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What are American millennial Jews’ attitudes towards Israel and how has anti-Israel activism on U.S. college campuses changed that relationship? AJC surveyed American and Israeli millennial Jews to better understand their experiences, attitudes, and opinions about Jewish identity, connection to Israel, and attachment to one another. In a special live People of the Pod recording, AJC Director of Alexander Young Leadership Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman sits down with AJC ACCESS Global Director Dana Steiner, AJC ACCESS Israel Manager Lironne Koret, and Opinion, Analytics, and Communications Strategist Philippe Assouline, to unpack this data and discuss the implications for the Jewish community.  ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Naomi Ravick (2:23) Dana Steiner, Lironne Koret, and Philippe Assouline ___ Show Notes: As part of Jewish American Heritage Month, American Jewish Committee has named May as #JewishandProud Month to celebrate the Jewish people’s united bravery and resilience in the face of adversity. People of the

Amid rising tensions in Israel, Canadian-Israeli journalist Matti Friedman shares candid advice for all who are trying to understand the complex situation that is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Friedman takes listeners behind the scenes of media reporting on Israel to demonstrate the sometimes corrosive impact that news outlets have when they attempt to oversimplify the conflict. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Matti Friedman ___ Show Notes: Register here for a live People of the Pod recording on April 26th Bonds and Divides: American and Israeli Millennial Jews  Eight Tips for Reading About Israel by Matti Friedman  Pumpkinflowers by Matti Friedman Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: France’s Presidential Elections: Implications for French Jews and U.S. Politics Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us

AJC Chief Field Operations Officer and guest host Melanie Maron Pell sits down with AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen to break down the results from the first round of the French presidential election, why both the far right and far left are a danger to French society and Jews in particular, and why France may be a barometer for the U.S. political landscape. Then, AJC's Director of the Alexander Young Leadership Department Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman joins us to discuss the unprecedented increase in antisemitic activity on campus, which was the focus of this week’s University Presidents Summit hosted by AJC, Hillel International, and the American Council on Education (ACE), where college and university leaders gathered from across the United States. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Simone Rodan Benzaquen (16:34) Melanie Maron Pell and Meggie Wyschogrod Fredman  ___ Show Notes: Urge Congress to Stand with Israel AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Liste

When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the pathway to peace has typically been presented as a choice between a one-state or a two-state solution. Guest host Jason Isaacson, AJC’s Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer, speaks with Avi Melamed, Israeli intelligence and strategic affairs analyst and author of Inside the Middle East: Entering a New Era, about possible other solutions, the impact of the Abraham Accords on the region, and why the story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not separate from the story of the Middle East. Then, Natalia Mahmud, AJC Associate Director of U.S. Muslim-Jewish Relations and Program Director of the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, joins us to share the traditions she practices with her family during the month of Ramadan. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Avi Melamed (17:03) Manya Brachear Pashman and Natalia Mahmud  ___ Show Notes: Signup here to attend a Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council Iftar on April 22, 2022 near Dallas, Texas  Urge Congress to Stand with Israel

The Washington Post’s Jason Rezaian, who was held hostage by Iran for nearly two years and was released in a prisoner swap the day the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) went into effect, joins us to share his unique perspective on the reported nuclear deal emerging in negotiations between Tehran and world powers. Rezaian weighs in on what’s at stake in the talks and discusses the potential impact of the lifting of a number of sanctions and the removal of America’s terrorist designation of the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).  Then, we hear from AJC Abu Dhabi Program Director Reva Gorelick, who just returned from Israel where she accompanied AJC Project Interchange's first delegation of Middle East and North African (MENA) leaders. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Jason Rezaian (24:19) Manya Brachear Pashman and Reva Gorelick ___ Show Notes: What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Why is it Designated a Terror Group by the United States? Learn about AJC’s Project Interchange  Urg

A false narrative has emerged about Israel’s alleged neutrality over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Lahav Harkov, senior diplomatic correspondent for The Jerusalem Post and co-host of their weekly podcast, joins us to set the record straight. Harkov explains how Israel is supporting Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, while avoiding provoking Syrian-based Russian troops on the democratic nation’s northern border.  Then, AJC Jerusalem Director Avital Leibovich shares a touching account of the AJC-sponsored plane that brought 101 Jewish Ukrainians to Israel and how Israel is welcoming Ukrainian refugees. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Lahav Harkov (15:26) Manya Brachear Pashman and Avital Leibovich ___ Show Notes: AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Watch: Ukrainian Refugees Arrive in Israel! Listen to our latest episode: Clouded Futures and Big Hearts: What Life is Really Like for Ukrainian Refugees Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcas

A mother and her son in need of help. The extraordinary decision of the great-granddaughter of a Polish Resistance Movement fighter. Go behind the scenes of American Jewish Committee’s humanitarian mission to the Ukraine-Poland border crossings and refugee reception centers and discover what it’s really like to be a Ukrainian fleeing Russia’s invasion and find out how Poland and its citizens are giving a masterclass in welcoming refugees. Aldona Zawada of AJC’s Warsaw-based Shapiro Silverberg Central Europe Office shares the emotional story of how the AJC delegation helped a mother and son who were fleeing Ukraine, and how her great-grandfather’s experience in the Polish Resistance Movement in World War II informed her own family’s decision to open their home to refugees.  Then, AJC Director of Social Media Julie Lenarz recounts what images have stayed with her from her time at the border, and how AJC is using social media to assist refugees and hold Russia accountable.  ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Aldona Zawa

Among the 1.2 million Ukrainians that have crossed the border into Poland over the last two weeks are many Ukrainian Jews. This week, guest host Laura Shaw Frank, AJC's Director of Contemporary Jewish Life, speaks to the Chief Rabbi of Poland Michael Schudrich, who has been coordinating a Jewish relief effort on the ground. Rabbi Schudrich speaks about the most pressing needs that Jews fleeing Ukraine have right now and how he has been inspired by the Jewish community’s unity during this crisis.  ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Rabbi Michael Schudrich (11:18) Manya Brachear Pashman and Laura Shaw Frank ___ Show Notes: AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to Counter Russian Aggression Listen to our latest episode: AJC CEO David Harris on Putin, Babyn Yar, and “Denazification" Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please be sure to tell your fri

American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris joins us to discuss the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. Harris takes on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim about the need to “denazify” Ukraine, shares what everyone, especially the Jewish community, needs to know about Babyn Yar, Ukraine’s Holocaust memorial which was partially damaged by Russian forces, and issues a warning that Putin’s tactics are drawn from Hitler’s playbook. Then, Manya Brachear Pashman sits down with AJC Philadelphia Director Marcia Bronstein to talk about her personal connection to Ukraine and the rallies she has attended in support of the country over the past week. ____ Episode Lineup: (0:41) David Harris (19:02) Manya Brachear Pashman and Marcia Bronstein ____ Show Notes: AJC’s Emergency #StandWithUkraine Fund Urge Congress to stand with Ukraine Listen to our latest episode: Live from Kyiv: The Future of Ukraine and its Large Jewish Community Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more a

Just hours before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, Vladislav Davidzon, founding editor of The Odessa Review and contributor to Tablet Magazine, joined us live from Kyiv for a fascinating analysis and unique perspective on the mood on the ground, what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to accomplish, and the future of Europe's fourth largest Jewish community.  ____ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Vladislav Davidzon ____ Show Notes: AJC’s statement on Russian invasion of Ukraine Listen to an update from Vadislav Davidzon with AJC Europe Director Simone Rodan Benzaquen on the current situation in Ukraine The Odessa Review From Odessa With Love: Political and Literary Essays in Post-Soviet Ukraine Listen to our latest episode: Black, Jewish, and Proud: Rapper Nissim Black on Israel, Antisemitism, and Racism Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please

In a candid conversation, Israeli-American musician and recording artist Nissim Black discusses the roots of his career as a rapper, the struggles he faced when he moved to Israel and tried to find acceptance for his children, and how his connection to his Jewish faith shapes his music. Black explores how his music and spirituality have presented opportunities for constructive conversations on racism and antisemitism. Then, Manya Brachear Pashman and Sam Kliger, AJC Director of Russian and Eurasian Affairs, examine the situation in Ukraine and the recent AJC solidarity visit to Kyiv. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Nissim Black (22:46) Manya Brachear Pashman and Sam Kliger ___ Show Notes: Photo credit: @greycoat_ph Tziporah Litman   Higher, The Hava Song, Mothaland Bounce, Change, Hashem Melech | Nissim Black   We Stand With Ukraine | David Harris | AJC.org   Listen to our latest episode: Does Hollywood Tolerate Antisemitism? With Jessica Shaw, Sirius XM host   Listen to the our Hanukkah segment with Nissim Black

Should only Jewish actors play Jewish roles? Was Whoopi Goldberg’s apology enough? Should Mel Gibson work in Hollywood ever again? What does a greater emphasis on diversity in the entertainment industry mean for Jewish representation on the silver screen? On the same week the Oscar nominations were announced, Jessica Shaw, a host for Sirius XM’s pop culture talk channel, joins us to discuss the debates, misunderstandings, and, in Gibson’s case, the blatant antisemitism rippling through Hollywood.    Then, Manya Brachear Pashman talks to AJC Paris Director Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache on the yahrzeit of Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish Parisian who was kidnapped and tortured in 2006, and the troubling findings of AJC’s 2022 Survey on Antisemitism in France. ____ Episode Lineup:   (0:40) Jessica Shaw (14:23) Manya Brachear Pashman and Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache ___ Show Notes: American Jewish Committee Surveys French Jewish, Muslim, and General Populations’ Perspectives on Antisemitism   Listen to our latest e

This week on “The View,” co-host Whoopi Goldberg wrongly claimed that the Holocaust “isn’t about race.” Though she apologized, ABC suspended her for two weeks. Writer Daniella Greenbaum, an Emmy award-winning former producer for “The View,” joins us to discuss how Goldberg’s comments demonstrate a widespread failure to understand Judaism but also present an opportunity to discuss the diversity of Judaism and comprehend antisemitism in its many forms.  Then, on Daniel Pearl’s 20th yahrzeit (anniversary of his death), Manya Brachear Pashman pays moving tribute to the slain reporter.   ____   Episode Lineup: (0:40) Daniella Greenbaum (21:43) Manya Brachear Pashman   ____   Show notes:   Whoopi Goldberg isn’t the only one who doesn’t understand antisemitism | Daniella Greenbaum | The Washington Post Are Jews a Race? | Yair Rosenberg | The Atlantic  How Whoopi Became Today's Hot Topic On "The View" | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | CBS/YouTube What America Taught the Nazis | Ira Katznelson | The Atlantic 

What would it be like to return to the village your ancestors called home, to walk in their footsteps, and try to recover their stories and culture? Ladino singer and songwriter Sarah Aroeste did just that for her seventh album, which honors what was once the largest Jewish community in the country now known as North Macedonia. In the mountainous city of Bitola, formerly known as Monastir, 98% of the Jewish population that remained after the Balkan Wars was deported in 1943, and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. To mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Aroeste talks about her experiences in Monastir, explains why Sephardic culture is Jewish culture, and performs her song “Mi Monastir.” Then, Manya Brachear Pashman talks about the challenge of confronting and processing the antisemitic attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. ____ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Sarah Aroeste (27:53) Manya Brachear Pashman ____ Show notes: Episode photos, courtesy of Sarah Aroeste:  Sarah Aroeste’s cousin Rach

In 2000, renowned Holocaust scholar Dr. Deborah Lipstadt was sued by David Irving for defamation, because she called Irving a Holocaust denier and falsifier of history in her 1994 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. Expert witnesses combed through Irving’s research since the 1980s and found that Lipstadt was correct - Irving had deliberately manipulated the historical record, to support his ludicrous claims that most of the evidence of the Holocaust had been invented after the war. Listen to AJC CEO David Harris discuss the impact of the trial, and the quiet, global, multi-year effort he led to generate support for Lipstadt’s trial defense, making sure the world never forgets the murder of six million Jews – a historical fact. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) David Harris ___ Show Notes: Take action.  Join AJC in calling for the White House to convene a taskforce that will develop a national action plan to fight anti-Jewish hate.  Urge the Senate to confirm Deborah Lipstadt as the

On January 15th, the world watched in horror as an armed attacker, spewing antisemitic hatred and seeking the release of a convicted terrorist from prison, took a rabbi and three worshippers hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. As the situation unfolded, local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian clergy gathered with the families of the hostages inside a nearby church to pray for a safe resolution to the stand-off. Joining us today are Joel Schwitzer, Director of AJC Dallas, Mohamed Elibiary, former Adviser to the Department of Homeland Security and Co-Chair of the Dallas Fort Worth Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, and Rabbi Andrew Paley, a Dallas police chaplain, Senior Rabbi at Temple Shalom in Dallas. Hear from these three local leaders as they reflect on that day’s events, the interfaith work they do in their communities, and the hope they have for moving forward. ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Joel Schwitzer, Mohamed Elibiary, and Rabbi Andrew Paley ___ Show Notes: Listen to our most recent epi

When Israel’s coalition government took shape last summer, all signs pointed to progress on an expanded egalitarian prayer site at Jerusalem's Western Wall. But now that plan appears to be stalled, due to tensions within that coalition. We are joined by Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, AJC’s Director of William Petschek Contemporary Jewish Life, who shares the special connection she has to the Western Wall (Kotel), why its egalitarian prayer site has become a flashpoint within the Israeli government, and the deep meaning it has to diaspora Jews.  Then, tune into our closing segment to hear Manya and Laura on how the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing border closures have impacted American Jewish-Israeli relations, particularly for young and unaffiliated Jews, whose ties to Israel may not be as strong as previous generations. ____ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Laura Shaw Frank (22:03) Manya Brachear Pashman and Laura Shaw Frank ____ Show Notes: Listen to our most recent episode: How Antisemitism Undermines Democracy Don’t forget

On January 6, 2021, a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, disrupting the joint session of Congress assembled to count electoral votes that would formalize President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Among the rioters were members of white supremacist groups, and symbols and signs of anti-Jewish hate. In a discussion guest hosted by Melanie Maron Pell, AJC’s Chief Field Operations Officer, we are joined by Holly Huffnagle, AJC's U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Rebecca Klein, AJC's Director of National Outreach, to unpack how the forces that fuel antisemitism also endanger American democracy.  ___ Episode Lineup: (0:40) Holly Huffnagle and Rebecca Klein (27:12) Manya Brachear Pashman and Melanie Maron Pell ___ Show Notes: Listen to our most recent episode: That Time Jewish Comedian Alex Edelman Went to a White Nationalist Gathering Don’t forget to subscribe to People of the Pod and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please b

Hear from comedian and writer Alex Edelman about his new off-Broadway hit, “Just for Us,” which explores his Jewish identity through the lens of a white nationalist meeting he attended in New York City. Edelman discusses the antisemitism he’s faced as a performer and throughout his life, how to use humor to broach difficult topics, and the paradox of the present Jewish experience in America: embracing the joy but also reckoning with the world and outsiders that view Judaism as something very different. It’s that time of year again when Jewish families make their traditional plans to indulge in Chinese food on Christmas. But if you think that’s the most significant intersection of Asian and Jewish cultures, think again. For our closing segment, Shabbat Table Talk, we’re joined by Hana Rudolph, Assistant Director of AJC’s Asia Pacific Institute, to discuss how, throughout history, members of the Jewish diaspora have called parts of Asia their home and members of the Asian community have made Judaism their spiri

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made history this past week when he became the first Israeli premier to be officially welcomed to the United Arab Emirates. Retired U.S. Ambassador Marc Sievers, inaugural Director of AJC Abu Dhabi: The Sidney Lerner Center for Arab-Jewish Understanding, joins us to discuss the importance of this visit and what it holds for the future of the region. Then, AJC Chief Field Operations Officer Melanie Maron Pell joins us from her home state of Kentucky to share what’s happening on the ground in the aftermath of deadly tornadoes that slammed six states, what Israel has done to bring aid, and how listeners can help those impacted.  ___ Episode Lineup: (1:30) Ambassador Marc Sievers  (19:42) Manya Brachear Pashman and Melanie Maron Pell ___ Show Notes: Join us as we fight anti-Jewish hate and take on those who threaten Israel. Your gift to AJC before December 31 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar. To support our work, visit AJC.org/donate. Or, text AJC DONATE to 52886.    Kentu