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Is Israel at its turning point – or at its breaking point?
Jonah interviews Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who explains Israel’s non-executive presidency and his priority of unifying a debating war-time nation. President Herzog breaks down the challenging future of the Middle East, the pivotal bond between Israel and the Jewish diaspora, and his vision for healing deep political divisions ahead of pivotal Knesset elections – including the heated debate over Haredi military service and the IDF.
President Herzog also reflects on the rising global antisemitism post 10/7, and why strengthening ties between Israelis and world Jewry has become one of his highest priorities. He lays out why he sees Israel as a frontline defender of the free world, and the role the Trump administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee have in reshaping Middle East diplomacy.
President Herzog dives into Israel’s evolving diplomatic framework with Lebanon, the challenges of dismantling Hezbollah and Hamas – while insisting that Iran remains “the head of the snake,” and how his Voice of the People initiative can create positive change. He also shares his hopes for Israel’s 80th anniversary.
MONOLOGUE: Jonah Phona is back! Jonah responds to listeners’ burning questions about the podcast, his favorite Jewish Broadway show, how to have constructive bridge-building conversations, and more!
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:01:49 – The Role of the President in Israeli Politics
President Herzog breaks down his responsibilities as the President of Israel, primarily focusing on his role in unifying the Israeli body politics and nation.
The institution of the Presidency
00:03:43 – Haredi Draft Debate
President Herzog explains the nuances of the newly passed Torah study bill granting exemption to Heredi Irealis from being drafted into the IDF.
Contentious Basic Law on Torah study, aimed at shielding draft evaders, passes 1st reading
00:10:14 – Elections and National Stakes
President Herzog tells us what he thinks the stakes of the upcoming Israeli elections are, and his role in making sure Israelis participate peacefully and respectfully.
Trends and Key Developments Ahead of the 2026 Israeli Election
00:14:13 – Diaspora and Jewish Unity
President Herzog emphasizes the necessity of Jewish education in the Diaspora in order to maintain Israel’s vibrant democracy, and lauds the Jewish Federation’s new bill granting funds to Jewish day schools around the world.
Israeli government, JFNA partner on $66.7 million plan to boost Jewish day schools
00:16:36 – Voice of the People Initiative
President Herzog tells us about his Voice of the People initiative, which aims to engage a diverse range of Jewish voices from 6 continents, working together to collectively identify, discuss and creatively address the most pressing immediate and long term challenges affecting the Jewish people.
Voice of the People Initiative
00:24:23 – War Front Lebanon and Gaza
President Herzog talks about the new Israel-Lebanon agreement, the challenges Iran poses to unity in the Middle East, and how the disarmament of Hezbollah and Hamas are essential for lasting peace.
Landmark Israel-Lebanon Agreement Intersects the U.S.-Iran Conflict
00:34:45 – The Past, Present, and Future of President Herzog in his Current Role
President Herzog reflects on the first 5 years of his presidency, what his current priorities are, and his goals for the rest of his term.
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
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President Herzog’s Instagram
President Herzog’s X Account
Office of President of Israel X Account
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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What happens when a boy raised on antisemitic propaganda becomes a Muslim bridge-builder whose life is saved by Jewish friends?
Mohammed Al Samawi, Yemeni refugee and author of The Fox Hunt, joins Jonah on location at Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C., for a conversation about the painstaking work of learning another person’s story. Al Samawi founded the multi-faith co-living and community space, where Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Bahá’í fellows share meals, host Shabbat and Ramadan gatherings, and create a safer way for people to ask hard questions. In this episode, Al Samawi describes growing up in Sanaa, where slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” were used to redirect anger away from corrupt leaders and toward Jews. As a teenager, he internalized violent antisemitic ideas, but learning English through movies, reading the Bible in secret, and asking forbidden questions began to unravel what he had been taught.
The conversation follows Al Samawi, from reading Torah and messaging Israelis on Facebook to attending his first Muslim-Jewish conference. Later, as the Houthis and Al-Qaeda closed in, three Jewish friends and one Christian friend helped coordinate his evacuation from Yemen. Those experiences became the foundation for Abrahamic House. After October 7, Al Samawi says the house became even more necessary: a place where grief did not have to become separation, and where hospitality could make room for truth.
Ultimately, Mohammed’s story makes the case that interfaith work is not abstract idealism; it can be the difference between inherited hatred and real human connection.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:01:22 — Inside Abrahamic House, Where Shabbat Meets Ramadan
Mohammed shows Jonah the dining room where fellows host Shabbats, Ramadan celebrations, Eid gatherings, and family-style meals for the community.
Abrahamic House
00:08:15 — From Antisemitic Indoctrination to Questioning Jewish Hate
Mohammed recalls the violent anti-Jewish ideas he absorbed as a teenager and how religious curiosity eventually pushed him to investigate for himself.
The Against the Odds Escape of Mohammed Al Samawi | AJC
00:23:30 — How Facebook Became a Window Past Propaganda
Mohammed explains how social media helped him meet Jews and Israelis, ask forbidden questions, and discover shared values outside state-controlled narratives.
Mohammed Al Samawi: How Interfaith Activism Became, and Saved, His Life
00:34:00 — The 13 Days Hiding from Houthis and Al-Qaeda
Mohammed describes hiding in Aden with no safe way out, praying for help, and posting on Facebook in hopes someone could evacuate him.
How Facebook friends saved one man from execution
00:42:45 — Why Mohammed Created Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C.
Mohammed explains how loneliness as a refugee, his love of friendship, and the model of Friends inspired a real-life interfaith home.
00:51:00 — How to Meet Muslims Beyond Fear and Stereotypes
Mohammed urges listeners to investigate Islam the way he investigated Judaism: by meeting people, asking human questions, and resisting extremist narratives.
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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Follow Jonah on:
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Learn more about Mohammed Al Samawi:
Mohammed Al Samawi - Abrahamic House
The Fox Hunt: A Memoir of Yemen and My Odyssey to America – A True Story of Courage and Escape Through Social Media
Mohammed Al Samawi Instagram
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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How did an 80-year-old Chabad rabbi become a global social media phenomenon, and why is his message resonating from Los Angeles to New Guinea?
Rabbi Manis Friedman, author, longtime educator, and one of the world’s most-followed rabbis on YouTube, joins Jonah to ask a deceptively simple question: why are we here? Friedman argues that creation has a direction and that modern anxiety grows from meaninglessness, not deprivation. People are safer and more comfortable than ever, he says, but without knowing what life is for, comfort becomes a treadmill. From tikkun olam to the follower in New Guinea who walked eight hours for internet access and later built a Torah center, Friedman shows how a clear sense of purpose can cross cultures and transform lives.
Friedman reframes Torah not as a list of commandments, but as God explaining Himself and inviting humanity into a relationship. For him, that is Chabad’s mission: making God knowable so that love can be real. He explains Shabbat as resting alongside God, modesty as protecting intimacy from the distraction of appearances, and ordinary work as service when it improves the world. When Jonah asks how a parent should respond to a child who says, “I didn’t ask to be born,” Friedman turns the question into the episode’s central claim: stop thinking of yourself as needy. You are needed. His message is bracing but hopeful: meaning begins when life stops being about what we can get and becomes about what we are here to give.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Are you a “bad Jew”—or simply disengaged? Jonah replaces guilt with a sharper test: where are your time and energy actually going?
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:01:43 — Why Judaism Says Creation Has a Purpose and Direction
Rabbi Manis Friedman explains tikkun olam, humanity’s role in perfecting creation, and why the question of purpose has become urgently modern.
What Is Tikkun Olam? - Chabad.org
00:16:10 — The Man Who Walked Eight Hours to Learn Torah
Friedman shares how a follower in New Guinea walked eight hours to access internet, then built a Torah center for villagers arriving by canoe.
00:22:45 — The Torah Is God Explaining Why He Needs Us
Friedman reframes the Torah and Ten Commandments as God revealing Himself and asking humanity to choose relationship rather than programmed obedience.
The Ten Commandments | My Jewish Learning
00:29:13 — How Chabad Makes God Knowable Through Torah and Relationships
Friedman explains Chabad as the work of making God knowable, arguing that genuine love—of God or a spouse—depends on understanding.
What Is Chabad?
00:35:21 — You Are Not Needy—You Are Needed by God
Friedman argues that humanity’s existence matters because God has “skin in the game,” transforming life from a burden into a divine necessity.
00:46:56 — Why Rabbi Manis Friedman Says Seeing Kills Intimacy
Friedman connects modesty to intimacy, arguing that appearances can distract us from loving the person rather than merely their visible qualities.
Why Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? - Reclaiming Intimacy, Modesty, and Sexuality - Chabad.org
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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Learn more about Rabbi Manis Friedman:
Rabbi Manis Friedman - YouTube
It’s Good to Know - Rabbi Manis Friedman
Rabbi Manis Friedman - Instagram
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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From Saudi officials to diaspora Jews, why are so many people listening to Dan Senor?
Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of Start-Up Nation, joins Jonah for a deep dive on Israel, Jewish identity, and the future of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Senor explains how Call Me Back built a devoted audience organically, attracting diaspora Jews seeking trustworthy information, journalists looking for good-faith dialogue, and even international listeners, including Saudi officials, drawn to its thoughtful, long-form conversations about Israel and the Middle East.
Senor discusses how the October 7 attacks reshaped Jewish engagement, the sense of political homelessness many moderate Jews have experienced, and the opportunities emerging from one of the most consequential moments in modern Jewish history. He also emphasizes the need for a Jewish Renaissance centered on expanding access to Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Israel programs, and lifelong Jewish learning. Senor argues that investing in Jewish education and community infrastructure is essential for Jews to flourish.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah reflects on the importance of allies, why he'll sell tickets to future events in pairs, and why “ALLY-ah” may be just as important - if not more important - than aliyah right now.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:07:30 — How Call Me Back Became the World’s Number One Israel Podcast
Dan on building the top Israel podcast organically after October 7th.
Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor - YouTube
00:10:45 — “Israel Was at War. The Diaspora Was Under Attack.”
Dan quotes Rabbi Ingber's defining line on October 7th: Israel was at war, but the diaspora had no army to fight back.
The toll of the Israel-Hamas War on diaspora Jews
00:15:09 — Would Dan Interview Former Allies Who’ve Gone to a “Dark Place”?
Dan considers hosting antisemitic voices to understand, not challenge, their logic.
00:27:33 — Why “Call Me Back” Audience Skews Left of Dan Senor
The “October 8th Jew” phenomenon and left-of-center Jews finding community.
A look at the October 8th Jews | The Jerusalem Post
00:31:42 — The Jewish Future Is Too Expensive. Here’s How to Fix It.
Dan on day schools, affordability gaps, and the case for a Jewish renaissance.
Why Jewish Living Feels So Expensive These Days | Kosher Money
00:43:37 — Where Do Adult Jews Without Kids Find Jewish Community?
Dan on Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the Hartman Institute, and adult entry points to Jewish life.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin on her Jewish faith and her slain son's spiritual quest
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Learn More about Dan Senor:
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor - Podcast
Dan Senor Website
Dan Senor X
Credits:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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From The Big Bang Theory to Jewish advocacy, Mayim Bialik shares the personal journey behind the public persona.
Jonah Platt interviews actress, neuroscientist, author, and Orthodox Jew Mayim Bialik (Blossom and The Big Bang Theory) about rising antizionism and antisemitism, arguing it functions as a hate movement that shuts down dialogue through intimidation and threats.
The conversation explores the rise of antizionist activism on college campuses, her parenting two sons amid the campus hostility, and her experiences navigating public criticism. She shares about her experiences visiting family in the West Bank, and her identification with Israel as her homeland. Jonah and Mayim discuss personal experiences of being confronted online and in public. Such as being protested for being labeled a “Zionist,” and her experience with shifting attitudes at UCLA in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
She also reflects on her directorial debut, As They Made Us, pressures in Hollywood such as lost sponsorships and exclusion from liberal spaces, and the courage required to remain visibly Jewish in public life. Thoughtful, honest, and often humorous, this episode offers a powerful exploration of identity, resilience, and what it means to live proudly as a Jew in the modern world.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah unpacks the paradox of two true statements, both seemingly made untrue by the other: Denying the connection of the Jewish people to Israel is bigotry. AND, conflating the Jewish people with Israel is also bigotry.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:08:15 — Being a Public Jew in the Age of Social Media and Online Threats
Mayim on how social media exposed her to antisemitic threats long before October 7th.
Mayim Bialik: Our safety is at risk we've never experienced before00:17:00 — Anti-Zionism on Campus: 30 Years of Hostility from Cincinnati to UCLA
Mayim traces three decades of campus anti-Zionism from UCLA swastikas to university protests.
Jewish Faculty Members at UCLA Say Enough is Enough - File Legal Documents to Join a Federal Lawsuit to Stop Antisemitic Incidents on Campus
00:32:15 — Liberal Zionism: The Strange Intersection
Mayim on staying a committed Zionist while the Democratic Party distances itself.
What does it mean to be a Liberal American Zionist?00:40:15 — Life in the West Bank: Armed Settlements, Checkpoints, and Human Complexity
Mayim on her family's 50-year life on armed West Bank settlements.
‘Jew-Free Zone’ – My Experience in the West Bank00:53:47 — Hollywood Post-October 7th: Sponsors Lost, Silence, and Jewish Self-Segregation
Mayim on losing podcast sponsors and Hollywood's silence after October 7th.
I was betrayed by Hollywood for speaking out after October 7, says Will & Grace star Debra Messing01:05:24 — Baal Teshuva: From Reform Roots to Modern Orthodoxy, Divorce, and the Gaps in Jewish Community
Mayim traces her baal teshuva path from Reform childhood to Modern Orthodoxy.
What Is a Baal Teshuvah?This Episode’s Partner:
Start watching or listening to Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam at unpacked.bio/WJ
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Learn more about Mayim Bialik:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MayimBialik
Podcast: https://www.bialikbreakdown.com/
Credits:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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What if the answer to "is antizionism antisemitism" is NO...but not for the reason you think? Adam Louis-Klein breaks down the history, language, and ideas driving the debate.
In a thought-provoking conversation, host Jonah Platt interviews Adam Louis-Klein, who returned from anthropological fieldwork with the Desana in the Amazon just after October 7, 2023, to discover the horrors of the attack on Israel. This drove him to become a leading voice opposing antizionism through his writing, appearances, and the organization he founded, Movement Against Antizionism (MAAZ). Adam defines antizionism as hatred of Israel and argues it functions like racism via obsessive libels, such as “colonizer,” “apartheid,” and “genocide,” used to justify hostility and violence against Jewish people. He distinguishes pre-1948 Jewish antizionism from modern antizionism, which he traces to Arab nationalist and Soviet propaganda, and criticizes institutional normalization in universities, NGOs, media, and governments. Klein contends antizionism harms Palestinians by empowering militias like Hamas and Hezbollah and outlines a “truth and reconciliation” vision including antizionism studies and memorialization.
Together, Jonah and Adam discuss the history of Bundism, Reform Judaism, Neturei Karta, the Oslo Accords, and debates surrounding the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, and Israeli identity. The episode also explores how to engage progressive audiences, respond to antizionist rhetoric, and build institutions capable of addressing one of the most consequential ideological battles facing the Jewish community today.
Plus, this week Jonah is back with the fourth installment of L’Dor V'adorable! We thought it couldn’t get any more adorable.
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
16:17 — The Three Core Antizionist Libels: Colonizer, Apartheid, and Genocide
Klein breaks down the foundational accusations driving the antizionist movement — how the colonizer, apartheid, and genocide narratives were engineered to exploit modern moral sensibilities.
Defeating Antizionism
23:37 — Why "Antizionism" Is the Right Term (Not "Antisemitism")
Klein explains why the hate movement has been named as antizionism rather than antisemitism — including the historical parallelism between the two terms and why the distinction actually reaches more people.
Understanding Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism
51:29 — How Antizionism Harms Palestinians, Allies, and Civilization Itself
A breakdown of the collateral damage antizionism causes beyond Jews — including Palestinians living under Hamas/Hezbollah, non-Jewish allies marked as Zionists, and the broader erosion of democratic norms.
Antizionism Is a Hate Movement That Harms Palestinians and All Western Societies
1:15:03 - A Vision for a Post-Anti-Zionism World
Klein's framework for what it would take for society to fully reckon with antizionism the way it has with the Holocaust, including media accountability, university reform, and memorialization.
This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you to Birthright Israel Foundation
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
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Learn More about Adam Louis-Klein:
Adam Louis-Klein Website
Adam Louis-Klein Instagram
Movement Against Antizionism(MAAZ)
MAAZ Toolkits
CREDITS:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder turns grief, antisemitism, and the Jewish experience into one of the funniest and most unexpectedly moving conversations you’ll hear all year.
In this hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound episode, stand-up comic Yohay Sponder joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, Jewish identity, Israel, and the global Jewish experience. Known for his viral English-language stand-up and international tours, Sponder reflects on performing for Jewish audiences across Australia, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States while witnessing rising antizionist hate around the world. Sponder recounts the shocking experience of show cancellations in Amsterdam and Australia after public threats and claims of “perceived insensitivity” in his material. Along the way, the two discuss why Yohay performs in English, what he’s learned being married to an American, and how growing up the grandchild of Holocaust survivors influenced his comedic spark. He shares his goals of making people laugh while spreading Jewish pride and the inspiration behind his comedy specials, Self-Loving Jew and Genesis.
Using humor and vulnerability, Sponder examines what connects Jews globally, emphasizing comedy’s role in strengthening cultural bonds. The episode dives into Sponder’s evolving relationship with Judaism following the death of his father, Holocaust-survivor grandparents, his embrace of traditions like tefillin and wearing a (giant) Star of David.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah ponders Ikiagi, the Japanese concept for “your reason for being,” and how you can find your own Jewish version to guide you in these challenging times.
TIMESTAMPS
2:08 — Why Yohay performs in English
Yohay explains why English became the perfect language for his comedy, saying its structure naturally works better for punchlines than Hebrew.
14:26 — The Amsterdam cancellation
Yohay recounts how his sold-out Amsterdam shows were canceled days before showtime after threats against the venue
18:20 — When boycotts backfire
Yohay explains how protests and cancellations have often helped his career by bringing more publicity, support, and ticket sales.
28:06 — The fan who said his comedy saved her family
Yohay recalls a fan sharing how his comedy helped her and her father through his cancer treatments
30:32 — His father’s Holocaust survivor upbringing
Yohay reflects on his father’s painful childhood as the son of Auschwitz survivors — and how he chose to raise his own family with joy and laughter instead.
49:41 — The meaning of “Self-Loving Jew”
Yohay explains why he named his previous tour Self-Loving Jew, framing it as a response to Jews who publicly criticized Israel after October 7th.
This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you honeymoonisrael.org/beingjewish
More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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Learn More About Yohay Sponder:
Yohay Sponder Youtube
Yohay Sponder Instagram
Yohay Sponder Stand-Up and Appearances
CREDITS:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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The Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler gets brutally honest about Judaism, fame, motherhood, and living with MS in one of her most personal interviews ever.
In one of the podcast’s most open and deeply personal episodes so far Jamie-Lynn Sigler, best known for playing Meadow Soprano on The Sopranos, reflects on growing up Jewish on Long Island, navigating Hollywood at a young age, and finding strength in Jewish identity and community. The two discuss that advocacy doesn't have to be about conflict, but about just sharing your positive experiences with the world. She shares how a transformative Birthright Israel trip deepened her connection to Judaism and Israel especially through experiences in Jerusalem.
Sigler also opens up about living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the emotional toll of hiding her diagnosis for years, and how finally speaking publicly changed her life. The conversation explores marriage, mental health, and the pressure to appear “perfect” while struggling privately. Jamie-Lynn talks about her new memoir, And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope, and her podcasts MeSsy with Christina Applegate and Not Today, PAL. Together, she and Jonah connect with each other on their vulnerability, Jewish pride, and the freedom that comes from finally being fully yourself.
Plus, Rabbi David Ingbar returns to the podcast (Three-Timer!!!) to discuss the history and importance of the Jewish Holiday, Shavout.
Topics discussed:
Discussion about Jewish visibility, stereotypes about what Jewish people “look like,” and proudly embracing her Cuban, Greek, and Jewish heritage.Sigler talks about living with Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”) and why going public about her diagnosis changed her life.The emotional process behind writing her memoir And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope and narrating the audiobook herself.How podcasting opened her emotionally Caregiving, marriage, and parenting with her husband Cutter while navigating life with MS. Sigler explains how The Sopranos became a “safe haven” during struggles with eating disorders, MS, and personal insecurities. The Sopranos Executive Producer David Chase and how Meadow Soprano served as Sigler’s “Sasha Fierce” alter ego. The importance of Jewish community, Shabbat dinners, and raising her sons Jack and Beau with pride in their Jewish heritage.Sigler shares her perspective on Israel, Holocaust education, and visiting the Holocaust Museum during her Birthright experience. Discussion of disability representation in Hollywood and why productions should hire actors actually living with disabilities and chronic illness. Sigler discusses acting projects including Big Sky and how accommodations on set helped her work comfortably with MS.
Mentioned in the episode:
Rabbi David Ingber
What is Shavuot?
Why Cheesecake on Shavuot?
What Are the Five Books of Moses?
Simon Sinek
Counting Up to Shavuot
The Intrinsic Unity of Israel
Mount Sinai
HEBREW WORD OF THE WEEK —TIKUN
Dara Horn BJJP Episode
And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope
Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
Jamie Lynn Sigler Instagram
Jamie Lynn Sigler IMDb
The Sopranos IMDb
Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Emmanuel Chriqui Instagram
Hollywood stars boycott Israeli film companies in response to Gaza crisis
Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass' whirlwind trip to Israel in photos
A Course in Miracles
MeSsy Podcast
Not Today, PAL with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler (Podcast)
David Chase IMDb
What Jamie-Lynn Sigler Wants You to Know About MS
Who Is Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Husband? All About Cutter Dykstra
Birthright Israel
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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A Hollywood writer turned rabbi reveals the unbelievable true stories of Jewish survival history that they never taught in school.
Host Jonah Platt reunites with Rabbi Shmuel Lynn, his former University of Pennsylvania Maimonides Leadership Program teacher, to discuss Lynn’s path from screenwriting (Duke, NYU Film School, LA) to Orthodox Jewish education and leading young adults. Lynn describes growing up amid antisemitism in Palm Beach, discovering observant Jews in Hollywood, and being drawn to meaningful Jewish history through a Holocaust writing job. He explains his focus on college and post-college Jews through Olami in Greenwich Village, emphasizing immersive, curated experiences and storytelling to create individual and generational change.
Topics include:
Jonah Platt reflects on meeting Rabbi Lynn through the Maimonides Leadership Program while attending the University of Pennsylvania. Working in Hollywood with writers from The Cosby Show and Will & Grace sparked Rabbi Lynn’s deeper exploration of Judaism and observant Jewish life. Rabbi Lynn discusses writing a Holocaust screenplay centered on Kristallnacht and how that project deepened his connection to Jewish history. The episode explores Rabbi Lynn’s Holocaust film about Bardejov and the true story of 999 Slovakian Jewish girls bound for Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942. Rabbi Lynn recounts how Jews in Slovakia prevented deportations by staging a fake typhus outbreak during the Holocaust. Rabbi Lynn explains the mission behind Olami and his Jewish center in Greenwich Village focused on college students and young professionals.The conversation highlights immersive Jewish education, including theater productions about the Spanish Inquisition and immigrant journeys through Ellis Island.Rabbi Lynn discusses leading student trips through Poland, Krakow, Budapest, and Slovakia to teach Holocaust history and Jewish perseverance.The episode explores the upcoming screenplay Rabbi Lynn is developing about the Soviet Jewry movement, including references to the KGB, the Iron Curtain, and Soviet Jewish activism.Mentioned in the episode:
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Instagram
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Linktree
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Facebook
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn LinkedIn
University of Pennsylvania
Maimonides Leaders Fellowship
Palm Beach Florida
Duke University
NYU Film School
Cosby Show
Will and Grace
Kristallnacht
Bardejov (Film)
Bardejov
Transportation to Auschwitz
Auschwitz
Olami
Olami Manhattan
Bishvili nivra ha-olam
New York, Circa 1909
Shema
Olami Events
Julie Platt
Soviet Jewry Movement
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
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To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Nayman, Story Producer: Sasha Nelson, Associate Producer: Emma Webb, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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What happens when one of the world’s leading Holocaust scholars says today’s antisemitism feels frighteningly familiar?
In this vital episode Holocaust historian and former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt discusses the dangerous surge and normalization of antisemitism worldwide, citing the incidents in London and the October 8, 2023 Sydney Opera House rally. Lipstadt argues antisemitism now operates as a “horseshoe” uniting extremes at the far right and left. She uses the analogy of an upside-down pyramid to illustrate the threat to Jews, democracy, and international security (including “utilitarian antisemitism” on PRC platforms). She compares today to the 1930s while noting key differences. She critiques university groupthink and campus failures at UCLA and Columbia to protect Jewish students. She describes her envoy work shifting from Abraham Accords, including global guidelines signed by 44 entities and a symposium with major tech platforms.
She calls for unequivocal leadership, depoliticized action, education, and everyday speaking up. She emphasizes that there must be Jewish joy alongside fighting hate.
Topics include:
Lipstadt’s legal battle against Holocaust denier David Irving and the film adaptation starring Rachel Weisz. Lipstadt warns about rising antisemitic violence in London, including incidents in Golders Green and the Finchley Reform Synagogue. The episode examines antisemitic protests outside the Sydney Opera House following October 7, 2023. The discussion references the spread of antisemitic content on social media platforms including Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and X. Lipstadt describes international diplomacy surrounding the Abraham Accords and outreach to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Lipstadt praises cooperation from officials in Austria, Germany, and France in combating antisemitism. The Paris Peace Forum and comments by former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls following the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket siege. Lipstadt discusses online hate campaigns targeting Jewish institutions including the 92nd Street Y and AIPAC. The murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran and global protests over women’s rights. Lipstadt and Platt discuss authors and commentators including Dara Horn, Douglas Murray, Bret Stephens, Candace Owens, and Tucker Carlson. Lipstadt reflects on Jewish education through organizations like BBYO, USY, and institutions including Emory University and Brandeis University. Surprising Global Allies in France and AustriaMentioned in the episode:
Deborah Lipstadt
Brandeis University
Emory University
The Tam Institute for Jewish Studies
Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory
Denial (2016 film)
Rachel Weisz Instagram
President Joe Biden
A Conversation With U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt
Antisemitism being 'normalized' and not taken seriously enough, chief rabbi tells BBC
Third arrest over attempted arson at synagogue
Police investigate pro-Palestinian protest at Sydney Opera House over alleged anti-Semitism
Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign from Congress amid clashes with Trump over Israel, Epstein
Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu - Biography
Code Pink Outs Itself as Anti-Jewish Hate Group
Rothschild family
Gunman Kills Three at Kansas City Jewish Community Center, Retirement Home
UCLA can’t allow protesters to block Jewish students from campus, judge rules
Final Columbia University antisemitism report details disturbing examples of Jewish students being cruelly singled out
Met Police apologizes for 'openly Jewish' comment
Paris Peace Forum
Manuel Valls
Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror
‘Déjà Vu’: Remembering Hyper Cacher Five Years Later
Otto Frank
Report of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher Education
Tel Aviv University
BBYO
Venice Biennale previews in chaos, overshadowed by row over Israeli and Russian participation
Sara J. Bloomfield
Abraham Accords
Leading Jewish Organizations Disturbed By Saudi Arabia’s Islamist Turn
Wahhabism
Fight against antisemitism
Keir Starmer: ‘If you stand alongside people who say Globalize the Intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews’
‘Globalize the Intifada’: Meaning, Origins, and Why The Slogan Is a Call for Violence
Emory Together: Countering Antisemitism // DC
Council of Europe
Organization of American States
OSCE
Would-be Michigan car bomber rammed explosives-laden truck into Temple Israel preschool — before security guards shot him dead
NCSY
USY
A Break in the Argentina Murder Case Tied to Iran
Iran: Mahsa Amini's father accuses authorities of a cover-up
92nd Street Y
AIPAC
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Dutch ministers decry Israeli ministry’s report on Amsterdam violence
Trump Is Right to Deport Hamas Supporters
Fiddler on the Roof
Grace and Frankie
Jon Ossoff
The Presidential Campaign That Changed American Politics
Shabbat
Purim
Passover
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
What Is the Amidah?
After Senate Confirmation Hearing, CAM Voices ‘Unqualified Support’ for Appointment of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Next US Antisemitism Special Envoy
Six-Day War
The Western Wall: The Western Wall Tunnels
Mandelbaum Gate
How Golda Meir Rose to Become the ‘Iron Lady’ of Israel
Arab Terrorists Murder Israelis at Munich Olympics
Natan Sharansky, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board
Fear No Evil
Gal Beckerman
When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry
The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
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To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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From viral firestorms to death threats, this man isn’t backing down from the Israel conversation.
Jonah Platt sits down with conservative activist Xaviaer DuRousseau, who describes his rapid shift from a Bernie-supporting, BLM-boosting young liberal to a professional Republican who appears on Fox News, visits the White House, and publicly supports Israel, including traveling to Gaza during the war. Xaviaer recounts growing up in Chicago and Central Illinois with Marxist family influences, becoming an activist, then researching BLM finances and concluding the movement was fraudulent, which led him to vote for Trump and face family accusations of white supremacy. He argues Bernie-to-Trump is a seamless anti-establishment pipeline, rejects widespread student-loan forgiveness as a solution, and says crime drives businesses and jobs out of black neighborhoods. Xaviaer credits a 2023 Shabbat dinner at PragerU and multiple Israel trips with deepening his connection to Jewish life, describing backlash, antisemitism, death threats, and filming humanitarian aid in Gaza to counter starvation claims. He criticizes anti-Israel voices across the left and right, advocates a black/Jewish alliance based on shared history, and discusses resentment, Marxism, and cultural lessons between the communities.
Xaviaer presents his “hot takes” on most modern-day racism being against white people and asians, how he would be talking shit all day if he were jewish, and how “hood” black folks love Trump.
Plus, Jonah explains why epistemic antisemitism, despite its subtlety and widespread normalization, is so terribly destructive.
Topics Include:
Xaviaer DuRousseau’s viral trip to Gaza documenting humanitarian aid and response to misinformation and the backlash from European audiences and online threats following his Gaza video How a Netflix show called The Circle was the unexpected catalyst for DuRousseau's political awakeningHis criticism of influencers like Hasan Piker, Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, and Nick FuentesHow PragerU’s CEO Marissa Streit in 2023 was DuRousseau's first real introduction to Jewish culture and traditionHis fallout with Candace Owens Experiences attending Passover Seder hosted by Montana TuckerThe historical alliance between Black Americans and Jewish Americans during the Civil Rights MovementCritique of Black Lives Matter (BLM) and discussions of Marxism in modern activism Exploration of Igbo Jews in Nigeria and Xaviaer’s possible ancestral ties to IsraelInfluence of activist Rudy Rochman in discussing Jewish identity and African connections Commentary on celebrities like Timothée Chalamet and Seth Rogen in relation to Jewish identityMentioned in the episode:
Law Scholar Christine A. Littleton
Epistemic Antisemitism: “Good People Gone Wild”
David Schraub’s The Epistemic Center of Antisemitism
Jonah’s take on Cognitive Bias
AJC Warns: Staggering FBI Hate Crimes Data Likely Represents Under-Reporting of Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes
Report on the Rise of Antisemitic Incidents in the U.S.
Man Pleads Guilty for Displaying Nazi Flay at Pro-Palestine Rally
Twitch streamer commenting on what “real antisemitism” is.
When Did Jews Become White?
Van Jones’s Statement Supporting the People of Iran
Israeli’s Voice Dissent of War in Gaze
Reverse Causation
Being Jewish Podcast Featuring Bishop Michael J. Fisher
Xaviaer DuRousseau Instagram
Respectfully, Xaviaer | PragerU
Bernie Sanders
He used to march for BLM. Now he’s calling for mass incarceration to save Black Americans
Xaviaer’s Instagram Post on Visiting Gaza During the War
The debate on Latino vs. Latinx vs. Hispanic is the song that never ends
The Circle: TV’s Trashiest Reality Show We Can’t Stop Watching
Xaviaer DuRousseau: PragerU Personality, Commentator, and Content Creator
AP lands national scoop on a Black Lives Matter fraud investigation
ActBlue
New Report Reveals Illicit Foreign Donations and Mass Resignations at ActBlue
President Donald J. Trump
Kamala D. Harris
Here's How Bernie Sanders Explained Democratic Socialism
President Barack Obama
Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Xaviaer’s Appearance on Dr. Phil
Black Unemployment is Surging Under Donald Trump
Candace Owens Instagram
5 of Kanye West’s Antisemitic Remarks, Explained
BLEXIT, ‘Black Exit’ Foundation Now Powered By Turning Point USA
Quotas are a diversity quick-fix, but companies must dig deeper
Racism in the music industry 'is upfront and personal'
K. Michelle Talks Double-Standard for Black Pop Singers
Fox News Gues Called Out for Shading Beyoncé’s Appearance at Harris Houston Rally Despite Past Praise
Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, explained
Are Emily and Greg More Employable Than Lakisha and Jamal? A Field Experiment on Labor Market Discrimination
Marissa Streit
What to Expect at a Shabbat Dinner
Was I Paid to Visit Israel?
Myth: The Jewish people are white settler colonialists who have no connection to the land of Israel
What Is the Correct Term for Someone Who Is Not Jewish?
Debra Lea Instagram
Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Horseshoe Theory in American Politics
Who is Nick Fuentes and Why Is His Antisemitism Dangerous for America?
Tucker Carlson YouTube
Cameron Hickey
Palestinian Elections, 15 Years and Counting
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to see Israel as a US ally: AP-NORC poll
Hasan Piker has said that “America deserved 9/11” (yes, that is a direct quote).
Alex Jones
Tucker Carlson’s Biggest Conspiracy Theory Yet
Montana Tucker BJJP Episode
Black Lives Matter Issues Statement Of Support For Free Palestine Movement
Roy unveils immigration bill dubbed ‘MAMDANI Act’
Xaviaer Walk With Me Video on Chinese Heritage
The Igbo, DNA, Struggle for Jewish souls
Rudy Rochman Instagram
Liz Kennedy Instagram
We Were Never Lost Documentary
Xaviaer DuRousseau: The Black Christian Zionist, Former BLM Activist Fighting for Israel and the Jews
The Strokes frontman says ‘privileged’ Zionists talk ‘like Black people during slavery’
We Have Our Eyes on Timothée Chalamet
EsDeeKid ft. Timothée Chalamet - 4 Raws Remix (Official Music Video)
Israel’s Deni Avdija finishes 3rd in vote for NBA’s Most Improved Player
Sandy Koufax
Hank Aaron
Why We Care About How Seth Rogen Went From Jewish Day School to Saying ‘WTF’ to Israel
The Jewish Fam Behind Timberland
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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He's worth hundreds of millions, runs one of Canada's most powerful companies, and he still gets antisemitic replies every Friday when he posts “Shabbat Shalom,” here's why he refuses to stop.
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about Jewish identity, antisemitism, entrepreneurship, and legacy. Finkelstein, a grandson of Holocaust survivors whose family fled Hungary during the Soviet crackdown of the 1950s, opens up about why he has grown increasingly vocal as a public Jewish figure in Canada, especially in the wake of October 7th. He recounts two pivotal incidents that motivated his public advocacy: protesters storming his Big Shot podcast recording at Startup Fest, and demonstrators disrupting his speech at the opening of the Finkelstein Chabad Center in Ottawa. He discusses his relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Shopify's massive e-commerce footprint (14% of all U.S. e-commerce), and his journey from being one of Shopify's first 136 merchants to its president. He also digs into Big Shot, his podcast with David Siegel that archives the stories of legendary Jewish entrepreneurs, from Charles Bronfman to Jeffrey Katzenberg, arguing that grit is the defining trait behind Jewish entrepreneurial success.
Plus, Jonah shares about his recent trip to Thessaloniki, Greece where he explored Jewish history.
Topics:
His published an op-ed in the National Post about rising antisemitism in CanadaMeeting Shopify founder Tobi Lutke at a Saturday entrepreneur coffee groupFinkelstein advocates loudly for visible Jewish philanthropy, arguing that public giving creates a "flywheel" of inspirationFinkelstein and David Siegel co-founding Fire Belly TeaFigures who inspired him like Jerry Schwartz and Izzy Sharp. His optimism for AI and technologyMeeting his wife Lindsay Taub, and his view on her being a partner in lifeWhy he does the Big Shot podcastBeing in a public role and the responsibility that comes with thatThe importance of jewish advocacy and leading by exampleA special thanks to our partner this week - Hadassah.org
Donation Links:
Synagogue of the Monasteriotes (Thessaloniki)
The Jewish Community of Athens
Chabad of Greece
Jewish Museum of Greece
Mentioned in the episode:
The Jews of Thessaloniki, a Once Great Jewish City
Sephardic Jews in Eastern Europe and Greece
Romaniote Jewish History
The Route Saint Paul Followed In Greece
1492 Alhambra Decree
Talmud Torah HaGadol
The Cooking Accident that Decimated a Jewish Community of 70,000
The Treaty of Lausanne
The Nazi Occupation of Greece
Aristotle University Built on The Ruins of Jewish Cemeteries
Jewish Federations’ National Young Leadership Cabinet
Jonah Describes “The Jeremiah Effect”
Ladino! Ron Eliran: Folk Songs for Sephardic Jews
Harley Finkelstein Instagram
Harley Finkelstein LinkedIn
Red Scare
How September 11 Affected the U.S. Stock Market
Shopify
Big Shot
Harley Finkelstein weekly Shabbat Shalom post on X
Harley Finkelstein’s Article: Canadian Jews are being targeted simply because they are Jewish
Heather Reisman
Shopify President Makes Good on 18-Year-Old Promise to His Campus Rabbi
Tobias Lütke LinkedIn
Harley Finkelstein X
Jonathan Greenblatt
The Right Honorable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Justin Trudeau | Former Prime Minister of Canada
Samuel Bronfman
Bobby Kotick
Isadore Sharp
Dubai-based Augustus Media pushes Shopify boycott over president’s tweet supporting fair reporting about Israel
Gerry Schwartz
BJJP Howie Mandel Episode
Lindsay Taub (Harley Finkelstein’s spouse)
David Segal
Hollywood’s Jewish Founders
Charles Bronfman: A Lifetime of Giving
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Barry Diller
Lynda Resnick
The Merchant Prince: The Man Behind The Gap, Old Navy, and J. Crew | Mickey Drexler
Larry Silverstein
Deni Avdija becomes 1st Israeli named to NBA All-Star Game
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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In this timely episode, host Jonah Platt sits down with Josh Gottheimer, the five-term U.S. Congressman serving New Jersey’s Fifth District. Josh is a leading pro-Israel voice in the Democratic Party and Vice-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus (which he co-founded). In Congress, Josh serves on two Committees, including the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he is the Ranking Member of the National Security Agency and Cyber Subcommittee and is a member of the Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture Subcommittee. Gottheimer shares candid insights on navigating politics while being Jewish. He discusses U.S. action against Iran, arguing Iran is a major threat but criticizing the administration for shifting objectives and failing to clearly explain goals, which fuels public skepticism and risks a drawn-out conflict affecting oil prices, markets, and regional stability. He rejects conditioning aid to Israel as unfairly targeting a key democratic ally and condemns the use of “apartheid” rhetoric. He describes a major rise in antisemitism, political incentives pushing members of Congress to retreat from support for Israel, and calls for coordinated Jewish-community investment in K–12 and campus education, accountability for institutions, and tougher political engagement.
Plus, Jonah answers a podcast fan’s question on how to make anti-zionism taboo.
Topics discussed include:
The shifting center of the left and the rightThe role of the Problem Solvers Caucus in bipartisan cooperation in Congress Why the U.S.-Israel relationship is vital to American national securityGottheimer’s work on the House Intelligence Committee and focus on Iran and GazaCriticism of Gavin Newsom for using the term “apartheid” regarding IsraelThe influence of social media figures like Hasan Piker and political figures like Donald Trump on polarization Addressing antisemitic rhetoric tied to movements like BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions)Concerns about antisemitism and activism on college campuses like the University of PennsylvaniaHolding elected officials accountable at the local, state, and federal levels for antisemitism The importance of strategic philanthropy and community coordination within the American Jewish communityA special thanks to our partner this week Hadassah.org
Mentioned in the episode:
Founding of the Ku Klux Klan
The Transformation of the KKK from Fraternity to Religious Extremists.
1924 Democratic National Conventions - “Klanbake”
DNC Avoids Taking a Stance on Israel, AIPAC
The Growing Antisemitism Among Young Americans
Vanderbilt Professor Shaul Kelner
Briahna Joy Gray fired from The Hill after rolling her eyes at the sister of Oct 7 hostage during an interview
The Timeline of the SPLC Case That Bankrupted the Klan
Brandies Center
Students Against Antisemitism
The Lawfare Project
Klan Members Murder Conviction Leads to Decline in Membership and Political Influence
Josh Gottheimer
Josh Gottheimer Instagram
Josh Gottheimer Twitter
Sarah Hurwitz BJJP Episode
Rep. Josh Gottheimer: The New Jersey Democrat defending Israel, battling antisemitism
Problem Solvers Caucus
Congressman Thomas Suozzi
National Security Agency & Cyber Subcommittee
Gottheimer Votes to Pass War Powers Resolution
By the numbers: US thrashed military targets in Iran, but some capabilities remain
Iranian attack on Saudi base injures U.S. troops as more American forces arrive in the Middle East
How the US Navy could blockade Iran’s ports and sweep mines from the Strait of Hormuz
Israel didn’t drag the US into war with Iran — they enabled us to fight it smarter and faster
U.S. Capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro: Considerations for Congress
Oil prices rise on doubts US-Iran peace talks will ease Hormuz disruption
The Abraham Accords, Explained
Army survivors of deadly attack in Kuwait dispute Pentagon's account, say unit "was unprepared" to defend itself
Gottheimer Statement in Opposition to Conditioning Aid to Israel
Sharia-Free America: Why Political Islam & Sharia Law Are Incompatible with the U.S. Constitution
Ayaan Hirsi Ali: 'Queers for Palestine' shows how stupid our society is
Gottheimer, Foxx Introduce Bill to Hold Higher Education Accountable for Anti-Israel, BDS Activity
Gottheimer calls Newsom’s Israel apartheid comments ‘dangerous’
Genocide, apartheid? A poll Israel cannot allow itself to ignore
Candace Owens
“The Squad” Doubles Down on Anti-Israel Comments
Representative Elaine G. Luria
Hasan Piker doubles down on Hamas support
UPenn must comply with federal subpoena seeking list of Jewish community members, judge rules
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Follow Jonah on:
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X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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Host Jonah Platt moderates part two of a spirited conversation between Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR, Los Angeles) and Rabbi David Ingber (Romemu, New York) about how Jewish leaders should balance moral self-critique of Israel with addressing antisemitism, especially after October 7. Ingber argues progressive Jews and rabbis overemphasize public Jewish self-criticism, undercall out antisemitism and extremism from allies, and should name today’s anti-Zionism as an ever-evolving hate movement that erases Jewish self-determination. Brous defends the Jewish tradition of teshuvah and accountability, urges speaking against West Bank settler violence and occupation, and warns that labeling all criticism or Palestinian solidarity as antisemitic blunts the response to real threats. They also debate U.S. politics, liberal democracy’s role in Jewish safety, Jewish political “homelessness,” and the inclusion of anti-Zionist Jews.
Ultimately, the conversation models a deeply Jewish tradition of debate, machloket l’shem shamayim, while emphasizing unity, responsibility, and the need to continue investing in community and the next generation.
Topics Include:
Trading ideas on whether anti-Zionism is a form of modern antisemitismThe responsibility of rabbis to address West Bank settler violence and Jewish extremism References to Baruch Goldstein and the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre as a moral comparison The role of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran in shaping Jewish security concerns The influence of social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X on Israel narratives Criticism of language like “apartheid” in discussions about Israel and PalestineThe symbolism of the watermelon flag in pro-Palestinian activism Gavin Newsom and his appearance on Pod Save AmericaThe importance of protecting liberal democracy for Jewish safety in America Failures in Jewish education, including overreliance on programs like Birthright IsraelThe role of JCCs (Jewish Community Centers) and synagogues in strengthening Jewish life The need for machloket l’shem shamayim (debate for the sake of heaven) in shaping the Jewish futureA special thanks to our partners on this episode:
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
https://www.schusterman.org
Crown Family Philanthropies
https://crownfamilyphilanthropies.org/
Jim Joseph Foundation
https://jimjosephfoundation.org/
Mentioned In The Episode:
Why Don’t Jews Proselytize?
Conversion History
The Converso: Jews converting to Christianity in Spain and Portugal in the 1300s
Ruth: The First Jewish Convert
How Many Jews Are In The World?
The Jewish Birthrate
Jewish Intermarriage Rates
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (U.S. Public Health Service)
American’s Religious Engagement Stays Low
Global “Wellness” Business Grows to $6.8 Trillion
Jewish Prayers and Their Meanings
How to Become Jewish
Sharon Brous Instagram
Rabbi David Ingber
IKAR
Romemu
'My mother cried out one last time': Palestinian boy, 12, describes how Israeli forces killed his family in car
Surveillance soldiers charge sexism a factor in their Oct. 7 warnings being ignored
Who was Baruch Goldstein? Massacre in Hebron
Silence is not solidarity: Diaspora Jews must speak when Israel strays
What is Cheshbon Hanefesh?
Pogroms
Wave of settler attacks against Palestinian herders reported in central West Bank
Fourth suspect arrested over Jewish charity ambulance arson attack
The Importance of Tochachah-Rebuke
Anti-Trump rallies hit thousands of US cities for 'No Kings' protest
Explosion rocks Amsterdam Jewish school in what mayor says is ‘targeted attack’ against Jewish community
As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us
Newsom ramps up his criticism of Israel, accuses Netanyahu of leading Trump into war with Iran
Horseshoe Theory in American Politics
The Z Word: Reclaiming Zionism
Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Venezuelan VP: US attack capturing Maduro has 'Zionist undertones'
Renee Good was shot in the head, autopsy commissioned by her family finds
Why watermelons are a symbol of Palestinian solidarity
Israeli opposition members shout at Netanyahu as he tries to address parliament
Early History of Israel
What Is Tikkun Olam?
How to Teach the Jewish Story
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The Valley of Dry Bones and the Resurrection of the Dead
--
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Follow Jonah on:
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X - @JonahPlatt
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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In this episode of 30 Minute Mensches, host Jonah Platt sits down with Rachael Fried, the Executive Director of JQY (Jewish Queer Youth). Rachael shares her personal journey from being a closeted Orthodox participant to leading the organization, which now operates a professional center in New York's Times Square with a $2 million budget. JQY serves as a vital mental health nonprofit dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ youth (ages 13–23) from "historically non-accepting communities," specifically those from Orthodox, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Russian-speaking backgrounds.
The discussion covers the critical safety risks facing these teens, including suicide and homelessness, and the creative "guerrilla marketing" JQY employs to reach youth in insular environments where internet access is restricted. Fried addresses the intersection of queer identity and Halakha (Jewish law), referencing Leviticus 18:22 and the principle of Elu v’Elu to advocate for the healthy coexistence of religious and queer identities. Finally, she highlights JQY’s national expansion through virtual drop-in centers, a mobile app, and a national Jewish queer book club.
Topics Include:
They discuss the scale of need (potentially hundreds of thousands)The episode addresses high-risk factors for queer Jewish youth, including increased rates of suicide, homelessness, and addiction.The discussion explores barriers to information for youth using "kosher phones" or restricted internet in ultra-Orthodox communities.Rachael explains how religious texts are often used to justify cultural homophobia beyond the literal interpretation of the law.The Jewish principle of "Elu v’Elu" (both these and those) is highlighted as a core philosophy for holding both queer and Jewish identities as true.Student activism surrounding a queer club at Yeshiva UniversityThe cultural dimensions of halakha-based rejectionGetting in-contact with the organization if you aren’t in New York CityMentioned In The Episode:
Rachael Fried Instagram
Jewish Queer Youth (JQY) Facebook
JQY app
JQY Instagram
JQY Website
About JQY
LGBTQ+ Jewish Demographic Pew Stud
Kosher Phone
Hechsher
Halacha
Leviticus 18:22
Turning it over in the Torah
B’tselem Elohim
Cis/ Cisgender
Elu v’elu
Yeshiva University
Jewish Queer Book Club JQY
Ruth Bader Ginsberg
JQY Drop In
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Story Producer: Sasha Nelson, Associate Producer: Emma Webb, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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At this live “Being Jewish with Jonah Platt” event in San Diego, supported by Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, and the Jim Joseph Foundation, Jonah Platt welcomes two influential spiritual leaders: Rabbi Sharon Brous, founding rabbi of IKAR in Los Angeles, and David Ingber, founding rabbi of Romemu in New York. Together, they explore how their egalitarian, non-denominational communities are reimagining synagogue life by emphasizing spiritual aliveness, engaging prayer, and social justice.
Brous and Ingber speak candidly about the challenges of leading “big tent” communities in a deeply polarized time, where congregants often expect rabbis to mirror their views, and leave when they don't. Brous discusses transforming sermons into collective responsibility and action, while Ingber critiques what he calls a more consumer-driven performative Judaism, shaped by convenience rather than commitment. Drawing on experience from the Women’s March controversy through the aftermath of October 7th, they examine what it means to lead with integrity when every word carries weight.
The conversation also grapples with enduring questions at the heart of Jewish life: the role of prayer, the tension between universal values and particular Jewish obligation, and the importance of humility and patience in leadership. Against the backdrop of rising antisemitism and growing political divisions around Israel and America, this episode looks at what Jewish leadership demands and what the Jewish community can become in this moment of urgency and change.
This is Part One of a Two-Part conversation.
In the episode, they discuss:
The founding visions behind IKAR and Romemu How Brous and Ingber are reimagining synagogue life The rabbinical role in modern societySilence from progressive allies following October 7th Rabbi David Ingber’s experience confronting Tamika Mallory and Louis FarrakhanThe concept of “raising flawed flags”The Talmudic story of Kamtza and Bar KamtzaBalancing universalism and particularism through Torah teachings The pressure to respond instantly on social media versus engaging in thoughtful reflectionA special thanks to our partners on this episode:
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Crown Family Philanthropies
Jim Joseph Foundation
Mentioned In The Episode:
Rabbi Sharon Brous Instagram
Rabbi David Ingber
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt Webby Award
BJJP: Religious Communicators Council Award: Best Audio Visual Program
BJJP: 2025 W3 Award Winner: Best Podcast Host
David Rittberg
IKAR
Romemu
Columbia students criticize University’s handling of antisemitism at federal civil rights listening session
Remembering Jesse Jackson
Kamtza and Bar Kamtza
Brooklyn Yeshivas Circa 1937 Part I
What Is Kabbalat Shabbat?
Women First Marched to Challenge Trump. Now They Are Challenging Each Other
Tamika D. Mallory Instagram
Louis Farrakhan
Genesis 18:22-33
Judaism is About Love by Rabbi Shai Held
What Did the People Hear at Mount Sinai?
Gazing Into the Digital Face of Levinas: The Ethics of Self and Other in Cyberspace
NYC bill allowing protest ‘buffer zones’ around houses of worship passes with veto-proof majority
Antisemitic mob descends on historic NYC synagogue — urging the ‘resistance’ to ‘take another settler out’
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger
Zohran Mamdani has no opinion on a united Ireland. That matters more than you think
Horseshoe Theory in American Politics
Governor Gavin Newsom
American Jews May Be Moving Right
The Purim Story
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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She converted to Judaism yesterday! Jonah Platt interviews transgender activist, Emmy-nominated TV writer-director (Transparent, American Horror Story, Pose), and musician Our Lady J (Yona Speidel), less than 24 hours after she formally converted to Judaism. She describes her 12-year path, the beit din with three rabbis, her written reflection on Isaiah 56 and intersex identity, her mikvah immersion, and why she chose the Hebrew name Yona. She recounts growing up in a Mennonite household, losing trust in organized religion amid homophobia during the AIDS crisis, and later returning to spirituality through Judaism. The conversation addresses unconscious antisemitism, queer-community susceptibility to “they” conspiracies, and rising antisemitism in LGBT spaces after October 7. She discusses BDS (The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement) pressure on Transparent, later learning German courts found BDS antisemitic, and argues for fact-based definitions of Zionism, while saying she is pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli.
Topics discussed include:
The emotional experience of completing the Beit Din and mikvah after a 12-year spiritual journey Guidance from three rabbis during the conversion process The significance of Isaiah 56 and its message welcoming eunuchs, and those who might not have a binary identity of sex or genderGrowing up in an ex–Old Order Mennonite Christian background and early perceptions of Jews The evolution of Lady J’s identity through names like Justin, Jonah, and Yona, and their biblical significance Influence of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, pioneer of trans medicine in Berlin (1909), on understanding antisemitism and queer history How Nazi book burnings in the 1930s destroyed Hirschfeld’s research at the Institute of SexologyThe intersection of antisemitism, transphobia, and homophobia throughout European and modern history The rise of antisemitism within the LGBTQ community following October 7 and shifting attitudes toward IsraelLady J’s experience working on Transparent (Amazon Prime Video)Referencing activist Larry Kramer and ACT UP in discussions of queer organizing and Zionist parallels The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spiritual reflection, including cross-country travel and research in Berlin archivesJewish values of perseverance illustrated through Torah learning, including lessons about continuing even when strugglingThank you to this episode's sponsor:
Jewish Communal Fund
MENTIONS
Ms. Rachel draws ire over appeals for Gazan children
Why Is Everyone Talking About Ms. Rachel Right Now?
YouTube star Ms. Rachel should be investigated for spreading Hamas propaganda
Who is the Bibas family?
In the Sudan sick and starving children continue to waste away
Violations against children have tripled in the Congo
Russia’s kidnapping of Ukrainian children
Iranian children killed by Iranian security forces in crackdown of protests
12 Israeli Druze children killed in Hezbollah rocket attack
Lady J First day of Judaism post
Our Lady J’s Film and TV Credits
The Mikvah
The Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) and Conversion
Rabbi Iggy
‘Transparent’ Writer Our Lady J: Hollywood ‘Needs to Put Stories Into the Hands of Trans People’
What is intersex?
What is a eunuch in the Bible?
Mennonite History
Snapshots of an Epidemic: An HIV/AIDS Timeline
Lady Chablis
Queer Jews Forced into a Different Closet: Antisemitism and Conditional Acceptance
“Through Science to Justice”: The Story of Magnus Hirschfeld, a Gay Jewish Trailblazer
Lady J Zionism Instagram post
The TV series Transparent
Germany Declares: BDS is Antisemitic
Miller Intro to Judaism
Jay Sanderson BJJP Episode
Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, Mandana Dayani, and Matthew Nouriel BJJP Episode
Jonah and the Whale - Bible Story Meaning
Jacob Wrestles with the Angel
Is MAGA really pro-Israel?
The Holiday You’ve Never Heard Of: Why Shmini Atzeret Matters
Why Are Grasshoppers (Locusts) Kosher for Some Jews?
What’s So Wrong with Mixing Wool & Linen?
Ask the Expert: Kosher Wine and Kosher Mevushal Wine
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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Jonah interviews Daniel Lubetzky, Mexican-American Jewish founder of KIND, Shark Tank investor, and longtime bridge-builder, about how his Holocaust-survivor father and Mexican Jewish upbringing shaped his commitment to connecting communities. Lubetzky describes mourning his father, saying Kaddish, and launching both KIND and the OneVoice Movement the same year, crediting prayer and purpose with keeping him grounded. He explains PeaceWorks, a trade-based social enterprise linking Israelis and Arabs (and later other conflict regions), which succeeded in sustaining relationships but never scaled and ultimately closed. He recounts OneVoice’s effort to empower moderates against media-driven extremism, mobilizing nearly a million Israelis and Palestinians, yet falling short of ending the conflict. Lubetzky outlines his latest project, the Builders Movement, and its “builders vs. destroyers” framework, its education, media, and civics work, and argues kindness is strong, honest action.
Lubetzky reflects on the impact of reciting Kaddish after his father’s death and how Jewish ritual shaped his worldview.The founding story behind KIND Bars and why Lubetzky named the company after his father’s values.Lubetzky’s first social enterprise PeaceWorks, connecting Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and Turks through trade.How PeaceWorks also operated in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Chiapas, Mexico to foster cooperation across conflict lines.The creation of the OneVoice Movement, which mobilized nearly 1 million Israelis and Palestinians around shared peace principles.Why Lubetzky believes media narratives often amplify extremists instead of moderates in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Launching the Builders Movement, a global initiative promoting cooperation over division.The Builders Movement framework built around the “Four Cs”: Curiosity, Compassion, Creativity, and Courage.Educational partnerships with institutions such as Stanford University to promote builder-mindset leadership programs.Collaboration with leaders like Van Jones to strengthen alliances between Jewish and Black communities.Thank you to this episode's sponsor:
Jewish Communal Fund
Mentioned In The Episode:
Three synagogue attacks in Toronto in one week.
Blast Outside Begum Synagogue
Arrests made in Norway Synagogue attack
San Jose pedestrians attacked in hate crime
Police Arrest Suspect in Ramat Gan Stabbing
Man, Rams Truck Into Michigan Synagogue With Over 100 Children Inside
The Story Is with Exel Michaelson
The Lead with Jake Tapper
Daniel Lubetzky
Daniel Lubetzky on Shark Tank
Camp Ramah
PeaceWorks Foundation
Van Jones BJJP Episode
Dachau
KIND Snacks
Jason Alexander BJJP Episode
The History, Significance, and Meaning of KaddishAl Jazeera Propagates Hatred. Is it also a Foreign Agent?
Annapolis Peace Conference (2007)1993 Oslo Accords
Kind Creates the Kind Foundation to Help Foster Kinder and Healthier Communities
Save Your Relationships! How To Talk to Antizionist Loved Ones About Israel - Jonah Platt’s 5 C'sLubetzky Family Foundation
Builders Movement
Builders on Instagram
Builders on YouTube
Jewish Neighborhoods: Mexico City
Mexican school merger will expand ORT’s presence in Latin America
Marc Platt BJJP episode
Julie Platt BJJP episode
Jewish Nobel Prize LaureatesSebastian Maniscalco - Italians at Passover (Aren't You Embarrassed?)Mexican Gefilte Fish
Red snapper with Veracruz-style sauce (huachinango a la Veracruzana)The Rise and Fall of Eliot Ness
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter
For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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In this delectable episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah records on location in Harlem, New York, at Tsion Café, America’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant, for a conversation with owner and chef Beejhy Barhany about Ethiopian Jewish (Beta Israel) culture, food, and identity. Beejhy explains Tsion Café’s mission of bridge-building through vegan kosher cuisine and storytelling, and why she recently closed daily dining and now hosts only private events, due to years of anti-Zionist harassment, threats, and vandalism that intensified after October 7 and after becoming fully kosher. She discusses Harlem’s support, her meaning of “Zion,” and her belief that food can break barriers. Beejhy discusses Beta Israel’s unique history, questions of legitimacy, her family’s 1980–83 trek from Ethiopia to Israel, and experiences of discrimination and “conversion” pressures in Israel.
Walking through the café, Beejhy shares the venue's legacy and culinary inspirations with Jonah. The two head into the kitchen to make samosas, discuss injera, dabo, spices, and her NY Times bestselling cookbook (Gursha). During the discussion, she describes founding the BINA (Beta Israel of North America) Cultural Foundation and raising her children with multifaceted identities.
TOPICS INCLUDE:
The story of the Beta Israel Jewish community of Ethiopia and their ancient connection to Judaism.Beejhy recounts her family’s escape from Ethiopia and years spent in Sudan before immigrating to Israel.Discussion of major Ethiopian Jewish airlifts, including Operation Moses and Operation Solomon.Life in immigrant absorption centers in Israel alongside newcomers from Ukraine and Russia.The role of Tsion Cafe as a cultural hub for Ethiopian Jews and the wider Jewish diaspora.Why Beejhy founded the Beta Israel North American Cultural Foundation (BINA) to promote Jewish diversity.The closing of Tsion Cafe’s regular dining service due to anti-Zionist harassment following October 7.Conversations about racism, identity, and the need for unity within the global Jewish community.How Ethiopian cuisine, such as traditional dishes served with injera, helps build cultural bridges.Reflections on raising multicultural Jewish children in New York City.The importance of celebrating Jewish diversity across communities from Israel to Africa and the United States.Thank you to our sponsors and promotional partners:
Jewish Communal Fund
Chutzpod
And a Special Thanks to our production partner on this episode: Jewish Broadcasting Services (JBS)
Mentioned In The Episode:
Beejhy Barhan Instagram
Tsion Cafe
Far from the Eye, Close to the Heart: The Fascinating History of the Beta Israel Community in Ethiopia
NYC’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant closes after anti-Zionist harassment: ‘So much animosity’
What is a Mezuzah?
W. E. B. Du Bois
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
How This New York Restaurant Is Carrying on the Legacy of the Harlem Renaissance
Charlie Parker
Redd Foxx
Art Tatum: A Talent Never to Be Duplicated
Ethiopia, the home of coffee
Ethiopian immigrants
The Queen of Sheba
The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jews and Their Journey to Israel
Gursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook
Operation Moses
Operation Solomon
Ethiopia’s Turbulent History
The Law of Return
Absorption Centers
Dabo (Ethiopian Bread)
Injera: Ethiopia’s Traditional Bread in Pictures and Words
Lost Tribes beer company resurrects ancient brews
Beta Israel of North American Cultural Foundation
Shop Tsion Cafe
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
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Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
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For Sponsorships, please email:
Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on:
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X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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In this inspiring episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah sits down with members of the Israeli Bobsled Team (AJ Edelman, Ward Fawarsy, Uri Zisman, Ower Katz, Itamar Shprinz, and Menashem Chen) while in competition in Milano Crotina, to discuss the unlikely journey of building a team for a Winter Olympic sport in a country with no snow. Representing Israel on the global stage, the athletes share how they transitioned from backgrounds in track and field, rugby, crossfit, and other sports into elite bobsled competitors. They discuss training and competing internationally, and navigating the challenges of representing Israel amid rising antisemitism following October 7. Their story is a wild one with robberies, getting booed, a death on a plane, and missing critical training runs.
The conversation explores patriotism, Jewish pride, and the emotional weight of wearing the Israeli flag at global events sanctioned by the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) and the Winter Olympics. The athletes reflect on the powerful symbolism of Israeli athletes competing on the world stage and the importance of positive representation for Israel in international sports.
Jonah and AJ Edelman, captain of the Israeli Bobsled Team, get some one-on-one time to dig into the team's challenges and the role of the Israeli Olympic Committee. Edelman details self-funding, starting a nonprofit to support the team, and hopes to grow the program.
Topics Discussed Include:
Competing in sanctioned events under the International Bobsleigh & Skeleton Federation (IBSF) circuitQualification pathways toward the Winter OlympicsBeing champion athletes from other sport disciplinesThe nickname “Shul Runnings”Having a Druze athlete on the teamTraining in the U.S.-based tracks in Lake Placid, New York, and Park City, UtahThe measure of success is how far you’ve come, not how close you are to the topThe mechanics of a two-man and four-man bobsled under IBSF regulationsPutting together an “Ocean’s Eleven” team for bobsledFunding challenges and support from the Israeli Olympic CommitteeHow to support the team in the futureMentioned In The Episode:
Advancing Jewish Athletics
Donate to the Israeli Bobsled Team
AJ Edelman Instagram
Ward Fawarsy Instagram
Uri Zisman Instagram
Omer Katz Instagram
Itamar Shprinz Instagram
Menachem Chen Instagram
NOT A Genocide: Jonah Platt's Definitive Takedown of the World's Favorite Anti-Jew, Anti-Israel Lie (Part 2)
Anti-Jew Libels DECONSTRUCTED-Jonah Platt Debunks 4 Lies About Israel & The Jewish People (Part 1)
The ONLY 3 Facts You Need to Know About Israel, Palestine, and the Jews: Part 1
PART 2 - The ONLY 3 Facts You Need to Know About Israel, Palestine, and the Jews
PART 3 - The ONLY 3 Facts You Need to Know About Israel, Palestine, and the Jews
Natan Sharansky
Natan Sharansky 3 D’s
Israel is Among a Number of Ethnostates
Myanmar casts minorities to the margins as citizenship law denies legal identity
Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis
Armenia is 98% Armenian Data
Koreans in Japan
UAE’s Double-Standard on Citizenship Rights
Migrant Rights in UAE and Qatar
Swiss government rejects automatic citizenship for those born in Switzerland
Citizenship through Naturalization for Aliens of Greek ethnic origin
Egypt's Christians face 'constant pressure to hide their faith'
Israel’s Right of Return
Operation Solomon
Israeli Law Declares the Country the ‘Nation-State of the Jewish People’
Jewish Calendar
Arabs Make Up 20% of the Jewish Population
Arab residents of mixed cities disadvantaged compared to Jews - Comptroller
Ben Gvir’s policy goals: Going to extremes even Europe’s far right won’t touch
Palestinian Authority: You're a "traitor" if you sell land to the Jews
What does the Hamas charter say?
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics
Israel’s first Olympic bobsled team heads to Italy in bid they have dubbed ‘Shul Runnings’
The Israeli bobsled team is in last place but calls themselves 'victors'
Kris Horn OK after solo ride as teammates fail to get into sled
Bobsled costs are skyrocketing. Can the U.S. keep up in a bedrock Olympic sport?
Israel team marches to smattering of boos at Milan Winter Olympics opening ceremony
AJ Edelman, The First Orthodox Jewish Male Olympian, Is Ready For Gold!
Meet Bat-El Gatterer, First Orthodox Jewish Female Olympian
MIT Alumnus Competes in Winter Olympics
From obese yeshivah student to Slider-Man – the remarkable run of Israel’s Olympic bobsleigh pilot
Israeli Bobsled Team's Apartment Robbed of 'Thousands of Dollars' Worth of Items During Winter Olympics Training
What To Know About ‘Shul Runnings,’ the Bobsled Team Representing Israel in the Winter Olympics
Vitaris Club
At the Olympics, Israel's athletes pay a high cost in the quest for gold
The Israeli Bobsled Team’s Withdrawal from the last day of Olympic Competition
Bobsledding for Israel
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
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