People of the Pod

Latest Episodes:

Setting the Record Straight on Israel's Support for Ukraine Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

A false narrative has emerged about Israel's alleged neutrality over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Lahav Harkov, senior diplomatic correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and co-host of their weekly podcast, joins us to set the record straight. Harkov explains how Israel is supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, while avoiding provoking Syrian-based Russian troops on the democratic nation's northern border.

Then, AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich shares a touching account of the AJC-sponsored plane that brought 101 Jewish Ukrainians to Israel and how Israel is welcoming Ukrainian refugees.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Lahav Harkov

(15:26) Manya Brachear Pashman and Avital Leibovich

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Show Notes:

AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund

Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression

Watch: Ukrainian Refugees Arrive in Israel!

Listen to our latest episode: Clouded Futures and Big Hearts: What Life is Really Like for Ukrainian Refugees

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

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Clouded Futures and Big Hearts: What Life is Really Like for Ukrainian Refugees Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

A mother and her son in need of help. The extraordinary decision of the great-granddaughter of a Polish Resistance Movement fighter. Go behind the scenes of American Jewish Committee's humanitarian mission to the Ukraine-Poland border crossings and refugee reception centers and discover what it's really like to be a Ukrainian fleeing Russia's invasion and find out how Poland and its citizens are giving a masterclass in welcoming refugees. Aldona Zawada of AJC's Warsaw-based Shapiro Silverberg Central Europe Office shares the emotional story of how the AJC delegation helped a mother and son who were fleeing Ukraine, and how her great-grandfather's experience in the Polish Resistance Movement in World War II informed her own family's decision to open their home to refugees.

Then, AJC Director of Social Media Julie Lenarz recounts what images have stayed with her from her time at the border, and how AJC is using social media to assist refugees and hold Russia accountable.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Aldona Zawada

(15:40) Manya Brachear Pashman and Julie Lenarz

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Show Notes:

AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund

Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression

Listen to our latest episode: The Historical Irony of Jews Fleeing into Poland

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

The Historical Irony of Jews Fleeing into Poland Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Among the 1.2 million Ukrainians that have crossed the border into Poland over the last two weeks are many Ukrainian Jews. This week, guest host Laura Shaw Frank, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, speaks to the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, who has been coordinating a Jewish relief effort on the ground. Rabbi Schudrich speaks about the most pressing needs that Jews fleeing Ukraine have right now and how he has been inspired by the Jewish community's unity during this crisis.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Rabbi Michael Schudrich

(11:18) Manya Brachear Pashman and Laura Shaw Frank

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Show Notes:

AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund

Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression

Listen to our latest episode: AJC CEO David Harris on Putin, Babyn Yar, and "Denazification"

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

AJC CEO David Harris on Putin, Babyn Yar, and "Denazification" Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris joins us to discuss the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. Harris takes on Russian President Vladimir Putin's claim about the need to "denazify" Ukraine, shares what everyone, especially the Jewish community, needs to know about Babyn Yar, Ukraine's Holocaust memorial which was partially damaged by Russian forces, and issues a warning that Putin's tactics are drawn from Hitler's playbook. Then, Manya Brachear Pashman sits down with AJC Philadelphia Director Marcia Bronstein to talk about her personal connection to Ukraine and the rallies she has attended in support of the country over the past week. ____

Episode Lineup:

(0:41) David Harris

(19:02) Manya Brachear Pashman and Marcia Bronstein

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Show Notes:

AJC's Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund

Urge Congress to stand with Ukraine

Listen to our latest episode: Live from Kyiv: The Future of Ukraine and its Large Jewish Community

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

Live from Kyiv: The Future of Ukraine and its Large Jewish Community Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Just hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Vladislav Davidzon, founding editor of The Odessa Review and contributor to Tablet Magazine, joined us live from Kyiv for a fascinating analysis and unique perspective on the mood on the ground, what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to accomplish, and the future of Europe's fourth largest Jewish community. ____ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Vladislav Davidzon

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Show Notes:

Urge Congress to stand with Ukraine

AJC's statement on Russian invasion of Ukraine

Listen to an update from Vadislav Davidzon with AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan Benzaquen on the current situation in Ukraine

The Odessa Review

From Odessa With Love: Political and Literary Essays in Post-Soviet Ukraine

Listen to our latest episode: Black, Jewish, and Proud: Rapper Nissim Black on Israel, Antisemitism, and Racism

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

Black, Jewish, and Proud: Rapper Nissim Black on Israel, Antisemitism, and Racism Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

In a candid conversation, Israeli-American musician and recording artist Nissim Black discusses the roots of his career as a rapper, the struggles he faced when he moved to Israel and tried to find acceptance for his children, and how his connection to his Jewish faith shapes his music. Black explores how his music and spirituality have presented opportunities for constructive conversations on racism and antisemitism.

Then, Manya Brachear Pashman and Sam Kliger, AJC Director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs, examine the situation in Ukraine and the recent AJC solidarity visit to Kyiv.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Nissim Black

(22:46) Manya Brachear Pashman and Sam Kliger

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Show Notes:

Photo credit: @greycoat_ph Tziporah Litman

Higher, The Hava Song, Mothaland Bounce, Change, Hashem Melech | Nissim Black

We Stand With Ukraine | David Harris | AJC.org

Listen to our latest episode: Does Hollywood Tolerate Antisemitism? With Jessica Shaw, Sirius XM host

Listen to the our Hanukkah segment with Nissim Black: Nissim Black's "Eight Flames" (32:49 into the episode)

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

Does Hollywood Tolerate Antisemitism? Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Should only Jewish actors play Jewish roles? Was Whoopi Goldberg's apology enough? Should Mel Gibson work in Hollywood ever again? What does a greater emphasis on diversity in the entertainment industry mean for Jewish representation on the silver screen? On the same week the Oscar nominations were announced, Jessica Shaw, a host for Sirius XM's pop culture talk channel, joins us to discuss the debates, misunderstandings, and, in Gibson's case, the blatant antisemitism rippling through Hollywood.

Then, Manya Brachear Pashman talks to AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache on the yahrzeit of Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish Parisian who was kidnapped and tortured in 2006, and the troubling findings of AJC's 2022 Survey on Antisemitism in France.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Jessica Shaw

(14:23) Manya Brachear Pashman and Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache

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Show Notes:

American Jewish Committee Surveys French Jewish, Muslim, and General Populations' Perspectives on Antisemitism

Listen to our latest episode: Why Whoopi Goldberg's Holocaust Views Shouldn't Surprise Us; Daniel Pearl's 20th Yahrzeit

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

Why Whoopi Goldberg's Holocaust Views Shouldn't Surprise Us; Daniel Pearl's 20th Yahrzeit Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

This week on "The View," co-host Whoopi Goldberg wrongly claimed that the Holocaust "isn't about race." Though she apologized, ABC suspended her for two weeks. Writer Daniella Greenbaum, an Emmy award-winning former producer for "The View," joins us to discuss how Goldberg's comments demonstrate a widespread failure to understand Judaism but also present an opportunity to discuss the diversity of Judaism and comprehend antisemitism in its many forms.

Then, on Daniel Pearl's 20th yahrzeit (anniversary of his death), Manya Brachear Pashman pays moving tribute to the slain reporter.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Daniella Greenbaum

(21:43) Manya Brachear Pashman

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Show notes:

Whoopi Goldberg isn't the only one who doesn't understand antisemitism | Daniella Greenbaum | The Washington Post

Are Jews a Race? | Yair Rosenberg | The Atlantic

How Whoopi Became Today's Hot Topic On "The View" | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS/YouTube

What America Taught the Nazis | Ira Katznelson | The Atlantic

Violin Instrumental | Royalty Free Music | Lion Free Music | YouTube

Listen to our most recent episode: Recovering a Town's Lost Sephardic Jewish Culture 77 Years After the Holocaust

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.

Recovering a Town's Lost Sephardic Jewish Culture 77 Years After the Holocaust Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

What would it be like to return to the village your ancestors called home, to walk in their footsteps, and try to recover their stories and culture? Ladino singer and songwriter Sarah Aroeste did just that for her seventh album, which honors what was once the largest Jewish community in the country now known as North Macedonia. In the mountainous city of Bitola, formerly known as Monastir, 98% of the Jewish population that remained after the Balkan Wars was deported in 1943, and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Aroeste talks about her experiences in Monastir, explains why Sephardic culture is Jewish culture, and performs her song "Mi Monastir."

Then, Manya Brachear Pashman talks about the challenge of confronting and processing the antisemitic attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) Sarah Aroeste

(27:53) Manya Brachear Pashman

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Show notes:

Episode photos, courtesy of Sarah Aroeste:

Sarah Aroeste's cousin Rachel Nachmias (bottom left) and family, c. 1922.
Nahmias family, c. 1922.

Songs in this episode are from: Monastir. Listed in order of appearance:

Espinelo
Jovano, Jovanke (feat. Odelia Dahan Kehila and Gilan Shahaf)
Mi Monastir
Liner notes for Monastir, with lyrics and translations

Listen to our most recent episodes:

Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod

Tune in next week for a tribute to slain Jewish reporter Daniel Pearl, 20 years after his death.

You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org

AJC CEO David Harris on the Deborah Lipstadt Holocaust Denial Trial and AJC's Critical Role in the Fight Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

In 2000, renowned Holocaust scholar Dr. Deborah Lipstadt was sued by David Irving for defamation, because she called Irving a Holocaust denier and falsifier of history in her 1994 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. Expert witnesses combed through Irving's research since the 1980s and found that Lipstadt was correct - Irving had deliberately manipulated the historical record, to support his ludicrous claims that most of the evidence of the Holocaust had been invented after the war. Listen to AJC CEO David Harris discuss the impact of the trial, and the quiet, global, multi-year effort he led to generate support for Lipstadt's trial defense, making sure the world never forgets the murder of six million Jews – a historical fact.

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Episode Lineup:

(0:40) David Harris

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Show Notes:

Take action.

Join AJC in calling for the White House to convene a taskforce that will develop a national action plan to fight anti-Jewish hate.
Urge the Senate to confirm Deborah Lipstadt as the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.

Listen to our most recent episode: Inside the Colleyville, Texas Synagogue Hostage Crisis: Hear from 3 Local Jewish and Muslim Leaders on What It Was Like on the Ground

Don't forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod

Keep an eye out for our next episode marking International Holocaust Remembrance, in which we learn about the lost Jewish community of Monastir from Ladino singer and songwriter Sarah Aroeste.

You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org

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