All About Change

Kaila Yu: Challenging Stereotypes and Defetishizing Asian Women

Kaila Yu lived many lives before she decided to write a memoir. As an actress, musician, and import model, Kaila learned firsthand about all the ways it is challenging to be Asian American, particularly as a woman. But she didn’t write about that experience until seeing her fellow Asian Americans attacked and vilified in 2020. Now a travel, food and culture writer, she has released a memoir titled Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty. In this book of essays, Kaila challenges the pressures Asian American women face to perform for the white male gaze and details some of the history surrounding that social pressure. With Fetishized, Kaila is shining a bright light on a specific prejudice in our country and I am excited to amplify that light with our conversation today. Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:31 How has Kaila’s memoir been received in the Asian American community? 2:52 A brief history of the fetishization of Asian women in America 11:43 Who was the intended audience for Kaila’s memoir? 15:23 Becoming an activist wasn’t part of Kaila’s plan 19:05 We are in a golden age for healthy Asian representation in American culture 21:42 The full scope of Kaila’s activism 25:48 Outro and Goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠https://www.walmart.com/ip/Find-Your-Fight-Make-Your-Voice-Heard-for-the-Causes-That-Matter-Most-Hardcover-9781963827071/10817862336

Jeffrey Marsh: The Joyful Activism of Self-Love and Gender Identity

For nearly two decades Jeffrey Marsh has been a representative and advocate for LGBTQ people of all stripes. Whether on Vine, Tik Tok or Instagram, Jeffrey has built success on simple videos helping straight and LGBTQ people attain a lasting sense of peace and self-compassion.  Jeffrey is the first non-binary person  to sign a book deal with any “Big 5” publisher worldwide, and they have since written two books, “How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life” and “Take Your Own Advice: Learn to Trust Your Inner Voice and Start Helping Yourself.” Jay and Jeffrey explore the anxiety in wanting to do right by other people, the different valences of Jeffrey’s advice to the LGBTQ community and much more. Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:12 The physical feeling of anxiety 4:50 How should parents think about Jeffrey’s estrangement from their family 7:30 How has LGBTQ activism changed during Jeffrey’s career in activism 8:45 The hateful practice of demonizing other people 16:12 Internal vs external activism 19:29 The power in living a joyful life 23:31 Self-help when your trouble is caused by other people 24:59 Outro and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at https://www.walmart.com/ip/Find-Your-Fight-Make-Your-Voice-Heard-for-the-Causes-That-Matter-Most-Hardcover-9781963827071/10817862336

Alex Ryvchin: The resilience of Australian Jewry

Alex Ryvchin is co-Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the author of internationally acclaimed books of history and politics, and a best-selling children’s author. Over the past twelve years he has been a fierce advocate for the Australian Jewish community and Israel. His advocacy and writing has seen him recognised as Australian of the Year for 2024 by The Australian newspaper, as one of 25 global Jewish visionaries by The Jerusalem Post and ranked 38th in the Daily Telegraph’s  Power 100 for 2024. He is the recipient of the 2025 B’nai B’rith Human Rights Award, and I’m so excited to have him on the show today.   Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:09 What are the unique needs of the Australian Jewish community? 3:57 How have Australia’s holocaust survivors been managing? 6:10 Recent attacks on Jewish Australians 9:57 Jewish Australia’s greatest allies 17:10 Jewish Australia’s biggest achievements 19:18 Alex’s career as a young leader 23:32 Alex’s family of refuseniks 25:12 Hope for the future of Australian Jewry 26:51 Outro and Goodbye For video episodes, watch on⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation⁠⁠⁠ Stay in touch: X:⁠⁠⁠ @JayRuderman⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠ @RudermanFdn⁠⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠ Jay Ruderman⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠ All About Change Podcast⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠⁠⁠ To learn more about the podcast, visit⁠⁠⁠ https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/⁠⁠⁠ Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jayruderman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Jonah Platt: 'Being Jewish' in Hollywood and Ending the "Bad Jew" Myth

"Bad Jews." It’s a label thrown around all too often, deepening divides and alienating those seeking connection. For actor, advocate, and podcaster Jonah Platt, it’s time to retire the term and focus on what actually strengthens the Jewish community: radical inclusivity. In this episode, the host of the award-winning Being Jewish with Jonah Platt podcast joins Jay to discuss his journey from the stage to becoming a leading voice for Jewish pride. They dive into the complex history of Jews in Hollywood—exploring why authentic representation remains a struggle—and why "coloring outside the lines" is the best way to build modern Jewish institutions. Plus, Jonah breaks down his "Mosaic Shabbat" initiative and shares details on his upcoming film, The Mensch. Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:33 Being Jewish with Jonah Platt’s successful first season 3:04 Are Jews in Hollywood comfortable being outwardly Jewish? 11:35 The value of accurate Jewish culture in TV and film 17:04 Why are Jews calling other Jews “Bad Jews” 21:38 Balancing making new Jewish projects and investing in classic Jewish institutions 25:18 Jonah’s next project, The Mensch 28:52 Goodbye and Outro  For video episodes, watch on⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation⁠⁠ Stay in touch: X:⁠⁠ @JayRuderman⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ @RudermanFdn⁠⁠ LinkedIn:⁠⁠ Jay Ruderman⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠ All About Change Podcast⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠⁠ To learn more about the podcast, visit⁠⁠ https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/⁠⁠ Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jayruderman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

AJ Edelman: The National Mission of an Olympic Athlete

There is a notion that observant Jews don’t have a chance to be professional athletes. The notion that Shabbat is an impediment and a sheer lack of role models make it hard for young athletes to find their way to elite sport. AJ Edelman is one of the trailblazing athletes working to change those conditions. Without any of the supports offered by the classic winter-olympic pipeline, he taught himself the dangerous art of skeleton from watching YouTube videos and went on to compete for Israel in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Since then, he has built out the Israeli bobsledding program, recruiting athletes and sponsors, and pushing his team to reach the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Jay and AJ discuss the challenging logistics of building an Olympic program from scratch, and the unique set of restrictions and responsibilities AJ feels as a chosen representative of the State of Israel. Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation. Episode Chapters 0:00 Intro 2:35 How AJ became a sled athlete and chose Skeleton and Bobsled 9:14 Has AJ always wanted to be an advocate for the Jewish people? 12:04 AJ loves to inspire the next generation 14:50 Activism as a national athlete 18:35 How do other athletes relate to AJ’s activism? 22:52 How do fans relate to AJ’s activism? 24:53 Campaigns to bar Israel from international athletic competition 29:27 What would making the 2026 Olympics mean to AJ and Israel 32:49 Outro and goodbye For video episodes, watch on⁠ ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation⁠ Stay in touch: X:⁠ @JayRuderman⁠ |⁠ @RudermanFdn⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ Jay Ruderman⁠ |⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠ Instagram:⁠ All About Change Podcast⁠ |⁠ Ruderman Family Foundation⁠ To learn more about the podcast, visit⁠ https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/⁠ Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.jayruderman.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.