The Wonderful World of Jewish Identity with Disney Animator Saul Blinkoff
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
Jonah Platt
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 22 July 2025
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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In this inspiring episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt: 30 Minute Mensches, Jonah sits down with acclaimed Disney animator, filmmaker, and motivational speaker Saul Blinkoff for a powerful conversation about Jewish resilience, Disney magic, and living a life of purpose. Together, they explore how timeless Jewish values are embedded in iconic animated films like The Lion King, and Saul speaks passionately about finding meaning in your Jewish identity every day, and the importance of living with responsibility and intention.
Saul reflects on his transformative trips to Israel as a guide with the nonprofit Momentum, and urges Jews worldwide to "LIVE FOR the Jewish people" as Israeli sons and daughters die to defend them. He and Jonah discuss how Jewish resilience, hope, and creativity can be antidotes to despair, even in the face of the horrors of October 7th. They also tackle:
- ⁇ Was Walt Disney really an antisemite?
- 🎬 The hidden Jewish values in your favorite Disney films
- 🇮🇱 Why Saul insists it’s safe (and necessary) to go to Israel right NOW
- 🌟 The miraculous story of Omer Shem Tov, who kept his hope and Jewish identity alive, even as a Hamas hostage in Gaza
- And much more
If you’re looking for inspiration, wisdom, and practical ways to infuse your life with purpose and Jewish pride, this episode is a must-watch!
Subscribe for more episodes of 30 Minute Mensches and join the conversation about what it truly means to be Jewish today.
Host & Production Team
Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sasha Nelson; Content Director: Alexandra Fugère; Associate Producer: Emma Webb, Nathan Wheatley, Valerie Patterson); Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild; Graphic Designer: Noah Bell
MENTIONED IN EPISODE:
All things Saul Blinkoff:
IG: @Saul.Blinkoff
- Highest Grossing Animated Movies in History
- Who were the Sherman Brothers?
- Was Walt Disney an antisemite?
- “Path of the Just”
- Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (RaMChaL)
- Momentum Org
- Rabbi Noach Weinberg
- Crave!
- “We Will Dance Again” (Nova Festival Documentary)
- The Battle of Sderot
- Kibbutzim Destroyed on October 7th
- Tragedy at Nahal Oz
- “The Killing Roads” documentary
- Iran lost more Generals in 12 Days than US in Both World Wars
- “Not That There’s Anything Wrong with That!”
- Omer Shem-Tov Kept Shabbat in Captivity
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. |
| 0:57.4 | Unless you don't leave a rating, in which case you're a butthead. |
| 1:06.4 | Welcome back to our summer series, being Jewish with Jonah Platt, 30-minute mentions. |
| 1:09.5 | Same vibe, same tribe, shorter episodes. |
| 1:15.6 | Today, we're going to be exploring how creativity and personal narrative intersect with Jewish values in the modern world. And to help us do that is my esteemed guest who has very literally had his hands all over some of the world's most beloved animated characters and films. |
| 1:26.6 | He's been a Disney animator and director for decades, |
| 1:29.9 | and he continues to spread that Disney magic as a highly sought-after motivational speaker, |
| 1:35.4 | who inspires people all over the world to wish upon a star. Please welcome to the show, Mr. Saul |
| 1:41.0 | Blankoff. Oh, thank you, Jonah. Thank you for that intro. |
| 1:45.1 | Of course. |
| 1:45.8 | I'm happy to have you here and happy for my audience to learn what you're all about. |
| 1:50.6 | So you have found a way to sort of combine your worlds of Disney animation and Jewish values |
... |
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