Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

SUMMARY
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

00:07:00 — 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

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 attack on Israel. This drove him to become a leading voice opposing antizionism through his writing, appearances, and the organization he founded, Movement Against Antizionism (MAAZ). Adam defines antizionism as hatred of Israel and argues it functions like racism via obsessive libels, such as “colonizer,” “apartheid,” and “genocide,” used to justify hostility and violence against Jewish people. He distinguishes pre-1948 Jewish antizionism from modern antizionism, which he traces to Arab nationalist and Soviet propaganda, and criticizes institutional normalization in universities, NGOs, media, and governments. Klein contends antizionism harms Palestinians by empowering militias like Hamas and Hezbollah and outlines a “truth and reconciliation” vision including antizionism studies and memorialization.

Together, Jonah and Adam discuss the history of Bundism, Reform Judaism, Neturei Karta, the Oslo Accords, and debates surrounding the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, and Israeli identity. The episode also explores how to engage progressive audiences, respond to antizionist rhetoric, and build institutions capable of addressing one of the most consequential ideological battles facing the Jewish community today.

Plus, this week Jonah is back with the fourth installment of L’Dor V'adorable! We thought it couldn’t get any more adorable.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
16:17 — The Three Core Antizionist Libels: Colonizer, Apartheid, and Genocide
Klein breaks down the foundational accusations driving the antizionist movement — how the colonizer, apartheid, and genocide narratives were engineered to exploit modern moral sensibilities.
Defeating Antizionism

23:37 — Why "Antizionism" Is the Right Term (Not "Antisemitism")
Klein explains why the hate movement has been named as antizionism rather than antisemitism — including the historical parallelism between the two terms and why the distinction actually reaches more people.
Understanding Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism

51:29 — How Antizionism Harms Palestinians, Allies, and Civilization Itself
A breakdown of the collateral damage antizionism causes beyond Jews — including Palestinians living under Hamas/Hezbollah, non-Jewish allies marked as Zionists, and the broader erosion of democratic norms.
Antizionism Is a Hate Movement That Harms Palestinians and All Western Societies

1:15:03 - A Vision for a Post-Anti-Zionism World
Klein's framework for what it would take for society to fully reckon with antizionism the way it has with the Holocaust, including media accountability, university reform, and memorialization.

This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you to Birthright Israel Foundation

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 Adam Louis-Klein:
Adam Louis-Klein Website
Adam Louis-Klein Instagram
Movement Against Antizionism(MAAZ)
MAAZ Toolkits

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

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 for his viral English-language stand-up and international tours, Sponder reflects on performing for Jewish audiences across Australia, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States while witnessing rising antizionist hate around the world. Sponder recounts the shocking experience of show cancellations in Amsterdam and Australia after public threats and claims of “perceived insensitivity” in his material. Along the way, the two discuss why Yohay performs in English, what he’s learned being married to an American, and how growing up the grandchild of Holocaust survivors influenced his comedic spark. He shares his goals of making people laugh while spreading Jewish pride and the inspiration behind his comedy specials, Self-Loving Jew and Genesis.

Using humor and vulnerability, Sponder examines what connects Jews globally, emphasizing comedy’s role in strengthening cultural bonds. The episode dives into Sponder’s evolving relationship with Judaism following the death of his father, Holocaust-survivor grandparents, his embrace of traditions like tefillin and wearing a (giant) Star of David.

THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah ponders Ikiagi, the Japanese concept for “your reason for being,” and how you can find your own Jewish version to guide you in these challenging times.

TIMESTAMPS
2:08 — Why Yohay performs in English
Yohay explains why English became the perfect language for his comedy, saying its structure naturally works better for punchlines than Hebrew.

14:26 — The Amsterdam cancellation
Yohay recounts how his sold-out Amsterdam shows were canceled days before showtime after threats against the venue

18:20 — When boycotts backfire
Yohay explains how protests and cancellations have often helped his career by bringing more publicity, support, and ticket sales.

28:06 — The fan who said his comedy saved her family
Yohay recalls a fan sharing how his comedy helped her and her father through his cancer treatments

30:32 — His father’s Holocaust survivor upbringing
Yohay reflects on his father’s painful childhood as the son of Auschwitz survivors — and how he chose to raise his own family with joy and laughter instead.

49:41 — The meaning of “Self-Loving Jew”
Yohay explains why he named his previous tour Self-Loving Jew, framing it as a response to Jews who publicly criticized Israel after October 7th.

This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you honeymoonisrael.org/beingjewish

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 Yohay Sponder:
Yohay Sponder Youtube
Yohay Sponder Instagram
Yohay Sponder Stand-Up and Appearances

CREDITS:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, 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

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 in Jewish identity and community. The two discuss that advocacy doesn't have to be about conflict, but about just sharing your positive experiences with the world. She shares how a transformative Birthright Israel trip deepened her connection to Judaism and Israel especially through experiences in Jerusalem.

Sigler also opens up about living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the emotional toll of hiding her diagnosis for years, and how finally speaking publicly changed her life. The conversation explores marriage, mental health, and the pressure to appear “perfect” while struggling privately. Jamie-Lynn talks about her new memoir, And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope, and her podcasts MeSsy with Christina Applegate and Not Today, PAL. Together, she and Jonah connect with each other on their vulnerability, Jewish pride, and the freedom that comes from finally being fully yourself.

Plus, Rabbi David Ingbar returns to the podcast (Three-Timer!!!) to discuss the history and importance of the Jewish Holiday, Shavout.

Topics discussed:
Discussion about Jewish visibility, stereotypes about what Jewish people “look like,” and proudly embracing her Cuban, Greek, and Jewish heritage.
Sigler talks about living with Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”) and why going public about her diagnosis changed her life.
The emotional process behind writing her memoir And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope and narrating the audiobook herself.
How podcasting opened her emotionally
Caregiving, marriage, and parenting with her husband Cutter while navigating life with MS.
Sigler explains how The Sopranos became a “safe haven” during struggles with eating disorders, MS, and personal insecurities.
The Sopranos Executive Producer David Chase and how Meadow Soprano served as Sigler’s “Sasha Fierce” alter ego.
The importance of Jewish community, Shabbat dinners, and raising her sons Jack and Beau with pride in their Jewish heritage.
Sigler shares her perspective on Israel, Holocaust education, and visiting the Holocaust Museum during her Birthright experience.
Discussion of disability representation in Hollywood and why productions should hire actors actually living with disabilities and chronic illness.
Sigler discusses acting projects including Big Sky and how accommodations on set helped her work comfortably with MS.

Mentioned in the episode:
Rabbi David Ingber
What is Shavuot?
Why Cheesecake on Shavuot?
What Are the Five Books of Moses?
Simon Sinek
Counting Up to Shavuot
The Intrinsic Unity of Israel
Mount Sinai
HEBREW WORD OF THE WEEK —TIKUN
Dara Horn BJJP Episode
And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope
Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
Jamie Lynn Sigler Instagram
Jamie Lynn Sigler IMDb
The Sopranos IMDb
Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Emmanuel Chriqui Instagram
Hollywood stars boycott Israeli film companies in response to Gaza crisis
Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass' whirlwind trip to Israel in photos
A Course in Miracles
MeSsy Podcast
Not Today, PAL with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler (Podcast)
David Chase IMDb
What Jamie-Lynn Sigler Wants You to Know About MS
Who Is Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Husband? All About Cutter Dykstra
Birthright Israel

Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

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

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

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

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

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

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 growing up amid antisemitism in Palm Beach, discovering observant Jews in Hollywood, and being drawn to meaningful Jewish history through a Holocaust writing job. He explains his focus on college and post-college Jews through Olami in Greenwich Village, emphasizing immersive, curated experiences and storytelling to create individual and generational change.

Topics include:
Jonah Platt reflects on meeting Rabbi Lynn through the Maimonides Leadership Program while attending the University of Pennsylvania.
Working in Hollywood with writers from The Cosby Show and Will & Grace sparked Rabbi Lynn’s deeper exploration of Judaism and observant Jewish life.
Rabbi Lynn discusses writing a Holocaust screenplay centered on Kristallnacht and how that project deepened his connection to Jewish history.
The episode explores Rabbi Lynn’s Holocaust film about Bardejov and the true story of 999 Slovakian Jewish girls bound for Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942.
Rabbi Lynn recounts how Jews in Slovakia prevented deportations by staging a fake typhus outbreak during the Holocaust.
Rabbi Lynn explains the mission behind Olami and his Jewish center in Greenwich Village focused on college students and young professionals.
The conversation highlights immersive Jewish education, including theater productions about the Spanish Inquisition and immigrant journeys through Ellis Island.
Rabbi Lynn discusses leading student trips through Poland, Krakow, Budapest, and Slovakia to teach Holocaust history and Jewish perseverance.
The episode explores the upcoming screenplay Rabbi Lynn is developing about the Soviet Jewry movement, including references to the KGB, the Iron Curtain, and Soviet Jewish activism.

Mentioned in the episode:

Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Instagram
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Linktree
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Facebook
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn LinkedIn
University of Pennsylvania
Maimonides Leaders Fellowship
Palm Beach Florida
Duke University
NYU Film School
Cosby Show
Will and Grace
Kristallnacht
Bardejov (Film)
Bardejov
Transportation to Auschwitz
Auschwitz
Olami
Olami Manhattan
Bishvili nivra ha-olam
New York, Circa 1909
Shema
Olami Events
Julie Platt
Soviet Jewry Movement

Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

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

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

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

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

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