Lessons in Leadership – with President Isaac Herzog

Jan 14, 2026

Isaac Herzog, the Eleventh President of Israel and former chairman of the Jewish Agency, discusses leadership amidst national crisis. He shares insights from comforting bereaved families and emphasizes the importance of presence and acknowledgment for healing. Herzog explores how October 7 transformed Israeli society, highlighting the complexities of unity in a fractured landscape. He also addresses the need for dialogue with regional partners and expresses hope for a resilient and democratic future for Israel while supporting global Jewish communities against rising antisemitism.

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INSIGHT

Presidency As A Unifying Symbol

The Israeli presidency serves as a unifying, above-politics institution that listens to all citizens.
Isaac Herzog stresses equality and inclusion across diverse backgrounds under the law.

INSIGHT

Moral Presence Over Political Power

Herzog views his role as instilling responsibility, balance, and a moral voice amid deep societal divisions.
He emphasizes dialogue across factions and the calming value of presence in tense public discourse.

ADVICE

Bring Local Leaders Together Quickly

Convene local leaders to address flashpoints directly and openly.
Herzog shows practical conflict management by bringing mayors together to discuss Bedouin tensions in the Negev.

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We want to hear from you. Send questions and comments to podcast@boundlessisrael.org or message Aviva on X at @avivaklompas.

In this episode of Boundless Insights, host Aviva Klompas is joined by Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, for a conversation about leadership at a time of profound national strain.

Since October 7, Israel has been carrying deep loss alongside urgent questions of accountability, responsibility, and unity. Trust has been shaken, and Israelis - together with Jews around the world - are grappling with how a wounded society begins to heal.

President Herzog shares what he has learned from time spent with hostage families and the bereaved, and why acknowledgment and presence matter for national repair. He also shares how October 7 has changed Israeli society, how he understands unity after rupture, and how he thinks about Israel’s relationship with world Jewry at a moment when many feel both deeply connected and deeply vulnerable.

Guest Bio:

Isaac Herzog is the 11th President of the State of Israel.

The son of Israel's sixth President, Chaim Herzog and grandson of Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Yizhak Isaac Halevi Herzog, President Isaac Herzog was born in Tel Aviv in 1960, trained as a lawyer and became senior partner in one of Israel's leading Law firms.

In 2003, Herzog was elected member of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, after serving as Government Secretary to Prime Minister Ehud Barak (1999-2001). Throughout his 15 years in the Knesset, Herzog held several parliamentary and ministerial posts, among them Minister of Housing and Construction; Minister of Tourism; Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Society and the Fight Against Anti-Semitism. Herzog's revolutionary term as Minister of Welfare & Social Services is considered his crowning achievement in the Government of Israel. Herzog was a Member of Israel's Security Cabinet, in addition to serving as Government Coordinator for the Provision of Humanitarian Aid to Gaza.

In 2013, Herzog was elected Chairman of the Israeli Labor Party, the founding party of the State of Israel, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Two years later he led the alliance between the Labor Party and the Hatnua Party to form Israel's largest center-left political party of that time – the Zionist Union, which made him a leading candidate for Prime Minister during the 2015 national elections.

In June of 2018, Herzog was appointed Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), the historic organization which laid the foundations of the State of Israel and the largest Jewish NGO in the world. As JAFI Chairman he led the process of restructuring the organization, which reinvigorated it, reaffirmed its prominence within world Jewry, and solidified JAFI's status as a bridge to Jewish communities worldwide and the State of Israel.

On July 7, 2021 Isaac Herzog was sworn in as the 11th President of the State of Israel, following an overwhelming majority vote at the Knesset which constituted a historic landslide victory.

President Herzog published numerous books and articles in Israel and worldwide, and is a sought after speaker in different fields all over the world. He is married to Michal, also a lawyer by profession and an expert in philanthropy, and they have three sons.