The Spiro Circle

The Voice of the People, a global initiative spearheaded by President Isaac Herzog to unite and empower Jewish communities worldwide. The organization recently released its 2025 Jewish Landscape Report based on responses from over 10,000 Jews across six continents.

The results were shocking.

It revealed that rising antisemitism - across campuses, workplaces, and social media - has overtaken all other issues as the number one concern uniting Jews of all ages, backgrounds, and denominations.

Some troubling figures that caught my eye highlighted that respondents in Israel (89%) expressed deep concern for the safety and stability of diaspora communities, and British Jews (81%) reported a growing need to conceal their identities in public.

I spoke to CMO and CPO Neta Danciger about these results and what they meant. Interestingly, she told me that, however many people were hiding their Jewish identities as a result of real-life events, it also caused many others to speak out louder than usual and reidentify with their heritage.

She described these people as “October 8th Jews.”

“I learned it from the answers to our survey,” she said in today’s episode. “So many people refer to themselves as ‘October 8th Jews.’ They felt that after October 7th, something changed in their identity, in the way they feel as a Jewish person in the world. Many started to feel they wanted to be involved in the Jewish community or network.”

Our conversation includes more results from the survey as well as an examination of the sentiment felt among Jews as a whole. In addition to our conversation, you can also download the full report here: https://www.voiceofthepeople.network/landscape-report/#full

You can follow Voice of the People below:

Facebook | Instagram | Linkedin

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We all have incentives. I have an incentive to produce this podcast well enough so that I attract more readers and listeners, and hopefully, you have an incentive to tune into new episodes with a goal to learn something or get enjoyment from it.

I also carry personal incentives, such as being a good father, husband, brother, son, colleague, and member of my community.

Some incentives are more cynical. Money or fame often drives people to big things, but not without risk or without affecting their ego, health, or safety.

Reward and punishment, each on different sides of a coin, can determine incentive structures.

“Incentives are something that drives families, economies, companies, and societies,” I wrote for CTech in 2023. “We are told as children that if we behave well, we can have a candy bar or play outside with our friends. As employees, we may be incentivized with money or status, or find fulfillment from within by knowing we are doing something that adds meaning to our lives and our communities.”

I wanted to share this conversation with you today from CTech’s BiblioTech archive because I believe it relates strongly to each of us. The interview, which was conducted for CTech as part of its BiblioTech series, is still as relevant as ever.

About Uri Gneezy:

Uri Gneezy is a Professor of Economics and Strategy and the Epstein/Atkinson Chair in Behavioral Economics at the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management. Before that, he was a faculty member at the University of Chicago, Technion, and Haifa. Uri’s research focuses on using both lab and field experiments to study how people react to incentives. He is the co-writer of The Why Axis, which discusses how using field experiments can improve our understanding of economic interactions in the real world.

You can read the entire (albeit lightly edited) transcript of this interview directly on CTech:

You can also catch a copy of Mixed Signals: How Incentives Really Work on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Mixed-Signals-Incentives-Really-Work/dp/0300255535

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Today, I want to share a conversation with Josh Wheeler, founder of Be Broadcast, about the state of UK broadcast media and, notably, how it covers certain topics. The conversation follows a report written by Be Broadcast that outlines how TV and radio stations in the UK approach their reporting on climate change [linked below].

It was a 6-month analysis examining media coverage for events such as the Spanish floods, the Californian wildfire, and the US withdrawal from the Paris agreement. Specifically, I wanted to look at how the media presents its messaging versus how the public sentiment reacts to it.

I was quite amazed at the use of language. The report found that 55% of all UK media coverage regarding climate change is ‘alarmist’ and uses extreme expressions such as ‘ticking time bomb’, evoking a sense of catastrophe among its viewers.

Should UK media be conveying any form of emotional messaging in its reporting, and what does that do to its credibility? We discuss it all.

Those who follow this channel know that I sometimes talk about Israel and I sometimes talk about the United States, but I very rarely talk about my hometown, the UK. Since I studied Broadcast Journalism as my first degree over there, I thought this was the perfect topic to dive into.

Click below to see the entire report: Be Broadcast Mission Control: The Climate Conversation »

https://bebroadcast.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Be-Broadcasts-Mission-Control-The-Climate-Conversation.pdf

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This week, I spoke with Hillel Fuld, an American Israeli business technology advisor.

A lot of you are probably already familiar with Hillel. He's got a large social media following online where he talks about all things Israeli high-tech, Startup Nation, Zionism, but also Israel's fight with Hamas.

Importantly, he's also fighting for its reputation as it struggles to gain sympathy among young people.

I wanted to speak to Hillel about a bunch of things. Honestly, we could have spoken all day. But we limited it to Israel's tech sector and also the fight online against ‘anti-Zionism’ - which, as many of us know, is often a dog whistle for antisemitism.

We spoke about some of the media personalities in the space and how they've tackled the conversation surrounding Israel. Notably, Piers Morgan and Joe Rogan’s recent episode with Dave Smith and Douglas Murray.

We also spoke about Israel's tech sector and what the anti-Zionists may be missing when they think of Israel.

Those calling to boycott our country underestimate the presence that Israel has in shaping the technology of our world.

I hope you enjoy.

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Today, I wanted to dive into another episode from the CTech BiblioTech archive. This time, my conversation with Nimrod Vromen, author of “Prompting Happiness: A Guide to Prompting a Life Worth Living” recorded in July, 2024.

The book is an exploration of the human condition and the pursuit of true happiness. Nimrod navigates the complexities of midlife challenges, leveraging the potential of AI to provide practical strategies for personal growth and well-being.

In perhaps one of the first times I can think of, Nimrod also openly admits to using ChatGPT to help him pen his work.

“When I suddenly started playing with ChatGPT in October 2022, my philosophizing exploded because I felt that I was playing around with a technological revolution that was akin to the atomic bomb,” he told me during the episode. “I felt that I had seen technological revolutions in my 17 years as a professional. I saw the Internet in 1999 as a teenager, and computers before that in 1993. I thought to myself, ‘there's been nothing like this’. Every single technological revolution since the atomic bomb was an acceleration of a process that humanity has been dealing with forever, which is a process of interconnectivity, working together, and increased productivity.”

“But if you think about the atom bomb, that's a revolution where you do not live in the same world afterward. You think about AI now in that context, a day before this revolution. Humans are defined by their subjective experience of life and their collective experience of life, which is defined through their communication with one another, right? A day after AI passes the Turing test, the whole experience is going to change because now I can connect with infinite versions of humans. It's just a different world. And that set me off on a course of thoughts about my profession, about my family, about education.”

Nimrod is Founder and CEO of Ark Empowerment and Consiglieri - aiming to transform the world of professional services with AI. He is also the Chief Growth Officer for the Startup Sector at Arnon, Tadmor-Levy, after 16 years as a corporate lawyer at the firm. For the soul, he wrote and produced “Startup: Confidential”, an internet video series hosted on CTech and Calcalist, and authored “Prompting Happiness: A Guide to Prompting a Life Worth Living”. The book follows Nimrod as he addresses the complexities of modern life while offering a road map for navigating those intricacies, ranging from stimulating conversations on the future of AI to helpful strategies for fostering happiness in an increasingly digital society.

Those interested in an extended written interview with Nimrod can find it on CTech via following this link.

You can also buy your own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Prompting-Happiness-Guide-Worth-Living-ebook/dp/B0D369PVDN

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This week, I decided to do something a bit differently. I wanted to post a video episode from BiblioTech, a CTech video series I produced just over a year ago.

In the summer of 2023, I interviewed several authors about their newly published books, and today’s episode will be from its archive: Meet Yaniv Rivlin.

Yaniv is the Founding General Manager of Bird in Israel, where he also ran the EMEA Government Partnerships department. Before that, he co-founded and served as the Executive Vice President of Comtribute, a company that provided organizations with an online platform to raise funds and engage with consumers.

When we recorded this episode in September 2023, he had just celebrated the English release of "Live Like a Startup: Take The Initiative and Transform Your Life”. The book, originally published in Hebrew, was a #1 bestseller in Israel and is available now for readers looking for invaluable insights on creating genuine, lasting success in business and life.

“It is totally chaotic, but our life is chaotic. One of the things that I talk about throughout the book is getting into that state of fear,” he told me at the time. “When you start a startup, you take a risk. You go into that state of fear.”

In some ways, The Spiro Circle has been my startup. I left my comfort zone to take on a new task, learn a new skill, and make myself more vulnerable. I am incredibly proud of what I have achieved so far and look forward to seeing all the ways this project will go in the future.

For now, please enjoy our conversation. We discuss:

* Yaniv’s personal journey and the start of his career.

* The concept of Israeli “Chutzpah” and how it helps founders.

* What business leaders, entrepreneurs, or startup founders can learn from this book.

You can also read my entire interview with Yaniv on CTech’s website, which goes into far more detail about his book and journey.

Those who enjoyed our conversation are invited to purchase Yaniv’s book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Like-Startup-Initiative-Transform/dp/B0CGL4H5S5

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I’ve been thinking a lot about parenthood recently. Those who know me personally will know that I have my first child on the way. In the summer, I’ll be the father to a little boy - and I couldn’t be more excited and more nervous.

But today’s world isn’t easy for boys. They’re being raised to think that any masculinity they possess is somehow toxic. Or that they should or should not be acting a certain way.

On top of that, western nations are seeing men as the victims of deaths of despair - that is, death by suicide, drug overdose, or alcohol-related illness.

Women are outpacing men both in terms of university degrees and salaries in some working areas, making men’s traditional roles more obsolete.

This has all been on my mind. Men need strong mentorship, family structures, and inspiring leaders to help them grow and succeed - but where from?

This week I spoke to JP Dumas. Originally from a working-class upbringing in LA, he dodged the twin evils of gang violence and the crack epidemic, to become an executive in corporate America.

I wanted to hear from him about his journey and the lessons of resilience and leadership. I hope you enjoy it.

Notes:

* You might see my camera angle change for a few minutes - that was just a little technical glitch!

* At the start of the video, I make reference to JP currently working with children as a mentor. This is incorrect and something he did in the past.

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As I approach the 10-episode milestone of this podcast, I have been on a journey to discover what exactly I want this to be. I am meeting with guests who all have unique insights or experiences in their personal lives or in a professional capacity.

It’s been a challenge, but I feel each episode gets a little easier; every time I whip out the camera, I get a little more confident at producing these, and each episode gets a little better.

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I remained motivated to keep going - to overcome the obstacles of making this show and keeping a positive mindset.

This brings me to my latest guest, Swati Shirname. Swati is originally from India and moved to the United States to embark on several high-level jobs before becoming an executive at a corporate company. Then, she went off on her path and wrote a new book: “Generative AI for Leaders: Playbook for Innovation.” [link below"]

She did all this while being the single mother to two young daughters and overcoming not one, not two, but three different diseases over her life that doctors described to her as ‘incurable’.

This week, I spoke to Swati about her career trajectory, the parallels between parenthood and executive leadership, and how mindset really can be everything.

I hope you enjoy it.

Check out her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Generative-AI-Leaders-Playbook-Innovation/dp/B0DPLP4C2S

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It's no secret that Israel’s reputation has taken a tumble after the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent war fought in Gaza, headed by Iran and its proxies.

We’ve all seen the online conversation and the physical protests at college campuses and across the streets of European countries.

Whereas many of Israel’s supporters suggest that a loud minority creates this noise, sadly data is showing this changing sentiment toward Israel has further intensified: a poll by YouGov shows that in the last five months, American sympathy toward Israel has dropped: despite maintaining a plurality of support, the second highest number of respondents are now ‘unsure’.

The 4% drop in support represents 10 million Americans.

This news was also coupled with Israel’s dead-last ranking on the 2024 Nation Brands Index, thanks to perceptions among Gen Z as a country associated with the "forces of chaos" rather than as one contributing to global stability. This makes it less popular than North Korea, Russia, or other Middle Eastern countries.

I spoke with writer and strategic consultant Joanna Landau about these findings and what they mean for Israel in the future. She is the co-author of “Ethical Tribing: Connecting the Next Generation to Israel in the Digital Era,” and we discussed a variety of topics:

* The YouGov poll that shows a fall in American support for Israel

* How countries can improve their reputations

* Taking the reputation fight onto the online battlefield

* Joanna’s new initiative, Israel & Partners, to help improve the country’s reputation

You can find a link to her book, which I recommend (with no commission!), here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ethical-Tribing-Connecting-Generation-Digital/dp/1959840347

Enjoy!

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I first met Adir Freilich in October 2017, soon after I moved to Israel. For the first year, we worked on a podcast together called Startup Camel. I didn’t know it at the time, but that would be the first time I dabbled in Israeli high-tech and podcasting - something I would still be doing almost eight years later!

In the time I have known Adir, he has remained optimistic and resilient despite four near-death experiences.

* At age 7 he was hit by a car

* At age 17 his appendix burst, requiring emergency surgery

* At age 27 he survived the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ plane crash

* At age 36 he was diagnosed with stage four cancer and made a full recovery

I wanted to speak with Adir about how these experiences have shaped his mindset. He is one of the most optimistic people I know, and yet he has had to overcome several physical, emotional, and mental obstacles along the way.

He discusses The Law of Attraction, the power of positive thinking, and shares advice with those who may be facing their own battles.

I hope you enjoy it.

You can get in touch with Adir through his Instagram or Email: IG: @iammanhattan [email protected]

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