The audience is in for an in-depth look at Persian Jewry as shared by Jewish Iranian community leader & activist, Sharon Nik, whose family on both sides spans thousands of years in Iran. Jews first came to Iran as part of the Babylonian Exile, and it was Cyrus the Great who later freed all slaves in Persia, including Jews, and established the Persian Empire. Under Cyrus, Jews were free to return to Israel, but many stayed behind and became thriving members of the then new society. When Islam took over Iran, many centuries later, the treatment of Jews shifted, depending on geography. Unlike in Yemen, where the cities were antisemitic and the villages, far less so, in Iran, the cities tended to be more tolerant, with more rural areas more anti-Jew. Sharon's family experienced both post-Islamic incursion treatments. However, there were Jews who worked in close proximity to the most recent Shah, saw the friendship grow between Israel and Iran, pre-Revolution of 1979, and Jews contributed greatly to Iran on all fronts. Jews were also very assimilated in Iran, sharing the same foods as Muslims, same music, and in many cases, culture. The only difference was faith, to which Jews in Persia held on strongly. Join us as we discuss Persian Jewish customs, Persian Jewish community bonds, the return to Israel and immigration to the U.S; among other topics. We also touch on a potential post-Islamist regime change Iran, and Sharon's honest thoughts regarding a potential reconciliation with Israel. 

It was an absolute honor having on Matan and his family friend, Tuvia, a Yemenite Jew whose family arrived back in Israel in 1925. One of the greatest misconceptions in circulation is that Yemenite Jews are all converts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just like Ashkenaz Jews are not Khazars. Many Jews left Israel after the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BCE. Some Jews headed west into North Africa, others ventured into what is now Saudi Arabia, while another group migrated into what is now called Yemen, or, for a long time, the southern portion of Saudi Arabia. Regarding the Khazars, only the King converted, while the rest of his Kingdom converted to Islam. The philosemitic Himyarites in Yemen, did 'convert' to Judaism, but those same people later on embraced Islam. Genetic Jews, those who came from Israel, did not accept Islam and remained strong and proud Jews. Tuvia masterfully explains, in detail, the differences between the Jews who ended up in Saudi Arabia vs. those who ended up in Yemen. The toll, both direct and indirect that dhimmitude played on how Jews were treated in Yemen. But, all was not hopeless. There was a symbiotic relationship between Jews and Muslims, despite and, because of dhimmitude, and it was interesting to find out why the ruling Imam of Yemen let Jews go back to Israel in 1950, without much hesitation. Yemenite Jews played an outsize role in shaping post-liberation Israel, even prior to liberation. Foods, music, behavior, and overall culture was heavily influenced by Yemenite Jews, helping the Jewish homeland be seen as a rightful Middle Eastern country, which it has always been. 

It was an honor to speak with Jewish activist Adela Cojab about the very deep history of Syrian Jews. A proud Diaspora community first emerged in Syria after the destruction of the First Temple. After the Crusaders first invaded Israel, one of every three residents of Damascus were Jews. The oldest synagogue in the world is located in Syria and was built in 244 AD. In follow-up waves, Jews fleeing from the Spanish Inquisition arrived to Syria. Adela explains the differences between the two major Jewish communities that existed in Syria, which traditions are unique to Syrian Jews, what keeps the community even today beautifully intact, and how the Syrian Jews adapted to the fluctuations of history. And in the context of Zionism and the Syrian Jews,  we touched upon the most famous Israeli spy, Eli Cohen, himself a Syrian Jew, who grew up in Egypt. Learn more in depth about all the above, plus some of Adela's favorite Syrian-Jewish Shabbat foods,  how Syrian Jews in both Israel and in the Diaspora keep their traditions alive, while modernizing in some aspects, and how venerated are rabbis within the Syrian Jewish community. 

Bukharian Jews have a fascinating history - from their journey to the Persian Empire from Israel, and all along the Silk Road, until ending up not just in Uzbekistan, but throughout other parts of Central Asia such as Tajikistan and Dagestan. Please join the guest of honor, David Milov, as he shares the rich history of his community,  the unique customs, delicious sounding dishes, and where the Bukharian Jews today see themselves, as part of the larger Jewish world. Additionally, we tackle Muslim-Jewish relations in Uzbekistan, the effects of Communism, and the importance of a strong Jewish identity through the ebbs and flows of history. 

I am thrilled to have on Barbara Krystal, Taking Back the Narrative's Director of Educational Outreach. Barbara poignantly shares her family's history of how they immigrated from Russia to Argentina. Members of my family ended up in Argentina due to the Czar's pogroms in the beginning of the 20th century, and thanks to Barbara, we learn about the multiple waves of Jewish immigration to that region. Barbara goes into great detail about the fabric of Jewish society in Argentina throughout the centuries (we even touch upon Jewish cowboys and pirates!), and the complex relationship between Israel and Argentina - trailing from the extraction of Adolf Eichmann to the bombing of the AMIA in 1994, including nefarious cover ups on the side of the Argentinian government. On the other side of the world, we also provide an overview of how some Jews ended up in China in the 20th century. How many people know that the city of Harbin was built by Jews? No matter where Jews ended up in the Diaspora, and the different sub-cultures and customs that emerged, one thing was a constant and that was Zionism. Barbara and I also discussed the importance of Zionism throughout the Diaspora, both past and present.

Take a deep-dive into the rich fabric of Jewish history in Morocco with special guest, Jonathan Karten, the CEO & Founder of the Iftach Group. The first Jews who arrived to Morocco were those who left Israel after the destruction of the First Temple. Then there were Amazigh Jews, which was a result of the very close bond the native population had with the newly arrived Jewish population, and the third wave of Jews in Morocco resulted from Sephardic Jews who were escaping the Inquisition after 1492. Join us, as Jonathan describes in detail his family history in Morocco, the Muslim-Jewish relationship - both from a governmental angle and a community perspective, life in Israel after leaving Morocco post 1948, and the path forward for Israel and Morocco now - in the age of the normalization deal, as part of the Abraham Accords. We also discuss the importance of amplifying the Mizrahi experience and contribution, as it relates to combating antisemitism. 

Indian Jews have a fascinating history, in that they are not one group, but several groups with different Diaspora stories. On this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Thapan Dubayehudi, a Professor of Foreign Languages, and also one of 15 members of the Cochin Indian Jewish community who  currently remain in India.  Thapan delves deeply into the history of Cochin Jews and their actual origins, which unfortunately has been shared and re-shared inaccurately by Jews from outside their community. Thapan also dispels the myth that there had never been antisemitism in India; in fact, during a time period, a great number of Jews were massacred and only because the Jewish community held a Jewish woman's honor in high regard. While today, nearly all Cochin Jews live in Israel, as they had always been proud Zionists, it is important to share the history and contributions of an often-overlooked but significant community in the Jewish Diaspora. 

The most common type of antisemitism these days comes in the form of anti-Zionism. This particular type of Jew-hatred is not just manifested online, within certain political parties, during anti-Israel marches and protests, but most increasingly on college campuses. And it does not remain on college campuses; it then spirals out of hand when college kids enter post-college life. These lies then spread into the media, into the halls of Congress, in popular culture, and is passed down to the next generation. Are Jewish groups who claim they are pro-Israel equipped to handle the necessary education needed to push back against the antisemitic lies? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Join me as I have a very no holds barred conversation with Marlene Artov, a former Director of Young Professionals & Campus Coordinator at ZOA. Together we traverse the root issues, diagnose the stumbling blocks, and at the end, offer concrete solutions. 

In part II of the Why Zionism Education Needs an Overhaul episode, featuring Naya Lekht, a passionate and informative Zionist, and the Director of Education at Club Z, we tackle topics such as 'does politics belong in Zionism education,' and 'does religion?' We also emphasize what upcoming and established Zionism educators ought to be sharing, and look back on both the effective methodologies and mistakes we have made along our Zionism education journey. 

As pro-Israel organizations are multiplying, antisemitism is skyrocketing. Something is off. Tune in to a dynamic discussion between Naya Lekht, a passionate and informative Zionist, who is the Director of Education at Club Z, and myself. We delve deep into why the Zionism education space has largely been ineffective, what information is actually needed to be shared with both those who are Zionists and those who are not informed properly of the truth. When Zionists do not know history, proper historical-based terminology, and what the propagandists spew scarily effectively, it actually does more damage. Luckily, we are also seeing very positive trends in the space, which we address in this episode.