The One Way Ticket Show

Steven Shalowitz
  • 4.9 (175)
  • Places & Travel

Steven Shalowitz interviews celebrities and influencers on where they'd go if given a one way ticket - no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind. Some of his guests have included: Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; CNN's Richard Quest and Bill Weir; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca of CBS Sunday Morning & The Cooking Channel's "My Grandmother's Ravioli"; Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr.; Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Jose Ramos-Horta; Photographers Ben Lowy, Javier Gomez, Melanie Dunea, Wyatt Gallery, Sculptor Boaz Vaadia, Business Gurus Lester Underman and Philip Kotler, and more . . .

  1. 23h ago

    Qatar & Turkey: America's Allies or "Frenemies" with FDD's Jonathan Schanzer

    Are Qatar and Turkey America's allies or "frenemies"? Dr. Jonathan Schanzer joins Steven Shalowitz on The One Way Ticket Show to examine these two countries' relationships with Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and what he argues Washington gets wrong about their partnerships. In this candid conversation, Schanzer explores: • Qatar's role as both a U.S. partner and a patron of Islamist movements • Qatari money and influence in American universities and education • Turkey's ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood—and the implications for NATO • The challenges of sanctioning the Muslim Brotherhood's different branches • What greater accountability could look like in U.S. foreign policy. Schanzer also highlights overlooked flashpoints in the Horn of Africa, explaining why tensions involving Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia concern him—and why preventing conflict from spreading deserves greater attention. He also points to Houthi threats to the nearby Bab el-Mandab, a critical maritime chokepoint at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The conversation begins with Schanzer's one-way ticket destination: New York City circa 1961, to hear the jazz greats in their prime. Dr. Jonathan Schanzer is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he oversees the organization's experts and scholars. A former U.S. Treasury terrorism finance analyst who tracked and helped freeze funding for Hamas and al-Qaeda, he brings decades of experience researching the Middle East and U.S. national security. He hosts the FDD Morning Brief podcast and is the author of four books, including Gaza Conflict 2021: Hamas, Israel and Eleven Days of War.

  2. Sep 3

    The Tyranny of False Choices with Rey Ramsey

    One teacher saw what others had missed—and changed the course of Rey Ramsey's life. After being mocked in the classroom and labeled "Oblivious," Rey stopped raising his hand for three years. Then came along his sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Peiffer, who told him something no one else had: He was one of the smartest students in the school. That moment restored his confidence and helped ignite an extraordinary journey to becoming a CEO, social-impact leader, and author. In this powerful conversation with host Steven Shalowitz, Rey reveals how limiting expectations, false narratives, social pressure, and internal doubt can shape our choices without us realizing it. He shares practical insights from his new book, "The Tyranny of False Choices: A Guide to Authentic Decision-Making," on critical thinking, leadership, resilience, and reclaiming agency in a deeply divided world. The conversation also explores why algorithms reinforce our existing beliefs, how to disagree without dehumanizing one another, what humility, courage, and perseverance teach us about leadership, why Rey would take his one-way ticket to meet Socrates—and how one person's belief in us can transform an entire life. Now, let's raise the question: "What teacher, mentor, or unexpected person changed the direction of your life?" Do share your story. ABOUT THE GUEST Rey Ramsey is a social justice entrepreneur and boundary-crossing leader with more than three decades of experience spanning the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. He is President and CEO of the Nathan Cummings Foundation and Founder and CEO of Centri Capital. His distinguished career includes serving as Oregon's Director of Housing and Community Services, Chairman of Habitat for Humanity International, and founding CEO and Chairman of One Economy Corporation, a nonprofit provider of internet services to low-income homes. Additionally, Rey served as President and CEO of TechNet, a bipartisan network of tech executives representing two million employees and $800 billion in revenues. He has served as Chairman of the NAACP Futures Commission, and now serves as a director on numerous boards, including Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainability, MMGL Real Estate, and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Rey is also the author of Tyranny of False Choices: A Guide to Authentic Decision-Making, published by Forbes Books on March 17, 2026. ABOUT THE NATHAN CUMMINGS FOUNDATIOIN Nathan Cummings Foundation (NCF) is a multigenerational family foundation honoring the Jewish tradition of social justice. NCF is working to shift power structures to co-create a more just, vibrant, sustainable, and democratic society. We support movements, change makers, and social entrepreneurs who are crafting solutions that advance racial, economic, and environmental justice.

  3. Jul 14

    America's Pandemic School Closures - Natalya Murakhver on Teachers' Unions, Weingarten & Fonda

    Natalya Murakhver is a documentary filmmaker, writer, and co-founder of Restore Childhood, a nonprofit focused on children's education, health, and parental rights advocacy. She directs and produces documentary films through Restore Childhood and as a fellow at Palladium Pictures. She also writes for the New York Post and her Substack. Born in the Soviet Union and raised in America from age six, Natalya came to filmmaking the way many of the best stories begin, from lived urgency. When New York City schools closed during the pandemic, she co-founded #KeepNYCSchoolsOpen and filed a lawsuit against Mayor de Blasio to reopen them. That fight became 15 DAYS: The Real Story of America's Pandemic School Closures — a forensic documentary investigation into how and why America's children were locked out of their schools, and what it cost them. Natalya was inspired to make the film in the tradition of Steven Spielberg's Shoah project, with the conviction that bearing witness to institutional failure is a moral obligation, not just a creative one. Her current mission is to getting 15 DAYS seen by every parent in America, and inoculating families with the truth so they can push back against indoctrination and reclaim their children's futures. On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, we begin our conversation with Natalya's one way ticket back to 1980s Brooklyn, the world she was raised in after emigrating with her parents from Odessa. From there, Natalya dives into the documentary. She reveals the leaked March 2020 Zoom call where Teachers' Union President Randi Weingarten met with activist groups and Jane Fonda and declared how the pandemic will "fundamentally change our lives," (at a moment when we were told we needed two weeks to stop the spread). Natalya also highlights the moment Fonda was separately caught on camera saying COVID was "G-d's gift to the left." Further, Natalya breaks down the power of the teachers unions, the $189.5 billion they negotiated to reopen schools, why her lawsuit against Bill de Blasio mattered and more. Natalya's latest film is: "Uncancellable", the story of former New York City Public Defender and mother of four, Maud Maron's fight to unseat Alvin Bragg in 2025 for the position of Manhattan District Attorney. LINKS Restore Childhood / Natalya Murakhver •       Substack: https://restorechildhood.substack.com •       X: https://x.com/Rstorechildhood •       Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorechildhood/ •       Facebook (Restore Childhood): https://www.facebook.com/groups/restorechildhood •       Facebook (Natalya Murakhver): https://www.facebook.com/NatalyaMurakhver •       YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/restorechildhood 15 DAYS Film •       Website: https://www.15daysfilm.com/ •       Linktree: https://linktr.ee/15DAYS Film Trailer •       YouTube Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/restorechildhood (trailer is pinned) Websites •       https://restorechildhood.com •       https://15daysfilm.com Streaming — Where to Watch •       Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0GMK76XVL/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r •       Apple TV: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/15-days-the-real-story-of-americas-pandemic-school-closures/umc.cmc.1s4x1ypd6ku4p1rk9c200pw6p •       Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/15_DAYS?id=ukW8z3RV5Vw.P •       Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vefG1koZ4P4  UNCANCELLABLE   https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/06/11/uncancellable.html

  4. Jun 16

    From Hezbollah Fan to Arab Zionist: Rawan Osman's Journey & The New Middle East

    Rawan Osman is a Syrian-Lebanese activist, writer, and content creator based in Germany. She's a research and diplomacy fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, and she describes herself as a recovered antisemite and an Arab Zionist. On this episode of The One Way Ticket Show, Rawan highlights growing up in Lebanon and how she was taught to hate Israel and Jews, the panic attack she had the first time she met Jewish people (while in her mid '20s), how a shopkeeper's one small act of kindness changed the course of her life, going back to university to study Islam and Judaism, taking a DNA test that revealed her Jewish ancestry, her journey converting to Judaism and planning to make Aliyah, her unfiltered take on October 7th, Hezbollah's collapse, the Abraham Accords, the future of Lebanon and more. As for Rawan's one way ticket destination of choice? It's to 50 years into the future to see what the world will look like then. Follow Rawan Osman:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rawanosman2024/ X: https://x.com/RawaneOsmane Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/osman.rawan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rawan-osman-8b453745/

  5. May 7

    Fighting Jew-Hatred with Melanie Phillips

    Melanie Phillips—renowned British broadcaster, journalist, author of Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege, and one of the most fearless voices defending Israel and Western civilization today—joins Steven Shalowitz on The One Way Ticket Show for a gripping conversation on antisemitism, Jewish identity, and the survival of the West. In this episode, Melanie starts out by sharing where she would go if given a one-way ticket, no coming back: 12th-century Jerusalem to meet the great poet and philosopher Judah Halevi.  Beyond her fascinating destination, Steven and Melanie dive into a profound and urgent conversation about her latest book, Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege. Melanie offers practical, actionable advice on how to push back against antisemitism by opening minds rather than playing defense. They also discuss the historical realities of the Middle East, the troubling rise of anti-Western sentiment, the complexities of separating art from the artist, and her surprising predictions for the future of the British Monarchy.  Whether you are looking for historical clarity, practical advice on navigating Jew-hatred, or simply a captivating conversation about identity and purpose, this episode is not to be missed. [About Melanie Phillips] Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster and author who has championed traditional values in the culture war for more than three decades. She writes a weekly column for The Times of London and the Jewish News Syndicate, broadcasts on radio and TV, and gives public presentations across the English-speaking world.  Apart from her latest book, her work The Builder's Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It was published in 2025 by Wicked Son. 📚 Pick up Melanie Phillips' latest books from Wicked Son: • Fighting the Hate: A Handbook for Jews Under Siege (2026) — A practical guide offering detailed advice on how to cope with and push back against the intense pressures of modern antisemitism. • The Builder's Stone: How Jews and Christians Built the West and Why Only They Can Save It (2025) — An exploration of the foundational values of Western civilization and the current cultural forces threatening them. [Links & Resources] Read Melanie's weekly columns and subscribe to her Substack: https://melaniephillips.substack.com Visit her official website: https://www.melaniephillips.com Find Melanie on X at @MelanieLatest.

  6. Mar 11

    Modern Day Slavery as Experienced by Simon Deng

    At age 9, Simon Deng was kidnapped from his village in South Sudan, brought to North Sudan and given away as a gift. He was held as a slave for the next three and a half years. His journey including how he obtained freedom is remarkable. In this unforgettable episode of The One Way Ticket Show Simon shares the story of how he survived, how he found freedom, and why he now uses his voice to fight modern slavery, defend religious liberties, and confront global hypocrisy. Simon discusses Iran's role in Sudan, arguing that Iranian-backed weapons and influence helped fuel mass violence in Sudan -- and warning that Iran's reach is often underestimated. The conversation also explores Simon's advocacy, his critique of international institutions, and why he stands with Israel -- drawing parallels between the October 7th massacre and what he witnessed in Sudan. Among his many roles, he's a co-founder and board member of the African Jewish Alliance. As for Simon's one way ticket destination of choice, it isn't a place, but a mission — to search for freedom, speak for victims, and tell anyone trapped in suffering "you are not alone".  LINKS: Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o127iYosbU  Simon Deng on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simon.deng.3990 Simon Deng on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simon.deng.3990/?hl=en African Jewish Alliance: https://africanjewishalliance.org/

  7. Feb 17

    The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict - Yardena Schwartz

    On August 24, 1929, 3000 Muslim men armed with swords, axes and daggers, marched through the ancient Jewish quarter of Hebron (the second holiest city in Judaism), and massacred every Jew they could find. In just a few hours, 67 unarmed Jewish men, women and children were dead. Families were burnt alive. Infants were slaughtered in their mother's arms. Children watched as their parents were butchered by their neighbors. Women and teenage girls were raped. Men were castrated.  This horrific pogrom was incited by a disinformation campaign spearheaded by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini. Years later, he fled Palestine as a wanted man by the British and moved to Berlin where he lived from 1941 – 1945, met with Hitler and other SS officials, and became Head of the Arab Bureau of the Nazi's Ministry of Propaganda. For that, and his other activities, after the war, he was placed on the UN's List of Nazi War Criminals. He fled to Cairo then Beirut where he lived an open life. Haj Amin al-Husseini was never brought to trial. His cousin was Yasser Arafat whom he took on as his protégé. In her important book, Ghosts of a Holy War: The 1929 Massacre in Palestine That Ignited the Arab-Israeli Conflict, award-winning journalist and author, Yardena Schwartz points out that we can't understand the Arab-Israeli conflict today without understanding what happened during that massacre in Hebron, two decades before the establishment of the State of Israel.  Yardena is our latest guest on The One Way Ticket Show where we focus on the book, highlighting a number of inconvenient truths many academics and journalists avoid.  Yardena weaves the thread that runs from 1929 through to the present time, including Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. She points out how the West has difficulty understanding how religion in the Middle East continues to fuel violence.  As for Yardena's one way ticket destination of choice? She selected British Mandate Palestine where she would work as a journalist, bringing stories of the region to the world. This episode fills in many historical gaps and offers insights which may surprise you. I hope you tune in and share. I also hope you add the book to your reading list. Yardena is an award-winning journalist and Emmy-nominated producer who was based in Israel for a decade until 2023. Her reporting from four continents has appeared in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Review of Books, The Economist, TIME, National Geographic, and Foreign Policy. Yardena previously worked at NBC News and MSNBC. Yardena graduated with honors from Columbia Journalism School in 2011, received an Emmy nomination for her work at MSNBC in 2013, and the RNA award for excellence in magazine reporting in 2016. She now lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband and children. For more on Yardena, visit: https://www.yardenaschwartz.com/

  8. Feb 3

    Negotiating with Terrorists - Ory Slonim the "Knocker on the Door"

    On this episode, we welcome Ory Slonim back to the program.  Ory is one of Israel's most distinguished lawyers. This year, 2026, he's marking 40 years since Israeli President Chaim Herzog tasked him with the role as Consultant to the Minister of Defense for Captives and MIAs -- a position he referred to as "The Knocker on Doors". Ory's book about his work is title "A Knock at the Door" and is available wherever you like to buy your books. He was our guest on episode 293 on September 26, 2023 where he shared his one way ticket destination which was: "To a future in a place where all soldiers, POWs & MIAs will be back home and where children in need will be okay". In this conversation, Ory offers: How he came to be the knocker on the door; how he approached negotiating with terrorists; his role in working with the families of hostages held in Gaza after Hamas' October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel; the role "uncertainty" plays in the lives of those held captive and their loved ones; the important life lesson his grandfather taught him about who wins a match between a prize fighter or a boy with a broken bottle; the significance of giving back, and more. For Ory's full bio, click here.

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4.9
out of 5
175 Ratings

About

Steven Shalowitz interviews celebrities and influencers on where they'd go if given a one way ticket - no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind. Some of his guests have included: Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; CNN's Richard Quest and Bill Weir; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca of CBS Sunday Morning & The Cooking Channel's "My Grandmother's Ravioli"; Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr.; Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Jose Ramos-Horta; Photographers Ben Lowy, Javier Gomez, Melanie Dunea, Wyatt Gallery, Sculptor Boaz Vaadia, Business Gurus Lester Underman and Philip Kotler, and more . . .

Information

  • Creator
    Steven Shalowitz
  • Years Active
    2012 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (c) Steven Shalowitz 2012
  • Show Website
    The One Way Ticket Show

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