Happy New Year Schmuckboys! Your co-hosts start of 2026 giving you the lowdown on their holiday festivities. Libby and Jack fostered an adorable puppies, learned some lessons about parenthood and had a wholesome trip with their friends. Marla and Josh spent a memorable week in Hawaii with his family and together celebrated his big 28th birthday. Libby and Marla then welcome the guest for this week, professor and activist, Shai Davidai. Starting off, Shai shares a bit about growing up in Israel and how him and his wife met. The trio discuss the differences between dating in the US vs in Israel and how friend groups often mirror whatever is happening in each other's relationships. He also shares his advice for success in marriage but emphasizes that he can only speak to his personal experience. The group then talk about some of the difficulties young Jews face nowadays trying to date on the apps when they can often see antisemitism on people's profiles. Shai then talks about how life changed for him and his wife after October 7th, describing the moment they discussed why they felt they had a responsibility to speak up, even though he knew it could come with serious professional and personal consequences.

The conversation moves into what Shai has observed within universities since then, including how Jewish students have been treated and how antisemitism has been minimized or excused in academic spaces. He breaks down the distinction between legitimate criticism of Israeli policy and antisemitism, explaining how that line is often intentionally blurred. Marla and Libby ask for Shai's advice on what college students should do when facing antisemitism.

As the episode continues, Shai reflects on how he copes with the stress and pressure, emphasizing the importance of consistency, moral clarity, and staying grounded in one's values. He talks about the role social media has played in amplifying his message, while also acknowledging the challenges of being constantly visible and misunderstood online. The group talks about in-fighting within the Jewish community and how they think people need to focus more on that they all have the same goal even if they have different ideas of how to achieve it.

Toward the end of the episode, the group talks about his podcast, "Here I Am With Shai Davidai," and what keeps Shai going despite the obstacles. The episode wraps up with final thoughts, reflections, and a classic Schmuckboys sign-off.

You can find Shai Davidai on Instagram @shaidavidai, his podcast @hereiamwithshaidavidai and Schmuckboys @schmuckboysofficial.

This week on Schmuckboys, Marla and Libby bring on author and content creator, Carrie Berk. She starts off sharing about her own relationship journey and the inspiration behind her book "My Real-Life Rom-Com," which chronicles her dating life during the pandemic. Carrie shares some of her dating disaster stories and how she has now fear about sharing all the details in her books, she just changes names for privacy.

The girls then discuss Carrie's newest book "Mindfire" which combines personal experiences about anxiety and OCD, aiming to help others feel understood and less alone. Carrie highlights the need for relatable content in mental health literature and the importance of vulnerability in sharing personal struggles. The girls talk about the different ways people deal with anxiety and touch upon dating while dealing with OCD, suggesting that people lead with education rather than expecting immediate understanding from others. Carrie discusses her Jewish background and how it influences her storytelling, emphasizing the importance of prayer and faith during difficult times. Carrie also addressed the challenge of balancing sharing her Jewish identity online with appealing to a broader audience, advocating for authenticity and self-confidence. The girls then talk more about Carrie's writing journey, revealing she has written approximately 22 books, including children's books with her mother and solo works. She shared that her writing process is organic, often writing in spontaneous moments, and her proudest career moment was the successful launch of her solo book Rom-Com. They play a quick game of cute or cringe and end off with Carrie defining a "schmuckboy."

You can find Schmuckboys on instagram @schmuckboysofficial, Carrie Berk @CarrieBerkk and her books "My Real Life Rom Com" and "Mindfire" are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and more!

Marla and Libby are thrilled to start off Season 5 with the hilarious Elon Gold!

Before they bring him on though, they update you on all the things in their lives. Marla shares about celebrating her one-year anniversary with Josh and their families meeting over a memorable Shabbat dinner. She offers advice for how to best prepare for big milestones like that. Libby's shares about the recent loss of her grandmother and how that's affected her, especially as it came at the same time as the hostage release. She also talks about how she's been focused on getting into a good routine. They then touch upon the significance of studying in Israel, with a spotlight on a their new partnership with 'The Future is Calling' encouraging American Jewish students to consider Israeli universities for their academic and personal growth.

They then welcome the episode's centerpiece - an in-depth interview with the iconic Elon Gold—comedian, writer, actor, and passionate advocate for Jewish causes. Starting off the trio discuss Elon's hatred for podcasts, even though he does have his own (Stars of David) and how he prefers to focus more on stand-up comedy than other content. He shares about a recent trip to Israel with his family and how he has learned to really cherish the time he has with kids. He talks about his journey from performing the purim shpiel at his high school to finding success in Hollywood and how he realized he loved making people laugh. He opens up about the challenges of balancing a career in Hollywood with a deep commitment to faith, family, and Shabbat, and how these values have shaped his choices both personally and professionally including a time he got fired from a show for not wanting to film during Shabbat.

Elon offers candid insights into the realities of rejection and resilience in show business and talks about how he believes in the power of manifesting dreams like how he met his wife at 15 and knew he wanted to marry her right away. The discussion then delves into Jewish dating, marriage, and the evolving expectations of relationships, with Elon sharing wisdom from his own long-term marriage and family life. He talks about what actually matters in choosing a partner and the trio discuss why it sometimes feels like there are more eligible Jewish women than there are men nowadays.

In a surprise turn of events, their podcast gets interrupted by a FaceTime from Marla's sister - Sarah, who is engagement ring shopping with their mom. Coincidentally, Sarah is friendly with Elon, so the group has a hilarious reunion conversation, including a few words from Marla's mom. And Elon and Sarah discuss that sometimes someone from your past can actually end up being your future.

Marla and Libby along with Elon, end off by sharing their definitions of a Schmuckboy.

You can find Elon Gold on Instagram @ElonGold. And Schmuckboys on Instagram @SchmuckboysOfficial.

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Are you or a friend interested in taking your college experience to the next level? Because your future is bigger than you think — and Israel might be the place it truly unfolds. If you've ever considered studying abroad or reconnecting with your roots, this is your sign.

Learn more and take the next step at thefutureiscalling.org.