Dina Rovner is the Legal Advisor of United Nations Watch (UN Watch), an independent human rights monitoring organization in Geneva, Switzerland.

UN Watch has produced a couple of comprehensive reports, one repudiating UNRWA's claim that it is successfully implementing reforms and the other providing a comprehensive legal analysis of Francesca Albanese’s October 2026 Report to the UN General Assembly. 

On today's show I will only have time to deal with the UNRWA issues but a separate podcast will cover my full interview with Dina Rovner.  (0:31-29:46)

Set in the heart of Hassidic Jerusalem, this comedic, modern-day caper screening at JIFF and starring the famed Israeli film actor, writer, and singer Shuli Rand follows a disgraced badhan (a traditional Jewish wedding emcee) as he fights to reclaim his former glory.

I speak with the film's director Gidi Dar who created the film Ushpizin in 2004 which was the first feature film ever made in Israel's ultra-Orthodox Haredi community.

One of history’s most consequential and under-recognised Jewish women, Henrietta Szold left an indelible mark on the 20th century with her compassionate leadership founded on equality. (29:51-46:00)

This powerful documentary Labors of Love: The Life and Legacy of Henrietta Szold by Peabody award-winner Abby Ginzberg that is showing at JIFF brings a compassionate new insight to a woman who reshaped history and became mother and mentor to thousands of young Jews with her rare blend of logistical genius, hands-on dedication and an unwavering belief in the power of humanity. (46:05-57:53)