Zionism
51 episodes · Page 2 of 3
#3681: Why We Dig Into Family History (Or Don't)
Why some people are drawn to genealogy while others avoid it — and what changes when we finally start asking questions.
#3649: When Wikipedia Feels Less Reliable Than AI
One reader explains why he now trusts AI more than Wikipedia on contested topics like Israel and Zionism.
#3185: The 35 Acres That Could Start a War
How unwritten rules, a gold menorah, and lip movements keep a powder keg from exploding.
#3022: Who Actually Are Jerusalem's Haredim?
The Haredi community in Jerusalem isn't one bloc—it's a coalition of factions with opposing views on Zionism, military service, and work.
#2951: Herzl's Unbuilt Utopia: The Man Behind the Dream
The secular dandy who founded modern Zionism — and the state he imagined vs. what got built.
#2931: David Ben-Gurion: The Man Behind the Myth
The neurotic insomniac who read Plato at dawn, built a state, and shaped Israel's DNA.
#2813: How Jerusalem Day Went From Thanksgiving to Sovereignty Display
The holiday began as a rabbinic day of thanks. Now 70,000 people march through the Muslim Quarter. How did it shift?
#2787: Mapping Israel's Ideological Think Tanks
Van Leer, IDI, INSS, Kohelet, JCPA — what these institutes actually do, who funds them, and how they shape policy.
#2083: How a 1947 Letter Still Runs Israel
A 1947 letter from a secular Zionist leader created the "status quo" that still dictates Shabbat, marriage, and kosher laws in Israel.
#1999: Why Anti-Zionist Jews Live in Jerusalem
They reject Israel’s existence on religious grounds, yet live in its heart. Discover the theology of the Three Oaths.
#1833: The Kosher Coffee Machine Rebellion
A Tel Aviv hotel's coffee machine sparked a legal battle over who gets to say your food is kosher.
#1751: The Cork Mix-Up: A Jewish Odyssey
A Jewish family’s journey from the Russian Empire to Ireland and back to Israel, shaped by pogroms, a linguistic mix-up, and resilience.
#1453: The Archivist of Jerusalem's Underground Art Scene
Explore how Jenna Romano is mapping Jerusalem’s art scene, from industrial warehouses to accessible art book fairs.
#1389: The Architect of a Nation: Ben-Gurion’s Radical Statism
Explore how David Ben-Gurion used radical austerity and the philosophy of Mamlachtiyut to forge a unified nation from the desert sand.
#1342: Why Israel’s Youth are Defying Global Political Trends
While Western youth lean left, Israeli Gen Z is moving right. Discover the historical shifts and traumas driving this unique political divergence.
#1290: The Irish Lion Hunter Who Built the Israeli Army
Discover the surreal story of John Henry Patterson, the Irish soldier who founded the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years.
#1289: The Prophetic Clock: The Roots of Christian Zionism
Explore how a 19th-century theology turned the State of Israel into a "prophetic clock" and a cornerstone of modern American foreign policy.
#1245: The Fraying Bond: Israel and the Global Diaspora
Explore the shifting dynamics between Israel and the global Jewish community as political tensions and migration patterns redefine the homeland.
#1125: Zionism-Washing: Is Zionism Inseparable from Judaism?
Is Zionism a modern political choice or a 3,000-year-old identity? Explore the "Zionism-washing" movement and its historical implications.
#1048: The Keepers: How the Samaritans Outlasted Empires
Discover how a community of 950 people used ancient scripts and "survival engineering" to outlast empires for over two millennia.
#1020: The Righteousness Shield: Ireland’s Antisemitism Crisis
How does Ireland's "Righteousness Shield" mask rising antisemitism? Explore the impact of state rhetoric on the nation's Jewish community.
#1019: The Colonialist Myth: Deconstructing a Modern Cliché
Is the "colonialist" label historically accurate? We explore genetic data and the history of the Levant to debunk a modern political cliché.
#1007: The Nation-State Paradox: Who Does Israel Represent?
Explore the growing rift between the State of Israel and the global Jewish diaspora as we examine the "nation-state paradox" in 2026.
#991: From Communes to Code: The Evolution of the Israeli Kibbutz
Explore how Israel transformed from a collective socialist experiment into a global tech powerhouse and the inequality left in its wake.