Born in the old city of Jerusalem, near the Damascus Gate, Issam Ikirmawi has forged a 30-year career as a senior news broadcaster and producer working for CNN, ABC, Al Jazeera, Channel 4 (UK), and TV stations in Canada, Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and elsewhere. Issam discusses his life and career, the state of Israeli-Palestinian relations, how Palestinians feel about their own leaders, and how, as a young man, he had roles as an extra in movies filmed in Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, including ‘Rambo’. Issam talks about the leaders he has met as a journalist, including Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert. And he asks why there is so much international interest in the Israeli-Palestinian Authority conflict. The parts about current Palestinian views of Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership, and about whether there are regrets for not having accepted previous Israeli offers of independent Palestinian statehood, and Palestinian views of Israel’s new agreements with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, start at about 17 minutes into this interview. (Discussion by zoom with Tom Gross, November 3, 2020.) * Other videos in this “Conversations with friends” series can be viewed here: https://tomgross100.wixsite.com/chatswithtom Tom Gross talks with friends around the world about their lives. They include world-renowned musicians, leading historians, newspaper columnists, retired intelligence officers, Palestinian academics and journalists, and Oscar-nominated screenwriters. (You need to press “load more” at the foot of the webpage to see or listen to the remaining videos.) (The above site looks better on computers and tablets than it does on cell phones.)

Bret Stephens, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the NY Times and before that the Wall St Journal, talks about his upbringing in Mexico, his family background in Europe, and becoming a journalist. Bret and Tom Gross discuss America’s place in the world, the ongoing ‘culture wars’ in the US, the pitfalls of Donald Trump’s presidency (but whether it is dangerous for some to suggest he’s a ‘fascist’ or ‘Nazi’), what Trump has got wrong but what he may have got right regarding China, the Mideast and the Balkans, and Bret’s own role at the New York Times, and the Times’ role in the world. * There is a shorter clip of Bret discussing the role and political direction of the NY Times here: https://youtu.be/QWzF6IXfBD8 * Other videos in Tom Gross’s “Conversations with friends” series can be viewed here: https://tomgross100.wixsite.com/chatswithtom Tom Gross talks with friends around the world about their lives. They include world-renowned pianists, leading historians, newspaper columnists, retired intelligence officers, Palestinian academics and Oscar-nominated screenwriters. (The above site looks better on computers and tablets than it does on cell phones.)

** Press the “CC” button at the bottom of the YouTube video on the screen above for subtitles ** Bela, a highly distinguished violinist, was for decades the lead musician for the BBC symphony orchestra (including at the Last Night of The Proms) and played with many other orchestras and conductors. He was born to a Jewish family in Budapest, and as teenager survived a slave labor camp in Austria, the Belsen death camp in Germany, and Theresienstadt (Terezin) north of Prague. Bela’s mother died of starvation within hours of her liberation at Terezin. Now almost 93, Bela hasn’t left his home since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. Bela says he is happy listening to “music, which is my religion, my spiritual experience and leaves me in seventh heaven”. In this conversation with Tom Gross, Bela also discusses his childhood teacher and mentor Moshe Hershko, to whom he was very close, and Moshe’s son, a fellow child Holocaust survivor Avram Hershko, who went on to become professor at Israel’s Technion and win the Nobel prize for chemistry in 2004. They also talk about how Bela’s grandfather, David Raab, was from the same part of northern Hungary (now Slovakia) as British Foreign secretary Dominic Raab’s Jewish family (who escaped Czechoslovakia just before the Holocaust), so they may be related. UPDATE: Bela passed away on December 27, 2022, aged 94, two years after this interview: https://www.thejc.com/lets-talk/all/finally-my-friend's-poignant-music-has-ended-2Nnk3oAJlHcG5WShRAzaeS https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/bela-dekany-obituary-ln3zhj8lh Times Radio with Mariella Frostrup: Looking back on the life of Bela Dekany: https://youtu.be/59tQ_M6yvVs * See also: Explaining the Holocaust to children https://youtu.be/SkTWFt1SkkM * Other videos in this "conversation with friends" series can be viewed here: https://tomgross100.wixsite.com/chatswithtom Among them: * Leading Pianist Evgeny Kissin https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Tom Gross is interviewed about his own life here: https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE

As part of a series of informal conservations with friends, Paul Lewis asks Tom Gross about his own life and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and New York; Sunday brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; sitting across the breakfast room from Carlos the Jackal; visiting Prague as a student to bring Vaclav Havel materials from London in the months before Havel helped overthrow communism; Tom helping the Roma when almost no one else would; Tom’s close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for Julia, the heroine of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; and other matters. (Conversation by zoom on June 28, 2020.) * Other videos in this “Conversations with friends” series can be viewed here: https://tomgross100.wixsite.com/chatswithtom Among them: * World-acclaimed Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland (London) https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Leading political advisor (& former Thatcher speechwriter) John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Iraqi Kurd Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Ethiopian-Israeli Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Former British cabinet minister Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Writer Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Charlotte Cunningham (London / Luxembourg) https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw

Tom Gross talks with world-renowned pianist Evgeny Kissin about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls, musicians and conductors; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, Kissin’s own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his disdain for hypocritical Western leftists . Discussion by zoom while under coronavirus lockdown, on May 24, 2020. Extracts from this interview here: * Evgeny Kissin on his favorite concert halls and musicians https://youtu.be/-jihOe6jkxo * Evgeny Kissin recites his Yiddish translation of Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ speech https://youtu.be/2mJLxvNokQw * Evgeny Kissin on Israel, Soviet anti-Zionism and western complicity with communist crimes https://youtu.be/ZSsAI-tjHGI * Evgeny Kissin on Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, and Kissin’s own attempts to revive Yiddish https://youtu.be/tIh8QEEJiG0 Other conversations in this series: * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), Hossein speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement and racism in Britain https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman (NY) talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education and memory. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism -- and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing and English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met, including President Reagan. He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including Islamic terrorism, organized crime, abuse of public office, and honor killings. And she has done all this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair for almost her whole life. https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) 0n being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord (David) Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Nidra Poller (Paris) discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of her name, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women today https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya), who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of America, Europe & the Mideast https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg

David discusses his upbringing, editing the Times of Israel (and before that the Jerusalem Post), interviewing Paul McCartney, the difficulties of striving for fair and independent journalism in an era of fakery and misrepresentation. Conversation with Tom Gross Oct 8, 2020. *** Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) Described by The Economist as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during covid lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, Russia & the West https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Palestinian academic Mostafa Elostaz speaks about Palestinian refugees, the UAE-Israel peace deal, and the Trump Plan https://youtu.be/WduAASj4C4k * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was PM under the shah), he speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein & the MeToo movement. https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman (NY) talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books & TV series on the ascent of women; & curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help war criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism - and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing & English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) rose from a working class childhood to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors. He discusses Thatcher and other leaders he met, including Reagan https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) on being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord Young talks about his 10 years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his 5 years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases: terrorism, organized crime & honor killings. And she has done this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair her whole life https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya) who worked for Israel for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of the US, Europe, & the Mideast https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Eran Lerman (Modiin) Israel’s Deputy National Security Advisor in the governments of Benjamin Netanyahu 2009-15 https://youtu.be/q1n-VZA-6N4 * Charlotte Cunningham (Yorkshire) discusses her arts organization that helps people with disabilities, her grandmother who was Luxembourg’s ruling monarch & her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw * Nidra Poller (Paris) discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers & musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of her name, and the position of women today https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Susan Lourenco (Berlin) talks about being the child of refugees & how she reconciled herself with modern Germany https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw

Bahra Saleh talks about her life as an Iraqi Kurd. Discussion by zoom in Kirkuk, Iraq, while under coronavirus lockdown, on May 20, 2020, with Tom Gross. You may wish to also see these short clips: * The West should support an independent Kurdish state https://youtu.be/9fnqsW9QPqI * “The least casualty-ridden, most effective US troop presence anywhere in the world.” https://youtu.be/To_56sfDL90 * US should create no-fly zone to protect Syrian Kurds as they did for Iraqi Kurds https://youtu.be/Qqzv-mX1gyw * Why Jews are particularly sympathetic to Kurds (Remembering Halabja) https://youtu.be/GWDCyOyCmzM *** Other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system some years later? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. * Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his life, his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Writer Nidra Poller discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world. * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw Educator Susan Lourenco talks about being the child of refugees from Berlin, her life in four different countries and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany.

Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. (Discussion by zoom in London, while under coronavirus lockdown, on May 30, 2020.) Other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system some years later? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. * Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his life, his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Writer Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Writer Nidra Poller discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world. * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw Educator Susan Lourenco talks about being the child of refugees from Berlin, her life in four different countries and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany.

Palestinian academic Mostafa Elostaz speaks about Palestinian refugees, the UAE-Israel peace deal, and the Trump Plan. Mostafa grew up in Kuwait to parents who moved there from Gaza. He taught many years at Al Quds University in east Jerusalem, and now teaches at Tel Aviv University. (The political part starts at 15 minutes in.) Conversation with Tom Gross Aug 19, 2020. *** Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) Described by The Economist as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during covid lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, Russia & the West. https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others. https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), he speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement. https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman (NY) talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books & TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace. https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism -- and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen. https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing & English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors. He discusses Thatcher and other leaders he met, including Reagan. He also discuss Trump, the future of journalism and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) 0n being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq. https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including terrorism, organized crime, and honor killings. And she has done this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair her whole life. https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya), who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of the US, Europe, & the Mideast. https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Charlotte Cunningham (Yorkshire) discusses her arts organization that helps people with disabilities, her grandmother who was the ruling monarch of Luxembourg; and her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw * Nidra Poller (Paris) discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of her name, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women today. https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Susan Lourenco (Berlin) talks about being the child of refugees and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany. https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw

Zoe Johnson is one of Britain’s most accomplished criminal law barristers. She is only the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including Islamic terrorism, organized crime, abuse of public office, and honor killings. And she has done all this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair for almost her whole life. In an informal zoom conversation with her friend Tom Gross she discusses her life and career. Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) Described by The Economist & others as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during covid lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, Russia & the West. https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others. https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), Hossein speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement and racism in Britain. https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman (NY) talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace. https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education and memory. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism -- and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen. https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing and English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met, including President Reagan. He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) 0n being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq. https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord (David) Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Nidra Poller (Paris) discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of her name, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women today. https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya), who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of America, Europe, the Mideast and the world. https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Charlotte Cunningham (Yorkshire) discusses her arts organization in England that helps people with mental and physical disabilities, her grandmother who was the ruling monarch of Luxembourg; and her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw * Susan Lourenco (Berlin) talks about being the child of refugees and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany. https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw

Efraim Zuroff speaks about his life, and why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals, and about his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Croatia admit to their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. Tom Gross asks why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at the horrific Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. The crystal clear testimony given by Stutthof survivors, including 93-year-old Halina Strnad, testifying by video link from Melbourne Australia, has been mesmerizing. * See also: Explaining the Holocaust to children https://youtu.be/SkTWFt1SkkM Other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini. Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), Hossein speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement and racism in Britain https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism -- and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing and English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan: Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met, including President Reagan. He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including Islamic terrorism, organized crime, abuse of public office, and honor killings. And she has done all this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair for almost her whole life. https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Bahra Saleh: On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Lord (David) Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Shmuel Bar, who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of America, Europe & the Mideast https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Charlotte Cunningham discusses her arts organization in England that helps people with mental and physical disabilities, her grandmother who was the ruling monarch of Luxembourg; and her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw

Held during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. Writer David Pryce-Jones about his childhood escape from the Nazis, his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. Discussion with Tom Gross by zoom in Wales, on May 21, 2020. Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Tom Gross speaks about his own life https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE Paul Lewis asks Tom Gross about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and New York; Sunday brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; Tom’s close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; and other matters. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Hoss Amini speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and the MeToo movement and racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system? Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? * Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * There is also a separate shorter conversation here: Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss left-wing antisemitism, and English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * Historian and writer Amanda Foreman https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 Amanda talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote the films Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon, Guns of Navarone, but who was driven out by McCarthy’s witchhunt); her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace. * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Orit Yasu (Shoham) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit talks about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. * Lord (David) Young https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Nidra discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world.

Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. Discussion with by zoom in Shoham in Israel while under covid lockdown, on May 31, 2020 Other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system some years later? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his life, his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Writer Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Writer Nidra Poller discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world. * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw Educator Susan Lourenco talks about being the child of refugees from Berlin, her life in four different countries and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany.

Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. (While working in Downing Street, John was also my mother’s lodger for two years -- and as a schoolboy I developed a lifelong interest in politics while sitting across the breakfast table from him, hearing him discuss issues of the day with other top advisors on the phone, while I was eating my corn flakes and reading comic strips and football results in the newspapers… and then we started discussing politics.) Discussion by zoom in Budapest, while under coronavirus lockdown, on May 29, 2020. Other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system some years later? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. * Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his life, his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Writer Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Writer Nidra Poller discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world. * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw Educator Susan Lourenco talks about being the child of refugees from Berlin, her life in four different countries and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany.

Lord David Young discusses his upbringing, his ten years in 10 Downing Street working closely with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street with PM David Cameron, and gives his views on Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. He notes that his father was born into a family of impoverished Litvak Jews in a small village in what is now Belarus. They fled pogroms and came to England, where his father had two sons: One, Stuart, became chairman of the BBC and the other, David, ended up as one of the most important ministers in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet. He told me that he was very proud that his family went “from shtetl to Downing Street in one generation.” Discussion with Tom Gross by zoom in Graffham, Sussex, in England, while under coronavirus lockdown, on May 20, 2020. UPDATE: David tragically passed away on December 9, 2022, aged 90, two years after this interview was conducted. Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Croatia admit to their own nation’s very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out where does Holocaust education and memory go from here? Why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system some years later? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? We also discuss the trial of Bruno Dey (charged for his part in the murder of 5,230 people at Stutthof death camp) which is continuing now in Hamburg – it is 75 years late but the German judge insisted it continue despite the coronavirus restrictions. * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud.

Award-winning Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland in conversation with Tom Gross about the state of the world; the Trump presidency (and whether some of his policies might be good even if the man himself is a disgrace); Britain’s coronavirus failures; early Zionism; whether Britain can still learn from the American constitution and system of government; and as a teenager how Jonathan was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen before he became Ali G and Borat. * There is also a separate conversation here between Jonathan Freedland and Tom Gross about English antisemitism : https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw *** Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), Hossein speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement and racism in Britain https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * Historian Amanda Foreman (NY) talks about her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon & Guns of Navarone); her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; curating an exhibition in Buckingham Palace https://youtu.be/lFHkJcf0qO0 * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education and memory. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met, including President Reagan. He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including Islamic terrorism, organized crime, abuse of public office, and honor killings. And she has done all this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair for almost her whole life. https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) 0n being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord (David) Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Nidra Poller (Paris) discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of her name, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women today https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya), who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of America, Europe & the Mideast https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Charlotte Cunningham (Yorkshire) discusses her arts organization in England that helps people with mental and physical disabilities, her grandmother who was the ruling monarch of Luxembourg; and her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw

There is a separate longer video here: Conversations with friends about their lives and world affairs: Jonathan Freedland with Tom Gross https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU *** Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg Described by The Economist magazine as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Evgeny Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite concert halls and musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during coronavirus lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, his support for Israel, and his political views about Russia and the West. * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI Writer David Pryce-Jones discusses his life, his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others; and about Israel, Italy, and the New York Times. * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE Born in Tehran to a distinguished Iranian family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah) Oscar-nominated screenwriter and film director Hoss Amini speaks with his friend Tom Gross about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, his favorite films, and says that ‘it’s no accident that the MeToo movement started in tolerant Hollywood’. We also discuss racism in Britain. * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI Efraim Zuroff speaks about why he became a Nazi hunter, about his pursuit of war criminals all over the world over many decades, and about his efforts to make countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine and Croatia admit to their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide. As the last survivors die out how can Holocaust education and memory be sustained? Tom Gross asks why did it take Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Schindler’s List to make Holocaust education finally become incorporated into the British education system? Why did western countries and the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape at the end of the war? Why were so many doctors Nazis? * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg Born to modest parents near Liverpool (his father was a ship steward, his mother a shop girl) John O’Sullivan rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted aides and advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this zoom conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and how she developed her views, and other leading figures he met. (On one occasion John had breakfast with Thatcher in London, then flew to Washington and had dinner with President Reagan that same evening.) He and Tom Gross also discuss Donald Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his lifelong love for musical theatre. * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk, Iraq) https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk On being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd, in Iraq * Orit Yasu (Shoham, near Tel Aviv) https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg Born to recently arrived Ethiopian-Israeli parents, Orit Yasu talks with Tom Gross about growing up in Kiryat Malachi, the rescue of Ethiopian Jews by the Mossad, her participation in the 1999 Columbine High School shooting memorial while on a school trip to Colorado, on how NYC is too crowded, her trip to see her parents village in Ethiopia, and why many Ethiopian-Israelis vote Likud. * Rt Hon Lord (David) Young of Graffham https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM Lord Young talks about his life, his ten years in Downing Street working closely with Margaret Thatcher, his five years in Downing Street working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain. * Writer Nidra Poller (Paris) https://youtu.be/wHky3gPi0oA Writer Nidra Poller discusses hanging out with James Baldwin and other African-American writers and musicians in 1970s Paris, the origins of the name Nidra, how her Japanese partner introduced her to Israel, and the position of women in the modern world. * Susan Loewenthal Lourenco (Berlin) https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw Educator Susan Lourenco talks about being the child of refugees from Berlin, her life in four different countries and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany.

Historian and writer Amanda Foreman talks about her life and career; her father Carl Foreman (who wrote Bridge on the River Kwai, High Noon, and Guns of Navarone, but who was then driven out of town by Senator McCarthy’s witchhunts); her encounter with John Wayne; her books; her TV series on the ascent of women; her nonprofit that helps deprived American kids to read; and about curating an exhibition last year on Queen Victoria for the current English queen in Buckingham Palace. Amanda also discusses why statues and icons are such popular targets in History wars. *** Among other conversations in this series: * Pianist Evgeny Kissin (Prague) Described by The Economist & others as “the world’s most acclaimed classical pianist” Kissin talks about being a child prodigy; his favorite musicians; learning new repertoires and visiting Kafka’s grave during covid lockdown; about Stalin’s murder of Yiddish writers, his own love for Yiddish, Russia & the West https://youtu.be/6zKvyjlvleg * Tom Gross speaks about his own life experiences and views: growing up surrounded by cultural and literary luminaries in London and NY; brunches with Elvis Presley’s songwriter; crossing Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin with his grandmother during communism; helping the Roma when almost no one else would; his close relationship with his godmother Sonia Orwell (the model for the heroine Julia of her husband’s masterpiece ‘1984’); being in Manhattan on 9/11; the Mideast; the importance and legacy of the Holocaust; & other matters. https://youtu.be/T4Pg-IDYJYE * Writer David Pryce-Jones (Wales) discusses his childhood escape from the Nazis, and about his friendships with Isaac Bashevis Singer, Arthur Koestler, Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, John Gross and others https://youtu.be/hK8kppwX7UI * Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hossein Amini (London) Born in Tehran to a distinguished family (his grandfather was prime minister under the shah), Hossein speaks about Iran before and after the Islamic revolution, his career as a filmmaker, his work with Martin Scorsese and Harvey Weinstein, the MeToo movement and racism in Britain https://youtu.be/_llnKPTT0FE * The last Nazi-hunter Efraim Zuroff (Jerusalem) speaks about his worldwide pursuit of war criminals, his efforts to make Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Croatia and other countries admit their own very substantial collaboration with the Nazi genocide; and the future of Holocaust education and memory. Why did the Vatican and Red Cross help Nazi criminals escape? Why were so many doctors Nazis? https://youtu.be/KEaUhSYX3hI * Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, asks whether Britain can learn from the US system of government, and discusses Donald Trump, early Zionism -- and how as a teenager he was a mentor to Sasha Baron Cohen https://youtu.be/Y_3phYh8WMU * In a separate shorter conversation Jonathan Freedland & Tom Gross discuss English antisemitism https://youtu.be/D8Zcppjh6Tw * John O’Sullivan (Budapest) Born to working class parents near Liverpool, John rose to become one of Margaret Thatcher’s most trusted advisors in 10 Downing Street. In this conversation, he discusses Thatcher’s personality and other leading figures he met, including President Reagan. He also discuss Trump’s presidency; the future of journalism; and his love for musical theatre. https://youtu.be/TKspJwfsibg * Zoe Johnson is the second woman ever to be appointed Senior Treasury Counsel by the attorney general to prosecute the UK’s most serious cases including Islamic terrorism, organized crime, abuse of public office, and honor killings. And she has done all this with the added difficulty of being confined to a wheelchair for almost her whole life. https://youtu.be/Zs_pr7-6mxs * Bahra Saleh (Kirkuk) 0n being a woman, and fleeing Saddam as a Kurd in Iraq https://youtu.be/tQM0a9qJ1Jk * Orit Yasu (Shoham) talks about growing up Ethiopian-Israeli https://youtu.be/xKihFpFrOUg * Lord (David) Young talks about his ten years in Margaret Thatcher’s government, his five years working with David Cameron, and about Boris Johnson, Donald Trump, and modern multicultural Britain https://youtu.be/AzmrBuZ0OoM * Shmuel Bar (Herzliya), who worked for Israel’s government for 30 years in various clandestine capacities, discusses the state of America, Europe & the Mideast https://youtu.be/j_ekSPVLMAg * Charlotte Cunningham (Yorkshire) discusses her arts organization in England that helps people with mental and physical disabilities, her grandmother who was the ruling monarch of Luxembourg; and her grandfather who served in the cabinets of Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson https://youtu.be/kva8JQ1Jgsw * Susan Lourenco (Berlin) talks about being the child of refugees and how she reconciled herself with modern Germany https://youtu.be/wjS4DSh4DBw