POPULARITY
This morning I share part of an interview of Daniel Gordis with Rabbi Raphael Shore. You will never guess who best understood the reason for antisemitism. Rabbi Shore explains that plus what we should do with that knowledge. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning we share an online conversation from Friday, thanks to Daniel Gordis, between Haggai Luber and Meirav Leshem Gonen, that gives hope for the future of Israel. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning, thanks to Daniel Gordis, we share a very popular Israeli song being sung all over Israel now, which conveys a deep and important facet of today's Israeli society. Then we see this song being sung in an emotional, joyous moment for one little boy and for all of Israel.
This morning we discuss a fascinating, largely unknown story about Foreign Secretary Golda Meir doing something in 1956, that is central to modern (and traditional) Israeli and Jewish values, and which continues even today. This is from an interview of Daniel Gordis with Aviva Klompas, author of "Stand-Up Nation: Israeli Resilience in the Wake of Disaster." Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
With over 100 hostages still trapped in Gaza, Daniel Gordis says, that is Israel's greatest failure to date—even if it's unclear that any deals would have gotten them back.An acclaimed writer and author, Daniel Gordis is a Koret Distinguished Fellow at the Israeli liberal arts institution Shalem College and writes for his 41,000 subscribers on his Substack, Israel From the Inside. From Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn to Impossible Takes Longer, Daniel's award-winning books probe the inner logic and history of Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish People—and are considered must-haves on bookshelves around the globe.Now, he joins us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including the IDF's morality, the hostage crisis, the Iranian threat, and so much more.This interview was held on Dec. 15.Here are our 18 questions:As an Israeli, and as a Jew, how are you feeling at this moment in Israeli history?What has been Israel's greatest success and greatest mistake in its war against Hamas?How do you think Hamas views the outcome and aftermath of October 7—was it a success, in their eyes? What do you look for in deciding which Knesset party to vote for?Which is more important for Israel: Judaism or democracy?Should Israel treat its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens the same?What role should the Israeli government have in religious matters?Now that Israel already exists, what is the purpose of Zionism?Is opposing Zionism inherently antisemitic?Is the IDF the world's most moral army?If you were making the case for Israel, where would you begin?Can questioning the actions of Israel's government and army — even in the context of this war — be a valid form of love and patriotism?What do you think is the most legitimate criticism leveled against Israel today?Do you think peace between Israelis and Palestinians will happen within your lifetime?What should happen with Gaza and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the war?Is Israel properly handling the Iranian threat?Where do you identify on Israel's political and religious spectrum, and do you have friends on the “other side”?Do you have more hope or fear for Israel and the Jewish People?
This morning I share part of an interview by Daniel Gordis with Dr. Naama Halevi Davidov about "Assure for the Child" - an Israeli non-profit that provides for the long-term needs of the forty children left without either parent after the October 7 massacre. We learn about an incredible network of people in Israel (and elsewhere) taking creative measure to help more people better. "The way to beat the bad guys is to do good." Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning I share the second part part of Daniel Gordis' disturbing but critically important interview with Ohad Merlin (see Part 1 here: https://youtu.be/op8qW-FCrFE?feature=shared). Merlin explains the consequences of Hamas' war being a religious war and not over territory. And we also explore Hama's terrifying plan on October 7 - what did they want to achieve? We end with a critical point, that this version of Islam (Hamas, Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Iran, etc.) is not the only version, and there are other versions of Islam which want to build and coexist, not just kill and destroy, and we must never overlook this distinction. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning I share part of Daniel Gordis' disturbing but critically important interview with Ohad Merlin. Ohad is just the expert to explain what Hamas was thinking when it attacked on October 7. What was their motivation? How did they frame it to themselves and Gazans? We have learned through hard experience it is vital we understand our enemies in order to effectively triumph over them. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning we discuss another example of how Israeli popular music expresses the deepest truths about Israel today, based on an incredible essay by Daniel Gordis. We listen to two very different performances of a classic Israeli song, "When the Heart Cries" by Sarit Hadad, one of Israel's top singers. Though the words are the same, the mood and impact are so different from July, 2023 to May, 2024. And this is the background to the heartbreaking and inspiring words at a recent showing of Israel's Dancing with the Stars. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning I share part of an interview from Daniel Gordis speaking to Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin, parents of Hersh - seriously wounded and taken hostage on October 7. Rachel and Jon are perhaps the most visible and possibly the most impactful parents working tirelessly on the release of Hersh and all the other hostages in Gaza. Rachel and Jon respond, in the thoughtful and dignified way only they can, to the three reasons some people are against a deal to release hostage in exchange for a release of prisoners. Whatever your view, these words will touch your heart and challenge your mind. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
In this thought-provoking episode of "State of the Nation," Dr. Daniel Gordis delves into the strategic dilemmas facing the Jewish diaspora, particularly American Jews, in light of recent geopolitical events and the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Dr. Gordis explores the internal conflicts within the American Jewish community, the shifting political allegiances post-October 7th, and the broader implications for Jewish identity and safety. Tune in for an in-depth discussion on the intersection of Jewish history, politics, and the complex relationship between American Jews and Israel.Stay up to date at:https://www.stateofanationpodcast.com/X: https://twitter.com/stateofapodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stateofapod/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/state-of-a-nation
This morning we join Itim (a wonderful organization in Israel) and over 110 communities around the world the world speaking about the inspiration all Jews receive from those who choose to become Jewish. We focus on Ethiopian Jewry in Israel and the lessons we can all learn from this august community. This is excerpted from a longer and more complex interview by Daniel Gordis with Dr. Marva Shalev Marom, who describes a new "Israeliness" which holds great promise for Israel and the global Jewish People. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning we discuss different approaches to whether and how to celebrate Yom HaAtzma'ut (Israel Independence day, this Monday night and Tuesday. We offer two distinct views (and there are many others), Rabbi Mishael Zion, and Miriam Haber, both presented by Daniel Gordis, to give us a sense of the mood in Israel today as we approach this important, inspiring, and heavy week. "May we be worthy of the sacrifices they made for us." Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This was a dynamic conversation about the municipal elections in Israel--check out the resource below from The Jerusalem Post. Alan shared with Liz the many articles and interviews he has been reading and listening to about how Israelis are lookin at antisemitism especially the recent interview Daniel Gordis did with Michal Cotter-Wunsh and Einat Wilf. Check them out. Liz also updated Alan on volunteering opportunities in Israel check out the resource Ruachtova.org.il. Links to articles and sites:The elections: https://jpost.com/israel-news/article-788422 Daniel Gordis Israel from the Inside Einat Wilf and Michal Cotler-WunshVolunteering in Israel
This morning we explore the views of Dr. Danny Brom, one of Israel's leading experts in PTSD, interviewed by Daniel Gordis. We explore the dynamics at work in Israeli society today, and the need for social healing, resilience, and connection, much more than the minority of people who need actual trauma treatment. Then we give three amazing examples of creative and unique efforts from Israelis to create these connections and this healing, from which we can all learn and apply to our lives. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
In this episode Eli examines the life of Menachem Begin when he was a wanted man in the years before the state of Israel was created. His guest is Daniel Gordis, author of Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul. Time Stamps: 00:20 Monologue 1:08:00 Interview with Daniel Gordis Follow Eli on Twitter Questions? Comments? Email us at Eli@Nebulouspodcasts.com
This morning we discuss the breathtaking and courageous open letter written by Dr. Tehila Elizur, reported by Daniel Gordis. This letter is signed by hundreds of religious women who are the mothers of IDF soldiers, addressed to their sisters, mothers of Chareidi women whose sons take the Torah learning exemption from military service, to ask them to call on their sons to join the IDF. As Dr. Elizur writes, the current reality is not tolerable in light of Halacha (Jewish Law), Jewish values, and civic responsibility, and it is leading to a terrible divide in Israeli society, which we must all work to avoid. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
Over the 25 years he's lived in Israel, author Daniel Gordis of Shalem College has seen many chapters of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, beginning with the Second Intifada that followed the Oslo Accords. Listen as he and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss why Hamas's massacre of October 7th is different and is an existential threat to Israel. They also speak about why Israelis are demanding a different response to Hamas than they have in the past, and how and why this war will change Israel and the Jewish people.
01:00 Different strategies have differing effectiveness in different situations 10:30 Stop saying "we need to build alternative institutions", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyyq126kZMI 23:00 Life is a Dinner Table, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSawhpPzOFs 42:20 People with Bigger Brains are More Intelligent 45:00 Immigrants with less than a bachelor's degree are a net cost to society https://www.richardhanania.com/p/amy-wax-versus-the-midwit-gynocrats 49:00 The A-cup woman vs the E-cup woman 54:45 The Times: How the Newspaper of Record Survived Scandal, Scorn, and the Transformation of Journalism, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153841 58:00 Tucker SOUNDS OFF On Ben Shapiro, Israel, Free Speech And UFOs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lIO3B3k7Mo 1:05:30 From the Second Intifada to October 7th (with Daniel Gordis), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqYMG8BYScE 1:07:00 Daniel Gordis background, https://www.lukeford.net/profiles/profiles/danny_gordis.htm 1:27:00 Elliott Blatt joins the show to talk about New Year's Resolution 1:29:00 Elliott wants to dial back Twitter 1:50:00 Fentanyl whores 2:00:00 Elliott's drinking 2:29:30 Paul Hedderman - Non Duality - Skillman, NJ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00se60gh-tc 2:38:00 What makes for a guru? https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=148127 Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and the Washington Post, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153758 Populism, Neoconservatism & Lessons in the Application of Power, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153654 WP : Trump disqualified from Colorado's 2024 primary ballot by state Supreme Court, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/19/trump-off-colorado-ballot/ Israel's border failure, https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/12/19/failure-at-the-fence-documentary/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/18/us/abbott-texas-border-law-arrests.html Uvalde response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBofi_etkUo Populism is popular but ineffective, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153654 New Yorker: How to Build a Better Motivational Speaker: The upstart motivator Jesse Itzler wants to reform his profession—while also rising to the top, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153558 NYT: Talk of a Trump Dictatorship Charges the American Political Debate, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=153538
Townhall Review – December 30, 2023 Hugh Hewitt turns to Daniel Gordis, author of “Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn,” to respond to the labeling of Israel as a “colonial state.” Hugh Hewitt and Dan Senor, author of “The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World, ” look at the origin of Zionism, Theodor Herzl, and the Balfour Declaration. Hugh Hewitt invites Haviv Rettig Gur, senior analyst for the Times of Israel, to talk about the resilience and the implacability of his nation. Hugh Hewitt talks with John Podhoretz of Commentary magazine about a wake-up call for American Jewry. Dennis Prager, speaking at a Milwaukee synagogue, answers the question: Why is there no wisdom on the American university campus?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This morning we discuss the mood in Israel today, based on excerpts from a recent presentation by Daniel Gordis. We explore both the trauma and the determination starting with Hamas' barbaric attack on October 7, and continuing today. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
In this episode, Hugh Hewitt is joined by Daniel Gordis, author of Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn. They discuss the impact of the ongoing war in Israel, emphasizing the transformation it has brought to the country. Gordis highlights the need for a comprehensive investigation, likely led by a former Supreme Court justice, to address the failures and reshape Israel's future, indicating that the repercussions will extend for decades.
Hugh was joined today by Haviv Rettig Gur of the Times of Israel, John Podhoretz the editor of Commentary, and historian Daniel Gordis to discuss the ten weeks since 10/7 and the reactions in America to the massacre of 10/7.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This morning we discuss the unique and direct message Chanukah holds for us this year, 5784/2023. Due to the war in Israel, we may not feel like celebrating, but we must appreciate and actualize Chanukah's message. Based on Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and Daniel Gordis, we develop the connection of the two miracles of Chanukah - military and spiritual - into a blueprint of what Israeli (and globally, Jewish) society must become in order to survive and flourish. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
This morning we quote from Rabbi Kenny Brander about the deepest prayer he hears from Israeli soldiers today (it may surprise you). We discuss the arc of Avraham's life, the promises God made, and Avraham's trust in those promises, even though he did not see them fulfilled. Using a formulation of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, we define the nature of Avraham's faith, and ours, by quoting an insight into Kaddish from the Rav, Rabbi Yosef Soloveitchik, and by sharing an excerpt of Daniel Gordis' translation of a poem popular today on Israeli social media. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.
The civil unrest in Israel — centering around the judicial overhaul — is an unprecedented existential crisis that threatens to tear the country apart. Daniel Gordis has been one of Israel's most unabashed advocates. But today, he's calling on diaspora Jews to get involved in ways he never has before...Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/in-these-times-with-rabbi-ammi-hirsch/donations
In this thought-provoking podcast episode with Rabbi Wildes, we dive deep into the complexities of Israel's ongoing conflicts, featuring the esteemed Dr. Daniel Gordis as our guest. Dr. Gordis provides a comprehensive analysis of the multifaceted issues plaguing Israel, from the judicial reform protests shaking the nation to the intricacies of the two-state solution. We explore the delicate balance between security and peace in the region and examine the impact of these political struggles on everyday life for Israelis. Moreover, Dr. Gordis sheds light on the evolving landscape of Judaism in the modern world and its effects on the Jewish people, offering valuable insights into the diverse ways in which Jewish identity is shaped and expressed today. Tune in for an enlightening discussion that navigates the challenging terrain of Israel's past, present, and future. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Welcome 00:03:14 - The Miracle of Israel 00:09:51 - Protests in Israel 00:19:33 - Two State Solution 00:21:31 - Division Between Us 00:33:19 - BLM & Zionism 00:34:17 - The Conservative Movement Today 00:38:48 - Why are People Not Going To Shul? 00:45:05 - Changes In Today's Judaism 00:50:31 - The Power Of The Holy Land 00:54:54 - Wrapping Up Subscribe to the Wildescast: https://link.chtbl.com/Wildes Website: jewishexperience.org Facebook: facebook.com/ManhattanJewishExperience/ Instagram: instagram.com/M_J_experience/
Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploration into one key issue shaping Israel and the Jewish World — right now. “To Israel's friends in North America, we are taking the unusual step of directly addressing you at a moment of acute crisis in Israel. We write with a sense of anguish and anxiety for the future of our country.” With these words, authors Yossi Klein Halevi, Daniel Gordis and Matti Friedman began a February oped on The Times of Israel that they titled, “An open letter to Israel's friends in North America.” The Times of Israel hosted the trio this week in a webinar and this week's What Matters Now episode is a very lightly edited recording of the event. It's rather long, so we'll get right to it. So this week, we ask Yossi Klein Halevi, Daniel Gordis and Matti Friedman, what matters now. What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on iTunes, TuneIn, Pocket Casts, Stitcher, PlayerFM or wherever you get your podcasts. Image: Anti-overhaul activists protest against the government's judicial overhaul outside the president's residence in Jerusalem, on July 29, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are few terms in the English language which have been as widely misunderstood and misrepresented as Zionism. While anti-Israel detractors claim that Zionism is synonymous with racism, settler-colonialism, and oppression, in reality, it refers to the national liberation movement of the Jewish People. But what exactly does that mean, and in particular, what does Zionism mean for Israel today, a country that gained its independence 75 years ago and despite challenges, is likely as stable and secure as it has ever been? The success of anti-Israel activists in falsely redefining Zionism has not only contributed to the delegitimization of Israel in the international arena; it has also helped drive a wedge between Israel and many Jews, particularly younger Jews, in the Diaspora. Joining us this week to share his expertise on the true nature of Zionism, and its relevance in the contemporary world, we are joined by Daniel Gordis. Daniel is a Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. He is the author of 13 books, including Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, and also hosts a popular blog and podcast, Israel from the Inside. Welcome to The Honest Report podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehonestreport/message
The State of Israel engenders a wide range of emotions among onlookers, running the gamut from admiration to revulsion. In his new book Impossible Takes Longer (https://www.harpercollins.com/products/impossible-takes-longer-daniel-gordis), Daniel Gordis uses a wide lens to assess where the country is today in light of the goals of those who founded it. He joins host Richard Aldous for a broad look at Israel's successes—and its failures. This interview was recorded before the Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin.
This week we are joined by author and journalist Matti Friedman, who recently penned "Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai" (you can hear him discuss it with Bari Weiss here) and before that the incredible "Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel" about the founding of the Mossad and the nation.A former AP correspondent, Matti blew the lid on what the media gets wrong about Israel, in this badass essay in The Atlantic and in Tablet.We cover a lot of ground in this one, and manage to make it all the way to the end without talking about current Israeli politics, but then discuss Matti's impactful and insightful letter to American Jews (with OG's Yossi Klein Halevy and Daniel Gordis) on why they need to raise their voice against Israel's current government. Also: From Toronto to JerusalemThe myth of the KibbutzIf someone offers to introduce you to an old spy - you say yes!There are no delis in israel This ain't Norway Why the media is so obsessed with Israel (maybe because there are more staffers covering Israel than all of China and Africa?)Save us Bruno Mars Herzl the Hipster Media literacy Where does Matti get his information? (in books, like some nerd)News is activism We want to believe...The NY times Can we afford to criticize Israel publicly? Let's end on a pessimistic note J/k we're never letting him go The orthodox scene in israel is thriving...and it's terrifying (to some of us)We want to be socialists, as long as everyone else is a libertarian Draft theo orthodox to the army? Yael puts chaya Leah on the spot Matti's Hotmail We want to give Matti an out but then we remember Indian Jews Questions? Email askajewpod@gmail.comSign up to our substack askajewpod.substack.com
SAPIR Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens interviews Daniel Gordis, author of "Israel Is Less Fragile Than We Feared, More Fragile Than We Imagine"
Seventy-five years ago this week, the Jewish community of Palestine (known as the yishuv) gathered in the art museum of Tel Aviv—then a city of less than 200,000 inhabitants—in order to perform a resurrection. Thirty-seven people—36 men and one woman—were about to sign Israel's Declaration of Independence, which would reestablish Jewish political sovereignty in the Holy Land for the first time since the destruction of the Second Temple 2,000 years ago. They gathered in that museum just three years after the liberation of Auschwitz, just three years after six million Jews were murdered in Europe, to establish Israel as a place where the Jewish people could at last control their own fate and destiny and safety. More than that, in the land of Israel, there was a sense—not just among religious Jews, but all Jews—that they were finally going home. The Israel of the early days—poor, socialist, secular, where food rationing was the norm— feels so far away. Now, Israel is an economic superpower, a world leader in high tech. And the socialist left that built the country has given way to a political right that dominates the Jewish state. But throughout its 75 years, Israel has always prided itself on being the world's only Jewish democracy. A liberal democracy in a sea of undemocratic regimes. Now, hundreds of thousands of Israelis are worried that that identity—an identity that Israelis pride themselves on and have defended since its existence—is in danger. They've been taking to the streets, night after night for the past five months, with Israeli flags in their hands chanting and demanding one thing: “democratya.” Democracy. One of those people is my guest today, Daniel Gordis: rabbi, academic, American Israeli, and author of eight books, including the just published Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? On today's episode, Danny helps us make sense of this complicated, tumultuous, beautiful, often indecipherable place: What did Israel's founders want for the country? Has their promise been fulfilled? How did the Jewish people manage to become a world economic powerhouse after two in every three European Jews had been slaughtered? And in light of the ongoing political turmoil, what does the future of this small, miraculous country—both Jewish and democratic—hold? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In 1948, Israel's founders had much more in mind than the creation of a state. They sought not mere sovereignty but also a “national home for the Jewish people,” where Jewish life would be transformed. Did they succeed? The state they made, says Daniel Gordis, is a place of extraordinary success and maddening disappointment, a story of both unprecedented human triumph and great suffering. Now, as the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using Israel's Declaration of Independence as his measure, Gordis provides a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and how it has fallen short. He discusses the often-overlooked reasons for the establishment of the State of Israel; the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture; the nation's economy and its transformative tech sector; the Israeli-Arab conflict; the distinct form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state; the nation's complex relationship with the Diaspora; and much more. In Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? (Ecco Press, 2023), Gordis brings moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything its founders could have imagined. Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network's Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here. 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 1948, Israel's founders had much more in mind than the creation of a state. They sought not mere sovereignty but also a “national home for the Jewish people,” where Jewish life would be transformed. Did they succeed? The state they made, says Daniel Gordis, is a place of extraordinary success and maddening disappointment, a story of both unprecedented human triumph and great suffering. Now, as the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using Israel's Declaration of Independence as his measure, Gordis provides a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and how it has fallen short. He discusses the often-overlooked reasons for the establishment of the State of Israel; the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture; the nation's economy and its transformative tech sector; the Israeli-Arab conflict; the distinct form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state; the nation's complex relationship with the Diaspora; and much more. In Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? (Ecco Press, 2023), Gordis brings moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything its founders could have imagined. Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network's Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies
In 1948, Israel's founders had much more in mind than the creation of a state. They sought not mere sovereignty but also a “national home for the Jewish people,” where Jewish life would be transformed. Did they succeed? The state they made, says Daniel Gordis, is a place of extraordinary success and maddening disappointment, a story of both unprecedented human triumph and great suffering. Now, as the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using Israel's Declaration of Independence as his measure, Gordis provides a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and how it has fallen short. He discusses the often-overlooked reasons for the establishment of the State of Israel; the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture; the nation's economy and its transformative tech sector; the Israeli-Arab conflict; the distinct form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state; the nation's complex relationship with the Diaspora; and much more. In Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? (Ecco Press, 2023), Gordis brings moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything its founders could have imagined. Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network's Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
In 1948, Israel's founders had much more in mind than the creation of a state. They sought not mere sovereignty but also a “national home for the Jewish people,” where Jewish life would be transformed. Did they succeed? The state they made, says Daniel Gordis, is a place of extraordinary success and maddening disappointment, a story of both unprecedented human triumph and great suffering. Now, as the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using Israel's Declaration of Independence as his measure, Gordis provides a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and how it has fallen short. He discusses the often-overlooked reasons for the establishment of the State of Israel; the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture; the nation's economy and its transformative tech sector; the Israeli-Arab conflict; the distinct form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state; the nation's complex relationship with the Diaspora; and much more. In Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? (Ecco Press, 2023), Gordis brings moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything its founders could have imagined. Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network's Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/israel-studies
In 1948, Israel's founders had much more in mind than the creation of a state. They sought not mere sovereignty but also a “national home for the Jewish people,” where Jewish life would be transformed. Did they succeed? The state they made, says Daniel Gordis, is a place of extraordinary success and maddening disappointment, a story of both unprecedented human triumph and great suffering. Now, as the country marks its seventy-fifth anniversary, Gordis asks: Has Israel fulfilled the dreams of its founders? Using Israel's Declaration of Independence as his measure, Gordis provides a thorough, balanced perspective on how the Israel of today exceeds the country's original aspirations and how it has fallen short. He discusses the often-overlooked reasons for the establishment of the State of Israel; the flourishing of Jewish and Israeli culture; the nation's economy and its transformative tech sector; the Israeli-Arab conflict; the distinct form of Judaism that has emerged in the Jewish state; the nation's complex relationship with the Diaspora; and much more. In Impossible Takes Longer: 75 Years After Its Creation, Has Israel Fulfilled Its Founders' Dreams? (Ecco Press, 2023), Gordis brings moderation and clarity to the prevailing discourse. And through weighing Israel's successes, critiquing its failures, and acknowledging its inherent contradictions, he ultimately suggests that the Jewish state is a success far beyond anything its founders could have imagined. Renee Garfinkel, Ph.D. is a psychologist, writer, Middle East television commentator and host of The New Books Network's Van Leer Jerusalem Series on Ideas. Write her at reneeg@vanleer.org.il. She's on Twitter @embracingwisdom. She blogs here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/van-leer-institute
Matt Crawford speaks with author Daniel Gordis about his book, Impossible Takes Longer. Why was Israel founded? What was its purpose? 75 years after its founding Gordis has written this book to explore those very questions and how it has succeeded and where it has failed. I hope you will give a listen and then read this seminal work.
Items discussed in this episode “Impossible Takes Longer”: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impossible-takes-longer-daniel-gordis/1141759170 “Netanyahu: The Figures Who Formed Him, and the Duties of Jewish Leadership”: https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/israel-zionism/2021/12/netanyahu-the-figures-who-formed-him-and-the-duties-of-jewish-leadership/ “Israel From The Inside”: https://danielgordis.substack.com/
Items discussed in this episode"Impossible Takes Longer":https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/impossible-takes-longer-daniel-gordis/1141759170 "Netanyahu: The Figures Who Formed Him, and the Duties of Jewish Leadership":https://mosaicmagazine.com/observation/israel-zionism/2021/12/netanyahu-the-figures-who-formed-him-and-the-duties-of-jewish-leadership/ "Israel From The Inside":https://danielgordis.substack.com/
Not long after the Napoleon-inspired Sanhedrin had declared the end of Jewish nationalism, small but growing numbers of Jews around the world embarked on three separate efforts that laid the foundation for creating a modern state in the ancient homeland: reviving Hebrew as a language for addressing contemporary issues and for daily living; developing the case for the idea of re-establishing a Jewish state in the land of Israel; and bringing about the settling of the land by Jewish pioneers. This episode describes these activities and the figures who led them from the early 19th century until the middle of its final decade. Supplemental Materials: "How America's Idealism Drained Its Jews of Their Resilience" by Daniel Gordis. "How a Founding Socialist Inspired Karl Marx, and Then Went on to Herald the State of Israel" by Asael Abelman.
As Israel turns 75, has it fulfilled the promise of its founders? Daniel Gordis of Shalem College talks about his book, Impossible Takes Longer, with EconTalk's Russ Roberts looking at the successes and failures of Israel. Topics discussed include the history of Zionism, the plight of the Palestinians, the Jewishness of the Jewish state, and the current debate in Israel over judicial reform.
Should Israelis be inviting Diaspora Jews to intervene in Israel's internal debates? In a recent open letter, Yossi Klein Halevi, Matti Friedman, and Daniel Gordis argue that they must. In this episode, Donniel Hartman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain talk though the letter and explore the tensions between Jewish Peoplehood and national identity, and the responsibility of all Jews to protest policies in the Jewish state that may be antithetical to Jewish values.
“The North American Jewish community has steadfastly come to the aid of Israel at moments of crisis. Israel belongs, first of all, to its citizens, and they have the final word. But Israel also matters to the entire Jewish people. When an Israeli government strays beyond what your commitments to liberal democracy can abide, you have both the right and the responsibility to speak up.” - An open letter to Israel's friends in North America by Matti Friedman, Yossi Klein Halevi, and Daniel Gordis.
The Jewish Story Season 5 Interlude: An Interview with Daniel Gordis Menachem Begin has been part of our exploration of the Jewish Story since the uprising against the British back in 1944, and the Lebanon War was the last chapter … Read the rest The post The Jewish Story Season 5: An Interview with Daniel Gordis first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Jewish Story Season 5: An Interview with Daniel Gordis at Elmad Online Learning.
Before the state of Israel was founded, some early Zionists argued not only for the recovery of Jewish political sovereignty, but also for the emergence of a new type of Jew. This “New Jew,” as they called it, would be free of Judaism's bookish habits and the weight of diaspora Jewish history and be able to take the reigns of the newly independent Jewish polity. Three-quarters of a century after Israel's founding, what is the state of the New Jew? Last month, the Mosaic columnist Eli Spitzer contended that Israel's 21st-century success made it outmoded. Looking around Israel today, he sees the fascinating reemergence of older, diasporic forms of Jewish life rather than the triumph of the New Jew. On the same day that Spitzer published his short reflection, the Mosaic contributor Daniel Gordis published a newsletter in which he came to the opposite conclusion: the state of Israel, he thinks, is “not the end of the Jewish people, just the end of a certain kind of Jewish people.” To him, the New Jew is alive and well. What could we do but convene a conversation on the matter? In this conversation, Gordis spoke with the Israeli historian Asael Abelman and Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver about the the New Jew, the Old Jew, and the types of human personalities that the state of Israel tends to cultivate. This discussion took place live on Tuesday, July 12, in front of Mosaic subscribers. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.
Menachem Begin has been part of our exploration of the Jewish Story since the uprising against the British back in 1944, and the Lebanon War was the last chapter in which he took an active role. In order to give a fitting wrap up to such an important character, here is an interview with Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of the biography Menachem Begin: the battle for Israel's soul. Photo Credit: Yoram Reshef studios
Menachem Begin has been part of our exploration of the Jewish Story since the uprising against the British back in 1944, and the Lebanon War was the last chapter in which he took an active role. In order to give a fitting wrap up to such an important character, here is an interview with Dr. Daniel Gordis, author of the biography Menachem Begin: the battle for Israel's soul. picture credit: Yoram Reshef studios
A virtual event presentation by Former MK Tehila Friedman, Rabbi Dr. Daniel Gordis and Rabbi Avidan Freedman EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: BMH-BJ Congregation ABOUT THE EVENT: The establishment of a Jewish state reintroduced the Jewish people to moral dilemmas of sovereignty and power with which they did not have to grapple for 2000 years. Even 70 years in, some of these challenges have not enjoyed sufficient attention or focus. Former MK Tehila Friedman, Rabbi Daniel Gordis, and Rabbi Avidan Freedman will share political, ideological, historical, and religious perspectives on one of the least well known, and on of the most morally pressing of these challenges, the question of Israeli arms exports. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS: Former MK Tehila Friedman is a former Knesset member, a social entrepreneur, a director in the non-profit world, a writer, speaker, jurist, Jurusalemite, and mother of 5. Rabbi Dr. Daniel Gordis is the Vice President of the Shalem College, a senior Koret fellow, and head of the college's humanities program. Rabbi Avidan Freedman is an educator at the Shalom Hartman Institute's high school and post-high school program, and a co-founder of Yanshoof, an organization dedicated to establishing moral limits for Israeli weapons exports. Learn more at www.yanshoof.org -- DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ www.facebook.com/valleybeitmi... Become a member today, starting at just $18 per month! Click the link to see our membership options: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member/
It's sometimes asserted, particularly in elite circles, that liberal American Jews have grown distant from Israel because of Israel's actions, including those undertaken by longtime and now former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. With the ascension this year of a new prime minister and a new government in Israel, the time has come to reassess that argument and consider it anew. The American-Israeli writer Daniel Gordis disagrees with this idea, that Israel's actions determined American Jewish attitudes. To him, the growing divide between Israeli and American Jews is decidedly not about what Israel does. It is, rather, about what Israel is. The two largest Jewish communities in the world are animated by different attitudes about Jewish life and Jewish prosperity. In this rebroadcast conversation from 2019 between Gordis and Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver, he argues that these more fundamental differences, not the policies of the Netanyahu government or the chief rabbinate, are the true cause of the widening rift between the Jews of Israel and the United States. That suggests that a simple change in a policy—as the new government may bring about—won't bridge the gap. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.
It’s sometimes asserted, particularly in elite circles, that liberal American Jews have grown distant from Israel because of Israel's actions, including those undertaken by longtime and now former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. With the ascension this year of a new prime minister and a new government in Israel, the time has come to reassess that […]
The first comprehensive yet accessible history of the state of Israel from its inception to present day, from Daniel Gordis, "one of the most respected Israel analysts" (The Forward) living and writing in Jerusalem. Israel is a tiny state, and yet it has captured the world's attention, aroused its imagination, and lately, been the object of its opprobrium. Why does such a small country speak to so many global concerns? More pressingly: Why does Israel make the decisions it does? And what lies in its future? We cannot answer these questions until we understand Israel's people and the questions and conflicts, the hopes and desires, that have animated their conversations and actions. Though Israel's history is rife with conflict, these conflicts do not fully communicate the spirit of Israel and its people: they give short shrift to the dream that gave birth to the state, and to the vision for the Jewish people that was at its core. Guiding us through the milestones of Israeli history, Gordis relays the drama of the Jewish people's story and the creation of the state. Clear-eyed and erudite, he illustrates how Israel became a cultural, economic and military powerhouse - but also explains where Israel made grave mistakes and traces the long history of Israel's deepening isolation. With Israel, public intellectual Daniel Gordis offers us a brief but thorough account of the cultural, economic, and political history of this complex nation, from its beginnings to the present. Accessible, levelheaded, and rigorous, Israel sheds light on Israel's past so we can understand its future. The result is a vivid portrait of a people, and a nation, reborn.
Last week, Israel’s Supreme Court announced that, for the purpose of Israeli citizenship, conversions to Judaism that take place under the auspices of the Reform and Conservative movements and within Israel would be recognized by the state. This move ends the Orthodox rabbinate’s exclusive jurisdiction over internal conversions as they relate to citizenship, though not to other domains of religious life like marriage and burial. Though the ruling itself doesn’t affect many people, it is seen as a monumental shift in Israeli society. Why? To answer that question, and to illuminate the many tensions in Israeli life that the court's ruling lays bare, the American-Israeli writer Daniel Gordis joins Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver for this episode of our podcast. Together the two process what the ruling really says, why it happened now, and what it could mean for Israel’s connection to the diaspora, as well as for the role of Jewish law in public life and for its ongoing political fight over the role of the judiciary. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.
Generous Baron Maurice de Hirsch refused to contribute to Herzl's plan which he considered a fantasy. Eventually, as Daniel Gordis points out, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Herzl. “Better luck next time” wasn't an option, and the need to improve resulted in Der Judenstaat. When things look catastrophic there is often a silver lining, case in point: The Auschwitz Protocols. As Dreyfuss languishes on Devil's island, Emil Zola comes to his rescue by publishing, J'accuse. The most important work on sparking antisemitism, the fictitious Protocols of the Elders of Zion, finds an enthusiastic supporter and disseminator in America, car magnate, Henry Ford. Photo Credits: Vrba-Wetzler Memorial Auschwitz Fence – Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem J'accuse headline – J'accuse by Gaumont Cover image Protocols Elders of Zion: Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem Find Video Episodes at http://www.youtube.com/hanochteller Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com © 2021 Media Education Trust llc
Hatikva is unique among national anthems. A maid employed by the French military found a memo in the trash in the German embassy in Paris with military secrets. The French Minister of War connected the document – despite not a shred of evidence – to a Jewish artillery captain, Alfred Dreyfuss, who subsequently was convicted of spying and denounced as a traitor. This set off anti-Jewish rioting, similar to blood libels, which also made no sense, but were lethal and costly for innocent Jewish victims. This was a tipping point for a reporter covering the trial named Theodore Herzl. Generous Baron Maurice de Hirsch refused to contribute to Herzl's plan which he considered a fantasy. Eventually, as Daniel Gordis points out, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Herzl. “Better luck next time” wasn't an option, and the need to improve resulted in Der Judenstaat. When things look catastrophic there is often a silver lining, case in point: The Auschwitz Protocols. As Dreyfuss languishes on Devil's island, Emil Zola comes to his rescue by publishing, J'accuse. The most important work on sparking antisemitism, the fictitious Protocols of the Elders of Zion, finds an enthusiastic supporter and disseminator in America, car magnate, Henry Ford. Photo Credits: Vrba-Wetzler Memorial Auschwitz Fence – Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem J'accuse headline – J'accuse by Gaumont Cover image Protocols Elders of Zion: Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Jerusalem Find Video Episodes at http://www.youtube.com/hanochteller Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com © 2021 Media Education Trust llc Audio Credits: Star Spangled Banner – USA Patriotism.org Hatikva sung by Enrico Massias Visual Credits: Picture of Rabbi Aharon Soloveitchik courtesy of YUTorah.org Picture of Albert Dreyfus – J'accuse! The History of the Dreyfuss Afair. This is Barris! – French History Dreyfuss Humiliation – J'accuse by Gaumont Picture of Le Petit Journal nili.org.il Blood Libel Illustration – Leo Baeck Institute – New York/ Berlin Find Video Episodes at http://www.youtube.com/hanochteller Learn more at TellerFromJerusalem.com
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President, Koret Distinguished Fellow, and Chair of the Core Curriculum at Shalem College. Previously the vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of its Leadership Institute, Gordis was also the founding dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. Author of numerous books, a regular columnist for Bloomberg View and The Jerusalem Post, and a frequent contributor to the New York Times, The Times of Israel, and other leading news outlets, Gordis lectures throughout the world on Israeli society, American-Israeli relations, and the challenges facing the Jewish state. Dr. Gordis is a two-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award, first for Saving Israel: How the Jewish People Can Win a War That May Never End (Wiley, 2010), and then for his Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn (Ecco, 2017), a comprehensive yet accessible single-volume history of the state of Israel from its inception to the present day. Dr. Gordis's other books include Menachem Begin: The Battle for Israel's Soul (Nextbook, 2014), an original examination of Israel's sixth Prime Minister, and The Promise of Israel, Why Its Seemingly Greatest Weakness is Actually its Greatest Strength (Wiley, 2012), which was named by Jewish Ideas Daily as one of the “best Jewish books of 2012.” On this episode of Jewanced, we discussed the following topics and more with Daniel: Shalem College, Israel's first liberal arts college. We review the typical Israeli post-secondary education model and Daniel explains why a place like Shalem is so necessary Daniel shares some thoughts about his recent Covid-19 vaccination that demonstrate the efficiency of the process in Israel and an ‘only in Israel' moment Jewish life in the post-Coronavirus crisis era: we talk about how life for Jews in America is going to become harder, for how Jews in Israel, life is going to become easier, and how that affects relations between the two communities The renaissance of Jewish learning in North America amongst non-traditional streams of Judaism The potential societal impact of an Israel at peace with her neighbors on Israelis, Arabs, and on American Jewry and legacy Jewish organizations in the US The shifting hierarchies of power in the Jewish religious world (in all of its streams) and the possible effects of the post-Covid reality on Haredi society The irrelevancy of the streams of American Judaism (Reform, Conservative, Orthodox – all American creations) in Israel for Israelis Americans perceiving being Jewish primarily as a religion whereas in Israel, being Jewish is perceived (traditional stance) as a tribal peoplehood – ethnicity with a specific belief system – Judaism. I.E. in America, Jew is to Christian whereas in Israel, Jew is to Arab. Another example is that in America, one would answer the question ‘who is more Jewish' based on their level of religious observance whereas in Israel, it's a ridiculous question. One's level of observance has nothing to do with whether one is more or less Jewish than another. You can't be more or less Jewish. Worry about the substance of North American Judaism in a context where Israel is less of a tying bind or issue The ‘burning out' of Tikkun Olam as what being Jewish is about in the US American Jews, Israelis, and resilience Zionism, social change and liberation movements Daniel talks about his relationship with Peter Beinart who, he feels, as an advocate for the end of Zionism and Israel as a Jewish State has become an enemy of the Jewish people What Jewish and Democratic looks like in the Israeli context Links to purchase books by Daniel Gordis: We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel on https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H4WNJFW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0 (Amazon)
The year 2020 has been one of real suffering. The Coronavirus has infected tens of millions the world over and has taken the lives of a quarter of a million Americans. It’s decimated the economy, shuttered businesses, brought low great cities, and immiserated millions who could not even attend funerals or weddings, visit the sick, or console the demoralized. This podcast focuses on how to think Jewishly about suffering and about the sources of Jewish fortitude in the face of tragedy and challenge. In his October 2020 Mosaic essay, “How America’s Idealism Drained Its Jews of Their Resilience,” Shalem College’s Daniel Gordis examines recent experiences of Jewish suffering and how different Jewish communities responded to it. In doing so, he makes the case that Jewish tradition and Jewish nationalism endow the Jewish soul with the resources to persevere in the face of adversity. Liberal American Jewish communities, by contrast, have no such resources to draw upon. He joins Jonathan Silver to discuss his essay and more. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.
Valley Beit Midrash is proud to present our Annual Hammerman Lecture featuring Dr. Daniel Gordis (https://danielgordis.org/). Dr. Gordis presented his virtual lecture "The Seismic Shift in American Jewish Life – Where Are We Headed?" The Hammerman Family Lecture is a special opportunity for the Greater Phoenix Jewish Community to hear from world-class speakers. Stan & Cheryl Hammerman are pillars of the VBM community and we are fortunate for their continued support. Valley Beit Midrash is proud to present our Annual Hammerman Lecture featuring Dr. Daniel Gordis (https://danielgordis.org/). Dr. Gordis presented his virtual lecture "The Seismic Shift in American Jewish Life – Where Are We Headed?" The Hammerman Family Lecture is a special opportunity for the Greater Phoenix Jewish Community to hear from world-class speakers. Stan & Cheryl Hammerman are pillars of the VBM community and we are fortunate for their continued support. Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. The author of more than ten books, Gordis is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and writes regularly for the Jerusalem Post. Gordis’ history of the State of Israel, entitled Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, received the 2016 National Jewish Book Award as “Book of the Year.” Ambassador Dennis Ross, reflecting on the book, wrote, “When I am asked ‘Is there one book to read about Israel?’ I now have an answer.” Yossi Klein Halevi wrote, “Daniel Gordis has written a luminous history …. Gordis gives us the soul of Israel, and helps explain why the most hated country on the planet is also among the most beloved.” Gordis’ newest book is entitle We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel (publication in September 2019). Ambassador Michael Oren, reflecting on the book, wrote, “Impassioned, brilliant, and riveting, We Stand Divided is the essential book for understanding American Jewish-Israel relations. Gordis has made an outstanding contribution to the field.” Gordis and his wife live in Jerusalem. They have three married children and two granddaughters. DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash
Daniel Gordis, Senior VP and Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem and author of Israel – A Nation Reborn, responds to Peter Beinart’s article calling for a one-state solution and an end to the Jewish State of Israel. With Mark S. Golub.
This week, we speak to Representative Ted Deutch (D-FL) about the letter he and fellow representatives wrote in opposition to unilateral annexation, and what the future holds for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Then, we’re joined by Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College, on why the two-state solution is still worth pursuing. We close out with Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur, France’s foremost female rabbi, speaking about how to have conversations about antisemitism, racism, and interfaith relations in a secular society. Show notes: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/end-the-jewish-state-lets-try-some-honesty-first/
Check out our high school offerings at www.tikvahfund.org/hs The establishment of the State of Israel is one of the most remarkable achievements of the modern era. Never before had a people dispersed throughout the world, deprived of sovereignty for millennia, returned to its ancient homeland to build a thriving country. Who were the leaders and thinkers that helped craft a modern Jewish nationalism for a people so long deprived of self-determination? What moved them? What were their political teachings and key disagreements? In this episode, Ari discusses with Daniel Gordis his four-part exploration of the writings, legacies, and debates of Zionism's early thinkers. Students study the teachings of Theodor Herzl, Micha Josef Berdichevsky, Ahad Ha'am, Isaac Jacob Reines, Abraham Isaac Kook, and other representatives of modern Jewish nationalist thought. In doing so, Dr. Gordis shows how the founding disagreements within Secular Zionism, Religious Zionism, and Ultra-Orthodoxy can shed light on the spirit of Jewish nationalism and the internal conflicts Israel still faces today. Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem. Read more about the course: https://www.dropbox.com/s/e6yan8k52290ygc/The%20Zionist%20Ideas%20-%20Reader.pdf?dl=0
Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President and the Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College. The author of more than ten books, Gordis is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion and writes regularly for the Jerusalem Post. Gordis’ history of the State of Israel, entitled Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn, received the 2016 National Jewish Book Award as “Book of the Year.” Gordis’ writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, The New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Azure, Commentary Magazine and Foreign Affairs, and his books have received numerous awards. Professor Alan Dershowitz has called Gordis “one of Israel’s most thoughtful observers.” I sat down with Danny in his office at Shalem College in Jerusalem. We spoke about his newest book We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews and Israel, what’s causing the tension between some part of the American Jewish community and the state of Israel and what can be done about it.
In the past few months, we have had a bunch of episodes on Israel. Each one has been special in its own right, and for the foreseeable future we will continue to have a few more episodes on these topics. This episode is a bit different. It’s longer, and more importantly deeper. Our guest, Haviv Rettig Gur, touches on the usual newsy topics like Bibi Netanyahu, and we go to the places that beg for more attention, like the fraying ties between Israel and American Jews. He brilliantly illuminates everything from Israel’s long term strategy against Hamas to his motivation from Maimonides to explore journalism. Haviv Rettig Gur is "The Times of Israel" Senior Analyst, meaning he does the deep dive pieces on subjects beyond the headlines. Before that, he was a correspondent for "The Jerusalem Post," and Gur was also the director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel. _________________________________________________ The article by Micah Goodman that was mentioned: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/04/eight-steps-shrink-israeli-palestinian-conflict/585964/ Gur's Article on Gantz and Netanahyu on the Gaza situation: https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-netanyahu-and-gantz-bicker-most-over-the-policy-they-most-agree-on/ Gur's Review of Dr. Daniel Gordis's new book on the US and Israeli Jewry: https://www.timesofisrael.com/a-new-book-explores-the-ties-that-no-longer-bind-the-jews-its-a-good-start/ Favorite podcast: "Lexicon Valley" Most insightful accounts on Social Media: Facebook--The Hebrew Academy of Israel / Twitter--Pew Research Center Book(s) that have most shaped your thinking: "The Dispossessed" -- Ursula K. Le Guin "The Ethics of Authenticity" -- Charles Taylor "The Righteous Mind" -- Jonathon Haidt _________________________________________________ From our sponsor: Link to Tikvah Fund high school program application -- https://tikvahfund.org/hs/tsp2020/overview/
The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for 10/10/19.
Allison Kaplan Sommer, Don Futterman and Noah Efron discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. --The President-- Has Israeli President Reuven Rivlin finally solved the ancient riddle: When is a Prime Minister not a Prime Minister? --The Prime Minister-- Why o’ why won’t anyone negotiate with poor Prime Minister Netanyahu? --The General-- Lt. General Benny Gantz got more votes than anyone else in last month’s elections. So why is he playing rope-a-dope, instead of coming out punching? --Can Benny Gantz Heal the Rift Between U.S. Jews and Israel?-- For our most generous Patreon patrons, in our extra-special, special extra segment, we discuss a recent essay in the NY Times by Daniel Gordis, headlined: “Benny Gantz Can’t Heal the Rift between US Jews and Israel.” Its thesis is that American Jews are from progressive Mars and Israeli Jews are from rough-and-tumble, ethno-nationalist Venus. Does he have a point? All this and music of Renewal and Repentance, for the Days of Awe. --Music-- El Nora ‘Alila by Netta Alkayam Adon ha-Selihot by Yesh La Chaver Keter Melucha by Yoni Genut, with Yishai Rivo, Ilan Damari, and Roey Adari Seder ha-‘Avodah by Yishai Ribo
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College (https://shalem.ac.il/en/) on the topic of "The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." Dr. Gordis is also the author of the new book "We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2kAB4mY For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash
The occupation. The Western Wall. The nation-state Law. The warm bonhomie between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. The rift between American and Israeli Jews grows daily. How did this happen? Wasn’t Israel an issue of consensus in the American Jewish community until just recently? Wasn’t Israel the rare cause that could unite Jews across the political and denominational spectrum? Against the conventional wisdom, Daniel Gordis of Shalem College believes that this growing divide is decidedly not about what Israel does. It is, rather, about what Israel is. In a series of insightful articles as well as a forthcoming book, Gordis argues that the two largest Jewish communities in the world are animated by different attitudes about the purpose of Jewish life, and what it takes for the Jews to prosper. And these more fundamental differences, not the policies of the Netanyahu government or the Chief Rabbinate, are the true cause of the widening rift between the Jews of Israel and the United States. In this podcast, Daniel Gordis and Jonathan Silver sit down for a discussion about the complex relationship between American and Israeli Jews. They review the long history of American Jewish ambivalence toward Zionism, explore the different theories that motivate the Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel, and try to define what it means to be a Zionist living in America. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble as well as “Great Feeling” by Alex Kizenkov.
This week, Uri and Rivky discuss a recent flurry of articles discussing the relationship between American Jews and Israeli Jews. In the Forward, Peter Beinart warns that American Jews reject Birthright if they don't address, head on, Israel's fraught relationship with the Palestinians. In the New York Times, Jonathan Weisman warns that American Jews are facing a division between their brethren and their values. And in Times of Israel, Daniel Gordis, responding to Beinart and Weisman, tells American Jews to take a step back and have some hubris in their approach to Israel. After reading all three, Rivky and Uri have to ask, who's right? If this problem is real, is it fixable, or is the breakup inevitable? And do American Jews, or Israeli Jews, really think it's a problem that they care to fix? Relevant links: Peter Beinart on Birthright: https://forward.com/opinion/416968/birthright-will-fail-if-it-cant-adapt-to-the-needs-of-young-jews-that/ Jonathan Weisman on the potential split: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/opinion/sunday/israeli-jews-american-jews-divide.html Daniel Gordis telling American Jews to calm down: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-american-zionist-assault-on-israel/
Daniel Gordis, author of “Israel : A Concise History of a Nation Reborn” discusses the history of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Dr Daniel Gordis, senior vice president and the Koret Distringuished Fellow at Shalem College in College, writes a regular column for the Jerusalem Post and is a regular contributor to the New York Times. In this episode, he discusses Israels Dilemma: the Occupation, the Jewish Soul and Security and his most recent book, Israel: A concise history of a nation reborn.
Vanguard founder Jack Bogle on what he thinks of ETFs, bitcoin and the bond market. Daniel Gordis, Bloomberg View columnist and Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College in Jerusalem, on his column: "Trump Is Clear on Jerusalem; His Motives Are Not." Bill Sandbrook, CEO of US Concrete, on outlook for infrastructure and current projects in development. Randy Frederick, VP of Trading and Derivatives at Schwab, discusses his outlook for markets in 2018 and on his top investing trends.
In the most recent episode, Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis grappled with the American Jewish millennials who have started to lose faith in the Two-State Solution. The Two-State Solution has long been considered the only legitimate end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but new times are prompting the question: what if the Two-State Solution is dead? Is there any way to solve the conflict without it? And is it worth it to make small improvements, or should people wait until a solution is finalized before making changes to the reality on the ground?
The Israeli occupation in the West Bank has polarized the American Jewish community. One demonstration of this fact is in IfNotNow, who has emerged as one of the most influential movements on the Jewish left. Members of IfNotNow are expressing their disdain for Israeli policy by actively pushing American Jews to stop supporting the occupation.In the 11th episode of Fault Lines' first season, Daniel Gordis and Peter Beinart discuss IfNotNow, its protest at AIPAC, and its implication for the future of the American Jewish community. Peter Beinart has written about IfNotNow in the past, from a complimentary and critical perspective, and espouses a generally favorable opinion towards the young group. At the beginning of this podcast, Daniel Gordis calls them naive, and stated that he “was infuriated” by IfNotNow's actions at the AIPAC Policy Conference.
Fault Lines episode 10Listen as Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis parse the Israeli conflict. The issues are vast and the opinions fly during the course of this conversation. Learn about the historic issues that plague this region. Can this conflict ever be resolved? Is it possible for President Donald Trump to make a historic deal resulting in peace? What are your thoughts? Start the conversation here community@forward.com
Comfort is not a Jewish value.Listen to Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis' lively conversation regarding the Jewish community's response to President Donald Trump. What role does journalism play? Who has assumed Heschel's role today of opining on current events through the lens of Jewish ethics? And what is the impact of money and fundraising play on taking a public stance?
Israel is at war over the battle for legitimacy. Listen to the lively discussion from Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis as they unpack these complicated issues.
Peter Beinart and Daniel Gordis delve into the complex issues American Jews face on college campuses today.
Listen in on the engaging debates between Forward senior columnist, Peter Beinart and Koret Distinguished Fellow, Daniel Gordis as they cross their ideological divides to tackle pressing issues facing the Jewish community. Peter and Daniel prove that meaningful conversation can take place despite significant fault lines.
Madlik Podcast – Torah Thoughts on Judaism From a Post-Orthodox Jew
Mixed Marriages – In or out? Join us as we imagine how Jewish Law and accepted practice could adjust to the alarmingly high rate of intermarriage in the USA and the subsequent loss of households identifying with the Jewish people. ---------------- Notes The Pew Survey Reanalyzed: More Bad News, but a Glimmer of Hope – by JACK WERTHEIMER AND STEVEN M. COHEN It's time to allow Conservative rabbis to officiate at interfaith weddings By Seymour Rosenbloom April 4, 2016 Jethro נָבֹל תִּבֹּל גַּם אַתָּה גַּם הָעָם הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עִמָּךְ כִּי כָבֵד מִמְּךָ הַדָּבָר לֹא תוּכַל עֲשׂהוּ לְבַדֶּךָ You will surely wear yourself out both you and these people who are with you for the matter is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. Exodus 18: 18 Daughters of Zelophechad לָמָּה יִגָּרַע שֵׁם אָבִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁפַּחְתּוֹ כִּי אֵין לוֹ בֵּן תְּנָה לָּנוּ אֲחֻזָּה בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵי אָבִינוּ Why should our father's name be eliminated from his family because he had no son? Give us a portion along with our father's brothers. Numbers 36 Rashi: because he had no son: But if he had a son, they would have made no claim at all. This teaches us that they were intelligent women. — [Sifrei Pinchas 15, Sifrei Pinchas 13] Usury Exodus 22:24 (25)—If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest. אִם-כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת-עַמִּי, אֶת-הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ--לֹא-תִהְיֶה לוֹ, כְּנֹשֶׁה; לֹא-תְשִׂימוּן עָלָיו, נֶשֶׁךְ Deuteronomy 23:21 (20)—Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou puttest thy hand unto, in the land whither thou goest in to possess it. לַנָּכְרִי תַשִּׁיךְ, וּלְאָחִיךָ לֹא תַשִּׁיךְ--לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ, עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר-אַתָּה בָא-שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ Heter Isaka see How Does a Heter Iska Work? By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff Heter Mechira, In the modern era, as Jews started to return to the land of Israel, the struggling farmers trying against all odds to eke out a marginal existence were confronted with the biblical law of shemita.. the requirement to let the land lie fallow every 7 years. In 1888 a bunch of the most esteemed Europeanrabbis (and the Chief Rabbi of Jaffa) came up with an innovative idea which has become known as the heter mechira (literally: permission to sell). They proposed, that just as on Passover we sell our Hametz to a non-Jew, for the Sabattical year of rest, the entire land of Israel may be sold to a gentile, so that the Jews could work the land. …By the time the next shmita cycle came around in 1895-1896, the rabbinic authorities had joined a united front permitting the sale of the land for that sabbatical year. The rabbis concluded that reality dictated a need for such action because the people could not observe the laws of shmita. In the years of 1910 and 1911, Rav Kook allowed for the sale of the land as well, reaffirming that although it was not ideal, it served an important purpose. …In the years that followed, the decision to sell the land was reevaluated before the arrival of each shmita cycle. Once the State of Israel was established, the Rabbanut (Chief Rabbinate) accepted the sale of the land every year until as recently as 2007-2008. (See Whose Land is it Anyway? By: Nava Billet published in the Yeshiva University Student Newspaper). Gathering pace, rogue Israeli conversion court racks up new Jews Assimilation is here’ says Tzohar chairman Rabbi Stav Rabbi: Conversion Panel to Prevent Intermarriage Ger Katan in the Talmud: see Hebrew and here in English Tircha DeTzibut – טורח ציבור Undo Duress to the community אין גוזרין יותר משלש עשרה תעניות על הצבור לפי שאין מטריחין את הצבור יותר מדאי דברי רבי Taanit 14b A decree that a majority of the community can live with גזירה אין גוזרין גזירה על הצבור, אלא אם כן רוב הצבור יכולין לעמוד בה. קודם הנהגת תקנות וגזירות, על בית דין לבדוק אם רוב הציבור יכול לעמוד בה. עבודה זרה לו, א When a court sees it necessary to issue a decree, institute an edict, or establish a custom, they must first contemplate the matter and see whether or not the majority of the community can uphold the practice. We never issue a decree on the community unless the majority of the community can uphold the practice. See Maimonides Code Mishne Torah Mamrim - Chapter 2 especially laws 5 - 9 On Status and Identity See: Pledges of Jewish Allegiance: Conversion, Law, and Policymaking in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Orthodox Responsa 2012 by David Ellenson and Daniel Gordis See: On Proving Jewish Identity Oct. 2011 by Rabbi Reuven Hammer The Rambam in Isurei Biah 19:17 cites the rule in Kiddushin 76b above and states: All familes stand in the presumption of fitness and may enter into marriage from the very beginning.
In this episode, Jeff and Eli are joined by Rabbi Sara Zacharia to conclude their discussion about the role of women in Judaism.Show Notes:To read Rabbi Pamela Barmash's Teshuva click here.To see evidence that Daniel Gordis lost his mind click here.To learn more about JTS click here.To learn more about Ziegler click here.
On the next edition of The Israel Show: We feature an interview with Rabbi Dr Gidon Rothstein on "Why most observant Jewish Americans don't seriously consider fulfilling the mitzvah of living in Israel" We'll share a piece by Daniel Gordis of the Shalem Center, who brings a new and unique take on the question "Why Europe Has a Problem with Israel" (it's NOT the usual suspects) Possibly a Meir Millim segment on the phrase "ben ha'mei'tzarim" (depending on wether i finish it on time) updates on events in israel and slow and inspirational Israeli music, appropriate for the "three weeks"
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis about their new book Pledges of Jewish Alleglance:Conversion,Law and Policy-Making In Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century Orthodox Responsa. Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis probe the challenges to Jewish self-definition in the modern period by examining a wide array of legal opinions on conversion and intermarriage, written by nineteenth- and twentieth-century Orthodox rabbis in Europe, the United States, and Israel, and discover how these rabbinic decisions are, in fact, attempts to define policy for Judaism in the modern period.
In this episode, Aaron “The Schmoz” Herman had the opportunity to speak with Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis about their new book Pledges of Jewish Alleglance:Conversion,Law and Policy-Making In Nineteenth-and Twentieth-Century Orthodox Responsa. Dr. David Ellenson and Dr. Daniel Gordis probe the challenges to Jewish self-definition in the modern period by examining a wide array of legal opinions on conversion and intermarriage, written by nineteenth- and twentieth-century Orthodox rabbis in Europe, the United States, and Israel, and discover how these rabbinic decisions are, in fact, attempts to define policy for Judaism in the modern period.
Be sure to visit us at our official home: www.yourjewishneighborhood.org This week's links: Saving Israel, by Daniel Gordis (from the right) Saving Israel on Amazon.com Reviews of "Saving Israel The Holocaust is Over, by Avraham Burg (from the left) The Independent's feature story on "The Holocaust is Over" The Holocaust is Over on Amazon.com
Part 2 The post Saving Israel — An Interview with Jewish Perspective Radio, part 2 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
JPR1 The post Saving Israel – an Interview with Jewish Perspective Radio, Part 1 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
great synagogue The post appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
delegitimizing The post Delegitimizing Israel – The Arab World’s New Tactic (December 11, 2009) appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
Unabashed Zionist Part 1 The post Not a Moment’s Regret: Reflections of an Unabashed Zionist, Part 1 of 2, November 2009 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
Unabashed Zionist Part 2 The post Not a Moment’s Regret: Reflections of an Unabashed Zionist, Part 2 of 2, November 2009 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
Wolpe Part 1 The post Conversation with David Wolpe (AJU – Nov 09) Part 1 of 2 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
Wolpe Part 2 The post Conversation with David Wolpe (AJU – Nov 09) Part 2 of 2 appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
2048 The post appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
Saving Israel The post appeared first on Daniel Gordis.
In 2006 Israel went from being essentially at peace to being embroiled in a vicious war on two fronts. Was Israel weakened in the Hezbollah War? Can the Jewish State survive? How will Israel, and Israelis, have to change, if Israel is to reach the age of 100? Join author and vice-president of the Mandel Foundation Daniel Gordis. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 12108]
In 2006 Israel went from being essentially at peace to being embroiled in a vicious war on two fronts. Was Israel weakened in the Hezbollah War? Can the Jewish State survive? How will Israel, and Israelis, have to change, if Israel is to reach the age of 100? Join author and vice-president of the Mandel Foundation Daniel Gordis. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 12108]
In 2006 Israel went from being essentially at peace to being embroiled in a vicious war on two fronts. Was Israel weakened in the Hezbollah War? Can the Jewish State survive? How will Israel, and Israelis, have to change, if Israel is to reach the age of 100? Join author and vice-president of the Mandel Foundation Daniel Gordis. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 12108]