Two Nice Jewish Boys

Israel is one of the youngest democracies on the face of the planet. If you turn on the news here in Israel, or a reality TV show for that matter, even if you just go out to buy a carton of milk at the supermarket, you’re bound to hear people arguing. Everyone here has a strong opinion and they’re not afraid to share it. Right-wing, left-wing, you name it. In Israel, free speech is the word. But every once in a while, someone says something that stretches the boundaries and tests the tolerance of Israelis. Today, we’re joined by someone who basically does this every time he speaks. Prof. Amir Hetsroni. From the time he said that Israel would’ve been better off without its Mizrachi Jews, who came from arab-speaking countries - and the time he engraved anti-Zionist messages on his parents’ graves, to the time he ridiculed Israel’s fallen soldiers for being “idiots who didn’t know how to avoid the draft”, Prof. Hetsroni has been involved in countless controversies and he definitely hasn’t escaped unscathed. Prof. Hetsroni previously taught communications at Ariel University, and currently teaches at Koch University in Turkey. Today we are joined by Professor Amir Hetsroni to talk about his career, his world views and an upcoming documentary film about him. So buckle up, here we go.

If you live in Tel Aviv, you simply can’t miss them. They are part of your life. When you hang out with your friends at the local bar - they’re there. When you go out for jogging - they are there. When you come home from your parents on Friday night and waiting at a red light in the entrance to Tel Aviv - they’re there. They are Tel Aviv’s saddest souls, the homeless. Yes, Tel Aviv is not Seattle nor is it San Francisco. But the city struggles with its own homeless people, asking the passersby to spare a shekel. Most of us walk right by them, don’t look, don’t care. But today we’re joined by someone who just can’t ignore them. Mor Shaal is an artist who was living in Haifa up until a year ago. When she moved to Tel Aviv, she was amazed by the amount of homeless people in the streets, and became fascinated by them. She started talking with some, and then began documenting these encounters for a project which went viral on social media. Mor Shaal joins us today to speak about her amazing work with the Street Dwellers Project.

Naor and Eytan discuss recent events.

Once upon a time, in an election far far away, in April of 2019, amidst the political cacophony of right and left, one party stepped into the lime light as a possible king maker. You see here in Israel, as a small party, you can tip the scales of a coalition - and thus hold a lot of power. Zehut, or Identity, led by Moshe Feiglin was predicted to receive as much as 7 mandates. For many, Zehut is an enigma. On one hand the founder of the party Moshe Feiglin leads a libertarian approach to government and economics. He believes in lowering taxes, abolishing social security and a separation of church and state. And as an added bonus, he wants to legalize pot. On the other hand, he's a devout religious Jew who believes the Temple Mount should be under Israeli control and that the third temple is soon to be built - g-d willing. Some people adore him, others despise him, but one thing is certain. Moshe Feiglin is one of the most intriguing Israelis to hit the political stage in recent times. We are very thrilled and honored to be joined today on the podcast by Moshe Feiglin.

For many, during these times, it’s all too easy to slip into hibernation after a steady diet of Netflix, while suffering existential angst, anxiety and apathy. Anything beyond that can seem, well, just too hard. But, let’s face it. Nothingness - doing nothing - simply breeds more nothingness. So, it’s no surprise that the nation that made the desert bloom, has created a whole lot of some things out of this current Covid climate (CCC). Australian-born Israeli Achi Kushnir could be considered your typical intelligent, driven Israeli. Yet, like most Israelis, there’s nothing typical about Achi. Achi’s volunteering has led him to discover the amazing grassroots initiatives everyday Israelis have developed in helping those affected by the Coronavirus. We are thrilled to be joined today by Achi Kushnir to talk about his group Here For Good, volunteering and staying positive in trying times.

Eytan and Naor talk about everything that's happened in Israel during the last month, and much more.

Coming from a long line of musicians and artists, our guests today has been praised by the New York Times as “sensational in concert” and as a “striking virtuoso” by the Los Angeles Times. Her awards and accomplishments are way too long to list, but suffice it to say that she’s performed as a solo artist and a chamber musician at some of the world’s most renowned venues - Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Suntory Hall of Tokyo, the list goes on and on and on. She’s serving as a visiting professor at Tel Aviv University here in Israel and she has been so kind and brave as to accept our invitation and join us on the podcast today. We are thrilled to be joined by the amazing cellist, Kristina Reiko Cooper.

We could all use a good laugh. Especially now while many of us are secluded in our homes, far away from our loved ones, with nothing better to do but watch Too Hot To Handle on Netflix. True story. Don’t watch it unless you want to feel a strong, deep, unshakable sense of shame. If only there was an Israeli English speaking comedian who would agree to risk her life and come to our studio, to boost the national morale and give hope to our listeners around the world. How amazing would that be? Well, unfortunately we couldn’t find anyone like that, so that’s that for today’s episode guys, stay safe! Bye! Just kidding. We have the perfect comedian for the job right here with us. Her name is Kandi Ableson, she’s American, she made aliyah, she’s a superstar in the local comedy clubs doing stand up IN HEBREW, at least she was when going out and comedy clubs still existed. We’re delighted to have Kandi on the show with us today, and a quick disclaimer - this episode might include profanities!

We all want to be the best we can be. And of course, we want to surround ourselves with the best of the best. But this seemingly positive motive has led some people to say and do some pretty horrific things throughout history. The Greek Philosopher Plato suggested selective mating to breed a higher class of humans. In Sparta, a council of elders inspected every child to determine if he or she was fit to live. In early ancient Rome, fathers were expected to immediately kill their child if they were disabled in any way. But it’s not just ancient history. In the 19th and 20th century a new system of beliefs began to emerge - Eugenics. The idea that through selective breeding we can improve the genetic make-up of the human race. Sound familiar? But where did Eugenic thought originate? Professor Amir Teicher discusses exactly that in his new book, “Social Mendelism: Genetics and the Politics of Race in Germany, 1900-1948” Professor Teicher is an assistant professor of history at the University of Tel Aviv. His research is focused on Germany, eugenics, the development of modern biological thinking, racism and antisemitism, and the history of medicine. We are super thrilled to be joined today by Professor Amir Teicher to talk about his new book and the history of Eugenics.

Is the world overreacting to coronavirus? How has it influenced the political arena? Will a new government finally be formed or is Israel headed to a 4th round of elections? And finally, how long before life returns to normal? Tune in to the Two Nice Jewish Boys Podcast!