THE DEFINITIVE RAP

It was a great victory for a Jewish employee who faced workplace hostility and an anti Israel email blast, when the Bronx Legal Aid group, The Bronx Defenders settled with a $175, 000 payout to the victim. In addition the settlement also included an official apology, and the staff having to undergo bias and sensitivity training. Is this the beginning of something big for victims of antisemitism? Will this discourage the recent wave of rising antisemitism?  Baila Sebrow, Producer and Host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Dov Hikind, an Orthodox Jew, American politician, activist, and radio talk show host. Dov is a former Democratic New York State Assemblyman representing Brooklyn's Assembly district 48, having held this position for 35 years – from January 1983 until December 2018. He is the Founder of Americans Against Antisemitism. Americans Against Antisemitism is a grassroots coalition that mobilizes supporters to take social action against anti-Semites. Dov discussed what happened to the Jewish staffer victim with regard to antisemitic  working conditions, when it was reported, and ultimately how it came be that the victim was actually vindicated? He was happy to report that the perpetrator of Fima Zlatsin, the Jewish victim of an unprovoked attack on a New York City subway this past summer was found and arrested.  Also discussed was about the many recent Arab terror attacks in Israel, and that we have now seen a move where Hungary will be the first European country to establish its embassy in Jerusalem.  Dov shared his opinion about New York City Mayor Eric Adams who is not a believer in the “separation of church and state has achieved new fans, particularly Orthodox Jews and Evangelical Christians because he ripped removal of school prayers.

Today we are discussing a topic that will raise much controversy. Parental Alienation. This is a topic of justice. No woman, no man, no child, no animal, no living creature should ever be abused or mistreated. Not by anyone. There should be no cover-ups, and if there is, it must be exposed. When two people get divorced, it is between them. The adults. It is the couple getting divorced. The children should not be getting divorced from either of their parents. Keep the children out of it! Children have a right to have a relationship with both parents. No Mother, no father should ever keep their child or children away from their parent. The long term-effect of parental alienation on children can be devastating and is actually a criminal offense in some countries Baila Sebrow, producer and host of The Definitive Rap interviewed Jeffrey Ostrov, an orthodox Jewish man from Israel. He talked about his painful experience as a father who is being alienated from his children and about how the system is failing him and others in his situation. He explained how the alienation began, and what his ex-wife claimed is the reason for her keeping his children away from him. He also described what would happen if he attempted contact with his children, and whether his children would want to have a relationship with him. 

There are few true heroes in our midst. The people who stick their necks out to help others, and who do it not for money or fame, but because they truly care to help those whom nobody cares about. Those are the unsung heroes. Here on the Definitive Rap we bring the truth to the forefront. We respect people of all faiths, and we believe in America, and Justice For All. Our guest today, Mark Appel, lives and breathes for peace and justice. Baila Sebrow, producer and host of The Definitive Rap sat down with Mark Appel, a long-time advocate who has dedicated his life to advancing civil rights for all Americans and bridging the divide between different communities.  Mark started by giving a detailed account of his background, and explained how he became such a successful advocate for so many years.  He talked about how he spent ten years rallying the support for the bill called the passage of the Child Victims Act, a great victory for all victims of sex abuse. Mark explained his motivation to address the challenge of bringing multicultural communities and people together, to form The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy  Project, a unity center that aims to address issues across cultural lines, and advocates for transformational change in New York's diverse communities. *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW

The Queen of England, who in response to a request for life advice, she commented, “If I had to give only one piece of advice, it would be to invest in human connections. There is nothing more important in life than connecting with other people, and I think the last year or so has made that very clear.” The Queen was referring to the pandemic, where all humanity was witness to the importance of human connection, that has previously been taken for granted. The show's guest today lives by that motto, and it is demonstrated by the way he lives his life, and how it reflects his life's work. Baila Sebrow producer and host of The Definitive Rap sat down with Rabbi Dovid Cohen, an internationally renowned motivational speaker, spiritual leader, life coach, entrepreneur and author whose empathic approach has empowered many individuals to achieve success in all aspects of life. His teachings are firmly rooted in Torah knowledge mixed together with contemporary thinking. Rabbi Cohen talked about the previous generations before us, who endured so many challenges, yet how they were able to pick up the shredded pieces of their lives, move on and build what we have today. Rabbi Cohen shared from his book, We're Almost There, how one can live a Jewish life in the world today in midst of dilemmas. He offered, a deep and raw understanding of human beings, and relationships from his book, Together Again, along with some excerpts.  *WATCH THIS FASCINATING INTERVIEW

If you think your job is tough, today's episode will leave you shocked .Baila Sebrow, producer and host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with American TV producer Natasha Lance Rogoff to discuss her memoir, Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia, which Rowman & Littlefield published recently. It chronicles Natasha's experience producing a Russian version of Sesame Street in post-Soviet Union Russia. In the process, Natasha, who is Jewish, and her colleagues faced the assassinations of their broadcast partners, a car bombing, and the takeover of the show's production office by Russian soldiers with AK47s. The book captures the occurrences of a disagreement creating a fun, educational children's television show against the violent backdrop of 1990s Moscow. It also relays the cultural clashes that threatened to derail Natasha's efforts to bring the Muppets and their idealistic values to millions of children across the former Soviet empire, including Ukraine. As one of the people on Natasha's team put it, “You are tasking us with developing this curriculum to help kids learn the skills they need for an open society, but how can we do it if we haven't lived in an open society?” The show is off the air now, but its legacy—the Ulitsa Sezam (Sesame Street) generation—remains. We see it in the Russians walking out of Russia because they oppose Putin's war and do not want to fight, and we see it on the Ukrainian side—the same age cohort, fighting for their freedom. Since its release, the book has been covered in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Vulture, and on MSNBC's “Morning Joe,” among others.  Natasha Lance Rogoff is an award-winning American television producer, filmmaker, and journalist who has produced television news and documentaries in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union for CBS, NBC, ABC, and PBS. Lance Rogoff executive produced Ulitsa Sezam, the Russian adaptation of Sesame Street, between 1993 and 1997. She also produced Plaza Sesamo in Mexico. In addition to her television work, Lance Rogoff has reported on Soviet underground culture as a documentary director and magazine and newspaper writer for major international media outlets.  Today, Lance Rogoff produces content for television and digital platforms and is the CEO and founder of an ed-tech company. An associate fellow in Harvard University's Art, Film, and Visual Studies department, she divides her time between Cambridge, MA and New York City. Natasha talked about what she envisioned for this production before things went crazy, and why she chose to produce a Sesame Street type of show.  Natasha described the most difficult part of this assignment, and the difficulties she faced working in Russia.  She explained why this production of a Russian Sesame Street got so dangerous, and how a backer who was going to come in with a million dollars for the show was blown up in his car.  The show concluded with Natasha's message of what she would most like people to understand about the Russian people and their country.  *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW

It is 80 years since the Holocaust began. The lessons we have learned in history is that we cannot forget what has happened. We cannot forget because of the victims, their persecutions and horrible deaths. We cannot forget because of the survivors, who witnessed and lost so much, and we cannot forget because Jews, and other victims were targeted for annihilation. And if we don't remember, if we choose to forget – it can happen again.  The United Nations has designated Holocaust Remembrance Day to be on January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – Birkenau.  In tribute to Holocaust Remembrance Day, Dr. Moshe Katz, a survivor of the Holocaust agreed to tell his story during an interview with Baila Sebrow, producer and host of The Definitive Rap.  Dr. Moshe Katz, is author of Nine Out of Ten, and well known speaker who speaks extensively to all audiences about the Holocaust. Dr. Katz talked extensively about his upbringing, including where he was born and raised, what his family life was before the Holocaust, everything leading up to the Holocaust, what he endured, and how he survived. Dr. Katz, explained why people were not aware that the situation in Europe was so dire and dangerous for Jews, and that they are being deported to their deaths. He also discussed why he titled his book Nine Out of Ten.  The interview concluded with a blessing for the audience, as it is said that a person who survived the Holocaust has the power to give blessings to others. WE WILL NEVER FORGET. We will always keep the memory of the 6 million and plus alive. As Elie Wiesel said, “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” *WATCH THIS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

With social media opening the eyes to the world about issues that were previously unknown to others, it has been normalized to those who in the past used to suffer silently. One of those issues is abuse. That word is now not just an issue of human interest, but it has become politicized too. Abuse of all types has also evolved into sociopolitical attitudes.  Regardless of what anyone says, and regardless of who the victim is…Abuse has a powerful effect on the victim, not just while the abuse is going on, but even after the perpetrator is no longer in the victim's life. When an individual is abused, life does not go back to normal for the victim. Every aspect of what the victim will be doing or choosing to do after the abuse is over will be influenced by what she or he has endured. Baila Sebrow producer and host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Esther Goldstein, a licensed clinical trauma specialist who holds a passion for helping others find and achieve true healing to discuss types of abusive situations; domestic abuse, child abuse, abuse of power in various situations, assaults, etc.  Esther talked about abuse prevalent in society today, the symptoms a person exhibits while in the midst of abuse, and the type of symptoms one would see in a person after the abuse has ended. She explained the treatment a victim of abuse would need in order to heal. *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW

There are billions of people living on this earth. Let's imagine what the world would look like if everyone would just love and respect one another. But, that can't seem to be accomplished. We have racism. We have antisemitism. And we have the media supporting it. We have high profile celebrities supporting it. From MSNBC's Medhi Hasan who held a panel with Anti-Zionist MSNBC commentator Peter Beinart where Peter accused Israel of being an ethnostate that privileges Jews over Palestine to Kanye West, spreading hate. Not only is the issue of antisemitism not getting better, but it is getting worse. Baila Sebrow producer and host of The Definitive Rap interviewed Professor Jeffrey Lax, an attorney, professor and department chair at CUNY, who discussed this issue at great length.  Jeffrey agreed that it's beginning to feel like antisemites are trying to beat each other out on the title of “Antisemite of the Year, and how it has been normalized, and mainstreamed.  He talked about the ring leaders of antisemitism in the United States, and who is tolerating the Left.  He said that CNN is being criticized for covering up the rise of antisemitism, while whitewashing left-wing antisemitism and anti-Jewish attacks by other minority groups, and why they are getting away with it.  Jeffrey openly discussed how as professor at a public university, he is being treated by his non Jewish superiors and other colleagues, and what it's like for others Jewish professors and students.  The interview concluded with Jeffrey criticizing a group that is supposed to be fighting antisemitism, saying that they are more concerned about politics.  *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW

We are post the Jewish holiday of Chanukah where the heroine in the historic victory of the saga schemed to take on Holofernes. How apropos to this show about a woman who was a Zionist pioneer, spy, and patriot, a Joan of Arc type of martyr and heroine. Baila Sebrow producer and host of The Definitive Rap show sat down with Israeli correspondent Barry Shaw who wrote a book about the dramatic life of the Sarah Aaronsohn in this historical novel and her passion to go after Israel's enemies. The book is titled A Tale of Love and Destiny and follows a remarkable young woman through a failed marriage into the turmoil of war, heroism and espionage. The story is based in what was then called Palestine during World War One, and how the dedication and courage of Sarah helped pave the way for the creation of the Jewish State. Barry discussed what motivated him to write the story about Sarah Aaronsohn. Though the facts are true, this is a novel. He gave the behind the scenes background of this novel from his perspective.  Barry, talked in great detail about who Sarah Aaronsohn was as a person before she became a heroine, how it all came to be, and what her life was like. He described it all by the full glimpse into that part of her life. Barry fascinates people by the information he exposes about Israel, that some may otherwise not be aware of. And that is what he always does. He reveals what the mainstream media hides or pretends does not exist.

It's been two years since Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, and it has changed the world. It has changed the way we communicate, care for others, how we raise and educate children, the economy, medicine, employments, and beyond. Over the past two years, the world has seen such a shift in behavior that it changed society. But, is it possible that the public has been misled, or has the public been failed during the height of the pandemic, and if so, who will be held accountable?  Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Jonathan Tobin editor-in-chief of JNS, a senior contributor for The Federalist and a columnist for the New York Post, Newsweek and Haaretz to talk about how the public was failed during the pandemic, and what sort of damage was done as a result of the failures of the public health bureaucracy, and that likely no one will be held accountable. Jonathan said that the states that didn't have strict lockdowns, fared better against Covid in certain respects.  He discussed how antisemitism has always been around, but it seems that as of late, especially since the pandemic it has increased. Not only that, but in addition to the rise of antisemitism, Israel is getting more and more demonized, and the views of liberal Jews on this issue.  Jonathan referred to his article in JNS about the Palestinians' World Cup propaganda victory, and it's political affect.

There are lots of authors out there who write fictional stories. There are good books, and then there are books that not only do they talk to you, but when you close that book after you are done reading you are left with a passion and desire for justice, and doing what is right and just, not only for the characters in the book, but for society.  Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap Show sat down with the the celebrated award-winning novelist, journalist and playwright, Naomi Ragen. Her first book, Jephte's Daughter was listed among the one-hundred most important Jewish books of all time. Her best selling novels include Sotah, The Covenant, The Sisters Weiss, Devil in Jerusalem, and others. Naomi is an outspoken advocate for women's rights, and active warrior against anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda, and has lived in Jerusalem since 1971. Naomi spoke about a recurring theme in her books regarding injustice against women, and she went into detail why it inspires her to do that. She discussed the books she wrote, including Jephte's Daughter, and also Sotah, and The Sacrifice of Tamar, where she bravely brings topics to the forefront that are taboo in the Orthodox Jewish community, and what encouraged her to go down that lane on those subjects. Naomi's book The Devil in Jerusalem is a gripping story of obsession and child abuse within a Charedi community, where she tackled that issue. Naomi mentioned how certain publishing houses change the wording of their Bible's translation to fit in with their religious beliefs.  The interview concluded with her latest book and sequel, and Naomi shared which book has had the most emotional impact on her. 

The Definitive Rap values professional people and organizations that promote justice of all. Baila Sebrow, host of the show sat down with Sara Shulevitz, Esq. to discuss justice for all.  Sara Shulevitz Vorhand is a New York, Florida and Michigan attorney and is licensed in various Federal jurisdictions including the United States Supreme Court. Sara is a Former Prosecutor and  has been practicing for 20 years specializing in Criminal Defense.She has been awarded various National awards and listed as a Top  Attorney. Sara handled successfully many high profile media cases and has been featured in International and National media  Sara is also a Manhattan Rebbitzen of the famous Rabbi Vorhand shteibel Heichal Moshe located on the upper west side of Manhattan  Sara talked about criminal issues, and how crime has gone up. Victims are killed or maimed, and perpetrators go free the next day, and the sort of crimes we are seeing more of. Sara also talked about “Legal Fashionista,” and the big splash and media attention that was received, and her role as an esteemed rebbetzin, in conjunction with her legal career.  *WATCH THIS FASCINATING INTERVIEW

People tend to know much about what they are familiar with, and unless something happens to hit the media, or a book written about it, little to perhaps nothing is known about the topic.  In the U.S., up until the early 1980's when it was all over the media, as they were being airlifted to Israel and even today, there are people who do not know that there are Jews in Ethiopia, and even that there are practicing Jews. When people ask where Ethiopian Jews originate from, there are theories that believe Ethiopian Jews come from Shevet Dan; Dan who was one of the 12 sons of our forefather, Yaakov Avinu. Some believe that they even come from the lost tribe of Dan. We are going to get a clear account today, and everything that you wanted to know about Ethiopian Jews will be answered today. Baila Sebrow, host of The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Dr. Marla Brettschneider, Professor of Political Theory, who has written extensively on the Jewish phenomenon in sub-Saharan Africa, is the author of THE HIDDEN JEWS OF ETHIOPIA.  Dr. Brettschneider talked about Jews currently living in Ethiopia, and how it came to be that Ethiopian Jews started making Aliyah. For Jews still living in Ethiopia, Dr. Brettschneider discussed what life is like for them and their families.  As a fun fact, Dr. Brettschneider, said that many Ethiopians believe that they are direct descendants from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.  *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW

Holidays can be wonderful when spent with loved ones, and holidays can sometimes unfortunately be contentious too, when families are at odds with one another. Today's show deals with when married couples are at odds with each other and they get divorced. We know that when couples are walking down the aisle to get married, they are not contemplating divorce at that moment. Nobody, or at least we want to believe that nobody gets married with the intention to get divorced. But, in life things happen. Divorce happens. And when there are children, it makes it that more tragic. They are the innocent parties, and yet they suffer the most being the product of a fractured family.  Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Jacob Rubinstein, Esq. to discuss the increase in divorces today, including middle-aged divorces. Jacob talked about custody cases, and when the mother chances to lose custody of her child or children. Also discussed were issues relating to Parental Alienation, and how the courts deal with it, as well as the affects that Covid had on the divorce rate.

People love taking trips to places of interest and even exotic places. But the one place that people should take a trip to and visit is their soul. It takes a long trip and lots of time to study one's one soul. Who are you? What do you really want, and what does your soul want and need to accomplish? Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap Show sat down with Rabbi David Green, author, songwriter and film artist to discuss finding individuality and soul awareness.  Rabbi Green explained how one can learn to enjoy this beautiful world and complete our own unique mission in this world, what is it that distinguishes one from another, and how a person's individual aspiration fits into this world.  Rabbi Green talked about where and how one determined where happiness lies, and why people sabotage their own happiness.  Watch this fascinating interview!

Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap sat down with Barry Shaw, the show's Israeli correspondent to discuss the 2022 Israeli Legislative Election.  Barry discussed what's going on in Israel now with 5 elections in 4 years, who the main candidates are this time around, and why Israel has such frequent elections.  He predicted what he thinks is expected to happen.  Also discussed was the difference between the Bennet-Lapid government, as opposed to under Netanyahu. Barry explained how a typical election in Israel works, and the requirements for voting.  He went into detail about the main issues and fears for Israeli voters from a political standpoint.

Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap sat down with Salih Hudayar, Prime Minister and Uyghur Refugee to discuss the torture of Uyghur Muslims in China. Turkish National Awakening Movement recently rallied outside the White House to urge the U.S. to end trade deals with China and take action to stop the oppression of Uyghur and other Turkic people of East Turkistan. We are talking about forced labor, excessive surveillance, torture, sexual violence, organ harvesting, and executions. Mr. Hudayar explained that China is using its social media platforms banned inside China to spread propaganda and manipulate the world's public opinion on its repression of Muslims in East Turkistan. He described in detail about the genocide and crimes against humanity, and especially about the forced labor camps, and the factories that produce and export to the U.S. *WATCH THIS INTERVIEW*

Since 1948 more than 3 million Jews have made Aliyah. According to The Jewish Agency and Nefesh B'Nefesh, over 3,000 immigrants from the United States move there. Most people know somebody who madeAliyah. Baila Sebrow sat down with guest of the show, Lisa Berlowitz who together with her husband is making Aliyah, and we will hear aboutfrom her perspective about her experience with the process, particularly because both she and her husband are disabled.  Lisa Berlowitz grew up in Lincoln Nebraska, where her family, community and going to Jewish summer camp developed herstrong Jewish identity and love of Israel. Throughout her life she hasconstantly strived to increase her commitment to Torah values, ethical behavior and love of chessed. This journey led her to find her beshert in Far Rockaway, New York through their shared love of sports on a group for divorced frum singles. On their first date, they realized they both had an unfulfilled lifelong desire to make aliyah. They decided to pursue that dream together, and will B'EH be moving to Nahariya before the chagim this year. Lisa discussed her emotional and spiritual drive to make Aliyah, and how long the Aliyah approval took for her, including one's qualifications, and the preparations to get there. She also spoke about citizenship, and financial assistance people can expect to receive as an olim in Israel.

From the days of Miriam, the sister of Moshe Rabbeinu who was born during the Egyptian exile, to after the Exodus, women such as Rachav, Ruth, Yael, and of course Queen Esther, and then Yehudis of the Maccabean period to the present time, there have existed courageous women that have been outstanding figures in history to the extent that these Nashim Tzidkaniyos, these holy women of their era have saved the Jewish nation. Little is known about many others, because with time Jewish women were taught that whatever they do must be done in a quiet manner of tzenuah. Unseen and unheard. Boldness was no longer in vogue for a Jewish woman. And those who did oftentimes received criticism. Baila Sebrow, host of The Definitive Rap sat down with Talia Rapps the founder of the Butterfly Charity Foundation which has produced both the total revolution conference a Jewish women'sempowerment conference and The Spiritual Experience Events. Talia discussed educating the world on thebeauty of spirituality illuminated through the Bible, how she came to do this, and where this force within her is coming from.

Baila Sebrow, host of The Definitive Rap sat down with the show's Israeli Correspondent Barry Shaw and International Public Diplomacy Director at The Israel Institute for Strategic Studies. As always Barry gives a full account of details not heard anywhere else. Mainstream media does not necessarily cover everything, and Barry will be fascinating the viewers and listeners. Barry explained how the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas have spread their influence throughout the territory governed by the Palestinian Authority and President Biden's two-street solution on 1967 lines, and the security issues it will potentially pose. He also talked about how after Israel fought a three-day battle with the terror group in the Gaza Strip, Defense Minister Benny Gantz accused Iran of funding Palestinian Islamic Jihad tens of million dollars a year, and that the U.S. Justice Dept. charged a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps with plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump's National Security advisor John Bolton, in an apparent retaliation for the U.S. airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani.  Barry believes that Israel's biggest problem is the  U.S. appeasement of Iran.  Barry also discussed the Likud primaries shaking up the party's Knesset slate.

WATCH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Baila Sebrow from The Definitive Rap sat down with the Orthodox Jewish subway victim Fima Zlatsin and the legendary Dov Hikind, Founder of Americans Against Antisemitism for an exclusive interview. Fima was traveling on the New York City subway, and in an unprovoked attack was punched in the face by an African American man in his 20's leaving him covered in blood. What causes this attackto be such an outcry in the Jewish community is that after Fima was punched,and the attacker left the subway car, he said “If I had a gun, I would shoot you. If all this was not bad enough, why was this story not covered in mainstream media? Fima tells in his own words about that violent attack, and Dov explains how Fima's attack happened just hours after Americans Against Antisemitism released its' report stating that NYC DA's are derelict intheir duty to prosecute violent criminals, and that violence is increasing.Antisemitism is increasing. Mainstream media ignores it.

Americans are obsessed with thinness, yet statistically two thirds of Americans are overweight. The obsession goes so far that there are women who will buy clothes a few sizes too small, on the perchance that they will lose weight to fit into them, or as an incentive to lose weight. Yet, for those who need to lose weight, the struggle is sometimes lifelong. Our guest Lisa R. Young, PhD, RDN, CDN, an internationally recognized nutritionist, and portion size expert is here to talk about how what we believe are adequate food portions, are in fact oo much, and where the calories in the foods we enjoy, and think are healthyare in fact hidden. Lisa says that we really do not need to fill an entire plate with food to feel full or know that we have eaten enough, and what is proper portion control. She also discusses the new fad diets for losing weight, and the people in the ads who claim are losing weight, and that there is no miracle ingredient exist to losing weight, and also about the effects of yo-yo dieting, and emotional eating.

We cannot keep our heads in the sand, even if it's a controversial issue, and we therefore need to address those issues that are at hand and bring them to the forefront. When there are concerns that go against the typical way of lifestyle happen in the United States, it is not just accepted, but celebrated. But, when such ways happen in Israel, it is cause for shock. However, it usually takes a while for it to reach Israel. In fact, it is said that everything that happens in the United States comes to Israel 20 years later. And yet, in a Herzliya elementary school, a child that was born a male is known as a girl. The subject of transgender children has reached Israel, and people are shocked, to say the least. Elad Zadikov. Former deputy mayor of Herzliya is outraged, and called it insane. Our guest, Tamar Uriel-Beeri managing editor of The Jerusalem Post's website, JPost.com. covered this story, in The Jerusalem Post. Tamar discussed the child's background and why the school is permitting it. There was much discussion about the transgender issue in all circles and how mental health professionals are addressing it. During the interview, Tamar spoke about the shocking headlines in Israel, regarding 24 year old Sapir Nahum who went missing, and her ex-boyfriend, Wahl Robin Halaya was immediately brought in as the main suspect, and how the police described him as the most manipulative suspect they'd ever interrogated. On a political note, Tamar offered her opinion about Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar running together in the election.

It's always fascinating to meet true academics with varied interests of the world at large. There is much going on today, and a great deal of it is that this has become a 'Me Generation,' where people don't care what anyone needs, as long as they are happy. When a brilliant young man chooses to write his dissertation about a politician who is quoted as saying “I would rather make another person happy than do anythingelse,” that gives hope that society has not been lost to the it's all about me generation. Our guest, Elliot Resnick holds a PhD degree in Jewish History from Yeshiva University. He chose to write a dissertation onCongressman Sol Bloom, and he explained in detail who this fascinatingCongressman was, and what he accomplished for Jews. Elliot also spoke in detail about the most interesting person he has interviewed. As the editor of Divrei Torah by Rabbi Meir Kahane and his son Rabbi Binyamin Kahane, Elliot discussed the inspiration behind it, and as the former chief editor of The Jewish Press why he is no longer there.

The Definitive Rap was established to unapologetically bring the truth to the forefront – to the surface. Whether it's about politics or human interest, The Definitive Rap reports the bitter truth with zero sugar-coating. Our topic today is Get Refusal. What does that mean? A Get is a dated and witnessed document written in Aramaic where the husband states that he is divorcing his wife and severing all ties with her. This document is then placed in her hands. In order for a woman to remarry, or just move on with her life, this document is critical. A woman cannot remarry without a Get. If her husband refuses to grant her the Get shebecomes an Agunah, a 'chained woman,' because she is stuck in limbo, and cannot move forward in life. Civil courts in the United States are recognizing that refusing to give a divorce is abuse. But, thank G-d there is an organization that addresses the Agunah crisis. That organization is called ORA. With us today to talk about this worldwide crisis and what ORA does is Keshet Starr, Esq. She is the CEO of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), the nonprofit organization addressing the Agunah (Jewish divorce refusal) crisis on a case-by-case basis worldwide.  At ORA, Keshet oversees advocacy and early intervention initiatives designed to assist individuals seeking a Jewish divorce, along with prevention initiatives to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process. Keshet has written for various outlets, and frequently presents on issues related to Jewish divorce, domestic abuse, and the intersection between civil and religious divorce processes.  Keshet helped our audience understand the plight of someone who wants out of a marriage, and whose spouse is refusing to let them go, and what ORA does to rectify this crisis with regard to methods, and she explained the point during the separation period of a marriage as to when an individual is considered a Get Refuser, and when ORA steps in. Keshet eloquently described the typical charming profile of a Get Refuser, and how no one will admit to being a Get Refuser. They will state various lines to tug at the heartstrings in an attempt to come across as the victim in explaining why they are not giving the Get. Keshet warned that Get Refusers are abusers, and it continues when they get into future relationships and marriages, along with recognizing the red flags in a dating relationship, and that, in her opinion, it is not safe to date a person who had previously withheld a Get from his wife. Keshet stated that although there are men who are considered Aguns, the statistics are dramatically higher for a woman to be an Agunah.

History was made when the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the landmark ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion since 1973. Which now means that abortion rights will be rolled back in nearly half of all states giving individual states the power to set their own abortion laws. And the rallies and headlines by abortion-rights activists has been ongoing. From their standpoint it is their refusal to acknowledge a fetus as human. With us to talk more about this topic is Marie “Miriam” Fischer, originally from Memphis Tennessee, a resident of Baltimore City. Marie has worked as a freelance political consultanton various State of Maryland campaigns, and serves as the Director for Community relations for #JEXIT, amongst other political causes. Marie, talked about the political climate since the the overturn of Roe vs.Wade in the state of Maryland, and why people are so cold about abortion, and not just agree that abortion should not be used as a formof birth control, and only in the case of where it would endanger the mother physically and mentally, such as rape, and incest. Marie discussed her thoughts on whether the overturn will affect upcoming elections. Also, during the interview Marie was very outspoken about how as a black Jewish woman, she is dealing more with antisemitism than racism, and how that is just part of the culture today.

It takes a rare individual who becomes deeply and personally familiar with something that is wrong, and then dedicates her life to righting that wrong. That person is our special guest today. Catherine Perez-Shakdam is a French journalist, political analyst and commentator. She specializes in West Asian and Islamic affairs. Catherine is a former consultant for UNSC on Yemen, and she is an expert on Islamic Terrorism, Radicalization, and Antisemitism from personal and professional perspectives that she shared with our audience.   Catherine discussed what it would be for Iran's next constitution to enshrine the rejection of antisemitism to become the first country to make such a stance, and why it is not possible. In addition, what she has learned about the way Iran wants to portray themselves to the world in her interviews with their political figures. Catherine spoke in detail about being born to Jewish parents, and being a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, and also a fighter of Nazis, then married a Muslim and converted to Islam, and also published books and many articles about Shia Islam. Later, she came to detest Islam. Catherine explained about being accused of spying for Israel against Iran, and their claims that she infiltrated Iran. She talked about Yemen, and why is there such a humanitarian crisis there. The biggest issue and fear that we have, according to Catherine, is that there is a tremendous rise in radicalism in the Middle East, and how it is affecting the entire world. It must be resisted!

'We need cooler heads and bigger hearts in Congress' is the slogan used by Brian Robinson, Congressional Candidate for NY's 10th District whom I had pleasure to interview on The Definitive Rap show. Brian explained that people have become more hot-headed and their hearts have closed to the real problems in government. Brian Robinson, is Jewish American (his family name was Rabinowitz before it was changed at Ellis Island), He states that he is “Sick of the polarization and “It's like everyone is racing to see who can be more woke, as the city suffers from unimaginable crimes of violence and hate.” Brian is deeply unnerved by the normalization of antisemitic attacks and is disheartened as we witness “the seemingly infinite crescendo of violence in this city.”  His plan is to bring Federal Oversight to the “negligent” agencies running the homeless shelters in this city. Neighborhood violence acrossManhattan and Brooklyn is most certainly linked to these mismanaged shelters.” He discussed how he plans to reduce crime in New York. Brian considers himself to be a moderate Democrat in this race, and one of his goals is that he plans to to bring both parties, Republican and Democrat to the table. Brian talked about the  corruption in closing Wagner Park for two years, while concrete was poured over the green space where kids play, and that it was all about greed, and his opinion on gun control. He eloquently outlined his idealistic motivation to run for office.

A discussion on scary health issues and corruption took place with special guest, Professor Peter Pitts. Peter Pitts is President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, and a former member of the United States Senior Executive Service and Associate Commissioner of the US Food & Drug Administration where of his many tasks. He served as senior communications and policy adviser to the Commissioner. Professor Pitts discussed how parents have been in panic over the baby formula shortage, what caused this shortage, and what the FDA is doing to prevent it from continuing. He also explained why it has taken so long to fix the baby formula shortage, and who is to blame. He went into detail about when it became of knowledge that there was a problem, and also that there was purposeful hiding from the FDA about the manufacturing problems. The other scary issue discussed was security breaches on medical devices. In April of this year the Department of Health and Human Services posted an alert to healthcare agencies of an exceptionallyaggressive ransomware group targeting hospitals and healthcare facilities. There can actually be an unauthorized person or persons who will attack and take full control of system access, remote code execution, change configuration, file system read accession, log information access, and also denial of service. We are NOT prepared for this. Not all medical facilities are prepared for this. Another issue discussed was that WTO World Trade Organization has been trying to stop the stealing of Covid 19 vaccinepatents, and about the monkeypox vaccine that is really the smallpox vaccine, and how health has really turned into a business. Dr. Pitts recently published his new book, The Next Normal on how we can apply the lessons learned from COVID-19 to advance other areas of healthcare.

On May 26, 2022, The Definitive Rap hosted a very special guest, New York Gubernatorial Candidate, Andrew Giuliani in the running to become the 58th governor of New York. If Andrew wins, he will become the first Republican governor of New York since George Pataki. Andrew is the son of the legendary former mayor Rudy Giuliani. It is known that for Andrew, “Save New York” stands for Stop Crime, Anti-Mandate, Voter Identification and Educational Choice. Andrew talked about his initiative to stopping crime all over, including subways, and how New York can become a safer place to live.   Andrew went into detail about the Covid Vaccine measures currently in place, and why it's wrong. He discussed the controversy regarding voting machines. He explained how they may be unreliable and prone to tampering, as well as mail-in ballots, and his plan to make voting credible and get citizens to feel more confident about voting. There was also much discussion during the interview about making changes in educational choice, and homelessness.

At The Definitive Rap we unapologetically report the truth about whatever is going on. We sugarcoat nothing and we present it in it's raw form via our eclectic guests from all over the world, and the world is certainly in chaos now. Who is not talking about the atrocities committed by the Russian troops in Ukraine? In fact even though it's been over a month since Russian troops withdrew from their positions around Kyiv, bodies and mass graves keep turning up. The atrocities committed by the Russian forces is overwhelming. With us today from Paris is Claire Berlinski, editor of the Cosmopolitan Globalist. Claire talked about how Putin is in this for the long haul, and he seems to be willing to endure many challenges, and how food shortages, inflation, and energy prices getting worse and worse, as well as how Europe, particularly France has been affected by the war.  Also discussed was that Russians will be tried for war crimes, such as intentionally killing civilians, and sexual violence.  Claire elaborated on France's general consensus about the war.

Shireen Abu Akleh, a veteran Palestinian journalist with the Al Jazeera network was killed last Wednesday while covering the turmoil in the Jenin refugee camp. The Definitive Rap expresses deep condolences to her family. The U.S. media have wasted no time and condemned Israel for Shireen's untimely death. At The Definitive Rap we are probably the first media program to give our audience the Israeli perspective with a wealth of details not heard on CNN or read in The New York Times. With us today is our Israeli correspondent Barry Shaw who shared with our audience what really happened in Jenin where Shireen lost her life whilecovering the story, that is different than what Al Jazeera reported, and how the media is demonizing Israel. Barry also explained how Shireen's death is being used as a political pawn. Barry talked about President Biden's upcoming visit to Israel in June. During that visit, he plans to go to East Jerusalem to visit a hospital, demanding to be unaccompanied by any Israeli official. Also, while President Biden is prepared to visit Jerusalem and meet Palestinian officials, the White House has publicly opposed the building of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, and the kind of message all thisis sending to the world with regard to widening the gap between Jerusalem, and Israel and Washington.

“Israel's Memorial Day is about war, not peace. And it shouldn't be a time for refrains of Kumbaya. The only song we should be singing is Hatikvah,” said our guest, Ruthie Blum whom we have the pleasure to hear. The purpose of Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day is to pay tribute to fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror who were targeted becausethey are Jews. This year grieving Jewish families are offended by the Defense Ministry's gift of a wall clock designed with Islamic and Christian symbols. The insult felt by these bereaved families is so strong to the extent that they will return it. Ruthie agreed that what is going on this year was a so-called politically correct decision, to keep the peace, rather than call it what it is. War. Also discussed was how Ramadan was celebrated, and about thecontroversy surrounding Temple Mount. In her spunky way Ruthie talked about her quote, “I supportaborting kids when they reach puberty and start slamming the door in your face. Otherwise, I oppose it,” and the general consensus in Israel about the news that the Roe vs. Wade decision has been struck down.

As we finished commemorating Yom HaShoa, The Definitive Rap paid tribute to the more than 6 million holy souls who were murdered during the Holocaust. Those who are not related to Holocaust survivors may not realize that the atrocities, in fact continued, and is continuing to this very day. Children of Holocaust survivors are still carrying the pain of what their parents and grandparents endured. In fact, experts are saying thateven third generation Holocaust survivors are also still suffering. We had the privilege of meeting Deborah Levison, a child of Holocaust survivors who turned her pain into becoming an award-winning journalist. During the interview she eloquently tells the story of her parent's ordeals, not just of the brutal dark days of the Holocaust, but also present day. We discussed her debut multiple award-winning book The Crate: A Story of War, a Murder, and Justice, the true crime story that happened in her family withechoes of the genocidal horror of the Holocaust, and the strive for justice. In talking about the Holocaust, Deborah explained how she felt different from her peers growing up, and how she learnedabout the Holocaust from her parents, and what they endured, and how they survived. She explained how her parents' experiences in the Holocaust influenced her life. The Holocaust cannot and should not ever be forgotten. The memories of the more than six million holy souls must alwaysbe kept alive. Never again will the Holocaust ever happen. Never again!

We sometimes have guests on the show as they are in the midst of a campaign, and it's always interesting to hear about what they propose in their mission when they make it to office. Folks, today we have a winner on our show! Republican Ari Brown declared victory over Democrat David Lobl as the State Assemblyman, succeeding Melissa Miller. Ari won 4,667 votes in this special election to Lobl's 2,413. Who is Ari Brown? He is a results-oriented leader who meets challenges with sound and sensible solutions and has a proven record of public service accomplishments and private sector efficiency. Ari explained how he reduced the downtown vacancy rate in Cedarhurst from 20% to 2%, and why he is working work to repeal“cashless bail” laws that have freed killers, drug dealers and gang members, and pass legislation that will remove District Attorneys who refuse to prosecute dangerous accused criminals in a relatively safe area to begin with. Ari also discussed the recent politics going on in Rockville Center, with all of the commentaries going back and forth, as to whether this is an antisemitic situation, and he alsotalked about the first issues on his agenda that he plans to tackle.

Courage comes in unique and sometimes unexpected ways. Today we have the pleasure of meeting a remarkable young woman who went as a single woman unaccompanied, unguided, unsponsored by any sort of group as a tourist to Afghanistan. It took her 6 years to save up enough money for that trip, and while there, she decided to not just view the country as a tourist destination, but to help in ways that most people would shy away from. Our guest Melissa Toomim is a counterterrorism specialist in the propaganda narratives of extremist movements, and a candidate to represent California's 32nd Congressional District. Melissa spoke about her work providing humanitarian relief and evacuating dozens of our Afghan allies from Taliban controlled Afghanistan, and aiding in the evacuation of vulnerable Ukrainians. She also talked about investigating the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamophobia propaganda campaign, as well as manipulations by real estate predators determined to steal the West Los Angeles Soldiers' Home from our veterans. These same predators are exploiting their government ties to simultaneously commit municide against the some of the most desirable business districts in Los Angeles County. Of great importance is how Melissa eloquently explains the Pakistan narrative about the Taliban!

Attaining freedom sometimes unfortunately comes withpaying a bloody price, and that means war. Today we will go on a journalistic journey to understanding the Israel-Arab conflict through a brilliantly written book titled The Bloody Price of Freedom, Israel's Battle for Justice, Freedom, and Commitment to Democratic Values written by Richard D. Heideman, Esq. We will hear documentation about how the Palestinian leadership mishandled and sabotaged many opportunities, and a deep analysis how international law has been misused by the United Nations for political purposes. We will also hear about the link between terrorism and antisemitism, and how he exposes the diplomatic boycott and terror warfare against Israel and the global Jewish community. Richard spoke about the Durban Conference to combat racism, and how in essence it promoted racism, and about the 2 BDS movements, the economic BDS, and the BDS of public opinion. He talked about educating students to hate Israel in Palestinian textbooks, and what is actually written in those textbooks, who publishes and funds the publication of these textbooks, and what type of educational curriculum is established and functioning in Palestinian schools, as well as how this can be counteracted. Richard discussed how the Palestinian leadership sabotaged and mishandled opportunities, and America's role in promoting economic development between Israel and its neighbors.

Antisemitism has become a crisis that is only increasing, and threatening our nation, the world, and universities. The question is how do the BDS activists on college campuses carry out antisemitism and get others to jump on their bandwagon? By creating a hostile climate. They accuse Jewish students of racism because they support a Jewish state. They declare Israel to be illegitimate while claiming that the Palestinians are merely seeking a homeland. It has gotten so bad that not only are Jewish students denied equal participation in student affairs, but the antisemitism has risen so brazenly that they chant genocidal slogans celebrating the forthcoming destruction of Israel. With us today is Dr. Richard L. Cravatts, to discuss this issue at great length is. Dr. Cravatts has published over 550 articles and book chapters on campus anti-Semitism, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and campus free speech. He recently authored “Jew Hatred Rising that is available for free. Dr. Cravatts explains how the anti-Israel group SJP, Students For Justice in Palestine operate, and also why intelligent students are buying into their propaganda while ignoring the reality of Arab aggression, murder, and suicide bombers, and also why there is no mention ever made of Arab terror, again and again. He discusses the recent action by the Duke Student Government, DSG president Christina Wang to withhold recognition to a new pro-Israelstudent group, and that free speech, particularly on campus, academic speech is only free, depending on who is speaking, as well as the shocking behavior of the student government in Pomona College where they successfully pushed a resolution that would compel student clubs to participate in a boycott of specific companies that do business with Israel. Dr. Cravatts goes into discussion about how the campuses in Europe compare to the universities in the US with regard to supporting terror and denouncing Israel. As an important message for people to understand is he explains what being pro—Palestine really means, and how the perpetrators ofantisemitism cry victim, as “Crybully” in campus Anti-Israel activism. The Definitive Rap expresses deepest condolences to the familiesof the 4 Israeli victims, and gives tribute to Doris Yahbas, Laura Yitzchak, Rabbi Moshe Kravitzky, and Menachem Yecheskel, who were recently stabbed to death in Beersheba.

In this day and age being politically correct is the political thing to do. It doesn't even matter if one believes in what they are saying, as long as they are politically correct, that's all that matters, and the media oftentimes is no exception. The Definitive Rap will unapologetically say what needs to be said, and our guests will say what needs to be said, whether it is politically correct or not, and that is one of the things that we stand for. Political correctness is a poor substitute for factual correctness. Similarly, good intentions are no guarantee of good policy. In the same way as the old proverb goes, 'the road to hell is sometimes paved with good intentions.' Acting in good faith is not always altruistic. Our guest, Dr. Martin Sherman, founder and CEO of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies, author, and served in operational capacities in the Israeli intelligence community and was also ministerial advisor to the Israeli government who has testified as an expert before the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of US Congress, in a hearing on economic and security trends in the Middle East. He talks about Israeli Law Enforcement, and what the public has to worry about with regard to trust in the police and justice system. Dr. Sherman discusses the injustice of the attempt to prosecute Benjamin Netanyahu. He also talked about high level dignitaries that have been brought to Israel and benefitted diplomacy and pro-Israel advocacy. Dr. Sherman offered his opinion about President Biden's approach to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and Israel offering to serve as a go-between with Russia as the U.S. and Europe reinforce Ukraine's resistanceagainst Putin's unprecedented assault, as well as how the invasion of Ukraine impacts Israel and the world.

With the holiday of Purim coming up, that takes place in Persia, we commemorate evil turning around to good. How apropos that today we have the pleasure of speaking with Esther Amini who grew up in a Persian-Jewish household. Esther wrote a heart wrenching memoir titled Concealed where the reader can see that even though one can physically escape religious persecution, emotionally they can still be in that same place, and in essence the past is never dead. Concealed speaks not only to Iranians and their first-generationAmerican children, but to every immigrant and descendant who feels that complicated push-pull of their legacy, honoring traditional customs vs. breaking the mold and fighting oppression. Concealed has received international praise! In addition to giving us a brief summary of the book, and the fascinating reason she felt compelled to author it, she explains why she chose Concealed as the title, since it has multiple meanings. Esther also discusses what it was like growing up in thefree world as the daughter of Jewish Iranian parents who suffered persecution, and she read a passage from her book that illustrates her point that silence in her home was expected, and how she dealt with it. Esther then goes into detail about life in Mashdad today as opposed to her parents' days.

Decent citizens respect justice, and the ones who makethe world a better place, because they protect and defend what is right and just. It used to be back in the day that when a child would complain about an adult being inappropriate, the viewpoint was not to believe a child, and that children live in their own make-believe world. How horrifying that must have been for children who were victimized. Not only that, but the old-fashioned mentality was that the educator is always right. It had gotten to the point where children knew that they might as well keep quiet about inappropriateness perpetrated against them. Oftentimes, these children went through life bearing the pain of their abuse. In fact, there are adults today who say that when theywere growing up how it was known in specific schools who the perpetrating educator was, and these children knew to watch out for that person. Fast forward several years later when the people became savvier, and actually uttered the words, “sexual abuse” if their child was victimized. These parents would scream and try to bring the perpetrator to justice. But, for those who followed the renowned stories, we know that things did not go well for those families, and not only was justice never served, but the family was ostracized for daring to accuse a so-called respectable person of abusing their child. Well, we have come a long way since then, because aneducator of children said enough is enough, and risking his own self and family, he started going after perpetrators and calling them out. Rabbi Yakov Horowitz who conducts child abuse prevention and parenting workshops eloquently explains the situation and how to combat this issue. He goes into detail about why a particular child might be targeted, and what to look out for to prevent such a tragedy from occurring.Rabbi Yakov Horowitz also talks about his new book, A Safety Book in Every Home that every parent must read.

The Definitive Rap's Israeli correspondent and strategic analyst, Barry Shaw shared breaking news for us, and a couple of scoops that will be stunning information about the Russia/Ukraine crisis. Specifically, how NATO and the U.S. have handled or mishandled it, and the consequence of which will leave Israel to deal with the Iranian nuclear/proxy threat. He discusses the potential danger to the U.S., and this huge rush to complete the Iran negotiations by March 1. Additionally, he explains how it negatively affects Israel from an Israeli strategic perspective. Barry leaves no holds barred as he talks about President Biden and his sanctions on Russia, and the increase in gas prices. Also covered during the interview was the good news from Israel that beginning March 1, all tourists will be allowed to enter Israel, even if unvaccinated, and about the major conversion controversy going on in Israel now.