Unpacking Better Israel Education with OpenDor Media’s Dr. Noam Weissman
Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
The Role of Jewish Sleepaway Camps in Zionism Education
Jonah asks about camps' responsibility; Noam describes camp curricula, debates, and activities that build Hebrew and Zionist literacy.
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What happens when Jewish education stops being about advocacy — and starts being about curiosity?
That’s the mission of Dr. Noam Weissman, Executive Vice President of OpenDor Media and host of the hit podcast Unpacking Israeli History. In this episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt: 30 Minute Mensches, Jonah and Noam dive into how we teach, talk and think about Israel — and what it takes to build a generation of Jews who are both passionate and informed.
Noam shares:
- Why “Israel education” should be about questions, not just advocacy
- What he calls “goosebumps with complexity” — combining emotional connection with intellectual honesty
- Why teaching young Jews that Israel is perfect does more harm than good
- The untold story of the Altalena ship, and how it nearly tore Israel apart
- Why Jewish summer camps and schools are key to rebuilding Israel literacy — and what real Zionism looks like in the 21st century
From school classrooms to TikTok feeds, Noam Weissman is revolutionizing how people learn about Israel and Jewish identity — blending history, heart, and hard truths. Listen now to hear how one educator is transforming Jewish learning for a new generation.
Host & Production Team
Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew ‘MoJo' Jones; Story Producer: Sean Leviashvili & Sasha Nelson; Editor: Jacob Kindberg; Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild; Graphic Designer: Noah Bell
Mentioned In Episode
- Unpacking Israeli History Podcast
- Unpacked Media
- Unpacked for Educators
- What Is ConnectEd? Jewish/Israeli Education For Broader Constituents
- Wondering Jews Podcast
- Who is Mijal Bitton?
- Who Is Kimberly Hirabayashi?
- Understanding Yom Ha’atzmaut: Israeli Independence Day (Unpacked)
- How to Engage Students for Yom Ha’atzmaut and Yom HaZikaron (Unpacked for Educators)
- What Is The Altalena: Israel’s (Almost) Civil War?
- Understanding German Reparations Post WWII
- Who Are The Mizrahi Jews?
- History of The Mizrahi Migration to Israel (Unpacked)
- Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries (Jewish Virtual Library)
- The Surprising History of Israel’s Black Panthers
- Why Doesn’t Israel Have a Constitution?
- Who is Philosopher Lev Vygotsky & What Were His Views on Zionism & Judaism?
- Philosopher Jean Piaget & The Ties to Judaism
- Julie Platt on Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
- Jonah Thinks We Should Stop Saying “Antisemitism”!
- Herzl's Troubled Dream: The Origins of Zionism
- Who is Ze’ev (Vladimir) Jabotinsky & What Are His Connections to Zionism?
- Who Is Author David Suissa?
- This Week in Jewish History | Palestinian Terrorists Kill 25 Hostages in Ma'alot Massacre
- What is the Munich Massacre?
- Unpacking Israeli History: Episode 1 – The Dreyfus Affair
- Unpacking Israeli History: Episode 2 – Herzl & The Non-Promised Land
- Unpacking Israeli History: Episode 6 – The Altalena (Israel’s Almost Civil War)
- Who Is Menachem Begin?
- Pre-IDF Brigades: Haganah, Irgun and Lechi
- David Ben-Gurion
- Who Is Ahmed Faoud Alkhatib? Palestinian-American Activist & Blogger
- Who Is Mohammed Dajani Daoudi? Arab Scholar & Peace Activist
- Who Is Haviv Rettig Gur? Israeli Journalist & The Times of Israel’s Senior Analyst
- Camp Lavi: Jewish Sleepaway Camp in The Poconos
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