The Schmooze Podcast

The Schmooze Podcast Calgary’s weekly Jewish community podcast.

Events, conversations, and stories from across Jewish Calgary — all in one warm, welcoming place.
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06/18/2026

A Thought Don'd on Me

What if the Arabs of 1947 had accepted partition instead of believing they could destroy the new Jewish state through war?

Israel would have been a much smaller country. Roughly 850,000 Mizrahi and Sephardic Jews may never have been expelled from Arab countries and absorbed into Israel.

Instead, the war forged Israel's identity through survival. It forced the country to focus on military strength, economic resilience, and technological innovation. Over time, Israel became a regional superpower.

Which raises an uncomfortable question:

Was the real Nakba not Israel's creation... but the catastrophic miscalculation that war could prevent it?

🎙️ A new Thought Don'd on Me.

06/18/2026

We're grateful to see CIJA sharing our recent conversation with Gustavo Zentner and Dr. Brian Schwartz about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' upcoming *Palestine Uprooted* exhibit.

One of the reasons we wanted to have this conversation is that the debate extends well beyond a single exhibit.

It raises questions about:

🏛️ The role of national institutions

📚 How contested history should be presented

⚖️ The balance between narrative and historical context

🤝 Public trust in publicly funded organizations

Some listeners will agree with the concerns raised in this episode.

Others will disagree.

That's okay.

Our goal isn't to tell people what to think.

Our goal is to provide context, perspectives, and source material so listeners can make up their own minds.

🎙️ Full episode available here:
YouTube: https://youtu.be/SyrISbXNTP4?si=ILdUJy-uTe_Mkyah
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qhvL54L7OV1l8qjpbQpiH?si=2a0e786619aa47f2
What responsibility do you think museums have when presenting contested history?

06/18/2026

NEW SCHMOOZE CLIP

"You have to tell the truth. There is such a thing as historical truth."

In our recent discussion on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' upcoming Palestine Uprooted exhibit, Dr. Brian Schwartz argues that public institutions have a responsibility to present history honestly and completely, especially when dealing with contested events.

One of the most interesting parts of our conversation explored the original meaning of the term Nakba, how historical narratives evolve, and why context matters.

Whether you agree with Brian's conclusions or not, the broader question is worth considering:

Are public institutions responsible for presenting facts, narratives, or both?

Watch the clip below.

🎧 Full episode:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qhvL54L7OV1l8qjpbQpiH?si=r0f_2Mg_QxW8jH8ePFS63w

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-28-schmooze-with-gustavo-zentner-and-dr/id1858413356?i=1000772708038

YouTube: https://youtu.be/SyrISbXNTP4?si=Epv-jT-LrQT2xXQ6

06/17/2026

*NEW* A Shore Thing

Last year, Canada laid out conditions for recognizing and supporting a future Palestinian state.

Those conditions included:

▪️ Democratic reforms
▪️ Elections without Hamas participation
▪️ Demilitarization

Reasonable requirements.

There's just one problem.

None of them happened.

Yet this week Canada announced another $100 million in funding, bringing total Canadian commitments to roughly half a billion dollars.

So what happened to the conditions?

In this second edition of A Shore Thing, Jared Shore takes a closer look at Canada's Palestinian funding commitments, the role of international organizations, and the growing gap between stated policy and actual policy.

🎧 Watch now and let us know what you think.

06/16/2026

A thought Don'd on us.

After recording with Gustavo Zentner and Dr. Brian Schwartz about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' upcoming Nakba exhibit, Don found himself wondering:

What if many conversations about Israel aren't really about Israel at all?

What if Israel has become the vehicle through which Western societies process their own colonial guilt?

We explore that idea in Don's latest Substack:

The West Needed a Nakba

📖 Read here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/theschmoozepodcast/p/the-west-needed-a-nakba

Anyway, the thought Don'd on us.

We thought it might Don on you too.

06/15/2026

🏛️ IF YOU WANT FEELINGS, THERE'S THEATRE.

IF YOU WANT FACTS, GO TO A NATIONAL INSTITUTION.

In this clip from our latest episode, Gustavo Zentner, from CIJA, discusses why many members of Winnipeg's Jewish community became concerned about the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' upcoming Palestine Uprooted exhibit.

His argument isn't about whether difficult stories should be told.

It's about whether a publicly funded national institution has an obligation to present contested history fairly, transparently, and in accordance with its mandate.

Do you agree?

🎧 Watch the clip below and join the conversation.

Full episode available now:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qhvL54L7OV1l8qjpbQpiH?si=r0f_2Mg_QxW8jH8ePFS63w
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-28-schmooze-with-gustavo-zentner-and-dr/id1858413356?i=1000772708038
YouTube: https://youtu.be/SyrISbXNTP4?si=Epv-jT-LrQT2xXQ6

🏛️ NEW EPISODE: WHEN MUSEUMS TAKE SIDESThe CMHR Nakba ControversyThis may be one of the most important, and frankly, mos...
06/15/2026

🏛️ NEW EPISODE:

WHEN MUSEUMS TAKE SIDES
The CMHR Nakba Controversy

This may be one of the most important, and frankly, most controversial, episodes we've released.

The debate isn't simply about the Nakba.

It's about whether Canadians can trust public institutions to present contested history fairly.

In this episode of The Schmooze, we sit down with Gustavo Zentner (CIJA) and Dr. Brian Schwartz to discuss the Canadian Museum for Human Rights' upcoming Palestine Uprooted exhibit, concerns over transparency, competing historical narratives, public trust, and the responsibilities of national institutions.

We recognize that this is a sensitive and highly contested topic.

Our goal is not to tell listeners what to think.

Our goal is to provide context, perspectives, and source material so listeners can make up their own minds.

We know some listeners will agree with the concerns raised in this episode, and others will disagree.

That's okay.

We encourage everyone to listen, review the source materials, and come to their own conclusions.

🎧 Listen now:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qhvL54L7OV1l8qjpbQpiH?si=r0f_2Mg_QxW8jH8ePFS63w

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-28-schmooze-with-gustavo-zentner-and-dr/id1858413356?i=1000772708038

YouTube: https://youtu.be/SyrISbXNTP4?si=Epv-jT-LrQT2xXQ6

06/14/2026

🎉 A milestone for The Schmooze.

When Jared and I started The Schmooze, our goal was simple: create meaningful conversations, highlight great people, and strengthen our community.

Today, we're excited to welcome our very first official sponsor:

🔥Flavour Factory 🔥

Founded by Richard and Vivian Kantor right here in Calgary, European Flavour Factory has become a 10-time World Champion producer of hot sauces, BBQ sauces, and mustards.

The best part? They're genuinely wonderful people, and stuanch supporters of our community.

I've had the chance to try several of their products, and my personal favourite is their Crossfire Spicy Apple Butter BBQ Sauce. I recently used it on a batch of wings and they were absolutely phenomenal.

They've also got some incredible products with names like:

🌶️ Dillcula
🌶️ Revenge of the Cobra Chicken
🌶️ Shady Business

With Stampede season around the corner, there's never been a better time to fire up the BBQ.

As a thank you to Schmooze listeners, Richard and Vivian have provided a special discount:

🎟️ Use code SHMZ20 for 20% off your order

Visit:
👉 FlavourFactory.ca

Thank you to Richard and Vivian for believing in what we're building.

And thank you to everyone who has supported The Schmooze along the way.

This is just the beginning.

06/12/2026

🎙️ Introducing a New Schmooze Segment

One of the goals of The Schmooze has always been to help our community make sense of the stories shaping the world around us.

Our long-form interviews give us the opportunity to go deep. The Schmooze Between... allows us to unpack major issues together.

But sometimes a story breaks that can't wait for a full episode.

That's why we're launching a new recurring segment:

🎤 A Shore Thing with Jared Shore

A Shore Thing is Jared's quick take on the headlines that matter most.

In just a few minutes, he'll cut through the noise, highlight what people may be missing, and offer context on the stories impacting our community, our country, and our values.

No long introductions.

No hour-long discussions.

Just one story, one perspective, and one Shore Thing you should know.

Here's the first edition.

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+14038639700

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