What Came After is a narrative documentary podcast exploring how the events of October 7, 2023, reshaped Jewish life and reverberated across the globe. Through long-form interviews conducted in Israel, Europe, and the United States, the series examines the political, cultural, and personal dimensions of this historic moment. The goal is to offer thoughtful, human-centered storytelling that helps listeners better understand a rapidly changing world.
The podcast brings together a wide range of voices—including survivors, first responders, academics, community leaders, journalists, and artists—to document how individuals and communities are navigating trauma, change, and resilience. By weaving intimate narratives with documentary journalism, What Came After builds a multidimensional record that is both accessible to broad audiences and valuable for historical preservation.
Founded in 2024 by independent producer Manya Marcus, the project remains fully self-funded and committed to elevating underrepresented narratives. With more than 1,000 listeners per episode and an audience of over 5,000, the series continues to grow as a trusted resource. Its long-term vision is to create a comprehensive and publicly accessible audio archive that preserves firsthand testimonies with accuracy, dignity, and care—contributing to education, cross-community understanding, and the historical record for future generations.
VISION
The long-term vision of What Came After is to build a comprehensive, publicly accessible audio archive that preserves firsthand testimonies of this pivotal moment in Jewish and global history. The project seeks to:
Ensure that personal narratives—particularly those at risk of marginalization or erasure—are recorded with accuracy, dignity, and care.
Deepen public understanding of contemporary Jewish experience and its intersection with global political, cultural, and social shifts.
Contribute to historical memory by creating a durable, interdisciplinary resource for scholars, educators, journalists, and future generations.
Foster empathy and cross-community understanding through storytelling that emphasizes complexity, humanity, and lived experience.
MISSION
The mission of What Came After is to document and disseminate critical narratives emerging from the events of October 7 and their ongoing global impact. The project aims to:
Collect and preserve firsthand testimonies through rigorous field reporting and long-form interviews conducted in environments where participants feel safe and supported.
Amplify diverse perspectives across geography, profession, identity, and experience, ensuring a holistic record of this historical period.
Produce high-quality, accessible narrative journalism that engages broad audiences and supports public education about trauma, resilience, and contemporary Jewish life.
Expand reach and impact through strategic partnerships, outreach, and sustainable production practices.
Strengthen historical documentation efforts by collaborating with institutions, archives, and community organizations committed to preserving personal narratives.
