People of the Pod

People of the Pod - Brought to you be American Jewish Committee

People of the Pod is an award-winning weekly podcast analyzing global affairs through a Jewish lens, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. Host Manya Brachear Pashman examines current events, the people driving them, and what it all means for America, Israel, and the Jewish people. Check out all of our episodes below.

Awards:

Religion Communicators Council | Best in Class and Best in Show -- Remembering Pittsburgh series

American Jewish Press Association | Award for Excellence in Podcasting, Honorable Mention -- Remembering Pittsburgh series

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Inside the New U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks: What’s at Stake?

As new negotiations begin to tackle Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, and support for terror proxies, tensions are escalating. Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, joins us to unpack the legacy of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and withdrawal in 2018, and Iran’s dangerous stockpiling of uranium, getting them closer to nuclear weapons capabilities. With U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff leading talks and key UN sanctions expiring soon, the stakes are higher than ever. Don’t miss Jason’s insights on what the U.S. is demanding, the potential for successful diplomacy, and the global risks posed by Iran.

*The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.

Iranian flag, crowd
Inside the New U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks: What’s at Stake?
As new negotiations begin to tackle Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, and support for terror proxies, tensions are escalating. Jason Isaacson, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, joins us to unpack the legacy of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and withdrawal in 2018, and Iran’s dangerous stockpiling of uranium, getting them closer to nuclear weapons capabilities.
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Hebron Massacre of 1929 - Victim's Funeral
This Often Forgotten 1929 Massacre is Key to Understanding the Current Israel-Palestinian Conflict
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. For journalist Yardena Schwartz, the massacre was a chilling echo of the 1929 Hebron Massacre—the brutal slaughter of nearly 70 Jews, incited by propaganda that Jews sought to seize the Al Aqsa Mosque. At the time, she was writing her first book, "Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict". Yardena shares how history repeated itself, how the October 7 attack reshaped her book, and why understanding the past is essential to making sense of the present.
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A woman chants slogans during a demonstration near Columbia University on May 23, 2024 in New York City. Demonstrators gathered to protest against New York Mayor Eric Adams’s association with wealthy business owners and investors calling for they city's student protest encampments to be disbanded. Several of New York's prominent business owners reportedly offered political donations to Mayor Adams in an effort to influence public opinion towards Israel, while others suggested payments for private investigat
Higher Education in Turmoil: Balancing Academic Freedom and the Fight Against Antisemitism
Following the Trump administration's decision to revoke $400 million in federal funding over Columbia University's failure to protect Jewish students, the university announced sweeping policy changes. Meanwhile, the U.S. moved to deport former Columbia student and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, accusing him of concealing his ties to UNRWA. Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, Director of AJC’s Center for Education Advocacy, joins People of the Pod to discuss the delicate balance between combating antisemitism, safeguarding free speech, and ensuring campuses remain safe for all students.
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Woman holding up Israeli flag and in the background are Irish flags. Pro-Israeli protesters seen outside the Israeli Embassy on Pembroke Road, Dublin, during a Pro-Israel protest. On Sunday, 30 May 2021, in Dublin, Ireland.
Will Ireland Finally Stop Paying Lip Service When it Comes to Combating Antisemitism?
In late 2024, Israel closed its embassy in Dublin, accusing the Irish government of extreme anti-Israel policies, antisemitic rhetoric, and double standards. Meanwhile, the small Jewish community in Ireland, numbering nearly 3,000, has faced antisemitism in the streets. AJC’s Director of International Jewish Affairs, Rabbi Andrew Baker, joins us to discuss his recent meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, examples of antisemitic activity in Ireland, including Holocaust inversion and the chilling impact of widespread anti-Israel sentiment on Irish Jews.
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A picture taken on October 19, 2023 at the United Nations office in Geneva shows Israeli-German Noam Har Tzvi holding a picture of her friend Israeli-German Shoshan Haran presumed hostage of the Hamas, during an interview with AFP.
Held Hostage in Gaza: A Mother’s Fight for Freedom and Justice
Former Israeli hostage Shoshan Haran, abducted during the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, shares her harrowing story of survival and resilience. Shoshan was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Be’eri alongside her family, including her son-in-law Tal Shoham, her daughter, and her young grandchildren. While she and the other women and children were released after 50 days in November 2023, Tal remained in Gaza for 505 days and was released in February 2025.
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Neoclassical architecture columns and stairs to the entrance of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Meet the MIT Scientists Fighting Academic Boycotts of Israel
To ensure Israeli scholars and their American colleagues can collaborate freely, and foster research and innovation that benefits all of humanity, 2 scientists at MIT formed The Kalaniyot Foundation, named after Israel's national flower. Drs. Or Hen and Ernest Fraenkel speak on the impact of anti-Israel boycotts on academic collaboration with Israeli scholars, and what they’re doing to rehabilitate the reputation of Israeli researchers in the eyes of the world.
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AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson sits down with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a live discussion in Washington, D.C., to introduce AJC’s Center for a New Middle East.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on Gaza Reconstruction, Israeli Security, and the Future of Middle East Diplomacy
AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson sits down with U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, for a live discussion in Washington, D.C., to introduce AJC’s Center for a New Middle East.
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An election poster of the top candidate and co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel (R) is seen in front of the headquarters of the Christian Democratic CDU party with a giant picture of the CDU's top candidate and leader Friedrich Merz on its facade in Berlin, on February 24, 2025, one day after the German federal elections. Germany's conservative election winner, CDU leader Friedrich Merz vowed to get to work on the arduous task of building a new coalition governm
Why Germany’s Antisemitic Far-Right Party is Thriving Instead of Disappearing
Following Germany’s recent election results, the far-right party AfD, or Alternative for Germany, is now a more prominent force than ever, doubling its support. Director of AJC Berlin Lawrence and Lee Ramer Institute for German-Jewish Relations Remko Leemhuis breaks down the rise of AfD, the role of Christian Democrat’s Friedrich Merz—widely expected to be Germany’s next chancellor—and the challenges ahead for Germany’s relationship with Israel and the United States.
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White banner reading "long live the intifada" in all caps, black lettering, in front of an encampment on University of Michigan's Ann Arbor, MI campus Diag.
Spat On and Silenced: 2 Jewish Students on Fighting Campus Hate
Imagine being spat on as you walk across your college campus simply because you’re Jewish or being asked whether you’re a “good Jew” or a “bad Jew.” As part of AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, AJC and Hillel International partnered to document the experiences of Jewish students on campus. In the second installment of this two-part series, meet two students whose experiences reflect these alarming statistics.
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White car with Divest, Free Palestine, and an upside-down triangle spray painted in red on it. Car is parked on a driveway, image is taken at night.
University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker: When Antisemitism Hits Home
What would you do if jars of urine were thrown through the windows of your house in the middle of the night? How would you feel if antisemitic messages were spray painted on your cars? How would you respond if you were targeted simply because you’re Jewish? In the first installment of a 2-part series, meet a face behind the alarming findings of AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report.
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U.S. President Donald Trump R and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint press conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 4, 2025. Trump met with Netanyahu here on Tuesday.
Unpacking Trump’s Gaza Plan
During a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump made a stunning proposal: that the United States take control of Gaza. His remark sparked intense global debate. This week, we break down the implications with Jason Isaacson, AJC’s Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer.
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Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, smiling, in a grey suit with a white shirt and purple tie, holding a book, in front of booksleves.
Empathy Is Who We Are: Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove on Being Jewish Today
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, spiritual leader of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York, explores the complexities of Jewish identity in a post-October 7th world in his new book, For Such a Time As This: On Being Jewish Today. In this conversation, he unpacks the tension between Israel’s need for self-defense and the suffering experienced by Gazans and Israelis and the challenge of balancing empathy with vigilance.
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A group of the Fink family posing for a photo together in 1950.
The Oldest Holocaust Survivor Siblings: A Tale of Family, Survival, and Hope
When the USC Shoah Foundation named three sisters and their brother from Sanok, Poland the oldest surviving siblings of the Holocaust, Canadian Jewish filmmaker Allan Novak realized it was time to use the footage he'd been collecting for years to tell their story. Listen to this conversation with Novak on his family’s dream of moving to Israel, unwavering resilience, and positive outlook, despite losing 80 family members to the horrors of Nazism.
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People celebrate the release of Isreali hostages from Hamas captivity at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Jan. 19, 2025. Three Israeli women, released from Hamas captivity in Gaza, arrived in Israel on Sunday, the first day that a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect, according to Israeli officials. The three -- Emily Damari, 28, a British-Israeli; Doron Steinbrecher, 30, a veterinary nurse; and Romi Gonen, 23, abducted from the Nova music festival -- were finally released afte
Israeli Hostages Freed: Inside the Emotional Reunions, High-Stakes Negotiations, and What’s Next
After 471 harrowing days in Gaza, Israeli hostages Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher are finally reunited with their families. Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, discusses the emotional impact of these reunions, the high-stakes prisoner exchange deal, and the collaboration between the outgoing Biden administration and newly inaugurated President Donald Trump.
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two figures standing in front of a building that is lit up with large white lettering spelling out 'bring them home' in all caps.
Bring Them Home: Understanding the Israel-Hamas Hostage Deal and Its Impact
After 467 days of anguish, Israel and Hamas have reached a pivotal agreement to begin releasing hostages. AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich breaks down the deal's details, the phased approach to releases, and the emotional toll on families and the nation. Hear about the complexities of the negotiations, the potential political fallout, and the profound resilience of those waiting for their loved ones to come home.
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Three figures, left to right: Stanley Tucci, Willa Kaufman, David Mogdiliani, at Sonica Studios in London.
Pack One Bag: Stanley Tucci and David Modigliani Uncover His Jewish Family’s Escape from Fascism and Antisemitism in 1930s Italy
What would you do if fascism and antisemitism seized your homeland? In his podcast Pack One Bag, documentarian David Modigliani takes listeners on a journey through his family’s escape from Italy in 1938. The podcast features Stanley Tucci as Mogdiliani’s great-grandfather, who was known as Italy’s “King of the Books,” and once advised Mussolini but later turned against him.
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AJC CEO Ted Deutch and PA Gov. Josh Shapiro on a stage, sitting in armchairs, in front of a blue backlground that reads AJC Philadelphia/Southern NJ 80 Years
Gov. Josh Shapiro and AJC CEO Ted Deutch on Combating Antisemitism
Last week, AJC CEO Ted Deutch traveled to Philadelphia to meet with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for an in-depth discussion on combating antisemitism, ensuring the future vitality of Jewish communities in Pennsylvania and beyond, and addressing the challenges posed by rising political polarization both locally and nationally.
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Dr. Mijal Bitton, dressed in a black blazer and yellow skirt and smiling.
Mijal Bitton on What It Means to Be a Jew Today
As many Jews deepen their sense of Jewish identity, Dr. Mijal Bitton joins the podcast to explore the significance of our Jewish heritage, texts, and peoplehood and what it means as we enter the Hanukkah season. Bitton is a sociologist, storyteller, podcast host, and Jewish advocate who also serves as the spiritual leader of the Downtown Minyan in Manhattan.
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Blue background, white lettering that reads: #Translate Hate The Catholic Edition, with AJC logo and logo of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops underneath
The Next Chapter in Catholic-Jewish Relations
Bishop Joseph Bambera marks the launch of a groundbreaking Catholic-Jewish initiative - Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition - with a wide-ranging interview with AJC’s People of the Pod. At a time when recent events have challenged Catholic-Jewish relations, Bambera, the Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee (USCCB) on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, details why the church has made combating antisemitism a priority.
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L-R: Bernard-Henri Lévy, Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache, and Ted Deutch, seated, in front of two windows and an AJC step and repeat background, in conversation
Bernard-Henri Lévy and AJC CEO Ted Deutch on How to Build a Resilient Jewish Future Post-October 7
What lessons can be drawn from the post-October 7 era? Amid growing isolation and antisemitism, where do opportunities for hope and resilience lie for the Jewish people? AJC CEO Ted Deutch and Bernard-Henri Lévy—renowned French philosopher, public intellectual, and author of Israel Alone—explore these critical questions.
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The Emirati, Israeli, and U.S. flags are flown from an El Al passenger aircraft after its arrival in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
What’s Next for the Abraham Accords Under President Trump?
The Abraham Accords marked a significant foreign policy achievement for President Donald Trump at the end of his first term in 2020. What’s next for the Abraham Accords under a new Trump administration Joining us is Rob Greenway, Director of the Allison Center for National Security at the Heritage Foundation and former senior director for Middle Eastern and North African Affairs on the National Security Council.
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Israeli soldiers smiling in uniform, saluting, in front of an Israeli flag
Honoring Israel’s Lone Soldiers This Thanksgiving: Celebrating Service and Sacrifice Away from Home
Supporting lone soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)—those serving without immediate family in Israel—has never been more crucial. This Thanksgiving, hear from lone soldiers Kerren Seidner and Nate LeRoy about their experiences and how they support fellow soldiers through Ach Gadol (Big Brother), an organization dedicated to helping those serving without family support.
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) building is pictured on November 21, 2024 in The Hague.
The ICC Issues Arrest Warrants: What You Need to Know
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of crimes tied to Israel’s defense operations in Gaza. Why should supporters of Israel—regardless of political views—reject these accusations?
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U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks into a microphone, in front of U.S. and Israeli flags
What President-Elect Trump’s Nominees Mean for Israel, Antisemitism, and More

From Marco Rubio to Elise Stefanik: who are the nominations that President-elect Trump has announced, and what does their selection say about how the administration may take shape? Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs reviews the names announced thus far, how, if confirmed, they could impact efforts to counter antisemitism, support Israel, and uphold democratic values.
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People standing on either side of white voting privacy booths with an American flag and the word "VOTE" stamped across the side
What the Election Results Mean for Israel and the Jewish People
What do the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a sweeping victory for President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, mean for the U.S. Jewish community and Israel? Get caught up on all the latest election data points and analysis in this week’s episode, featuring Ron Kampeas, JTA's Washington Bureau Chief and guest hosted by Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs.
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People cast their in-person early ballot for the 2024 general election at the Northwest Activities Center on October 29, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Jewish Vote in Pennsylvania: What You Need to Know
As election day nears, Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, are zeroing in on Pennsylvania. Aaron Troodler, editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, breaks down what’s influencing Jewish voter sentiment in Pennsylvania.
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SANAA, YEMEN - OCTOBER 18: People gather to stage a demonstration against Israel's attacks on Lebanon and Gaza and the killing of Hamas Political Bureau Head Yahya Sinwar, in Sana'a, Yemen on October 18, 2024.
Sinwar Eliminated: What Does This Mean for the 101 Hostages Still Held by Hamas?
How will the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar affect Israel's security and regional stability? What are the implications for the 101 hostages still held by Hamas? Join us as AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson discuss the Israeli Defense Forces' recent elimination of the terror leader.
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cover of Aliza Lavie's book, Iconic Jewish Women
From Doña Gracia to Deborah Lipstadt: What Iconic Jewish Women Can Teach Us Today
What do Doña Gracia, Glückel of Hameln, and Deborah Lipstadt have in common? They are all celebrated as iconic Jewish women in Dr. Aliza Lavie's incisive book, Iconic Jewish Women. Dr. Lavie’s book features 59 remarkable role models, highlighting the significance of women's voices and leadership in the Jewish community.
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Israeli DJ Daniel Vaknin, in a yellow sweater stands with his arms raised, expressing joy or celebration.
The Nova Music Festival Survivor Saved by an 88-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor
“I want to show the word that you can choose light . . .no matter how much dark you saw, or what's going on in Israel now, or what's going on in the world, there's still a choice.” As we mark one year since Hamas’ massacre of Israelis, Israeli DJ Daniel Vaknin, 30, shares his harrowing experience from the Nova Music Festival, where 340 attendees were brutally murdered in the deadliest event in music history.
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Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah gives a speech during a Ashura Day ceremony in Beirut, Lebanon on October 24, 2015. Ashura day, the tenth day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, is well-known because of mourning for the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali, the second grandson of Muhammad, who was killed during the Battle of Karbala in 680.
Is Nasrallah’s Death a Game-Changer? Matthew Levitt Breaks Down What’s at Stake for Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah
Could Israel’s elimination of Hezbollah’s leaders reshape the landscape of power in the Middle East? Matthew Levitt, Director of the Washington Institute's Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, answers that pressing question, discusses the impact of Israel's recent offensive against Hezbollah, following the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and analyzes the ongoing military operations on the Israel-Lebanon border.
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METULA, ISRAEL - MARCH 19: A journalist views a house that was damaged by a rocket fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah during a tour organized for journalists in a northern village on March 19, 2024 in Metula, Israel. Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant and political group in Lebanon, have traded near daily strikes in recent months, as the war in Gaza has stoked regional hostilities.
From Rocket Attacks to Exploding Pagers: Michael Oren on Escalating Tensions Between Israel and Hezbollah
Ambassador Michael Oren dives into Israel's escalating conflict with Hezbollah, which has turned Israel’s northern border into a war zone and caused 60,000 to remain displaced from their homes.
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Ian Seidenfeld of Team United States returns a shot to Matteo Parenzan of Team Italy during their Men's Singles - MS6 - Semifinal 2 on day eight of the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games at South Paris Arena on September 05, 2024 in Paris, France.
Paris 2024: 2 Proud Jewish Paralympians on How Sports Unites Athletes Amid Antisemitism
Following Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israelis, antisemitism has infiltrated nearly every part of society – including the world of sports. U.S. Paralympian Tahl Leibovitz, an Israeli-American, knows this hatred firsthand, having been targeted both on and off the court simply for being Jewish. Together with fellow Paralympian Ian Seidenfeld, the Para Table Tennis champions reflect on how they’ve seen sports serve as a powerful unifying force, despite the challenges.
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Israel and the Path to Peace" event promotional image with three headshots and patriotic-themed border with stars and stripes. Headshot images include: Thomas R. Nides, Brad Schneider, and Halie Soifer
The DNC with AJC: What You Need to Know about the Democratic Party’s Israel Platform
This week, on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention, AJC hosted a program on Israel and the path to peace with Ambassador Thomas R. Nides, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, and Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL).
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A White Supremacist tries to strike a counter protestor with a White Nationalist flag during clashes at Emancipation Park where the White Nationalists are protesting the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville, Va., USA on August 12, 2017.
Is Centrism the Antidote to Political Polarization and Extremism? A Conversation with Yair Zivan
In his new book of essays, “The Center Must Hold,” Yair Zivan, Foreign Policy Advisor to Israel’s Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who heads Israel’s largest centrist political party, argues for a return to centrist politics as an antidote to the extremism and polarized politics proliferating around the globe today.
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A scenic image of the White House with an American flag on the roof, featuring a fountain and green lawn.
VP Picks, Media Bias, and Antisemitism: The 2024 U.S. Election and Its Impact on Israel and the Jewish People
Listen to an in-depth conversation on all the latest in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, from the vice presidential picks –Tim Walz and JD Vance – to Israel and antisemitism. Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, speaks with Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran (R), meets with Ismail Haniyeh (C), head of the political bureau of Hamas, and Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement before noon on July 30, 2024. on July 30, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Haniyeh, who lived in Qatar, was visiting Tehran this week for the new Iranian president's inauguration.
What the Unprecedented Assassinations of Terror Leaders Means for Israel and the Middle East
This week, two major terrorist leaders were assassinated in the Middle East. What does this mean for Israel and the wider region? Is this a major setback for Iran and its terror proxies?
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Three people sitting on chairs on a stage in front of a blue backdrop that reads AJC step and repeat. Belle Yoeli, Michael Rapaport, and Aviva Klompas
Aviva Klompas is Fighting the Normalization of Antisemitism on Social Media
Aviva Klompas has long been a fierce advocate for Israel and is no stranger to the forces that try to delegitimize the Jewish state. Klompas, cofounder of Boundless Israel, a think tank dedicated to strengthening education about Israel while also keeping an eye on the surge of antisemitism in the U.S., joins us.
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Attendees hold a flag made from the US and Israel flag during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. Days after he survived an assassination attempt Donald Trump won formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate and picked Ohio US Senator J.D. Vance for running mate.
On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East?
Israel’s right to self-defense and security, governance in Gaza, the Iranian regime and its network of terror, the Jewish state’s relationship with Arab countries in the Gulf, and much more were among the topics of discussion at an AJC-convened panel discussion at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
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Large french flag waving outside in front of a crowd post-French elections in July 2024
Europe at the Ballot Box: Insights and Impact on Jewish Communities and Beyond
Election season in Europe is in full force, including recent elections in France, the United Kingdom, and the European Parliament. American Jewish Committee's offices across Europe have closely followed the results, which have had dramatic outcomes across the continent.
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Israeli soldiers walk among portraits of people taken captive or killed by Hamas militants during the Supernova music festival on October 7, during a visit at the site where the deadly incident took place near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on January 11, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Rebuilding Israel’s Devastated Negev Region Post 10/7
The October 7 Hamas attack severely affected Israel’s Ben Gurion University (BGU) and its surrounding community. Doug Seserman, CEO of Americans for Ben Gurion University, joins us to discuss the impact on BGU and Israel’s Negev region.
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On a stage, there's a large desk and two podiums. A man, Jason Isaacson, is sat at the desk. Two women, Morgan Ortagus on the left and Halie Soifer on the right, stand at podiums on a stage with a backdrop that says "AJC Global Forum 2024" and "The Great Debate: Election 2020," followed by their names
The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election: What Does it Mean For Israel?
Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, and Morgan Ortagus, former Spokeswoman for the Department of State under the Trump administration, engaged in a debate on the 2024 presidential election and its impact on the global Jewish community, Israel, and the future of democracy-live on the AJC Global Forum 2024 stage.
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Soldiers mourn during a funeral for IDF soldier Sergeant Michael Ruzal Killed in a rocket attack in Southern Israel on May 6, 2024 in Rishon LeZion, Israel.
Seven Months In: What Israelis Think About the War Against Hamas, Campus Antisemitism in America, and More
Jacob Magid, U.S. Bureau Chief for the Times of Israel, provides his take on Israel's efforts to destroy Hamas in Gaza, the U.S-Israel relations, the anti-Israel campus protests, the Israeli public’s reaction to rising antisemitism abroad, and the challenges he has faced as a journalist since October 7.
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american flag
What Does it Mean to be a Jewish American Hero? A Jewish American Heritage Month Conversation with AJC CEO Ted Deutch
AJC CEO Ted Deutch reflects on Jewish American Heritage Month, highlighting the historical contributions of Jewish Americans and discussing the concept of heroism in the face of rising antisemitism. Ted also shares what it means to be a hero today, especially in the wake of 10/7, and who he considers to be among his own heroes.
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A demonstrator breaks the windows of the front door of the building in order to secure a chain around it to prevent authorities from entering as demonstrators from the pro-Palestine encampment barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall, an academic building at Colombia University, on April 30, 2024 in New York City.
The Chaos at Columbia: What It’s Like to be Jewish on Campus Right Now
Noa Fay is a Jewish student leader at Columbia University, the epicenter of the anti-Israel protest movement that has unfolded on American college campuses in recent weeks. Pro-Hamas, antisemitic, and anti-Israel demonstrators have occupied academic buildings, set up overnight tent encampments, and staged demonstrations, while Jewish students have faced increasing threats, antisemitism, and violence.
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silver seder plate with egg, parsley, shakbone, charoset
Her Mother-In-Law Was Murdered at Tree of Life: Now Marnie Fienberg is Countering Antisemitism One Seder at a Time
Ancient texts, traditional foods, and friends and family: the markers of many Passover tables across America. But what if you added something new–or rather, someone new? Marnie Fienberg founded 2ForSeder, a program to combat antisemitism and honor her mother-in-law, Joyce Feinberg, who was one of the 11 victims murdered inside Tree of Life.
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Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (C) and other members of the Israeli military stand next to an Iranian ballistic missile which fell in Israel on the weekend, during a media tour at the Julis military base near the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Malachi on April 16, 2024. Iran carried out an unprecedented direct attack on Israel overnight April 13-14, using more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
What the Iranian Regime’s Massive Attack Means for Israel and the Region
AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich shares how the IDF — and its neighbors and allies — defended Israel with remarkable success in an unprecedented, first-ever direct attack on the Israeli people, when the Iranian regime launched a wave of more than 300 drones and missiles.
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Red curtain background with marquee light up letters spelling MODI, Modi Rosenfeld walking across a stage, in a black suit, holding a microphone, smiling
Meet Modi Rosenfeld – the Comedian Helping the Jewish Community Laugh Again
Israeli-American Comedian Modi Rosenfeld, who took part in the inaugural AJC’s Voices Against Antisemitism Campaign reflects on jokes about antisemitism and what he sees as his mission in this difficult moment: helping the Jewish community laugh again.
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makeshift memorial of flowers, jewish magen david star, rests on bushes outside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
A Look Back: AJC’s Award-Winning “Remembering Pittsburgh” Series
Listen to this compilation of our award-winning series Remembering Pittsburgh, exploring how the horrific shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue affected the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, the U.S., and around the world. In the four-part series, we take listeners behind the scenes of how the Pittsburgh Jewish community continues to rebuild and honor the lives lost on October 27, 2018.
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figure draped in an israeli flag, facing a crowd of students holding candles at a vigil at Binghamton University, for victims of October 7th Hamas terrorist attacks
Jewish College Student Leaders Share Their Blueprint for Combating Antisemitism
Two Jewish student leaders at Binghamton University, Seth Schlank and Eytan Saenger speak on their experiences amidst rising antisemitism on college campuses in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre in Israel by Hamas and the show of solidarity with hostage Omer Neutra, a friend of many, who deferred acceptance to Binghamton before spending a gap year in Israel and enlisting in the IDF.
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Singer Matisyahu on stage singing into a microphone, background is dark except for one spotlight directed down towards him. Matisuahu is wearing a dark shirt and a large silver necklace with a Chai pendant.
Matisyahu’s Message to His Fellow Jews and to the Israel Haters Trying to Cancel Him
Matisyahu’s recent show in Chicago was canceled due to the threat of anti-Israel protests. The Jewish American singer’s music has evolved alongside his Jewish identity. But one thing has always been clear: He believes in Israel's right to exist.
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two women each holding and israeli flag, outside in front of a blue sky
Unheard, Until Now: How Israeli Women Are Powering Israel’s Resilience
In the days following October 7, Israeli filmmaker Shifra Soloveichik felt hopeless and hated, but not helpless. Inspired by women around her, she launched a digital initiative called Women of Valor: Women of War, to spotlight unheralded women with extraordinary stories during one of the most difficult moments in modern Jewish history.
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Edan Alexander hostage missing persons poster. red text reading Edan Alexander in Hebrew and English, 19 crossed out and 20 is drawn on. Below is a photo of a smiling young man. The poster is leaning on a windowsill and a small purple "love" sculpture is placed in front of the poster.
What the Mother of Hostage Edan Alexander Wants the World to Know
“Listen to me, Edan. I'm here. I'm with you. I love you. Just protect yourself. Just be safe.” These were the last words Yael Alexander spoke to her then-19 year old son, Edan, on the morning of October 7, 2023. Edan was later taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. Yael joins us from her New Jersey home to tell her story.
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People attend a menorah lighting ceremony on the seventh night of Hanukkah with Harvard's Jewish community on December 13, 2023, in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The campus had been in turmoil over divided opinions about Israel's war in the Gaza Strip, with the Jewish community saying they do not feel supported or protected by the university.
What It’s Like to Be Jewish at Harvard Among Antisemites and Hamas Supporters
What’s it like being a Jewish student at Harvard today? With us to tell their firsthand accounts are Nitsan Machlis, co-chair of the Harvard Kennedy School Jewish Caucus, and Shabbos Kestenbaum, a Harvard Divinity school student who is part of a group that sued the university–alleging that they failed to address campus antisemitism.
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Protesters wearing fake blood make-up and holding placards take part in a demonstration "Rape is NOT resistance" outside the BBC headquarters, in London, on February 4, 2024 to bring attention to the plight of the kidnapped Israeli women in Gaza who have been held by Hamas for over 110 days. Thousands of civilians, both Palestinians and Israelis, have died since October 7, 2023, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip entered southern Israel in an unprecedented attack triggering a war decl
Believe Israeli Women: How to Advocate for Victims of Hamas’ Sexual Violence
During their murderous rampage across Southern Israel on October 7th, Hamas weaponized sexual violence. Over 138 days later, denial of these crimes runs rampant. Hear from Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC’s Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, on what you can do to make sure the plight of Israeli women is heard.
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Graffiti reading "genocide supporters" on the façade of the Scoop Shop, a Scarsdale, NY ice cream and gift store, Jan. 25, 2024.
When Antisemites Target Local Businesses: How Communities Are Uniting in Response
One in five U.S. Jews reported that local businesses where they live have been the target of antisemitism in the past five years, revealed AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2023 Report. To dive deeper into this trend, we spoke with Adam Deutsch whose storefront was sprayed painted with the words “genocide supporters.”
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Pro-Israel counter-protesters sing arm-in-arm during a rally as students call for a ceasefire in Gaza Planned walkouts by students on college campuses across the country were organized calling for an end to the retaliation bombing of Gaza after the Palestinian militant group launched a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7.
How A 10/7 Survivor is Confronting Anti-Israel Activists on College Campuses
Yoni Diller arrived at the Supernova Music Festival just hours before Hamas terrorists launched their attack on Israel. Having survived this harrowing experience, Yoni is now traveling the world to share his story.
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TOPSHOT - Israeli soldiers walk among portraits of people taken captive or killed by Hamas militants during the Supernova music festival on October 7, during a visit at the site where the deadly incident took place near Kibbutz Reim in southern Israel, on January 11, 2024, amid continuing battles between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Tal Shimony Survived the Hamas Attack on the Nova Music Festival: Hear Her Story of Courage, Resilience, and Remembrance
On October 7, Tal Shimony went from dancing in a field at the Supernova Music Festival to running for her life as the site was attacked by Hamas terrorists. Tal guides us through what she witnessed that morning and the exhibit 'Nova 6.29,' where the community aims to tell their story and honor those killed and taken hostage.
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March Of The Living 2023: Thousands Marching From Auschwitz To Birkenau OSWIECIM, POLAND - APRIL 18, 2023: Participants during the 35th annual 'March of the Living' between Auschwitz and Birkenau camps, the largest German Nazi-operated concentration camp during World War II, on April 18, 2023, in Oswiecim, Poland. The March of the Living, an annual educational program, brings together Jewish students from around the world to silently march from Auschwitz I to Auschwitz II Birkenau, paying tribute to the mil
How to Mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day in a Post-October 7th World
This week, Mark Weitzman from the World Jewish Restitution Organization, joins us to discuss the links between the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the Holocaust, and how Holocaust museums worldwide and in Israel are grappling with the aftermath.
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https://ajc.canto.com/b/An armed demonstrator lifting a Palestinian and Yemeni flags gestures during an anti-Israel and anti-US rally in the Huthi-controlled capital Sanaa on January 19, 2024, protesting the US designation of Yemen's Huthi rebels as "terrorists", after a series of attacks on Red Sea shipping amid ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza.
A Spider Web of Terror: How Iran’s Axis of Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas Threaten Israel and America
This week President Biden re-designated Yemen’s Houthis as a global terrorist group amid its increasing attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the Hezbollah terror group continues to threaten Israel's northern border, and the Israel-Hamas war continues as Hamas still holds more than 100 Israeli hostages taken on 10/7.
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THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS - JANUARY 11: Public hearings in South Africa's genocide case against Israel began on Thursday at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands on January 11, 2024. On the first day of the trial, South Africa will be presenting hard evidence in the case it filed on Dec. 29, accusing Israel of genocide and violation of the UN Genocide Convention with its actions in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. The South African side will be requesting an injunction by the top UN co
Unpacking South Africa’s Baseless Genocide Charge Against Israel
The International Court of Justice is currently hearing South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza. Professor Geoffrey Corn from Texas Tech University joins us to explain how we got here, the case’s significance, and why the claims of genocide are baseless.
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BE'ERI, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 20: Israeli flag hangs in destroyed house on December 20, 2023 in Be'eri, Israel. Families and supporters of hostages kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 joined a tour of Kibbutz Be'eri held for journalists to mark 75 days since the attack.
Countering the Denial and Distortion of the 10/7 Hamas Attack
Dr. Robert Williams, Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation, joins us to discuss the history and tendency to deny atrocities committed against Jews, the importance of collecting October 7th testimonies, and how they help in understanding antisemitism in all its forms.
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TOPSHOT - A neon sign reading "BRING THEM HOME", referring to the Israeli hostages held in Gaza since the October 7 attacks, is displayed atop the Charles Bronfman Auditorium (Heichal HaTarbut) at HaBima Square in Tel Aviv on December 9, 2023. Israeli forces have encircled major urban centres in the Gaza Strip as they seek to destroy Hamas over its unprecedented attack in October when militants broke through Gaza's militarised border to kill around 1,200 people and seize hostages, 138 of whom remain captive
4-Year-Old Hostage Abigail Idan is Free–Her Family is On a Mission to #BringThemAllHome
Four-year-old Abigail Mor Idan, the youngest U.S. citizen who was kidnapped and held by Hamas, returned home during a pause in fighting in November. Abigail’s great-aunt joins us to recount her family’s harrowing story and her relentless effort to bring the remaining captives home to their loved ones.
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(L-R) Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, Liz Magill, President of University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Sally Kornbluth, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testify before the House Education and Workforce Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building on December 05, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Committee held a hearing to investigate antisemitism on college campuses.
The Fallout from the University Presidents Congressional Hearing: What Does it Mean for Jewish Students?
Three university presidents testified on Capitol Hill about the current state of Jew-hatred on college campuses. However, their testimony drew widespread outrage over their refusal to condemn calls for genocide against Jewish students.
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crowd of people at a rally for israel, holding signs of people taken hostage by hamas, in front of the opera house in sydney, australia. austrailian and israeli flags are being held up, flowing in the wind.
Global Antisemitism Report Part 2: The Impact of the Hamas-Israel War in Germany, Asia, and the Arab Gulf
“I cannot recall a moment where we have seen this kind of openly expressed antisemitism.” Dr. Remko Leemhuis, AJC Berlin Director, sums up the state of antisemitism in Germany post-October 7 with this chilling statement. Hear from Leemhuis, along with Asia Pacific Institute (API) Assistant Director Hana Rudolph, and AJC Abu Dhabi Director Marc Sievers, on how the October 7 Hamas massacre of Israelis has impacted Jews in Germany, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the United Arab Emirates.
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image of people in france marching holding a sign that reads BDS and french writing
Global Antisemitism Report Part 1: What It’s Like to Be Jewish in Europe, Latin America, and South Africa Right Now
Following Hamas’ October 7 massacre of Israelis, Jews around the world have experienced a surge of antisemitism. We checked in with some of AJC’s global experts to understand what efforts are underway to protect Jews and counter this hate.
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someone holding up a large sign that covers most of the frame. the sign is a mosaic of images of over 200 people kidnapped by hamas. there is a red banner going through the middle that reads in white text, #BringThemHome. the background is a blue sky.
What Happens Next: AJC’s Avital Leibovich on the Hostage Deal and Challenges Ahead
From the frontlines of the Israel-Hamas War, Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, director of AJC Jerusalem, joins us to discuss the current pause in fighting between Israel and the terror group Hamas, the release of hostages, and more.
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College campus
The Good, the Bad, and the Death Threats: What It’s Like to Be a Jewish College Student Right Now
Delve into the unsettling rise of antisemitism on American college campuses, focusing on alarming incidents at Cornell University and Columbia University. Our guests, Molly Goldstein and Elliot Sadoff, share their experiences of Jewish students being targeted in the classroom and facing death threats for merely speaking Hebrew.
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View of the back of a US Army Soldier in uniform, saluting to the american flag. the soldier is blurred, and the flag is in focus
Jewish U.S. Military Veterans’ Message to IDF Soldiers Fighting Hamas: “We’re With You”
In honor of Veterans Day, explore the unique experiences of Jewish U.S. military veterans with Dave Warnock, U.S. Army Veteran, and Andrea Goldstein, U.S. Navy Veteran and Reservist.
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Members of the Jewish community attend a Solidarity Rally in Trafalgar Square, central London, calling for the safe return of hostages and to highlight the effect of the Hamas attacks on Israel. Picture date: Sunday October 22, 2023. (Photo by Lucy North/PA Images via Getty Images)
What Would You Do If Your Son Was Kidnapped by Hamas?
This heartfelt conversation with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh, was recorded before the 23-year-old, Israeli-American was murdered by Hamas terrorists in captivity in late August 2024. In this episode, Polin and Goldberg detail what they knew about their son’s abduction from the Supernova music festival on October 7 and the challenges they faced in trying to secure his rescue.
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people standing holding candles crying in the daylight in pittsburgh pennsylvania
Remembering Pittsburgh Part 4: AJC CEO Ted Deutch On the Jewish Community’s Resilience After Pittsburgh and Hamas Attacks
AJC CEO Ted Deutch joins us to discuss the significance of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting at the Tree of Life and its aftermath, the anniversary, and what it means to Jews around the world after the October 7 attack on Israel, when once again Jews were murdered just for being Jewish.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 2: Over 1000 people crammed into the sanctuary at Temple Sinai for Friday evening Shabbat services on November 2, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Temple Sinai, just a half mile from Tree of Life Synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, opened their doors to Pittsburgh-area Jews and people of all faiths in the wake of the mass shooting that left 11 people dead at the Tree of Life on October 27, 2018.(Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
Remembering Pittsburgh Part 3: How the #ShowUpForShabbat Campaign Drew Global Solidarity Amid Tragedy
In the aftermath of the slaughter of 11 Jews inside the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, American Jewish Committee (AJC) drew up a plan to galvanize Jewish communities and their allies across the world in an expression of unity and defiance: #ShowUpForShabbat.
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people standing outside, holding candles and looking somber
Remembering Pittsburgh Part 2: What the Family of Tree of Life Victim Joyce Fienberg Wants You to Know About Her Legacy
Join us in a tribute to the memory of Joyce Fienberg, one of the 11 victims of the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. In this touching second installment of our series on the events of 10/27, we sit down with Joyce's son, Howard Fienberg, and his wife, Marnie, as they share their journey of mourning and resilience.
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Two people standing in front of a wall, papered with images of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and taken hostage into Gaza
Renana Gomeh’s Sons Were Taken Hostage by Hamas: What She Needs You to Do to Bring Them Home Now
At 6:30 a.m on October 7, 2023, Renana Gomeh’s life changed forever when Iran-backed Hamas terrorists stormed her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz and took her two sons, ages 12 and 16, hostage. Listen to Renana’s painful account of what happened two weeks ago, how she is coping, and her mission to bring them home.
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President Joe Biden standing in front a lectern, flanked by four flags: US flag, israel flag, followed by US flag and Israel flag
What Biden’s Wartime Visit to Israel Signals to Hamas, Iran, Hezbollah
Jason Isaacson, AJC’s Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, joins us to break down U.S. President Joe Biden’s historic wartime visit to Israel and his message to Iran and its terror proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.
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Image of large Israeli flag flying over a blue sky, a soldier Mai Gutman holding it
Mai Gutman Was Supposed to Be at the Music Festival: IDF Lone Soldier Recounts Harrowing Week
Mai Gutman, 28, a graduate student and member of AJC's Campus Global Board, had planned to join her friends at the Supernova music festival near Israel's border with Gaza on Saturday, October 7. But when relatives came to visit, she decided to celebrate Shabbat and Simchat Torah in Jerusalem instead—a change of plans that saved her life.
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four figures, left to right: one young girl, crying. man with his arm around her, holding a small child. police officer guiding them.
Responding to Hamas Terror: IsraAID CEO on How You Can Help Israelis Right Now
We’re joined by Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsraAID, to discuss how Israel’s leading international humanitarian organization is responding to the immediate and long-term needs on the ground in the wake of Iran-backed Hamas's barbaric terrorist attack in Israel.
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photo of tree of life synagogue in squirrel hill, pennsylvania. large gray stone building that says in black writing in hebrew text followed by english: "tree of life - or l'simcha". green tree on left of building and above the building is a blue sky with white clouds
Remembering Pittsburgh Part 1: Behind the Scenes at the Reimagined Tree of Life
This month, we mark the five-year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting at the Tree of Life. As the first installment in a four-part series, we take you inside the Tree of Life building before it is demolished in the coming months to make way for a new complex dedicated to Jewish life and combating antisemitism.
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University of Pennsylvania campus buildings from above in the foreground, bird's eye view with the skyline of Philadelphia in the background
What Jewish Students at Penn Want You to Know About Antisemitism and the Palestine Writes Event
All eyes have been on the University of Pennsylvania and the Palestine Writes event, a gathering meant to give voice to Palestinian art, poetry, and literature on campus. Penn students Maya Harpaz and Jonah Miller take you through what unfolded.
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US President Joe Biden addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on September 19, 2023. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
What the UN Needs To Do To Stop Iranian and Russian Aggression
This week, Simone Rodan Benzaquen, Managing Director of AJC Europe, joins us to discuss AJC’s leading role in the Jewish community’s diplomatic efforts at the United Nations General Assembly. Simone highlights key areas of advocacy, including countering the Iranian threat, addressing antisemitism and anti-Israel bias, advancing the Abraham Accords, and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
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deborah lipstadt in front of blue AJC step and repeat. wearing a reddish shawl, and a jewish star magen david necklace
Deborah Lipstadt on the Abraham Accords’ Impact and the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism
Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, joins AJC's People of the Pod to discuss how she’s settled into her new role and to share insights on the development of the new U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which AJC has long advocated for.
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israeli president isaac "bougie" herzog with senator joni ernst from iowa, senator jackie rosen, senator james lankford
Sen. Joni Ernst Reflects on the Abraham Accords and the Future of Arab-Israeli Engagement
As we mark the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, significant progress has been made in deepening Arab-Israeli engagement. With us this week is Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a founding member of the Senate Abraham Accords Caucus.
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Helen Mirren standing in front of a desk, on the phone, pointing a finger, in her role as Golda Meir in Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures -GOLDA. Credit: Sean Gleason, Courtesy of Bleecker Street/ShivHans Pictures
'Golda': Behind the Scenes with Israeli Director Guy Nattiv on the 1973 Yom Kippur War
This week, Academy Award-winning director Guy Nattiv discusses his new film 'Golda,' which follows the journey of Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir as she navigates the tense 19 days of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Nattiv delves into how Helen Mirren, who portrays Golda Meir, expertly embodied the role.
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A man wearing glasses, holding a german flag over his sholder with the words WIR SING SAD VOLK (germany for "we are the people").
The Rise of Germany’s Far-Right Party and What It Means for German Jews
Polls in Germany suggest the far-right political party Alternative for Germany, or AfD—with its antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-EU, and other extreme views—has support from a fifth of German voters. Hear from Felix Klein, on what has contributed to the rise of AfD.
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MSU Beaumont Tower
What the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism Means for Jewish College Students
Hear from two student leaders who are working to share and implement the U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism's recommendations at their colleges and beyond.
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Man in white AJC tshirt on the far left. Middle is a woman holding a child. Far right is a woman with a headcovering, wearing an IsraAID jacket.
IsraAID CEO on Sharing Israel’s Expertise With the World's Most Vulnerable
Tune in for a conversation with Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsraAID, a leading Israeli humanitarian aid organization and longtime partner of AJC, about the group's mission and the impact of sharing Israel's expertise and technology to help millions worldwide after crises hit.
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Knessett building israeli parliment. large beige stone building in background, grey-blue sky
Israel’s Reasonableness Law: What it Means for Israel’s Democracy and Security
AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson breaks down what Israel’s recently-enacted judicial reform means for the future of the only democracy in the Middle East.
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Leonard Cohen in the Sinai Desert in October 1973, on a concert tour. Sitting on the ground, holding a guitar.
Matti Friedman on How the 1973 Yom Kippur War Impacted Leonard Cohen and What It Means Today
Last month, we sat down with journalist and author Matti Friedman to talk about Leonard Cohen, the Israel-Diaspora relationship, and the turning point that was the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
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Left - Candace Bazemore. Right - Gabby Leon Spatt, holding the book "Shabbat and Sunday Dinner". Both are smiling in front of the Capitol building in Washington, DC.
From the Black-Jewish Caucus to Shabbat and Sunday Dinners: Connecting Through Food and Allyship
Candace Bazemore and Gabby Leon Spatt, authors of the award-winning children’s book Shabbat and Sunday Dinner, traveled to Washington, D.C., this week to help AJC, the National Urban League, and ADL relaunch the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations.
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four people, Aviva Steinberger, Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Reva Gorelick, sitting on a black stage in front of a blue step and repeat background with the American Jewish Committee (AJC) logo, two tables with water bottles on top, and on the right side of the stage is a blue AJC-branded podium with a microphone
Meet 3 Women Who are Driving Change in the Middle East
Join us for an exclusive conversation featuring three women leading transformation in the Middle East: Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, Chairperson of the Israeli Export Institute; Gadeer Kamal-Mreeh, a Senior Envoy at The Jewish Agency for Israel; and Aviva Steinberger, Director of Innovation Diplomacy at Start-Up Nation Central.
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Three people sitting around a round table with a white tablecloth, one woman and two men, sitting in front of microphones
'Signed, Sealed, Delivered?': Exploring Israel's Declaration of Independence with People of the Pod and Israel Story
Two of the Jewish world’s leading podcasts, People of the Pod and Israel Story, are teaming up to bring you inside the making of ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered?’ – the latest series from Israel Story that explores the lives of the signatories of Israel’s Declaration of Independence and their descendants.
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Herzog
Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Conversation with AJC CEO Ted Deutch
At AJC Global Forum 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israeli President Isaac Herzog sat down with AJC CEO Ted Deutch to discuss key issues, including judicial reform, Israel-Diaspora relations, and the importance of the Abraham Accords.
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Three women on a stage with a blue background sitting in chairs, one behind a desk branded with People of the Pod
Two Ukrainian Refugees Reflect on Escaping War, and Life in Israel– Live from AJC Global Forum 2023
Margo Vdovichenko and Diana Buchman, both refugees of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have found new lives in Israel. Recorded live at AJC Global Forum 2023, this moving conversation captures their journey and adjustment to life in Israel.
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Hakeem Jeffries in front of a blue wall with his hand and arm raised
Hakeem Jeffries on Israel, Ghana, and Representing Brooklyn
This week, guest host Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Senior Director of Policy and Political Affairs, had the honor of connecting with Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, after he led a congressional delegation to Israel and Ghana.
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woman sitting on the floor, man sitting on a couch behind her, of the jewish bluegrass band nefesh mountain
From Roots to Harmony: Nefesh Mountain's Fusion of Jewish American Culture and Bluegrass
Driven by their message of "radical love," hear how Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg, the husband and wife duo behind the renowned bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain, combat antisemitism within the music industry and beyond.
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Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in a blue shirt speaking into a microphone in front of a US Flag
Sen. Jon Ossoff on Jewish Resilience
Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA), the first millennial Senator and the first Jewish member of the Senate from Georgia, joins us to honor Jewish American Heritage Month. He shares his family's survival against antisemitism and his efforts to combat it today through his work.
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4 people in front of a white wall, preparing to light shabbat candles, candles are atop a table with a white tablecloth and pinkflowers in the foreground
"Busy in Brooklyn" Food Blogger Chanie Apfelbaum Talks Kosher Cuisine and Jewish Heritage
Chanie Apfelbaum, author of the popular food blog Busy in Brooklyn, discusses her new cookbook, Totally Kosher, the intersection of Jewish culture and food, and the future of kosher cuisine.
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Israeli forces and rescuers secure the area near a building hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza strip, in Rehovot near Tel Aviv, on May 11, 2023.
From Israel: AJC’s Avital Leibovich Breaks Down Latest Gaza Escalation
In a special breaking news edition, Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, director of AJC Jerusalem, joins us to break down Israel’s Operation Shield and Arrow and the threat posed by the Iranian-backed terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which has fired over 900 rockets toward Israel since Tuesday.
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Image of AJC CEO Ted Deutch in suit and tie, speaking, wearing glasses, in front of a clear lectern
AJC CEO Ted Deutch on the Importance of Jewish American Heritage Month
This May, AJC is proud to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month and the countless contributions that Jewish Americans have made. To kick things off, we’re joined by AJC CEO Ted Deutch to hear his reflections on his first several months at AJC.
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Photo of baseball player ryan lavarnway with a jersery that reads "Israel 36" with olympic rings in the background, on a baseball field, running
How Playing Baseball With Team Israel Transformed Ryan Lavarnway’s Life
In celebration of Israel’s 75th birthday, guest host Dov Wilker, AJC’s Atlanta director, sits down with retired Major League Baseball catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who played for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics. Lavarnway reflected on the Jewish pride he felt representing Israel on the international stage, how he has dealt with the antisemitism in his career, and the importance of building connections between the Jewish state and the Diaspora.
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Julianna Margulies met with Museum of Jewish Heritage Internship Program Coordinator Emily Szasz, and Rivkah Bryski and Phoebe Ellman, who are the first interns in the Holocaust Educator School Partnership Program, and then visited the Museum’s main exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. (Photo Credit: Museum of Jewish Heritage)
Julianna Margulies on Holocaust Education and Fighting Antisemitism
Emmy Award-winning actress Julianna Margulies helped create the Holocaust Educator School Partnership to teach the history of the Holocaust to middle and high school students. In a poignant interview, Margulies shares her motivations for expanding the program, how antisemitism has affected her family, and reflections on her first visit to Israel.
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photo of flags outside Knesset building , Israeli parliament.
What to Know About Israel’s Judicial Reforms Effort and Protests
This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pressed pause on a series of contentious judicial reforms that have triggered mass protests, condemnation from wide swaths of Israeli society, and expressions of concern from American leaders and Jewish organizations. Belle Yoeli and Jason Isaacson discuss what this means for the future of the Middle East’s only democracy.
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jewish high school students sitting in a room, one with a white kippa/head covering on top of his head
How Jewish Teens Take on Antisemitism in America
Jewish teenagers in middle and high schools throughout the United States are experiencing antisemitism in various forms, including in their school premises, in the classroom, and on social media. Abi Streger, a Jewish student from suburban Atlanta, is one of the many teenagers who have faced such hatred.
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US President Joe Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid
Building on the Abraham Accords: President Biden’s Trip to the Middle East, and Its Implications for Israeli-Saudi Relations
This week, retired U.S. Ambassador Marc Sievers, Director of American Jewish Committee’s office in Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, joins us to discuss President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East on a tour that included Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia.
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photo in the White House under a grand chandelier, pink background, row of people smiling at the camera: Lord John Mann, Katharina von schnurbein, ted Dutch, second gentleman Doug emhoff, Deborah Lipstadt, Andrew baker, Felix Klein, holly Huffnagle
A White House Meeting with Antisemitism Envoys from Around the World
Two weeks ago at the White House, a group of antisemitism envoys from around the world attended an AJC-convened gathering as part of the efforts of an interagency group created by President Biden to build a national strategy to combat antisemitism. This week, two of those envoys join us to discuss that meeting.
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image of four people sitting in brown chairs on a beige carpet. felice gaer, Saad Ibrahim, Mahnaz Afkhami, and Suzanne Nossel
Honoring Felice Gaer: A Lifelong Champion for Human Rights
Felice Gaer, esteemed Director of AJC’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights, was an internationally respected human rights advocate who dedicated more than four decades to championing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and enforcing international commitments to prevent severe human rights violations globally.
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Rabbi Sandra Lawson, guitar and tallit singing morning blessings on a porch in Burlington, NC
How to Support Jews of Color
Rabbi Sandra Lawson, Reconstructing Judaism’s first director of racial diversity, equity and inclusion, joins us to talk about how you can support Jews of color.
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image of two raised hands and wrists in front of a ukranian flag, half yellow, half blue
The Jewish Experience in Ukraine Amidst Russia’s Invasion
One year after Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Vladislav Davidzon, European culture correspondent for Tablet Magazine, shares what he’s witnessed as a war correspondent on the frontlines, and predicts the future for his beloved country and the Jewish community he's proud to call home.

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image of Northwestern University campus with bare trees, three light brown brick buildings, one person walking across a bare lawn.
How Rising Antisemitism Impacts Jews on College Campuses
Unpack the findings from AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2022 report on young U.S. Jews, including those on college campuses, with the Senior Director of AJC’s Alexander Young Leadership Department, Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman. We also hear from Northwestern University student Lily Cohen.
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rally against antisemitism in france
The New Ways France is Combating Antisemitism
France just released its latest national plan for combating antisemitism. AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache joins us to break down this new initiative, share how French Jews are impacted by rising antisemitism, and give us a behind-the-scenes look at the role AJC played in helping craft the plan.
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Breaking Down the Headlines from Israel: From Secretary Blinken’s Visit, to Terror Attacks, Protests, and More
The Jerusalem Post’s Lahav Harkov joins us this week to help us understand all of the big news from Israel, from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit, to rocket attacks from Gaza, terror attacks in Jerusalem, ultimatums from Russia, massive protests, and proposed changes to Israel’s Law of Return.
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Sam Harris, 1948, smiling child wearing glasses standing in front of a house
Surviving the Unimaginable: A Child's Story of the Holocaust
In this powerful episode, we sit down with Sam Harris, who is one of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust. As a young child, Sam watched in horror as his family was taken to Treblinka and murdered, but he and his two older sisters were able to beat the odds.
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Imagine from the set of the Tom Stoppard Play Leopoldstadt, showing people standing around a table with a white tablecloth and candelabra lit
‘Leopoldstadt’ Actor David Krumholtz Sees Tom Stoppard’s Holocaust Play as the Role of a Lifetime
Since its Broadway opening last fall, Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt,” a play about a multi-generational Jewish family in Vienna, based on Stoppard’s own family history, has been met with critical acclaim. Hear from celebrated actor David Krumholtz, who plays the patriarch of the family, on how his Jewish identity has been transformed by the role.
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Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville texas with police car outside of building
Shabbat Shalom No More? One Year Later, Colleyville Synagogue Wrestles with Impact of Hostage Crisis
One year ago, Jeff Cohen was taken hostage during Shabbat services by an antisemitic attacker. Hear from Cohen, who is now the president of Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, about all that has transpired since that traumatic day and how the attack has impacted him and the Colleyville Jewish community.
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photo of Rabbi Yael Bucheler with child with kippa in hanukkah pajamas
How Hanukkah’s Americanization Became a Show of Jewish Pride
This Hanukkah, we hear from Rabbi Yael Buechler, a writer, educator, entrepreneur, and Hanukkah merch maven. She’s also a Hanukkah historian who has tracked how the festival of lights helped reinvent Jewish culture in America and how it became a gift-giving occasion alongside Christmas. Rabbi Beuchler joins us to discuss how American Jews can take advantage of the marketplace to express their Jewish pride authentically during the Hanukkah season.
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Photo of people marching on a bridge under a blue sky, man holding a poster sign that says 'hatred isn't born it's taught' with a Jewish star on the poster
What Does NYC's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes Do?; An Elton John Hanukkah Celebration
Earlier this week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams insisted on the end of plea bargains for the perpetrators of antisemitic attacks and called out all forms of hate. To discuss New York City’s efforts to combat the alarming rise in Jew hatred, Hassan Naveed, executive director of New York City’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC), joins to explain how his office coordinates agencies across the city to curb the rise of antisemitic hate crimes.
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How Young Jews and Muslims are Advancing Israeli-Moroccan Peace
This week marks the second anniversary of the normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco as part of the Abraham Accords. Building on this peace, three young adults hailing from Israel, Morocco, and the U.S. join us to discuss their visit earlier this year to Israel and Morocco. The first-of-its-kind tour was part of the Michael Sachs Emerging Leaders Fellowship, sponsored by AJC and the Mimouna Association, a Muslim nonprofit in Morocco devoted to preserving Jewish-Moroccan heritage.
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Chaplain Sidney Lefkowitz, PFC Max Fuchs, acting cantor, and soldiers in 1944 for NBC Radio Broadcast at Aachen, Germany battlefield
What Lessons Can We Learn From the Past to Fight Antisemitism Today?
Before, during, and after the Holocaust, antisemitism spread throughout American society. AJC’s innovative multimedia campaign to counter this rising hatred is the subject of “Confronting Hate: 1937-1952,” an exhibit at the New York Historical Society.
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Photo of Eitan Bernath in front of green background smiling with star of david necklace
From “Chopped” to the White House: TikTok Chef Eitan Bernath on Being a Loud and Proud Jew
Jewish chef and content creator Eitan Bernath joins us this week to explain why he wears a Star of David necklace in public and how he uses his platform of seven million followers to fight anti-Israel bias and antisemitism.
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Photo of Man and Woman at Polling Booths
U.S. and Israeli Election Results: What American Jews Need to Know
Hear about the Israeli and U.S. elections, and what impact they could have on U.S.-Israel ties, the spread of antisemitism, and advancing democratic values, with Marc Rod, Capitol Hill correspondent for Jewish Insider, and Lahav Harkov, the Senior Contributing Editor at The Jerusalem Post.
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Photo of Bruce Pearl and Auburn University Men's Basketball Team arm in arm with Israeli National Team
Why Auburn Basketball’s Trip to Israel Was Personal for Coach Bruce Pearl
Jewish Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is on a mission both on and off the court. This summer, he took his team to Israel on a first-of-its-kind “Birthright for College Basketball” trip. As the season gears up, Dov Wilker sat down with Coach Pearl to talk about being a passionate pro-Israel Jew.
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Photo taken outside Tree of Life Synagogue After Attack
Pittsburgh's Response to the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting: An Oral History
Today marks four years since America’s deadliest antisemitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Listen to former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto on what it was like to witness the pain inflicted on his community when a stranger walked into a prayer service, declared "All Jews must die," and ended 11 lives.
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UC Berkeley
Campus Antisemitism – What’s Happening at UC Berkeley?
Controversy erupted at the UC Berkeley Law school this fall over the decision by a handful of student groups to adopt bylaws that would ban Zionist speakers. Dr. Ethan Katz, Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Berkeley, and co-founder of the Antisemitism Education Initiative, and Charlotte Aaron, a Berkeley Law student and board member of the Jewish Student Association (JSA), join us to discuss the situation on campus, how it has affected their work as Jewish activists, and why they remain hopeful for the future of Jews on campus.
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Kanye West
Unpacking the Origins of Kanye’s Antisemitism
Rapper Kanye West’s recent antisemitic outbursts during a primetime Fox News interview and on social media to his over 31 million followers have provided another example of the normalization of Jew-hatred in the American public sphere. AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism Holly Huffnagle joins us to break down his vile statements and explain how they are part of longstanding rhetoric that targets Jews.  
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Ted Deutch
AJC CEO Ted Deutch on Building a Brighter Jewish Future
After more than 12 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Ted Deutch recently stepped down to become the CEO of American Jewish Committee (AJC), the leading global Jewish advocacy organization. In this special episode, learn about the Jewish values instilled in Ted by his parents, growing up in the working-class town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where he was one of only three Jewish students in his high school.
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Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
Synagogue Security Expert on the Importance of Volunteer-Led Protection
This week, amid the High Holiday season, we spoke to Evan Bernstein, CEO and national director of The Community Security Service, a volunteer-led national organization that trains community members to protect their synagogues and events. We discuss the manifestations of antisemitism and hate crimes plaguing all denominations of Jewish life in the U.S. and the growing importance of volunteer security in keeping communities safe.
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Nazi concentration camp
Ken Burns Explores U.S. Inaction During the Holocaust
Filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick join us this week to discuss their groundbreaking historical documentary, “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” This latest installment from the acclaimed filmmaker explores America’s reaction – or lack thereof – to the Nazi genocide as it was unfolding in Europe as part of a critical addition to our understanding of the past.
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Noa Tishby speaking at AJC Global Forum 2022
Noa Tishby on the Abraham Accords: The Middle East Realizes Israel is Not the Enemy
Noa Tishby, Israel’s first special envoy for combating antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel, joins us to discuss the impact of the Abraham Accords two years on, how she’s raising her son to love Israel, and why she doesn’t view antisemitism as a “problem to solve.”
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Combating antisemitism rally
Here’s Why All of Society Must Take Action Against Antisemitism
In a just-released mobilization tool, AJC’s Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America highlights a path forward for all sectors of society, including government, corporations, the media, college campuses, and more. Listen as Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, breaks down this resource and explains why addressing antisemitism requires a bold, targeted, and cohesive strategy to understand, respond to, and prevent it.
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Iranian missiles
What a Restored Deal with Iran Could Mean for Israel and the Entire Middle East
Behnam Ben Talebu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) joins AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to break down the specifics of the emerging Iranian nuclear deal and explain why the nuclear threat is only one element of the broader danger posed by Iran. 
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College students on campus
BDS on Campus: What Should Jewish Students Expect?
Natalie Kahn, a Jewish student at Harvard University and editor at The Harvard Crimson, and Jeffrey Greenberg, AJC’s Assistant Director of Campus Affairs, discuss what Jewish and pro-Israel students can expect as they head back to campus this fall.
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Walter Russell Mead at AJC Global Forum 2022
Walter Russell Mead: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions About the U.S.-Israel Relationship
Walter Russell Mead, Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at the Hudson Institute and columnist for The Wall Street Journal, joins us to discuss his latest book, “The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish People," and to delve into what fuels America and Israel’s alliance, debunk myths about the relationship, including antisemitic tropes and memes
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Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid Holding Assessment meeting ahead of the Security Cabinet Meeting
Operation Breaking Dawn: Analyzing and Assessing the Latest Gaza Conflict
On Friday, August 5, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched Operation Breaking Dawn in response to days of threats from the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that it would attack Israel. Listen to AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, in conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, analyze the latest conflict and the steps moving forward.
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Illustration fron The Wolf of Baghdad
Behind the Scenes of AJC’s New Podcast Series The Forgotten Exodus
Hear behind-the-scenes details on the series premiere of The Forgotten Exodus podcast with host Manya Brachear Pashman and cartoonist and musician Carol Isaacs, who will share more about her family’s flight from rising antisemitism in Iraq, as depicted in her graphic memoir and animated film, The Wolf of Baghdad.
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Leslie Sanchez and James Carville at AJC Global Forum 2022
James Carville and Leslie Sanchez on the Battle Between Extremists and Moderates in U.S. Politics
As antisemitism persists on both political extremes, are moderate forces strong enough to steer us in the right direction? Can lawmakers actually reach across the aisle in today’s political climate? James Carville, Democratic strategist and political icon, and Leslie Sanchez, a Republican strategist and award-winning political commentator, joined AJC Managing Director, Policy and Political Affairs Julie Fishman Rayman in a discussion about the state of U.S. politics today at AJC Global Forum 2022.
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Katharina von Schnurbein and Deborah Lipstadt at AJC Global Forum 2022
How Can Governments Win the Fight Against Antisemitism? An AJC Global Forum 2022 Conversation
U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt and European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life Katharina von Schnurbein discusses how to fulfill their governments’ bold promises to fight antisemitism.
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AMIA rally
Antisemitism in Latin America: The Lasting Impact of the AMIA Attack
This week, Fernando Lottenberg, the first Organization of American States (OAS) Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, and Dina Siegel Vann, Director of AJC's Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, join us to discuss the progress that’s been made since the 1994 terrorist attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, and the work left to do in Latin America.
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Photo of Great Debate speakers, Bret Stephens and Pamela Nadell
Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? An AJC Global Forum Great Debate
Tune into AJC’s signature AJC Global Forum 2022 session: The Great Debate: Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? The debate features guests Bret Stephens, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times, Editor-in-Chief, Sapir; and Pamela Nadell, Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender History; Director, Jewish Studies Program, American University, and is moderated by Laura Shaw Frank, AJC Director, William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life. 
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Protestor holding a boycott, divest, and sanction (BDS) sign
What is the BDS Mapping Project and Why Should All Jews Be Concerned?
A map published online earlier this month by BDS activists claims to list organizations and institutions in the Boston area that they say are responsible for harm against Palestinians. In actuality, the project is targeting and threatening the Jewish community. AJC New England Director Rob Leikind joins us to explain what’s being done to raise awareness and counter the project, and why it’s not just the Jewish community that’s in danger.
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AJC Global Forum panel on Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces
Are Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces Compatible? Live from AJC Global Forum 2022
This week, we examine the interplay between progressive groups and American Jews, who are being increasingly excluded and targeted by so-called progressives, especially over ties to Israel, the Middle East’s only liberal democracy. David Baddiel, Comedian, Author, Screenwriter, and Television Presenter; Rachel Fish, Co-Founder, Boundless; and Yair Rosenberg, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic, delve into this important topic in a thought-provoking conversation, recorded live at AJC Global Forum 2022.
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Bari Weiss at an AJC Seattle event
Bari Weiss on How Antisemitism Became Normalized; Gearing Up for AJC Global Forum 2022
As we look ahead to AJC Global Forum 2022, the premier global Jewish advocacy gathering of the year (June 12-14 in New York City), we look back at some highlights from AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021, including conversations with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), on the launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, columnists Bret Stephens and Bari Weiss discussing the mainstreaming of antisemitism, and crucial advice from two young activists on how to combat anti-Jewish hatred on campus and beyond.
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Yossi Klein Halevi at AJC Global Forum.
Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount
This week, we hear from journalist and author Yossi Klein Halevi on the triumph of the Six-Day War, the current wave of terrorist attacks in Israel, the tensions on the Temple Mount, and the trauma that continues to shape Israel’s spiritual and political life.
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Rally against antisemitism, sign that reads "stop antisemitism now"
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming’s Antisemitism Failures; Buffalo Shooting and Great Replacement Theory
AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism and guest host Holly Huffnagle sits down with Dr. Saba Soomekh, Associate Director of AJC Los Angeles, to break down the issues surrounding DEI, and what needs to change to properly address prejudice against Jews.
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Photo of x troop during WWII
X Troop: The Inspiring Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During WWII
Author and Jewish historian Leah Garrett shares the powerful but little-known story at the heart of X Troop, her newest book, about a group of Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe, tapped to become clandestine commandos and counterintelligence agents for the British Army during World War II. Garrett also discusses her decision to resign from the trade union that represents the faculty of the CUNY after it adopted an antisemitic resolution denouncing Israel.
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Star of David
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on How Support for Israel is Key to the Future of Reform Judaism
As the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch believes Zionism is a core value of Judaism. He sat down with Laura Shaw Frank, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, to discuss the danger of waning commitment to Israel among some Reform Jews, a recent delegation to the Poland-Ukraine border, and how being #JewishAndProud is as important to him as breathing.
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Photo of American millennial Jews
How Do American Millennial Jews Feel About Israel?
What are American millennial Jews’ attitudes towards Israel and how has anti-Israel activism on U.S. college campuses changed that relationship? AJC surveyed American and Israeli millennial Jews to better understand their experiences, attitudes, and opinions about Jewish identity, connection to Israel, and attachment to one another. In a special live People of the Pod recording, AJC Director of Alexander Young Leadership Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman sits down with AJC ACCESS Global Director Dana Steiner, AJC ACCESS Israel Manager Lironne Koret, and Opinion, Analytics, and Communications Strategist Philippe Assouline, to unpack this data and discuss the implications for the Jewish community. 
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Landscape of Israel
How to Tell Fact from Fiction About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Amid rising tensions in Israel, Canadian-Israeli journalist Matti Friedman shares candid advice for all who are trying to understand the complex situation that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Friedman takes listeners behind the scenes of media reporting on Israel to demonstrate the sometimes corrosive impact that news outlets have when they attempt to oversimplify the conflict.
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French newspapers about Macron and Le Pen presidential election
France’s Presidential Elections: Implications for French Jews and U.S. Politics
AJC Chief Field Operations Officer and guest host Melanie Maron Pell sits down with AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen to break down the results from the first round of the French presidential election, why both the far right and far left are a danger to French society and Jews in particular, and why France may be a barometer for the U.S. political landscape.
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Map of Israel
People of the Pod: Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A New Perspective
When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the pathway to peace has typically been presented as a choice between a one-state or a two-state solution. Guest host Jason Isaacson, AJC’s Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, speaks with Avi Melamed, Israeli intelligence and strategic affairs analyst and author of Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era, about possible other solutions, the impact of the Abraham Accords on the region, and why the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not separate from the story of the Middle East.
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Young Iranian boy wearing Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uniform holds Iran flag in front of missile
People of the Pod: “We Lost a Lot of Leverage”: Freed Iranian Hostage Speaks Out on Iran Negotiations
The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who was held hostage by Iran for nearly two years and was released in a prisoner swap the day the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) went into effect, joins us to share his unique perspective on the reported nuclear deal emerging in negotiations between Tehran and world powers.
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Israelis holding banners and flags while watching Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's speech at the Knesset in Israel
People of the Pod: Setting the Record Straight on Israel’s Support for Ukraine
A false narrative has emerged about Israel’s alleged neutrality over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lahav Harkov, senior diplomatic correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and co-host of their weekly podcast, joins us to set the record straight. Harkov explains how Israel is supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, while avoiding provoking Syrian-based Russian troops on the democratic nation’s northern border. 
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Aldona Zawada with her family and the Ukrainian refugees they took in, Irina and her two kids.
People of the Pod: Clouded Futures and Big Hearts: What Life is Really Like for Ukrainian Refugees
A mother and her son in need of help. The extraordinary decision of the great-granddaughter of a Polish Resistance Movement fighter. Go behind the scenes of American Jewish Committee’s humanitarian mission to the Ukraine-Poland border crossings and refugee reception centers and discover what it’s really like to be a Ukrainian fleeing Russia’s invasion and find out how Poland and its citizens are giving a masterclass in welcoming refugees.
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Ukrainian refugees at the Ukraine-Poland border
People of the Pod: The Historical Irony of Jews Fleeing into Poland
This week, guest host Laura Shaw Frank, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, speaks to the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, who has been coordinating a Jewish relief effort on the ground. Rabbi Schudrich speaks about the most pressing needs that Jews fleeing Ukraine have right now and how he has been inspired by the Jewish community’s unity during this crisis.
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Protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine
People of the Pod: AJC CEO David Harris on Putin, Babyn Yar, and “Denazification"
American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris joins us to discuss the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. Harris takes on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim about the need to “denazify” Ukraine, shares what everyone, especially the Jewish community, needs to know about Babyn Yar, Ukraine’s Holocaust memorial which was partially damaged by Russian forces, and issues a warning that Putin’s tactics are drawn from Hitler’s playbook.
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Protest against Russian invasion of Ukraine
People of the Pod: Live from Kyiv: The Future of Ukraine and its Large Jewish Community
Just hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Vladislav Davidzon, founding editor of The Odessa Review and contributor to Tablet Magazine, joined us live from Kyiv for a fascinating analysis and unique perspective on the mood on the ground, what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to accomplish, and the future of Europe's fourth largest Jewish community.
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People of the Pod: Black, Jewish, and Proud: Rapper Nissim Black on Israel, Antisemitism, and Racism
In a candid conversation, Israeli-American musician and recording artist Nissim Black discusses the roots of his career as a rapper, the struggles he faced when he moved to Israel and tried to find acceptance for his children, and how his connection to his Jewish faith shapes his music. Black explores how his music and spirituality have presented opportunities for constructive conversations on racism and antisemitism.
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Oscars award statues
People of the Pod: Does Hollywood Tolerate Antisemitism?
Should only Jewish actors play Jewish roles? Was Whoopi Goldberg’s apology enough? Should Mel Gibson work in Hollywood ever again? What does a greater emphasis on diversity in the entertainment industry mean for Jewish representation on the silver screen? On the same week the Oscar nominations were announced, Jessica Shaw, a host for Sirius XM’s pop culture talk channel, joins us to discuss the debates, misunderstandings, and, in Gibson’s case, the blatant antisemitism rippling through Hollywood.
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Whoopi Goldberg on The View
People of the Pod: Why Whoopi Goldberg’s Holocaust Views Shouldn’t Surprise Us; Daniel Pearl’s 20th Yahrzeit
This week on “The View,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg wrongly claimed that the Holocaust “isn’t about race.” Though she apologized, ABC suspended her for two weeks. Writer Daniella Greenbaum, an Emmy award-winning former producer for “The View,” joins us to discuss how Goldberg’s comments demonstrate a widespread failure to understand Judaism but also present an opportunity to discuss the diversity of Judaism and comprehend antisemitism in its many forms. 
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Sarah Aroeste’s cousin Rachel Nachmias and family, circa 1922, in Bitola
People of the Pod: Recovering a Town’s Lost Sephardic Jewish Culture 77 Years After the Holocaust
What would it be like to return to the village your ancestors called home, to walk in their footsteps, and try to recover their stories and culture? Ladino singer and songwriter Sarah Aroeste did just that for her seventh album, which honors what was once the largest Jewish community in the country now known as North Macedonia. In the mountainous city of Bitola, formerly known as Monastir, 98% of the Jewish population that remained after the Balkan Wars was deported in 1943, and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Aroeste talks about her experiences in Monastir, explains why Sephardic culture is Jewish culture, and performs her song “Mi Monastir.”
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Deborah Lipstadt
People of the Pod: AJC CEO David Harris on the Deborah Lipstadt Holocaust Denial Trial and AJC’s Critical Role in the Fight
In 2000, renowned Holocaust scholar Dr. Deborah Lipstadt was sued by David Irving for defamation, because she called Irving a Holocaust denier and falsifier of history in her 1994 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. Expert witnesses combed through Irving’s research since the 1980s and found that Lipstadt was correct - Irving  had deliberately manipulated the historical record to support his ludicrous claims that most of the evidence of the Holocaust had been invented after the war. Listen to AJC CEO David Harris discuss the impact of the trial, and the quiet, global, multi-year effort he led to generate support for Lipstadt’s trial defense, making sure the world never forgets the murder of six million Jews – a historical fact.
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Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas
People of the Pod: Inside the Colleyville, Texas Synagogue Hostage Crisis: Hear from 3 Local Jewish and Muslim Leaders on What It Was Like on the Ground
On January 15th, the world watched in horror as an armed attacker took a rabbi and three worshippers hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. Joining us today are Joel Schwitzer, Director of AJC Dallas, Mohamed Elibiary, former Adviser to the Department of Homeland Security and Co-Chair of the Dallas Fort Worth Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, and Rabbi Andrew Paley, a Dallas police chaplain, Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom in Dallas. Hear from these three local leaders as they reflect on that day’s events, the interfaith work they do in their communities, and the hope they have for moving forward.
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Photo of Western Wall in Jerusalem
People of the Pod: The Fight for Religious Equality at the Western Wall Just Got Tougher
When Israel’s coalition government took shape last summer, all signs pointed to progress on an expanded egalitarian prayer site at Jerusalem's Western Wall. But now that plan appears to be stalled, due to tensions within that coalition. We are joined by Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, AJC’s Director of William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life, who shares the special connection she has to the Western Wall (Kotel), why its egalitarian prayer site has become a flashpoint within the Israeli government, and the deep meaning it has to diaspora Jews.
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January 6th Capitol Hill rioting and insurrection
People of the Pod: How Antisemitism Undermines Democracy
On January 6, 2021, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Among the rioters were members of white supremacist groups, and symbols and signs of anti-Jewish hate. In a discussion guest hosted by Melanie Maron Pell, AJC’s Chief Field Operations Officer, we are joined by Holly Huffnagle, AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Rebecca Klein, AJC's Director of National Outreach, to unpack how the forces that fuel antisemitism also endanger American democracy.
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Alex Edelman
That Time Jewish Comedian Alex Edelman Went to a White Nationalist Gathering
Hear from comedian and writer Alex Edelman about his new off-Broadway hit, “Just for Us,” which explores his Jewish identity through the lens of a white nationalist meeting he attended in New York City. Edelman discusses the antisemitism he’s faced as a performer and throughout his life, how to use humor to broach difficult topics, and the paradox of the present Jewish experience in America: embracing the joy but also reckoning with the world and outsiders that view Judaism as something very different.
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Naftali Bennett and UAE
A New Middle East: The Historic Israel-UAE Meeting; How to Help Victims of Deadly Kentucky Tornadoes
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made history this past week when he became the first Israeli premier to be officially welcomed to the United Arab Emirates. Retired U.S. Ambassador Marc Sievers, inaugural Director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, joins us to discuss the importance of this visit and what it holds for the future of the region.
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Anti-vax protestor wearing star of David unvaccinated sign
Yad Vashem Chairman: Those Comparing Public Health Policies to Holocaust “Completely Out of Touch With Reality”
Dani Dayan, the newly appointed chairman of Yad Vashem – Israel's official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust – and former Consul General of Israel in New York, joins this week’s People of the Pod with critical and timely messages for the world, including why remembering the Holocaust is more important than ever and the concerning trend of weaponizing the Holocaust for political purposes. Then, AJC Director of William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank shares her inspiring experience at the Freedom Sunday for Soviet Jews rally 34 years ago and what a unifying moment it was to be in a crowd of over 250,000 people on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. 
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Antisemitism in America
How to Combat Jew-Hatred: Shine a Light on Antisemitism; Nissim Black’s “Eight Flames”
As part of an unprecedented Jewish community Hanukkah initiative called Shine a Light, hear from Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, Melanie Maron Pell, AJC Chief Field Operations Officer, and Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC Managing Director, Policy and Political Affairs, on answers to these questions and more. We also speak with Nissim Black, Israeli-American musician and recording artist to discuss his spiritual journey and how the themes of Hanukkah, highlighted in his song “Eight Flames,” inspire him year-round.
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Katharina von Schnurbein
87 Ways to Fight Antisemitism: Inside the EU's New Plan to Combat Jew Hatred
Can the European Union effectively combat antisemitism? Meet the woman leading the bloc’s efforts to do just that: European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein. Last month, the EU unveiled its first Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life, a multi-faceted plan that incorporated many recommendations from AJC. Hear from von Schnurbein how that strategy is being implemented and what it means for European Jews and the entire Jewish diaspora.
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Jason Kessler and Eddie Chavez Calderon
Meet the Disrupters of Antisemitism
Meet two young, innovative, and award-winning U.S. Jews who are confronting a climate of antisemitism and anti-Zionism: Jason Kessler, lead anchor for Jew or False, a satirical news show that fights antisemitism and calls out misinformation, and Eddie Chavez Calderon of Uri L’Tzedek, an Arizona-based Orthodox Jewish social justice organization that tackles antisemitism in progressive spaces. Guest host AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Belle Yoeli sat down with both to hear how antisemitism has impacted their lives and how they developed their antisemitism-fighting models. This week, AJC’s Disrupt Antisemitism Incubator awarded $50,000 to Kessler, Chavez Calderon, and three other young American Jews who have developed bold ideas to take on Jew-hatred.
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Martin Indyk on his New Book: Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy
Ambassador Martin Indyk gives listeners a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most consequential figures in modern Middle East diplomacy: former United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. In this riveting conversation with guest co-host Jason Isaacson, AJC’s chief policy and political affairs officer, Indyk discusses his just-released book about Kissinger, Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy, highlighting the veteran diplomat’s lessons for Arab-Israeli stability and the antisemitism that he faced in his career. Indyk himself is no stranger to Middle East diplomacy, having served twice as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Clinton Administration, and as America’s special Middle East envoy for renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the Obama administration.
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Protest to combat antisemitism
What You Need to Know About the Largest Survey Ever on Antisemitism in the U.S.
Receive an in-depth look at the American Jewish Committee’s just-released State of Antisemitism in America 2021 report, which includes the largest-ever surveys of American Jews and the United States general public on antisemitism. Listen as Avi Mayer, AJC’s Managing Director of Public Affairs and Senior Spokesperson, and Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, break down the report’s findings and discuss what Americans should do to confront the normalization of Jew-hatred.
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Memorial at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue
The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting: An Oral History with Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto
On Wednesday, October 27, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto will ask residents to observe a moment of silence and reflection at 9:54 a.m. That was the moment the shooting started at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood in 2018. The antisemitic attack left 11 worshippers dead, and wounded two other congregants and police officers. Listen to Mayor Peduto recount what it was like to comfort and protect not just the city he led, but his neighbors and friends, after America’s deadliest antisemitic attack three years ago.
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Protestors against antisemitism in the UK Labour Party
Crossover with Tablet’s Unorthodox: How the Jews Went Right in Britain
This special podcast collaboration with Tablet’s Unorthodox unpacks the political shift of British Jews in the wake of Jeremy Corbyn’s antisemitic scandal-filled five-year tenure as Labour party leader. Did the Corbynization of the Labour party move Jews to the right or leave them politically homeless? Has current party leader Keir Starmer been able to regain the confidence of the country’s Jewish population? Listen for answers to these pressing questions and more.
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Cemetery with vandalized Jewish tombstone
Advocating for Living Jews When “People Love Dead Jews”
Dara Horn is angry. And the award-winning author of five novels wants you to know why. This week, she’s sitting down with guest co-host Laura Shaw Frank, AJC’s Director of William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life, to discuss why People Love Dead Jews, which is the title of her first work of nonfiction, and what that obsession means for modern-day Jewry, Israel, and efforts to counter rising antisemitism.
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Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville; burning swastika
Can You Sue a Nazi?
Four years ago hundreds of torch-bearing far-right demonstrators marched through the University of Virginia campus. The Unite the Right rally/antisemitic hatefest in Charlottesville, Virginia featured chants of “Jews will not replace us” and Nazi flags. Self-identified white supremacist James Fields perpetrated the car ramming attack that killed Heather Heyer and injured countless others. While Fields was held accountable for his actions in court, what about those who meticulously organized the rally? Who will hold them accountable? Our guest for this week, Executive Director of Integrity First for America (IFA) Amy Spitalnick, previews the upcoming trial of Sines v. Kessler—IFA’s lawsuit against the rally’s organizers—and shares how she is working to push far-right extremists back into the shadows where they belong.
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Rally against antisemitism in France
People of the Pod: What All Jews Need to Know About the EU’s New Strategy to Combat Antisemitism
Today, a new strategy for combating antisemitism was announced by the European Union. Does it have a chance to help Jews in Europe? What are the plan’s implications for diaspora Jewish communities outside of the continent? Two of AJC’s leaders in Europe who have worked closely with the EU and member state governments in the effort to counter rising Jew-hatred, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Managing Director of AJC Europe, and Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Transatlantic Institute, answer these questions and more in this special bonus episode of AJC’s People of the Pod. 
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Photo of Iron Dome intercepting rockets
People of the Pod: Iron Dome Debate: What to Make of “the Squad’s” Anti-Israel Efforts
When the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week 420-9-2 to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, it ended debate about America’s short-term support for the program and simultaneously sparked a conversation about the future of bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Mark Mellman, President and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, joins us to address that topic and more, including whether Democratic support for Israel is shifting and trends in attitudes towards Israel on both sides of the aisle. Julie Rayman, AJC’s Managing Director, Policy and Political Affairs, guest hosts this week’s episode.
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Sign with swastika and Jewish star outside of 2001 Durban Conference
People of the Pod: Hitler, Nazis, and Swastikas: What It Was Like To Be a Jew At the UN’s 2001 Durban Conference
Ahead of the UN’s upcoming 20th anniversary event commemorating the antisemitic and anti-Israel 2001 UN Durban Conference, we hear from Joelle Fiss, who, as a Jewish student 20 years ago, attended the Conference. While the 2001 UN Durban Conference was meant to offer the chance for the international community to address racism, it quickly devolved into a platform for antisemitic hate. In this poignant conversation, Fiss shares her horrific experience from the event and details how it contributed to today’s rapid spread of antisemitism.
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People of the Pod: How 9/11 Changed America's Jewish and Muslim Communities, And Brought Them Closer Together
People of the Pod guest co-host Laura Shaw Frank, director of AJC’s William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life and the acting director of AJC New York, is a Jewish American. Saeed Khan, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Near East and Asian Studies at Wayne State University-Detroit, Michigan, and a Research Fellow at the Center for the Study of Citizenship, is a Muslim American. Twenty years after the September 11th terror attacks, the two sit down to discuss the profound implications that day had on themselves, their respective Jewish and Muslim communities, and the strides they have seen in interfaith relations over the last two decades. 
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People of the Pod: Chef Jake Cohen on the Diversity of Jew-ish Food and Countering Antisemitism with His Own Brand of Advocacy
This week, guest host Dana Steiner, director of AJC ACCESS Global, American Jewish Committee's young professional division, sat down with Jake Cohen, food writer and author of New York Times bestseller Jew-ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes, to discuss the convergence between food and Judaism, the antisemitism he has faced throughout his career, and how sharing recipes and their connected stories from across the Jewish world is his form of advocacy. 
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College campus
People of the Pod: The State of Jewish Life on College Campuses
As students head back to campus, Tilly Shemer, Executive Director of University of Michigan Hillel, joins guest host Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman, Director of AJC’s Alexander Young Leadership Department, to discuss the difficult realities, as well as the wealth of opportunities, that are awaiting American Jews on campus. Then, Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, President of American Jewish University, shares his advice on how universities can combat antisemitism on campus.
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Jack Abraham in market in Kabul in 1966
People of the Pod: Afghan Jewish Leader on the Taliban’s Takeover
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, we are joined by Afghanistan-born Jack Abraham, the president of Congregation Anshei Shalom, a synagogue for Afghan Jews located in Queens, New York, to discuss the Jewish history and future of his native country.
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People of the Pod: How the Abraham Accords Has Changed Hearts and Minds: A Sit-Down with Israel’s Top Official in the UAE
This week marks the one-year anniversary of normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. This historic agreement, known as the Abraham Accords, would soon grow to include Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. In one fell swoop, the number of Arab countries Israel had formal relations with tripled from two (Egypt and Jordan) to six. With us to discuss this pivotal moment and the future of Israeli-Arab engagement is Ambassador Eitan Na’eh, head of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Abu Dhabi - formally dedicated just six weeks ago.
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People of the Pod: Israel’s Diaspora Minister on Surfside Visit and the Israel-Diaspora Relationship
Joining us for a second time on People of Pod is Nachman Shai, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs, to discuss his new role and his critical work supporting Jews around the world, including a recent visit to Surfside, Florida, following the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South.
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People of the Pod: Hear from America’s New Antisemitism Envoy Deborah Lipstadt
President Joe Biden has appointed Deborah Lipstadt, one of America’s preeminent Jewish historians and Holocaust scholars, to serve as the U.S. State Department’s special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. Listen to our conversation with Lipstadt, which is being re-aired for this special episode, about the troubling rise of contemporary antisemitism from multiple sources and what we can do to stop it.
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Bookshelf lined with children's books
People of the Pod: Antisemitism in the Kidlit World; Ben & Jerry's Shameful Surrender
In the wake of vicious attacks on American Jews, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators joined a chorus of organizations that condemned antisemitism then, after pushback, apologized for not condemning Islamophobia or other forms of hatred in the same statement. Jewish Insider Reporter Gabby Deutch joins us to discuss her discovery that the controversial apology underscored a wider and equally troubling challenge facing Jewish authors.
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Photo of Masih Alinejad
People of the Pod: Hear From the Woman Iran Tried to Kidnap
Earlier this week, four Iranian operatives were charged in the attempted kidnapping of the U.S.-based Iranian exile Masih Alinejad, a human rights activist and journalist. Alinejad was kicked out of her native country nearly a decade ago for her anti-veiling advocacy. This week on the podcast, we’re joined by AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan Benzaquen, who recently interviewed Alinejad about her activism and the harrowing experiences she faced in Iran. 
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People of the Pod: Launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations; The Startup Nation: “Failure is Not an Option”
This week, we bring you highlights from an important announcement made at AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021. Three U.S. Senators, Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Tim Scott (R-SC), announced the launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations. Then we're joined by Barak Rabinowitz, Managing Partner of F2 Venture Capital, to talk about the successes coming out of the Jewish state and the state of the Start-Up Nation.
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Pride parade flag with Star of David
People of the Pod: “We Refuse to Choose Among Our Identities”: A Wider Bridge’s Ethan Felson on Antisemitism at the Chicago Dyke March
In 2017, the Chicago Dyke March ejected Jewish marchers carrying rainbow flags emblazoned with Stars of David, and this year, it promoted its upcoming event with a cartoon image showing the burning of Israeli and American flags. To discuss why the Chicago Dyke March has been exhibiting such hostility towards supporters of Israel, we sit down with Ethan Felson, Executive Director of A Wider Bridge, a nonprofit that connects American and Israeli LGBTQ communities and works to strengthen LGBTQ inclusion in Israel. 
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Photo of Ebrahim Raisi
People of the Pod: The Butcher of Tehran; The Great Debate Over the West Bank
Last week, Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric known as “the Butcher of Tehran” for having overseen thousands of executions, was chosen to succeed Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s president. Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Brussels-based Transatlantic Institute, joins us to discuss what Raisi’s selection means for the future of Iran and ongoing nuclear talks. We also hear from leading public Israeli intellectual Micah Goodman, who previously sat down with us on the podcast to discusses his book Catch-67, which focuses on “decreasing the conflict” until a permanent deal can be reached. 
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Photo of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Reuven Rivlin, and Yair Lapid, with other members of Knesset
People of the Pod: What You Need to Know About Israel’s Diverse New Government; The Mainstreaming of Antisemitism
For the first time since 2009, Israel has a new prime minister, Naftali Bennett. The Jerusalem Post Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Lahav Harkov joins us this week to shed some light on the new prime minister and help us understand what we can expect from Israel’s new government. Then, we bring you one of the most-discussed sessions from AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021. Bret Stephens, op-ed columnist for The New York Times, Bari Weiss, journalist and author of How to Fight Antisemitism, and Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Europe, discuss rising Jew-hatred in a session titled “The Mainstreaming of Antisemitism: How Should We Respond?”
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Photo of Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi and Rabbi David Rosen
People of the Pod: How Interfaith Relations Helped Drive the Abraham Accords; A View From Campus
This week, we bring you highlights from AJC Virtual Global Forum 2021. First, in a conversation moderated by Manya Brachear Pashman, we hear from H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Hedayah, and Rabbi David Rosen, AJC Director of International Interreligious Affairs, in The Siegler Family Annual Muslim-Jewish Symposium on How Interfaith Relations Helped Drive the Abraham Accords.

Then, two college student activists, Julia Jassey, University of Chicago ‘23, and Talia Rosenberg, University of Pennsylvania ‘21, help us understand today’s challenges and opportunities on campus for pro-Israel students during the AJC Virtual Global Forum’s session, The View from Campus, moderated by Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman, AJC Deputy Director of Young Leadership.
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Iran missile
People of the Pod: High Stakes: What’s Next for U.S. Policy on Iran?
Have American, European, and Israeli policymakers learned anything since signing the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal? We sat down this week with AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich, AJC Transatlantic Institute Director Daniel Schwammenthal, and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to analyze what the next few months could bring. We were also joined by AJC CEO David Harris for a closing message on Iran.
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Damaged Building in Southern Israel from Hamas Rocket Fire
People of the Pod: Talking Israel with Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and AJC CEO David Harris
This week, we engage Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) in conversation about the violence in Israel and Gaza and about Jewish American Heritage Month, with a special salute to another trailblazing Jewish congresswoman, Bella Abzug. Then, as Israel comes under attack from Hamas-ruled Gaza, we hear from AJC CEO David Harris on the immense challenges facing the Jewish state, the importance of confronting misinformation, and the need for solidarity.
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Missiles fired toward Israel from Gaza
People of the Pod: Israel Under Attack: What You Need to Know
Israel is under attack, with over 1,500 rockets fired from Gaza, millions of Israelis in bomb shelters, and the threat of further violence continuing in Jerusalem and throughout the country. AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich and i24news Senior Correspondent Owen Alterman join us to share their front-line report on the evolving crisis. Then, AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank joins us to explain what we need to know about the Pew Research Center’s just-released Jewish Americans in 2020 report. 
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People of the Pod: Breaking Down the Facebook Ban and Celebrating American Jewish Heritage Month
This week, we speak to Emi Palmor, former Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Justice and a current member of The Oversight Board, which makes binding policy decisions on Facebook and Instagram, to discuss the board’s ruling on Facebook’s indefinite ban of former President Trump and other recent decisions. 
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Photo of Supreme Court Building in Israel
People of the Pod: Non-Orthodox Conversion in Israel: Dividing or Uniting the Jewish World?
This week, we hear from AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank about how the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling on conversions will affect the Israel-Diaspora relationship.
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Iranian missiles launching
People of the Pod: What You Should Know About the Iran Nuclear Talks
Earlier this month, six world powers reopened negotiations with Iran over the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the United States withdrew in 2018. Washington Institute Director of Research Patrick Clawson, a longtime friend of American Jewish Committee, joins us to discuss the implications of those talks and the threat posed by Iran.
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Poway Mayor Steve Vaus at a memorial for the Poway Chabad shooting in 2019
People of the Pod: “I Will Never Forget That Day”: Poway’s Mayor on the Second Anniversary of the Chabad Shooting
On April 27, 2019, in the middle of Passover, a white supremacist burst through the doors of a Chabad synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire, killing congregant Lori Gilbert-Kaye and injuring three others. As we approach the second anniversary of the shooting, we speak to Mayor Steve Vaus, a Grammy-winning country music singer, who was serving his first term as Poway’s mayor at the time. 
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Photo of Israeli flag by the Western Wall
People of the Pod: Yossi Klein Halevi on What Everyone Should Know About the Third Era of Jewish History
Author and journalist Yossi Klein Halevi joins us to talk about the wisdom of the Israeli calendar in how Israel remembers the fallen on Yom HaZikaron, followed by celebrating its independence on Yom HaAtzma’ut the very next day. 
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Cover of the book "The Art of Inventing Hope: Intimate Conversations with Elie Wiesel"
People of the Pod: The Art of Inventing Hope: Elie Wiesel’s Masterclass for Humanity
Elie Wiesel walked out of Buchenwald the same day as the late father of journalist Howard Reich, the legendary former jazz critic for The Chicago Tribune. Reich never talked to his father or mother, both survivors, about their Holocaust experiences. But in 2001 Reich’s mother began to relive those experiences, and his quest to piece together the stories he never knew about led to his book and subsequent film, Prisoner of Her Past. Nearly a decade later, Reich sat down to interview Elie Wiesel and discovered an instant connection, which he wrote about in The Art of Inventing Hope. Reich joins us to discuss all this, plus how jazz helped him confront his family’s past.
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Rabbi Abraham Heschel and Martin Luther King Jr.
People of the Pod: What We Can All Learn from Rabbi Heschel on Confronting Injustice
This week we hear from Martin Doblmeier, the director of Spiritual Audacity: The Abraham Joshua Heschel Story on the history of one of the most inspiring and preeminent scholars of the 20th Century. Doblmeier discusses Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s profound impact on the civil rights movement, the relationship between Jews and the Roman Catholic Church, and the “evil of indifference.”
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Israeli flags
People of the Pod: The Israeli Election: What Just Happened and What Comes Next
This week we’re joined by Allison Kaplan Sommer, Ha’aretz journalist and panelist for The Promised Podcast, to discuss some of the headliners from the Israeli election: potential kingmaker and Ra’am Party leader Mansour Abbas and Rabbi Gilad Kariv, who will be the first Reform rabbi to serve in the Knesset. Kaplan Sommer also discusses how democracy plays out in Israel and the United States and what it’s like to live in Israel, a complex, multicultural society.
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Israeli election ballot box
People of the Pod: This Is Why Israel is Having Its Fourth Election in Two Years
Ahead of the March 23rd elections in Israel, we’re joined by Haviv Rettig Gur, The Times of Israel's senior political analyst. Gur discusses the highly polarized sentiment around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the conflict within the Haredi community over pandemic restrictions, and the gap between the positions of the political parties that represent Arab Israelis and the concerns of Arab Israelis themselves. 
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People of the Pod: The Nazi Hunter: Eli Rosenbaum on Tracking Down the World’s Most Wanted Criminals
This week, we’re in conversation with Eli Rosenbaum, Director of Human Rights Enforcement Strategy and Policy at the Department of Justice, to talk about his 40 years at the department tracking down former Nazis to hold them accountable for their World War II crimes.
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People of the Pod: Soraya Nadia McDonald on Being Black and Jewish; NBC’s No Good, Very Bad Week
Journalist Soraya Nadia McDonald is the award-winning Culture Critic for The Undefeated at ESPN and she sat down with us for a conversation about confronting antisemitism as a Black Jewish woman. Then AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Dan Elbaum reflects on his 11 years at AJC, Manya Brachear Pashman discusses Michael Che’s antisemitic joke on Saturday Night Live, and Seffi Kogen on criticism of a Jewish storyline on the NBC show “Nurses”.
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Photo of the International Criminal Court at the Hague
People of the Pod: Israel and the International Criminal Court; The Power of Music
This week, we’re joined by Barak Ravid, Contributing Correspondent for Axios and Diplomatic Correspondent for Walla News, to unpack the International Criminal Court's recent determination that it has jurisdiction in the West Bank and Gaza.
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QAnon supporters at rally
People of the Pod: The Real Danger of QAnon; Telling the Jewish Story in Arabic
This week, we’re in conversation with Joel Finkelstein, cofounder and director of the Network Contagion Research Institute, a nonpartisan, multidisciplinary research group of experts who study online disinformation, and Pamela Paresky, a senior scholar at the Institute who focuses on the psychology of thriving in a liberal democracy. Both have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of the antisemitic conspiracy theory movement QAnon and they join us to discuss what we can expect next from the movement and how we can take steps to stop it. 
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Protestors at a BDS rally
People of the Pod: The Problem with California’s Ethnic Studies; Mayors United Against Antisemitism
A controversial curriculum for teaching ethnic studies in California public schools will face a final vote in March. Since the first draft came out in 2019, a coalition of Jewish organizations has advocated for content that meaningfully includes Jews and other groups, discusses antisemitism, and avoids perpetuating stereotypes that put Jews in danger. We sit down with Director of AJC Northern California Rabbi Serena Eisenberg about the curriculum and why it should matter to all of us.
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Photo of train tracks leading to Auschwitz, Poland
People of the Pod: International Holocaust Remembrance Day with Mandy Gonzalez; Israel’s COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout and the Palestinians
This week, in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we sit down with Broadway actress Mandy Gonzalez, who read diary excerpts from Holocaust victims' diaries during a virtual reading held by the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and Alexandra Zapruder, curator of the event. Then, we speak to Lahav Harkov from The Jerusalem Post about Israel’s record-shattering vaccine rollout and the controversy over access for Palestinians. Finally, past president of AJC Westchester/Fairfield Beverly Block Rosenbaum shares the story of her mother, a survivor of multiple concentration camps.
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People of the Pod: The Biden Administration Gets Underway and Post-Inauguration Reflections
We sit down with AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson to discuss President Joe Biden’s inaugural address and what to expect from the new administration. Then, we hear from AJC Managing Director, Policy and Political Affairs Julie Fishman Rayman on how to engage with those with whom we disagree.
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Capitol Hill riots on January 6
People of the Pod: Inside America’s Far Right; Congressman Ritchie Torres
This week, we sit down with Daniel Lombroso, director of The Atlantic’s first feature documentary, White Noise, an inside story of the far right in America. Lombroso, who spent four years with the leaders of white supremacist and antisemitic movements, joins us to discuss how that period informs his perspective on the horrific events of January 6 at the United States Capitol and the ensuing fallout.
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People of the Pod: A Special Conversation with Congressman Ritchie Torres
Tune in for an exclusive conversation with freshman Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) about the horrific events of January 6 at the United States Capitol. Listen as he shares his reflections on the antisemitism, racism, and white supremacy he witnessed that day; impeachment proceedings in Congress; and how the nation can move forward. 
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Ambassador Daniel Shapiro with Barack Obama and Joe Biden
People of the Pod: Ambassador Daniel Shapiro on Biden's Foreign Policy; Responding to the Attack on the Capitol
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro broke down what we can expect from the Biden administration when it comes to Israel, Iran, the Palestinians, and the Abraham Accords. Then, as our nation reels from Wednesday’s mob attack on the United States Capitol, AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, Manya Brachear Pashman, and Seffi Kogen share their reactions to the riots.
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Georgia Runoff Elections and Tackling Hate in America; Jon Ossoff; Raphael Warnock; David Perdue; Kelly Loeffler 2
People of the Pod: Georgia Runoff Elections and Tackling Hate in America
This week, Atlanta Journal-Constitution political reporter Greg Bluestein joins us to break down the January 5 runoff elections in Georgia that will decide which party controls the United States Senate. Next, we hear from Melanie Maron Pell, AJC’s Managing Director of Regional Offices, on an antisemitic attack over this Hanukkah at the University of Kentucky and the importance of passing the NO HATE act, Manya Brachear Pashman on the new Wonder Woman movie, and Seffi Kogen on two Israeli TV recommendations for the long winter nights ahead.
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UN Mideast Envoy Nickolay Mladenov; Celebrating Hanukkah
People of the Pod: UN Mideast Envoy Nickolay Mladenov; Celebrating Hanukkah
As United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov works to stave off escalations, speak up against violence, and promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Before he leaves his posting, Mladenov joins us to reflect on his vital work. Then, Rabbi Noam Marans shares his thoughts on the COVID-19 vaccine, and Manya Brachear Pashman recalls reporting on an attempt to break the world record for simultaneous dreidel spins at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
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Bibi Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gideon Saar
People of the Pod: Israeli Political Rumblings; Jersey City Attack: One Year Later
Tal Schneider, political correspondent at the Times of Israel, joins us to unpack the latest in Israeli politics as Israel hurtles toward its fourth election in two years. Then, Rabbi David Levy, regional director of AJC New Jersey, reflects on the one-year anniversary of the attack at the JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City.
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Intrigue in Iran and the Stories of Mizrahi Jews; Sima Shine; Mossad; Israel; Institute for National Security Studies; Mohsen Fakhrizadeh; nuclear weapons
People of the Pod: Intrigue in Iran and the Stories of Mizrahi Jews
Sima Shine, former head of the Mossad’s research division and current senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), joins us to discuss recent developments related to Iran, including the recent death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who headed the country’s nuclear weapons program.
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Talking Racial Justice with Eric Ward and Rabbi Angela Buchdal
People of the Pod: Talking Racial Justice with Eric Ward and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
First up is Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center, who discusses his experience as a leader in the Black community committed to fighting antisemitism and how the Black and Jewish communities can work together to combat hate. Then, we hear from Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi of Manhattan’s Central Synagogue and member of AJC’s Board of Governors, about her experiences as a Jew of Color and the Jewish community’s obligation to social justice.
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Religion and Politics in the 2020 Election with The Atlantic’s Emma Green; Joseph R. Biden Jr.; joe biden; podium
People of the Pod: Religion and Politics in the 2020 Election with The Atlantic’s Emma Green
This week, The Atlantic’s Emma Green joins us to discuss the intersection of religion and politics in the 2020 election. Then, AJC Atlanta Regional Director Dov Wilker weighs in on the importance of the January runoff election in his home state of Georgia.
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People of the Pod: Bethany Mandel, Ron Kampeas on Election 2020
This week, we take a deep dive into the results of the 2020 election. First, we’re joined by writer and commentator Bethany Mandel to discuss what pre-election polls got wrong and why. Then, we hear from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Washington Bureau Chief, Ron Kampeas, to break down the results of the congressional election and hear what the 117th Congress will look like.
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Photo of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
People of the Pod: Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This week, we sit down with Abbe Gluck, a former clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away last week, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah. A professor of law and founding faculty director of the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School, she and fellow former clerk Gillian Metzger penned an op-ed in The New York Times just days after Justice Ginsburg’s passing, recalling her impact on them and on gender equality in the United States. Professor Gluck joins us to reflect on that legacy.
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Election 2020: A Bipartisan Analysis and a Focus on Florida; roll of stickers; i voted;
People of the Pod: Election 2020 - A Bipartisan Analysis and a Focus on Florida
This week, Ira Sheskin, a professor at the University of Miami and editor of the American Jewish Year Book, joins us to break down what we know so far about the results of the 2020 election, with a focus on the Jewish vote in Florida. Then, we hear from Senator Norm Coleman, National Chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Mark Mellman, President and CEO of the Democratic Majority for Israel, on what the outcome means for America, the Jewish community, Israel, and the world. 
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Debra Messing 3
People of the Pod: Debra Messing; AJC’s Groundbreaking State of Antisemitism in America Report
This week’s episode features a conversation with actress and philanthropist Debra Messing about her new podcast, The Dissenters, and how her experiences with antisemitism shaped her identity. Then, in a live podcast recording with the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York earlier this week, we break down the results from AJC’s groundbreaking report, "The State of Antisemitism in America 2020," with Avi Mayer, AJC’s Managing Director of Global Communications, and Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism.
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COVID-19 in NY's Ultra-Orthodox Community with Jacob Kornbluh; Iran Sanctions with Mark Dubowitz; Jewish insider; the forward; nypd; car; police
People of the Pod: COVID-19 in NY's Ultra-Orthodox Community with Jacob Kornbluh; Iran Sanctions with Mark Dubowitz
This week we’re joined by Jewish Insider National Politics Reporter Jacob Kornbluh, who has spent months reporting on the state of COVID-19 in New York’s ultra-Orthodox communities. On October 7, Kornbluh, a resident of Borough Park, was attacked while reporting on anti-lockdown protests in his neighborhood. We’ll hear a portion of this special live podcast recording, on why the ultra-Orthodox community has been so hard-hit by the pandemic, what is fueling the recent protests, and where the community should go from here. Then, we sit down with Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, to talk about the ramifications of this week’s end to the UN arms embargo on Iran.
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Facebook Bans Holocaust Denial Content
People of the Pod: Facebook Bans Holocaust Denial Content
This week, Facebook announced that it would ban Holocaust denial content from the platform. We’re joined this week by Jordana Cutler, Facebook’s Head of Policy for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, to discuss this important decision and the role AJC played in making it happen.
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Josh Kraft on Together Beat Hate
People of the Pod: Josh Kraft on Together Beat Hate
This week, we speak to Josh Kraft, a community leader, a seasoned nonprofit executive, and through his family, a six-time Super Bowl champion. He recently took the helm of the Kraft family’s philanthropic efforts, and he joins us to discuss "[tbh]," or "together beat hate," an initiative of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, an organization focused on creating replicable models for fighting antisemitism and other forms of prejudice, racism, and hate.
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Image of people holding Nazi flags during a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville
People of the Pod: White Supremacy in America and David Duke
In this week’s episode, we sit down with the creators of two podcasts to explore the history of white supremacy in the United States in order to better understand the state of this hateful ideology today. Odette Yousef, host of WBEZ Chicago’s ‘Motive,’ speaks to us about the podcast’s third season, which examines the origins of Nazi skinhead culture, and Josh Levin, host of Slate’s ‘Slow Burn,’ the fourth season of which explores how David Duke, America’s most famous white supremacist, rose to prominence.
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Talking Arab-Israeli Peace with Acting Consul General Israel Nitzan
People of the Pod: Talking Arab-Israeli Peace with Acting Consul General Israel Nitzan
Following Tuesday’s historic signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates at the White House, we sit down with Israeli Acting Consul General Israel Nitzan to help us break down this exciting development and what it means for Israel. Then, in our closing segment, Shabbat Table Talk, AJC Associate Director for Policy and Middle East Initiatives Benjy Rogers shares why the Abraham Accords give him hope for the region.
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People of the Pod: AJC UAE Office; Reflections on #BlackJewishUnity Week
On this week’s episode, we’re joined by AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, who has long led AJC delegations to the Gulf and maintains close ties with senior Emirati officials, to speak about the historic announcement last month by U.S. President Donald Trump, His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the UAE and Israel would establish full diplomatic relations.
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Photo of the No Hate No Fear solidarity march across the Brooklyn Bridge in NY
People of the Pod: Celebrating #BlackJewishUnity Week with the National Urban League
In celebration of the enduring ties between America’s Black and Jewish communities, AJC and the National Urban League are partnering to designate the week of September 6 as Black-Jewish Unity Week. We sit down with Clint Odom, the National Urban League’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, Executive Director of the National Urban League’s Washington Bureau, to talk about the connections between the Black and Jewish communities and how we can use #BlackJewishUnity week to strengthen those ties.
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Photo of President Trump and Vice President Pence
People of the Pod: Election 2020: The Republican National Convention
On the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, we speak with Matt Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, about his takeaways from the week and what Jews should know about the Republican platform and ticket this year.
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People of the Pod: Election 2020: The Democratic National Convention
On the heels of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, we sit down with Halie Soifer, Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, who previously served as National Security Advisor to Senator Kamala Harris, to talk about support for Israel within the Democratic Party and other issues of importance to the Jewish community ahead of the upcoming election.
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People of the Pod: Election 2020: VP Candidate Kamala Harris; Upheaval in Lebanon
This week, we’re joined by JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas to unpack former Vice President Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate. Then, in the wake of the fatal explosion in Beirut in last week, we speak to Matthew Levitt, Director of the Reinhard program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the dire need to reform Lebanon’s political system due to the pernicious role played by Iranian proxy Hezbollah.
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People of the Pod: Election 2020: Biden’s VP Pick
This week, we’re joined by Jewish Insider national politics reporter Jacob Kornbluh for a discussion of the choice facing former Vice President Joe Biden as he selects a running mate ahead of the November presidential election.
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Cover of the book "The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for Open Society"
People of the Pod: The George Soros Saga: Antisemitism, Conspiracies, and Influence
First, we hear from Emily Tamkin, author of "The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for Open Society," on why the Jewish billionaire philanthropist has become a political target and an easy mark for antisemitism. Then, in our closing segment, Shabbat Table Talk, we sit down with AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank to hear what she’ll be discussing at her Shabbat table this week.
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People of the Pod: Remembering Congressman John Lewis
This week, we sit down with Sherry Frank, who served as Director of AJC Atlanta for 26 years and was a close friend of civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who passed away on July 17. Together, Frank and Congressman Lewis founded the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition in 1982. Frank joins us to share some of her memories of this American giant.
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People of the Pod: Rep. Deutch on Annexation; Daniel Gordis on Two-State Solution; Rabbi Horvilleur on Antisemitism
This week, we speak to Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) about the letter he and fellow representatives wrote in opposition to unilateral annexation, and what the future holds for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Then, we’re joined by Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, on why the two-state solution is still worth pursuing. We close out with Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, France’s foremost female rabbi, speaking about how to have conversations about antisemitism, racism, and interfaith relations in a secular society.
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Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories; Coronavirus Resurgence in Israel
People of the Pod: Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories; Coronavirus Resurgence in Israel
This week, we hear from Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Dave Rich, Director of Policy at the UK’s Community Security Trust, on the rise of antisemitic conspiracy theories amid the coronavirus pandemic and following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Then, we hear an update on the resurgence of the pandemic in Israel from Dr. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert and professor of political science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 
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Rabbi Angela Buchdahl on Jews and Race; Election 2020 Debate
People of the Pod: Rabbi Angela Buchdahl on Jews and Race; Election 2020 Debate
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we are joined by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi of Manhattan’s Central Synagogue and member of AJC’s Board of Governors, to discuss the Jewish community’s obligation toward Jews of color and to social justice. Then, in one of the most compelling sessions from AJC Virtual Global Forum, we hear a foreign policy debate between Antony Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State under President Barack Obama and now an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and KT McFarland, past Deputy National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump.
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Photo of rally in support of Black Lives Matter
People of the Pod: Eric Ward on Racial Justice; A Conversation with Benny Gantz
As the United States continues to grapple with racial injustice, we are joined by Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center, who discusses being a leader in the black community committed to fighting antisemitism, which he identifies as a leading driver of other forms of bigotry.
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Photo of Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, who spoke at AJC Virtual Global Forum
People of the Pod: Highlights from the First-Ever AJC Virtual Global Forum
This week, AJC held its first-ever Virtual Global Forum, taking the premier annual global Jewish advocacy gathering online. Here we showcase some of the most memorable moments from the star-studded, five-day event. First we hear an excerpt from a historic public dialogue with United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash about how his country can work with Israel despite political differences. Then, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker discusses racial injustice in America and the importance of Black-Jewish cooperation in tackling that national challenge. Finally, AJC Managing Director of Global Communications Avi Mayer moderates a fiery debate on the future of the West Bank between Member of Knesset Merav Michaeli of Israel’s Labor Party and veteran Israeli diplomat Dr. Dore Gold, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
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People of the Pod: Virtual Global Forum Preview with AJC CEO David Harris, Conversation with Jeffrey Goldberg
Ahead of next week’s AJC Virtual Global Forum 2020, we’re joined by AJC CEO David Harris for a preview of this historic event, which marks the first time the premier global Jewish advocacy event will take place online. Then, we hear from Jeffery Goldberg, acclaimed journalist, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, and friend of AJC, on the role of the media in the current pandemic and the vital importance of a free press in democratic societies.
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People of the Pod: Lonnie Bunch on Race Relations; Isaac Herzog on Israel and the Diaspora
Protests have erupted across the United States following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and AJC Project Interchange alumnus, joins us for a comprehensive discussion on race relations and Black-Jewish cooperation in the United States. Then, we’re joined by Isaac 'Bougie' Herzog, Chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel, to discuss Israel-Diaspora relations - where we are, how we got here, and the future we must build together.
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Photo of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mayor Betsy Price
People of the Pod: A Conversation with Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mayor Betsy Price; Moroccan Jewish Heritage
This week on People of the Pod, we sit down with Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and Mayor Betsy Price of Fort Worth to discuss the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their cities, the role of political leadership in a time of crisis, and their experiences visiting Israel with AJC's Project Interchange. Then we hear from Elmehdi Boudra, Founder and President of the Mimouna Association, a nonprofit founded by young Muslim students dedicated to preserving Jewish heritage and culture in Morocco, about his group's inspiring work.
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People of the Pod: Israel's New Government, Facebook’s New Oversight Board
The Israeli government will be jointly led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party, after the two signed a coalition agreement in April. Gil Hoffman, Chief Political Correspondent and Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, joins us to explain what we can expect from this new government. Then, we sit down with Emi Palmor, former Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Justice and one of the first appointees to an independent oversight board charged with making policy recommendations about Facebook content, to discuss her new role.
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Photo of Seth Mandel and Batya Ungar-Sargon
People of the Pod: Changing U.S. Political Landscape; Recovering Nazi-Looted Art
This week, we sit down with Seth Mandel, Executive Editor of Washington Examiner Magazine, and Batya Ungar-Sargon, Opinion Editor at The Forward, to discuss the changing U.S. political landscape and what’s at stake for American Jews. Then, 75 years after the end of World War II, the fight to recover art and heirlooms looted by the Nazis and return them to their rightful owners and heirs continues. Joining us to discuss this important mission are Dr. Wesley Fisher, Director of Research for the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and the World Jewish Restitution Organization, and Olaf Ossman, the lawyer for the heirs of Richard Semmel, a family in South Africa that has been fighting since 1999 to recover lost art.
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Colorado Governor on the Coronavirus; 75 Years Since the End of WWII
People of the Pod: Colorado Governor on the Coronavirus; 75 Years Since the End of WWII
This week on People of the Pod, Colorado Governor Jared Polis joins us to talk about the state’s approach to fighting the coronavirus and the emergence of antisemitism during the pandemic. Then, Dr. Kurt Graham, Director of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, joins us to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and shares what we can learn from President Truman’s leadership during a crisis.
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People of the Pod: Celebrating Israel with Sharansky, Germany’s Hezbollah Ban, New UK Labour Leader
People of the Pod: Celebrating Israel with Sharansky, Germany’s Hezbollah Ban, New UK Labour Leader
This week on People of the Pod, former refusenik, Israeli government minister, and Chairman of The Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky joins us to reflect on Israel's 72nd Independence Day. Then, AJC CEO David Harris sits down with us to explain the significance of Germany’s decision to ban Hezbollah’s activities on the country’s soil. Finally, we speak to Hannah Rose, former President of the UK's Union of Jewish Students, about the newly elected leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer.
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Israeli Government Agreement, Arabic Video on the Holocaust
People of the Pod: Israeli Government Agreement, Arabic Video on the Holocaust
After three elections in less than a year, Israel may soon have a new government. This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, announced an agreement to jointly govern the country. Joining us is Tal Schneider, political and diplomatic correspondent at Globes, to discuss the agreement, including its more controversial elements. Then, we hear from AJC Director of U.S. Muslim-Jewish Relations Ari Gordon on the release of a new Arabic-language video about the Holocaust. The new video is the third in AJC’s highly successful Arabic video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), which has reached tens of millions across the Arab world.
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Road to a New Israeli Government, Passover Prep
People of the Pod: Road to a New Israeli Government, Passover Prep
After three elections in the space of a year, Israel now appears to be on the verge of having a functioning government again. Joining us to discuss the latest developments is New York Times Jerusalem Bureau Chief David Halbfinger. Then we hear from Tablet Senior Writer Yair Rosenberg, AJC Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations Rabbi Noam Marans, and AJC Associate Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank on how to make Passover especially meaningful this year.
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Coronavirus in US
People of the Pod: Coronavirus in the U.S.; Israeli Political Drama
This week, Tablet Senior Writer Yair Rosenberg joins us to discuss the U.S. government’s response to the growing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and the release of his new Shabbat music album. Then, Times of Israel Senior Analyst Haviv Rettig Gur joins us to break down the ongoing political drama in Israel and the chances that Israelis may finally get a new government.
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Israel’s Response to the Coronavirus; Creatively Quarantined
People of the Pod: Israel’s Response to the Coronavirus; Creatively Quarantined
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) sweeps the globe, Israeli doctors, researchers, and entrepreneurs are working diligently to help find a cure and improve treatment options. Joining us to discuss these efforts, as well as Israel's own strategies to prevent the spread of the virus, are Dr. Daniel Landsberg, who serves as Regional Medical Director of Maccabi Health Services, and Dr. Kira Radinsky, Chair and Chief Technology Officer of Diagnostic Robotics. Then, staying in Israel, we speak to Joyce Franco and Stephanie Graber, the creators of the Instagram account, Creatively Quarantined, which has become an incubator for those searching for inspiration in isolation.
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Quarantine in Israel, Jews in the UAE
People of the Pod: Quarantine in Israel, Jews in the UAE
This week, Israel imposed a blanket 14-day self-quarantine on everyone arriving from outside the country in order to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Joining us to discuss the quarantine and the other efforts to protect the country is Dr. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert and lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Then, Ross Kriel, President of the Jewish Community of the Emirates, joins us from Dubai to shed light on the small but thriving Jewish community in the United Arab Emirates.
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Elections in the U.S. and Israel
People of the Pod: Elections in the U.S. and Israel
On this week's episode of People of the Pod, JTA’s Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas joins us to discuss Super Tuesday results, Senator Bernie Sanders’ decision to boycott AIPAC, and other significant developments in the U.S. presidential contest. Then Tal Schneider, an award-winning political correspondent for the Israeli daily Globes, helps us break down the inconclusive results from Israel’s third election in a year.
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New Antisemitism Documentary; Israeli Election Update
People of the Pod: New Antisemitism Documentary; Israeli Election Update
On this week's episode of People of the Pod, we sit down with director Andrew Goldberg to discuss his new documentary, "Viral: Antisemitism In Four Mutations." Then, as Israelis prepare to head back to the polls on Monday for the third time in a year, we speak to Times of Israel Senior Analyst Haviv Rettig Gur to break down what’s important to Israeli voters.
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Black-Jewish Congressional Caucus, Israeli Election Update, Education in Israel
People of the Pod: Black-Jewish Congressional Caucus, Israeli Election Update, Education in Israel
On this week's episode of People of the Pod, we talk to three founders of the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations—Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)—about how the purpose of the caucus has evolved since it was launched at the AJC Global Forum this past summer. We also hear from Avital Leibovich, Director of AJC Jerusalem, as she shares the latest developments on Israel's third election in less than a year. Finally, we sit down with Professor Yaffa Zilbershats, chair of the Planning and Budgeting Committee for Israel’s Council for Higher Education, to discuss a new initiative to double the number of international students in Israel’s colleges and universities.
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Photo of Anne Frank at her desk
People of the Pod: 75 Years After Anne Frank, Israel-Sudan Relations
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we commemorate the 75th anniversary of Anne Frank’s death by asking young people whether they know who she was. Then, Eliseo Neuman, Director of AJC’s Africa Institute, explains the latest developments between Israel and Sudan.
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Behind the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, “Goy Friendly”
People of the Pod: Behind the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, “Goy Friendly”
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, Israeli filmmaker Yaron Zilberman joins us to talk about his movie, Incitement, and to share his perspective on the state of politics and extremism in Israel. Then, Orthodox Jewish comedian Ashley Blaker joins us in the studio to discuss his new show, Goy Friendly, now running at Soho Playhouse theater in New York.
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Photo of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
People of the Pod: Peace Plan, Historic Auschwitz Visit, Last Stop: Auschwitz
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we talk to Dr. Einat Wilf, a member of Israel's Knesset until 2013, about the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan proposed by President Trump and what it means for the future of Israel. Then, Rabbi David Rosen, AJC Director of International Interreligious Affairs, joins us to discuss the historic visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau by Muslim World League Secretary General Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa and a group of Islamic religious leaders, organized by AJC and accompanied by the organization's leadership. Finally, we hear from Melcher de Wind, the son of author Eddy de Wind, about his father’s book, “Last Stop: Auschwitz,” the only novel written inside the death camp in the days following its liberation, 75 years ago this week.
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Photo of antisemitic graffiti
People of the Pod: French Antisemitism Survey, 75 Years After Auschwitz
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we talk to AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen about the findings of a new AJC survey on antisemitism in France. Then, to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we go to the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust to tour its current exhibit on Auschwitz and discuss its recent decision to offer free admission to any New York City public school student and up to three family members in response to the uptick in antisemitic attacks on the streets of Brooklyn.
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Future of the Labour Party, ICC Investigation, Black-Jewish Relations
People of the Pod: Future of the Labour Party, ICC Investigation, Black-Jewish Relations
Liam Hoare, Europe Editor for Moment Magazine, has been covering the British Labour Party’s antisemitism scandal since 2015. He joins us this week to discuss the future of the party and how it will affect British Jews. Then, Times of Israel Diplomatic Correspondent Raphael Ahren shares the latest developments on the International Criminal Court’s investigation into aspects of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Finally, we hear from Bishop Ken Ulmer, pastor at Faithful Central Bible Church in Los Angeles, who, troubled by recent attacks on Jews in New York and New Jersey, invited the Jewish community to his church for a prayer service on the eve of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Bishop Ulmer also discusses the Israel-inspired institute he started to provide resiliency training to youth traumatized by gun and gang violence.
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People of the Pod: U.S.-Iran Crisis; Hate Crimes in NY; #JewishandProud Day
This week on People of the Pod, we sit down with Middle East experts Patrick Clawson, Research Director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, to talk about the rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Then, Deborah Lauter, Executive Director of New York’s new Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, joins us to discuss efforts to curb the rash of antisemitic attacks across the city. Finally, in honor of AJC’s #JewishandProud Day, we went around New York City to ask people what makes them proud to be Jewish.
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Wave attacks podcast
People of the Pod: Wave of Attacks Against Orthodox Jews; A Look at 55 Years of Fiddler
This week on People of the Pod, we sat down with Jacob Kornbluh, national politics reporter for Jewish Insider, to talk about the recent spate of antisemitic attacks against Orthodox communities across the New York area. Then, before the curtain falls on the Yiddish-language Fiddler on the Roof this weekend, we speak to Max Lewkowicz, director of the documentary “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles,” about how the show became a global phenomenon.
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People of the Pod: An Impeachment Conspiracy Theory, Jersey City Shooting, International Criminal Court
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, Eric Cortellessa, Washington correspondent for The Times of Israel, explains how antisemites are blaming a Jewish conspiracy for President Trump’s impeachment. Then Rabbi David Levy, AJC New Jersey Regional Director, discusses the ongoing efforts to fight antisemitism after two shooters targeted a kosher supermarket and murdered four people last week in Jersey City. Finally, Jacob Magid, settlements correspondent for The Times of Israel, gives us an update on the International Criminal Court’s inquiry into various parts of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
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Photo of Boris Johnson
People of the Pod: UK Election, Antisemitism on College Campuses, Third Israeli Election
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, the President of the UK’s Union for Jewish Students Esther Offenberg joins us to discuss how the British Jewish community is feeling after the Conservative Party's landslide victory in yesterday’s general election. Then AJC Chief Legal Officer Marc Stern breaks down President Trump’s executive order aimed at strengthening efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses. Finally, Raoul Wootliff, political correspondent for The Times of Israel, explains why Israel is set to hold its third election within a single year.
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POP defining antisemitism
People of the Pod: Defining Antisemitism in France; Refugees Around the World
We speak to Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Europe, about this week’s decision by the French National Assembly to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism. Then we’re joined by Aboud Dandachi, a former Syrian refugee, to share his perspective on the wave of anti-Zionism sweeping college campuses, and Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsraAID, an Israeli NGO that serves refugees and others in need around the world. Lastly, we sit down with Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for the Hebrew Immigration and Aid Society (HIAS), which is suing the Trump administration over the latest restriction on refugee resettlement in the United States.
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Lowey
People of the Pod: Nita Lowey Retires; Tension on College Campuses; Quizzing New Yorkers
On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey joins us to discuss her decision to retire after 32 years on Capitol Hill. We also talk to Ilan Orzy, director of advocacy for Hillel Ontario, and Zev Hurwitz, AJC Director of Campus Affairs to compare the challenges facing Jewish students on American and Canadian college campuses. And finally, we hit the streets of Manhattan with AJC’s new glossary of antisemitic terms, Translate Hate, to give New Yorkers a pop quiz.
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People of the Pod: Netanyahu’s Indictment; Live from Atlanta
On Thursday, Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be formally charged with corruption, making Netanyahu the first serving prime minister in Israel’s history to face criminal charges. Ronen Bergman, staff writer for The New York Times, national security senior correspondent for Yedioth Ahronoth, and author of “Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel's Targeted Assassinations,” joins us to break down the charges against the prime minister and what it means for the future of Israeli politics. Then we hear a conversation with Jodi Rudoren, editor-in-chief of The Forward and former Jerusalem bureau chief for The New York Times, and Nachman Shai, former member of Knesset and IDF spokesman, that was recorded earlier this week during a special live show in Atlanta.
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Gaza Flare-Up, Fiddler in Yiddish
People of the Pod: Gaza Flare-Up, Fiddler in Yiddish
Earlier this week, terrorists fired hundreds of rockets from Gaza into Israel following the targeted killing of a top Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader. We are joined by Avi Issacharoff, Middle East analyst for The Times of Israel and Walla News, and Judah Ari Gross, The Times of Israel’s Military Correspondent, to discuss the events of the past week. Then we sit down with Zalmen Mlotek, musical director of the Yiddish-language Fiddler on the Roof, and Steven Skybell, who stars in the show, to discuss the success behind the smash off-Broadway hit.
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Jewish Life in Belgium, China-Israel Relations
People of the Pod: Jewish Life in Belgium, China-Israel Relations
This week Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Transatlantic Institute, joins us from Brussels to talk about Jewish life in Belgium, which has seen a string of antisemitic incidents in recent years, and about AJC's efforts to combat antisemitism across Europe. Then we sit down with Ambassador Matan Vilnai, Israel's former envoy to China, to discuss the Jewish state's relationship with the ascendant Asian power and what it means for Israel's future.
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Photo of antisemitic graffiti
People of the Pod: The Sources of Antisemitism; Lebanon Protests; Israeli Politics Update
This week, we sit down with Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, to discuss her new book focusing on the sources of antisemitism and what we can do to stop it. We also speak to Dr. Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the protests in Lebanon that led to Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation earlier this week. Finally, Times of Israel Political Correspondent Raoul Wootliff gives us a post-election update on coalition building efforts.
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Shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue
People of the Pod: One Year After Pittsburgh Synagogue Attack, Survey on Antisemitism in America
This week, we speak to Jeff Finkelstein, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, to get a sense of how the Pittsburgh Jewish community is doing one year after the attack.

Then we’re joined by Avi Mayer, AJC’s Managing Director of Global Communications, to discuss the results of the organization’s unprecedented survey of American Jews on the subject of antisemitism in America.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump
People of the Pod: Ukrainian President Zelensky; Blood Libel in America
Volodymyr Zelensky emerged on the scene in 2019 when he was elected president of Ukraine. Now he is embroiled in American domestic politics as his phone call with President Trump is at the center of the impeachment inquiry currently taking place in Congress. Cnaan Liphshiz, European news reporter for JTA, breaks down who Volodymyr Zelensky is, where Ukraine is headed, and what the controversial call means. Then we are joined by NYU Professor of History Edward Berenson to examine how an incident of a missing child led to America’s only blood libel case.
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Photo of Dr. Ahmed Shaheed and Deborah Lipstadt during a JBI event
People of the Pod: Historic UN Report on Antisemitism, Behind the Excavation of the Pilgrims' Path
Last month, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, released the first UN human rights report wholly dedicated to antisemitism. In his report, Dr. Shaheed found that antisemitic incidents have created a “climate of fear” among Jews and refers to antisemitism as a threat that is “toxic to democracy.” Today he joins us in the studio to share the findings of his report and offer recommendations to states, civil society actors, and the UN. Then, The Times of Israel's Jewish Times Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan takes us on a tour of the newly-excavated Pilgrims' Path at Jerusalem's City of David, exploring the site and the reasons it has captured the attention of so many around the world.
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Attack on German Synagogue, Historic Pact with Gulf States, New Book on Israeli Prime Ministers
People of the Pod: Attack on German Synagogue, Historic Pact with Gulf States, New Book on Israeli Prime Ministers
On this week’s episode, we are joined by AJC Berlin Acting Director Remko Leemhuis to discuss the horrific antisemitic attack on Yom Kippur targeting a synagogue in Halle, Germany. Then, we hear from Raphael Ahren, Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, to break down Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s efforts to advance non-aggression treaties with several Arab countries in the Gulf. Finally, we sit down with David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute, to discuss his new book, Be Strong and of Good Courage, co-authored with Ambassador Dennis Ross, which profiles the courageous leadership of four Israeli prime ministers.
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Backstage with “Our Boys” Creator Joseph Cedar
People of the Pod: Backstage with “Our Boys” Creator; Israeli Elections and the Arab Party
This week, we're joined for a special live show by Joseph Cedar, creator and executive producer of HBO's "Our Boys." Cedar shared his firsthand account of how he translated the tragedies of summer 2014 into television, his analysis of the social and political climate that led to those attacks, and the critical reception the show has received from some prominent Israelis. Then Adam Rasgon, Palestinian Affairs and Arab World Correspondent for The Times of Israel, explains how the Joint List, Israel’s Arab-majority party, was formed, what its success in last week’s election means for Israeli politics, and what impact its decision to endorse Blue and White Leader Benny Gantz could have on the outcome of the current coalition negotiations.
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Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz
People of the Pod: Israeli Election Results, Sarah Hurwitz on Her New Book, Antisemitism in NY
Earlier this week, Israel held its second national election in five months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a governing coalition in April. On this week’s episode, Times of Israel political correspondent Raoul Wootliff joins us to recap the complicated election results and help us understand what they mean for Israel’s future. Then we speak to Sarah Hurwitz, former head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, to discuss how she rediscovered a connection to Judaism, the focus of her new book, Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There). Finally, Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Life/Features Editor at The Forward, joins us to discuss the recent spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York.
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Israelis Head Back to the Polls
People of the Pod: Israelis Head Back to the Polls
This Tuesday, Israelis will head back to the polls for an unprecedented second national election in a single year. In this special pre-election episode, we sit down with three public figures representing the Israeli left, right, and center, to get a sense of what Israelis across the political spectrum are thinking as they cast their ballots. Joining us are Oded Revivi, Mayor of Efrat; Yossi Klein Halevi, author and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute; and Ksenia Svetlova, former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union Party. Then, Times of Israel political correspondent Raoul Wootliff gives us an update on what to expect from the election results.
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AJC CEO David Harris and Times of Israel Founding Editor David Horovitz join us to discuss the significance of this new partnership between AJC and TOI, as well as some of the most pressing issues facing America, Israel, the Jewish people, and the world.
People of the Pod: AJC CEO David Harris and Times of Israel Founding Editor David Horovitz in Conversation
Launching People of the Pod, AJC CEO David Harris and Times of Israel Founding Editor David Horovitz join us to discuss the significance of this new partnership between AJC and TOI, as well as some of the most pressing issues facing America, Israel, the Jewish people, and the world.
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Welcome to People of the Pod!
Welcome to People of the Pod!
In today's inaugural episode, The Times of Israel Jewish World Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan joins us from the publication's Jerusalem newsroom to discuss how People of the Pod came to be and what you can expect from this exciting new partnership between AJC and TOI. Then we're joined by Leah Goldin, together with her husband Simcha, to talk about her son, Lt. Hadar Goldin, who was killed by Hamas terrorists in 2014 and whose body has yet to be returned to Israel. Finally, we hear from Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll, a writer, activist, and co-founder of Chochmat Nashim, an NGO fighting extremism and raising the voices of women in the larger societal conversation in Israel.
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