Being Jewish with Jonah Platt cover art

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

By: Jonah Platt
Listen for free

About this listen

 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
  • The Ms. Rachel Monologue & THE 22-HOUR Jew, Trans TV Writer Our Lady J

    The Ms. Rachel Monologue & THE 22-HOUR Jew, Trans TV Writer Our Lady J
    Mar 24 2026
    She converted to Judaism yesterday! Jonah Platt interviews transgender activist, Emmy-nominated TV writer-director (Transparent, American Horror Story, Pose), and musician Our Lady J (Yona Speidel), less than 24 hours after she formally converted to Judaism. She describes her 12-year path, the beit din with three rabbis, her written reflection on Isaiah 56 and intersex identity, her mikvah immersion, and why she chose the Hebrew name Yona. She recounts growing up in a Mennonite household, losing trust in organized religion amid homophobia during the AIDS crisis, and later returning to spirituality through Judaism. The conversation addresses unconscious antisemitism, queer-community susceptibility to “they” conspiracies, and rising antisemitism in LGBT spaces after October 7. She discusses BDS (The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement) pressure on Transparent, later learning German courts found BDS antisemitic, and argues for fact-based definitions of Zionism, while saying she is pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli. Topics discussed include:The emotional experience of completing the Beit Din and mikvah after a 12-year spiritual journey Guidance from three rabbis during the conversion process The significance of Isaiah 56 and its message welcoming eunuchs, and those who might not have a binary identity of sex or genderGrowing up in an ex–Old Order Mennonite Christian background and early perceptions of Jews The evolution of Lady J’s identity through names like Justin, Jonah, and Yona, and their biblical significance Influence of Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, pioneer of trans medicine in Berlin (1909), on understanding antisemitism and queer history How Nazi book burnings in the 1930s destroyed Hirschfeld’s research at the Institute of SexologyThe intersection of antisemitism, transphobia, and homophobia throughout European and modern history The rise of antisemitism within the LGBTQ community following October 7 and shifting attitudes toward IsraelLady J’s experience working on Transparent (Amazon Prime Video)Referencing activist Larry Kramer and ACT UP in discussions of queer organizing and Zionist parallels The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spiritual reflection, including cross-country travel and research in Berlin archivesJewish values of perseverance illustrated through Torah learning, including lessons about continuing even when strugglingThank you to this episode's sponsor:Jewish Communal FundMENTIONSMs. Rachel draws ire over appeals for Gazan childrenWhy Is Everyone Talking About Ms. Rachel Right Now?YouTube star Ms. Rachel should be investigated for spreading Hamas propaganda Who is the Bibas family?In the Sudan sick and starving children continue to waste awayViolations against children have tripled in the CongoRussia’s kidnapping of Ukrainian childrenIranian children killed by Iranian security forces in crackdown of protests12 Israeli Druze children killed in Hezbollah rocket attackLady J First day of Judaism postOur Lady J’s Film and TV CreditsThe MikvahThe Beit Din (Rabbinic Court) and ConversionRabbi Iggy‘Transparent’ Writer Our Lady J: Hollywood ‘Needs to Put Stories Into the Hands of Trans People’What is intersex?What is a eunuch in the Bible?Mennonite HistorySnapshots of an Epidemic: An HIV/AIDS TimelineLady ChablisQueer Jews Forced into a Different Closet: Antisemitism and Conditional Acceptance“Through Science to Justice”: The Story of Magnus Hirschfeld, a Gay Jewish TrailblazerLady J Zionism Instagram postThe TV series TransparentGermany Declares: BDS is AntisemiticMiller Intro to JudaismJay Sanderson BJJP EpisodeRabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh, Mandana Dayani, and Matthew Nouriel BJJP EpisodeJonah and the Whale - Bible Story MeaningJacob Wrestles with the AngelIs MAGA really pro-Israel?The Holiday You’ve Never Heard Of: Why Shmini Atzeret MattersWhy Are Grasshoppers (Locusts) Kosher for Some Jews?What’s So Wrong with Mixing Wool & Linen?Ask the Expert: Kosher Wine and Kosher Mevushal WineSupport 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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, 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...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Jonah Does CNN and KIND Founder Daniel Lubetzky

    Jonah Does CNN and KIND Founder Daniel Lubetzky
    Mar 17 2026
    Jonah interviews Daniel Lubetzky, Mexican-American Jewish founder of KIND, Shark Tank investor, and longtime bridge-builder, about how his Holocaust-survivor father and Mexican Jewish upbringing shaped his commitment to connecting communities. Lubetzky describes mourning his father, saying Kaddish, and launching both KIND and the OneVoice Movement the same year, crediting prayer and purpose with keeping him grounded. He explains PeaceWorks, a trade-based social enterprise linking Israelis and Arabs (and later other conflict regions), which succeeded in sustaining relationships but never scaled and ultimately closed. He recounts OneVoice’s effort to empower moderates against media-driven extremism, mobilizing nearly a million Israelis and Palestinians, yet falling short of ending the conflict. Lubetzky outlines his latest project, the Builders Movement, and its “builders vs. destroyers” framework, its education, media, and civics work, and argues kindness is strong, honest action.Lubetzky reflects on the impact of reciting Kaddish after his father’s death and how Jewish ritual shaped his worldview.The founding story behind KIND Bars and why Lubetzky named the company after his father’s values.Lubetzky’s first social enterprise PeaceWorks, connecting Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and Turks through trade.How PeaceWorks also operated in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Chiapas, Mexico to foster cooperation across conflict lines.The creation of the OneVoice Movement, which mobilized nearly 1 million Israelis and Palestinians around shared peace principles.Why Lubetzky believes media narratives often amplify extremists instead of moderates in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Launching the Builders Movement, a global initiative promoting cooperation over division.The Builders Movement framework built around the “Four Cs”: Curiosity, Compassion, Creativity, and Courage.Educational partnerships with institutions such as Stanford University to promote builder-mindset leadership programs.Collaboration with leaders like Van Jones to strengthen alliances between Jewish and Black communities.Thank you to this episode's sponsor:Jewish Communal FundMentioned In The Episode:Three synagogue attacks in Toronto in one week.Blast Outside Begum SynagogueArrests made in Norway Synagogue attackSan Jose pedestrians attacked in hate crimePolice Arrest Suspect in Ramat Gan StabbingMan, Rams Truck Into Michigan Synagogue With Over 100 Children InsideThe Story Is with Exel MichaelsonThe Lead with Jake TapperDaniel LubetzkyDaniel Lubetzky on Shark TankCamp RamahPeaceWorks FoundationVan Jones BJJP EpisodeDachauKIND SnacksJason Alexander BJJP EpisodeThe History, Significance, and Meaning of KaddishAl Jazeera Propagates Hatred. Is it also a Foreign Agent?Annapolis Peace Conference (2007)1993 Oslo AccordsKind Creates the Kind Foundation to Help Foster Kinder and Healthier CommunitiesSave Your Relationships! How To Talk to Antizionist Loved Ones About Israel - Jonah Platt’s 5 C'sLubetzky Family Foundation Builders Movement Builders on InstagramBuilders on YouTubeJewish Neighborhoods: Mexico CityMexican school merger will expand ORT’s presence in Latin AmericaMarc Platt BJJP episodeJulie Platt BJJP episodeJewish Nobel Prize LaureatesSebastian Maniscalco - Italians at Passover (Aren't You Embarrassed?)Mexican Gefilte FishRed snapper with Veracruz-style sauce (huachinango a la Veracruzana)The Rise and Fall of Eliot NessSupport 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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, 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 11 mins
  • On Location with Ethiopian-Jewish Chef and Restaurateur Beejhy Barhany

    On Location with Ethiopian-Jewish Chef and Restaurateur Beejhy Barhany
    Mar 10 2026
    In this delectable episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah records on location in Harlem, New York, at Tsion Café, America’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant, for a conversation with owner and chef Beejhy Barhany about Ethiopian Jewish (Beta Israel) culture, food, and identity. Beejhy explains Tsion Café’s mission of bridge-building through vegan kosher cuisine and storytelling, and why she recently closed daily dining and now hosts only private events, due to years of anti-Zionist harassment, threats, and vandalism that intensified after October 7 and after becoming fully kosher. She discusses Harlem’s support, her meaning of “Zion,” and her belief that food can break barriers. Beejhy discusses Beta Israel’s unique history, questions of legitimacy, her family’s 1980–83 trek from Ethiopia to Israel, and experiences of discrimination and “conversion” pressures in Israel. Walking through the café, Beejhy shares the venue's legacy and culinary inspirations with Jonah. The two head into the kitchen to make samosas, discuss injera, dabo, spices, and her NY Times bestselling cookbook (Gursha). During the discussion, she describes founding the BINA (Beta Israel of North America) Cultural Foundation and raising her children with multifaceted identities.TOPICS INCLUDE:The story of the Beta Israel Jewish community of Ethiopia and their ancient connection to Judaism.Beejhy recounts her family’s escape from Ethiopia and years spent in Sudan before immigrating to Israel.Discussion of major Ethiopian Jewish airlifts, including Operation Moses and Operation Solomon.Life in immigrant absorption centers in Israel alongside newcomers from Ukraine and Russia.The role of Tsion Cafe as a cultural hub for Ethiopian Jews and the wider Jewish diaspora.Why Beejhy founded the Beta Israel North American Cultural Foundation (BINA) to promote Jewish diversity.The closing of Tsion Cafe’s regular dining service due to anti-Zionist harassment following October 7.Conversations about racism, identity, and the need for unity within the global Jewish community.How Ethiopian cuisine, such as traditional dishes served with injera, helps build cultural bridges.Reflections on raising multicultural Jewish children in New York City.The importance of celebrating Jewish diversity across communities from Israel to Africa and the United States.Thank you to our sponsors and promotional partners:Jewish Communal FundChutzpodAnd a Special Thanks to our production partner on this episode: Jewish Broadcasting Services (JBS)Mentioned In The Episode:Beejhy Barhan InstagramTsion CafeFar from the Eye, Close to the Heart: The Fascinating History of the Beta Israel Community in EthiopiaNYC’s only Ethiopian-Israeli restaurant closes after anti-Zionist harassment: ‘So much animosity’What is a Mezuzah?W. E. B. Du BoisThe Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley How This New York Restaurant Is Carrying on the Legacy of the Harlem RenaissanceCharlie ParkerRedd FoxxArt Tatum: A Talent Never to Be DuplicatedEthiopia, the home of coffeeEthiopian immigrantsThe Queen of Sheba The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jews and Their Journey to IsraelGursha: Timeless Recipes for Modern Kitchens, from Ethiopia, Israel, Harlem, and Beyond: A Cookbook Operation MosesOperation SolomonEthiopia’s Turbulent HistoryThe Law of ReturnAbsorption CentersDabo (Ethiopian Bread)Injera: Ethiopia’s Traditional Bread in Pictures and WordsLost Tribes beer company resurrects ancient brewsBeta Israel of North American Cultural FoundationShop Tsion CafeSupport 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 Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, 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 1 min
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.