Good People Talk

Guest: Gavi Welbel, Co-Founder of Zumwalt Acres About Zumwalt Acres: Zumwalt Acres is an ecological farm in Sheldon, Illinois, founded by twin sisters Gavi and Remi Welbel in 2020. As sixth-generation stewards of their family’s land, they’ve transformed a conventional farm into a regenerative agriculture hub rooted in Jewish values and climate-forward practices. The farm grows food regeneratively for farmers’ markets and local food pantries, hosts an annual apprenticeship program for young people aged 18-27, and conducts climate research on carbon sequestration methods. They also cultivate specialty mushrooms, bridge conventional and regenerative farming communities in rural Illinois, and honor Jewish agricultural traditions. Learn More: Visit Zumwalt Acres online to learn about their work, apprenticeship opportunities, and research initiatives. Zumwalt Acres is supported by the Good People Fund, which invests in innovative grassroots organizations making a difference in their communities.

Evie Litwok walked out of federal prison in 2014 with $30 and a Greyhound ticket. The daughter of Holocaust survivors, Evie founded Witness to Mass Incarceration to help formerly incarcerated people rebuild their lives with dignity and support. Her work is deeply informed by her family’s experience of survival and her commitment to bearing witness to injustice. Witness to Mass Incarceration provides practical reentry support like laptops and phones for newly released individuals, offers vocational training, documents the stories of incarcerated people, connects formerly incarcerated business owners to build economic empowerment, and advocates to change conditions inside prisons, particularly around sexual violence and abuse. The Good People Fund gave Evie her very first grant, making this transformative work possible. Witness to Mass Incarceration is supported by the Good People Fund, which invests in innovative grassroots organizations making a difference in their communities.

In this final episode of our Building Bridges series on Good People Talk, Naomi Eisenberger, The Good People Fund’s Founder and Executive Director, speaks with Jon Adam Ross, founder of Inheritance Theater Project, a Good People Fund grantee that uses performance art to build bridges between community members in cities across the country. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Jon’s family considered civic engagement and belief in a civil society to be of paramount importance in one’s life. Going on to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jon was exposed to a wide range of performance art, eventually building his life’s work which combines those talents with his early lessons in creating and maintaining a civil society. Today, Inheritance Theater Project has created programs in more than 20 states, as well as for prestigious programs at Harvard Divinity School, the Obama Foundation and other entities. Jon shares stories of hope that have sprung up in the cities where ITP has appeared and believes that we, as a country, can go beyond the current unrest shaking the core beliefs of our shared society. The Good People Fund relies on the generosity of supporters like you to continue this work. Visit goodpeoplefund.org/donate to make a gift today.

In this episode of Good People Talk, Julie Fisher, associate executive director of The Good People Fund, speaks with Matt Fieldman and Charmaine Rice, co-founders of Rekindle, a Good People Fund grantee bringing Black and Jewish leaders together for dialogue, friendship, and shared action. Matt and Charmaine share what inspired them to create Rekindle and how they’ve built brave spaces for difficult conversations about race, identity, and history. They trace Rekindle’s remarkable growth from a single Cleveland cohort to a national movement spanning 20 cities, exploring what it means to rekindle the historic Black-Jewish alliance forged during the Civil Rights Movement. The conversation delves into how Rekindle fellows are bringing this work back to their own communities, how Matt and Charmaine navigate polarization and division with hope and courage, and ultimately, what gives them hope for the future. The Good People Fund relies on the generosity of supporters like you to continue this work. Visit goodpeoplefund.org/donate to make a gift today.

In this moving episode of Good People Talk, Julie Fisher, associate executive director of The Good People Fund sits down with Mo Al Samawi, Founder of Abrahamic House and author of The Fox Hunt, to explore a life shaped by hardship, faith, and extraordinary moral courage. Born and raised in Yemen, Mo grew up navigating disability, social isolation, and the deep impacts of conflict. His worldview began to shift through unlikely encounters — books, social media, and relationships with people from different faiths — ultimately transforming hatred into compassion. That personal transformation became the foundation for Abrahamic House, a groundbreaking interfaith fellowship where young adults of different religions live together, build friendships, and create community through shared experiences and courageous dialogue. Explore The Good People Fund: www.goodpeoplefund.org Read The Good People Fund’s “2025 Journal of Good” for more stories of inspiration and impact: https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/journal-of-good/

Rabbi Elhanan Miller is the Israel-based Founder of People of the Book, a Good People Fund grantee harnessing the power of original video and social media to advance coexistence between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East … and beyond. With hundreds of thousands of followers, and a reach into unlikely spaces, he is using creativity and vision to build new narratives and understandings … and change realities. He speaks with Good People Fund Executive Director Naomi Eisenberger. This episode is the first of Good People Talk’s “Bridge Building” series, focusing on Good People Fund grantees creating and elevating dialogue, common purpose and hope. Explore The Good People Fund: www.goodpeoplefund.org Read The Good People Fund’s “2025 Journal of Good” for more stories of inspiration and impact: https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/journal-of-good/

Everyday Boston is a Good People Fund grantee that is weaving shared storytelling into the civic fabric of Boston. The intention is to elevate empathy, dismantle barriers, forge connections and build stronger community within and among neighborhoods in a multicultural city with its own history of fracture. “Stories can link us when almost nothing else can,” says Cara Solomon, Everyday Boston’s Founder and Creative Director. “Stories are our connective tissue.” — “Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk!, where audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees alive. — Read The Good People Fund 2025 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact: www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/annual-reports/ — Thank you to our narrator, Jordan Rich of Chart Productions.

Almog was 20 when he embraced his gender identity, nearly 13 years ago. Public consciousness of transgender issues — and support for individuals and families — was far from present. For Merav Livni Keish — Almog’s mother — silence was no option. She began talking to people, uncovering others’ experiences. She dug deep into the medical world, accumulating facts and realities. Eventually, she founded Brit Ha’Leviot, a Good People Fund grantee promoting the rights and wellbeing of transgender individuals and their families … and educating Israeli society about gender diversity. — “Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk!, where audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees alive. — Read The Good People Fund 2025 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact: www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/annual-reports/ — Thank you to our narrator: Stephanie Garry

It was five years ago that three mothers of college-bound students founded TribeTalk, a Good People Fund grantee. Their mission … to empower Jewish students with tools, information and resources to evaluate college environments … and also to address antisemitism and anti-Israel bias on campus and beyond. “We are providing a shield for Jewish students to move through their spaces,” says Jude Sydney, one of the founders, along with Michelle Black and Robin Friedman. “They will be street smart, informed, tactical and practical.” — “Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk!, where audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees alive. — Read The Good People Fund 2025 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact: www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/annual-reports/ — Thank you to our narrator, Jordan Rich of Chart Productions, and our voice artist Ari Sapers-Sydney

MyChild’sCancer — founded by Oded Grinstein in 2010 and a Good People Fund grantee — is a result of his family’s arduous and ultimately successful journey through pediatric cancer. It is a growing, grassroots ecosystem of emotional, logistical and informed support for parents navigating pediatric cancer. It empowers and equips them as advocates for their child’s care, survival and recovery. Oded refers to MyChild’sCancer as a basement start-up, connecting disparate dots for parents when questions come faster than answers. “These are game changers,” he says. — “Stories of Hope” is a special series of Good People Talk!, where audio storytelling brings the impact of our Good People Fund grantees alive. — Read The Good People Fund 2025 Journal of Good for more stories of inspiration, hope and impact: www.goodpeoplefund.org/news-and-publications/annual-reports/ — Thank you to our narrator: Stephanie Garry