All About Change

Trigger warning: This episode contains conversation about gun violence, child loss, and suicide. If you or anyone else you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. And always remember: if you see something, say something. To find your state's Department of Homeland Security reporting number, visit https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something/how-to-report-suspicious-activity.   On December 14, 2012, Nicole Hockley dropped her 6-year-old son Dylan off at school, thinking their day would be like any other. Then a shooter entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire, murdering 26 children and staff members--including Dylan. Following this unimaginable tragedy, Nicole established Sandy Hook Promise, an organization dedicated to preventing school shootings.  Join us for Nicole’s story of grief, resilience, and courage and how she transformed tragedy into hope.  Please find a transcription of this episode here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first time Sophie Riegel had a panic attack, it felt like the walls were closing in on her. After reaching out for help and discovering her middle school and pediatrician were ill-equipped to talk about mental health, Sophie knew she had to find her own path. In high school, Sophie published Don't Tell Me to Relax!, a powerful memoir about her journey with OCD and general anxiety disorder. Now a junior at Duke University, Sophie is the author of two books and a mental health advocate.  Join us for a special episode marking Mental Health Awareness Month, as Sophie and Jay openly discuss her personal mental health story, how we can better support young people, and how we can continue to break the stigma.  If you want to learn more about mental health and find possible resources, please visit this Ruderman Family Foundation link.  You can find more information on Sophie’s published books here.  Please find a transcription of this episode here.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 24th, Dr. Vladyslava Kachkovska’s life was turned upside down. After enduring a harrowing two weeks as Russian troops bombarded Sumy, she managed to escape with her two-year-old daughter and mother—but her husband stayed back to fight. Dr. Vladyslava is a rheumatologist, bioethicist, and associate professor of internal medicine at Sumy State University.  Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Dr. Vladyslava shares what it was like being a doctor as the war broke out, her journey crossing the border to Poland, and what life is like now as a refugee.    If you’re looking to support people affected by the war in Ukraine, click here.  Please find a transcription of this episode here.  All Inclusive is a production of The Ruderman Family Foundation. This show is produced by Yochai Maital, Jackie Schwartz, Mijon Zulu, and Matt Litman.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kevin Love is an NBA player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A five-time All-Star, he was an integral part of the 2016 Cavaliers team that won the NBA championship against the favored Golden State Warriors. But you may have heard of Kevin from his 2018 Players’ Tribune essay titled “Everyone is Going Through Something”, which detailed a very public panic attack he had in the middle of a game. In the aftermath of that moment, Kevin became a leading figure in the conversation about mental health among athletes.   Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Jay and Kevin get candid about mental health and discuss how his panic attack changed his life - leading to him establish the Kevin Love Fund - and how he stays mentally fit while inspiring others to do the same.  To learn more about the Kevin Love Fund, click here.  Please find a transcription of this episode here.  Photo credit: Derek Kettela  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overnight, Sergiy Gamaliy went from governing a sleepy agricultural region in Ukraine, to hosting more than 300,000 refugees streaming in from the east and orchestrating dangerous rescue missions to cities under siege. He did this all while trying to keep the schools running and the tractors harvesting. The Khmelnytskyi Oblast region which Gamaliy governs has become a distribution hub for humanitarian aid that is vital to other parts of Ukraine facing the worst conditions.   Listen to a special episode of All Inclusive as Jay and Governor Gamaliy discuss activism on the ground in Ukraine and stories of courage and hope in this fight for freedom.    If you’re looking to support people affected by the war in Ukraine, click here.   Please find a transcription of this episode here.  Photo credit: Louisa Gouliamaki       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning Author Dara Horn’s new book People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Past has a provocative title. And make no mistake, it’s designed that way. She wants you to feel uncomfortable as she explores the world’s fascination with dead Jews. From examples of more subtle antisemitism to machete attacks in Jewish homes and shootings in synagogues, Dara challenges her readers to confront the reasons why we have such little respect for living Jews. Along with her latest work, Dara is also the author of five novels and won a Reform Judaism Fiction Prize and two National Jewish Book Awards.   Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Dara discusses the appeal of Anne Frank’s lasting legacy, why a Jewish city was deserted in China, the limitations of Holocaust education to curb hatred of Jews, and more.  Transcription of episode located here: https://allinclusivepodcast.com/podcasts/dara-horn-author…e-love-dead-jews/  For a link to the Diarna Project, click here: https://diarna.org/.  Photo of Dara Horn: Credit to Michael B. Priest  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Garcia is a Washington, D.C.-based journalist focused on politics and policy. Eric is also autistic, and this past August wrote his first book called We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. After becoming frustrated by the media’s narrow portrayal of autism, he traveled across the country to speak with autistic people about their experiences and debunk different myths that exist about it.    Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Eric and Jay discuss misconceptions about autism, what policies autistic people need, and what autism in America actually looks like through the eyes of those he interviewed.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron Suskind is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, journalist, and filmmaker, who most recently co-produced the Oscar-nominated film Don’t Look Up, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Timothée Chalamet, Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, and more. His book Life Animated, which explores his son Owen's autism and how he learned to communicate through Disney movies, was also the subject of an Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary of the same name.  As a veteran journalist, he has written extensively about presidential administrations and is dedicated to uncovering America’s social, historical, and political injustices.  Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Ron discusses the making of Don’t Look Up, how he predicted the insurrection, and the powerful story of how he and his son learned to communicate with each other through Disney characters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geena Davis is an Academy Award-winning actor and advocate, best known for her trailblazing roles in Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own, and Commander in Chief, in which she plays the first female President of the United States. Today, Geena has taken on a different type of role in Hollywood. In 2004, she founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, a research-based organization that has worked collaboratively with the entertainment industry to dramatically increase the presence of women and other underrepresented groups on screen.    Listen to the latest episode of All Inclusive as Geena and Jay discuss her groundbreaking career, fighting for gender equality in Hollywood, ageism, mental health, and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RJ Mitte shot to fame at the age of 13 when he landed the role of Bryan Cranston’s son, Walt Jr., on the hit show Breaking Bad. Like his character, RJ also has cerebral palsy, which he was diagnosed with at the age of 3. Since Breaking Bad ended in 2013, RJ has carved out a unique path for himself in Hollywood. He’s modeled for the Gap, presented at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and most recently starred in the feature film Triumph, about a disabled high school senior who strives to be a wrestler.  Listen as RJ openly discusses his own experiences as an actor with cerebral palsy, the impact Walt Jr. had on society, and fighting for more disability inclusion in Hollywood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

**TRIGGER WARNING. This episode contains conversations about sexual violence, sexual assault, and abuse. If you are triggered or would like to talk to a confidential advocate, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800.656.4673*** Ilse Knecht is the director of policy and advocacy at the Joyful Heart Foundation. The organization was created in 2004 by Mariska Hargitay, best known for playing Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, after receiving thousands of emails from survivors sharing their stories of abuse. Ilse leads the Foundation’s End the Backlog initiative, which is at the forefront of identifying hundreds of thousands of untested rape kits across the country.  Listen to Jay and Ilse discuss Mariska’s inspiration to create Joyful Heart, why hundreds of thousands of rape kits sit on shelves, and their mission to get justice for victims of sexual assault.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tony Goldwyn is so much more than the fake president he played for 7 seasons on ABC’s Scandal. (Or the guy who backstabbed Patrick Swayze in the 1990 blockbuster Ghost.) The actor, producer, and Peabody-Award-winning director is also a passionate activist, who dedicates much of his personal time to philanthropic work. After directing the 2010 film Conviction, a true story about a man wrongfully convicted of murder, he became an Ambassador of the Innocence Project and now sits on their Board of Trustees.  Listen as Tony discusses his work with the Innocence Project, how to find your activism, the roles that made him famous, authentic representation in Hollywood, and more!   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Jewish communities around the world, there is no name more synonymous with the fight against antisemitism than Abe Foxman. Born in Poland in 1940, Abe survived the Holocaust when his parents entrusted him to their Catholic nanny. He would go on to spend three decades as the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), speaking out against antisemitism and bringing it to the forefront of American minds. Throughout his career, Abe has written four books and made the ADL a household name through his relationships with prominent figures like President George W. Bush, Pope John Paul II, President Obama, and many more.  Please join us for Part II of a special series on antisemitism. Listen as Jay and Abe discuss his personal Holocaust story, his unparalleled career, and his take on antisemitism in America today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, Deborah Lipstadt has been a leading figure in writing about and combating antisemitism. She is most well-known for defeating Holocaust denier David Irving when he sued her for defamation. However, Deborah’s accomplishments span far beyond the trial that made her infamous. She is currently the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University and recently received a nomination by President Biden as Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.  Please join us for Part I of a special series on Confronting Antisemitism. Listen to as Jay and Deborah discuss the history of antisemitism, why there has been an uprise in hate recently, and what we can do to combat it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might know Sean Taylor from the first season of the highly addictive Netflix reality show “The Circle”, in which contestants rate each other based on their profiles and interactions on a fake social media network. When Sean came on the show mid-season, she catfished her fellow contestants into thinking she was a straight-sized woman. After revealing her true self, Sean quickly became a body-positive icon for people everywhere.   Listen to hear Sean break down fat activism and discuss how she inspires her almost 200k followers to radically love and accept themselves. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christine Simmons’ entire career has been guided by the idea that we can create a more inclusive, diverse, and kind culture in every industry. As the first-ever Black and female Chief Operating Officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AKA the Oscars), she and her team lead the organization’s new standards for diversity in front of and behind the camera. Before joining the Academy, she was EVP of Magic Johnson Enterprises and then went on to serve as President and COO of the WNBA LA Sparks for 5 seasons.  Throughout Christine’s impressive career, she’s never forgotten that she’s an activist first and foremost. Listen to hear Christine discuss how she failed up, her love of women’s basketball, and how she’s helping to change the landscape of Hollywood. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fran Drescher is not just a famous actress most well-known for her role as Fran Fine on the 90s hit sitcom The Nanny. She is also a 21-year uterine cancer survivor. In 2002, she published her New York Times best-selling memoir Cancer Schmancer, which chronicled her journey through multiple misdiagnoses and survival. Five years later, she founded the Cancer Schmancer Movement, an organization that promotes early detection of women’s cancers and aims to transform the nation’s healthcare system through policy change.  Listen to hear Jay and Fran discuss her long history of activism, her passion for women’s health issues, and why The Nanny’s recent resurgence proves the show was ahead of its time.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1980s, there were an estimated 200 lesbian bars across the U.S. Today, there are around 21 remaining. After learning that the rapidly disappearing bars were suffering even more during the pandemic, Award-Winning Filmmaker Erica Rose felt compelled to help her community out. She co-created The Lesbian Bar Project, which resulted in a viral fundraiser and a documentary to “celebrate, support, and preserve” the remaining lesbian bars in the U.S.  Listen to learn more about why lesbian spaces are so important and her mission to save the last remaining bars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On September 11, 2001, Jay Winuk lost his younger brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter, and EMT, when he was killed in the line of duty at the World Trade Center. Inspired by Glenn’s act of heroism, Jay co-founded MyGoodDeed, a nonprofit organization that successfully advocated for 9/11 to be designated as a “National Day of Service and Remembrance.”  Please join us for a special episode of All Inclusive as Jay discusses the 20th anniversary of 9/11, his brother’s legacy, and his passion for volunteering and national service. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

***Trigger warning: The content in this episode deals with suicide. If you or anyone else you know is dealing with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.*** On September 24, 2000, 19-year old Kevin Hines attempted to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Miraculously, he survived the 220 ft jump thanks to a series of contributing factors, which included a sea lion keeping him afloat. Today, Kevin is an award-winning mental health activist, best-selling author, and documentarian. Listen to learn more about Kevin’s story of hope, healing, and recovery.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.