The Tikvah Podcast

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.

Earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she’d invited the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, to be her running mate in this fall’s presidential election. Walz has pretty conventional views of Israel for a Democrat: he believes in Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself, he has previously spoken at an AIPAC gathering, he condemned Hamas after October 7, that Hamas is not representative of the Palestinian people, that Israel is guilty of allowing too much civilian harm and civilian casualties in Gaza, that there must be a two-state solution, and that Israeli settlements are a barrier to that political outcome. That's what any number of other candidates on the vice-presidential shortlist also think, including Arizona senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro. For that matter, until the announcement, Shapiro was widely thought to be the front-runner by virtue of his popularity in what's expected to be the most important swing state in the election. Why didn't Harris select him? Over the last week, there’s been an enormous amount of speculation about the reasons. One of the most foreboding possibilities is that Shapiro is a religious Jew, and among the activist class of the Democratic party, being an Israel-supporting religious Jew is now a liability. Of course, no one from the campaign or any Democratic official has said that Walz's selection had to do with that liability. But many of America’s Jews—Democratic and Republican alike—took it that way, and so did many of America’s anti-Semites. To disentangle the role that such factors may have played in the Harris campaign’s decision, host Jonathan Silver speaks here with the longtime political reporter and editor of Jewish Insider, Josh Kraushaar. Together, the two look at what the activist opposition campaign looked like, and how that campaign interpreted the selection of Walz as a validation and a victory.

J.J. Schacter, a prominent scholar and communal leader, delves into the deep significance of Tisha b'Av in light of the recent October 7 attacks. The discussion highlights how this year's observance intertwines historical tragedy with contemporary grief. Schacter examines how Jewish liturgy might expand to commemorate such events and what elegies will reflect the current sorrow. They also explore the balance of hope amidst mourning, emphasizing resilience within the Jewish narrative.

Noah Rothman, a senior writer at National Review, dives into the complexities of Vice President Kamala Harris's evolving views on Israel and the Middle East. They discuss her vocal stance during the Gaza conflict and the influence of her Jewish family background. Rothman highlights the pressures Harris faces from various Democratic factions and the challenges in aligning progressive values with Israel support. The conversation also addresses broader implications for U.S. foreign policy and the shifting attitudes within the party regarding Israel.

In April 2024, a court in Argentina ruled that the 1994 bombing of the AMIA, a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, was directed by Iran and carried out by Hezbollah. It was an official government acknowledgement of what was long thought to be true, and certainly the conclusion that the Argentinian prosecutor Alberto Nisman had arrived at prior to being assassinated the day before he was due to testify. Today, July 18, on the thirtieth anniversary of the AMIA bombing, Argentina’s current president, Javier Milei, announced his intention to prosecute Iranian leaders involved in the attack. To commemorate the anniversary, we’re rebroadcasting this week a conversation from 2019 that Jonathan Silver had with the rabbi Avi Weiss, author of a Mosaic essay on the subject from the same year. 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.