Podcasts about Jewish Federation

Pittsburghers are bookending the week with Downtown protests, from an anti-ICE rally to "No Kings" gatherings. In honor of the U.S. Open, we're digging into the history of Oakmont's golf course. It's a notoriously hard course – and the owner designed it to punish a bad shot. Plus, we're excited about a new bridge, and we're sharing your thoughts on increasing paid sick leave for employees in the city and why our county health department's stacked with air quality workers.  Notes and references from today's show: Joining Los Angeles protesters and others, Pittsburgh union members and officials rail against ICE actions [PublicSource] Pittsburgh-area agencies officially helping ICE [Axios Pittsburgh] What Actually Happens During an ICE Raid? [City Cast Pittsburgh] Lo que realmente ocurre durante una redada de ICE [City Cast Pittsburgh] Pittsburgh Police Policies and Procedures: "Unbiased Policing" [City of Pittsburgh] Mayor Gainey speaking at the rally Downtown [Twitter] Casa San José Resources; phone number: 412-736-7167 [Casa San José] Pittsburgh to join nationwide anti-Trump protests [Axios Pittsburgh] Pittsburgh's Paid Sick Leave Bill, Explained [City Cast Pittsburgh] The road to the Clean Air Act passes through Pittsburgh [WESA] A Brief History of Oakmont Country Club [Pittsburgh Magazine] Änna Bencivenga's posts about the U.S. Open [LinkedIn here and here] Golf with Us program [Youth on Course] Not on Our Dime responds to a Jewish Federation lawsuit seeking over $80k in legal fees [City Paper] Carnegie Mellon Alumnae Earn 2 2025 Tony Awards [Carnegie Mellon] New Pittsburgh Pedestrian Bridge Opens Between Brighton Heights and Riverview Park [Pittsburgh Magazine] Park & Playground Improvements [City of Pittsburgh] Pittsburgh Celebrates Juneteenth 2025 with Monthlong Events [City of Pittsburgh] Pittsburgh preparing for month of Juneteenth events; independent celebration still awaiting permit [TribLive] The Frick Pittsburgh's Clayton mansion—now a Nationally Registered Historic Place—undergoes $10 million preservation effort [The Frick] Learn more about the sponsors of this June 13th episode: Bike PGH Tree Pittsburgh Heinz History Center Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news? Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter. We're also on Instagram @CityCastPgh! Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Rabbi Mark Goldfeder is a rising meteor on the world scene because of his personal academic and legal achievements and the work that he has done - initially checking - and at this point defeating antisemitic initiatives. He is also the founder and director of National Jewish Advocacy Center. The rise in antisemitic incidents has become an urgent crisis, which requires a bold new approach. The NJAC has instituted litigation that holds individuals, institutions and corporations accountable when they cross the line from free expression into illegal, harmful actions whereby antisemitic violators face severe financial consequences. In the first of two interviews Rabbi Goldfeder explains what he is doing and what can be done to defeat the scourge of antisemitism and anti-Israel advocacy. Credits: Representative Debbie Wasserman, U.S. Department of State, Ancient Hatred, Modern Medium: Conference on Internet Antisemitism, IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism News 12 “Jewish Federation launches media campaign to battle rise of antisemitism in New Jersey” AP: Rabbi Dr. Mark Goldfeder testifying at House Judiciary Committee hearing on antisemitism at colleges Adam Savit on Webinar: Qatar's Shadow War: How Qatar Built an Outsized Influence in American Politics AP, CNN, NYT, Reuters, photographers embedded with Hamas terrorists on Oct 7 i24 News English, 34th day of the War Inside Edition: Photo of Hamas Hostage Sparks Outrage After Winning Award Testimony of Shabbos Kestenbaum at House Judiciary Committee hearing on antisemitism at colleges   Real Time with Bill Maher “New Rule: From the River to the Sea”   CBN NEWS “Activist Mahmoud Khalil Accused of 'Siding with Terrorists', Deportation Blocked”  Comments by Presidential spokesperson Karoline Leavitt CBS NEWS “Harvard University hit with funding freeze after rejecting Trump administration's demands”   Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com Don't forget to subscribe, like and share! Let all your friends know that that they too can have a new favorite podcast.

"Jack Riccardi broke down the BBB and its pros/cons, hakeem jeffries threat against ICE agents, mayoral candidate Rolando Pablos, Jewish Federation chair James Rosenblatt, KJP throws biden under the bus and should we let michael moore rewrite the Pledge of Allegiance?

In this episode, the host, Talia Mashiach, converses with Bluma Broner, the managing director and head of healthcare at CIBC Bank, USA. They delve into Bluma's dynamic career in banking, discussing its lucrative and flexible nature. Bluma, who is also deeply involved in community service through mentoring and board memberships, offers insights on leading a fulfilling career, staying true to one's principles, and managing societal expectations. She shares personal stories from her life in Israel, transitioning to her banking career, the challenges of being a working Orthodox Jewish woman, and the evolution of women's roles in professional and community settings. Bluma emphasizes the importance of doing what is right, building a supportive family structure, and finding fulfillment in one's work. The conversation also touches on the significance of women's representation on boards and mentoring future generations.     00:00 Introduction to Inspire to Lead Podcast 00:29 Meet Bluma Broner: Career and Community 01:27 Bluma's Early Life and Family Background 03:06 Challenges and Triumphs in Israeli Education 07:06 Navigating Career and Family in Israel 12:18 Transition to Banking and Gender Challenges 15:34 Balancing Career and Family in the U.S. 18:00 Insights on Commercial Lending and Healthcare 23:15 Support Systems and Outsourcing for Success 26:00 Corporate America: Balancing Faith and Career 27:26 Team Size and Structure 27:42 Career Trajectory and Job Satisfaction 29:45 Volunteer Work and Board Memberships 30:36 Women on Boards: Challenges and Progress 31:58 Balancing Career and Community 33:28 The Importance of Representation and Mentorship 36:01 Career Advice and Personal Reflections 50:59 Final Thoughts and Messages       About Our Guest: Bluma Broner, Managing Director at CIBC,  is responsible for client relationships and new business origination nationwide. She heads one of the bank's health care groups focused on providers of skilled nursing and senior housing. Broner has more than 22 years of banking experience and has spent the past 15 years as a lender to the health care industry. Before joining CIBC in 2007, she was vice president in health care at LaSalle Bank. She started her banking career in 1995 at Bank Leumi in Israel and has held a variety of positions, with a focus on middle-market entrepreneurial businesses. Broner holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She is a Leadership Greater Chicago 2019 fellow. Community leadership: Broner is a board member of Shalva, Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago and NCSY, an Orthodox Jewish youth group. She also serves on the Community Building & Jewish Continuity Commission of the Jewish Federation in Chicago.   Powered By Roth & Co The JWE For guest suggestions, please email Talia: podcast@thejwe.org

June 4, 2025 ~ Boulder, Colorado is the most recent of the increasing violence against the Jewish community. Chris and Jamie talk with David Kurzmann, senior director of community affairs at the Jewish Federation of Detroit, about the recent attack, the lack of societal outrage, and much more. Photo: Trevor Hughes / USA TODAY NETWORK

Trump and Putin. Kermit the Frog. Israeli embassy workers. Find us on YouTube. In today's Tuesday headline roundup, Mike Cosper and Clarissa Moll discuss President Trump's mounting frustrations with Vladimir Putin; this year's university commencement speaker lineup; and the death of Duane Rollins, whistleblower for abuses in the Southern Baptist Convention. Then, Mike sits down with Rabbi Josh Stanton and Bishop Robert Stearns, two New York religious leaders, to remember the two Israeli embassy workers killed last week in Washington, D.C.. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Rabbi Joshua Stanton is the associate vice president of Jewish Federations of North America. Bishop Robert Stearns is the founder and executive director of Eagles' Wings and the presiding bishop of the historic Tabernacle Church in Buffalo, New York. Stearns serves as president of the Israel Christian Nexus in Los Angeles and has ministered in more than 30 nations around the world, with a central focus on the nation of Israel.  ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly politics and current events show from Christianity Today moderated by Clarissa Moll, with senior commentary from Russell Moore (Christianity Today's editor in chief) and Mike Cosper (director, CT Media). Each week, the show explores current events and breaking news and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world. We also offer special one-on-one conversations with writers, artists, and thought leaders whose impact on the world brings important significance to a Christian worldview, like Bono, Sharon McMahon, Harrison Scott Key, Frank Bruni, and more. The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Producer: Clarissa Moll Associate Producer: Alexa Burke Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producers: Erik Petrik and Mike Cosper Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Richmond, Chair of the Board for The Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, talks to NHJournal's Michael Graham about life in the Granite State as a Jewish American as antisemitic violence claims two more lives on the streets of Washington, D.C. That violence was accompanied by the "Free, Free Palestine" chant heard at UNH and the state capitol in Concord.Then Graham launches into a rant about the World's Worst Political Cover Up -- the fact that Joe Biden was mentally unfit to be President of the United States pretty much the entire time he was President of the United States. And nobody did more to keep Biden there than the Democrats of New Hampshire.Sponsored by Perfect Smiles of Nashua.Please support NHJournal's independent journalism by "subscribing" for $4.99/month. 

May 23, 2025 ~ David Kurzmann, Senior Director of Community Affairs at the Jewish Federation of Detroit, joins Kevin to discuss the latest on the Israeli Embassy employee that were killed Wednesday night.

On this episode, host Rockne Roll welcomes Mindy Zeitzer, the outgoing chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland's Board of Directors. They discuss how much goes into being the volunteer chair of a community organization, the advice she'd go back and give herself when she took on this role and how her experiences in nursing education have impacted her outlook on her Judaism.Register for JFGP's 105th Annual Meeting at jewishportland.org/annual25.

We got the top Jew everyone! Eric D. Fingerhut is the President and CEO of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), previously the President and CEO of Hillel International, and also a former congressman for the great state of Ohio. Take that resume to your Jewish mother!In case you don't know, the Jewish Federations of North America is the umbrella organization for the different Jewish organizations, and they respond to the needs of Jews in the US, Israel and around the world. The Federation raises about 2 billion annually, which is enough for a couple of Air Force Ones I reckon.Eric was kind enough to sit with us for over an hour to discuss the state of Jews in America today, why 80% of Jews support Israel, and why we can't afford to be divided. He patiently answered all our dumb questions including: do the Jewish organizations bear any responsibility for he outbreak of antisemitism? Should we care what the world thinks? And how should we save the Jews with a million, ok a billion, dollars. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode of The Founder's Sandbox, Brenda speaks with Alexa Steinberg – a corporate and transactional attorney for middle-market companies and entrepreneurs. Acting as outside general counsel, Alexa represents privately held companies in a wide range of general corporate and transactional matters, including entity formation, structuring, and commercial transactions. With a focus on mergers and acquisitions, she offers clients guidance on structuring deals and ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Brenda and Alexa discuss her journey from working at a small, all-female law firm to joining a full-service firm to better support her clients. Alexa shares how her parents—both deeply involved in business and community service—shaped her values around financial literacy, record-keeping, and the importance of building generational wealth. They speak about family-owned businesses and best practices in family governance, such as setting clear roles, regular meetings, and involving independent board members. Alexa also emphasizes the importance of building trust with clients and maintaining a purpose-driven, relational legal practice. Brenda and Alexa explore what "purpose-driven," "resilience," and "scalable" mean within the context of business and legal practice. You can find out more about Alexa at: https://www.greenbergglusker.com/alexa-steinberg/         episode transcript: 00:04 Hi, I'm pleased to announce something very special to me, a new subscription-based service through Next Act Advisors that allows members exclusive access to personal industry insights and bespoke 00:32 corporate governance knowledge. This comes in the form of blogs, personal book recommendations, and early access to the founder's sandbox podcast episodes before they released to the public. If you want more white glove information on building your startup with information like what was in today's episode, sign up with the link in the show notes to enjoy being a special member of Next Act Advisors. 01:01 As a thank you to Founders Sandbox listeners, you can use code SANDBOX25 at checkout to enjoy 25 % off your membership costs. Thank you. 01:18 Welcome back to the Founders Sandbox. I am Brenda McCabe, your host of this monthly podcast where I have guests that are either founders, professional service providers, corporate  board directors  that actually share a mission with me, which is bringing change to the world through great corporate governance, but building resilient, scalable and purpose-driven companies.  On a monthly basis,  my guests are going to tell their origin stories and kind of how I've met them. 01:48 through the work they do.  And I've recreated a fun sandbox environment in which we do storytelling. And ultimately we will touch upon resilience, purpose-driven  and  scalable or sustainable growth in the  businesses that they are  working in or owners of.  02:17 l I'm absolutely delighted to have as my guest today, Alexa Steinberg, Alexa is counsel  at Greenberg, Glasgow.  And before that, she was actually practicing in a smaller law firm and where her story today is going to kind of have some some 02:47 lessons learned on  why she chose to leave the firm and move into Greenberg, the Greenberg Lasker. But more importantly, you and I go back a couple years. are part of an informal group of women. We call ourselves Women and Wealth.  We meet periodically to really refer business to each other for those women business owners that 03:16 are seeking perhaps an exit in the next three to five years.  And through our skillset, some of us are CPAs, strategy advisors, yourself as counsel. A lot of these businesses are family owned. And so you and I and another, know, seven other ladies  get to meet each other over lunch and discuss these opportunities. And we're all very passionate about helping women business owners. Aren't we, 03:44 We are Brenda, thank you so much for having me on the Founder's Sandbox.  I am an avid listener, so I'm very excited that I get to be a guest. Thank you, thank you.  you know,  we've had many, conversations, obviously,  but I wanted for my listeners  to really dive into  what you do today, right? Which is really  purpose. 04:12 driven and it's preserving family wealth, right?  And I know that you actually come from a background where your father owned his business. So tell us  a bit, us down memory lane and that first story that you told me.  Well, you know, growing up, I watched both of my parents. My mother was a career woman.  My father, a financial planner. 04:38 running his  own book.  My mother,  a buyer and then in fashion and then into real estate.  I watched they were both very involved in the community. My mother sat on  the Studio City Council,  the Neighborhood Council. She was on many boards involved with the temple. My father as well  sat on many boards involved with the 05:07 Boys and Girls Club,  and  involved with the Jewish Federation. So I watched as my parents  really instilled the importance of being involved in  community, being involved in family, being involved  in the greater good and in purposeful and meaningful  organizations.  And I... 05:35 sort of learned a lot about that watching them both in their respective arenas being involved. And you know, they've, they've truly inspired me,  not only in my career path, but in  how I treat my clients  in the arenas that I've become involved in.  There's a specific story that I think I've shared with you, Brenda, about my father and how he sort of taught me 06:05 the value of wealth, the value of money, because as his career, that was what he did. He focused mainly on planning for retirement and financially setting yourself up and your family up to have generational wealth and what that looked like and how you could prepare for it when you were 10, 15, 20, 25 years old, preparing for family, preparing for children. 06:35 So when I turned 16, my father went into our QuickBooks. We had a family QuickBooks.  Oh, wow. That was before it was actually.  It was probably  a hard disk, right? Not even on the internet. Oh, yeah. It was like a hard disk. had a full set up, massive computers, the whole thing,  in our family office.  And he went into his QuickBooks. And he took. 07:03 what he spent on me in a year.  And he divided it by 12. And this  included insurance. Mind you, I just turned 16. So my car insurance, my car lease,  medical, entertainment,  my tennis lessons, all of these things that  were spent on me, what it cost  for me to function.  Children are expensive, you know. 07:32 I was very expensive because I will tell you that check was large  that he cut me every month.  And he laid out, these are the things that are monthly expenses for you that you need to pay with this money. And the rest you can use on entertainment,  gifts,  shopping, which I loved.  But I had to learn to balance my checkbook and balance 08:01 this amount of money, because I wasn't able to get any more until the next month.  And  that really taught me how that  money  was never something that was readily expendable to me. even if I went to Starbucks and I bought a drink with my father's credit card, he'd ask me for the receipt. He'd want to know where the receipt was, always. 08:28 I was very meticulous in his record keeping which I am now very much meticulous in my record keeping  and  I enforce with my clients and  make sure that record keeping is so important in your business as well.  You know and so when I when I graduated high school my father said to me okay the checks are done.  And you need to go get a job in college. 08:56 And what I will do is I will subsidize the paycheck that you bring home. So if you bring home $600, I will pay you 50 cents on the dollar for what you bring home, but only up to $300. So I could get a max of $300 every paycheck that he would subsidize. And then that was  how  I had money to live and to function. my parents,  I was lucky enough that my parents would pay for my college. 09:24 in my housing, in my dorms,  but  it was still really teaching me the value  of money.  And my father required that a certain portion of those funds get put away in savings and invested. And he would tell me how to do that.  And he would guide me.  because my father was a financial planner,  he would call me like a client and say, listen, 09:53 You're 70 % stocks, 30 % cash. I think you need to swap it. Let's talk about what that means. And of course, I'm like, you're my dad. Just do it. Why are we having this conversation? But it was so valuable because he wanted me to understand what he was doing and why he was doing it and how it really functioned. that I've also taken into how I guide and advise my clients. 10:22 I don't just do for them. understand, I want them to understand  how we're doing it, why we're doing it, what the alternatives  are and what it means if we do it this way or that way.  You know, a lot of my discussions with my clients are about strategy and about structure and  so they can make an informed decision.  You know, I think that that's extremely important, especially in a family business.  Working with your family is tough. So, 10:52 The way that you can make it that much easier is communication and understanding and knowledge. And I try to arm my clients with that. And that's something that my father really taught me.  my mother as well,  because my father managed our money and my mother  would bring it home and hand my father a check and be like, here, I don't know what you do with it, but do something with it. 11:21 She also  would, he would say, hold on a second. Like, I know you just sold a house and here's your commission check, but let me show you what we do with this and how we create generational wealth and how we invest it and what the best benefit for these funds are and how to use debt to our advantage.  Um, you know, and that's all of these things were such a value add that  I 11:51 I obtained understanding about and that I've now turned this value add to my clients  and how they run their business.  I'm not a financial advisor, I'm not a tax attorney. These are just really sort of  general  understandings and general guidance points for my clients to go out and  have knowledgeable conversations with the appropriate 12:21 guidance, appropriate people,  and the appropriate service providers that are going to help them accomplish those things. really,  this is very loaded, but I really like  the methods your father used. very, well, first of all, intentional  and bespoke. And that's really, and he did communicate to your mother, right? To instill also in her an understanding 12:52 of although she's bringing the check home because many, many women business owners today oftentimes do not own a majority of their companies. Right. And that is a shocking  statistic that I run into time and time again that women actually don't know how much  equity they have in their own business. Right. So just the informing and,  and you've translated that bespoke, you know, communicating 13:22 helping your clients understand,  pardon me, and  providing options as well as access to other professional service providers as  your own bespoke  offering to your clients. But it wasn't always like, yeah, go. That's sort of the benefit of the group that you and I met in and all of the networking opportunities that I've been involved in.  Of course,  networking is about building 13:51 um, your brand and your book and,  um, but a majority of it and the real value there  is  meeting and learning and understanding, um, and really coming to know people that can help your clients  where you can't,  um, and having  trustworthy referral sources to do that, because I'm not just going to tell my client, Oh, 14:18 this individual can help you with wealth management, call them without knowing how this person functions, without knowing  how they run their clientele,  how they do business. Those are really important things and to have trustworthy referral sources  is really important. And that's sort of what our group is  all about. That's right.  And it wasn't always like this. 14:46 Right, you graduated from law school  and started with a small, it was a, I think  a female-led law firm.  all female attorneys. Yeah, so what was your, this is right out of college, what were you doing  and what then informed your decision at a very tender age to leave?  So  right out of law school, 15:17 had worked my way through law school. I worked in family law for about five or six years. during the day, I was at a law firm. And in the evening, I took classes from 5 to 10 PM, four days a week for four years. took me four years to get through law school. And when I graduated, unfortunately, I wasn't afforded 15:47 All of the opportunities in law school  that most law students take advantage of, externships,  fellowships, things like that, because I was working my way through. I  had already been financially independent and I  wanted to stay that way. So I didn't want to quit my job  to go to school. I  wanted to be able to do it all. 16:15 So as a result, I really didn't have  the summer clerkships  that turn into job offers.  And I was a little lost because I had taken the bar exam and I was like, OK,  I'm not an attorney yet. But in three months, if I pass the bar exam, I could be.  Am I applying for law clerk positions? Am I applying for associate positions? Like, know, I was so lost.  And I went on Craigslist.  Oh my goodness. 16:44 And I found law firms that were hiring because I figured those people, you know, they're they're looking to hire somebody now, which is what I'm looking for. and hopefully those people, you know, will transition me into an associate role. If I pass the bar exam in a few months. And that was that was like my first sort of in. And I joined a very boutique law firm in West Hollywood. It was 17:13 By the time I left, we were three female attorneys. were  all female  for my entire tenure there. I was there for six and a half years.  And it was  in  late 2019,  early 2020 that I really decided I wanted more for my career and for my book of business. And I wanted to be able to  provide my clients  with a well-rounded 17:43 advice and guidance. I can't do it all, nor should I. I'm pretty sure my malpractice of insurance wouldn't like that. Not at all. But more and more, had clients that were asking me to help with litigation matters or employment matters. And those are arenas that I know just enough about to be dangerous. But I'm not going to run a full litigation. 18:13 I can't willfully and knowledgeably advise on employment matters.  You know, especially to  do justice by my client, do well by them.  I'd like to be able to  have somebody for them that they can speak to and trust and get the advice and counsel that they need.  And that really stemmed  my yearning to  branch out. 18:42 and go to a firm where I had all of those resources at my fingertips. I wanted more for my career, but my biggest drive was I wanted more for my clients.  I wanted really to be able to provide them with well-rounded, multidisciplinary  counsel.  And so I sought out  full-service law firms. 19:11 I found my home at Greenberg Gloucester, which  is a fantastic place to be.  I'm very happy there and everybody is so fantastic and  everybody is so good at what they do.  We've got employment and tax and  IP and litigation,  environmental, entertainment,  you name it.  And it's been such a benefit not only to my career, 19:41 to my clients, but I've learned  so much.  And is it true?  How would you characterize the typical clients without revealing, you know, confidential matters? Is it  also a firm that's  very oriented towards family owned businesses? Would you say that? Yeah, I would. You know, I'm  a counsel in the corporate and tax department. 20:08 And you we don't have a ton of institutional clients.  A lot of our clients are family owned businesses, mostly held entities,  you know, which I love on a daily basis. I am working with  two sisters that own a business together or a multi-generational company where, you know, senior is working with G2 and  G3  or 20:37 were actually this morning I was working on  assigning interests and reorganizing and restructuring a bunch of entities that own a bunch of real estate for clients.  And that's also  the kind of benefit that I get that I get to be pulled into  real estate matters with my corporate expertise to help a family office restructure their ownership. 21:04 You know, and I  love that stuff. We're extremely,  the way that Greenberg  provides advice and counsel  is on a very personal level. The way that  the firm  and myself, especially, we're a lifestyle firm.  You know, we understand that attorneys are people outside of 21:33 the walls of the office and that we all have lives.  And we, you know, I translate that to my clients. My clients have lives. My clients have other things going on than their business.  And especially when you deal with family offices and family businesses, there's a whole different dynamic  of  family interaction. Yes. You know, and, and I have now experienced that  not only with my clients  and sometimes I become 22:03 therapist in that regard, although I'm a very expensive therapist. I'm sure there people that are less per hour.  But  I'm experiencing it firsthand because my husband  has his own business with his brother  and I have  become  advice and counsel for them  as well. And so I'm  seeing it sort of from a different angle too, but I think that my clients truly appreciate 22:32 that when I talk to them, I talk to them as a person. It's not just as a business owner. It's not just as  I'm guiding you with this  legal advice.  It has to make sense.  And it has to  be actually applicable.  And sometimes what my advice and guidance would be  in sort of this like legal  box  is not the best. 23:00 for my client and how their business is operating.  And you've got to be  sort of fluid with that. And bespoke.  Yeah, so it's really beyond, it's not a transactional relationship. It is a trustworthy relationship based on the values of the family businesses that and their goals in preserving wealth  or continuing to generate family wealth. Yeah, absolutely. This is a great segue because you know, I also 23:29 passionate and have often guests that are sitting on corporate boards.  As counsel, have you observed any best practices and family governance structure? You talk about G1,  G2, G3, Have you observed any  best practices? We don't have to talk about bad practices, right? But any best practices that you would like to share here?  Yeah, you know,  I think that  I've observed that 23:59 Some of the most effective family governance structures prioritize clear communication,  well-defined roles,  professionalized decision-making.  I use this in a very loose  sense of the word, but you could establish a family constitution. Creating a board of advisors is always really important. 24:28 having independent members  in your board of advisors  is so incredibly valuable to have a knowledgeable, independent  person that can help through disputes. business disputes are one thing, but when you include a family dynamic in these disputes,  emotions can get high and heated. And so having  an independent third board 24:57 Third party board is extremely valuable. Somebody that can guide you, something that your family trusts. Those are some big things that I've seen as best practices. And I think that lastly, holding dedicated, regular meetings. 25:23 You'll talk about business, you know, at the dinner table or, you know, out and about you're at a kid, one of your niece's birthday parties and everyone's there and you're like, Hey, did you see that email from XYZ? We got to figure out how to handle that.  But  those are not the time and place and you're not going to have a productive conversation. And so you need to set aside and create boundaries between your family life and your business life  and set aside regular times. 25:53 weekly, bi-weekly, to have an hour conversation about what's going on, any disputes that need to be discussed, any decisions that need to be made.  And that's your time to solely be in your business mode.  Because having these conversation piece meals,  dinner on a Saturday night,  or  a family's birthday party, or  a holiday party, 26:22 It's not effective  for your business. And one of the biggest,  best practices  and the most, one of the most important goals  is to preserve your family relationships. Beautiful. You heard it here on the founder's sandbox to preserve family.  Absolutely.  Cause if you don't have family, do you have? That's right. 26:52 Family first. really important.  It's really important. And sometimes business can get in the middle of family relationships.  And it hurts to see that. It hurts to see  business  tear between  brothers,  tear between  father and son.  And I've seen those things in it.  There needs to be just a second to breathe. Yes. 27:21 and realize that there are bigger things than business  and that they need to be resolved, but they can only be resolved if you have a good relationship with your business partner slash your family.  They're your biggest support. 27:37 This has been immensely  actionable  in terms of  governance, the best practice you've seen in family offices. So thank you. Thank you for that. It's not often that I do have  a  lawyer  that works in this  arena.  Although family businesses just in the LA  ecosystem is 28:05 It's very predominant. very, very, you know, third, actually third and fourth generation now. So very relevant to your business and mine. Let's switch gears. You are, I believe, sitting on the board of directors or one of the committees of the Association of Corporate Growth. Yes. And tell us a bit what why what is the Association of Corporate Growth and what committees do you serve on? 28:35 And how do you further your business there? Thank you. The Association of Corporate Growth or ACG is a national organization  for professionals in the M &A sphere. So  you've got members that are  VCs, investment bankers,  M &A attorneys, wealth managers,  insurance specialists.  You sort of name it. Anybody that's 29:03 has some sort of involvement  in the purchase or sale of a business  or just surround sort of just general business governance that either prepare for an exit. You know,  those are the kind of people that are members of ACG.  And I got involved a few years ago.  And I think three years now, I've been sitting  on the Women's Committee,  which is a 29:31 Fantastic. We schedule and create women-focused programming within the confines of the ACG organization and really promote networking amongst women. More and more, I have had clients that have requested that they only work with women. 29:58 You know, and this sort of goes back to what I was talking about earlier about being able to provide  trustworthy referrals.  And I've met some incredible, incredible women in connection with ACJ. In fact, our group kind of came out of ACJ. This is how I met you, Brenda. And so  it's been a fantastic, fantastic  network to be a part of.  You know, I love planning the programming, our programming. 30:28 ranges everywhere from  talking about the state of the market  to  balancing family and career and what that looks like and  mental health. I think  I hate calling out a distinction that we are women in business  because I think a 30:57 A business person is a business person. I don't think it needs to be defined as such, but there is something to be said about the fact that  women have a different set of challenges in the workplace  than men do.  And a lot of those stem from  family life.  And that needs to be  balanced. And so there's a lot of programming  that the women's committee puts on that sort of 31:26 talks about that and  gears us in that direction  and gives us tools to be successful and to strive  in the face  of everything else that women just have to  deal with and take care of. That's for another episode here. Yes, very much so. Very much so, yes, as we all have balanced our careers and family priorities, right? 31:56 Let's switch gears. How do my  listeners contact you? How's the best way?  Well,  so I'm at again, I'm at Greenberg Gloucester. We're in Century City.  They can email me. It's  a Steinberg at gg firm.com.  And on our Greenberg Gloucester website, if you search people, I've got my whole bio and all of my contact information as well. Excellent. 32:25 Well, that will appear in the show notes. All right. So we're coming into the final  part of this podcast in which I actually  enjoy asking my guests  what the meaning is of certain terms that I actually practice with my clients. I'm working with purpose-driven companies, resilience. We work on resilience tactics  and  scalable business is sustainable. So I  always love the opportunity to hear 32:55 firsthand from my guess. What does purpose-driven mean to you, Purpose-driven means  a mission that goes beyond profit.  It taps into creating meaningful value for your customers,  for your employees,  for the community that  you operate in.  It's sort of about  building a company that 33:25 that stands for something.  And I'm very pleased to say that we have seen so many more companies  start out of a purpose-driven  goal.  There's a bunch of old companies and new companies. There's  a lot of companies that have this sort of one-for-one model. You buy one, we donate one. 33:52 There are socks companies, there are eyeglass companies, there are shoe companies, there are cleaning product companies  that sort of have  this  as their motto. And  then you see  additionally,  know, products and companies that are committed to the environment or sustainability and cleanup efforts. You know, that's really what  purpose-driven 34:21 means to me is that  these companies have a goal.  They want to accomplish something more than what they can show on their balance sheet. consumers of that product are helping them achieve that.  Excellent. Excellent. You've touched on even other aspects like  sustainable growth, right? Yeah. Right. What is resilience? You've been particularly resilient. 34:49 You having a father like your father,  building life skills early. would resilience,  what's the meaning to you? 35:00 Resilience is about  navigating challenges  with adaptability and with determination. It's about learning from your setbacks  instead of being defined by them, having them be a fire to your growth and having them  be the galvanization of your progress forward. 35:30 You know, and in business, it also can be about the ability to  pivot while staying aligned with your long-term goals, about the ability to,  you know, okay, there's a new regulatory,  new regulation that's gonna affect the way we operate. Okay, how are we gonna pivot to continue doing what we do,  but still can  stay in compliance?  You know,  that's really, 35:59 what it's all beyond your toes.  Excellent. And you're scalable. I'd like you to kind of share the meaning within the context of scaling the legal practice. What have you found to be  particularly  challenging or easy to do? Right. And scaling, right. Because it's a very bespoke practice. Is there any important, right? Scaling is absolutely important. Okay. 36:28 In my practice and in my business,  number one  goal  and  the biggest  galvanization point of scaling my practice  are my clients, my current clients. If you do a good job for them, they'll continue to come back. 36:59 and they'll continue to give you more business.  Creating a network. I watched my parents in their, both of their practices. All of our family friends  at this point have at one point or another been a client of my mother's or of my father's.  They've swapped clients,  referred to each other. And these individuals either started as friends and became clients. 37:29 or  became friends because they were clients.  And  that is the way that both of my parents have built their practice and their brands.  And that's how I want to do it too. It's a value add when,  attorneys are scary to begin with.  Nobody wants to talk to an attorney. It's expensive. Half the time you have no idea what they're talking about. It's language. 37:57 You know, but if you create this relationship of trust and of loyalty and friendship  and when you feel like your attorney  sees beyond just you as a dollar figure or you as a business,  it goes such a long way. And that's my main value add to my clients.  And in turn, they help me scale. 38:22 my business, clients continue to come back to me  and I'm able to continue to grow that because I can satisfy all of their needs with the network that I'm creating through places like ACG. You know, so that's, that's what I see is as scalable in my industry. It's extremely important.  And it goes to the heart of how I practice law and how, how I guide and advise my clients. Beautiful. 38:52 Thank you. heard it here on the Founder's Sandbox. Last question, Alexa.  Did you have fun in the sandbox today?  Oh, it was so fun.  Brenda, thank you so much for having me. This was fantastic. Thank you. So to my listeners, if you've enjoyed this monthly episode with Alexa Steinberg, counsel at Greenberg, Greenberg Gloucester, right? Greenberg Gloucester. Yep.  I encourage you to 39:22 sign up, subscribe either on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I'm on all main podcasts streaming services where my guests talk about how they felt resilient, scalable and purpose driven  practices informed by their origin stories. You can find it here on the founder sandbox. Thank you and signing off for this month.  Thank you, Alexa.  Thank you. This was fantastic.  

Episode 64 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Rabbi Noah Farkas, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Noah's career has been shaped by crisis leadership: from his time as a Navy chaplain in Iraq, to rebuilding Jewish life in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina, to guiding his community through the aftermath of October 7th and the devastating California wildfires. We explore how his background in trauma care, disaster response, and Jewish values has informed a bold philanthropic strategy in a time of volatility and uncertainty. You'll hear how the L.A. Federation evacuated 300,000 residents, reopened early childhood centers, and launched new funds to restore Jewish communal life—from preschools to summer camps to professional pipelines. Noah shares why federations are the Jewish community's “9-1-1,” and how moral clarity and rapid action can build resilience for the long haul. Take a listen.

After the Winnipeg South End United soccer club failed to enforce consequences for 5 players involved in antisemitic bullying, a mother who witnessed the incident and reported it to club officials is speaking out. Part 1- Episode 21 opens with background from our exclusive Winnipeg Sun columns:Winnipeg soccer club downplays antisemitic bullyinghttps://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/gold-winnipeg-soccer-club-downplays-antisemitic-bullying-mother-pushes-backYouth soccer club's antisemitism problem still unresolvedhttps://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/gold-youth-soccer-clubs-antisemitism-problem-still-unresolvedAn 11 year old boy- mistakenly believed to be Jewish - was surrounded, intimidated and assaulted by club mates after a recent practice and forced to repeatedly state "Free Palestine." The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and Manitoba Soccer Association have become involved to aid the victim and his family.11.40 - A soccer mom saw a kid filming his friends surrounding and harassing another boy. She complained immediately to a Club official on-site, and sent a detailed email. She saw and heard what was said and saw the victim get punched. But when she tried to follow-up five days later, anpther shock- the club president had not heard about it.As a Jewish person who has lived in Canada for only a few years, the aggressive antisemitism was shocking. But when she tried to follow-up five days later, another chock- the club president had not heard about it. Listen to Erika, who has a younger child in the program, describe the dismissive attitude of the WSEU Technical Director who she had complained to, which led her to email the Board. "I think that the board should know immediately. This was like, a bigger issue."She describes the incomprehensible failure of the club to impose any disciplinary measures after "those 4 kids were intimidating the other kid" and blocked his way to his mother's car. Erika believes a one week suspension of the instigator "is a way the kids can see they can instigate, they can harass, they can bully other people, and the consequence is to miss one game." She says she and another parent have sent emails regarding their concerns and the safety of all the kids- not just Jewish children - in the WSEU soccer program, but there's been no further comunication from the Club."It's really pissing me off to see that the club and the sport are letting kids do these kind of things."24.00 Part 3- Marty Gold wraps up the episode, which is the kind of grassroots investigative reporting that gets noticed. From Plan20-50, to exposing homeless encampment disorder, to Debbie's Law for surgical patients, the last year has proven the concept that ipublic affairs reporting is viable to fill the gaps in the media landscape. It is made possible because of people who believe in old-style journalism that asks hard questions and stands up for the little guy. To join our support campaign for Season 6, please click here.Coming up: City Four Plex Open House report, more drug injection site questions in Point Douglas, the complex issues undermining safety in the West EndPLUS - Like the Winnipeg Jets, riverbank encampments make a comeback, but nobody's cheering. ****E-transfer, advertising, sponsorship and event hosting inquiries, story tips and comments- Email martygoldlive@gmail.com

Friday May 2 has been declared an official day of remembrance and mourning in British Columbia after last weekend's horrific attack on a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver. To date, 11 people died and dozens more remain wounded after a 30-year-old man drove an SUV into a crowd at the city's Lapu Lapu festival on April 26. The suspect has been charged with multiple counts of second-degree murder, but the investigation continues. Leaders of the Filipino community say they feel deeply touched by the heartfelt outreach and solidarity being shown by Canadian Jewish groups. In Vancouver, Jewish residents have mounted prayer vigils and also set up an emergency fundraising campaign. The outpouring of support is being described as an example of kapwa, the Filipino tradition of solidarity and unity, as that community processes the grief while seeking answers on how the mental health system failed so badly to prevent the massacre. On today's episode of The CJN Daily, we're joined by two members of Canada's Filipino community, who also share deep ties with the country's Jews: David Decolongon, who works in Vancouver for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), has family and friends who attended the festival and witnessed the horrific attack; and Primrose Madayag Knazan, from Winnipeg, is an award-winning Filipinx-Jewish author and playwright with expertise on how the Philippines helped rescue European Jews during the Holocaust. Related links Where to donate through the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver's  Filipino Community Emergency Support Fund. When Canadian Jews fundraised in 2013 to help disaster relief efforts in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan struck the country, in The CJN. When the Philippines rescued 1,200 European Jews during the Holocaust, in The CJN. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Andrea Varsany (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Marc Weisblott (editorial director) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

Chris and Amy are joined in studio by the new President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, Danny Cohn to display his vision and goals for the organization.

Mike Ferguson in the Morning-Mike, Gabe, and Jerome discuss possible solutions to prevent future generations from falling for hyper-inflated predatory student loans as more and more people realize that the current College Industrial System is a scam designed to get youth into debt slavery. -Danny Cohn of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis joins in to talk about what's being done to combat anti-Semitism and what resources are available for those who care to stand up to it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny Cohn talks about what's being done to combat anti-Semitism, and what resources are available to help fight it. https://www.jfedstl.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amid rising antisemitism in the United States, Israel needs the Jewish communities in North America to be strong. Eric Fingerhut, the CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America said that bringing Jews to Israel was key to this and to strengthen the links. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that since the October 7th war, trips needed to be modified to deal with the new reality. (photo: Tomer Neuberg/flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we're live! I'm at the Orthodox Women's Torah Leadership Convening with Ann Pava and Elizabeth Walder, trailblazers of Jewish philanthropy, strategically growing the field of Orthodox Jewish women's Torah leadership. As we sit onstage at the Convening that Ann and Elizabeth made happen, they reveal how they choose where to invest, and how they go forward as partners with those organisations lucky enough to receive their help. We marvel at how far this field has come - programmes in learning and leadership that are now available for women and girls, and positions held by women that were traditionally reserved for men. We discuss the challenges for Orthodox women seeking a career in Torah leadership as well the hurdles we've overcome, and the work still to do in this field. Anne Pava is the president of Micah Philanthropies. An activist, philanthropist, thought leader and community builder, she loves to mentor and empower women, especially to lead, and to make the world a better place and has been pivotally to the Prizmah Centre for Jewish Day Schools, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Hebrew High School of New England and the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusets. She is involved in many other boards and has won an award for outstanding women philanthropists. Elizabeth Walder is president and executive director of the Walder Foundation and the board chair of Walder Operations. She is a lawyer by training and led a multicultural immigration law practise helping thousands of immigrants reach their full potential. Later she served as the chief sustainability officer at IDT before establishing The Walder Foundation with her husband. Through its Jewish Life pillar the Walder Foundation founds many initiatives to empower Orthodox women's Torah leadership and Elizabeth was awarded the Hinda Institute's Heroines of Hope award in 2022 given to a visionary broad-minded philanthropist who personifies leadership and compassion. Special thanks to Dr. Elana Stein Hain, who organized the convening. (You can hear Jo's Women's Gallery interview with her here.) Listen to Jo's interview with Rabbanit Michelle Cohen Farber here.

On this episode, host Rockne Roll first speaks with Danielle Frandina, a curriculum developer at Facing History and Ourselves, about Facing History's approach to teaching about contemporary antisemitism and how parents can get involved supporting their students. Later, Roll connects with Celia Janoff and Reuben Cohen from the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation about why philanthropy can also be a young person's undertaking and why working together to support their community means so much more than going it alone.Frandina will be speaking at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland's upcoming K-12 Parent Advocacy Night Monday, Apr. 7 at 7 pm at Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland. Registration is free and available at jewishportland.org/aprilparentadvocacynight.Learn more about Facing history and their work at facinghistory.org.Tickets for the OJCYF Benefit Dinner are available at ojcf.org/programs/benefit-event. Learn more about OJCYF at ojcf.org/programs/ojcyf.Sign up for JFGP's free “How to Host a Passover Seder” webinar, scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 3 at 7 pm, at jewishportland.org/passoversederwebinar.Check out JFGP's Passover Happenings page at jewishportland.org/passoverhappenings.

On this episode, host Rockne Roll talks with Jewish Federation of Greater Portland Volunteer Coordinator Merit Pinker. They discuss the centrality of volunteerism to both Jewish values and to Pinker's own personal experience, as well as some new opportunities to volunteer within the Jewish community here in Portland.Want to get involved? Complete the Federation's Volunteer Interest Form to get started!

Join Dr. Lissa Skitolsky and Aaron Weil for a conversation focused on a Jewish heritage tour in Israel cultivated specifically for medical professionals in the cannabis industry. Scheduled for June 2025 (date change after recording). Includes: Unprecedented access to world renown industry innovators, site visits to licensed producers, hand-picked guides and culinary experiences.Dr. Lissa Skitolsky is an author, grower and advocate with an academic background in Jewish philosophy. Born in Washington DC, Lissa moved to Nova Scotia in 2019 and completed a post-secondary program in Cannabis Cultivation.  As the Founder of Cannabis JewMagazine, she provides Jewish educational outreach to Licensed Producers. Lissa is the author of Hip-Hop as Philosophical Text and Testimony (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) and the forthcoming Chosen Stoners: A Joint History of Jews and Cannabis.With decades of experience in leadership and advocacy roles within the American Jewish community, Aaron recently returned to Israel after an 18 year stint in the United States as the CEO & ED of Hillels in Pittsburgh and Orlando. Hillel is the world's largest Jewish campus based organization with over 500 locations worldwide. Prior to this, Aaron worked for AIPAC and the Jewish Federations of America, Washington Action Office. He is active in philanthropy efforts for a number of US and I Israeli-based non-profits and is working on a new book. Weil resides in Ra'anana, Israel with his wife, Sharon. Weil is a native Floridian and a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Meryl chats with Kim Salzman about her historical fiction novel, Straddling Black and White, the story of fourteen-year-old Azmera, who takes part in the mass immigration of Ethiopian Jewry to Israel in the 1980s. They also talk about the current war in Israel and its impact on Kim, her family, and friends. Kim was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. After receiving a degree in psychology from Columbia University, she lived and worked on a kibbutz in Israel, which inspired her to make Aliyah. After receiving her law degree from the University of Michigan, she immigrated to Israel where she became fascinated by the stories of Jewish immigrants to Israel from all over the world. She served in the international law department of the Israel Defense Forces, and also advocated for the legal rights of Ethiopian-Israelis. Kim lives in Northern Israel with her husband, three children and a dog. Currently, she works as the Israel and Overseas Director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. Website: www.kimsalzman.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091317043993/ People of the Book is copyrighted by Authors on the Air Global Radio Network #AuthorsOnTheAir #AuthorsOnTheAirGlobalRadioNetwork #AOTA #KimSalzman #StraddlingBlackAndWhite #HistoricalFiction #EthiopianIsraelis #EthiopianJews #Aliyah #MakingAliyah #Israel #EthiopianAliyah #Sudan #OperationSolomon #OperationMoses #Racism #Identity #FamilySecrets #Assimilation #Acculturation #ClashOfCultures #October7 #IsraelAtWar #Hostages #WarAgainstHamas #IsraeliArmy #IsraeliArmyService #PeopleoftheBook #MerylAin #TheTakeawayMen #Sequel #ShadowsWeCarry #LetsTalkJewishBooks #JewsLoveToRead!

Ron Zamir with the United Jewish Federation of Utah joined Utah's Morning News to discuss the revelation that a body released by Hamas was not of Shiri Bibas, as promised.

What would you do if jars of urine were thrown through the windows of your house in the middle of the night? How would you feel if antisemitic messages were spray painted on your cars? How would you respond if you were targeted simply because you're Jewish? In the first installment of a 2-part series, meet a face behind the alarming findings of AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report, the first analysis of the impact of antisemitism on American Jews and the U.S. general public for the full-year following Hamas' October 7, 2023 massacre of Israelis. In this week's episode, Jordan Acker, a lawyer and member of the University of Michigan's Board of Regents, shares what happened to him and his family in late 2024 when they were personally targeted by anti-Israel and antisemitic protesters. He criticizes the broader campus climate and faculty's response, while emphasizing the need for productive dialogue and understanding as a way forward, all the while stressing the importance of standing up to antisemitism. Resources: -AJC's Center for Education Advocacy -5 Takeaways from AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report -Go Behind the Numbers: Hear directly from American Jews about what it's like to be Jewish in America  Test Your Knowledge: -How much do you really know about how antisemitism affects Americans? Take this one-minute quiz and put your knowledge to the test. Start now. Listen – AJC Podcasts: -The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. -People of the Pod:  Unpacking Trump's Gaza Plan The Oldest Holocaust Survivor Siblings: A Tale of Family, Survival, and Hope Israeli Hostages Freed: Inside the Emotional Reunions, High-Stakes Negotiations, and What's Next Follow 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 appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Jordan Acker: Manya Brachear Pashman:   For six years now, AJC has published the State of Antisemitism in America Report, and each year the findings become more alarming and sad. This year's report found that 77% of American Jews say they feel less safe as a Jewish person in the United States because of the Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. A majority of American Jews, 56%, said they changed their behavior out of fear of antisemitism, opting not to wear a Star of David, or put up a mezuzah.  And a third of American Jews say they have been the personal target of antisemitism, in person or virtually, at least once over the last year. While the numbers alone are telling, the encounters with antisemitism behind those numbers are even more powerful.  Here to discuss these findings, and sadly, his own family's experience with antisemitism in 2024 is Jordan Acker, a member of the University of Michigan's Board of Regents. Mr. Acker, welcome to People of the Pod. Jordan Acker:   Thank you so much for having me. On such an unpleasant topic, but . . . Manya Brachear Pashman:   Despite the circumstances, it's a pleasure to speak with you as well.  So I want to tell our audience a little bit about what you experienced in the last year. Last May, the doorbell camera at your home showed a stranger, with their face covered, walking up to the front door, laying a list of demands, signed by the University of Michigan Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Laid those demands on your front porch.  And then a month later, your law office in suburban Detroit was vandalized with anti-Israel phrases, profanity, directed at you personally. And then in December, you and your family awoke one morning to a pretty horrifying sight.  So could you kind of walk through what you encountered last year?  Jordan Acker:   Yeah, absolutely. So you know, what's interesting about this is that as much as I oppose BDS, I was not the person on the board who was speaking about it, the people that were speaking about it were actually my non-Jewish colleagues. We're an elected body, six Democrats, two Republicans, and universally, we oppose the idea of boycotts, divestment and sanctions, and we said so. We've affirmed this in 2018, we affirmed this in 2023.  And at some point, while we had an encampment on our campus, it remained relatively peaceful to what other campuses have dealt with, until they started showing up at our homes. We had this happen, a list of demands. Ironically, including, defunding the police was one of the demands. And then, you know, it went to a different level, when it went from all of my colleagues to just me getting the treatment.  My office is an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood. They went to my office in the middle of the night and spray painted messages all over it, including profanities. But they caused over $100,000 worth of damage. And I don't think that location was unintentional. I think that as people were waking up in the neighborhood, going to synagogue the next day, they wanted to make sure that people in that neighborhood saw what had been done. It was certainly on purpose.  And what was so disturbing about it was that three student groups actually posted photos of it in the middle of the night on Instagram, before the police knew about it, before we knew about it, and then quickly took them down, obviously, because, you know, they realize this is a crime. And then things had remained relatively quiet through the fall.  Experiences had been much different than prior semesters, until I was awoken about two in the morning to jars of urine being thrown through my window. And this had followed up several instances of similar incidents. On October 7, the president of our university, who's not Jewish, his personal home was vandalized. The Jewish Federation in Metro Detroit was also vandalized. The head of our endowment, a member of law enforcement, all of their homes were vandalized with pretty much the same messages. Ethnic related, calling them cowards, demanding divestment. Of course, the worst part for me was obviously the jars flying through my home. I have three small children, and having my oldest woken up to that was terrible. But they spray painted my wife's car with messages to divest, but also upside down triangles, which I think most Jews now take to see as a direct threat. That is a Hamas symbol for a target. And as I've said before, I'm not in the Israeli military. I'm not a military target. I'm not a target at all. I'm a trustee of a public university in the Midwest.  And this kind of behavior, frankly, is unacceptable. It's unacceptable from any members of our community, regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum. And frankly, it's deeply antisemitic. And the fact that there's some people that are questioning that, or wonder why, is part of the problem, part of why we've gotten here. It's a deeply troubling time, I think, for American Jews, for a lot of these reasons. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You said that you are the only Regent who has been targeted in this way any any sense of why. Jordan Acker:   It's a good question. You know, I think there's a few different layers to this. I think being Jewish is a big part of the layer, obviously. But also a part of it is that I have a public social media presence. It's something I've maintained since, frankly, when I was running for this office. This is an elected office, obviously, in Michigan. And I think that has something to do with it, for sure. But the degree in the manner is very, very different. And it's really hard to understand why it would happen in this particular way. Again, except for, you know, an excuse to engage in violent behavior. You know what's so disturbing about this, and what is so heartbreaking to me is that, I understand, you know, for those who are on the other side of this issue, who care deeply about Palestinian rights and Palestinians having their own state? I care about that. I'm the only regent that actually met with SJP prior to October 7. Not because we agree on everything. We do not. But because there's some things that we do agree on. And by the way, the vast majority of American Jews agree on. I think that's what's been so disturbing about everything that's happened since October the 7th in America, is that you probably have no group of Americans that's more empathetic or sympathetic to Palestinians than American Jews. And yet, there's obviously a large group of this protest movement, or the remains of it at this point, that are deeply antisemitic and are using Palestinians essentially as a weapon to go after and to isolate American Jews. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Are you the only Jewish regent? Jordan Acker:   I'm not. At the time, we had three actually, of our eight-member board, were Jewish. But our board is almost universally pro-Israel and almost universally opposed to BDS, and has been for a very long time. And there are lots of reasons for that, but this is, you know, perhaps the person who's been most outspoken about this, interestingly enough, is Denise Ilitch, who, you know, if they were looking to attack a pro Israel business. Well, there are two Little Caesars locations on campus. Right, again, this has nothing to do with being pro-Israel. Coming to my office has a very distinct, very specific message that they're trying to send. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You said there are a number of reasons why the Board of Regents is universally opposed to BDS. Can you explain those reasons?  Jordan Acker:   I think the first one, and I can only obviously speak for myself on this. The board speaks through its pronouncements and its decisions, but the biggest one actually is that, generally speaking, academic boycotts do not add anything to the conversation. They don't get people closer to resolving conflict. They don't even get people talking about conflict. And to me, that's antithetical to the purpose of the American University.  One of the incidents that has most disturbed me over the last few months, other than obviously, the physical violence, but what's disturbed me is a group of mass protesters went to a lecture by a professor named Marc Dollinger, a guest professor on campus, and Marc Dollinger was teaching, as he does, about the relationship between the black community and the Jewish community during the Civil Rights Movement. And a group of mass protesters came in and said, We don't engage with Zionists here. And what I've told people is actually the second part of that phrase is deeply offensive, but the first part of that phrase, “we don't engage with” is actually antithetical to the existence of the University of Michigan, and should be tossed aside.  We do engage. We engage with everyone, and we especially engage with the people that we disagree with. And so, that kind of speech and behavior is, to me, the most problematic. Because, again, American universities are places where deeply unpopular ideas should be thrown around. That doesn't give it as an excuse for violence, but it certainly is a place for deeply unpopular ideas, or for popular ideas, or for anyone who's different than you. That's the purpose of this.  And yet, this movement has again decided that Jews, or people who are affiliated with Israel are uniquely deserving of being tossed out. And it's unacceptable and it's un-American. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Is it just this movement, or has the campus climate been changing more and more in recent years, when it comes to a refusal to engage or the treatment of Jews on campus? Jordan Acker:   I think that. It's a great question. So what I think is that what has changed actually is not the values of the students. Because, look, college students protest lots of things. When I was a student, BDS was an issue 20 years ago. What's actually changed is the faculty. And that's actually what's most concerning to me, is the way that our faculty has behaved, not all of them, and certainly not even a majority or a minority, but a small group, has behaved since this happened. Throughout this process, throughout these protests, any criticism of the methods has been responded to by the faculty as criticizing everything about the movement. And so I think the faculty has actually, frankly, made the situation a lot worse.  You know, one of the things that I that I learn in conversations with other regents and other trustees across the country, and I'll never forget the story, because it's so telling about where we are here, a person was who's a professor at Columbia now, was telling a story about how he protested the Vietnam War. His mentor at Columbia, who was also opposed to the war, after they invaded Hamilton Hall, came up to him and said, I agree with you on what you're thinking. I don't agree with what you're doing.  And we've gotten to this place now for some reason that we can't do that anymore, that our faculty can't say this is bad behavior, period and deserves punishment, while we also may agree with the underlying politics. What has been most disturbing is, is that, for example, our faculty senate still hasn't condemned the attack on the academic freedom of Professor Dollinger, and only condemned the attack on what happened to my family after I called out the Faculty Senate Chair publicly because she feels the need to publicly defend open antisemitism. And yet, when it comes to the safety of Jews, she's too busy. And it's really disturbing, quite frankly, and it's a disturbing reflection on our faculty. But I will say that since I pointed this out, I've had dozens of faculty members reach out to me and say, Thank you, thank you for speaking out about this. I don't feel comfortable either, but I can be fired. You know, these promotion decisions come from this group of faculty.  So what I would say is, that there's real problems with the way faculty have been responding, and unlike students, they're grown ups, they're adults. And certainly, I don't want to infringe on academic freedom, but academic freedom does not include the freedom from criticism, and they deserve a lot of how we've gotten here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's interesting that you heard from faculty who were grateful that you spoke up. And I'm curious, you said in an interview last year that since the October 7 attacks in 2023 many of us have been asked to distance ourselves from our Jewish identity. And I'm curious if you are hearing that from some faculty, if you're hearing that from students, can you explain what you meant by that? Jordan Acker:   I will admit that I stole this phrase from Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo, is ‘protest koshering,' right? And that's a really interesting way, I think, of what has been asked of a lot of Jews, that Jews have to apologize for their heritage or for their love of the people of Israel, even if, like me, they don't like the government of the people of Israel, right? And that's, I think, been a big challenge.  But what I've seen mostly is, on our campuses, it's not so overt. It shows up in students avoiding certain classes, students avoiding certain professors, or students simply not speaking up at all. And again, those are really disturbing breaches of student academic freedom to have to choose. Oh, well, I can't take this class or that professor, even if that professor might be good, because I might be judged differently, or I might have to listen to a completely unrelated lecture about the Middle East.  Or even worse, we've had professors, and frankly, they're mostly graduate student instructors, canceling class and encouraging people to go to protests. It's an unacceptable place to be. And again, part of the issue here with the faculty is, knowing where the border of your own political activism is and your taxpayer funded job is, right? They're different, and we have to get back to a place where we respect both of those. We can't stop someone from going out, engaging politically, nor should we. But the person also has a responsibility to not bring that into the classroom, especially when it's not directly related to their class. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And so, what specific examples have you heard from students and faculty in terms of wanting to hide their Jewish identity? Are you hearing any examples of people who perhaps aren't wearing a Star of David necklace or aren't participating in Jewish events because they don't want to be identified as such? Jordan Acker:   I'm not seeing much of that, to be honest with you, and I think that's a great thing. You know, I was really worried about this myself. I attended the last Shabbat dinner at Hillel prior to the end of the previous school year, and there were hundreds of students there, and it felt like any other Friday night. What I've gotten most from students is that they've been annoyed by it, but they haven't necessarily been, they haven't been overwhelmed. It hasn't been like UCLA or Columbia. It's like I said, it's been less overt.  But I do think that there's been some level of, people keep their heads down right. And that's, I think, a big challenge and a big problem here. But I think, again, I think it's worse among the faculty, far worse among the faculty than it is among our students.  I mean, imagine being a Jewish or Israeli professor on campus right now and thinking that someone like this is going to be responsible for your promotion, for your tenure decisions. Those things are highly disturbing, and we see this all the time. Just last night, you know, we see an epidemiologist who people want to protest because he's Israeli.  Well, at some point it says, Well, how is this person able to get a fair shake on their own academic research at our university, if this is what happens every time you know, they're singled out in a way that, frankly, no Chinese student, or Chinese professor would ever be singled out. Because you would know that that would be clearly anti-Chinese racism. Somehow, this seems to be acceptable when it comes to Israelis and to Jews generally. And it's not. And you know, it's a big problem in the academy, quite frankly. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You had also said in a previous interview that there has been an intense policing of Jews' ability to determine for themselves what is antisemitic and what is not. Is that one example, are people actually willing to say, Oh, that's not antisemitic, that just because we protest him, because he's Israeli or Jewish, I would do people, is that what people argue or are there other examples that you can share? Jordan Acker:   Well, you know, I had professors come to me and say, How could you say what happened to your office is antisemitic? How could you say what happened to your house is antisemitic? And I think that, honestly, in a lot of places, it doesn't come from a bad place. I think it comes from a place of not knowing, right? And I think it comes from a blind spot.  And I think that's really the big issue here, is that there's a real lack of education and interest on the far left with, engaging with us. And I think it's frankly, you know, to say, Oh, it's a failure, the far left is not actually doing the Jewish community generally, a service. I think the Jewish community has also, quite frankly, failed when it comes to helping people on the left who are not antisemitic, but have very real, legitimate criticisms of Israel, helping them do so and engage in a way so the conversations are productive, while pushing out actual antisemitism. And that's, I think, a big difference.  I think that we know, and we're very clear, and I know this, having just come back from from Israel about a month ago, that the criticisms of the Israeli government are quite harsh among other Israelis. And I don't think that stopping the Israeli government from being criticized in America is helpful at all either. I think it, frankly, deserves a lot of criticism, just like any other democratically elected government does. But it's the how, it's the what, who's the messenger? How does the message come across, that I think things are really lacking, and people are are really not understanding why it veers so frequently into antisemitism and how to tell people, you know, that language is not acceptable. The person who was the head of the coalition that did our encampment put out a bunch of posts on Instagram saying that anyone who believes in the Zionist entity should die and worse. The problem, obviously, is her own personal antisemitism, which is obvious. But more importantly, the problem here is that nobody says: that's not acceptable, you're gone.  That, to me, is the biggest failure. Because it says we are not policing ourselves in our own behavior, and it discredits movements. But more importantly, it shows what a utter failure this movement has been in order to get anything for Palestinians without hurting American Jews, which has ultimately been the target of so much of this.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I want to share more findings from the antisemitism report. The survey found that 81% of American Jews are able to divorce their displeasure with the government from their spiritual connection to Israel. In other words, they say caring about Israel is important to what being Jewish means to them. I think this is perhaps, is what you mean, or maybe it isn't, by a blind spot. I mean, is part of the problem on college campuses, that lack of understanding about the American Jewish spiritual connection to Israel? Jordan Acker:   I think that's a big part of it. And I think that's I think that's a big thing that we're lacking when it comes to understanding the story of the Jewish people, but frankly, it's a story that could be told on the other side as well, about Palestinian connection to the land and to the region as well. You know when we talk about where Jews pray, what direction we pray, the importance of Jerusalem, the importance of so many places in Israel, and of that spiritual connection. I think that there is a lack of understanding of that.  You know, one of the things that I got out of my own trip to Israel and meeting with Jewish and Palestinian students, was, they understand, and they believe, correctly, in my view, that the protest movement America has simply Americanized a non-American conflict. This is not settler colonialism or, or some, you know, academic theory. These are two peoples with very deep connections to this land who have a very, very difficult challenge in front of them, and it's different.  And I think that, yeah, I think we have failed at that. I think the whole concept, you know, and I've had this conversation with my friends in the Arab American community, the whole concept of not knowing that, you know, they talk about the Nakba and this, you know, ejection of Palestinians in 1948 and, there is some truth to it, but what they don't know or speak about at all is the ejection of the Jewish communities that were also thousands of years old from the Arab world – at that exact same time. And so I bring this up not to say that one group has more of a claim than the other, or one group has more of a claim for having suffered than the other, but to say that we need to talk about both sides of this narrative, and we're not.  And you know, too much of this movement has brought forward Jews who say things like, you know, as a Jew, I blah, blah, blah, and I have no connection to the Jewish community, or in Israel. But it misses out what the vast majority of American Jews say, and the vast majority of world Jewry says, which is, they do have a spiritual connection to Israel. And it's fine not to, by the way, that's your personal belief, but there's been this mistaken belief that that viewpoint is representative of all of the Jewish community, and while it's a small group certainly, it is not the majority at all. Most American Jews do have an understandable connection to the land of Israel. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Has the conversation on campus been a debate or discussion about the two people who have a connection to the land, or has it focused more on whether Jews have a right to self determination? Jordan Acker:   So I met with students at Tel Aviv University, Ben Gurion University, and Hebrew University, all three of which have very large Palestinian and Arab and Muslim populations. And they recognize the complexity of the conflict. And when I left there, my first, my big feeling about this was deep embarrassment for the way that our students had or so it's not all of our students, but a group of students had acted, you know, this whole concept of genocide and settler colonialism and and it is completely removed from the everyday experiences and understandings of both peoples.  I think the conversation on campus has been wildly counterproductive. I think it has done no good for anyone over there and has only served to hurt people here. You know, I think there's a lot of folks on the other side who genuinely believe that protesting is helpful for the Palestinian people, and do not understand why these specific attacks are so harmful to American Jews. And I don't think, you know, again, I don't think the American Jewish community has done a great job in helping to educate and to push people into places that are not anti semitic, but I think generally, the conversations have been particularly unproductive that they just put people into camps, and people are not able to listen and talk to each other because they use extremely loaded language, and have are looking for social media points. They're not looking for discussions and understanding. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, I will say that the State of Antisemitism in America report found that a majority of Americans, 85% the same number of American Jews, agree that the statement Israel has no right to exist, that foundational core of anti Zionism, that that statement is antisemitic. So I'm curious, does that give you hope that meaningful dialog is still possible? It still could be on the horizon, or has that ship sailed?  Jordan Acker:   No. I think that. I think no ship has ever sailed permanently. I think we're in a far worse place off than we were before October 7. I think everyone is actually in a far worse place off. It gives me hope and understanding that Jews are an accepted mainstream part of American life, and I think that's for a lot of Jews myself included. There was a feeling that we were being intentionally isolated, that our allies weren't standing up and talking for us at the times when we needed them the most. But I think that it's pretty clear at this point that positions like that are a minority that harassing my family. And engaging in violent behavior. Those are a minority.  You know, the group that has been most that called me first, the leadership of the community called me first when this happened to me, was the Arab American community in Metro Detroit, community that I have long relationships with, good relationships with.  You know, I've had the mayor of Dearborn over for Shabbat dinner, and I appreciate and love those and cherish those relationships, but I think that it is totally separate from the question of Israel in whether Jews have a right to exist in America as full citizens, right that we don't have to take we're only citizens if we take certain positions, right? I think that's what, to me, that is most hopeful about, is it shows that that particular position is rejected by the vast majority of Americans. And I think that's a really good thing for American Jews at a time when world Jewry is in a pretty precarious state. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned that you have three young daughters who awoke to that vandalism in your home that morning. How are they processing all of this? Jordan Acker:   It's been really hard. You know, I think trying to explain to a nine and a seven year old why someone would do this to your family is really difficult. My seven year old said to one of her friends that there are people who are trying to bully daddy. And I guess that's true, and in the technical sense of the word, I think that that's right, but I think that it's really a challenging thing.  You know, my girls are fortunate to go to great public schools with Jews and non-Jews. They're fortunate they do gymnastics in a very diverse community on the east side, which we love. So they get to see and know people of all races, colors, religions, you name it. I mean, Detroit is a remarkable and diverse place, and to think that they were being singled out, I think, is something that they can't quite put their heads around, because it doesn't exist to them. You know, for them, you know, the black girls that they do gymnastics with are the same as the Lebanese girls who they do gymnastics with, same as the Jewish girls they do gymnastics with. It's just, can you complete your round off, right? And that's where I'd like them back to being again. But it's really, really challenging when you've had something like this happen to you. So because the sound is so visceral and it's just so violative of your family, and frankly, of the way America should work, it's, it's, that's why I said at the beginning of this pod, it's un-American to engage in this kind of violence. It's the kind of violence that the Klan would engage in. And you know, that's why we have laws like here we do in Michigan to prevent people from masking in public like this. It's for this exact reason, because that's what the Klan did. And we have to toss it out because it has no place in our society, period. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Jordan, thank you so much for joining us and for kind of explaining the situation on University of Michigan's campus, but also your own family's encounter. Jordan Acker:   Thank you so much for having me, and for your wonderful CEO, I have to end this with a Go Blue, and thanks again.

On this episode, host Rockne Roll talks with Pamela Barkley and Rabbi Daniel Brenner at Moving Traditions, a non-profit focused on improving Jewish teen wellbeing, about the challenges facing today's teenagers. They discuss how the reverberations of the COVID pandemic are still being felt, how big a stressor antisemitism is for today's Jewish teens, and what they need from the adults in their lives. Also, Dr. Yosef Rosen from the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland presents a playlist of songs for celebrating Tu B'Shevat, the Jewish New Year of the Trees. Find Dr. Rosen's mix at tinyurl.com/tubshevattunes.Register for the Federation's upcoming Tu B'Shevat event Sunday, Feb. 23, at jewishportland.org/tubshevat.

Host Rockne Roll talks with Rebecca Caspi, the Jewish Federations of North America's Senior Vice President for Global Operations and Director-General of their Israel Office, about how Israel is responding to the ceasefire agreements with Hamas and Hezbollah. They discuss the mood in the country, how the recovery process is going for those hardest hit, and how JFNA's work in Pre-Oct. 7 Israel laid the foundation for their support of Israeli society today. Learn more at Jewishfederations.org. Check out JFGP's new Gather Grants program for support doing Judaism your way at jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/gathergrants.

Hamilton's Jewish community agencies—including synagogues, schools and camps—spent the evening of Jan. 20 learning new security protocols to handle antisemitic protests, vandalism and terrorist attacks. The “Guardian Training” session was part of Hamilton's new membership in the U.S.-based Secure Community Network (SCN) program, run by the New York-based Jewish Federations of North America. Hamilton is the first Canadian Jewish community to join this network. Hamilton received hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for the next three years, and quickly used part of it to hire a former local police commander as their new regional security director, whom they sent for training in Chicago. That's where the SCN Network's 24/7 command centre is located, where former FBI agents and ex-military experts sit in a computer-lined war room and monitor attacks and threats to the Jewish world. After Oct. 7, Jewish leadership in Hamilton were looking for an answer to protect their community, but its small size of 5,000 people made it unrealistic to afford the needed staffing and resources to build its own security network. On this episode of The CJN Daily, we hear more about why Canadian federations are looking south of the border for help: we're joined by Glenn Mannella, the new regional security director at Hamilton's Jewish Federation, and Gustavo Rymberg, the Federation's CEO. Related links See what the Jewish Federations of North America's Secure Community Network command centre looks like, and how it saves Jewish lives. Learn why Hamilton's Jewish Film Festival was moved after original venue cancelled, after Oct. 7, in The CJN. Read more about private security agencies setting up to act to protect the Jewish community in Canada after Oct. 7, in The CJN. Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer) Music: Dov Beck-Levine Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to The CJN Daily (Not sure how? Click here)

Victor Fuchs came to the United States from Ukraine by way of Italy, thanks to funds from the Jewish Federation. Today is the President of Helix Electric, the country's second-largest non-union electrical contractor. Escaping the anti-semitism of the post-WWII Soviet Union, he and his parents came to this country with next to nothing, a funny spelling last name, and the determination to have a better future.

War on hold: Israel and Hamas reach ceasefire and hostage deal GUEST: Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Pineapple on pizza: a culinary crime? GUEST: Steven Chang, Producer Talia Miller, Producer Tammy Mak, CKNW intern and BCIT Journalism student Will a ban on mineral exports be enough to counteract Trump's tariffs? GUEST: Michael Goehring, President and CEO of the Mining Association of B.C Relative of Hamas hostage reacts to Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal GUEST: Maureen Leshem, Toronto resident whose cousin, Romi Gonen, is held hostage by Hamas Double and Triple Dipping Mayors make more than the Premier of BC GUEST: Daniel Fontaine, New Westminster City Councillor UFV receives federal funding to improve food security GUEST: Dr. Lenore Newman, Director of the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, host Rockne Roll talks with Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Director of Community Relations Noah Rosenberg. They discuss the history of Oregon's Jewish philanthropic resource, how the foundation works to support Jewish life throughout the area and why wealth isn't a prerequisite for philanthropy. Learn more at ojcf.org. Support wildfire relief in Los Angeles County through the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland's Los Angeles Fires Relief Fund at jewishportland.org/lacountyfires.

GUEST: Ezra Shanken, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is a link for the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles to send donationsand contributions to help and to heal. May there be healing soon.www.jewishla.org/wildfire-crisis-reliefSupport the show

My dear friend Mary Bilyeu (formerly of the Blade) isn't so new at her new job at the Jewish Federation anymore. Let's talk some food with her (of course), and meet the new Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, Amichai. We've had very little discussion here about the conflict in Israel. I just don't know enough to have a thoughtful opinion on the matter. Amichai does! He's also new to Toledo and a Wawa advocate! First, the new flag. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textThis lecture by Rabbi Yisroel Bernath intertwines the historical story of Rabbi Leibel Alevsky's battle for public menorahs in Cleveland with the Maccabean revolt against Hellenist assimilation and the Torah portion Mikeitz. Rabbi Bernath explores the recurring theme of Jewish pride, from Joseph's unwavering identification as a Hebrew to the courage required to light public menorahs in defiance of opposition. The menorah, a symbol of both religious freedom and Jewish pride, challenges us to stand tall in our identity even when faced with societal pressures, reminding us that Jewish pride is the key to Jewish survival.Key TakeawaysJewish Pride in Action: Rabbi Leibel Alevsky's public menorah in Cleveland represents a modern-day Maccabean stand for Jewish dignity, despite opposition from both Jewish and non-Jewish communities.Freedom vs. Assimilation: Chanukah is not just about freedom from oppression but also about resisting the allure of assimilation and holding onto one's identity amidst societal pressures.Lessons from Joseph and Moses: The Torah portion Mikeitz contrasts Joseph's unwavering pride in his Hebrew heritage with Moses's initial identification as an Egyptian, illustrating the enduring importance of self-identification with one's faith and people.Symbol of Freedom: The public menorah is not merely a religious symbol; it is a universal symbol of freedom, shining a light against the darkness of cultural erasure and assimilation.Generational Responsibility: Just as we nurture self-esteem in our children, we must nurture Jewish self-esteem, inspiring pride in their heritage and identity.Sign up for Kabbalah of Mental Wellness HERE https://ndg.chabadsuite.net/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=61Support the showGot your own question for Rabbi Bernath? He can be reached at rabbi@jewishndg.com or http://www.theloverabbi.comSingle? You can make a profile on www.JMontreal.com and Rabbi Bernath will help you find that special someone.Donate and support Rabbi Bernath's work http://www.jewishndg.com/donateFollow Rabbi Bernath's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/ybernathAccess Rabbi Bernath's Articles on Relationships https://medium.com/@loverabbi

The Jewish week-long festival will take place in just a few days. This year, Hanukkah falls on the night of December 25 and ends on January 2. Zach Benjamin, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Harrisburg and Marc Kline, Interim Rabbi of the Temp Ohev Shalom joined to the spark to share more information.The history of Hanukkah begins 2200 years ago.“The Syrian Greeks were in control of what we now call Israel Palestine, and they brought Greek culture, which was replacing the existing Jewish culture, and they trashed the temple and didn't destroy, but they trashed and were sacrificing pigs on the altar. And Jews said, we can't let this happen. And so Matthias and Judah Maccabee and their followers warred against the Syrian Greeks and they defeated the Greeks and rededicated the temple. The rest of the story becomes a matter of different versions of history. The story everybody seems to know is that when they went to light the lights on the altar, they had one cruise of oil that hadn't been destroyed. They thought it would last for one day and it lasted for eight. That story's first written about 500 years later. Many of the versions of the story, though, deal with the fact that we changed the practice from Pagan to to God at the altar, that people stopped the war to rededicate themselves to God. So whatever story you're looking at, we're looking at bringing the light of peace and faith over the ugliness of paganism and war, “said Kline.Zach Benjamin explained the significance of sundown and those eight days of Hanukkah.“Well, in at its most basic, the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar, what we think of as our typical calendar, they're different in a number of ways. The Hebrew calendar has 13 months. The our Western calendar has 12 months. And another way that they are different is that the Hebrew day begins at sundown and goes from sundown to sundown. And thus Hanukkah, like all other Jewish observances, begins at sundown on the first day. And Hanukkah lasts eight days. And so it goes until sundown.” Also on The Program: Kwanzaa honors unity, pride, and African traditions from December 26 to January 1. This celebration brings people together by sharing stories, lighting candles, and community. Naaja Rodgers, Professor of Africana studies at Dickinson College says Kwanzaa is a Kiswahili word.“So it's actually a Kiswahili word, which means maternal, your Kwanzaa, which means first fruits. So essentially Kwanzaa means first fruit. And these are typically celebrations that are held throughout Africa.”Kwanza was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga. He was a part of a cultural nationalist group that promoted African culture.“The Watts riots in Los Angeles and just the racial tensions going on during the Black Power movement inspired him to think about what we can do to kind of help African people as a collective Pan-African. Keep that theme intact. How can we ensure that black people are able to reason to remember and prepare for the new Year as opposed to just like the commercialization of Christmas where it's like a hustle and bustle, you're shopping and then you give a gift and then you go on to the new year.”There are seven principles of Kwanzaa: Umoja (Unity) Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) Nia (Purpose) Kuumba (Creativity) Imani (Faith)Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to 'The Avrum Rosensweig's Show' NORTHERN ISRAEL REPORT. In this episode, we will hear the incredible story of Shayna Paquin, a mother of seven, in the city of Sefat, Israel who was faced with the ever-present threat of rocket attacks. Shayna, together with her friend, Clara Levy and their organization, 'Sparks to Life' partnered with Torontonian/Israeli, Shmuel Bowman and 'Operation Lifeshield', took matters into their own hands realizing there were not enough bomb shelters for the most vulnerable—young children. In a remarkable show of resilience and determination, they set out to raise over $1 million, with the help of The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. With those funds, they purchased 50 bomb shelters for Sefat's schoolyards, providing a lifeline for those with nowhere to hide. Today, we dive into their journey determining what drove these warriors, the challenges they faced, and the lives they changed in the process. Stay tuned for a powerful conversation about courage, community, and the unwavering spirit of a mother and friends, determined to protect the children of their city.

The Jewish week-long festival will take place in just a few days. This year, Hanukkah falls on the night of December 25 and ends on January 2. Zach Benjamin, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Harrisburg and Marc Kline, Interim Rabbi of the Temp Ohev Shalom joined to the spark to share more information. The history of Hanukkah begins 2200 years ago. “The Syrian Greeks were in control of what we now call Israel Palestine, and they brought Greek culture, which was replacing the existing Jewish culture, and they trashed the temple and didn't destroy, but they trashed and were sacrificing pigs on the altar. And Jews said, we can't let this happen. And so Matthias and Judah Maccabee and their followers warred against the Syrian Greeks and they defeated the Greeks and rededicated the temple. The rest of the story becomes a matter of different versions of history. The story everybody seems to know is that when they went to light the lights on the altar, they had one cruise of oil that hadn't been destroyed. They thought it would last for one day and it lasted for eight. That story's first written about 500 years later. Many of the versions of the story, though, deal with the fact that we changed the practice from Pagan to to God at the altar, that people stopped the war to rededicate themselves to God. So whatever story you're looking at, we're looking at bringing the light of peace and faith over the ugliness of paganism and war, “said Kline. Zach Benjamin explained the significance of sundown and those eight days of Hanukkah. “Well, in at its most basic, the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar, what we think of as our typical calendar, they're different in a number of ways. The Hebrew calendar has 13 months. The our Western calendar has 12 months. And another way that they are different is that the Hebrew day begins at sundown and goes from sundown to sundown. And thus Hanukkah, like all other Jewish observances, begins at sundown on the first day. And Hanukkah lasts eight days. And so it goes until sundown.” Listen to the podcast to learn more about Hanukkah.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, host Rockne Roll speaks with Rabbi Eve Posen, Associate Rabbi of Congregation Neveh Shalom in Portland and a former Rukin Rabbinic Fellow with 18 Doors, about how interfaith families can constructively approach multiple holiday traditions in the late stages of the year. They discuss the importance of communication, how Jewish institutions can support interfaith families, and the joys of Chanukah-themed pajamas. Learn more about the Rukin Fellowship and find resources for mixed-heritage Jewish families at 18doors.org. Find resources and events to celebrate Chanukah in Portland at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland's Chanukah Happenings page at https://jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/chanukahresources24.

Kamala Harris' staff reveals their biggest challenges, notably the little time they had to sell their candidate to America. Plus, Hunter Biden is pardoned by his father—an act he said he'd never commit, then again, no one thought Hunter would commit many of the acts he committed either. And we're joined by former Congressman Eric Fingerhut, now CEO of the Jewish Federations of America, to discuss what an organization like his does when over a third of Senate Democrats vote to strip Israel of military support. Produced by Joel Patterson and Corey Wara Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, visit: https://advertisecast.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Follow Mikes Substack at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode, host Rockne Roll goes over the basics of Kabbalah with Dr. Yosef Rosen, the recently-appointed Director of Jewish Life and Learning at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. They discuss the history of Jewish mysticism, where it can be found today and how to bring a small spark of the mystical into your Jewish practice. Reach Dr. Rosen by email at yosef@jewishportland.org. Check out the Federation's Chanukah Happenings page online at jewishportland.org/ourcommunity/chanukahresources24.

In their first live episode, hosts Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman talk to Meghan McCain—author, former co-host of The View, and podcast host. The conversation was recorded live in front of a packed audience at the Jewish Federation of North America's General Assembly in Washington, DC. Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Senator John McCain, brings an insightful perspective on antisemitism, American politics, and her personal experiences as an ally to the Jewish community. The episode explores complex, timely themes, balancing moments of humor with serious reflections on the challenges facing Jewish communities today. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: Jewish History Nerds Unpacking Israeli History Soulful Jewish Living

As election day nears, Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, are zeroing in on Pennsylvania, which has the largest Jewish community among the battleground states. Aaron Troodler, editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent, breaks down what's influencing Jewish voter sentiment in Pennsylvania, from economic and social issues to the U.S.-Israel relationship amid rising antisemitism and Israel's defensive war against Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah.  AJC is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. AJC neither supports nor opposes candidates for elective office. The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: with Hen Mazzig, Einat Admony, and more. People of the Pod:  Sinwar Eliminated: What Does This Mean for the 101 Hostages Still Held by Hamas? From Doña Gracia to Deborah Lipstadt: What Iconic Jewish Women Can Teach Us Today The Nova Music Festival Survivor Saved by an 88-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Follow 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 appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. __ Transcript of Conversation with Aaron Troodler: Manya Brachear Pashman:   It's the home stretch leading up to election day for the presidential campaigns of Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris. And both campaigns see Jewish voters in seven swing states as key to a potential victory. These seven swing states are swarming with canvassers, knocking on doors, handing out literature and engaging undecided voters in critical conversations.  Joining us for a critical conversation about the Jewish vote in one of those swing states is Aaron Troodler, editor of The Philadelphia Exponent and The Washington Jewish Week.  Aaron, welcome to People of the Pod. Aaron Troodler:   Thank you, Manya, it's a pleasure to be here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Aaron, you live in the Philadelphia area and have your finger on the political pulse there. Everyone's talking about the impact of Pennsylvania's voters. What makes Pennsylvania so key?  Aaron Troodler:   So I think they're going to have a very significant influence. There are a lot of people saying these days that the path to the presidency runs through Pennsylvania, and I do think that there's a degree of truth to that.  But in fact, I believe that the path to the presidency may very well run through the Jewish community, not just in Pennsylvania, but more specifically, in the greater Philadelphia area. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How much of an influence are they going to have in this election? Aaron Troodler:   Ballpark, the Jewish population in Pennsylvania is estimated somewhere between 400,000, a little bit north of that figure. Of that 400,000 and change, it's estimated that approximately 300,000 or so are of voting age. And when you take into account that in 2020, Joe Biden beat then-President Donald Trump only by about 80,000 votes cast in Pennsylvania.  And then, if you look back to 2016, Donald Trump won by only about 44,000 votes. We're talking about very slim margins here, and the outsized influence of the greater Jewish community is really going to shine through in this election. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Now, are you talking about Philadelphia city proper, or suburban Philadelphia? Is there a difference in how the two vote?  Aaron Troodler:   Great question, Manya, focusing primarily on suburban Pennsylvania. You have, for example, in 2019, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia–and I know this goes back five years, but it's the most recent data we have–did a population study, a community profile. And they looked at basically five counties, give or take, including Philadelphia County, which includes the city, but also 4 suburban counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery.  And approximately at that point– again, dating back five years–but there are approximately 195,000 Jewish households at the time. And that number has grown over the past several years. I won't be able to really quantify it, because we don't have the actual data, but it's a significant number.  And you know, when you take into account that Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, which is represented by Madeleine Dean, it's mostly Montgomery County, which is suburban Philadelphia County. It's got the largest Jewish population in the state, in terms of congressional districts. It's very significant.  And then the second largest is Pennsylvania's first congressional district, which is represented by Brian Fitzpatrick. And again, there are about 40,000 Jewish adults in that district. 54,000 or so, give or take, in the Montgomery County area. We're talking about big numbers.  And I think what's happening now is just by virtue of where we are as a Jewish community, whether it be antisemitism, and being very cognizant of the frightening rise of antisemitism, whether it be on college campuses, city streets, social media platforms. People are very mindful of that, and rightfully so.  And then when you throw into the equation the current situation involving Israel and the reverberations felt around the world just resulting from the Israel-Hamas war post-October 7, the Jewish community, I think, is mobilized now, perhaps even more than ever, to make their voices heard. And to do that, they would be going and voting and making their voices heard through their choices in the election. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You just mentioned the rise of antisemitism. What issues are guiding the Jewish vote? Because I know in years past, concerns about the economy have really steered the Jewish vote. Is that still true in the 2024 election? Aaron Troodler:   It's an interesting point you raise Manya, because I think historically, the Jewish community, and I'm over-generalizing by saying the Jewish community. Obviously, it's comprised of several denominations who historically have had potentially different political leanings. But I think a lot of the domestic issues, whether it be the economy, reproductive rights, taxes, immigration, I mean, I think all these things are on people's radar screens.  However, I think there is a particular emphasis now on Israel. I think that is front and center. I know historically in the Orthodox community, that has been the case. I think that has carried over to the conservative community, the reform community, other communities. And I think the survival of the Jewish state and the health and strength of the US-Israel relationship is paramount to Jewish voters. Not to the exclusion of the other issues that we're talking about on the domestic front.  But I think people are viewing this election through a different lens, just by virtue of the circumstances that we're discussing, that our brethren in Israel are facing. And I think that is really informing people's votes, whether it be for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. And that's a whole other conversation we could have, but I think that that really is front and center, maybe not the sole factor, but most certainly a primary factor.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   So how does that translate? I mean, many believe that the Biden administration has been quite supportive of Israel. Others believe it has not been supportive enough. Aaron Troodler:   Right. Well, I think the answer depends on who you ask. I think there is a very strong case to be made that the Biden administration and Kamala Harris was obviously a pivotal part of that administration, has been supportive of Israel, and I think there's a lot of conversation that centers around President Biden's response and reaction to October 7, particularly in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks, and how he handled it at that time. I think on the other side of the equation you have people pointing to Donald Trump's presidency and saying, Hey, he perhaps might be the best president that the Jewish community, slash Israel, has ever had, just by virtue of some of the things he did while he was in office.  I think this is all leading to a very spirited debate, a very robust conversation about people who feel very passionate, you know, A or B. And I don't know that there's all that much consensus. I think people that are supportive of Kamala Harris are adamant and positive that she will be best for Israel. And conversely, people who are on the other side of the coin and feel that Donald Trump is their chosen candidate are making the same choice for Donald Trump.  So I don't know that there's a particular answer to that question, but I do firmly believe that that has become a defining issue for the Jewish community. And it's just remarkable to me that people, perhaps I'm over generalizing, you know, 50% of the population is saying, you know, she is absolutely, unquestionably, the best friend that we've had and will have, and then you have the same people saying similar things about Donald Trump.  So it's hard to quantify, but I do think that it has really, really become pervasive, meaning the notion of Israel and the central role that is playing this election, it's absolutely pivotal. And people are, I think, are really making their choices on who to support based on their assessment of those issues.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Just to clarify, you said the same people are saying that about Trump. You meant the same percentage of people, right? Aaron Troddler:   Correct, give or take. The Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) has done a poll, and they found, you know, over 70% of the Jewish community is supporting Kamala Harris, as opposed to 20-25% for Donald Trump. You have polls, you have data from the Republican Jewish Coalition that shows that half the voters are supporting Donald Trump. These figures are bouncing around. I mean, obviously we've seen in the past polls definitely have value to them, but I think the real test, the real result, won't be really known until election day. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned denominational differences, but what about generational differences? Are younger Jewish voters leaning toward a particular candidate, or toward particular issues that are different than the ones that concern older voters? Aaron Troodler:   Great question. I'm personally not seeing it. I have young adult children, let's call them, who are invested in terms of who they're voting for. You have people that I encounter that are on the opposite end of the spectrum, perhaps in their golden years, who are very opinionated in terms of who they want to vote for.  I think what's, you know, an interesting thing here, and again, it's not really, I don't know if it's quantifiable by denomination. But I think another thing that is important to mention, Manya, is, you still have, I know we're only several days prior to election day. There's still a healthy amount of people that are, I think, truly undecided. I think a lot of people, particularly in the Jewish community, that I've spoken with and encountered, are really torn.  In Pennsylvania we are getting an absolute barrage of campaign mail, TV ads, canvassers knocking on doors. There's a lot of that, particularly in the Philadelphia suburbs, and a good amount of those, again, I know they're targeting the Jewish community, focus on Israel and antisemitism. And you look at a piece of mail for one particular candidate, and it makes it sound like the other one is the devil. And then flip the coin and it's the opposite for the other candidate. I think people are really trying to cut through the noise and get to the heart of the matter and make their own assessment. You can't really focus on the demographics in terms of age and whatnot.  I think it's an across the board issue that people are focusing on. The people who are pro-Trump are pro-Trump, the people who are pro-Harris are pro-Harris, and then you have this whole sliver in the middle that I think are truly undecided. Even with the election looming large. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Is that just because they're getting conflicting messages, and they're just easily swayed one way or the other, and therefore they're torn, or are they waiting for something? Are they waiting for some deciding factor to reveal itself? Aaron Troodler:   I'm actually not sure if it's either. I don't know that they're waiting for something per se, because if they are, that quote, unquote thing may never come and they have to make a determination. I do feel that there are some in the Jewish community, and I think the Harris campaign has acknowledged this in events that they've had featuring the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, who obviously is Jewish, who would become the first Jewish first spouse.  But there's been an acknowledgement by renowned and well known surrogates of the Harris campaign that there are some reservations in the Jewish community. They're not giving credence to those hesitations that people might have, in terms of Kamala Harris and her position on Israel, or what that might look like. They're just acknowledging that it's there, and they recognize that they have to speak to that issue.  I think on the flip side of the coin, you have people who are looking at Donald Trump, and say, oh he moved the embassy to Jerusalem, and he recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and he said that the settlements in the West Bank are not illegal, you know, per se under international law. And people are looking at those and they say, Wow, he did some great stuff.  And then those same people may look at Donald Trump as a candidate and say, Is he the best person for our country? And that's a determination that they're trying to make, and I think are having a lot of trouble doing so just because of the different packed factors that are kind of pulling and tugging at them in different directions.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I want to go back to the Israel-Hamas war. What about that war are people thinking about when it comes to supporting a candidate? In other words, are they looking at the 101 hostages that are still in captivity, and what the candidates are saying, or how they're treating that situation? Or are they looking at humanitarian aid issues when it comes to Gaza? What are they looking at? Aaron Troodler:   Manya, I think they're looking at all of that, and I think that's all factoring into the equation and the decision making process. And this is where I believe the vice president might be at a little bit of a disadvantage, because she's a prominent member of the current administration, whereas Donald Trump is no longer the president at the moment. And so they're looking at actions of the administration and parsing each move and each statement. And whether or not that moves the needle, I don't know. But I do think that she has a harder hurdle to overcome vis a vis those issues, because people are really looking at statements that she's made, whether it be about the humanitarian aid that you referred to reaching Gaza and the need for that to happen. People are looking to statements that the President, perhaps, has made relative to Israel and their response. And on and off over the past year, there have been a number of times when, reportedly, the US has cautioned Israel or advised Israel not to proceed down a certain path. There's been talk about weapon shipments and delays and stuff of that nature. And I think all of those are issues that Kamala Harris has to contend with, just by virtue of association.  And I think there's a lot of folks in the community saying, you know, what would a Harris presidency look like? You know, we know what a Trump presidency looks like vis a vis Israel. What would the Harris presidency look like?  I will say, you know, the President, the Vice President, has seemingly been very supportive of Israel on the issue of antisemitism. Obviously, the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism that was unveiled by this current administration was heralded by people as a very necessary move. And I know, obviously the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, was intimately involved in that as well.  All those things, I think, are factoring into people's decision making process. It's a very complicated decision for many people. And I think that's really something that the Vice President is, I think trying to work through. How does she carve out her own path, and what does that path look like? Manya Brachear Pashman:   How influential is Pennsylvania's Jewish Governor Josh Shapiro in this race? Aaron Troodler:   So the saga of Josh Shapiro is obviously well known at this point. He's a governor who wears his Judaism on his sleeve, very proud of it. Will often quote passages relating to Jewish thought. He talks openly about his Shabbat observances and celebrations with his family. And obviously he was seemingly, reportedly, on the cusp of the vice presidency.  I think what's interesting about Josh Shapiro, aside from his religion, is that he's universally well liked, let's call it. I think his appeal throughout Pennsylvania, it does transcend party lines in many places, just by virtue of his approach to government, his commitment to bipartisanship, and how he's been as a governor. I think there's a lot of appeal. I think the fact that he's become a primary surrogate for the Harris campaign across the country, quite frankly, but more particularly in Pennsylvania. I think people look at that, I think there's certainly a segment of the population that was definitely holding out hope that he might end up as the Vice President of the United States. But I think that you know his willingness to go out on the trail and to and to stump for Kamala Harris and to try and speak about her bona fides as a candidate, and her strengths and what she could do for the country and her vision. I think people are taking note of that, particularly the Jewish community. Whether that will sway everybody to a particular candidate, I don't know. But I definitely do know that people are taking notice of it because people are speaking about it in a favorable way. Manya Brachear Pashman:   What is he saying when he stumps for her? What is he saying to get out all those voters?  Aaron Troodler:   Well, he's trying to paint her as basically, not just the best choice, but the only choice. Obviously, he, I guess it's no secret. I don't think he's really a fan of Donald Trump, and I don't think he pulls any punches when it comes to that regard. But I think in Josh Shapiro's mind, the governor really firmly believes that the Vice President is the best person to lead this country forward.  And I think when you when you factor in all the issues, for example, we talked about domestic issues at the outset of the conversation, when you look at all those issues, and you don't only make it about Israel, there's a thought that perhaps Kamala Harris is that person, and that's the message that Josh Shapiro's trying to convey.  You know, obviously Trump supporters look at that and shake their heads, because they don't buy into that. But I think in terms of the case that he's trying to make to the voters, particularly to Jewish voters, it is a compelling case, because he's a compelling messenger. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You talked about canvassers being all over Pennsylvania, especially the greater Philadelphia area. Can you paint a scene for our listeners? I mean, do you see teams of people walking the streets? Have people knocked on your doors, rung your doorbell? Tell me what kind of things you're seeing. What you see day to day in Greater Philadelphia. Aaron Troodler:   I think I can probably measure the amount of canvassers by the number of door hangers that have been left on my front door over the past several months. There's a huge effort. You have people coming from different states. All descending on Pennsylvania. And there is a particular emphasis on the Jewish community, particularly in suburban Philadelphia.  I was covering an event for the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent a number of weeks ago, where Doug Emhoff came and was the featured speaker at a Get Out The Jewish [Vote] event in a Philadelphia suburb. Ben Stiller was there, the well known actor. Senator Ben Cardin, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came up from Maryland. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the congresswoman from Florida, was there.  It's a full blown effort on the part of both campaigns to try and cultivate the Jewish vote, try to generate more Jewish support. Both sides of the coin. I think you know, the Republican Jewish Coalition has put a very significant emphasis on this election, whether it be through ads, whether it be through surrogates, whether it be through the canvassers, they're everywhere.  And I think I think it's good. I think it's not only does it underscore the importance of Philadelphia's Jewish community in in an election that literally has national implications, but it enables people. When somebody knocks on your door, if you answer the door, you can engage in a dialogue. Obviously they are slanted to a particular candidate, whether it be Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, and that's fine, but it gives voters who perhaps are still undecided at this point the opportunity to have a conversation with the folks who are knocking on their doors about the issues that are important to them.  But I think just by virtue of the sheer number of canvassers who have been kind of traversing our neighborhoods over the past several weeks, I think it's indicative of the outsized role that Philadelphia's Jewish community's playing in the presidential election. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned Governor Shapiro is kind of a surrogate for the Harris-Walz campaign. Does the Trump campaign have a surrogate in Pennsylvania or in the Philadelphia area? Aaron Troodler:   So they have people who are coming around. There's Peter Deutsch, who's a former congressman from Florida, who's a democratic congressman from Florida, came up to not just Pennsylvania, but the greater Philadelphia area, in particular, to spend several weeks. I know he was here over the Sukkot holiday. You know, they are bringing folks in because they're trying to make the case to people that look, you know, when it comes to the issues that you, the Jewish community, cares about, Donald Trump's your man.  And they are doing that, and they're trying to do it in a way that will resonate with people. And we mentioned some high profile people on the Democratic side. You know there are people on the Republican side, whether it's Congressman Deutsch, other people are coming in. The RJC has been very active in the community recently.  And in addition to official campaign surrogates, you know you have conversations happening in synagogues, you know, community institutions, where regular folks are conversing with one another. So each campaign, in addition to the, let's call them the official surrogates, you have these armies of unofficial surrogates who are talking with one another and trying to convince their peers to vote for a particular candidate. And with all the holidays that we just had on the Jewish calendar, spent a lot of time in shul, in the synagogue, and there's a lot of folks talking about the presidential election. And I'll tell you, quite frankly, there's no consensus. There are people that are absolutely pro-Trump, and they're people that are absolutely pro-Harris. And I think those folks are trying to impart to what's called the undecided people, their feelings about the campaign and their particular candidates.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I do want to clarify for listeners, Peter Deutsch should not be confused with Ted Deutch, AJC CEO, who has not been in Pennsylvania canvassing as a surrogate for either candidate. It's a different Deutsch. But what about rabbis? How involved are rabbis getting into this campaign? How involved have they been in these conversations? Aaron Troodler:   So it's interesting. Whenever you broach the topic of politics from the pulpit, it becomes very tricky. Obviously, there's 501(c)(3) status considerations and stuff of that nature that I think rabbis are always mindful of. So what they talk about from the pulpit and how they talk about it is usually done very carefully and deliberately. That all being said, there's no question that maybe, behind the scenes, let's call it, rabbis, have very distinct opinions about this.  How that will sway congregants in their respective congregations, it's hard to know. But I do think, I think because rabbis have spent so much time over the past year, post-October 7, talking about these issues of Israel's security and survival and the things that we need to do to help Israel, this is just another step in that process. Obviously, the next President of the United States is going to play a pivotal role in Israel's future and Israel's security.  The relationship between the US and Israel is paramount, and Israel depends heavily on the United States, whether it be for the military aid, strategic aid and cooperation. And on the other side of the coin, the United States relies on Israel for many national and security considerations.  But I think because rabbis have spent so much time talking about that stuff, it's top of mind for everybody. It's at the forefront of all of our minds. And whether or not they get up from the pulpit and endorse a particular candidate, I'm not sure that's going to happen in most situations, but there's no question that rabbis are trying to convey to their congregants the importance of ensuring that Israel has a strong friend and ally in the White House. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Aaron, thank you so much for joining us and shedding a little light on what's going on in your neck of the woods.  Aaron Troodler:   Of course Manya, thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure chatting with you.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episode, be sure to tune in for a conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, and AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, Jason Isaacson, about the Israeli Defense Force's elimination of Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7 terror attacks. 

Jeannie Smith is the daughter of Polish rescuer Irene Gut Opdyke, who received international recognition for her actions during the Holocaust while working for a high-ranking German official. Irene's story became a nationally acclaimed Broadway play, Irena's Vow. Jeannie is a recipient of the 2015 Civil Rights award given by the Anti-Defamation League and an honorary member of the Jewish Federation of North America. Jeannie resides in Washington State with her husband, Gary. Her visit is sponsored by the JBU College of Education and Social and Behavioral Science and the Office of Christian Formation.

The 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting was a tragic and violent attack that took place on July 28, 2006, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle building in Seattle, Washington. The shooter, Naveed Haq, a 30-year-old man, entered the building, claiming he was there to speak with a representative of the Federation but then opened fire, killing one person and injuring five others.Haq, who was of Pakistani descent and a Muslim, reportedly had a personal history of mental health issues. He walked into the Federation's offices armed with a handgun and began shooting indiscriminately at the employees present. He also made anti-Israel and anti-Semitic statements during the attack, although the exact motivations behind his actions remain unclear, with some speculating that it was a combination of personal grievances, ideological beliefs, and mental instability.The police arrived and were able to arrest Haq without further violence after a standoff. He was charged with first-degree murder, five counts of attempted murder, and other related crimes.The victim who died was Linda Thompson, a Jewish woman and employee at the Federation. The other five victims, though injured, survived the attack. Haq's actions raised concerns about anti-Semitic violence, and the event sent shockwaves through the Jewish community in Seattle and beyond.In 2009, Haq was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder and attempted murders. The attack remains one of the most notable instances of anti-Semitic violence in the United States in the 21st century.www.unforbiddentruth.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/unforbidden-truth--4724561/support.

Jeff Styles 1st interview on DTB Podcast platform! Michael Dzik, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga - The 1 Year Anniversary of the Hamas Attack on Israel (A PODCAST PROVIDED AND OWNED BY DURING THE BREAK PODCASTS) Thanks to our sponsors: MedicareMisty: www.medicaremisty.com Vascular Institute of Chattanooga: https://www.vascularinstituteofchattanooga.com/ Alchemy Medspa and Wellness Center: http://www.alchemychattanooga.com/ ALL OUR PODCASTS WITH ONE CLICK: www.duringthebreakpodcast.com Please consider leaving us a review on Apple and giving us a share to your friends! This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

In this special episode, host Rockne Roll speaks with Jewish Federations of North America President and CEO Eric Fingerhut on the aftermath of the Oct. 7 terror attacks and how they've reshaped, and continued to reshape, Jewish life in North America. They discuss the radicalization of college campuses, how conversations have shifted around Israel, and why community engagement is the crucial action for the future of Jewish communities.

Debbie Steinhauer is passionate about giving to the community. An expert in starting Non-Profit Foundations, she is the Founder of Fox River Grove Recreation Counsel (1984), Co-Founder/Chair VOICES (1992), Seattle Fire Foundation (2019), and the Scottsdale Police Foundation (2023). As Founder and CEO of the Scottdale Police Foundation, she volunteers her time to the organization and is responsible for the management of the organization, the Board and integration of the various programs into the community. Outside of Debbie's volunteer work, Debbie spent her career in Health Care Executive Leadership as Director of Physician Services, then moved to owning two successful restaurants. She lives in North Scottsdale with her husband and three dogs.Originally from New York, Jon grew up in Scottsdale and is a graduate of University of Arizona in Tucson. With a background in both commercial brokerage and property management, Jon co-founded LevRose Commercial Real Estate in 1992 with Robert Levine. Under his leadership, LevRose is a six time honoree as one of the Inc 500/5000 Fastest Growing Companies in the U.S. LevRose has consistently been named one of the Business Journal's "Top 25 Commercial Brokerage Firms", is a multi-year recipient of Costar Groups "Power Broker" Award and in 2020 was names "#1 Commercial Brokerage Firm" by Ranking Arizona Magazine. Jon served for several years on the board and is an active member of the Arizona Chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO). Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of TCN Worldwide, an International alliance of commercial real estate firms of which LevRose is the Arizona affiliate and is also serving on the Board of Directors of the recently formed Scottsdale Police Foundation. He recently served on the Board of the Arizona Small Business Association (ASBA) and gives time to serve on committees for the City of Scottsdale, the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and the University of Arizona Mentorship Society, where he helps mentor numerous up and coming leaders in Arizona. Jon was recently recognized by AZRE Magazine as One of the "Top People to Know in Commercial Real Estate". He has been a featured guest on PBS television show "Arizona Horizons" as well as interviews on numerous podcasts, GlobeStreet.com, the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Business Journal.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on all the latest in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, from the vice presidential picks –Tim Walz and JD Vance – to Israel and antisemitism. Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC's Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, speaks with Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief at the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Kampeas also discussed the importance of accuracy and empathy in reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, highlighting the need for journalists to avoid biases and misrepresentations. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Ron Kampeas Learn: AJC's Call to Action Against Antisemitism U.S. Party Platforms Must Take a Stand Against Antisemitism Here are 5 Jewish Issues Republicans and Democrats Must Address at their Conventions Listen: What the Unprecedented Assassinations of Terror Leaders Means for Israel and the Middle East Aviva Klompas is Fighting the Normalization of Antisemitism on Social Media On the Ground at the Republican National Convention: What's at Stake for Israel and the Middle East? Follow 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 appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Ron Kampeas: Manya Brachear Pashman:   This week, my colleague Julie Fishman Rayman, AJC Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs, spoke to Ron Kampeas, the Washington DC Bureau Chief of JTA, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. They broke down the latest in the 2024 US presidential election. Julie, the mic is yours. Julie Fishman Rayman: Ron, thank you so much for joining us. I'm so pleased to have this conversation with you, because we get to flip the tables and someone who's really a beloved and renowned journalist in the Jewish space, and finally, I get to ask you questions. So thank you for making this opportunity available to us. Ron Kampeas:  Thank you. Julie Fishman Rayman: I want to start by talking a little bit about the conventions. You were in Milwaukee covering AJC's event, alongside a number of other things. Thank you for being there with us. What were your biggest takeaways from the Republican Convention, particularly as they related to the issues of Israel and antisemitism? Ron Kampeas:  I think Israel was front and center, and they made it front and center because it's an obvious advantage that they have over the Democrats right now. So, you know, I think the representative moment was, in a way, when Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, he was invited for the first time to address the Republican Convention, and the first thing he said was, let's hear it for Israel, or something like that, or let's hear it for the hostages. And there were cheers, and then he says that couldn't happen in a month at the Democratic Convention. He might be right. And so that was a big plus for them. On antisemitism it's a little more opaque, but it's problematic, I think, because after Matt spoke, he called us Jewish media reporters together for a little gaggle, and we asked him, naturally, about the isolationism that the vice presidential or the running mate pick JD Vance represents. And it's interesting, the way that Matt put it. He said, yeah, it is a problem. He was candid. He said, it's a problem in the party, and we plan to fight it. And, you know, nobody prompted him, but he said, we plan to take on the Tucker Carlson wing of the party. The interesting thing about that is that he said, prevent Tucker Carlson wing from getting a foothold. And Tucker Carlson had very much a foothold at the convention. He spoke on the last night, setting up Donald Trump's speech. He was up in the balcony with Donald Trump. And of course, you know, Matt's point is that Tucker Carlson is very much an isolationist, particularly as far as Ukraine goes, but he's given hints as far as Israel goes. But it's more than that. He's platformed antisemites, and he's kind of ventured into that territory himself – antisemites like Candace Owens, Kanye West – and I think that that is something that Jewish Republicans are going to have to grapple with. Julie Fishman Rayman: One of the things that was discussed at AJC's event alongside the Republican National Convention was the policy positions of not just JD Vance, but others who sort of align with that faction of the Republican Party – I guess, the Tucker Carlson faction – and sort of reading the tea leaves on Ukraine and saying, you know, at what point does the hesitancy around support for Ukraine translate into hesitancy for support for Israel? And does it? What would you say to that question? Ron Kampeas:  You know, it's interesting that at least as far as I could track, that played out an explicit sense only at your event, at the AJC event. There were people who were asking hard questions of the panelists, and two of the panelists were very much not stumping for Trump, they were defending Trump and the Trump policies. Kirsten Fontenrose, not so much. She was more critical, and even though she was part of the Trump NSC. And so the defense that they were saying is that simply, you know, whatever you may think of Trump's position, this is Rich Goldberg has particularly said this, but I think Ken Weinstein also said it, whatever you may think of Trump's positions on Ukraine, the strength he will project in the world. And this was right after the assassination, and Rich Goldberg kept on bringing up that Associated Press photo of Trump looking very defiant after being shot, that strength is going to deter the kind of actions that Putin has taken in Ukraine.  But the flip side of that actually came up a couple of weeks later at a Christians United for Israel conference here in DC, where isolationism was very much on the mind, and what they were articulating and what might have been articulated in an AIPAC conference, if AIPAC still had conferences – it doesn't – but what they were articulating is that it's holistic, that you can't just say, like, JD Vance says, ‘Oh, I'm all for assisting Israel, but we don't need to assist Ukraine, because Russia's bad actions in Ukraine are being supported by Iran. Iran is supplying arms to Russia in Ukraine that it then can, you know, see how those arms work in Ukraine, and they can use them theoretically against Israel.'  We're seeing now, as tensions build up in the Middle East, that Russia has Iran's back. And then, you know, there's also China, which is also problematic and is buying Iranian oil and helping to prop up the Iranian economy that way. So it's not simply a matter of whether one side projects strength better than the other side, and this is the argument coming out of the Christians United for Israel thing. It's a matter of constant engagement and awareness of how all these things can interlock. Julie Fishman Rayman: I think that's a really great point, and I'm glad you made that connection. I know one of the other issues that was present or discussed at the Christians United for Israel conference was the issue of the hostages, and what you said before about the sort of rallying result of Matt Brooks' comments about, you know, let's hear it for Israel, let's hear it for the hostage families. And a similar cry might solicit or elicit at the DNC. What do you think we could expect? You know, would you expect that a hostage family will take to the stage as Orna and Ronen Neutra did at the DNC, and if so, what might the result be? Ron Kampeas:  So that's a good question. I know that they've asked. I know that the hostage families have asked to appear at the DNC. I know that there are people who have told me that the DNC, especially like with Kamala Harris, who has spoken out for the hostages. I don't see how Kamala Harris could not have the hostages or some sort of representation of the hostages at the conference. On the other hand, the Democrats are going to have to worry about, I don't think they're going to be booed, but I think that they're not going to get the same sort of enthusiastic reception that maybe that they got at the Republican conference, and simultaneously the uncommitted movement. The movement was founded in Michigan and spread to some other states that when Biden was the nominee, particularly, they were upset that Biden wasn't doing enough to stop the war in Gaza, wasn't doing enough to force Israel into a ceasefire, and they wanted to show that they didn't necessarily have to vote for him in November, so they didn't vote for him in the primaries.  And they had different effects in different states, but certainly in states like Michigan and Minnesota, I think that they had a pretty good turnout as far as that goes. And they want a doctor from Gaza to speak at the DNC. So you know which might be fine. It might be a legitimate enterprise in their part, but you know that the Democrats are going to be accused of “both sides-ing” it, that the Republicans wouldn't have somebody like that. So because of the Democrats of different constituencies, as much as the Republicans are now, at least the Trump campaign is now trying to reach out to Arab Americans. It's much more a constituency for the Democrats, as are the Jews. It's going to be like a tightrope for them to walk. And so I don't know how that's going to be a play out, but it's certainly something we're going to be tracking. Julie Fishman Rayman: Talking about that, that tightrope, and also, because you mentioned Michigan and Minnesota, let's talk for a moment about the selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for the vice presidential nominee. He has both spoken at AIPAC's conferences, stood by Israel after the October 7 attacks, talked about Jewish students on campus dealing with encampments and anti-Israel protests and has really been outspoken about rising antisemitism in this country. On the flip side, he also speaks to the more progressive flank of the Democratic Party, and has urged the party to do more intentional kind of outreach to anti-Israel voters who aren't committed to voting the Harris-Walz ticket. What do you make of him in this moment, as both a campaigner and then presumably, if elected, what would you make of him as a vice president? Ron Kampeas:  It's hard to say right now. Nobody was really aware of Tim Walz a lot outside of Minnesota until last week, but it's so funny because, you know, there was this whole push back against Shapiro from the far left because he was perceived as being – I'm talking about Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Governor who was a front runner – because he was perceived as being too pro-Israel.  But Yair Rosenberg did a really good job. I also did a little bit of reporting into this about how the other candidates, who other likelies that Kamala Harris were considering, are also pro-Israel, and Tim Walz has a long list of accomplishments, but you know, a measure of how fast this summer has gone, how crazy this political season has been, is this a week and a half ago, when Yair put up his story, he didn't even have Tim Walz in it. He was looking at Roy Cooper, he was looking at Mark Kelly from Arizona, and then, because nobody was even thinking about Tim Walz then, and now, he's the running mate.  But from what you can see about him, and like, we just, JTA just did a big story about his master's thesis on Holocaust education, he's somebody who really wants to listen. His recommendation to the Republican Party, you know, he's coined this whole weird thing. That's actually why the Harris campaign noticed him, because he was the first to call the Republicans weird. I mean, the Republican candidates, but he said don't direct that at the voters, direct that only at the nominees, because we have to listen to the voters. And so I think that you can look at what he says about listening to the protesters on campuses in that context. For somebody who was born in Nebraska and lived most of his life in a town of 400 people in Minnesota, he shows, like, remarkably nuanced understanding of things that are of Jewish concern regarding the Holocaust. He's talked about how, you know, one can look at the Holocaust legitimately as an anomaly in history, but also understand it as something that could be repeated, which is actually Yehuda Bauer, the famous Holocaust historian's point. The way he boiled it down was that the Holocaust happened only to the Jews, but it can happen to anybody. And so that's Waltz's outlook, and it shows somebody who's really sort of read up on this and considered it in depth. Julie Fishman Rayman: Because you mentioned that Josh Shapiro had been very much in the running there, I want to get your take on the sort of social media trends of calling him “Genocide Josh” because of his pro-Israel statements and record. Is that just blatant antisemitism that we need to be mindful of, was it specific? Do you think it's just, you know, savvy opposition researchers? What do you make of that? Ron Kampeas:  You know, we often think of antisemitism as, you know, planning to be antisemitic and putting out a statement. There are people who are consciously antisemitic, but the much greater, the much more vexing problem is that, how, it just seeps into the discourse. We have a polarized society, and it's just very easy when you're opposing somebody to grab whatever is in the toolbox to harm them. And for anybody who's Jewish, I mean, you see this and we talk about it openly, you see it when we talk about women in politics, about how attacks on them can be gendered. And nobody, at least nobody on the left, complains about that. Actually, maybe they did a little bit. You know, the Bernie Bros made gendered attacks on Hillary Clinton, and they didn't denied it.  But anyways, so you can say that attacks can be gendered, but it's hard to explain how attacks can also be antisemitic, because that's a tool in the box. And then a lot of people on the left don't want to acknowledge that. They slip into that. And I think that's what happened with Josh Shapiro. I think that there is for some reason, I mean, I can speculate as to, not even speculate – people have said why, even though he was just as pro-Israel as Tim Walz. He's like he's not less pro-Israel. But Mark Kelly did things that I'm sure Josh Shapiro wouldn't have done. Josh Shapiro doesn't like Benjamin Netanyahu.  Mark Kelly, the senator from Arizona, went to the Netanyahu speech, shook his hand afterwards and applauded, and they didn't get attacked in the same way. And if you look at some of the reasons that Shapiro was attacked, they talked about his upbringing, his going to a Jewish Day School in the Philly area, and the things that he was exposed to, they talked about his going to Israel when he was a teenager. And those are things that are part and parcel of a lot of American Jewish upbringings. And so you can say those things are indicting, but there's a point, because you're an American Jew coming up in American Jewish communities, going to be exposed to a lot of pro-Israel. But at what point does that become antisemitic? Because that's just the natural part of Jewish life. Julie Fishman Rayman: I want to ask you another question related to the media. I want to sort of get your take. Last week, AJC and the Jewish Federations of North America published an open letter to media outlets generally, really identifying how so many of them got the Hezbollah attack on the soccer field in the Golan so, so, so wrong that, after a dozen Druze kids playing soccer were murdered in the middle of the afternoon, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, others, just totally misrepresented the facts. The Washington Post headlined a story “Hezbollah denies responsibility for the fatal rocket strike.” It wasn't true. Hezbollah celebrated the attack until they learned that children were killed and then walked it back. And then doubling down, a later Washington Post story showed an image of the funeral of one of the children who was killed, but the headline read, “Israel hits target in Lebanon.”  So if you only look at the picture and you only read the headline, you think it's a Lebanese kid that has been killed by a strike in Israel, not that an Israeli Druze kid was killed by a Hezbollah attack. CNN, AP, they all sort of downplayed Hezbollah's role in these really horrific murders. Is this ignorance? Is it bias? Is it both? And regardless, if we're sort of operating under this principle of journalist integrity, is this OK? Ron Kampeas:  No, it's not OK. I don't know what went on at the Washington Post. I was witness, kind of, to one of the most foundational episodes in bad media takes, which happened right after the Second Intifada began, and the AP put out a photo of a policeman helping up a Haredi Jewish kid who had just been knocked down or even beaten by Palestinian writers in Jerusalem. And the AP captioned the photo saying that the policeman was attacking a Palestinian on the Temple Mount, which is so funny because there's a gas station in the back of the picture and there's no gas stations on the Temple Mount. I mean, if you know Jerusalem, you know the Temple Mount, you know how crazy that is. And so, like, what had happened was that I knew the guy who was handling photo editing at the AP that night when he got this picture. And at the time – this is in the early days of the Internet and computers – the picture came across at the AP's, Israeli photo agency affiliate, and Hebrew couldn't work on that machine, so, like, the Hebrew was scrambled. They captioned it in Hebrew. It was scrambled.  So the guy calls up the other guy who's also tired, and he said, was this like some cop beating up a Palestinian on the Temple Mount? He said, yeah, sure, and that's how the thing goes out. So it's just, like, journalists can screw up in ways that speak to a certain underlying bias about the conflict. They expect to see certain things, but it's also can be stupidity and laziness and just screw ups at the last minute. I mean, I imagine that's what happened with the Washington Post front page, but it's awful, and it needs to be remedied, and people need to be more educated, and they need to pay more attention. I think you're right. I think the way that the media has been treating the Hezbollah-Israel conflict in the north, in a way, differently than it treated, at least at the beginning, it treated Israel-Hamas. Hamas is clearly defined as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Hezbollah is an organization that's holding Lebanon hostage. Historically, people now think it was a big mistake to invade Lebanon in 1982. Hezbollah was partly an outgrowth of resentment of the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon. But Israel withdrew to UN. They went to the UN and they said, you decide where the lines are. We're not going to decide where the lines are.  You decide where the lines are, and we will withdraw that to that point. In 2000 Israel did that. Hezbollah continued to attack. Hezbollah launched a war in 2006 that Israel did not want, and conflict with Israel helps uphold Hezbollah within Lebanon. And so I think that because Hezbollah is a very proficient and weathered militia, they fought a war in Syria. They fought a terrible, genocidal war in Syria. They were on the wrong side of that, but they fought a war in Syria. They're good at what they're doing. So maybe there's a reflex to see this as a conflict between two militaries, but it's not.  It's a conflict between Israel and a terrorist organization that unprovoked launched missiles inside Israel on October the eighth, even before Israel was striking back in Gaza as a means of solidarity with Hamas. And so I think that needs to be front, just as I think a lot of media, obviously JTA, but even a lot of like, you know, non-Jewish media always put out there that Hamas started this war. It needs to be reminded that Hezbollah also started its version of the war, and that Hezbollah, it's not an army that's accountable to any kind of civilian infrastructure, never mind a democratic one, like the Israeli army is accountable to elected officials. It's its own militia with a stranglehold on Lebanon.  So yeah, I think that should be evident in everything that's written about that conflict, and maybe that's what helped distort at least the initial reporting from what happened in Majdal Shams, which is just horrible. Julie Fishman Rayman: One of the things that AJC is always trying to call on media outlets to do is to know who to call. Right, if there is an incident related to Israel that they don't fully understand, if there's an antisemitic attack and they need more context, to understand that there are Jewish individuals and organizations who can help to provide insight and texture and understanding so that their reporting can be more accurate. That's one of the recommendations in our Call to Action Against Antisemitism in America, recommendations for media. I wonder if, you know, journalist to journalist, if folks call you and say, “Ron, this is what we're writing, is this right?” Knowing that you are just such a font of knowledge, they should, this is what I'm saying. They should call you. Ron Kampeas:  My son asks me, I mean, very occasionally, I do get calls more having to do with my alleged knowledge of the American Jewish community and how it works and how it functions. I get calls about that. I think on Israel, less so because everybody's an expert. Everybody considers themselves an expert. Everybody flies in. I think what was an unfortunate standard. 20 years ago, it wasn't just the AP, it was all mainstream media, that you get your best takes from a foreign correspondent between three and six months into the assignment, because it takes them three months to learn it, but it takes them six months to go native, which is to sort of really understand the nuances. I think that's unfortunate, because I think going native, really understanding the nuances, sort of delving into a story, becoming familiar with it, becoming sympathetic in ways, with all sides to the story, actually enriches a story. And I think that that's something that maybe you know, I've been doing JTA for 21 years. I've been in journalism for 35 years. I think it's great to have fresh outlooks. It's good. I think it's also good to sometimes rely on institutional knowledge and to listen to people who have been here before. It was weird at AP. I was in a position at AP when I wasn't allowed to use my institute for bizarre reasons. Institutional knowledge, you know. But it was funny, because at the outset of the Iraq War, the first day, the major Iraq war in 2002, 2003, I knew things that signal that it was going to go wrong, because I'd lived in the Middle East, and I wasn't the only one. By far, by far, there were a lot of people who knew those things institutionally. It means literally saying, like what the Israelis said in 1982, the Shiites are throwing rice and you had actual examples in 1982 of Shiites throwing rice at Israelis, and in 2003 of Shiites throwing rice at Americans. They want this. And it never works out that way. It goes awry.  But nobody was listening, because people were too invested in a particular outcome to listen to the institutionalists. And I think that that's a problem. There's a reflex sometimes to say, oh, the institutionalists got it wrong in the past, because the world is still a mess, but that's not their value. The value of the institutionalists, and a great institutionalist just passed away, Martin Indyk, the value of the institutionalists is that sometimes they can actually say, this is where I went wrong, and this is what we misunderstood, and this is how we misunderstood it, and this is how we were deep in the weeds and we misunderstood it. And that's the kind of knowledge that I think shouldn't go wasted. Julie Fishman Rayman: Thanks so much for that perspective. I was going to ask you as a final question, if there was anything that you wanted to raise that we haven't discussed yet. But I would also add to that question, feel free to answer that question. Or is there something that we're getting wrong now institutionally? Ron Kampeas:  Yeah, I think that, you know, there's a lot that we're getting wrong now institutionally. I think that people are, and every side of the Israel-Hamas conflict are they retreating into sort of easy, reflexive understandings of what could go right and what could go wrong. I think that there is a value in understanding how toxic Hamas ideology is, that was, I think, grasped at the beginning after October the seventh, but has slipped away as this seems to be just a conflict, and people are retreating into Israel's bashing Gaza. We have to get it to stop bashing Gaza, which is fine, it's an outlook. It's a legitimate outlook, but it's one that's not going to register at all with any Israeli, unless you take into account how Hamas is perceived among Israelis as a genocidal organization. If it wasn't before October 7, it is now.  On the other hand, I think that sort of reflexive, we can never have a two state solution. I'm not saying, advocating, for two state solution. We never have a two state solution. We're just going to go on as we've gone with the Palestinians. I think that also reflects this kind of like a reflexive blindness that you have to account for the Palestinians, somehow. Nothing is going to be imposed on them. They have to be agents and actors and whatever happens, and it might not happen in my generation, it might not happen in my lifetime, but that has to be back of mind. And I think for a lot of people, particularly in parts of the Israeli establishment, it is not back of mind.  So those are things that I think that people can maybe, you know, if, if these competing, they're not actually enemies, I'm talking about people who are on the same side. They can be on the same side in Israel, they can be on the same side in America, but they're rivals, and they don't like to listen to each other. But if they did talk to each other and listen to each other, maybe they would find nuances that could get everybody to a better place. Julie Fishman Rayman: If we could do a word cloud of some of the themes that have come out of this conversation, listening is definitely one of the words that would be prominent. And I think it's not only a good aspiration, but I also want to highlight that our listening to you on these really important issues is revelatory, truthfully, and we're grateful for all the work that you're doing with JTA every day, but also for being here on People of the Pod with us and for all the wisdom that you've shared. Thank you. Ron Kampeas:  Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episode, tune in for my conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich on what the widely reported deaths of two terror leaders last week could mean for Israel and the wider region.