Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

You Don’t Have To Be Jewish

Michael Freedland shares stories drawn from the lives of the Jewish community in London: the world through Jewish eyes, but not necessarily for Jewish ears.

Radio London,50 episodes

Episodes

ListGrid

Rabbi Hugo Gryn, Uzi Narkiss, Stephen Roth, Sandy Weinbaum and Larry Adler
Michael speaks to Rabbi Hugo Gryn, Uzi Narkiss, Stephen Roth and Sandy Weinbaum.
16 Jul 1989,53 mins
Sir Peter Hall and Abba Eban
Michael talks to director Sir Peter Hall about his production of The Merchant of Venice.
04 Jun 1989,26 mins
Nazi hunters Serge and Beate Klarsfeld
Michael devotes the programme to an in-depth interview with Serge and Beate Klarsfeld.
17 Jan 1988,26 mins
Jewish Jazz Musicians
A music special. Michael speaks to the leading lights of the Big Band era.
27 Aug 1987,28 mins,
Wolf Mankowitz on the Jewish East End
Michael remembers the Jewish East End of London, with the writer Wolf Mankowitz.
26 Jul 1987,27 mins
Elie Weisel
Michael interviews Auschwitz survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel.
25 Jun 1987,26 mins
Ian Mikardo MP
Michael devotes the entire programme to an interview with veteran Labour MP Ian Mikardo.
21 Jun 1987,28 mins
Rabbi Hugo Gryn
Rabbi Hugo Gryn is in the studio to talk about his memories of life in Czechoslovakia.
08 Feb 1987,27 mins
June Jacobs and Nicholas Bethell
Michael Freedland talks to June Jacobs and Conservative peer Nicholas Bethell.
09 Nov 1986,28 mins
The Music of Leonard Bernstein
Michael Freedland takes a look at the Jewishness of the music of Leonard Bernstein.
18 Sep 1986,15 mins
Amos Oz
Michael Freedland's son Jonathan interviews Israeli novelist Amos Oz.
17 Oct 1985,26 mins
Yom Kippur with Rabbi Hugo Gryn
Michael contemplates the meaning of Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement with Rabbi Hugo Gryn.
22 Sep 1985,19 mins
Rosh Hashanah with Rabbi Cyril Harris
Michael Freedland looks ahead to the Jewish New Year with Rabbi Cyril Harris.
15 Sep 1985,24 mins
TWA Aeroplane Hijacking
Michael Freedland covers the hijacking of a TWA passenger jet.
16 Jun 1985,26 mins,
The Most Jewish City in the World - New York
In this New York special, Michael looks at the world’s largest diaspora Jewish community.
28 Jun 1984,19 mins
You Don't Have To Be Jewish's Bar Mitzva
Michael celebrates the 13th birthday – the Bar Mitzva - of You Don’t Have To Be Jewish.
17 Jun 1984,21 mins
AJEX Parade 1983
Michael Freedland reports live from the annual parade of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women.
20 Nov 1983,35 mins
Special edition from Jerusalem
Michael speaks to mayor Teddy Kollek, Abba Eban, Ehud Olmert and to Joanna Yechiel.
13 Nov 1983,28 mins
40th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Michael reports from Warsaw to mark the 40th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
14 Aug 1983,26 mins,
Rabbi Cyril Harris and Rabbi Hugo Gryn
Michael's guests are orthodox Rabbi Cyril Harris and reform Rabbi Hugo Gryn.
26 Dec 1982,30 mins
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
Michael has a rare, in-depth interview with former Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.
07 Nov 1982,30 mins
Chaim Herzog
Michael speaks to Belfast-born former Israeli general and politician Chaim Herzog.
16 May 1982,29 mins
Michael Bar-Zohar and Rabbi Bernard Hooker
Michael speaks to author Michael Bar-Zohar and to Rabbi Bernard Hooker.
17 May 1981,24 mins
Shimon Peres, Yosef Mendelevitch and Devorah Wigoder
Michael speaks to Shimon Peres, rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch and to writer Devorah Wigoder.
01 Mar 1981,27 mins
Yehudi Menuhin
Michael interviews virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin.
08 Feb 1981,18 mins
Rabbi Hugo Gryn
Michael talks to Auschwitz survivor Rabbi Hugo Gryn about his life and experiences.
20 Jul 1980,28 mins
Sammy Cahn
Michael talks to musician, songwriter and lyricist Sammy Cahn.
14 Oct 1979,29 mins
400th Programme Highlights
To mark the 400th You Don't Have To Be Jewish, Michael recalls some of the highlights.
10 Jun 1979,27 mins
Sir Harold Wilson, Gregory Peck and Ben Helfgott
Michael talks to Sir Harold Wilson, Gregory Peck and Olympic weightlifter Ben Helfgott.
25 Mar 1979,27 mins
The Death of Golda Meir
Michael Freedland marks the death of Israel’s first woman prime minister, Golda Meir.
10 Dec 1978,27 mins