Best The Forgotten Initiative Podcasts (2024)

1
A new government-issued handbook aims to define antisemitism. Will it make a difference? 24:52

3h ago24:52

24:52

Ever since Oct. 7, there has been a deluge of antisemitism propagated under the veil of anti-Zionism. Cartoons of world-dominating Jewish rats and hook-nosed devils; claims that Israel has no right to exist; calls for the death of Jews… the list goes on. These Canadian examples of real-world instances of antisemitism are just some of the many detai…

1
Amsterdam's mayor says the violence wasn't a pogrom. Dutch Jewish leaders agree, but demand protection 24:59

29m ago24:59

24:59

On Nov. 7, mobs of Dutch soccer fans rampaged through central Amsterdam beating up Israeli and Jewish tourists there to see the Maccabi Tel Aviv team play. The outbreak of violence happened on the eve of the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, when organized gangs of Nazi soldiers in Germany and occupied Austria targeted Jewish businesses, torched s…

1
Episode 255: Processing Your Emotions After a Placement Disruption (w/ Kamrie Smith) 30:22

13m ago30:22

30:22

When you decide to become a foster parent, you are asked a wide range of questions about what kind of placements you are willing to accept. What ages will you take? What ages won’t you take? Are there any special needs you will or won’t be able to accommodate? What about sibling groups? Even when your agency is doing their best to reach out to you …

1
Mississauga organizers cancel vigil honouring Sinwar as ‘Our Mandela’. But local Jews aren’t relaxing yet 22:35

1d ago22:35

22:35

The organizers of a vigil for Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas whom Israeli forces killed earlier this year, have decided to cancel their controversial event just one week before it was scheduled to take place in Mississauga. But the pro-Palestinian organizing group insisted in a written release that it was not intimidated by “pro-Israel lo…

1
Why this Canadian Catholic leader is rallying Christians to stand up against antisemitism 27:51

5d ago27:51

27:51

Just before Rosh Hashanah, Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett, a Catholic community leader in Ottawa, launched a campaign to convince more of his Christian colleagues to take a public stand against spiking antisemitism. Bennett, a deacon with a Ukrainian-Greek Catholic shrine in the national capital, made the Canadian Christian Declaration Against Antisemitis…

1
Episode 254: What It’s Like Becoming a TFI Advocate (w/ Justin Meehan) 34:26

8d ago34:26

34:26

It’s that time of year again! As you may know, we open applications to become a TFI Advocate only a couple times each year, and this November is one of those opportunities. If you’re considering applying, today’s episode is the perfect chance to learn more about what becoming a TFI Advocate journey really looks like. That’s because we have the spec…

1
Remembrance Day, minus religion: Why faith-based prayers are nixed from Canadian military ceremonies this year 23:18

3d ago23:18

23:18

This year, Remembrance Day ceremonies, including at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, will feel a little different for a number of reasons. The biggest change? Military chaplains who officiate at mandatory public events can no longer recite faith-specific religious prayers for soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in battle. Prayers are now t…

1
What Donald Trump’s second term means for American Jews—and for Canada 36:02

7d ago36:02

36:02

Until the very last day, pollsters predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election would be too close to call, with just a fraction of a percentage point separating Donald Trump from his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Many observers predicted a repeat of 2020, when Trump refused to concede, resulting in riots on Capitol Hill. But as the votes rolle…

1
A new book of poetry explores resilience and conflict in a post-Oct. 7 world 21:20

8d ago21:20

21:20

After the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, Sharon Zohar wanted to take action. The serial entrepreneur, no stranger to kickstarting new organizations, decided to start a grassroots movement called EnoughTO, aimed at bringing civility back to the streets of Toronto. But rather than strengthen the city and its myriad communities, she says, "all I got wa…

1
Episode 253: ALL IN for Children in Foster Care (w/ Lynn Johnson) 39:58

17d ago39:58

39:58

To make a positive impact on the foster care community, we need action on both a personal and systemic level. We need community members who are willing to step up and support individuals directly, but we also need leaders capable of creating policies that address real challenges. My guest for this episode, Lynn Johnson, is someone who has stepped i…

1
A new self-guided tour hopes to draw visitors to Ottawa's oft-forgotten Holocaust monument 26:18

10d ago26:18

26:18

Even if you haven't visited the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa, you may recall when it opened in September 2017 with one glaring omission: it didn't mention Jews. While the federal government did fix the plaque on the nearly $9-million monument, after that controversial opening, the monument sat largely ignored. Yes, it's used by federal pol…

1
Canadian families are welcoming displaced Israelis into their homes, thanks to a new grassroots initiative 30:12

16d ago30:12

30:12

Ziv and Barak Morag, along with their young two children, lived happily in their small house in Kibbutz Nir Oz—until Oct. 7, 2023. The southern community saw around 100 of its members killed or kidnapped by Hamas terrorists, leaving the remaining 300 residents—including the Morags—scattered and displaced in the aftermath of the attack. On a whim, w…

1
Episode 252: Learning to Feel Conflicting Emotions (w/ Melissa McGilliard) 37:14

20d ago37:14

37:14

Have you ever had a foster placement or adoption plan fall through? Initially, you feel excited about the prospect of welcoming another child into your home. You start gathering things you think the child may need. Clothes. Toys. School supplies. But then you get another call that the plan is being changed. On one hand, you’re grateful there’s stil…

1
Which of the U.S. election issues are most relevant to Jewish Canada? 26:33

18d ago26:33

26:33

With the U.S. election just over a week away, Vice-President Kamala Harris is maintaining a narrow lead over former president Donald Trump—although the margin of error is so slim that the result remains essentially a toss-up. One polling company contributing to this data is Mainstreet Research, a Canadian firm. Steven Pinkus, a longtime vice presid…

1
The Ghost of Binstead Manor 28:38

21d ago28:38

28:38

A Victorian aristocrat moves to PEI and encounters a ghost in her new house: the biggest mansion on the Island called Binstead Manor. She decided to investigate the haunting herself... This story appears in the new book 'Backyard History: Rebellious Women In The Maritimes'! Order your copy at backysrhistory.ca…

1
Mayor Morley Rosenberg, cancer fundraiser Sheila Kussner and more: Honorable Menschen worth remembering this Yizkor 26:50

23d ago26:50

26:50

Days ahead of Yizkor being recited in synagogues across Canada, The CJN Daily wanted to take stock of some noteworthy Canadian Jews who've passed away in recent months. It's the latest edition of a recurring series we like to call "Honourable Menschen". Today, host Ellin Bessner sits down with The CJN's obituary writer, Heather Ringel, to chat abou…

1
Episode 251: Why "Getting Too Attached" Makes You a Great Foster Parent (w/ Caitlyn Baten) 45:48

24d ago45:48

45:48

“I couldn’t become a foster parent because I’d get too attached.” This is a sentiment we’ve heard many times from those considering foster care. We know that foster care is full of the good and the hard; both beauty and brokenness. Overcoming our fears and holding space for both of these things is no easy task. And in my guest’s experience, the fea…

1
‘Keep showing up’: Columbia prof-turned-activist Shai Davidai rallies Canadian Jews 24:59

25d ago24:59

24:59

Shai Davidai became a public figure shortly after Oct. 7, 2023 when the assistant professor from Columbia University starred in a video warning Jewish parents at elite American universities about the explosion of antisemitism on campuses across the United States. Davidai’s impassioned plea changed his life: the Israeli researcher soon became a voca…

1
Struggling to afford your first home? This Jewish-backed investment firm wants to help 23:55

1M ago23:55

23:55

On the night of Oct. 16, Jews around Canada will welcome the holiday of Sukkot, having erected temporary wooden or cloth structures outside their synagogues and homes. While celebrating in their makeshift shacks, many will tell stories of the huts that ancient Israelites lived in after their exodus from Egypt.Meanwhile, in modern-day Canada, a diff…

1
Sylvan Adams speaks out after anti-Israel vandals smashed the McGill building with his name on it 26:02

1M ago26:02

26:02

On Oct. 7, 2024, more than a thousand anti-Zionist protesters marched through downtown Montreal toward McGill University as part of a “Week of Rage” to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza. Despite a heavy security presence at McGill, some protesters managed to storm onto the campus, smashi…

1
Episode 250: How to Navigate an Open Adoption (w/ Jori Victory) 32:07

1M ago32:07

32:07

Open adoptions began in 1975, but they didn’t become more common until the 1990s. Today, 9 out of 10 adoptions are open. While open adoptions are far more common today, adoptive parents may have concerns and fears about navigating that relationship with a child's birth parents. Likewise, birth parents are often worried about finding the place they …

1
Samidoun: Why Jewish leaders and Pierre Poilievre want it declared a terrorist squad 23:00

1M ago23:00

23:00

You may have heard recently about Samidoun, an extremist, anti-Israel, organization with a branch in Vancouver, ostensibly working to liberate Palestinian prisoners convicted of terrorism in Israel and elsewhere. This week, Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the federal Conservatives, demanded the government declare Samidoun a terrorist organization—a…

1
The Man Who Was Hanged From the Gallows he Built 18:20

1M ago18:20

18:20

By Andrew MacLean

1
'We carry this pain. It doesn't break us': how Canadian Jews marked Oct. 7's anniversary 22:52

1M ago22:52

22:52

In Montreal, 8,000 people watched wreaths laid on the stage. In Toronto, 20,000 people recited the Kaddish prayer. An interfaith choir sung in Ottawa. All across Canada, tens of thousands of Canadians gathered to observe the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel and remember the Jewish victims who had Canadian ties.The Oct. 7 annive…

1
Episode 249: I Am Not My Parents' Story (w/ Darnella Miller) 42:38

2M ago42:38

42:38

TW: This episode contains mentions of drug use, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. If these topics could be triggering for you or others, we wanted you to be aware of these topics before listening. The trauma of our past can often define us and inform what we think and how we behave. This can create a cycle in which we are far more likely to repeat …

1
'There was literally nothing to come back to': Oct. 7 survivor Thomas Hand shares his story with Canadians 24:02

2M ago24:02

24:02

Kibbutz Be’eri survivor Thomas Hand spent nearly a month last year believing his youngest daughter Emily, then 8, had been killed by Hamas terrorists who stormed their Israeli farming community on Oct. 7 and slaughtered over 100 residents. Hand would later learn that Emily had actually been one of the 30 Kibbutz Be’eri residents kidnapped into Gaza…

1
Ottawa just overhauled its grant program for security upgrades. Some Jewish leaders call it a ‘game-changer’ 19:28

2M ago19:28

19:28

Just before Canadian Jews gather to observe the New Year on Wednesday, the federal government has announced some long-requested changes to a program that has helped nearly 500 synagogues, schools and community centres pay for panic buttons, security cameras, fencing and other vital safety equipment to date. Until now, Jewish leaders have long compl…

1
Fan Favorite: Prayerful Decisions—Saying Yes and No (w/ AJ and Katrina Nowaczyk) 45:51

2M ago45:51

45:51

There can be a lot of pressure on foster parents to always step up and say “yes” to each placement. One of the reasons many became foster parents was to be able to make a significant difference, so doesn’t that mean accepting as many placements as you are able? But what happens if you say “no” to a placement? What if you say “no” when a child in fo…

1
82-year-old rabbi acquitted of decades-old sex-crime accusations in Montreal 24:44

2M ago24:44

24:44

Rabbi Shlomo Leib (Leon) Mund walked out of a Montreal courthouse a free man on Sept. 25, after a Court of Quebec judge acquitted the 82-year-old rabbi of two sex-crime charges dating back to when the high-profile religious leader taught at an Orthodox school and offered unlicensed marriage counselling in the 1980s and 1990s.The CJN can’t identify …

1
‘Erodes the public trust’: Elected officials react to TDSB field trip rally with anti-Israel chants 19:39

2M ago19:39

19:39

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has blasted the Toronto District School Board for allowing some teachers to “indoctrinate” students with anti-Israel chants during a recent field trip that was ostensibly a learning event about justice for Canada’s Indigenous people. :"It's disgusting," Ford told reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, Ford’s education minister, J…

1
Fan Favorite: Life in Foster Care—What It’s Really Like (w/ Tori Petersen) 39:41

2M ago39:41

39:41

In terms of foster care, my guest has experienced it all. She entered foster care at age four and then reunited with her mom only to be removed from her mother’s care again. In total, she had twelve placements, lived in a group home, and would finally make the decision to emancipate. Tori Petersen is a bestselling author, national speaker, and Bibl…

1
Exploding Hezbollah pagers 'audacious' deterrence message from Israel to Iran: one expert says 23:01

2M ago23:01

23:01

The fallout in the Middle East continues after last week’s “audacious” covert cyber attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, when thousands of suspected operatives linked to the Iran-backed terror militia saw their army-issued pagers suddenly explode. Israel hasn’t confirmed or denied it was behind the sabotage of the booby-trapped devices, nor was th…

1
The Hate Preacher 32:55

2M ago32:55

32:55

Causing riots wherever he went, this Maritimer became a leader in the KKK, making a fortune spreading hate and division all over the United States! (He wasn't as popular in the Maritimes, where locals tried to throw him off a cliff!) Buy the book 'Backyard History: Forgotten Stories From Atlantic Canada's Past' at backyardhistory.ca…

1
New Canadian documentary spotlights Oct. 7 victims murdered on 'The Killing Roads' 24:11

2M ago24:11

24:11

Canadian documentary producer Igal Hecht says he hates his new Oct. 7 film, The Killing Roads. The documentary retraces the final moments of 250 Israelis who were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists along highways 232 and 34, near Gaza. Hecht also feels this is the best work he has ever done. The film releases to the public online, for free, on Oct. 1.…

1
Arnie Aberman will return his honorary UofT degree over the school’s handling of antisemitism 19:09

2M ago19:09

19:09

Dr. Arnie Aberman received his honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Toronto in June 2015. He is one of more than 1,500 people who have received honorary degrees from UofT since the school began the tradition in 1850, but Aberman believes he is the first and only person to give it back—as his symbolic form of protest against rising anti…

1
Fan Favorite: The Birth Parent Perspective—What It’s Like Having Your Child Removed From You 30:00

2M ago30:00

30:00

It's not as common that we get to hear the perspective and experience of biological parents in the foster care community, but it's such an important perspective for us to hear and understand. My guest, Ashley, found herself caught in addiction after being exposed to narcotic painkillers during a hospital stay for several clots in her brain. When he…

1
Ottawa reopens study of releasing Nazi war criminal files after omitting Holocaust experts 20:36

2M ago20:36

20:36

After the debacle in 2023, when Parliamentarians gave a standing ovation to an elderly Ukrainian Waffen SS veteran, pressure mounted on Ottawa to speed up publishing the names of long-classified files containing the identities of hundreds of suspected Nazi war criminals welcomed by Canada after the Second World War. The files were prepared in the 1…

1
St. Catharines' century-old synagogue is securing its future—with or without members 22:12

2M ago22:12

22:12

The small Jewish community in St. Catharines, Ont., is marking a significant milestone this week. Exactly 100 years ago, on Sept. 14, 1924, two cornerstones were laid for the foundation of what would become the current building housing Congregation B'nai Israel synagogue. The event was front-page news at the time. No one could have predicted that, …

1
Fan Favorite: Traditional Parenting vs. Trauma-Informed Parenting (w/ Kristin Berry) 41:19

2M ago41:19

41:19

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It takes work every day to understand how to best love our kids, teach them, and correct them. Add to that learning how to parent a child who has gone through trauma, and you realize you need a completely different set of tools. Strategies that may have worked for our biological children now seem to have the…

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