What Came After

Simon Deng is a former slave from South Sudan, human rights activist, public speaker, and professional swimmer. He has lived in the United States since 1989 and has been a leader of the South Sudanese expatriate community since 1993. ⁠⁠ Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar Outro Music: "Jerusalem" by Elijah...

In February, What Came After sat down with the Chief Rabbi of Poland and native New Yorker, Michael Schudrich. Their conversation was recorded in Warsaw, where Rabbi Schudrich has lived and worked for the past 35 years. Host Manya Marcus speaks with Schudrich about his personal journey to Poland, how there are many more Jews- or those with Jewish heritage- who live in Poland than anyone realized o...

Mino is a Roman entrepreneur and restaurateur with deep roots in the culinary world, shaped by his family’s experience in the industry. He manages two establishments: Casalino Osteria, a kosher restaurant, and a bakery-café, Dolce Kosher. Through his work, he combines tradition and innovation, creating welcoming spaces where people can enjoy great food and hospitality. Beyond the kitchen, Mino is...

Ruth Dureghello was born in Rome on July 5, 1967. She earned a law degree from the University of Rome La Sapienza and went on to pursue a career in entrepreneurial activities. Married with two children, Ruth led the “For Israel” party as its presidential candidate for the Council of the Jewish Community in Rome in 2015. She won 44.08% of the total vote and, following the Council’s recommendation,...

Listen to our conversation with ELNET CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) featuring: Anna Miszewska, Deputy Director Joanna Olszewska, Project Manager Marta Kubica, CEO   Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick Editor: Keren Glicksman Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar Outro Music: "Old Polish Tango in Hebrew" by Olga Mieleszczuk Listen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Arie Bensemhoun has been the Chief Executive Officer of Elnet France since 2011. He has made his career in the private sector as a consultant in communications, PR, and international relations, dealing with Middle Eastern and strategic affairs. He plays a crucial role in the French-Israeli relationship through his commitment at both the community and political levels. He seeks to strengthen ties b...

Marta Kubica is the Chief Executive Officer of ELNET CEE (Central and Eastern Europe), driven by a passion for strengthening ties between Europe and Israel through innovative diplomacy. After five years in the role, Marta sees ELNET as more than just an organization facilitating delegations or strategic dialogues; it is about creating a safe space for open conversation and building trust. With ove...

In this special episode, What Came After presents an audio travelogue from the team’s trip to Paris this past January. Join our summer intern, Keren Glicksman, as she interviews host Manya Marcus about the experience, and listen to on-the-ground recordings from Manya and producer Maya Zanger-Nadis as they navigate the city during a particularly challenging moment in Jewish history.   Host and Crea...

Rabbi Emile Ackermann is the co-founder, together with his wife, Rabbanit Myriam Ackermann-Sommer, of Ayeka in Paris — the first Liberal Modern Orthodox community in France. Born in Strasbourg and a graduate of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, he holds a BA in Administration Économique et Sociale. Rav Emile is also deeply engaged in French political life. He is the author of N’oublions pas qui nous sommes...

What Came After traveled to Brussels this past January to sit down with Juan Caldes at the headquarters of the European Jewish Association. Juan, the European Advocacy Coordinator, spoke with us about the alarming rise in antisemitism across Western Europe—and why he believes this trend hasn’t taken hold in Eastern Europe in the same way. He shares some of the difficult personal decisions he's mad...

What Came After traveled to Amsterdam in February to speak with Rabbi Akiva Camissar about his experiences working with the city’s Israeli Jewish community in the wake of two deeply traumatic events: the October 7th attacks in Israel and the violent pogrom against visiting Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in November 2024. Rabbi Camissar shares how the events of October 7th created a profound shif...

In this episode, we travel to Paris to speak with Anna Veronese, a rabbinical student at Maharat—the only institution offering both Orthodox ordination to women and virtual learning, creating a global community she deeply values. We talk about Veronese's identity as a feminist, left-wing Jew who remains a committed Zionist while being selectively critical of some Israeli policies. She shares how t...

Earlier this year, What Came After traveled to Brussels for a sobering conversation with Rihards Kols, Latvia’s Member of the European Parliament. Recorded inside one of the European Parliament’s media studios, this interview confronts a chilling possibility: that the world may be repeating the darkest chapters of the 20th century. Kols offers an unflinching look at how his own country has confron...

In this episode, we travel to Rome to speak with Luca Spizzichino and David Fiorentini. Luca is the current president of the Italian Union of Jewish Students and Young Professionals (UGEI) and a freelance journalist. David, a recent medical school graduate, is UGEI’s former president and its current Policy Officer. Luca discusses the growing challenges of combating antisemitism online and how Holo...

Céline Bardet is an international lawyer who has worked in over 50 countries, specializing in war crimes, international justice, post-conflict security, and the prosecution of sexual violence in conflict. She is the founder of We Are NOT Weapons of War (WWoW), a nonprofit organization that develops innovative legal strategies to combat the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war. In this episode...

Dov Sabo, who was raised in Israel and has lived in the Netherlands for over 25 years, discusses his decision to move from Israel to the Netherlands following his service in the IDF. Coming from a religious background, Dov reflects on how life in the Netherlands initially felt more “relaxed”—until October 7th, when he was jolted awake to a reality his Auschwitz-survivor grandmother had known: that...

Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Rabbi Ari Koretzky (known on campus as “Rabbi K”) made his way to College Park via stops Israel, Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Johns Hopkins University, where he earned a Masters in Creative Nonfiction Writing. Ari brings his passion for Judaism, podcasting (check out “ Jews You Should Know “ and " Iyun "!), jetskiing, racquetball, music and more, to his work as...

Matthew Schultz is an author and rabbinical student living between Boston and Tel Aviv with his partner Yoav. He is the author of Torat Ha'Aretz, Torah of the Land, a weekly look at the Torah portion through the lens of the Jewish relationship to the land of Israel and the idea of exile.  Torah Ha'Aretz: https://matthewschultz.substack.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matthew_a_schultz/ ...

Sara Dahan is a community builder and mental health enthusiast with a mission to foster belonging, bring difficult topics out of the shadows, and ask big questions. Sara studied neuroscience at MIT with a special interest in developmental cognitive science followed by a degree in epidemiology from NYU focusing on the health of communities. She spent 10 years as a community strategist in Brooklyn w...

Season 2 has just wrapped, and we’re gearing up for an incredible Season 3. If you're interested in getting bonus content via email, you can sign up on our website, www.whatcameafter.com. Don’t forget to check out any episodes you may have missed in our first two seasons, and be sure to follow and subscribe to What Came After wherever you get your podcasts. Season 3 is coming soon and we can’t wai...

Nicole Jansezian lives in Jerusalem where she reports on the complicated yet beautiful aspects of this city as well as the challenges facing the people of the Holy Land. She and her husband Tony are part of the Armenian Christian community of Jerusalem and are raising their three children in a crossroads of languages, cultures and religions.   Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Managing Producer: Maya...

Rafael Aronov is 30 years old and originally from Arad. He now lives in Be'er Sheva and is happily married to Lior. He is the son of two Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union. Coming from an athletic family, Rafael, and his brother and sister are all martial artists. He is also a special forces police officer and takes pride in serving his country.   Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Managing Produ...

Dr. Hemi Rotenberg is an assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. He also happens to be an IDF reservist (used to be less demanding in past years), and since Oct 7th, he has served 8 months in total during three rounds of service. He lives in Kiryat Tiv’on with his wife, four children, and a dog, which he mistakenly brought home a week before th...

Roxana Ostrovsky was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania, and has been living in Tel Aviv for the past 20 years. She balances a full-time career in consulting with raising two children in the White City.   Host and Creator: Manya Marcus Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar Outro Music: "Beautiful Day" by NURIEL Listen on Spotify or App...

Rami Zelikovich, born in January 1959, has been the head of the Eldar Barnir Foundation since 2010. A tennis coach for the past 40 years, he spent 19 years in the United States, primarily as a tennis professional. In addition to his work in tennis, Rami has studied music, graphic design, and interactive media—disciplines he continues to practice daily. Through the foundation, he established a yout...