Ritchie Torres on DEI, TikTok, and Black-Jewish Relations

Congressman Ritchie Torres, who built his career on progressive causes, has proven to be one of the most vocally pro-Israel members of Congress while also managing to be a unifying figure, building bridges between and among his diverse constituencies.

In this episode of The Glue, we talk to Torres about  shoring up ties between the Black and Jewish communities, how we should think about DEI in an age of rampant antisemitism on college campuses, and how social media networks such as TikTok are fueling hatred and driving wedges between us. 

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

In this episode, Jewish Federations of North America President Eric Fingerhut discusses how the March for Israel came together with William Daroff, who heads the Conference of American Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The Cleveland Crew is joined by Erika Rudin-Luria of Cleveland's Jewish Federation to explore what drove so many people to show up, the obstacles they faced, what this moment in American history means, and how it all affects Israel going forward.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. 

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

In this episode, Eric speaks to two incredible colleagues working on the ground in Israel: Rebecca Caspi, Director-General of Israel and Overseas, Jewish Federations of North America, and Aaron J. Goldberg, Director, Israel Office, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, to get their insight into the communal response to the horrific Hamas attack on Israel.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. 

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

In this episode, we speak to New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose about her fascinating 5-part series exploring how Americans are moving away from religion. and what it means for society.

Study after study shows the rise of "nones," people who identify as having no religion. But there's also a plethora of evidence that religion plays a special role in community building. Eric and guest host Rabbi Daniel Septimus, the CEO of Austin's Federation Shalom Austin, explore with Grose what's behind the trends and how communities can adapt.

Read Grose's full series here.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. 

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

As one of the lead negotiators for President Isaac Herzog's team in the talks over judicial reforms, Yaniv Cohen had a front row seat to the discussions between government and opposition on the future of Israel's democracy.

Cohen, who is Founder and Chairman of Tachlith (The Israeli Institute for Public Policy), breaks down the challenges Israel's society faces, how the controversy may play out, and why he's optimistic despite the extreme polarization the reforms have brought about.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. 

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

As editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed News and the media critic for the New York Times, Ben Smith had a front row seat to (and a significant role in) the social media-zation of news media. On this episode of “The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut,” Eric and Ben discuss what went wrong, how our fragmented media and social media landscapes pull communities apart and fuel hate, and what we can do about it. Guest Host Karen Elam, who heads the Levine Center to End Hate for the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, brings her perspective on how to push back against these trends.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. 

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

It's been nearly five years since the deadliest antisemitc attack in US history, the Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh. As the trial of the shooter is set to begin, we sit down with Jeff Finkelstein, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, and Maggie Feinstein, director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, to learn how the community has held together in the face of a horrific trauma, ask whether increased security presence is more comforting or unsettling, and delve into how communities can make themselves more resilient.  

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org. 

Executive Produced by Niv Elis .

Produced by Mary Rose Madden, maryrosemadden.journoportfolio.com.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.

At a time when so many powerful forces are working to pull us apart, it’s more important than ever to take a step back and talk about the things that hold us together.

Jewish Federations are proud to present The Glue, with President and CEO Eric Fingerhut. 

The Glue is an exploration of what hold us together in divided times. 

Join Eric in each episode for riveting conversations with experts and thought leaders exploring how our communities are evolving, and why their evolution is crucial to some of the biggest social challenges our societies face today.

Make sure to subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, so you don’t miss our first episode when it drops this November.

"The Glue, with Eric Fingerhut," is brought to you by Jewish Federations on North America, the backbone of the North American Jewish community, representing over 350 communities across North America. Find out how you can get involved or donate to your local Federation at www.jewishfederations.org.

Have something to say about the show? Email us at podcast@jewishfederations.org.

Executive Produced by Niv Elis. Produced by Charlie Freedman.