Samira Mehta is the daughter of a white American mother and a South Asian immigrant father.  She’s also a Jew by choice and a scholar of American religious history and women’s and gender studies. Her new book, The Racism of People Who Love You examines the subtle, everyday racism of intimate interactions. In this episode of Can We Talk?, Judith Rosenbaum speaks with Samira about her identity, the differences between racial and cultural privilege, and the conversations about racism and belonging that inspired the book.

Episode 89: Samira Mehta On The Racism of People Who Love You

In each episode of Can We Talk?, the Jewish Women’s Archive features stories and conversations about Jewish women and the issues that shape our public and private lives. Visit us at jwa.org.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Lenora LaMarche, better known as Leni, was born in 1921 in the Sephardic Jewish community in Seattle, Washington, after her parents moved there from Rhodes, looking for better economic opportunities. She grew up speaking Ladino, and for over 30 years, she wrote a Ladino column in her synagogue newspaper called "Bavajadas de Ben Adam"—people’s foolish little words. In this episode of Can We Talk?, you’ll hear excerpts from an interview she did in 2001 for the “Weaving Women’s Words '' oral history project, in which she reflects on her Sephardic heritage and peppers her stories with colorful Ladino words and sayings. Her testimony is one of hundreds in JWA’s Tanner Oral History Collection. You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're also now on YouTube! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Love Can We Talk? Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also drop us a line at https://jwa.org/contact/Podcasts and let us know what you think or suggest ideas for future episodes. We just might read your email on the air!

Episode 110: Oral History Showcase: Leni's Ladino Legacy

When Ronya Schwaab was a young girl, the highlight of her year was preparing for Pesach—the snow was melting, and she got to help bake matzos. Ronya was born in 1909 in Belarus. She grew up amidst the violence and antisemitism of World War I and the Russian Revolution, and immigrated to America as a teenager. As an adult, Ronya devoted her life to helping other Jews escape from the Soviet Union. In this episode of Can We Talk?, you’ll hear excerpts from an interview she did in 1997 for the “Women Whose Lives Span the Century'' oral history project, a partnership between JWA and Temple Israel of Boston. Her testimony is one of hundreds in JWA’s Tanner Oral History Collection.  You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're also now on YouTube! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Love Can We Talk? Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also drop us a line at https://jwa.org/contact/Podcasts and let us know what you think or suggest ideas for future episodes. We just might read your email on the air!

Episode 109: Oral History Showcase: Ronya's Liberation Story

A lot of people love klezmer music and know that it made a big comeback a few decades ago. But not a lot of people know that the klezmer revival of the '70s and '80s was connected to queer Jewish liberation. In this episode of Can We Talk?, we’ll hear about how queer activism fits into the klezmer revival story from Eve Sicular, the drummer and leader of the all-female klezmer sextet Isle of Klezbos. And of course, we’ll hear some great klezmer. You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're also now on YouTube! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Love Can We Talk? Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also drop us a line at https://jwa.org/contact/Podcasts and let us know what you think or suggest ideas for future episodes. We just might read your email on the air!

Episode 108: Queer Klezmer with Isle of Klezbos

Last time on Can We Talk?, we spoke with Danielle and Galeet Dardashti about their new podcast, The Nightingale of Iran, which tells the story of their Persian family's musical legacy. Now, we're sharing the whole first episode with you. Enjoy!  

Bonus Episode: The Nightingale of Iran

Danielle and Galeet Dardashti grew up in a very musical family—they had a family band, their father was a cantor, their mother was a folk singer, and their grandfather was a famous singer in “the golden age” of Iran in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, with his own show on Iranian national radio. But growing up, they didn’t know much about the Persian side of their musical legacy. In this episode of Can We Talk?, Nahanni speaks with Galeet, an anthropologist, musician, and composer, and Danielle, a journalist and storyteller, about uncovering that legacy in their new podcast series, The Nightingale of Iran. They talk about what it was like to connect with their family’s Persian musical tradition—and what happened to that tradition when the family left Iran. You can find Can We Talk? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We're also now on YouTube! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a new episode. Love Can We Talk? Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also drop us a line at https://jwa.org/contact/Podcasts and let us know what you think or suggest ideas for future episodes. We just might read your email on the air!

Episode 89: Samira Mehta On The Racism of People Who Love You

Download our free app to listen on your phone