WOULD YOU BELIEVE that a loving devoted 85-year-old grandfather, once considered the Jewish Mafia’s father of an illicit gambling syndicate, partnered with Simon Wiesenthal to track down Josef Mengele in Paraguay? We sat down with Myron Sugarman and learned about his past mob ties, his efforts to defeat antisemitism, and his historical Nazi hunting experience. And we learned a lot more than how to say “Stick ‘em up” in 30 different languages.
Mac: What inspired you to write a book about your life?
Myron: I thought about it when I was in jail. I realized that I had all these tremendous life adventures. So when I got out of jail, I started to write my memoir. And then several years ago, I decided to turn it into a book. After the book came out, I received invitations to speak all over the United States and the U.K. from synagogues, and Jewish institutions and then from YouTubers. They wanted me to explain the history of the Jewish mob. In the last several years, I must have done hundreds of speeches.
Mac: What year did you get out of jail? Myron: November the 13th, 1996. I went in April 18, 1995, I did 19 months. 555 days of pure rest and relaxation on vacation. Mac: You enjoyed it?
Myron: You make the best out of everything as far as life is concerned. If you have the right attitude and are healthy that is a big help. In prison, we played a lot of sports, got into physical and mental condition, read, and met a lot of different types of people. At the end of the day, you learn how to say “stick’em up” in 30 different languages.
Mac: What was the most difficult part of being in jail?
Myron: The most difficult part is being separated from your family. You want to take care of them, and you’re deprived of that opportunity.
Mac: I heard that Raman noodles are like currency in prison.
Myron: Well in my time, it was tuna fish.
Mac: What was your childhood like growing up in an old Jewish neighborhood back in the day? Myron: It was fantastic. We used to go to the playground behind the grammar school with kids from all the neighborhoods in the district. The Italian neighborhood was behind the school. The Jewish neighborhood was in front of the school. We played stickball, football, softball. And everyone had a basketball net off their garage.
Mac: Did you grow up in an observant home?
Myron: No, there were no orthodox Jews where I grew up. When we moved from Hillside, New Jersey to Maplewood, New Jersey 1944, there wasn’t a temple or synagogue. So, the local rabbi of the conservative synagogue would pick up a bunch of us kids from the neighborhood and take us up to his synagogue to give Hebrew lessons.
Mac: Would you mind explaining a little about the origins of the Jewish Mafia?
Myron: They evolved from gangs. At the turn of the 20th century, many of the Jewish immigrants lived in ghettos. Some of the gangs were like clubs but many evolved into gangs that were really brutal. And they were involved in the dirtiest of all crimes; drugs, violence, prostitution, extortion, and hit crimes. And then with prohibition, the gangs become gangsters and they eventually became businessmen, but not in legitimate businesses. The Jewish mob went out of business in the 1940’s. I was born January 12, 1938. I’m 85. So, there were hardly any of the old timers around when I got started. The Jewish mob was absorbed by the Italians after the end of the of the Jewish era.
Mac: So how did you get your start?
Myron: When I came out of university, where I studied political science and languages, I went to work for my father, who had a large distribution business. He distributed and operated jukebox machines, vending machines, pinball machines, and eventually gambling machines. Though he wanted me to start a legitimate export business, which I did. I took a tremendous liking to it. I was not supposed to be a gangster. But my father passed away in 1964. I was 26 years of age. I’d only had five years in business with my father. My mother eventually sold out of the family business. And I went out on my own. In the process, I evolved into an outlaw. I was involved in contraband, meaning slot machines and illegal gambling devices that were prohibited for shipment in interstate commerce. I started to traffic in the illegal machines, including overseas.“From 1959 going forward, I traveled for business in 70 nations. And I lived all over the world from Africa to South America. So I had a tremendous international experience.” Over the period of years, we evolved from slot machines into video poker machines. And then I really got the reputation for being the founding father of the illegal gambling machine business in New York. I knew every gangster and every gangster knew me. It became a very profitable business. We put machines into laundromats, bars, and bodegas.
Mac: Was it dangerous for you in terms of the authorities? Didn’t they try to stop you?
Myron: Yes, I had three state cases and three federal cases against me. Then finally, I went to jail after many years of battling with the government. You see, what people need to understand is that you can create a monster. Everybody wants to create something which is gigantic and successful as a businessman. But in reality, when you create the monster, you don’t own the monster. It’s reversed. The monster owns you. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people depended upon my existence. Because you’re the engine to an industry and you have all the ideas and all the connections. You’re key to that business. But these people helped you to create the empire and you have a moral obligation to continue the business. You cannot just step away.
People would say to me ‘why didn’t you walk away?’ How are you going to walk away when you got hundreds of people who feed their families as a result of your very existence? The fact of the matter is when you go to jail, they have to make it on their own. And most of them couldn’t. Basically, the government put us out of business when I went to jail.
Mac: Would you have made a better life for yourself being legitimate? Myron: Probably. But by circumstances of life, you become a vortex. You’re pulled into it. All of a sudden, you’re operating in a different world with a different set of rules. It’s a different government. In fact, it’s two governments. You have what’s called the underworld, and you’ve got the overworld, so you are operating in two worlds. You have two forces pulling at you from both ends.
Mac: During your time traveling overseas, did you take your family?
Myron: I only took my family with me to Nigeria.
Mac: What was Meyer Lansky like? Did he teach you anything?
Myron: I believe it was in 1970 that I spent the entire Shabbat with him in Tel Aviv. He had just escaped the United States at that point because of an impending indictment (on tax evasion). He ran to Israel. Lansky told me that he knew my father and said very nice things about him. My father was one of the original investors in the Riviera Hotel in Havana, Cuba, together with his partner Abe Green. He had endless advice. I remember that he told me, “If you start to see your name and photo in the newspaper every day, get yourself up and run. They made me bigger than Al Capone.” He feared that the charges against him would result in an excessive punishment because the Nixon and Mitchell government wanted to come down hard on organized crime as a way of distracting the masses from the Watergate affair.
Mac: What is the best advice you have received?
Myron: There wasn’t one piece of advice that was exceptional, but rather, several things, like “timing is everything.” It’s important to understand when your time is up. And I knew at a certain point it was my time to put the key in the door and take off for Israel or go to South America. But as I said earlier, it is not so easy to run away. There was an old-time, legendary Jewish bookmaker from Newark who told me, “I made one mistake. I stayed on the block one year too long.” If I would have gotten out the year before, I’d never have gone to jail. But I stayed that one year too long and the world changed, and I wasn’t changing with it.
Mac: Were you cognizant of timing?
Myron: Yes. Nobody ever beats the system. Sooner or later the system beats you.
Mac: Were there any rules or guidelines specific to the Jewish mafia?
Myron: There wasn’t a rule specific to the Jewish mafia. But there was a golden rule that applied to anyone in organized crime, and that was, “Don’t snitch. Snitches get stitches.” Mac: Was there anything that distinguished the Jewish mafia from other mafia organizations? Myron: The main difference is that the Jewish mafia was a one-generation world. We did not pass it down to our children. My father had dreams of me going into the legitimate world, corporate, making all kinds of money, and so forth, being very successful.
Mac: It sounds like you lived in a world that was not black or white, but somewhere in between.
Myron: Life is gray. There is a Talmudic truth that says, “That for the human existence, there is no such thing as pure white and pure black, It’s all shades of gray.’” If you want perfect truth, you’re not gonna have perfect justice. If you want perfect justice, you’re not gonna have perfect truth. There’s fluidity.”
Mac: Who had the strongest leadership skills: Carlo Gambino, Meyer Lansky, or Jerry Catena?
Myron: All 3 of them. They all had natural leadership. They were gifted with natural intelligence. It’s one thing to be smart, but what we all want to be is wise. Smart leads to wisdom. So, you take your experience, and you are able to see things that other people can’t see. That’s leadership. Someone like Ze’ev Jabotinsky (journalist and founder of the Zionist Revisionist movement) didn’t lead by fear, but with principles. He acted with the same principles that he spoke. At that time especially, the mentality of a patriot and a gangster was very similar. As an example, the Jewish mob in the 1930s, throughout the United States, fought the American Nazi Party, and the head of the German American Bund Party, Fritz Kuhn. They fought the Ku Klux Klan. They fought antisemites in Chicago, in Minneapolis, in North New Jersey, in New York, in Los Angeles. Wherever there was antisemitism, there was a feeling of Jewish patriotism that manifested itself by actually beating up the Jew haters. In the 30s, it was strictly American Jews (outlaws, prize fighters, factory workers) who beat up the American Nazis.
Charlie Lucky Luciano, the boss of the Italian mafia, even told Meyer Lansky that he would send him all of the Italian kids that he needed to help in the fight. Meyer Lansky’s response to Mr. Luciano was that though he deeply appreciated the offer, it was a Jewish problem and was going to be resolved by Jews, and only Jews. So when people ask me what kind of a Jew Meyer Lansky was, I say, he was a very patriotic Jew. He was a patriotic American.”
Mac: What caused the downfall of the mafia?
Myron: The government. They’ve got all the money, all the time, all the personnel, all the structure, all the informers.
Mac: You seem very knowledgeable about Jewish history and Judaism in general. How did you gain your knowledge?
Myron: Jewish pride was transmitted. It was the inheritance from my family. The home that I grew up in was typical of its time. My father was a combination of American-born, roaring 20s, and the child of religious parents. His parents were extremely religious. My mother did not grow up in a religious home, but in a home filled with Yiddish culture. I heard my mother speak Yiddish frequently. Being proud of being a Jew first manifested itself in college because I took an interest in Zionism. I graduated in 1959. My final paper in political science was on the anatomy of the Jewish state, which at that time was just a little over 10 years old. As I traveled all over the world from 1959 on, I realized that I didn’t know anything about the Jewish religion. And that bothered me. I began to realize that they’ll never be Jews without Judaism. If there’s no religion, you’re not going to have Jewish people. They’re just going to be a one-generation people. They’re going to integrate, they’ll assimilate, they’ll disappear. So, I made a concerted effort to learn about Judaism, and to expose my family to the religion.
I have three sons, and when our son Benny was born in 1974, I made a decision to send him to Jewish day school. Today he’s an Orthodox Rabbi and Talmudic scholar in Boca Raton, Florida and has eight kids in Yeshivas.
Mac: With antisemitism/antizionism being at an alltime high, do you have any advice for how young people can deal with it?
Myron: The problem really boils down to a question of ignorance. If you’re ignorant, you’re going to be bamboozled by others, especially when faced with antisemitism or lies about Israel. You’re in a situation where you don’t know what the hell is going on. If you don’t know your own religion, you’re going to be susceptible to becoming anything except being a Jew. My father’s generation was a terrific generation in terms of its Jewish identity and pride, but most of them failed to raise their kids to continue to be Jews. That’s why today, 70% of the non-orthodox world intermarries. If you ask a Jewish person in the secular world, what’s the name of the mother and father of Jesus Christ, everyone knows the answer. But if you ask those same people if they know who is the father and mother of Moses, very few will know. If we are ignorant of our own world and religion, like I said before, you can be easily bamboozled. People always ask me how I managed in a business that was dominated by Italians. Well, one thing that they knew and were very clear from day one, I was a proud Jew. I made that point without sticking my finger in their eye. They just knew that I took pride in being a Jew. And I was confident. Confidence comes from knowledge. Knowledge is power. And the power of knowledge mixed with experience, results in the ultimate achievement of all mankind, which is wisdom. That’s what King Solomon said, didn’t he? It’s all about wisdom. ♦
TALKING TO ELON GOLD was like having a conversation with a cousin I hadn’t seen since his Bar Mitzvah in the early 80s. We’re both Gen X Jews (in fact, we spoke the day after he turned 52) from the Tri-State area (he grew up in the Pelham Parkway area of the Bronx, while I was a 15-minute drive from the Jersey shore), and we both agreed we came up in the “prime time” for Jewish comedy.
Before we got going, I warned Elon–who is very observant, down to the daily tefillin–that I am a self described “Bad Jew,” but this didn’t faze him at all, because Elon Gold embraces literally all humans at any stage in their belief systems. We actually did not linger on the topic of religion, sticking more to how our similar backgrounds informed our cultural Jewishness, specifically our humor. It’s our defense mechanism and our great strength. There’s no one funnier than Jews, we agreed (comedy is just tragedy plus time, with additional suffering for us), and Elon Gold is one of the funniest.
One of three creative and talented sons who tried the typical straight-and-narrow paths taken by a lot of smart Jewish kids (medicine, Wall Street) only to eschew it for show business (his brother Steven Gold is a composer and music producer, working primarily in the areas of television and film; his youngest brother, the prolific artist/rapper Ari Gold, who was also openly gay, passed away in February 2021 after a long battle with leukemia), Elon was obsessed with comedy from a young age and never once shied away from his Jewishness when performing. In fact, he learned not only to embrace it, but he made it a central part of his stand-up after he inadvertently learned an important lesson in embracing his Jewishness from his father.
Elon’s father worked as an assistant principal, but he and his wife loved Broadway. So with the little bit of extra money he had, he would go to “backer’s auditions” where he could invest in plays and musicals before they got to Broadway. “So I invested in many shows that opened and closed,” Elon says, relishing the eventual punchline that only he knows is coming. And then there was one show he saw before it ever went to Broadway and he said, “This is an amazing show. It’s probably the best show I’ve ever seen, but it’s too Jewish. I’m not going to invest in it.” Then, after the perfect dramatic pause for effect: “Of course, that was ‘Fiddler On the Roof,’” Elon delivers. “And thanks to that decision, we grew up in an apartment in the Bronx instead of in a nice house up in Westchester. That taught me a lesson. Never be afraid to be too Jewish or to invest in anything that’s too Jewish.”
Elon’s first special, which was released in 2014 on Netflix and is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is called “Elon Gold: Chosen & Taken.” He equates his comedy to how Jennifer Lopez has albums in both English and Spanish for “her people.” Elon has one act where he has bits about being Jewish but then he has another act that’s so Jewish that non-Jews would not understand many of the references. “Sometimes I put on a warning label, ‘Some material may not be suitable for gentiles,’” says Elon. “We did that on a poster of my first one-man show that premiered at the Montreal Comedy Festival, which was called ‘Elon Gold Half Jewish, Half Very Jewish.’” “I never shy away from my Jewishness in my comedy, in anything I’m doing in show business,” Elon said. “Over the last decade or so, I’ve had two careers and certainly two acts. I call it showbiz and shul biz.” *rimshot*
Aside from his acting work on the 11th season of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as “The Hulu Executive,” Elon also starred in the sitcom “Stacked” with Pamela Anderson, guest-starred in “The Mentalist,” “Crashing,” and “Frasier,” and has appeared on “The Tonight Show” an impressive 10 times. But for me, the first thing that pops into my Gen X brain is Elon’s spot-on impression of Jeff Goldblum, which is absolute genius. He also does killer impressions of Howard Stern, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Alec Baldwin, and more. And leave it to a smart, creative, and clever son of an educator to figure out a great way to maximize his time during a time of historic stagnancy: the COVID-19 pandemic.
Not only did Elon use everyone’s forced captivity to his advantage, he somehow managed to become somewhat ubiquitous while never leaving his LA home by turning his back office into a makeshift studio with cameras and lights and started “My Funny Quarantine” on Instagram Live. Every night, Monday through Thursday at 7 pm, Elon hosted A-list guests for much-needed comic relief. He also created another show on Instagram Live called “The Bachor” – a Jewish dating show that started as a suggestion by his friend, screenwriter Jeremy Garelick (“The Hangover”). One favorite guest: the 60-year-old woman who only dates 35-year-old men. “It’s almost too easy to mock the situation,” says Elon. “My favorite line was when she took out a cigarette, and I go, ‘Oh, you shouldn’t smoke. You have your boyfriend’s whole life ahead of him.’” At this, I casually mentioned that at 53, I’m the most single woman alive. “Oh, I’ll have you on next time we do it!” he promised, and I’m now lamenting I didn’t make a Yente-Fiddler joke there at his father’s expense. It certainly sounds like a fun way for those of us who actually enjoy being shut-ins to pass an evening, I told him. “It’s a very weird thing. It’s this fascinating train wreck – like what is going on here? These people are just such characters,” Elon laughed. “I’m having a drink. I’m smoking a cigar, and I’m just cracking jokes and having fun. So it’s fun for me, and the audience loves it.” And if that wasn’t enough to do, Elon also lends his talents to Merry Erev Xmas, a cross-cultural holiday show aimed at making everyone laugh–mostly at themselves–during an otherwise stressful season.
Despite the levity in his work and the obvious joy he takes in bringing joy and laughter to others, Elon has also unfortunately experienced Antisemitism, both personally and professionally. While Jews have always been a target (not for nothing is our non-official slogan, “They tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat!”) and we’ve always had to have a thick skin, nothing can prepare you for the kind of hate incident Elon and his family experienced as they simply walked home from a Shabbat dinner at a friend’s house in Los Angeles in late August of 2014. They were waiting to cross a street when an SUV with four Middle-Eastern men in it pulled up alongside them. The man in the back rolled down the window and yelled, “Free Palestine!” Then another man opened the car door, stepped onto the street and yelled at the family, “I hope your children die! Just like you are killing children in Gaza!” Elon wrote about the impact on his very young children for the Jewish Journal. “We all know too well that “Free Palestine” means free Palestine from every Jew,” he wrote. “As they chant ‘Free Palestine, from the river to the sea,’ that doesn’t mean they want a two-state solution — they want Hitler’s Final Solution and a Jew-Free Middle East.”
We talked about how hard it is to watch our children learn that not everyone in the world is going to love them, and that some people are going to simply just hate them. But my two half-goyishe sons aren’t going to be targeted in the same way the children in an observant family are. And they aren’t targeted online like their Jewish mother is.
“Your kids were so young at the time,” I said to Elon. “What did you tell them, how did you explain that there is so much hate in the world?” “I told my children that there are just some really bad people out there who don’t have what our family has,” Elon replied, “which is love in their hearts for all people. They just have hatred. And they’re mean people who are just mean to anyone, like bullies.” Elon and I both have had to explain to our kids, like all Jewish parents, that some bullies are mean to people within their circle, and then others “express their hatred by attacking someone because they are gay, or black, or just different in some other way,” he said. “The bullies that yelled at us, their tool of bullying is antisemitism.” “And all bullying is rooted in jealousy,” I added, and he agreed vigorously.” So they see what they don’t have and attack us for having it.”
Aside from never hiding his Jewishness, Elon is incredibly proud of his family’s deep connection to Israel–even though it took him 30 years to return after having his Bar Mitzvah there. Once they made a trip as a family, he admits they became “addicted” and go every year or every other year. His son had his bar mitzvah there, and two of his kids have already spent extended time there – one for a gap year and one for the summer- with another one heading there soon, giving him another reason for another visit.
Elon has done tours in Israel and has even become quite the celebrity. His videos have gone viral in Israel and he often gets recognized on the street whenever he’s there, and remaining connected to the Israeli culture is one of the most important parts of his life. “I went from just being a tourist to selling out theaters there,” says Elon. “And now when I go there, I’m always performing and enjoying and touring. So now Israel’s a regular stop, and we just love it. We’re all about Israel in our family. We are a big Israel-loving family.”
As we wound up the conversation, I asked Elon what he wished for his children’s future. “I wish the same thing for your family, for my family, for everyone’s family. “Love and peace. Joy and happiness. All of that good stuff. All of it.”
From coveted lingerie model to popular television host to fitness guru, Brooke Burke has lived many lives in her fifty-one years on this planet and her more than two decades in the entertainment industry. She is living proof that you can grow wiser and more self-assured while remaining healthy, vibrant and youthful through total body wellness, both inside and out.
During my conversation with Brooke, she muses about the hard-earned lessons she’s gained from two divorces, one of which she laments was from “the love of my life,” her journey in healing from thyroid cancer, her sharp rise in television and then sudden dismissal from ABC/Disney primetime juggernaut Dancing with the Stars, and some humbling moments that ultimately led to reflection and re-invention.
Now at midlife and definitely not looking worse for wear, Brooke has once again found what she calls “a healthy love” with longtime partner Scott Rigsby. She’s applying her mind, body, and spirit-based wisdom toward helping other women through her mobile and steaming fitness platform Brooke Burke Body and her superfood blends, Brooke Burke Longevity. When pressed about women and body image, Brooke insists that her platform is about engaging women on a holistic level to help them feel healthy, strong and confident no matter their body type or previous level of fitness.
Allison Kugel: What are three pivotal events that have made you the person you are today?
Brooke Burke: Motherhood is the obvious one, but it really did instantly change my whole life. It’s my greatest learning opportunity. They’re my best teachers and it’s the greatest and hardest part of my life. I’m just keeping it real. Another one that is funny but true is winning Dancing with The Stars, which was a huge accomplishment and the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve never worked harder at anything else in my life. It was thrilling, and even though it’s a silly mirror ball trophy, like big deal; it was three months, seven days a week of blood, sweat, pain and tears, and everything in between.
Allison Kugel: Did you think you had any shot of winning at the time?
Brooke Burke: No. I actually wanted to stick around for a couple weeks (laughs). And then halfway through, you kind of want to get out of it because it’s so difficult. So that was amazing, and that segued me into hosting the show, which was also fantastic. Another pivotal event in life was divorce, because that really changes you, and changed my expectations and the way I approached life. It taught me how to surrender and taught me about self-love, acceptance, and the power of change. It started me on my journey of transformation. I think after 19 years of marriage, having those moments by myself was really telling and eye opening. It’s an amazing opportunity to be by myself as a woman, which you really don’t get if you’re married and you’re with children.
Allison Kugel: Did divorce make you feel like that whole starry-eyed expectation of finding “the one” and living happily ever after got shattered?
Brooke Burke: I don’t still want that or need that. I had that in one marriage when I was intoxicated by love, and I didn’t [have that] in the other, when I was trying to be responsible. One was the love of my life and my soulmate, and one wasn’t. I really am passionate about a healthy love right now with boundaries; a love that has purpose and that’s fulfilling. I’m so blessed to be in my new relationship with Scott (Brooke’s current partner). He’s an incredible human being, but it is the healthiest time of my life and maybe it’s because I’ve defined my own boundaries as a woman now in my 50s. Maybe it’s because I brought everything that I didn’t quite get right with me to the table. I bring a better version of myself to this relationship, but it’s different now.
Allison Kugel: You started as a Fredericks of Hollywood model way back in the day and you successfully made the leap to television with your first show, E!’s Wild On!? I’m sure a lot of models would love an opportunity like that. How did it happen?
Brooke Burke: I think it’s a painful story for some people to hear, because it wasn’t like I pounded the pavement and went on every audition. I actually was doing commercial advertising and studying business advertising in school. I was doing some modeling and I went on an audition a friend of mine sent me on for the Wild On! gig. It was just taking advantage of the right opportunity. I accepted the gig and learned on the road and got all of my entertainment experience within my first contract on E!. It was an amazing show to do. We covered 40 countries in a short period of time, and more than 100 countries around the world. I actually brought my daughter Neriah on the road with me as a baby for the first few years of her life. Then that segued into other things. I love being in the wellness space right now. I never thought I would be in this business and start my own company (Brooke Burke Body). I knew I would start my own business, and I’m really passionate about it. I love this space it’s so fulfilling and it’s the greatest way that I know how to connect with women around the world. I’m doing something that feels good and that really matters to me.
Allison Kugel: Was fitness always a huge part of your life, or did your 2012 diagnoses with thyroid cancer jumpstart your fitness journey?
Brooke Burke: Fitness was always a big part of my life. I think I have a much better and much clearer understanding of my body today than I did back then. Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer segued me into being an advocate for women’s health, and it was really because of the process of being diagnosed during a yearly physical. It gave me an understanding of the value of medical knowledge and kind of fighting for that and telling my story to inspire and to help many other people. It was about understanding the value of being a great patient and understanding the medical possibilities that we have today. I really do believe that it’s the mind, body and spirit. It’s the union of all these things. I can show people how to get in shape all day long. It’s not just how we care for ourselves, it’s also how we speak to ourselves, how we meet ourselves, how we fuel our bodies. How we get our inner strength is really important to me. The messaging of Brooke Burke Body is really about mindful fitness, mindful movement, and incorporating mantras. It’s knowing how to slow down and listen, valuing yourself and changing our inner dialogue.
Allison Kugel: What do you believe created the cancer?
Brooke Burke: I think that our body weeps the tears that we don’t cry. I love that saying. I think there are toxic energies and feelings that we compartmentalize that affect our body, with cancer in particular. I’m not sure I could blame it on the environment, but who the hell knows. Are emotional traumas toxic? Sure, they are. How it rocked me was that it showed me there’s something a little bit larger than wellness philosophies that could really change my body, and that was really scary. People often ask me did it make me take better care of myself? No, because I was doing that already. What it taught me was how diligent we need to be in our self-care and having those markers, gaining that knowledge and paying attention to the science. There’s usually an event that happens that shifts us or makes us change. We don’t just decide, “I’m going to find this healthy lifestyle.”
Allison Kugel: With your brand, Brooke Burke Body, people can download the app on just about every platform to learn and apply your fitness tools and routines, and your Longevity brand is comprised of super food blends for smoothies, and you adhere to these practices daily. What do you think keeps people from being consistent, and what is it that keeps you consistent?
Brooke Burke: I think time is a big issue. There are a million reasons not to work out. There are a million excuses. I always tell people to lean into the other side of it. Be afraid of not working out and not caring for yourself, more than you’re afraid of trying something new. I think there is fear, insecurities and people get stuck in a rut and don’t know where to begin. My app is really designed for everyone. It is a digital gym. It’s about creating a space in a room; your hotel room, and your living room. I have workouts we can do in the kitchen and in the office, in bed, on the sofa, inside and outside. It’s something for everyone of all ages, and it’s really about creating energy. Make a personal commitment, hold yourself accountable, know that you’re worthy, change your narrative. I think we need that at all stages of our life. Get an accountability partner to do it with you. We’re doing a five-week program this December where you can digitally come over to my kitchen, and we’re doing the kitchen bar burn. It’s super fun live content. I also teach Zoom classes on Fridays for everyone that wants to sign up.
Allison Kugel: What are your thoughts on the body positivity movement?
Brooke Burke: I love body confidence and it’s super important when raising children. With my daughters, I’m so careful with my words. I’m a size two, so take that off the table and who cares what size we are and how much we weigh. I think it’s about finding your feel-good and feeling beautiful at different stages of your life, and with every size. I don’t like to use numbers and sizes, and what you weigh on a scale anymore. We’re talking about strength, body confidence and I want women to tap into their self-love space and their own inner dialogue, and to find their own self-confidence. If you don’t feel good about your body, then you need to make some changes. If you do feel good about your body, I am celebrating it all the way. You either change something in your life or you change the way you feel about it, and we’re celebrating healthy women. I think we’re celebrating voluptuous women right now. I personally love that, and I think it’s beautiful. Do I think it’s healthy? It depends on what your ratio is, what your index of body fat is, and where you’re storing that. There may be a size 14 plus size woman who has more energy and mobility than a size 6 woman. One of the things that I have women say out loud in class is, “I am worthy, I am strong. I am capable. I am beautiful.” There are a lot of women struggling with that, and if you can’t say “I’m beautiful,” you need to keep saying it until you start to believe it, because we all deserve that. We are all looking outward right now on social media. We look to everyone else to make us feel good, and I think that’s a really dangerous place to be. We have to bring it back to center, go inward and celebrate ourselves.
Allison Kugel: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve ever had to learn, and how does it now serve you?
Brooke Burke: What comes to the top of mind would be when I had to surrender in my fantasy of forever. I felt love lasted forever. I would have sworn that I would have been married forever. That was the intention, that goal that was sort of the fairytale. That was a big turning point and a big surrender for me, to not equate divorce with failure, and to realize that there was a need for change. I had to redesign my idea of what family was supposed to look like. That really changed me, and it was a very hard lesson to share with my children. I really thought I was making love last forever, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t believe in it today. I just surrendered to what was, and I didn’t give up. I really fought the fight until it was time to change, and I think that’s an important concept. But sometimes change is necessary, so that was a deep learning lesson for me.
Allison Kugel: How has that now made you a better partner?
Brooke Burke: I think I bring all that experience to the table as a woman. Scott and I both do. We bring all of those lessons to our relationship. This relationship is more precious to me because I know how fragile it could be. I don’t take love for granted. I think a lot of people do, and I think that’s dangerous.
Allison Kugel: How do you know when you’re in love?
Brooke Burke: It has changed so much through the years. I know I’m in love when I have a feeling of fulfillment, and when it feels good. Love has a beautiful flow to it. There’s not a resistance. It’s not a struggle. Love is complicated, especially with a blended family, but there’s an ease and contentment and a sense of fulfillment that I have all the time now with Scott. It’s such a relief, it’s so joyful, and it feels safe. I think love should feel safe.
Allison Kugel: What do you think you came into this world as Brooke Burke to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach?
Brooke Burke: I think I came here to teach women how to connect with themselves, and it’s also been one of the greatest lessons in my life, for me and my children. I think I’m learning now in my late 40s and 50s the value of stillness of space; personal space as a mother, a businesswoman and entrepreneur, and raising four children. There’s very little time for self, and I take that very seriously now and I create those moments. I’m working on a body of work right now called a “Soul Contract.” It’s about the commitment to self and defining those boundaries, and the promises that we make, and how we value those and keep them.
Allison Kugel: You’re a Jewish woman. I’m a Jewish woman. What are your thoughts on all of the recent anti-Semitism that has been in the news? Do you get angry and pissed off or do you try to lead with love?
Brooke Burke: I don’t really meet racism with love on any level to anyone. I take that very seriously. I don’t take things personally in the media, whether it’s a headline that was incorrect about me or something I said that was misinterpreted. I don’t really internalize a lot of that, even on social media when it comes to criticism and the world we’re living in right now. There are so many moments to feel bad about. Unapologetically, I’m who I am and I’m really proud of my culture. I’m proud of my religion. My children are proud of whothey are. It’s all very confusing and it opens up the need for deeper dialogue. It’s interesting that there’s so much talk about Judaism right now and there’s so much negativity in the world on all levels, with so many misunderstandings. Yes, we have that dialogue with my children at home, about knowing who they are and being proud of it. It’s such a fragile time right now on so many levels. It’s hard to speak openly and to speak up or to have an opinion. We can hardly say anything these days. [Antisemitism] is sad to me, but it’s also reckless,and I think social media allows people a platform while not always holding them accountable for what they say. And now it’s become very impersonal. I struggle with do you try to rise above? Do you correct ignorance? Do you speak out, and if so, how do you speak out? Will your words be twisted? And then you think about the history of it. And I mean working for a network you really can’t say much of anything. We all know how that goes. But I don’t feel the need to correct anyone. I parent my children I correct them when I need to. Then there is a kind of surrender with everybody else, because it’s not my role. It’s just not my place nor would it serve me. I just think it’s sad. There’s a lot of ignorance, and it’s a lack of education.
Allison Kugel: Your 2014 dismissal from Dancing with The Stars was somewhat disrespectful. You were blindsided when you were suddenly let go. How do you handle rejection?
Brooke Burke: It’s hard. It’s an amazing conversation to have, because how do we process rejection and what did that moment really mean for me? I was hired on what I thought was the greatest show during that time, and I was then let go of that show. If I didn’t have other meaningful things in my life, if I wasn’t grounded, and if I didn’t have a foundation that was built on purpose and a loving family, I would imagine that I would have been quite lost. The entertainment business is so unpredictable and so out of our hands and can be so inconsiderate at times. I always tell people to make sure you have meaning in your life, and you do things that really matter that go far beyond that. I have been so blessed. I love working in the entertainment business, but I have a lot of other things that really feed my soul. That moment, being let go from Dancing with The Stars, it was a really shitty departure and unexpected and shocking, and not handled in a gentlemanly way, but that’s showbiz. So, that wasn’t the surprise. The surprise was those moments where you expect to be treated the way that you treat other people. People don’t really let us down; they break our expectations. That moment allowed me to dig a little deeper and say, “Okay. What’s next?” It inspired me to get more creative and find the next opportunity to start Brooke Burke Body.
Allison Kugel: How can people find your Brooke Burke Body and Longevity brands?
Brooke Burke: Brook Burke Body is everywhere. It’s on every Smart TV. It’s in the App Store. I guess the easiest way to find me is at BrookeBurke.com. It’s a portal for all things longevity: recipes, blogs, community inspiration and all of the fitness work that I do.
With a name that literally means “good,” Tova Ricardo–aka Tova the Poet–is using her vibrant voice to speak to her unique experience as a young Black Jewish woman at a time when our country has never been more divided.
While we struggle with drawing the line between hate speech and freedom of speech, Tova the Poet simply refuses to be silenced.
Tova found her voice while growing up in Oakland, California, where she was named the city’s 2015 Youth Poet Laureate during her senior year of high school. The self-proclaimed religiously observant unapologetic Zionist has embraced social media as a way to share her message of intercultural acceptance to as many people as possible.
The destigmatization of Black and Jewish cultures and their intersectionality is at the forefront of her incredibly important work. “I have the right to be upset with the state of the world and with the way people conflate Jewish womanhood and Black womanhood with unwarranted anger and irrationality,” Tova wrote in February 2022.
“I don’t want people to simply label me as unreasonably upset and pretend that is all I am…I refuse to choose between being a ‘good woman’ or a woman who will not be intimidated, belittled, or silenced,” she continues. I am woman enough because I say I am. I am woman enough because being nurturing also means sticking up for those I care about.”
Tova also uses her voice to discredit the systemic racist, sexist, and misogynistic tropes of the “Angry Black Woman” as well as the “Neurotic Jewish Woman” portrayed in films and on TV shows as “too loud” or “too much.”
Reading her poetry is a visceral a stark reminder to check ourselves for the microagressions we’re still not aware of as white Jews, a lesson to be better allies to those within our communities as well as those in the communities we weren’t born into.
But it is in her performances where Tova the Poet’s innate truth to power can not only be heard, but truly seen and felt. The pride in her unique multicultural heritage emanates through her words as she fully embraces all of the cultures that have come together to make her a unique representation of what it means to be Black, to be Jewish, to be Woman, without being called “too much.”
“I want to use my social media platform and my writing to educate people about Torah,” Tova says. “Historical trauma, assimilation, Black and Jewish traditions, and combating hatred, without draining myself.”
“I shouldn’t have to explain myself all the time,” Tova wrote in an Instagram video caption. “When I say that I am Jewish, believe me. The Jewish people have lived in nearly every continent on the planet. We all look different ways, but we are still one people. Yes, it is possible to be Black AND born Jewish.”
Be honest. If you were tasked with writing a story about a 22-year-old rising Hollywood star with perfect teeth and a crown of magnificent crimson curls, who comes from a nice Jewish home with a functional observant family she adores, and is currently starring in a successful television show opposite Jason Segal and Harrison Ford, wouldn’t you be sort of hoping not to like her? Enter Rachel Stubington and all your contrived negativity instantly vanishes.
This down-to-earth beauty is charming, open, and funny as hell. You simply can’t help relating to a young woman who went to Hess Kramer Jewish overnight camp, participates in her congregation’s Cantorial training program, and cannot wait to sing at her younger brother’s upcoming Bar Mitzvah. She notes that her brother will keep her in check on his special day. “I’m pretty sure he’ll limit me to L’dor V’dor,” she smiles.
When I ask Rachel what started it all? She laughs, “I think as a kid, I just really wanted attention.” From singing at High Holidays to school talent shows, camp skits, and a theatre degree from UCLA, Rachel knew from a young age that she loved comedy. She credits her comedy focus to the Jewish summer camp experience. “You’re at camp, and there are skits, and talent shows…it’s the place where I realized you can be funny and get attention.”
Asked about her burgeoning success, she says she doesn’t see herself as an overnight sensation. “I’ve been auditioning for 10 or 11 years,” she comments. And being in the spotlight doesn’t keep her from feeling star-struck when she steps on a film set or appears at a movie premier. “You try to play it cool,” she notes. “But you’re standing next to Harrison Ford!”
Her comic influencers include Kristen Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling. In fact, she’s sure she didn’t get into Dartmouth because when asked at her interview why she wanted to attend, she said, “Because Mindy Kaling went here.” It was the truth. But, looking back, she thinks that may not have been the best answer.
Her current show on Apple TV is called Shrinking, and she plays Summer, a fun-loving best friend to the main character’s daughter, played by Lukita Maxwell. The show follows Jason Laird, played by Jason Segel, a grieving therapist who tells his patients exactly what he thinks. His brutal honesty, however, has a turbulent effect on both his clients and him.
Rachel can’t say enough good things about everyone on who works on the show. “The crew and cast are some of my favorite people,” She tells me, “I have so much respect and love for everyone. And I think everyone is so talented. She adds, “My favorite thing about Shrinking, aside from it being so funny, is that it brings a lot of light to something that people are really ashamed to talk about, which is mental health.”
“My mom watches every episode,” Rachel beams, “Twice!” With good reviews and a strong buzz, she expects the show to be picked up for a second season. “It’s an incredibly topical show these days.”
I ask her if she’s ever been in therapy herself, and she openly shares “Sure, I used to see a shrink.” She wants to help shatter the stigma around mental health and isn’t shy about sharing her own struggles, “Humor comes from insecurity,” she explains, “Especially in this business. You’re constantly fighting to prove to other people that your worth their time. You know, you’re on a tv show and the pressure is like ‘What’s next?’ And that doesn’t end. You need to keep working to keep proving your worth it.”
And what about her personal life? She’s in a great relationship with a guy she went to Jewish High School with. “We all came home because of the pandemic and a bunch of kids my age ended up dating people from High School.” It’s not surprising that Rachel is currently partnered with a Jewish man whose father happens to be a Rabbi. “Judaism has always been a big part of my life,” she asserts “My nan is really big on doing all of the Jewish holidays at her house. And my mom was adamant that we go to Hebrew School.
While Rachel loves comedy, her recently released Lifetime movie, A Rose for her Grave, where she stars opposite Chrishell Stause and Colin Egglesfield is not exactly a laugh riot. “It’s actually very serious,” she says, “It’s based on a true story where this man named Randy Roth would marry women and then kill them. It’s totally true and no one caught on to him for the longest time. It’s a very cool story. This man preys on insecure women. And at the end of the film, it’s these women that are the ones to put him in jail.”
How does Rachel feel about being in the public eye. “I’m suddenly that person who can really make a statement and it’ll ripple through the world. That’s weird to think about.” She goes on to confess,” I get kind of nervous at these interviews because I worry that I’m going to say something I shouldn’t. Like I used to always tell people that my favorite movie is The Muppet Movie and that I’ve seen it at least 300 times. My publicist suggested I not mention that in every interview.”
I must admit, I feel kind of bad putting it in here given the above statement. But it’s just so cute that I can’t leave it out. Because Rachel Stubington has the energy and joy of all your favorite Muppets combined. She’s charming and glamorous (think Miss Piggy), funny and warm (like Elmo), she has a heart of gold and, like Fozzie Bear, will stop at nothing to get a laugh, and most importantly, she’s comfortable in her own skin, which reminds me a lot of Kermy’s signature “It’s not easy being green” song.
Keep your eye on Rachel Stubington, she’s something to see.
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