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Jewish Journal

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October 3, 2025

Jewish Journalist Gets New Show on NewsNation

Television /

Batya Ungar-Sargon wore a Magen David necklace as she hosted the first episode of her weekly NewsNation show “Batya!” on Sept. 20. Before the debut, she told The Journal “It’s to remind me and my viewers who I am as a Jew,”

One the show, Ungar-Sargon told guest Megyn Kelly she was one of her biggest role models. Kelly praised her, saying NewsNation “saw your genius” and said there was no limit to how far Ungar-Sargon could take the show.

Ungar-Sargon made the leap to TV after serving as opinion editor of The Forward and deputy opinion editor for Newsweek. A columnist for The Free Press, her articles have appeared in most major publications, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

She expanded her profile by appearing on shows like “Real Time With Bill Maher.” During a March appearance on the show she called herself a “MAGA leftist,’ which Maher said was not possible. She could be seen with her trademark necklace on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” and “Gutfeld!” on Fox News.

She is known as a defender of President Donald Trump, Israel, and her critique of continued American support for the war in Ukraine against Russia. She said her new show will feature “respectable dialogue” and “civil debate.”

In an April debate sponsored by  ZeroHedge, Ungar-Sargon and Dennis Prager squared off against Dave Smith and Cenk Uygur, who claimed Israel is committing a genocide.

She said what many don’t understand about debating people with opposing opinions is that it’s crucial to speak in a way that would engage unfriendly audiences.

“You can’t just do the talking points you believe are true in the shorthand with that kind of shebang quality that those who already agree with you are most looking for,” she said. “If you go into a hostile audience and do that, the people who agree with you will be thrilled but you will achieve nothing. You will change nothing. Every time I debate anti-Zionists on their platforms with access to their audiences, the pro-Israel community is very disappointed with the clips that come out. What they want to see is a smackdown. Of course, I can do that, and sometimes I do that, if I think the audience would benefit from that. But the ability to go on an anti-Zionist show or speak to people who believe Israel doesn’t have the right to exist…you have to be able speak in the language that they recognize as a human and moral language and from there, make the argument that Israel is in the right.”

Here are some of the subjects she commented on before she got her show:

Charlie Kirk

Ungar-Sargon said it was disgusting to see people celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who was murdered on September 10.  She said it was noteworthy Kirk brought her on his show, despite their differences on certain issues. On the first episode of “Batya!” she noted some of those differences — she opposes a ban on abortion; was in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and believes President Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend of Israel.”  Numerous videos of Kirk’s campus events show him defending Israel or speaking out against antisemitism, including asking students if they believe Israel has a right to exist and if they believe antisemitism is real. After the attacks of October 7, Kirk appeared on the Patrick Bet-David or “PBD Podcast” and asked if there was a “stand down order” but said he did not believe Netanyahu had knowledge of the attack. On his own podcast, regarding immigration and cultural institutions, Kirk said “Jewish donors have a lot of explaining to do” claiming there was a “beast” created by secular Jews that was now coming for all Jews.  In an interview on Meghan Kelly’s show, he said that someone sent a text message calling him an antisemite. And some questioned why he would have Tucker Carlson at the recent Turning Point event.

“Charlie Kirk was the number one fighter of antisemitism in America, hands down,” Ungar-Sargon said. “It’s not even close. He loved the Jewish people. He loved Israel. He hated antisemitism. This, at a time when the online audience has a big appetite for antisemitism. Charlie Kirk was a bulwark against it at a time where there was a lot of pressure to join the ranks of the other far right influencers turning on the Jews. It’s an absolute smear and canard to say otherwise. He was very frustrated at being criticized for the tiny details he diverged from Israel on. After years taking arrows for the Jewish people, the pro-Israel far right accused him of antisemitism. That hurt him to his core because of his love for the Jewish people and it hurt me to my core. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude as Jews. Most Israelis see that clearly as he was mourned in Israel.”

She also noted that many synagogues eulogized Kirk, including her own. On her show, she praised him for choosing “persuasion over force” in attempt to influence people to change their opinions.

Is Candace Owens as Popular As We Think?

Owens, who years ago mocked people who blamed Israel for everything, began her descent when she claimed her friend Ye’s (né Kanye West) infamous tweet was not antisemitic. Since losing her job at The Daily Wire, Owen has promoted the conspiracy theories blaming Israel for the JFK assassination to the attacks of 9/11 to now saying that Israel or Israel supporters were blackmailing Kirk and claimed to be doing an “investigation” into his assassination.  Conspiracy theorist Ian Carroll got 10 million views for a post directly blaming Israel for Kirk’s assassination. Ungar-Sargon said their large numbers online are not only from America but include radicalized Muslims around the world who desire any story blaming Israel or Jews for anything.

Asked to comment on the rhetoric of the two, she said she was not impressed.

“They’re nothings,” Ungar-Sargon said of Owens and Carroll.

Owens had been ostracized, Ungar-Sargon said.

“When the last time you saw Candace Owens at a major event?” she asked. “She was desperate to join the Trump campaign, and they refused to let her. She’s toxic. I think there’s a very clear red line. There’s a crossover in the comedy and UFC world where there is a lot of antisemitic discourse. I don’t see it in the mainstream. Charlie was mainstream and he wouldn’t do anything very recently with Candace Owens. It’s nowhere near the mainstream of antisemitism that has infected the left. I don’t feel very worried about Candace Owens.”

People Should Not Fear Debate

The author of “Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy” and “Second Class: How The Elites Betrayed America’s Working Men and Women” said a major catalyst for her show was to have debate where people weren’t screaming at each other. She said it is a mistake to only surround oneself with people who think exactly the same thing about every issue, and said people should welcome, not fear vigorous discourse and argument. On the second episode of her show, she explained how some think the indictment of former FBI boss James Comey was justified, while others think it wasn’t. The show also featured an interview with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

Ungar-Sargon said she won’t shy away from tough questions and asked about past debates, she said the smarter the opponent, the better.

“You want that debate where your heart sort of sinks and you wonder, ‘How am I going to answer that?’ Debating people who are screaming is a waste of time and not tough. You like it when someone’s giving you a run for your money and the only people who can do that are those you respect.”

“Batya!” airs Saturdays at 1 p.m. Pacific Time on NewsNation

Jewish Journalist Gets New Show on NewsNation Read More »

Actress Rita Zohar Shines in Scarlett Johansson’s Directorial Debut

Film /

Actress Rita Zohar didn’t have to search far for her role as a Holocaust survivor in Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, “Eleanor the Great.” She is a Holocaust survivor herself. Though Zohar did not experience the horrors of the war directly — she was only four-and-a-half months old when her family was liberated from the concentration camp in Balta, Romania (then part of the Soviet Union) — her connection to the story runs deep. She delivers a phenomenal performance, bringing both authenticity and emotional depth to her character. 

“My memories are preverbal, so getting this role of Bessie where you have a Holocaust survivor who uses words to express and share her story, it was a gift for me. It’s unbelievable that this would happen. Her story has nothing to do with my story, but yet, it’s our story,” Zohar said.

The film, written by Tory Kamen, tells the story of Eleanor (beautifully played by June Squibb), who lives in Florida with her best friend of 70 years, Bessie. The two women have been sharing a home since the deaths of their husbands more than a decade earlier. Their witty banter feels relaxed and natural, but beneath the humor lie deep emotional wounds for Bessie, a Holocaust survivor whose traumatic memories from Poland and the concentration camps continue to haunt her. Their early-morning conversations reveal both the strength of their bond and the enduring scars of history.

After Bessie’s death, Eleanor moves to New York to live with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht). She begins visiting the Manhattan Jewish Community Center where, one afternoon, she accidentally stumbles into a support group for Holocaust survivors. Not wanting to reveal the truth, Eleanor chooses instead to tell the group Bessie’s story as if it were her own. What begins as a seemingly harmless moment, soon to be forgotten, takes an unexpected turn when Nina (Erin Kellyman) asks to interview her for a journalism class. As Eleanor and Nina grow closer, Eleanor finds herself entangled in a web of lies.

JUNE SQUIBB as Eleanor, ERIN KELLYMAN as Nina in ‘Eleanor the Great

“I fell in love with the role of Bessie,” Zohar told The Journal. “She is my mother, my grandmother and all my other relatives who passed away.”

Zohar, 81, made Aliyah to Israel with her mother and grandmother in the 1950s — essentially all that remained of her family. She began acting at the age of four and quickly made a name for herself in both television and film. In the 1980s, she moved to the United States, appearing in productions such as “Amadeus,” “Unspoken,” and the television series “thirtysomething,” “ER” and “7th Heaven.”

Though she has lived in Los Angeles for many years with her husband and three children, Zohar has continued returning to Israel whenever she was offered a role. In 1990, she won the Israeli Film Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Laura Adler’s Last Love Affair.”

Despite her long career, Zohar still had to audition for the role of Bessie, but she said she didn’t mind.

“Everybody hates auditioning, but I love it. I think it’s an adventure, it’s being brave, it’s going into the arena and taking risks,” she said. “In the past, you’d sit in front of a casting director, the director and a little camera, you’d read with someone,  and then they said ‘We’ll let you know.’  Nowadays, you can be at home in your pajamas and just cry your heart out, which is so much easier.”

Ageism in Hollywood and the difficulty of actresses over a certain age to get leading roles have been hot topics in Hollywood for years. Zohar and 95-year-old Squibb, however, prove that you can still carry a movie when you are over 80. 

“When you get to my age, suddenly you’re in demand. Maybe it’s because there aren’t that many actresses my age who aren’t afraid to show it,” she said. “When my hair turned gray I was delighted. I thought, ‘Oh my God, I look like my grandmother.’ It’s all about your attitude.”

Zohar considers herself fortunate for the caliber of directors she has worked with throughout her career. “I had the opportunity to work with Milos Forman, Sidney Lumet – amazing people – and now Scarlett Johansson. She’s wonderful,” she said. “She is a consummate actress and director. She really knows both sides of the camera. I felt so safe to do anything, knowing I was in good hands. She was very kind, very understanding, and she knew exactly what she wanted from every scene.”

Succeeding in the industry has never been easy, she said. Not in the 20s, not when she first arrived in Hollywood and certainly not today.  “Somebody once said it’s 95% luck and 5% talent — and there’s some truth in that,” she said. “But today, for young people, being a celebrity isn’t just about acting. It’s about being famous — being on television, at festivals, dressing up. It’s almost another profession on top of the profession of acting.” 

She credits her path to letting go of rigid plans and embracing the unexpected. “You make all these plans, think you’re smart, but at some point you realize it doesn’t work that way. If you surrender, allow life to play out, better things would come to you, more than you ever imagined. I believe somebody up there is pulling the strings.”

Last month, more than 1,000 filmmakers — including prominent actors and directors such as Javier Bardem and Mark Ruffalo —signed an open letter pledging to boycott Israeli film institutions and production companies, in response to Israel’s military campaign and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Asked about the boycott, Zohar recalled a saying from her grandmother: “She used to say ‘chandelei boundarei’. I don’t even know what it means, but for her it meant that when it comes to politics, it’s complicated. Everybody wants to do what’s right, but what is ‘right’ in today’s world?”

 Still, she emphasized the importance of countering those voices with others. “Just yesterday, a beautiful list came out — Liev Schreiber and others spoke up. It was very moving. There are people on the other side too, and we’re not going to be quiet.”

She reflected on the deep sense of empathy rooted in Jewish tradition: “When we celebrate the holidays, we talk about leaving Egypt ‘as if we were there.’ That empathy, which we learn from a very young age, stays with us. When we read the Haggadah, we say ‘as if we were there,’ and I think that because of what we, as Jews, have gone through for thousands of years, we carry that human quality — to empathize, to recognize, to embrace. What happened in Rwanda happened to me, what happened anywhere in the world happened to me. And that is what makes us human.”

For Zohar, the power of “Eleanor the Great” lies in its ability to reach audiences of all ages, especially younger viewers who may initially dismiss a story about older women. “At first, people might say, ‘I don’t know,’ but there’s such a rich life there, and you learn so much about what it means to be alive.”

“The Jewish community should support this kind of movie — it’s important,” she said. “We have to encourage people, especially those who know little about the Holocaust, to go and see it.”

Actress Rita Zohar Shines in Scarlett Johansson’s Directorial Debut Read More »

On Yom Kippur in Madrid, I Saw Europe’s Hypocrisy on Full Display

Commentary, Opinion /

On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, I arrived in Madrid with my wife and baby daughter. It was my first time in Spain. We were jet-lagged, but we pushed a stroller for nearly 13,000 steps through the city, trying to take it in. Instead, we witnessed something I will never forget.

My late mother, who would have turned 80 today on the Hebrew calendar, was born on Yom Kippur in 1945. She passed away nearly nine years ago. On this sacred day of reflection and atonement, a day that is also the 53rd anniversary of the Yom Kippur War — when Israel was brutally attacked by its enemies — I thought about her, and about the world my daughter will inherit.

What we saw in Madrid shook me. Hundreds of people wore Palestinian flags and cheap Amazon-made keffiyehs, as if dressing up as terrorists were a costume party. These were not acts of peace. They were not acts of solidarity. They were raucous celebrations of hatred, staged in a country that once expelled its Jews in the Inquisition and now allows its ports to be used for flotillas designed to provoke Israel during a time of war.

Let us be clear. These flotillas are not humanitarian. They are not about aid. They are about tying up Israel’s military, humiliating its defenders, and giving cover to Hamas — a vicious terrorist organization that continues to hold hostages from the October 7 massacre, desecrates the remains of others, and openly celebrates the murder of children.

One of those hostages was Hersh Goldberg-Polin, kidnapped from the Nova music festival, where he had gone simply to celebrate life and music. He was later killed in captivity. In his honor, I gave my daughter the middle name Hersh. That is how personal this is for me. And yet here in Madrid, activists pranced in watermelon T-shirts and keffiyehs, pretending they were on the side of freedom. The truth is that Hamas would gladly throw every one of those marchers — women, gays and lesbians, revelers — off rooftops. The hypocrisy is staggering.

At one point, a woman walked by us in her keffiyeh. She looked into my stroller and smiled at my daughter. I gave her nothing back. No smile. No warmth. Only the scowl of a father who knows exactly what that cloth represents: celebration of terrorism, hatred of Jews, contempt for my family’s existence.

Spain and Europe should be ashamed of what they are enabling. On Yom Kippur, on the anniversary of the war that nearly destroyed Israel, they send ships to embolden Hamas and allow their streets to become parades of hate.

The Jewish people have survived worse. We survived the Inquisition. We survived the Yom Kippur War. We will survive Hamas. And we will survive the useful idiots who wear made-in-China terror rags while pretending they are righteous.

Fifty-three years after Israel was attacked on its holiest day, we are attacked again — not only by rockets and kidnappings, but by propaganda and the dangerous theater of European hypocrisy. We see it. We will remember. And we will not apologize for defending life.

Dory Benami is a Democratic Party candidate for Congress in California’s 32nd District. Born in Tel Aviv and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he is the son of Israeli immigrants and the father of a young daughter whose middle name, Hersh, honors Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American who was killed while held in captivity in Gaza.

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The Divine Us – A Poem for Sukkot

Judaism, Poetry /

These are the parts of the Lulav and Etrog
we have held in our hands since we first
wandered the desert –

Lulav
How impressive you are, our spine, straight and bold.
Pain, heat, softness, even tickling – every one of our
physical feelings travels your distance.

Hadas
You are our eyes through which we see all
that there is to see. Beauty and ugliness
all captured by you. You remind us not to blink
or we might miss something important.

Aravah
Our lips through which anything we have to say
exits our body and travels into the ears of every
sacred human. May we choose those words
carefully. Once they leave our mouths
they are impossible to gather back.

Etrog
Not a lemon gone bad, but our heart through which
everything we experience is filtered. Our joy and sadness
and all the possibilities in between. The pitom, or stem,
first pointed down, then up because our hearts should be
open to all the ways.

All together, the parts of the Lulav and the etrog
make up a person and the ways in which
we receive the world, and it receives us.

We hold ourselves in our hands.
We shake ourselves in every direction
because whatever God is, God is in
every direction. We are there too.

We have always been there
immersed in the divine.

Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 29 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Visit him at www.JewishPoetry.net

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