Jew Oughta Know
Jason Harris
From ancient history to current events, take yourself on a journey through the story of the Jewish People, from someone who has led hundreds of Jewish young professionals on trips throughout Israel. From the beginning of creation to modern Israel, each short episode is geared to appeal both to someone looking for the Jewish 101, as well as to those looking to go a bit beyond the basic story they already know. Check out the website at https://jewoughtaknow.com/. Enjoy!
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 2, 2020 • 25min
80. Israel 1948-1967: The Law of Return
Who is a Jew, according to the State of Israel? And where do you put all the new immigrants when there isn't enough housing? And what is the impact on Mizrahi Jewish refugees and Palestinian land abandoned during the war?
Jan 26, 2020 • 23min
79. Israel 1948-1967: On Wings of Eagles
The Palestinians weren't the only refugees. Nearly one million Jews were pushed out of the Middle East and North Africa in revenge for the creation of Israel. Ancient Jewish communities were uprooted as hundreds of thousands of Mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jews) poured into Israel.
Jan 19, 2020 • 27min
78. Israel 1948-1967: The Nakba (Catastrophe)
For the Palestinians who left Israel -- whether by force or voluntarily -- Israel's War of Independence was a nakba (catastrophe). The war's end in 1949 left over 720,000 Palestinian refugees. Why they left, what happened to them, and how much responsibility Israel bears is the focus of today's episode.
Jan 13, 2020 • 26min
77. Israel 1948-1967: Narratives
The War of Independence left multiple narratives in its wake, from the Jews who lost 1% of their population to the war, to the Arab-Israelis who fell under martial law.
Dec 8, 2019 • 25min
76. Israel 1948-1967: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Just Vote Left All the Time
Don't know your Prime Minister from your President? Israeli politics has been big in the news in 2019 -- so here's how the government works, and why Israel voted left for the first thirty years of its existence.
Dec 1, 2019 • 24min
75. Israel 1948-1967: Expulsion
When the IDF seized the town of Lydda from Arab forces during the War of Independence, Ben Gurion ordered the expulsion of tens of thousands of Palestinians. Was it justified? Was it just?
Nov 25, 2019 • 24min
74. Israel 1948-1967: Twenty Miles from Tel Aviv
The War of Independence continues as the Egyptian army uses the Gaza Strip to make a run for Tel Aviv. They were stopped by the new Israeli Air Force, which had to source parts, planes, and pilots from all over the world.
Nov 18, 2019 • 25min
73. Israel 1948-1967: The Almost Civil War
Barely a month after declaring independence, a fight on the beach in Tel Aviv almost splits Israel in two. As the army struggles to supply the Jewish side of Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces and the Irgun open fire on each other over a ship called the Altalena.
Nov 4, 2019 • 26min
72. Israel 1948-1967: The First Day
Within hours of declaring independence, Israel was invaded by five Arab armies. In the middle of an existential war, the government made its first decision: to proclaim Israel open for Jewish immigration.
Oct 27, 2019 • 24min
71. Israel 1948-1967: The Declaration
On May 14, 1948, just a few minutes before Shabbat, David Ben Gurion declared the new State of Israel. Reading from the Declaration of Independence, which just barely made it to the secret ceremony, he committed the new Jewish State to idealistic and historic principles, while bracing for a war he knew was imminent.
