Bassam Aramin, a Palestinian, and Robi Damelin, an Israeli, talk with Jesse and Jen about their powerful experience with The Parents Circle Families Forum, a joint Palestinian-Israeli organization with over 600 families, all of whom have lost a close family member as a result of the prolonged conflict. Bassam and Robi share how they turned the loss of their children into a quest for understanding and peace. During the interview they mention several programs and documentary films, all of which are listed below.

The Parents Circle Families Forum

http://www.theparentscircle.org

American Friends of the Parents Circle Families Forum

http://parentscirclefriends.org

Two Sides

http://twosides.today/?page_id=274&lang=en

Taking Steps

http://steps4peace.org

“One Day After Peace” (documentary about Robi Damelin)

http://onedayafterpeace.com

“Within the Eye of the Storm” (documentary about Bassam Aramin)

http://withineyeofstorm.com

Harris and Jesse chat with Barnet Kessel, executive director of Boston’s Vilna Shul, about the history of this fascinating building, what they plan to do to celebrate their 100th anniversary, and the many amazing events they have planned this fall.

Jesse and Harris (subbing for Jen!) talk with Laura Mandel, executive director of the Jewish Arts Collaborative, about its exciting fall season, plus the recent death of Gene Wilder.

Jesse and Jen chat with Alexis Gewertz and Julie Judson about their entrepreneurial ventures with PresenTense Boston. As 2016 Fellows, Alexis further developed her business of creating and selling greeting cards for people in interfaith relationships and their families, and Julie created an app to help engage millennials in non-profit giving. We talk about what they’ve learned from their ventures, where they plan to go from here and what really defines a millennial.

Jesse and Jen talk with Matan Zamir, Israel’s Deputy Consul General to New England, about what it’s like as an Israeli living in Boston, the differences between a consulate and an embassy, the city’s Yom HaAtzma’ut celebrations, and whether Israelis or Bostonians are the worst drivers (yes, really!).

Jesse and Jen chat with Mara Bresnahan, director of the ReelAbilities Film Festival Boston, which runs April 3-14. They talk about what constitutes a disability, which films are her favorite and how best to see this year’s festival lineup.

Jesse and Jen chat with Harris Rollinger, program and development officer with CJP’s young adult initiative, about CJP’s PresenTense Boston Fellowship. Then Jen is forced to listen to Harris and Jesse talk about “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” (If you don’t want any spoilers, listen for when we tell you to stop the podcast, around the 30-minute mark.)

Jesse and Jen chat with Rabbi Josh Franklin of Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley about Hanukkah. Questions include: What role does Hanukkah play in the history of the Jewish people? What role does it play for modern Jews? How/why does it compete with Christmas?

In our third episode we talk with Dan Brosgol, director of Prozdor, the high school of Hebrew College, about the future of Jewish education, sports, and what being Jewish means today.

Jesse and Jen chat with Laura Mandel, executive director of the New Center for Arts & Culture, about “8 Nights, 8 Windows,” Boston’s first seasonal Jewish public art project, which runs Dec. 6-14.