Andrew Zimmern joins People Jew Wanna Know to talk about the Jewish upbringing that shaped him, from his grandmother’s legendary roast chicken and pickled tongue, to Shabbat dinners that later inspired Family Dinner. He reflects on his most vivid Bizarre Foods moments, including being marched through a Rio favela with AK-47s under his chin. He also opens up about the spiritual lessons he found in sobriety and why “being the only” has guided his entire media career.

Lear more about Andrew's incredible work at www.andrewzimmern.com and follow him on Instagram @chefaz

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

05:41 How Margarita met Andrew's childhood best friend

8:16 Andrew's Jewish upbringing

12:08 "I want to be a NYC Jew"

13:07 "In the world of media & brands, it's better to be an only"

14:02 Andrew's staple Shabbat dish

19:48 Visiting Kazakhstan

27:19 Unsolved mysteries of Bizarre Foods - Rio & Mexico City

34:57 How do we stay connected in a disconnected world?

37:40 Andrew's new book about seafood & obsession with service

44:02 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Musician and nomad, Nolan Marsh (@livefromthebus), joins us to talk about being Jewish in the U.S. Army, jamming at a neo-Nazi bar, life lessons from the road, and making music across the world. Follow him on Instagram & TikTok @livefromthebus!

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

04:45 Nolan's story & Jewish upbringing

9:41 On serving in the U.S. Army as a Jew

11:26 A blues jam at a Neo-Nazi bar

19:00 The story of Daryl Davis, the black man who befriended the grand wizard of the KKK

22:00 Nolan's biggest lesson from living a nomadic life

30:21 Has Nolan been to Israel?

31:30 Nolan's take on staying relevant on social media

33:20 On making music all over the world

40:30 Nolan's musical inspirations

45:29 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Bonus episode featuring Hadar Baron, NYC-based singer, actress, songwriter & musician. Hadar won a giveaway Margarita did to be featured on the podcast!

Bonding over their immigration experiences, a love for art, and Jewish life, this conversation will remind you just how many remarkable Jewish people we have in our community.

🎤 Follow Hadar on Instagram & TikTok: @hadarbaron / @hadarbaronmusic
🌐 Explore her work: www.hadarbaron.com

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

03:23 From Israeli Immigrant to American Artist

06:38 The immigrant experience

11:54 The last 2 years as an Israeli artist

16:20 Playing Carole King

22:23 Hadar's message to the Jewish people

23:41 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Sam Silverman—aka @BagelAmbassador—left the world of finance to build a bagel empire and uncover the deeper story behind this iconic Jewish food. He shares the surprising history of New York bagels, how the bagel industry has evolved, and, most importantly, why blueberry bagels are the worst. Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknowWhat We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda02:19 From Finance to Bagels?!08:24 Sam's trip to Poland10:40 Sam's Jewish upbringing12:19 What is the bagel history of NYC? 17:19 How has bagel culture changed post-pandemic19:50 How Margarita waited almost an hour for a bureka 24:11 Bagel-making classes in Philly26:32 What's up with open-faced bagels? 28:30 Surprising piece of history about bagels 30:35 Sam's message to Jewish people 33:38 Lightning Round! 38:31 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Bonus episode featuring Rachel Lander, a software engineer from the Upper East Side who decided one stressful career wasn’t enough, so now she does stand-up too.

Margarita and Rachel chat all things NYC, dating, & comedy.

Follow Rachel on Instagram & TikTok @rlandz

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

03:05 Rachel's eclectic NYC life & Jewish upbringing

07:57 How does Rachel think about comedy material?

11:20 Jeff Ross' one man comedy show

13:54 Why are sex jokes a comedic crutch for women?

16:14 Rachel's Jewish cookbook & how she met Brad Lander

17:50 Rachel's message to Jews today

20:28 How Margarita ran into Fran Lebowitz on the street

23:00 Rachel's dream dinner guest list of NYC people

24:33 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Healthcare professionals Julie and Danielle had zero tech experience—yet they built PlotTwist, a social and dating app reshaping how people connect. They share what inspired their leap from medicine to matchmaking, what sets Jewish dating apart, and the behavioral science behind finding “the one.” Follow @joinplottwist to see how they’re redefining modern dating!Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknowWhat We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda03:28 Julie & Danielle's backgrounds05:13 Latest research on dating & what PlotTwist was created to solve11:30 What dating phenomenon has not been cracked? 13:06 Jewish dating vs. non-Jewish dating on PlotTwist15:56 How did Julie & Danielle learn how to start an app company? 20:04 Establishing boundaries as co-founders vs. best friends22:56 Julie & Danielle's own dating life 27:38 Behavioral Science dating tips from Logan Ury 29:34 Using Pareto Efficiency/ AI in dating32:54 What are some business do-overs Julie & Danielle would like to have? 35:02 Lightning Round! 42:07 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Margarita sits down with Shabbos Kestenbaum to unpack his unconventional journey—from Bernie supporter to PragerU, from suing Harvard to calling out Jewish nonprofits—and his bold vision for the Jewish future. Connect with Shabbos and follow his work on Twitter/X @shabbosk and Instagram @shabboskestenbaum.

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

02:13 Shabbos' eclectic family & upbringing

05:06 From Bernie supporter to PragerU

11:50 Why Jews are moving to the right

14:20 How to combat antisemitism according to Shabbos

17:20 Why Jewish nonprofits are failing

24:00 The FIDF scam & why we should DOGE Jewish non-profits

26:29 What was the outcome with the Harvard lawsuit?

28:53 A rant about Hillel (of course)

33:50 "We welcome all people, but we don't welcome all ideas"

43:30 On Jewish life in Poland & Ukraine

53:00 Shabbos' message to the Jewish people

55:40 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Margarita chats with Alex Schinasi—mom, entrepreneur, and co-founder of the viral Hulken bag. Alex opens up about her Jewish upbringing, parenting after October 7th, and what it takes to grow a brand in today’s market. From business lessons to mentorship and dream collabs, she keeps it real with wisdom and humor. Follow Alex on Instagram @alexschinasi and check out @hulkenbag to see the bag everyone’s talking about.

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

04:07 Alex Schinasi's background & Jewish upbringing

07:04 How is Alex talking to her kids about life post Oct 7th

11:21 The Hulken bag!!! All about this business

16:12 Tried & true business principles - what are they?18:52 How is Hulken navigating dupes?

20:37 On tariffs

23:17 Alex's mentors

24:45 Alex's proudest achievement

27:42 On the culture of "BSing" in entrepreneurship

32:00 Who would be on Hulken's influencer trip?

33:07 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

In this episode, we sit down with Charlotte Korchak—founder and senior educator of the Jerusalem Education Institute—whose life between the US and Israel, experience at Auschwitz, and work in Jewish education shape a candid dialogue on antisemitism, activism, and resilience amid global crises.

Learn more about JEI at https://www.jerusalemedu.org/

Follow Charlotte on Instagram @charlottekorchak and JEI @jerusalemedu

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

(00:00) Intro & Episode Agenda

(03:39) How Charlotte's life experiences shaped her into an Israel educator

(08:20) Solutions to Israel & Jewish education

(21:38) Trends on antisemitism

(37:36) Charlie Kirk's assassination

(43:10) Charlotte's incident at Auschwitz

(53:00) Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Dara Horn is the bestselling author of People Love Dead Jews and one of today’s sharpest voices on antisemitism. In this episode, she exposes the failures of Holocaust education, the tensions between diaspora and Israel, and the hard truths Jews need to confront now.

Connect with Dara and support her work at www.DaraHorn.com

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

05:03 "Being a writer is less of a career choice and more of a chronic illness"

08:19 Dara, the antisemitism "Lorax"

09:41 How Holocaust education needs to change

18:00 What is the Tell Institute curriculum?

28:16 Role of the diaspora vs. Jews in Israel

33:37 Are Jews like everyone else or like no one else?

44:59 Dara's message to the Jewish people

48:13 Why are you in the defendant's dock against a racist?

48:50 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination