"The Biggest Threat to American Jews Are American Jews" — Aija Mayrock

As a young Ashkenazi American Jew, Aija Mayrock believes the biggest threat to American Jews is young Ashkenazi American Jews. On this episode of The Jamie Geller Show, the author, poet, and creator of the viral series "Jews Around the World" sits down with Jamie to trace her journey from a self-described "self-hating Jew" growing up in a town with almost no other Jews, to standing on Columbia's campus on October 7th and hearing protesters claim all Jews are white and come from Poland. Aija explains how that moment sent her to Djerba, Tunisia, two months later to document a 3,000-year-old Jewish community, and how the series grew from there into a global project capturing Jewish life in India, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and beyond. She and Jamie talk about anti-Semitism as a "mind virus," why American Jews had a decades-long "holiday from history," the difference between a Jewish identity built only on trauma versus one built on joy and peoplehood, and the unforgettable stories behind the series, including a Muslim shopkeeper in India who kept a synagogue-adjacent Jewish home alive for his late business partner, and a Tunisian-Jewish boxing champion whose story she stumbled on in an abandoned cemetery. She closes with her advice to young Jews on campus right now who feel scared, confused, or alone. 00:00 – Cold Open: "The Biggest Threat to American Jews" 01:16 – Welcome: Aija Mayrock Joins the Show 01:33 – Growing Up Jewish, From NYC to a Town With No Jews 03:21 – "You Will Always Be a Jew" — Her Father's Warning 04:12 – NYU, Progressive Circles, and Losing Friends Over Israel 07:37 – Anti-Semitism as a Reminder of Who We Are 08:10 – America's "Holiday From History" 10:48 – Trauma Without Joy: A Broken Jewish Identity 12:29 – How It Started: Feeding Holocaust Survivors in Brooklyn 14:37 – The Story Behind the Name "Aija Mayrock" 16:44 – October 7th at Columbia and the "White Colonizer" Lie 17:21 – Controversial Take: Young Ashkenazi Jews as the Real Risk 20:26 – Tunisia: Djerba and Anti-Semitism as a "Mind Virus" 26:01 – Global Stories: India's Jewish-Muslim Bond and a Boxer Lost to Auschwitz 33:28 – Her Vision for the Series and Advice to Young Jews ________________________ Jamie Geller is the Chief Communications Officer and Global Spokesperson for Aish. As a key member of Aish's senior executive team, she brings extensive experience in building a media empire that influences millions daily. An award-winning producer, eight-time bestselling author, and media and marketing executive, Jamie’s career spans renowned networks including HBO, CNN, and the Food Network, where she earned numerous awards as a producer and marketing executive. Follow Jamie on social media for regular new uploads and updates: Instagram:   / jamiegeller   TikTok:   / jamiegeller.com   YouTube:    / @jamiegeller   LinkedIn:   / jamie-geller   Web: https://jamiegeller.com/