Can Jew Believe?

Can you believe that three million people, maybe even more, speak "Jewish English"? In this episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance welcomes back Professor Sarah Bunin Benor (Hebrew Union College, USC, and the Jewish Language Project) to decode the unique intonations, grammar rules, and surprising origins of words we use every day—from schlep and nosh to modern Hebrew influences. Together...

If two-thirds of Jewish Americans view their Jewish identity through culture or ancestry rather than religion, why do government agencies only track Judaism as a faith or religion? In this episode of "Can Jew Believe?," host Brad Pomerance sits down with David Bocarsly, Executive Director of Jewish California, to discuss the historic, unanimous passage of California Senate Bill 1387. Cal...

Is criticism of Israel completely separate from hatred of Jews, or is the world’s oldest prejudice being repackaged? In this episode of "Can Jew Believe?," host Brad Pomerance sits down with Rutgers University social psychologist Dr. Kent Harber to break down groundbreaking research tracking over 1,100 Americans. Dr. Harber reveals the shocking data behind how classic anti-Semitic tropes...

For over 1,500 years, the Beta Israel community of Ethiopia lived in complete isolation—convinced they were the last remaining Jews on Earth. In this episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance speaks with multilingual content creator, speaker, and Ethiopian-Israeli influencer Brhan Leibman. Brhan shares her family’s astonishing journey from the remote villages of Ethiopia to Jerusalem. She r...

Only 25 states in America legislatively mandate Holocaust education—and in a post-October 7th world, even those mandates are facing unprecedented pushback, cancellations, and political conflation. In this episode of "Can Jew Believe?," host Brad Pomerance speaks with Samantha Abramson, Executive Director of The Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC) and J-Hub, about the...

How does a local Jewish publication thrive in an era where major media outlets are collapsing? And why does a state with just a 1% Jewish population consistently shatter political and cultural expectations? In this episode of Can You Believe?, host Brad Pomerance joins Rob Golub, editor of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle and founder of SuccessfulJournalism.com. Together, they unpack why smaller hea...

Over 75% of American Jews trace their roots back to the massive immigration wave through Ellis Island that ended in 1924. But as generations pass, the living memory of that era is fading. In this episode of Can You Believe?, Brad Pomerance sits down with Professor Joel Dinerstein of Tulane University, author of The Last of the Ellis Island Jews. As one of the few surviving witnesses to that late-e...

Adolf Hitler meant for the 1936 Berlin Olympics to be a global showcase of Nazi supremacy. Instead, a group of extraordinary Jewish athletes swept the podiums and took home Olympic hardware—right in front of Hitler himself. In this episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance is joined by legendary collector Neil Keller, owner of over 22,000 rare historical artifacts. Neil reveals actual 1936...

When you walk into a therapy session, you expect a sanctuary—a safe, politically neutral space to process trauma, anxiety, and personal grief. But in the wake of October 7th, that safe space was shattered for many Jewish patients and clinicians. In this eye-opening episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down with Dr. Shelly Steinwurtzel, Psy. D., co-founder of Gesher Community Care,...

"Can Jew Believe?" that the factory from 'Schindler’s List' actually belonged to a Jewish family who had no idea it saved 1,200 lives until decades later? In 1938, the Low-Beer family was forced to flee Czechoslovakia, leaving behind one of Europe’s largest textile empires. Decades after WWII ended, Daniel Low-Beer’s father picked up the book Schindler’s Ark—only to realize the f...

From the heart of the Pale of Settlement to the devastation of the Second World War to secretly praying behind closed Soviet doors, the history of Jewish life in Belarus is one of survival, resilience, and rich heritage. Join host Brad Pomerance as he talks with Artur Livshyts, leader of the Jewish Religious Union in Belarus, about the deep roots of Belarusian Jews and the modern efforts to preser...

Before Indiana was even a state, early Jewish immigrants were shaping the American Midwest—as fur traders, lawmakers, and military leaders. Yet, many of these stories have been lost to time. Join host Brad Pomerance and guest Michael Brown, Executive Director of the Indiana Jewish Historical Society as they travel back to 18th- and 19th-century Indiana, the Hoosier state, to highlight four towerin...

In this episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down with Ken Marcus, founder and executive director of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under the Law. Marcus—a former Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights —unpacks how anti-Zionism is being weaponized in classrooms, campuses and private institutions. From Berkeley Law groups banning Zionist speakers to privat...

Statistically, Jewish people make up a tiny fraction of the population - 2% in the U.S., 1% in Canada, 0.2% around the Globe. Yet the Jews are routinely excluded from corporate protections for minority groups. Why? Host Brad Pomerance is joined by tech-guru-turned-advocate Steven Phillips with Jewish ERGs to expose the systemic discrimination, harassment and exclusion of Jewish employees at busine...

96% of Lithuanian Jewry was exterminated during the Holocaust. More than any other country—more than Poland. It was a devastating wipeout."In this episode of Can Jew Believe?, Brad Pomerance and Nick Sayers, author of The Jews of Lithuania, take a look at the chilling history of Lithuanian Jewry. First, they take us through the chilling 1,000 year history of Lithuanian Jewry, from the medieva...

Hate groups are changing their tactics, and they are targeting children far younger than you think. It is a terrifying reality that many parents are completely unprepared for: extremist groups are no longer just targeting college students or late-stage teenagers. Today, children as young as 12 to 14 are actively being groomed into hate online. Even more shocking? Across white supremacy, jihadism,...

"Without Cincinnati, the Jewish community as it stands today throughout the United States would not be what it has become. It's simply undeniable." When you think about the major epicenters of Jewish America, your mind probably jumps to New York, Miami, or Los Angeles. But in the early 19th century, the true gateway to the West—and the birthplace of modern American Judaism—was actual...

Words have power. But since October 7th, words like Zionist and Genocide are being used as slurs and to shut down conversations, rather than start them. In this episode of "Can Jew Believe?", Brad Pomerance and Hebrew Union College President Dr. Andrew Rehfeld challenge us to step back from the emotional brink. They dive into why calling someone a "Zionist" has become a popular...

"Last night there was an unbelievable missile attack in Kyiv. I spent six hours in the parking lot. 90 missiles." - Yet, the very next day, over 100 Jewish youths gathered for a culture festival. - In this deeply moving and urgent episode of "Can Jew Believe? with Brad Pomerance," we pull back the headlines of the war in Ukraine to expose the harrowing reality facing Ukrainian...

In this fascinating episode of "Can You Believe?" host Brad Pomerance sits down with acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and scholar Joe Alterman to uncover the deep, complex, and beautiful history between Black and Jewish communities that help build the American music industry. From the surprising reality behind Harold Arlen’s iconic song "Over the Rainbow" to the profound impac...

While the IDF was still actively clearing terrorists from the Gaza envelope on Oct 7th — a single WhatsApp group of 20-somethings bypassed the entire military bureaucracy to fly 12 tons of tactical gear directly to the frontlines on a private El Al flight? In this unforgettable episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down with Bucky Apisdorf, the CEO and president of Let’s Do Somethi...

In this captivating continuation of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance sits down for Part 2 of his conversation with Marcell Kenesei, Executive Director of the JCC Budapest. After exploring 1,000 years of history in their first episode, Brad and Marcell dive into the raw, complex reality of post-WWII Hungary—from the trauma-induced silence of the Communist era to a modern-day Jewish cultural re...

In this gripping episode of "Can Jew Believe," Host Brad Pomerance sits down with Marcell Kenesei, Executive Director of the JCC Budapest, to unravel the epic and often paradoxical history of Hungarian Jewry. Spanning over a millennium, the story of Jews in Hungary is one of grand success, cultural integration, and sudden, heartbreaking tragedy. From the welcoming decrees of Hungary'...

In this episode of "Can Jew Believe?," Brad Pomerance talks with Yoni Heilman, CEO of TAMID Group, an organization connecting the next generation of business leaders on college campuses to Israel’s "Startup Nation." With a ten-fold increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses since October 7th, the climate for Jewish students is more challenging than ever. But while headlines focus on...

In this eye-opening episode of Can Jew Believe?, host Brad Pomerance is joined by Dillon Hosier, CEO of the Israeli American Civic Action Network (ICAN). Together, they pull back the curtain on the massive, coordinated political strategy to undermine Israel: the radicalization of local governments, often through local Democratic Party elected officials and activists. While most eyes are on D.C., a...