A Harvard student interviewed dozens of Jewish change-makers. Here’s his takeaway
For ‘Voices of Impact,’ podcast host Isaac Ohrenstein speaks with the Jewish world’s most impactful personalities. With mic turned on him for a change, he shares his experiences
Reporter at The Times of Israel
NEW YORK — Isaac Ohrenstein recalled feeling just a little bit starstruck when he sat down to interview Dr. Einat Wilf in her Tel Aviv apartment this past January. He couldn’t quite believe he had landed Wilf, a former Knesset member and renowned author, as the first guest for his podcast “Voices of Impact.”
Now, over 60 episodes later, the third year Harvard University student and World Jewish Congress-Lauder Fellow said he is still sometimes shocked by the different people he has been able to interview.
Launched in January, under the auspices of the World Jewish Congress, “Voices of Impact” features conversations with leaders and change-makers in the Jewish world from fields such as business and politics to academia and philanthropy. He has sat down with Dr. Yossi Beilin, key negotiator of the Oslo Accords, Mendy Chitrik, chairman of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, and Jane Weitzman, former executive vice president of the Stuart Weitzman shoe company.
“My favorite guests are the ones who are able to touch on all of those fields. I love being able to share the story of these Jewish leaders and I’ve always been fascinated by people who are doing high-impact work,” Ohrenstein said in a video interview with The Times of Israel from his apartment outside of Tel Aviv.
Ohrenstein, who is studying at Tel Aviv University this academic year, said he was glad to return to the region. He continues to do research for the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai, and last summer he worked for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Before that, he worked for Fontainebleau Development in Miami, a real estate and hospitality group.
Born in Washington, DC, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Ohrenstein moved to New York when he was a sophomore in high school. After graduation from SAR Academy, he took a gap year and studied at a yeshiva in Jerusalem.
It was during that year that Ohrenstein caught the travel bug. Yet, rather than scout out the most Instagrammable vista or meal, he used his excursions primarily as a way to find common ground between Jews and Arabs.
As he traveled throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, he was surprised by what he described as a receptivity to Israel and Jewish people and culture. And while he was surprised to find an “abundance of kosher food” in the UAE, he said Chabad was “a lifesaver” there when it came to a steady supply of kosher food and community.
“As cliché as it sounds, I’ve learned a lot about myself through travel and try to bring those experiences to my conversations,” Ohrenstein said.
The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The Times of Israel: Aside from that first episode with Einat Wilf, who are some of the other podcast guests that made you feel a little starstruck?
Isaac Ohrenstein: Someone like Rabbi David Wolpe. Me and other students have been in a Harvard pro-Israel group chat with him since just after October 7, but to speak with him one-on-one and hear his insights in person was remarkable. He’s such a thoughtful person.
Really just being able to speak one-on-one for 45 minutes to an hour with all of these incredible Jewish leaders who have done these amazing things is special. I’m so appreciative that I’ve had this opportunity to share some of these stories with people.
What are some other standout episodes for you?
Ambassador Gordon Sondland was so interesting, and my episode with Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, who talked about his consultations with the Turkish embassy to figure out how to safely transport the last Jew in Afghanistan [Zablon Simintov] to Israel.
You’ve said you felt safer traveling as a Jew in some Arab countries than in Europe. Can you expand on that?
I’ve spent a lot of time in the Middle East. Each trip was intense, whether trying to meet with people who have a business and political perspective or talking to everyday people. You can learn a lot about a culture and a society from, say, the person selling fruit on the corner that sees people walking by on the streets every day. I’ve kind of grown up in the aftermath of the Abraham Accords and it’s a particularly exciting time to be in school and traveling and seeing this new world of opportunity. I keep thinking about what is the next opportunity, what will normalization look like in the future.
How has this shaped your views?
My perspective has always been it’s all about building relationships and partnerships on things we have in common, inside and outside Jewish spaces. Everyone wants to live a good life and cares about their family and so forth. The more I can sort of put a face as a Jewish American, as a student, as someone who is involved in Jewish communal affairs, that sort of builds those bridges.
All too often we read these stories in the media, and we’ve seen this on campus especially. People are reading these things about what is happening in the Middle East and so much of the world is so hard to understand without lived experience, so I try to build my own ideologies based on personal experience.
I also read lots of news from Arab countries, from Al Jazeera to Al Arabiya. There are things we disagree with, but I think it’s important to read them.
You mentioned you like to visit bookstores while you travel to see what people are reading. Anything in particular surprise you?
I worked in Dubai this past summer for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. I was very surprised to see at the airport a book on the Holocaust. I don’t remember the title, but I was very surprised to see it there.
Going back to the idea of finding common ground, you’ve had conversations with Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer and Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matthew Brooks. They are diametrically opposed politically, but did you discover any area where the two might have some common ground?
Their passion for what they do. These are people who fundamentally believe they are doing good for America, for Americans, for Israel in some cases, and for Jewish society. It’s really inspiring to see them, and many Jews, making an impact in their respective social circles, whether they are Republicans or Democrats.
Harvard has seen a sharp uptick in antisemitism and anti-Israel activism. What has the climate been like for you personally?
Well, of course I’m not there right now, but my involvement with the university has had its ups and downs. Last year was tough.
An interesting thing I’ve noted while doing this podcast is the number of guests who have some affiliation with Harvard. The point is that there was a real wealth of Jewish life at Harvard in the ‘80s and ‘90s; people speak about how the common rooms at Hillel were so vibrant. I think Jewish life on campus feels less vibrant now. There are fewer Jews on campus now, but also the antisemitism is affecting people.
I really hope the university recognizes the gravity of the situation and does more to make Jewish students feel welcome on campus. Still, I don’t believe in the demise of Harvard or American higher education. I think it’s a great university that’s going through a tough spell right now.
