Jews around the world are preparing for the first night of Passover on April 15, but in lieu of a seder, YouTube has staged a different kind of communal dinner. The latest YouTube Original is a new installment of Recipe For Change, a program that combines great food with meaningful conversations about identity, religion, and hate.
The first episode of Recipe For Change, which was also a YouTube Original, came out last year. That 55-minute video intercut three separate dinner parties, each of which featured several Asian-American luminaries. Participants included Eugene Lee Yang, Michelle Kwan, and Margaret Cho.
The upcoming Recipe For Change release will also feature a trio of dinners, and this time, the actors, comedians, chefs, and businesspeople on the invite list are all Jewish. As we can see in a trailer, the discussions will range widely and freely, but don’t expect Recipe For Change to shy away from serious topics. Just as the last episode arrived during the first few months of the Stop Asian Hate movement, this one will bow during a time when anti-Semitism is far too common.
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Dinner party hosts featured in the trailer — and thus in the ensuing episode — include actress Idina Menzel, comedian Moshe Kasher, and one-time YouTube standout Ilana Glazer. SNL alum Rachel Dratch will also make an appearance in a “woman on the street” segment.
The new Recipe for Change episode will go live on April 14 on Jubilee, which has attracted more than seven million subscribers (and multiple Streamy Award nominations) with its unscripted shows and videos. In this instance, Jubilee has partnered with The SpringHill Company, which was formed last year after Lebron James and longtime associate Maverick Carter raised $100 million to build a new media business.
Even if you find yourself captivated by Menzel, Kasher, and Glazer’s guests, don’t hold your breath for more YouTube-sponsored editions of Recipe For Change. Though the platform is honoring the original programming commitments it has already made, its priorities recently shifted after YouTube Originals head Susanne Daniels left the company in March. Going forward, YouTube will direct more support to categories like shopping and Shorts, as well as its Black Voices Fund.
