Podcast appearances and mentions of Israel Prize

ADA: MY MOTHER THE ARCHITECT is a documentary directed by Yael Melamede, the daughter of the titular mother, Ada Karim-Melamede.Karim-Melamede is one of Israel's finest architects, receiving the Israel Prize for architecture in 2007, an honor she shares with both her father and brother. She co-designed Israel's Supreme Court with her brother from 1982 to 1992. This was a move intended to only keep her separate from her American-based husband and three kids for a year. 40 years later, Ada continues to live alone in Tel Aviv.This tension between mother and daughter is inherent to the story, but never beholden to it. Yael, a self-proclaimed failed architect in her own right, approaches interviewing her mother against a typical cradle-to-career-to-family path. She gets Ada to talk the most by asking about architecture.It's through Ada's breakdowns of five concepts that Yael is able to blend a primer on architectural appreciation with her mother's history. This movie coming in the wake of THE BRUTALIST's success last year doesn't surprise me. What it does do, however, is expand the horizons of my understanding. You can look at a pretty building all day, but once you understand how the architect chooses, characterizes, synthesizes each decision, almost like a filmmaker blocking each frame? It's hard to ever again look at a building with merely a passive gaze.Via Ada's conversations about architectural roots, the role of one's heart, the passage of time and the need to respect the past when it comes time to carve a creative future, I learn about this woman's devotion to the environment, history, the fulfillment of a grand ideological promise, and mostly, the benefits of creating within a community.What Yael Melamede is able to pull off in 80 minutes is astonishing. I shouldn't have expected any less from someone with such a history in design. ---Please rate, review & subscribe to The Movies wherever you listen to podcasts!Follow The Movies on Instagram & Letterboxd

Among the recipients of the Israel Prize this year is Prof. Yinon Ben Neriah of the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who was recognized for his groundbreaking research in cancer. A distinguished physician, immunologist, and leading cancer researcher, Ben-Neriah's pioneering work has significantly advanced understanding of the biological mechanisms linking chronic inflammation and cancer. Notably, his research identified key processes by which inflammation facilitates cancer development, leading to the creation of novel therapeutic strategies. He spoke to KAN reporter Naomi Segal. (Photo: Bruno Charbit)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A powerful hero of the Bible, Jacob is also one of its most complex figures.Join us with Israel Prize winner Professor Yair Zakovitch, author of Jacob: Unexpected Patriarch, as we explore the many layers of the life of the patriarch—Jacob's wanderings, revelations, disgraces, disappointments, and ultimate success.

After Auschwitz, Anita Shapira says, Jews understood the necessity of power—and the necessity of statehood.A leading Israeli historian and author, she is professor emerita of Jewish History at Tel Aviv University and founder of the Yitzhak Rabin Center. When Anita Shapira speaks, her words are informed by acute expertise of Israeli and Jewish history—as evidenced by her many accolades and awards, including the Israel Prize for research on Jewish history in 2008.Having published groundbreaking studies on the history of Zionism, Jewish-Arab relations, and the state of Israel, Anita Shapira is a vital voice for all things Israel—past, present, and future.Now, she sits down with us to answer 18 questions on Israel, including wiping out Hamas, Israel's catastrophe up North, her sense of Israel's future, and so much more.This interview was held on June 19.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?Is there anything miraculous about Israeli history?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 — such as 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?Are there parts of Israeli-Palestinian history that it is unhelpful to discuss?What should happen with Gaza after the war?What is something you were wrong about in your historical views?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?

On a foggy morning in London, over a century ago, a visionary chemist met with one of Britain's most influential politicians. This wasn't just any meeting; it was a pivotal moment that would forever alter the course of Jewish history. Chaim Weizmann, a Russian immigrant and a passionate Zionist, found himself in the drawing room of Lord Arthur James Balfour. Armed with his sharp intellect and relentless drive, Weizmann presented his case for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. His argument was compelling, blending the urgent need for a safe haven for Jews with the potential benefits to the British Empire. This meeting, pivotal in its outcome, led to the historic Balfour Declaration of 1917, which proclaimed British support for the establishment of "a national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine. Today, we delve into this extraordinary story with Professor Jehuda Reinharz, a distinguished historian and former President of Brandeis University. As co-author of the biography "Chaim Weizmann: A Biography," Professor Reinharz brings us closer to understanding the man behind the political triumph. Through his journey from the shtetls of Belarus to the highest echelons of global politics, Weizmann navigated the turbulent waters of early 20th-century geopolitics with a singular goal: the realization of a Jewish state. Professor Jehuda Reinharz is currently the Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History at Brandeis University. He served as the President of Brandeis University from 1994 to 2010. Professor Reinharz is the recipient of the President of Israel Prize along with many other awards and accolades, far too long to list. We are thrilled to be joined on the podcast today by Professor Jehuda Reinharz to discuss the life and legacy of Chaim Weizmann, the current state of affairs for Zionism, and of course, as we have one of American academia's foremost scholars with us, the recent anti-Israel protests across US university campuses. Stay tuned, this episode is sure to be an interesting one. "Chaim Weizmann: A Biography" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chaim-Weizmann-Biography-Institute-European/dp/1684581966

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring one key issue currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World. This week, host deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan speaks with legal expert Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy. October 7 was not the first time that rape was weaponized in warfare. If history teaches anything, it also won't be the last. Almost immediately following Hamas's murderous onslaught on southern Israel, humanitarian law expert Elkayam-Levy established and now heads The Civil Commission on Oct. 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children. Elkayam-Levy is a Sophie Davis Post-Doctoral Fellow at Hebrew University's Leonard Davis Institute's program on Gender, Conflict Resolution and addition to lecturing at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at Reichman University, she, along with her staff, has poured over thousands of pieces of documentation that chronicle Hamas's systemic use of rape and sexual violence against women. The silence and lack of condemnation of this violence from international bodies, including the 30-year-old United Nations office of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, has been deafening to Israeli women. But domestically, Elkayam-Levy was recently awarded the Israel Prize, the highest honor the state of Israel bestows, as well as other honors. Borschel-Dan visited the headquarters of the Civil Commission on Oct. 7th Crimes by Hamas against Women and Children for a wide-ranging conversation. Listener discretion is advised. So this week, we ask Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, what matters now? What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves.  IMAGE: Law prof Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy (Martine Hami)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Independence Day is the day the Israel Prize is handed out. This year's recipient of the Israel Prize for Entrepreneurship and Technological Innovation is being awarded to Eyal Waldman. One of the leading entrepreneurs in Israel, he was the founder of Mellanox, which produces components for high speed communication networks.  Waldman has been a harsh critic of the government and even more so since his daughter Danielle was murdered at the massacre at the Nova Party on October 7th. Education Minister Yoav Kish tried to keep the prize from Waldman, but he pushed ahead to receive the award. He spoke with reporter Arieh O'Sullivan about his efforts and his vision for Israel. (photo:Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miriam Peretz is an Israeli educator and public speaker.  After the deaths of two of her sons during their service in the Israel Defense Forces, Peretz became a lecturer on Zionism and living with loss. She was the recipient of the Israel Prize in 2018, for lifetime achievement. In May 2021, Peretz announced that she would run for President of Israel in the 2021 election as an Independent candidate. She ended up losing the election to Isaac Herzog. R' Avi Berman is the Executive Director of the OU in Israel and joins this episode with Miriam to share sentiments and thoughts relating to Yom Hazikaron and Yom Hatzmaut.

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Steinberg is an Israel Prize laureate for his 'Encyclopedia of Jewish Medical Ethics, director of the Medical Ethics Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center, co-chair of the Israel National Council of Bioethics, and advisor to the Israeli Knesset on medical ethics. In this session, Rabbi Steinberg explores the complex Halachic viewpoints on the moment of death and organ donation, bridging ethical, medical, and spiritual dimensions. This topic is crucial for understanding the intricate balance between life's end and medical ethics from a Jewish perspective. The session includes a Q&A moderated by Dr. Jonah Rubin of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. #medicalethics #medicalhalacha #endoflife #organdonation #grandrounds

David Weisburd is Distinguished Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University and the Walter E. Meyer Professor of Law and Criminal Justice at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His current research interests are focused on the criminology of place, policing, and research methods. He has received several awards such as the Stockholm Prize in Criminology, the American Society of Criminology's Sutherland Award, the (ASC) August Vollmer Award, and the Israel Prize, among many others. We discuss the origins of the criminology of place and some of David's work on crime concentrating in certain micro geographic locations. 

Moshe Idel, considered the world's leading scholar of Jewish mysticism by many, joins us in conversation to discuss his unique relationship to the texts of Jewish mysticism, his psychedelics experiences and the role of mystical experiences in the study of mysticism, Jewish Mysticism's relationship to other mystical traditions, ‘Unio Mystica' in Judaism and the techniques employed to achieve it, the Divine Feminine and the centrality of Mitzvot in Kabbalah and lastly whether he finds any truth, meaning or beauty in mysticism. Join us for this momentous conversation. Moshe Idel is a Senior Research Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and the Max Cooper Professor of Jewish Thought at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Professor Idel has served as a visiting professor and researcher at universities and institutions worldwide, including Yale, Harvard, and Princeton universities in the United States, and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. Professor Idel's book, Ben: Sonship and Jewish Mysticism, won the 2007 National Jewish Book Award, and was published by the Institute's Kogod Library of Judaic Studies. In total, he has published over one hundred books, translated into a dozen different languages. Amongst a long list of professional achievements, Professor Idel was a recipient of the Rothschild Prize for Jewish studies in 2012, and was elected to the Israel Academy for Sciences and Humanities in 2006. In 1999, he became an Israel Prize laureate for excellent achievement in the field of Jewish philosophy. 00:00 Excerpt 00:33 Overview 00:53 Biographical 08:23 The Accidental Scholar 11:15 Reading Manuscripts 13:23 Meeting Scholem 17:03 New Perspectives 20:59 Documentation 22:15 The Enigma 27:54 Instability of Texts 32:26 ‘Phenomenological' 37:28 Communicating with Kabbalists 39:03 Experiencing with the Mystics 40:35 Easy Experiences 41:39 Abulafia 48:11 Unio Mystica 52:04 Jewish Unio Mystica 53:47 Techniques 54:32 The Common 57:08 Whence the Drive? 1:03:00 Definition 1:02:32 Continuity 1:06:36 Hans Jonas 1:08:22 Traditionalism 1:09:10 Inner Readings 1:12:15 Divine Feminine 1:17:58 Mitzvot 1:19:48 Terrestrial Mysticism 1:21:25 Unique to Jewish Mysticism? 1:23:14 The Essence of Jewish Mysticism? 1:24:28 Italian Kabbalists 1:25:58 Perennialism & Eranos 1:30:29 Unity? 1:32:08 Beyond Particularism? 1:34:09 Truth? 1:36:49 Meaning? 1:38:42 Hasidism Ashkenaz 1:45:10 The Besht 1:47:36 Lightning Round 1:58:15 Jewish Mysticism and other Mysticism 2:03:36 Final Questions 2:05:14 Thank you 2:06:34 Beauty Join us: https://discord.gg/EQtjK2FWsm https://facebook.com/seekersofunity https://instagram.com/seekersofunity https://www.twitter.com/seekersofu https://www.seekersofunity.com Support us: patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seekers paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=RKCYGQSMJFDRU

Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploration into one key issue shaping Israel and the Jewish World — right now. This week, Jews all over the world will mark the holiday of Shavuot by reading from the Book of Ruth. In this biblical tale, disaster and famine strike and an elderly widow called Naomi loses her two sons. Childless, she tells her daughters-in-law to return to their parents' homes in Moab and says that she will make her own way back to her family in Bethlehem. One daughter-in-law, Orpah, regretfully leaves. The other, Ruth, says the famous lines, “Where you go I will go, and where you slumber I will slumber. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” And with that, she joins the People of Israel and eventually becomes the ancestor of the much-heralded King David. The Book of Ruth was written about 2,500 years ago. However, argues our guest this week, it couldn't be more relevant today as a model of “creative halacha.” Israel Prize-winning Bible scholar Prof. Yair Zakovitch joined The Times of Israel this week in his Hebrew University book-lined office to discuss the societal context of the Book of Ruth and the halachic “problems” it solves. The author of best-selling works on the Bible was born in the pluralistic northern city of Haifa in 1945 and joined the faculty of Hebrew University in 1978. When awarded the Israel Prize for Bible in 2021, then Education Minister Yoav Gallant said, "Yair Zakovitch is one of the most original Bible researchers in the country and the world." To bring the Bible to the next generation, Zakovtich helped found the Hebrew University's Revivim program, a prestigious teacher-training program for outstanding university students, who sign on to teach in state schools post-graduation. In our in-depth conversation on the Book of Ruth, we hear how the scroll's author — in opposition to the writers of the contemporary prophets — offers a scripture of compassion in solving that era's challenge with intermarriage. We also hear about today's rampant biblical illiteracy and why it is immensely important for secular Israelis to readopt the Bible for themselves. This Shavuot week, we ask Prof. Yair Zakovitch, 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: Prof. Yair Zakovitch in his Hebrew University of Jerusalem office, May 23, 2023. (Amanda Borschel-Dan/Times of Israel)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

300 senior  economists have warned in a letter of the grave damage that will be caused by the transfer of unprecedented sums to to the Haredim and called on the government to reconsider. Among other things, they said that the Haredi public's inability to integrate into the modern job market will hurt, first and foremost, the Haredi public's economic situation, as it will lower the chances of ultra-Orthodox adults  earning a dignified living , increasing poverty among the community. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with one of the economists who signed the letter, Prof Avishai Braverman,  an economics professor who held a senior position as an economist at the World Bank  and served as  Chair of the Knesset Finance Committee, as a Labor MK  and was an Israel Prize laureate in 2020 for Lifetime Achievement for his work as president of Ben-Gurion University. (Photo:Courtesy)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 15-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, from Sunday through Thursday. Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller Lynn and health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand join host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today's episode. Today, the capital is preparing for a “March of the Million,” in which supporters of the coalition and the judicial overhaul are being pushed to show up in great numbers andorganizers are hoping for upwards of 250,000 demonstrators. Who is doing the pushing? On Monday night, the beginning of Israel Memorial Day observance, Keller-Lynn attended the annual joint ceremony in Tel Aviv in which Israelis and West Bank Palestinians mutually commemorate those lost on both sides of the conflict. What did she see there? At the opening of the Independence Day ceremony on Tuesday night, one of the 12 torches was lit by an unusual pair of doctors. Shock trauma pioneer Prof. Avi Rivkind of Hadassah and infection control expert Dr. Khetam Hussein of Rambam. We hear about their dedicated work. Internationally renowned Weizmann Institute of Science professor of neuroimmunology Michal Schwartz received the Israel Prize for science yesterday afternoon, only the fourth woman to do so. We learn about Schwartz's scientific breakthrough. Also at the Israel Prize ceremony, there were two ripples of protest -- in a speach from Amnon Shashua, the president and CEO of Mobileye, and from Michal Rovner, who won the prize for her work in plastic art. Rovner was filmed handing Netanyahu a personal note on stage as she received her award. What was the content of their protests? Keller-Lynn reminds us that the Knesset opens again next week and shares her thoughts on what can we expect. Discussed articles include: Israeli teen girls win first, second place in annual Bible quiz Religious, settler groups lead charge on Thursday's pro-overhaul ‘Million March' 15,000 attend controversial joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day event Doctors tapped for Independence Day torchlighting hope to heal fractured nation For scientist Michal Schwartz, Israel Prize is rewarding milestone in ongoing journey Meeting PM at Israel Prize event, two recipients warn of danger to society Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on iTunes, Spotify, PlayerFM, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out yesterday's Daily Briefing episode: https://omny.fm/shows/the-daily-briefing/what-would-israels-founding-parents-think-about-it IMAGE: The 75th anniversary Independence Day ceremony, held at Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on April 25, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Avital Gasith of the School of Zoology at Tel Aviv University has won the 2023 Israel Prize for environmental sciences and sustainability research – the first time ever the prestigious honor has been bestowed in this field.  The prize was awarded for his pioneering work in the protection of nature in Israel, especially waterways, and his active civic involvement in promoting conservation. Gasith spoke to KAN's Naomi Segal about the progress that has been made, the work that remains to be done, and first commented on his reaction to learning he was being awarded the Israel Prize.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to What Matters Now, a new weekly podcast exploration into one key issue shaping Israel and the Jewish World — right now. On Thursday, Israelis watched as Shikma Bressler, a world-renowned physicist, was arrested during the nationwide “Day of Paralysis,” a day of ramped-up civil protests against the government's judicial overhaul. Bressler, who is also one of the top leaders of the grassroots protests against the widespread changes to the judiciary, was dragged toward a police car as bystanders shouted, "shame, shame, shame." Following Bressler's short detainment, social media lit up with the news and, among other responses, Labor leader MK Merav Michaeli tweeted, “In a normal country Shikma Bressler would be given the Israel Prize.” I met with Bressler, 42, at her Weizman Institute office in Rehovot on Wednesday this week to hear how the scientist, a co-founder of the Black Flags protest movement and head of a collaborative project with CERN, originally activated her activist gene. We hear what she sees as the next steps in stepping up civil disobedience, even as she believes we're already in a form of a civil war. With her mild, almost professorial manner, she explained that Israel is quickly nearing the point of no return. That things are much worse than most international observers can imagine. During our lengthy conversation, Bressler also laughingly told me that three years ago in her initial protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she coined the chant “De-mo-crat-ya.” This week, we ask Dr. Shikma Bressler, What Matters Now? IMAGE: Physicist Dr. Shikma Bressler, co-founder of the Black Flag protest movement. (Eldad Rafaeli, Photoactive)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Berl Feldmann como fue llamado en Ucrania, llegó a ser ampliamente conocido como Gilboa, destacado poeta quien se convirtió en una de las figuras literarias más grandes de Israel. Gilboa quien emigró a Palestina en 1937, sirvió en la Brigada Judía del ejército británico en África del Norte durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y luego luchó en Israel durante la Guerra de 1948. Las experiencias de Gilboa en el ejército se convirtieron en la fuerza impulsora de sus primeras obras; se destaca su obra Siete Dominios de 1949. También fue conocido por abarcar asuntos bíblicos con relación a la moral, Gilboa es visto como alguien que fue frecuentemente contemplativo y un fuerte poeta que se volvió más coloquial y satírico con el correr del tiempo, tanto en su carrera como en su vida. Muchas de sus colecciones influyentes de poesía le permitieron obtener el prestigioso reconocimiento Bialik Prize y el ilustre premio Israel Prize en 1982.

Pionera del cine israelí, Lia Van Leer nació en Beltsy, Rumania, hoy día Moldavia. Lía también fue conocida por su nombre de nacimiento Lia Greenberg. En 1940, partió a un viaje programado para visitar a su hermana en Tel Aviv. Van Leer estaba en Palestina cuando los Nazis asesinaron a su familia y a otros líderes sionistas locales. Ella permaneció allí en Israel, estudiando en la Universidad Hebrea. Van Leer y su esposo, Wim, crearon la primera sociedad de cine de Israel en Haifa en 1956. Ésta sirvió como el núcleo de lo que se convirtió en la afamada Cinemateca en Haifa, Tel Aviv y Jerusalén. La pareja viajaba a menudo alrededor de la periferia de Israel, mostrando films internacionales que en su mayoría no se encontraban disponibles. En 2004, A Van Leer le fue otorgado el premio Israel Prize por sus logros culturales.

Nacido en Rusia en 1908, Menachem Avidom se mudó al mandato británico de Palestina a la edad de 15 años. Estudió música en París y Beirut, y se convirtió en un joven innovador por fusionar los estilos musicales de Medio Oriente y Occidente. Empezó a componer música con un estilo híbrido en 1944. Preparó el camino para la inclusión de estilos de la música popular árabe dentro de la cultura israelí, potencializando en sus composiciones los ritmos y melodías que los inmigrantes judíos trajeron de tierras musulmanas. Sirvió como secretario general de la Orquesta Palestina, la cual se convirtió en la Orquesta Filarmónica de Israel, desde 1946 a 1952. Menachem fue galardonado con el premio Israel Prize en 1961 por sus contribuciones a la cultura musical israelí.

Topic: Power with Heart: A Modern Hero Guest: Maj General Doron Almog   Bio:   Doron is the new Chairman-elect of the Jewish Agency.   A decorated soldier and international inclusion icon, Major General (Res.) Doron Almog battled the status quo for years to secure the best possible care for his son, Eran, who was born with severe autism and developmental delays.  Though Eran lost his battle with Castleman's disease in 2007 at the age of 23, his memory fuels Doron's continued commitment to securing the highest-level specialized care for Israel's disability community and advancing disability inclusion, equity and access around the globe. In May 2016, Doron was awarded with the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement and contributions to society and the state at the closing event of Israel's Independence Day activities.  The Israel Prize committee chose Doron for leading a revolution to advance the caring of Israel's most vulnerable population and bringing about a crucial change in societal perception of individuals with disabilities. Doron's brother, Eran, fell in the Yom Kippur War while serving as commander of a tank unit defending the Golan Heights.  Despite this devastating loss, Doron served the majority of his IDF service fighting for or commanding elite units.  He gained renown for his role as the first Israeli paratrooper reconnaissance commander to land at the daring rescue mission in Entebbe in 1976, and later for his participation in Operation Moses, which brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in the 1980s.  As the head of the IDF's Southern Command from 2000-2003, he protected Israel's southern border from infiltration by terrorists from Gaza. Drawing on his personal loss, military experience, and exceptional leadership abilities, Doron works diligently to affect societal change and create a brighter future for individuals with special needs through the enhancement and expansion of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran, the rehabilitative village in Israel's south established in memory of his son.  ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran serves as a model of diversity and acceptance and a crucial rehabilitative resource center, providing a host of rehabilitative solutions for individuals from all backgrounds and levels of need.    Doron works within the village and well beyond its borders to empower individuals with disabilities and advance society as a whole through the promotion of inclusive activities, gainful employment and comprehensive rehabilitative offering for all.   In this incredible episode, we explore: 1. Yom Kippur War 2. The Loss of a Brother 3. Responsibility to the Nation 4. Victory Entebbe 5. Defending the Weakest in Society 6. Uniting the Jewish People 7. Living with Incredible Purpose 8. The Next Chapter: Jewish Agency   And so much more!  

Court rules Oded Goldreich can receive Israel Prize. Covid R number falls to 1.2.Twelve Israeli Arabs detained in ISIS clampdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Meir Amit, un soldado profesional que transformó al Mossad en una agencia de inteligencia reconocida internacionalmente, nació en Tiberíades. Comenzó una destacada carrera militar al unirse a la Haganá a la edad de 15 años logrando ser comandante del batallón durante la Guerra de Independencia. Amit escaló los rangos de las FDI después de la guerra y fue el segundo al mando para Moshe Dayan durante la crisis del canal de Suez en 1956. Tras un accidente en paracaídas casi mortal obtuvo un M.B.A. de la Universidad de Columbia, y fue nombrado director de inteligencia militar tras su retorno a Israel en 1961. Dos años después, el primer ministro David Ben-Gurion lo nombró jefe del Mossad. Modernizó las instituciones de inteligencia y estableció el nivel élite. Formó alianzas con agencias de inteligencia en el exterior, supervisó el espionaje de Eli Cohen en Siria y la captura de un MiG-21, el avión de guerra soviético más avanzado de la época de las fuerzas aéreas iraquíes. Obtuvo el Israel Prize en 2003 por los logros de su vida y finalmente falleció en julio del 2009.

La jueza Miriam Ben-Porat fue la primera mujer en servir como magistrada en la corte suprema de Israel, posición que la ubicó también como la primera mujer en ocupar el cargo más alto como autoridad judicial en los países sujetos a derecho; fue nombrada por el presidente Ephraim Katzir. Ben-Porat nació en 1918 en Vitebsk, Russia, luego se mudó a Lituania antes de emigrar a Palestina en 1936. Estudió leyes en la Universidad Hebrea de Jerusalén y trabajó a través de los rangos del sistema judicial israelí. Fue nombrada como jueza en la corte del distrito de Jerusalén en 1958. Tras servir en la Corte Suprema en 1977-1988, recibió el premio Israel Prize en 1991 por sus contribuciones al Estado de Israel. Finalmente Ben-Porat falleció en Jerusalén en el 2012.

This week is a special episode - our 150th! And we're honoured to be celebrating this milestone by welcoming back Dr. Raphael Mechoulam to the show  - ‘The Godfather of Cannabis Research'.Together, we deep dive into Dr. Mechoulam's current work looking at cannabinoid acids - examining their role interacting with the endocannabinoid system, their manipulation into compounds, as well as discussing his latest research into endogenous cannabinoids.The Cannabis Conversation is sponsored by Lumino  - a boutique HR and Recruitment Agency specialising in building high performance teams for the European Cannabis Industry. They work in three main verticals: Commercial, Medical and Plant Facing.Get in touch at www.luminorecruit.com/

Listen to our event with Israel Prize winning choreographer and contemporary dancer Ohad Naharin. You can watch the full event on our YouTube page. Over the last month, calls to boycott the Sydney Festival after it received sponsorship from the Israeli embassy for a production of Naharin's Decadance have featured prominently on social and mainstream media. One of Israel's most celebrated cultural identities, our conversation with Naharin will canvas his work over more than three decades at the Batsheva Dance Company, the founding of the Gaga movement, his political activism, and the ongoing debate about the Sydney Festival and the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.

Israeli couple detained in Turkey for alleged espionage returns home. Housekeeper for Defense Minister Gatz accused of trying to spy on him for Iran. Education Minister denies Israel Prize for math professor because of his support for funding boycott of West Bank university.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gavriel Salomón es un especialista en el ámbito de la psicología educacional. Sirvió como Decano en la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de Haifa, en Israel, desde 1993 a 1998. Escribió cuatro libros y más de 120 artículos académicos sobre tecnología, aprendizaje y educación para la paz. En 1998, Salomón estableció el Centro de Investigación sobre Educación para la Paz en la Universidad de Haifa. Su intención era ayudar a los árabes y judíos en Israel, a aprender acerca de las narrativas de cada uno, por medio de encuentros presenciales, para compartir historias personales y familiares. Gavriel Salomón recibió el Israel Prize en 2001 por sus contribuciones a la educación sobre Israel y su posición internacional como un experto en el uso pedagógico de la comunicación y la tecnología informática. También ha sido un defensor de programas de coexistencia y educación para la paz, para reducir la tensión entre los judíos israelíes y los árabes. Además ha hecho esfuerzos para mejorar la educación pública del sector árabe en Israel. Más info en: www.hoyenlahistoriadeisrael.com

Sarah Levy-Tanai fue una reconocida coreógrafa y compositora Israelí que contribuyó a la evolución cultural del país. Nació de padres yemenitas en Jerusalén y a temprana edad, una gran parte de su familia falleció durante una epidemia, siendo obligada a ir a un hogar de niños administrado por inmigrantes judíos askenazíes. Allí, estuvo expuesta a la música y el arte de Europa, comenzó un largo camino combinando tradiciones culturales de origen mizrahi, judío sefardí y askenazí en su música y coreografía. En 1949, Levy-Tanai fundó el teatro Inbal Dance, y posteriormente recibió el Israel Prize en 1973 en Arte, Música y Danza. Sarah ayudó a dirigir a la cultura israelí hacia la inclusión de tendencias culturales no europeas de la diáspora judía. Creó un nuevo folklore para su país que en la actualidad es culturalmente normativo en Israel. Más info en: www.hoyenlahistoriadeisrael.com

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Natan Sharansky was born in Donetsk, Ukraine. He was a spokesman for the human rights movement, a Prisoner of Zion and leader in the struggle for the right of Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel. Subsequent to his request to make aliya, Mr. Sharansky was arrested on trumped up charges of treason and espionage. He was convicted in a Soviet court and served nine years in the Gulag with many stretches in a punishing cell. Following massive public campaigns by the State of Israel, World Jewry and leaders of the free world, Mr. Sharansky was released in 1986, making aliya on the very day of his release. In his first few years in Israel, Mr. Sharansky established the Zionist Forum to assist Soviet olim in their absorption in Israel. In the 1990's, he established the Yisrael B'Aliyah party in order to accelerate the integration of Russian Jews. He served in four successive Israeli governments, as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister. In 2018 he received the highest Israeli award - the Israel Prize for promoting Aliyah and the ingathering of the exiles. Mr. Sharansky is the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006. He is the only living non-American citizen who is the recipient of these two highest American awards. 2009-2018 Natan Sharansky served as Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. After retirement from the Jewish Agency, he continues to serve as Chairman of the Shlihut Institute, which he founded. In July 2019 Mr. Natan Sharansky became Chair of ISGAP (The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy). Mr. Sharansky is also the author of four books: - Fear No Evil - The Case for Democracy - Defending Identity - Never Alone: Prison, Politics and My People.

On this edition of The Israel Show: Should the State of Israel award its highest civilian honor - the Israel Prize - to a brilliant mathematician who supports BDS? April 11, 60 Years ago, the Eichmann trial opened in Jerusalem and changed the way the general Israeli public viewed the Holocaust and its victims, who lived amongst them. plus another installment in the Meir Millim segments. and the "not to be missed" weekly Israeli music mix.

Israel remembers 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. High Court sides with Education Minister in refusing to grant Israel Prize to mathematician over alleged boycott support. Syria claims Israeli overnights strike near Damascus.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where did modern cannabis research start?This week we're honoured and privileged to be joined by the legendary Professor Raphael Mechoulam - heading up the Medical Chemistry department at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Dubbed ‘the godfather of cannabis research', Prof. Mechoulam has been a pioneer in the field, and over many decades has had a major influence on our understanding of the cannabis plant with his groundbreaking research and discoveries. In this very special episode of The Cannabis Conversation, we explore the history of cannabis research, alongside taking a detailed look at the function and physiology of the endocannabinoid system.→ View full show notes and summary here: https://www.cannabis-conversation.com/blogs/episode80About Prof. MechoulamDr. Raphael Mechoulam is an award-winning Israeli organic chemist who has been studying the cannabis plant for over 50 years. Dr. Mechoulam is best known for discovering the Endocannabinoid System and first isolating the two primary compounds, CBD and THC. He is a professor of Medicinal Chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel and has published over 350 scientific articles, primarily focused on the chemistry and pharmacology of Cannabinoids. His work has awarded him with many honors and awards, including the Israel Prize (2000), NIDA Discovery Award (2011) and many others.ResourcesProf. Raphael Mechoulam's Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Mechoulam‘Dr Raphael Mechoulam and his revolutionary cannabis research' - Article by Medical Cannabis Network:https://www.healtheuropa.eu/dr-raphael-mechoulam-revolutionary-cannabis-research/93049/‘Cannabinoid pharmacology: the first 66 years' paper by Roger G Pertwee: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1760722/

Rabbi Kivelevitz leads the Shiur in reading a few of Rav Shlomo Goren's Tshuvos that highlight his novel approach to the Halachic weight that must be accorded to the conquering and control of Eretz Yisroel,and break new ground in Hilchos Shabbas.The Warrior RabbiByAryeh TepperPraise of military virtue, prominent in the Bible, is almost non-existent in the Talmud, which, in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jews by the Romans, either ignores wartime feats or re-interprets them as allegories of intellectual or spiritual prowess. The Talmud's relative silence on the subject would prove enduring. Until the second half of the 20th century, with few exceptions, military virtue was consistently depreciated in traditional Jewish thought.The traditionalist who reversed that trend was Shlomo Goren (1917-1994), the first chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces and later the third chief rabbi of the state of Israel.Goren issued several innovativehalakhicrulings dealing with military life and composed the first code of Jewish military law since Maimonides. In so doing, he brought the Jewish conception of war into the modern era.Shlomo Goren moved with his family from Zambrów, Poland, to mandatory Palestine in 1925. At the age of twelve, he was the youngest student ever to be accepted into the prestigious Hebron yeshiva.At the age of seventeen, he published his first book: a legal commentary on an abstruse topic connected to Temple sacrifices.His interests leading him beyond the four cubits of traditional Jewish law, he enrolled in the Hebrew University to study mathematics, classics, and philosophy.The young Goren was not only a wide-ranging thinker but a bold doer. In 1936, he participated in the defense of his community against Arab rioters; shortly before the outbreak of Israel's war of independence, he joined the Haganah, where he quickly established himself as an expert sniper. At war's end, the scholar-warrior who had repeatedly risked his life under fire was prevailed upon by the state's chief rabbis to answer David Ben-Gurion's call for someone to assume responsibility for religious services in the army. The rabbis might have envisioned the position as one of catering to religious soldiers exclusively, but Goren's first move was to establish himself as rabbi of the entire military. All of the IDF's kitchens were made kosher, and Jewish religious festivals were observed across the board..Goren's biggest stroke as a thinker was yet to come. It was, he argued, only the loss of political sovereignty in 70 C.E. that had compelled the rabbis of the Talmud to recast ideas of military power in spiritual terms—for instance, by emphasizing the miracle of the oil on Hanukkah and neglecting to mention the Maccabees' battlefield victory over the Greeks. But, he contended, the rabbis never meant to replace the military with the spiritual; for them, rather, military virtue was a means, not an end in itself.In composing his code of Jewish military law, Goren surmounted the difficulty presented by the lack of rabbinic legal material by expanding the boundaries of the canon and utilizing ancient historical and apocryphal sources like the works of Josephus Flavius and the Book of Maccabees. What emerged was nothing less than a new religious-national template for an era in which political sovereignty had been regained: a vision of the ideal Jew as, at once, spirited and spiritual. By means of such insights he hoped, especially after becoming Israel's chief rabbi in 1973, to influence the national consensus of the Jewish state.Goren's drive to expand the traditional canon was not limited to the laws of war. In a series of lectures on Jewish thought, he extolled the virtues of ancient Jewish and non-Jewish theologians unknown in Orthodox society, some of whose texts Goren read in the original Greek. In the field of talmudic scholarship, similarly, he championed the historically neglectedJerusalem Talmudas an important primary source. For these intellectual efforts he was awarded the Israel Prize, the state's highest honor.By the end of his career, Goren found himself cut off from the corridors of power, without a public following, and, in the last year of his life, left to rage from the sidelines against the Oslo accords.While his name is still respected in religious-Zionist circles, very few today engage with his writings and teachings. As the unacknowledged rabbinic legislator of the modern Jewish army, he lent the weight of his brio, his genius, and his immense erudition to a task ofreconciliation that few others could have performed. Of no less permanent value is his activist and indeed audacious conception of what a rabbi should and could be, and of which texts, and which human undertakings, may be embraced and endorsed by the Jewish tradition. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. This podcast is powered by JewishPodcasts.org. Start your own podcast today and share your content with the world. Click jewishpodcasts.fm/signup to get started.

This week, to mark the start of the school year here in Israel, we’re revisiting a live Times of Israel/Beit Avi Chai event with one of Israel’s greatest educators, Prof. Alice Shalvi. Back in January 2019, Shalvi spoke with Jewish World editor Amanda Borschel-Dan onstage at Beit Avi Chai in Jerusalem in honor of the publication of her memoir “Never A Native.” The memoir has since been awarded the National Jewish Book Award for Women's Studies. Shalvi will soon celebrate 94. Among her many achievements, she is an Israel Prize Laureate, and as one of the country's pioneering religious feminists, she is one of the founders of the Israel Women's Network. In addition to years teaching at the Hebrew University, Shalvi established the Pelech High School for Girls, a school that still continues her tradition of strong learning -- and strong women. Image: Prof. Alice Shalvi (Debbie Cooper)

Rabbi Kivelevitz leads the Shiur in reading a few of Rav Shlomo Goren's Tshuvos that highlight his novel approach to the Halachic weight that must be accorded to the conquering and control of Eretz Yisroel,and break new ground in Hilchos Shabbas.The Warrior RabbiBy Aryeh TepperPraise of military virtue, prominent in the Bible, is almost non-existent in the Talmud, which, in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jews by the Romans, either ignores wartime feats or re-interprets them as allegories of intellectual or spiritual prowess. The Talmud's relative silence on the subject would prove enduring. Until the second half of the 20th century, with few exceptions, military virtue was consistently depreciated in traditional Jewish thought.The traditionalist who reversed that trend was Shlomo Goren (1917-1994), the first chief rabbi of the Israel Defense Forces and later the third chief rabbi of the state of Israel.Goren issued several innovative halakhic rulings dealing with military life and composed the first code of Jewish military law since Maimonides. In so doing, he brought the Jewish conception of war into the modern era. Shlomo Goren moved with his family from Zambrów, Poland, to mandatory Palestine in 1925. At the age of twelve, he was the youngest student ever to be accepted into the prestigious Hebron yeshiva. At the age of seventeen, he published his first book: a legal commentary on an abstruse topic connected to Temple sacrifices. His interests leading him beyond the four cubits of traditional Jewish law, he enrolled in the Hebrew University to study mathematics, classics, and philosophy.The young Goren was not only a wide-ranging thinker but a bold doer. In 1936, he participated in the defense of his community against Arab rioters; shortly before the outbreak of Israel's war of independence, he joined the Haganah, where he quickly established himself as an expert sniper. At war's end, the scholar-warrior who had repeatedly risked his life under fire was prevailed upon by the state's chief rabbis to answer David Ben-Gurion's call for someone to assume responsibility for religious services in the army. The rabbis might have envisioned the position as one of catering to religious soldiers exclusively, but Goren's first move was to establish himself as rabbi of the entire military. All of the IDF's kitchens were made kosher, and Jewish religious festivals were observed across the board..Goren's biggest stroke as a thinker was yet to come. It was, he argued, only the loss of political sovereignty in 70 C.E. that had compelled the rabbis of the Talmud to recast ideas of military power in spiritual terms—for instance, by emphasizing the miracle of the oil on Hanukkah and neglecting to mention the Maccabees' battlefield victory over the Greeks. But, he contended, the rabbis never meant to replace the military with the spiritual; for them, rather, military virtue was a means, not an end in itself.In composing his code of Jewish military law, Goren surmounted the difficulty presented by the lack of rabbinic legal material by expanding the boundaries of the canon and utilizing ancient historical and apocryphal sources like the works of Josephus Flavius and the Book of Maccabees. What emerged was nothing less than a new religious-national template for an era in which political sovereignty had been regained: a vision of the ideal Jew as, at once, spirited and spiritual. By means of such insights he hoped, especially after becoming Israel's chief rabbi in 1973, to influence the national consensus of the Jewish state. Goren's drive to expand the traditional canon was not limited to the laws of war. In a series of lectures on Jewish thought, he extolled the virtues of ancient Jewish and non-Jewish theologians unknown in Orthodox society, some of whose texts Goren read in the original Greek. In the field of talmudic scholarship, similarly, he championed the historically neglected Jerusalem Talmud as an important primary source. For these intellectual efforts he was awarded the Israel Prize, the state's highest honor.By the end of his career, Goren found himself cut off from the corridors of power, without a public following, and, in the last year of his life, left to rage from the sidelines against the Oslo accords. While his name is still respected in religious-Zionist circles, very few today engage with his writings and teachings. As the unacknowledged rabbinic legislator of the modern Jewish army, he lent the weight of his brio, his genius, and his immense erudition to a task of reconciliation that few others could have performed. Of no less permanent value is his activist and indeed audacious conception of what a rabbi should and could be, and of which texts, and which human undertakings, may be embraced and endorsed by the Jewish tradition. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Miriam Peretz (born 1954) is an Israeli educator who lost two sons during their army service. Miriam lectures around the world on Zionism and living with loss and was the recipient of the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement in 2018. She is now the leading candidate to be President of Israel. 

Jewish Matters Podcast with Rabbi Jonathan FeldmanAbba Kover, a real Jewish Avenger fought against the Nazis with the resistance in the Vilna Ghetto, in the forest with the partisans and then in the Israel War of Independence. But his most daring fight was after the war to bring vengeance upon Nazis officers. Join us for this little known extraordinary story of Jewish bravery and daring. He then went on to became one of Modern Israel's greatest poets and won the Israel Prize.   

Yoav Benjamini is the Nathan and Lily Silver Professor of Applied Statistics at the Department of statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University. He is a co-developer of the widely used and cited False Discovery Rate concept and methodology. He received the Israel Prize for research in Statistics and Economics, is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and has been elected to receive the Karl Pearson Prize of ISI this summer.

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, The Lost Book of Jasher, Nehemia Gordon speaks with Israel Prize winner and the world’s foremost expert on the Book of Jasher, Prof. Emeritus Joseph Dan. The Tanakh mentions a book called Sepher Ha-Yashar, … Continue reading → The post Hebrew Voices #33 – The Lost Book of Jasher appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.

Yoav Benjamini is the Nathan and Lily Silver Professor of Applied Statistics at the Department of statistics and Operations Research at Tel Aviv University. He is a co-developer of the widely used and cited False Discovery Rate concept and methodology. He received the Israel Prize for research in Statistics and Economics, is a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, and has been elected to receive the Karl Pearson Prize of ISI this summer.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Doron Almog hunted the Munich Olympic terrorists, was the first soldier to land in the raid on Entebbe, and ultimately rose to head the Southern Command in the Israel Defense Forces. But nothing in his storied military career could prepare him for the birth of his severely impaired son, Eron, in 1984. After mourning the loss of what he had always expected and hoped for, Almog eventually shifted gears, and began researching options to treat and care for his child. He discovered a culture ensnared in shame, and a population terribly under-serviced. Thus began a 30-year journey to improve the lives of children and adults with severe disabilities. He could sense his son - who never uttered a word in his life - crying out to him: "Abba (father), you freed the hostages in Entebbe, but they were held only for one week; I have been a hostage every day of my life!" With that impetus, he built an incredible residential village in the Negev - part of the Aleh network - and forever transformed not only the care of, but the attitude towards, Israeli society's most disadvantaged members. For this and more he was awarded the Israel Prize, the state's highest honor, in 2016. Hear and learn from this amazing military and social warrior. -------------------- ABOUT THIS PODCAST Jews You Should Know introduces the broader community to interesting and inspiring Jewish men and women making a difference in our world. Some are already famous, some not yet so. But each is a Jew You Should Know. The host, Rabbi Ari Koretzky, is Executive Director of MEOR Maryland (www.meormd.org), a premier Jewish outreach and educational organization. MEOR operates nationally on twenty campuses and in Manhattan; visit the national website at www.meor.org. Please visit www.JewsYouShouldKnow.com, follow us on Twitter @JewsUShouldKnow or on Facebook. Have feedback for the show, or suggestions for future guests? E-mail us at JewsYouShouldKnow@gmail.com. Want to support this podcast? Visit Patreon.com/JewsYouShouldKnow. A small monthly contribution goes a long way!! A special thank you to Jacob Rupp of the Lift Your Legacy podcast for his invaluable production assistance.

In conversation with Carlin Romano, Critic-at-Large, The Chronicle of Higher Education, former literary critic The Philadelphia Inquirer and author of America the Philosophical. David Grossman won the 2017 Man Booker International Prize for his novel A Horse Walks into a Bar, a ''magnificently comic and sucker-punch-tragic excursion into brilliance'' (New York Times). Born in Jerusalem, Grossman is the author of numerous works of fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature, including To the End of the Land, a meditation on war, family, and loss, praised as ''one of those few novels that feel as though they have made a difference to the world'' (New York Times) His many international honors include the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Israel's Emet Prize, and the just announced 2018 Israel Prize. Watch the video here. (recorded 4/13/2018)

Close to 60 years ago, in the early 1960s, Marijuana AKA Cannabis wasn't exactly the friendly substance it is today. In pretty much every developed country, recreational use of the drug was totally illegal and medical research was limited. So as a junior faculty member of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam had to jump through a few loops to get his hands on a sample for his research. Luckily for Dr. Mechoulam, the director of the Weizmann institute had an old army buddy in an opportune place - the head of the investigative branch of the national police. Dr. Mechoula, reach out to him and was provided with 5 kilos of seized Lebanese Hasish. This sample allowed Dr. Mechoulam and his research partners to discover cannabidiol in 1963 and THC the following year. In 2001 Prof. Mechoulam was awarded the Israel Prize, the country's most prestigious award for scientific achievement and today he continues his research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We are super thrilled to be talking to Prof. Mechoulam today about cannabis, his life and his research.

On this edition of TIS The frightening threat from Bedouins in southern Israel is exposed. Yom Haatzmaut recap, including audio from Miriam Peretz's amazing speech at the "Israel Prize" ceremony and highlights from the torch lighting celebration. and an amazing mix of slow and inspirational Israeli music. all that and more ...

On this edition of TIS - Remembering the three young Israelis murdered by Arabs this weekend - The cynical campaign to rehabilitate Ehud Olmert - David Levy, Natan Sharansky & Miriam Peretz -Heroes of Israel - will be awarded the Israel Prize on Israel's 70th birthday next month. - “Lost” songs recorded by Poogy in English and the "not to be missed" weekly Israeli music mix includes brand new, hot off the presses music from Udi Davidi & Yonatan Razel.

Noah Efron, Allison Kaplan Sommer, and Don Futterman discuss three topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week.   Looking for extra segments and other patron-only perks? They're available to our patrons on Patreon.   Left to Decide Israel's liberal-left Meretz party will hold its first-ever primary to pick its next leader in March, and the candidates have brought to the party new energy, excitement, voters, and vision to an entity whose relevance in contemporary Israeli politics is often called into question. The leadership race has developed into a vital debate into how the Left should present itself to voters and pursue change. What can we learn from this fascinating race?   Prize Possession David Grossman the great Israeli writer who just seven months ago won one of literature’s most prestigious awards, the Man Booker Prize, last week learned that he would, on Israel’s 70th Independence Day, receive his homelands most prestigious award, the Israel Prize. But an essay this weekend in Haaretz by Israel’s leading civil rights lawyer Avigdor Feldman argued is that, in these days, to take the prize is an act of collaboration with a government with which people of principle ought no longer collaborate. Should Grossman, for decades one of the clearest voices of conscience on the Left, turn down the Israel Prize as a powerful and percussive expression of that conscience?   The (Harsh) Reality of Marriage The most popular new show on Israeli TV is a science-based reality show called “Wedding at First Sight.” The show begins with scientific experts, who designed and administered examination protocols exploring the psycho-social-cognitive and physiological profile of thousands of volunteer singles, scientifically-identifying five heteronormative pairs, if science is to be trusted, are exquisitely compatible with one another. Each of the couples is sent on a luxurious honeymoon, at the end of which they will settle down to live together for 40 days, at the end of which they need to decide whether to continue their lives as married folks or dissolve their union. Does the success of the show, which is so retro, with the role of traditional matchmaker filled by science, reflect a wish for a simpler time when your parents, or your youth movement, pretty much ensured that you’d find a mate? Music: Sputnik Hi-Fi Eretz ha-Rakavot (ארץ הרכבות) Ha-Laila hakhi Tov (הלילה הכי טוב) Hashmal (חשמל) Hol (חול)

This week on IsraelCast, we speak with IDF Major General Res. Doron Almog, a decorated veteran who received the Israel Prize in 2016, and founded Aleh Negev, a state-of-the-art rehabilitative village in the Negev, home for children and adults with severe special needs. While in the IDF, Major General Almog led an operational task force against the terrorists who murdered the Israeli sports team during the Munich Olympics. He also commanded the first force to land in Entebbe during the 1976 rescue operation and played a key role in the clandestine mission that rescued around 6,000 Jewish Ethiopians from refugee camps in the Sudan. He shares about the groundbreaking work of Aleh Negev and about his remarkable career. This episode is in coordination with Jewish Disabilities Awareness and Inclusion Month, which we honor every February.

Noga Alon is an Israeli mathematician noted for his contributions to combinatorics and theoretical computer science, having authored hundreds of papers. Alon has received a number of awards, including the following: the Erdős Prize, the Feher prize, the Israel Prize and many more. Being one of the best mathematicians in the world, we talk about what it means to manage a career that requires thinking all day long, the unique challenges of solving mathematical problems and the passion and obsession of becoming, and staying, a world leader in your field. This is an episode for anyone that is interested in excelling, in deep work that requires quality thinking processes and in keeping up your game in the long term, regardless of age.

1. Israel Celebrates 69th Independence Day Yesterday marked Israel's 69th Independence Day and Israelis know how to celebrate. Air Force jets fly over Jerusalem; street parties take over Tel Aviv. #IndependenceDay #Israel ____________________ 2. Palestinians Concerned Over Upcoming White House Meeting Palestinians are voicing hopelessness over today's meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President Donald Trump. #Palestinians #Abbas #Trump ____________________ 3. U.S. “Seriously Considering” Moving Embassy To Jerusalem Pence has taken Israeli Independence Day as an opportunity to show the U.S.A.'s support for the state of Israel by fulfilling President Donald Trump's most controversial campaign to move US Embassy to Jerusalem. #Pence #Embassy #Jerusalem ____________________ 4. UNESCO Argues Against Jewish Claims On Jerusalem Again UN Scientific and Cultural Organization passed a resolution which claims that Israel has no legal or historical claims anywhere in Jerusalem. #UNESCO #Jerusalem ____________________ 5. Hamas Claims It Is ‘Softening Stance On Israel' Hamas officials are creating a lot of fanfare over the releasing of a revised policy statement that supports the establishment of a transitional-Palestinian state along the 1967-lines and drops the terror organization's longstanding call for Israel's destruction. #Hamas #Policy ____________________ 6. Hamas Is Trying To Fool The World With New Policy Paper Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman issued an immediate statement accusing Hamas of trying to ‘delude the world' by purporting to ease its hardline doctrines. A Ramallah- spokesman is now demanding Hamas apologize for having accused Fatah of “committing treason” over that same policy for nearly 30 years. #Policy #Hamas #Fatah ____________________ 7. IDF Soldier Elor Azaria Appeals His 18 Month Sentence Elor Azaria, the IDF sergeant who was convicted of manslaughter in January is appealing his sentence today. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison for having fatally shot a disarmed and neutralized Palestinian attacker. His prosecution on the other hand is looking to increase it to from 30 months to five years prison. #ElorAzaria #Appeal ____________________ 8. Population In Israel Reaches 8.7 Million The total number of citizens living in the Israel is now 8.68 million, which is more than 10 times higher than when the state was founded in 1948. Six-and-a-half million of Israelis are Jewish, which is just-about a 75-percent majority. #Population #Israel ____________________ 9. Israeli-American Chef Is Awarded For His Amazing Cuisine Israeli-American chef, Michael Solomonov, won the top U.S. Chef Prize from the James Beard Foundation. #Cuisine #MichaelSolomonov ____________________ 10. Make Minimally-Invasive Surgeries Safer By The Suture Doni Mayerfeld, Marketing Director at Gordian Surgical speaking at ILTV studio about Gordian Surgical, an Israeli company that makes minimally-invasive surgeries safer by the suture. #DoniMayerfeld #GordianSurgical ____________________ 11. Prestigious Israel Prize Bestowed To 9 Exceptional Citizens One of the highlights of annual Independence Day celebrations is the awarding of the “Israel Prize” of excellence and this year, nine outstanding citizens are being honored with the state of Israel's highest cultural honor this year. #IsraelPrize #IndependenceDay ____________________ 12. Never Overpay For Books Again Yoav Lorch, CEO and Founder of Total BooX, speaking at ILTV studio about Israeli company Total Boox that has created a new way to purchase books digitally that only charges you as much as you read. #YoavLorch #TotalBoox ____________________ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Ruth Lapidoth served as a member of Israeli diplomatic delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and to international committees. She participated in the negotiations for the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and for the establishment of the multinational force in Sinai. In 2006 Lapidoth won the Israel Prize for Legal Research for her academic and public work.

Meir Wieseltier is one of Israel's foremost poets. A winner of the Bialik Prize and the Israel Prize, he has published 13 collections of poetry. In honor of the month of Elul, in which, among religious Jews, the "shofar" horn is blown each day, host Marcela Sulak read's Wieseltier's poem "Wisdom." "The whole of my wisdom contracts to the bulk of a fly on a bright window-pane, what were mountains and vales are but a scratch on glass." Marcela reads several other poems by Wieseltier, which tackle life's painful realities, searching for values in the midst of chaos. Wieseltier was born in Moscow in 1941, and immigrated to Israel when he was a child. He grew up in Netanya and, in 1955, moved to Tel Aviv where he has lived ever since. Text: Poets on the Edge: An Anthology of Contemporary Hebrew Poetry, Tzipi Keller, SUNY Press 2008. Further reading:Poetry International Rotterdam Music:Zohar Argov - Lihiot Adam Felix Mendelssohn - Songs Without Words, Op.30 no.1 in E flat Major Ernest Bloch - From Jewish Life (Part 3) Felix Mendelssohn - Songs Without Words, Op.19 no.6 in G Minor Ernest Bloch - From Jewish Life (Part 2)

In our first podcast of 2016, host Marcela Sulak reads the poetry of Israel Pincas: "And the heat that once was in me became a liquid that froze: A dirty block of ice,Halley’s Comet,An evil omen, they said,A rare visitor in our skies,A tourist in the Solar System,A subject of wonderOnce every few years." Born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1935, Pincas lost his father at the age of six and immigrated to Mandate Palestine with his mother in 1944. He began publishing poetry in 1951, and is the recipient of the Bernstein Prize, the Prime Minister's Prize and, most recently, the prestigious Israel Prize for Literature (2005). He now lives in Tel Aviv. Text:Poetry International Rotterdam Music:Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir - Galina Durmushliiska Prochu Se Moma ManolkaBorodin Quartet - Shostakovitch Quartet No.10Philip Glass - The American Four Seasons (Violin Concerto No.2 prologue and movement 1)

A few weeks ago, Erez Biton was awarded the Israel Prize for literature, becoming the first Mizrahi Jew to receive the prize. Of Moroccan descent, he was born in Algeria in 1942 and arrived in Israel in 1948 via France. After a joint reading with Yehuda Amichai in Arad, a town bordering the Negev and Judean Deserts, the two poets traveled back to Jerusalem together. Biton asked Amichai to describe for him the essence of the desert as seen along the road. In response, Amichai held Bitton's hand for a few moments, saying nothing. Then Biton said: "Now I understand." Host Marcela Sulak reads the short poem Biton wrote about this experience, "To Say Desert." And she explains how his work is connected to his blindness, emphasizing the unity between people and their landscape.   Texts: Thanks to Mitch Ginsberg and his The Times of Israel article. Poems “To Say Desert,” “The Dog and His Master,” and “The Wail of Women” translated by Tzippi Keller. Further reading: The Modern Hebrew Poem Itself, Ed. Burnshaw, Carmi, et. al.   Music: The Andalusian Orchestra - Moroccan Wedding (lyrics by Erez Biton) Zohra Al-Fassia - Ayta Bidâwiyya

Don, Noah, and Allison discuss three topics of incomparable importance, and end with an anecdote each about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Behind the Curtain We discuss the imminent elections and our expectations. For whom will we be casting our ballots? Why do we support that list? What do we think (or perhaps hope) will be the eventual outcome? Surprise! No Prize! Generally considered the country’s highest honor, the Israel Prize is awarded annually on Independence Day. This year the prize will be awarded in only three of its four categories. Why did this occur? Who is to blame? Thou shall not be a total dick An NGO called Gesher (or Bridge) recently produced a video which, as part of a “new ten commandments” they’ve formulated, encourages more friendly interactions among politicians. The video includes MKs saying and writing nice things about colleagues across the aisle.   Playlist: All music by La Vache Qui Rit (הפרה הצוחקת) in honor of their show this week at Ha-Azor: Opa Cupa (Gypsy Serbia) Besena Rovena (Gypsy Albania) Tchavo (Gypsy Manouche) Disapozhkelekh (Trad. Ukraine)

Born in Haifa in 1922, Emile Habibi worked in the city's oil refinery before moving to the Palestinian broadcasting station in Jerusalem. Habibi was a lone voice calling for the acceptance of the UN plan for the division of Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state. Soon after the creation of Israel, he became a political activist, serving in the Knesset for 20 years. After the shock of the six-day war of 1967, Habibi’s writing turned to satire and bitter humor. In 1974 he published The Secret Life of Saeed the Pessoptimist. Acknowledging a debt to Lawrence Sterne and Voltaire, the heavily-footnoted novel tells the story of Palestinians in Israel to date. Marcela reads a passage in which the protagonist describes a 'pessoptimist.' In 1990, Habibi received the Al-Quds Prize from the PLO. In 1992, he received the Israel Prize for Arabic literature. His willingness to accept both prizes reflected his belief in coexistence; he said, "A dialogue of prizes is better than a dialogue of stones and bullets." Emile Habibi died in 1996. Buried in Haifa, his tombstone reads, at his request, "Emile Habibi, Stayed in Haifa." Text: The Secret Life of Saeed The Pessoptimist, Emile Habibi. Transl. Trevor Le Gassick (Interlink World Fiction Series) Saraya, The Ogre’s Daughter. A Palestinian Fairy Tale, Emile Habibi. Transl. Peter Theroux. (Ibis Editions). Music: Fairuz Ziad - Most Beautiful Sound Clips Umm Kulthum - كوكب الشرق سيدة الغناء العربي أم كلثوم / أنت عمري

A.B. Yehoshua was born in 1936 to a fifth-generation Jerusalem family of Sephardi origin. His first book of stories, "Mot Hazaken" (The Death of the Old Man) was published in 1962. He was an important member of the "new wave" generation of Israeli writers who differed from earlier writers by focusing on the individual rather than the group.  Franz Kafka, Shmuel Yosef Agnon, and William Faulkner  were all formative influences.  Author of nine novels, three books of short stories, four plays, and four collections of essays, Yehoshua has won the Brenner Prize, the Alterman Prize,  the Bialik Prize, the Israel Prize for Literature, the National Jewish Book Award and many, many other international prizes. His most recent novel, Friendly Fire, explores the nature of Israeli familial relationships, personal grief and bitterness. We met recently at the Blue Met Writers Festival in Montreal to talk about the book. Our conversation touches on the Jewish diaspora, hatred and minorities, a two state solution, gestures recognizing good, the metaphor of fire, domestic violence, Apartheid, South Africa, solutions, marriage, and marriages between Arabs and Jews.