Episode 11: Giving Thanks & NFL Vikings Owner Mark Wilf

Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Watch the show on YouTube @JonahPlattOfficial

NFL Vikings co-owner and philanthropist Mark Wilf opens up about his family’s American rebuild in the wake of the Holocaust, the importance of Israel, and the “family business” approach that has led to so much success for the Vikings franchise.. As a child of Holocaust Survivors, Wilf discusses the resilience and values his parents imparted to him, and how building a strong community is the antidote to trauma. He and Jonah also discuss numerous critical Jewish + Holocaust focused organizations such as The Jewish Agency, Jewish Federations of North America, March of the Living, and Yad Vashem. Wilf emphasizes the importance of teaching Jewish history to each new generation and how sports can be a meaningful vehicle for bringing people together around shared values. Don’t miss this eye-opening and inspirational conversation on Being Jewish with Jonah Platt!

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https://www.vikings.com/team/front-office-roster/mark-wilf

Host & Production Team

Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sean Leviashvili; Editor: Patrick Edwards); Social Media Manager: Yuval Yosha; Designer Noah Bell Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, and Consulting Producers: Shield Communications (Ariella Noveck & Bethany Mandel).

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Mentioned in Episode

• AJU’s Millter Introduction to Judaism program
• Rabbi Pinchas Teitz
• Jaroslaw, Poland
• Lvov Ghetto
• Holocaust Survivor Gathering in Israel
• Wilf Family Foundation
• March of The Living
• Yad Vashem
• Lack of Holocaust Education Among Young People
• Jewish Federation of North America
• The Jewish Agency For Israel (Where Mark Wilf is the Chairman of the Board of Governors)
• Nearly 30,000 People Immigrate to Israel in the Midst of Ongoing Wars
• October 7th Commemoration Post - 2024
• October 7th Post - 2023
• Nova Exhibition
• "All statistics from the opening monologue were obtained directly from internal data via the institutions themselves”

00:00 Introduction and Thanksgiving Reflection

00:50 The Surge in Jewish Identity Post-October 7th

01:36 Remarkable Statistics of Jewish Community Engagement

04:00 Impact of the Podcast and Community Feedback

06:16 Interview with Mark Wilf: Jewish Values and Sports

10:33 Family Legacy and Holocaust Stories

21:16 The Importance of Jewish Education and Philanthropy

24:36 Hope and Resilience in the Jewish Community

24:54 Legacy of a Holocaust Survivor

25:44 Yad Vashem: A Beacon of Memory and Education

27:32 Challenges in Holocaust Education

29:10 Commitment to Jewish Advocacy

29:58 Support for Terror Victims and Community Building

31:27 Global Jewish Support: Ukraine and Ethiopia

33:21 Jewish Advocacy in Sports

36:44 Reflections on Recent Trips to Israel

39:52 Community Involvement and Philanthropy

42:22 Final Thoughts and Audience Q&A