Episode 8
We Are The World
Release Date
Guest
Oct 5, 2025
Aryeh Ho
Episode Summary:
In this heartfelt and deeply engaging conversation, Aryeh Ho, celebrated children’s author and Orthodox Jewish convert, opens up about his unconventional journey to Judaism, the power of storytelling, and navigating identity in a sometimes rigid world.
Ho shares how a serendipitous trip to the Lower East Side led to a life-changing journey into Jewish life, ultimately culminating in his conversion, marriage, and fatherhood within a vibrant Orthodox community. With warmth and humility, he reflects on the complexities of being a visible minority in a largely homogenous space—and how that visibility can be both a challenge and a bridge.
The discussion explores:
📚 The importance of representation in Jewish children's literature
👨👩👧👦 Building a Jewish home post-conversion
💍 Challenges (and hope!) in the Orthodox matchmaking world
👀 Confronting unconscious bias in communal spaces
💡 Why difference should be embraced—not quietly managed
🎭 The connection between Fiddler on the Roof and modern exile, identity, and belonging
With personal anecdotes ranging from meeting his wife on the Lower East Side to raising four children in a tight-knit community, Ho offers wisdom, grace, and a powerful reminder that the Jewish story is—and always has been—a mosaic of backgrounds and experiences.
He also gives listeners an inside peek at his upcoming books, including a new middle-grade nonfiction anthology on famous rabbis, expanding the landscape of Jewish narratives for the next generation.
Quotable Moments:
“People say I stand out when I walk into a room—I think that ’s a gift. Because it means people come over and say, ‘Hey, are you new here?’ I’ve been lucky to find so much kindness.”
“Don’t match people by the things that are different—match them by who they are.”
“There’s no such thing as disability—only different kinds of strength.”