Ashamed to Admit

Tensions Transplanted - a new 4-part podcast series

• The Jewish Independent

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There is no episode of ATA this week, so Dash spoke with Sydney-based radio and podcast producer Rob Kaldor about The Jewish Independent's four-part series Tensions Transplanted (released on 6 September). 

Speaker 1:

Hi there, ashamed to Admit listener, it's Dashiell Lawrence here. No podcast this week. My co-host, your third cousin Tammy Sussman, is ridiculously busy speaking at Melbourne Jewish Book Week, hosting workshops at the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival and just generally being a super busy writer and raconteur. So we thought we'd do something a bit different. Tji is about to release a new four-part podcast series called Tensions Transplanted. It's been made by Sydney-based radio and podcast producer, rob Caldor. I took some time early this week to catch up with Rob to find out more about the series and give us all a bit of a sneak peek as to what's coming up during the month of September.

Speaker 2:

Tensions Transplanted. It's a four-part podcast series and it's essentially about how Australia has changed and reacted to things since October 7, 2023. Unfortunately, I don't even have to explain what that date means to anyone, but for someone coming out of a coma it's essentially on. October 7 was when the Hamas fighters jumped the fence and started this conflict between Israel, and we're not going to talk too much about that side of the things. It's really more about people's individual stories about how things have changed in Australia. There's been lots of anti-Semitism, we've had things go on at universities and schools and a whole lot of people's personal details were leaked in the word that everyone can now use in context doxxed.

Speaker 1:

And Rob, what motivated you to make this series?

Speaker 2:

You know it's a tough one. I think it's probably my own personal reaction to the Australia that I've grown up in. I was working as a radio producer two days after October 7th, on October 9th, when there were protest rallies at the Sydney Opera House and I remember while it was happening and then I spoke to a couple of the reporters that were there and I was just shocked On a personal level. I was like hold on, how is a reaction to Israel having this horror happen turned into a protest against them where obscenities were shouted about Jews in Israel? It went very quickly from you know a protest into a major anti-Semitic incident and I was just shocked.

Speaker 2:

It was also, it felt, like a blight on Australia and the city that I grew up in. So I was really moved and I just couldn't believe it. So I thought one of the things that has occurred to me this whole time over the last sort of 10 or 11 months is there's just not enough talking, there's not enough discourse and there's very little personalization. It's very easy to talk about statistics and what should have happened and history and things like that, but bring it down to how it's affected individual people and everything from their livelihood through to threats on their life. It makes it something that I think should be told Rob.

Speaker 1:

I think we should also mention that the series includes the voices of pro-Palestinian activists. Why did you decide to include those voices? Because I think it's going to be challenging for some listeners. But a really fundamental part of this series and what you've tried to do with Tensions Transplanted.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely, Look. I think it is essential to talk to all people and all sides of the conflict, both within the Jewish community but also with people outside of the community, to see their perspective on things. And it's easy to get caught up in the vitriol and the propaganda, but what lies beneath that is individual people's personal stories and motivation. So it's up to the listener to evaluate what they see as valid or invalid reasoning, but the personal stories is what's of interest to me.

Speaker 1:

Just briefly tell us about a couple of those voices that we'll hear from, because this is an extension, in some way, of a conversation that you've been having with one particular Palestinian activist.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, look, you're probably referring to a woman I made a podcast with called Hala Abdel-Noir, and she is a Lebanese-Australian but her sort of formative years were in Lebanon and involved her village being bombed by Israeli forces and her migrating to Australia. Her grandfather was killed in these battles, I suppose, and her voice is really interesting because her perspective is obviously not pro-Israel. It's very anti-Zionist on a major level. But to me she comes to it with a perspective of trying to listen and I think that's important. I think it's very easy to write off another perspective, but it's really challenging to try and get into their shoes and their perspectives, to hear where they are coming from, and that's something that she offers to the podcast.

Speaker 2:

But obviously some of the personal stories that really affected me have been. There's one woman I speak to whose psychotherapist decided to cut her treatment after many years when she found out that this person was a Zionist. And people that have lost work. There are families that are broken up. Those are Jewish families with different views. We're used to people having a bit of a brogus within a family, but this is people that cannot speak to each other because of this conflict. I found it very emotional and also, I think, the social media element of it. There's lots of stuff everywhere on social media. Your feed is filled with pro-Israel, anti-Israel, questioning, anti-Semitism and I think, interestingly enough, the word Zionism comes up all the time and I, you know I look into that, because the word Zionism that I grew up with is not the one that people perceive it as now. When I say that I'm a Zionist, it's not just someone that believes Israel has the right of self-determination. When I say that I'm a Zionist, many people view that as an aggressive, genocidal, murdering maniac genocidal, murdering maniac.

Speaker 1:

So you've given us some idea of the people that we can expect to meet over the course of the four episodes that will be coming up throughout September. Anything else that we can expect from this multi-part series.

Speaker 2:

Look, I think it's important that people just do their best to listen with an open mind open ears, definitely, but with an open mind and listen to the different perspectives, because the end goal that I would love the world to do is actually talk to each other. I think there's very few people want this war to continue. I think what we want, though, is the effect not to inhabit our day-to-day lives in Australia, and that's what it seems to be doing. I mean, it's the world of politics. Every day seems to be referencing, you know, the war in Gaza, or Islamophobia, or anti-Semitism, or the Muslim vote, the Jewish vote. It seems crazy. It seems like this should not be part of the daily discourse in Australia, yet it is. So I want people to sort of think about their role, but also just listen with open ears.

Speaker 1:

Well done, Rob. I know it's been a big undertaking, but it's definitely something that we're proud to be launching and sharing with the world as our TJR podcast for this year, in the lead into the October 7th anniversary. The series begins on the 6th of September Friday, the 6th of September and each episode will be uploaded every Friday during September. Timber Arrested me confiscated flag. We're being alienated and isolated from services and places that are friendly to people, unless you're a Jew.

Speaker 2:

But I can't stay silent when there's a genocide going on?

Speaker 1:

No doubt that I felt very exposed. I had family members worried for me and telling me to be careful and advising me to keep my head down.

Speaker 2:

What's happening in the Middle East has landed on our shores. I hope people can see the hope that lies in the shadows, in the places where nothing is black or white. I'm Rob Caldor and this is Tensions Transplanted, a four-part podcast series by the Jewish Independent examining how Australia has changed since that fateful day, october 7, 2023.

Speaker 1:

That was just a little sneak peek of Tensions Transplanted a new TJR podcast series that we're releasing on the 6th of September and every Friday during September. The series is produced and hosted by Rob Cowdor and you can find it wherever you get this podcast and any other podcast series. So, as I mentioned earlier, a reason why Tammy's not here this week is she's actually also nominated for a big award, and she's going to hate me saying this. She's nominated for the Inaugural Young Jewish Writers Book Award for her book. So that Happened, but Maybe you Already Knew that. Anyway, when this comes out, we'll know whether or not she got the award. So if you happen to see her around Sydney, you know what to tell her.

Speaker 1:

Okay, and just lastly, we've been getting heaps of feedback from you about the David Baddiel episode. Quite a few of you were saying it was one of our best episodes today. Thank you so much for that positive feedback. We really appreciate it. You know what would really help Tell your friends, share the pod with someone in your networks and let others know about what we're doing here at Ashamed to Admit. Oh, and don't forget, make sure you subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. That's it for now. I'll catch you again next week with Tammy Sussman on Ashamed to Admit. Thank you.