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In celebration of the enduring ties between America’s Black and Jewish communities, AJC and the National Urban League are partnering to designate the week of September 7th Black-Jewish Unity Week. To kick off #BlackJewishUnity week, we’re collaborating for an exciting crossover event with the National Urban League’s podcast, For the Movement. This week, we sit down with Clint Odom, the National Urban League’s Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, Executive Director of the National Urban League’s Washington Bureau, and co-host of For The Movement, to talk about the connections between the Black and Jewish communities and how we can use #BlackJewishUnity week to strengthen those ties. Then, in our closing segment, Shabbat Table Talk, we hear from AJC Director of Black-Jewish Relations and AJC Atlanta Regional Director Dov Wilker and what he’ll be discussing at his Shabbat table this week. Show notes: Be sure to check out For the Movement’s episode with AJC Chief Advocacy Officer Dan Elbaum: http://bit.

On the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, we speak with Matt Brooks, Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, about his takeaways from the week and what Jews should know about the Republican platform and ticket this year. Then, we’re joined by AJC Los Angeles Associate Director Saba Soomekh to hear about the ongoing battle over California’s ethnic studies curriculum.

On the heels of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, we sit down with Halie Soifer, Executive Director of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, who previously served as National Security Advisor to Senator Kamala Harris. We talk about support for Israel within the Democratic Party and other issues of importance to the Jewish community ahead of the upcoming election. Then, AJC Chief Policy and Political Affairs Officer Jason Isaacson, who has long engaged with leaders throughout the Arab world, joins to discuss last week’s historic announcement of a peace treaty between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

This week, we’re joined by JTA Washington Bureau Chief Ron Kampeas to unpack former Vice President Joe Biden’s selection of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) as his running mate. Then, in the wake of the fatal explosion in Beirut in last week, we speak to Matthew Levitt, Director of the Reinhard program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the dire need to reform Lebanon’s political system due to the pernicious role played by Iranian proxy Hezbollah. Show notes: https://www.AJC.org/TakeAction https://www.AJC.org/Conventions https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/lebanese-hezbollah-select-worldwide-activities-interactive-map-and-timeline https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/08/07/four-israeli-women-who-have-broken-new-political-ground/?arc404=true https://www.ajc.org/news/the-plight-of-the-uyghurs-in-china-a-conversation-with-nury-turkel-ajc-advocacy-anywhere

This week, we’re joined by Jewish Insider National Politics Reporter Jacob Kornbluh for a discussion of the choice facing former Vice President Joe Biden as he selects a running mate ahead of the November presidential election. Then AJC Asia Pacific Institute Japan Representative Jerry Rosenberg joins us to talk about the legacy of Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who helped save the lives of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust.

First, we hear from Emily Tamkin, author of “The Influence of Soros: Politics, Power, and the Struggle for Open Society,” on why the Jewish billionaire philanthropist has become a political target and an easy mark for antisemitism. Then, in our closing segment, Shabbat Table Talk, we sit down with AJC Director of Contemporary Jewish Life Laura Shaw Frank to hear what she’ll be discussing at her Shabbat table this week.

This week, we sit down with Sherry Frank, who served as Director of AJC Atlanta for 26 years and was a close friend of civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who passed away on July 17. Together, Frank and Congressman Lewis founded the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition in 1982. Frank joins us to share some of her memories of this American giant.

This week, we speak to Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) about the letter he and fellow representatives wrote in opposition to unilateral annexation, and what the future holds for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Then, we’re joined by Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, on why the two-state solution is still worth pursuing. We close out with Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, France’s foremost female rabbi, speaking about how to have conversations about antisemitism, racism, and interfaith relations in a secular society. Show notes: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/end-the-jewish-state-lets-try-some-honesty-first/

This week, we hear from Holly Huffnagle, AJC’s U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism, and Dave Rich, Director of Policy at the UK’s Community Security Trust, on the rise of antisemitic conspiracy theories amid the coronavirus pandemic and following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Then, we hear an update on the resurgence of the pandemic in Israel from Dr. Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert and professor of political science at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

On this week’s episode of People of the Pod, we are joined by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi of Manhattan’s Central Synagogue and member of AJC’s Board of Governors, to discuss the Jewish community’s obligation toward Jews of color and to social justice. Then, in one of the most compelling sessions from AJC Virtual Global Forum, we hear a foreign policy debate between Antony Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State under President Barack Obama and now an adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and KT McFarland, past Deputy National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump.

As the United States continues to grapple with racial injustice, we are joined by Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western States Center, who discusses being a leader in the black community committed to fighting antisemitism, which he identifies as a leading driver of other forms of bigotry. Then, fresh from the AJC Virtual Global Forum stage, we hear from Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel Benjamin (Benny) Gantz, in conversation with AJC Jerusalem Director Lt. Col. (res.) Avital Leibovich, his first major public appearance before an international audience since the formation of Israel’s government. Show notes: https://www.politicalresearch.org/2017/06/29/skin-in-the-game-how-antisemitism-animates-white-nationalism

This week, AJC held its first-ever Virtual Global Forum, taking the premier annual global Jewish advocacy gathering online. Here we showcase some of the most memorable moments from the star-studded, five-day event. First we hear an excerpt from a historic public dialogue with United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash about how his country can work with Israel despite political differences. Then, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker discusses racial injustice in America and the importance of Black-Jewish cooperation in tackling that national challenge. Finally, AJC Managing Director of Global Communications Avi Mayer moderates a fiery debate on the future of the West Bank between Member of Knesset Merav Michaeli of Israel’s Labor Party and veteran Israeli diplomat Dr. Dore Gold, President of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. 942436

Ahead of next week’s AJC Virtual Global Forum 2020, we’re joined by AJC CEO David Harris for a preview of this historic event, which marks the first time the premier global Jewish advocacy event will take place online. Then, we hear from Jeffery Goldberg, acclaimed journalist, Editor in Chief of The Atlantic, and friend of AJC, on the role of the media in the current pandemic and the vital importance of a free press in democratic societies. Show Notes: AJC.org/GlobalForum 942436

Protests have erupted across the United States following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and AJC Project Interchange alumnus, joins us for a comprehensive discussion on race relations and Black-Jewish cooperation in the United States. Then, we’re joined by Isaac 'Bougie' Herzog, Chairman of The Jewish Agency for Israel, to discuss Israel-Diaspora relations - where we are, how we got here, and the future we must build together.

This week on People of the Pod, we sit down with Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles and Mayor Betsy Price of Fort Worth to discuss the impact of the coronavirus crisis on their cities, the role of political leadership in a time of crisis, and their experiences visiting Israel with AJC's Project Interchange. Then we hear from Elmehdi Boudra, Founder and President of the Mimouna Association, a nonprofit founded by young Muslim students dedicated to preserving Jewish heritage and culture in Morocco, about his group's inspiring work.

Earlier this week, Israel's new government was sworn in. The government will be jointly led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White Party, after the two signed a coalition agreement in April. Gil Hoffman, Chief Political Correspondent and Analyst for The Jerusalem Post, joins us to explain what we can expect from this new government. Then, we sit down with Emi Palmor, former Director-General of Israel’s Ministry of Justice and one of the first appointees to an independent oversight board charged with making policy recommendations about Facebook content, to discuss her new role.

This week, we sit down with Seth Mandel, Executive Editor of Washington Examiner Magazine, and Batya Ungar-Sargon, Opinion Editor at The Forward, to discuss the changing U.S. political landscape and what’s at stake for American Jews. Then, 75 years after the end of World War II, the fight to recover art and heirlooms looted by the Nazis and return them to their rightful owners and heirs continues. Joining us to discuss this important mission are Dr. Wesley Fisher, Director of Research for the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and the World Jewish Restitution Organization, and Olaf Ossman, the lawyer for the heirs of Richard Semmel, a family in South Africa that has been fighting since 1999 to recover lost art.

This week on People of the Pod, Colorado Governor Jared Polis joins us to talk about the state’s approach to fighting the coronavirus and the emergence of antisemitism during the pandemic. Then, Dr. Kurt Graham, Director of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, joins us to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and shares what we can learn from President Truman’s leadership during a crisis.

This week on People of the Pod, former refusenik, Israeli government minister, and Chairman of The Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky joins us to reflect on Israel's 72nd Independence Day. Then, AJC CEO David Harris sits down with us to explain the significance of Germany’s decision to ban Hezbollah’s activities on the country’s soil. Finally, we speak to Hannah Rose, former President of the UK's Union of Jewish Students, about the newly elected leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer. Show notes: Natan Sharansky’s Tips for Quarantine: https://youtu.be/wdyHlYpRvko Never Alone: Prison, Politics, and My People: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Alone-Prison-Politics-People/dp/1541742427/

After three elections in less than a year, Israel may soon have a new government. This week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, announced an agreement to jointly govern the country. Joining us is Tal Schneider, political and diplomatic correspondent at Globes, to discuss the agreement, including its more controversial elements. Then, we hear from AJC Director of U.S. Muslim-Jewish Relations Ari Gordon on the release of a new Arabic-language video about the Holocaust. The new video is the third in AJC’s highly successful Arabic video series, ‘An al-Yahud (“About the Jews”), which has reached tens of millions across the Arab world. Show Notes: https://www.ajc.org/news/ajc-releases-arabic-video-on-the-holocaust-ahead-of-yom-hashoah