What Came After

Manya Marcus continues to send audio postcards from the Second Iran War with Israel. In these vignettes, she shares what it's like to receive virtual medical care from doctors who are also tending to victims of missile fire; how it feels to know where her children are in their day- without her; the exhaustion of going back and forth to the bomb shelter; and how even grocery shopping is anxiety-provoking right now.
 
 
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In this chapter, Manya Marcus shares two interviews: the first takes place in a Tel Aviv bomb shelter with Nicole from Rome, who wonders if she would still have moved to Israel if she had known what life would be like for her and her children during a war. The second interview takes place in a bomb shelter in Rehovot with a man named Nissim. Nissim, who was born in Morocco and served for 28 years in the Israeli army before becoming a teacher, reflects on the reality of Jewish life in Morocco before his family fled to Israel, and explain why his name, which means "miracles", has such significance right now.
 
 
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Manya Marcus, host of What Came After, got stuck in Israel during the Second Iran War. Manya continues to send audio impressions of her time on the ground, this time from Rehovot, where Purim celebrations remained lively- both inside and outside the bomb shelter.
 
 
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Manya Marcus, host of What Came After, spent two weeks in Israel doing interviews for the podcast when war with the Iranian regime broke out. She has been recording on-the-spot interviews in bomb shelters, cafes, and on the street since then. This is her first reflection, recorded during a break between rocket barrages in Tel Aviv. Please stay tuned for more short episodes chronicling this war on the ground.
 
 
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Manya Marcus continues to report live from the war between Israel and the Iranian regime. These are audio postcards from various scenes she is experiencing on the ground in Israel: in bomb shelters, cafes between rocket barrages, in elevators, and beyond.
 
 
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What Came After sat down with Rabbi Hody Nemes this past February. Rav Hody, as he is called by his congregants, is the Assistant Rabbi of Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob (the shul that WCA host Manya Marcus calls home!), as well as the Program Director of Solu, an organization based in Skokie that develops relationships between the Orthodox community and other communities through service and learning partnerships. We spoke with Rav Hody about his work with Solu, particularly the challenges the organization faced as it doubled down on its resolve to build bridges beyond the Orthodox Jewish community after October 7th, and how that work has culminated in a current project that has gained international attention: Hersh's Fridge, a fully kosher community fridge built to meet the needs of those facing food insecurity across all local communities.
Rav Hody also speaks about earlier chapters in his professional history as a climate change activist, how he feels about the direction the climate change movement has taken since October 7th, his continued passion for climate justice and communal service, and the story of why he decided to become a rabbi.
Credits:
Host and Creator: Manya Marcus
Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod
Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick
Editor 2: Eli Akselrod
Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar
Outro Music: Tandu - “מה נאוו עלי” 
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
 
 
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This past fall, I sat down with Nadine Greenfield-Binstock, a longtime Jewish communal professional who has devoted her career to strengthening Jewish life as well as Israel advocacy. After more than 20 years working with the American Jewish Committee, Nadine reflects on the AJC’s role in building bridges—both within the Jewish community and beyond it. She also speaks candidly speaks about the devastating night that Yaron Leschinsky and Sarah Milgrim were murdered at an AJC event in Washington, DC. Our conversation also looks ahead: the challenges facing emerging community leaders, as well as the many sources of faith in the Jewish future. Nadine shares the powerful story of her father, a survivor of nine concentration camps, and how he transformed post-traumatic stress into post-traumatic growth—along with her complicated feelings of relief that he did not live to witness October 7, as well as how much she misses him and wishes that he were here now to offer his hard-earned wisdom.
 
Credits:
Host and Creator: Manya Marcus
Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod
Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick
Editor 2: Eli Akselrod
Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar
Outro Music: פונאר” - סנדרה ג'ונסון”
Listen on Youtube 
 
 
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In September 2025, I sat down with Aryeh Schwartz, a professional photographer based in Washington, DC. Aryeh was working at the Capital Jewish Museum on the night that Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Leschinsky were murdered. 
Aryeh is also the founder of Winsidr.com, a leading outlet for in-depth WNBA coverage.
In this conversation, Aryeh reflects on the night Sarah and Yaron were killed and its aftermath. He also reflects on the unexpected ways his work in WNBA journalism has shifted since October 7th. Aryeh speaks candidly about the many roles he holds beyond his professional life: as a father striving to protect his children while teaching them to cherish their Jewish identity; as a partner navigating difficult conversations with his wife about the balance between safety and Jewish pride; and as the proud brother of a combat soldier serving in th Israel Defense Forces.
This is a conversation about identity, responsibility and what it means to live as a Jew in America today. 
 
Credits:
Host and Creator: Manya Marcus
Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod
Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick
Editor 2: Eli Akselrod
Editors: Noah Greenblatt and Shira Glicksman
Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar
Outro Music: “שִׁירַת הָעֲשָׂבִים” - Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and Naomi Shemer
Listen on Spotify or Apple Music
 
 
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Earlier this year, I traveled to Princeton, New Jersey to meet with Lynne Azarchi and Harlene Lichter Galen, authors of  Countering Antisemitism: A How‑To Guide for Youth (8–18), Families and Educators. The two met while working on anti-bias programming in a New Jersey after-school setting and, during the height of COVID, began noticing a troubling rise in antisemitic bullying and bias targeting younger students.
In this episode, Lynne and Harlene reflect on their personal encounters with antisemitism and how their professional work with children across diverse backgrounds informed the book’s evidence-based approach. Central to their framework is the importance of helping children identify trustworthy adults who can support them in navigating antisemitism with confidence, compassion, and pride.
 
They also speak candidly about navigating political differences around Israel within their own families, and explain why the strategies outlined in the book remain effective regardless of political perspective. Both emphasize the urgency of beginning this work early—during elementary school—rather than expecting teens and young adults to face these challenges on their own once they reach college.
 
Credits:
Host and Creator: Manya Marcus
Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod
Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick
Editor 2: Eli Akselrod
Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar
Outro Music: “Where We Go” - Elijah Aaron
Listen on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Music⁠
 
 
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Earlier this year, I sat down with Alissa Zeffren, a Tanach and History teacher at Ida Crown Jewish Academy outside Chicago and the director of NILI, the women’s division of the YU Torah Mitzion Kollel. Alissa also leads the Chicago chapter of Student to Student (STS), a program that trains Jewish teens—across Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox backgrounds—to present about Judaism in non-Jewish public and private school classrooms, working to combat antisemitism one classroom at a time. Our guest last week, Kelly Shapiro, is a notable graduate of Chicago's Student-to-Student program.
Alissa founded the Chicago STS chapter in direct response to the 2018 shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh. By the time October 7th occurred, the program was already well-established, with a robust network of schools and educators. Its peer-to-peer model—introducing students to the many facets of Jewish identity through direct conversation—had already seen great success.
In this episode, Alissa speaks with a rare blend of compassion and candor about what happened when STS students were scheduled to visit a public school in the days immediately following October 7th, and how she, her students, the STS program, and its partners navigated the unexpected challenges that followed.
 
Credits:
Host and Creator: Manya Marcus
Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod
Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick
Editor 2: Eli Akselrod
Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar
Outro Music: “Lmala” - Ilana Chava 
Listen on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple Music
 
 
WCA Media relies on your support to bring you episodes like this one. Click here to support the work that we do.