In this season finale of Hot Jewish Energy: The Podcast, Michael reflects on his time in Israel during the ongoing Hamas-Israel War and the 12-Day Israel-Iran War in June 2025.

He opens up about:

- Experiencing Israel during conflict

- Visiting the Nova site

- The resilience of Israel’s LGBTQ+ community

- Feeling safer in Israel than in New York

- The emotional and mental toll of war

- Navigating Jewish and queer identity in crisis

- The power of community support

This episode is personal, honest, and hopeful. It’s about grief, gratitude, resilience — and the belief that peace is still possible.

Thank you for being part of this season.

Most people think activists and “influencers” fit into neat little boxes. Amy Albertson does not.

In this episode of Hot Jewish Energy: The Podcast, Amy Albertson — a Chinese-Jewish creator and longtime Israel advocate — sits down with Michael Valdes to talk about identity, online hate, and what it means to stay loud when the world wants you quiet.

We get into:

• Growing up Chinese & Jewish in Northern California

• Experiencing antisemitism on campus — and starting an Israel group at Portland State

• Making Aliyah and living in Israel for 6 years

• Why October 7 reignited her voice online

• The difference between “pro-Palestine” activism and outright antisemitism

• Why Israel felt healing after the attacks — and why rally energy matters

• The mental health cost of being publicly Jewish right now

This is a real conversation — messy, honest, and needed.

Follow Amy: @theamyalbertson (IG / TikTok / X)

Many Jewish creators know the reality: speak about Israel or antisemitism online, and you risk being banned, shadow-banned, or erased.

In this episode of Hot Jewish Energy: The Podcast, Michael sits down with Max Rotenberg, a young Canadian-Jewish creator, who shares what happened after he built a TikTok following of 8,000+ by educating viewers on Jewish history, Zionism, and antisemitism — only to have his platform removed overnight.

We discuss:

- The rise of antisemitism on social media

- How TikTok and Instagram moderate Jewish content

- The research behind his videos (JSTOR, Britannica, verified sources)

- The mental toll of being banned

- Being openly Jewish, Zionist, and queer online

- The tension within LGBTQ spaces

This isn’t about victimhood. It’s about refusing to disappear.

As antisemitism rises and digital platforms shape public opinion, Jewish voices matter more than ever. Max is rebuilding — and speaking louder.

Follow Max:

Twitter/X: @lilbuddymax

Instagram: @maxr.lmao