Ari’el Stachel: Reclaiming a Jewish Middle Eastern Identity and Challenging Stereotypes on Broadway

Sometimes the hardest type of activism is the activism that happens inside ourselves. It’s easier for us to give others support and grace when they need it than it is for us to look in the mirror and do the same for ourselves. For recent guests Jeffrey Marsh and Jackie Goldschneider, this internal activism became a platform from which they were able to support others, and today’s guest Ari’el Stachel is doing that same work.

Ari’el is an award winning actor of Ashkenazi and Yemenite Jewish descent, and he has long struggled with his mixed identity. But after realizing he could embrace his Middle Eastern identity in a professional capacity, his eyes were opened. Ari’el is now challenging his fear of himself in a brave one-man show called Other. In it, he tackles family history, his mental health challenges, and his profuse sweating, all of which are things that make him, him. 

Ari’el and Jay discuss connections, the responsibility artists must carry for their communities, Ari’el’s comfort moving across artistic mediums, and much more.

Today's episode was produced by Tani Levitt and Mijon Zulu. To check out more episodes or to learn more about the show, you can visit our website Allaboutchangepodcast.com. If you like our show, spread the word, tell a friend or family member, or leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app. We really appreciate it. All About Change is produced by the Ruderman Family Foundation.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:44 Ari’el’s conversations with the audience at his shows

7:25 Ari’el reflects on 25 years since 9/11 and shares takeaways for 2026

12:34 How does Ari’el change his art and his worldview as the world shifts around him?

16:30 Other’s reception in Israel

22:26 How does Ari’el’s anxiety interact with his love of the stage?

27:26 Putting yourself out there as a performer and activist

29:15 Outro and Goodbye

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Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.walmart.com/ip/Find-Your-Fight-Make-Your-Voice-Heard-for-the-Causes-That-Matter-Most-Hardcover-9781963827071/10817862336⁠⁠