The Actual

In this fascinating episode of The Actual, my guest is Darya Rubenstein, Executive Director of Australian Friends of United Hatzalah of Israel. Darya reveals the groundbreaking life saving work and their role in Australia post-Bondi. United Hatzalah is Israel’s largest fully volunteer emergency medical service with thousands of trained volunteers responding to medical emergencies across the countr...

In this episode of The Actual, my phenomenal guest is Australian social and political commentator Calista Clements. Her fearless online commentary has earned her a rapidly growing audience across the country. At just 25 years old, Calista calls cuts through the the maddening noise to discuss rising crime rates, political and leadership issues, social fragmentation, antisemitism, and radicalisation...

In this episode of The Actual, my guest is Will Nemesh, Mayor of Waverley, home to Bondi Beach, and member of Sydney’s Jewish community. Will shares how he found himself leading Waverley Council through one of the most devastating periods in recent Australian history. Will describes how the events at the Bondi massacre challenged him personally and as a leader. He reveals what his council has done...

In this moving episode of The Actual, my guest is Rabbi Yossi Friedman of Rabbi On Demand. Following the terrorist attack in Bondi on December 14 2025, Yossi became a leading grassroots figure helping Jews, Australians from all walks of life, and tourists process the enormity of the attacks through his memorial prayer services at Bondi Pavillion. What emerged in the weeks and months through these...

Four times as a guest on The Actual, Australian Iranian patriot Ali had his social media platform taken down before and after the recording of this episode. Ali shares the realities of the dark forces of terrorism and how we live alongside it, many unaware of the proximity to us. Ali and I continue the broader discussion on the propaganda war unfolding across social media and the continuous silenc...

My guest on this episode of The Actual is Jessica Chapnik Kahn, an Argentinian–Australian writer, artist, and fellow Bondi survivor. Jessica and I met in the aftermath of the Bondi massacre on 14 December 2025. Jessica and I return to that day reflecting on our different experiences. This discussion is personal and moving as we both explored uncharted territory together, revealing aspects of ourse...

In this episode of The Actual, my incredibly knowledgeable and courageous guest is Marnie Perlstein, a passionate Jewish advocate and one of Australia’s most visible voices in the fight against antisemitism and antizionism. Marnie shares how online and university campus antisemitism in Australia were on her radar years prior to October 7 and why she dedicates her life to speaking publicly on these...

Tamar Pross, the founder of Citizen Cafe Tel Aviv, is my latest guest on The Actual. In this fascinating episode, she shares her deep reflections on Jewish identity and how her global platform Citizen Cafe became a space where people meet, connect, and feel closer to Israeli life through the Hebrew language. Tamar shares her reflections on why Gilad Shalit's story mattered, how this extended to Oc...

On this episode of The Actual, Judith Levitan from Royal Commission Legal Aid Service explains what the Royal Commission is, how the process works, why it matters, and how Australians can make a submission if they have experienced or witnessed antisemitism or have noticed changes to social cohesion. She clarifies the role of the Royal Commission, especially in understanding how submissions help mo...

In this episode of The Actual, my incredible guest is Ben Carasso - the “Spokeskid of Israel”. Ben has been representing Israeli children on the global stage since the age of 8. Now 11, Ben has led advocacy tours across 8 countries, spoken at the UN and UK Parliament, and uses his platform to share how life is for Israeli children with a foreground of war. Having lived through multiple military op...

In this episode of The Actual we are joined by Robert Goldshaft, the CEO of Mosaic Living, to better understand community living for Jewish seniors in Australia. Mosaic Living is a not-for-profit organisation and one of the largest providers of affordable housing for Jews. Originally established to support Holocaust survivors, it continues to serve the Jewish community by offering independent livi...

In this episode, Michelle Scheibner tells the story of how she uncovered her Jewish identity later in life and how a major family secret led her to a journey of discovering crucial parts of herself. Michelle reveals her intergenerational trauma, inherited stories, and the empty spaces throughout her life and inside her psyche. Through her book Hush, Michelle explores how emotional inheritance infl...

In this episode of The Actual we are joined by Stephen McAlpine, a Christian cultural commentator, public theologian, and former pastor of nearly three decades. Stephen describes the impact on Australia of the ongoing rise of disinformation and antisemitism following October 7, and what it reveals about the deeper fractures in the West. Stephen reveals his perspective from years of working with ch...

In this episode, Doron Amitai Libshtein, an international speaker, author, leadership mentor, and the chairman of The Life Academy, shares his passion for humane leadership following the loss of both his brother Ofir and his nephew on October 7 2023. We discuss the processing of these losses, grief, and how these ultimately reshaped the direction of Doron's life and a Foundation honouring and cont...

In this episode, I’m joined by Australian-Iranian patriot and activist Ali for his third appearance on the The Actual to dissect the rapidly evolving situation in Iran and the global implications of the ongoing war. Since our last conversation, there have been significant developments, including the death of Khamenei, military interventions, growing pressure on the Islamic regime, and the critical...

In a world increasingly shaped by uncertainty, polarisation, and collective distress, what does it truly mean to hold onto hope? In this deeply reflective episode, psychotherapist and psychologist Dr. Julian Pascal Saadi explores hope not as naïve optimism, but as a psychological force. Drawing on his clinical experience in adult mental health, he unpacks the delicateness between hope and despair,...

In this episode of The Actual, author and editor Lee Kofman reflects on writing, identity, and Jewish life in the aftermath of October 7 2023. She examines the surge of disinformation, antisemitism, and the pressure placed on Jewish voices in public discourse. Lee describes co-editing Ruptured, an anthology documenting Jewish women’s lived experiences post October 7, and felt the urgency of record...

In this follow-up episode of The Actual with Iranian patriot and activist Ali, he discusses the critical updates on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iran and its expanding global implications. As disinformation intensifies and extremist rhetoric gains traction worldwide, this episode examines Iran’s prolonged and unprecedented internet blackout, the regime’s escalating violence against civil...

In this episode of The Actual, we speak with Chavi Block-Israel, an educator, writer, and founder of The Empowered Jew, about surviving the Bondi terror attack whilst shielding her infant son with her body. Chavi takes us inside the moments during and after the attack, how her mind narrowed under threat, how instinct took over, and how motherhood was central to her experience. We explored the psyc...

This fascinating episode features Lynda Ben-Menashe, President of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia and a long-time leader in the Jewish community. She speaks about the concerning tidal wave of misinformation and disinformation shaping people's perspective of the world today. She describes the way antagonistic positions towards Israel are typically one's own expression of a 'morality...

Iranian activists Ali and Amin were invited onto The Actual to explain how a series of economic and political pressures in Iran escalated into a nationwide uprising in late December 2025. They break down the factors that have led to a revolution where the Iranians demand the removal of the Islamic regime. The conversation also provides historical context on Iran’s political system since 1979 and h...

Shortly after the terror attacks at Bondi Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world, the host of this podcast Lissy Abrahams, and two other courageous members of the Jewish community were interviewed by Dr. Phil. They share their personal experiences and reflections of the massacre on 14 December 2025, where a mass shooting broke out during celebrations of the first night of Hanukkah. Wha...

In this episode, activist Tamar Paluch talks about Ruptured , the collection of essays she co-edited with author Lee Kofman that documents how Jewish women experienced and responded to events following the terror attacks on October 7 and beyond. Tamar explains how the book provided a way for women to write through grief, record their memories in real time, and take back ownership of their stories...

In this episode of The Actual, Michele Goldman, CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies opens up about the impact of disinformation, the rise of anti-Semitism, and what it means to lead a community during times of uncertainty. She shares her insights on advocacy, the importance of interfaith relationships, and the challenges faced by the Jewish community in the wake of recent events. T...

Violinist, composer, arranger, and founder of CHUTNEY, Ben Adler joins The Actual to discuss the way music becomes an emotional communicator and how Jewish identity and community have shaped his work. He describes why carefully designed concerts can move people from despair to hope to jubilation, and how SHIR concerts are deeply thought through to create a truly transformational experience. Ben sh...