Shay Khatiri grew up in an Iranian Communist household where his dad handed him Das Kapital at age 12 — and somehow ended up a neoconservative Persian researcher at CAMERA, fighting media bias against Israel. Shay knows more about Jewish life than most Jews, and will absolutely turn off your lights before leaving Shabbat dinner.

Shay breaks down why Iranians were cheering on Israeli fighter jets from their rooftops, the 2,500-year friendship between Persians and Jews that started with Cyrus the Great, and what the future for Iran may entail.

Follow Shay on X @ShayKhatiri

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What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

03:15 Growing up in a Communist household in Iran

08:20 How the West misunderstands a society at war

12:40 Why Iranians cheered for Israeli fighter jets

18:30 What it will actually take to topple the regime

22:15 The 2,500-year friendship between Persians and Jews

30:00 Iranians today: the most pro-Israel nation after Israel itself

34:20 How Americans can actually help the Iranian people

38:45 The "as a Jew" problem and rebellion against immigrant parents

44:10 Closing Remarks

Andy Buckley is David Wallace. You know him. You love him. But before he was Steve Carell's perfectly straight-faced boss at Dunder Mifflin, he spent years as a Merrill Lynch wealth manager — which explains why his corporate deadpan hits so painfully right. He's also one of the most thoughtful and openly supportive non-Jewish allies the community has had since October 7th.

Andy talks about the moment that gave him permission to speak up, the dinner-table education that came with marrying into a Jewish family, and why he thinks the loudest voices in Hollywood are often the least informed. Plus: the lost art of being a straight man, his audition origin story, and the surprising flight he took next to Ana Kasparian's husband.

Follow Andy Buckley on Instagram @AndyBuckley2020

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What We Discuss:

00:00 Intro & Episode Agenda

03:00 From Stanford to Wall Street to David Wallace

09:30 The Underrated Power of the Straight Man

14:00 Trusting Your Voice as an Artist

18:30 Visiting Auschwitz, Marrying Into a Jewish Family, and Learning Slowly

22:00 What Amar'e Stoudemire's Post Unlocked

27:00 Why Hollywood Stays Quiet

32:00 Sitting Next to Ana Kasparian's Husband on a Plane

37:00 What Andy Wants from Hollywood (and What Margarita Doesn't)

39:00 Closing Remarks

Margarita returns for a solo episode to catch you up on the comeback of the “Goy You Will Enjoy” season — dedicated to the allies showing up for the Jewish community — and the current state of Jinsta.

She also reads a powerful letter from a listener about intermarriage that sparked one of the most thoughtful conversations we’ve had in a long time. Truly an incredible note.

Follow People Jew Wanna Know on Instagram @peoplejewwannaknow

Support our work: buymeacoffee.com/peoplejewwannaknow