People of the Pod

Earlier this week, terrorists fired hundreds of rockets from Gaza into Israel following the targeted killing of a top Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader. We are joined by Avi Issacharoff, Middle East analyst for The Times of Israel and Walla News, and Judah Ari Gross, The Times of Israel’s Military Correspondent, to discuss the events of the past week. Then we sit down with Zalmen Mlotek, musical director of the Yiddish-language Fiddler on the Roof, and Steven Skybell, who stars in the show, to discuss the success behind the smash off-Broadway hit.

This week Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of AJC’s Transatlantic Institute, joins us from Brussels to talk about Jewish life in Belgium, which has seen a string of antisemitic incidents in recent years, and about AJC's efforts to combat antisemitism across Europe. Then we sit down with Ambassador Matan Vilnai, Israel's former envoy to China, to discuss the Jewish state's relationship with the ascendant Asian power and what it means for Israel's future.

This week, we sit down with Deborah Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, to discuss her new book focusing on the sources of antisemitism and what we can do to stop it. We also speak to Dr. Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, about the protests in Lebanon that led to Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation earlier this week. Finally, Times of Israel Political Correspondent Raoul Wootliff gives us a post-election update on coalition building efforts.

Sunday, October 27, will mark exactly one year since the deadly shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue building. This week, we speak to Jeff Finkelstein, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, to get a sense of how the Pittsburgh Jewish community is doing one year after the attack. Then we’re joined by Avi Mayer, AJC’s Managing Director of Global Communications, to discuss the results of the organization’s unprecedented survey of American Jews on the subject of antisemitism in America.

Last month, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, released the first UN human rights report wholly dedicated to antisemitism. In his report, Dr. Shaheed found that antisemitic incidents have created a “climate of fear” among Jews and refers to antisemitism as a threat that is “toxic to democracy.” Today he joins us in the studio to share the findings of his report and offer recommendations to states, civil society actors, and the UN. Then, The Times of Israel's Jewish Times Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan takes us on a tour of the newly-excavated Pilgrims' Path at Jerusalem's City of David, exploring the site and the reasons it has captured the attention of so many around the world.

On this week’s episode, we are joined by AJC Berlin Acting Director Remko Leemhuis to discuss the horrific antisemitic attack on Yom Kippur targeting a synagogue in Halle, Germany. Then, we hear from Raphael Ahren, Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, to break down Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s efforts to advance non-aggression treaties with several Arab countries in the Gulf. Finally, we sit down with David Makovsky, Ziegler Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute, to discuss his new book, Be Strong and of Good Courage, co-authored with Ambassador Dennis Ross, which profiles the courageous leadership of four Israeli prime ministers.

Volodymyr Zelensky emerged on the scene in 2019 when he was elected president of Ukraine. Now he is embroiled in American domestic politics as his phone call with President Trump is at the center of the impeachment inquiry currently taking place in Congress. Cnaan Liphshiz, European news reporter for JTA, breaks down who Volodymyr Zelensky is, where Ukraine is headed, and what the controversial call means. Then we are joined by NYU Professor of History Edward Berenson to examine how an incident of a missing child led to America’s only blood libel case. Finally, ahead of Yom Kippur, The Times of Israel's Jewish Times Editor Amanda Borschel-Dan takes listeners on a journey to Israel's National Library, where Dr. Gila Flam, director of the Music Department of the National Library, helps us delve into the emotional pull and significance of Kol Nidre, an ancient Ashkenazi musical setting of a prosaic Aramaic vow of renunciation.

This week, we're joined for a special live show by Joseph Cedar, creator and executive producer of HBO's "Our Boys." Cedar shared his firsthand account of how he translated the tragedies of summer 2014 into television, his analysis of the social and political climate that led to those attacks, and the critical reception the show has received from some prominent Israelis. Then Adam Rasgon, Palestinian Affairs and Arab World Correspondent for The Times of Israel, explains how the Joint List, Israel’s Arab-majority party, was formed, what its success in last week’s election means for Israeli politics, and what impact its decision to endorse Blue and White Leader Benny Gantz could have on the outcome of the current coalition negotiations.

Earlier this week, Israel held its second national election in five months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to form a governing coalition in April. On this week’s episode, Times of Israel political correspondent Raoul Wootliff joins us to recap the complicated election results and help us understand what they mean for Israel’s future. Then we speak to Sarah Hurwitz, former head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, to discuss how she rediscovered a connection to Judaism, the focus of her new book, "Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)." Finally, Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Life/Features Editor at The Forward, joins us to discuss the recent spate of attacks against Orthodox Jews in New York.

This Tuesday, Israelis will head back to the polls for an unprecedented second national election in a single year. In this special pre-election episode, we sit down with three public figures representing the Israeli left, right, and center, to get a sense of what Israelis across the political spectrum are thinking as they cast their ballots. Joining us are Oded Revivi, Mayor of Efrat; Yossi Klein Halevi, author and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute; and Ksenia Svetlova, former member of Knesset for the Zionist Union Party. Then, Times of Israel political correspondent Raoul Wootliff gives us an update on what to expect from the election results.