Episode 70: How to Win Against Antisemitism with Yirmeyahu Yosef

I wanted to share a conversation with Yirmeyahu Yosef—host of That Jewish Podcast—that beautifully illustrates how Jewish identity can be chosen, embraced, and lived with profound conviction.Yirmeyahu grew up Christian in rural Carbondale, Illinois, where Charlton Heston as Moses and Fiddler on the Roof were his only references to Judaism. Raised in the Church of God in Christ, he attended a Christian college in Memphis where his questions about scripture contradictions went unanswered. At 32, he left the church entirely and began a two-year conversion process with Rabbi Joel Finkelstein. He, his wife Chanah, and their three daughters compressed everything a Jewish child learns from age three to bar mitzvah into intense weekly sessions. A year ago, they completed conversion and even remarried in a Jewish ceremony with all three kids present.Now at Nike, Yirmeyahu navigates coworker questions about why he doesn't eat in the cafeteria or work Saturdays. He's open about his journey. His podcast, "That Jewish Podcast," evolved from personal spiritual journey into combating antisemitism through education. His philosophy: the biggest weapon against antisemitism is an educated Jewish person who knows their identity so deeply that no one can take it from them.What struck me most was his conviction that being Jewish is easier than converting—because now his future is in his hands, not waiting for approval. He chose Jewish day school for his daughters before even completing conversion because he understood its power in forming identity. As someone who deliberately chose this path, his perspective that Jewish education is about building the confidence kids need to face the world proudly knowing exactly who they are.