The Schmooze

Three years after October 7, northern Israel continues to face the difficult task of rebuilding communities, restoring confidence, and bringing families home. This week on The Schmooze, Don and Jared welcome Yaniv Carmi, the new director of the Etzba HaGalil Coast-to-Coast Partnership (P2G), connecting six Canadian Jewish communities with communities in northern Israel. Yaniv shares his remarkable...

Tom Amsellem grew up in Moshav Yevul, a small community only a few kilometres from Gaza. On the morning of October 7, 2023, he woke to an extraordinary barrage of rockets. Soon his family was hearing gunfire, losing electricity and cell service, and receiving scattered reports that neighbouring communities had been overrun. In this episode of The Schmooze , Tom takes Don and Jared through that day...

After a busy summer, Don and Jared are back with The Schmooze Between , and there is a lot to talk about. From violence and threats directed toward Jewish communities in Canada, to political rhetoric, media coverage, anti-Zionism, Avi Lewis and the approaching anniversary of October 7, this is a wide-ranging conversation about what Canadian Jews are experiencing right now. But this episode isn&#39...

After reflection and atonement comes a time for joy. Don and Jared welcome Rabbi Nisan Andrews of Calgary’s House of Jacob Mikveh Israel for a special Sukkot conversation about tradition, belonging, and community. Rabbi Andrews shares his journey back to Calgary, explains the meaning of the sukkah and the four species, and explores what these traditions can teach us about unity and the uncertainty...

What happens when politics gets complicated, but business keeps moving forward? Don and Jared sit down with David Friedland, Executive Director of the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce, for a fascinating conversation about trade, investment, innovation and the enormous opportunities connecting Canada and Israel. David explains how the Chamber brings businesses, investors and entrepreneurs together...

What if the history of Israel, 1948 and the Nakba is far more complicated than the version most people encounter online? In Part One of a special conversation, Don and Jared sit down with the anonymous historian known as Captain Allen. A lawyer by profession and lifelong student of Jewish and Middle Eastern history, Captain Allen has spent more than two decades building an extraordinary historical...

A SWEET NEW YEAR, A STRONGER JEWISH SELF As the High Holidays approach, Rabbi Leonard Cohen of Kehilat Shalom joins Don and Jared for a warm conversation about Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Jewish identity, community and growth. Rabbi Leonard explains why the High Holidays are not simply about fasting, guilt or tradition, but about reflection, reconnection and becoming a little more of who we want to...

What happens when someone who has actually lived inside war listens to the way we talk about it from thousands of kilometres away? Tim Isberg spent more than four decades in the Canadian military, serving in Rwanda, the Middle East, Bosnia and Afghanistan. He worked as an unarmed United Nations military observer, investigated atrocities in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, dealt with child so...

What’s the difference between a supporter and a champion? For former Alberta MLA Richard Gottfried, it comes down to what you’re prepared to do when standing up actually matters. In Episode 38 of The Schmooze , Don and Jared sit down with Richard for a conversation that begins with an extraordinary family story and ultimately arrives at one of the most urgent questions facing Canada’s Jewish commu...

One of Canada’s foremost military historians, Dr. David Bercuson , joins Don and Jared for a fascinating examination of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights’ Nakba exhibit and the history surrounding Palestinian displacement during the 1947–49 Arab-Israeli War. 📖 Read Dr. David Bercuson’s National Post article discussed in this episode: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/david-bercuson-human-rights...

This week, Don sits down with Gail Freiberg of Calgary’s beloved Gruman’s Delicatessen for a conversation about much more than smoked meat and matzo ball soup. Gail shares her journey from Montreal to Calgary during the Anglophone exodus of the late 1970s, her first encounters with antisemitism as a Jewish teenager in Calgary, a 30-year career in fashion, and the decision to eventually return west...

Meet Michelle Dor, the new Executive Director of StandWithUs Canada. Michelle’s path to the role has been anything but conventional: teacher, vice principal in her 20s, partisan politics, Jewish community leadership, and now the helm of an organization focused on fighting antisemitism through Israel education. In Episode 35 of The Schmooze , Don and Jared sit down with Michelle to talk about what...

Jared Goes Back to Camp. In Episode 34, Jared reconnects with his lifelong friend Adin Wener , whom he first met at Jewish summer camp in the 1980s. Adin is the managing partner of Henderson Brewing Company, the brewery behind its partnership with Rush, the creator of Solly’s craft soda and one of the people bringing Picklefest Canada across the country. They talk about camp friendships, baseball,...

What does it mean to represent your country during one of the most challenging periods in its history? In Episode 33 of The Schmooze , we sit down with Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed , for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, diplomacy, resilience, and hope. Ambassador Moed shares his remarkable journey—from serving in the Israel Defense Forces to representing Israel on the world s...

In this edition of The Schmooze Between , Don and Jared examine what they see as a growing double standard in the way Israel is covered, criticized and judged. The conversation begins with reports of dismissals and resignations inside Global Affairs Canada amid concerns about inappropriate contact with a foreign country, and the limited attention the story appeared to receive from major Canadian m...

What happens at a Jewish funeral? Why are Jewish burials held so quickly? Can someone with tattoos still receive a traditional Jewish burial? Why do mourners shovel dirt onto the casket? And why has bringing home the remains of fallen soldiers and hostages always been so important in Jewish tradition? These are questions many people have—but few ever ask. In Episode 32 of The Schmooze , Don and Ja...

What happens when a soccer match suddenly becomes another excuse to attack Israel? After Argentina's dramatic comeback victory over Egypt at the FIFA Club World Cup, social media exploded with claims that the match was "rigged" because of Israel, Zionism, and supposed Jewish influence. In this special Schmooze Between, Jared sits down with lifelong Argentina supporter Rolando "K...

Can medical schools remain objective when ideology enters the classroom? Following the events of October 7, Dr. Gary Galante found himself advocating not only as a physician, but as a medical educator concerned about the experiences of Jewish students and faculty. In this episode of The Schmooze , Don and Jared sit down with Dr. Galante to discuss what he witnessed inside Canadian medical schools,...

Jared returns from New York with an unexpected perspective after visiting one of the world's largest Jewish communities. That experience leads to a discussion about Zohran Mamdani, the future of New York, rising concerns in Toronto, and the controversy surrounding the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' Nakba exhibit. The episode concludes with a special conversation featuring Alberta's...

Can journalism still be trusted? Award-winning journalist and National Post contributor Dave Gordon joins The Schmooze for a candid conversation about how the media landscape has changed over the past 25 years...and what that means for all of us. Drawing on decades inside Canadian and international newsrooms, Dave shares firsthand stories about editorial decisions, newsroom culture, media bias, an...

🎙️ NICK MATAU ON THE SCHMOOZE Facts matter. But as Nick Matau explains in this episode, facts alone are not enough. Known to many online as "Nicholas the Zionist," Nick has become one of the most recognizable pro-Israel voices on social media. Through debates, livestreams, and relentless research, he has built a reputation for challenging misinformation, dismantling bad arguments, and he...

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was founded to educate, challenge, and inspire Canadians through the lens of human rights. But with the upcoming opening of Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present , critics are raising serious questions about whether the museum is presenting a balanced account of one of the most contested chapters in modern history. In this episode, Don and Jared are joined...

What happens when information warfare becomes invisible? In this special episode of The Schmooze, we sit down with author, strategist, lawyer, and artist Warren Kinsella to discuss his new book, The Hidden Hand. We explore: ✅ Information warfare and influence operations ✅ Antisemitic propaganda in the digital age ✅ How narratives are manufactured and amplified ✅ The role of media and social me...

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a major speech on antisemitism, acknowledging what many Jewish Canadians have been saying for months: Canada is facing a serious and growing antisemitism crisis. Jewish schools have been shot at. Synagogues have been firebombed. Jewish students increasingly feel unwelcome on Canadian campuses. Holocaust memorials have been vandalized. On those facts, there is l...

What makes Camp BB-Riback so special that former campers still talk about it decades later? On this episode of The Schmooze, Don and Jared sit down with new Camp BB-Riback Executive Director Cecil Horwitz to discuss the camp that helped shape generations of Jewish Albertans. From campfire friendships and Maccabiah memories to leadership development, resilience, Jewish identity, and life without sc...