Podcast Summary: In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch

Guest: Jonah Platt
Host: Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth, candid conversation between Rabbi Ammi Hirsch and Jonah Platt—Broadway actor, writer, and host of "Being Jewish with Jonah Platt." The discussion explores Jewish identity, advocacy, the generational shifts in American Jewry, antisemitism, and Jewish representation in pop culture and Hollywood, especially in the wake of October 7. The main thread is how young Jews can reclaim pride and confidence in their heritage, even amidst adversity and complex cultural forces.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Jonah Platt: Becoming a Jewish Advocate & Podcaster

[02:10–05:09]

• Jonah describes his journey from Jewish involvement as a life experience to becoming a public advocate only in 2021.
• His advocacy was catalyzed by the events after October 7, leading him to proactively create spaces for discussion and representation—especially via his podcast.
• Key insight: Platt sees Jewish empowerment and visibility as the best response to hate:
  “The best answer to the hate that we're seeing today is Jewish empowerment… encourage people to lean into their Judaism, to explore it more, to celebrate it.” (Jonah Platt, [04:05])

Selecting Guests and Shaping the Conversation

[07:10–08:58]

• Platt intentionally brings diverse Jewish voices: varied professions, levels of observance, backgrounds, and even notable allies who aren’t Jewish.
• He aims for honest, deep conversations seldom heard elsewhere, moving past surface-level discussion.

Making a Tangible Difference

[09:16–10:56]

• Platt shares real-life feedback stories: a young Eagle Scout and a Dallas Mom’s Jewish Book Club founder crediting his show for their increased Jewish pride and activism.
• His goal is a ripple effect: “If I'm doing my job well, it means other people are making amazing changes.” (Jonah Platt, [10:45])

The State of American Jewry: Assimilation, Pride, and Barriers

[11:35–13:55]

• Many Jews are unaffiliated, but many are proud—though structural and psychological barriers persist, e.g., fear, lack of community, or inherited generational anxieties.
• Platt and Hirsch agree solutions must address access, emotional safety, and building real community.

Advice for Jewish Institutions on Engaging Young People

[13:55–16:25]

• Platt urges rabbis to prioritize authenticity and honest storytelling, but above all, create space for young people to voice honest feelings and questions without judgment.
• “What people really want… is the debrief after the event. People are just looking for safe spaces to be vulnerable and honest and connect.” (Jonah Platt, [15:21])

Gen Z, Millennials, and Reactions to October 7

[16:53–21:51]

• Both shocked at how quickly the narrative around October 7 among college students and young people flipped into “blame the Jews.”
• Propaganda pipelines in academia and media have deeply informed Gen Z’s worldview, with exposure therapy (e.g., documentaries) seen as one method to bridge ignorance.
• Platt expresses disappointment in well-educated young Jews who absorb these biases:
  “Facts really don't mean anything... Israel has no benefit of the doubt, and Jews have no benefit of the doubt anymore for a lot of these people.” (Jonah Platt, [20:38])

The Anti-Zionism/Antisemitism Connection

[22:53–26:15]

• Left-wing antisemitism and anti-Zionism often masquerade as justice causes but are built on libels.
• Platt urges unequivocal naming of slanderous anti-Zionist language as libel, referencing David Baddiel’s "Jews Don’t Count."
• “These are lies built on falsehoods meant to demonize Jews… you can just call them libels and tell these folks they're being anti-Jewish right now.” (Jonah Platt, [25:56])

Hollywood: Jewish Contributions and Representation

[26:15–37:34]

• A historical look at Hollywood’s Jewish roots: Jewish founders initially hid their Jewish identity to pursue the American dream and avoid prejudice.
• This “self-censoring” persists, Platt argues, to the detriment of modern Jewish representation.
• He contrasts celebrations of Black culture in Hollywood with continuing nervousness about overtly Jewish content:
  “For the Jews, it's almost the opposite. It's like, whoa, we better not do that because then they're going to say stuff about us...” (Jonah Platt, [33:13])
• October 7 has sparked a wake-up in Hollywood, with more Jewish professionals seeking to reclaim agency and visibility.

Jewish Representation on Screen – Nuance and Double Standards

[37:34–41:33]

• Platt critiques systemic bias where Jewish roles often go to non-Jews, except in rare cases justified by artistic or production needs (e.g., Helen Mirren as Golda Meir).
• He objects strongly when opportunities for Jewish actors are missed, as in the touring production of "Funny Girl."
• The broader issue: Jews aren’t recognized as a minority the way other groups are seen.

A Case Study: “Nobody Wants This” on Netflix

[42:05–47:08]

• Platt praises the series for mainstreaming basic Jewish rituals and culture, showing complex, human, and relatable Jewish experiences to a broad audience.
• He acknowledges the valid critique but contends positive visibility outweighs any negative tropes:
  “...what we really need today in Hollywood, I think, is contemporary humanizing Jewish narratives that are entertaining because of the story they're telling and the characters happen to be Jews, which is exactly what this is.” (Jonah Platt, [43:22])

Post-October 7: A Moment of Jewish Re-engagement in Hollywood

[47:08–53:34]

• Increased Jewish activism and intention among Hollywood power-brokers and creators.
• Notably, there are now two major October 7 drama series in production.
• Platt notes that while loud anti-Israel voices exist, truly virulent hostility is limited; most people in Hollywood are either uninformed or neutral, not malicious.
• The key missing piece: education. The level of institutional response for Jews has lagged far behind other minority groups’ experiences.

Closing Messages

[53:41–55:03]

• Platt’s message to young Jews:
  “Be loud and proud and celebrate what you love about being Jewish... Everybody has the ability to change something somehow… It all counts and it all matters right now.” (Jonah Platt, [53:42])

• Rabbi Hirsch echoes and builds upon this, urging young Jews not to abandon Jewish solidarity in pursuit of universalism: “Jewish universalism absent Jewish peoplehood is not Jewish universalism, it's just universalism. Build up your Jewish literacy... Jewish survival is a moral imperative.” (Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, [57:23])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jewish empowerment:
  “The best answer to the hate that we're seeing today is Jewish empowerment… encourage people to lean into their Judaism, to explore it more, to celebrate it.”
  — Jonah Platt [04:05]

• On intergenerational Jewish pride:
  “What’s just always felt right to me is to try to encourage Jews to feel not just okay, but loud and proud about being Jewish… the byproduct of that happens to be…the number one way to push back against anti-Jew bigotry and hate.”
  — Jonah Platt [06:09]

• On authenticity and dialogue:
  “What people really want…as we are siloed by social media, living our life in our phones…is the debrief after the event. People are just looking for safe spaces to be vulnerable and honest and connect.”
  — Jonah Platt [15:21]

• On anti-Zionism as antisemitism:
  “These are lies are built on falsehoods meant to demonize Jews.”
  — Jonah Platt [25:37]

• On Jewish representation in Hollywood:
  “We didn’t let go of [self-censoring] when it was no longer necessary…to the detriment of Jewish storytelling and Jewish representation.”
  — Jonah Platt [32:08]

• On the double standards for Jews in representation:
  “It’s the misunderstanding of who and what Jews are…it’s the conflating of Jews with, oh, they’re rich and white, so they’re fine, they’re not in any trouble...”
  — Jonah Platt [40:33]

• Final Message:
  “Be loud and proud and celebrate what you love about being Jewish…Everybody has the ability to change something somehow…It all counts and it all matters right now.”
  — Jonah Platt [53:42]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:10] – Platt’s journey to Jewish advocacy and podcasting
• [05:34] – Family background and roots of Jewish pride
• [09:16] – How the podcast positively impacts listeners
• [14:32] – Advice for rabbis and Jewish professionals
• [16:53] – Gen Z/millennial reactions to October 7 and its aftermath
• [22:53] – Anti-Zionism, left-wing antisemitism, and public narratives
• [30:53] – Hollywood’s Jewish history and systemic self-censorship
• [42:13] – Review and analysis of “Nobody Wants This”
• [47:08] – Post-October 7 shift in Hollywood; production of new Jewish/Israeli stories
• [49:24] – Discussion on boycotts and the true scale of anti-Israel sentiment
• [53:41] – Platt’s message to young Jews
• [57:23] – Hirsch’s closing reflections on Jewish resilience and values

Tone and Style

The conversation is direct, warm, frequently laced with humor and self-reflection, but unflinching in its critique of both Jewish communal life and broader societal issues. Both host and guest comfortably challenge easy platitudes, seek honest engagement, and stress the importance of nuance, empathy, and activism.

This episode is essential listening for anyone seeking insight into contemporary Jewish identity, generational shifts, and the challenges/opportunities for Jews in American society and pop culture.