Hen Mazzig talks And They're Jewish, Antisemitism

Activist and Tel Aviv Institute co-founder Hen Mazzig sat down to discuss And They’re Jewish ahead of its launch on YouTube.

The weekly 20-minute-long episodes of And They’re Jewish will explore the unique stories of prominent Jewish figures across various industries. It’s a way to remind people that Jewish identity is just one facet of a person’s life. Its arrival couldn’t be timelier, not just in humanizing Jewish people but coming at a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are under attack. DEI only works correctly when it includes Jews!

We’re living in a period of growing misinformation and an unfortunate surge of antisemitism. The series exists to bring authentic stories to the forefront and showcasing the Jewish community’s contributions to bot culture and society.

The announced all-star lineup of guests currently include:

Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory, Jeopardy!)
Eyal Booker (Host, influencer, Love Island)
Zoe Buckman (artist)
Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage, The Mentalist, Superman & Lois)
Brett Gelman (Stranger Things, Fleabag), Ari Dayan (singer)
Debra Messing (Will & Grace, The Wedding Date, The Alto Knights)
Yseult Polfliet Mukantabana (Author, screenwriter)
Rachel Simon (NBA executive)
Alexandra Socha (Glinda in the Broadway production of Wicked), Etai Benson (actor)

Episodes of And They’re Jewish will premiere on April 2, 2025, exclusively on Hen Mazzig’s YouTube channel.

It’s so nice to see you for the first time since August. How are you doing?

Hen Mazzig: I’m okay. How are you?

Hanging in there.

Hen Mazzig: I love the shirt.

(Note: It was a Zioness AF shirt that was given away to attendees of the Zioness Action Fund launch party during the Democratic National Convention in August 2024).

Yeah. I had to wear it.

Hen Mazzig: That’s the occasion.

What was the genesis behind And They’re Jewish?

Hen Mazzig: Since October 7, 2023, I think a lot of Jews around the world were feeling like we have to fight for our survival, for our safety, for being included in spaces, and with the rise of antisemitism, which, according to the ADL, has been all-time high in America since they recorded antisemitic incidents, I think that a lot of Jews were feeling like we have to defend our existence every day.

The goal of And They’re Jewish was to change that and to bring something that is not just about the trauma and not just about the pain, which is all around us since the war started in Israel and antisemitism is on the rise, but to bring something that will remind Jewish people that there’s a lot to be proud of and happy about and for the world, and why they fell in love with those Jewish individuals that we’re featuring.

Most Jewish stories in the media today are about the conflict or antisemitism, but this series is about creativity, it’s about passion, and the unexpected Jewish roots behind some of our favorite actors and industries.

There are other podcasts dealing with Jewish identity, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Where does And They’re Jewish fit within this genre of podcasts?

Hen Mazzig: Yeah. For me, it’s like Hot Ones meets Finding Your Roots, but funnier and a bit more Jewish. We got these incredible voices, creatives, and visionaries that for the first time in this context of being Jewish, the conversation is not just about antisemitism and not just about a conflict. It’s about who they are.

I go to do vocal warmups with Alexandra Socha that plays Glinda in Wicked. I get to paint with Zoe Buckman. I get to revisit old Will and Grace episodes with Debra Messing. It’s just very joyful.

It’s not that we’re not talking about antisemitism, but it’s all about Jewish joy and uplifting the Jewish spirit and the Jewish story. I wanted a series that could live on YouTube, but feel like something that you would see in a Netflix show, a very high production value, real intimacy and no fluff.

There have been a number of guests announced already. Are you looking to make this something that’s longer term or are we looking at just a few episodes?

Hen Mazzig: We’re looking to continue with this. We have one season now, but we’re thinking about season two. We’re thinking about creating other stories, other content as part of maybe a studio or a company. We’re not sure, but we still haven’t launched the first episode. But already, the reaction has been incredible from People magazine and Variety. I think there’s real appetite across America for these sort of stories. Other groups have this representation on TV and on the big screen, but I don’t think there’s something that is quite like this that exists right now.

This kind of relates to the show, but what do you feel needs to be done about combatting antisemitism on the left?

Hen Mazzig: I think that while antisemitism on the far right—an example, neo-Nazis—is very easy to identify and we can call them out and we can see the danger. It’s harder to identify someone that is saying that the reason that they are against the Jewish nation is because of their liberal values, which doesn’t align for a lot of us.

That’s why it’s been harder to call this behavior out, especially for folks like myself—I’m progressive, I’m the son of refugees, a queer Jewish person of color. Of course, I’m on the left. I can’t be on the right in my views, in the way I view the world. But it’s been very difficult to call out this sort of hatred that is coming from my political camp because it’s masqueraded as fighting for liberal values or fighting for equality.

I think the way to fight it is not by moving to a different political camp, but just reminding our base of people that support the parties that we are at and the conversation that we are at, that this behavior will not be acceptable to any other group of people, and that Jews are a tiny minority in the U.S. and around the world, other than in Israel. That there are 57 Arab and Muslim countries and 120 Christian-majority countries, and there’s one Jewish country.

If we are so upset about this one Jewish country that we devote all of our time and energy to calling them out, but ignoring far worse human rights violations around the world, we need to ask ourselves why, and why we feel more easy about criticizing the existence of a country, and why it’s the only country that, if you have criticism for its policies, the illegitimate resolution that people suggest today is the eradication of the country.

How did we reach this point? I think that’s something I’m asking my friends on the left, and I find that a lot of them are rethinking where they’re standing.

Yeah. We’ll see what the Gazan protests do to impact what’s going on.

Hen Mazzig: Yeah.

You’ve been an activist for a long time. In fact, that’s how we got to know each other through social media. I remember you following me on Twitter way back in the day.

Hen Mazzig: Yeah.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to stand up for the Jewish community, whether they’re Jews or allies?

Hen Mazzig: I think that today, it’s probably one of the most unpopular causes to support Israel in many areas, in many places, which is sad, but because something is not popular doesn’t make it not right.

I think it’s really the most just cause to support the Jewish people today, which are under assault in many places. To stand up for our community is something that, for the Jewish people, is something that will stay—history will remember, is what I’m saying, the people that have stood up. Supporting the Jewish people has never been popular, but it has always been right.

I hope that people that are stepping up, being outspoken, supporting the Jewish community, and standing up against antisemitism have this reassurance that history will judge those people that aren’t doing that and that they are doing the right thing and that they are on the right side of history.

So yeah, I thank them and I thank anyone that is doing it because of antisemitism and because of how bad it is for many of us. To have even the smallest form of support means the world to many, many Jewish people.

Thank you so much. I know it’s just over two weeks away from when we’re talking but have a Happy Pesach.

Hen Mazzig: Thank you. Happy Pesach. Thank you so much, Danielle. Good to see you.

Likewise. Take care.

Hen Mazzig: Bye.