Shows / The Actual
The Actual
The Actual is a podcast for the ever-changing times we live in. Since October 7 2023, our devices are constantly flooded with misinformation and disinformation from a multitude of unreliable sources - including social media, mainstream news agencies, as well as targeted and sophisticated propaganda machinery. The result of this is an increase in antisemitism worldwide, the elevation of extremist voices, with once relatively peaceful countries polarising with increasingly hateful divisions. And…
Episodes
The ActualEp 45: Avishai Kessel: Bondi Made Me Want To Live
I first met Avishai Kessel in the days following the December 14, 2025 terror attack at Bondi Beach. He was 16 years old and had just survived. Since then, our…
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Ep 44: Jewish Memory and The Star on the Grave with Linda Margolin Royal
My captivating guest is Linda Margolin Royal, bestselling author and award-winning novel The Star on the Grave. This book began as a screenplay and is now…
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Ep 43: The Radical Centre - It's time to Listen to Regular Australians with Mark Leach
Co-founder and CEO of Allies for a Strong Australia, Mark Leach returns to The Actual. Allies for a Strong Australia is a movement focused on the deep social…
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Ep 42: A Father's Story of Love, Grief, & Honour of Matilda Bee with Michael Britvan
It has been 10 months since the Bondi Beach massacre, and in this episode, Michael Britvan shares his story. Michael is a Ukrainian Jew, a father, and husband…
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Ep 41: The Future of Israel Is a Question of Responsibility with Matan Yaffe
Israel is heading to the polls on October 27 2026, in its first national election since the October 7 attacks. My phenomenal guest is Matan Yaffe, Israeli…
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Ep 40: From Haifa to the World: The Technion’s Global Impact with Yoash Dvir
In this episode of The Actual, Yoash Dvir, CEO of Technion Australia, describes Technion's fascinating life-enhancing technical and medical innovations that…
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Ep 39: Miracles Hiding in Plain Sight with Nikki Goldstein
After a near-death illness in 2022, journalist and author Nikki Goldstein awoke from a medically induced coma. Whilst unconscious, her fate intertwined with…
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Ep 38: Shoshana Eisner is Still Asking "How Can I Help?"
In this episode of The Actual, I am delighted to be joined again by pharmacist, proud Zionist, community volunteer and Operation Golda founder Shoshana Eisner…
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Ep 37: Sheba’s Mission of Healing Across Borders with Idan Goldberger
In this episode of The Actual, I speak with Idan Goldberger, CEO of the Australian Friends of Sheba Medical Centre, about the extraordinary power of healthcare…
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Ep 36: Reshet - Mentoring the Next Generation with Ariel Eisner
Following the massacre on October 7 2023 in Israel, many young Australian Jews question what kind of future they have here - could they remain at university?…
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Ep 35: Peace Through Strength with Sammy Yahood
What does it really mean to be strong? In this episode of The Actual, my guest is Sammy Yahood. He is the founder of Peace Through Strength, a movement…
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Ep 34: United Hatzalah - The Person Next Door Could Save Your Life with Darya Rubenstein
In this fascinating episode of The Actual, my guest is Darya Rubenstein, Executive Director of Australian Friends of United Hatzalah of Israel. Darya reveals…
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Ep 33: Conviction in a Divided World with Calista Clements
In this episode of The Actual, my phenomenal guest is Australian social and political commentator Calista Clements. Her fearless online commentary has earned…
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Ep 32: The Mayor We Have Needed with Will Nemesh
In this episode of The Actual, my guest is Will Nemesh, Mayor of Waverley, home to Bondi Beach, and member of Sydney’s Jewish community. Will shares how he…
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Ep 31: Bondi: The Place We Returned To with Rabbi Yossi
In this moving episode of The Actual, my guest is Rabbi Yossi Friedman of Rabbi On Demand. Following the terrorist attack in Bondi on December 14 2025, Yossi…
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Ep 30: "We’re Not Out Of This Yet" with Australian Iranian Patriot, Ali
Four times as a guest on The Actual, Australian Iranian patriot Ali had his social media platform taken down before and after the recording of this episode…
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Ep 29: Post Bondi - The Promised Land Was the Sound of Children's Laughter with Jessica Chapnik Kahn
My guest on this episode of The Actual is Jessica Chapnik Kahn, an Argentinian–Australian writer, artist, and fellow Bondi survivor. Jessica and I met in the…
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Ep 28: Proudly Jewish in a Time of Rising Hate with Marnie Perlstein
In this episode of The Actual, my incredibly knowledgeable and courageous guest is Marnie Perlstein, a passionate Jewish advocate and one of Australia’s most…
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Ep 27: Jewish Identity and the Connective Power of Citizen Cafe Tel Aviv with Tamar Pross
Tamar Pross, the founder of Citizen Cafe Tel Aviv, is my latest guest on The Actual. In this fascinating episode, she shares her deep reflections on Jewish…
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Ep 26: Your Voice Matters in the Royal Commission with Judith Levitan
On this episode of The Actual, Judith Levitan from Royal Commission Legal Aid Service explains what the Royal Commission is, how the process works, why it…
The ActualEp 25: The Spokeskid of Israel - A Childhood of War with Ben Carasso
In this episode of The Actual, my incredible guest is Ben Carasso - the “Spokeskid of Israel”. Ben has been representing Israeli children on the global stage…
The ActualEp 24: Mosaic Living: Aging Within the Community with Robert Goldshaft
In this episode of The Actual we are joined by Robert Goldshaft, the CEO of Mosaic Living, to better understand community living for Jewish seniors in…
The ActualEp 23: Rewriting the Inheritance of Silence with Michelle Scheibner
In this episode, Michelle Scheibner tells the story of how she uncovered her Jewish identity later in life and how a major family secret led her to a journey…
The ActualEp 22: Faith & Cultural Bravery in Modern Society with Stephen McAlpine
In this episode of The Actual we are joined by Stephen McAlpine, a Christian cultural commentator, public theologian, and former pastor of nearly three…
The ActualEp 21: Humane Leadership with Doron Libshtein
In this episode, Doron Amitai Libshtein, an international speaker, author, leadership mentor, and the chairman of The Life Academy, shares his passion for…
The ActualEp 20: The Fight for a Free Iran: What Happens Next? with Australian-Iranian Patriot Ali
In this episode, I’m joined by Australian-Iranian patriot and activist Ali for his third appearance on the The Actual to dissect the rapidly evolving situation…
The ActualEp 19: Refinding Hope During Turbulent Times with Dr. Julian Pascal Saadi
In a world increasingly shaped by uncertainty, polarisation, and collective distress, what does it truly mean to hold onto hope? In this deeply reflective…
The ActualEp 18: My Return to Words with Lee Kofman
In this episode of The Actual, author and editor Lee Kofman reflects on writing, identity, and Jewish life in the aftermath of October 7 2023. She examines the…
The ActualEp 17: Iranians Under Siege: A Most Important Local and Global War with Ali
In this follow-up episode of The Actual with Iranian patriot and activist Ali, he discusses the critical updates on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Iran…
The ActualEp 16: Bondi Attack: A Mother’s Body, a Survivor’s Mind with Chavi Block-Israel
In this episode of The Actual, we speak with Chavi Block-Israel, an educator, writer, and founder of The Empowered Jew, about surviving the Bondi terror attack…
The ActualEp 15: Inside the Disinformation Era with Lynda Ben-Menashe
This fascinating episode features Lynda Ben-Menashe, President of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia and a long-time leader in the Jewish…
The ActualEp 14: Economic Collapse and Public Outrage: Inside Iran’s Revolution with Ali and Amin
Iranian activists Ali and Amin were invited onto The Actual to explain how a series of economic and political pressures in Iran escalated into a nationwide…
The ActualSpecial Episode: Hanukkah Terror Attack at Bondi Beach
Shortly after the terror attacks at Bondi Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world, the host of this podcast Lissy Abrahams, and two other courageous…
The ActualEp 13: Telling Our Own Stories: Tamar Paluch on Ruptured
In this episode, activist Tamar Paluch talks about Ruptured, the collection of essays she co-edited with author Lee Kofman that documents how Jewish women…
The ActualEp 12: Community Leadership in Challenging Times with Michele Goldman
In this episode of The Actual, Michele Goldman, CEO of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies opens up about the impact of disinformation, the rise of…
The ActualEp 11: Ben Adler: Inside the mind of a musical and creative genius
Violinist, composer, arranger, and founder of CHUTNEY, Ben Adler joins The Actual to discuss the way music becomes an emotional communicator and how Jewish…
The ActualEp 10: Kindness as a De-Radicalising Act: Arno Michaelis’ Story
Arno Michaelis once lived a life consumed by hate. Today, he devotes himself to preventing others from following this path, and recognises the urgent need to…
The ActualEp 9: Lessons from the Frontlines: Be not a Bystander with Michael Scott [Part 2]
Returning as a guest on The Actual, Michael Scott CSC, founder of The 2023 Foundation and author of his recently released book A Light Still Burns: Israel and…
The ActualEp 8: Lessons from the Frontlines: Be not a Bystander with Michael Scott [Part 1]
Colonel (Ret.) Michael Scott CSC, Founder and CEO of The 2023 Foundation, joins The Actual to speak about combating antisemitism, terrorism, and…
The ActualEp 7: Making A Mark - Having Courage in the Face of Global Tribalism with Mark Leach
Mark Leach is the co-founder of Never Again Is Now and a longtime church leader. In this incredible episode of The Actual, he reveals how his earlier years of…
The ActualEp 6: @clammy_fraud vs. the Algorithm of Hate with Zara Cooper
What started as one woman’s way of coping with fear and grief, through sharp humour and biting honesty, has since become one of Australia’s fiercest watchdogs…
The ActualEp 5: Leading With Light and Courage: Being a Rabbi In Unchartered and Uncertain Circumstances with Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM
Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio OAM joins Relationships Under the Microscope to discuss her extraordinary journey from lawyer to rabbi. She shares her experiences as a…
The ActualEp 4: No Room for Hate: Inside Operation Golda with Shoshana Eisner
More than 600 days since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, taking hostages. In this episode I’m joined by Shoshana Eisner, the powerhouse behind…
The ActualEp 3: Saying Their Names: Why the Hostages Matter with Tzachi and Alexis
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses the Middle East conflict, including war, violence, and humanitarian issues, which may be distressing to some listeners…
The ActualEp 2: Living History Again: Why Memory Must Lead to Action with Lynda Ben-Menashe
Trigger Warning: This episode discusses the Middle East conflict, including war, violence, and humanitarian issues, which may be distressing to some listeners…
The ActualEp 1: Better Australia Starts With Us with Sophie Calland
Australia stands at a turning point in this coming federal election, and in this episode, Sophie Calland of Better Australia joins us to talk about what’s at…