The Jew Function Podcast

Jews are experts at social inclusion. Take Miryam Kabakov, an American Jewish social worker, editor and community organizer from St. Paul Minnesota. She is the Executive Director of Eshel, a national organization that supports and advocates for LGBTQ+ Orthodox Jews. What does it mean to advocate for LGBTQ+ Jews in the Orthodox space and, more importantly, how can that help and inspire the rest of...

Dr. Keith Kahn-Harris is a London-based sociologist, writer, and lecturer at Leo Baeck College, where he explores what it means to live as Jews in a world that often resists the very idea of chosen-ness. A senior research fellow at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, he’s authored eight books that range from the UK Jewish experience to the global metal music scene—always probing the boundari...

Prof. Shaul Magid is joining us again after his recent appointment to Harvard. As one of the leading thought leaders among American Jews we are interested in hearing his take on the state of Jewish life in the U.S., why his new role in Harvard has raised some eyebrows, his controversial stance on Zionism, and his work on Rabbi Meir Kahane which seems eerily relevant today. Join us. WHAT IS THEJEWF...

TJF Talks #109 w/Jonas Sota | the key is belonging The stories of Jonas Sota could fill an entire season. Jonas is a 1st generation American Jew who has been studying Israeli, Jewish and Middle Eastern history for the past 20 years. In 2015 he earned a degree in Philosophy from UCLA, and as early as 2017 he began predicting that Jews would be targeted in American politics and on American streets....

What is being Jewish to you? Join us as we welcome Jonah Platt into our circle. His wildly successful podcast 'Being Jewish' is talking about all the things we love discussing and his vision for Jews in entertainment might hold the key to changing the hearts and minds of the masses.  Jonah is a leading advocate for the Jewish community, using his 175k+ social media following to educate and...

Doron Keidar is an Israeli combat veteran, security expert, filmmaker, and international speaker. With two decades of experience in the IDF—including elite special operations—he brings a rare, firsthand perspective on Israel’s security challenges and Jewish history. Beyond the battlefield, Doron has spent nearly 20 years protecting high-profile leaders and Fortune 500 companies, and today he share...

Forman is best known for co-authoring Lily’s Promise with his great-grandmother, Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert, and for using digital platforms to educate millions of followers about the Holocaust, Judaism and to advocate against antisemitism. But don't let his fascination with past events fool you. He's all about breaking new ground and reaching more Jewish hearts today, in order to chang...

She's passionate about building bridges, creating peace, and fostering authentic conversations - Ashira uses her Black & Jewish podcast to inspire meaningful connections and push societal boundaries. Based between Israel and the United States, the former Quad co-host is committed to shaping a more unified and understanding world. Sounds too good to be true? It is. But it's a story you...

We invited Judy because, well, she's such a great conversationalist. She's got that quality that makes Jews truly enviable by everyone, an ability to bring people together and connect seeming opposites with love. Join us! WHAT IS THEJEWFUNCTION - A 10min EXPLANATION https://youtu.be/5TlUt5FqVgQ LISTEN TO THE MYSTERY BOOK PODCAST SERIES: https://tinyurl.com/y7tmfpes SETH'S BOOK: https:/...

Live from Akron Ohio, it's musician Rami Feinstein. The Israeli singer-songwriter has been performing across Israel and the U.S. for 15 years, releasing albums in both Hebrew and English. Now residing in Akron, Rami is the Israeli emissary for Jewish Akron and the initiator of the Akron for Israel Tour. He opened his heart to us and you're gonna love it. Rami Feinstein's digital signature X/IG: @R...

We love having Fred over. He brings his heart to everything he does and he reminds us what it means to be strong-willed, warm-hearted, open, and dedicated. Also, we got to talk about the role of facts in the "post-truth" world and read some reassuring words from dead antisemites. Fun. Also, check out Fred's old and newest podcasts below! Fred Menachem Digital Signature Net Impact pod...

Jonathan Sacerdoti is a British broadcaster, journalist, and TV producer. He covers stories relating to the UK and Europe, as well as terrorism and extremism stories, race relations, and Middle East analysis. He won a 2006 BAFTA for Scotland's Best Factual Program, received the 2010 Herzl Award from the World Zionist Organization, and in 2013 becamse the UK correspondent for i24mews. He is als...

What is Mosaic political philosophy? What is holiness? Can holiness be thought of as a political category that shapes justice, ethics, and societal institutions? Dr. Ronen Shoval thinks that it can and he even wrote a book about it titled "Holiness and Society" where he talks about the biblical ideal of a holy nation, the importance of discourse and of strengthening the Jewish identity and the pre...

Judy Greenfeld is Senior Rabbi/Cantor at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, and founder of Nachshon Minyan, a welcoming community for unaffiliated Jews seeking to rewrite their negative stories about religion and re-integrate faith in their daily life. Beyond her Rabbinical duties, Judy's mission is to cultivate inclusive spaces where people of all backgrounds can come together, find...

She was born to an Egyptian Muslim father and a Jewish Israeli mother. With her 5 siblings, she is a living example of the results of co-existence and mutual love that transcends all differences. What are the characteristics of such love? Is it a genetic mutation? an acquired taste? What is Nourie doing as an ambassador for Israel and what can this love she grew up in teach us about the love we wa...

When Qatar and Iran pay South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) to engage with the ICC against Israel it's not surprising in the least. But when a major Israeli newspaper actively engages in de-Zionizing of the country and silencing of the Jewish majority in the land of Israel, that begs the question: what's up with Jew on Jew hatred? So we invited Norma again to talk about this perp...

+ This is a translation of a conversation with Daniel in Hebrew. Host of one of the leading podcasts in Israel, Daniel Dushi made it his goal to have deep conversations with some of the most interesting people in Israel. He has hosted guests from the left, the right, the religious and the atheist sides of the map. Along the way, he's been trying to figure out some of life's big questions for himse...

NY born 23 yr. Mannis is a Baseball and Yankees nerd. He works for Jomboy Media. Nothing unusual here except that he also happens to be an orthodox Jew and a proud Zionist. He’s outspoken about antisemitism and uses his platform to spread awareness about antisemitic experiences he’s had in person and online, how he responds to them and how things have shifted since the 7th in particular. Join us....

Representing the new generation of Jewish leaders, Elisheva is determined to look forward while rebuilding Jewish peoplehood. But what do we need to learn from the past if we aim to forge ahead? The founder of "Decolonized Judean" will join us this Sunday at noon. What allowed the Oct. 7 atrocities to unfold? Why are Jews best defined by their troubles? What could be the solution to antisemitism,...

Gadi Taub is an Israeli writer, journalist, and academic. He serves as a senior lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, focusing on public policy and communications. Taub holds a PhD in American History from Rutgers University and has published extensively on Zionism, political ideology, and contemporary Israeli culture. We like Gadi because he has shown he can change his mind, moving acro...

Gary is fast becoming our resident guest contributor. Where are we a year on and what do we need to do to win the communication war, and why does it even matter that we win it. Join us on this talk that took place 5 days before the elections. It's another reason why we need more independent media channels like thejewfunction to move the needle. Join us. Gary's latest article: https://jewishjournal...

Rabbi Elie Mischel is the Director of Education at Israel365. Before making Aliyah in 2021, he served as the Rabbi of Congregation Suburban Torah in Livingston, NJ. He also worked for several years as a corporate attorney at Day Pitney, LLP. Rabbi Mischel received rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mischel also holds a J.D. from the Cardo...

Oliver Anisfeld became a Jewish new media mogul at the ripe old age of 22, having launched the British-based YouTube channel J-TV. Anisfeld says the idea for the channel came because of a “gap in the market. … There was an apathy about Jewish identity. My idea was to create a new, high quality, online global Jewish media channel.” Faced with disinterest, Anisfeld barreled his way into the office o...

Former NBC Telemundo reporter and CNN World Report contributor in El Salvador, Norma is also and a member of the Israeli diplomatic corps. She was born in El Salvador but fast forward a few decades, she is one of the leading voices in the fight against antisemitism with a focus on auto-antisemitism. She currently works as a writer and researcher on antisemitism for the Kabbalah La'Am Associati...

Mexican-born of Syrian and Lebanese descent, Adela is an American activist and author known for her advocacy against antisemitism and her support for Zionist causes. As a student at NYU, she became prominent for filing a Title VI complaint against the university, alleging that it allowed antisemitic activities on campus. This led to a settlement where NYU revised its policies to include antisemiti...