Top Chef's Gail Simmons on Jewish Food & Community Perseverance Against Jew Hatred!

Gail Simmons has captured our hearts and stomachs as a judge on Bravo’s Emmy and Peabody-winning series Top Chef for more than 18 years! Today, she joins Being Jewish with Jonah Platt to discuss her connections to food and family through the lens of her Jewish identity. A Canadian native, she reflects on her Jewish upbringing in Toronto and Montreal and how those Jewish communities persevere today in the face of immense anti-Jew hate. Additionally, she shares her concerns for the future as a Jewish mother, goes deep on all things Top Chef, and of course, sprinkles in some culinary wisdom on Jewish specialties like latkes, kosher pickles, and most importantly, Mom’s Brisket. Together, Jonah and Gail tackle a wide breadth of topics with hope, humor and heart. Mentioned in Episode -Nefesh - Rabbi Susan Goldberg: https://www.nefeshla.org/rabbi-susan/ -Chef Sara Bradley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefsarabradley/?hl=en -Tom Colicchio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomcolicchio/?hl=en -Hen Mazzig Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/henmazzig/?hl=en -Gail Simmons’ Brisket Recipe: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/gail-simmonss-horsera… -Instagram Post by Gail Simmons: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy4FtOVOwr5/?utm_source=ig_we… -Chef Birthright Trip: https://www.timesofisrael.com/celebrity-chefs-get-the-bir… -Franco-Turkish Relationship during First Empire: https://www.napoleon-series.org/research/government/diplo… -The Great Powers:https://www.britannica.com/topic/great-power Stay Connected -Subscribe to the podcast: https://beingjewishwithjonahplatt.transistor.fm/subscribe -Follow Jonah on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jonahplatt/ -Follow the Show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingjewishpodcast/ -Join the conversation on Twitter: https://x.com/JonahPlatt -TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beingjewish -Threads: www.threads.net/@jonahplatt All things Jonah: www.JonahPlatt.com Connect with Gail https://www.instagram.com/gailsimmonseats/ Host & Production Team Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sean Leviashvili; Editor: Patrick Edwards);, Social Media Manager: Yuval Yosha; Designer Noah Bell Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, and Consulting Producers: Shield Communications (Ariella Noveck & Bethany Mandel). Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of Being Jewish! 00:00 Introduction and Context 00:27 The Power of Social Media 03:39 Historical Reflections and Call to Action 05:34 Practical Steps for Jewish Advocacy 07:10 Guest Introduction: Gail Simmons 09:01 Gail's Jewish Culinary Heritage 12:28 Gail's Career Journey 23:52 Top Chef and Cultural Impact 29:59 Jewish Food Challenge Ideas 31:17 Support and Community Post-October 7th 35:04 Social Media Advocacy and Reactions 42:05 Memories of Israel and Kibbutz Life 46:39 Contemporary Jewish Food and Deli Culture 48:55 Thanksgiving Traditions and Preferences 50:39 Audience Questions and Reflections 56:26 Closing Remarks and Credits #gailsimmons #beingjewishpodcast #jonahplatt #topchef #beingjewish #jewishpodcast #jewishfood #jewishculture #jewishcuisine #youtubepodcast #podcast