Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

What do Israelis know about Israel that the rest of us don’t?

Noa Tishby discusses how she noticed the rise of antisemitism and anti-Zionism long before October 7th, why she focuses on reaching moderates, and shares a powerful story of a Pro-Palestine college student who changed her views on Israel after reading Noa’s book.

Einat Wilf describes what it means to belong to the Israeli collective, her hopes for universal civic service, and why arguing over what makes Israel “Jewish” is itself Jewish tradition.

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum breaks down the debate in Israel about ultra-Orthodox integration into work and service, how Jerusalem is the hub for building bridges between Jews and Arabs, and why Israelis don’t understand antisemitism the way diaspora Jews do.

Tomer Peretz shares his firsthand experiences serving in the IDF, the shocking things he saw while volunteering with Zaka after the Nova massacre, and why he gave up bridge building with people who believe Israel shouldn’t exist.

Finally, President Isaac Herzog explains Israel’s high-stakes elections, how he’s handling the rising antisemitism worldwide, and his goal to strengthen the Israeli-diaspora ties.

Five Israelis. One homeland. When Israelis talk about Israel, maybe we oughta be quiet and listen.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

1:07 - Noa Tishby

9:03 - Einat Wilf

19:30 - Fleur Hassan-Nahoum

26:29 - Tomer Perez

34:33 - President Isaac Herzog

Watch Noa Tishby’s Full Episode:
https://youtu.be/HJm4X-5Y7Gg?si=N8z3e_BRLxjpxSJD

Watch Einat Wilf’s Full Episode:
https://youtu.be/tsHsAJtGAr8?si=DeDorfx3EmVqPPce

Watch Fleur Hassan-Nahoum’s Full Episode: https://youtu.be/G_AB3aAEEyI?si=UR0Vqf_P6bIOl921

Watch Tomer Peretz’s Full Episode:
https://youtu.be/SiX2JFxgCKs?si=n1J3F4bIl5rgnt9Y

Watch President Isaac Herzog’s Full Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQq0H6Aal4Q

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

CREDITS
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Supervising Producer: Alex Alcheh Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, 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

Why are some young Jews turning against Israel?

In this compassionate monologue, Jonah dives into one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged dynamics in modern Jewish life: the rise of young and progressive Jews who identify as Anti-Zionist.

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

CREDITS
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Interns: 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

Using the unexpected metaphor of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” Jonah unpacks how community, identity, education, and social pressure have shaped a generation of American and Diasporic Jews who feel more at home in progressive echo chambers than in traditional Jewish spaces. He argues that the disconnect has led to misunderstandings about Israel that cause harm, whether they know it or not.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated about the Jewish response to Israel today, this monologue is for you.

Watch the original monologue on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XooaQ4oUdQY

How do you build a billion-dollar business without sacrificing your values?

Mark Wilf shares how his family turned a dream of owning an NFL team into a multibillion-dollar franchise, why he feels a responsibility to foster a community of acceptance through the Minnesota Vikings, and how his family’s Holocaust survival story shaped his commitment to giving back.

Sheryl Sandberg reflects on her journey from Meta to Google, the lessons she learned that shaped her leadership, and how October 7th transformed her relationship with her own Jewish identity and pride.

Harley Finkelstein explains how he went from a T-shirt business entrepreneur to President of Shopify, why he followed through with his promise of building a Chabad building at his alma mater, and why having a platform comes with responsibility.

Daniel Lubetzky reveals how his father’s Holocaust story inspired a lifelong commitment to kindness and bridge-building, how that philosophy became the foundation of KIND and PeaceWorks, and why he uses business to bring people together.

Four Jewish business leaders. Four extraordinary journeys. Because the most meaningful measure of success isn’t what you build, it’s what you do with it.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

00:22 - Mark Wilf On Owning the Minnesota Vikings with Jewish Values.

11:37 - Sheryl Sandberg on her book Lean In and her identity in the workplace.

25:25 - Harley Finkelstein on being a loud and proud Jewish entrepreneur and leading Shopify to the next frontier.

41:56 - Daniel Lubetzky on building bridges and leading with kindness.

Watch Mark Wilf’s full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0knLtjPcCY
Watch Sheryl Sandberg’s full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUez5CSRuvY
Watch Harley Finkelstein’s full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q0JInijtgY
Watch Daniel Lubetzky’s full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFPYj8ppMlU

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

CREDITS
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Supervising Producer: Alex Alcheh Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE,

Should Jews start recruiting?

In this insightful monologue, Jonah Platt asks why Jews don’t proselytize, and whether that long-standing tradition still benefits the Jewish people today. Judaism offers a rich framework of ritual, purpose, and community, and yet does almost nothing to reach the millions of spiritually searching people who might genuinely thrive within it. Meanwhile, the Jewish population remains remarkably small, and the non-Orthodox community continues to shrink.

Jonah makes the case that Jewish survival in the 21st century requires us to challenge one of our most deeply ingrained assumptions: that Jews should wait for potential converts to find us, rather than actively inviting them in. This isn't about cheapening Judaism. It's about asking whether our silence is a strategy, or just an outdated tradition.

If you’ve ever wondered why Judaism isn’t widespread, this monologue is for you.

Watch the original monologue on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUr4WPW0wYQ

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

CREDITS
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Interns: 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

In this special live episode of Being Jewish, Jonah takes the show on the road to Atlanta for a one-night-only “Concert-Sation” with Neranenah Executive Director and pianist Joe Alterman at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center.

Blending conversation with live music, Jonah performs a medley of music including a mashup of songs from Broadway, Jonah’s original never-before-heard song “A Tear in the Sky” from his musical adaptation of Lois Lowry’s The Giver, and more!

Jonah discusses the Jewishness of Broadway, how Camp Ramah shaped his Jewish identity and life-long friendships, and becoming more politically active on social media after the 2021 Israel-Gaza violence. He also describes his 2023 Israel trip with the Tel Aviv Institute led by Hen Mazzig in 2023, and his decision to shift his focus from acting toward Jewish advocacy.

This episode has music, laughter, and a deeply personal look at what it means to live your Jewish values out loud.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

DANCING THROUGH LIFE/AS LONG AS YOUR MINE
04:25 - 9:00
Jonah sings Fiyero’s songs, “Dancing Through Life” & “As Long As Your Mine” from the Broadway musical, Wicked. He played the character on Broadway in 2015.
ADHD AS AN ADULT
13:52 - 15:05
Jonah gets candid about the challenge and the blessing of receiving an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood.

TEAR IN THE SKY
20:16 - 23:59
Jonah sings a now cut song from the musical he is developing with Andrew Resnick.

HALLELUJAH
46:49 - 50:10
Jonah finishes the evening with the Leonard Cohen classic, “Hallelujah”.

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah. www.beingjewishpodcast.com/join-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

CREDITS
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, 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, Jacob Ross, John Jurko, Shot By: Jacob Ross, John Jurko, Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

Special Thanks:
Joe Alterman, The Marcus Foundation, Good Foot Productions, Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, Raychel Robbins, Tali Benjamin