Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

What if the answer to "is antizionism antisemitism" is NO...but not for the reason you think? Adam Louis-Klein breaks down the history, language, and ideas driving the debate.

In a thought-provoking conversation, host Jonah Platt interviews Adam Louis-Klein, who returned from anthropological fieldwork with the Desana in the Amazon just after October 7, 2023, to discover the horrors of the attack on Israel. This drove him to become a leading voice opposing antizionism through his writing, appearances, and the organization he founded, Movement Against Antizionism (MAAZ). Adam defines antizionism as hatred of Israel and argues it functions like racism via obsessive libels, such as “colonizer,” “apartheid,” and “genocide,” used to justify hostility and violence against Jewish people. He distinguishes pre-1948 Jewish antizionism from modern antizionism, which he traces to Arab nationalist and Soviet propaganda, and criticizes institutional normalization in universities, NGOs, media, and governments. Klein contends antizionism harms Palestinians by empowering militias like Hamas and Hezbollah and outlines a “truth and reconciliation” vision including antizionism studies and memorialization.

Together, Jonah and Adam discuss the history of Bundism, Reform Judaism, Neturei Karta, the Oslo Accords, and debates surrounding the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, and Israeli identity. The episode also explores how to engage progressive audiences, respond to antizionist rhetoric, and build institutions capable of addressing one of the most consequential ideological battles facing the Jewish community today.

Plus, this week Jonah is back with the fourth installment of L’Dor V'adorable! We thought it couldn’t get any more adorable.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
16:17 — The Three Core Antizionist Libels: Colonizer, Apartheid, and Genocide
Klein breaks down the foundational accusations driving the antizionist movement — how the colonizer, apartheid, and genocide narratives were engineered to exploit modern moral sensibilities.
Defeating Antizionism

23:37 — Why "Antizionism" Is the Right Term (Not "Antisemitism")
Klein explains why the hate movement has been named as antizionism rather than antisemitism — including the historical parallelism between the two terms and why the distinction actually reaches more people.
Understanding Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism

51:29 — How Antizionism Harms Palestinians, Allies, and Civilization Itself
A breakdown of the collateral damage antizionism causes beyond Jews — including Palestinians living under Hamas/Hezbollah, non-Jewish allies marked as Zionists, and the broader erosion of democratic norms.
Antizionism Is a Hate Movement That Harms Palestinians and All Western Societies

1:15:03 - A Vision for a Post-Anti-Zionism World
Klein's framework for what it would take for society to fully reckon with antizionism the way it has with the Holocaust, including media accountability, university reform, and memorialization.

This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you to Birthright Israel Foundation

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
[email protected]

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn More about Adam Louis-Klein:
Adam Louis-Klein Website
Adam Louis-Klein Instagram
Movement Against Antizionism(MAAZ)
MAAZ Toolkits

CREDITS:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder turns grief, antisemitism, and the Jewish experience into one of the funniest and most unexpectedly moving conversations you’ll hear all year.

In this hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound episode, stand-up comic Yohay Sponder joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, Jewish identity, Israel, and the global Jewish experience. Known for his viral English-language stand-up and international tours, Sponder reflects on performing for Jewish audiences across Australia, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States while witnessing rising antizionist hate around the world. Sponder recounts the shocking experience of show cancellations in Amsterdam and Australia after public threats and claims of “perceived insensitivity” in his material. Along the way, the two discuss why Yohay performs in English, what he’s learned being married to an American, and how growing up the grandchild of Holocaust survivors influenced his comedic spark. He shares his goals of making people laugh while spreading Jewish pride and the inspiration behind his comedy specials, Self-Loving Jew and Genesis.

Using humor and vulnerability, Sponder examines what connects Jews globally, emphasizing comedy’s role in strengthening cultural bonds. The episode dives into Sponder’s evolving relationship with Judaism following the death of his father, Holocaust-survivor grandparents, his embrace of traditions like tefillin and wearing a (giant) Star of David.

THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah ponders Ikiagi, the Japanese concept for “your reason for being,” and how you can find your own Jewish version to guide you in these challenging times.

TIMESTAMPS
2:08 — Why Yohay performs in English
Yohay explains why English became the perfect language for his comedy, saying its structure naturally works better for punchlines than Hebrew.

14:26 — The Amsterdam cancellation
Yohay recounts how his sold-out Amsterdam shows were canceled days before showtime after threats against the venue

18:20 — When boycotts backfire
Yohay explains how protests and cancellations have often helped his career by bringing more publicity, support, and ticket sales.

28:06 — The fan who said his comedy saved her family
Yohay recalls a fan sharing how his comedy helped her and her father through his cancer treatments

30:32 — His father’s Holocaust survivor upbringing
Yohay reflects on his father’s painful childhood as the son of Auschwitz survivors — and how he chose to raise his own family with joy and laughter instead.

49:41 — The meaning of “Self-Loving Jew”
Yohay explains why he named his previous tour Self-Loving Jew, framing it as a response to Jews who publicly criticized Israel after October 7th.

This Episode’s Partner:
Thank you honeymoonisrael.org/beingjewish

More Ways To Connect with Being Jewish:
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
[email protected]

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Learn More About Yohay Sponder:
Yohay Sponder Youtube
Yohay Sponder Instagram
Yohay Sponder Stand-Up and Appearances

CREDITS:
Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

The Sopranos star Jamie-Lynn Sigler gets brutally honest about Judaism, fame, motherhood, and living with MS in one of her most personal interviews ever.

In one of the podcast’s most open and deeply personal episodes so far Jamie-Lynn Sigler, best known for playing Meadow Soprano on The Sopranos, reflects on growing up Jewish on Long Island, navigating Hollywood at a young age, and finding strength in Jewish identity and community. The two discuss that advocacy doesn't have to be about conflict, but about just sharing your positive experiences with the world. She shares how a transformative Birthright Israel trip deepened her connection to Judaism and Israel especially through experiences in Jerusalem.

Sigler also opens up about living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), the emotional toll of hiding her diagnosis for years, and how finally speaking publicly changed her life. The conversation explores marriage, mental health, and the pressure to appear “perfect” while struggling privately. Jamie-Lynn talks about her new memoir, And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope, and her podcasts MeSsy with Christina Applegate and Not Today, PAL. Together, she and Jonah connect with each other on their vulnerability, Jewish pride, and the freedom that comes from finally being fully yourself.

Plus, Rabbi David Ingbar returns to the podcast (Three-Timer!!!) to discuss the history and importance of the Jewish Holiday, Shavout.

Topics discussed:
Discussion about Jewish visibility, stereotypes about what Jewish people “look like,” and proudly embracing her Cuban, Greek, and Jewish heritage.
Sigler talks about living with Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”) and why going public about her diagnosis changed her life.
The emotional process behind writing her memoir And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope and narrating the audiobook herself.
How podcasting opened her emotionally
Caregiving, marriage, and parenting with her husband Cutter while navigating life with MS.
Sigler explains how The Sopranos became a “safe haven” during struggles with eating disorders, MS, and personal insecurities.
The Sopranos Executive Producer David Chase and how Meadow Soprano served as Sigler’s “Sasha Fierce” alter ego.
The importance of Jewish community, Shabbat dinners, and raising her sons Jack and Beau with pride in their Jewish heritage.
Sigler shares her perspective on Israel, Holocaust education, and visiting the Holocaust Museum during her Birthright experience.
Discussion of disability representation in Hollywood and why productions should hire actors actually living with disabilities and chronic illness.
Sigler discusses acting projects including Big Sky and how accommodations on set helped her work comfortably with MS.

Mentioned in the episode:
Rabbi David Ingber
What is Shavuot?
Why Cheesecake on Shavuot?
What Are the Five Books of Moses?
Simon Sinek
Counting Up to Shavuot
The Intrinsic Unity of Israel
Mount Sinai
HEBREW WORD OF THE WEEK —TIKUN
Dara Horn BJJP Episode
And So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and Hope
Multiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment Options
Jamie Lynn Sigler Instagram
Jamie Lynn Sigler IMDb
The Sopranos IMDb
Yad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance Center
Emmanuel Chriqui Instagram
Hollywood stars boycott Israeli film companies in response to Gaza crisis
Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass' whirlwind trip to Israel in photos
A Course in Miracles
MeSsy Podcast
Not Today, PAL with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler (Podcast)
David Chase IMDb
What Jamie-Lynn Sigler Wants You to Know About MS
Who Is Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Husband? All About Cutter Dykstra
Birthright Israel

Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
[email protected]

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

A Hollywood writer turned rabbi reveals the unbelievable true stories of Jewish survival history that they never taught in school.

Host Jonah Platt reunites with Rabbi Shmuel Lynn, his former University of Pennsylvania Maimonides Leadership Program teacher, to discuss Lynn’s path from screenwriting (Duke, NYU Film School, LA) to Orthodox Jewish education and leading young adults. Lynn describes growing up amid antisemitism in Palm Beach, discovering observant Jews in Hollywood, and being drawn to meaningful Jewish history through a Holocaust writing job. He explains his focus on college and post-college Jews through Olami in Greenwich Village, emphasizing immersive, curated experiences and storytelling to create individual and generational change.

Topics include:
Jonah Platt reflects on meeting Rabbi Lynn through the Maimonides Leadership Program while attending the University of Pennsylvania.
Working in Hollywood with writers from The Cosby Show and Will & Grace sparked Rabbi Lynn’s deeper exploration of Judaism and observant Jewish life.
Rabbi Lynn discusses writing a Holocaust screenplay centered on Kristallnacht and how that project deepened his connection to Jewish history.
The episode explores Rabbi Lynn’s Holocaust film about Bardejov and the true story of 999 Slovakian Jewish girls bound for Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942.
Rabbi Lynn recounts how Jews in Slovakia prevented deportations by staging a fake typhus outbreak during the Holocaust.
Rabbi Lynn explains the mission behind Olami and his Jewish center in Greenwich Village focused on college students and young professionals.
The conversation highlights immersive Jewish education, including theater productions about the Spanish Inquisition and immigrant journeys through Ellis Island.
Rabbi Lynn discusses leading student trips through Poland, Krakow, Budapest, and Slovakia to teach Holocaust history and Jewish perseverance.
The episode explores the upcoming screenplay Rabbi Lynn is developing about the Soviet Jewry movement, including references to the KGB, the Iron Curtain, and Soviet Jewish activism.

Mentioned in the episode:

Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Instagram
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Linktree
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn Facebook
Rabbi Shmuel Lynn LinkedIn
University of Pennsylvania
Maimonides Leaders Fellowship
Palm Beach Florida
Duke University
NYU Film School
Cosby Show
Will and Grace
Kristallnacht
Bardejov (Film)
Bardejov
Transportation to Auschwitz
Auschwitz
Olami
Olami Manhattan
Bishvili nivra ha-olam
New York, Circa 1909
Shema
Olami Events
Julie Platt
Soviet Jewry Movement

Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
[email protected]

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Nayman, Story Producer: Sasha Nelson, Associate Producer: Emma Webb, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt

What happens when one of the world’s leading Holocaust scholars says today’s antisemitism feels frighteningly familiar?

In this vital episode Holocaust historian and former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt discusses the dangerous surge and normalization of antisemitism worldwide, citing the incidents in London and the October 8, 2023 Sydney Opera House rally. Lipstadt argues antisemitism now operates as a “horseshoe” uniting extremes at the far right and left. She uses the analogy of an upside-down pyramid to illustrate the threat to Jews, democracy, and international security (including “utilitarian antisemitism” on PRC platforms). She compares today to the 1930s while noting key differences. She critiques university groupthink and campus failures at UCLA and Columbia to protect Jewish students. She describes her envoy work shifting from Abraham Accords, including global guidelines signed by 44 entities and a symposium with major tech platforms.

She calls for unequivocal leadership, depoliticized action, education, and everyday speaking up. She emphasizes that there must be Jewish joy alongside fighting hate.

Topics include:

Lipstadt’s legal battle against Holocaust denier David Irving and the film adaptation starring Rachel Weisz.
Lipstadt warns about rising antisemitic violence in London, including incidents in Golders Green and the Finchley Reform Synagogue.
The episode examines antisemitic protests outside the Sydney Opera House following October 7, 2023.
The discussion references the spread of antisemitic content on social media platforms including Google, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and X.
Lipstadt describes international diplomacy surrounding the Abraham Accords and outreach to Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
Lipstadt praises cooperation from officials in Austria, Germany, and France in combating antisemitism.
The Paris Peace Forum and comments by former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls following the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket siege.
Lipstadt discusses online hate campaigns targeting Jewish institutions including the 92nd Street Y and AIPAC.
The murder of Mahsa Amini in Iran and global protests over women’s rights.
Lipstadt and Platt discuss authors and commentators including Dara Horn, Douglas Murray, Bret Stephens, Candace Owens, and Tucker Carlson.
Lipstadt reflects on Jewish education through organizations like BBYO, USY, and institutions including Emory University and Brandeis University.
Surprising Global Allies in France and Austria

Mentioned in the episode:

Deborah Lipstadt
Brandeis University
Emory University
The Tam Institute for Jewish Studies
Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory
Denial (2016 film)
Rachel Weisz Instagram
President Joe Biden
A Conversation With U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah Lipstadt
Antisemitism being 'normalized' and not taken seriously enough, chief rabbi tells BBC
Third arrest over attempted arson at synagogue
Police investigate pro-Palestinian protest at Sydney Opera House over alleged anti-Semitism
Marjorie Taylor Greene to resign from Congress amid clashes with Trump over Israel, Epstein
Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu - Biography
Code Pink Outs Itself as Anti-Jewish Hate Group
Rothschild family
Gunman Kills Three at Kansas City Jewish Community Center, Retirement Home
UCLA can’t allow protesters to block Jewish students from campus, judge rules
Final Columbia University antisemitism report details disturbing examples of Jewish students being cruelly singled out
Met Police apologizes for 'openly Jewish' comment
Paris Peace Forum
Manuel Valls
Charlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror
‘Déjà Vu’: Remembering Hyper Cacher Five Years Later
Otto Frank
Report of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher Education
Tel Aviv University
BBYO
Venice Biennale previews in chaos, overshadowed by row over Israeli and Russian participation
Sara J. Bloomfield
Abraham Accords
Leading Jewish Organizations Disturbed By Saudi Arabia’s Islamist Turn
Wahhabism
Fight against antisemitism
Keir Starmer: ‘If you stand alongside people who say Globalize the Intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews’
‘Globalize the Intifada’: Meaning, Origins, and Why The Slogan Is a Call for Violence
Emory Together: Countering Antisemitism // DC
Council of Europe
Organization of American States
OSCE
Would-be Michigan car bomber rammed explosives-laden truck into Temple Israel preschool — before security guards shot him dead
NCSY
USY
A Break in the Argentina Murder Case Tied to Iran
Iran: Mahsa Amini's father accuses authorities of a cover-up
92nd Street Y
AIPAC
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Dutch ministers decry Israeli ministry’s report on Amsterdam violence
Trump Is Right to Deport Hamas Supporters
Fiddler on the Roof
Grace and Frankie
Jon Ossoff
The Presidential Campaign That Changed American Politics
Shabbat
Purim
Passover
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
What Is the Amidah?
After Senate Confirmation Hearing, CAM Voices ‘Unqualified Support’ for Appointment of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as Next US Antisemitism Special Envoy
Six-Day War
The Western Wall: The Western Wall Tunnels
Mandelbaum Gate
How Golda Meir Rose to Become the ‘Iron Lady’ of Israel
Arab Terrorists Murder Israelis at Munich Olympics
Natan Sharansky, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board
Fear No Evil
Gal Beckerman
When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry
The Adventures of Rabbi Jacob

Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.

Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast

Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:
bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter

For Sponsorships, please email:
[email protected]

Merchandise
https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch

To contact us & all things BJJP:
www.BeingJewishPodcast.com

Follow Jonah on:
Instagram - @JonahPlatt
X - @JonahPlatt

Follow Being Jewish on:
Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcast
TikTok - @BeingJewish

Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Rachel Stern Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt