In this engaging episode, Shai Davidai sits down with Ryan Turkienicz, co-founder of The Daily Brine, a satirical news platform often described as “the Jewish Onion,” focused on Israel and the Jewish diaspora. Ryan shares how his background in real estate investment and development, combined with years of experience in music, improv, and comedy, set the stage for launching a humor-driven advocacy project in the wake of October 7, 2023, an “activating moment” that pushed him to step up as a Jewish voice. He explains how he and his brother Eric (a practicing lawyer trained at Second City with decades of satire-writing experience) chose satire as a “force multiplier,” not to trivialize tragedy, but to expose hypocrisy and empower a community that had struggled to laugh again. Throughout the conversation, Ryan breaks down the “rules” behind The Daily Brine’s content, including red lines like not punching down, avoiding hate, and satirizing actions and power rather than identity or suffering, while also sharing how the project grew quickly through community support and relatable, accessible humor. Ryan also discusses the tension of being “moderate” in a polarized era, his involvement in Israel President Herzog’s Voices of the People Council (focused on Israel-diaspora relations), and the next chapter for The Daily Brine, including building a more structured writers room and expanding into YouTube. Tune in for a thoughtful look at how comedy, when done with intention, can build resilience, strengthen community, and create a shared language in difficult times.
Guest: Satirist Writer Ryan Turkienicz
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Credits:
Producers: Shai Davidai, Abbie Sophia, Adamit Productions, Naomi Landis, Emma Law-Oppman, Ilana Kalach, Allison Fuller
Filmed @ The CAVE Soundstage in Hackensack and edited by Adamit Productions
Graphic by Shira Auman
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