Podcasts about Jewish Life

About the same time a man shot flames at Jewish people in Boulder, Rabbi Caryn Aviv hit "send" on the final draft of her new book, “Unlearning Jewish Anxiety.” Aviv is the spiritual leader of Judaism Your Way in Denver and Boulder. Previously she taught Israel-Palestine studies at a university level. Rabbi Aviv is also Sr. Host Ryan Warner's rabbi. 

Beginning a new series on the sefer Chofetz Chaim once a week!

Watch Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastSubscribe to Ark Media's new podcast ‘What's Your Number?': lnk.to/HJI2mXFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: http://instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: https://x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenorI have been moved by the reaction to my speech at the annual State of World Jewry Address in the last episode. In Part II of that evening at the 92nd Street Y, I sat down with Rabbi David Ingber, following my address, for a conversation. Rabbi Ingber picked up on some of the ideas in my talk…to probe some more…and push me on several of the issues I raised. Rabbi Ingber is the Senior Director for Jewish Life and Senior Director of the Bronfman Center at 92NY. He also serves as the founding rabbi of Romemu. He serves on the faculty for the Wexner Heritage Program and the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and Israel. Rabbi Ingber is also the host of the “Detours & Destinations” podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/detours-destinations/id1809796304

Episode 64 of What Gives?—the Jewish philanthropy podcast from Jewish Funders Network, hosted by JFN President and CEO Andrés Spokoiny. In this episode, we speak with Rabbi Noah Farkas, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. Noah's career has been shaped by crisis leadership: from his time as a Navy chaplain in Iraq, to rebuilding Jewish life in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina, to guiding his community through the aftermath of October 7th and the devastating California wildfires. We explore how his background in trauma care, disaster response, and Jewish values has informed a bold philanthropic strategy in a time of volatility and uncertainty. You'll hear how the L.A. Federation evacuated 300,000 residents, reopened early childhood centers, and launched new funds to restore Jewish communal life—from preschools to summer camps to professional pipelines. Noah shares why federations are the Jewish community's “9-1-1,” and how moral clarity and rapid action can build resilience for the long haul. Take a listen.

Send us a textA rabbi shares a heartbreaking conversation with a father who proudly claimed he never said "no" to his child, revealing how this approach endangers the child's Jewish future. Without boundaries, children cannot develop respect for mitzvot or understand the concept of kedusha (holiness).• The juxtaposition in Parshas Kedoshim between "be holy" and "respect your parents" is not coincidental• Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch teaches that holiness emerges from understanding boundaries• Children who respect parental authority learn to respect divine authority• Kedusha (holiness) requires separation and boundaries, like a sporting event needs defined borders• Setting appropriate limits for children prepares them for a meaningful Jewish lifeConsider telling yourself and your children "no" at the right times, because Judaism is about special times, places, and things that require boundaries to be meaningful.Support the showJoin The Motivation Congregation WhatsApp community for daily motivational Torah content!Elevate your impact by becoming a TMC Emerald Donor! Your much-needed backing is crucial for our mission of disseminating the wisdom of the Torah. Join today for just $18.00 per month. (Use your maaser money!) https://buy.stripe.com/00g8xl5IT8dFcKc5ky---------------- SUBSCRIBE to The Weekly Parsha for an insightful weekly talk on the week's Parsha. Listen on Spotify or 24six! Access all Torah talks and listen to featured episodes on our website, themotivationcongregation.org ----------------Questions or Comments? Please email me @ michaelbrooke97@gmail.com

Rabbi Dr. Shira Stern, BCC, serves as Disaster Spiritual Care Manager for the American Red Cross and as ARC Division Advisor for the Northeast and Lead for Massachusetts and Northern New England.  Her ARC deployment to the 2025 LA Fires was featured in the Berkshire Eagle.  She previously appeared on NeshamaCast in Episode 2 . She served as Consulting Editor for Mishkan Refuah: Where Healing Resides. Rabbi Stern is a Past President of NAJC. Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner, BCC, serves as the senior rabbi and director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars-SInai in Los Angeles and as Rabbi of Knesset Israel Synagogue of Beverlywood. Among his many publications are: A Jewish Guide to Practical Medical Decision Making, Care and Covenant: A Jewish Bioethic of Responsibility, and a Guide to Observance of Jewish Law in a Hospital.   Special thanks to Henry Bernstein, Allison Atterberry and Gabe Sniman for on site technical production. About our host:Rabbi Edward Bernstein, BCC, is the producer and host of NeshamaCast. He serves as Chaplain at Boca Raton Regional Hospital of Baptist Health South Florida. He is a member of the Board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains. Prior to his chaplain career, he served as a pulpit rabbi in congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. He is also the host and producer of My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. NeshamaCast contributor Rabbi Katja Vehlow was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and is Director of Jewish Life at Fordham University. She trained as a chaplain at Moses Maimonides Medical Center in New York. Previously, she served as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of South Carolina. A native German speaker, she is planning a forthcoming German-language podcast on the weekly Torah portion with a focus on pastoral care. NeshamaCast contributor Chaplain David Balto is a volunteer chaplain at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. and Western Correctional Insitution, Maryland's maximum security prison. He coordinated the annual National Bikur Cholim Conference. Support NeshamaCast and NAJC with a tax deductible donation to NAJC. Transcripts for this episode and other episodes of NeshamaCast are available at NeshamaCast.simplecast.com and are typically posted one week after an episode first airs. Theme Music is “A Niggun For Ki Anu Amecha,” written and performed by Reb-Cantor Lisa Levine. Please help others find the show by rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts or other podcast providers. We welcome comments and suggestions for future programming at NeshamaCast@gmail.com. And be sure to follow NAJC on Facebook to learn more about Jewish spiritual care happening in our communities.

Bonus content pulled from my weekly class to Bnot Torah Sharfmans 

In this timely episode of Search for Meaning, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback sits down with Rabbi David Gedzelman, President and CEO of the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life.Together, Rabbi Yoshi and Rabbi Gedzelman explore the powerful intersections of Jewish identity, education, culture, and the critical role that visionary leadership plays in shaping the future of Jewish communities both in the United States and globally. They also discuss the World Zionist Organization (WZO) elections, a once-every-five-years opportunity for American Jews to have a direct voice in the future of Israel and global Jewish priorities.Time is of the essence: Voting in the WZO elections closes on May 4th, and your vote matters more than ever. Rabbi Yoshi is running on the Reform Movement slate, advocating for a vision of Israel that is pluralistic, democratic, and inclusive.Make your voice heard — Vote now at VoteForReform.org!

After a short delay, the first formal episode of Season 4 is dropping! Every summer, I spend two weeks at the URJ 6 Points Sports Academy in Asheville, North Carolina.  It has changed my life!!!  This is why I am so excited to welcome the 6 Points Sports Director, Jackie Gordon to the show. In this episode, Jackie and I talk about her path from public school gym teacher to coach to Jewish Life (JLIFE) Coordinator to 6 Points Sports Director.  It is a journey that has brought her an incredible sense of accomplishment...and gives Jackie the chance to lead Jewish Athletes to be their best.  JEWISH SPORTS CAMP all at the same time!  This conversation about camp translates into every aspect of our lives. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe and follow Temple Israel on social media to stay up to date on Waking Up To Life.    Edited by: Alex Wolf Original Music Composed by: Dan Hacker   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templeisraelmi  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/templeisraelmi/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn9spWvsCBvcQ-o5XLeFLHKcLoj2nBAfM  Web: https://www.temple-israel.org/wakinguptolifepod  You can get this podcast anywhere you get your media.  Join over 10,000 listeners who have been inspired by the show. And if you have someone with a story to tell, please contact me at josh@temple-israel.org

In this episode of The Franciska Show, host Franciska discusses the complexities and behind-the-scenes efforts involved in helping women, known as agunot, who are unable to obtain a religious divorce (get) from their husbands. The episode features interviews with Jennifer Lankin, Interim CEO at ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot), and Ezra Stone, a private investigator who specializes in tracking down recalcitrant husbands who refuse to grant their wives a get. Jennifer shares her journey into this work and explains ORA's community-focused approach to addressing get refusal. Ezra offers insights from his fieldwork, describing some of the challenges and strategies involved in locating and pressuring these husbands to comply with religious and legal obligations. The episode encapsulates the importance of community response, the use of private investigators in protracted cases, and the critical role that social culture and public pressure play in resolving these deeply rooted issues.   00:00 Introduction and Announcements 01:50 Special Guests: Ezra Stone and Jennifer Lankin 02:12 Jennifer Lincoln's Journey and Insights 03:54 Ezra Stone: The Private Investigator 05:57 The Role of Private Investigators in Get Refusal Cases 10:19 Challenges in Tracking Down Recalcitrant Spouses 11:36 Case Study: The Search for Naftali Shabani 22:24 Unexpected Encounters and Travel Stories 22:56 Investigative Techniques and Challenges 23:08 The Case of the Recalcitrant Brother 26:59 Legal and Ethical Considerations 27:56 Creative PI Strategies 29:02 The Big Daddy of Get Refusers 36:56 Social Media and Influencers 39:38 Security Issues in the Jewish Community 44:16 Closing Remarks and Reflections   www.instagram.com/oraagunot   About our Guests: Ezra Stone is a licensed private investigator in both the USA and Israel, who specializes in sensitive cases within the Orthodox Jewish community. As a member of the community himself, he brings a deep understanding of its nuances, customs, and unspoken boundaries—insight that's critical when handling discreet investigations such as locating missing individuals, resolving Agunah cases, or uncovering hidden truths. Unlike many investigators who stand out in these insular environments, he blends in naturally, earning trust while gathering the facts. With a reputation for integrity, persistence, and cultural sensitivity, he takes on cases others can't touch. To get in touch: FrumDetective@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/protexia1 Protexia1.com       Jennifer Lifshutz Lankin is the Interim CEO of ORA: The Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating abuse from the Jewish divorce process. ORA provides advocacy and support for agunot worldwide while also working to prevent get-abuse through education and awareness initiatives. Jennifer has been with ORA for nine years, shaping its programs, advocacy, and leadership. She holds a B.A. from Yeshiva University and a Master's degree from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She currently lives in Jerusalem with her family.   Contact Franciska @ franciskakay@gmail.com www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com  

Norman J. Radow is the founder and CEO of RADCO, established in 1994 out of his passion for improving people's lives and revitalizing neighborhoods. RADCO's first major project involved the redevelopment of a distressed 53-story hotel, office, and condominium tower in Atlanta, which later became the Four Seasons Hotel. This transformative project helped put RADCO on the map. Since then, the company has completed over 150 successful real estate projects, establishing itself as a fearless and flexible leader in the industry, most notably in the multifamily sector. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, RADCO expanded into hospitality, acquiring twelve hotels. The company manages its owned multifamily assets and offers a thriving third-party management service. For seven consecutive years, RADCO has been named one of the "Best Places to Work in Multifamily," based on anonymous feedback from its employees. RADCO is known for its people-first culture, valuing team member feedback and continuously striving for improvement. Norman has a long history of service and philanthropy, largely focused on the importance of public education. He served as Vice Chair and then Chairman of the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Foundation Board of Trustees for five years. In recognition of his significant contributions, KSU named the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Norman and his wife, Lindy Radow, are dedicated supporters of education and social equity, which is exemplified through the creation of The Radow Institute for Social Equity (RISE) at KSU. Their commitment extends to the Lindy Radow Scholarship, the Paul & Beverly Radow Lecture Series on Jewish Life, and “The Bev,” a dedicated social gathering and study area in the Social Sciences building lobby. Norman remains involved with New York Law School where he serves on the board and the Radow Lecture Hall is named in honor of his dedication and service to the school. In addition to his work in real estate, Norman is a dynamic speaker and respected industry expert. He shares his insights on real estate and life in his long-running and popular blog, “Coffee with Norm.” Norman holds a Juris Doctor from New York Law School (1981) and a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Plattsburgh. Norman was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters by the Georgia Board of Regents in December 2023.

Well, we finally made it: The Definitive Podcast (jodcast?) on medieval Jewish culture. After the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews were scattered across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Despite often-brutal repression, many Jews thrived, creating new communities, cultural expressions, and even languages. Despite marginalisation, Jewish women were also key to this evolution, enthusiastically contributing to spiritual and cultural life in dynamic ways. And even though they were a minority almost everywhere, some Jews rose to become major political leaders. Programming note: WMG will be going on hiatus until the end of Summer. But never fear! We will be back, with "The Norman Conquests" - a globetrotting adventure from Ireland to Palestine, featuring a cast of colourful characters including proud warrior-kings, marauding pirates, and a fearsome empress. Oh, and former frog Joe Mason will be there. Don't say we don't spoil you. In the meantime, why not join the WMG Discord community, a community of lovely people who love chatting about history. https://discord.gg/ZwHz5JDKky

Just a short dvar Torah while I'm gone traveling in America lekavod Rosh Chodesh

Our Intergenerational Divergence series is sponsored by our friends Sarala and Danny Turkel.This episode is sponsored by an anonymous friend who supports our mission.In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Simon Jacobson—a leading rabbi in the internet age who previously worked closely with the Lubavitcher Rebbe—and his mother, Silvia, who was born into a Chabad family in Europe nearly 90 years ago.Together, they have witnessed and experienced the development of the Chabad movement and the Jewish People over several historic eras. In this episode we discuss:How has Chabad managed to maintain continuity over wildly different generations and historical contexts? What can the mystical notions of tzimtzum, concealment, and revelation teach us about parenting? How has the way we talk about “trauma” evolved over generations?Tune in to hear a conversation about how we can transmit tradition to our children with confidence and rootedness in order to find a dwelling place for God in every generation. Interview begins at 11:15.Rabbi Simon Jacobson heads The Meaningful Life Center, called a “Spiritual Starbucks” by The New York Times, which bridges the secular and the spiritual through a wide variety of live and online programming. He is the author of the best-selling book Toward a Meaningful Life, a William Morrow publication that has sold over 400,000 copies to date. Rabbi Jacobson is a speaker, educator, and mentor.Sylvia, Simon's mother, is the matriarch of the Jacobson family. References:Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity: An Existential History of Chabad Hasidism by Eli RubinToward a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson“Tzomo Lecho Nafshi”The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasVanity Fair by by William Makepeace ThackerayThe Algemeiner“Rabbi Simon Jacobson Appears on Larry King Live | June 1994”The Way of All Flesh by Samuel ButlerFor more 18Forty:NEWSLETTER: 18forty.org/joinCALL: (212) 582-1840EMAIL: info@18forty.orgWEBSITE: 18forty.orgIG: @18fortyX: @18_fortyBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

A medieval document, not written on parchment, but carved in stone, still stands in Cologne Cathedral today. It granted rights—but also exposed a dangerous reality for the city's Jewish population.

This Episode is sponsored by Jump Into Shape www.jumpintoshape.fun This episode features a deep and honest conversation inspired by the format of Joe Rogan's podcasts and focuses on the complexities of religious traditions and societal pressures within the Jewish community. The guest, who remains anonymous, discusses a variety of topics including the flaws in the education and religious guidance system, the influence of materialism, and the pressure to conform. Additionally, there is a debate over the merit and challenges of the 'Kollel' life, the culture of early marriages, and the reality of taking responsibility for one's path in life. The episode also touches upon the impacts of keeping up with community standards and proposes the need for updated, more individualized approaches to maintain traditions while adapting to modern challenges.   00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview 01:38 Sponsor Message: Jump Into Shape 02:46 Guest Introduction and Initial Banter 03:41 Guest's Background and Upbringing 04:36 Questioning the System 16:06 Materialism and Its Impact 24:31 Marriage and Life Experience 33:18 The Dynamics of Marriage and Socioeconomic Status 35:02 The Role of Seminaries in Marriage Preparation 35:59 Challenges of Late Parenthood in Western Culture 37:16 Preparing for Marriage: A Case-by-Case Approach 39:22 The Realities of Kollel Life 46:15 Materialism and Mitzvahification in Judaism 48:23 The Cost of Jewish Education and Keeping Up with the Joneses 51:38 Balancing Tradition and Modernity in Celebrations 58:57 Final Thoughts and Reflections     www.JewishCoffeeHouse.com franciskakay@gmaill.com

A lively interaction with the Stern family from São Paulo, Brazil, unveils the beauty of Jewish life in their community while exploring common threads among kids across different cultures. The episode focuses on their shared experiences and life lessons.• Introduction to the Stern family and their unique backgrounds • Overview of Jewish life in São Paulo • Discussion on similarities and differences across cultures • Insights about their fun activities and adventures • Reflections on heritage and family history • Messages of unity, empathy, and openness • Importance of community in maintaining traditions 

SummaryIn this episode of the Millennial Rabbis podcast, host Shmuel Neft speaks with Yitzchak Achter, a Gen Z rabbi, about his unique experiences growing up in Ukraine, his journey to Israel, and his current role in education and outreach. They explore the transformative impact of Yeka camp, the importance of authenticity in Jewish outreach, and the challenges of navigating the political landscape as a Jewish community. Yitzchak also shares insights into his work translating the Rebbe's teachings into Russian and reflects on his experience attending the inauguration in Washington, D.C.

This week Rabbi Shai Held joins the podcast to discuss his latest book "Judaism is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life". It goes without saying that there are A LOT of misconceptions about Judaism within the Christian tradition. To say it even more bluntly, there are a lot of Anti-Semitic and Anti-Jewish teachings and doctrines plaguing the Christian tradition today. In this conversation Rabbi Held explores how love isn't just a sentiment but a theological and ethical imperative deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition. We discuss the radical nature of love in the Hebrew Bible and address many of the misconceptions and false teaching about the Jewish tradition. This is a thought provoking conversation that only just scrapped the surface of Rabbi Held's book. Enjoy the conversation and snag a copy of his book! RESOURCES: Judaism is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life (Book) The Hadar Institute Join the Patreon *A special thanks to Josh Gilbert, Marty Fredrick, and Dan Koch. Love you guys

In their edited volume, Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices (Jewish Publication Society, 2025), Rabbis Adam Chalom and Jodi Kornfeld collect their movement's most important texts for the first time and answer the oft-raised question, “How can you be Jewish and celebrate Judaism if you don't believe in God?” Part 1 (“Beliefs and Ethics”) examines core positive beliefs—in human agency, social progress, ethics without supernatural authority, sources of natural transcendence, and Humanistic Jews' own authority to remake their traditional Jewish inheritance on their own terms “beyond God.” Part 2 (“Identity”) discusses how Humanistic Judaism empowers individuals to self-define as Jews, respects people's decisions to marry whom they love, and navigates the Israel-Diaspora relationship. Part 3 (“Culture”) describes how the many worlds of Jewish cultural experience—art, music, food, language, heirlooms—ground Jewishness and enable endless exploration. Part 4 (“Jewish Life”) applies humanist philosophy to lived Jewish experience: reimagined creative education (where students choose passages meaningful to them for their bar, bat, or b mitzvah [gender-neutral] celebrations), liturgy, life cycle, and holiday celebrations (where Hanukkah emphasizes the religious freedom to believe as one chooses). Interviewees: Adam Chalom is dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and rabbi of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in suburban Chicago. Jodi Kornfeld is rabbi of Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community in suburban Chicago and past president of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis. Host: Schneur Zalman Newfield is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Hunter College, City University of New York, and the author of Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Temple University Press). Visit him online at ZalmanNewfield.com. 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 their edited volume, Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values, Practices (Jewish Publication Society, 2025), Rabbis Adam Chalom and Jodi Kornfeld collect their movement's most important texts for the first time and answer the oft-raised question, “How can you be Jewish and celebrate Judaism if you don't believe in God?” Part 1 (“Beliefs and Ethics”) examines core positive beliefs—in human agency, social progress, ethics without supernatural authority, sources of natural transcendence, and Humanistic Jews' own authority to remake their traditional Jewish inheritance on their own terms “beyond God.” Part 2 (“Identity”) discusses how Humanistic Judaism empowers individuals to self-define as Jews, respects people's decisions to marry whom they love, and navigates the Israel-Diaspora relationship. Part 3 (“Culture”) describes how the many worlds of Jewish cultural experience—art, music, food, language, heirlooms—ground Jewishness and enable endless exploration. Part 4 (“Jewish Life”) applies humanist philosophy to lived Jewish experience: reimagined creative education (where students choose passages meaningful to them for their bar, bat, or b mitzvah [gender-neutral] celebrations), liturgy, life cycle, and holiday celebrations (where Hanukkah emphasizes the religious freedom to believe as one chooses). Interviewees: Adam Chalom is dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and rabbi of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in suburban Chicago. Jodi Kornfeld is rabbi of Beth Chaverim Humanistic Jewish Community in suburban Chicago and past president of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis. Host: Schneur Zalman Newfield is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Jewish Studies at Hunter College, City University of New York, and the author of Degrees of Separation: Identity Formation While Leaving Ultra-Orthodox Judaism (Temple University Press). Visit him online at ZalmanNewfield.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Rabbi David A. Ingber is the founding rabbi of Romemu, the largest Renewal synagogue in the United States. He was recently appointed the Senior Director of Jewish Life at 92NY in Manhattan. Rabb Ingber shares some of the Torah and wisdom that has helped bring him inspiration over the past year.To learn more about his work, visit https://romemu.org/

J.J. and Dr. Matt Goldish Introduce us to Shabbetai Tzevi and his cadre of prophets and promoters. This is episode 1 or our mini-series about Sabbateanism and its afterlife. Follow us on Twitter (X) @JewishIdeas_Pod and Bluesky @jewishideaspod.bsky.social for updates about messiahs, true and false. Please rate and review the the show in the podcast app of your choice!We welcome all complaints and compliments at podcasts@torahinmotion.org or just DM us. For more information visit torahinmotion.org/podcastsMatt Goldish is the Samuel M. and Esther Melton Chair in History at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on the Sephardi diaspora after 1492, early modern Sephardic and Italian rabbinic culture, messianism, and Jewish-Christian intellectual relations. He is the author of several books, including, The Sabbatean Prophet (Harvard University Press, 2004) and Jewish Questions: Responsa on Jewish Life in the Early Modern Period (Princeton University Press, 2008). His newest book, having nothing to do with Jewish history, is Science and Specters at Salem (Routledge, 2025). 

Avi Shlaim is a celebrated "New Historian” whose earlier work established him as an influential historian of Middle Eastern politics and especially of Israel's relations with the Arab world. Most recently he has turned to his own Iraqi/Israeli/British past in Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew–which he refers to as an "impersonal autobiography." He speaks today to John and his Brandeis colleague Yuval Evri, the Marash and Ocuin Chair in Ottoman, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish Studies. Yuval's 2020 The Return to Al-Andalus: Disputes Over Sephardic Culture and Identity Between Arabic and Hebrew explores how fluidity in such categories as the "Arab-Jew" becomes a source of resistance to exclusive claims of ownership of land, texts, traditions, or languages. The three quickly agree that the crucial category for understanding Avi's latest work is that of the Arab Jew: "I am a problem for Zionists, an ontological impossibility....[as] a living breathing standing Arab Jew. A problem for them but not for me." Coexistence for him is not remote, but something that the Iraqi Jewish community experienced and touched on a daily basis. In describing the factors that sped migration from Iraq to Israel in its early years, Shlaim lays bare some evidence for Mossad involvement in three for the Baghdad bombs that hastened the flight from Baghdad. That bombing forms part of the “Cruel Zionism” that Avi sees having gravely damaged the possibilities of Middle Eastern religious coexistence. He also discusses the 1954 Lavon affair, and more generally reflects on the way that Zionism ("an Ashkenazi thing") conscripted Arab Jews into its political formation (This is a topic also discussed extensively in RTB"s conversation with Natasha Roth-Richardson and Lori Allen, in Violent Majorities). True, there is a much-discussed 1941 Baghdadi pogrom, The Farhud. It stands alone in the area and by Shlaim's account was largely a product of British colonialism in Iraq, with its divisive elevation of Christians and Jews over Muslims. Yuval asks Avi to discuss the power (or permission) to narrate stories told from below. Avi's tales of his own mother's resourcefulness and his father's struggles betoken the range of poignant response to what for so many Arab Jews was not aliyah (ascent) but a yerida, a descent into marginality, unemployment, and cultural exclusion. To Avi, a single state of Israel/Palestine seems the best hope to ward off the worst that may come from the accelerated ethnic cleansing of both Gaza and the West Bank, which may lead to a second Nakba. Mentioned in the podcast Avi Shlaim, Collusion across the Jordan: King Abdullah, the Zionist Movement, and the Partition of Palestine (1988) Avi Shlaim, The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World (1988) The New Historians of Israel/Palestine. Joel Beinin, The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry (1998) Alliance Israelite Universelle Salo Baron anatomizes the "lachrymose version of Jewish history"; e.g. in his 1928 “Ghetto and Emancipation: Shall We Revise the Traditional View?” Noam Chomsky called settler colonialism the most extreme and vicious form of imperialism. Recallable Books Avi credits the influential work of Ella Shohat on the idea of the Arab Jew and "cruel Zionism." One pathbreaking article was her 1988 "Sephardim in Israel: Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Jewish Victims." but he recommends On the Arab Jew. In her work the hyphen unites rather than divides Arab and Jew. Yehoudah Shinhav, The Arab Jews (2006). Sami Michael Shimon Ballas, Outcast (1991). Michael Kazin, A Walker in the City (1951) and the rest of his New York trilogy. Listen and Read 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

Avi Shlaim is a celebrated "New Historian” whose earlier work established him as an influential historian of Middle Eastern politics and especially of Israel's relations with the Arab world. Most recently he has turned to his own Iraqi/Israeli/British past in Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew–which he refers to as an "impersonal autobiography." He speaks today to John and his Brandeis colleague Yuval Evri, the Marash and Ocuin Chair in Ottoman, Mizrahi and Sephardic Jewish Studies. Yuval's 2020 The Return to Al-Andalus: Disputes Over Sephardic Culture and Identity Between Arabic and Hebrew explores how fluidity in such categories as the "Arab-Jew" becomes a source of resistance to exclusive claims of ownership of land, texts, traditions, or languages. The three quickly agree that the crucial category for understanding Avi's latest work is that of the Arab Jew: "I am a problem for Zionists, an ontological impossibility....[as] a living breathing standing Arab Jew. A problem for them but not for me." Coexistence for him is not remote, but something that the Iraqi Jewish community experienced and touched on a daily basis. In describing the factors that sped migration from Iraq to Israel in its early years, Shlaim lays bare some evidence for Mossad involvement in three for the Baghdad bombs that hastened the flight from Baghdad. That bombing forms part of the “Cruel Zionism” that Avi sees having gravely damaged the possibilities of Middle Eastern religious coexistence. He also discusses the 1954 Lavon affair, and more generally reflects on the way that Zionism ("an Ashkenazi thing") conscripted Arab Jews into its political formation (This is a topic also discussed extensively in RTB"s conversation with Natasha Roth-Richardson and Lori Allen, in Violent Majorities). True, there is a much-discussed 1941 Baghdadi pogrom, The Farhud. It stands alone in the area and by Shlaim's account was largely a product of British colonialism in Iraq, with its divisive elevation of Christians and Jews over Muslims. Yuval asks Avi to discuss the power (or permission) to narrate stories told from below. Avi's tales of his own mother's resourcefulness and his father's struggles betoken the range of poignant response to what for so many Arab Jews was not aliyah (ascent) but a yerida, a descent into marginality, unemployment, and cultural exclusion. To Avi, a single state of Israel/Palestine seems the best hope to ward off the worst that may come from the accelerated ethnic cleansing of both Gaza and the West Bank, which may lead to a second Nakba. Mentioned in the podcast Avi Shlaim, Collusion across the Jordan: King Abdullah, the Zionist Movement, and the Partition of Palestine (1988) Avi Shlaim, The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World (1988) The New Historians of Israel/Palestine. Joel Beinin, The Dispersion of Egyptian Jewry (1998) Alliance Israelite Universelle Salo Baron anatomizes the "lachrymose version of Jewish history"; e.g. in his 1928 “Ghetto and Emancipation: Shall We Revise the Traditional View?” Noam Chomsky called settler colonialism the most extreme and vicious form of imperialism. Recallable Books Avi credits the influential work of Ella Shohat on the idea of the Arab Jew and "cruel Zionism." One pathbreaking article was her 1988 "Sephardim in Israel: Zionism from the Standpoint of Its Jewish Victims." but he recommends On the Arab Jew. In her work the hyphen unites rather than divides Arab and Jew. Yehoudah Shinhav, The Arab Jews (2006). Sami Michael Shimon Ballas, Outcast (1991). Michael Kazin, A Walker in the City (1951) and the rest of his New York trilogy. Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history