Being Jewish with Jonah Platt cover art

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

By: Jonah Platt // Jewish Identity Culture and Current Events
Listen for free

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. https://beingjewishpodcast.com/joinJonah Platt Judaism Social Sciences Spirituality
Episodes
  • ON LOCATION! Jonah visits Washington D.C.'s Abrahamic House with interfaith activist Mohammed Al Samawi

    ON LOCATION! Jonah visits Washington D.C.'s Abrahamic House with interfaith activist Mohammed Al Samawi
    Jul 1 2026
    What happens when a boy raised on antisemitic propaganda becomes a Muslim bridge-builder whose life is saved by Jewish friends?Mohammed Al Samawi, Yemeni refugee and author of The Fox Hunt, joins Jonah on location at Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C., for a conversation about the painstaking work of learning another person’s story. Al Samawi founded the multi-faith co-living and community space, where Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Bahá’í fellows share meals, host Shabbat and Ramadan gatherings, and create a safer way for people to ask hard questions. In this episode, Al Samawi describes growing up in Sanaa, where slogans like “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” were used to redirect anger away from corrupt leaders and toward Jews. As a teenager, he internalized violent antisemitic ideas, but learning English through movies, reading the Bible in secret, and asking forbidden questions began to unravel what he had been taught.The conversation follows Al Samawi, from reading Torah and messaging Israelis on Facebook to attending his first Muslim-Jewish conference. Later, as the Houthis and Al-Qaeda closed in, three Jewish friends and one Christian friend helped coordinate his evacuation from Yemen. Those experiences became the foundation for Abrahamic House. After October 7, Al Samawi says the house became even more necessary: a place where grief did not have to become separation, and where hospitality could make room for truth.Ultimately, Mohammed’s story makes the case that interfaith work is not abstract idealism; it can be the difference between inherited hatred and real human connection.MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:00:01:22 — Inside Abrahamic House, Where Shabbat Meets RamadanMohammed shows Jonah the dining room where fellows host Shabbats, Ramadan celebrations, Eid gatherings, and family-style meals for the community.Abrahamic House00:08:15 — From Antisemitic Indoctrination to Questioning Jewish HateMohammed recalls the violent anti-Jewish ideas he absorbed as a teenager and how religious curiosity eventually pushed him to investigate for himself.The Against the Odds Escape of Mohammed Al Samawi | AJC00:23:30 — How Facebook Became a Window Past PropagandaMohammed explains how social media helped him meet Jews and Israelis, ask forbidden questions, and discover shared values outside state-controlled narratives.Mohammed Al Samawi: How Interfaith Activism Became, and Saved, His Life00:34:00 — The 13 Days Hiding from Houthis and Al-QaedaMohammed describes hiding in Aden with no safe way out, praying for help, and posting on Facebook in hopes someone could evacuate him.How Facebook friends saved one man from execution00:42:45 — Why Mohammed Created Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C.Mohammed explains how loneliness as a refugee, his love of friendship, and the model of Friends inspired a real-life interfaith home.00:51:00 — How to Meet Muslims Beyond Fear and StereotypesMohammed urges listeners to investigate Islam the way he investigated Judaism: by meeting people, asking human questions, and resisting extremist narratives.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.comWatch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:partnerships@jonahplatt.comMerchandisehttps://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishLearn more about Mohammed Al Samawi:Mohammed Al Samawi - Abrahamic HouseThe Fox Hunt: A Memoir of Yemen and My Odyssey to America – A True Story of Courage and Escape Through Social MediaMohammed Al Samawi InstagramWritten 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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, 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
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
  • YouTube’s Most Popular (Hasidic!) Rabbi Manis Friedman & How Engaged a Jew are You?

    YouTube’s Most Popular (Hasidic!) Rabbi Manis Friedman & How Engaged a Jew are You?
    Jun 23 2026
    How did an 80-year-old Chabad rabbi become a global social media phenomenon, and why is his message resonating from Los Angeles to New Guinea?Rabbi Manis Friedman, author, longtime educator, and one of the world’s most-followed rabbis on YouTube, joins Jonah to ask a deceptively simple question: why are we here? Friedman argues that creation has a direction and that modern anxiety grows from meaninglessness, not deprivation. People are safer and more comfortable than ever, he says, but without knowing what life is for, comfort becomes a treadmill. From tikkun olam to the follower in New Guinea who walked eight hours for internet access and later built a Torah center, Friedman shows how a clear sense of purpose can cross cultures and transform lives.Friedman reframes Torah not as a list of commandments, but as God explaining Himself and inviting humanity into a relationship. For him, that is Chabad’s mission: making God knowable so that love can be real. He explains Shabbat as resting alongside God, modesty as protecting intimacy from the distraction of appearances, and ordinary work as service when it improves the world. When Jonah asks how a parent should respond to a child who says, “I didn’t ask to be born,” Friedman turns the question into the episode’s central claim: stop thinking of yourself as needy. You are needed. His message is bracing but hopeful: meaning begins when life stops being about what we can get and becomes about what we are here to give.THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Are you a “bad Jew”—or simply disengaged? Jonah replaces guilt with a sharper test: where are your time and energy actually going?MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:00:01:43 — Why Judaism Says Creation Has a Purpose and DirectionRabbi Manis Friedman explains tikkun olam, humanity’s role in perfecting creation, and why the question of purpose has become urgently modern.What Is Tikkun Olam? - Chabad.org00:16:10 — The Man Who Walked Eight Hours to Learn TorahFriedman shares how a follower in New Guinea walked eight hours to access internet, then built a Torah center for villagers arriving by canoe.00:22:45 — The Torah Is God Explaining Why He Needs UsFriedman reframes the Torah and Ten Commandments as God revealing Himself and asking humanity to choose relationship rather than programmed obedience.The Ten Commandments | My Jewish Learning00:29:13 — How Chabad Makes God Knowable Through Torah and RelationshipsFriedman explains Chabad as the work of making God knowable, arguing that genuine love—of God or a spouse—depends on understanding.What Is Chabad?00:35:21 — You Are Not Needy—You Are Needed by GodFriedman argues that humanity’s existence matters because God has “skin in the game,” transforming life from a burden into a divine necessity.00:46:56 — Why Rabbi Manis Friedman Says Seeing Kills IntimacyFriedman connects modesty to intimacy, arguing that appearances can distract us from loving the person rather than merely their visible qualities.Why Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? - Reclaiming Intimacy, Modesty, and Sexuality - Chabad.orgMore 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.comWatch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:partnerships@jonahplatt.comMerchandisehttps://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishLearn more about Rabbi Manis Friedman:Rabbi Manis Friedman - YouTubeIt’s Good to Know - Rabbi Manis Friedman Rabbi Manis Friedman - InstagramWritten 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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, Production Intern: Emma Webb,Tatum Rosenblatt, Eden Waldman, 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
    Show More Show Less
    54 mins
  • Call Me Back x Being Jewish Crossover! Dan Senor predicts the Jewish Future, plus A New Kind of Aliyah

    Call Me Back x Being Jewish Crossover! Dan Senor predicts the Jewish Future, plus A New Kind of Aliyah
    Jun 16 2026
    From Saudi officials to diaspora Jews, why are so many people listening to Dan Senor?Dan Senor, host of the Call Me Back podcast and co-author of Start-Up Nation, joins Jonah for a deep dive on Israel, Jewish identity, and the future of Jewish life in the Diaspora. Senor explains how Call Me Back built a devoted audience organically, attracting diaspora Jews seeking trustworthy information, journalists looking for good-faith dialogue, and even international listeners, including Saudi officials, drawn to its thoughtful, long-form conversations about Israel and the Middle East.Senor discusses how the October 7 attacks reshaped Jewish engagement, the sense of political homelessness many moderate Jews have experienced, and the opportunities emerging from one of the most consequential moments in modern Jewish history. He also emphasizes the need for a Jewish Renaissance centered on expanding access to Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Israel programs, and lifelong Jewish learning. Senor argues that investing in Jewish education and community infrastructure is essential for Jews to flourish.THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah reflects on the importance of allies, why he'll sell tickets to future events in pairs, and why “ALLY-ah” may be just as important - if not more important - than aliyah right now.MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:00:07:30 — How Call Me Back Became the World’s Number One Israel PodcastDan on building the top Israel podcast organically after October 7th.Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor - YouTube00:10:45 — “Israel Was at War. The Diaspora Was Under Attack.”Dan quotes Rabbi Ingber's defining line on October 7th: Israel was at war, but the diaspora had no army to fight back.The toll of the Israel-Hamas War on diaspora Jews00:15:09 — Would Dan Interview Former Allies Who’ve Gone to a “Dark Place”?Dan considers hosting antisemitic voices to understand, not challenge, their logic.00:27:33 — Why “Call Me Back” Audience Skews Left of Dan SenorThe “October 8th Jew” phenomenon and left-of-center Jews finding community.A look at the October 8th Jews | The Jerusalem Post00:31:42 — The Jewish Future Is Too Expensive. Here’s How to Fix It.Dan on day schools, affordability gaps, and the case for a Jewish renaissance.Why Jewish Living Feels So Expensive These Days | Kosher Money00:43:37 — Where Do Adult Jews Without Kids Find Jewish Community?Dan on Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the Hartman Institute, and adult entry points to Jewish life.Rachel Goldberg-Polin on her Jewish faith and her slain son's spiritual questMore 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.comWatch Being Jewish on YouTube:www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcastSubscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter:bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletterFor Sponsorships, please email:jonahplattinfo@gmail.comMerchandisehttps://beingjewishpodcast.com/merchFollow Jonah on:Instagram - @JonahPlattX - @JonahPlattFollow Being Jewish on:Instagram - @BeingJewishPodcastTikTok - @BeingJewishLearn More about Dan Senor:Call Me Back - with Dan Senor - PodcastDan Senor WebsiteDan Senor XCredits: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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Sasha Fiora, 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
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet