Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

[00:00:00] Jonah Platt: If you've been consuming this show religiously, pun intended, you've come to expect that I'll open with some sort of detailed observation or breakdown of an issue negatively impacting the Jewish community. Today I wanna do something a little different because this week my fellow Americans and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving a holiday that at its best, is meant to foster a spirit of appreciation and generosity.

[00:00:24] Jonah Platt: A reason to sit around the table with our nearest and dearest and to reflect on all the good that we have in a world That can often feel scary or hopeless So in the spirit of that famous pre smallpox community celebration, we remember from so many centuries ago I'd like to focus on the idea of gratitude for as a global community of jews and non jewish allies We truly do have so much for which to be grateful.

[00:00:50] Jonah Platt: While October 7th and its fallout have undoubtedly brought about the darkest time in contemporary Jewish history, the one shining light has been the way it has reignited the [00:01:00] spark of Jewishness in each of us, or as it's called in Yiddish, Dos Pintele Yid. That little point of a Jew, which I learned from author Sarah Hurwitz, who will be on the pod very soon.

[00:01:11] Jonah Platt: Now, this isn't just a gut feeling or an anecdotal experience. There are mountains of hard data, and the data is clear. More Jews feel more Jewish or want to feel more connected to their Jewishness than ever before. Within the Jewish institutional world, they're calling this miraculous phenomenon the surge, which coincidentally was my favorite soda in middle school, so double win.

[00:01:35] Jonah Platt: Bye. The statistics are remarkable. Since October 7th, Jewish community centers, or the JCC as it's commonly known in your neighborhood, have experienced a 25 percent increase in early childhood program enrollment, a 47 percent reported increase in home ritual, and an 86 percent increase in interest around holiday programming.

[00:01:56] Jonah Platt: Hillel International, which acts as the hub for the Jewish community [00:02:00] across college campuses, has seen a 56 percent rise in job applications, while Keshet, a Jewish LGBTQ organization, has seen a 200 percent increase in theirs. Jewish Telegraphic Agency, one of the world's key sources for Jewish news, has seen 20 percent rises in both new viewers and returning.

[00:02:19] Jonah Platt: There's good news for Jewish Gen Zers, too, for a change. The Federation of Jewish Camps saw a 25 percent increase in applications from college age staff. The Shalom Hartman Institute, a pluralistic center for Jewish thought and education, saw a 75 percent increase in applications for their teen fellowship.

[00:02:37] Jonah Platt: Entwine, a program of the Humanitarian Joint Distribution Committee, saw a 368 percent increase in enrollment in their Jewish holiday events for college students abroad. Jewish philanthropy is also soaring. Jewish Federations of North America, led by the efforts of my mother, Julie, have raised over 850 million to date for their Israel Emergency [00:03:00] Campaign, funding dozens of on the ground initiatives in support of the Israeli people.

[00:03:04] Jonah Platt: The American Jewish Committee, or AJC, had their biggest fundraising year ever. And Federation's National Young Leadership Cabinet, of which I became a part this past fall, saw a 25 percent increase in applicants, and an increase in gift size by an average of 800 per person. My favorite stat, however, is this one.

[00:03:25] Jonah Platt: The Miller Intro to Judaism program, of which I am a board member, provides a comprehensive, foundational Jewish education for anybody Jewish, Jew ish, or Jew curious. Since October 7th, we've seen a 71 percent increase in enrollment. We have thousands of students online, as well as in person classes across the globe from Alabama to South Korea.

[00:03:48] Jonah Platt: The demand has gotten so huge, they had to create an AI chatbot to handle all the incoming communication. If you want to get in on some of that booming philanthropy, this would be a good place to do it. [00:04:00] Another bright spot worth highlighting, at least from what many of you have told me, Is this podcast and really not just the podcast alone, but the community around the show that we are all creating together Me my vulnerable and insightful guests my unbelievable team without whom none of this would be possible.

[00:04:19] Jonah Platt: And of course To understand the impact we're having together, just listen to some of the incredible comments you've been generous enough to share with me. In a time where it's scary to be visibly Jewish, living in a place with not a lot of Jews, I realized how proud I am to be Jewish. And I love it. I listen to the podcast on my way to school, and it always enriches my day and makes me feel comfort and pride in who I am.

[00:04:45] Jonah Platt: I'm not Jewish, and listening to you makes me better understand what it's like today to be Jewish. You have helped me understand to view things differently than I did a year or two ago. It has been so incredibly healing for me during this incredibly [00:05:00] difficult time. It's given my sister and I something in common to talk about in this political landscape.

[00:05:06] Jonah Platt: I've been struggling a lot this year, and this podcast has really helped me feel connected to the Jewish community in ways that had been difficult for me. Your podcast gives me that feeling of community and belonging I've been missing. I feel more connected, less alone, and more proud to be Jewish every time I listen.

[00:05:28] Jonah Platt: Friends, I am deeply moved by your words. It is I who feel immense gratitude for each of you for allowing me into your homes, and phones, and cars, and earbuds, into your dinner conversations, and private musings, into your minds, and into your hearts. I created this show for you, and to know that it is empowering and educating and comforting you means the world to me.

[00:05:56] Jonah Platt: Truly. Thank you for helping me to find [00:06:00] my life's mission, and for joining me on the journey to accomplish that mission together. My heart is full. I know it's a ubiquitous phrase these days, but its sincerity cannot be denied. And for that, I can do nothing else but give thanks. This is the 11th episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt.

[00:06:49] Jonah Platt: Today I'm sitting down with a person who has achieved success in multiple arenas, literally. He is a co owner of Major League Soccer's Orlando City Soccer Club, Women's League Orlando Pride, [00:07:00] NFL's Minnesota Vikings, set to demolish my beloved Rams at SoFi Stadium tomorrow night, where I will be in attendance for the likely shellacking.

[00:07:09] Jonah Platt: But his most important successes have been his contributions to the Jewish community, for whom he has worked tirelessly as a leader, philanthropist, and Holocaust educator. Jews and sports fans alike, please welcome Mark Wilf. Thanks for having me. So, you are celebrating the 20th season of your family's ownership of the Vikings.

[00:07:27] Jonah Platt: When you took that leap in 2005, were you like, I wonder what year 20 is going to look like, or is it just, let's see what happens.

[00:07:34] Mark Wilf: Well, it was always a great dream of our family to be involved with professional sports and the NFL. We grew up just such big football fans and, uh, to be part of it, you could never even dream the journey we've been on, how incredibly rich it's been, how incredibly, uh, rewarding as far as the people we've met, the experiences we've had.

[00:07:51] Mark Wilf: And so it's been exceeded all our

[00:07:52] Jonah Platt: expectations. So cool. So you bought the franchise for 600 million. It's now valued at over 5 [00:08:00] billion. You have a beautiful stadium, an appreciative fan base, a charitable foundation, and you're tied for first of the highly competitive NFC North. Clearly something about the way you all are approaching this franchise is working extremely well.

[00:08:13] Jonah Platt: How would you categorize your approach and how do your Jewish values play into it?

[00:08:17] Mark Wilf: Well, I would tell you. Ownership in a sports league, and particularly NFL, we view ourselves as stewards of a community asset, a great franchise. Yes, it's a business, but we very much try to have a family atmosphere to it, and we have the greatest fans in Minnesota.

[00:08:32] Mark Wilf: The success is spread around in many ways, and so, um, that's what it's about, and you mentioned Jewish values. Yeah. Uh, being part of a community, uh, being tolerant, being part of social justice and awareness. These are values that the NFL embraces, the Minnesota Vikings, uh, the soccer clubs we're involved with.

[00:08:51] Mark Wilf: The sports platform is very powerful. Yeah, we know that. And, and through that, we can kind of get our values through as far as making sure we can be [00:09:00] good citizens and make sure society can be better for it. Well, that's fantastic.

[00:09:05] Jonah Platt: And I have to ask, what are your predictions for the rest of the NFL season?

[00:09:08] Jonah Platt: How you feeling?

[00:09:09] Mark Wilf: Well, uh, you know, I'll quote commissioner Talley, but when we bought the team 20 years ago, he, he did give us a warning, uh, the ball's not round. And so it takes funny bounces. You never know what to expect. I think that's why people love the NFL. And, uh, you know, When we were kids, we were big Giants fans.

[00:09:29] Jonah Platt: Okay, yeah, Cronin, New Jersey. And, uh,

[00:09:31] Mark Wilf: we would be devastated when the Giants would lose a game. And my dad, who had a lot of wisdom and a lot of experience, would always tell us as kids, after a loss, and we couldn't do our homework, we couldn't muster up the energy, he'd say, you know, things could be worse, guys.

[00:09:44] Mark Wilf: You could be the owners. And so, uh, again, it's a privilege every day. I can't predict the wins and losses. Uh, we love Kweisi, our GM, Kevin O'Connell, who was in L. A., of course, our coach, and all our players and staff, and so [00:10:00] we're hopeful, we're pushing hard for our Viking fans to get a trophy one day, so God

[00:10:04] Jonah Platt: willing, we'll get there.

[00:10:05] Jonah Platt: The Vikings really are a family business. I mean, your brother Ziggy is a co owner, your cousin Leonard's a co owner, your sons and nephew work for the team, and many of the women in your family are on the Vikings Foundation board, including your niece Alana, who I went to college with. I think we actually took sports business together, funny enough.

[00:10:23] Jonah Platt: Uh, worked out more for her than for me. Uh, what does it mean to you to have your entire professional life, both in real estate and in sports, be a family affair from top to bottom? You know,

[00:10:34] Mark Wilf: I come from a family of immigrants. My parents and grandparents all holocaust survivors. So, uh, continuing the family legacy and the family closeness is very important.

[00:10:43] Mark Wilf: And in addition to business, where not everyone is necessarily in the business, being around sports, rooting for a team that we're involved with, as well as philanthropy, has kept the family very close and together. And it's a great thing to experience as a family. So all the, all the relatives you talk about, [00:11:00] all the, that spirit, I think it's something that's a great model.

[00:11:02] Mark Wilf: I think the ownership, groups that we admire the most in sports are often family, uh, business type models. And so that's what the kind of model we emulate. And, and, uh, that's what we've done at the Vikings.

[00:11:14] Jonah Platt: What do you think is special about that? Like, why is that something you admire and sought to emulate that family model?

[00:11:19] Mark Wilf: I think that's kind of how we want to even broaden that to the general staff and our fan base in the community is we try to have a family feel. We make sure our players and our staff and our fans feel part of something larger than themselves. And that can be as, as, uh, as significant as having daycare on game days for our staff or a quiet room where families and fans can, can experience that they might want to have a quiet room for their young children that maybe have, have trouble in a stadium.

[00:11:48] Mark Wilf: So those kinds of things. Those kind of values that emanate from a family type of look at things, I think are a big part of sports ownership. That's fantastic.

[00:11:58] Jonah Platt: My son, who's [00:12:00] five, he gets a little bit overwhelmed by the sound at stadiums. We were literally talking last night.

[00:12:04] Mark Wilf: I can't tell you how many times we've seen multiple generations together attending games.

[00:12:09] Mark Wilf: And that's part of why we Building the stadium and making the training camp everything first class. We wanted to have families to be able to experience it. And if you don't have the best environment, uh, that's not going to be possible. So, uh, we're very proud of that fact. And especially in Minnesota, upper Midwest, you have so many great communities there where football is such a big part of their life.

[00:12:29] Mark Wilf: And, uh, we try to make sure it's, it's a special experience. People are putting their paychecks towards tickets, towards the experiences. I want to make sure it's first

[00:12:36] Jonah Platt: class all the way. So I'm assuming the fact that you all, you know, work together every day, you and your family must have been very close growing up as well, right?

[00:12:45] Mark Wilf: Well, we were, and again, um, we had the model of our parents, uh, for instance, my father and uncle, uh, have had next door houses in New Jersey growing up together. They shared a desk in their office for almost 40 years. Wow. You know, what they went through in, in, in the [00:13:00] war and the Holocaust, they, they, they knew, uh, you know, They lost so much, and what was the remnants of our family, we wanted to make sure they wanted to set the example to be close.

[00:13:10] Mark Wilf: And that's very important, and that's how we can maintain and pass on the values to our next generations.

[00:13:16] Jonah Platt: I mean, that's beautiful. That's what really matters in the end, and that's so nice that you had that example. Were you guys religiously observant growing up?

[00:13:23] Mark Wilf: We grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and we came to a very observant community.

[00:13:29] Mark Wilf: We had Rabbi Pinchas Taitz was a very, uh, strong role model for our family, for many of the Holocaust survivors that came to the New York area, came to the Elizabeth, New Jersey community because of this rabbi. And was he himself a survivor? He was, he was not, but he had a presence. And when they did a lot of the Holocaust builders, they call them the builders.

[00:13:49] Mark Wilf: Many of the Holocaust families were in the real estate business, uh, business. And they gathered around that community, that school. And that's kind of was shaped a lot of the values for our various families. So we grew up [00:14:00] going to an Orthodox temple. Uh, we had varying degrees of observance, I'd say conservative to Orthodox levels.

[00:14:06] Mark Wilf: And so that's how we grew up. And more importantly, it was about having a very strong community, a very strong tie to each other through federation and through other things. And of course, the state of Israel, that was our North star for especially the survivors. They were so proud of the fact that they had a big role in helping build the state of Israel.

[00:14:24] Jonah Platt: These lessons have informed your entire life and your whole value system.

[00:14:30] Mark Wilf: Well, it was a very simple lesson that I still carry with me to this day. Had there been a state of Israel in those days, as opposed to now, the Jewish world, the communal world, and our own family's world would have been very different.

[00:14:43] Mark Wilf: The people and the lives that were lost and the future generations were lost. And what a loss, not just to personally, but to our community, to our Jewish community and to the world at large.

[00:14:53] Jonah Platt: Yeah.

[00:14:54] Mark Wilf: And that's something that I think, um, is, is just drives me every single day.

[00:14:58] Jonah Platt: Let's get into your, your [00:15:00] parents and grandparents a little bit.

[00:15:01] Jonah Platt: How much was their Holocaust story part of your everyday life?

[00:15:07] Mark Wilf: Well, I will tell you this, they were very much, um, I mentioned their love of Israel. Yeah. They had an equally great love, and to this day, of the United States of America. So after their survival, uh, they came to the Birmingham, Alabama Jewish community.

[00:15:24] Mark Wilf: Okay. That community sponsored my parents, and uh, uh, and, and, and the American Golden Medina, the golden country. That was their dream, to come here and to build a life. from that point on. And for us growing up, we were very much pushed to get education, to be part of American society, and to thrive. So we did not spend every day at the dinner table talking about their Holocaust stories and what they went through.

[00:15:52] Mark Wilf: We knew almost intuitively that they went through some tremendous hardships. Every Holocaust survivor family had a different experience. Yeah, of course. But for us, it was [00:16:00] very much, you know, Uh, go to school, go to sporting events, uh, do the things that American kids do and are fortunate to do, and, and, and begin to rebuild a life here in America in the Jewish community and in the community at large that, that we could

[00:16:13] Jonah Platt: thrive.

[00:16:14] Jonah Platt: Was it something they spoke about at all? Or, cause I know some survivors came and they never wanted to speak about it again, and some didn't. Gush about it to anyone who will listen so they can share the story. It's where did your folks? It's a

[00:16:26] Mark Wilf: full spectrum. I would say, uh, they didn't talk too much about the details when we were struggling when we were younger children.

[00:16:32] Mark Wilf: In my own case, I'm the youngest in, in, in, in my own family. And, uh, when I was out of law school in, in, in the mid eighties, um, I was pretty Asking a lot of questions to my dad and my mom, and, uh, we went on a trip to Russia, and, uh, back before when there was still an Iron Curtain, and, uh, we went to Russia and to Poland, and we saw my parents hometowns, and I asked all the questions I learned even in my 20s that I had an aunt who perished in the war, and I had never known that [00:17:00] growing up.

[00:17:00] Mark Wilf: Wow. So something as close as that and as powerful as that was something I only learned later. So, again, everyone had a different experience, but our experience was, uh, thankfully sheltered in a way where we could live our life freely and practice our Judaism and our, and our, and our being part of America in a very

[00:17:16] Jonah Platt: free way.

[00:17:17] Jonah Platt: So you, you mentioned Russia and Poland. Were you, did you have one parent from each? Well, the borders

[00:17:23] Mark Wilf: moved around. It's a complicated history. Uh, my, my father grew up in a small town called Yaroslav, Poland. And, uh, uh, when, when the, uh, uh, the, the Russians And the Germans had a treaty to divide up Poland.

[00:17:36] Mark Wilf: They were in a border area. And eventually they were booted out and eventually made their way to Siberia to a labor camp. And then later to a place not far from Afghanistan, halfway between Japan and Europe to be as far away as possible to live out the war. Wow. So they were never under direct Nazi occupation.

[00:17:54] Mark Wilf: My mother was from Lvov, Poland. And, uh, she had a much more harrowing experience in a way, [00:18:00] um, her, my grandmother, my Babu Miriam, she's one of the heroes and role models of my life, um, they were in the Lvov ghetto, there were 180, 000 Jews in the Lvov ghetto, and my, my mother's family was one of the very few to survive intact as a family unit.

[00:18:16] Mark Wilf: Wow. They escaped the ghetto, uh, my grandmother had Christian papers to work, work papers, So she, along with my mother and uncle, who were little children, went to work on a farm. The farm worker didn't know they were Jewish or she would have turned them into the Germans. Sure. And my grandfather did not have those papers.

[00:18:34] Mark Wilf: And so for two years they worked on that farm and my grandfather was hidden under the floorboards of the barn for those two years. Wow. In the damp. They snuck him in there at some point? Yes, and every night they would bring him food. And in fact, later in the 50s, he passed from, uh, Uh, he got a disease from living that way for those years and, and, and, and during the war.

[00:18:53] Mark Wilf: So, um, kind of experience where, um, really the strength and courage of my grandmother [00:19:00] to make sure that they survived was an hour to hour, minute to minute thing. And so my mother, thank God, who's still living, still, still has those memories and shares and talks about it much more freely, uh, to school kids and others now.

[00:19:12] Mark Wilf: That's

[00:19:12] Jonah Platt: great. It's very powerful. When we talk about children of survivors, even grandchildren, often we talk about inherited trauma. Is that something you

[00:19:21] Mark Wilf: feel you've experienced? I will tell you, uh, myself, my brothers, my cousins, we were so fortunate and all the families that grew up together in northern New Jersey that we all knew each other, had a very rich and wonderful experience.

[00:19:35] Mark Wilf: So we did not, at least that I know, experience that trauma. In fact, in 1980, um, I was just graduating high school and we went to Israel, it was the first gathering ever of Holocaust survivors in Jerusalem. There were over 10, 000 people. Went and I recall going there and there were all kinds of workshops for second generation and psychological trauma and the things you're talking about Mm hmm.

[00:19:58] Mark Wilf: And to me it was like [00:20:00] what is all this stuff? It was really strange to me now. I'm not Diminishing in anyway, it's not people have had all kinds of experiences all kinds of experiences with via their parents or their own experiences And so we were very blessed. Yeah, what

[00:20:14] Jonah Platt: I'm hearing is that sort of the the balm to that trauma is You supportive, close knit family and community and just love and support.

[00:20:24] Mark Wilf: Exactly. And I think, um, we had that strong family connection. And even among our business partners, there was a very, a close spirit of kinship that even to this day exists in many ways. So, uh, that was a, a way for them to survive. They were so busy working to build a life together. They didn't have time, uh, to, to dwell on the things.

[00:20:44] Mark Wilf: Yeah. What they went through and the things, I know my grandmother, I know she didn't go to sleep a single night without thinking about all those horrible stories and the relatives she lost and all that. But for us as young people, it was all about us and they really, um, [00:21:00] were strong and courageous to let us lead the lives we've been

[00:21:02] Jonah Platt: able to lead.

[00:21:03] Jonah Platt: Sound like amazing people. Aside from, obviously, this hugely significant core piece of your Jewish identity, growing up, were there any other programs or places or people that helped you form that sense of Jewish identity?

[00:21:16] Mark Wilf: Well, I think for my family, and my dad in particular, Federation, Jewish Federation, and the institutional community, and Israel Bonds, to build Israel, to build a strong Jewish community, was something very much a part of his life.

[00:21:29] Mark Wilf: He was very active nationally in UJA and raising funds and doing those kind of things. And that was the driving force was about, uh, not just the state of Israel, but also giving to education. That was something very important. And you know, we're very proud of the fact this year we're celebrating the 60th year of our family foundation.

[00:21:47] Mark Wilf: Wow. And as immigrants, only 10 plus years into this country, they had the vision to say, We want to make sure to establish strong communities. So for me growing up, it was about my dad taking me to super Sunday, making phone [00:22:00] calls to raise money. And to help volunteer. Um, it's going in the seventies when there were Russian immigrants coming to our community and helping them with my mom to set up an apartment and to bring them food and welcome them.

[00:22:11] Mark Wilf: So those kinds of experiences made me begin to have a taste of how powerful it is and the fact that we were fortunate in business, beginning to have some success there, but always to give back and making sure less fortunate. And of course the community be strong.

[00:22:26] Jonah Platt: Your parents are Tzadiks. I mean, you're so blessed to have such incredible role model parents.

[00:22:33] Jonah Platt: Absolutely. It's amazing to sort of, you know, see all your success and the man that you are. Clearly so much of it comes from what they instilled in you. It's really beautiful.

[00:22:43] Mark Wilf: Well, not just that, and that's true. No question, we had those role models. And also just cherishing life. Right. You know, what they went through, you know, And how great this country was to them and how blessed we are to have a state of Israel.

[00:22:59] Mark Wilf: [00:23:00] I'm blessed. Okay. It's one generation move, but I have a, a first row seat, if you will, to the fact that there, what happened to their lives. Because what they went through and now what we're blessed to have and yes, we have tremendous struggles now But look at the blessings we have and that's something I try to make sure We try to find the common ground and to find the good things that we can work off of

[00:23:22] Jonah Platt: yeah Your father was the first North American chair of March for the living So first of all, I'd love for my audience to hear from you what that is And also I want to hear how your family became so involved

[00:23:33] Mark Wilf: Like I said, education is a major driver for us in terms of making sure, uh, the future generations.

[00:23:39] Mark Wilf: And we see how, uh, literacy of the Jewish world and, and just current events in general is lacking. So big time. The March Living back, uh, I think it was in the seventies or early eighties. I'm not sure exactly the dates, but he, along with some others were part of the founding group. Wow. And it's, it's a trip with thousands of young people going every year, every other year, sometimes.

[00:23:59] Mark Wilf: going to [00:24:00] Auschwitz, going to the camps to visit and see the horrors that were, and to learn the history of the Holocaust. But the trip concludes with a trip to Israel. Right. So you see the past and you see the future. And so, um, we were blessed even a couple years ago to go, my father passed nine years ago and, um, we dedicated a march in his honor and in his memory a few years back.

[00:24:25] Mark Wilf: And just to see how the strength of that there are now future generations, of course, millions and millions of lives were extinguished and the future generations that would have come with. But now we have young people that love Israel, that are Jewishly educated, they're Jewishly minded. And that gives everybody hope.

[00:24:44] Mark Wilf: I think that's great for not just the Jewish community, but also, like I said, for society in general, that out of the ashes can be positivity, can be growth, and can be hopefulness.

[00:24:54] Jonah Platt: Yeah. What did it mean for your dad to have survived those horrors? And then, you know, become the leader [00:25:00] of bringing people back to understand them.

[00:25:02] Jonah Platt: I mean, that's, that's a pretty amazing arc. My father was a very humble

[00:25:05] Mark Wilf: man, and he was all about getting to work to do the, to do those things. So, uh, for him, it was no choice. We had to have. All the things that he helped to build, including, for instance, Yad Vashem. Yes. That every world leader, every person that can, millions and millions of people, can learn.

[00:25:25] Mark Wilf: Not just about the Holocaust, but the lessons it teaches about humanity and tolerance. These horrific, uh, Events and the uniqueness of the holocaust happened with very small steps in the beginning, right? And those small steps led to very horrible things and that's why we have to be very mindful and not take

[00:25:42] Jonah Platt: anything for granted No doubt.

[00:25:44] Jonah Platt: So speaking of Yad Vashem, your family is the single largest supporter of Yad Vashem Which is the amazing Holocaust Museum in Israel I mean that speaks volumes to me that you support it in that way But tell me in your words, you know what that means to you and what it means to [00:26:00] have built yourselves up from nothing to come to the position where you're able to make such a significant contribution that's so important to your family, and as you said, you know, the global community.

[00:26:11] Mark Wilf: Well, for those of you viewers who've been, I'm sure it's not so hard to explain, but those who haven't, I urge every person in humanity to go to that Yad Vashem if they have the opportunity to do so. And so everyone who comes to Israel, that's, that's almost an automatic. And again, it goes back to the North Star in my personal life.

[00:26:27] Mark Wilf: is that what the world would have been like back then had there been a state of Israel. And what's powerful about the museum is, and all the experience I've had around that is, how their life was before the war. I grew up in America, in a nice neighborhood, nice schools, and my parents had the same experiences.

[00:26:47] Mark Wilf: They were in Poland, my mother's father had a lumber business, they were successful, they led their life. And so there are a lot of similarities to have a, a nice life in Diaspora. And that's [00:27:00] how the Holocaust story Yad Vashem is told. And then you go through the horrors, and then you see the light of Israel.

[00:27:07] Mark Wilf: Exactly. And each step, and then, but then at the end, of course, the tragedy, the millions and millions murdered, six million Neshamas that are lost forever, and what that would have led to. But then afterwards, to see the state of Israel, something that was built out of those ashes. And, uh, it's a very powerful arc.

[00:27:25] Jonah Platt: Yeah. And

[00:27:26] Mark Wilf: it's something, it's just a great reminder in education. So we're very proud of our involvement with Yad Vashem, as I know many people

[00:27:32] Jonah Platt: are. Yeah. Speaking of, uh, Holocaust education, uh, a 2020 survey across all 50 states found that nearly a quarter of people between ages 18 and 39 think the Holocaust was either exaggerated or didn't happen at all.

[00:27:46] Jonah Platt: First of all, what does it feel like to even hear that?

[00:27:50] Mark Wilf: It just reminds me of the fact that every generation has to be taught from scratch. It's, um, it's on us. [00:28:00] Uh, I don't necessarily blame the young people, but I blame the grown ups in the room, and it's incumbent on all of us. And when we talk about mandatory Holocaust education and, and doing the tours and visits, and we're very proud.

[00:28:13] Mark Wilf: In fact, in the sports world, we bring a group of young. High schoolers from Minnesota every year to the African American Museum and the Holocaust Museum, and to learn about these histories and to become better educated about what it means to be a good citizen and to care for each other. So I hear those stats and of course it's troubling, but it, it reinvigorates us all as it should be reinvigorates me to do more and listen, October 7th.

[00:28:41] Mark Wilf: Um, The statistics of young people becoming more interested in learning and finding out what's going on in the world. Jewish, you mentioned young Jewish people, I think there, there, there's been a real renaissance of people wanting to learn more about their history. Yeah. About their identity, to [00:29:00] volunteer.

[00:29:01] Mark Wilf: to do what they can because it's very real to the next generation. And I think it's a wake up call for all the next generation to, uh, to, to do more.

[00:29:10] Jonah Platt: You're incredibly involved with the Jewish community. We've already talked about a number of things and a number we haven't even talked about. You're former president of the Federation of Greater Metro West.

[00:29:20] Jonah Platt: the immediate past chair of the Board of the Jewish Federations of North America, a post my mother now holds. Shout out to Julie. Um, and you're now the chair. Thank you, Julie. Yeah. Thank you, Julie. Uh, and you're now the chair of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. I mean, holy shit. Like, do you eat?

[00:29:35] Jonah Platt: Do you sleep?

[00:29:37] Mark Wilf: Well, like I said, it, it, it's, um, I just have, again, I was surrounded by role models that never really just, they just did. Right. And I try my best to do our part. And like I said, you mentioned the Jewish Agency for Israel. Yeah. Um, really part of the founding of the State of Israel and the largest beneficiary of American Jewish community.

[00:29:58] Mark Wilf: Uh, dollar wise and, and [00:30:00] people wise and so, we do some incredible things, um, we've, since October 7th for instance, we have a victim of terror fund, and within 48 hours of anybody in Israel having a terrorist attack, there's a check delivered from the Jewish community worldwide to say, We're thinking about you.

[00:30:19] Mark Wilf: This will help you get back on your feet and then beyond. Wow. And this doesn't necessarily go to Jewish people. Any victim of terror, whether it's Jews, Christian, Muslim, Israeli, um, so, so we're very proud of that. And the fact is for the last 30 years since the fund happened, there were 10, 000 recipients, uh, for this fund in the, in the year since October 7th.

[00:30:41] Mark Wilf: That has doubled over 10, 000 families just in this past year receiving those funds Thousands of them needing three four years of rehabilitation Mental counseling all the rest. So that's one point of light another point of light 1, 500 Israelis came this past summer. I know summer camp is something you're passionate about [00:31:00] big time and your family 1, 500 campers came from Israel to North America Many of them, some of them were, uh, hostages.

[00:31:08] Mark Wilf: Wow. And they came the summer for respite, for an experience to be bonded with the Jewish community, and they came to summer camps all across North America. So, these kind of things, building a community and making us stronger is very powerful.

[00:31:21] Jonah Platt: Can you talk specifically about that? your work with the Jewish Agency for Israel with Ukrainians over the past couple years?

[00:31:27] Mark Wilf: I'll tell you one powerful story. Um, my dad, I grew up in Yaroslav, like I said, and there's a small border town between Poland and Ukraine, Medica. And, and in there, we went, a few weeks after the war began, we went to the border crossing and thousands and thousands of refugees, Jewish, non Jewish, the rest were coming in.

[00:31:49] Mark Wilf: And the very first thing, I mean, back then, um, My father, my parents, nobody in the world cared about them. They were refugees. No one [00:32:00] gave a darn about the Jewish people. Yeah. And here it is, 80 years later, and the very first flag at that border is a Mag and David, an Israeli flag. There's a care center, the Jewish Agency, the Joint, were all there to greet these refugees.

[00:32:16] Mark Wilf: to help them on their way, to help them find refuge. And that's a very powerful thing to all of us should be proud of. Yeah. Is that when you talk about the work going on in Ukraine and even Ethiopia, I was going to get to Ethiopia, you know, these are communities that are Um, Forlorn, uh, affected, I mean people don't realize since October 7th, there have been over 30, 000 Olim immigrants coming to Israel.

[00:32:39] Mark Wilf: During a war, during a time when missiles are flying over their heads. So there's a, there's a great, uh, yearning for having that haven, even with everything going on. And we talk about the Ethiopian community. Yeah. Uh, we brought over many, many thousands. Operation Solomon, Operation Moses over the years.

[00:32:56] Mark Wilf: And only recently we just concluded, uh, Operation, uh, [00:33:00] Tzri Israel, and it brought another few thousand. So now there's the last remnants of the Ethiopian community. We still take care of them in Ethiopia. And hopefully there'll be some more coming in, particularly family reunification. That's something very important where parents and children or siblings are separated to bring the remnant remnants of this community to Israel.

[00:33:21] Jonah Platt: You and your Vikings ownership group have been totally unapologetic in your Jewish advocacy, which I just really want to commend you for. First of all, it doesn't go unnoticed. I mean, let's start with the holidays. So the Vikings and the Orlando City Instagram, they commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day and all the other Jewish holidays.

[00:33:38] Jonah Platt: I mean, you got pictures of Hanukkiyot and Yom Kippur in Hebrew. What does that mean to you to be able to use a major platform like that to normalize Jewish life? And what has the response been to it?

[00:33:49] Mark Wilf: Well, it's been very positive, but in all fairness, uh, we recognize all the holidays. I know, I was going to mention that.

[00:33:56] Mark Wilf: All the commemorations from every religion and every, uh, because the [00:34:00] beautiful thing about sports. And the arts have it and others, but sports bring people together. And that's so powerful. And I really work very hard in the boardrooms of any, these leagues or any committees to make sure that the lines inside the boundaries Our politics free zones as much as we can have them.

[00:34:20] Mark Wilf: Right. And try to have themes that we can all rally around. And most importantly, to love the game itself, because that brings us together. And so, um, you know, when it came to October 7th, for instance, Yeah. Uh, when we made a moment of silence for the victims and the hostages, that was something we just felt was so important, because I think, Every nationality was affected by that tragedy, by that massacre.

[00:34:43] Mark Wilf: So those kinds of things, um, we're proud of. And again, but we're, we, we recognize we're part of a larger world. And so we bring our Jewish values, but we talk about making sure that sports is for all, and it's a platform we can all get on.

[00:34:58] Jonah Platt: So, on October 8th, [00:35:00] you made a statement on the social media accounts of both the Vikings and Orlando City, which was as follows.

[00:35:16] Jonah Platt: Very powerful. What was the decision process like to put that statement out?

[00:35:21] Mark Wilf: It's a balancing of a lot of factors, but we felt there's certain moments. And for instance, we had the murder of George Floyd a few years ago, and we also had a similar debate around that. And we felt an urge to say something.

[00:35:33] Mark Wilf: Now the wording of it. Had to be balanced, had to, uh, make sure that it was worded in a certain way that, uh, uh, that it recognized the, the pure tragedy of it on a human level. Yeah. I mean, I think that's the power of, I mean, um, I applaud, I know, I know for instance, uh, right here in LA, the, the Nova exhibit was here recently.

[00:35:52] Mark Wilf: And I think it's important to tell the story that It's not about any one side or another. Those were people that just went to a music festival. And [00:36:00] I think every human being can relate to that. And so we have to make sure we tell the story in as little political way as possible, as humanitarian way as possible, and make the point that.

[00:36:10] Mark Wilf: People lost their lives, and we

[00:36:12] Jonah Platt: empathize. Do you ever look at the comments on these social media posts? Occasionally. I looked at some of the comments on these, and for that statement in particular, you know, for every thank you, there were two, you know, whatabouts, or free palestines, or just stick to sports, or I hate this franchise now.

[00:36:28] Jonah Platt: I mean, what do you make of that?

[00:36:31] Mark Wilf: There are certain moments where we just feel we have to step up and say something. When they become of that magnitude and that historic, it's meant to speak up. Again, that's a balance we try to strike.

[00:36:44] Jonah Platt: So now I understand you've been to Israel three times since October 7th.

[00:36:48] Jonah Platt: Uh, I just got back from a trip there myself, which was fantastic. Can you give me like one or two of the most impactful experiences you had on those

[00:36:55] Mark Wilf: trips? I mean, so many. Of course, anytime meeting with the hostage families and [00:37:00] we pray every single day that they, that they find peace and that they get returned.

[00:37:04] Mark Wilf: Um, I remember going to the hostage square in Tel Aviv. And I went there on Friday night on Shabbat, and to see the table of over a hundred, at that point, chairs, set for Shabbat, empty. Those kind of things are visceral. Going to the South and visiting in Nero's or, uh, or going to the Nova site, and just seeing, The faces, one by one, the individuals, it's almost, again, the holocaust also, it's one by one, each person is a, is a whole world to itself.

[00:37:38] Mark Wilf: And you felt it that way when you went to visit. So, and of course, then going to the North and we visited some of the families, uh, that are affected. We went to absorption centers that people are displaced in the absorption centers are for immigrants when they come to Israel. Uh, we have almost 4, 000 citizens in the, uh, from Russia, Ukraine, nearly 30 percent [00:38:00] are under 35 years old, young, educated people coming to Israel to build a life.

[00:38:04] Mark Wilf: Wow. Even during these times. We have senior centers, uh, that we go visit, and we have to make sure that there were bomb shelters nearby. We have to make sure they're taken care of and safe. And they're staffed. I mean, I'm so. Wow. That's so cool. Inspired by the Israelis and their resilience and their professionalism.

[00:38:23] Mark Wilf: I get to work around staff in the nonprofit world. that dedicate their lives to taking care of each of the community. So, you know, we go through things here and of course on campuses and all the rest, but what they're going through is life and death. And, uh, it's something I just, uh, I feel so proud to be, uh, in any way connected to the, to the Israeli society.

[00:38:45] Jonah Platt: How supportive has the NFL community and sports community at large been towards you as a Jewish and Israel advocate?

[00:38:52] Mark Wilf: I think,

[00:38:53] Jonah Platt: uh, we

[00:38:54] Mark Wilf: have great people in the NFL and the soccer world or all the sports people I've met across all the leagues. [00:39:00] And we do bond around things like, uh, about hate, uh, about social justice.

[00:39:07] Mark Wilf: We gather together. We have a committee on the Minnesota Vikings. Where we fund and the players decide where the money goes to. So whether it's criminal reform or voting, getting out the vote or police reform, all these kinds of things, um, we, you know, we share our personal story with our players and our staff.

[00:39:28] Mark Wilf: about what my parents went through, but they've gone through things. Sure. They've gone through things in high school. Shootings at games and things in their own households. So everyone comes at it from different perspectives, but I find the sports world really coalesces around themes about common humanity, fighting hate, and And really great support, and I think it makes, in a really significant way, a difference.

[00:39:52] Jonah Platt: What advice do you have for folks who might want to become more involved in the Jewish community service work, as you are, but maybe [00:40:00] don't have the resources to be as philanthropic?

[00:40:03] Mark Wilf: Do whatever it takes, whatever you did yesterday, do a little bit more today. And that could mean having a Shabbat dinner with friends and talking about community.

[00:40:12] Mark Wilf: It could be volunteering, delivering Passover food baskets, or spending an hour with an elderly person in a in a senior home. There's so many opportunities. I'd urge people to go to their local community. That could be the Jewish Federation. It could be any other number of organizations. And I know everyone's busy with careers, with family, with the daily things going on, but it's so rewarding being part of something larger than yourself.

[00:40:40] Mark Wilf: And I think that's what community is about. So it makes your life richer and God willing, if young people will have kids one day, that can be an example for them to carry it on. So, um, You know, it's not something necessarily innate in people, but it's a habit that everyone should learn in a small way, whatever small way to start, and then it grows [00:41:00] from there.

[00:41:00] Mark Wilf: Good advice.

[00:41:01] Jonah Platt: What

[00:41:01] Mark Wilf: areas of need are you most focused on right now? Well, I will tell you on a personal level, uh, certainly since October 7th, um, Israel, we have to heal, uh, in Israel, um, that's going to take a very long time and we have to begin rebuilding. I know your mom and your family is aware of this and, uh, we're hard at work to start beginning that process to start looking at what it's going to take to rebuild and it's going to take a lot.

[00:41:29] Mark Wilf: Yeah. At the same time, um, I think campus life is something we have to be concerned about. Oh yeah. I think it's going to take decades to transform it back to where it needs to be. I'm, I'm hopeful that things are a little bit better this year in terms of universities and leadership in universities trying to make sure to promote, Opportunities where there's no fear, that students can at least have dialogue in a safe setting.

[00:41:55] Mark Wilf: Should be a bare minimum. A bare minimum, but I think we're getting closer to that bare minimum than we were a year ago. I agree. I'm [00:42:00] hopeful, but we have to be optimistic, and we have to be hopeful. Because I had the privilege, again, to grow up around people, that saw the worst in humanity and the worst tragedy in human history.

[00:42:13] Mark Wilf: And yet with all that, they went on to build a life and move forward. And I think we have to do that, like, again, through all the things I talk about education and tolerance. And I think, um, hopefully we're beginning to, uh, Be the beginning of that journey to great North Star to have yeah,

[00:42:30] Jonah Platt: okay So we usually finish off the show by taking some questions from our social media audience who have some questions for you David Michael Barrett asks, what's the biggest misconception about Jews and sports?

[00:42:45] Jonah Platt: Wow,

[00:42:45] Mark Wilf: that's, uh, I would say there's the misconception that, that, uh, and, uh, uh, that we're more suited to ownership maybe than playing sports. The Jewish athlete is not strong, but we have some incredible, [00:43:00] uh, athletes through football, through all sports. So, uh, that's a misconception, but yeah, maybe there's, you know, uh, again, relative to our numbers.

[00:43:08] Mark Wilf: There's some, there's some great Jewish athletes and it goes beyond Sandy Kalfax and Hank Greenberg, so. Of course.

[00:43:14] Jonah Platt: Um, at Jocelyn H23 asks, Why are the Vikings jerseys purple?

[00:43:22] Mark Wilf: That's a good question. We'll have to get our crack research department, but I will tell you it's a bipartisan color because it combines red and blue.

[00:43:28] Mark Wilf: There you go. And I tell all our Jewish friends, we're the only team, I mean the Rams could maybe make an argument, but I don't think it's good, but we have a chauffeur, a true chauffeur on our helmet. Ah, there you go. So for any of your fans that are maybe confused, come on join the vacuum

[00:43:41] Jonah Platt: bandwagon. I like that.

[00:43:42] Jonah Platt: So my, my brother in law has a question at a star 291 shout out to Avery. How have you and your wife prioritized your philanthropic efforts? There's so many different things you're, you know, involved with. How do you decide where to focus your attention? Education, [00:44:00]

[00:44:00] Mark Wilf: Jewish community, Israel are still our primary drivers.

[00:44:04] Mark Wilf: But of course, social justice is a very huge part of our, of our work, as well as the arts, and hospitals, and universities, and all the rest. So I'd say the majority of our, of our funding is to Jewish causes, but we have a significant, nearly half of our funding is also for secular causes as well. That's amazing.

[00:44:21] Mark Wilf: We're very blessed to be in a great country. that promotes philanthropy, that promotes the idea of giving back. So we're very privileged and honored to be able to be participating in that. That's

[00:44:31] Jonah Platt: great. And last but certainly not least, at mentions says big fan of yours, but need to know, are the Matt Stafford trade rumors true?

[00:44:40] Jonah Platt: Um, I can

[00:44:42] Mark Wilf: categorically deny all those, uh, rumors, but I know Kevin O'Connell, our team working hard to see if we can disrupt it because he's a great quarterback and, uh, the Rams are lucky to have him and he's got a

[00:44:54] Jonah Platt: ring to prove it. That's right. I was there. Amazing day. Yes. Yes. Mark, thank you so [00:45:00] much.

[00:45:00] Jonah Platt: This was really terrific. And I really appreciate your time and your, your candor. And, uh, I wish you all the best of luck in the MLS playoffs and, uh, in the rest of the regular season. Thank you, Jonah.

[00:45:10] Mark Wilf: And thank you for what you do and congratulations on this podcast and, uh, uh, and may you have continued success.

[00:45:16] Mark Wilf: Thank you.

[00:45:19] Jonah Platt: Thanks again to my guest, Mark Wilf. We wish him all the best on the upcoming playoffs and NFL season. Thanks to all of you out there enjoying the show. Please keep the questions coming. Follow us on at being Jewish podcast on Instagram. So you can ask our guests, whatever's on your mind. And if you're listening to this, take a moment to check us out on YouTube at Jonah Platt official or on JBS on TV.

[00:45:42] Jonah Platt: It's a different experience you might enjoy. See y'all right back here in the next awesome episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah Platt. Thank you to everyone who makes Being Jewish with Jonah Platt possible. Executive Producer Matthew Jones, Story Producer Sean Levy Ishvili, and Editor Patrick [00:46:00] Edwards of Rainbow Creative.

[00:46:01] Jonah Platt: Consulting Producers Bethany Mandel and Ariella Novek of Shield Communications, Social Media Manager Yuval Yosha, Graphic Designer Noah Bell of Bellboy Creative, My incredible research assistant, Samantha Greenwald, everyone at Aura House Studios, the whole team at Jewish Broadcasting Service, composer Gabe Mann, and of course you, dear listeners, who even stuck around to listen to all these credits.

[00:46:25] Jonah Platt: Man, I love you guys.