Show Notes
He's worth hundreds of millions, runs one of Canada's most powerful companies, and he still gets antisemitic replies every Friday when he posts “Shabbat Shalom,” here's why he refuses to stop.
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein joins host Jonah Platt for a wide-ranging conversation about Jewish identity, antisemitism, entrepreneurship, and legacy. Finkelstein, a grandson of Holocaust survivors whose family fled Hungary during the Soviet crackdown of the 1950s, opens up about why he has grown increasingly vocal as a public Jewish figure in Canada, especially in the wake of October 7th. He recounts two pivotal incidents that motivated his public advocacy: protesters storming his Big Shot podcast recording at Startup Fest, and demonstrators disrupting his speech at the opening of the Finkelstein Chabad Center in Ottawa. He discusses his relationship with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Shopify's massive e-commerce footprint (14% of all U.S. e-commerce), and his journey from being one of Shopify's first 136 merchants to its president. He also digs into Big Shot, his podcast with David Siegel that archives the stories of legendary Jewish entrepreneurs, from Charles Bronfman to Jeffrey Katzenberg, arguing that grit is the defining trait behind Jewish entrepreneurial success.
Plus, Jonah shares about his recent trip to Thessaloniki, Greece where he explored Jewish history.
Topics: His published an op-ed in the National Post about rising antisemitism in Canada Meeting Shopify founder Tobi Lutke at a Saturday entrepreneur coffee group Finkelstein advocates loudly for visible Jewish philanthropy, arguing that public giving creates a "flywheel" of inspiration Finkelstein and David Siegel co-founding Fire Belly Tea Figures who inspired him like Jerry Schwartz and Izzy Sharp. His optimism for AI and technology Meeting his wife Lindsay Taub, and his view on her being a partner in life Why he does the Big Shot podcast Being in a public role and the responsibility that comes with that The importance of jewish advocacy and leading by example
A special thanks to our partner this week - Hadassah.org
Donation Links: Synagogue of the Monasteriotes (Thessaloniki) The Jewish Community of Athens Chabad of Greece Jewish Museum of Greece
Mentioned in the episode: The Jews of Thessaloniki, a Once Great Jewish City Sephardic Jews in Eastern Europe and Greece Romaniote Jewish History The Route Saint Paul Followed In Greece 1492 Alhambra Decree Talmud Torah HaGadol The Cooking Accident that Decimated a Jewish Community of 70,000 The Treaty of Lausanne The Nazi Occupation of Greece Aristotle University Built on The Ruins of Jewish Cemeteries Jewish Federations’ National Young Leadership Cabinet Jonah Describes “The Jeremiah Effect” Ladino! Ron Eliran: Folk Songs for Sephardic Jews
Harley Finkelstein Instagram Harley Finkelstein LinkedIn Red Scare How September 11 Affected the U.S. Stock Market Shopify Big Shot Harley Finkelstein weekly Shabbat Shalom post on X Harley Finkelstein’s Article: Canadian Jews are being targeted simply because they are Jewish Heather Reisman Shopify President Makes Good on 18-Year-Old Promise to His Campus Rabbi Tobias Lütke LinkedIn Harley Finkelstein X Jonathan Greenblatt The Right Honorable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau | Former Prime Minister of Canada Samuel Bronfman Bobby Kotick Isadore Sharp Dubai-based Augustus Media pushes Shopify boycott over president’s tweet supporting fair reporting about Israel Gerry Schwartz BJJP Howie Mandel Episode Lindsay Taub (Harley Finkelstein’s spouse) David Segal Hollywood’s Jewish Founders Charles Bronfman: A Lifetime of Giving Jeffrey Katzenberg Barry Diller Lynda Resnick The Merchant Prince: The Man Behind The Gap, Old Navy, and J. Crew | Mickey Drexler Larry Silverstein Deni Avdija becomes 1st Israeli named to NBA All-Star Game
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