Welcome to Ritual

Ritual is a 6 episode podcast featuring oral histories from 12 Asian-Jewish families in Vermont. Collected by Katherine Leung during her time as a Vermont Folklife Community Fellow, these stories explore why they moved to Vermont, the cultures and traditions they cherish, and how they navigate their identities in a predominantly white, Christian, English-speaking state.

Episode Guide

Episode 1: Ritual
In this episode, host Katherine Leung shares her journey as a Cantonese-American who converted to Judaism and now raises a family in Northern Vermont. We hear from Breana, Alexa, Kyra, Jeny, Jake, Anna, and Rebecca about how they blend their cultural backgrounds into weddings, baby namings, and holiday celebrations. This episode sets the stage for a season of stories about identity, ritual, and community in an unexpected corner of the country.Episode 2: Have you eaten yet?
In this episode, Katherine explores how language and food serve as lifelines to cultural identity for Asian Jewish families in Vermont. We hear from Jeny, Jake, and Breana about the challenge of holding onto Cantonese when English dominates daily life. Guests also share how the food they grew up eating — from dim sum to matzo ball soup — carries memory, love, and cultural belonging across generations.Episode 3: What holds us together
In this episode, we see shared values between Asian and Jewish cultures at play. Katherine traces the love stories of couples across three decades in New York and China. We hear from couples like Connie and Alex, Mieko and Josh, and Emily about the deeply personal decisions behind naming their children, and the role grandparents play in fostering love for their culture.Episode 4: In Between
NOTE: This episode contains explicit language.
In this episode, Katherine explores what it means to exist between categories — racially, culturally, and beyond. Leaf and Rebecca share what it's like to grow up mixed-race without a roadmap, and how they've each chosen to become the kind of elders and community members they never had. Kyra and others reflect on the experience of being perceived differently depending on who's in the room.Episode 5: Home
NOTE: This episode contains explicit language and mention of drug use.
In this episode, Katherine explores what it means to choose a place to call home — and what happens when that place doesn't choose you back. Emily and Rebecca share how winding, unexpected paths brought them to New England and the sense of rootedness they found there. Jake tells a different story — one of racism, loss, and ultimately leaving New Hampshire behind for a city that finally had room for him.Episode 6: Finding Your People
In this episode, Katherine reflects on the particular relief of friendships that require no explanations. Kyra opens up about embracing her Jewish identity after years of suppressing it; Connie shares how a best friendship shaped the godfather she chose for her son, Moshe; and Lily tells the story of a lifelong bond with another Chinese adoptee — and the uncomfortable questions they've begun asking together as adults about identity, adoption, and belonging.

Thanks for listening!

Tell us your favorite episode and get a free vinyl sticker. Katherine Leung designed these for the listening party to look like mahjong tiles, an activity both Asian-Americans and Jewish-Americans enjoy.

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Listening Party

Listen to snippets, meet the creator, and hear from the participants. More information.Sunday June 14th 5pm, 2026
Ohavi Zedek Synagogue
188 N Prospect St, Burlington, VT 05401See the program from this amazing event!Photo courtesy of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue

Connecting beyond the podcast

Join Our Community

Stay in the loop on events and future gatherings. Email [email protected] to join the Asian Jewish Vermont listserv.Photo by Macaulay Lerman

Follow Katherine Leung

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Katherine's artwork — from Jewish ritual objects to zines on Asian and Jewish identity in Vermont.

Community Feedback

Get to know all 12 participants through a zine created in May 2025. This zine came with a worksheet that was used to collect feedback from participants and community stakeholders leading to the creation of the podcast.Missed the opportunity to share your feedback? Fill out the virtual form!

Vermont Folklife Community Fellowship

Read an interview on the fieldwork behind this project, featured in the Vermont Folklife Field Notes blog in September 2025.

Photo by Macaulay Lerman