The Shpiel on Shylock

The Shpiel on the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival

Host Wendy Schneider and her colleague Helaine Ortmann discuss the films that will be featured at the 2026 festival

The Shpiel on Jews who fought for the Allies during WWII

Ask most people about the Jewish experience in the Second World War, and one story inevitably comes to mind: the Holocaust. But there is another side to that history. In this episode of the Shpiel on Hamilton, journalist and author Aron Heller speaks about his new book, Zaidy's Band, The Untold Stories of a Jewish Band of Brothers in World War II and his upcoming talk.

The Shpiel on Jews of Colour

The Shpiel on Hamilton's guest host Helaine Ortmann invites Rivka Campbell, executive director of Toronto's Beth Tikvah Synagogue to reflect on her personal journey as a Jew of colour within the mainstream Jewish community.

The Shpiel on the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival

The Shpiel on Hamilton interviews members of the Hamilton Jewish Film Festival committee about the 2025 Hamilton Jewish Film Festival which will take place at the Ancaster Memorial Arts Centre from March 23 to 25, 2025.

The Shpiel on Shylock

The Shpiel on Hamilton's interview with Marvin Karon, the co-founder and executive director of Shakesperience. Marvin is an actor, an acting coach, a teacher, and the founder and executive director of Shakesperience, a non-profit organization that brings professional actors into Ontario classrooms with the goal of making Shakespeare more accessible to children. In the following episode, Marvin shares his insights on the question of whether The Merchant of Venice is antisemitic, and explains the circumstances that got him thinking about taking Shakesperience outside the classroom and into a synagogue to explore a topic that could not be more timely.