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Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Jonah Platt | Jewish Culture, Identity & Current Events 100 episodes Latest Jun 2, 2026

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt is a weekly podcast that explores the diverse and often overlooked aspects of Jewish identity through candid conversations with notable Jews and non-Jewish allies. Hosted by actor and advocate Jonah Platt, the show aims to engage, educate, and empower listeners to embrace their identities authentically. Topics include contemporary Jewish culture, identity, and politics.

Episodes

Does Mayim Bialik Feel Safe in Public? & The Collective Punishment Paradox Jun 9, 2026 1:14:57 From The Big Bang Theory to Jewish advocacy, Mayim Bialik shares the personal journey behind the public persona.Jonah Platt interviews actress, neuroscientist, author, and Orthodox Jew Mayim Bialik (Blossom and The Big Bang Theory) about rising antizionism and antisemitism, arguing it functions as a hate movement that shuts down dialogue through intimidation and threats.The conversation explores t
Is Antizionism Antisemitism? Adam Louis-Klein, Founder of Movement Against Antizionism Jun 2, 2026 1:16:56 What if the answer to "is antizionism antisemitism" is NO...but not for the reason you think? Adam Louis-Klein breaks down the history, language, and ideas driving the debate. In a thought-provoking conversation, host Jonah Platt interviews Adam Louis-Klein, who returned from anthropological fieldwork with the Desana in the Amazon just after October 7, 2023, to discover the horrors of the att
Israeli Comedian Yohay Sponder, Plus Finding Your Jewish “Ikigai” (Reason for Being) May 26, 2026 1:15:13 Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder turns grief, antisemitism, and the Jewish experience into one of the funniest and most unexpectedly moving conversations you’ll hear all year.In this hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound episode, stand-up comic Yohay Sponder joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, Jewish identity, Israel, and the global Jewish experience. Known
She's Not Italian, She's Jewish! The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler + What is Shavout?! May 19, 2026 1:13:13 The Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler gets brutally honest about Judaism, fame, motherhood, and living with MS in one of her most personal interviews ever.In one of the podcast’s most open and deeply personal episodes so far Jamie-Lynn Sigler, best known for playing Meadow Soprano on The Sopranos, reflects on growing up Jewish on Long Island, navigating Hollywood at a young age, and finding strength
Hollywood to Holy Land: Screenwriter-turned-Orthodox Rabbi Shmuel Lynn May 15, 2026 27:54 A Hollywood writer turned rabbi reveals the unbelievable true stories of Jewish survival history that they never taught in school.Host Jonah Platt reunites with Rabbi Shmuel Lynn, his former University of Pennsylvania Maimonides Leadership Program teacher, to discuss Lynn’s path from screenwriting (Duke, NYU Film School, LA) to Orthodox Jewish education and leading young adults. Lynn describes gro
“Bad Jews” (replay) & Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt May 12, 2026 1:04:11 What happens when one of the world’s leading Holocaust scholars says today’s antisemitism feels frighteningly familiar?In this vital episode Holocaust historian and former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt discusses the dangerous surge and normalization of antisemitism worldwide, citing the incidents in London and the October 8, 2023 Sydney Opera House rally. L
Epistemic Antisemitism and Black Conservative Influencer Xaviaer DuRousseau May 5, 2026 1:09:59 From viral firestorms to death threats, this man isn’t backing down from the Israel conversation.Jonah Platt sits down with conservative activist Xaviaer DuRousseau, who describes his rapid shift from a Bernie-supporting, BLM-boosting young liberal to a professional Republican who appears on Fox News, visits the White House, and publicly supports Israel, including traveling to Gaza during the war.
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein & The Jews of Thessaloniki Apr 28, 2026 1:17:36 He's worth hundreds of millions, runs one of Canada's most powerful companies, and he still gets antisemitic replies every Friday when he posts “Shabbat Shalom,” here's why he refuses to stop.Shopify President Harley Finkelstein joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about Jewish identity, antisemitism, entrepreneurship, and legacy. Finkelstein, a grandson of Holocaust survivors wh
The KKK vs. Antizionism and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (Dem, NJ-5) Apr 21, 2026 1:00:08 In this timely episode, host Jonah Platt sits down with Josh Gottheimer, the five-term U.S. Congressman serving New Jersey’s Fifth District. Josh is a leading pro-Israel voice in the Democratic Party and Vice-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus (which he co-founded). In Congress, Josh serves on two Committees, including the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he is t
Should Jews Proselytize? & Dueling Rabbis PART 2 with Sharon Brous & David Ingber Apr 14, 2026 1:18:55 Host Jonah Platt moderates part two of a spirited conversation between Rabbi Sharon Brous (IKAR, Los Angeles) and Rabbi David Ingber (Romemu, New York) about how Jewish leaders should balance moral self-critique of Israel with addressing antisemitism, especially after October 7. Ingber argues progressive Jews and rabbis overemphasize public Jewish self-criticism, undercall out antisemitism and ext
Jewish Queer Youth (JQY) Executive Director Rachael Fried Apr 10, 2026 31:46 In this episode of 30 Minute Mensches, host Jonah Platt sits down with Rachael Fried, the Executive Director of JQY (Jewish Queer Youth). Rachael shares her personal journey from being a closeted Orthodox participant to leading the organization, which now operates a professional center in New York's Times Square with a $2 million budget. JQY serves as a vital mental health nonprofit dedicated to s
LIVE FROM SAN DIEGO! Rabbis Sharon Brous (IKAR) & David Ingber (Romemu/92NY) Mar 31, 2026 1:02:00 At this live “Being Jewish with Jonah Platt” event in San Diego, supported by Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Crown Family Philanthropies, and the Jim Joseph Foundation, Jonah Platt welcomes two influential spiritual leaders: Rabbi Sharon Brous, founding rabbi of IKAR in Los Angeles, and David Ingber, founding rabbi of Romemu in New York. Together, they explore how their egalitarian, non-denomi

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