Podcasts about American Jews

The surprising rise of Moscow as a vacation destination, the implications of selling out one's principles for money, and the evolving definitions within the MAGA movement. They delve into the left's response to Israel, the rise of extremism exemplified by figures like Graham Platner, and the ongoing debate surrounding corporate wokeness during Pride Month. The discussion also touches on the cultural climate regarding LGBTQ+ rights and the current state of patriotism in America, highlighting the complexities and conflicts within these ideologies. This conversation delves into various political themes, including the controversial figure in politics, the implications of transgender policies in the military, the dynamics of a Senate primary in Maine, the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, and the evolving political landscape for American Jews. Each topic is explored in depth, providing insights into the complexities of contemporary political issues.Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Byrnahttps://Byrna.com/DanaTrusted by law enforcement, security professionals, and everyday Americans—defend yourself and your family with Byrna.HumanNhttps://Humann.com/Dana*This partner has been on my show the LONGEST - show them your love, this product WORKS! Patriot Mobilehttp://PatriotMobile.com/DANAVisit online or call 972-PATRIOT and use promo code DANA for a free month of service.Native Path Grass Fed Collagenhttps://GetNativePath.com/DanaFor my special offer get up to 45% OFF. Try it risk-free with a 365-day money-back guarantee. Ghost Bedhttps://GhostBed.com/DANAGhostBed has the cooling luxury mattress you need for the best summer sleep. Use code DANA for the 10% off sitewide.Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/DanaIf you want to see how physical gold and silver could fit into your portfolio, download Noble Gold Investments FREE Wealth Protection Kit. Pocket HoseText DANA to 64000For a limited time, get two FREE gifts—a 360° rotating pocket pivot and thumb drive nozzle when you buy a new Pocket Hose Ballistic; just text DANA to 64000, message and data rates may apply.Fast Growing Treeshttp://fastgrowingtrees.com/Dana Get an additional 20% Percent Off Better Plants and Better Growing by using code DANA at checkout. Laundry Saucehttps://LaundrySauce.com/DanaUpgrade your laundry game with 20% off your entire order when you use code DANA.  Relief Factorhttps://www.ReliefFactor.comDeclare your independence from pain with Relief Factor—start the 3-Week QuickStart for just $19.95. Subscribe today and stay in the loop on all things news with The Dana Show. Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramXMore InfoWebsite

Batya Ungar-Sargon joins Chicks on the Right to discuss her powerful new book “The Jews and the Left” (out June 2 – preorder now!). She explains why so many American Jews remain loyal Democrats despite rampant antisemitism on the left, the forgotten history of Jews as cherished founding partners in America, and how the right […]

Batya Ungar-Sargon joins Chicks on the Right to discuss her powerful new book "The Jews and the Left" (out June 2 - preorder now!). She explains why so many American Jews remain loyal Democrats despite rampant antisemitism on the left, the forgotten history of Jews as cherished founding partners in America, and how the right has actively policed antisemitism while the left has mainstreamed it.Batya breaks down the masochistic Democrat loyalty, audience capture on the right with figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, foreign influence vs. American values, and why betting on America remains the winning move. The conversation also covers Trump's Iran strategy and its impact on working-class Americans, midterm prospects for Republicans, and the 2028 landscape including Marco Rubio vs. JD Vance.A must-watch for anyone concerned about antisemitism, Jewish political homelessness, and the future of both parties. Full of truth, humor, and moral clarity.Preorder "The Jews and the Left" on Amazon now! Follow Batya Ungar-Sargon on Substack, Twitter & Instagram. Subscribe and stay tuned for new episodes every weekday!Follow us here for more daily clips, updates, and commentary:YoutubeFacebookInstagramTikTokXLocalsMore InfoWebsite

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Will Orthodox middle-class life in America remain sustainable for future generations? Stub opens by discussing how and why Orthodox Jewish communities are financially drained. He explains how -- through a combination of private education, elite housing locations and larger households -- the cost of living is increasingly more than families can afford. He drives home that the challenge is not only how to remain financially afloat today and mentions how one possible solution to the growing issue in the US is immigration to Israel. We discuss Stub's recent reporting on a related matter: With growing numbers of Diaspora Jews seeking a foothold in Israel, market players are rewriting the rules of real estate, reimagining community around rabbinic leadership, municipal planning and group purchasing models designed to meet their needs. Stub also elucidates how, despite the attractions of moving to Israel, many American Jews harbor deep fears about exposing themselves to the challenges of life in Israeli society. Differences in language and cultural norms — from navigating bureaucracy to casual conversations— are frequent sources of anxiety that leave newcomers overwhelmed. He explains why this leads many American Jews to group together within Anglo-centric communities. We close the episode with a brief teaser of what to expect from the upcoming Maccabiah Games in Israel. Despite concerns and cancellations from delegations from several countries following continued tensions with Iran, about 5,000 participants from more than 40 countries are still expected to compete in the two-week international competition that starts on June 30.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Pastor Doug Reed and Rabbi Pesach Wolicki welcome Rabbi Elie Mischel to discuss his provocative new book, Countdown: American Jews and God's Plan for Redemption. At the center of the conversation is one of the most uncomfortable questions in modern Jewish life: the issue of "dual loyalty." Can Jews fully belong to America while remaining faithful to the Jewish mission centered in Israel? And what happens when rising antisemitism forces that question into the open? Rabbi Mischel makes the controversial argument that Judaism is not fundamentally a religion at all, but a nationhood rooted in the Bible, the Land of Israel, and a collective historical destiny. Drawing on the stories of Abraham, the Exodus, and the Book of Esther, he argues that many American Jews are confronting the same identity crisis faced by Persian Jewry thousands of years ago: are they Americans who happen to be Jewish, or Jews temporarily living in America? The discussion explores Zionism, assimilation, exile, redemption, Tucker Carlson, the modern accusation of dual loyalty, and why Rabbi Mischel believes the current moment may be a turning point for the future of American Jewry. The episode also examines the growing crisis of biblical literacy among both Jews and Christians, and why recovering the Hebrew Bible is essential for understanding Israel and the moral struggles of our time. Check out The Israel Bible YouTube channel. Join Doug and his family as they prepare to move to Israel by watching The Reeds Are Here on YouTube. Watch Shoulder to Shoulder along with Pesach's other fantastic content on his YouTube channel.

Franklin Foer is the man who declared that the golden age of American Jewry is over - or at least ending. Two years on — in the aftermath of October 7th and the Gaza war, collapsing bipartisan support for Israel, a wave of antisemitism from both left and right, and a military misadventure in Iran — he thinks he underestimated the problem. This week, Yonit and Jonathan sit down with Foer, staff writer at The Atlantic and author of the landmark piece that became required reading in Jewish communities across America. They discuss whether the anti-AIPAC pledge that has become a feature of Democratic primaries is classical antisemitism in new clothing; how a forgotten Jewish genius from Odessa might explain what American Jews are supposed to do now; and why Foer refuses — loudly — to bow to fatalism. Also: Bob Dylan's existential crisis, Abraham Joshua Heschel's ode to the Sabbath, and how soccer helps explain at least one aspect of modern Jewish life. Guest: Franklin Foer, staff writer, The Atlantic ⏱ CHAPTERS: [00:00] Intro — Franklin Foer joins Unholy, The golden age Jewish Americans, what it was, why it's ending [04:46] The Impact of October 7th on American Jews [11:25] The Connection Between Israel and American Jewish Identity [22:32] Fatalism vs. persuasion — the Cold War argument  [28:35] How do you persuade non-Jews that antisemitism is bad for them? [32:56] Top 3 Jewish Americans: Pichelis, Dylan, Heschel

#478> To purchase "Fear No Pharaoh": https://amzn.to/4uwrxLF> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DZ3C2CjUeD9AGJvXeEODtK> To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp status: https://wa.me/message/TI343XQHHMHPN1>  To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode follow this link: https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)Support the show

As Israel is fighting enemies on multiple fronts, it can't afford to lose any of its vital strategic assets. And according to Dr. Avishay Ben Sasson-Gordis, a researcher at Tel Aviv's Institute for National Security Studies, it is in danger of losing one of those assets: the support of American Jews. "The loss of the special relationship between Israel and the US will force Israel to reconsider its security priorities and matter greatly to the security and foreign policy of the State of Israel," Sasson-Gordis told the Haaretz Podcast. "Within that, the Jewish community over the decades has been a major pillar of that support." A new report co-authored by Sasson-Gordis details the data behind the deterioration of support and explains the reasons for the dramatic drop – even as the Trump White House is offering "unprecedented levels of support" for Israel. The report is intended as a wake-up call for Israeli leaders and offers a list of policy recommendations designed to stave off the deterioration. Polls show that among the U.S. public at large, "Israel is in the red in terms of net public support in every audience except older Republicans – even traditional groups that the current government and previous Israeli governments have seen as stalwart supporters of Israel." The Jewish community faces a "generational cliff," he said, as American Jews, particularly young Jews, are deeply influenced by the multi-front wars waged by Israel. "If you're today a young American Jew who is not very strongly affiliated with Israel to begin with, then the experiences that you've had – either on campus or where you work or on social media – cause you to wonder whether supporting Israel is worth it for you socially and morally." But even older members of the U.S. Jewish establishment, including institutional leaders, he said, "feel like Israel is not listening to them and is not interested in their opinions, even as they are increasingly affected by Israeli actions on the ground." Read more: Most U.S. Jews Do Not Identify as 'Zionists,' Even When They Support Israel, JFNA Survey Finds Netanyahu Minister to Reform Rabbi MK Kariv: 'You're Marrying Dogs in Your Delusional Synagogues' Analysis by Joshua Leifer: J Street Isn't Out of Touch With American Jews, but Israel's Settler Right Is 'A Critical Mass of U.S. Jews Is Now Disgusted With Israel' Analysis by David Rosenberg: The Future of American Jewry Looks Bleak Read the full INSS reportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How did American Jews come to learn about the Holocaust in the immediate aftermath of the war? What kinds of images and representations of Holocaust survivors first circulated in America, when most Jewish survivors were still stuck in European displaced persons camps? Drawing on communal records and previously unexamined cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned about the Holocaust (Indiana UP, 2025) details the kinds of narratives that inspired American Jewish action in the wake of the Holocaust and argues that American Jewish communal life became a significant site of knowledge formation and dissemination about the Holocaust. Through organizational campaign materials, public speeches, appeal letters, brochures, posters, radio broadcasts, and short films, American Jews were compelled to act as heroes, saving Jewish lives and a Jewish future.Bringing postwar communal narratives into the longer history of Holocaust memory in America challenges our understanding of what Holocaust narratives look and sound like and invites us to consider the relationship between humanitarian aid and the narratives they employ to inspire action. By expanding our understanding of how stories about the Holocaust became part of an American discourse and considering multiple forms of Holocaust survivor accounts, Saving Our Survivors highlights the messy, diffuse, and contested nature of memory construction in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, as well as each new tragedy we confront. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

How did American Jews come to learn about the Holocaust in the immediate aftermath of the war? What kinds of images and representations of Holocaust survivors first circulated in America, when most Jewish survivors were still stuck in European displaced persons camps? Drawing on communal records and previously unexamined cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned about the Holocaust (Indiana UP, 2025) details the kinds of narratives that inspired American Jewish action in the wake of the Holocaust and argues that American Jewish communal life became a significant site of knowledge formation and dissemination about the Holocaust. Through organizational campaign materials, public speeches, appeal letters, brochures, posters, radio broadcasts, and short films, American Jews were compelled to act as heroes, saving Jewish lives and a Jewish future.Bringing postwar communal narratives into the longer history of Holocaust memory in America challenges our understanding of what Holocaust narratives look and sound like and invites us to consider the relationship between humanitarian aid and the narratives they employ to inspire action. By expanding our understanding of how stories about the Holocaust became part of an American discourse and considering multiple forms of Holocaust survivor accounts, Saving Our Survivors highlights the messy, diffuse, and contested nature of memory construction in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, as well as each new tragedy we confront. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How did American Jews come to learn about the Holocaust in the immediate aftermath of the war? What kinds of images and representations of Holocaust survivors first circulated in America, when most Jewish survivors were still stuck in European displaced persons camps? Drawing on communal records and previously unexamined cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned about the Holocaust (Indiana UP, 2025) details the kinds of narratives that inspired American Jewish action in the wake of the Holocaust and argues that American Jewish communal life became a significant site of knowledge formation and dissemination about the Holocaust. Through organizational campaign materials, public speeches, appeal letters, brochures, posters, radio broadcasts, and short films, American Jews were compelled to act as heroes, saving Jewish lives and a Jewish future.Bringing postwar communal narratives into the longer history of Holocaust memory in America challenges our understanding of what Holocaust narratives look and sound like and invites us to consider the relationship between humanitarian aid and the narratives they employ to inspire action. By expanding our understanding of how stories about the Holocaust became part of an American discourse and considering multiple forms of Holocaust survivor accounts, Saving Our Survivors highlights the messy, diffuse, and contested nature of memory construction in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, as well as each new tragedy we confront. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

How did American Jews come to learn about the Holocaust in the immediate aftermath of the war? What kinds of images and representations of Holocaust survivors first circulated in America, when most Jewish survivors were still stuck in European displaced persons camps? Drawing on communal records and previously unexamined cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned about the Holocaust (Indiana UP, 2025) details the kinds of narratives that inspired American Jewish action in the wake of the Holocaust and argues that American Jewish communal life became a significant site of knowledge formation and dissemination about the Holocaust. Through organizational campaign materials, public speeches, appeal letters, brochures, posters, radio broadcasts, and short films, American Jews were compelled to act as heroes, saving Jewish lives and a Jewish future.Bringing postwar communal narratives into the longer history of Holocaust memory in America challenges our understanding of what Holocaust narratives look and sound like and invites us to consider the relationship between humanitarian aid and the narratives they employ to inspire action. By expanding our understanding of how stories about the Holocaust became part of an American discourse and considering multiple forms of Holocaust survivor accounts, Saving Our Survivors highlights the messy, diffuse, and contested nature of memory construction in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, as well as each new tragedy we confront. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/genocide-studies

How did American Jews come to learn about the Holocaust in the immediate aftermath of the war? What kinds of images and representations of Holocaust survivors first circulated in America, when most Jewish survivors were still stuck in European displaced persons camps? Drawing on communal records and previously unexamined cultural materials, Saving Our Survivors: How American Jews Learned about the Holocaust (Indiana UP, 2025) details the kinds of narratives that inspired American Jewish action in the wake of the Holocaust and argues that American Jewish communal life became a significant site of knowledge formation and dissemination about the Holocaust. Through organizational campaign materials, public speeches, appeal letters, brochures, posters, radio broadcasts, and short films, American Jews were compelled to act as heroes, saving Jewish lives and a Jewish future.Bringing postwar communal narratives into the longer history of Holocaust memory in America challenges our understanding of what Holocaust narratives look and sound like and invites us to consider the relationship between humanitarian aid and the narratives they employ to inspire action. By expanding our understanding of how stories about the Holocaust became part of an American discourse and considering multiple forms of Holocaust survivor accounts, Saving Our Survivors highlights the messy, diffuse, and contested nature of memory construction in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, as well as each new tragedy we confront. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

In this episode I spoke with author Jeff Weiss about his book "Fighting Back: Stan Andrews and the Birth of the Israeli Air Force". Fighting Back is the story of Stan Andrews, an assimilated American Jew and World War II veteran who became one of the first fighter pilots in the history of the Israeli Air Force.The Ernie Pyle WWII Museum is located in Dana, Indiana! 

On May 4, President Trump issued a proclamation which reads: In special honor of 250 glorious years of American independence and on the weekend of Rededicate 250—a national jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving—Jewish Americans are encouraged to observe a national Sabbath. From sundown on May 15 to nightfall on May 16, friends, families, and communities of all backgrounds may come together in gratitude for our great Nation. This day will recognize the sacred Jewish tradition of setting aside time for rest, reflection, and gratitude to the Almighty.  It is worth pausing on what an astonishing thing that is. For most of Jewish history, when the most powerful ruler in the world turned his attention to the Jews, it was not to encourage their devotion to Jewish law. It was to constrain the Jews, to tax them, to suppress them, to expel them, or to put an end to the miraculous story of the Jews in history. So did Pharaoh, Antiochus, Hadrian, the kings of England and Spain, and the tsars. Even more benign monarchs—the Habsburg emperors, or Napoleon—conditioned the protections of civic life on the Jews giving up some of their distinctiveness. America is exceptional. And now, in the year of America's 250th birthday, the incumbent of the most powerful office on earth has issued a formal proclamation encouraging the Jews to be more Jewish. To discuss this momentous occurrence, Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver is joined by the historian, writer, former government official, and Washington insider Tevi Troy, who recently wrote an article titled, "A National Sabbath for American Jews." The article appeared on May 14, 2026 in the Wall Street Journal, and is the point of departure for today's discussion.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Adam Ferziger, a historian of modern Jewish movements, about how American Jews have helped shape the evolution of Israeli Judaism.In this episode we discuss:—Why are Jewish religious boundaries in Israel often “more porous” than those in America?—Why did McDonald's succeed in Israel while Starbucks failed?—What can Israelis take from the thick communal culture of American Judaism?Tune in to hear a conversation about Religious Zionism, American aliyah, and the emergence of a distinctly Israeli Judaism shaped by sovereignty, Hebrew culture, and modern religious life.Interview begins at 9:32.Professor Adam S. Ferziger is a historian of modern Jewish religious movements and responses to secularization. He holds the Samson Raphael Hirsch Chair at Bar-Ilan University and is a senior associate at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies. He is the author of several influential books, including Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.References:“Orthodoxy in American Jewish Life” by Charles S. LiebmanBeyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism by Adam S. FerzigerAgents of Change: American Jews and the Transformation of Israeli Judaism by Adam S. FerzigerThe Israeli Century: How the Zionist Revolution Changed History and Reinvented Judaism by Yossi Shain18Forty Podcast: “Shayna Goldberg: Inside Israel's Religious Zionist Community”“Conan O'Brien on Failure and Conviction”For more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyWhatsApp: join hereBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 22, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Expansions of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank are proceeding at a record pace, and in the US town of Teaneck, New Jersey, some residents are organizing to fight real estate sales to American Jews. It’s sparked accusations of antisemitism and ratcheted up tension in the small community. What’s next for Teaneck? In this episode: Rich Siegel, Teaneck Resident Episode credits: This episode was updated by Sonia Bhagat. The original production team was Marcos Bartolomé, Duha Mossad, Hagir Saleh, Cole van Miltenburg and our host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Sarí El-Khalili. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

American Jews are more vulnerable in our own country today than ever in our lifetime. And it's not just the United States. The problem is global.

Exodus Lesson 71 Part 1 In Hebrew Genesis 2:3 has a unique Hebrew grammatical construction only found here in chapter 2 verse 3.  The Hebrew translated direct from the Hebrew is that “God ceased from creating all his work that God created TO DO.”  This seems to suggest that the Lord stopped creating work to be accomplished in the future work.  Hebrew scholars such as Ibn Ezra (1092-1167 A.D.) and Radak (1160-1235 A.D.), noted that the Hebrew phrase that God created a world that was complete in its foundation but designed to have its full potential realized through time, partly through the stewardship of humanity. In other words it seems possible that God has created work for the future for Himself, His people like Moses, David, Isaiah, and of course Jesus and US!!  It is a very interesting valid alternative translation of Gen. 2:3.  (See “JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis.  Nahum Sarna.  © 1989.  The Jewish Publication Society.  Jerusalem, Philadelphia, and New York) Ask many Christians today how they are saved and they would tell you they are saved by GRACE and not by WORKS.  They are right.  This is the very words of God found in Eph. 2:8-9.  But, what we miss is this is a Jewish concept and understood quite clearly among religious Jews in Jesus' day.  Consider the Hebrew words Chen (grace/favor) and Chesed (lovingkindness) which represent God's unmerited favor and mercy shown to individuals and the nation, rather than just earning salvation through works. Hebrew Origins: The concept of grace (chen - found 69 times in the Tanakh) emphasizes God's unmerited favor, such as when Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace is then connected to Torah often expressed in Judaism as "saved by grace, led by Torah," or God's instruction and not law.  It is seen as a gift that frees individuals to walk in God's ways out of love, not just for merit.  Here's a number of websites to check it out and go deeper in your understanding and study. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/2013/05/21/rescuing-grace/ https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2016/02/26/concept-of-grace/ https://free.messianicbible.com/feature/grace-enough/ In this podcast we will study Eph. 2:10.  The verse that most Christians forget.  They stop at verse 9 when they quote Eph. 2:8-9.  They tell us that works don't matter.  But, they do not read THE VERY WORDS OF GOD in verse 10.  We are sved by grace not by works to then become God's workmanship to do good WORKS!!  Thus, the Lord is telling us, the mark of a true Christian is once they are saved they do work given to them by the Father.  Works God created for us in Gen. 2:3.   Many of our Bibles say that Jesus was a carpenter as we find in Matt. 16:18 or Mark 6:3.  But, few study the Greek word that carpenter translates.  I never heard on pastor teach on this.  Not one.  The Greek word is TEKTON. It is a broad term for a craftsman, artisan, or builder, often used specifically for a woodworker or carpenter. Tekton refers to a skilled worker who constructs with various materials, including wood and stone.  Shown below are a few websites to check this out https://biblehub.com/greek/5045.htm https://www.billmounce.com/greek-dictionary/tekton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekt%C5%8Dn This Greek word tekton in the Septuagint translates the Hebrew word CHARASH חָרָשׁ H2796.  The meaning in Hebrew is artisan or craftsman whose trained hands shape wood, stone, metal, or precious gems or any material.  Thus, since there was NO New Testament in Jesus'day, only the Hebrew Scriptures, we can confidently say Jesus was not only a carpenter but construction worker.   And as B'zal'el and Oholee-av were to lead a group of CHRASHEEM to build God's Dwelling Place, our Jesus, who is a CHRASH, will build His congregation.  And this congregation will be like ONE TEMPLE, one place where God dwells.  I can't make this up.  The connections are too awesome. These two words in the podcast, TEKTON and CHARASH, were related to the Hebrew phrase tikkun olam (pronounced taykoon olam) תיקון עולם originating in the Mishnah meaning “to fix everything.”  Reform Judaism states that tikkun olam has evolved from a purely spiritual, concept into a mandate for social action, social justice, and environmentalism.  Dennis Prager, a famous conservative talk show host and scholar, who is also a deeply religious Jew, feels that tikkun oal as social justice shows why so many American Jews are democrats.  Some other modern Jewish interpretations suggest that in the absence of a single, personal Messiah, humanity itself (as a collective) is responsible for being the "Messiah" by performing acts of kindness to heal the world.  This results in the general concept in contemporary Judaism that repairing the world is ONLY through human effort to usher in a future Messianic era.  This clearly is not the view in Christianity.  Christians hold to the fact that the Messiah (Jesus) has come to begin this restoration, with a future return for a final, complete, restoration and renewal of the entire universe. The Christian view seems to be more correct.  The phrase tikkun olam appears in the Jewish prayer in the 2nd paragraph called Ahlaynoo עָלֵינוּ – meaning it is against us, on us, or incumbent on us.  This prayer may have been written in Jesus' day.  It first appears in the Mishnah is the 3rd century A.D.  Clearly, the prayer says God will fix everything and perfect the world.  Today in religious Jews seemed to have abandoned the idea that God does tikkun olam.  This is clear in the prayer and in the Hebrew Scriptures. There is nothing in the prayer or in God's word that says Messiah will come only if mankind does tikkun olam.  Shown below is the prayer. סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, סיום תפילה, עלינו א׳ עָלֵֽינוּ לְשַׁבֵּֽחַ לַאֲדוֹן הַכֹּל, לָתֵת גְּדֻלָּה לְיוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית. שֶׁלֺּא עָשָֽׂנוּ כְּגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת, וְלֺא שָׂמָֽנוּ כְּמִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאֲדָמָה; שֶׁלֺּא שָׂם חֶלְקֵֽנוּ כָּהֶם, וְגוֹרָלֵֽנוּ כְּכָל הֲמוֹנָם. שֶׁהֵם מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לָהֶֽבֶל וָרִיק וּמִתְפַּלְּלִים אֶל אֵל לֹא יוֹשִֽׁיעַ. וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ כּוֹרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים וּמוֹדִים לִפְנֵי מֶֽלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה שָׁמַֽיִם וְיוֹסֵד אָֽרֶץ, וּמוֹשַׁב יְקָרוֹ בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל, וּשְׁכִינַת עֻזּוֹ בְּגָבְהֵי מְרוֹמִים; הוּא אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, אֵין עוֹד. אֱמֶת מַלְכֵּֽנוּ, אֶֽפֶס זוּלָתוֹ, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתוֹ: וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶֽךָ כִּי יְהֹוָה הוּא הָאֱלֺהִים בַּשָּׁמַֽיִם מִמַּֽעַל וְעַל הָאָֽרֶץ מִתָּֽחַת, אֵין עוֹד. TRANSLATED: It is our obligation (incumbent on us or AHLAYNO עָלֵֽינוּ) to praise the Master of all, to ascribe greatness to the Creator of the [world in the] beginning: that He has not made us like the nations of the lands, and has not positioned us like the families of the earth; that He has not assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitudes. For they prostrate themselves to vanity and nothingness, and pray to a god that cannot deliver. But we bow, prostrate ourselves, and offer thanks before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One blessed is He, Who spreads the heavens, and establishes the earth, and the seat of His glory is in heaven above, and the abode of His invincible might is in the loftiest heights. He is our God, there is nothing else. Our King is true, all else is insignificant, as it is written in His Torah: And You shall know this day and take into Your heart that Adonoy is God in the heavens above and upon the earth below; there is nothing else. סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, סיום תפילה, עלינו ב׳ עַל כֵּן נְקַוֶּה לְךָ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, לִרְאוֹת מְהֵרָה בְּתִפְאֶֽרֶת עֻזֶּֽךָ, לְהַעֲבִיר גִּלּוּלִים מִן הָאָֽרֶץ וְהָאֱלִילִים כָּרוֹת יִכָּרֵתוּן; לְתַקֵּן עוֹלָם בְּמַלְכוּת שַׁדַּי. וְכָל בְּנֵי בָשָׂר יִקְרְאוּ בִשְׁמֶֽךָ, לְהַפְנוֹת אֵלֶֽיךָ כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָֽרֶץ. יַכִּֽירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵבֵל כִּי לְךָ תִכְרַע כָּל בֶּֽרֶךְ, תִּשָּׁבַע כָּל לָשׁוֹן. לְפָנֶֽיךָ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֺהֵֽינוּ, יִכְרְעוּ וְיִפֹּֽלוּ, וְלִכְבוֹד שִׁמְךָ יְקָר יִתֵּֽנוּ, וִיקַבְּלוּ כֻלָּם אֶת עֹל מַלְכוּתֶֽךָ, וְתִמְלֺךְ עֲלֵיהֶם מְהֵרָה לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. כִּי הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁלְּךָ הִיא, וּלְעֽוֹלְמֵי עַד תִּמְלוֹךְ בְּכָבוֹד, כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרָתֶֽךָ: יְהֹוָה יִמְלֺךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. וְנֶאֱמַר, וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה לְמֶֽלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ; בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְהֹוָה אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד: TRANSLATED: We therefore put our hope in You, Adonoy our God, to soon behold the glory of Your might in banishing idolatry from the earth, and the false gods will be utterly exterminated to perfect the world (that is לְתַקֵּן עוֹלָם or Leh Taykoon Olam) as the kingdom of Shadai. And all mankind will invoke Your Name, to turn back to You, all the wicked of the earth. They will realize and know, all the inhabitants of the world, that to You, every knee must bend, every tongue must swear [allegiance to You]. Before You, Adonoy, our God, they will bow and prostrate themselves, and to the glory of Your Name give honor. And they will all accept [upon themselves] the yoke of Your kingdom, and You will reign over them, soon, forever and ever. For the kingdom is Yours, and to all eternity You will reign in glory, as it is written in Your Torah: Adonoy will reign forever and ever. And it is said: And Adonoy will be King over the whole earth; on that day Adonoy will be One and His Name One.  (Accessed at www.sefaria.org) Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  (Ferret - visiting ancient Gath in Israel.  Didn't see Goliath though!) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0    

Sitting on a bus surrounded by Jews carrying rifles was once an exotic quirk of visiting Israel. But that may be changing. Last month, the American National Rifle Association announced it was teaming up with Lox & Loaded, a national Jewish gun club, to help in the fight against antisemitism. It's one of several Jewish gun groups serving a growing cohort of newly gun curious American Jews since Oct. 7, 2023. Chicago's Gayle Pearlstein, who launched Lox & Loaded in March 2025, says the group already has more than 1,000 members and 49 local chapters across the country. And that was before the partnership with the gun lobbying behemoth. Bullets & Bagels membership, based in California, has skyrocketed by about 20%, to 1,000 members, and numerous interviews with gun range operators and firearms instructors across the U.S. revealed similar upticks in interest from Jewish community members. Not everyone is as sanguine on the new turn of events. As the number of Jews arriving at synagogues with a firearm on their hip or in a tallit bag increases, rabbis are reckoning with the place of firearms in their most intimate communal spaces, and trying to balance congregants' - sometimes diametrically opposed - conceptions of safety. In September, the Secure Community Network - the organization that coordinates security for Jewish institutions across the US and Canada - urged synagogues to only allow congregants to carry weapons if they are part of an “organized, vetted, and well-regulated safety and security team.” Others who are wary of the intensifying situation cite well replicated data showing personal guns in the US are far more likely to be used in suicides, domestic violence, or accidents than in fending off an attacker, both for an owner and their family. In Canada, Jewish schools and synagogues have been shot at in at least 8 separate incidents in the past three years. These incidents have sparked calls from some Jews in Canada to allow private security guards to carry firearms, something that is largely illegal under the federal government's strict gun laws. On Sunday, Not in Heaven sent our very own Avi Finegold to join his local Lox & Loaded chapter's shmooze and shoot in Chicago to get a better understanding of this new phenomenon in North American Jewish life. We hear about what he learned and what this shifting relationship to guns means for our communities. Credits Hosts: Avi Finegold, Yedida Eisenstat, Matthew Leibl Production team: Zachary Judah Kauffman (editor), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Socalled Support The CJN Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt) Subscribe to Not in Heaven (Not sure how? Click here )

The story of Zabar's--a NYC foodie fixture--is bigger than bagels: it includes a horrifying pogrom, a narrow escape to America, and success in the face of countless setbacks. For Jewish American Heritage Month, Noam asks: what does does this story mean to American Jews, and America at large? In a rare interview, David Zabar, a senior executive and third-generation family member, tells us the incredible story of Louis and Lilly Zabar, how Zabar's sees itself in the American tapestry, and yes... his bagel order. To check out Zabar's (they ship!) go to zabars.comYou can order Zabar's: A Family Story With Recipes here: www.zabars.com/zabars-a-family-story-with-recipe-book-by-lori-zabar/ Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bestselling author Steven Pressfield on what it means to have a creative calling, battling resistance, the role of faith in writing, and his memoir Govt Cheese. A remastered version of episode #058. You'll learn: Why a typewriter sat untouched in the back of a van for seven years before becoming a career. How self-sabotage shows up at the finish line, not just at the start. A rule of thumb for telling resistance apart from legitimate doubt. Why the more important a project is, the more terrifying it should feel. When you can finally write about pain, and why distance matters more than rawness. How an idea for a book might arrive as a single sentence and refuse to leave. A one-page method for outlining a novel, and why one page is enough. What John Keats's concept of negative capability can teach a writer in the dark middle of a draft. The metaphor that reframes writers as delivery drivers rather than creators. Why faith in the muse matters most when the writing feels too good to be your own. Resources & Links

Episode 77 of What Gives?—the Jewish Philanthropy Podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, Andrés speaks with Mijal Bitton, spiritual leader of the Downtown Minyan in New York City and scholar in residence at Maimonides Fund, and Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. This episode takes on one of the hardest questions facing Jewish communities right now: how we think about boundaries, belonging, and the obligations we owe one another. Using their two recent essays as a point of departure, Andrés, Mijal, and Yehuda explore the tension between kinship and consent in Jewish life, the legacy of radical inclusion in liberal Jewish institutions, and the ways October 7 forced many American Jews to reconsider what peoplehood actually asks of them. They also get into the difficult questions that follow from there: when disagreement becomes rupture, whether some forms of Jewish dissent cross a line, how institutions should think about red lines without becoming consumed by policing them, and what role funders can play in clarifying values without shrinking the tent beyond recognition. Take a listen. Click here to read Mijal's piece. Click here to read Yehuda's piece. 

With support for Israel eroding faster than most people realize — a recent poll found 70% of American Jews oppose continued military aid — Bradley argues that the greatest existential threat to Israel is not its avowed enemies but the retrenchment of its most reliable ally. He lays out eight concrete ideas for how Jewish organizations could rebuild that support, starting with listening before lecturing: understanding why mainstream American Jews have drifted away before launching any campaign to bring them back. Plus, Bradley implores congressional candidates to stop the cold-calling fundraising charade that tortures everyone involved.Discussed on today's episode:Israel's Greatest Challenge? Winning Back American Jewish Support, by Bradley Tusk, April 27, 2026 (Substack)This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

Why Jewish Education Is Failing American Jews? | Masha Miralova on Zionism, Identity & Campus AntisemitismIn this powerful episode of The Fifth Question Podcast, Rabbi Daniel Levine sits down with Masha Miralova, head of Club Z, to debate one of the most urgent questions facing the Jewish world today:Has Jewish education actually failed American Jews?After October 7, rising antisemitism, anti-Zionism on campus, and growing Jewish confusion about identity, many are asking whether synagogues, Hebrew schools, Hillels, and Jewish institutions are preparing the next generation—or failing them.Masha argues that millions have been spent on Jewish education with poor results: students who know little Jewish history, weak Jewish identity, and no confidence defending themselves or Israel. Rabbi Levine pushes back, arguing that deep Jewish literacy, history, texts, and tradition remain the real solution.This is a passionate, honest, and high-level conversation on:Why some Jewish students become anti-ZionistIs Jewish education too focused on “social justice”?Why many Jews don't know their own historyHebrew school, day school, Hillel, Chabad, and campus lifeZionism as Jewish peoplehood and identityWhy students need confidence—not just talking pointsIsrael advocacy vs real Jewish educationOctober 7 and the crisis of American JewryOrthodox vs Reform vs secular Jewish identityWhy antisemitism keeps growing on college campusesThe future of Jewish continuity in AmericaWhether you care about Judaism, Israel, antisemitism, Jewish continuity, education, campus activism, or identity, this conversation is essential listening.

Send us Fan MailJews, especially American Jews, have never been of one mind about Israel and the United States' support for it. Eric Alterman, Distinguished Professor of English, Brooklyn College, CUNY, joins the show to discuss his 2022 book We Are Not One: A History of America's Fight Over Israel. He documents the ebbs and flows of American Jews' relationship to Israel, from the more muted embrace following Israel's establishment in 1948, to the tight embrace that followed the war in 1967 and the hegemony of the David and Goliath myth it spawned. After Israel's destructive and disastrous war of choice in Lebanon that began in 1982, the gap between the myth of Israel as underdog and its reality as a settler-colonial regional hegemon began to disintegrate. In our discussion he traces this relationship up until the present, post-October 7 reality in which Israel is losing support across all fronts. 

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff sits down with Masha Merkulova, founder of CLUB Z, a national organization dedicated to educating and empowering Jewish teens to become articulate, knowledgeable leaders and advocates for themselves, Israel, and the Jewish people. Masha shares her remarkable personal journey from discovering her Jewish identity at age 16 in the Soviet Union to founding an organization that now serves over 200 students across the San Francisco Bay area, Boston, the tri-state area, and beyond.   Who Is CLUB Z? CLUB Z is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a network of educated, articulate Jewish teen activists with a commitment to Zionism. CLUB Z's mission is to raise modern-day Zionists who are knowledgeable leaders, equipped to advocate for themselves, Israel, and the Jewish people while addressing issues of bigotry and antisemitism head-on. The organization operates two primary programs. Basic Training is an entry-level monthly session covering foundational knowledge: Jewish peoplehood, Jewish indigeneity, Jewish rights, and Jewish power. There are zero prerequisites—students simply need to show up once a month and learn. These sessions are separated by age group, with eighth and ninth graders together, and tenth through twelfth graders together, allowing for appropriate peer bonding and connection across different schools in the area. For students ready to go deeper, CLUB Z offers Sacred, a formalized two-year advanced program that combines rigorous academic study with practical leadership development. Participants meet every other week for three-hour sessions where they build on foundational knowledge while developing debate skills, presentation abilities, public speaking confidence, and personal writing proficiency. The curriculum covers Jewish history, Israel history, and professional development—skills that have largely disappeared from traditional schools but remain essential for navigating the world. Masha's Origin Story Masha Merkulova's journey to founding CLUB Z began in the Soviet Union, where Jewish identity wasn't something you could openly celebrate. Born to a Jewish mother and Russian father, Masha discovered she was Jewish at age 16 when a passport office bureaucrat casually informed her that despite her Russian nationality on every school roster, her mother's name—Riva, daughter of Levi—made her Jewish. The revelation was stunning but detached. She knew it as a nationality, nothing more, with no concept that Jewish people faced discrimination or persecution. When she encountered antisemitism, she simply gave it back. It ended there. Everyone moved on. What Masha inherited instead was her Soviet upbringing's deep commitment to justice and her mother's quiet, unwavering knowledge of who she was. When the Soviet Union began to crumble, she explored Christianity out of curiosity rather than conviction, but that exploration revealed how disconnected she was from any spiritual identity. It wasn't until Masha moved to America and her son began attending a Jewish day school that she started genuinely learning what it meant to be Jewish. Then came 2005. While living in California, Masha began watching YouTube videos of Israel's Gaza disengagement—something that would forever change her trajectory. She watched Jews in blue hats dragging out Jews in orange hats or regular clothes. Both were crying. And Masha recognized something that stopped her cold: "What I am watching is a pogrom." Her Soviet identity, trained to recognize injustice and respond, clicked into place. She dove into education—every event, every book, everything she could access about Israel and Jewish history. And once you learn the story of Israel and how miraculous it is, Masha explains, you can't look back. For her, Zionism wasn't a slogan or a political buzzword. It was a movement of justice, a response to centuries of exclusion and persecution, a restoration of balance. Something happened to the Jewish people 2,000 years ago, and they never gave up. They never agreed to disappear. And now, with the restoration of Israel, the justice had been restored. Why CLUB Z Exists Years of volunteering in the San Francisco Bay Area, funding pro-Israel events on college campuses, gave Masha a front-row seat to a troubling pattern. She kept encountering bright Jewish students—kids who had attended Jewish high schools, gone to Israel, been part of youth groups and summer camps, received extensive Jewish education. And yet they didn't know basic facts. They couldn't explain the difference between the Independence War and the Six-Day War. They didn't understand what Zionism actually was. They had no foundational history. At the same time, Masha was watching something worse: these same educated Jewish students were being turned into anti-Israel advocates. Their reasoning was heartbreaking in its simplicity: "I didn't know Palestinians were suffering. I didn't know there were all these people." They had been given no context, no counter-narrative, no inoculation against the compelling stories being told to them on campus. Masha realized the solution wasn't to react after the damage was done. Prevention was cheaper and more effective. Why weren't we telling young Jews what the other side was saying? Why weren't we preparing them with information, context, and historical understanding? Why weren't we teaching them about the Palestinian narrative itself so they could understand what others believed and why? She began looking around the Jewish community in San Francisco for an organization doing this work. Federation. JCC. Hebrew schools. Nobody was having these conversations. The status quo was simply accepting that Hebrew schools would hire whoever was willing to take the job for minimum pay—no standards, no accountability, no meaningful education. Masha decided she couldn't accept that anymore. From Three Boys to 200 Students It started with her son bringing three of his friends together. Three boys. Masha began teaching them using a curriculum called "Israel and Jewish Identity" that she'd come into possession of—a framework that literally connected Jewish identity, Jewish peoplehood, and Zionism as three interconnected pillars. This became the foundation of everything CLUB Z would build. Word of mouth spread. Kids wanted more. They asked to meet bi-weekly instead of monthly. Then more frequently. Masha worked with a local JCC that had a beautiful Teen Center with no programming, and they welcomed CLUB Z to use the space. What started as an informal gathering evolved into something more intentional and structured. Today, CLUB Z operates across multiple cities with approximately 200 students currently enrolled (numbers fluctuate—last year they served over 400). The organization has grown because it fills a void that no other institution is addressing: the need for comprehensive, honest Jewish education that equips teens not just with information, but with confidence, community, and the tools to stand tall in their identity. What Makes It Gutsy CLUB Z is gutsy because it goes against the grain of everything in the current Jewish institutional landscape. Its very existence is a reminder that what we have right now doesn't work. By design, the organization is pushing back against systems that have failed to prepare Jewish youth, against narratives that have been allowed to go unchallenged, against the idea that teens should shrink from their identity instead of claiming it with pride. But CLUB Z is also gutsy in how it trusts young people. The organization believes that teens can handle complexity, nuance, and difficult conversations. They can learn about Palestinian narratives while maintaining their own. They can understand historical grievances and moral arguments. They can debate respectfully without compromising their beliefs. They can recognize propaganda without becoming cynical. And they can do all of this while maintaining their humanity and sense of humor. Perhaps most gutsy of all is CLUB Z's commitment to showing up for students when it matters most. When a student calls with a problem at school, CLUB Z doesn't just offer advice—they strategize with parents, connect families to legal resources if needed, and stay involved through resolution. When alumni face antisemitism on college campuses, CLUB Z is there. When a resolution against Israel comes up for a student government vote, CLUB Z has trained students to be in those spaces ahead of time, ready to speak up. The organization has built a safety net, and students know it exists. Teaching in a World of Misinformation One of CLUB Z's most critical functions is teaching students to recognize and counter propaganda. In a world saturated with misinformation, deepfakes, and algorithmically-driven content, young people need media literacy skills that go far beyond any single issue. CLUB Z teaches students to ask: Who are the reliable sources? How do you fact-check? What makes something intellectually dishonest? For example, when a student encounters an AP exam question asking them to calculate how Israeli bombing has affected global warming in Gaza, they need more than outrage. They need to articulate exactly why that framing is intellectually dishonest, why it's propaganda, and what the actual facts are. They need to respond professionally and factually, not emotionally. The organization partners with CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis) and maintains connections to sources in Israel and international media. In sessions, educators help students evaluate what's real and what's not. Students can post questions in private groups and get immediate feedback from educators and peers. And every single session opens with "what's happening in the news," allowing older students to help younger ones develop critical thinking skills in real time. The Power of Intentional Community One of the biggest surprises Masha has encountered is how little it takes to help a young person rise up—but how essential it is that the support be intentional. CLUB Z isn't just "come learn, go do." It's a community that says: we have your back. If you call us, we will be there to catch you. This matters immensely during the vulnerable teenage years. When a student faces an incident at school, they often call CLUB Z educators before they call their parents. Educators then work with families to make a plan before escalating to the school or other authorities. For college-aged alumni, the support continues. Students know they can reach out to their regional educator when they need guidance, when they face antisemitism, or when they need to make a strategic move. Masha is clear about why this matters: if you know you're going to stick your neck out, you don't want to be left hanging by a thread. Young people need to know that taking a risk doesn't mean being abandoned. Building Trust Through Transparency CLUB Z has also discovered the power of keeping parents informed and engaged. After each session, parents receive a detailed email summarizing everything discussed, including links to all videos shown and a series of 3-5 discussion questions designed to spark conversation at home. This seemingly simple practice has profound effects. Parents aren't left wondering what their teens are learning. They can have informed conversations at the dinner table. They understand the context and nuance their teens are being taught. If a teen comes home with questions or concerns, parents are equipped to respond thoughtfully. And if parents need support, they know they can call an educator to discuss how to handle a situation together. Dr. Laura notes during the episode that this creates a beautiful feedback loop: teens can go home knowing their parents understand what they're learning. They don't have to fear that their parent will overreact or dismiss their concerns. And that open communication, that sense of being supported at home and in the organization, fundamentally changes how young people navigate their identity and advocacy. Looking Forward When asked what's at the top of her wish list for CLUB Z, Masha doesn't say funding (though like all nonprofits, they need resources). She says people. She needs educators who are articulate, educated, and willing to invest their souls into these teens. It's not a typical teaching job. It requires presence, commitment, and a genuine belief in the work. She also wants the broader Jewish community—the legacy organizations, the philanthropists, the adult leaders—to wield their power on behalf of the next generation. Instead of allowing others to define Jewish terms and Jewish identity, instead of remaining silent while narratives go unchallenged, Masha wants to see adults step up and protect the space for young Jews to claim their identity with pride. But perhaps the most poignant wish Masha articulates is simpler: she wants American Jews to understand that no matter how assimilated or hidden you are, eventually somebody will ask you questions about who you are. You might as well know the answers. You might as well be grounded in your identity, connected to your people, and equipped with the knowledge and confidence to stand tall. How to Connect Website: clubz.org Instagram: @zionismforteens Email:masha@clubz.org YouTube Channel: CLUB Z has extensive educational content available on their YouTube channel Partner Organizations: - CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis): camera.org Small & Gutsy Mission Small & Gutsy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit podcast spotlighting nonprofits and social enterprises with budgets under $10 million. The show elevates the visibility of small but mighty changemakers doing bold, passionate, and impactful work. Small & Gutsy has been ranked #8 on FeedSpot's Top 30 Social Impact Podcasts and #9 by Million Podcasts for Youth Empowerment episodes. Do you know a nonprofit doing incredible work? If you know of a nonprofit or social enterprise making real impact, nominate them to be featured on Small & Gutsy. Contact Dr. Laura Scherck Wittcoff at laura@smallandgutsy.org. Check out other episodes of Small & Gutsy at SmallAndGutsy.org.

Jews and the left have been closely associated with each other for well over a century, both in Europe where the Nazis genocidally linked one with the other, and in the United States. Scholar Benjamin Balthaser considers the history of American Jews and the left, including in opposition to Jewish nationalism, arguing that the recent florescence of Jewish anti-Zionism is a return to a much longer tradition. (Encore presentation.) Benjamin Balthaser, Citizens of the Whole World: Anti-Zionism and the Cultures of the American Jewish Left Verso, 2025 Photo credit: Bruce Emmerling The post American Jews and the Left appeared first on KPFA.

What is Conservative Judaism? Why is its share of American Jews shrinking? Can you take a Waymo to Shabbat services? Here to explore these questions is a married rabbi team: Erez Sherman and Nicole Guzik, from Sinai Temple in Los Angeles. Together with Mijal and Noam, they discuss the beautiful nuances of Conservative Judaism, and what its future might mean for all Jewish denominations. Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Aaron and Matt are joined by Nation columnist David Klion to talk about the role that Israel has played in the rise of American fascism and what it all means for American Jews like Aaron, David, and not Matt.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Something is broken in the relationship between the two largest Jewish communities in the world. This is going to affect the future of the Jewish people. This Episode attempts to explain why the Israeli and American Jews are living in totally different realities.

A war of choice may evolve into a war of necessity because the brains at the White House apparently did not anticipate that Iran—in response to the bombing campaign—would shut down the Strait of Hormuz, which the global economy depends on being open. It's also not a good look for the U.S. to be got by a power like Iran because China is watching. Plus, how the war is impacting the supply chain, the markets may be underpricing oil because traders keep banking on Trump to do his usual TACO, and Israel acting like an illiberal Middle Eastern regime is creating a disconnect with American Jews.The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg and Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal join Tim Miller.show notes Where to catch Tim's Tuesday livestream at 8:30pm ET  Jeffrey on Signalgate and Hegseth one year later  The Atlantic's McKay Coppins on America's sports betting boom Joe's "Odd Lots" podcast Go to https://zbiotics.com/THEBULWARK and use THEBULWARK at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/BULWARK and use promo code BULWARK at checkout.

“Cesar Chavez accused of abusing girls—accounts detail years of misconduct by a civil rights icon”, reads the NYT headline. Ben riffs. Joanna and Jake take the post-election deep dive on AIPAC's role in congressional primaries. Shell PACs funded by shell donors. Also, the existential crisis many American Jews are facing regarding Israel. And more. Joanna and Jake are political and communication strategists who worked on Robert Peters and Dan Biss's congressional campaigns.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On March 12th, 41-year-old Ayman Ghazali rammed his car into the front of Temple Israel, a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He engaged in a shootout with synagogue security, injuring one guard before turning the gun on himself. Thankfully, no one else was injured. Earlier in the month, Ghazali's two brothers, niece, and nephew had been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Mashghara, Lebanon. (The Israeli military claimed that one of the brothers was affiliated with Hezbollah, but offered no proof to The New York Times; Hezbollah denied his affiliation.)After spending years insisting on the absolute intertwinement of Judaism and Zionism, the Anti-Defamation League and other mainstream agents of anti-antisemitism rushed to insist that American Jews must be separated from the actions of the Israeli government. Meanwhile, like many American synagogues, Temple Israel proudly advertised its support for the Jewish state: raising funds, sharing hasbara resources, sponsoring trips, and even featuring an Israeli flag in its logo.This event raises uncomfortable questions about the interrelationship between safety and complicity in the Jewish diaspora: How do we talk about the material relationships between American Jews and the State of Israel in the wake of attacks on Zionist institutions? And how do we on the Jewish left keep pushing for daylight between Judaism and Zionism given the conflation pushed by the anti-antisemitism machine—a conflation that endangers Jews all over the world? On this episode of On the Nose, editor-in-chief Arielle Angel, publisher Daniel May, news director Josh Nathan-Kazis, and advisory board member Simone Zimmerman parse the Michigan attack and the missed opportunity for American Jewish reckoning.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Media Mentioned and Further Reading“Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack had lost family in Israeli strike on Lebanon,” William Christou and Richard Luscombe, The Guardian“The Tangled Knot of Anti-Zionist Violence,” Daniel May, Jewish Currents“A Poll Muddles the Picture of What American Jews Think,” Josh Nathan-Kazis, Jewish CurrentsBen Lorber on anti-Zionism as an anti-antisemitism strategyAngela McCahey and Stephen Kent on GBN“America's Threat to the World,” On the Nose“The Right's Anti-Israel Insurgents,” Ben Lorber, Jewish Currents“We Need New Jewish Institutions,” Arielle Angel, Jewish Currents

An anti-semitic attack in Michigan. War with Iran. The news cycle is spinning so rapidly that it's hard to make sense of it all. This week, Noam and Mijal turn to Bret Stephens (New York Times Opinion columnist and Editor-In-Chief of Sapir) to help them understand the big picture. How should Jews—and Americans in general—be responding to conflicts at home and abroad? Plus: Bret discusses his latest article for Sapir, and how academia can set the record straight on Israel. Read Bret's latest article in Sapir: https://sapirjournal.org/aspiration-ii/2026/israel-studies-can-redeem-academia/ Program note: this episode was taped on March 13th, 2026 Get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. Follow @wonderingjews on Instagram, and watch and subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ------------ This podcast is brought to you by Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand. Subscribe to the Unpacked newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://unpacked.bio/22f7b4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chuck Todd delivers a sweeping analysis of how the Iran war is metastasizing into an economic, military, and constitutional crisis all at once — warning that the Strait of Hormuz, the most important waterway in the world through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply flows, is Iran's ultimate point of leverage and one Trump catastrophically failed to account for. He argues that Trump mistakenly assumed the Iranian regime would be as transactional as he is and would capitulate the way Venezuela did, but Iran has no intention of walking away from its ability to make the strait dangerous to navigate — which is all it takes to send energy markets into chaos, threaten the tourism and banking economies of Gulf states, and risk the economic collapse of nuclear-armed Pakistan through energy shortages. He calls Pete Hegseth a "Baghdad Bob"-style propagandist presiding over the administration's grotesque "memeification" of war, then turns to what he calls FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's declaration of war on press freedom — Carr threatened Saturday to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war coverage the administration deems unfavorable, drawing immediate condemnation from Democrats, free speech groups, and even some Republicans who called it "authoritarian" and "unconstitutional." Chuck warns that while courts will likely block Carr's most extreme threats, the mere act of launching investigations creates a chilling effect not dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia. He closes by acknowledging that the Iranian regime needs to go, but that Trump's disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia has only strengthened Moscow's position, and that the war has dramatically increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks against Americans Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the creation of standardized time, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his advice for building your NCAA tournament bracket. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 04:15 The Iran War will impact nearly everything 05:00 Military, war has been a route but it’s become asymmetrical 05:45 The Strait of Hormuz is the most important waterway in the world 06:45 Trump mistakenly assumed Iranian regime would be transactional like him 08:00 Shutting the strait is Iran’s biggest point of deterrence 09:00 Shutting the strait can massively damage the world economy 09:45 Trump miscalculated Iran would capitulate like Venezuela 12:00 The strait is Iran’s leverage, they aren’t going to walk away from it 12:45 Trump talks a big game, but Iran can extract a huge price on the west 14:15 Pete Hegseth has become a “Baghdad Bob” style propagandist 15:30 Asymmetrical warfare is how America won the Revolutionary War 16:45 All Iran has to do is make the Strait of Hormuz dangerous to navigate 17:30 Reagan had to intervene in the Gulf in the 80s to secure shipping routes 18:15 Convoy protection missions rarely stay small 19:15 If keeping shipping lanes open is the goal, the timeline & operation expands 20:00 Gulf states has become tourism & banking hubs, that’s being threatened 21:15 War is both an economic and “image” blow to the gulf states 22:30 Energy shortages risk the economic collapse of nuclear armed Pakistan 23:30 Trump made a disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia 24:00 War in Iran is strengthening Russia’s position in the Ukraine war 24:45 Energy prices affect the entire economy. Will raise inflation in America 25:30 This war is a major economic gamble 26:30 FCC Chair declares war on freedom of the press 27:15 Carr threatens to pull broadcast licenses over unfavorable war coverage 28:15 Carr’s threats aren’t dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia 30:00 FCC just launching investigations can put pressure on networks 31:15 ABC settling with Trump was a massive mistake 32:30 Project 2025 proposed “broadcast regulation” similar to this 33:45 Administration’s “memeification” of war is gross & embarrassing 35:00 War has increased likelihood of terrorist attacks against American 35:30 American Jews & Muslims have had to spend millions on security 36:15 Administration hiding terrorism reports should scare us* 37:45 The courts will stop Brendan Carr from violating press freedom 38:45 Administration owes the people an explanation 39:30 The Iranian regime needs to go, but war has serious costs 46:00 Illinois primary livestream with DDHQ & Chris Cillizza on Tuesday 47:15 ToddCast Time Machine - When time back standardized 48:00 March 19, 1918 Congress passes the Standard Time Act 48:45 Local time standards were a problem with development of railroads 49:30 Coordinating trains wasn’t just difficult, it was dangerous 50:00 Sanford Fleming proposed dividing globe into timezones 50:30 Railroads imposed standardized times before government did 52:00 Train crash near Tipton, Ohio showed issues with timekeeping 53:15 Railroad safety become dependant on pocketwatches 54:00 Daylight savings time is adopted during WW1 54:45 World War required standardized time to coordinate 55:15 Congress formalized standard time after entering WW1 56:15 Daylight savings time was eliminated, but returns in WW2 56:45 Congress passes the Uniform Time Act in 1966 57:30 States can opt out of the Uniform Time Act 59:00 World clocks are now synchronized via atomic clocks 1:00:00 Ask Chuck 1:00:15 Are the Democrats walking into a trap by elevating Graham Platner? 1:07:15 The Perfect Neighbor told a gripping story via bodycam footage 1:10:00 How do you feel about Trump claiming credit for you becoming independent? 1:15:00 NCAA bracket adviceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Todd delivers a sweeping analysis of how the Iran war is metastasizing into an economic, military, and constitutional crisis all at once — warning that the Strait of Hormuz, the most important waterway in the world through which roughly a fifth of global oil supply flows, is Iran's ultimate point of leverage and one Trump catastrophically failed to account for. He argues that Trump mistakenly assumed the Iranian regime would be as transactional as he is and would capitulate the way Venezuela did, but Iran has no intention of walking away from its ability to make the strait dangerous to navigate — which is all it takes to send energy markets into chaos, threaten the tourism and banking economies of Gulf states, and risk the economic collapse of nuclear-armed Pakistan through energy shortages. He calls Pete Hegseth a "Baghdad Bob"-style propagandist presiding over the administration's grotesque "memeification" of war, then turns to what he calls FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's declaration of war on press freedom — Carr threatened Saturday to revoke broadcast licenses over Iran war coverage the administration deems unfavorable, drawing immediate condemnation from Democrats, free speech groups, and even some Republicans who called it "authoritarian" and "unconstitutional." Chuck warns that while courts will likely block Carr's most extreme threats, the mere act of launching investigations creates a chilling effect not dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia. He closes by acknowledging that the Iranian regime needs to go, but that Trump's disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia has only strengthened Moscow's position, and that the war has dramatically increased the likelihood of terrorist attacks against Americans Then, Faiz Shakir — Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign manager, former DNC chair candidate, and executive director of the progressive media organization More Perfect Union — joins the Chuck Toddcast for a bracingly honest conversation about what's wrong with the Democratic Party and what it would take to fix it. Shakir diagnoses a party that is functionally leaderless, with its top figures stuck in a "play dead" mentality while the Democratic brand polls worse than the Republican brand even as Trump's corruption grows more brazen by the day. He argues that Trump — like Biden before him — is finger-wagging at voters on the economy rather than addressing affordability, and that Democrats are blowing the opportunity to capitalize because they're terrible at picking fights and allergic to friction. Shakir is particularly scathing on the party's relationship with big tech and corporate power: He holds up Bernie Sanders' AI data center moratorium as the kind of fight Democrats should be waging, and Lina Khan's FTC tenure as the model of mission-driven disruption. The conversation then turns to the future of the party and how to build a lasting majority. Shakir argues that the right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left, that if Sanders were younger he'd likely win in 2028, and that Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he represents a rural state — though he praises both AOC's national appeal and Ro Khanna's political intelligence. He insists Democrats need to fight a class-based economic justice campaign, stop punishing candidates who aren't perfectly aligned on social issues, and recognize that "independent" doesn't mean centrist — younger voters are disillusioned with both parties and hungry for a working-class-first agenda. Shakir offers a detailed vision for DNC reform: fund state parties based on merit and metrics, move Nevada to first on the primary calendar because Vegas politics would orient the party toward working-class concerns, add Michigan and North Carolina to the early window,and invest in sun belt opportunities He closes by noting that James Talarico channeled Bernie's message with a religious-based framing, and that Democratic voters always gravitate toward outsiders — the party just needs to let them run. Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the creation of standardized time, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his advice for building your NCAA tournament bracket. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to https://Quince.com/chuck for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 05:30 The Iran War will impact nearly everything 06:15 Military, war has been a route but it’s become asymmetrical 07:00 The Strait of Hormuz is the most important waterway in the world 08:00 Trump mistakenly assumed Iranian regime would be transactional like him 09:15 Shutting the strait is Iran’s biggest point of deterrence 10:15 Shutting the strait can massively damage the world economy 11:00 Trump miscalculated Iran would capitulate like Venezuela 13:15 The strait is Iran’s leverage, they aren’t going to walk away from it 14:00 Trump talks a big game, but Iran can extract a huge price on the west 15:30 Pete Hegseth has become a “Baghdad Bob” style propagandist 16:45 Asymmetrical warfare is how America won the Revolutionary War 18:00 All Iran has to do is make the Strait of Hormuz dangerous to navigate 18:45 Reagan had to intervene in the Gulf in the 80s to secure shipping routes 19:30 Convoy protection missions rarely stay small 20:30 If keeping shipping lanes open is the goal, the timeline & operation expands 21:15 Gulf states has become tourism & banking hubs, that’s being threatened 22:30 War is both an economic and “image” blow to the gulf states 23:45 Energy shortages risk the economic collapse of nuclear armed Pakistan 24:45 Trump made a disastrous decision to lift oil sanctions on Russia 25:15 War in Iran is strengthening Russia’s position in the Ukraine war 26:00 Energy prices affect the entire economy. Will raise inflation in America 26:45 This war is a major economic gamble 27:45 FCC Chair declares war on freedom of the press 28:30 Carr threatens to pull broadcast licenses over unfavorable war coverage 29:30 Carr’s threats aren’t dissimilar to how broadcasting works in Russia 31:15 FCC just launching investigations can put pressure on networks 32:30 ABC settling with Trump was a massive mistake 33:45 Project 2025 proposed “broadcast regulation” similar to this 35:00 Administration’s “memeification” of war is gross & embarrassing 36:15 War has increased likelihood of terrorist attacks against American 36:45 American Jews & Muslims have had to spend millions on security 37:30 Administration hiding terrorism reports should scare us* 39:00 The courts will stop Brendan Carr from violating press freedom 40:00 Administration owes the people an explanation 40:45 The Iranian regime needs to go, but war has serious costs 47:30 Faiz Shakir joins the Chuck ToddCast 49:15 Democratic party seems leaderless 49:45 Would you run again for DNC chair? 51:15 Leaders of the party have a bit of a “play dead” mentality 52:00 Democratic brand is still in worse shape than Republican brand 53:15 Trump having billionaires at inauguration was foreshadowing 53:45 Trump’s corruption is incredibly brazen 54:45 It’s obvious Trump doesn’t care about affordability 55:45 Trump, like Biden, is finger wagging at voters on the economy 57:00 Vance sold himself as an anti-interventionalist populist 57:45 Vance has had to completely go against his political identity 58:30 Trump’s corruption has totally undermined Vance 1:00:00 Trump’s argument of "imminent threat” from Iran is nonsense 1:01:30 Chuck Schumer told his caucus to “suck it up” on crypto 1:03:00 The public is far ahead of politicians in being skeptical of AI 1:03:45 Very little is being offered by AI that would improve lives of working class 1:04:30 Every candidate in Illinois senate race basically has a big tech sponsor 1:05:45 Democratic party is terrible at picking fights and don’t like friction 1:06:30 Bernie Sanders AI data center moratorium reflects the public sentiment 1:07:15 Democrats are so heady on policy they let their politics suffer 1:08:30 There’s a movement of independent candidates, but winning matters 1:09:15 Independents are offering a different, working class first agenda 1:10:30 Democrats punish candidates who aren’t perfectly aligned on social issues 1:12:00 Bernie Sanders is stronger candidate in a general election than a primary 1:13:00 The right candidate could move 7% of the electorate from right to left 1:14:45 If Sanders were younger and could run in 2028, he’d likely win 1:15:45 Sanders has more credibility than AOC because he’s from rural state 1:16:30 Democrats need to fight a class based, economic justice campaign 1:18:45 How would you make changes at the DNC? 1:20:00 How should Democrats approach secondary races in MT & NE? 1:21:30 Younger voters are disillusioned with both parties, are independent minded 1:22:15 Independent does not mean centrist 1:23:15 State by state redistricting will eventually need national overhaul 1:25:00 Democrats “adult in the room” status has helped them in some places 1:26:15 Democrats have been viewed as the status quo party 1:27:00 Who is the heir apparent to Bernie? 1:27:30 Bernie respects the national appeal of AOC 1:29:15 Ro Khanna is incredibly smart and calculating 1:30:00 Politics has become an entertainment industry as much as policy 1:31:45 Voters want a disrupter with goals that are attainable 1:32:30 Lina Khan had a sense of imagination at the FTC 1:33:45 Mission driven disruption is associated with the progressive wing 1:34:45 Gavin Newsom has become the anti-Trump Democratic candidate 1:35:30 Newsom fighting the wealth tax is probably hurting himself with base 1:36:30 Rahm Emmanuel will struggle to overcome his political baggage 1:37:15 Democrats have surrendered on education as a national issue 1:38:00 Democrats should be offering year round schooling with new curriculum 1:38:45 Democrats should propose public service jobs with good pay & benefits 1:40:30 Nevada is the ideal first state for Democratic primary calendar 1:41:30 Vegas politics would orient Democrats to working class concerns 1:42:00 Michigan & NC should be in the first four for Democrats 1:43:15 Iowa & NH were battlegrounds because of first in nation status 1:46:00 DNC needs to give state parties money based on merit & metrics 1:47:15 Democrats have to find somewhere in sun belt to invest in 1:48:45 Mississippi could be best value in the south for Dems 1:49:30 Mississippi has a strong labor base to be courted 1:50:45 More debate between Talarico & Crockett would have been good for party 1:51:15 Talarico channeled Bernie’s message with a religious based framing 1:52:45 If Talarico or Platner win senate race, they’re serious 2028 candidates 1:54:00 Democratic voters always like an outsider in their presidential candidates 1:55:30 What is More Perfect Union and where can people find your work? 1:56:45 Illinois primary livestream with Decision Desk HQ & Chris Cillizza on Tuesday 1:58:00 ToddCast Time Machine - When time back standardized 1:58:45 Standard Time Act passed by Congress on March 19, 1918 1:59:30 Local time standards were a problem with development of railroads 2:00:15 Coordinating trains wasn’t just difficult, it was dangerous 2:00:45 Sanford Fleming proposed dividing globe into timezones 2:01:15 Railroads imposed standardized times before government did 2:02:45 Train crash near Tipton, Ohio showed issues with timekeeping 2:04:00 Railroad safety become dependant on pocketwatches 2:04:45 Daylight Saving Time is adopted during World War I 2:05:30 World War required standardized time to coordinate 2:06:00 Congress formalized standard time after entering World War I 2:07:00 Daylight savings time was eliminated, but returns in World War II 2:07:30 Congress passes the Uniform Time Act in 1966 2:08:15 States can opt out of the Uniform Time Act 2:09:45 World clocks are now synchronized via Atomic clock 2:10:45 Ask Chuck 2:11:00 Are the Democrats walking into a trap by elevating Graham Platner? 2:18:00 The The Perfect Neighbor told a gripping story via bodycam footage 2:20:45 How do you feel about Donald Trump claiming credit for you becoming independent? 2:25:45 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament bracket adviceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What text can best take in the challenge of American Jews at this moment who love America, who love Israel, and who face the daily torrent of news about the war? The text that comes up for me is Homer's classic The Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his crew must navigate between Scylla and Charybdis. Both fierce and fearsome monsters are lethal. On the one hand, we have Scylla, a war against a genocidal enemy whose mottos are “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”; which had a tower in Tehran promising the end of Israel by 2040 based on the then Supreme Leader's promise in 2015 “The Zionist regime will not survive the next 25 years.” Small wonder that 93% of Israeli Jews, even though they bear the cost of the war directly, even though their buildings are destroyed and their schedules shattered and their nights of sleep are ruined, they still support the war because the Islamic Republic has made destroying Israel its highest priority, more important than providing food, education, water, electricity and opportunity to its own people. On the other hand, we have Charybdis, the heartbreaking costs in blood and treasure and tremendous uncertainty of this war. After multiple days of war, and after the Supreme Commander was assassinated, the new leader is the son of the Supreme Commander. Is this progress? How will this end? And in the meantime, there is a growing narrative that Israel pushed America into this war, and real concern that an unpopular war that turns into a quagmire will inflame antisemitism and antizionism even more. So what do we do when navigating Scylla and Charybdis? In class we are going to examine Matza and Manna two foods that are more than foods. Two foods that embody truths for biblical Israel, for Israel today, and for the Jewish people navigating a tumultuous time without great choices.

Radical Islamic terrorism struck yet again on Thursday—this time, in both Michigan and Virginia. That makes four separate Islamist terror attacks on the home front just in the past two weeks. At what point is enough finally enough? What can we do about this gargantuan subversive fifth column in our midst? All options, including deportation and denaturalization proceedings, must be on the table. Josh also offers a personal, direct plea to American Jews to arm and train themselves, and to take their security into their own hands. Later, Heather Johnston, Founder and Executive Director of the U.S. Israel Education Association, joins the program to discuss the war with Iran, the importance of U.S.-Israel relations, and the unholy war that many propagandists are now waging on the indispensable Jewish-Christian biblical alliance. Josh closes the show by analyzing the latest war-related comments from Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and indicating what specifically he will be looking out for over the course of the weekend.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Iran war is somehow both ending and just beginning. Trump wants out, but there's no clean exit. The US bombed an elementary school in Tehran. Iran has a new Ayatollah who's likely worse than the old one. Israel bombed Iranian oil facilities—and the US is reportedly furious. Meanwhile, Trump celebrates rising oil prices ("we make a lot of money"), and American Jews are caught in the crossfire with synagogue attacks at home.Plus: Jim Clyburn is 85 years old and running for his 18th term in Congress (GO HOME, JIM). The Senate will vote on Trump's doomed SAVE Act. Palantir's CEO said the quiet part loud about disrupting democratic power. Republicans lack of desire to regulate AI has consequences and they are showing up against Talarico in Texas. The FBI will be trained by UFC fighters, and Trump endorsed Jake Paul for... something.This is the chaos. Let's break it down.Look Forward is a weekly progressive political podcast covering U.S. politics, government policy, Democratic strategy, elections, voting rights, Supreme Court rulings, and political news. Featuring progressive commentary, political analysis, and unapologetic opinions on the fight for democracy. Hosted by Jay and Brad. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Black on Black Cinema (Black film reviews), and Dense Pixels (video game news).

If you have ever been married, or if you have ever walked an adult child down the aisle, think back to the energy, the electricity, the excitement of the wedding day. All that love in one sacred place. Pure magic.There was a young, bright, beautiful Israeli couple looking forward to their wedding day. The bride and the groom were getting married in the backyard of the bride's parents. Joyful and magical. Except for two small details.The date of their wedding was Thursday, June 12, 2025. The couple was getting married that night. Israel's war with Iran, what would become known as the 12-day war, would begin at dawn on Friday, June 13. And the groom is a fighter pilot for the IDF. He flies F16s. The groom knew the war was coming imminently. He knew that he would be flying an F16 into Iran. He was scheduled to be the first pilot of the first F16 into Iran. Which would have required him to be at the base at the time he was to be under the chuppah. So he asked the IDF if he could be the second pilot into Iran. The IDF said yes. That allowed him to stand under the chuppah with his bride. Before the chuppah, he had borrowed his grandmother's car. It was an hour's drive from where he would spend his wedding night to his army base. The car was packed and ready to go. The bride and groom got married. On their wedding night, a loud and scary siren reverberated throughout Israel that was the nation's signal that war with Iran was at hand; and that was the groom's signal that his wedding was over, it was time to take his grandmother's car to the base, to get into an F16, and to fly into Iran. Within mere hours of smashing the glass under their chuppah and kissing his bride, the newly minted husband was in the F16 flying into Iran. During the 12-day war, he would fly an F16 into Iran, and back to Israel, day after day. Roll the film forward. The couple, now newlyweds, moved to Cambridge. She is now a first-year business school student at Sloane, MIT's business school. And liking it. He is working for an Israeli start-up. And liking it. They are together, happy, happy. And then January, and the build up to the war with Iran, again. To be an Israeli fighter pilot, one needs to fly their F16 at least once a week. He was no longer certified to be a pilot, because it had been several months since he had last flown. He could have stayed in Cambridge. He could have stayed with his still newlywed wife. But he knew that if he did not fly the F16 into Iran, someone else would have to do it. He felt a duty to his country. He felt a duty to his people. He felt a duty to his fellow fighter pilots. So, again, he leaves his new bride, in mid-January he goes back to Israel, he gets back in his F16s, he gets recredentialed as a seasoned and qualified fighter pilot, and he has been flying mission after mission into Iran this past week. Meanwhile, she is living by herself, again, in Cambridge.Interrupted wedding night. Interrupted newlywed year. It just is.Why am I telling you all this? When the war broke out, I had thought that American Jews, certainly the ones I know and love at Temple Emanuel, would be uniformly and unambivalently in support of this war. Of course war is hell. Of course we prefer peace. Of course we pray for peace. Of course war unleashes unpredictable and uncontrollable outcomes, so many of which are destructive. And yet, the Islamic Republic of Iran is, and has always been since its very inception, openly and unapologetically genocidal. Its motto “Death to America” is genocidal. Its motto “Death to Israel” is genocidal. What it did in Argentina in the 90s, killing innocent Jews twice, is genocidal. What it did through its proxy Hamas on October 7 is genocidal. The clock in Tehran promising the end of Israel by the year 2040 is genocidal. Given all this, I had expected uncomplicated support of American Jews for this war. Boy, was I wrong.

In this conversation, Bret Stephens discusses the complexities of antisemitism, the ongoing conflict with Iran, and the shifting political landscape in the United States, particularly within the Democratic Party. He emphasizes the need for a strong Jewish identity and critiques the ineffective measures taken against antisemitism. Stephens argues that the current military actions against Iran are not a new war but an effort to end a long-standing conflict. He also addresses the rise of anti-Israel sentiment within the Democratic Party and the implications for future elections, warning against the dangers of conspiracy theories and their connection to anti-Semitism. Be sure to check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On Brand with Donny Deutsch YouTube page⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Takeaways: We must cultivate our Jewish identity and pride. Antisemitism is more a problem for antisemites than for us. The current conflict with Iran is about ending a long-standing war. Military action against Iran could lead to regional peace. The Democratic Party's shift is concerning for American Jews. Hamas does not seek a peaceful coexistence with Israel. Zionism represents a long-standing anti-colonial struggle. Ending the Iranian regime could facilitate a Palestinian state. Trump's rhetoric poses a threat to democratic institutions. Conspiracy theories can fuel anti-Semitism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this expanded edition to a groundbreaking work, now in paperback, Lincoln and the Jews: A History (NYU Press, 2025), Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell reveal how Abraham Lincoln's unprecedentedly inclusive relationship with American Jews broadened him as president, and, as a result, broadened America. A conversation with Professor Jonathan D. Sarna. Co-authored with collector and scholar Benjamin Shapell, the book began as a lush coffee-table volume built around Shapell's remarkable Civil War–era collection: letters, photographs, and documents that reveal Lincoln's Jewish connections in real time. It has since been reissued in paperback by NYU Press, making it far easier to teach, carry, and assign. The shift mirrors the project's purpose: from a beautiful artifact to a working tool for rethinking Lincoln's world. Sarna stresses that Lincoln didn't “know Jews” in the abstract; he knew particular Jews who mattered. Abraham Jonas, an early ally, saw Lincoln as presidential material and encouraged the Republican Party to build a coalition of “outsiders,” explicitly including Jews. Lincoln also developed ties with German-speaking Jewish “48ers,” refugees of the failed 1848 revolutions who brought democratic ideals and anti-slavery commitments. Even in Illinois, Lincoln's visits to Jewish clothing stores signaled a new kind of everyday encounter between Americans and Jewish merchants. The book opens with a table of concentric circles of relationships between Lincoln and the Jews. Equally important is Lincoln's religious formation. Raised in a Protestant culture steeped in the Hebrew Bible and divine providence, he drew heavily on biblical language. His letters and speeches are studded with scriptural echoes, reflecting a worldview in which Jews remain central to God's historical drama rather than a superseded people. This helps explain his “live and let live” stance toward religious difference at a time when some ministers were moving toward more exclusionary theologies. Our conversation touched on Lincoln's reference to Haman from the Book of Esther in a letter to Joshua Speed. In an age of deep biblical literacy, Haman was a recognizable symbol of evil, later applied by some Jews to Grant after General Orders No. 11. Sarna also recounted the visit of a self-proclaimed prophet named Monk, who asked Lincoln to endorse a plan to “free the Jews” worldwide. Lincoln's witty, biblically informed response (from the book of Joel) both acknowledged Jewish suffering abroad and rejected the idea of a special “Jewish problem” in the United States. We also explored how 19th-century debates over the Mortara affair in Italy—where a secretly baptized Jewish child was taken from his parents by papal authorities—intersected with American slavery. President Buchanan's refusal to condemn Rome, Sarna noted, reflected fears that criticizing Church-sanctioned child removal could invite scrutiny of the United States' own separation of enslaved families. Lincoln and the Jews ultimately invites us to place Jews back into the center of the American story. Lincoln's friendships, his Hebrew Bible–shaped imagination, and his commitment to equality created a landscape in which Jews were not an abstract “question,” but neighbors and citizens. To understand Lincoln fully, Sarna suggests, we must see the Jews who walked beside him—and to understand American Jewish history, we must see how deeply it is entwined with Lincoln's moral and political world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this expanded edition to a groundbreaking work, now in paperback, Lincoln and the Jews: A History (NYU Press, 2025), Jonathan D. Sarna and Benjamin Shapell reveal how Abraham Lincoln's unprecedentedly inclusive relationship with American Jews broadened him as president, and, as a result, broadened America. A conversation with Professor Jonathan D. Sarna. Co-authored with collector and scholar Benjamin Shapell, the book began as a lush coffee-table volume built around Shapell's remarkable Civil War–era collection: letters, photographs, and documents that reveal Lincoln's Jewish connections in real time. It has since been reissued in paperback by NYU Press, making it far easier to teach, carry, and assign. The shift mirrors the project's purpose: from a beautiful artifact to a working tool for rethinking Lincoln's world. Sarna stresses that Lincoln didn't “know Jews” in the abstract; he knew particular Jews who mattered. Abraham Jonas, an early ally, saw Lincoln as presidential material and encouraged the Republican Party to build a coalition of “outsiders,” explicitly including Jews. Lincoln also developed ties with German-speaking Jewish “48ers,” refugees of the failed 1848 revolutions who brought democratic ideals and anti-slavery commitments. Even in Illinois, Lincoln's visits to Jewish clothing stores signaled a new kind of everyday encounter between Americans and Jewish merchants. The book opens with a table of concentric circles of relationships between Lincoln and the Jews. Equally important is Lincoln's religious formation. Raised in a Protestant culture steeped in the Hebrew Bible and divine providence, he drew heavily on biblical language. His letters and speeches are studded with scriptural echoes, reflecting a worldview in which Jews remain central to God's historical drama rather than a superseded people. This helps explain his “live and let live” stance toward religious difference at a time when some ministers were moving toward more exclusionary theologies. Our conversation touched on Lincoln's reference to Haman from the Book of Esther in a letter to Joshua Speed. In an age of deep biblical literacy, Haman was a recognizable symbol of evil, later applied by some Jews to Grant after General Orders No. 11. Sarna also recounted the visit of a self-proclaimed prophet named Monk, who asked Lincoln to endorse a plan to “free the Jews” worldwide. Lincoln's witty, biblically informed response (from the book of Joel) both acknowledged Jewish suffering abroad and rejected the idea of a special “Jewish problem” in the United States. We also explored how 19th-century debates over the Mortara affair in Italy—where a secretly baptized Jewish child was taken from his parents by papal authorities—intersected with American slavery. President Buchanan's refusal to condemn Rome, Sarna noted, reflected fears that criticizing Church-sanctioned child removal could invite scrutiny of the United States' own separation of enslaved families. Lincoln and the Jews ultimately invites us to place Jews back into the center of the American story. Lincoln's friendships, his Hebrew Bible–shaped imagination, and his commitment to equality created a landscape in which Jews were not an abstract “question,” but neighbors and citizens. To understand Lincoln fully, Sarna suggests, we must see the Jews who walked beside him—and to understand American Jewish history, we must see how deeply it is entwined with Lincoln's moral and political world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

This is a sneak peek from the latest Inside Call me Back, the members-only edition of the podcast. Following Bret Stephens' controversial “State of the World Jewry” speech, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, joins Dan to respond directly.Is the Jewish community overinvested in fighting antisemitism? Did institutions miss the warning signs before October 7? And can Jewish identity flourish without first ensuring Jewish security?To hear the full conversation, become a member by following the link in the description or visiting arkmedia.org.In the full episode: Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of Anti-Defamation League, joins Dan to respond to Brett Stephens' controversial “State of the World Jewry” speech, which argued that too many Jewish resources are invested in fighting Antisemitism, rather than building a Jewish life. Jonathan, whom Bret called out by name, tells Dan that the two mustn't be seen as mutually exclusive. The two also discuss whether Jewish institutions should do some soul searching after being blindsided by Oct. 8, whether the Blue Square Alliance Superbowl ad missed the mark, and what the data's showing about anti-Jewish trends in America.Read Jonathan's op-ed, American Jews need both security and identityRegister for the Never is Now Summit and use discount code “Senor20”Watch the Call Me Back episode from the 2025 Never is Now SummitWatch Jonathan's previous appearance on Call Me BackMore Ark Media:Subscribe to Inside Call me BackListen to For Heaven's SakeListen to What's Your Number?Watch Call me Back on YouTubeNewsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav EyalInstagram | Ark Media | DanX | DanDan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of IsraelGet in touchCredits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo 

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. American Jews have plenty to fret about. Facing rising antisemitism even before October 7, 2023, the community has had to deal with a massive spike in threats, defamation, and outright violence since the Hamas attack. While Israel was fighting to defeat Hamas and get the hostages home, US Jews were contending with anti-Zionist attacks from both the left and the right. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, has been a central player in the US Jewish communities' responses to October 7 and the subsequent two years of war. He lays out his explanation for the spike in antisemitism in the US, and argues that with domestic focus on ICE, Israel has an opening to restart reconnecting with Democrats and young Americans. He recounts his conversations with the Biden Administration at the start of the war, and explains why the relationship with Netanyahu became so strained. Turning to the White House, Daroff offers insights into Trump's relationships with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar. He argues that one should take Trump's threats seriously, both against Hamas if they don't disarm and Iran if they don't concede to US demands. Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Antizionism a Soviet invention for persecuting Jews?Dan is joined by Shaul Kelner, professor of Jewish studies and sociology at Vanderbilt University, to examine the rarely-told history of Antizionism. Kelner explains how a framework designed to deny Jewish life under Soviet rule has resurfaced in the West long before October 7 and why many American Jews were unprepared for its scale and intensity.In this episode...08:00: The Soviet roots of Antizionism15:00: How Antizionism entered the West21:00 Marxism and ideological monoculture in American universities28:00 Why American Jews are seduced by Antizionism32:00: Stop debating semanticsThis episode was sponsored by SAPIR: Sign up for the SAPIR journal at sapirjournal.org/CallMeBackFrom the episode:- Shaul Kelner's book, A Cold War Exodus: How Americans Activists Mobilized to Free Soviet Jews- Shaul Kelner's article on American Antizionism- Attend The State of World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street YMore Ark Media:Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.Subscribe to Inside Call me BackListen to For Heaven's SakeListen to What's Your Number?Watch Call me Back on YouTubeNewsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav EyalInstagram | Ark Media | DanX | DanDan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of IsraelGet in touchCredits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo 

Did you know that 29% of American Jews struggle to make ends meet? What you are about to hear is a session from the 2025 Jewish Federation of North America General Assembly,  the JFNA GA, entitled Redefining Jewish Life Through the Lens of Economic Reality. In this session, we examined 2025 data on Jewish poverty in America, and discussed how our communal narratives about money and class obscure the real experiences of Jews across the economic spectrum. The first speaker you'll hear is Rachel Sumekh, Entrepreneur and CEO of Together Ending Need. You'll also hear from Jon Hornstein, Program Director at The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and our own Rabbi Shira. To see some of the data referenced in this episode, go to togetherendingneed.org/gaNew episodes of Chutzpod will be back February 25th! Send your questions and comments to chutzpod@gmail.com. Make sure you're subscribed, spread the word, and we'll talk to you then! Support Chutzpod!Submit a questionContact Chutzpod!Subscribe to ChutzstackFollow Hanna on InstagramFollow Shira on InstagramFollow Shira on FacebookFollow Chutzpod on FacebookFollow Chutzpod on Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

1. Bruce Pearl’s Career & Background Former Auburn basketball coach; won a Division II national championship and reached the Final Four twice. Unique fact: Pearl never played organized basketball (not even JV) before becoming a Division I coach. Started as a manager at Boston College, later became an assistant coach at Stanford under Tom Davis. Emphasizes making yourself valuable and being authentic as keys to success. 2. Coaching Philosophy Core principles: “Coach them as hard as you love them” – building deep relationships with players. Empower players and trust them; avoid micromanaging. Great coaches excel at creating offense and getting players good looks. Importance of roles and dimensions in a team: maximize strengths, hide weaknesses. Advice for young athletes: develop a unique skill or dimension that makes you stand out. 3. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) & College Sports Pearl criticizes the NCAA for failing to adapt, calling it “arrogant” and responsible for chaos. NIL has transformed college sports: Top rosters now cost $35–$40 million annually. Smaller schools and Olympic sports are at risk of being cut. Advocates for urgent reform: Limited antitrust protection and congressional action to create fair rules. Warns that without changes, college sports will shrink to 30–50 elite programs. 4. Transfer Portal & Player Relationships Challenges in building trust and love when players stay only 6 months. Compares transfer portal dynamics to personal relationships—loyalty matters. 5. Broader Issues in Sports Concerns about betting and commercialization. Advice for high school athletes: play multiple sports early, specialize later, focus on nutrition and toughness. 6. Views on Israel & Anti-Semitism Strong advocate for Israel; sees American Jews as “the country’s greatest patriots.” Personal connection: family escaped Europe in 1929; others perished in the Holocaust. Believes silence equals complicity; stresses unity between Jews and Christians. Addresses rising anti-Semitism but emphasizes America still offers opportunity. 7. Cultural & Historical Insights Discusses theology, covenant, and shared values between Jews and Christians. Critiques “replacement theology” and urges solidarity against bigotry. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.