Israeli Comedian Yohay Sponder, Plus Finding Your Jewish “Ikigai” (Reason for Being)
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Jonah Platt
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2026
⏱️ 74 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder turns grief, antisemitism, and the Jewish experience into one of the funniest and most unexpectedly moving conversations you’ll hear all year.
In this hilarious, heartfelt, and surprisingly profound episode, stand-up comic Yohay Sponder joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, Jewish identity, Israel, and the global Jewish experience. Known for his viral English-language stand-up and international tours, Sponder reflects on performing for Jewish audiences across Australia, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States while witnessing rising antizionist hate around the world. Sponder recounts the shocking experience of show cancellations in Amsterdam and Australia after public threats and claims of “perceived insensitivity” in his material. Along the way, the two discuss why Yohay performs in English, what he’s learned being married to an American, and how growing up the grandchild of Holocaust survivors influenced his comedic spark. He shares his goals of making people laugh while spreading Jewish pride and the inspiration behind his comedy specials, Self-Loving Jew and Genesis.
Using humor and vulnerability, Sponder examines what connects Jews globally, emphasizing comedy’s role in strengthening cultural bonds. The episode dives into Sponder’s evolving relationship with Judaism following the death of his father, Holocaust-survivor grandparents, his embrace of traditions like tefillin and wearing a (giant) Star of David.
THIS WEEK’S MONOLOGUE: Jonah ponders Ikiagi, the Japanese concept for “your reason for being,” and how you can find your own Jewish version to guide you in these challenging times.
TIMESTAMPS
2:08 — Why Yohay performs in English
Yohay explains why English became the perfect language for his comedy, saying its structure naturally works better for punchlines than Hebrew.
14:26 — The Amsterdam cancellation
Yohay recounts how his sold-out Amsterdam shows were canceled days before showtime after threats against the venue
18:20 — When boycotts backfire
Yohay explains how protests and cancellations have often helped his career by bringing more publicity, support, and ticket sales.
28:06 — The fan who said his comedy saved her family
Yohay recalls a fan sharing how his comedy helped her and her father through his cancer treatments
30:32 — His father’s Holocaust survivor upbringing
Yohay reflects on his father’s painful childhood as the son of Auschwitz survivors — and how he chose to raise his own family with joy and laughter instead.
49:41 — The meaning of “Self-Loving Jew”
Yohay explains why he named his previous tour Self-Loving Jew, framing it as a response to Jews who publicly criticized Israel after October 7th.
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Learn More About Yohay Sponder:
Yohay Sponder Stand-Up and Appearances
CREDITS:
Written 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 Associate: Rachel Stern, Sasha Nelson Production Intern: Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today's episode of Being Jewish is brought to you by Honeymoon Israel, a nonprofit that |
| 0:07.3 | helps young couples build real Jewish community through an unforgettable group trip. |
| 0:12.6 | Check out their new Argentina experience at Honeymoonisrael.org slash being Jewish. |
| 0:17.6 | What if I told you there's a Japanese concept that's actually the roadmap to creating |
| 0:22.0 | a brighter Jewish future? By the end of this video, you'll know what I'm talking about, |
| 0:26.4 | and you'll also have the tools to create your own personal Jewish roadmap. This is being Jewish. |
| 0:34.2 | I don't believe in past lives, but if I did and I ever lived one, I feel like I must have been |
| 0:39.6 | Japanese. I've long been drawn to Japanese culture, values, art, cuisine, fundamental views on life. |
| 0:47.5 | And there's one particular Japanese concept I want to share with you because it's the answer |
| 0:51.8 | to the question I am most often asked when I speak |
| 0:54.4 | to Jewish communities all over North America. The question, and it's usually the last one I get, |
| 0:59.6 | is, so what can we do about it? We being everyday Jews and allies and it being the new normal |
| 1:06.4 | we find ourselves in, a reality in which we are facing adversity at levels not seen for generations, |
| 1:12.4 | to which the only antidote is a louder, prouder, more engaged, more connected, more intentional |
| 1:17.5 | Jewish community, a reality in which each of us must take individual responsibility for shaping |
| 1:23.8 | in some way a better future for us all. So I'm asked, what can we do about it? And |
| 1:30.3 | the answer is ikigai, kind of. Iki-guy is a Japanese word that roughly translates to your |
| 1:38.4 | reason for being. Now, as I researched for this monologue, I learned that in true Western |
| 1:43.3 | fashion, the concept commonly understood as ikigai is not only not how the Japanese think of it, but was actually invented accidentally by a British blogger who, after watching a TED talk about Okinawa, slapped the word onto a diagram designed by a Spanish astrologer, which then spread like wildfire through self-help |
| 2:02.4 | books, HR seminars, and life coaches evolving into a full-on global industry. |
| 2:08.0 | Super westerny of us. |
| 2:09.8 | For the Japanese themselves, the concept is not so deep. |
... |
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