# 176: He's The DJ I'm The Rabbi, with Rabbi David Mivasair Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCm7sDDQ3_Q Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/jCm7sDDQ3_Q Generated: 2026-01-29T01:31:03.755+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The podcast episode features Rabbi David Mivasair discussing his political and spiritual development, his departure from mainstream Jewish institutions due to his activism, and the work of Connecting Gaza, a direct-aid organization supporting families in Gaza, contrasting this grassroots effort with the perceived ineffectiveness of traditional charity models. **Key Points:** - Rabbi David Mivasair was effectively made persona non grata by Jewish community institutions in Hamilton, Ontario, after the local Jewish Federation held an emergency meeting regarding his arrival. - Mivasair recounts being forced out of his rabbinical contract in Vancouver after a sabbatical because the board replaced itself with members who opposed his subtle critiques of Israel, illustrating a dynamic where reactionary members dictate terms of peace. - Connecting Gaza, the featured charity, operates by establishing direct personal relationships via WhatsApp groups between supporters and families in Gaza, providing life-saving essentials like food and firewood. - Mivasair relates his current work to the concept of 'empathic witnessing' and the historical actions of those who helped Holocaust survivors, stating that Connecting Gaza's direct aid sustains people while massive atrocities occur. - The podcast hosts sarcastically announce a move to CBS, rebranding as 'Good Hasbara' under Barry Weiss, satirizing the commodification of anti-genocide commentary by suggesting they will now confirm their reports as 'true and good' for money. - Mivasair is actively working on Avi Lewis's campaign for the NDP leadership in Canada, believing Lewis offers the 'greatest hope for change' in Canadian politics, despite previously supporting Eve Angler. - Kyrie Irving once donated $25,000 to Mivasair's GoFundMe supporting Gaza relief, demonstrating significant, resource-mobilizing support for Palestine from an independent thinker. **Context:** The episode of the 'Bad Hasbara' podcast, hosted by Matt Leeb and Daniel Matt, features an interview with Rabbi David Mivasair, a Canadian activist, rabbi, and member of Independent Jewish Voices, who discusses his journey away from established Jewish institutional roles due to his outspoken advocacy for Palestinian rights. The conversation touches upon Mivasair's early political development, influenced by figures like Gabor Maté, and contrasts the institutional resistance he faced with the direct, person-to-person aid model employed by the charity Connecting Gaza. ## Detailed Analysis The podcast opens with hosts Matt Leeb and Daniel Matt joking about their unstable identities and the perceived contributions of Israel (USB drives, Israeli salad) before introducing the sponsor, Connecting Gaza, an organization directly funding Palestinian families in Gaza for essentials like food and water. The main segment pivots to Rabbi David Mivasair, who details how he was marginalized and eventually forced out of his rabbinical positions in Vancouver and subsequently in Hamilton because his efforts to build relationships with Palestinians and critique Israeli policy were deemed too controversial by established Jewish federations, who prioritize maintaining 'shalom bite' (peace in the house) by silencing dissent. Mivasair explains that he learned from Gabor Maté's advice to focus on intra-Jewish conversations, which he now conducts publicly on the podcast, rejecting the idea that he abandoned institutions, asserting instead that they 'kicked us out.' The discussion transitions to Canadian politics, where Mivasair endorses Avi Lewis's campaign for NDP leadership as a significant opportunity for political change, despite his prior support for Eve Angler. Finally, Mivasair passionately advocates for Connecting Gaza, emphasizing its model of direct, personal relationships through WhatsApp groups with Gazan families, contrasting this 'empathic witnessing' and direct mutual aid—which he says saved lives analogous to those who helped Holocaust survivors—with traditional charity that often serves the virtue signaling of the powerful; he notes that Kyrie Irving once donated $25,000 to this fund. ### Podcast Structure and Satire - Hosts discuss their fluid identities and potential move to CBS under Barry Weiss to form 'Good Hasbara,' satirizing the commodification of political commentary and the concept of selling out for financial gain - The segment also includes a music 'spin' mentioning the late reggae drummer Sly Dunbar and praising Massive Attack as staunch Palestine advocates. ### Rabbi Mivasair's Institutional Conflict - Mivasair recounts being marginalized by the Jewish Federation of Hamilton, who deemed him a supporter of terrorism, and his previous termination in Vancouver because he self-censored too little while trying to maintain a seat at the table. ### The Philosophy of Activism - Mivasair reflects on Gabor Maté's advice to focus on intra-Jewish dialogue, noting that while he used to tiptoe around issues, he now embraces candor, even though he was told never to air 'dirty laundry in public.' ### Canadian Politics Endorsement - Mivasair confirms he is actively working for Avi Lewis's NDP leadership campaign, viewing Lewis as charismatic and effective, capable of changing the NDP and creating a ripple effect in Canadian politics. ### Connecting Gaza - The charity operates through direct funding (raising over a million dollars) and establishing direct personal relationships via WhatsApp groups with families in Gaza, initiated by Gaza-based photojournalist Razak Abdul Jawad al Dreml. ### Moral Framework of Aid - Mivasair frames the work of Connecting Gaza as necessary 'empathic witnessing' and direct support, drawing parallels between sustaining Gazan families today and the individuals who helped survivors during the Holocaust, emphasizing that direct connection has more moral 'protein' than removed charity.