People of the Pod

By American Jewish Committee (AJC)

What's People of the Pod about?

People of the Pod is a 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.

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How Jewish Teens Take on An...

03.23.2023

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 ...

People of the Pod episodes:

03.23.2023 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 ...
03.16.2023 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 ...
03.08.2023 Women's History Month: Meet Felice Gaer, Human Rights Champion She’s one of the world’s most effective champions of women’s rights, human rights, and democratic values. For Women’s History Month, we speak with Felice Gaer, director of American Jewish Committee’s Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights. Gaer, ...
02.28.2023 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. The social media influencer uses her platform both online and off as a queer Jew ...
02.23.2023 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 ...
02.13.2023 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 ...
02.08.2023 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 ...
02.02.2023 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, ...
01.26.2023 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 ...
01.19.2023 ‘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 multigenerational 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 ...
01.12.2023 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 ...
12.22.2022 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 ...
12.15.2022 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 ...
12.08.2022 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 ...
12.01.2022 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. With posters, comic books, newspaper ...
11.30.2022 Celebrating Mizrahi Heritage Month with The Forgotten Exodus: Iran Too few people know that parts of the Arab world and Iran were once home to large Jewish communities. This Mizrahi Heritage Month, let’s change the story, with the final episode of the first season of The Forgotten Exodus, the ...
11.17.2022 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. Named ...
11.10.2022 U.S. and Israeli Election Results: What American Jews Need to Know This week’s episode focuses on the Israeli and U.S. elections, their implications, and what impact they could have on U.S.-Israel ties, the spread of antisemitism, and advancing democratic values. We start in the U.S., where razor-thin margins left control of ...
11.03.2022 Why Auburn Basketball’s Trip to Israel Was Personal for Coach Bruce Pearl Basketball coach Bruce Pearl is on a mission both on and off the court. This summer, Coach Pearl, who is Jewish, took his Auburn University men’s basketball team to Israel on a first-of-its-kind “Birthright for College Basketball” trip to play ...
10.27.2022 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, which left 11 dead and wounded six others. Over the last few weeks, the appalling antisemitic conspiracy theories and threats from rapper Kanye ...
10.21.2022 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. In response, American Jewish Committee (AJC) united with 35 other Jewish organizations to ...
10.14.2022 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. While his comments elevating ...
10.06.2022 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 ...
09.29.2022 Synagogue Security Expert on the Importance of Volunteer-Led Protection Did you know that Jewish communities outside the U.S. have long viewed security as a communal responsibility and do not solely rely on law enforcement? Is a shift toward this viewpoint emerging in America? This week, amid the High Holiday ...
09.22.2022 Ken Burns Explores U.S. Inaction During the Holocaust Filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, in conversation with AJC’s Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, join us this week to discuss their groundbreaking historical documentary, “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” This latest installment from the acclaimed ...
09.15.2022 Noa Tishby on the Abraham Accords: The Middle East Realizes Israel is Not the Enemy Israeli-American actress Noa Tishby didn’t set out to be Israel’s first special envoy for combating antisemitism and the delegitimization of Israel. But since being appointed by then-Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid in April 2022, Tishby has been a powerful voice ...
09.07.2022 Here’s Why All of Society Must Take Action Against Antisemitism It is no secret that antisemitism is on the rise in the United States. American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) 2021 State of Antisemitism in America report revealed that 90% of Jewish respondents believe antisemitism is a problem. Until now, there has ...
09.01.2022 What a Restored Deal with Iran Could Mean for Israel and the Entire Middle East Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has voiced sharp criticism of reports claiming that the final text of a restored Iranian nuclear deal will soon be accepted by Tehran and Washington, reigniting debate about key components of the nuclear deal - ...
08.25.2022 BDS on Campus: What Should Jewish Students Expect? Natalie Kahn, a Jewish student at Harvard University and editor at The Harvard Crimson, was stunned late last spring when the editorial board of the campus newspaper that had been so central to her college experience had endorsed the antisemitic ...
08.18.2022 Walter Russell Mead: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions About the U.S.-Israel Relationship Today, Israel is one of America’s top global allies. How did this relationship develop? Why does this alliance have such widespread support in America? To answer these questions and more, Walter Russell Mead, Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship at the ...
08.17.2022 The Forgotten Exodus: Egypt One of the top Jewish podcasts in the U.S., American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) The Forgotten Exodus, is the first-ever narrative podcast to focus exclusively on Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews. In this week’s episode, we feature Jews from Egypt. In the ...
08.11.2022 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. The conflict, which lasted nearly three days, saw over ...
08.04.2022 Behind the Scenes of AJC’s New Podcast Series The Forgotten Exodus Hear behind-the-scenes details about AJC’s new podcast series The Forgotten Exodus, featuring its host Manya Brachear Pashman and cartoonist and musician Carol Isaacs, who shares more about her family’s flight from rising antisemitism in Iraq, as depicted in her graphic ...
08.01.2022 The Forgotten Exodus: Iraq Listen to the premiere episode of a new limited narrative series from American Jewish Committee (AJC): The Forgotten Exodus. Each Monday, for the next six weeks, AJC will release a new episode of The Forgotten Exodus, the first-ever narrative podcast ...
07.28.2022 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, ...
07.21.2022 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 discussed, in a conversation moderated by Managing Director of AJC Europe Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, how to fulfill ...
07.14.2022 Building on the Abraham Accords: President Biden’s Trip to the Middle East, and Its Implications for Israeli-Saudi Relations This week, President Joe Biden is visiting the Middle East on a tour that includes Israel, the West Bank, and Saudi Arabia. Amid looming Iranian nuclear concerns, a shaky U.S.-Saudi relationship, and continued Israeli-Palestinian uncertainty, much work needs to be ...
07.07.2022 Antisemitism in Latin America: The Lasting Impact of the AMIA Attack It is the deadliest antisemitic attack outside of Israel since the Holocaust: On July 18, 1994, Iranian-backed terrorists drove a bomb-laden truck into the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish Center in Buenos Aires, killing 80 and wounding 300. 28 ...
06.30.2022 Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? An AJC Global Forum Great Debate Today, American Jews have reached unparalleled levels of success in areas such as business, academia, and culture. But with rising antisemitism, Jewish demographic changes, and shifting norms, some are pessimistic about the future for American Jewry. Tune into AJC’s signature ...
06.23.2022 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. ...
06.16.2022 Are Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces Compatible? Live from AJC Global Forum 2022 In America today we are faced with the rise of extremism at both ends of the political spectrum. This week, we examine the interplay between progressive groups and American Jews, who are being increasingly excluded and targeted by so-called progressives, ...
06.09.2022 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. ...
05.26.2022 Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount Yom Yerushalayim, or Jerusalem Day, celebrates the reunification of Jerusalem in June 1967 at the end of the Six-Day War. This week, we hear from journalist and author Yossi Klein Halevi on the triumph of that historic day, the current ...
05.19.2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming’s Antisemitism Failures; Buffalo Shooting and Great Replacement Theory Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs aim to foster belonging and unity among diverse workplaces and campus communities. However, in doing so, they often misunderstand who Jews are, view all Jews as privileged, and ignore or downplay blatant cases of ...
05.12.2022 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 ...
05.05.2022 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. Rabbi Hirsch sat down with guest host Laura Shaw Frank, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, ...
04.28.2022 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 ...
04.20.2022 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 ...
04.14.2022 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 ...
04.07.2022 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, ...

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People of the Pod

What's People of the Pod about?

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People of the Pod episodes:

How Jewish Teens Take on Antisemitism in America

A White House Meeting with Antisemitism Envoys from Around the World

Women's History Month: Meet Felice Gaer, Human Rights Champion

How to Support Jews of Color

The Jewish Experience in Ukraine Amidst Russia’s Invasion

How Rising Antisemitism Impacts Jews on College Campuses

The New Ways France is Combating Antisemitism

Breaking Down the Headlines from Israel: From Secretary Blinken’s Visit, to Terror Attacks, Protests, and More

Surviving the Unimaginable: A Child's Story of the Holocaust

‘Leopoldstadt’ Actor David Krumholtz Sees Tom Stoppard’s Holocaust Play as the Role of a Lifetime

Shabbat Shalom No More? One Year Later, Colleyville Synagogue Wrestles with Impact of Hostage Crisis

How Hanukkah’s Americanization Became a Show of Jewish Pride

What Does NYC's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes Do?; An Elton John Hanukkah Celebration

How Young Jews and Muslims are Advancing Israeli-Moroccan Peace

What Lessons Can We Learn From the Past to Fight Antisemitism Today?

Celebrating Mizrahi Heritage Month with The Forgotten Exodus: Iran

From “Chopped” to the White House: TikTok Chef Eitan Bernath on Being a Loud and Proud Jew

U.S. and Israeli Election Results: What American Jews Need to Know

Why Auburn Basketball’s Trip to Israel Was Personal for Coach Bruce Pearl

Pittsburgh's Response to the Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting: An Oral History

Campus Antisemitism – What’s Happening at UC Berkeley?

Unpacking the Origins of Kanye’s Antisemitism

AJC CEO Ted Deutch on Building a Brighter Jewish Future

Synagogue Security Expert on the Importance of Volunteer-Led Protection

Ken Burns Explores U.S. Inaction During the Holocaust

Noa Tishby on the Abraham Accords: The Middle East Realizes Israel is Not the Enemy

Here’s Why All of Society Must Take Action Against Antisemitism

What a Restored Deal with Iran Could Mean for Israel and the Entire Middle East

BDS on Campus: What Should Jewish Students Expect?

Walter Russell Mead: Debunking Myths and Misconceptions About the U.S.-Israel Relationship

The Forgotten Exodus: Egypt

Operation Breaking Dawn: Analyzing and Assessing the Latest Gaza Conflict

Behind the Scenes of AJC’s New Podcast Series The Forgotten Exodus

The Forgotten Exodus: Iraq

James Carville and Leslie Sanchez on the Battle Between Extremists and Moderates in U.S. Politics

How Can Governments Win the Fight Against Antisemitism? An AJC Global Forum 2022 Conversation

Building on the Abraham Accords: President Biden’s Trip to the Middle East, and Its Implications for Israeli-Saudi Relations

Antisemitism in Latin America: The Lasting Impact of the AMIA Attack

Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? An AJC Global Forum Great Debate

What is the BDS Mapping Project and Why Should All Jews Be Concerned?

Are Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces Compatible? Live from AJC Global Forum 2022

Bari Weiss on How Antisemitism Became Normalized; Gearing Up for AJC Global Forum 2022

Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming’s Antisemitism Failures; Buffalo Shooting and Great Replacement Theory

X Troop The Inspiring Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During WWII

Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on How Support for Israel is Key to the Future of Reform Judaism

How Do American Millennial Jews Feel About Israel?

How to Tell Fact from Fiction About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

France’s Presidential Elections: Implications for French Jews and U.S. Politics

Solving the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A New Perspective