The Tikvah Podcast

Matthew Levitt, a former U.S. Treasury Department official and author specializing in Hezbollah, dives into the complexities of Israel's ongoing conflict with the terrorist group. He discusses the surprising resilience of Hezbollah despite significant losses and disruptions to its command structure. Levitt also addresses the critical support from Iran and the implications of Israel's tactical successes for regional stability. The discussion highlights lessons from the 2006 war and explores how Israel can transform these tactical victories into strategic outcomes for its national security.

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, shares insights on the Jewish calendar's role in shaping identity and unity. He discusses how holidays educate about Jewish history and reinforce national belonging. Soloveichik highlights the deep connection between community, memory, and ritual, using Tisha B'Av to illustrate resilience. He also emphasizes the importance of family traditions, like the Pesach Seder, in preserving cultural memory, drawing parallels to broader national identities.

That the Jews have survived is one of the great mysteries of history, and for some theologians, Jewish survival is even an indication of God’s providence. The stronger the force against the Jews, the more miraculous their resilience and endurance. But that mystery has another dimension to it–because in America, the Jewish community is not doing well at all. And that’s not because America is like Egypt or Spain or Germany–in fact it’s precisely because America is so decent, so good, and so welcoming that the Jewish community finds itself contracting and growing shallower. There is a powerful countertrend among the Orthodox subpopulations of American Jewry. Their rates of generational retention and inmarriage are high. Jewish education is advanced, and even flourishing. The U.S.-Israel relationship tends to be a salient issue in their approach to public affairs. But the Orthodox segment of American Jewry is very small. What about the other 85 or 90 percent? Elliott Abrams, the chairman of Tikvah and a distinguished foreign-policy expert, is the author of a new book addressing these topics, If You Will It: Rebuilding Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century. Abrams takes comprehensive stock of the available data on American Jewish communal life and then poses a question. The Orthodox Jews of America have a formula that works. But what can be done to strengthen the Jewish attachments and Jewish identities of the non-Orthodox? What do the data tell us? Abrams joins Mosaic‘s editor Jonathan Silver to discuss If You Will It. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

From exploding pagers to airstrikes and a possible ground invasion, what are the IDF’s goals in Lebanon? Everyone knows that on October 7, Hamas perpetrated a horrible, genocidal attack on Israel. In response to that attack, Israel committed itself to neutralizing the military threat from Gaza. On October 8, not wanting to seem any less committed to the eradication of the Jewish state, the Lebanon-based terror group Hizballah began to shoot rockets and missiles into Israel’s northern territories. Nearly a full year later, Israeli towns and villages within Hizballah rocket range remain empty, and many tens of thousands of Israelis live as evacuees in hotels and apartments. Week after week, month after month, the rockets from Lebanese territory have not stopped. Israel has conducted occasional defensive operations, but about one week ago, the Israelis unmistakably increased the tempo and intensity of their own attacks, taking the fight to the territory of the adversary rather than continuing to bear its missile barrage. The retired Israeli brigadier general and defense strategist, Assaf Orion, joins Mosaic’s editor Jonathan Silver to discuss this situation. Assaf is the Liz and Mony Rueven International Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a prolific author and thinker not only on the security architecture of the Middle East and Israeli military planning and strategy, but also on China and great-power competition.   Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

A few weeks ago on Manhattan's Upper East Side, a new school opened its doors and welcomed its inaugural classes of students. Emet Classical Academy is America’s first Jewish classical school and a project of Tikvah. It’s designed for 5th- to 12th-grade students, and is an animated by a vision of the importance of Western civilization, the responsibilities of American citizenship, high standards of excellence in classical languages, math and science, and the power of music, poetry, and the visual arts. Joining that is a full curriculum in the Hebrew language, the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature, and the history, politics, and meaning of modern Israel. The establishment of Emet is even more significant given the current cultural, political, and ideological moment. Many of its pillars are deemed irrelevant, if not shameful, at the country's elite, ideologically charged private schools, many of which were abandoned by students in Emet’s first classes. To discuss all this, Emet’s founding head of school, Abe Unger, joins host Jonathan Silver. Together, they talk about Emet’s founding, the cultural and educational questions to which Emet holds itself forth as an answer, and what it’s like to learn in Emet. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.

Marc Novikoff, an associate editor at the Washington Monthly and freelance writer, dives into the protests that erupted across American campuses during the 2023-2024 academic year. He reveals how the intensity of these protests correlates with university prestige, tuition prices, and student wealth. Novikoff discusses the impact of socioeconomic factors on activism, highlighting differences between elite and working-class institutions. He also explores the concept of 'luxury beliefs' among the elite and their influence on student perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Liel Leibovitz, an editor-at-large at Tablet, delves into the recent protests in Israel following the tragic recovery of hostages' bodies. He discusses the complex emotions driving demonstrators and critiques how deep-rooted issues are often oversimplified. The conversation touches on the evolving role of the IDF and the historical context of Israeli protests, drawing parallels to American ideals of public trust. Leibovitz emphasizes the need for a broader dialogue about national identity and resilience, highlighting the challenges faced by Israeli society today.

In an insightful discussion, Alexander Solzhenitsyn—a Nobel Prize-winning Soviet dissident—reflects on his transformative journey from a Gulag prisoner to a powerful voice against oppression. He critiques both the Soviet regime and the deep-seated issues in American society. Solzhenitsyn warns against the dangers of conformity and happiness-centric worldviews, urging a return to absolute values. He emphasizes the vital role of literature in recognizing and addressing the moral decay he perceives in the West.

Adam Kirsch, a notable critic and writer, dives deep into the contentious debate surrounding settler colonialism in relation to Israel. He explores the claim that Israel's existence is illegitimate, drawing parallels with American colonial history. The conversation also touches on how modern political discourse is influenced by these historical narratives, including their implications for current conflicts. Kirsch critiques the romanticized views of Indigenous peoples and examines the role of 'wokeness' in contemporary discussions of privilege and guilt.

Raphael BenLevi, an Israeli security analyst and IDF reserve intelligence officer, joins Middle Eastern politics researcher Hanin Ghaddar and Iran expert Richard Goldberg for an insightful discussion. They delve into the rising tensions along Israel's northern border, exacerbated by daily rocket fire from Hezbollah. The conversation explores military strategies Israel might employ, the implications of recent conflicts, and the intricate dynamics of Hezbollah, Iran, and U.S. support in the region. Their analyses illuminate the complex landscape of Middle Eastern geopolitics facing Israel.