Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Is Israel at its turning point – or at its breaking point?

Jonah interviews Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who explains Israel’s non-executive presidency and his priority of unifying a debating war-time nation. President Herzog breaks down the challenging future of the Middle East, the pivotal bond between Israel and the Jewish diaspora, and his vision for healing deep political divisions ahead of pivotal Knesset elections – including the heated debate over Haredi military service and the IDF.

President Herzog also reflects on the rising global antisemitism post 10/7, and why strengthening ties between Israelis and world Jewry has become one of his highest priorities. He lays out why he sees Israel as a frontline defender of the free world, and the role the Trump administration, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee have in reshaping Middle East diplomacy.

President Herzog dives into Israel’s evolving diplomatic framework with Lebanon, the challenges of dismantling Hezbollah and Hamas – while insisting that Iran remains “the head of the snake,” and how his Voice of the People initiative can create positive change. He also shares his hopes for Israel’s 80th anniversary.

MONOLOGUE: Jonah Phona is back! Jonah responds to listeners’ burning questions about the podcast, his favorite Jewish Broadway show, how to have constructive bridge-building conversations, and more!

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

00:01:49 – The Role of the President in Israeli Politics
President Herzog breaks down his responsibilities as the President of Israel, primarily focusing on his role in unifying the Israeli body politics and nation.
The institution of the Presidency

00:03:43 – Haredi Draft Debate
President Herzog explains the nuances of the newly passed Torah study bill granting exemption to Heredi Irealis from being drafted into the IDF.
Contentious Basic Law on Torah study, aimed at shielding draft evaders, passes 1st reading

00:10:14 – Elections and National Stakes
President Herzog tells us what he thinks the stakes of the upcoming Israeli elections are, and his role in making sure Israelis participate peacefully and respectfully.
Trends and Key Developments Ahead of the 2026 Israeli Election

00:14:13 – Diaspora and Jewish Unity
President Herzog emphasizes the necessity of Jewish education in the Diaspora in order to maintain Israel’s vibrant democracy, and lauds the Jewish Federation’s new bill granting funds to Jewish day schools around the world.
Israeli government, JFNA partner on $66.7 million plan to boost Jewish day schools

00:16:36 – Voice of the People Initiative
President Herzog tells us about his Voice of the People initiative, which aims to engage a diverse range of Jewish voices from 6 continents, working together to collectively identify, discuss and creatively address the most pressing immediate and long term challenges affecting the Jewish people.
Voice of the People Initiative

00:24:23 – War Front Lebanon and Gaza
President Herzog talks about the new Israel-Lebanon agreement, the challenges Iran poses to unity in the Middle East, and how the disarmament of Hezbollah and Hamas are essential for lasting peace.
Landmark Israel-Lebanon Agreement Intersects the U.S.-Iran Conflict

00:34:45 – The Past, Present, and Future of President Herzog in his Current Role
President Herzog reflects on the first 5 years of his presidency, what his current priorities are, and his goals for the rest of his term.

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
To contact us & all things BJJP:
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Learn more about President Isaac Herzog:
President Herzog’s Instagram
President Herzog’s X Account
Office of President of Israel X Account

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

What happens when a boy raised on antisemitic propaganda becomes a Muslim bridge-builder whose life is saved by Jewish friends?

Mohammed Al Samawi, Yemeni refugee and author of The Fox Hunt, joins Jonah on location at Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C., for a conversation about the painstaking work of learning another person’s story. Al Samawi founded the multi-faith co-living and community space, where Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Bahá’í fellows share meals, host Shabbat and Ramadan gatherings, and create a safer way for people to ask hard questions. In this episode, Al Samawi describes growing up in Sanaa, where slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” were used to redirect anger away from corrupt leaders and toward Jews. As a teenager, he internalized violent antisemitic ideas, but learning English through movies, reading the Bible in secret, and asking forbidden questions began to unravel what he had been taught.

The conversation follows Al Samawi, from reading Torah and messaging Israelis on Facebook to attending his first Muslim-Jewish conference. Later, as the Houthis and Al-Qaeda closed in, three Jewish friends and one Christian friend helped coordinate his evacuation from Yemen. Those experiences became the foundation for Abrahamic House. After October 7, Al Samawi says the house became even more necessary: a place where grief did not have to become separation, and where hospitality could make room for truth.

Ultimately, Mohammed’s story makes the case that interfaith work is not abstract idealism; it can be the difference between inherited hatred and real human connection.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

00:01:22 — Inside Abrahamic House, Where Shabbat Meets Ramadan
Mohammed shows Jonah the dining room where fellows host Shabbats, Ramadan celebrations, Eid gatherings, and family-style meals for the community.
Abrahamic House

00:08:15 — From Antisemitic Indoctrination to Questioning Jewish Hate
Mohammed recalls the violent anti-Jewish ideas he absorbed as a teenager and how religious curiosity eventually pushed him to investigate for himself.
The Against the Odds Escape of Mohammed Al Samawi | AJC

00:23:30 — How Facebook Became a Window Past Propaganda
Mohammed explains how social media helped him meet Jews and Israelis, ask forbidden questions, and discover shared values outside state-controlled narratives.
Mohammed Al Samawi: How Interfaith Activism Became, and Saved, His Life

00:34:00 — The 13 Days Hiding from Houthis and Al-Qaeda
Mohammed describes hiding in Aden with no safe way out, praying for help, and posting on Facebook in hopes someone could evacuate him.
How Facebook friends saved one man from execution

00:42:45 — Why Mohammed Created Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C.
Mohammed explains how loneliness as a refugee, his love of friendship, and the model of Friends inspired a real-life interfaith home.

00:51:00 — How to Meet Muslims Beyond Fear and Stereotypes
Mohammed urges listeners to investigate Islam the way he investigated Judaism: by meeting people, asking human questions, and resisting extremist narratives.

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
partnerships@jonahplatt.com

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn more about Mohammed Al Samawi:
Mohammed Al Samawi - Abrahamic House
The Fox Hunt: A Memoir of Yemen and My Odyssey to America – A True Story of Courage and Escape Through Social Media
Mohammed Al Samawi Instagram

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

How did an 80-year-old Chabad rabbi become a global social media phenomenon, and why is his message resonating from Los Angeles to New Guinea?

Rabbi Manis Friedman, author, longtime educator, and one of the world’s most-followed rabbis on YouTube, joins Jonah to ask a deceptively simple question: why are we here? Friedman argues that creation has a direction and that modern anxiety grows from meaninglessness, not deprivation. People are safer and more comfortable than ever, he says, but without knowing what life is for, comfort becomes a treadmill. From tikkun olam to the follower in New Guinea who walked eight hours for internet access and later built a Torah center, Friedman shows how a clear sense of purpose can cross cultures and transform lives.

Friedman reframes Torah not as a list of commandments, but as God explaining Himself and inviting humanity into a relationship. For him, that is Chabad’s mission: making God knowable so that love can be real. He explains Shabbat as resting alongside God, modesty as protecting intimacy from the distraction of appearances, and ordinary work as service when it improves the world. When Jonah asks how a parent should respond to a child who says, “I didn’t ask to be born,” Friedman turns the question into the episode’s central claim: stop thinking of yourself as needy. You are needed. His message is bracing but hopeful: meaning begins when life stops being about what we can get and becomes about what we are here to give.

THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Are you a “bad Jew”—or simply disengaged? Jonah replaces guilt with a sharper test: where are your time and energy actually going?

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

00:01:43 — Why Judaism Says Creation Has a Purpose and Direction
Rabbi Manis Friedman explains tikkun olam, humanity’s role in perfecting creation, and why the question of purpose has become urgently modern.
What Is Tikkun Olam? - Chabad.org

00:16:10 — The Man Who Walked Eight Hours to Learn Torah
Friedman shares how a follower in New Guinea walked eight hours to access internet, then built a Torah center for villagers arriving by canoe.

00:22:45 — The Torah Is God Explaining Why He Needs Us
Friedman reframes the Torah and Ten Commandments as God revealing Himself and asking humanity to choose relationship rather than programmed obedience.
The Ten Commandments | My Jewish Learning

00:29:13 — How Chabad Makes God Knowable Through Torah and Relationships
Friedman explains Chabad as the work of making God knowable, arguing that genuine love—of God or a spouse—depends on understanding.
What Is Chabad?

00:35:21 — You Are Not Needy—You Are Needed by God
Friedman argues that humanity’s existence matters because God has “skin in the game,” transforming life from a burden into a divine necessity.

00:46:56 — Why Rabbi Manis Friedman Says Seeing Kills Intimacy
Friedman connects modesty to intimacy, arguing that appearances can distract us from loving the person rather than merely their visible qualities.
Why Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? - Reclaiming Intimacy, Modesty, and Sexuality - Chabad.org

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
partnerships@jonahplatt.com

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn more about Rabbi Manis Friedman:
Rabbi Manis Friedman - YouTube
It’s Good to Know - Rabbi Manis Friedman
Rabbi Manis Friedman - Instagram

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

From Saudi officials to diaspora Jews, why are so many people listening to Dan Senor?

Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of Start-Up Nation, joins Jonah for a deep dive on Israel, Jewish identity, and the future of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Senor explains how Call Me Back built a devoted audience organically, attracting diaspora Jews seeking trustworthy information, journalists looking for good-faith dialogue, and even international listeners, including Saudi officials, drawn to its thoughtful, long-form conversations about Israel and the Middle East.

Senor discusses how the October 7 attacks reshaped Jewish engagement, the sense of political homelessness many moderate Jews have experienced, and the opportunities emerging from one of the most consequential moments in modern Jewish history. He also emphasizes the need for a Jewish Renaissance centered on expanding access to Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Israel programs, and lifelong Jewish learning. Senor argues that investing in Jewish education and community infrastructure is essential for Jews to flourish.

THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah reflects on the importance of allies, why he'll sell tickets to future events in pairs, and why “ALLY-ah” may be just as important - if not more important - than aliyah right now.


MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:07:30 — How Call Me Back Became the World’s Number One Israel Podcast
Dan on building the top Israel podcast organically after October 7th.
Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor - YouTube

00:10:45 — “Israel Was at War. The Diaspora Was Under Attack.”
Dan quotes Rabbi Ingber's defining line on October 7th: Israel was at war, but the diaspora had no army to fight back.
The toll of the Israel-Hamas War on diaspora Jews

00:15:09 — Would Dan Interview Former Allies Who’ve Gone to a “Dark Place”?
Dan considers hosting antisemitic voices to understand, not challenge, their logic.

00:27:33 — Why “Call Me Back” Audience Skews Left of Dan Senor
The “October 8th Jew” phenomenon and left-of-center Jews finding community.
A look at the October 8th Jews | The Jerusalem Post

00:31:42 — The Jewish Future Is Too Expensive. Here’s How to Fix It.
Dan on day schools, affordability gaps, and the case for a Jewish renaissance.
Why Jewish Living Feels So Expensive These Days | Kosher Money

00:43:37 — Where Do Adult Jews Without Kids Find Jewish Community?
Dan on Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the Hartman Institute, and adult entry points to Jewish life.
Rachel Goldberg-Polin on her Jewish faith and her slain son's spiritual quest

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
jonahplattinfo@gmail.com

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn More about Dan Senor:
Call Me Back - with Dan Senor - Podcast
Dan Senor Website
Dan Senor X

Credits:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

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 the rise of antizionist activism on college campuses, her parenting two sons amid the campus hostility, and her experiences navigating public criticism. She shares about her experiences visiting family in the West Bank, and her identification with Israel as her homeland. Jonah and Mayim discuss personal experiences of being confronted online and in public. Such as being protested for being labeled a “Zionist,” and her experience with shifting attitudes at UCLA in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

She also reflects on her directorial debut, As They Made Us, pressures in Hollywood such as lost sponsorships and exclusion from liberal spaces, and the courage required to remain visibly Jewish in public life. Thoughtful, honest, and often humorous, this episode offers a powerful exploration of identity, resilience, and what it means to live proudly as a Jew in the modern world.

THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah unpacks the paradox of two true statements, both seemingly made untrue by the other: Denying the connection of the Jewish people to Israel is bigotry. AND, conflating the Jewish people with Israel is also bigotry.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
00:08:15 — Being a Public Jew in the Age of Social Media and Online Threats
Mayim on how social media exposed her to antisemitic threats long before October 7th.
Mayim Bialik: Our safety is at risk we've never experienced before

00:17:00 — Anti-Zionism on Campus: 30 Years of Hostility from Cincinnati to UCLA
Mayim traces three decades of campus anti-Zionism from UCLA swastikas to university protests.
Jewish Faculty Members at UCLA Say Enough is Enough - File Legal Documents to Join a Federal Lawsuit to Stop Antisemitic Incidents on Campus

00:32:15 — Liberal Zionism: The Strange Intersection
Mayim on staying a committed Zionist while the Democratic Party distances itself.
What does it mean to be a Liberal American Zionist?

00:40:15 — Life in the West Bank: Armed Settlements, Checkpoints, and Human Complexity
Mayim on her family's 50-year life on armed West Bank settlements.
‘Jew-Free Zone’ – My Experience in the West Bank

00:53:47 — Hollywood Post-October 7th: Sponsors Lost, Silence, and Jewish Self-Segregation
Mayim on losing podcast sponsors and Hollywood's silence after October 7th.
I was betrayed by Hollywood for speaking out after October 7, says Will & Grace star Debra Messing

01:05:24 — Baal Teshuva: From Reform Roots to Modern Orthodoxy, Divorce, and the Gaps in Jewish Community
Mayim traces her baal teshuva path from Reform childhood to Modern Orthodoxy.
What Is a Baal Teshuvah?

This Episode’s Partner:
Start watching or listening to Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam at unpacked.bio/WJ

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
jonahplattinfo@gmail.com

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn more about Mayim Bialik:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missmayim/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MayimBialik
Podcast: https://www.bialikbreakdown.com/

Credits:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt