In this episode...
Karen sits down with Matthew Bussy, the Program Director of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Festival. Karen first met Matthew when he invited her to be a guest speaker at the 2023 Jewish New Media Festival in Philly – she’ll be speaking on Sunday, May 21, along with KoshaDillz, the team behind Unorthodox the podcast, and more – and they instantly connected over their shared commitment to spreading Jewish pride and joy.
They chat about celebrating Jewish storytelling, why Jewish pride is more important now than ever, and Matthew’s own journey to Judaism, which brought him full circle to revive his family’s lost Jewish roots and spread his Jewish pride and joy to the world.
You’ll find out:
- What makes digital storytelling such a powerful way to talk about difficult topics
- Why Judaism is all about community
- How to overcome antisemitism with Jewish joy
- Why everyone should visit the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
- How Matthew’s quest for community drew him to Judaism
- What it was like for Matthew finding out about his Jewish heritage for the first time as an adult – and what inspired him to go all-in and convert to Judaism
- How Matthew deals with people who are judgmental about his Jewish background
- Why it’s so important to create inclusive Jewish spaces
- Matthew’s tips on finding the right Jewish community
Thanks for Listening!
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Episode Guests...
Matthew Bussy
Matthew Bussy is the Program Director of Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media (PJFM), a historic non-profit that shares, celebrates, and advances Jewish storytelling through film and new media programs in Philadelphia and beyond. A former film major from Temple University, Matt has been obsessed with movies for as long as he can remember! On the side, he also works as a film studio representative for Allied Global Marketing, a full-service integrated marketing agency, assisting with advance screenings of upcoming films throughout the city for press and patrons. Judaism has improved Matt's life on so many levels, so much so that he officially converted in 2020!
