People Jew Wanna Know

People Jew Wanna Know
  • 4.9 (68)
  • Judaism
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to People Jew Wanna Know, a podcast sharing stories of remarkable Jewish people! Hosted by Margarita Lyadova, each episode features conversations with interesting Jewish guests of today and historical figures who’ve shaped Jewish culture and identity. Together, we seek answers to today's essential questions facing the Jewish people. New episodes every Wednesday. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @peoplejewwannaknow for extras, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Support our work here: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

  1. The Art of Looking Like Yourself - Dr. Monasebian

    2h ago

    The Art of Looking Like Yourself - Dr. Monasebian

    Dr. Monasebian is a board-certified plastic surgeon, and the man Margarita personally trusts with her own face. A Forest Hills native, Brandeis graduate, and proud half-Sephardic, half-Ashkenazi Jew, Dr. Monasebian has built a reputation not just for exceptional results, but for telling patients the truth. In an industry full of hype, he’s refreshingly candid about what procedures are worth considering, which ones are overhyped, and why credentials matter more than ever. In this conversation, we discuss everything from the evolution of rhinoplasty among Jewish patients to the rise of non-surgical treatments, body dysmorphia, aging gracefully, and the biggest misconceptions about plastic surgery. We also explore how he approaches these conversations with his own children—and the procedures he'd never recommend.Follow Dr. Monasebian on Instagram: @parkaveplasticsurgeryListeners get a complimentary consultation — just mention People Jew Wanna Know. Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 03:00 Dr. Monasebian's Jewish upbringing 09:30 Why credentials matter (and what can go wrong) 14:00 How rhinoplasty culture has shifted for Jewish patients 17:30 Surgical vs. non-surgical: how to choose 24:00 Aging well after a procedure 29:00 Talking to his own kids about cosmetic work 33:00 Saying no: unrealistic requests and body dysmorphia 38:00 Lightning round — most underrated, most overrated, biggest pet peeves 46:30 CoolSculpting, Kybella, etc. 50:00 A message to Jewish New Yorkers 53:00 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    54 min
  2. Rebecca Brooks — PR, Presence & Power

    Jun 10

    Rebecca Brooks — PR, Presence & Power

    Rebecca Brooks is the dark horse behind some of the biggest food and lifestyle personalities you know — Rachael Ray, Andrew Zimmern, Guy Fieri, Jacques Torres, Robert Irvine. She founded the Brooks Group at 25 out of her husband's family office in New York, and basically helped invent the "lifestyle of food" category before Food Network was a household name. Margarita talks to Rebecca about what actually happens behind the curtain — how to fix a PR crisis, how to say no without burning the bridge, and why the best clients lead with story, not product. Plus a tangent on what Judaism actually says about psychics, mediums, and the woo-woo of it all. Follow Rebecca on Instagram @Rebecca_BrooksPR and  ⁨@BrooksGroupPR⁩  and check out her website brookspr.com Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 06:11 Growing up Jewish on Long Island 10:30 Starting the Brooks Group at 25 14:00 Pioneering storytelling in beauty PR 17:45 Advising Jewish clients on speaking out 20:30 Owning mistakes and the art of the apology 23:15 How to say no without burning bridges 25:40 Joe Dispenza, Reiki, and reading energy 28:30 Message to the Jewish people & Guest Nomination

    29 min
  3. Ari’el Stachel - Playing the Other

    Jun 5

    Ari’el Stachel - Playing the Other

    Ariel Stachel—Tony winner for The Band's Visit—gets brutally honest about learning to “act” by hiding parts of himself, and what it took to finally stop. We get into his solo show Other, the identity whiplash growing up post 9/11, and why he’s willing to say the uncomfortable things—about activism, platforming, and how Jews should be portrayed in media right now. Margarita and Ariel compare notes and bond over being children of immigrants. Connect with Ariel on Instagram @ArielStachel Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 1:42 "My acting training was pretending to be other people" 8:38 How has the show Other been received? 11:27 On the experience of having immigrant parents 19:30 Ariel's activism & message to Mamdani 23:46 How should we tell stories about Jews today? 29:50 On "platforming" people you disagree with 33:44 What's next for Ariel? 36:12 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    38 min
  4. Neil Friedman: Hollywood's Quiet Powerhouse

    May 27

    Neil Friedman: Hollywood's Quiet Powerhouse

    Neil Friedman is the quiet powerhouse behind some of the most important Jewish cinema of the last two decades. As founder of Menemsha Films and ChaiFlicks — the world's largest Jewish streaming platform — he's racked up five consecutive Oscar-nominated films, championed hidden gems from six continents, and turned Bad Shabbos into a $1.5 million theatrical juggernaut at a moment when nobody goes to the movies anymore. Neil's story is one of Jewish ingenuity, resilience, and work ethic. **Special Promo to get an annual subscription to ChaiFlicks for only $36 for People Jew Wanna Know listeners!**Redemption link: http://www.chaiflicks.com/checkout/subscribe/purchase?code=people36&plan=yearly Redemption code: PEOPLE36Follow Menemsha Films on IG  @Menemshafilms  and learn more at menemshafilms.com Follow ChaiFlicks on IG  @chaiflicks  and learn more at chaiflicks.com Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 03:15 From Park Avenue lawyer to Hollywood independent 08:40 Why Jewish art house — and trusting his parents' taste 12:20 Launching ChaiFlicks the first week of the pandemic 17:10 Why *Bad Shabbos* worked when *Nobody Wants This* didn't 24:30 The Florida-to-New York release strategy 29:15 Films every young Jew should see 34:50 Israeli TV is the best in the world, pound for pound 38:20 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    41 min
  5. The Mayor’s Jewish Guy - Moshe Davis

    May 20

    The Mayor’s Jewish Guy - Moshe Davis

    Moshe Davis was Mayor Eric Adams' Jewish liaison and architect of NYC's first-ever Mayor's Office to Combat Antisemitism — until he found out via tweet that the Mamdani administration was replacing him. He's the guy who handled everything from synagogue security to the "Israel Bombs Way" street sign vandalism. Moshe has dealt with the good, the bad, and the ugly of Jewish life in NYC post October 7th. Margarita and Moshe sit down to discuss Moshe's experience and where he thinks Jewish life in NYC is headed. Plus: why antisemitism is less a prejudice and more the world's oldest conspiracy theory — and what that means for how we fight it. Follow Moshe Davis on X @_moshedavis Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 03:13 From MJE to City Hall 07:00 What a Jewish Liaison Actually Does 12:30 Building MOCA and the Final Report 18:45 Getting Replaced by a Tweet 24:00 Israel Bombs Way and the Whack-a-Mole Job 29:30 Should Jewish New Yorkers Be Worried 33:00 Why the Orthodox World Isn't Phased 37:30 Antisemitism as a Conspiracy Theory, Not Just Racism 42:00 What's Next & Get Off Social Media, Get Into Politics 44:26 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    45 min
  6. What Comes After Nova - Shye Klein

    May 13

    What Comes After Nova - Shye Klein

    Shye Klein was just weeks into his new life in Israel when he drove into the Nova festival at 2 a.m. on October 7th. Before noon, he was back in Tel Aviv — alive, with five friends and a roll of film of people he might never see again. A Canadian-Israeli photographer who'd never owned a Hillel sweatshirt or set foot on a Birthright trip, Shai walked out of that field and walked straight into 200 speaking engagements, years of therapy, and one of the most clear-eyed accounts of Nova & what resilience actually looks like. This conversation goes where most October 7th coverage won't: the bureaucratic nightmare of qualifying for Israeli government aid, the survivors who can't return to their old jobs, and the Band-Aid pizza parties masquerading as mental health support. Shai also names exactly where the diaspora should be sending money — and why. Follow Shye Klein on Instagram @ShyeKlein Check out Shye’s work www.shyeklein.com/october7story Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 05:30 Making Aliyah three weeks before Nova 09:45 Shye's account of Nova 27:30 Finding the 54 people in Shye's photographs 32:00 Speaking tour burnout and avoidance 37:00 Why the aid system fails Nova survivors 42:30 Where the diaspora should actually donate 46:30 Beyond the Supernova photo project 49:00 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    50 min
  7. L'Chaim Motherf*ckers with Jill Kargman

    May 6

    L'Chaim Motherf*ckers with Jill Kargman

    Jill Kargman is a New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, creator of Odd Mom Out, and a "shtetl chic" Manhattan Jewess. Margarita and Jill talk wig life, vaginal lasers, antisemitism in middle school, and why Jewish joy is the whole point. Jill found her voice the moment she stopped hiding behind characters and just told the truth. She's excited to share her new film - Influenced (in theaters May 8th). Follow Jill on IG @jillkargman and @influenced.movie Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 02:12 Sephardic mom, Ashkenazi dad, free-range NYC childhood 06:30 Pulling her son out of school after an antisemitic incident 10:15 Why every story she tells comes back to family 14:20 Making *Influenced* and hiding the meat in the pasta 18:45 Celebrity cameos, blonde wigs, and being a "Sicilian widow" in real life 24:30 Re-virginization is real and Jill did it 27:10 Jewish storytelling needs comedy too 30:00 Margarita's life as a child pop star in Ukraine 34:20 Jewish joy, Mamdani, and L'chaim motherf*ckers 36:44 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    37 min
  8. Antisemitism Is a Virus. Here's How It Spreads — Vlad Khaykin

    Apr 29

    Antisemitism Is a Virus. Here's How It Spreads — Vlad Khaykin

    Vlad Khaykin is the Head of North American Advocacy for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (and a former ADL veteran). He approaches antisemitism the way a scientist approaches a virus: studying its architecture, its mutations, and why it keeps infecting new hosts across centuries. This is an episode where you'll learn a tremendous amount about antisemitism's latest "mutation" - Anti-Zionism. Anti-Zionism isn't an abstract debate — it's an ideology with a body count, and millions of living Jews can tell you exactly what it looks like when it wins. Vlad also makes the case that internalized antisemitism is one of the most pressing problems facing the Jews today. Connect with Vlad Khaykin on LinkedIn or Instagram @vkhaykin , and learn about the instrumental work of Simon Wiesenthal Center at https://wiesenthal.org/ Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda 03:45 Vlad's path from Soviet refugee to advocacy leader 07:20 What anti-Zionism actually did to Jewish communities 12:15 How the Soviets weaponized antisemitism 18:30 Antisemitism as an explanatory model, not a prejudice 24:10 There is no panacea for antisemitism 31:00 The Zionism terminology wars 36:45 Internalized antisemitism and the doll test parallel 44:20 The cost vs. value of being Jewish 49:30 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

    51 min
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4.9
out of 5
68 Ratings

About

Welcome to People Jew Wanna Know, a podcast sharing stories of remarkable Jewish people! Hosted by Margarita Lyadova, each episode features conversations with interesting Jewish guests of today and historical figures who’ve shaped Jewish culture and identity. Together, we seek answers to today's essential questions facing the Jewish people. New episodes every Wednesday. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @peoplejewwannaknow for extras, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Support our work here: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

Information

  • Creator
    People Jew Wanna Know
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    141
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 828057
  • Show Website
    People Jew Wanna Know

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