Recorded February 12, 2026 Photo: courtesy

Sarah Villanueva is a Jew, a doula, a congregational leader, and an human with a passionate and compassionate heart. In graduate school she took a course on World Religions which the professor introduced by saying that the best case scenario would be that you want to convert every time you learn about a new one. Take a listen and you will hear how her own strong faith has shaped her path.

Notes:

Beth Jacob Synagogue is “… an inclusive, community-led congregation fulfilling the spiritual, educational and social needs of its members by nurturing a range of religious practices and traditions, Jewish values, and Tikkun Olam.”

Learning on one foot: Sarah refers to the text While Standing on One Foot: Puzzle Stories and Wisdom Tales from the Jewish Tradition, by Nina Jaffe and Steve Zeitlin, Henry Holt and Co, 1996 which was used in her conversion class.

The story of standing on one foot is this, per Chabad: “One famous account in the Talmud tells about a gentile who wanted to convert to Judaism. This happened not infrequently, and this individual stated that he would accept Judaism only if a rabbi would teach him the entire Torah while he, the prospective convert, stood on one foot. First he went to Shammai, who, insulted by this ridiculous request, threw him out of the house. The man did not give up and went to Hillel. This gentle sage accepted the challenge, and said:

" ‘What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this—go and study it!’" (Shabbat 31a)

Death doula is defined as a non-medical companion focused on holistic, emotional, and spiritual need.

Hind Rami Iyad Rajab was five years old and fleeing Gaza City in their car when she and six members of her family were attacked by Israeli forces on January 29, 2025. Only Hind remained alive, calling for help, for three hours. It took 12 days for searchers to find her and the bodies of two Red Crescent paramedics killed while trying to rescue her. More at the link along with information on how her story was covered and investigated and with links to three award-winning films by Dutch-Syrian, Tunisian, and Jordanian-Palestinian filmmakers.

Recorded January 13, 2026

Photo: Liora & Circus Smirkus courtesy photo

Miki describes himself as a circus performer, specifically, an acrobat and clown. It was in that capacity that he had his first encounter with Palestinians in a Jewish/Palestinian collective in the Galilee when he was in 5th grade. Today he provides an Israeli perspective on America – and an American perspective on Israel. We spoke while he was back in Norwich, Vermont, on break from his last year as an undergrad at New York University.

Notes:

• Circus Smirkus Miki’s circus alma mater
• Roth Center for Jewish Life: home of the Upper Valley Jewish Community
• Kolot Chayeinu New York City temple where Miki and Mamdani attended Yom Kippur services this past fall.
• Standing Together is a joint Palestinian/Israeli movement that seeks ““A society in which we all enjoy real security, adequate housing, quality education, good healthcare, a liveable climate, a decent salary, and the ability to age with dignity.” See also their podcast, The Long Answer.
• Silent protests: where Israelis lined up insilence carrying poster-board sized photos of Gazan children killed in the war, documented in the Oscar-nominated short film Children No More (link goes to trailer and it’s streaming now). You can read aboutthe protests in this story from NPR and this article Don’tpress the button: A peaceful protest against Gaza bombings from the Vatican News.
• Unapologetic: The Third Narrative (UTTN): Was this quote on taking a train from Haifa to Beirut in Season 2,Episode 8, the conversation with Sally Abed? I asked the creators and they replied that at 1:22:34 of Episode 8! Sally Abed mused: "How does our life look like? Will we have like, I don't know, a train to like Beirut again?" And continues to say, "We need political imagination."
• It’s Time They are “…over 60 peacebuilding and shared society organizations, working together with determination and courage to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a political agreement that will ensure both peoples' right to self-determination and secure lives. “Because it’s time. Now, amidst our anger, griefand pain, after long years of fear and violence, of struggle, of occupation and of terrorism. The war that broke out on October 7th must be the last war, and it can be: the war after which will come peace.”