Jewish Actually

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I speak with Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, NYU professor and Executive Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life, about Jewish identity, belonging, leadership, and the power of dialogue.

Rabbi Sarna shares his journey from growing up in Montreal to becoming a leader in Jewish communities around the world, including his work at NYU and in the United Arab Emirates. He reflects on building relationships across religious and cultural differences, creating spaces for Jewish belonging on college campuses, and navigating Jewish life in a rapidly changing world.

From interfaith dialogue to Jewish campus life after October 7th, this conversation explores what it means to listen, build bridges, and create community while staying grounded in who you are.

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I’m joined by Rachel Israel, writer and director, whose work explores identity, relationships, and belonging. Rachel made her feature film debut with Keep the Change, which premiered at Tribeca and went on to receive numerous awards. Her recent film, The Floaters, takes us into the world of Jewish summer camp, exploring Jewish identity, community, and what it means to find where you belong.

Today, Rachel and I talk about her Jewish upbringing, her journey into filmmaking, and the stories that inspire her work. We also dive into The Floaters and what it means to tell complicated, funny, and deeply personal Jewish stories on screen.

In this episode of Jewish Actually, broadway and film actor Jim Kaplan joins me to discuss his role as "Tums" in The Floaters, a coming-of-age comedy set at a Jewish summer camp. Jim shares how he got into acting, what it was like bringing the film to life, and why stories centered on Jewish identity and community matter. We also talk about growing up Jewish, and Jim's experience being an Asian-American Jew who was adopted. Whether you've spent summers at camp or simply love meaningful conversations about identity, storytelling, and film, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I sit down with Neil Friedman, CEO of ChaiFlicks and Founder of Menemsha Films, to explore his journey in building and shaping Jewish film and media. We discuss his path into the industry, the evolution of his work from distribution to streaming, and what it takes to bring Jewish stories to diverse audiences around the world.

Neil has worked as an associate lawyer on the set of Hairspray and has held numerous senior roles with major film distributors, including New Line Cinema, Columbia Pictures, and The Pressman Company. He has represented multiple Academy Award nominees and has played a key role in financing and distributing Jewish film and television across North America and globally through Menemsha Films and ChaiFlicks—the largest Jewish streaming platform in the world.

Our conversation also dives into the broader role of Jewish media today: why storytelling matters, how it’s evolving in response to current events and rising antisemitism, and the responsibility of preserving and sharing Jewish narratives in a modern landscape.

Whether you’re interested in film, media, or the future of Jewish storytelling, this episode offers a thoughtful look inside the industry from one of its leading voices.

Thanks to ChaiFlicks and Neil, you can use the special discount code ACTUALLY36 to use ChaiFlicks at a discounted rate for only $3 a month, or $36 a year.

Redemption link: http://www.chaiflicks.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=actually36&plan=yearly

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I sat down with Sarah Hurwitz, The Obamas’ former speechwriter, to talk about her journey from the White House to writing her own two books exploring her own Jewish identity re-discovery and passion. We discuss her time crafting speeches at the highest levels of American politics, what she learned about language and power, and how that work eventually led her to a deeper engagement with Jewish texts and tradition through her books: "Here All Along" and "As A Jew".

Sarah reflects on how her writing has evolved and how Jewish ideas reshaped her understanding of purpose and identity.

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I'm joined by Dr. Stephen Arnoff, CEO of the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center, for a wide-ranging conversation on music, meaning, and Jewish life.

We talked about Dr. Arnoff's transition from the IDF, to fellowships and experiences that shaped his leadership, to his work today at the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center. A major focus of our conversation is music—especially Bob Dylan—and how it can serve as a powerful lens for understanding Judaism, spirituality, and identity.

Tune in for an absolutely fascinating conversation with one of the most compelling voices at the intersection of Jewish identity, culture, and music today!

👉 Check Dr. Arnoff's Substack: https://stephendanielarnoff.substack.com/

And Dr. Arnoff's book "About Man and God and Law: The Spiritual Wisdom of Bob Dylan".

In this episode of Jewish Actually, Aaron Bregman joins me to discuss the American Jewish Committee’s Leaders for Tomorrow program (which he oversees): an initiative shaping the next generation of Jewish leaders. The conversation explores how young people are building leadership skills, strengthening their Jewish identity, and preparing to engage with today’s most pressing challenges. Aaron shares insights into the program’s impact and why investing in future leaders to combat antisemitism matters now more than ever.

In this episode of Jewish, Actually, we go inside AJC ACCESS Global with Alana Wilck, Assistant Director of the program. Alana shares how ACCESS connects young Jewish leaders around the world, builds global networks, and shapes the future of Jewish advocacy. Tune in for insights on leadership, international impact, and what it really means to take Jewish engagement global.

In this episode of Jewish Actually, I’m joined by actress and producer Alysia Reiner (Orange Is the New Black, Equity), and filmmaker and writer Shaina Feinberg (The New York Times, This American Life).

Together, they discuss their short film “We Should Eat,” an absolutely hilarious look at family, identity, and the tensions that surface around the dinner table.

We also talked about Alycia and Shaina's incredible careers and fascinating Jewish upbringings and lives.

What happens when history itself is put on trial?

In this episode of Jewish Actually, Lila sits down with Dr. Kenneth Stern, the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate, who spent 25 years at the American Jewish Committee, and helped develop the working definition of antisemitism later adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and has testified before the U.S. Congress on hate and extremism.

Stern also played a key behind-the-scenes role as a special advisor in one of the most consequential legal battles over truth in modern history: Irving v. Penguin Books and Deborah Lipstadt.

In this conversation, Stern takes us inside the case, not just what happened, but how it was fought. From the decision to turn the trial into a case against the denier, to the strategy of relying on expert historians instead of survivors, to the painstaking work of exposing distortions line by line, Stern breaks down the legal and intellectual playbook used to dismantle Holocaust denial in court.

Lila and Stern also explore how the IHRA working definition of anti-semitism and how it connects to hate and extremism today. As one of the leading drafters of the definition, Stern explains its significance and potential challenges, too.