Pretendians

About Pretendians

Statistically, a Jew in Canada is now 9 times more likely to be a victim of a hate crime than a Jew in the United States. How did this happen in a country known for politeness, diversity, and social democracy? Is this even a real phenomenon, or is anti-zionism being misclassified as antisemitism? Journalist and Publisher Jesse Brown is diving deep into the subject, travelling across Canada and speaking with Jews, anti-zionist activists, and high-profile public figures, all of whom have seen their lives change since October 7th, 2023. What Is Happening Here is available now — right here on Canadaland Investigates. Our critically-acclaimed and award-winning limited series, all in one place. canadaland.com/join (http://canadaland.com/join) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Canadaland

Category

society & culture · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

12 Oct 2018

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

32 of 48 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   8 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Jesse Brown is Fired!

   Host Jesse Brown discusses his departure from Canadaland podcasts and hints at the show's future hosts.

2. 

   5 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   (BONUS) 2026 Update: What Has Happened Since?

   Has the wave of hate against Canada's Jews calmed down since the ceasefire? And what impact did this podcast series on the crisis? An overview of the situation in 2026, so far. To fund our awareness campaign for this series and these issues, please email Jesse directly for instructions: jesse@canadaland.com Credits: This series is a co-production of Canadaland and The Canadian Jewish News Made possible by the generous support of The Bissell Family Foundation, George Burger, Dan Debow, Gideon Hayden, Daniel Klass, Norman Levine, Nanette Okun, Leslie Scanlon, Marjorie Skolnik, Lee Zentner, and others. Written and Reported by Jesse Brown Research and Story Editing by Kate Minsky Original Music by Socalled Sound Design, Mixing and Mastering by Caleb Thompson To support Canadaland, visit http://canadaland.com/join (http://canadaland.com/join) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   17 Dec 2025

   #6 Antizionism Is Not Antisemitism

   Is hatred against Jews calming down, or is it back for good? Is it correct to consider antizionism the new name of antisemitism, or is it a different ideology entirely? Finally, is antizionism actually pro-Palestinian? Credits: This series is a co-production of Canadaland and The Canadian Jewish News Made possible by the generous support of The Bissell Family Foundation, George Burger, Dan Debow, Gideon Hayden, Daniel Klass, Norman Levine, Nanette Okun, Leslie Scanlon, Marjorie Skolnik, The York School, Lee Zentner, and others. Written and Reported by Jesse Brown Research and Story Editing by Kate Minsky Original Music by Socalled with Fred Wesley Sound Design, Mixing and Mastering by Caleb Thompson Editorial Input from Michael Fraiman For a list of sources cited in this episode, please refer to this episode’s web page (link (https://www.canadaland.com/?post_type=episode&p=39706)) To support Canadaland, visit http://canadaland.com/join (http://canadaland.com/join) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Inside a recent episode

Jesse Brown is Fired!

Published 8 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It seems to me that the Palestine issue has mutated into something way bigger than the conflict in the Middle East, way bigger than the issue that I've been talking about of antisemitism in Canada. I think it's something that is badly misunderstood and badly reported on. I've talked about it through a Canadian lens and through a Canadian Jewish lens, but it's so much bigger than that. And I think that it's just getting started. And as concerning as that is, I also find it fascinating and I feel like I need to cover it. I feel the same draw to focus on this topic that I felt towards Canadian media 13 years ago. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

388,683

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

1,618 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

569 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

20

Social presence

0

YouTube

86

Engagement

100