<p>Outside of orthodox communities, there’s a trend of boys and men increasingly disengaging from Jewish institutional life. A new article in the winter 2026 <em>Sapir Journal</em> called “Boyz II Mensches” by Adam Teitelbaum sparks the question: does the retreat of boys and men from Jewish communal life mirror a broader societal pattern of male disengagement from civic and religious institutions?</p> <p>On today’s episode of <em>Not in Heaven</em>, our rabbi podcasters debate Teitelbaum’s proposal to reimagine the bar mitzvah as a multi-year process of growth through age 18 as one of the ways to reclaim meaningful male identity within Jewish life.</p> <p>Then, the rabbis turn to one of synagogue life’s most beloved and controversial institutions: the Kiddush club. Is it a harmless break and opportunity for male bonding and community-building — or a boozy affront to the sanctity of prayer?</p> <p><strong>Related stories:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Read Adam Teitelbaum's article <a href="https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/boyz-ii-mensches/" rel="nofollow">&amp;quot;Boyz II Mensches&amp;quot;</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>redits</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Hosts:</strong> Avi Finegold, Yedida Eisenstat, Matthew Leibl</li> <li><strong>Production team:</strong> Zachary Judah Kauffman (editor), Michael Fraiman (executive producer)</li> <li><strong>Music:</strong> Socalled</li> </ul> <p><strong>Support The CJN</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://thecjn.ca/newsletters/" rel="nofollow">Subscribe to The CJN newsletter</a></li> <li><a href="https://thecjn.ca/donate/" rel="nofollow">Donate to The CJN</a> (+ get a charitable tax receipt)</li> <li><a href="https://pnc.st/s/not-in-heaven" rel="nofollow">Subscribe to <em>Not in Heaven</em></a> (Not sure how? <a href="https://thecjn.ca/arts/podcast-how-to/" rel="nofollow">Click here</a> )</li> </ul>