The Jewish Diasporist
Episodes
Miami's Leftist Sephardi Zine w/ Emanuel Ovadia
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Zach are joined by Emanuel Ovadia, creator and editor of Gazoz De Frambuaz, a Ladino-centering zine based in Miami Florida. Gazoz De Frambuaz ...
Bored of Deputies w/ Daniel Grossman
20 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Zach speak to Daniel Grossman, a member of Na'amod and fellow (former?) organiser within the British Jewish community, including the Union of ...
Jewish Day Schools Reimagined w/ Achvat Olam
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zach speaks to Leah Robbins, one of the organisers behind the Achvat Olam Community Day School, the groundbreaking project to establish the first dias...
Live w/ Chaia and Rabbi Chel Mandell
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chaia of Kleztronica and Rabbi Chel Mandell of Santa Cruz CA's Tzimtzum Community the first ever episode of the Jewish Diasporist recorded with a liv...
Diaspora Studies w/ Naomi Seidman
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Naomi Seidman, Director of the University of Toronto's Center for Diaspora and Transnational Studies joins us to explore the young academic discipline...
Ashkenazi Herbal Diasporism w/ Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel
05 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are joined by Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel, authors of "Ashkenazi Herbalism" and recently: "Woven Roots; Recovering the Healing Pl...
The Jewish Diasporist and Tzimtzum on KSQD w/ Meilin Obinata and Rabbi Chel Mandell
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rabbi Chel Mandell of the Tzimtzum Community and Jewish educator and Diasporist Podcast Co-Host, Ben Yanowitz were invited on to local Santa Cruz radi...
Jewish or Zionist Self-Determination? Ben and Zach talk WZC Elections
10 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We made it to Episode 50! Today, it's just Zach and Ben talking about the recent elections to the World Zionist Congress. They start discussing by how...
Activist Perspective on Palestine and Belarus with Mohammad & Kastuś
19 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Ben and Zach are joined by two organizers based in Palestine-Israel whose lives and political journeys inform powerful reflections on displ...
Major Announcement on the Future of the Jewish Diasporist
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Becoming Gamers and Deporting Hitler - Let's Play Social Democracy: An Alternate HistoryAfter much consideration, we have decided to relaunch the Jewi...
Exploring Afro-Igbo-Jewish roots w/ Kofi Robinson
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week Zach and Ben are joined by Kofi, who recently took part in the Black Jewish Liberation Collective’s (BJLC) “Teshuvah Across Waters,” ...
WUJS Conference: A Diasporist Retrospective
12 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The World Union of Jewish Students hosts its annual congress over the new year. Zach retells Ben his experiences from the 2023/24 conference in Prague...
Grounding our Critique w/ Becca Explains the Occupation
29 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Becca Strober joins Ben & Zach to speak about her educational organizing and activism as an American-Israeli, both online and on the ground. We sp...
Zalman Presents: Cafe Bund & Principles of Organising w/ Zach
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Uno Reverse Bundism. Zalman, former guest from episode 23, interviews Zach about Cafe Bund and the principles which guide his local and transnational ...
Building the Bund: The Provisional Steering Committee
30 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben & Zach are joined by Hallie Appel and Maddan Eisenberg. Together, they discuss their organising efforts as the Provisional Steering Committee ...
Oy Vey! (Amsterdam): A New Jewish Manifesto
17 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Although recent news has led some to portray Amsterdam (and Diaspora more broadly) as inhospitable for Jewish life, it is home to a thriving Jewish co...
The Jewish Left in Mexico w/ Tamara
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Historian and yiddishist Tamara joins Ben and Zach to talk about the history of the Jews in Mexico, the 1930s and 1940s, the role of the Jewish left i...
Preview: Gathering a Local Lulav: A Diasporist Approach to Sukkot
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sukkot reminds us of the dwellings our ancestors lived in when they were fleeing Egypt, they are the temporary dwellings of refugees. Yet settlers hav...
In Pursuit of a Palestinian-Jewish Future w/ Hadar Cohen
19 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
So often, Jews and Palestinians are seen as separate, even diametrically opposed communities, yet what happens when we center those who hold both of t...
Westward to Zion: American Jewish Labor History
05 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this special crossover episode of The Jewish Diasporist and Labor Jawn, hosts Jordan and Gabe team up to interview Dr. Caroline Luce, a scholar of ...
Summer Camp Conflict and Care
21 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ben and Jordan discussed an institution near and dear to their hearts, URJ Camp Newman, with additional former campers and recent sta...
Le Shul: A Diasporist Congregation in Paris
08 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Okay, not EXACTLY Paris...We venture into France for the first time to speak to Mati, one of the organisers of a new diasporist congregation in Saint-...
Imagining Utopia w/ Sophie Cardin
24 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sophie Cardin (MPhil, Oxford) (Mazel Tov!) joins us to talk about her work on Yiddish Political Utopia, especially the work of Kalmen Zingman (1889-19...
Reclaiming Tradition without Nostalgia w/Pushcart Judaica
10 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we spoke to Ollie Schwartz, the cultural organizer, who founded Pushcart Judaica, an online and traveling market that specializes in e...
British Yiddish w/ Steve Ogin
27 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Zach spoke to Steve Ogin, one of the lead organizers of the Yiddish cultural movement in the United Kingdom.We'd like to apolgize for...
Declaring Independence of Diaspora w/ Joe Feinberg
06 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben and Zach speak to Joe, a member of the Jewish Voice for Solidarity group, which is based in Prague, Czech Republic, Alongside their various local ...
Tensions Within University Jewish Community Life
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a re-release of our conversation with artist and former University of Oregon Hillel organiser Alana Green, conducted in November 2023.Stay tun...
Jewish Resistance at UC Santa Cruz
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
(Note: This Interview was recorded before 6/7, when the University of California (UC) found an Orange County Judge to declare a restraining order on t...
Bundism from Berkeley to Berlin w/ Zalman Tzipporah
25 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Note: This episode was recorded on May 14, 2024, prior to the arrests made at the UC Berkeley "Hind's House" encampment.For this episode, we interview...
Uncovering Sepharad w/ Sirpad
11 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we spoke to Levi Zapata, Katie Kaestner-Frenchman and Lìdice, three organizers of Colectivo Sirpad (סרפד), a Queer Anti-Zionist a...
Arab-Jewish History & Present w/ Prof. Avi Shlaim
27 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Esteemed Professor Avi Shlaim joins Zach to speak about the study of history and Arab-Jewish identity!Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jewsimonandschu...
Here & There: South African Jews for a Free Palestine
13 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Zach and Jordan (a first time combo!) speak to Zandi and Julia, two activists from South African Jews for a Free Palestine, about what their group can...
Ecology and Jewish Diaspora w/ Ben Yanowitz and Zach Smerin
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jordan sits down with two scholars of Jewish diaspora life, Ben Yanowitz and Zach Smerin, to discuss the historical and cultural dive...
The Jewish Diasporist: One Year On
30 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The video of this episode: youtube.com/watch?v=xS25N1ymTS4As of April 1st; the Jewish Diasporist has officially turned 1 year old! In this brief episo...
Unity through Chesed: Diasporist Mysticism w/ Seekers of Unity
16 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we are joined by Zevi Slavin, the creater of the YouTube project Seekers of Unity. We talk about the etymology of Chasidism, with its...
The Language of Resistance w/ Kompass Media
03 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
(Recorded 1/30/2024)In this episode, we are joined by Rivka, Andrey, Roman and Meir from Kompass Media, a critical Russian-language media and activist...
Pondering Palestinian Perspectives w/ Habeeb Makhoul (Part 2)
17 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
(Interview Recorded January 27th)After months of genocidal violence against the Palestinian people in Gaza, hope for a better future for the people of...
Music, Politics and Diasporic Geography w/ Prof. Ben Rogaly
04 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Rogaly, a Professor of Human Geography at the Centre for Migration Research at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, joins Zach today to ...
Global Jewish Student Democracy w/ Yana Naftalieva (WUJS President)
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
[REUPLOAD: ORIGINALLY UPLOADED 25.11.23]Patreon: patreon.com/TheJewishDiasporist YouTube: / @jewishdiasporistmakingmensches Instagram: instagram....
Moseying Around Jewish Vienna w/ Eidel
20 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our next stop in our travels across the diaspora, with its rich Jewish past, present and future, is Vienna! To tell us about it we have Eidel, member ...
Analyzing Anti-Zionism w/ Making Mensches
06 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second part of our collaboration with Jessie and Elana from Making Mensches! This time, we exploree the roots of their politics and develo...
Building a Transformational Labor Movement w/ Laura Jaffee and Eli Flores
23 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How can Jewish identity inform labor organizing and what might a Jewish labour movement look like in the 21st century? This week we spoke to Laura Jaf...
Making Mensches Presents: Diasporism as Action
16 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Making Mensches Presents: Diasporism as Action. This is the first episode of a collaboration between our two podcasts which in the spirit of building ...
Workplace Organizing w/ Laurie Debeni
09 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, many on the Jewish left see Jewish politics and Labor politics as fundamentally distinct; however, for decades beginning in the mid 19th centur...
Czeching Out the Caucasus w/ Bruno & Emma
12 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In past weeks much of the world has been watching the events in Israel-Palestine unfold in justifiable. Yet just weeks before, another war and ethnic ...
Pondering Palestinian Perspectives w/ Habeeb Makhoul (Part 1)
28 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The last weeks have been quite difficult for us. Another escalation between the Israeli government and Hamas has already led to the deaths of thousand...
The Ecology of Love w/ Jordan Yanowitz
14 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With all that is going on in the world right now, its important to maintain your own well being, to show yourself some self love – take some time to...
Solidarity Across Nations w/ Achvat Amim
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We sat down with Elly Oltersdorf, Outreach Coordinator for Achvat Amim, which is an organisation that provides programs for young adults to engage in ...
Democracy and Discourse at EUJS SummerU
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After the High Holidays, we return with a part 2 about SummerU! Apart from exploring the decision-making processes of the European Union of Jewish Stu...
Transnational Networking & Tanning at EUJS SummerU
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Happy New Year! This is Part 1 of Zach's retrospective on SummerU, the flagship annual retreat of the European Union of Jewish Students that took plac...
Socialist Diasporism Past and Present w/ Jewish Labor Bund
02 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fellow Diasporists! Ross Lomazov of Melbourne's Jewish Labor Bund joins us to talk about this last bastion of this great socialist diasporist movement...
Judaism in Uganda: The Story of the Abayudaya w/ Tzion Kaukira
19 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The story of the Abayudaya is one few know. Jordan Yanowitz interviews Tzion Kaukira, a Jew from Uganda whom he worked with at a Reform summer camp th...
Cultivating Rootedness w/ Miknaf Ha'aretz
05 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to have a diasporist relationship to the land we live on? Coming to you from Miknaf Ha'aretz's Radical Farm Camp, organised last mon...
Oys and Joys of Building Queer Jewish Community in Belgium w/ Shabbes 24/7
22 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fenya Fischler, Catherine Bailey-Gluckman and David Bernstein from Shabbes 24/7 join us just before the third anniversary of the collective to discuss...
Building Liberatory Jewish Community w/ Rabbi David J. Cooper
08 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How does Jewish spirituality relate to Jewish community organising? This week, Rabbi David J. Cooper, whom Ben met on the CJNV delegation to Israel-Pa...
Co-Resistance and Grounded Solidarity w/ Center for Jewish Non-Violence
24 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From May 13-25th, Jewish Diasporist Co-host, Ben Yanowitz, joined the Center for Jewish Non-violence's (CJNV)'s annual delegation to Palestine/Israel....
Finding the Key to a Liberated Future w/ Josh from IfNotNow
10 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Burg, a member of INN's Washington D.C. core team and national strategic planning team, joins us to discuss the values of Jewish youth summer cam...
Towards a Jewish Internationalism w/ Progressive International
27 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode we interviewed David Adler, the General Coordinator of the Progressive International to discuss the prospects and pitfalls of Jewish I...
Understanding Ukrainian Jewishness w/ Mariia Hershova
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia's full-blown invasion of Ukraine began 15 months ago. How do we relate to it as Jewish Diasporists? To help us answer these questions, we spoke...
Honouring Anti-Fascist Resistance w/ the Jewish Socialists' Group
29 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After spending a week in Poland in honour of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, we sat down with Julia Bard and David Rosenberg from ...
Dispatches From UJS Conference
15 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we discuss our experience at the 2023 UJS Conference. Join us for a wild ride!
Welcome to the Jewish Diasporist!
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our pilot episode. In this first podcast we introduce ourselves, and some of the key themes we will be discussing through this show, We also touch on ...