Jill Kargman is a New York Times bestselling author of 12 books, creator of Odd Mom Out, and a "shtetl chic" Manhattan Jewess. Margarita and Jill talk wig life, vaginal lasers, antisemitism in middle school, and why Jewish joy is the whole point. Jill found her voice the moment she stopped hiding behind characters and just told the truth. She's excited to share her new film - Influenced (in theaters May 8th).

Follow Jill on IG @jillkargman and @influenced.movie

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What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

02:12 Sephardic mom, Ashkenazi dad, free-range NYC childhood

06:30 Pulling her son out of school after an antisemitic incident

10:15 Why every story she tells comes back to family

14:20 Making *Influenced* and hiding the meat in the pasta

18:45 Celebrity cameos, blonde wigs, and being a "Sicilian widow" in real life

24:30 Re-virginization is real and Jill did it

27:10 Jewish storytelling needs comedy too

30:00 Margarita's life as a child pop star in Ukraine

34:20 Jewish joy, Mamdani, and L'chaim motherf*ckers

36:44 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Vlad Khaykin is the Head of North American Advocacy for the Simon Wiesenthal Center (and a former ADL veteran). He approaches antisemitism the way a scientist approaches a virus: studying its architecture, its mutations, and why it keeps infecting new hosts across centuries.

This is an episode where you'll learn a tremendous amount about antisemitism's latest "mutation" - Anti-Zionism. Anti-Zionism isn't an abstract debate — it's an ideology with a body count, and millions of living Jews can tell you exactly what it looks like when it wins. Vlad also makes the case that internalized antisemitism is one of the most pressing problems facing the Jews today.

Connect with Vlad Khaykin on LinkedIn or Instagram @vkhaykin , and learn about the instrumental work of Simon Wiesenthal Center at https://wiesenthal.org/

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow

What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

03:45 Vlad's path from Soviet refugee to advocacy leader

07:20 What anti-Zionism actually did to Jewish communities

12:15 How the Soviets weaponized antisemitism

18:30 Antisemitism as an explanatory model, not a prejudice

24:10 There is no panacea for antisemitism

31:00 The Zionism terminology wars

36:45 Internalized antisemitism and the doll test parallel

44:20 The cost vs. value of being Jewish

49:30 Closing Remarks & Guest Nomination

Sometimes you run into a guy in his underwear on the streets of NYC and do a mini pod with him! Ham is an artist best known for standing in his underwear & talking to strangers!

Learn more about his art on Instagram @sweatpantcity

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow