June 9, 2025 • 14 mins
Dr Liberty Vittert Capito is a Professor of the Practice of Data Science at the Olin Business School at the Washington University in St. Louis, and is a senior fellow at Harvard and MIT. She’s probably one of the world’s only great statisticians and data scientists who has a degree from one of the best cooking schools in the world. We'll discuss a piece she wrote for The Free Press entitled "Why I Left the UN Fundraising Group My Father Helped Found
"From a news story about the anti-Semitic troll known as Greta Thunberg, "Francesca Albanese, United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. She said on social media: 'Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.'"
Olin Business School | Liberty Vittert
Liberty has gotten married since she was last on the show and her little brother, Leland, got married this past weekend!
"From a news story about the anti-Semitic troll known as Greta Thunberg, "Francesca Albanese, United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, also urged other boats to challenge the Gaza blockade. She said on social media: 'Madleen's journey may have ended, but the mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must send boats with aid & solidarity to Gaza.'"
Olin Business School | Liberty Vittert
Liberty has gotten married since she was last on the show and her little brother, Leland, got married this past weekend!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I am so pleased to welcome back to the show,
Liberty Vitter.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Liberty or now she's married?
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I think she wasn't married the last time she was
on the show, So doctor Liberty Vitter Capito.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And she is a professor.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Of the Practice of data science at the Olin Business
School at the Washington University in Saint Louis. And that
means she's a big time data and statistics and probability
nerd like me, but better. And she's also a senior
fellow at Harvard and MIT. And she's probably one of
the only great statisticians and data scientists who also has
(00:33):
a degree from one of the best cooking schools in
the world, which is probably why we maintain a slight
difference of opinion on Hagis, even though she has a
degree from a school in Scotland as well.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hi Liberty, Hey Ross, what's up?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Before we talk about your interesting piece for the Free Press.
Your little brother got married and he's going to be
a guest on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Again.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I know, I know your big brother. Sorry, your big
brother got married. He's on the show quite a lot,
and he'll be on the show on Wednesday. But going
as far as you can tell us without having to
kill us.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
How was the wedding.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
It was good. She didn't run away.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
He was able to sort of fool her long enough
to get her to marry him.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
So we're happy, all right. Do you like her?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I love her?
Speaker 4 (01:28):
I think I like her more than him.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
We'll talk with him about We'll talk with him about that.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
On Wednesday, you wrote a great piece for the Free Press.
I wanted to help refugees. I didn't sign up for
anti Americanism and the subtitle and I guess you. Usually
columnists don't write their own titles, so you might not
have written that, and the sub had My family dedicated
itself to helping refugees. After October seventh, we learned that
(01:54):
the UN was not the place to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So tell us a little bit of just begin.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
At the begin with what your dad did, and then
we'll get into, you know, sort of you taking over
and what you've learned.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
So there's an organization called UNHDR, and I apologize for
all the acronyms, but it's the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, which is in effect the United Nations Refugee Agency.
It's who's tasked with helping refugees all over the world,
and after a stint volunteering there, my father in nineteen
eighty nine started USA for UNHDR, so the US the
(02:31):
North American arm of the UN Refuge Agency, which is
really tasked with fundraising and has raised hundreds and hundreds
of millions of dollars for refugees around the world through
the United Nations.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And I, I, you know, nepotism at its finest.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I took a seat on the board for about ten
years and really sort of dedicated what is now.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, really my entire adult life to this cause.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Obviously fully volunteer work, and you know, I, you know,
maybe share on me for not understanding early enough. But
after October seventh, the you know, the anti semitism that
I think clearly had been in the United Nations, and
I just you know, hadn't paid attention or hadn't.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Seen it really just wasn't able to be kept secret
any longer.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
And the things that happened and the anti Semitism that
was just rampant, it was almost like it was free
reign after October seventh in the United Nations.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And it was a really eye opening experience for me.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And it's interesting because.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
U NHCR, as you said, they deal with refugees around
the world except for the Palestinian territories. There's a whole
separate organization where that deals with the Palestinian territories, and
that organization actually appears to have terrorists and terrorist sympathizers
working within the UN organization.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Absolutely, So the UN Refugee Agency was created to help
every single refugee except for Palacean refugees. There's another UN
organization called UNRA that is tasked solely with helping Palestinian refugees.
And the clear evidence showed that almost ten percent of
these UNRA employees, this UN organization, so twelve hundred UH
(04:18):
employees have links to mass I mean they some of
them participated in October seventh. You know, UNRA has in
UNRA offices in Gaza.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Hostages were held and a huge one.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I think US is the biggest UH, the biggest funder
of UNRA, just as it is you know all these
what was of all these UN organizations, So American tax
dollars actually went to pay people who participated in October
seventh and who are holding hostages in captivity right now.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
This is somewhat tangential, but I'm going to just share
this with you. There's a person named Francesca Albanese or alban.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
As you I might know of her.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories.
And she was asked to comment about Greta Tunberg's ridiculous
publicity stunt getting on that boat going towards Gaza, and
she said that, she said, the boat's journey may have ended,
(05:24):
but the mission mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must
send boats with aid and solidarity to Gaza. Now, obviously,
the reason that there's a blockade of Gaza is not
because Israel is trying to starve people there. It's because
that's how weapons get to terrorists. And now you've got
this UN person like trying to defeat a blockade of
(05:46):
Gaza that exists for a real reason. It's it's it's
pretty shocking, even for those of us who have long
mistrusted the UN.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Absolutely, And I mean she's been quote, she actually quote
said America is subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and they
quote Hamas has the right to resist this occupation.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
And I mean, she's a very big deal at the UN.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
This isn't just like some random and you know, one
of the thousands and thousands of employees.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
She's a special appointment for the Human Rights Council.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So was there was there a particular aha moment for
you when you realized I just can't be involved with
the UN anymore? Or was it sort of a steady drip,
drip drip after and at some point you just like
I can't take it anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
We're both I.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Think that there were There was certainly a steady drip,
and you know, there's always the hope. You know, you're
you've been a part of an organization for so long.
I'm obviously trying to honor what my father started. And
you know, it means a lot to me that he
started it, and I grew up thinking that this is
sort of something that's really important to do.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
But you know, uh, the U NHCR for an.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Entire month after October seventh, not a word on the rape, murder,
taking of hostages, which, okay, you know, if you want
to stay out.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Of it, that's one decision.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But you know, a month afterwards, they retweeted a statement
by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which basically
called for a ceasepire and an end of the Israeli occupation.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Without any mention of the hostages.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
And you know that coupled with you, I wrote an
obed and I wrote out, that's a lot. You know,
I didn't think this one was particularly in any way controversial,
except clearly was controversial at this organization I volunteered for
and have been on the board of. I wrote a
column traising universities for prohibiting students and faculty from intimidating
Jewish students, which I didn't think was a controversial concept,
(07:43):
and I, you know, they really questioned my suitability as
a board member.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
They said that I, I, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
The views I had, I had asserted, which were that
you shouldn't intimidate Jewish students, was at odds with their quote,
you know, standing as a humanitarian organization.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
And I just after hearing this and really.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Again sort of shame on me for not understanding this earlier,
the really rampant anti semitism, I finally said, I have
to resign.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
You know, at some point you have to give up.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
We're talking with doctor Professor Liberty vidtert about her piece
for The Free Press.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
I wanted to help refugees.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I didn't sign up for anti americanism, where her dad
basically funded significant refugee organization, and they have just become
so anti Semitic, anti everything, really that liberty can't be
involved anymore. I'm curious, actually sticking with the thing you
wrote about students, any feedback, pushback, compliments from people who
(08:46):
matter at your university where you teach.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, you know, the university, Washington University in Saint Louis.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
The chancellor and the board and the dean have really
done an incredible job trying to, you know, help Jewish students.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And make sure that they're not I mean, they're.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Not sort of scapegoats, intimidated and really harmed in a
lot of ways simply for being Jewish. So I'm really
proud of wash you and what they did. You know,
a lot of other universities did not take the same
route here, which is a really sad thing that happened.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Well, I've been I've told this story a lot, but
I don't know if I've mentioned it to you. My
dad and I both went to Columbia and starting probably
twenty five years ago. My dad likes to give them
a little bit of money from time to time. He's
not rich, but gives them a little money. And for
at least twenty five years, I've been telling him, please don't.
(09:40):
That place is a haven for anti Semitism, anti Americanism,
anti capitalism. My dad's a US Navy officer as well
as being Jewish, and I told him Colombia is a
haven for everything you oppose, and you should stop giving
them money. And it took until fairly recently for him
to for him to agree with me, but he stopped
(10:02):
giving him money a few years ago. Let me ask
you another personal question. So I think until the October
seventh thing happened, I don't recall even ever hearing your
brother talk about any Jewish heritage in your family. And
I didn't know there was some. But there is some,
(10:24):
and he has been quite explicit about that on the show.
He doesn't talk about it all the time, but from
time to time he mentions it. And in a sense
these days, I actually think it's kind of a courageous
thing to do.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It shouldn't need to be a courageous thing to do.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
But what about you through your life growing up and
then now recently since October seventh and all this, how
Jewish do you feel? And maybe tell us a little
of your background. It's more of a personal question than
a genealogy question.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
No, I mean, it's not just Jewish heritage.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Our our father is Jewish, we are half Jewish, and
both both.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Feel I think a strong identity to that. I think,
I don't know. I don't know how other people who who.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Are maybe not practicing, but are you know, half Jewish
or whatever around of Jewish you are a feel I'd say.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
After October seventh, I became a lot more Jewish. I
think I'd never really thought about it before since we
don't practice, but I think I feel a much stronger
identity to being Jewish because you know, you sort.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Of I don't know how that happens. You got to
ask a psychology professor there ross.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, but you know, I think both of.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Us are really proud of it. We're really proud of
our father and our grandfather.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
And I think it's actually almost even more. What's so
shocking is that our our father, who's Jewish, started this
organization that you know, has raised hundreds and hundreds of
millions of dollars for refugees, and now it's so anti
Semitic and which goes against every value that he started
this you organization with, and it's so antisemitic that we
(12:00):
can't be a part of it anymore.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I get the sense.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And I haven't asked Leland directly, and maybe I will
on Wednesday, but I have a sense he's with you,
and with lots of other people who, you know, even
if genealogically, whether they're one hundred percent Jewish or ten
percent or whatever, feel more so now, which doesn't necessarily
mean more likely.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
To go to synagogue, but maybe.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Maybe the increase is even more in Zionism than in Judaism,
like support for Israel.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
That's a tough one, yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Guess you got to think about it this way, that
you know, whether you feel Jewish or not, Hitler would
have killed you. So it's almost like you don't have
a choice whether you want to be Jewish or not.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
The people that don't like you, you know, believe you know,
see you as Jewish, so you better embrace it.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Last question for you, in the short to medium term,
do you think there's anything that can be done to
fix the UN as as far as ridding it of
this virulent anti semitism. I mean, it's been a place
for a long time that would do things like put
Libya or Iran on the.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Human Rights Council. So I don't know if they're fixable,
you know what.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I I wish with my whole heart that they would be.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I have so much hope and so much.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Sort of desire for them to be, But I don't
see it as being possible. And I think, you know,
the the only you know, money talks. At some point,
I think the only hope that anybody has would be
the US no longer funding it.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And I I, you know, it's a.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Horrible thought, and it's a it's a really sad thing
for people who have really good people who have dedicated
their lives to the United Nations and to the work
that you know, the good work that it has done.
But I think it's time for something new, and I
think it's time for the United States to put their
money to helping people in some other organization than the
United Nations.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Liberty Venterts piece for the Free Press. I wanted to
help refugees. I didn't sign up for anti Americanism VFP
dot com Thanks for writing that, Thanks for spending time
with us. Next time we talk, you'll probably be a mom.
That's exciting and and I can't wait to see you
in and meet the new progeny me too.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Hopefully it'll be a little bit less of a bloated
whale the next time we talk.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Usually usually there's less.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
It'll be a cute little baby out there, and less
of a whale right here.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah, maybe i'll have your brother's hair.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
We can only hope.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Thanks for being here, Liberty, Talk to you soon, all right.
I am so pleased to welcome back to the show,
Liberty Vitter.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Liberty or now she's married?
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I think she wasn't married the last time she was
on the show, So doctor Liberty Vitter Capito.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And she is a professor.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Of the Practice of data science at the Olin Business
School at the Washington University in Saint Louis. And that
means she's a big time data and statistics and probability
nerd like me, but better. And she's also a senior
fellow at Harvard and MIT. And she's probably one of
the only great statisticians and data scientists who also has
(00:33):
a degree from one of the best cooking schools in
the world, which is probably why we maintain a slight
difference of opinion on Hagis, even though she has a
degree from a school in Scotland as well.
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Hi Liberty, Hey Ross, what's up?
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Before we talk about your interesting piece for the Free Press.
Your little brother got married and he's going to be
a guest on the show.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Again.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
I know, I know your big brother. Sorry, your big
brother got married. He's on the show quite a lot,
and he'll be on the show on Wednesday. But going
as far as you can tell us without having to
kill us.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
How was the wedding.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
It was good. She didn't run away.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
He was able to sort of fool her long enough
to get her to marry him.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
So we're happy, all right. Do you like her?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I love her?
Speaker 4 (01:28):
I think I like her more than him.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
We'll talk with him about We'll talk with him about that.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
On Wednesday, you wrote a great piece for the Free Press.
I wanted to help refugees. I didn't sign up for
anti Americanism and the subtitle and I guess you. Usually
columnists don't write their own titles, so you might not
have written that, and the sub had My family dedicated
itself to helping refugees. After October seventh, we learned that
(01:54):
the UN was not the place to do that.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So tell us a little bit of just begin.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
At the begin with what your dad did, and then
we'll get into, you know, sort of you taking over
and what you've learned.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
So there's an organization called UNHDR, and I apologize for
all the acronyms, but it's the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees, which is in effect the United Nations Refugee Agency.
It's who's tasked with helping refugees all over the world,
and after a stint volunteering there, my father in nineteen
eighty nine started USA for UNHDR, so the US the
(02:31):
North American arm of the UN Refuge Agency, which is
really tasked with fundraising and has raised hundreds and hundreds
of millions of dollars for refugees around the world through
the United Nations.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
And I, I, you know, nepotism at its finest.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I took a seat on the board for about ten
years and really sort of dedicated what is now.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, really my entire adult life to this cause.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
Obviously fully volunteer work, and you know, I, you know,
maybe share on me for not understanding early enough. But
after October seventh, the you know, the anti semitism that
I think clearly had been in the United Nations, and
I just you know, hadn't paid attention or hadn't.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Seen it really just wasn't able to be kept secret
any longer.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
And the things that happened and the anti Semitism that
was just rampant, it was almost like it was free
reign after October seventh in the United Nations.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And it was a really eye opening experience for me.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
And it's interesting because.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
U NHCR, as you said, they deal with refugees around
the world except for the Palestinian territories. There's a whole
separate organization where that deals with the Palestinian territories, and
that organization actually appears to have terrorists and terrorist sympathizers
working within the UN organization.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Absolutely, So the UN Refugee Agency was created to help
every single refugee except for Palacean refugees. There's another UN
organization called UNRA that is tasked solely with helping Palestinian refugees.
And the clear evidence showed that almost ten percent of
these UNRA employees, this UN organization, so twelve hundred UH
(04:18):
employees have links to mass I mean they some of
them participated in October seventh. You know, UNRA has in
UNRA offices in Gaza.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
Hostages were held and a huge one.
Speaker 4 (04:31):
I think US is the biggest UH, the biggest funder
of UNRA, just as it is you know all these
what was of all these UN organizations, So American tax
dollars actually went to pay people who participated in October
seventh and who are holding hostages in captivity right now.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
This is somewhat tangential, but I'm going to just share
this with you. There's a person named Francesca Albanese or alban.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
As you I might know of her.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories.
And she was asked to comment about Greta Tunberg's ridiculous
publicity stunt getting on that boat going towards Gaza, and
she said that, she said, the boat's journey may have ended,
(05:24):
but the mission mission isn't over. Every Mediterranean port must
send boats with aid and solidarity to Gaza. Now, obviously,
the reason that there's a blockade of Gaza is not
because Israel is trying to starve people there. It's because
that's how weapons get to terrorists. And now you've got
this UN person like trying to defeat a blockade of
(05:46):
Gaza that exists for a real reason. It's it's it's
pretty shocking, even for those of us who have long
mistrusted the UN.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Absolutely, And I mean she's been quote, she actually quote
said America is subjugated by the Jewish lobby, and they
quote Hamas has the right to resist this occupation.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
And I mean, she's a very big deal at the UN.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
This isn't just like some random and you know, one
of the thousands and thousands of employees.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
She's a special appointment for the Human Rights Council.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So was there was there a particular aha moment for
you when you realized I just can't be involved with
the UN anymore? Or was it sort of a steady drip,
drip drip after and at some point you just like
I can't take it anymore.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
We're both I.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
Think that there were There was certainly a steady drip,
and you know, there's always the hope. You know, you're
you've been a part of an organization for so long.
I'm obviously trying to honor what my father started. And
you know, it means a lot to me that he
started it, and I grew up thinking that this is
sort of something that's really important to do.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
But you know, uh, the U NHCR for an.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Entire month after October seventh, not a word on the rape, murder,
taking of hostages, which, okay, you know, if you want
to stay out.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
Of it, that's one decision.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
But you know, a month afterwards, they retweeted a statement
by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which basically
called for a ceasepire and an end of the Israeli occupation.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Without any mention of the hostages.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
And you know that coupled with you, I wrote an
obed and I wrote out, that's a lot. You know,
I didn't think this one was particularly in any way controversial,
except clearly was controversial at this organization I volunteered for
and have been on the board of. I wrote a
column traising universities for prohibiting students and faculty from intimidating
Jewish students, which I didn't think was a controversial concept,
(07:43):
and I, you know, they really questioned my suitability as
a board member.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
They said that I, I, you know.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
The views I had, I had asserted, which were that
you shouldn't intimidate Jewish students, was at odds with their quote,
you know, standing as a humanitarian organization.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
And I just after hearing this and really.
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Again sort of shame on me for not understanding this earlier,
the really rampant anti semitism, I finally said, I have
to resign.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
You know, at some point you have to give up.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
We're talking with doctor Professor Liberty vidtert about her piece
for The Free Press.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
I wanted to help refugees.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I didn't sign up for anti americanism, where her dad
basically funded significant refugee organization, and they have just become
so anti Semitic, anti everything, really that liberty can't be
involved anymore. I'm curious, actually sticking with the thing you
wrote about students, any feedback, pushback, compliments from people who
(08:46):
matter at your university where you teach.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, you know, the university, Washington University in Saint Louis.
Speaker 4 (08:53):
The chancellor and the board and the dean have really
done an incredible job trying to, you know, help Jewish students.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
And make sure that they're not I mean, they're.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Not sort of scapegoats, intimidated and really harmed in a
lot of ways simply for being Jewish. So I'm really
proud of wash you and what they did. You know,
a lot of other universities did not take the same
route here, which is a really sad thing that happened.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Well, I've been I've told this story a lot, but
I don't know if I've mentioned it to you. My
dad and I both went to Columbia and starting probably
twenty five years ago. My dad likes to give them
a little bit of money from time to time. He's
not rich, but gives them a little money. And for
at least twenty five years, I've been telling him, please don't.
(09:40):
That place is a haven for anti Semitism, anti Americanism,
anti capitalism. My dad's a US Navy officer as well
as being Jewish, and I told him Colombia is a
haven for everything you oppose, and you should stop giving
them money. And it took until fairly recently for him
to for him to agree with me, but he stopped
(10:02):
giving him money a few years ago. Let me ask
you another personal question. So I think until the October
seventh thing happened, I don't recall even ever hearing your
brother talk about any Jewish heritage in your family. And
I didn't know there was some. But there is some,
(10:24):
and he has been quite explicit about that on the show.
He doesn't talk about it all the time, but from
time to time he mentions it. And in a sense
these days, I actually think it's kind of a courageous
thing to do.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It shouldn't need to be a courageous thing to do.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
But what about you through your life growing up and
then now recently since October seventh and all this, how
Jewish do you feel? And maybe tell us a little
of your background. It's more of a personal question than
a genealogy question.
Speaker 3 (11:01):
No, I mean, it's not just Jewish heritage.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Our our father is Jewish, we are half Jewish, and
both both.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Feel I think a strong identity to that. I think,
I don't know. I don't know how other people who who.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Are maybe not practicing, but are you know, half Jewish
or whatever around of Jewish you are a feel I'd say.
Speaker 5 (11:19):
After October seventh, I became a lot more Jewish. I
think I'd never really thought about it before since we
don't practice, but I think I feel a much stronger
identity to being Jewish because you know, you sort.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Of I don't know how that happens. You got to
ask a psychology professor there ross.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
Yeah, but you know, I think both of.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Us are really proud of it. We're really proud of
our father and our grandfather.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
And I think it's actually almost even more. What's so
shocking is that our our father, who's Jewish, started this
organization that you know, has raised hundreds and hundreds of
millions of dollars for refugees, and now it's so anti
Semitic and which goes against every value that he started
this you organization with, and it's so antisemitic that we
(12:00):
can't be a part of it anymore.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I get the sense.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
And I haven't asked Leland directly, and maybe I will
on Wednesday, but I have a sense he's with you,
and with lots of other people who, you know, even
if genealogically, whether they're one hundred percent Jewish or ten
percent or whatever, feel more so now, which doesn't necessarily
mean more likely.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
To go to synagogue, but maybe.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Maybe the increase is even more in Zionism than in Judaism,
like support for Israel.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
That's a tough one, yeah, I mean, I.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Guess you got to think about it this way, that
you know, whether you feel Jewish or not, Hitler would
have killed you. So it's almost like you don't have
a choice whether you want to be Jewish or not.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
The people that don't like you, you know, believe you know,
see you as Jewish, so you better embrace it.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Last question for you, in the short to medium term,
do you think there's anything that can be done to
fix the UN as as far as ridding it of
this virulent anti semitism. I mean, it's been a place
for a long time that would do things like put
Libya or Iran on the.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Human Rights Council. So I don't know if they're fixable,
you know what.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I I wish with my whole heart that they would be.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
I have so much hope and so much.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Sort of desire for them to be, But I don't
see it as being possible. And I think, you know,
the the only you know, money talks. At some point,
I think the only hope that anybody has would be
the US no longer funding it.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
And I I, you know, it's a.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Horrible thought, and it's a it's a really sad thing
for people who have really good people who have dedicated
their lives to the United Nations and to the work
that you know, the good work that it has done.
But I think it's time for something new, and I
think it's time for the United States to put their
money to helping people in some other organization than the
United Nations.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Liberty Venterts piece for the Free Press. I wanted to
help refugees. I didn't sign up for anti Americanism VFP
dot com Thanks for writing that, Thanks for spending time
with us. Next time we talk, you'll probably be a mom.
That's exciting and and I can't wait to see you
in and meet the new progeny me too.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Hopefully it'll be a little bit less of a bloated
whale the next time we talk.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Usually usually there's less.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
It'll be a cute little baby out there, and less
of a whale right here.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yeah, maybe i'll have your brother's hair.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
We can only hope.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
Thanks for being here, Liberty, Talk to you soon, all right.
The Ross Kaminsky Show News
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