1) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Margarita Lyadova hosts People Jew Wanna Know podcast where she interviews remarkable Jewish people every week. In just a little over a year, People Jew Wanna Know has become a leading Jewish podcast, with its most loyal audience being young Jewish professionals in major urban cities like NYC, LA, SF, and Miami.

One of Margarita’s goals with the podcast is to feature a diversity of guests, bringing in perspectives across the religious, political, and cultural spectrum. You might hear from a right-wing Israeli activist one week, followed by a Jew that believes that there is apartheid in the West Bank the next week. The listener is given a fair, centrist and safe listening environment that allows them to feel the nuance and conduct comparative analysis on what they’ve heard throughout the weeks. She wants all kinds of Jews to have the opportunity to hear from each other, even when it can be challenging, and she models ways to have conversations with people we might not see eye to eye with.

Having reached so many young Jews through the podcast, Margarita also organizes monthly in-person events in Manhattan, rooted in themes of intellectual humility, truth-seeking and delight. She is reaching our community’s most impressionable generation in an effort to create pride and excitement about Jewish life.

Margarita’s work builds bridges not by avoiding tension, but by embracing it with empathy and openness. She helps listeners and participants practice the skill of staying in conversation, even when it’s hard. Her impact is not only in the content she creates, but in the culture of dialogue and connection she fosters across divides.

2) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

Margarita created this podcast because she felt a gap in the community and was looking for something to fill it. However, rather than sit and wait for something to come along, Margarita chose to take the lead and create it.

She created this podcast with an understanding that the Jewish people are up against not only a challenging time physically, but also philosophically. Who are the Jews? What do they believe and why do they believe that? From Jewish comedians to hostage negotiators, IDF soldiers to Jewish matchmakers, she has sought out guests who can provide poignant insights and answers to these questions, encouraging meaningful contemplation.

This is also what led her to expand to in-person programming. Margarita craved inclusive, warm Jewish spaces that brought people together for not only fun, but also purpose. Through these events, Margarita also uplifts local Jewish businesses and organizations, intentionally connecting her audience to the broader Jewish ecosystem. Her work helps participants not only find community with one another, but also deepen their relationship to Jewish life in all its local and global dimensions.

What makes Margarita’s impact so unique is that none of this existed before she created it. She didn’t wait for someone else to fill the gap—she stepped in to lead, driven by her own desire for Jewish spaces that are curious, open, and courageous.

3) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

People Jew Wanna Know is the most diverse Jewish podcast on the market, and the only Jewish podcast to feature a full-length conversation with an Anti-Zionist Jew. It is also the only Jewish podcast with a season dedicated to allies, lovingly called the “Goy You Will Enjoy” season. This season includes Palestinian activists, Christian Zionists, non-Jewish spouses of Jews, and more, taking the podcast to new heights for both Jews and non-Jews.

By expanding the conversation to include non-Jewish voices, Margarita creates space for meaningful cross-cultural dialogue, fostering empathy and understanding between Jews and the communities around them.