Jonny Gould's Jewish State

Find more of Jonny's podcasts and articles on his Substack. Our Young Podcaster of the Year series is presented in partnership with Dangoor Education. This is now the fourth year of the competition, and each year I’m reminded of one of the most valuable resources we have – the next generation. I visit schools to meet young people with curiosity, enthusiasm, and a willingness to ask the questions that adults sometimes are inhibited to ask. Just as importantly, they’re supported by parents and teachers who encourage them to explore the world around them. This episode features our latest winners, two outstanding Year 6 pupils from Independent Jewish Day School in Hendon, north London: 10-year-old Talya Sacks-Goldstein and 11-year-old Amalie White. Talya and Amalie impressed me with their intelligence, confidence, and thoughtful approach to interviewing. As winners, they earned the opportunity to co-host an episode with me – and they certainly made the most of it. Together, they secured time with an exceptional guest: Ambassador Daniel Taub. Born in London, Daniel is an Israeli diplomat, international lawyer, author, and accomplished public speaker. He served as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2015, helping to strengthen diplomatic, technological, and trade relations between the two countries. He has also played significant roles in international legal affairs and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Educated at Oxford and Harvard, Daniel has written extensively on diplomacy, Jewish thought, and the art of constructive disagreement. Few people are better placed to offer insights into international relations and the challenges facing today’s world. The Young Podcaster of the Year programme, supported by Dangoor Education, aims to encourage young people to think seriously about journalism, to show that thoughtful reporting and careful research still matter. Have a word with your headteacher and put them in touch with us if you want to take part next year. This Talya Sacks-Goldstein and Amalie White as with Ambassador Daniel Taub. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Help support Jonny's independent journalism by supporting him on Substack. The BBC's top brass have lost their jobs over the institutionalised bias of their news coverage. But their news output which made them so famous and trusted around the world has let the rest of the corporation down for a very long time. Director-General Tim Davie and CEO of News, Deborah Turness resigned over a series of scandals exposed by a memo written by Michael Prescott and leaked to the Daily Telegraph. As a supporter of Israel, you'll have known for a long, long time how their news produced hostile output about the Jewish State - and today we meet a man who has dedicated his career to listening, watching and reading BBC Arabic's astonishingly antisemitic output. He's CAMERA's Senior Arabic Researcher and he goes by an alias, "David Grom". CAMERA is The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis. I have bleeped out his real name both for his own protection and for the sad reality that we live in an incessant time of cancellation. "David" talks about his editorial achievements, what he's found, particularly since October 7th and how "artwashing" is a growing part of anti-Israel sentiment in the growing arena of the podcast. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is supported by you, Dangoor Education and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find my writing and podcasts on Substack. The anger we feel as British Jews has reached a head as we mourn the two congregants from Heaton Park, who were killed on Yom Kippur inside the synagogue. This episode also includes the regrettable appearance of David Lammy, the deputy prime minister in front of a furious community in north Manchester. Jonny Gould's Jewish State is proudly supported by Dangoor Education, the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust and UK Toremet, promoting philanthropy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe to Jonny's writing and podcasts on his Substack As Jews prepared for Rosh Hashanah around the world, the leaders of the UK, Canada and Australia declared for Palestine. Rounding up the reaction from London and Jerusalem on a day millions feared would come, here's a bonus episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sign up to Jonny's substack. The Labour government has a super majority in Britain’s House of Commons, the sixth biggest of all time, similar to Tony Blair’s in 1997 - but that makes it prone to backbench rebellion. Even within its first year of government. As we’ve seen. And as Sir Keir Starmer failed to win support to get his original welfare bill over the line, with big U turns on an inquiry into grooming gangs and winter fuel payments to the elderly, there’s also that queasy feeling when it comes to his government and Israel. When Bob Vylan’s murderous chanting live on stage at Glastonbury was transmitted on the BBC, Wes Streeting’s shock reaction was that Israel’s embassy should get its house in order. And now the Prime Minister has declared that Britain will recognise a Palestinian State unless Israel ceases its war on terror in Gaza. That Starmer is trying to use recognition as a blackmail tool is not just monstrous - but from a parallel world to reality. Hamas are delighted, they describe it as the fruits of their October 7th pogrom, no less. So the PM's actions only serve to prolong the war, for generations, using Israel as a geopolitical football, just to head off a backbench rebellion and appease leading cabinet members who’d usurp him as leader if given the chance. How do you feel about Labour? Did you vote for them? Here are two Labour MPs who hold strong views which go against the prevailing winds. I met Sharon Hodgson and Joani Reid at The Actions Matter Summit held in Vienna in December 2024, working for ELNET UK, the European Leadership Network. Their European arm organised it in partnership with the Combat Antisemitism Movement. These interviews were recorded in the fraught weeks before British Israeli hostage Emily Damari was released from Gazan hell, a desperate crisis which really struck a deep chord with Sharon. And Joani is the ultimate conviction politician. Her consituency in East Kilbride has no Jewish community and she has no Jewish family. She's a former councillor in Lewisham, so why is she so vocal in support of Jewish people? Jonny Gould's Jewish State is supported by Dangoor Education and UK Toremet. Sign up to ⁠Jonny's substack⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find all of Jonny's podcasts, recorded since 2018 and his writing by following his Substack. You can help support him with a coffee here! It's the third year of Jonny Gould's Jewish State Schools Podcaster of the Year, presented with Dangoor Education. Our winner from Year 6 is 10-year-old Meira Masher from Independent Jewish Day School in Hendon, London and she secured time for us with an international cricketer with an extraordinary story. Mandy Yachad wore tzitzit at the crease while batting for South Africa. They’re on display at Lords, the Home of Cricket, in a permanent exhibition. Of course he played at Lord’s - wearing them! And Mandy was no ordinary player. He was an opening batsman who scored 14 centuries and 32 fifties in his 16-year first class career, spanning 109 matches - mostly during the apartheid era. With much of his career falling during the international sporting boycott of South Africa in the 1980s and early 1990s, Mandy was denied the opportunity during the prime of his career. Mandy was named among the South African Cricket Annual five Players of the Year both in 1985 and 1991. He also played 21 times for his country at hockey too. He eventually quit because he became religious and found it too difficult to observe shabbat. Now at 64 with a lifetime of special memories, how does he reflect on his career? What's South Africa like these days and what was it like to grow up in an apartheid state? This is Mandy Yachad in conversation with our winner, Meira Masher. Find all of Jonny's podcasts, recorded since 2018 and his writing by following his ⁠Substack.⁠ You can help⁠ support him with a coffee⁠ here! Jonny Gould's Jewish State is proudly supported by the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices