Raised by a single mother, Congressman Ritchie Torres overcame poverty, personal trauma, and systemic barriers to forge a path of advocacy and leadership.
Torres shares his inspiring journey, which began in public housing in the Bronx. His civic interest guided him into politics, and he now serves in the U.S. Congress as one of the first openly gay congressmen of color. He reflects on his dedication to housing reform, his progressive yet independent voice in American politics, and the transformative impact of a visit to Israel.
Drawing inspiration from civil rights leaders who fought for the rights of Black Americans, Torres draws powerful parallels between the historical struggles of Black Americans and the Jewish people. His bold advocacy for Israel and his fight against rising antisemitism have come at great personal and professional cost. Yet, he continues to champion Israel and the Jewish community with unwavering conviction, believing that silence is never an option in the face of hate.
Listen in on this live conversation with Gil and Congressman Torres as they thoughtfully discuss one of the most controversial topics in American politics.
More about storymarkTM
storymark is brought to you by itrek studios. itrek is a non-profit whose mission is to empower leaders to engage their networks in meaningful Israel experiences, fostering an understanding and appreciation of Israel’s unique culture, diversity, richness and complex reality. For more on itrek’s mission, visit itrek.org.
storymark is hosted by Gil Galanos. Our Producer and Editor is Elie Bleier. Our Associate Producer is Rebekah Sebastian. Special thanks to the itrek marketing team.
Connect with storymark
Want to continue the story?
Sign up for the storymark newsletter which will keep you up-to-date on show news and future guests: storymarkpodcast.org
Did you enjoy this episode?
Help us spread the storymark word!
Please rate and review storymark on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Want to see the faces behind the voices?
Follow us on Instagram: @storymark
Want to say hello or recommend a guest?
Drop us a note: storymark@itrek.org
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com