Evolve - Episodes Tagged with “Israel”

Episode 69: I’m Right, You’re Wrong: What Data Reveals About North American Jewish Opinion on Israel, Zionism and Anti-Zionism

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 06:00:00 -0400

What do North American Jews think and feel about Israel and why do they feel it? As researcher Matthew Boxer explains, we have, at best, an incomplete understanding of opinion. That's had a harmful impact on discourse and planning. So to find out, Boxer surveyed some 1,800 North American Jews. In this episode, he shares his findings and what he believes they mean. Among his major takeaways: he disproves the-oft sited statistic that 95 percent of American Jews identify as Zionist, even though most American Jews have attitudes that one would associate with Zionism. Many on the left and right feel that their interpretations are obvious and clear and think that opposing views are dangerous and outside the pale. Also, many American Jews feel strong emotional attachment to Israel, but that emotional attachment doesn't correlate to particular or obvious opinions about the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians. Boxer shares how he thinks future researchers can learn from his work. And, he makes a case that particular perspectives on Israel should not be a condition for inclusion in Jewish life and community.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Dr. Matthew Boxer.

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Register for the 8/25 Evolve Web Conversation with Rabbi Jacob Staub and Rabbi Megan Doherty — "Creating Sacred Community: Leadership and Connection with Rabbi Megan Doherty"
Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "How We Talk About Jewish Young Adults’ Connection to Israel: The Evidence or Lack Thereof"
Read Matthew Boxer's Evolve essay, "What is Zionism? It Depends on Who You Ask"
Dig Into Matthew Boxer's Survey Results: "What is Zionism? Assessing the Diversity of Discourse in a Charged Environment" — See Dr. Boxer's PowerPoint, read about his methodology, and explore his dataset
Explore Local Jewish Community Population Studies and more at the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies
"What Is Zionism?" Matthew Boxer presents his research findings in this video presentation

Episode 66: Roan Boucher on Anti-Trans Legislation and Christian Nationalism

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0400

Activist and organizer Roan Boucher details the unprecedented surge in anti-trans legislation across America and its connection to Christian Nationalism. Despite addressing these troubling developments, Boucher discusses sources of hope and resilience, pointing to mutual aid networks and Jewish spiritual practices. This compelling dialogue weaves personal experience with sharp political analysis. It’s essential listening experience for anyone trying to understand our current moment. Boucher also addresses deep divisions within Jewish communities and stresses Jews need to work across divides to oppose antisemitism and assaults on human rights.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Roan Boucher.

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Episode 60: Former Rep. Andy Levin on Courage, the Election, AIPAC and Gaza

Reconstructing Judaism — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 06:00:00 -0500

Former Congressman Andy Levin sits for a truly wide-ranging interview about the election, his concerns about the incoming Trump administration, Israel and so much more. The passionate Reconstructionist also discusses his Jewish identity, spiritual practice and how he has cultivated courage in public life. He offers honest assessments of his 2022 losing reelection bid and what lessons Democrats can draw from November’s defeat. He also offers a refreshingly candid take on courage in politics and the calculations politicians often make.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rep. Andy Levin.

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Episode 58: A Palestinian Scientist and Reconstructionist Rabbi Are Working Together to Rebuild Gaza

Reconstructing Judaism — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Tareq Abu Hamed, Ph.D., and Rabbi Michael Cohen talk about the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Israel’s Negev region. The nearly 30-year-old academic and research institution brings together students and faculty from Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan and elsewhere to build relationships and solve pressing environmental challenges. Arava is partnering with a Palestinian organization on a new plan to meet needs for water, sanitation, hygiene and energy in a devastated Gaza Strip that’s years away from being rebuilt. Abu Hamed and Cohen each share how they hold on to hope in a seemingly hopeless time for those dedicated to regional peace.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, Rabbi Maurice Harris, and Rabbi Michael Cohen.

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Episode 57: The Anniversary of October 7 and BINA: the Jewish Movement for Social Change

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0400

It’s not easy to talk about and process the first anniversary of Oct. 7, 2023, when war continues to widen, hostages remain in Gaza and a ceasefire seems less and likely. This episode aims to model such a conversation. In a wide-ranging interview featuring Rabbi Mira Wasserman, Ph.D., interim vice president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Elliott Glassenberg, senior educator at BINA: the Jewish Movement for Social Change, they and Bryan discuss Oct. 7 and how Israeli and American Jews have been impacted. They also explain the relationship between RRC and BINA and how it may be more important than ever for rabbis serving in the Diaspora to devote time to better understanding the dynamics of Israeli society.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Elliot Glassenberg and Rabbi Mira Beth Wasserman, Ph.D..

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Episode 55: Marc Dollinger on Black Power and Jewish Politics Before and After October 7

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Marc Dollinger has seen a thing or two. In his academic career, the historian of American Jewry has been labeled a “self-hated leftist Jew” and “right-wing Zionist colonialist.” He’s been criticized for failing to capture the full nuance of black-Jewish relations and been abandoned by his publisher for suggesting that Jews bear some responsibility for the continuance of American racism. And, while he studied leftist anti-Israel sentiments for decades — focusing on its origins after the Six Day War — he’s been utterly shocked by the virulence of anti-Israel sentiment on campuses since Oct. 7, 2023. In this packed interview, Dollinger addresses the nature of academic freedom, the importance of DEI work in Jewish communities and the lines between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. He also talks about his previous book Black Power, Jewish Politics and his forthcoming memoir of his campus intellectual battles.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Marc Dollinger.

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Episode 54: Religion Scholar Louis Newman Discusses Shattered Faith, the War in Gaza and Antisemitism on College Campuses

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 11 Jul 2024 06:00:00 -0400

For a certain generation of Jewish Americans, Israel and the memory of the Holocaust represented twin pillars of civil religion, argues Louis Newman, a scholar of Jewish ethics and religion. While these pillars may have shown cracks for decades, Newman says they came crashing down on Oct. 7,2023. Israel had failed its most basic function: keeping Jews and all its inhabitants safe. What does a people do when its faith is shattered? What can we learn from our history? Where do we go from here? Newman discusses all this and more in a thought-provoking interview. The author of a new book on how to succeed in college also gives his take on campus antisemitism, anti-Israel protests and what colleges might do to restore both safety and the free exchange of ideas and expression.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Louis Newman.

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Read Louis Newman's Evolve essay, "Living in a Time of Shattered Faith"
Where We Stand: The Reconstructionist Movement, Israel and Zionism
Sign up for Evolve's free newsletter to stay up to date on the latest essays, videos and podcasts
Support Evolve with a donation
Explore Evolve's essays about the Israel-Hamas war
Register for Evolve's upcoming web conversation, "The Right-Wing Extremists Are In Charge In Israel" — Rabbi Jonathan Kligler will discuss why he no longer supports a continuation of the war in Gaza despite his passionate commitment to a liberal, democratic Israeli state.
Purchase Louis Newman's new book, "Thinking Critically in College"
Read Louis Newman in Newsweek: "Look to the Liberal Arts to Lower the Temperature of Campus Culture Wars"
Also by Louis Newman for Evolve, "The Other Jewish View of Forgiveness"
Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001
1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War
1949: The First Israelis
Palestine 1936: The Great Revolt and the Roots of the Middle East Conflict
Read Rabbi Amy Eilberg's Evolve essay, "Lovingkindness in a Time of War" — Louis Newman is married to past Evolve guest and contributor Rabbi Amy Eilberg.
Listen to Rabbi Amy Eilberg's Evolve interview, "Lovingkindness in a Time of War" — Louis Newman is married to previous Evolve guest and contributor, Rabby Amy Eilberg
Book Review | Noah Feldman Explains Us To Ourselves

Episode 53: Rabbi Katie Mizrahi on being a Zionist and calling for a ceasefire, working for Palestinian rights and the anti-Israel upsurge on college campuses

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 30 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Rabbi Katie Mizrahi is a Zionist who was beyond devastated by Hamas’ mass killings, rape and kidnapping on October 7th. She reaffirms Israel’s right to defend itself. And she explains why she is opposed to how Israel has conducted its war and why she joined calls for a bilateral ceasefire. She expands on this line from her essay, “But here is the heart of the matter. I am not ready to become monstrous to defend my people from monsters.” We talk about the difficulty of interpreting events and the deluge of information and making informed decisions about where one stands. She shares how B’nai Havurah Denver Reconstructionist Congregation has responded these last seven months and how Zionists and anti-Zionist still inhabit the same community. Bryan and Rabbi Katie reminisce about what it was like to be in Israel in the 90s a time of hope and optimism. She shares her experience working against Israeli demolitions of Palestinian home and the trauma of witnessing the shooting of a Palestinian man. This episode is dedicated to Bryan’s late father, Robert.
Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Rabbi Katie Mizrahi.

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Episode 49: Bestselling author Jay Michaelson on his new book of fiction, covering the Israel-Hamas war, campus antisemitism, and more

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 06:00:00 -0500

After 20 years of work, Jay Michaelson —scholar, rabbi, lawyer, activist, meditation teacher —has published his first book of fiction, “The Secret That Is Not a Secret: Ten Heretical Tales” (03:30). The linked short stories focus on a range of Jewish characters: Men and women, Orthodox and secular, straight and gay, Israeli and American. Yet each carries a secret desire that could be described as queer, and their stories explore the nature of heresy, queerness, kabbalah, mysticism and the sometimes-thin line between erotic desire and religious yearning. Michaelson would probably have preferred we discussed “The Secret That Is Not a Secret” for the full episode. Yet, we’re living in a post October 7 world and Michaelson, who’d stopped writing about Israel about a decade ago, felt compelled to jump back in. In the Forward and Rolling Stone, he’s written about the ethics of war, the charged nature of the term genocide, the debate about campus antisemitism and the fates of the two Ivy League presidents forced to resign after public uproar. We delve into some of these op-eds (31:40) and discuss how’s he taken care of himself during one of the most emotionally trying times of his life.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Jay Michaelson.

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Episode 47: For Us, By Us: The Trans Halakhah Project

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 06:00:00 -0500

Halakhah is for Orthodox Jews. It means Jewish law: what you can do and can’t do. Right? Not according to Laynie Soloman, a passionate teacher of Jewish text and thought at SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva. Soloman says that Halakhah isn’t law, per se, since law – especially when it comes to queer and trans folks – can serve as an instrument of oppression. Rather, Soloman speaks of Halakhah as “Jewish practice and its surrounding discourse,” i.e. what Jews do. Soloman discusses SVARA’s Trans Halakhah Project, which seeks to empower trans Jews. Soloman talks with hosts Bryan Schwartzman about what the project means in a political climate hostile to trans people. “Celebrating our transness is a political act.” Recorded early in the Israel-Hamas War, Soloman describes how they have turned to ancient rabbinic sources to understand how Jews have dealt with catastrophe and violence in the past.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guest: Laynie Soloman.

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Episode 43: Reconstructionist Jews and the Struggle Over Israel’s Future

Reconstructing Judaism — Thu, 20 Jul 2023 06:00:00 -0400

Confused, angered, and heartbroken by the push to weaken Israel’s independent judiciary? Not sure what to think? Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D., Reconstructing Judaism's CEO, and Rabbi Maurice Harris, its Israel affairs specialist, don't claim to have all the answers. Yet, they’ve each just spent extended stays in the country immersed in conversations about its future as well as its relationship with Diaspora Jewry. In conversation, they make an impassioned, moral defense of sustained engagement with Israel, even as they take a principled opposition to the government's attempts to strip away the country’s democratic character.

Harris and Waxman describe what it’s like to be in Israel, and taking part in demonstrations, as this all unfolds. They explain the Reconstructionist commitment to a multi-vocal, multi-perspective conversation about Israel/Palestine as exemplified by the running debate on Evolve itself. Our guests also respond to several Evolve essays putting Palestinian suffering front and center. This is a grounding, not-to-be missed conversation about some of the most pressing questions facing the Jewish world today.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

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Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/1

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Ph.D. and Rabbi Maurice Harris.

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Episode 37: The Israeli Government’s War on Women

Reconstructing Judaism — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:00:00 -0500

This Israeli government is different, unprecedented, more religious, and righter wing than any before. At least, that’s what countless headlines and pundits are saying. According to two Israeli legal scholars and activists, Gila Stopler and Yofi Tirosh, this really is a moment of crisis for Israel. Stopler and Tirosh detail how the dramatic drop in women represented in government — two Orthodox coalition parties have no women representatives — is shaping an agenda that could dramatically curtail women’s rights. Rather than the cosmopolitan place in which women thrive and lead, they warn of a sobering future in which men and women are segregated in much of public life, looking more like other Conservative Middle Eastern nations than the nation Israel’s founders built and envisioned. Will it happen? Can the legal system — itself under assault — or popular protests prevent the worst fears from occurring? How much does this all have to do with the inability of Israeli and Palestinian leaders to make peace? We discuss all this and more.

Theme song, “Ilu Finu” by Rabbi Miriam Margles. Her album This is the Day is available for purchase at CDBaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/miriammarglesandthehadarensemb

Visit our home on the web — Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations: http://evolve.reconstructingjudaism.org

Subscribe by Email at http://subscribebyemail.com/evolve.fireside.fm/rss

Read these show notes on the web at https://evolve.fireside.fm/

This podcast is produced by Reconstructing Judaism. Visit us at ReconstructingJudaism.org.

Special Guests: Dr. Yofi Tirosh and Gila Stopler.

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