Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Is Gen Z The Enemy_ TikTok Megastar Baby Ariel Tackles Anti-Jewish Bigotry & Pro-Israel Advocacy
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Jonah: [00:00:00] The hate comments you get, do those bug you still?

Ariel: Oh my god. TikTok is like a breeding site for anti Semitism.

Jonah: What is different about Arielle Martin, she goes there and others with the same platforms don't feel that responsibly.

Ariel: If you're not going to stand by who I am as a human being, I don't want you in my life.

Jonah: So I've talked a lot of shit about Gen Z before, definitely on social media, I think maybe on this show. But in prepping for today's episode, I realized how unfair and lame that is. All prejudice comes from some combination of fear, jealousy, ignorance, or bitterness towards some group we are not a part of.

And we express our displeasure in a guarded, nasty, totally unproductive way. And so it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that my first Gen Z guest on the show is one who will undoubtedly [00:01:00] change some of your preconceptions of her and her peer group. At 24 years old, she is a social media megastar with 50 million followers across platforms, multiple TV appearances, song releases, and a book to her young name.

Maybe that's what you might have guessed. But she is also genuine, grounded, uniquely talented, and an unabashed advocate for Israel and the Jewish people. Something we were told Gen Z ers didn't do. She does. And with millions watching. I'm so glad she's here. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Arielle Martin.

Ariel: Thank you so much. That was such an intro. Oh my goodness.

Jonah: You know, I, I, it's all true. Every word of it.

Ariel: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Jonah: Psyched that you're here. Online, you are known as Baby Arielle. Yes,

Ariel: I am.

Jonah: That's your moniker. What about offline? Like, are you baby Arielle? Like, who are you right now?

Who am I talking to?

Ariel: Offline, I am Arielle Martin. Arielle, I added Rebecca into my bio after, it's my middle name, after October 7th. I was like, okay, Arielle Martin. I hate [00:02:00] to say it, it doesn't sound Jewish enough, but I was like, I need people to know, and so I added Ariel Rebecca and I changed my email to like, Ariel Rebecca, I was like, I have to, I have to put it out there, but

Jonah: Are they the same person?

Baby Ariel and Ariel? Or is there like, a persona to, to the baby?

Ariel: That's such a good question. You know, I think when I first started social media, Baby Ariel was a separate person. Like online, when I started on Musical. ly, I did a lot of like, Very in your face musically videos with big facial expressions and like super hardcore into it I did a lot of like dancing videos very over the top with like my fashion and just who I was online Mm hmm, and then I think you know, I started social media when I was 14 years old.

So and now I'm 24 So it's been 10 years of, like, kind of, I think I lived a lot of my formative years on a screen. Yeah. And I didn't really know who Ariel Martin was. I only knew who Baby Ariel was. And I knew that she was out there and she was [00:03:00] this big personality. And so, over time, I had to really figure out who Ariel Martin was.

And now I think they've kind of become one. Because I've gotten more comfortable with who Ariel is. And I was able to put her on screen as Baby Ariel.

Jonah: I love that answer. And I gotta say, you know, I, I, as I was prepping for this episode, I've watched a ton of your videos.

Ariel: What did you watch? Oh God. So, no,

Jonah: the, so the one that I've watched like 20 times is your very recent stupid hoe

Ariel: lip sync.

Jonah: So I know, so, you became known back in the day for doing a stupid hoe. What you get you're just laughing. I'm saying stupid how I'm doing Jewish, you know, that's what's called right? Yes, you're right. I stupid how great song you did a lip sync on this app musically Which has since been bought by tick tock and merged into tick tock.

Yes, and that's how you sort of rose to stardom on that platform

Ariel: Yeah[00:04:00]

Jonah: But then you just did another version of it and I thought this version was So much better, like miles above your first one. Thank you. You can see the growth, and you can see, as you're talking about it, like, a different, like, maturity and comfort level. Thank you. It, like, comes across.

What I loved about it, I started to watch it like ten times. It's Your, your talent comes through very clear. It's, as you described, like, very expressive.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Almost, and I mean this as a compliment, like, cartoony.

Ariel: Yes. In

Jonah: a really good way. Like, you know, I, I, I used to work at Family Guy, so I have, like, a little bit of an animation background.

I just

Ariel: started watching Family Guy. You've, [00:05:00] like,

Jonah: just discovered it?

Ariel: Yeah, so my parents didn't let me watch like, you know, the South Park and the Family Guy, even Spongebob, sometimes it was like, They let you

Jonah: put yourself online, but you couldn't watch Family Guy. Yes, but Family Guy, no. Okay, that's where we draw the line.

And so, I

Ariel: just discovered Family Guy.

Jonah: Welcome to the party. It is

Ariel: so good.

Jonah: Yeah, it's the best, it's hilarious. It's incredible. But anyways, you know, I, I know a little bit about animation, and in animation, The bigger the eyes, the more expressive the character can be, and you have these big green eyes, and in that video, especially, like, you've got the lashes going.

Yeah. The way you, like, move your eyes so sharply, and, like, the facial expression. Okay, first, I

Ariel: really appreciate your analysis on my Musical. ly, because I nevernobody's ever done that before, and I really thank you for it. You're

Jonah: so welcome. I want to jump back to how you and I met. Yes. Uh, which was, we met at at least one hostage family visit.

I think probably the one I mentioned in the monologue of this show. Do you remember if you were there with, uh, with Romi's father was speaking?

Ariel: I might have been, actually. It might have been that one. [00:06:00] There was one where I know you were sitting in front of me. And we hadn't met yet, but I was like obviously like huge fan.

I'd seen all of your work and because you know after October 7th I kind of had to do like a deep dive into What the fuck is going on here? And so you were one of the people I found and I was like, oh, you know You these tweets and the threads and you just say everything so beautifully and so I knew you were But I have social anxiety, so I probably didn't say hi then.

And then, where did we meet after that? So,

Jonah: we, we met at at least one or two of those, and then I saw you again at the NOVA exhibit, for sure, in L. A. I'm not that active on TikTok.

Ariel: You don't have to be.

Jonah: I, I started it, you know, really for this podcast is why I started, like, we have a TikTok. And I just got a new phone, and I can't even re download it onto the new phone, Is it not locked out?

Ariel: Oh my gosh. No,

Jonah: you can't even get it, so now I'm, I'm locked out. No

Ariel: TikTok for you.

Jonah: But so when I, when I first met you, I didn't know who you were, because I'm not, On that platform where you've blown up your vibe is so humble and unassuming Which you know, you would never know. I was like, all right, who is this person?

Oh 32 [00:07:00] million followers Whoa, is it a credit to your parents a little bit? Would you say

Ariel: absolutely my parents my parents are The most incredible people in the they're just really amazing and like from day one it's my career has always really been a family affair, which I really appreciate like everything I do my Mom goes with me, especially like now I'm an adult and I'm living on my own and it's awesome But starting when I was younger She would fly out with me to LA all of the time my dad when I was going on tour for the first time I did a social media tour my dad He trailed behind the tour bus and in like a scooby doo van we like to call it And so my whole life and especially like with Judaism and Shabbat dinner.

It's always been about family and so they've kind of I don't know, that just, it's my world. Yeah.

Jonah: Yeah. Let's go into October 7th. Let's do it. So, help me understand, like, what did your life, day to day, sort of look like leading up to October 7th, and how [00:08:00] drastically did that change, and how quickly?

Ariel: I'm from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and I grew up in a very diverse, uh, community.

neighborhood and my school was very diverse and The way I like to put it is that everybody was different. So nobody felt different really

Jonah: that's sort of the goal, right? Yeah,

Ariel: everybody was different people of all different backgrounds religions and now looking back. I do recognize that I was one of like Three Jewish kids in my grade.

I always felt a little different, but it never really Strongly occurred to me because my friends were so supportive and growing up I did, you know Shabbat dinner at my soft and Papa's every Friday, but I never really figured out Where my Judaism lay. I knew my soft and papas. They were modern orthodoxy.

They kept kosher. I knew my parents. They were a little bit less than my grandparents. They didn't keep kosher, but like on Passover we'd, you know, we don't, we'd keep kosher. And then when I moved to LA, I [00:09:00] Hadn't really found my alignment with Judaism yet. How

Jonah: old were you when you moved to L. A.?

Ariel: I started flying out when I was like 16, 17 for like auditions and work.

And then I think permanently settled down when I was like 18, 19, I want to say. So

Jonah: still relatively young anyways in your Jewish journey. Yes, absolutely.

Ariel: Yeah. But it was always around me growing up. Um, we did, you know, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah, all of the things. And then I moved to L. A. and I don't know what it was, I just, I hadn't found myself spiritually yet, and I think I'm still going through that journey, but I didn't know what it was yet, I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I kind of, like, everything Jewish, I just didn't really think about it, and it's sad for me now, but it wasn't a thing to me, as much as, like, my Safta, like, nailed it into my head, that, like, you need to marry a Jewish man, and you need to do Shabbat, and you need to do this, it was like, okay, Safta, like, we're fine, everything's fine.

And then October 7th happened, and that was, [00:10:00] like, everything that my grandparents had planted into my brain growing up that I completely had pushed away from came screaming to the surface, and I was like, okay, wait a second, they were right, and something's wrong. And so, October 7th was really a wake up call for me, and it was kind of a wake up call in how, I think, ignorant I was, too, to all of it.

But it happened, and That's when I really was like, okay, I need to go full hands in here and figure out what I can do to help. Mm hmm. I think I like hibernated in my house for Like two weeks kind of just completely floored. I was like, what is going on? And so yeah, my entire world flipped upside down and it really became like I don't know enough Ariel Now you have to do the work and learn as much as possible.

Jonah: How are you doing that work? What does that look like for you?

Ariel: I literally got a notebook. I sat down and I watched Video [00:11:00] after video after video and I try I hope I remember most of it now But it was like I have notebooks of like timelines of like, okay 1917 1933 deep history died. Yeah, I was like I need to learn because I think when October 7th happened And none of my circle was posting about anything.

And I reached out, I was like, hello, what are you guys, what's going on? Why is nobody posting? I was there for you. I posted when you needed help, my Jewish friends post when you needed help. And now nobody's posting for us. And when they were combative with me about, you know, the history and the facts, and I realized I didn't know anything.

I was like, okay, I need to be able to have these conversations. If I'm going to go in. And be such a staunch supporter, which I absolutely am going to do. I need to know what I'm talking about. And I still don't know. I do my best, but, you know.

Jonah: I've said this before on this show. Yes, arming yourself with information always breeds [00:12:00] confidence and is helpful.

But The information should have nothing to do with I'm your friend, and I'm gonna show up for you when you need me.

Ariel: I agree with you. I agree a thousand percent with you. And I, but I think the problem that I had in the group that I was in was that that didn't matter. And that's where I was really like, oh my god, you people fucking suck.

Yeah, those are not friends you

Jonah: should be having. And I let them go. I'm not friends with them anymore. I was

Ariel: like, no, no, no. But it's, that's what's so sad to me now is that my personal experience should be enough for you. My grandma's from Israel. I've, my whole family lives in Israel. I've been there three times.

Listen to your Jewish friend. And it's for some reason that is not enough.

Jonah: Yeah. Yeah.

Ariel: It's frustrating. Jews don't

Jonah: count.

Ariel: No.

Jonah: Have, is that on your reading list? Have you read Jews don't count? No, that's a book. Oh my God.

Ariel: No, I should read it.

Jonah: Great book. Yeah.

Ariel: Who's it by?

Jonah: Uh, David Baddiel.

Ariel: David Baddiel, okay.

Jonah: Jews Don't Count. It's a good one. It's like sort of the, one of my like, starter kit books. Really? For like getting into the You [00:13:00] need to make me a starter kit. I'll make you a starter kit. Because I've done

Ariel: a lot of YouTube and like

Jonah: We'll do it right now so everybody can get it. I, I posted the, I posted three of them.

I'm adding a fourth. I would say David Baddiel's Jews Don't Count, and if you do the audio book, he reads it. It's great. Oh, love. Dara Horns, People Love Dead Jews.

Ariel: I want to read that one, yes. Really

Jonah: important perspective. She's coming on the show soon. Super psyched about that. Oh, that's

Ariel: awesome.

Jonah: She's on my Mount Rushmore of like Jewish thought leaders.

Noah Tishby's Israel. Yes. I think it's just a really digestible way to sort of understand Israel from the perspective of someone who's Israeli.

Ariel: Right.

Jonah: Sarah Hurwitz's Here All Along. I think it's a really great sort of intro to Judaism book from someone who's like, I'm gonna figure out what Judaism is about, who's not like a rabbi or a scholar or whatever.

Right.

Ariel: Like one of just us. Just a person. It's very

Jonah: conversational and like, it's terrific.

Ariel: Oh, I love

Jonah: it. That's my little starter kit. Okay,

Ariel: yay, good. I'll get them all.

Jonah: You mentioned that before October 7th, with your family you were doing holidays and whatnot. Then you come to LA, and this is very common, like I've [00:14:00] actually I heard the same story even on this show.

Then I get to L. A., I'm career focused, I'm like, finding my way, the Jewish stuff sort of falls away a little bit because you don't have the built in community or the fri now it's you gotta like, have to make something if you want it. Since October 7th, have you gotten more involved communally or ritualistically or whatever?

What does your like, day to day Jewishness look like?

Ariel: So it's funny, the thing that I have always aligned most with about Judaism is this Like the ability to ask questions. And so I think every day I'm still, you know, I'm someone who asks questions and I try to ask other people questions, ask myself, ask my family.

But my number one is that Judaism is about spreading light to Ikun Olam and being. a good person. And, you know, I do practice, I'll go to friend's houses for Shabbat now a lot. Whereas prior to October 7th, that wasn't anything that I thought. I was like, I don't want to go to Shabbat. I spent my whole life going to Shabbat every Friday at my softest house.

I don't like, and then now I'm [00:15:00] like, I need community. I want to be with, because I didn't really have a lot of Jewish friends. And now it was, now I'm, you know, I try my best to show up and go to events and as much as I'm like, it's always to go and be there for other people. It's always, I think all of us need to feel right now this sense of community.

Jonah: Totally. Makes total sense. I think everybody's feeling that.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: What's your fan base been like? I mean, has there been a shift in who your fan base is? Have they been supportive? What's what's that been

Ariel: prior to October 7th? I think I had some Jewish followers But not really cuz I really didn't talk about Judaism online like a crazy amount and then after October 7th When I started speaking out, I lost a lot of followers.

What's

Jonah: a lot look like to somebody with 50 million followers?

Ariel: I want like hundreds of thousands. Okay, like yeah,

Jonah: that's a small person. Yeah

Ariel: Some yeah But I [00:16:00] gained a ton of Jewish followers and Israeli followers and incredible allies of the Jewish and Israeli community as well. And so that's really shifted.

I think my audience has become also a little bit older because I'm speaking about, you know, more mature. You're reaching

Jonah: people you weren't reaching with the lip sync videos or whatever.

Ariel: Right before I was just like, but I'm, and I'm really happy about it because I, I, before October 7th, I wasn't. Like we talked about the beginning like I wasn't Ariel online.

I was baby Ariel. I was a persona I was putting on a mask when I go and I wasn't really myself and Now I've been able to Really say okay. This is me This is fully me because Judaism is such a massive part of who I am and I've discovered It's such a massive part of who I am. I think I put it away for so long So I was like, okay, we don't have to talk about religion.

I'm like no this is Who I am, it's where I come from. And so now I'm able to [00:17:00] fully be myself. And with that, I've gained such an incredible group of followers who, you know, young Jewish girls specifically, who I think really feel lost right now, who are struggling at school, who are struggling with their peers.

I get a lot of messages from girls in Israel who are, don't know how to navigate certain things. And so I'm. grateful that I've built really a beautiful community of Jewish people who just, who are like, okay, let's, we can talk together on this page and feel safe. And that's what makes me happy.

Jonah: Does it feel better?

Would you say to be this full authentic version of yourself? Yes, a

Ariel: hundred percent. And that's why I think I've, I was like, so frustrated with a lot of like my other Jewish. Friends, I won't name names, who like, after October 7th, didn't speak out, and they have a platform, and I'm like, Guys, you're gonna feel so much better if you just, you put it all out there, [00:18:00] online, and you're gonna lose the people who, you don't, you never needed in the first place, and you're gonna gain the people who will really look to you for comfort and peace.

So I think it's really freeing to just be able to be yourself. It's like, why not?

Jonah: I hope people are paying attention to what you just said. It's Something that a lot of my guests have said on the show. It's something that I try to always highlight through my guests on the show. Because to a person, everybody speaks of how it feels better.

It's more authentic. You're gaining new opportunities, new followers. Yeah. That, that fear of what you're going to lose is, you know, so diminished by the reality of what you're going to gain.

Ariel: Exactly. A hundred percent.

Jonah: Yeah.

Ariel: That's it.

Jonah: But about the fan base, like, let's, let's put the new ones aside for a second.

What about the ones who have been there since the beginning? Like you for, you know what you had been doing.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Are you able to hear a response from that portion of your audience specifically? And how are they responding to this new fuller aria?

Ariel: I've been really [00:19:00] grateful that I think I've of course like I've lost a few of them but The ones who have been there since the beginning, they have really stuck by me, and I really appreciate it, like, just, these accounts of like, I don't know who's behind the screen, but I love them, like, you know, before October 7th, they were posting, like, Arielle's new TikTok video, and then after October 7th, they're posting Bye!

Ariel's new TikTok video talking about Israel and so like just that I'm like this is probably a 13 year old like and just that level of support. I'm so Grateful for because powerful. It's it just I'm like, you know you You don't have to do it. And even though I really hope people do support us as much as humanly possible, but they do it.

And I'm really appreciative of those people. Cause I think allies are, you know, when we're Jewish or Israeli, like obviously we have a connection to it, but I think it's really, really [00:20:00] powerful. When I see someone who isn't connected in that way and who's kind of like, I know how hard it is right now to speak out against the anti semitism, I know how hard it is to speak up for Israelis right now, so when you don't have a connection to it and you do it anyway, knowing the risks, I think that's, I really just love those people.

Oh, it feels

Jonah: absolutely amazing. Yeah. It's like the greatest. Sign of love and support that you could ask for

Ariel: right like you don't have to do it, but you're doing it Yeah,

Jonah: it's really amazing. Yeah, shout out to all allies.

Ariel: Yeah, we love you

Jonah: What about like in terms professionally of like brand deals or business opportunities, whatever have those shifted changed at all?

Ariel: Absolutely, and I think the funny part about those is that they'll never explicitly Say it like I, which I never expected them to, but it's like, it's always like, okay, we've, you know, we've decided to go a different route because of timing. I'm like, there's no problem with timing. [00:21:00] My schedule is open. You can, we can do it.

We decided to go a different way because of. And I'm like, come on, like, okay, just at least be upfront with it. And I'm like, at least, you know, we can have a conversation and I can show you if I haven't made myself clear online about that. I am a person who wants peace and I'm loving. And I'm like, then we can, let's have a conversation.

But they kind of like, just, you know, they don't say anything. So it's hard to,

Jonah: I feel like part of it's just like. You know, they have to be so, like, annoyingly neutral. I know. So it's like, it might not matter what you're advocating for, but the fact that you are, like, talking about something. Talking about

Ariel: anything.

Means, like,

Jonah: well, you know, she can't sell this lipstick if she's talking about something that isn't lipstick. Right.

Ariel: You're totally right. It just makes me sad. Totally.

Jonah: It still sucks. Yeah. And I'm just, you know, I'm just thinking about it.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Have you gotten, like, any new opportunities from, from brands or companies who are like, oh my god, I love what you're doing?

Ariel: A couple, who are like, Israeli founded, have [00:22:00] Jewish founders, but not to the extent that it was prior to October 7th. Are you feeling

Jonah: the hurt?

Ariel: I was hurt for a little bit, because I used to get, for example, acting wise. I end, like, people don't want, they might not want someone who is, like we just talked about, who has totally on one side in their movie, in their film, and so, Auditions, they slow down.

And like brand deals, they slow down. And I was hurt for a while because I was like, wait a second, my whole life I thought of the next 50 years doing this one thing. But I've figured out, first of all, the Israeli and Jewish community is so incredibly supportive. And that's what I love so much about us is that.

We kind of all rally behind each other at this moment because I think we're all feeling the same thing. Yeah. My boyfriend actually texted me this morning about a teacher, one of his teachers at a school who lost their job or left because of the anti semitism at school. And so we're all kind of going through this thing together and we've been able to Rally with each other, but [00:23:00] I've decided and I've had to for my own sanity to like be creative in the ways that I do my job

Jonah: I will say for the acting side of it.

It slowed down for everybody I mean the whole industry slowed down all the auditions one way the production contracted So just to make you feel better, I wouldn't read too much into that part. Everybody is struggling

Ariel: I think you're totally right. I think but there is like my little like Insecure part of me.

Because no one's given you an indication

Jonah: that it's a Jew thing, right?

Ariel: No.

Jonah: Yeah. I think it's probably just part of the general slogan. What about your friend group? Like, we talked about sort of your influencer friends. What about, were those your IRL friends too? Or you have a, you had a different group of friends and like, how have they responded?

Different

Ariel: group of friends. That's a whole conversation.

Jonah: We got time. Okay,

Ariel: great. Living in LA, a lot of my friends, were slash are very Like very social justice [00:24:00] group of people and so when October 7th happened I was really really angry at them because I was like wait a second you have used your platform prior To other social injustices.

When you see discrimination, you speak up about it online. You use your platform no matter how many followers you post about it. Why is it different now that it, because it's Jews. Because it's Israelis. And so, I really struggled with that. And I did lose a few friends. And it was, some friends, they didn't want to be my friend anymore.

And they didn't want to, Like, they couldn't be in the same room as me, and like, my appearance, I guess, would spark anger for some. And then, for some people, I had, I decided, I was like, look, I can't. Do this anymore because I don't know it's like the same as like the the followers online who unfollowed after October 7th If you're not going [00:25:00] to stand by who I am as a human being.

I don't want you in my life I can't like this is like my Ancestry, this is who I am as a human. What do you want me to do about it? What do you do? And so if you are unable to stand up for me online, like I don't trust you to stand up for me. If you hear someone at a bar saying something mean about Jews, I don't know if you're going to stand up.

I don't know if you're going to stand up for me when you hear somebody talking badly about Israelis, because, you know, you have such a warped view of Israel. I don't trust you. With that, I've found such a beautiful group of. People in the Jewish and Israel space who kind of like they're we're all going through the same.

Yeah.

Jonah: Yeah, I can relate to that Yeah, for sure. I think it's such a sickness in our in our society that that I Can't even be in the same room with you thing because you and I have a different understanding of [00:26:00] a certain situation,

Ariel: right?

Jonah: I just, it's, it's a shame that we feel like that's the way that we have to or are supposed to behave today.

Right.

Ariel: And what it sucks to do is that these are people who don't necessarily have a connection to the conflict. Of course not. They have

Jonah: none at all.

Ariel: No, no, no connection. Right. I'm like, okay, so you're going to not be in the same room as the person who's, Safta was born in Israel in 1947, whose whole family is there right now and hiding in shelters.

You don't want to be How? I don't understand. I don't get it.

Jonah: It's a real problem.

Ariel: Has it happened to you too?

Jonah: No. That's good. The majority of my friends are old friends.

Ariel: Nice.

Jonah: From Jewish day school, Jewish summer camp, or like a couple from jobs that I've done a long time ago. Uh, and the ones that I'm like still close with are the people who, like, I'm still tight with them because they're genuine, wonderful human beings.

Right. Pretty much all been supportive for the most part and I like there's [00:27:00] one friend I had who like we were able to have a little Discussion or whatever and like it's exactly what it should be where she had a certain understanding I had an understanding and there was nothing personal in it and it was never like If we don't reach my understanding, we're not going to be friends anymore.

Ariel: And that's something that I've really been, like, struggling with recently. Because, like, I'm like, Israel and Judaism are such a massive part of my life. And I'm like, I don't know how to navigate those friendships with people who Like, might super duper disagree with me. Cause I'm like, I don't know how to not bring it up.

Like, it's my whole world and I don't know how to not talk about it.

Jonah: For me, it really is about like, who this person is. And like, if they are the kind of person who deserves to be your friend, they're the kind of person who goes, help me understand that. Or like, you know, I might think whatever but like I still want to come to Shabbat dinner at your house with your parents and like, you know We can have a debate later or whatever, you know It's it just it won't get in the way of the personal right the [00:28:00] same way that like you should be able to Get along with someone who voted for Trump if you don't vote for Trump, right, you know We should be able to still be buddies.

Yeah, I want to know more about your family. Your family has an interesting Geographical and cultural heritage. So you are as Latin American as you are Jewish. So tell me about that.

Ariel: Yeah. So my dad is from Panama and I actually just recently had the amazing, I had the opportunity to go to Panama with the Tel Aviv Institute with Chen.

Jonah: How did they end up in Panama? Like, did they do this for you?

Ariel: It felt like it. I was like, thank you so much, Chen. Thank you so much, Shani.

Jonah: Had you been before? Yeah, I went once.

Ariel: Yeah, when I was younger. So I didn't really remember it, but I loved it so much. And so it was kind of like this blending of like both of my world.

His whole family is from Spain and Panama. And then my mom's mom, my Safda is from Israel. So my mom's, my Safda's [00:29:00] whole side, they're all in Israel right now. Hi, everybody. Shalom. Shalom. And then my mom's dad, my papa. He was from Cuba. So, that whole side is Cuban. Did they meet in

Jonah: Israel?

Ariel: They met in New Jersey.

Oh, they

Jonah: met when they had both already moved to America.

Ariel: Yes. I'm like 99 percent sure. That

Jonah: makes sense.

Ariel: Yes. And what's funny about them is that they actually met and then my grandpa engaged to my My grandma in 10 days. That's

Jonah: how it goes, right? My grandpa proposed to my grandma, I think on their first date or second date or something.

Ariel: But I really have like such a blend of people in my family, which I'm so grateful for. And then my dad, he converted to Judaism. So my mom's Jewish and then my dad converted. It's a really, it's a cool blend.

Jonah: That's really cool. So unique. Uh, is your Papa Jewish?

Ariel: Yes, he is. Cuban

Jonah: Jews?

Ariel: He's a Cuban, he's a Jew bin.

Jonah: How, how big of a community is that?

Ariel: He was a [00:30:00] part of this organization in Cuba called Hanna Or Hatzioni. Which is like Youth Zionists of Cuba. And I, from what I read, he wrote a book about his life. Wow. I haven't read it yet, yet. I need to read it. Um, you gotta read it. I put that at

Jonah: the top of the list.

Ariel: I know.

I have so many books and I'm like, I, you gotta get some audio

Jonah: books. I know. ,

Ariel: I like, naturally I go straight to like, I want romance and fiction. Yeah. I get it. I'm like, I just, I have to read about love. But he was so, he was in Hanani in Cuba. And there were like 150 members in his chapter and he like worked his way up and he ended up becoming the head of the organization.

And so Zionism was always a big part of my life because of my grandpa, my papa, and then my softa born in Israel. And so I think that's why a lot of like my ignorance to the entire conflict prior to October 7th was a thing because In my household, Israel and Zionism was, were just [00:31:00] like, it was like, who can debate that?

Israel is literally like the best place on planet earth, which I still think it is. But to me, it was never like, I lived in a bubble of like my family who were just the biggest, proudest, most incredible Zionists, Jews, Israelis in the world. And so. I'm really grateful for that.

Jonah: How is your mom's experience as a Jew different from yours, would you say, the way that she grew up?

Ariel: My Safta and Papa, they used to be very, very, very Orthodox. Like, very, like, they were, okay, sorry, very, very modern Orthodox.

Jonah: Well, you said they were modern Orthodox, but you're saying they were even more observant than what you knew them to be? Yes. Okay.

Ariel: Right. I mean, so going over before they passed, it was, you know, separate, what's it called?

Cabinets, with all the

Jonah: For like, meat and milk stuff? Yes, exactly.

Ariel: Like, different dishwashers. You have to wash certain things at certain times. Like, all of the,

Jonah: all I actually, I live right now in an [00:32:00] orthodox neighborhood. I'm not orthodox for my house. Do you really? Yes. And so the house that we bought has two dishwashers.

No way. And two fridges. You're

Ariel: probably like, great, more dishes can

Jonah: be done. It's unbelievable. And I have a whole fridge basically for beverages. It's like the greatest. That's

Ariel: so good. Anyways,

Jonah: please, continue. Move into a kosher house. Yeah, no, seriously. The orthodox house has all, and. The best thing, and then I'll let you get back to it, is in the master, there's a, I have a bathroom, and my wife has a bathroom.

And hers is like feminine, and mine is masculine, and they're

Ariel: like,

Jonah: the greatest thing. We're about to move, and we're gonna have to like start sharing a bathroom again after five years. I was like, I don't wanna see you, babe. Like, you do your thing, I wanna be in my thing. I know.

Ariel: It's kind of genius.

Jonah: It's really, I can't believe it's like never been done anywhere else.

Right.

Ariel: Like, hello.

Jonah: Amazing innovation. Why don't we do that? By the orthodox.

Ariel: I know.

Jonah: Yeah. Builders take note.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Okay. So your grandparents.

Ariel: So I knew them as always very orthodox in my head. Sure. And then, but growing up, my mom, it was like, I think way, way, [00:33:00] way more than what it was. And so she's had, I think, an interesting experience of like, first of all, watching her.

Parents slowly become less orthodox. I don't want to say like watered down, but like slowly becoming less orthodox. And then having kids and figuring out, okay, like, how do I want to raise them? And like her own path with Judaism. And I think as a whole, my family, where we really, really align and connect is with tradition.

We are massive on. You know, still to this day, like every holiday we get together, like all of the things we always get like that has always stuck. But I think where we have all kind of are still in this journey of like my mom, she used to grow up in synagogue every Friday, every Saturday. And, you know, you keep Shabbat the whole nine yards.

And so now all of us, I think, are collectively being like, okay, how do. Where do we align spiritually in that world? I [00:34:00] have, like, an uncle who is more religious and then an aunt who is less religious. But I think that's what I love about Judaism. Yeah? Is it's like, none of these things, whichever way, wherever you land, is, none make you any more or less Jewish.

Jonah: That's certainly what we believe on this show. Yeah,

Ariel: and that's what I love so much about Judaism and, like, my parents is that you're, they always taught me to question. Do

Jonah: you have any Favorite family holiday traditions that jump out at you?

Ariel: Yes. So for Passover, there's a lot of kids in the family, and so Passover, what I've always really loved when my mom started taking over Passover, taking over.

When she started hosting, she started hosting. Yeah, no, I get it. She took it over, started hosting Passover. She does it in the form of a play. Oh, my mom, she writes an entire play for it and she does. Songs and

Jonah: Is it the same play every year or she updates it each time? Oh,

Ariel: it's different every year. Like, totally

Jonah: different?

Ariel: Totally different. Wow.

Jonah: That's a lot of [00:35:00] work and effort.

Ariel: Oh, yeah, and like someone's the Pharaoh and stuff like we she gives everybody a role. Everybody has a

Jonah: part.

Ariel: Yeah, but it makes it fun, and it's

Jonah: That's way more fun.

Ariel: I love it so

Jonah: much. That's great.

Ariel: My Safta, when she started doing that, she was very upset because my Safta always did it very by the book, which I also think is beautiful and incredible.

But my mom, you know, she was like, I'm going to do it my way. And then I'm sure I'll one day do it my way. And so it'll just keep.

Jonah: So creative. I love it. Yes, but

Ariel: I love it.

Jonah: Yeah, we're always like, peppering in little things and songs and whatever, but not like a full on play. I just, I, it feels like such a, A, it's like a much faster way to get through the story, but B, like a way more engaging way to go through it than like, I'm going to read a paragraph.

You're going to read a paragraph. Because then

Ariel: people zone out, which is like,

Jonah: That's not the point. Right. You want engagement. And so

Ariel: we're like, okay, we want to learn. We want to be here. We want everybody to feel involved. How do we do it in a way and teach people in a way that feels fun? And so I feel

Jonah: like that's sort of at the crux of a lot of [00:36:00] the internal Jewish world organizational conflict is like what's more important doing it by the book the way it's always been done or altering it to be more engaging and actually have it create the effect that it's meant to Create in as many people as possible.

Ariel: My dad always says that like Because he converted to Judaism, and so it's like he did a lot of the studying and whatever. And he's always like, Judaism has the worst PR.

Jonah: Everybody says that. I mean, that we know.

Ariel: Yeah, like we need to like, okay, we, and that's why I think social media has become such a great tool in like talking about Judaism and showing our different traditions and how everybody celebrates who they are.

Because I'm like, okay, we have to show it in a different way, because what we've been doing, I think it's worked, but also some of the things haven't worked.

Jonah: I'm thinking about it now as you're saying it, and I actually don't think, it's like, we have a bad PR. Yeah. We've had, like, no PR. No PR. We're so small, we're tiny, it's like, [00:37:00] no, how, how are you going to get 99 percent of the world to know about the little 0.

2%? Right.

Ariel: You know, that's a

Jonah: tall order.

Ariel: But I do think like now a lot of us, us modern Jews have woken up and been like, okay, wait a second. We need, we have to start talking. I think now we've probably become Judaism's

Jonah: PR

Ariel: us.

Jonah: Yeah, definitely. But you're right. There

Ariel: is no PR. There were so small.

Jonah: No PR. And so many Jews are like, or historically and currently are about like keeping their head down and blending in.

As opposed to saying like, hey, I'm proud of who I am, and here's what we are, and now you should understand what we are. Right, exactly. So it's like a two fold problem. Two fold, mm

Ariel: hmm.

Jonah: Since October 7th, incredibly vocal and open on your Social media as we've discussed I mean even changing your putting your middle name out there So people know you're super Jewish really cute photos of you lighting candles and doing kiddush as a child Again, if you're watching you're seeing them right now if you're listening gonna have to look in the show [00:38:00] notes Did you make a decision like I'm gonna start posting more Jewish stuff or was it just like?

Oh, this, I'm excited to do it. Was it natural or was it like a, was there a thought process?

Ariel: There wasn't a thought process. There was a lot of anger, if I'm being honest. There was a lot of like, hey guys, because especially coming from like this Gen Z, like you said, we hate Gen Z and I'm very mad at Gen Z too.

Jonah: I was the one arguing to not be prejudiced against Gen Z. No, I

Ariel: know, but I'm like, I'm the one, like, I'm, I was angry.

Jonah: Yeah.

Ariel: Because I, My life was looking at my phone and seeing people speak out against social injustice. Seeing people be so staunchly supportive of their communities, other communities. And so when October 7th happened, it was silence across the board.

I was just furious. I was like, wait a second. When the bully was beating you up, I pushed them away. And then now all of a sudden we have a bully and I don't see [00:39:00] anyone there for us. And now I say that now, that's how it felt at the time. And now looking, I'm like, we have such a. incredible support system.

But at the time it was like a subconscious, like I hate you all. If I'm being honest, it was a subconscious, like I hate you all. I'm pissed. I am going to start posting. I was posting, I think like 20 things on my Instagram story a day of like, I'm sure I've posted you millions of times of like just things that I aligned with and education on Israel and Judaism.

And then as weeks went on, I was like, okay, wait a second. Like there really is not, we have a community, but it's not as big as I would have hoped it was. And especially in the TikTok space, you go on TikTok, Oh my God, TikTok is like a breeding. Site for anti semitism. Sorry. I love tik tok. I really [00:40:00] do but like the things that are allowed to be said on this Platform and the things that tik tok pushes out.

I was like no wonder Nobody agrees with me because I'm one and my things are getting suppressed and everybody else's, you know Anti israel stuff for some reason that's all being seen And so, I'm like, I have to speak out.

Jonah: What do you think is different about you, where you feel this anger and this frustration?

You go, well I'm gonna get loud about it. There's so many other people that are like, afraid.

Ariel: I've, so I've battled with this a lot because there is part of me that At first I was really, really angry. I was like, fuck you for being afraid. Like, I, I'm so mad. Like, do you not see what's going on in Israel? How can you even say that right now?

You need to speak it. I don't care. And now there is, I really, really do understand social media and this loudness and [00:41:00] proudness not being everyone's form of advocacy. And something I always like to talk to people about is like, Your advocacy does not look, have to look like mine. I know I go on and I'm loud and obnoxious and I am say what's exactly what's on my mind.

And I post constantly your advocacy. If you are a more introverted person, if you do have a community of people who aren't supportive, if you do feel scared for your life right now, your advocacy can look very different. Like it can be as simple as putting on a Maguen David on your, On a ring. I don't anything right or going to school and if you hear anti semitism speak up when you hear it or speaking at a local event or even hosting a Shabbat dinner with your non Jewish friends and saying like, hey, come over.

What's really important is that we do all kind of. You know, really look at our space and say, okay, wait a second. I figured out early [00:42:00] on, early on. I was like, okay, I have a following that's where I can shine. That's, I have this following. I don't know what I, why I have it, what I did to deserve it, but it's here and this is where I can use it.

What's your space and how can you advocate in your own space?

Jonah: I want to push even harder into that. So. You have done what, like, every Jew wishes people with their platform would do, which is feel that responsibility. I have all these followers. It's my responsibility to use this platform to advocate.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: What do you think, this is what I really want to get, is like, what is different about Arielle Martin that she goes there and others with the same platforms Don't feel that responsibility, don't feel like they need to do what you clearly feel the need to do.

Ariel: First of all, it's been instilled in my brain since I was born.

Like, my Safta, like, before she passed, like, before, while [00:43:00] she was not able to walk, and she wasn't able, she couldn't, she could barely speak anymore. She's still up until like the week before was like when are when are you taking me to Israel to my mom? When are you taking me to Israel? I want to go to Israel and she couldn't walk she couldn't my mom like my poor mom like we can't but it was that Was the community I grew up in and I also think a lot of people now a lot of my Jewish friends I have this ability to separate themselves from it and, you know, I think a lot of my anger now at people is like, it's not happening to them, therefore, why should they get involved?

I'm sure where we are different is like, we see ourselves in all of it. Like, to me, it's like, I'm Jewish and I think of, That my grandparents who fought for me and my ancestors and I don't separate myself from it And so [00:44:00] I think people now it's like this line that they're able to say wait a second This thing isn't happening to me around me near me.

I'm not angry, which makes me angry but

Jonah: if I could distill what you just said, I mean what I'm hearing you say is like Like, the foundation that you have, like, in your core identity is so strong and was already so fleshed out and so intrinsic to who you are, where perhaps for other people maybe it just didn't hold that value, and then the moment hit, and It wasn't there,

Ariel: right?

Exactly.

Jonah: You said that you have connected, especially with a lot of young girls online who are looking up to you. Do you have any specific stories that pop out as something that really moved you?

Ariel: I spoke at an event and I remember I There was this group of kids who came up to me afterwards, after my panel.

Jonah: How, how old are we ballparking? I want to

Ariel: say like 9th grade.

Jonah: Okay, so like 14, 15, 15. Yes, and

Ariel: they came up to [00:45:00] me and they told me about the anti semitism at their school. And how nobody was speaking out. That kids were drawing swastikas on locker doors. And, you know. hate the Jews everywhere and They started their own group at school for Jewish kids for allies for Israelis Israeli kids to advocate not necessarily just against anti semitism Against all forms of hate and they're all Jewish so I'm sure the foundation is against anti semitism, but and that how you know my speaking out really is Inspired them to do it and that's awesome.

I'm like, that's why I have to do it Like yeah, I I think I kind of sometimes feel Discouraged because I am like, okay. Am I actually changing people's minds? Like I don't know and so but I've accepted like, okay Maybe I'm not changing [00:46:00] people's minds because I hate to say it but a lot of people who are already so far the other way It's hard to, I think, reel them back in with one 15 second video.

Mm hmm. A lot of the reason I do what I do is to make those kids feel seen and heard and feel like, okay, if she's doing it and she's, and they see the hate comments and if she's doing it, then we can do it. And I'm like, that's all I can ask for to make sure that these kids, like, they don't feel.

Jonah: That's amazing.

The, the hate comments you get, do those bug you still, or are they like whatever, or how do they hit you?

Ariel: Now it doesn't bother me as much anymore, but there are times where I do, I just, I, I let it get to me, and I hate, I get so, it makes me sad, but I really let it get to me, like, cause when people start talking about like my, Family, and my brother, and my [00:47:00] friends, and my boyfriend, and they go into detail about disturbing things.

I'm like, I'm human too, and I just, I see it, and I'm sitting at home alone, and I'm like, I'm scared. I hate these people. But, with that, I've also learned how to Turn it off quickly and like not let myself go down this rabbit hole like after October 7th When the hate first started flooding in again, because I was so ignorant to all of it I didn't know that there was gonna be a lot of hate.

I was kind of like, oh again, this is what I always knew I such a Zionist family. Everybody's Israeli Everybody loves Jewish people like how mad can people get and I was wrong So yeah, when it first happened, I was caught off guard But then it kind of, I learned how to put it away and be like okay we have to press forward because this is the reason that we do what we do.

Yeah.

Jonah: Alright, we're gonna jump into a little lightning round to wrap things up here. Favorite Jewish holiday?

Ariel: Oh, [00:48:00] I want to say

Jonah: Shabbat. Great one. Thank you. We love Shabbat on this show.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Jewish custom that sounds interesting but you haven't gotten into or know anything about yet?

Ariel: I never saw my family wrap Tefillin, and I'm a girl so I don't do it,

Jonah: but

Ariel: it's something that I, it's still like.

Wow, what is that thing? And so I don't know much about it.

Jonah: Well, next time you're on the street in like Washington Square Park in New York or something, some Chabad guy's gonna, you know, be there and you ask him if you could do it.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Favorite Jewish heartthrob?

Ariel: Timothy Chalamet.

Jonah: He's Jewish?

Ariel: Yes.

Jonah: Favorite Jewish diva?

Ariel: Jewish diva. This is a great one. Is Trisha Paytas Jewish now, officially? I don't know

Jonah: who that is.

Ariel: What?

Jonah: Trisha

Ariel: Paytas? Do you guys know Trisha Paytas? I think, okay, so she's married to an Israeli man and she is, I love her, she's I think converted to [00:49:00] Judaism and then maybe converted out of Judaism and then probably now converted into, she's a Jewish diva in my book.

Jonah: What does she do? Like, why do you know her? You have

Ariel: to Okay, I can't even say anything. I won't spoil any of the facts. Trisha

Jonah: Paytas. Name one animal you're leaving off Noah's Ark.

Ariel: Oh gosh, lizards.

Jonah: Lizards. See ya!

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: What's your most commonly used Hebrew and or Yiddish word?

Ariel: Is kvetch a Yiddish word? Oh yeah.

Okay. Yeah, you say

Jonah: that one a lot?

Ariel: My softo would always go, you're being a kvetch.

Jonah: There you go. Last, you inspire young people so much on your platform, as we've discussed. I want you to help inspire some of the older generations on this platform. What is your call to action for the non Gen Zers who are listening or watching this right now?

Ariel: Ooh, I think similar to what I talked about before, you know, my platform is social media, but find, if you're not advocating right now, which is okay, start today, and it can be the [00:50:00] tiniest thing of just buying. Challah at the store. Yeah, just find a way to advocate or to get in touch with your Judaism. It can be small.

Jonah: It can be small.

Ariel: Yeah.

Jonah: Arielle, thank you so much. Thank you. This was awesome. Thanks to Arielle for everything she does and for sharing her story so openly with us today. Bit of news, I'm launching a newsletter online, so head over to jonaplat. com, scroll to the bottom. And input your email address so you don't miss our first installment.

Also, this is our 20th episode, which feels like a milestone worth mentioning. We are at over a hundred thousand downloads from countries all over the world, around 20,000 households per episode on JBS and thousands. More of you watching on YouTube. I couldn't be more grateful for your engagement and support.

And I love how much you all love the show. Here's to the next 20 Together and Beyond. I'll see you all back here for the next Jewtastic episode of Being Jewish with me, Jonah [00:51:00] Platt.