People of the Pod’s Top 10 Episodes

When American Jewish Committee’s People of the Pod premiered more than two years ago, it promised to bring a weekly analysis of the world through a Jewish lens. Now, with over 130 episodes, the podcast boasts an impressive roster of notable guests, diverse perspectives, and exclusive stories. Here are our top 10 episodes for both new listeners and long-time followers:

1. Pro-Israel Support in the Democratic Party; Anti-Israel Hostility in Chile, May 24, 2018

• Pete Buttigieg, Mayor (2012-2020) of South Bend, Indiana, alumnus of AJC Project Interchange, and future presidential candidate discusses his time in Israel, the future of the Democratic party, and what it stands to learn from the Jewish state.
• Stephanie Guiloff, Deputy Director of AJC’s Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs, speaks about an aggressive anti-Israel campaign in Chile, which borders on antisemitism.

2. Defining Antisemitism in France; Refugees Around the World, December 6, 2019

• Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, Director of AJC Europe, welcomes the French National Assembly’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism.
• Aboud Dandachi, a former Syrian refugee, shares his perspective on anti-Zionism sweeping college campuses.
• Yotam Polizer, CEO of IsraAID, speaks about the Israeli NGO’s work in serving refugees and others in need around the world.

3. Israeli Election Results, Sarah Hurwitz on Her New Book, Antisemitism in NY, September 19, 2019

• Sarah Hurwitz, former head speechwriter for Michelle Obama, shares how she rediscovered a connection to Judaism and her book, Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There).
• Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Life / Features Editor at The Forward, discusses a disturbing spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York.

4. The Sources of Antisemitism; Lebanon Protests; Israeli Politics Update, October 31, 2019

• Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, discusses her book Antisemitism: Here and Now, which focuses on the sources of antisemitism and what we can do to stop it.
• Dr. Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy and one of the world’s foremost experts on the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, speaks about the protests in Lebanon that led to Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation.

5. Historic UN Report on Antisemitism, Behind the Excavation of the Pilgrims' Path, October 17, 2019

• Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, explores his UN human rights report wholly dedicated to antisemitism (the first of its kind), and offers recommendations to states, civil society actors, and the UN.
• Amanda Borschel-Dan, The Times of Israel's Jewish Times Editor, provides an audio tour of the Pilgrims' Path at Jerusalem's City of David, exploring the site and the reasons it has captured the attention of so many around the world.

6. U.S.-Iran Crisis; Hate Crimes in NY; #JewishandProud Day, January 9, 2020

• Patrick Clawson, Research Director at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, address rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
• Deborah Lauter, Executive Director of New York’s Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, speaks about the city’s efforts to curb an uptick of antisemitic attacks.

7. Israelis Head Back to the Polls, September 12, 2019

• Oded Revivi, Mayor of Efrat, Yossi Klein Halevi, author and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and Ksenia Svetlova, former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union Party provide insights from Israel’s political left, right, and center on the Israeli election process.

8. Three Perspectives as Israel Turns 70, April 18, 2018

• Tzipi Livni, Israeli Member of Knesset, leader of the Hatnuah party, and former Foreign Minister, provides a political lens for a look back at 70 years since the founding of Israel.
• Francine Klagsbrun, a writer and activist, speaks about her nuanced biography of Golda Meir, Lioness, and the impact of her tenure as prime minister.
• David Harris, CEO of AJC, speaks about his decades of advocacy in promoting Israel’s place in the world and provides his take on the country’s future.

9. A Conversation with Mitch Landrieu, Introducing “The Battle for Balfour”, February 28, 2019

• Mitch Landrieu, former Mayor of New Orleans, reminisces on his travels in Israel with AJC Project Interchange as Past President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and speaks about the value of centrism in America’s political discourse.
• Avital Leibovich, Director of AJC Jerusalem, offers insight on Israel’s electoral process and political systems.

10. Live from AJC Global Forum: Fighting Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party, June 6, 2019

• Joan Ryan and Ian Austin, British Members of Parliament, take the stage at AJC Global Forum 2019 to discuss antisemitism at the core of the Labour Party and how they are campaigning against it.

Looking for what to watch or read in quarantine? Click here for AJC’s greatest Jewish movie list  and here for AJC’s top nonfiction titles that illustrate Israel’s legendary efforts to defend itself and the remarkable contributions the Jewish state has made to the world over its 72 years of existence.