In this episode, I chat with my dear friend Elijah Lake Holstein, part dissident town crier, part goof-ball gesture, part Yiddish cantor. Traversing stories of childhood sickness and somatic hallucinations, Elijah speaks frankly about his near-death experiences living with chronic illness. From the “feminization” of Jewish men throughout history to Israel’s campaign of hyper masculinity today, our discussions cover topics of gender and Zionism that echo themes of Jewish male patheticness, weakness and defeat explored in Elijah's artwork. We break down the prolific lyrics from his debut album, drawn from anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist Yiddish poetry and protest songs dating back a century. Through his many expressions, Elijah’s through line is an insatiable curiosity for unearthing what remains hidden in our Jewish cultures and his unwavering dedication to the liberation of Palestinians.

Elijah Lake Holstein is a multi-(un)disciplinary artist and composer gratefully living and working on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ peoples - so called Vancouver. His debut album released under the moniker Exiliahu is titled Why Have You Stolen the Blue and White Colours from Our Honest Sky. The album’s lyrics are drawn primarily from the anti-Zionist and anti-imperialist Yiddish poetry and protest songs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Follow Elijah’s work:

The Companion (@inkydew)

Exiliahu

Elijah’s Rec:

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Episode Sources:

Messiness is Where the Creativity Exists with Céline Semaan

Slow Factory

For this episode, I speak with Seattle-based abstract artist, Leif Forrest Clamor. In this mind expanding conversation, we cover everything from queer joy to personal liberation to art as a medium for honesty. Experiencing the death of their father, best friend and partner consecutively within the span of three years, Leif speaks of the emotional transformation that has come through navigating such unimaginable loss. Leif combats the conditional formula for processing grief that prescribes depression as the only way to mourn. Alternately he asks, what can I do to personify a loving life in honour of the ones that have come to pass? Through self-observation, Leif offers three reminders when experiencing the loss of a loved one: the power of connection, the freedom to choose your own path, and the importance of sharing your story with others that are able to witness your whole humanity. Laugh and cry with us in this heartening conversation about what it means to keep on living after death, the significance of forming an unshakeable bond with ourselves, and finding home with our chosen family where we can express ourselves without limitations.

Leif Forrest Clamor has been a professional abstract artist for 17 years. He’s done paid non-credited digital graphic art and printwork for restaurants and zines in Brooklyn, NY. They have had works professionally displayed in: Melbourne, FL, West Palm Beach, FL, Orlando, FL, New York, NY, Seattle, WA (Neighborhoods: South Lake Union, Capitol Hill, Belltown and SODO). Clamor is a new artist to the Seattle area since 2019 and has participated in window displays in South Lake Union, featured work in Ballad and Capital Hill neighbourhoods.

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Follow Leif’s work:

@safewithleif

Leif’s Rec’s:

Deviant Matter by Kyla Wazana Tompkins

The Last Day by Owain Owain

Is Zionism a death cult? For this special mid-season episode, host of Little Death podcast, Dvorah Silverman, delves into the manipulative mechanics of Zionism across time, the resistance movements that have always existed in parallel and how modern Zionism has shaped our present-day (distorted) realities. Employing Michael Langone’s 3Ds of cult dynamics - Deception, Dependence and Dread - Dvorah breaks down Zionism's persuasive recruitment tactics, insidious control of information and the repercussions of leaving for those who dare to question.

To illuminate the “exceptional” case of Israel, Dvorah shares their journey of unraveling the cultishness of Zionism, the cracks in the ingrained narratives that led them to anti-Zionist movements and the surfacing guilt and shame in the cult recovery process. Ultimately, Dvorah stresses the criticalness in finding belonging amidst anti-Zionist communities and relationships through cross-cultural solidarities in order to begin to heal and combat the cult of Zionism for a Free Palestine within our lifetimes.

Episode Sources:

⁠What is Zionism?⁠

⁠More than a century on: The Balfour Declaration explained | Al Jazeera⁠

⁠Khaled Hourani: The Story of the Watermelon⁠

⁠Israelism Documentary⁠

⁠What Does Israel Fear From Palestine? By Raja Shehadeh⁠

⁠Cult Dynamics 101⁠⁠–⁠⁠ Conspirituality⁠

⁠“Deception, Dependence, and Dread” By Michael Langone⁠

⁠Doppelganger – Naomi Klein⁠

⁠Israel Projects 2009 Global Language Dictionary⁠