SEASON 1 FINALE! My Inspiration & Jewish Federation Chairwoman Julie Platt

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Jonah Platt

Cultural Exploration, Judaism, Jewish Experience, Jewish Athletes, Society & Culture, Art And Judaism Sports, Diversity Of Judaism, Personal Journeys, Non-jewish Allies, Faith Conversations, Faith And Spirituality, Jewish Heritage, Religion & Spirituality, Jewish Identity, Jewish Food And Politics, Jewish Culture, Being Jewish, Celebrity Interviews, Jonah Platt

4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 July 2025

⏱️ 76 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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A VERY special episode!! Julie Platt — lifelong Jewish leader, philanthropist, Chairwoman of Jewish Federations of North America– and Jonah’s mom! — joins Jonah for the highly anticipated Season One finale of Being Jewish. Her tenure as Chairwoman of the Diaspora’s largest philanthropic organization has seen Julie lead the Jewish community through Covid, the war in Ukraine, the horrors of October 7th and its aftermath, Israel’s war with Iran, and more. Through these crises and her decades of leadership, Julie has amassed a lifetime of wisdom and experience that she generously and candidly shares with Jonah and the BJJP community.

If you’ve ever asked, “What can I do to help?” — this is the episode for you. Julie offers rich stories, practical insights, and inspiring advice to power up the leader in each of us.

In this dynamic and heartfelt episode, Jonah and Julie dive into:

✡️ Why and how to be a leader
🏕️ Why Jewish Summer Camp is more than just fun — it’s formative
🌍 All the big Jewish orgs– AJC, ADL, JFNA, FJC, JDC, Hillel, Prizmah, The Jewish Agency– and how they’re trying to work together as never before
🇮🇱 When Julie received Israel’s highest civilian honor from President Isaac Herzog
🎓 Campus antisemitism in America — and how as interim board president, Julie helped steer the University of Pennsylvania through the most chaotic period in the school’s history
😂 A hilarious and personal peek inside Jonah and Julie’s own family dynamic

It’s a finale full of heart, humor, and hope — guaranteed to leave you empowered, emboldened, and inspired to be a leader, even from the comfort of your own home.

Host & Production Team

Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sean Leviashvili; Editors: Patrick Edwards & Nathan Wheatley); Consulting Producer: Bethany Mandel; Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald; Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild; Creative Associate: Rachel Stern; Social Media Manager: Yuval Yosha; Graphic Designer Noah Bell; Interns: Sasha Nelson & Emma Webb

MENTIONED IN EPISODE

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 mitzv 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,
0:56.1	in which case you're a butthead. A wise man once said, every new beginning comes from some other
1:02.1	beginnings end. Just kidding, that was 90s all rock band Semi-Sonic from their hit song Closing Time,
1:09.1	which incidentally was at the center of a 2003
1:12.2	Camp Ramah Color War mishap involving a broken keyboard and my co-captain Orrin yelling at the camp
1:17.3	director, what do you want me to do? Pay for it with my bar mitzvah money? Good times. Anyway,
1:23.1	every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end is a great line, and an apt theme for
1:28.7	this, my final address to you this season, my dear listeners.
1:33.2	As I have throughout the past nine challenging months, I want to use the opportunity of being
1:38.4	beamed directly into your ears or your car or your living room to leave you with a charge,
1:46.3	one that I hope will spur you to a new beginning, perhaps over the summer months until we come together like this again.
1:52.1	Today's episode is all about leadership, a theme well explored throughout Jewish tradition.
	...

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