In this profound and powerful interview, I explore Joel Z. Waldman’s profound journey decades later as he co-hosted a true crime podcast with his mother to To commemorate her survival——Cam Waldmana renowned Holocaust survivor and practicing therapist. The family’s roots are deeply rooted in a tradition of survival, resilience and storytelling. I had the pleasure of interviewing author Joel Waldman about his famous podcast, survivor survival.
Megan Ford: How did you draw on positive family memories or beliefs to get through such difficult times?
Joel Waldman: in writing survivor survivalmy mother repeatedly conveyed to me that for the first four years of her life, she was surrounded by loving parents and grandparents who spent a lot of time educating her and playing with her. This incident has been deeply imprinted in her memory. So she spent the first four years of her life when World War II broke out and most of her family was murdered. As she got older and her relationships changed, witnessing her and understanding what she went through made me stronger.
Megan Ford: As the son of a Holocaust survivor, how did you develop empathy for all the traumatic experiences your family went through?
Joel Waldman: This is one of the reasons why I wrote this article survivor survival.
I could never truly understand what really happened to my mom and her family, so it was difficult to express what I thought was appropriate empathy.
I had obviously seen movies and books about the Holocaust before writing the book. But truly knowing my mom’s story gave me a deeper understanding of their difficulties.
Megan Ford: Why is it important to share survivor stories with younger generations? Why is reminding young people “never again” still an important issue in social consciousness?
Joel Waldman: My mom likes to say “Never again!” which is a euphemism for never accepting anything again. In other words, if you try to force us into a cattle car again, you better be ready for a fight.
By the same token, younger generations of Jews need to know what’s going on. To fully understand, there was once a time when we had no way to fight back.
Today, Israel is one of the most advanced and technologically advanced countries in the world.
We are strong as a people and we will no longer cower to any group or anti-Semitism. Never again!
Megan Ford: What has been a highlight or memorable moment integrating technology into your podcast? How did you teach or learn about technology with your mother?
Joel Waldman: That’s what really brings humor to our podcast. We both have our share of disasters. None of us understand how any technological product works. Thank you God for those who have taught us along the way.
We launched on YouTube using something called Streamyard, which my mom still calls “Barnyard.” She thinks that’s what it’s called.
Megan Ford: Do you think your podcast teaches valuable life lessons to all generations?
Joel Waldman: Our podcast covers true crime. My mother was a licensed therapist, so she was very interested in the psychology that drives people to commit crimes. I’m a former online news reporter. We have over 117,000 podcast subscribers and over 2 million monthly viewers on YouTube alone. We work hard to advocate for victims and their families. We’re also proud to claim to have the #BestGuests in #TrueCrime, and we do, to discuss the biggest and latest cases.
Megan Ford: In what ways was writing your book a healing process, and did it sometimes stir up painful memories?
Joel Waldman: Writing is incredibly cathartic for me. It’s much easier for me to express my ideas verbally than with the written word. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a long and difficult process. But it was really worth it in the end. I hear people all the time saying they plan to write a book. Well, stop planning. just do it.
Megan Ford: What is your writing process like?
Joel Waldman:Many writers enjoy solitude. Not me. I would go to a trendy food court in Miami. It was always bustling with art people and I would put on my headphones, rock Johnny Cash and start writing.
My writing style is very conversational, a skill I learned in broadcast journalism. So, I know what I want to write about, and then I write it.
I never rewrote. I felt like if I tried to be perfect, it would never get done. So, I would rather be imperfect and have a book than be perfect and not have a book.
Megan Ford: As journalists, how do we bring people together on difficult news topics and remind audiences that stories are meant to inform and connect us all?
Joel Waldman: We are living through one of the most divisive and polarizing times in history. And, as if things weren’t difficult enough, we as a society have also been devastated by COVID-19.
But the truth is, despite tribal politics and divisions, most of us want the same thing: a peaceful, meaningful, and happy life with our families.
As a journalist, I try to remember that and remind people.
Megan Ford: What inspired you to become a broadcast journalist?
Joel Waldman: I’ve always been very curious. I remember living in New York in my early twenties and wondering out loud like Jerry Seinfeld: “Who are these people? What do they do?” Finally I started reporting, and my curiosity only grew. Minus. I’ve had the privilege of interviewing everyone from former presidents to homeless people, and I learned something from each one that I can share as a journalist.
survivor survival is a popular podcast hosted by Joel Waldman and his mother, a licensed mental health therapist. It captured the attention of listeners across the United States, including the Philadelphia area. The organizer’s mission is to draw attention to and advocate for the victims and their families of the crimes discussed online. survivor survival. There is also a book titled Survival of survivors: A brutally honest conversation about life (and death) with my mom: Holocaust survivor, therapist, and my podcast co-host Available for Amazonpublished in May 2024.
Wow, thank you Mr. Joel Waldman and his management team for sharing your incredible story of your family’s survival and giving us an inside look at your podcast. Special thanks to Ms. Cam Waldman whose strength and empathy continue to inspire the world.
website of survivor survival
Listen to the podcast, survivor survivalcan be used for apple, Spotify and pod chaser
watch exist Youtube
patreon Membership
e-mail: survivingthesurvivor@gmail.com
link tree contour of survivor survival podcast
commodity survivor survival
This book is available at simon and schulster and Amazon
