Episode 44: Fateful choices to make in the new year, a comment for Rosh Hashanah

15 snips

Sep 22, 2025

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of great change and important choices. The discussion highlights the contrast of the holiday with contemporary diplomatic challenges and the need to navigate complex regional dynamics. There’s an exploration of the strategic order of defeating Hamas while contemplating Gaza's future. The conversation also ties Jewish themes of creation and renewal to the moral responsibilities we face. Wisdom and thoughtful choices take center stage as reflections for the new year.

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INSIGHT

Dark Night, New Beginnings

Rosh Hashanah falls on a moonless night and symbolizes pivots and new beginnings built into creation.
The shofar's cry reminds us there is always an alternative path, a 'ram in the thicket'.

INSIGHT

Darkness Can Kindle New Light

In the depths of war and disruption, Rosh Hashanah's darkness can kindle new light and reveal alternative paths.
The holiday's call to introspection invites collective decisions that shape a generation's destiny.

INSIGHT

Which Palestine Matters Most

Recognition of a Palestinian state matters only by which political reality it enshrines, not the label itself.
As long as Hamas controls the political outcome, external recognition risks validating its strategy rather than sidelining it.

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Rosh Hashanah is the only Jewish holiday that falls on the first day of the lunar month - that begins in darkness. It is also the holiday most associated in Jewish tradition with great turning-points and new beginnings.

The coming year will be a time of great change and momentous decisions. Israel will have some fundamental choices to make.

This is a reflection on the holiday, on the state of the war, and on the responsibility that Judaism places upon us to shape our destiny.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History, a podcast from Unpacked, an OpenDor Media brand — and one I’ve had the pleasure of joining several times as a guest. Unpacking Israeli History, hosted by my friend Noam Weissman, takes listeners on a journey through Israel’s most fascinating and sometimes controversial moments, offering a fact-based understanding of Israel’s past and present that is both informative and really entertaining.

If you’ve been here a while, you know how much I value talking about and learning about Israel without oversimplification. Unpacking Israeli History does just that. It’s smart, nuanced, and it never shies away from complexity. Noam does a remarkable job of taking the headlines we all know, and peeling them back to uncover the deeper story of how we got here.

I’m also proud to be a partner of OpenDor Media, the team behind Unpacking Israeli History. Their mission is to meet young Jews and their peers where they are with media that deepens understanding of Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish experience — embracing complexity and fostering informed perspectives. So if you want more of the kind of thoughtful conversation we have here, go follow Unpacking Israeli History at https://unpacked.bio/havivUIH. I think you’ll find it as engaging and meaningful as I do.

To support Ask Haviv Anything, please join us on Patreon: ⁠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.