Broadway Legend Tovah Feldshuh on a Lifetime of Playing (and Defending!) Iconic Jewish Women
Being Jewish with Jonah PlattShow Notes
What does it mean to be unapologetically Jewish in an industry that has often encouraged people to hide their identity?
This week, Jonah sits down with legendary actress Tovah Feldshuh, the four-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Emmy nominee whose extraordinary career has brought some of history's most iconic Jewish women to life, from Golda Meir and Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Yentl.
Fresh off her role as the fiercely protective and controversial Bina Rockloff on Netflix's Nobody Wants This, Tovah opens up about the backlash surrounding her character, accusations of Jewish stereotypes, and why she believes Bina represents something far more meaningful than audiences might realize.
But the conversation goes well beyond Hollywood. Tovah and Jonah tackle the alarming rise of antisemitism, the aftermath of October 7, the importance of Israel's survival, and why she refuses to soften her Jewish identity to make others comfortable.
Tovah also reflects on her experience starring in the groundbreaking 1978 miniseries Holocaust, her deeply personal connection to Golda Meir, her family's immigrant history, and the remarkable decision to embrace a more recognizably Jewish name at a time when so many performers were doing the opposite.
From Hollywood controversies and Jewish representation to courage, survival, and the responsibility of passing Jewish identity to the next generation, this is a passionate, funny, and unfiltered conversation with a woman who has spent her life refusing to be anyone but herself.
Because for Tovah Feldshuh, being Jewish isn't something to hide. It's something to stand up for. MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
01:30 Playing Bina on Nobody Wants This: Jewish Mothers, Stereotypes & Survival
08:30 Jewish Identity, Golda Meir & Speaking Out Against Antisemitism
25:00 A Lifetime in Hollywood: Yentl, Ruth Bader Ginsburg & Holocaust
42:10 From Terry Sue to Tovah: Embracing Her Jewish Name & Identity
51:05 Portraying Iconic Jewish Women, Jewish Pride & the Power of Legacy
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Learn more about Tovah Feldshuh:
Tovah’s Website
Tovah’s Instagram
Tovah’s Facebook
CREDITS: Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producer: Jonah Platt, Supervising Producer: Alex Alcheh, Associate Producer: Rachel Stern, Head of Operations: Josie Rothschild, Operations Associate: Emma Webb, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associate: Sasha Fiora, Chief of Staff: Abbe Feder, Production Intern: Tova Benarroch, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editors: Gray Clevenger, Geoff McGee. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
Thanks to Birthright, the Presenting Title Sponsor of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt - Season 3 https://birthrightisrael.foundation/donate
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