I Read Peter Beinart’s Book So You Don’t Have To and “Ace of Cakes” Duff Goldman
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Jonah Platt
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 November 2025
⏱️ 67 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s Turkey Time! In this warm and wonderfully flavorful Thanksgiving episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah sits down with Duff Goldman — celebrity pastry chef, bestselling cookbook author, Food Network Icon, and beloved host of shows like Ace of Cakes, Kids Baking Championship, Buddy vs. Duff, and Duff’s Happy Fun Bake Time. Together, they dig into the stories and traditions that shaped Duff’s life long before he became America’s favorite baker.
Duff opens up about his personal experiences with anti-Jew bigotry in New England, and how that deepened his connection to Jewish culture, family, and food. They discuss the joys and challenges of Duff’s professional achievements as a master baker, from mentoring young bakers on television to navigating the pressure of high-profile baking competitions. Duff also discusses his upcoming venture — Duff's Deli and Market, opening soon in the Atlanta airport — and his philosophy on food, tradition, and community. Duff shares heartfelt reflections on his recovery from a devastating car accident, and his commitment to tzedakah
This episode is a celebration of resilience, tradition, and the Jewish roots behind Duff’s irresistible warmth and artistry. It’s a perfect blend of heart, humor, and holiday spirit.
Topics Include:
- Duff’s love of “Tzedakah”, the Jewish value of Charity
- Duff’s multicultural Passover Seders & Thanksgiving Dinners
- Kids Baking Championship Insights
- The Birth of the iconic Charm City Cakes
- Jewish-Themed Cakes and Duff's Deli
- Thanksgiving Traditions and Family
This episode is supported by The Dream Raffle. Win a Jerusalem dream home!
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Mentioned In The Episode:
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza by Peter Beinart
When Jon Stewart and Peter Beinart Threw Isreal Under the Bus
Jacqueline Winch (Duff Goldman’s Artist Mom)
Here’s Who Won the Food Network’s First Ever Hanukkah Cooking Challenge
Duff Goldman Injured in Crash Allegedly Caused by Drunk Driver
Kids Baking Championship (Hulu)
Duff’s Favorite Spots “Best Things I Ever Ate”
Foie Grock's Chefs Bruce Kalman & Duff Goldman (YouTube)
Duff’s Deli and Market - Atlanta
Japan's ancient art of taiko drumming
Manzanar War Relocation Center
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, 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
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Shalom, Kavarim, Banot, and welcome to another very special episode of the world's number one Jewish podcast. |
| 0:08.1 | I have to ask for a small favor. |
| 0:10.4 | As an independent show, we don't have a massive marketing machine behind us. |
| 0:14.6 | Our growth is purely organic, fueled by dedicated viewers and listeners like you. |
| 0:19.5 | So if you would be so kind, please take 30 seconds, |
| 0:24.0 | head over to Apple Podcasts and Spotify, find this show, and leave me a five-star rating and a short |
| 0:30.0 | written review. I love seeing all of your thoughtful and generous feedback. Some of it has even |
| 0:35.0 | made it onto the show and may again. And as of this recording, |
| 0:38.7 | we are just eight ratings away from hitting 500 on Apple. Crossing that threshold would be a huge |
| 0:44.3 | milestone for us. It's a small mitzvah on your part, but it really is the fuel that allows us to |
| 0:50.0 | keep these amazing conversations going. So thank you in advance. Unless you don't leave a rating, |
| 0:55.9 | in which case you're a butthead. This past January, journalist, political commentator, |
| 1:03.1 | and anti-Israel Jew, Peter Beinerd wrote a book called Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza. |
| 1:09.0 | It's a New York Times bestseller with hundreds of wonderful |
| 1:11.6 | reviews and ratings on Amazon. It's respectful, well written, and like most anti-Israel polemics, |
| 1:17.3 | sounds exceedingly reasonable if you don't know what's very purposefully not being said. |
| 1:23.3 | Lucky for all of you, I read it so you don't have to. What the book gets right, and what I find to be the key truth at the heart of the Jewish anti-Israel argument writ large, |
| 1:33.3 | is that Israel and its supporters have not done enough to reckon with the ugly parts of Israel's creation, societal issues, |
| 1:40.0 | or decisions that have moved it further away from peace with Palestinians rather than towards it. |
| 1:45.0 | I find that to be an objectively accurate and important observation. It's true and deserves to be |
| 1:50.0 | discussed openly. However, this is essentially also true of every other country on planet Earth. |
| 1:56.9 | Hell, America is almost 250 years old and we've barely started reckoning with our own history. |
... |
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