Tensions Transplanted - a new 4-part podcast series

There is no episode of ATA this week, so Dash spoke with Sydney-based radio and podcast producer Rob Kaldor about The Jewish Independent's four-part series Tensions Transplanted (released on 6 September). 

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Hi there , ashamed to Admit listener , it's Dashiell Lawrence here . No podcast this week . My co-host , your third cousin Tammy Sussman , is ridiculously busy speaking at Melbourne Jewish Book Week , hosting workshops at the Sydney Jewish Writers Festival and just generally being a super busy writer and raconteur . So we thought we'd do something a bit different . Tji is about to release a new four-part podcast series called Tensions Transplanted . It's been made by Sydney-based radio and podcast producer , rob Caldor . I took some time early this week to catch up with Rob to find out more about the series and give us all a bit of a sneak peek as to what's coming up during the month of September .

Speaker 2 0:54

Tensions Transplanted . It's a four-part podcast series and it's essentially about how Australia has changed and reacted to things since October 7 , 2023 . Unfortunately , I don't even have to explain what that date means to anyone , but for someone coming out of a coma it's essentially on . October 7 was when the Hamas fighters jumped the fence and started this conflict between Israel , and we're not going to talk too much about that side of the things . It's really more about people's individual stories about how things have changed in Australia . There's been lots of anti-Semitism , we've had things go on at universities and schools and a whole lot of people's personal details were leaked in the word that everyone can now use in context doxxed .

Speaker 1 1:50

And Rob , what motivated you to make this series ?

Speaker 2 1:54

You know it's a tough one . I think it's probably my own personal reaction to the Australia that I've grown up in . I was working as a radio producer two days after October 7th , on October 9th , when there were protest rallies at the Sydney Opera House and I remember while it was happening and then I spoke to a couple of the reporters that were there and I was just shocked On a personal level . I was like hold on , how is a reaction to Israel having this horror happen turned into a protest against them where obscenities were shouted about Jews in Israel ? It went very quickly from you know a protest into a major anti-Semitic incident and I was just shocked .

Speaker 2 2:49

It was also , it felt , like a blight on Australia and the city that I grew up in . So I was really moved and I just couldn't believe it . So I thought one of the things that has occurred to me this whole time over the last sort of 10 or 11 months is there's just not enough talking , there's not enough discourse and there's very little personalization . It's very easy to talk about statistics and what should have happened and history and things like that , but bring it down to how it's affected individual people and everything from their livelihood through to threats on their life . It makes it something that I think should be told Rob .

Speaker 1 3:34

I think we should also mention that the series includes the voices of pro-Palestinian activists . Why did you decide to include those voices ? Because I think it's going to be challenging for some listeners . But a really fundamental part of this series and what you've tried to do with Tensions Transplanted .

Speaker 2 3:54

Absolutely , Look . I think it is essential to talk to all people and all sides of the conflict , both within the Jewish community but also with people outside of the community , to see their perspective on things . And it's easy to get caught up in the vitriol and the propaganda , but what lies beneath that is individual people's personal stories and motivation . So it's up to the listener to evaluate what they see as valid or invalid reasoning , but the personal stories is what's of interest to me .

Speaker 1 4:29

Just briefly tell us about a couple of those voices that we'll hear from , because this is an extension , in some way , of a conversation that you've been having with one particular Palestinian activist .

Speaker 2 4:40

Yeah , look , you're probably referring to a woman I made a podcast with called Hala Abdel-Noir , and she is a Lebanese-Australian but her sort of formative years were in Lebanon and involved her village being bombed by Israeli forces and her migrating to Australia . Her grandfather was killed in these battles , I suppose , and her voice is really interesting because her perspective is obviously not pro-Israel . It's very anti-Zionist on a major level . But to me she comes to it with a perspective of trying to listen and I think that's important . I think it's very easy to write off another perspective , but it's really challenging to try and get into their shoes and their perspectives , to hear where they are coming from , and that's something that she offers to the podcast .

Speaker 2 5:37

But obviously some of the personal stories that really affected me have been . There's one woman I speak to whose psychotherapist decided to cut her treatment after many years when she found out that this person was a Zionist . And people that have lost work . There are families that are broken up . Those are Jewish families with different views . We're used to people having a bit of a brogus within a family , but this is people that cannot speak to each other because of this conflict . I found it very emotional and also , I think , the social media element of it . There's lots of stuff everywhere on social media . Your feed is filled with pro-Israel , anti-Israel , questioning , anti-Semitism and I think , interestingly enough , the word Zionism comes up all the time and I , you know I look into that , because the word Zionism that I grew up with is not the one that people perceive it as now . When I say that I'm a Zionist , it's not just someone that believes Israel has the right of self-determination . When I say that I'm a Zionist , many people view that as an aggressive , genocidal , murdering maniac genocidal , murdering maniac .

Speaker 1 6:58

So you've given us some idea of the people that we can expect to meet over the course of the four episodes that will be coming up throughout September . Anything else that we can expect from this multi-part series .

Speaker 2 7:09

Look , I think it's important that people just do their best to listen with an open mind open ears , definitely , but with an open mind and listen to the different perspectives , because the end goal that I would love the world to do is actually talk to each other . I think there's very few people want this war to continue . I think what we want , though , is the effect not to inhabit our day-to-day lives in Australia , and that's what it seems to be doing . I mean , it's the world of politics . Every day seems to be referencing , you know , the war in Gaza , or Islamophobia , or anti-Semitism , or the Muslim vote , the Jewish vote . It seems crazy . It seems like this should not be part of the daily discourse in Australia , yet it is . So I want people to sort of think about their role , but also just listen with open ears .

Speaker 1 8:10

Well done , Rob . I know it's been a big undertaking , but it's definitely something that we're proud to be launching and sharing with the world as our TJR podcast for this year , in the lead into the October 7th anniversary . The series begins on the 6th of September Friday , the 6th of September and each episode will be uploaded every Friday during September . Timber Arrested me confiscated flag . We're being alienated and isolated from services and places that are friendly to people , unless you're a Jew .

Speaker 2 8:46

But I can't stay silent when there's a genocide going on ?

Speaker 1 8:50

No doubt that I felt very exposed . I had family members worried for me and telling me to be careful and advising me to keep my head down .

Speaker 2 9:00

What's happening in the Middle East has landed on our shores . I hope people can see the hope that lies in the shadows , in the places where nothing is black or white . I'm Rob Caldor and this is Tensions Transplanted , a four-part podcast series by the Jewish Independent examining how Australia has changed since that fateful day , october 7 , 2023 .

Speaker 1 9:28

That was just a little sneak peek of Tensions Transplanted a new TJR podcast series that we're releasing on the 6th of September and every Friday during September . The series is produced and hosted by Rob Cowdor and you can find it wherever you get this podcast and any other podcast series . So , as I mentioned earlier , a reason why Tammy's not here this week is she's actually also nominated for a big award , and she's going to hate me saying this . She's nominated for the Inaugural Young Jewish Writers Book Award for her book . So that Happened , but Maybe you Already Knew that . Anyway , when this comes out , we'll know whether or not she got the award . So if you happen to see her around Sydney , you know what to tell her .

Speaker 1 10:16

Okay , and just lastly , we've been getting heaps of feedback from you about the David Baddiel episode . Quite a few of you were saying it was one of our best episodes today . Thank you so much for that positive feedback . We really appreciate it . You know what would really help Tell your friends , share the pod with someone in your networks and let others know about what we're doing here at Ashamed to Admit . Oh , and don't forget , make sure you subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts . That's it for now . I'll catch you again next week with Tammy Sussman on Ashamed to Admit . Thank you .