We're still away on vacation mode, but that doesn't mean we can't serve up our weekly cocktail of Jews and news. That's why we've compiled a list of some of our favorite episodes, to listen to on a long ride up north or through earphones while taking off somewhere.  This week our guest is also one of our hosts, who doubles as a celebrated author! Since this episode was first uploaded, "The Escape Artist" by Jonathan Freedland has peaked bestseller lists and sold numerous copies. Catch up on Yonit interviewing him on the fascinating story of the man who escaped Auschwitz to tell the horrors to the world.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether you choose to survive the heatwave on the beach or in the comfort of the AC, we're here to serve something refreshing! While we're on summer break, we've compiled some of our most prized conversations for those who haven't had a chance to listen to them yet - or want to recall their memory! And what better way to spend a blistering summer Friday by pouring yourself something cold, and listening to the intriguing takeaways of acclaimmed "Uvda" anchor Ilana Dayan, on the judicial revolution that has already become a piece of Israeli history.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Pittsburgh jury has passed a death sentence on the perpetrator of the most lethal antisemitic attack in US history: the murder of 11 Jews while at prayer at the Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018. Yonit and Jonathan asks how that fits with a Jewish tradition that harbours deep ambivalence about the legitimacy of capital punishment.  In Israel, all eyes turn towards a court case that’s just over a month away — as the Supreme Court decides whether the first step in Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul is allowed under Israel’s unwritten and unsettled constitution. Protests continue, some Likud backbenchers rebel - but could a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia change everything? And - it's a Barbie world, we're just living in it: a special guest tells us about the movie sensation of the summer: Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz reflects on being an Israeli in a US boardroom - and whether Barbie’s Jewish inventor was creating a role model whose driving ambition was assimilation. Plus: chutzpah and mensch nominees that stretch from Tokyo to Mar-a-Lago -- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenewsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tempestuous week in Israel, as the fallout from Monday’s first move in what critics call the “judicial coup” continues. What will Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers do, now that the Supreme Court has less power to restrain them? The first signs suggest the prime minister and his coalition allies have big ambitions - and plan to move fast. Yonit and Jonathan dive into it all, joined by Channel 12 diplomatic and political analyst Dana Weiss. Plus there’s chutzpah on display at Fox News (not a first) and a mensch to be found in the world’s oldest rock group. -- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenewsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Israel's judicial overhaul has cleared its first parliamentary hurdle: one key measure is now the law of the land. Where does that leave the protesters who have filled the streets, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's relationship with a watching world? Yonit and Jonathan unpack an incendiary 24 hours. Follow on Instagram and Facebook: Unholy Podcast.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The moment of truth has come: protesters on the streets and in the upper reaches of the Israeli military press their case against what they call Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial coup, days before a key legislation is set. Meanwhile, Joe Biden uses an interview with award-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman to send a message to Netanyahu: stop. In a candid, sometimes emotional conversation, Tom tells Yonit and Jonathan why he believes the stakes could not be higher. Plus: a chutzpah award to the scion of America's most famous political dynasty, and a mensch to that of a journalism dynasty. -- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenewsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protests on the streets, disruption at the airport: it’s crunch time in the showdown between Benjamin Netanyahu and opponents of what they call his “judicial coup.” Yonit and Jonathan ask if Israel’s PM is so determined to strip the court of one of its key powers before a July 31 deadline, he’s ready to risk a revolt among the Israeli military elite.  Meanwhile the rift between Israel and its most powerful ally is widening — as Washington signals its alarm at the right wing thrust of the Netanyahu government. How serious is the latest wave of US-Israeli tension? Plus: an in-depth conversation with a true star of stage and screen. Dame Helen Mirren tells Jonathan and Yonit about the secret trials of Golda Meir, the challenge of playing an Israeli icon, why she stands with Israel - and with those protesting in the streets of Tel Aviv.  *The interview was conducted before the start of the strike by the Screen Actors Guild.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two decades after the Battle of Jenin, this week saw a fresh – and very different – military offensive in the city, one that lasted just 48 hours and won much praise in Israel but a mixed response from the watching world. Yonit and Jonathan discuss all that, plus a kidnapping in Iraq and another eruption of spontaneous street protests – sparked by the sacking of a police chief – as the government of Benjamin Netanyahu presses ahead with its overhaul of the judicial system, denounced by its critics as a coup. And - we're joined by one of America’s most admired journalists, Face The Nation anchor and CBS News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent, Margaret Brennan, to talk Biden and Netanyahu, the US and China, Israel and Saudi Arabia – and the one interview that left Netanyahu speechless.  Plus: a Haredi win for mensch, and a chutzpah worth millions. -- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenewsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens in Israel rarely stays in Israel. Settler violence in the West Bank spreads, bringing a dramatic condemnation from Israel's top military brass - and from a leading barometer of international opinion. Meanwhile, the courtroom drama of Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial comes to a new stage in Brighton, England - whilst the PM vows to continue his plan for an overhaul of the Israeli judiciary, even as he sends mixed signals via a US newspaper. Yonit and Jonathan unpack the week’s political drama -- and discuss a disturbing regional election result from eastern Germany, where the far-right AFD party won big, sending shivers old and new down the collective spine of Jews the world over. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook: Unholy Podcast.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A daytime gunfight in Jenin, a deadly terror attack that left four dead and an outbreak of settler violence - this week has put the spotlight back on the West Bank. As Israel considers further action to bring calm, domestic politics are never far away - including the government’s plan to transform the judiciary. Yonit and Jonathan discuss the security situation and Benjamin Netanyahu’s renewed pledge to move ahead with the reform. Plus: a special conversation with theater legend Sir Nicholas Hytner, the award-winning director behind some of the most successful shows in stage history. The Tony Award winner shares insights from a decades-long career - and explains why the Broadway musical is an intensely Jewish art form.  And we have a chutzpah award to make the jaw drop - along with a mensch award to a university that took its time.  -- Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/and X: https://x.com/2jewsonthenewsJoin our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150578065793142See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.