Zibby chats with Nikki Schreiber, the editor and founder of the popular social media brand @humansofjudaism, about her new book, HUMANS OF JUDAISM—a heartwarming collection of stories filled with joy, bravery, community, perseverance, and unyielding hope. Nikki shares how her Instagram page began as a tribute to her father and evolved over ten years into a community that celebrates Jewish identity. She shares how the book expands on this with stories from familiar and unknown Jewish figures, from fashion icons and Hollywood stars to Holocaust survivors, aiming to preserve and elevate Jewish narratives.

Transcript:

Zibby: Welcome, Nikki. Thank you so much for coming on Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books to discuss Humans of Judaism.

Congratulations. Thank you. It 

Nikki: looks so good. I'm so glad and thank you for having me on today. This is so exciting. Oh, 

Zibby: um, I really, I have to tell you, I devoured this book. I know there are lots of pictures and lots of little excerpts and you don't have to necessarily read it cover to cover. But I did, and I was so overwhelmed by the power of the stories taken together, and wow, what a collection.

So tell listeners a little bit about this book. They can't see it. I'm holding it up. But, you know, it's a hardcover with, filled with amazing photos, uh, inspired by your Instagram project and everything, so just tell everybody everything. 

Nikki: Sure. So, Humans of Judaism has been very, uh, social media based, very on, in the online space of which I started 10 years ago, which is wild.

Like back in the olden days of social media, started Humans of Judaism on Instagram in June of 2014. And it was actually during the year of mourning for my father. It's a project I started in his memory and just, Figured I'd throw something at the wall, see what sticks, but really not any sort of significant ambition other than to try and do something meaningful and also aid my grief at the time and have like a nice bright spot to those difficult days.

The Instagram has been, I think, the most or the largest successful space, but of course I've expanded to other parts of social media, and I've been doing that over the last 10 years. The book has been such a welcome and exciting addition to the Humans with Judaism like family in terms of being able to disconnect, go offline, and take these wonderful stories into your home, into your, you know, space and be able to read it.

read it over and over again. And like you said, it's, you know, it's the kind of thing you can read a few stories. You can read a cover to cover, but what it's also really allowed me to do is just do more things and further my father's memory in such a special and significant way. And the timing of the book coming out was also fascinating and meaningful because it takes quite a bit of time to put together a book and it's, Completely aligned with the events of October 7th and thereafter.

So, speaking so affectionately and honestly on the Jewish experience and our resilience had an extra meaning to me. So having it out at this time really feels special. 

Zibby: Well, it's incredibly powerful. And one of the things that I feel like a lot of people have been talking about these days to combat anti Semitism and just to handle these events is to focus on.

what makes Jewish people unique and who we are as a people. And your collection is so impressive in so many ways because there are stories about people that nobody knows and stories about people that everybody knows. And how as a group, amount of things that Jewish people have started and run and created and contributed to the world is so impressive.

You don't even have to say it as like a hypothesis, do you just like read it and feel it. And I think Knowing who people are and literally like putting a face and that's what this whole thing is like put a face to a people hat you can't it's harder to discount in a way. 

Nikki: Sure, I definitely say the recipe is it's two main ingredients to human Judaism.

It is of course the stories. But those photos are really the other 50 percent and it's nice seeing real people and like you said, it's people, you know, and maybe even the stories you didn't know, or you pick up an extra nugget of something you weren't familiar with, or you enjoy being re reminded of some of these things, but there's, there's such a bond and you sort of really can see yourself somewhere in many of these stories or see someone in your family somewhere in many of these stories that it really can be.

It feels very bonding, you know? 

Zibby: Yes. So tell me a little more about sourcing the stories, talking to people, the way you got the word out even about the social media aspect of it. And yeah. Yeah. Even how you picked which stories to include. It's a big project. 

Nikki: Oh, yeah. You know, as I mentioned at the start, there was no mapped out aspirations.

I am not, not a photographer myself. And you know, you connect with different people and different photos online where you start to develop some sort of a format where you're able to start telling stories. And it's, It began very organically and it maintains its organic nature in terms of I saw something posted.

I'm like, Oh, is it okay if I share this on my page? Then people started sending in their own family stories. Then it also has another component of history and research and then like seeing something or you're watching a show or a documentary and you're like, Oh, I didn't know that. That's so interesting.

Like let's put this on paper. And it just really has had an organic and natural flow. And the book really had me sort of, you know, organize things more intentionally than with the social media element. And this is going to sound terrible practice. Nobody take notes, but I don't have things prepared each day.

I sort of go with the feelings of the day, what's going on, you know, partner it with consideration of what's going on in the news and sort of what's going on, let's say on the calendar, if it's a Jewish holiday, you know. You sort of have to really identify what feels good for that day when it comes to the book.

Well, I don't think the publishers or editors would approve of such a loosey goosey format. So there was a real selection process and I wanted to bring a lot of the stories that people just love to keep hearing on social media to life in the book. And then of course, produce a lot of stories that were brand new and exclusive for the book from just also wonderful people you meet along the way that, you know, that I just sort of tap on the shoulder.

I'm like, I would love it if you could tell the history of this or give me some information. I think people want to hear it. So finding the stories was very careful and just very thought out and considerate of what I had hoped would be just so well received by the readers because that's really the goal.

I want it to be things that not just that I find interesting, I really want to feed the readers and try to identify things that there's something in this in the book that you can connect with. And that was the goal. 

Zibby: There's a lot to connect with here. Let me, let me just flip to a few of the, of the pages that I dog eared.

Oh my gosh. The story of Francine Kristof, the woman with the piece of chocolate. 

Nikki: Yes. 

Zibby: Oh my gosh. Can you just relay the story? Cause I got goosebumps everywhere. My goodness. 

Nikki: It's such a great story and I actually learned a bit from her own direct testimony. I saw a video of her. Speaking in French even and sharing this account and I, I mean, it's beyond, so for the listeners, basically the summary is this is a woman who was a child during the Holocaust and people didn't, weren't allowed to bring really anything to the concentration camps and whatnot, but Children were allowed to bring like one small item and she was allowed to bring a piece of chocolate.

That's what her mother chose in case they needed that sugar. That's some sort of a boost. If things got really rough and it was saved and they ended up giving that piece of chocolate to someone in need. And later down the line, I'm not going to tell the whole story. You have to buy the book, but later down the line, there was a direct encounter with that moment.

And it's almost like you almost can't believe it, but these are real testimonies. This really happened. And it just is so. It just captures such a resilience and such a full circle moment in life, and it's really just spectacular. 

Zibby: It is truly spectacular. Oh my gosh. Here, let me go to another one. Okay.

Marilyn Monroe did not know. 

Nikki: I didn't know that either. And I only discovered it a few years ago. When her sitter went up for auction, she had her own sitter prayer book, and I just don't think people associate Judaism as much with Marilyn Monroe, but sure enough, she is a, she is one of us. She converted, and she really held that identity really proudly, and, uh, so do we.

So, we got Marilyn.

Zibby: I liked your explanation of the, or not explanation, this is actually June Hirsch who was recently on this podcast too, but as she writes about the history of Jewish food in New York City and how you really, you have this picture in the book of what the bustling, you know, carts and peddlers and yeah, just the dispersion of food and how people really aggregated there.

And I don't know, it gave me more of a sense of what that was like than I've read elsewhere. 

Nikki: June is spectacular. I actually spoke to her recently and she mentioned, I told her how excited I was to be on your podcast and she said that she had been as well. I was like, what a, that is perfect because she's just really, she's an author of several books and it was just so wonderful to have her voice included in the book.

She told two stories and the Jewish foods, it's not just that she's You know, serving you just some facts and whatnot. There's such personality to it, which I think is also another big ingredient into our community. And it really just paints a picture and it's all in just one place. It's in New York city and it, Really walks you through almost the streets of like, Oh, this, this started here.

And, uh, you know, you, we, you know, had push carts over there and it really paints such a picture where all you want to do after you read it is I feel like I need to go out and get some good food because it really just captures it in such a. It's such an affectionate way. It's really told with a lot of love.

Zibby: It's true. Totally. Here's another one. Um, let's see. This one was about, oh no, that was the second June Hirsch essay because I did notice. 

Nikki: Also, just as excellent by Sherit. 

Zibby: Yes, exactly. I wanted to talk about the page where you list all the different fashion designers because I didn't realize just how many fashion brands were started by Jewish people.

Can you talk about that? 

Nikki: So this is the power and beauty of social media. We know all the negatives. We don't even need to start with that because there's really a space of. learning. So you post something, I mean, first social media actually is the fastest game of Jewish geography. Cause I'll post the picture of something from history and someone will be like, that's my grandfather within like 10 minutes.

Or when I posted Baskin Robbins, his granddaughter, like, Oh, that's my, that's my grandfather. 

Zibby: I loved Baskin Robbins. 

Nikki: That was so great. 

Zibby: I loved Baskin Robbins. Thank you for bringing that up. 

Nikki: So I did post some history on social media of, you know, Jewish designers and Jewish department stores. And. Everyone always chimes in and tells you, Oh, you didn't, what about this one?

You should look into that one. And I love that because it does help me look into more information and learn, which really is also one of my favorite things of the project is I feel like I've learned so much and I continue to learn new things that I really enjoy. So the department stores was really fun because the more you just kept digging and looking, because there are some that you sort of know some of the story and then you start digging and all of a sudden it's like, wait a minute, you know, these are very interesting facts.

So with the designers, it was just, I think there actually are 18 designers, which I loved so much. I think that was a happy accident, just a little of that, but I thought it was just as fascinating because I didn't. I didn't know all of that going in, but by the time I got to the book you do even more expanded research and it just Like, okay, let's limit it.

Let's only do these. 

Zibby: Yeah. 

Nikki: Because, uh, you know, I don't have everything. It's just, here are just a few, just to name a few. And it's wonderful how much each one even highlights their individual connection with Judaism. And just a small moment, it gives you like, just a taste. And I find that to be so fun. 

Zibby: So what are some of the main takeaways for you after going through so many stories here, so many stories?

I mean, you have a vantage point that. A few people, except maybe, I don't know, rabbis or, you know, half of so many, so what, what is the takeaway? What are some of the takeaways? 

Nikki: So my takeaway is, and it's such a fun juxtaposition of time where I'm here sitting, researching history, looking up, I've made mistakes, everybody, you know, sometimes you get it wrong and then wonderful.

Please correct me. This helped me also really just. Look through and learn to learn our history, really dig in, ask questions and find things in order to also just give everything authentically over. My takeaway is, wow, at a time where people may be not wanting to share parts of history or rewriting certain parts of history because it doesn't serve.

whatever they're working on. This is really just important information, and it's in a book now, and it's just a healthy sort of, you know, run through of our experiences and what people are capable of, but really give you sort of timelines and facts and things that you can then carry with you with a bit more strength of knowing like, Oh, well.

You know, this happened, or they did this, that it gives you, hopefully, a bit of strength in your sort of storytelling or recapturing history or conversation. 

Zibby: I love that. Wait, so Nikki, tell me a little bit more about you as a person, and like your background and 

Nikki: like. It's so funny. I always say to everyone, I have this public page, but I'm a very private person.

However, when it comes to family history and things like that, I'm like, that can be for public consumption. It's all of us, you know, because I truly believe that also like, let's say my story or your story. It's really ultimately our story. That's what makes this book and this collection of stories more personal.

It's, you know, so my background is, you know, just a girl from New Jersey, everybody. Um, and I happen to have been fortunate enough to, you know, grow up through life and really celebrating and enjoying that Jewish identity. And my father was a cantor and, you know, all those nice sort of spaces and traditions.

Are really warm to me. So capturing that in sort of this creative space and then evolving and adapting as I grew throughout the years was really meaningful to me and I don't know. I guess that's my whole bio other than like, you know That's about I mean, that's really my summary my family. I'll give a little bit more actually my So my, my grandfather, my mother's father was a rabbi in the Lower East Side, where I have a very, very long line of American Jewish history.

We have a good branch of the family that started out in North Adams, Massachusetts, and just different places and very American. And then we have a nice, uh, branch in the family tree that I go into in my intro. It's one of my proud gems in my crown, my same mother with the father in the Lower East Side, her mother.

was born in Jerusalem, uh, which also again, it just reminds people of real history. These are real people. This isn't, you know, my grandmother was born in, you know, the early 1900s and she was seven. That's seven generation Jerusalem born. She grew up in the old city and it just sort of. It's an honest look like these stories are personal to me and also the truth and history about Israel history and the Jewish presence there is personal to me.

So I hope that the delivery and where I share sort of just these real experiences, these real facts and things like that just sort of helps. Others open up and sort of see that this is the long story of, you know, the Jewish community over there. So, and it's very much a part of my own personal story that I'm proud of.

So sharing it was also meaningful to this project. 

Zibby: I love it. Is there a story in here that is particularly meaningful aside from your own family story? Maybe I didn't touch on. 

Nikki: Let's think. That's a hard one, obviously. There's so many. There's so many stories. And what we also tried to do with a great intention in the book is, you know, social media, some of it can translate for a book.

I put social media in very short form. So sometimes I'll just share a picture with a caption. Sometimes I'll share a picture with a caption. Paragraph, and sometimes you have a bit of a longer form. So there's plenty in there, uh, to look at. So some of the pictures are especially meaningful to me just on their own and, but in terms of a story that's seriously significant, I, I just, I can't even pick just one.

It's too much. Okay. Let's move on quickly. 

Zibby: Okay. We can cut. I'll cut that question out. It's fine. It's fine. I mean, there's just so many good stories in here. 

Nikki: I just don't want to insult any of the other. 

Zibby: No, no, no. I get it. Let me try to find one more. Oh, Paula Abdul? Did not know.

Nikki: I discovered that recently.

Who knew? I just, I did not know. There were a few people that I remember at the moment when I discovered it, the people that are featured in the book that I was like, like, I'm re, I'm reminding everybody again. Because maybe they saw it on social media and then you remember again and whatever. But even Brian George, Babu from Seinfeld.

I know, I couldn't believe it. Born in Jerusalem. I know. Who knew to, uh, an Indian family. That was so funny. Which is so wonderful to learn of all these just different Jewish people from different parts of the world, sort of just, you know. You know, who knew? And that's, you know, and that's also part of a, very often I start captions with who knew, because I'm just discovering it just as much as when I put it out there and you know, and, and some of it, it's like, I'll say who knew?

And you know, I asked my mom, I'm like, did you know? And she'd be like, I knew, like when I discovered, you know, just certain info on, let's say the golden girls, like Bea Arthur. And I didn't, you know, well, Bea Arthur was the obvious one. I wasn't aware that, uh, Estelle Getty Was also so I'm learning things also as I go and I'm constantly just like Wow, I did not know that.

I'm happy to know that. 

Zibby: Well, the book is great. I feel like we should do a giveaway. I want to send you my book on being Jewish now. Can I send you a copy? 

Nikki: Please. 

Zibby: Okay, I'll have to send you a little box or something. So after this, I love that I'll get your address or whatever, but I feel like we should give the book.

Nikki: We should include that on the podcast. Should I give my address now? 

Zibby: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Just what we want to do. I don't know. I feel like they go hand in hand because we're just trying to like elevate stories and I don't know. Start the conversation. All of it. So, I don't know. It's so important and so timely and I love your book.

I'm going to give it to my kids. You know, is it good for all ages? 

Nikki: I love that. That's what's great. And you know, you said timely and I think it really is. Listen, Jewish books in general and pride in your identity is always great. But I think that what's interesting is Over the last year plus, a lot of people are reconnecting in their own ways or people who've already been connected are having a stronger connection and seeking out, you know, info or books or, or podcasts or whatever it is to take in more of their Judaism and, and feel our energy.

We're both so excited, you know, with the work that we do, and it's just so nice also to be able to. Give something like it's a community service, you know, just to give something that hopefully will aid people because I've been saying that I've realized that humans of Judaism was really birthed out of my grief.

It really was just a challenging time and I learned how to somehow produce it. Content that was positive and feel good at a time where I wasn't so positive and feel good And here I stand it's 10 years later and collectively I don't even want to say the jewish community only because I do feel so many of our friends and supporters share this with us and just in general, I think there's a collective grief and to help Actually illustrate how let's say we're sharing a holocaust story, which you wouldn't think would be a feel good story.

It's it's reading to the outcome and seeing how much a person went through and how they didn't just survive. They thrived and created and built families for those who were fortunate to survive the holocaust that happened. In days like this, you know, it's not like sort of a trauma comparison, but you still say to yourself, if they could do it, you know, if they could hang in there, you know, that's gotta, that's gotta mean something and just, and the same is to be said about the righteous among the nation, it was very important for me to include not just Jewish stories, because so much a part of our, the fabric of our Jewish stories includes our friends and neighbors and supporters, so it also is a healthy way to, I find, to illustrate it.

Okay. This is what this person did. You know, you don't have to do the exact same thing, but it just shows you where people find their humanity and strength. And you hope to emulate even a fraction of it and sort of gain a bit of strength. And I'm really hoping that's what this book does because Starting Humans of Judaism really helped heal and comfort me during my grief, and I'm just hoping that as we continue and hopefully start to heal, our stories and these reminders will just show us how strong we are when we didn't know until that was the only choice we had left.

Zibby: I love that. That was beautifully said. Um, well, thank you, Nikki. Thank you so much. Well done. Congratulations, and thank you for coming on. 

Nikki: Thank you for having me. 

Pleasure. 

Zibby: My pleasure.