The Schmooze

Don and Jared
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The Schmooze brings together the voices, programs, and stories shaping Jewish life in Calgary. Hosted by Don Schapira and Jared Shore, each episode features a community calendar, interviews with leaders and students, and highlights from across the city. This is your space to stay informed, engaged, and connected.

  1. Episode 30: Schmooze with Dave Gordon on Journalism, Media Bias & Truth

    1d ago

    Episode 30: Schmooze with Dave Gordon on Journalism, Media Bias & Truth

    Can journalism still be trusted? Award-winning journalist and National Post contributor Dave Gordon joins The Schmooze for a candid conversation about how the media landscape has changed over the past 25 years...and what that means for all of us. Drawing on decades inside Canadian and international newsrooms, Dave shares firsthand stories about editorial decisions, newsroom culture, media bias, and the growing tension between reporting facts and advancing narratives. In this episode we discuss: • How journalism has evolved over the past two decades• The rise of activist journalism• The collapse of public trust in traditional media• The influence of social media and AI on reporting• The CBC, The New York Times, and journalistic standards• Honest Reporting and media accountability• The United Nations and international narratives surrounding Israel• Why critical thinking is more important than ever• Dave's remarkable career interviewing everyone from Dan Aykroyd and Kenny Rogers to world leaders and policymakers Whether you're interested in journalism, media, politics, Israel, or simply understanding how public narratives are shaped, this conversation offers valuable insight into one of the defining issues of our time.

    1h 11m
  2. Episode 29: Schmooze with Nick Matau on Persuasion, Narrative & the Information War

    Jun 22

    Episode 29: Schmooze with Nick Matau on Persuasion, Narrative & the Information War

    🎙️ NICK MATAU ON THE SCHMOOZE Facts matter. But as Nick Matau explains in this episode, facts alone are not enough. Known to many online as "Nicholas the Zionist," Nick has become one of the most recognizable pro-Israel voices on social media. Through debates, livestreams, and relentless research, he has built a reputation for challenging misinformation, dismantling bad arguments, and helping people understand one of the world's most misunderstood conflicts. In this wide-ranging conversation, Don Schapira and Jared Shore sit down with Nick to discuss: ▪️ How a former U.S. Navy submariner became one of the most influential pro-Israel voices online ▪️ Why he didn't fully understand the depth of antisemitism until people assumed he was Jewish ▪️ The books, sources, and historical research that shaped his views ▪️ Why he reads both Zionist and anti-Zionist authors ▪️ The origins of the Nakba narrative and how competing historical claims are formed ▪️ Why facts alone do not win debates ▪️ The critical difference between facts, narrative, and persuasion ▪️ How to effectively challenge misinformation and propaganda ▪️ Why so many people lose arguments they should be winning ▪️ The role of rhetoric, humor, and debate strategy ▪️ Noahidism, Jewish learning, and Nick's spiritual journey ▪️ Why antisemitism is not only a Jewish problem, but a broader societal problem ▪️ What gives him hope for the future This is one of the most fascinating conversations we've had on The Schmooze and offers practical lessons for anyone trying to navigate difficult conversations in today's information environment. And yes... 🐐 The goat makes an appearance. If you know, you know. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📚 BOOKS & AUTHORS DISCUSSED The Arab-Israeli Wars — Chaim Herzog The Meaning of the Disaster (Nakba) — Constantin Zureiq Benny Morris Ephraim Karsh Alan Dershowitz Ilan Pappé Rashid Khalidi Eye of the Storm: Fifty Years of Conflict Over Israel and the Middle East — John K. Cooley The Stone Edition Torah The Tanakh (JPS Edition) The Talmud The Quran ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ FOLLOW NICK MATAU X / Twitter:https://x.com/nick_matau YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@NickMatau TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@nick_matau Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nick_matau ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ PEOPLE & RESOURCES MENTIONED Konstantin Kisin Jonathan Conricus Douglas Murray Haviv Rettig Gur Jesse Brown Warren Kinsella Yad Vashem Chabad The Seven Noahide Laws Hebron The Hebron Massacre (1929) Yasser Arafat UNRWA ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ FOLLOW THE SCHMOOZE Website:https://www.schmoozeyyc.ca YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@SchmoozeYYC Substack:https://theschmoozepodcast.substack.com Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/schmoozeyyc Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/schmoozeyyc X:https://x.com/SchmoozeYYC ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ABOUT THE SCHMOOZE The Schmooze is Calgary's Jewish Community Podcast. Hosted by Don Schapira and Jared Shore, The Schmooze features conversations with community leaders, policymakers, journalists, authors, creators, advocates, and allies exploring the issues shaping Jewish life in Canada, Israel, and around the world. Subscribe for thoughtful conversations, diverse perspectives, and meaningful discussions that go beyond the headlines. #NickMatau #NicholasTheZionist #Israel #Antisemitism #Podcast #Noahidism #JewishCommunity #Debate #TheSchmooze #Calgary

    1h 27m
  3. Episode 28: Schmooze with Gustavo Zentner and Dr. Brian Schwartz | When Museums Take Sides: The CMHR Nakba Controversy

    Jun 15

    Episode 28: Schmooze with Gustavo Zentner and Dr. Brian Schwartz | When Museums Take Sides: The CMHR Nakba Controversy

    The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was founded to educate, challenge, and inspire Canadians through the lens of human rights. But with the upcoming opening of Palestine Uprooted: Nakba Past and Present, critics are raising serious questions about whether the museum is presenting a balanced account of one of the most contested chapters in modern history. In this episode, Don and Jared are joined by Gustavo Zentner, Vice President of CIJA for Manitoba & Saskatchewan, and Dr. Brian Schwartz, Professor and Asper Chair Emeritus of International Business and Trade Law. Together they discuss: • The controversy surrounding the CMHR's Nakba exhibit• Concerns about transparency and consultation• The historical origins of the Nakba narrative• Competing interpretations of the events of 1948• The role of public institutions in presenting contested history• Why trust in national institutions matters Whether you agree or disagree with the concerns raised, this conversation explores an important question: What responsibility do public institutions have when presenting complex and contested histories? 📖 Dr. Brian Schwartz's Report The Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Its Nakba Exhibit 📰 National Post Human Rights Museum Treating Jewish Concerns as an Afterthought 📢 Learn More Don't Erase Jewish Voices 🎙️ The Schmooze PodcastHosted by Don Schapira & Jared Shore 🌐 schmoozeyyc.ca Further Reading & Resources

    1h 21m
  4. Episode 27: Schmooze with Warren Kinsella on The Hidden Hand, Propaganda, and The Campaign

    Jun 8

    Episode 27: Schmooze with Warren Kinsella on The Hidden Hand, Propaganda, and The Campaign

    What happens when information warfare becomes invisible? In this special episode of The Schmooze, we sit down with author, strategist, lawyer, and artist Warren Kinsella to discuss his new book, The Hidden Hand. We explore: ✅ Information warfare and influence operations ✅ Antisemitic propaganda in the digital age ✅ How narratives are manufactured and amplified ✅ The role of media and social media in shaping public opinion ✅ Why some movements appear grassroots when they may not be ✅ The challenges facing Jewish communities after October 7 One of the most memorable moments of the conversation came when Warren made the observation: "There's no f***ing way this is organic." Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation will challenge the way you think about activism, influence, and the battle for public opinion. Thank you to Beth Tzedec Congregation, the Calgary Jewish Federation, and everyone who attended our first-ever Schmooze Live event.

    1h 2m
  5. The Schmooze Between… | Don & Jared on The Word Mark Carney Wouldn't Say | Strong Words, No Accountability

    Jun 2

    The Schmooze Between… | Don & Jared on The Word Mark Carney Wouldn't Say | Strong Words, No Accountability

    Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered a major speech on antisemitism, acknowledging what many Jewish Canadians have been saying for months: Canada is facing a serious and growing antisemitism crisis. Jewish schools have been shot at. Synagogues have been firebombed. Jewish students increasingly feel unwelcome on Canadian campuses. Holocaust memorials have been vandalized. On those facts, there is little disagreement. But did the Prime Minister identify what is driving the problem? In this emergency Schmooze Between, Don Schapira and Jared Freedman break down Carney's speech, the new advisory council on antisemitism, and the growing concern that Canada's political leadership continues to focus on the symptoms while avoiding a difficult conversation about the underlying causes. Topics discussed: • Carney's speech at Holy Blossom Temple • Canada's growing antisemitism crisis • The new federal advisory council • The role of political leadership and accountability • Anti-Zionism, Antizionism, and public discourse • Why many Jewish Canadians remain frustrated despite the speech We also discuss Don's latest Substack article: 📖 The Word Mark Carney Wouldn't Say If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about Jewish life, Israel, Canadian politics, antisemitism, media, and current events, please like, subscribe, and share. 🎙️ The Schmooze with Don & Jared

    23 min
  6. Episode 26: Schmooze with Cecil Horwitz, Executive Director of Camp BB Riback

    Jun 1

    Episode 26: Schmooze with Cecil Horwitz, Executive Director of Camp BB Riback

    What makes Camp BB-Riback so special that former campers still talk about it decades later? On this episode of The Schmooze, Don and Jared sit down with new Camp BB-Riback Executive Director Cecil Horwitz to discuss the camp that helped shape generations of Jewish Albertans. From campfire friendships and Maccabiah memories to leadership development, resilience, Jewish identity, and life without screens, Cecil explains why camp remains one of the most important experiences a young person can have. The conversation also explores Camp BB's remarkable role in Alberta Jewish history, including the famous encounter between Jewish campers and students influenced by Holocaust denier Jim Keegstra, a story that ultimately became one of friendship and understanding. Whether you're a camp alum, a parent considering camp for your child, or simply someone interested in how communities build strong future leaders, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

    59 min
  7. Episode 25: Schmooze with The Last Yiddish Speaker Producers - Zelda Dean, Laura Schuler & Tracy Smith

    May 25

    Episode 25: Schmooze with The Last Yiddish Speaker Producers - Zelda Dean, Laura Schuler & Tracy Smith

    What happens when Jewish theatre returns to Calgary after nearly 40 years? In this episode of The Schmooze, Don and Jared sit down with Zelda Dean, Laura Schuler, and Tracy Smith from Chai Life Productions to discuss The Last Yiddish Speaker, the award-winning new production now running in Calgary. But this conversation became about far more than theatre. Together, they explore the disappearance and reemergence of Jewish community theatre in Calgary, the legacy of the Beth Israel Players, mentorship, storytelling, identity, and the role live performance plays in preserving culture and building community. They also discuss why The Last Yiddish Speaker feels especially timely in the post-October 7 world, how modern antisemitism has changed, and why art still has the power to move people in ways social media never can. This was one of the most thoughtful and emotionally resonant Schmoozes we’ve recorded. 🎭 Featuring:Zelda DeanLaura SchulerTracy Smith Presented by High Life Productions. 📍 The Last Yiddish Speaker runs through June 7 in Calgary. 🎟️ Tickets:ChaiLifeYYC.ca

    1h 2m
  8. The Schmooze Between… | Don & Jared on Ben-Gvir, Massie, and a Difficult News Cycle

    May 21

    The Schmooze Between… | Don & Jared on Ben-Gvir, Massie, and a Difficult News Cycle

    There are weeks where the news cycle feels impossible to process. In this special edition of The Schmooze Between…, Don and Jared step away from the regular interview format to unpack a difficult week of headlines, politics, extremism, media narratives, and public reactions. The conversation covers:• Ben-Gvir and the flotilla controversy• Thomas Massie, AIPAC, and political polarization• Media framing and the Kristof debate• The San Diego mosque shooting• Radicalization, extremism, and the widening Overton window• Celebrity activism and navigating culture as Jews in 2026 This episode is less about “winning arguments” and more about processing the emotional and political weight of the moment together. 🎙️ Also join us LIVE on June 7 at Beth Tzedec in Calgary with special guest Warren Kinsella, author of The Hidden Hand. Subscribe to The Schmooze on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Check out Ben Shapiro's Take on Massie: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4IIeeargVVMCpCdotfsuq9?si=48c240c8ddd04137#TheSchmooze #Israel #Antisemitism #Politics #Podcast

    47 min
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About

The Schmooze brings together the voices, programs, and stories shaping Jewish life in Calgary. Hosted by Don Schapira and Jared Shore, each episode features a community calendar, interviews with leaders and students, and highlights from across the city. This is your space to stay informed, engaged, and connected.

Information

  • Creator
    Don and Jared
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Don and Jared
  • Show Website
    The Schmooze

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