What Came After traveled to Amsterdam in February to speak with Rabbi Akiva Camissar about his experiences working with the city’s Israeli Jewish community in the wake of two deeply traumatic events: the October 7th attacks in Israel and the violent pogrom against visiting Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam in November 2024.

Rabbi Camissar shares how the events of October 7th created a profound shift in his community. Made up largely of Israeli expats, the community became more tightly knit, with members drawing strength and solidarity from one another. That sense of unity proved crucial a year later, when anti-Israel violence erupted in Amsterdam. With no warning, the community mobilized and improvised rescue systems that helped protect and evacuate scores of Israelis who were in danger.

He speaks movingly about the importance of maintaining a vibrant Jewish presence in Amsterdam and how he believes that the future of the city’s Jewish life lies with its growing Israeli population. Rabbi Camissar also offers a powerful reflection on Simchat Torah 2023, which coincided with the attacks on October 7th. As news of the massacre emerged, he made a deliberate choice: his community would still dance. Even in the face of horror, they would continue the tradition of dancing with the Torah—an act of spiritual defiance and hope. Long before the phrase “We Will Dance Again” became a symbol of resilience after the Nova music festival massacre, Rabbi Camissar had already claimed the powerful sentiment for his community.

This episode offers a poignant look at how faith, community, and identity can become sources of strength in moments of fear and uncertainty—and how, even in the darkest times, Jewish life endures.

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar

Outro Music: "On Our Way" by Elijah Aaron

Listen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠

In this episode, we travel to Paris to speak with Anna Veronese, a rabbinical student at Maharat—the only institution offering both Orthodox ordination to women and virtual learning, creating a global community she deeply values.

We talk about Veronese's identity as a feminist, left-wing Jew who remains a committed Zionist while being selectively critical of some Israeli policies. She shares how the trauma of October 7 continues to shape her parenting, as her children form their own Jewish and Zionist identities. She also reflects on the tension between wanting to shield her children from tragedy and embracing the solidarity shown at their Jewish school with hostage families and Israeli society at large.

Veronese opens up about her complex sense of belonging—born in Italy, living in France amid rising antisemitism, and not being Israeli. She describes the pain of losing ties to the French feminist community and tells a shocking story of being cast out of a feminist march for being a Zionist. She wrestles with her belief in the importance of a vibrant Jewish future in France, even as she doubts whether the next generation can truly thrive there.

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar

Outro Music: "Mar'ot" by Anat Malamud

Listen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠

Earlier this year, What Came After traveled to Brussels for a sobering conversation with Rihards Kols, Latvia’s Member of the European Parliament. Recorded inside one of the European Parliament’s media studios, this interview confronts a chilling possibility: that the world may be repeating the darkest chapters of the 20th century.

Kols offers an unflinching look at how his own country has confronted Russian aggression, and how the invasion of Ukraine by a nuclear-armed autocracy has emboldened others—China, North Korea, and Iran among them. He draws a direct line from Russia’s war in Ukraine to Iran’s support of Hamas’s attack on Israel—both sovereign nations under siege.

As the world grapples with rising authoritarianism, Kols warns of the West’s dangerous complacency. He challenges the belief that dialogue alone can deter autocratic threats and criticizes the hesitation of democratic nations to provide meaningful support to those on the front lines—especially Ukraine and, more recently, Israel.

Recorded in January 2025, several months before the outbreak of the Israel-Iran war, this conversation now resonates with eerie urgency. Kols’s words offer one glimpse of hope: history will warn us, rather than repeating itself, if we are willing to listen.

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Managing Producer: Maya Zanger-Nadis

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar

Outro Music: "All We See" by Nuriel

Listen on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Music⁠⁠⁠