"Ask Haviv Anything" is a podcast about history, a podcast you, dear listener, will help to shape and direct, focusing not just on what I want to talk about but on what you want to learn and discuss. Nothing is off limits. We're going to talk about big and painful things, and also beautiful and fascinating things, wars and identities and painful history. And also more light-hearted things. Humor matters, especially when facing tough subjects.
Join me on this journey.
A podcast by Haviv Rettig Gur
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Episode 74: Why the global outrage at Israel's Somaliland recognition? (00:13:02)
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.Our current question: Why the global outrage at Israel's Somaliland recognition? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 73: Is military aid to Israel a good deal for America? (00:09:04)
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.Our current question: Is military aid to Israel a good deal for America? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 72: The women fighters behind the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, with Elizabeth R. Hyman (01:02:05)
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising stands as one of the few shining moments of (temporarily) successful Jewish resistance in the bottomless evil and despair that was the Holocaust. Heroes of the uprising like Mordechai Anielewicz and Yitzhak “Antek” Zuckerman form part of the national civic religion of Israeli Jews, and of Jewish commemoration ceremonies worldwide.But the men of the uprising didn’t do it alone. Without Zivia Lubetkin, Tosia Altman and the other women couriers and fighters, the uprising may have failed to organize in the first place. Yet how many Jews know those names or their incredible story?Our guest today is author Elizabeth R. Hyman, whose recent bestselling book The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto tells the astonishing history of some of the greatest heroes the Jewish people have ever produced, but whose exploits were all but ignored and even forgotten after the war.Through memoirs and diaries, Hyman tells their story, dragging the couriers of the ghettos into the light of history and Jewish remembrance and giving us a fuller picture of Jewish courage in the deepest darkness Jews have ever known.—This episode is sponsored by the Persian American Civic Action Network (PACAN), a non-profit organization which asked to dedicate the episode to Israel’s generation Z as they are the embodiment of Zionism in action and spirit, as well as the incredible renaissance led by their gen-Z counterparts in Iran standing tall against the radical Islamist tyranny that has invaded Iran and the Middle East since 1979.“In its endeavor to rebuild bridges of peace, brotherhood and good will, PACAN was the first Iranian-based organization in the diaspora to lead a mission to Israel to meet with Israeli leaders, media and NGOs in 2019. “As much as the Islamic regime tries to erase Iran’s history or propagate the diabolical prophecy to wipe out the Jewish State, we remember the inalienable Biblical alliance of the Jews and the Iranians, known to the western audience as the ‘Persians,’ who from the days of Cyrus the Great have facilitated the return of Jews to their homeland and the rebuilding of Zion.May we soon begin a new season of brotherhood, partnership, and good will between Iranians and Israelis.”—If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 71: Why the heck does America support Israel? (00:15:09)
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.Our current question: Why the heck does America support Israel?If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 70: The warrior Jews who terrified Rome, with Barry Strauss (00:52:46)
Between the outbreak of the Jews’ Great Revolt against Rome in the year 66 CE and the final suppression of the Bar Kochba Revolt in 135, the Jews of the Roman Empire constituted the empire’s single biggest headache. None of the countless conquered peoples controlled by that world power had ever rebelled quite so often or for so long.Jewish memory, largely forged by the rabbinic account of these revolts as doomed failures, tends to minimize their scale and impact and the chances they had for success.But a new book by Prof. Barry Strauss, a military historian specializing in the Greco-Roman period, argues that the Jewish revolts against Rome were not quite the folly that later generations of Jews would judge them. The Jews had a longstanding military tradition, skill and experience at irregular warfare, and good reason to hope that the Parthian Empire - itself home to a significant loyal and supported Jewish community - would come to their aid. Indeed, the first battle between the Jews and the Roman legions occupying Judea ended in a dramatic rout of a Roman legion.Few subject peoples frightened the great empire quite as much or for as long as the stubborn Jews.Prof. Strauss joins the podcast to talk about this astonishing saga of Jewish courage and military prowess - as well as the internal divisions and foolish decisions that ultimately doomed their cause.Strauss is the Corliss Page Dean Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University. He has written over a dozen books on ancient Roman and Greek history.His newest one is “Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World’s Mightiest Empire.” It was published earlier this year.This episode is sponsored by Shimon Parker, a member of the Sydney Jewish community, in hopes that his grandchildren Ziggy, Archie and Duke will grow up to be proud Jews.Shimon asked to dedicate the episode to the victims of the massacre on Bondi beach on the first night of Hanukkah and especially to Rabbi Eli Schlanger, the 41-year-old assistant rabbi of the local Chabad who was murdered while hosting a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach. Rabbi Schlanger served for 18 years as an emissary of Chabad. He is remembered as a pillar of the local Jewish community who was devoted to enriching Jewish religion and culture, who was generous with his time and kind to all. In the words of Levi Wolff, a rabbi at Sydney’s Central Synagogue, “Eli was ripped away from us in the midst of doing what he did best, spreading Yiddishkeit, spreading love and joy and caring for his people.” Eli is survived by his wife Chayale and their five children, including their two-month-old baby who was wounded in the attack.Listeners can support Rabbi Schlanger’s family through these dark times at this page https://www.charidy.com/elischlanger/G. The link was sent to us directly by the family.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 69: Israel's great divide - An insider's look at the judicial reform, with Moshe Koppel (01:37:18)
Until October 7, Israel’s politics were consumed by the fight over the government’s judicial reform proposals. The issue drove hundreds of thousands of Israelis to the streets in protest. It triggered all the anxieties of right and left, to sharpen class and ethnic and cultural divides, to raise fears over minority rights and the future of Israeli democracy.But in all those stormy months, there was very little in the way of serious and sober debate about Israeli institutions, checks and balances, judicial overreach and the dangers of an over-powerful executive. The substantive questions seemed to be pushed aside by the culture wars.The judicial reform was to some degree frozen - or at least dramatically slowed - in March 2023 after massive strikes broke out throughout the country. The October 7 massacre and ensuing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran relegated it to the bottom of the public agenda.But it never actually went away. Fights between the government and the High Court and between the government and the attorney general have only worsened, bills now stand on the Knesset docket that seek to advance in piecemeal fashion different elements of the original reform.To understand what happened - the original proposal, the great explosion of Israeli politics that ensued, and where it might all be headed - we turned to one of the architects of the original reform, Moshe Koppel, a professor emeritus of computer science and founder and chairman of the Kohelet Forum.It was a long conversation, often contentious and deeply interesting. We hope you find it helpful.This episode is sponsored by Iris Engelson and dedicated to the memory of her friend Sharon Kass (z”l) who passed away two years ago at the age of 57 on 29 Kislev, December 19.According to her friends, Sharon was fiercely independent; unpretentious and unflappable; brilliant and deeply curious; at once confident and modest; wickedly funny; and absolutely devoted to her family, to her friends and colleagues, to the many young people she mentored, to the Jewish people, and to the Jewish state.A cause particularly dear to Sharon’s heart was the International Birding and Research Center in Eilat, where she had volunteered. The bird sanctuary there is open to the public every day of the year with free admission.May her memory be a blessing.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 68: Antizionism is inherently violent, with Adam Louis-Klein (01:01:51)
After the massacre at Bondi Beach, anthropologist Adam Louis-Klein returns to the podcast to help us make sense of the new Jew-hatred.Antizionism, Adam argues, may be a form of hatred of Jews, but it's a far cry from the classical antisemitism of the 19th and 20th centuries. It's also not mere criticism of Israeli policies or governments. So what is it? And how do you fight it?Adam Louis-Klein is an anthropologist and writer whose work focuses on Jewish peoplehood, indigeneity, and contemporary anti-Jewish ideologies, especially the rise of antizionism. He is the founder of the Movement Against Antizionism and a postgraduate fellow at the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.Today's episode was sponsored by our friends at the American Technion Society.For more than a century, the Technion has powered Israel. Its graduates built the nation’s roads and bridges, its water systems and electrical grid. Israel’s high-tech industry emerged from the Technion — the very foundation of the Startup Nation. Today, as Israel recovers from the devastation of war, it needs the Technion more than ever. Technion scientists are developing new energy sources, sustainable food and water solutions and breakthrough medical therapies — creating innovations for a better world that will also reboot Israel’s economy.You want to help make Israel safe and strong. By supporting the Technion, you’re investing in the people and ideas that will rebuild Israel for a better future. Because rebuilding isn’t just about restoring what was lost — it’s about creating what comes next.The Technion built Israel. Now, the Technion will rebuild Israel. Join us. Visit ats.org/rebuildIf you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 67: Miracles in the dark. A response to Bondi. (00:48:39)
This Hanukkah began in darkness, in the brutal massacre of Jews in Sydney, Australia. Our hearts are broken, but our light is not dimmed.In this episode, we dive into the meaning of Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition and draw lessons from it for these painful times.This episode is sponsored by Donna Silbert and Kevin Foley and dedicated to the memory of Thomas Irwin Glasser. Tom Glasser was murdered by Islamist terrorists as he worked at his desk in the south tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.At the time of his passing the New York Times said Tom's occupation form would have read: "philosophy major-track star-standup comic-restaurant owner-bartender-partner at Sandler O'Neill." A senior partner and head of mortgage-backed securities sales and trading at the Wall Street firm Sandler O'Neill, Tom was brilliantly funny and broadly loved throughout the bond trading community, by clients and competitors alike. A talented and fiercely competitive collegiate athlete, Tom earned a gold medal in track and field representing the United States at the 1981 Maccabiah Games. One of the best athletes ever to attend his beloved collegiate alma mater Haverford College, in Pennsylvania, Haverford honored him by naming its sports hall of fame the "Thomas Glasser '82 Hall of Achievement." The Glasser family established a scholarship at Haverford in Tom's honor.A firm supporter of Israel and Jewish causes, had he lived Tom would have led from the front in the fight against antisemitism at Haverford College.A devoted husband and father, Tom is forever mourned by his wife Meg, sons Dylan and Lukas, parents Anne and Gerry, sisters Laura and Margie, brothers-in-law Joel and Sam, numerous nieces and nephews and hundreds of friends.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 66: Do BDS campaigns help Palestinians? (00:12:36)
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East.Our current question: Do BDS campaigns help Palestinians?If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 65: The unseen editors rigging the information war, with Ashley Rindsberg (01:09:04)
The internet has democratized information. Or so we are told. The world's knowledge is now at everyone's fingertips. No government and no power structure can gatekeep what everyone sees and hears.But as our lives increasingly move online, we are all discovering just how many forces are at work trying to control and manipulate the flow of information online. The information that comes our way is driven by algorithms shaped by corporations or foreign governments. And those who know how to game those algorithms now possess unprecedented control over what everyone sees on their phones and computers. Governments, political campaigns, advocacy movements all invest vast resources in shaping these environments to ensure their message dominates and opposing messages are suppressed.In this episode, we take a deep dive into the surprisingly small number of editors who have managed to take control of Wikipedia's articles related to Israel, Israeli history and Zionism, and to skew them into narrow ideological screeds that no Israelis or Jews would recognize as representing them or their story.It's a microcosm of a much larger story about the vulnerability of this new information environment in which we all swim to such manipulation.Wikipedia is a critical reference for hundreds of millions of people. It is often counted among the five most visited websites in the world. But its real influence is far larger: it's a favored result in any Google search and a favorite source for AIs when they answer our questions. So it matters that a tiny group of no more than 40 editors, through careful coordination, can completely dominate all editing and content in a major arena of contested knowledge.Wikipedia, Reddit and our new age of algorithmic information flows are our subject today, and Ashley Rindsberg, an American writer and a senior editor at Pirate Wires, is our guide.This episode is sponsored by Nancy and David Rosen of Guilford, Connecticut, on the fifth anniversary of the passing of Dr. Gerald Rosen of Glendale, Wisconsin. "Jerry was devoted to his family, his profession as a veterinarian of "50+ years," to his Glendale community, and to Judaism. He was a longtime member of Congregation Beth Israel and at some point in the mid-1990s, he likely crossed paths with Haviv, who was then living in Glendale as well.Though Jerry did not live to witness the tragedy of October 7th, 2023, or the momentous joy we experienced this past October 13th—on Simchat Torah—with the return of our people from captivity, he would have deeply appreciated Haviv’s thoughtful and nuanced exploration of the history of Jews and Arabs, and of the ongoing story of Israel and our people.""Last year, we were privileged to help host Haviv as Scholar-in-Residence at our synagogue, Temple Beth Tikvah, in Madison, Connecticut, and we were fortunate to spend three meaningful days studying with and learning from him.""We remember with gratitude our loved ones who came before us, and we dedicate our learning to those who will continue the story. We are profoundly thankful for Haviv and for his unwavering commitment to telling the story of our people in a way we can all understand."Thank you to the Rosens for their sponsorships and this beautiful dedication.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 64: The Soviet roots of today's antizionism, with Izabella Tabarovsky (01:19:26)
Izabella Tabarovsky is a scholar of Soviet antizionism and contemporary antisemitism, a contributor to many books and a senior fellow at the Z3 Institute. Her latest book is “Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student’s Survival Guide.”It’s available here: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Refusenik-Jewish-Students-Survival/dp/B0G2GKWKCJ/ref=zg_m_bs_g_8975368011_m_sccl_1/142-8265824-8567764?psc=1Today we are going to dive into the story of Soviet Jewry and the ideological war carried out by Soviet authorities against Jewish religious life and identity that ended up driving so many Soviet Jews to Zionism.And we delve into the vast, well-funded, decades-long Soviet propaganda efforts against the West in the third world and how that campaign’s vocabulary about Israel still drives a great deal of academic and activist discourse on Israel today. The links run deeper than mere vocabulary. Much of what we’re seeing today — the discourse on Israel that goes beyond criticism of the Gaza war to rejecting the very idea that Jews are a nation — had its start in that Cold War context.This episode is sponsored by Ceki Aluf Medina, a longtime listener and member of the Turkish Jewish community who is currently living in the United States. He asked to dedicate the episode to the soldiers of the IDF, the reservists and the regular army, who have sacrificed so much for the safety of the Jewish state. In Ceki’s words: “We in the diaspora recognize our obligation to support you, to vouch for you and take great pride in celebrating your accomplishments.”He also asked to dedicate this episode to the work of Shuva Achim, “brothers return,” a volunteer based grassroots organization that has been there for the IDF soldiers since the early days of the Gaza war, providing at their cafe and way station outside Moshav Shuva on the Gaza border countless hot meals, coffee and amenities to soldiers heading in and out of war.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 63: New York in the age of Tucker and Mamdani, with Noam Dworman (00:55:58)
Noam Dworman is the owner of the legendary Comedy Cellar comedy club in New York. He a lifelong New Yorker, a podcaster and an astute observer of his city and his country.What does he make of the incoming mayor and his anti-Israel views? What about the rabid new antisemitism on the Carlson-Owens right? And how does he understand the weak responses to both by American Jews?And finally: Will America weather these challenges, or has American Jewish life become less safe going forward?Today’s episode is sponsored by Ruth Adler and Eric Weinthal and is dedicated to each and every hostage brutally dragged into Gaza on October 7, and their families. In their words: “We rejoice with each hostage family reunited with their loved ones and our hearts break for those whose loved ones were murdered or died in captivity. We would also like to thank the protest groups we marched with that have organized to help amplify our voices for over 700 days, including Run For Their Lives, Bonot Alternativa and many others. We will not stop marching until the last body is returned home."If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 62: Hard times make strong Jews. Live in London with Daniel Schwammenthal. (01:48:59)
Today's episode is a very special show which was recorded live on November 10, 2025 at the Finchley United Synagogue - Kinloss in London. Haviv had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Jewish Chronicle Editor Daniel Schwammenthal. We had a great discussion about growing antisemitism in England, the war in Gaza, the possibility of upcoming elections in Israel and the many challenges facing Israelis and Jews today.We would like to thank Jonathan and Debra Field, who have been long-time supporters of this podcast, for bringing Haviv to London and sponsoring the event. We would also like to thank Rabbi Dr. Yoni Birnbaum, the Senior Rabbi of Finchley United Synagogue, for welcoming Haviv. If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 61: Is criticizing Israel antisemitic? (00:10:58)
Welcome to our new short-form episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our current question: Is criticizing Israel antisemitic? If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 60: Does it matter what the world thinks? A conversation with Dr. Tal Becker (00:48:09)
These are strange times to be a Jew. Jews are in many ways safer and stronger than ever, but face a surge of antisemitism unlike anything seen in generations. This includes a hatred of Jewish collective identity on the progressive left as well as hatred of Jews as Jews in millions of online posts each day and in the mainstream platforming of neo-Nazis like Fuentes and Carroll by the Tucker Carlsons of the West.These people aren't engaged in criticism of Israeli actions or of the Gaza war, but ride the wave of legitimate critique to advance something uglier, darker and older.What does this return of the old hatred mean? Were some of the more pessimistic Zionist thinkers right in their pessimism about the world? Do we hunker down together as Israelis or Jews and turn our backs on the world and its bigotries?We put the question to the ever wise Dr. Tal Becker, vice president of the Shalom Hartman Institute and a preeminent international law expert who served as legal advisor to the Israeli foreign ministry.His response, as ever, is a poignant conversation on the meaning of these strange times in the larger arc of Jewish history and Zionism.--This episode is cosponsored by Sue Levin in honor of her father Frank Levin, who passed away on January 23, 2025 at the age of ninety-eight. "Frank, a World War II veteran, spent his entire life in Buffalo, New York, devoted to his family, his local community and his religion. He would be shocked and thrilled to know that his daughter Sue, a terrible Hebrew school student growing up, is now finally diving in and learning so much about history and current events from Haviv’s tremendous podcast."This episode is also cosponsored by an anonymous sponsor in honor of the memory of William Isadore Eisberg, who along with the sponsor’s father enlisted in the US Navy after Pearl Harbor and was killed in action during WW2 in the battle of Tassafaronga in the waters off Guadalcanal in 1942. In addition to William Eisberg, this episode is dedicated to all the Jewish soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines past and present who serve in US Central command, and alongside Israel are protecting our most basic freedoms.--If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 59: Are Jews indigenous to Israel? (00:13:26)
We’re trying something new at AHA: Short-from episodes interspersed with the regular interviews that dive into an often-asked question about Israel, Jews and the Middle East. Our first question sent in by a listener: Are Jews really indigenous to Israel?If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 58: Rebuilding after disaster with ex-hostage Tal Shoham (00:57:35)
As Israelis wait with bated breath to discover if the body of Hadar Goldin, killed and taken into Gaza in 2014, will be returned for burial in Israel, we sit down with returned hostage Tal Shoham for a conversation about his harrowing experience and insights into Hamas and Gazan society. Long-time listeners will recognize Tal's name from one of our earliest episodes with his sister-in-law, our friend Shaked Haran, who described her fight to bring back the eight members of her family who were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7. Tal is the last member of her family to come home. He returned in early 2025.We discussed his survival in impossible conditions of abuse, torture and starvation, his grappling with the uncertainty over his children's survival, and the hard work of rebuilding a home and a sense of safety for children who'd had direct experience of evil.Today’s episode is sponsored by my friend Elissa Wald, a writer who noticed after October 7, 2023 that American Jews were being marginalized, even ostracized, within the American publishing world. She decided to mount a fierce fight against this trend. She started the Never Alone Book Club with the goal of sending Jewish writers to the NYT bestseller list every month. It has become the biggest Jewish book club in the country but more members are still needed to create a continuous series of Jewish bestsellers.RABBI ANGELA BUCHDAHL will be joining the Never Alone Book Club on December 10th to talk about her new book "Heart Of A Stranger." If you join the book club now, you can join that conversation. Here is the link to join on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/810380537866936/If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 57: When human rights NGOs fail, with Daniel Balson and Danielle Haas (01:05:31)
Human rights organizations help shape the world's understanding of conflicts, including the one between Israelis and Palestinians. Some of the biggest groups, especially Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, are immensely influential in government, the media and civil society in Western countries. And for decades, their expertise, detailed reports and moral reputations made them agents of positive change.But signs are mounting that that's changing, and you don't have to be Israeli to notice it. They publish fewer professional reports, conduct fewer serious investigations, and have shifted their focus to partisan activism. They are often more quick to issue statements on climate issues or police violence in American cities or systemic racism or gender identity than the old bread-and-butter questions on which they built their reputations: international law, war and repressive regimes.And they have become partisan to the point of often failing that old fundamental mission. One startling example: Amnesty International continues to refuse to publish its report about the October 7 massacre over two years after the event. According to emails from some of the organization's top leaders, they are concerned that such a report about Hamas's egregious human rights abuses might help Israel make the case that Hamas are...well, serial and egregious human rights abusers.This goes beyond criticizing Israel, which any organization can and should do, to an inability to criticize Hamas.What happened? How did these organizations become so partisan and polarized, to the point that their original missions are no longer their top priority? How does the severing of ties with Israel's domestic human rights activists - Amnesty abruptly shut down its Israel chapter last year, even as those Israeli activists were stridently critiquing the war in Hebrew to Israelis - serve the cause of human rights or help Palestinians?We asked two former staffers at Amnesty and HRW, Daniel Balson and Danielle Haas, whether these organizations have lost their way; and if so, what caused it; and how the cause of human rights might be reclaimed from the political partisans who have steered it so far into the culture wars.This episode was sponsored by the Kleinman family of Manhattan, who asked to dedicate the episode to the memory of the 64 residents of Kibbutz Kfar Aza killed and the 19 kidnapped on October 7. The asked to add in their words: "After a recent visit to the kibbutz and spending time with one of the few remaining residents, we were overwhelmed by the devastation and meaningless loss of life. The destruction in the 'youth' section was particularly horrendous given the proximity to the Gaza border. On the other hand, we were impressed by stories of the bravery of the members of the community who tried to defend against the terrorists. We support the rebuilding of the kibbutz and those members of the kibbutz who decide to return and rebuild. We also pray for the return of the bodies of the hostages still being held in Gaza.”Thank you to the Kleinman family for their support and their dedication.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and opinions, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 56: The industrial revolution of prehistoric Israel, with Tom Levy (01:07:41)
Today we step out of the politics and anxious debates of this difficult time and go back 5,500 years to the Chalcolithic, the so-called Copper Age. Our guide is Prof. Tom Levy, eminent archaeologist and emeritus Norma Kershaw Chair in the Archaeology of Ancient Israel and Neighboring Lands at the University of California, San Diego.Tom's new graphic-novel memoir, The Boomer Archaeologist, tells the story of his journey into the deep past of the land of Israel, and offers an opportunity for us to talk to him about his groundbreaking work on the origins of inequality, on the vast copper industry of the ancient Biblical kingdom of Edom - a kingdom whose very existence archaeologists long doubted - and even, along the way, some thoughts on the roots of religion and technological innovation.Tom has published 12 books and several hundred scholarly articles. The Boomer Archaeologist is available here: https://www.amazon.com/Boomer-Archaeologist-Graphic-Memoir-Identity/dp/B0F2LP47JK/ref=sr_1_1This episode is sponsored by Renee Schweber and Matthew Schweber in memory of their late husband and father Jack Schweber, who passed away on April 30, 2020. Jack's story, retold in the podcast, is an extraordinary snapshot of the American Jewish experience writ large.If you like what we do here, please join our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything. There you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join in our great discussions where listeners share news and opinions, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 55: The real war is not in Gaza, with Dr. Einat Wilf (01:11:37)
Trump's peace plan explicitly calls for deradicalization of the Gazan population. Countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are hoping to take part in Gaza's rebuilding in part so they can help push back against the radical Islamism of Hamas, which those countries see as a larger threat to themselves as well.Can Palestinian society be deradicalized? What might that even mean? Is the problem a religious one? A political one? Can Israel play a part, and how would that look?We turned to Dr. Einat Wilf, a leading thinker and writer on Israel, on the conflict, on the history of the two peoples, and on Israel's foreign and education policies. Wilf has long argued that Palestinian society is in thrall to a particular ideological narrative that goes beyond Palestinian self-determination and fixates on the demand for a complete eradication of Israel - and that Palestinian ideologues and elites have been advancing that desire for generations, nearly always at the expense of Palestinian interests and wellbeing. She also believes they will continue to do so until this impulse is understood, named and tackled head-on.This episode is sponsored by the American Technion Society. With Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah degraded, what technologies will Israel need to defend itself in a new Middle East? Every day, groundbreaking research from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology is transformed into real world defense tech that protects Israel and saves lives. From Iron Dome to Iron Beam, drones to satellites, and cybersecurity to supercomputers, fundamental science born in Technion labs is brought to life by visionary Technion alumni serving in the IDF and defense industries giving Israel its qualitative edge.If you love Israel and want to keep it safe, boost its economy, and strengthen its people, investing in the great minds, discoveries, and inventions that come from the Technion is a phenomenal way to make a bigger impact on Israel’s future and ensure its safety. Please visit them and contribute to this astonishing Israeli institution that is a key part of Israel's strength and resilience. Visit https://www.ats.org/havivIf you like what we do here, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 54: Can Israel be both Sparta and Athens? With Dan Schueftan (01:26:43)
The Gaza war may now be over. But Hamas remains entrenched in the half of Gaza from which the IDF has withdrawn.Many are hopeful that this marks a new and better day for Gaza, but it's hard to see how Gaza moves forward to the better future envisioned in the Trump peace plan as long as Hamas continues to rule there.Prof. Dan Schueftan, a preeminent and blunt-spoken Israeli national security scholar who helped craft the original 2005 Israeli withdrawal from Gaza joins the podcast to talk about the meaning of this moment - his lessons from the Gaza withdrawal, how Israeli strategy must account for what he calls the "barbarism" of its enemies, the failures of Israeli strategy that led to October 7 and the resiliency of Israeli society since the massacre. He offers a sober analysis of what the future holds for Gaza.This episode is sponsored by Aaron and Donna Horowitz and Mitch and Sherri Padnos, who asked us (we swear) to say, "With heartfelt gratitude, we thank Haviv for being the most trusted and insightful voice on the Middle East—helping us make sense of complex realities and offering clarity in a time that so often feels overwhelming. Your work doesn’t just inform us; it helps us cope, reflect, and stay connected to what matters most."They dedicated the episode to their lone soldiers Alexa Horowitz and Ethan Padnos and to all lone soldiers from Israel and around the world who commit themselves to the defense of Israel, both during their active service and in miluim (reserve duty), whose courage, sacrifice, and devotion inspire us every day.They also asked us to make special mention of the heavy psychological toll this war has exacted on those who serve. Since the war began, dozens of soldiers have taken their own lives—an unbearable reminder that the wounds of conflict are not only physical but also emotional and invisible. May their memories be a blessing, and may their loss push us all to care for the mental health and wellbeing of every soldier, veteran and family touched by this war.If you like what we do here, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 53: Telling the Jewish story to the Arab world, with Elhanan Miller (01:02:44)
Rabbi Elhanan Miller has half a million online followers, and almost all of them are Arabs. They tune in to his "People of the Book" project on YouTube and other platforms to learn in Arabic about Jewish ideas, customs and holidays, and to hear the testimonies of Jews from the Arab and Muslim worlds who now live in Israel or the West.Elhanan has appeared hundreds of times on Arabic-language television networks throughout the Gaza war, where is asked to convey the views and experiences of Israelis.He joins the podcast to talk about the unique and remarkable bridge that he's built between Jewish Israel and its Muslim Arab neighbors.We also tackle difficult questions of Islamic radicalism, alternatives to Hamas rule in Gaza, and whether peace is really possible in this deeply religious part of the world -- when religion itself often plays such a radicalizing force in politics and society.This episode was sponsored by Tali Rice as a tribute to her sister who's currently serving in the IDF, and to everyone doing their part to keep Israel safe. This episode is also cosponsored by an anonymous donor who is dedicating it to the lone soldiers from Newton, Massachusetts for their bravery and for their safety. As hard as the situation is for their families here in the US, their service is also a source of deep pride.If you like what we do here, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 52: Why do people hate Jews, with Dara Horn (01:11:43)
Dr. Dara Horn, award-winning novelist and scholar of Yiddish and Hebrew literature, joins the podcast to help us dig deep into the Jewish bookshelf, the whirlwind of antisemitism in which so many Jews find themselves, and, unavoidably, into Judaism’s most successful go-to solution for seemingly every problem: Education.We talk about Jewish “anti-literature,” about why people (and museums and politicians) so often seem to love stories about dead Jews but get uncomfortable with living ones, and about how American Jews, the biggest, wealthiest and possibly most Jewishly illiterate diaspora community in the history of Jews, reclaims the richer, deeper Jewish culture it abandoned in generations past.We also discuss Dara’s new nonprofit, the Tell Institute (at https://www.thetellinstitute.org), which aims to enable a new generation of Americans to learn about Jewish life, history and civilization, tackling head-on the ignorance in which antisemitism spreads.This episode is sponsored by the Greenberg family, Freyda, Bob and their daughter Sara Rose. For them this podcast is not only essential in the struggle for the survival and thriving of Israel and Jews everywhere, but it has become their “headspace” where Haviv provides both the enrichment, and the calm reason so needed in the midst of so much chaos.(Thank you to the Greenbergs for this dedication.)The Greenbergs would also like to recognize their cousin, the award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg, who passed away far too young on July 4. Richard represented all that was right and wonderful about being a Jew. His work was filled with insight and the irony and humor of being a Jew in 20th century America. And more important than his work was who he was as a person. He created his own family and community based on the values of listening and doing good to others.This episode is also dedicated to the memory of Tal Movshovitz, a young reserve soldier who fell in Gaza in June of 2025, amid the war with Iran. Tal served as a deputy company commander in the 7086th Combat Engineering Battalion in reserves. He was killed by an explosive device planted in a building in Khan Younis. Tal left behind a wife and two small children. His death was swallowed up in the news cycle and so we wanted to take the time to remember him here.If you like what we do here, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 51: Antisemitism and the Black experience (01:04:43)
Coleman Hughes is an American writer, host of the podcast Conversations with Coleman, a visiting professor at the University of Austin, and the author of The End of Race Politics.He joins the podcast to talk about America, the Gaza war and the standing of American Jews in American society. A prominent Black thinker who has written and spoken a great deal about race in America, Coleman also helps guide us through the complicated intellectual and cultural story of Black antisemitism in America.This episode is co-sponsored by Earl and Jordanna Lipson of Toronto in appreciation "for the thoughtful commentary the show has been providing to those in the diaspora who hunger for understanding during these very unsettling times." They asked to dedicate the episode to "non-Jewish allies who have shown strength of character, heartfelt compassion and a willingness to seek out understanding when so many around them have proven unwilling to do so. Sadly, in a world gone crazy, it takes courage to speak up against the tsunami of blood libel and hatred being cast upon us. These courageous souls should know that their righteousness is greatly appreciated and is so very important to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you."And it is cosponsored by Eve and Bobby Lapin, Leslie Gilstrap, and Suzanne and John Landa, known as "Haviv's Houston Herd," who wish dedicate this episode to the courageous soldiers of the IDF and the IAF, and to the families of Israel’s fallen soldiers. As diaspora Jews in a climate of increasing antisemitism, we are deeply grateful for the sacrifices all of you have made to protect Israel as a safe-haven and homeland. Your fortitude inspires us. Our hearts are with you – and with the hostage families - each day."If you like this podcast, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
Episode 50: Hostage Deal - A new day for Gaza, a bad day for Hamas (00:23:22)
On October 8, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to his peace and hostage release deal. Israel's tormented hostages will soon be home.The agreement delivers almost everything the pro-Palestinian campaign claimed to want. No Israeli annexation, no Gazans have to leave and any who do can return, and a full rebuilding and rehabilitation under Arab and international auspices - all of it confirmed in an explicit Israeli commitment to the United States.It's the best possible deal for Gaza.And that's exactly why it's the worst possible deal for Hamas. Only Hamas loses here, only Hamas is required to disarm - or pretend to for a while. To relinquish authority - or pretend to for a while. It's no longer possible to pretend that Gaza's interests and Hamas's interests are the same. You can support one or the other, but not both.So will it work? And what does it tell us about the past two years, and about the future of Israelis and Palestinians?This episode was sponsored by the Goldstein family of Monsey, NY for the Refuah Shleimah (full and complete healing) of former hostage Romi Gonen and all the hostages. The Goldstein family writes: “Romi’s name was given to us 'randomly' (though nothing is truly random) by one of the hostage sites that sprang up after 10/7, to connect those who wanted to pray for hostages with an individual name and face. I printed this out, and Romi’s beautiful young face and name was taped to a chair at our dining table. Every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, there was Romi. Every Shabbos, there was Romi. We read more about her online, how she loves dance and leopard print clothes, how she had been a Tzofim (Scouts) leader, and I thought how much her troop of girls must miss her. I saw videos and interviews with her amazing mother Meirav as well, a powerful and articulate fellow Jewish mother. When Romi’s name was announced as one of the young women scheduled for release, our prayers were being answered! Seeing her walking out, being embraced by her family! We cheered, and cried. And we continue to cheer for Romi. Through multiple surgeries, through what looks like grueling physical therapy, Romi is prevailing. Romi, and every former and current hostage, continue to be in our prayers. They are extraordinary, every one of them."If you like this podcast, please join us on Patreon to support our work: https://www.patreon.com/AskHavivAnything.If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com.Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.
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