Being Jewish with Jonah Platt cover art

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

By: Jonah Platt
Listen for free

Summary

 Being Jewish with Jonah Platt is the hit weekly podcast that illuminates the vast, beautiful, and often unexplored tapestry of Jewish identity, through deeply honest and personal conversations with notable Jews and non-Jewish allies alike. Hosted by actor & advocate Jonah Platt, a trusted expert in contemporary Jewish culture, identity, and politics, Being Jewish seeks to engage, educate, and empower listeners to take full ownership of their identities and live as their proudest, most authentic selves. 2025 Webby Honoree | Podcasts - Best Indie Podcast 2025 Wilbur Award WinnerJonah Platt Judaism Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • She's Not Italian, She's Jewish! The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler + What is Shavout?!

    She's Not Italian, She's Jewish! The Sopranos' Jamie-Lynn Sigler + What is Shavout?!
    May 19 2026
    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 IngberWhat is Shavuot?Why Cheesecake on Shavuot?What Are the Five Books of Moses?Simon SinekCounting Up to ShavuotThe Intrinsic Unity of IsraelMount SinaiHEBREW WORD OF THE WEEK —TIKUN Dara Horn BJJP EpisodeAnd So It Is: A Memoir of Acceptance and HopeMultiple Sclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment OptionsJamie Lynn Sigler InstagramJamie Lynn Sigler IMDbThe Sopranos IMDbYad Vashem – The World Holocaust Remembrance CenterEmmanuel Chriqui InstagramHollywood stars boycott Israeli film companies in response to Gaza crisisJamie-Lynn Sigler and Lance Bass' whirlwind trip to Israel in photosA Course in MiraclesMeSsy PodcastNot Today, PAL with Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Robert Iler (Podcast)David Chase IMDbWhat Jamie-Lynn Sigler Wants You to Know About MSWho Is Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Husband? All About Cutter DykstraBirthright IsraelSupport the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:jonahplattinfo@gmail.comMerchandisehttps://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchTo contact us & all things BJJP:www.BeingJewishPodcast.comFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishWritten 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
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Hollywood to Holy Land: Screenwriter-turned-Orthodox Rabbi Shmuel Lynn

    Hollywood to Holy Land: Screenwriter-turned-Orthodox Rabbi Shmuel Lynn
    May 15 2026
    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 InstagramRabbi Shmuel Lynn LinktreeRabbi Shmuel Lynn FacebookRabbi Shmuel Lynn LinkedInUniversity of PennsylvaniaMaimonides Leaders FellowshipPalm Beach FloridaDuke UniversityNYU Film SchoolCosby ShowWill and GraceKristallnachtBardejov (Film)BardejovTransportation to AuschwitzAuschwitzOlamiOlami ManhattanBishvili nivra ha-olamNew York, Circa 1909ShemaOlami Events Julie PlattSoviet Jewry MovementSupport the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.Watch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:jonahplattinfo@gmail.comMerchandisehttps://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchTo contact us & all things BJJP:www.BeingJewishPodcast.comFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishWritten 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
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • “Bad Jews” (replay) & Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt

    “Bad Jews” (replay) & Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt
    May 12 2026
    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 AustriaMentioned in the episode:Deborah LipstadtBrandeis UniversityEmory UniversityThe Tam Institute for Jewish StudiesDenying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and MemoryDenial (2016 film)Rachel Weisz InstagramPresident Joe BidenA Conversation With U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Deborah LipstadtAntisemitism being 'normalized' and not taken seriously enough, chief rabbi tells BBCThird arrest over attempted arson at synagoguePolice investigate pro-Palestinian protest at Sydney Opera House over alleged anti-SemitismMarjorie Taylor Greene to resign from Congress amid clashes with Trump over Israel, EpsteinBinyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu - BiographyCode Pink Outs Itself as Anti-Jewish Hate GroupRothschild familyGunman Kills Three at Kansas City Jewish Community Center, Retirement HomeUCLA can’t allow protesters to block Jewish students from campus, judge rulesFinal Columbia University antisemitism report details disturbing examples of Jewish students being cruelly singled outMet Police apologizes for 'openly Jewish' commentParis Peace ForumManuel VallsCharlie Hebdo attack: Three days of terror‘Déjà Vu’: Remembering Hyper Cacher Five Years LaterOtto FrankReport of the Yale Committee on Trust in Higher EducationTel Aviv UniversityBBYOVenice Biennale previews in chaos, overshadowed by row over Israeli and Russian participationSara J. BloomfieldAbraham AccordsLeading Jewish Organizations Disturbed By Saudi Arabia’s Islamist TurnWahhabismFight against antisemitismKeir 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 ViolenceEmory Together: Countering Antisemitism // DCCouncil of EuropeOrganization of American StatesOSCEWould-be Michigan car bomber rammed explosives-laden truck into Temple Israel preschool — before security guards shot him deadNCSYUSYA Break in the Argentina Murder Case Tied to IranIran: Mahsa Amini's father accuses authorities of a cover-up92nd Street YAIPACDebbie Wasserman SchultzDutch ministers decry Israeli ministry’s report on Amsterdam violenceTrump Is Right to Deport Hamas SupportersFiddler on the RoofGrace and FrankieJon OssoffThe Presidential Campaign That Changed American PoliticsShabbatPurimPassoverThe Metropolitan Museum of ArtWhat ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 3 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
No reviews yet