Best The CJN Podcast Network Podcasts (2025)

1
The CJN Daily's political panel weighs in on the 2025 federal election 34:56

1h ago34:56

34:56

With just a week left in the 2025 federal election, it remains unclear which way Jewish voters will lean. Will they give stock to the parties’ promises on the economy, housing and sovereignty? Or will they be single-issue voters and focus on security within their own community? And how will they decide which party’s stance is more aligned with thei…

1
Rabbi Louis Sachs speaks out about being sued by his former synagogue in Toronto 24:57

4d ago24:57

24:57

Fresh from a hectic Passover weekend of assisting in conducting services at his Beth Sholom Synagogue in Toronto, and also leading a community seder there, Rabbi Louis J. Sachs says he has been trying to ignore the “noise” of the surprise lawsuit brought against him late last month by his previous congregation.Sachs’ former synagogue, Beth Torah co…

1
This Canadian soldier helped liberate Bergen-Belsen—80 years ago today 23:01

6d ago23:01

23:01

Eighty years ago, on April 15, 1945, the notorious Nazi death camp Bergen-Belsen, in Germany, was liberated by Allied troops. To their horror, British artillery crews discovered about 60,000 starving and deathly ill survivors, as well as 10,000 corpses lying, unburied, on the ground. It was a sight and smell that the late Jack Marcovitch never forg…

1
The Fourth Annual Great Canadian Seder 59:40

10d ago59:40

59:40

It's that time of year again, when all of us at Bonjour Chai reach out to noteworthy, interesting, prominent Canadian Jews to share their thoughts, stories and memories of Passover. This is the fourth annual Great Canadian Seder, featuring political musings on national borders, Donald Trump and Israeli hostages; nostalgia for a bygone Canada; and o…

1
Let my elephants go: A new Canadian documentary spotlights animal welfare in zoos 23:59

11d ago23:59

23:59

Just in time for Passover, Fern Levitt has a message of freedom for Canadian audiences—about elephants. On April 11, her new documentary, Lucy: The Stolen Lives of Elephants, will begin streaming nationwide on CBC Gem. The film casts a harsh spotlight on nearly two dozen elephants owned by parks and zoos in Canada, most notably Lucy, of the Edmonto…

1
Olive Branch vs. Sobeys: A kosher food fight erupts in Thornhill 22:59

12d ago22:59

22:59

Sobeys, one of the three biggest grocery store chains in Canada, has vowed to “rectify any issues" after allegations that the manager of its longtime kosher food store in Thornhill, Ont., crossed the line as part of an ongoing feud with the CEO of a rival supermarket.In the first week of April, just ahead of a hectic Passover shopping weekend for C…

1
A message from Rivka 1:01

13d ago1:01

1:01

As this chapter of my podcast journey comes to a close, I want to express my deepest gratitude to The CJN for the incredible opportunity to share these stories and conversations. With their support, I was able to highlight voices in our community that are not often heard. Thank you to my producer Michael Fraiman. Michael took a complete and sometim…

1
Why 72% of police-reported hate crimes in Canada remain unsolved 26:12

14d ago26:12

26:12

Today, on Monday April 7, the human rights advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada is set to release its annual antisemitism audit, tracking what’s likely to be another record level of online hate speech, graffiti, threats, arson and gunshots targeting Canada’s Jewish community. Last year, the group revealed its highest ever tally: 5,791 incidents happen…

1
Conscious Uncoupling 28:24

18d ago28:24

28:24

Quick editorial announcement: after four years of weekly shows this will be the final regular episode of Bonjour Chai. After Passover, this podcast feed will be relaunching as Not in Heaven, a series focusing on the future of Jewish communal life in Canada and beyond. Avi Finegold will remain as host, and he'll be joined by a panel of bright, funny…

1
Baseball's back, so here are the MLB's top Jewish players 34:33

18d ago34:33

34:33

For many Jews, spring means Passover is coming. For the Menschwarmers, it means baseball season has started—and we're here to take a look at the top athletes in the MLB right now, including some of the league's highest-paid stars and young guys being shuffled around like baseball cards. We'll catch up on Alex Bregman, Max Fried, Spencer Horwitz, Bu…

1
Canada has a secret list of suspected Nazis. This historian found the files online 25:23

18d ago25:23

25:23

For decades, the Canadian government has held more than a million pages of war-criminal investigation files secret, citing privacy laws and international agreements with foreign countries. Many Canadian organizations, including Jewish ones, have lobbied—unsuccessfully—for the government to release the names, which include many suspected Nazis. It t…

1
Jewish Canadians in Israel could impact election results back home 19:06

19d ago19:06

19:06

When Elliot Gluck recently tried to figure out how to vote in the upcoming Canadian election from abroad in Israel, he was left scratching his head. The 23-year-old Vancouver native, currently interning at a green tech company in Tel Aviv, knew there had to be a better way to help his fellow Canadians exercise their democratic rights. So the politi…

1
How Canadian Jewish business leaders are bracing for Donald Trump’s trade war 27:20

21d ago27:20

27:20

Canadians have been bracing for a trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump for months—and this week, it might actually kick into high gear. Washington has already imposed 25-percent tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, and is expected to add auto parts to the list as early as April 3. These acts are having devastating effects on Canada’s econo…

1
This Holocaust survivor rediscovered her Jewish roots decades later—thanks to a Canadian genealogist 21:53

25d ago21:53

21:53

In 1942, while Nazis were forcing the Jews of Krosno, Poland to move into the local ghetto, they missed at least one: an eight-month-old Jewish infant, left in a ditch by her frantic mother, wrapped only in a blanket, with just a birthdate and false first name pinned to the wool. A passing Polish couple found the child, brought her home and raised …

1
We asked Pierre Poilievre about federal funding for UNRWA. Here’s what he said 15:50

26d ago15:50

15:50

Just 24 hours into Canada’s federal election campaign, The CJN has put Jewish issues on the agenda.On Monday morning of Mar. 24, in a hotel near the Toronto airport, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre met with about 40 journalists from significant diaspora communities as part of a media roundtable reserved for “ethnic” news outlets—one of the fir…

1
Jewish artists have been ostracized since Oct. 7. Will it lead to a renaissance of Jewish art? 43:34

28d ago43:34

43:34

Earlier this month, 18 Canadian theatre companies—including the world's largest queer theatre company, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, based in Toronto—joined a cultural and academic boycott of Israel, in solidarity with Gaza. It was just the latest evolution in a trend that has been particularly noteworthy since Oct. 7, 2023, when the North American…

1
We watched Al-Quds Day in Toronto. Here’s what we heard 26:17

28d ago26:17

26:17

About 2,000 anti-Israel protesters turned up in downtown Toronto on March 23 for the annual Al-Quds Day march in support of a free Palestine.Ahead of the event, calls to ban these events in cities across Canada were especially loud this year. The rallies—which happen globally—have seen protesters dressed up as suicide bombers, explicit calls for th…

1
Hasid or Hipster? 36:02

1M ago36:02

36:02

For years, Heeb was the Jewish hipster's answer to _Vice—_an early 2000s-era counter-cultural protest in print form, dripping with satirical comedy and anti-establishment sentiment. Sometimes, the editorial team would push the envelop too far—the magazine was famously criticized for publishing photos of Roseanne Barr dressed as Adolf Hitler, holdin…

1
Why was a Toronto suspect released on bail after being charged with terrorism-related hate crimes against Jews? 23:54

1M ago23:54

23:54

On Monday March 17, Toronto Police Services announced that they arrested and laid 29 charges against a suspect allegedly behind a spree of hate-motivated attacks on Toronto’s Jewish community in 2024—and then, revealed a judge had released him on bail.Amir Arvahi Azar, 32, was arrested on Jan. 11, 2025, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto. H…

1
3 of the 4 top NCAA basketball teams are coached by Jews. Here's our theory why 32:59

1M ago32:59

32:59

Some might call Purim "March Madness", but in the sports world, that title is reserved for the NCAA men's Division I basketball tournament, when some of the world's brightest young stars prove their worth, with many holding NBA aspirations. And this year, in an unusual twist, three of the four number-one seeds are coached by Jews. There's Bruce Pea…

1
Remembering a global genealogist, a Romanian survivor, B'nai Brith's CEO and more community builders recently lost 27:08

1M ago27:08

27:08

On the second Honourable Menschen of 2025, we pay tribute to five Canadians from four provinces who left a mark on our community and who passed away in recent months.Dianne Kipnes, an Edmonton clinical psychologist and philanthropist who, together with her husband Irving fought to find and fund better treatment for people with cancer-related condit…

1
Israel urges 60,000 evacuated residents to move back to the battered north: some fear it's still not safe 31:13

1M ago31:13

31:13

Last week, a senior Israeli official told the media that the country’s goal is to establish full diplomatic relations with Lebanon soon, a move that follows a November ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that has kept Northern Israel relatively safe in recent months. In that light, the Israeli government has been urging displaced Israeli familie…

1
Is Trump the New Achashverosh? 40:29

1M ago40:29

40:29

On March 13, nearly 100 protesters were arrested for storming Trump Tower in New York City. Their cause? Not government cuts, Medicaid, migrant rights or the cost of living. They were protesting in the name of Mahmoud Khalil, a 30-year-old pro-Palestinian student who became a lead organizer of the campus protests at Columbia University last spring.…

1
The Onion, but make it Jewish: Meet the Canadian brothers behind a new pro-Israel comedy news site 25:33

1M ago25:33

25:33

Some people might argue there’s nothing funny about what’s happening in the Middle East. But try telling that to Eric and Ryan Turkienicz, the Toronto-based brothers who created the Jewish parody news website The Daily Brine after Oct. 7. Some sample headlines: “Hamas’ Work-From-Tunnel Policy Absolutely Ruining Office Culture.”“US Proposes Letting …

1
This pro bono legal team has helped over 550 Canadian victims of antisemitism since Oct. 7 23:58

1M ago23:58

23:58

A pro-Israel student is suing Toronto Metropolitan University for $1.3 million, arguing the school allowed violations of campus policies that created a toxic atmosphere for Jews—and even cost her a job. Eslewhere, Jewish members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada—whose dues get donated to Palestinian causes like the United Nations Relief & Wo…

1
Key Passover imports will be exempt from tariff war with U.S., Ottawa confirms 23:41

1M ago23:41

23:41

Canada is exempting key imported Passover foods from the current diplomatic trade war with the United States. The ministry of finance sent The CJN a list of kosher-for-Passover products imported from the U.S., which are going to be allowed into Canada without being hit by the extra 25-percent retaliatory import tariffs that Ottawa began imposing on…

1
Twin Peaks 39:51

2M ago39:51

39:51

Two antisemitism summits occurred this week: one hosted by the Anti-Defamation League in the United States, and the other by the federal government in Ottawa. And while, in both countries, there is an understanding that these sorts of summits and conferences rarely lead to change—is the alternative any better? As the world backslides into populist-…

1
Stephen Bronfman starts new global Jewish climate fund to counter Trump's cuts to environmental protection 23:17

2M ago23:17

23:17

While tariffs on steel and energy in the Canada-U.S trade war are currently dominating the news headlines, Montrealer Stephen Bronfman has been paying very close attention to a different sector now under the microscope: the environment. Bronfman, a longtime "green" campaigner, runs his family's private investment firms and supports the Birthright o…

1
Was Canadian professor Hassan Diab innocent or a scapegoat for France shul bombing? 23:56

2M ago23:56

23:56

For the last two months, listeners around the world have been hearing a deeply reported true-crime podcast investigation – the first of its kind – into the notorious Canadian case of a mild-mannered Ottawa sociology professor, Hassan Diab, who France recently convicted of being the terrorist who blew up Paris’ historic Copernic Street synagogue in …

1
What to expect from this week's Antisemitism Forum in Ottawa 24:15

2M ago24:15

24:15

On Thursday March 6, in Ottawa, the Trudeau government is holding a national antisemitism forum to help better protect Jewish Canadians from what it calls “a troubling rise in antisemitic incidents, threats, and hate crimes.”It’s by invitation only, and is expected to bring together police, prosecutors, politicians and Jewish leaders for a one-day …

1
Two Rights Make a Wrong 39:56

2M ago39:56

39:56

For decades, it has been broadly accepted in the Jewish community that Meir Kahane—founder of the Jewish Defense League, accused terrorist in Israel and the United States, ultra-nationalist character—is an extremist outlier whose ideas are decidedly not mainstream. And yet, because ultra-nationalism is in vogue again, perhaps it was only a matter o…

1
Country Club Adjacent: One comic's dream to blend comedy, golf and Judaism 34:26

2M ago34:26

34:26

The pandemic famously sparked new public interest in golf courses, the outdoor sport one could argue was designed for social distancing. It was at that time that Jake Adams, a Jewish stand-up comic, started a new social media channel called "Country Club Adjacent". Leaning into his longtime love of the sport—including its famous exclusion of Jews—h…

1
Jews nationwide mourned the Bibas family this week. Here's what it sounded like 27:54

2M ago27:54

27:54

Some released bouquets of orange balloons. Others wore Batman costumes. Some did mitzvahs or studied Talmud. These were just some of the ways that Canada’s Jewish community came together in recent days to mourn the deaths of the two young Bibas children, Ariel and Kfir, and their mother, Shiri, who were murdered while in captivity in Gaza since Oct…

1
Here’s what Jewish voters need to know about this week’s Ontario election 29:01

2M ago29:01

29:01

Ontarians are heading to the polls on Feb. 27 to elect the province’s 44th government after Premier Doug Ford called a snap election. The Conservative leader, who has twice been elected since taking office in 2018, says he need a new four-year mandate to take on U.S. President Donald Trump and his threats of crippling import tariffs that, Ford warn…

1
You Can't Spell TDSB Without BDS 45:36

2M ago45:36

45:36

Last week, the Toronto District School Board held two virtual meetings that lasted seven hours each. In those 14 hours, trustees were set to vote on whether to receive a report on antisemitism in the county's biggest public school system—a report that offered 32 recommendations for confronting and mitigating antisemitism in public schools. Once aga…

1
The Netherlands released the names of 425,000 suspected Nazi collaborators. Why won't Canada do the same? 38:33

2M ago38:33

38:33

On Feb. 10, the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada published its decision on whether Library and Archives Canada was justified to block the release of the full, un-redacted 1986 report on suspected Nazi war criminals and collaborators who came to Canada after the Second World War. The government archives department claims it can't rel…

1
Serenity Now 43:51

2M ago43:51

43:51

Valentine's Day, for most people, is a day to celebrate love. For the more neurotic among us, we might be inclined to spend the day analytically dissecting our romantic lives and partnerships. There are conflicting truths about modern relationships: we have to accept that our partners are special, sacred and worth fighting for; and, at the same tim…

1
Toronto’s school board votes on a new antisemitism report today. Here’s what’s at stake 26:19

2M ago26:19

26:19

Since 2023, the Toronto District School Board has been working on an updated strategy to combat several categories of hate and racism in its nearly 600 schools. The update will cover hatred against more than a half dozen minority communities, including Black, Asian, Trans, Indigenous, and Jewish-but when the board suddenly added anti-Palestinian ra…

1
This Ontario town had a swastika burned into a soccer field. Now residents want to ban the symbol nationwide 27:50

2M ago27:50

27:50

Over the last six months, residents of Whitby, Ont., have discovered multiple Nazi swastikas around towbn, including carved into the walls of their main library's washroom and burned with chemicals onto a popular soccer field. Police are investigating, but no one's been caught. The antisemitic incidents have shocked the local Jewish community of 1,…

1
An interview with Karina Gould, who wants to be Canada’s first Jewish prime minister 30:32

2M ago30:32

30:32

Karina Gould says she is a Zionist; she is raising her kids to know the Jewish traditions, and she is fiercely proud of her Jewish heritage, including the legacy of her grandparents who survived the Holocaust.With just under a month to go before the federal Liberals choose a new leader on Mar. 9, Gould—the only candidate of Jewish heritage—announce…

1
Gaza is the 52nd State 36:26

2M ago36:26

36:26

U.S. President Trump's threats of tariffs and making Canada a 51st state has sparked a resurgent nationalism across Canada. In progressive neighbourhoods, Canadian flags have replaced Palestinian ones; in Conservative messaging, federal leader Pierre Poilievre has stopped claiming Canada is "broken" and started defending it from our southern neighb…

1
Tariff war with U.S. could raise kosher food prices 50 to 60 percent in Canada: importer 20:26

2M ago20:26

20:26

The recent announcement of a temporary 30-day pause in the Canada-U.S. tariff war came as a relief to this country’s largest importer of Kosher foods made in the United States. Montreal-based Altra Foods spent the earlier part of the week scrambling to place rush orders from suppliers south of the border, after Canada vowed to slap 25% retaliatory …

1
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame wants to resonate with younger audiences. Here's how 34:19

2M ago34:19

34:19

The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, with an accompanying museum in Israel, recently announced their inductees for 2025—including former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire, soccer announcer Andrés Cantor, Canadian cyclist Leah Goldstein and many others. But they're not just honouring veteran Jews—they're also trying to attract younger ones. With a…

1
Galeet Dardashti on reviving Middle Eastern Jewish culture through music 44:21

3M ago44:21

44:21

Even though Galeet Dardashti grew up in an Ashkenazi household, she knew she was different. Her family's culture, background and music didn't feel or sound like that of other Ashkenazi Jews. But it wasn't until she took a trip to Israel in college that she realized what it meant to be Mizrachi. Not only did she have roots in Iran, but her grandfath…

1
This Canadian scientist just won another award for helping create canola oil. Trump’s pick for health czar says it’s poisoning Americans 21:28

3M ago21:28

21:28

A U.S. Senate committee is voting on Tuesday, Feb. 4 whether to recommend Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should go forward as President Donald Trump’s new secretary of health. If he makes it through, RFK Jr. would have a wide-reaching impact on a particular Canadian export: canola oil. Long considered a loud voice in the anti-vaccine movement , and pushing …

1
Meet the man who’s cleaning up antisemitic graffiti on the streets of Winnipeg—all by himself 23:39

3M ago23:39

23:39

By day, Avrom Charach works for a property management company in Winnipeg. But since Oct. 7, the prominent Jewish community leader has been working even longer hours on a one-man clean-up crew, removing hate-fuelled graffiti from the streets of his home city. So far, Charach has wiped away more than 100 messages from a synagogue, community centre, …

1
Why Did the Nazi Cross the Road? 46:26

3M ago46:26

46:26

Last week, billionaire internet troll Elon Musk made headlines (including several at this publication) for making what appeared to be a Nazi salute at the inauguration of Donald Trump. When, in the following days, he was accused of being a Nazi by many people and organizations, he responded with a series of Nazi puns in a tweet, a la, "Some people …

1
CIJA's new leader wants you to know that Jew hatred threatens ‘the promise of Canada’ 29:10

3M ago29:10

29:10

In less than two months on the job for Noah Shack, the interim CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) has had to speak out after someone shot at a Jewish girls' school in Toronto; decry a repeated arson attack on a Montreal-area synagogue; and oversee the response in Winnipeg after five swastikas were spray-painted on a community ce…

1
Canadians describe visiting Auschwitz on the 80th anniversary of its liberation 25:49

3M ago25:49

25:49

Monday Jan. 27 was a busy day for Canadian politicians pledging to remember the Holocaust, fight antisemitism, and, in some cases, stand by the embattled State of Israel. The historic day—80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz—also provided a convenient ramp for some early campaign pledges as the country heads into a federal election later this…

1
Daniel Pelton transformed Holocaust tattoos into orchestral jazz. This is what it sounds like 33:05

3M ago33:05

33:05

Daniel Pelton hadn't felt much of a musical connection to his Jewish heritage before Oct. 7. But after reality changed for Jews around the world—including his hometown of Calgary—Pelton decided to learn more about both the Holocaust and its artistic representations. He read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, which inspired him to adapt the tattoo numbers …

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