Show Notes
Jonah interviews Daniel Lubetzky, Mexican-American Jewish founder of KIND, Shark Tank investor, and longtime bridge-builder, about how his Holocaust-survivor father and Mexican Jewish upbringing shaped his commitment to connecting communities. Lubetzky describes mourning his father, saying Kaddish, and launching both KIND and the OneVoice Movement the same year, crediting prayer and purpose with keeping him grounded. He explains PeaceWorks, a trade-based social enterprise linking Israelis and Arabs (and later other conflict regions), which succeeded in sustaining relationships but never scaled and ultimately closed. He recounts OneVoice’s effort to empower moderates against media-driven extremism, mobilizing nearly a million Israelis and Palestinians, yet falling short of ending the conflict. Lubetzky outlines his latest project, the Builders Movement, and its “builders vs. destroyers” framework, its education, media, and civics work, and argues kindness is strong, honest action.
Lubetzky reflects on the impact of reciting Kaddish after his father’s death and how Jewish ritual shaped his worldview. The founding story behind KIND Bars and why Lubetzky named the company after his father’s values. Lubetzky’s first social enterprise PeaceWorks, connecting Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, and Turks through trade. How PeaceWorks also operated in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Chiapas, Mexico to foster cooperation across conflict lines. The creation of the OneVoice Movement, which mobilized nearly 1 million Israelis and Palestinians around shared peace principles. Why Lubetzky believes media narratives often amplify extremists instead of moderates in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Launching the Builders Movement, a global initiative promoting cooperation over division. The Builders Movement framework built around the “Four Cs”: Curiosity, Compassion, Creativity, and Courage. Educational partnerships with institutions such as Stanford University to promote builder-mindset leadership programs. Collaboration with leaders like Van Jones to strengthen alliances between Jewish and Black communities.
Thank you to this episode's sponsor: Jewish Communal Fund
Mentioned In The Episode: Three synagogue attacks in Toronto in one week. Blast Outside Begum Synagogue Arrests made in Norway Synagogue attack San Jose pedestrians attacked in hate crime Police Arrest Suspect in Ramat Gan Stabbing Man, Rams Truck Into Michigan Synagogue With Over 100 Children Inside The Story Is with Exel Michaelson The Lead with Jake Tapper
Daniel Lubetzky Daniel Lubetzky on Shark Tank Camp Ramah PeaceWorks Foundation Van Jones BJJP Episode Dachau KIND Snacks Jason Alexander BJJP Episode The History, Significance, and Meaning of Kaddish Al Jazeera Propagates Hatred. Is it also a Foreign Agent? Annapolis Peace Conference (2007) 1993 Oslo Accords Kind Creates the Kind Foundation to Help Foster Kinder and Healthier Communities Save Your Relationships! How To Talk to Antizionist Loved Ones About Israel - Jonah Platt’s 5 C's Lubetzky Family Foundation Builders Movement Builders on Instagram Builders on YouTube
Jewish Neighborhoods: Mexico City Mexican school merger will expand ORT’s presence in Latin America Marc Platt BJJP episode Julie Platt BJJP episode Jewish Nobel Prize Laureates Sebastian Maniscalco - Italians at Passover (Aren't You Embarrassed?) Mexican Gefilte Fish Red snapper with Veracruz-style sauce (huachinango a la Veracruzana) The Rise and Fall of Eliot Ness
Support the podcast directly by becoming a member of the Kehillah.
Watch Being Jewish on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@beingjewishpodcast
Subscribe to the Being Jewish Newsletter: bit.ly/beingjewishnewsletter
For Sponsorships, please email: [email protected]
Merchandise https://beingjewishpodcast.com/merch
To contact us & all things BJJP: www.BeingJewishPodcast.com
Follow Jonah on: Instagram - @JonahPlatt X - @JonahPlatt
Follow Being Jewish on: Instagram - @
More from Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
In the first episode of our Jewish American Summit series, Jonah sits down with Steve Hilton, Republican candidate for California governor, for a candid conversation about antisemitism, Jewish safety, and the future of the Golden State.
What does it mean to be unapologetically Jewish in an industry that has often encouraged people to hide their identity?
NEW SEGMENT! In the first installment of our new segment “Being Jewish In…” we explore the hostile environment facing Jewish authors, agents and editors in the world of Publishing with acclaimed author and digital publisher Meg Keene, newly appointed editor of the eponymous Meg Keene Books, a new imprint focused on publishing Jewish stories by Jewish authors.
Can a CEO speak out against antisemitism without becoming the story?
On the third anniversary of October 7th, Jonah delivers a powerful and deeply personal open letter to his non-Jewish friends, colleagues, and allies about what it means to stand with the Jewish people. In this special solo episode of Being Jewish, Jonah reflects on the past three years of rising antisemitism, fractured friendships, and the growing isolation of Jewish communities. He addresses the dangerous normalization of anti-Jewish rhetoric, the misunderstanding of Zionism and Jewish identity, and the painful silence of those who have chosen to look away.