Lunch Dates: Ep. 224

This week, two Jews and a Quaker walk into a podcast! First, Stephanie has lunch with A.J. Jacobs—over Zoom. He explains his fondness for dining via the videoconferencing service, which he started doing five years ago while working from home. He tells us about returning to the germaphobic habits he worked hard to abandon, reminds us to remain grateful during trying times, and tells us about his puzzling latest project. Then, Mark checks in with Eric Ackland, owner of Amazing Books and Records in Pittsburgh, PA. Eric was on our conversion episode in 2019, telling the story of his journey from secular Judaism to Orthodoxy. He returns to candidly share the financial uncertainty now facing his business, which has closed both its locations and is now relying on online sales. Finally, we talk to Andy Boone, our first Quaker guest, and Mark's poker buddy. He tells us about his love of hobbies, including most recently, birding, and helps us embrace the Quaker-friendly values of silence and contemplation. Be part of our upcoming special episodes! Do you have a story to share about conversion, and what books or movies helped you along the way? Want to tell us about a lesser-known Jewish community for our Jews Around the World episode? Send us your story as a voicemail at (914) 570-4869, or record a voice memo on your phone and email it to unorthodox@tabletmag.com. Our tour events for April 2020 have been postponed. Stay tuned for updates on rescheduled dates, and join our Facebook group to see much more of us, and connect with other listeners. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get new episodes, photos, and more. Follow Unorthodox on Twitter and Instagram. Get your Unorthodox T-shirts, sweatshirts, and baby onesies here. Sponsors: The Great Courses Plus is offering a free month of unlimited access to their entire library of online courses. Start your free month at thegreatcoursesplus.com/unorthodox.