Voice of Resilience: Jewish Advocacy & Grassroots Power w/ Pamela Scheinman | Ep 16

Recorded on October 15, this episode of Jew & Stew features Pamela Scheinman, speaking from Netanya, Israel, in the emotional aftermath of a hostage release and amid ongoing concerns about the cost and consequences of negotiated deals with terror groups. Pam reflects on her Orthodox upbringing in Queens, her evolving observance, and the education that deepened her Zionism—especially through the David Project’s framework for understanding how Israel is “framed” physically, historically, and morally. She shares her journey from early advocacy in Boston—counter-protests, rallies, and city hall testimony—to building an Israel Action Committee in Chicago before October 7. Pam also recounts confronting the Chicago ceasefire resolution, and later working with allies to pass an anti-slavery resolution that directly named jihadist violence—underscoring her core message: Jews and allies must be visible, informed, and unafraid to speak truth in the public square.

Chapters
00:01 — Welcome from Netanya, Israel
00:50 — October 15 context & hostage release emotions
02:04 — Watching the release unfold in real time
03:57 — Relief, grief, and the cost of the deal
05:03 — Pam’s upbringing & Jewish identity roots
08:08 — Growing observance and early Zionism
09:51 — From feeling safe to facing antisemitism
13:10 — Boston: first street protests and a turning point
18:02 — The David Project: advocacy framework that changed everything
21:04 — Indigeneity: history, archaeology, and continuity
24:57 — “You feel it in Israel”: land, faith, and belonging
30:59 — Chicago City Hall: ceasefire resolution & Pam’s speech
35:11 — Why public rallies matter (Boston lessons)
43:44 — Chicago groundwork: Israel Action Committee & education tools
55:42 — Anti-slavery resolution: coalitions and naming jihadist violence


Guest Bio

Pamela Scheinman lived in a Boston suburb for 28 years before relocating to Chicago in 2021, during which time she served as Chairperson of her synagogue’s Israel Action Committee in Newton, MA, and sat on the board of the grassroots pro-Israel organization BIAC (Boston Israel Action Committee). A committed advocate for Israel, she organized and participated in numerous pro-Israel responses to anti-Israel events throughout the Boston area, believing deeply in the importance of standing proudly as a Jew in the public square and confronting the lies and modern-day blood libels directed at the world’s only Jewish state. After moving to Chicago, she established an Israel Action Committee at her downtown synagogue to elevate Israel advocacy within the community, and became the sole anti-ceasefire speaker selected by lottery to address Chicago City Hall in January 2024. She was again selected in September 2024 to urge the Council to support Alderman Raymond Lopez’s anti-slavery, anti-jihad resolution, which—after modifications—passed the City Council in February 2025. Guided by the principle of Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Lazeh—that all Jews are responsible for one another—and Rabbi Tarfon’s teaching in Pirkei Avot that “it is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it,” Pamela continues to devote herself to steadfast Jewish advocacy and moral clarity.

Pam's City Hall speech :    • Streaming Live: Chicago City Council to vo...  
Pam's comments are at ~ 1:02:00

https://vimeo.com/showcase/6277394/vi... Pam's comments at 51:52 (anti- slavery resolution)


#JewAndStew, #CJA, #ChicagoJewishAlliance, #JewishPodcast, #JewishVoices, #JewishCommunity, #JewishIdentity, #JewishResilience, #ProudJew, #AmYisraelChai, #NeverAgainIsNow, #StandWithIsrael, #Zionism, #IsraelAdvocacy, #FightAntisemitism, #EndJewHatred, #AntisemitismAwareness, #JewishActivism, #GrassrootsAdvocacy, #CivicEngagement, #PublicSquare, #SpeakingTruth, #MoralClarity, #Hostages, #BringThemHome, #IsraelAfterOctober7, #JewishLeadership, #WomenLeading, #CommunityAction, #AlliesAgainstHate, #WesternValues, #DemocracyUnderThreat