Conversations with B’nai B’rith

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠? B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin speaks with David Fishof, founder of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp, about the origins of Rock Camp, his experiences working with rock legends like Ringo Starr, Roger Daltrey and The Monkees, the role Judaism plays in his professional and personal life, and much more.   Fishof also executive produced the 2021 documentary “Rock Camp: The Movie," and has be...

Tune in as we delve into a fascinating, little known piece of Jewish history in the Southern United States – of course, with a B’nai B’rith connection!   Lawyer and author Marlene Trestman speaks with B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin about her upcoming book, “Most Fortunate Unfortunates,” which explores the story of the long-shuttered Jewish Orphans’ Home of New Orleans – the first purpose-built Je...

In a special conversation, B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin speaks with Academy Award-winning director Guy Nattiv about his new movie, "Golda," which stars Dame Helen Mirren as former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.   In "Golda," Nattiv and screenwriter Nicholas Martin shed new light on Meir’s life, and frame Meir’s incredible triumphs and failures in the 19 critical and intense days of her coun...

CEO Dan Mariaschin talks with Alberto Dorfzaun, B’nai B’rith member and president of K. Dorfzaun, the most trusted name in the Panama Hat industry based in Cuenca, Ecuador.   K. Dorfzaun was founded in 1939 by the first generation of the Dorfzaun family who arrived in Ecuador – among the 3,000-4,000 Jews who fled there, escaping the horrors of World War II and the Shoah.   Famous for its history a...

Harvey Lisberg speaks with B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin about his revealing, entertaining and moving new memoir, "I'm Into Something Good: My Life Managing 10cc, Herman's Hermits and Many More!"   Lisberg shares the highs and lows of managing Rock 'n' Roll legends, eccentric snooker (pool) superstars and famous athletes, growing up Jewish in Manchester, England, and the ever-changing complexiti...

The B’nai B’rith Podcast is now “Conversations with B’nai B’rith"!   Dr. Edyta Gawron speaks with CEO Dan Mariaschin about B'nai B'rith's storied history in Poland before and leading up to World War II, the history of Jews in modern Poland and the cultural impact of "Schindler's List" on Polish society today.   Dr. Gawron is an assistant professor at the Institute of Jewish Studies, part of the Ja...

Big news! The B’nai B’rith Podcast is now “Conversations with B’nai B’rith"!   In this episode, University of Munich Prof. Cornelia Wilhelm joins B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin to discuss her in-depth study of the German refugee rabbis who immigrated to the United States after 1933 and their impact on Jewish American communities in the 20th century.   Prof. Wilhelm's painstaking research also ins...

Eitan Bergman, Executive Director of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS), and Emily Bowman, EUJS Policy Officer, speak with B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin about life for young Jews in Europe.   Their conversation focuses on the perceptions and experiences of students facing anti-Semitism on European university campuses, and how the EUJS (as an organization) engages with the European Unio...

World-renowned and highly respected cantor Joseph Malovany has dazzled audiences with his musical talents for nearly his entire life, despite his humble beginnings in Tel Aviv. In fact, his musical talents were so exceptional that his mother sold her wedding ring and used that money to purchase a piano for him so he could hone his skills – a gamble that certainly paid off.   In our first episode o...

Since its founding in 2005, AJIRI – the American-Jewish International Relations Institute – has been forward-thinking about combating anti-Israel bias at the United Nations.   Now an affiliate of B'nai B'rith, AJIRI-BBI works directly with B’nai B’rith’s long-standing Office of U.N. Affairs to overcome anti-Israel efforts engrained at the United Nations, securing important vote changes – with fewe...

Author and military historian Bruce Henderson speaks with B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin about his brand-new book, "Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II," and his 2017 New York Times bestseller "Sons and Soldiers: The Untold Story of the Jews Who Escaped the Nazis and Returned with U.S. Army to Fight Hitler."   In “ Bridge to  the...

B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin, and Director of Legislative Affairs and Deputy Director for Human Rights and Public Policy Eric Fusfield discuss the impact of the Abraham Accords on Israel and the region two years after the agreement was signed, as well as prospects for continued regional peace, security and prosperity, the growing threat from Iran, and more.   When the United States, United Arab...

Before Elvis Presley was "The King," he was a poor kid who spent his free time staring at the windows of Lansky Brothers in the heart of Memphis' music district. One day in 1952, Bernard Lansky saw a young, skinny kid admiring the clothes and invited him in. So began a lifelong friendship built on trust and respect, one that Hal Lansky, Bernard's son, witnessed firsthand.   Almost exactly 45 years...

What started as a way for Vassar College alumni to fill open air time on its radio station has turned into a launching pad for Aaron Bendich's " Borscht Beat ," a weekly FM radio show (on Radio Catskill, WJFF-90.5) featuring Jewish music, old and new.   The 28-year-old launched the hour-long program from his Brooklyn apartment in 2020 (in the throes of quarantine) as a way to revive – and continue...

Why are there so many Jewish comedians? " When Comedy Went to School " answers this question with an in-depth, entertaining portrait of America's greatest generation of comics – including the likes of Jerry Lewis, Joan Rivers, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason and so many others.   The feature-length documentary – which aired earlier this year on PBS – tells the story of the Catskill hotels and bungalow co...

The French Revolution brought the promise of equality to many oppressed groups living in France. French Jews, subject to brutal treatment for centuries, sought to benefit from the new freedoms promised by the Revolution. So they enlisted the help of young Catholic attorney Jacques Godard, who ultimately persuaded the Paris Municipal Assembly to legislate equal rights for Jews.   In his new book, "...

In his first book, “ Under the Radar: 30 Notable Canadian Jewish Musicians ,” music aficionado David Eisenstadt highlights hidden gems in the music world – musicians whose fame and fortune did not match their talent and influence. Eisenstadt writes with acclaim and appreciation for the artists who never quite basked in the limelight, including pop singer Corey Hart, folksingers The Travellers, jaz...

What is it like to represent Israel on the world stage? Former Ambassador Danny Danon has insights few can rival. He spent five years (2015-2020) as Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, a necessary but complex place for Jews and the State of Israel – and an institution known for its systemic bias against the Jewish state. In his upcoming book, " In the Lion's Den: Israel and th...

Margot Webb hasn't forgotten what happened to her family more than 80 years ago in Nazi Germany. The sacrifices made to save her and her mother. The heartlessness of former friends. The brutality of SS officers. Webb's book, "Tears in the Eyes of My Enemy," follows a slightly fictionalized version of herself – Meryam – as she returns to her childhood homes in Arnstadt and Halle, Germany, and the u...

Legendary actor Nehemiah Persoff speaks with B'nai B'rith CEO Dan Mariaschin about his new memoir, “ The Many Faces of Nehemiah ,” his successes and struggles as an actor spanning more than five decades – with credits from "Some Like it Hot" to "Yentl" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" – and his experiences as a Jewish performer in Hollywood and on stage. Thanks for checking us out! Subscribe to...

Author Dara Horn is tired of Jewish history being exploited to flatter the living. In her new book, "People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present," Horn challenges us to confront the public's fascination with Jewish deaths and why there is often little respect for Jewish lives. A two-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award with nonfiction work published in The New York Times, The Wa...

On this episode of the B'nai B'rith podcast with CEO Dan Mariaschin, author and historian Lucy Adlington shares the powerful stories of the women who used their sewing skills to survive the unthinkable horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. Her new book, "The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive," chronicles the long-hidden – and extraordinary – histories of...

On this episode of the B'nai B'rith podcast, CEO Dan Mariaschin speaks with Dr. Leon Saltiel, editor of the harrowing new book, "Do Not Forget Me: Three Jewish Mothers Write to Their Sons from the Thessaloniki Ghetto." Saltiel’s work brings together the raw emotions of three Greek Jewish women who kept on writing – even as they felt the walls closing in on them. Sarina Saltiel, Mathilde Barouh, an...

Few people know about Elvis Presley's range of deep Jewish connections. Even fewer are aware of his own Jewish roots. Author, artist and writer Roselle Chartock joins the B'nai B'rith podcast with CEO Dan Mariaschin to talk about her new book, " The Jewish World of Elvis Presley ," and delve into this little-known side of the revolutionary rock 'n' roll icon. Thanks for listening. Subscribe to the...

Scott Kahn and Pesach Wolicki join the B'nai B'rith Podcast with CEO Dan Mariaschin to break down all things baseball. Kahn and Wolicki are co-hosts of The Baseball Rabbi Podcast, part of the new Jewish podcast network “Jewish Coffeehouse.” Both are experts in baseball history, reevaluating historical assumptions and applying advanced metrics to America's Pastime. Thanks for listening. Subscribe t...