War is Stupid: An Anti-War Podcast About War

Host Orli Matlow sits down with activist Iddo Elam to talk about the Israeli election coming up on October 27th. Iddo discusses his work with the Joint List of Palestinian-lead parties and how its members supported him when he was imprisoned for refusing to join the IDF. They discuss the Joint List’s platform, right-wing AI slop, and how bereaved and hostage families are campaigning. They also explore just how extreme this current government is and whether or not it cares about being a global pariah.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Listen to the first episode with Iddo: “War Is Mandatory?”

Follow Iddo:

Instagram

Twitter

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Host Orli Matlow sits down with activist Mattan Berner-Kadish, currently on the ground in the West Bank, who was recently arrested along with congressional candidate Brad Lander and dozens of rabbis during the Palestinian Olive Harvest. He walks us through what went down, how the Israeli Foreign Ministry is lying, and what can and should happen next.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective. 

Follow Mattan:

Instagram

TikTok

Donate to From Here Forward

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Orli Matlow sits down with comedian and political commentator GL DiVittorio to explore the latest bribery scandal involving Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and a defense contractor now in prison. GL untangles the corruption so stupid it was not only confirmed over email but caught because of a typo. The midterms extravaganza covers Ms. Rachel’s endorsement in the race, whether to trust the polls in Texas, and hot new Halloween costumes for 2026.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Read ProPublica's exposé

Follow GL:

Instagram

Follow The Pocket Report:

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

It’s the Canadian Thanksgiving special—a first for two Canadian Jews (or is it Jewish Canadians?).

Orli Matlow of Toronto sits down with a real Canadian, singer-songwriter Jacob Bradovsky of Winnipeg. They discuss his new album, Tell The Kids We Tried (out now!), performing at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and why he sees his hometown as the greatest city in the world. They bond over how nasty the Jewish bubble can be, including the defamatory schmear campaign that forced Jacob out of his job as the director of the summer camp he attended as a kid. They explore Judaism as an intrinsically left-wing religion, the new New Democratic Party Leader Avi Lewis, and the community he's building at his new job.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective. 

Follow Jacob:

Instagram

Website

Linktree

Visit the West End Cultural Centre 

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack 

Orli Matlow sits down with Brandon Kramer and Lance Kramer, the director and producer of the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Holding Liat. The film follows the family of Liat Beinin Atzili, who was kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7th, 2023, fighting to get her back through a hostage deal as the world around them promotes revenge. The Kramer brothers discuss making an October 7th film that promotes peace and reveal the most memorable audience reactions. They also react to the Israeli government's campaign against the filmmakers behind NAZA.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective. 

Watch Holding Liat

Explore the discussion guide

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Orli Matlow sits down with Lebanese American comedian Mahmoud Jaber to talk about the first time anything related to Ed Sheeran has ever been interesting. They discuss the amazing things about Lebanon (Comedy! Family! Food!) and the not-so-amazing things (war, Israeli occupation, war again). They also cover the improvification of standup, high school productions of Hamlet and Annie, and Comedy Karens.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Follow Mahmoud: 

Instagram

TikTok

Organizations to support:

Lebanese Red Cross

UN Refugee Agency

Nafda Lebanon

Follow Orli:

Instagram

TikTok

Bluesky

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Orli Matlow sits down with Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Joey Clift to talk about his new book, We’ve Been Here The Whole Time!: A Not So Sacred Guide To All Things Native America. Joey, an enrolled member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, shares stories of Native badassery and diversity, what the LandBack movement actually is, and how the politics of Indian Country are not as harshly partisan as everything else in America. They explore the Hoobastank-approved Ilani Casino, the proper hand gesture for Mount Rushmore, and why Lake Ontario should be called Lake Ontario.

Order the book here!

Learn more about the Yes And… Laughter Lab.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Follow Joey:

Instagram

Twitter

TikTok

Threads

Bluesky

Follow Orli:

Instagram

Bluesky

TikTok

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Not an episode, but a short message on the holiest day in Judaism: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Watch or read Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech. 

We'll be back tomorrow with a full show! 

Orli Matlow sits down with Emmy winner Poh Si Teng, director of the documentary American Doctor, in theatres now. The film follows three physicians who volunteer at besieged hospitals in Gaza, and spread the word about what they saw—which their tax dollars paid for. Poh discusses the process of filming with a Gaza-based crew under blockade, the cut scene she still thinks about, and how everyone can fight for the living, wherever they are.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Find a screening near you at AmericanDoctorFilm.com

Follow on Instagram:

American Doctor

Watermelon Pictures

Poh Si Teng

Dr. Mark Perlmutter

Dr. Feroze Sidhwa

Dr. Thaer Ahmad

Follow Orli:

Instagram

Bluesky

TikTok

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

Orli Matlow sits down with comedian Mika Stein for the War is Stupid High Holidays special, diving deep into Jewish philosophy and how to adapt to synagogues with guitars. Mika reflects on his experiences in Yeshiva and the Jewish non-profit world, being Black and Jewish, and how criticizing Israel more than America is like “hating your dad’s mistress.” They cover everything from the Jewish Labor Bund’s principle of doikayt (“hereness”) to the legacy of HBO’s Entourage.

Theme music by This Revolution Production Collective.

Follow Mika:

Instagram

TikTok

Follow Orli:

Instagram

Bluesky

TikTok

Website

Follow War is Stupid:

Instagram

Substack

00:00 - Teaser: Zionism and Jewish Guilt

01:28 - Introduction to Mika Stein

01:54 - The Jewish Day School-to-Standup Comedian Pipeline

04:00 - Mika's family history and work in Jewish non-profits

5:26 - Rodeph, "human shields," and House of the Dragon

10:04 - Jewish identity outside of the modern nation-state of Israel

11:03 - Jewish hookup culture around the world

15:45 - Mika's background and frat era 1

6:39 - Exploring anti-Zionism

18:04 - Doikayt and the Jewish Labor Bund

21:07 - Mika's Zeyde

23:43 - The Texan Jewish Experience

26:05 - Political Power and the USS Abraham Lincoln

28:41 - The High Holidays and Mayor Zohran Mamdani

33:48 - Anti-LGTBQ+ hate crime in Jerusalem

34:27 - Becoming disillusioned on a middle school trip to Israel

36:27 - Mika's joruney to comedy through Entourage and Jon Stewart's Elmopalooza

42:28 - Being Black and Jewish and embracing multicultural families

45:12 - Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Joshua Heschel, and coalition building

49:40 - Modern antisemitism and the importance of being a good hang