Ordinary Jews. Talking. Episode 1: Susan Russo

Episode 1: Susan Russo

Susan is a émigré, coming to Claremont in 1975 from Brooklyn where being Jewish was an effortless part of life, ethics, culture, and family politics. Finding herself and raising her children in a profoundly non-Jewish Upper Valley, her identity has been expressed in friendships, noodle puddings, and the rugelach she bakes and gives out at Christmas time. Her exposure to Israel and the contradictions of that society were shaped by visits with a childhood friend who moved there to marry a Tunisian Jew. We discuss her experience of October 7, her shifting relationship to Judaism and to the post-October 7 conflict, and we fantasize together about where we might find the light. Listen to the stories that are the sign posts of this journey and you’ll also learn the secret identity of “Moe Levine”, the Catholic priest of Claremont, NH.

Recorded July 8, 2025

Episode 1 Notes:

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East, By Sandy Tolan. Here’s  a link to the author’s website where he writes about the origins of the book. 

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza, by Peter Beinart, 2024. Here’s a link to the author’s substack where he talks about the book.