Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam

What happens when the artists we love express hatred toward Israel—or Jews ? This week, hosts Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman confront this issue, from Bob Vylan leading chants of “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury to Dave Matthews Band calling for a Gaza ceasefire. Listen to this timely conversation on the emotional and moral dilemmas of supporting artists whose politics feel threatening. The Free Press: Ayaan Hirsi Ali: Glastonbury—and the Purge of the Jews [https://www.thefp.com/p/ayaan-hirsi-ali-glastonbury-and-the] Please follow Wondering Jews on Instagram! instagram.com/wonderingjews. Check us out on ⁠⁠Youtube.⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPaAFlsq_5MkYd6FrKjjkhDGczLJ9xVB] Get in touch at our new email address: WonderingJews@unpacked.media and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/jewish-history-nerds/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/soulful-jewish-living-mindful-practices-for-every-day/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/stars-of-david-elon-gold/]

(Note: this episode was recorded before Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primary of the NYC mayoral election.) Journalist and historian Haviv Rettig Gur returns to Wondering Jews to explore why antisemitism persists across centuries —from medieval Europe to modern American campuses. Together, Haviv, Mijal and Noam unpack how conspiracy theories, religion, and political ideologies fuel hatred of Jews, why Zionism emerged as a response, and what American Jews can learn from history. Wondering Jews is hosted by Mijal Bitton and Noam Weissman. Here is Mijal's article in the Free Press: Things Worth Remembering: The Freedom to Be Different. [https://www.thefp.com/p/things-worth-remembering-the-freedom] Please follow Wondering Jews on Instagram! instagram.com/wonderingjews. Check us out on ⁠Youtube. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPaAFlsq_5MkYd6FrKjjkhDGczLJ9xVB] Get in touch at our new email address: WonderingJews@unpacked.media and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/jewish-history-nerds/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/soulful-jewish-living-mindful-practices-for-every-day/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/stars-of-david-elon-gold/]

Mijal and Noam break down the emotional and spiritual aftermath of the last twelve days of war that mainstream media is missing. Moving beyond geopolitical analysis, they explore what it means to hold space for empathy—toward both Israelis carrying the trauma of October 7th and Iranians suffering under authoritarian rule. Plus, real-time updates from their Israeli team dodging missile warnings while trying to work. What sparked the most reflection for you during these 12 days? And please follow Wondering Jews on Instagram! instagram.com/wonderingjews and check us out on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPaAFlsq_5MkYd6FrKjjkhDGczLJ9xVB]: Get in touch at our new email address: WonderingJews@unpacked.media and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/jewish-history-nerds/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/soulful-jewish-living-mindful-practices-for-every-day/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/stars-of-david-elon-gold/]

Noam and Mijal pause the punditry and explore how ancient biblical wisdom offers profound guidance for navigating the uncertainty, fear, and complexity of today’s Jewish moment. In this special, bonus episode, they dive into the weekly Torah portion of Shlach—the story of the scouts in the Book of Numbers to help think through the chaos facing Israel today. Michael Walzer's Exodus and Revolution [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/134279.Exodus_and_Revolution] Here is a link to Mijal's Substack: https://mijal.substack.com/ Yaakov Katz's post on his journey back to Israel: https://x.com/yaakovkatz/status/1934571174060532198 Please get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. And please follow Wondering Jews on Instagram! instagram.com/wonderingjews Get in touch at our new email address: WonderingJews@unpacked.media and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/jewish-history-nerds/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/soulful-jewish-living-mindful-practices-for-every-day/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/stars-of-david-elon-gold/]

Mijal and Noam sit down with Rabbi Joe Schwartz in Tel Aviv as Israel faces an unprecedented war with Iran. With missiles falling and sirens wailing, Joe shares what life looks like on the ground—from parenting under fire to the emotional toll of global Jewish silence and solidarity. Together, they explore the theological, political, and deeply personal stakes of this moment, discuss Prime Minister Netanyahu’s surprising shift in tone, and reflect on what this war means for the collective Jewish future. It’s a raw and intimate conversation about fear, resilience, peoplehood, and the existential power of Zionism. Click here [https://www.tiktok.com/@n12news/video/7516219741963357447] to watch the video of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning cheers over the deadly strike in Tamra (in Hebrew) Here [https://www.facebook.com/IsraeliPM/posts/prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-in-a-daily-update-for-the-publicour-wonderful-/1245915830231877/] is a translation of Netanyahu's statement. Here are a few links to donate now, including recommendations from OpenDor Media's staff:  https://oujlic.org/good-for-the-world/donate/ [https://oujlic.org/good-for-the-world/donate/] https://israelrescue.org/donate/ [https://israelrescue.org/donate/] thechesedfund.com [https://cl6t.short.gy/l0QFg5] https://www.gobidud.com [https://www.gobidud.com/] Please get in touch at WonderingJews@unpacked.media. And please follow Wondering Jews on Instagram! instagram.com/wonderingjews Get in touch at our new email address: WonderingJews@unpacked.media and call us, 1-833-WON-Jews. ------------ This podcast was brought to you by Unpacked, a division of OpenDor Media. For other podcasts from Unpacked, check out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jewish History Nerds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/jewish-history-nerds/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unpacking Israeli History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/unpacking-israeli-history/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soulful Jewish Living⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/soulful-jewish-living-mindful-practices-for-every-day/] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stars of David with Elon Gold ⁠ [https://jewishunpacked.com/podcast-series/stars-of-david-elon-gold/]