People of the Pod

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 AJC Global Forum 2022 session: The Great Debate: Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? The debate features guests Bret Stephens, Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times, Editor-in-Chief, Sapir; and Pamela Nadell, Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's and Gender History; Director, Jewish Studies Program, American University, and is moderated by Laura Shaw Frank, AJC Director, William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life. We also hear from AJC Global Forum 2022 participants about meeting other young Jews and learning from featured panelists, while also reflecting on their connections to Judaism and Israel. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Manya on the Street (3:37) Pamela Nadell and Bret Stephens ___ Show Notes: Watch the full session: The Great Debate: Is the Golden Age of American Jewry Over? To view additional videos and highlights from AJC Global Forum 2022, go to AJC.org/GlobalForumNews Listen to our latest episode: What is the BDS Mapping Project and Why Should All Jews Be Concerned? Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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. AJC New England Director Rob Leikind joins us to explain what's being done to raise awareness and counter the project, and why it's not just the Jewish community that's in danger. Then, Ian Kaplan, a student at Tufts University near Boston, and one of AJC's 2022 Goldman Fellows, shares his perspective on the BDS Mapping Project, and his approach to navigating campus discourse on Israel, demonstrated by a recent conversation he had with a fellow student. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Rob Leikind (14:31) Manya Brachear Pashman and Ian Kaplan ___ Show Notes: BDS Mapping Project: How can you help? Ensure Massachusetts Stands Against BDS 5 Reasons Why the BDS Mapping Project is Dangerous for Jews (and Everyone Else) Translate Hate Listen to our latest episode: Are Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces Compatible? Live from AJC Global Forum 2022 Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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, especially over ties to Israel, the Middle East's only liberal democracy. David Baddiel, Comedian, Author, Screenwriter, and Television Presenter; Rachel Fish, Co-Founder, Boundless; and Yair Rosenberg, Contributing Writer, The Atlantic, delve into this important topic in a thought-provoking conversation, recorded live at AJC Global Forum 2022. The episode opens with short interviews featuring AJC Global Forum 2022 participants about their top highlights. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Manya on the Street: Live from Global Forum 2022 (3:54) David Baddiel, Rachel Fish, Yair Rosenberg ___ Show Notes: AJC Global Forum 2022 Sessions referenced in the episode: Official Address from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to AJC Global Forum 2022 AJC Presents Moral Courage Award to Masih Alinejad Introduced By Lisa Pruzan Winds of Change: The New Middle East Jews, Israel, and Progressive Spaces: Are They Compatible? - Full Video To view additional videos and highlights from AJC Global Forum 2022, go to AJC.org/GlobalForumNews Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Listen to our latest episode: Bari Weiss on How Antisemitism Became Normalized; Gearing Up for AJC Global Forum 2022 Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), on the launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, columnists Bret Stephens and Bari Weiss discussing the mainstreaming of antisemitism, and crucial advice from two young activists on how to combat anti-Jewish hatred on campus and beyond. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) (8:37) Bret Stephens and Bari Weiss (14:41) Talia Rosenberg and Julia Jassey ___ Show Notes: Can't make it to AJC Global Forum 2022, June 12-14, in New York? We've got the next best thing! Sign up at AJC.org/webcast to receive email reminders for the four AJC Global Forum live webcasts, featuring world leaders, the Great Debate, AJC CEO David Harris, and more! Watch full sessions from Virtual Global Forum 2021: The Launch of the Senate Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations with U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) The Mainstreaming of Antisemitism: How Should We Respond? With Bret Stephens, Bari Weiss, and Simone Rodan Benzaquen The View from Campus with Talia Rosenberg and Julia Jassey Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Listen to our latest episode: Yossi Klein Halevi on the Convergence of Politics and Religion at Jerusalem's Temple Mount Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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 wave of terrorist attacks in Israel, the tensions on the Temple Mount, and the trauma that continues to shape Israel's spiritual and political life. Also, as we wrap up #JewishandProud month, Halevi, along with some of our listeners, share what being Jewish means to them. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) #JewishAndProud Listener Segment (2:32) Yossi Klein Halevi ___ Show Notes: Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Urge Congress to Stand with Israel Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programming's Antisemitism Failures; Buffalo Shooting and Great Replacement Theory Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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 antisemitism. AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism and guest host Holly Huffnagle sits down with Dr. Saba Soomekh, Associate Director of AJC Los Angeles, to break down the issues surrounding DEI, and what needs to change to properly address prejudice against Jews. Then, Holly Huffnagle reflects on the May 14th shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and how the perpetrators behind this and other recent shootings, including those in Christchurch, Pittsburgh, and El Paso, cited the same white supremacist belief: the Great Replacement theory. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) #JewishAndProud Listener Segment (2:33) Saba Soomekh (26:13) Holly Huffnagle ___ Show Notes: What does being Jewish mean to you? We want to know your answer. Call the People of the Pod hotline at 212-891-1336 and leave a message of a minute or less in our voicemail inbox. Don't forget to include your name and city with your answer. You may hear your voice on a future episode! Translate Hate Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Urge Congress to Stand with Israel Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: X Troop: The Inspiring Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During WWII Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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 British Army during World War II. A professor and Director of Jewish Studies at Hunter College, Garrett also discusses her painful decision to resign from the trade union that represents the faculty of the City University of New York after it adopted a virulently antisemitic resolution denouncing Israel, the battle she continues to fight with the union, and how the experience has changed her Jewish identity. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Listeners on #JewishAndProud (2:16) Leah Garrett ___ Show Notes: What does being Jewish mean to you? We want to know your answer. Call the People of the Pod hotline at 212-891-1336 and leave a message of a minute or less in our voicemail inbox. Don't forget to include your name and city with your answer. You may hear your voice on a future episode! By Leah Garrett: X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis Young Lions: How Jewish Authors Reinvented the American War Novel I resigned from the CUNY union because of its antisemitism Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on How Support for Israel is Key to the Future of Reform Judaism Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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, to discuss the danger of a waning commitment to Israel among a portion of Reform Judaism, a recent delegation to the Poland-Ukraine border, and how being #JewishAndProud is as important to him as breathing. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Listeners on #JewishAndProud (2:59) Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch ___ Show Notes: What does being Jewish mean to you? We want to know your answer. Call the People of the Pod hotline at 212-891-1336 and leave a message of a minute or less in our voicemail inbox. Don't forget to include your name and city with your answer. You may hear your voice on a future episode! Urge the White House to Combat Domestic Antisemitism Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: How Do American Millennial Jews Feel About Israel? Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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 Israel, and attachment to one another. In a special live People of the Pod recording, AJC Director of Alexander Young Leadership Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman sits down with AJC ACCESS Global Director Dana Steiner, AJC ACCESS Israel Manager Lironne Koret, and Opinion, Analytics, and Communications Strategist Philippe Assouline, to unpack this data and discuss the implications for the Jewish community. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Naomi Ravick (2:23) Dana Steiner, Lironne Koret, and Philippe Assouline ___ Show Notes: As part of Jewish American Heritage Month, American Jewish Committee has named May as #JewishandProud Month to celebrate the Jewish people's united bravery and resilience in the face of adversity. People of the Pod will take part in this month-long campaign with a special lineup of guests, and we would love for you to join us! What does being Jewish mean to you? We want to know your answer. Call the People of the Pod hotline at 212-891-1336 and leave a message of a minute or less in our voicemail inbox. Don't forget to include your name and city with your answer. You may hear your voice on a future episode! Watch the full program "Bonds and Divides: Surveys of American and Israeli Millennial Jews" here Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: How to Tell Fact from Fiction About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.

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 the sometimes corrosive impact that news outlets have when they attempt to oversimplify the conflict. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Matti Friedman ___ Show Notes: Register here for a live People of the Pod recording on April 26th Bonds and Divides: American and Israeli Millennial Jews Eight Tips for Reading About Israel by Matti Friedman Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: France's Presidential Elections: Implications for French Jews and U.S. Politics Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, tag us on social media with #PeopleofthePod, and hop onto Apple Podcasts to rate us and write a review, to help more listeners find us.