Con was previously scheduled for March 2026, but organizers had to joyfully postpone.)

In a post-Oct. 7 world, rediscovering Jewish joy became an important corrective to the idea that Jewish life should be defined primarily by crisis—and that victimization and grief could provide a sustainable foundation for Jewish identity.

But now, some critics wonder whether binging on all that traditional, syrupy Jewish joy might result in an equally traditional Jewish tummy ache.

Today on Not in Heaven, our rabbinic podcasters ask what the movement for Jewish joy gets right—and what it misses. What is Judaism’s relationship to joy? Is joy a means or an end in itself? Can joy coexist with substance?

Credits

• Hosts: Avi Finegold, Yedida Eisenstat, Matthew Leibl
• Production team: Zachary Judah Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director)
• Music: Socalled

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