Shows
Complexity WelcomeModeling Shared Society in IsraelIn this episode, leading expert on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel Mohammad Darawshe, and Professor Masua Sagiv (Koret Visiting Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies at the Helen Diller Institute) discuss the challenges and opportunities for building shared society in Israel post-October 7. The events of October 7 and the Israel-Hamas War have had a unique impact on Jewish and Arab-Palestinian communities across Israel, and have posed significant challenges for intergroup relations. Darawshe and Sagiv discuss Darawshe’s vision for a way forward at this precarious juncture. This episode was recorded in November 2024. Mohammad Darawshe, Director of Strategy, Center for...2025-02-051h 22
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"We were born into the opportunity to build this state. Whatever happens, how could I choose not to participate?"Before we get to today’s podcast, I’m taking the liberty of remembering a treasured teacher, colleague and friend. Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, who served for many years as the President of the Hebrew Union College, died in New York one year ago this week, in the early months of the war. His death left me wordless, and though I’d intended to write something about him last year, I couldn’t. A year later, I still feel his absence more than I might have imagined I would. I often recall the first ti...2024-12-1142 min
Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis"We were born into the opportunity to build this state. Whatever happens, how could I choose not to participate?" [Excerpt]Before we get to today’s podcast, I’m taking the liberty of remembering a treasured teacher, colleague and friend. Rabbi Dr. David Ellenson, who served for many years as the President of the Hebrew Union College, died in New York one year ago this week, in the early months of the war. His death left me wordless, and though I’d intended to write something about him last year, I couldn’t. A year later, I still feel his absence more than I might have imagined I would. I often...2024-12-1107 minComplexity WelcomeSexual Violence Committed by Hamas on October 7thContent Warning: This episode features explicit description of sexual violence. After October 7th, it quickly became clear that Hamas had committed acts of sexual violence during their attack on civilians in Israel. Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, Former Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, soon found herself on the front lines of a campaign to communicate the severity and scope of these crimes to the United Nations. In this episode, she tells the story of what happened in the days following the attack, the evolution of international responses, advocacy for an i...2024-10-301h 11Complexity WelcomeThe Impact of the Israel-Hamas War on the Arab-Palestinian Community in Israel: Part IIArab-Palestinians make up 21% of Israel’s population, and the events of October 7 and the Israel-Hamas War have uniquely impacted these communities, challenging the vision of a shared society. While Arab citizens have faced the same dangers as their Jewish counterparts, they have also encountered distinct forms of discrimination, with their loyalties questioned and basic rights denied by authorities and parts of the Israeli population. This two-part series delves into Arab-Palestinian experiences in wartime Israel from various perspectives—legal, social, political, and educational. In this episode, education scholar Ayman Agbaria (University of Haifa) joins Masua Sagiv to discu...2024-10-301h 06Complexity WelcomeThe Impact of the Israel-Hamas War on the Arab-Palestinian Community in Israel: Part IArab-Palestinians comprise 21% of Israel’s population, and the events of October 7 and the Israel-Hamas War have profoundly affected these communities, challenging the vision of a shared society. While Arab citizens have faced the same hardships as their Jewish counterparts, they have also been subjected to unique forms of discrimination, with their loyalties questioned and their rights under the law compromised by authorities and segments of the Israeli population. This two-part series explores Arab-Palestinian experiences in wartime Israel from various perspectives—legal, social, political, and educational. In this episode, legal scholar Manal Totry-Jubran joins Masua Sagiv to discu...2024-10-301h 01
The Z3 PodcastThe Battle for Jewish Identity on Campus - Roundtable Talk (Z3 Podcast Ep. 26)In this special episode of the Z3 Podcast, host Rabbi Amitai Fraiman is joined by two guests involved with Jewish life at UC Berkeley: Rav Maya Zinkow, Campus Rabbi, and Dr. Masua Sagiv, Koret Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies and Senior Faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute. In this roundtable discussion, all three reflect on their recent visits and experiences in Israel and explore the emotional and political divide between the realities on the ground in Israel and the discourse in the U.S., particularly on college campuses.
The conversation dives into the challenges Jewish...2024-10-081h 19
Kehillat Israel PodcastsNavigating Deep Crisis as a People: Law, Politics and AntisemitismNearly four months after 10/7, uncertainty, loss, and pain continue unabated in Israel and antisemitism is on the rise in North America and around the world. As the war continues and hostages are still held in Gaza, the ICJ is hearing a case against Israel for Genocide, and calls for ceasefire are increasing. How has this war reshaped our Jewish identity? What are the roles of law and politics in Israel, the US, and internationally? And what are the ways for American Jews and Israelis to move forward, both as separate communities and together as a people?
These...2024-02-0953 min
Perfect Jewish ParentsAdding Light to DarknessWhat does it mean to celebrate Hanukkah when Israel is at war and at a time of rising antisemitism across the globe? Hanukkah is the first Jewish holiday since the tragic attack during Simchat Torah on October 7th. Joshua Ladon and Masua Sagiv welcome Mishael Zion, founder of Kehillat Klausner in Jerusalem and research fellow at Hartman's Kogod Research Center, to explore what stories we are telling our young people and how they differ from last year. Source sheet for this episodeMentioned in this episode:Sources A...2023-12-0734 min
Perfect Jewish ParentsNavigating the RhetoricPublic discourse about Israel and Gaza is peppered with ideological language. Young people are engaging with a world where complex, academic, and historically significant terms such as Zionism, colonialization, and apartheid have been overly simplified and reduced to polarizing social media memes. Tomer Persico, research fellow at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and Rubenstein fellow at Reichman University, joins hosts Joshua Ladon and Masua Sagiv to help parents, educators, and caregivers better understand the context and rhetoric that young people are navigating so that we can engage in sophisticated, rich conversations with our children and students. J...2023-11-2922 min
Perfect Jewish ParentsIs Anyone Prepared for These Questions?As the Israel-Hamas war continues and we grapple with the implications and trauma of October 7, parents, caregivers, and educators are fielding increasingly complex questions from children and students. Hosts Joshua Ladon and Masua Sagiv are joined by Elana Stein Hain, Rosh Beit Midrash and Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute, and co-host of the award-winning podcast For Heaven's Sake. Together they offer a glimpse into how parents and educators may be thinking through these ethical questions and share some of the Jewish resources and rituals that they turn to for wisdom, comfort, and inspiration.2023-11-0529 min
Perfect Jewish ParentsShades of Gray and Grief on CampusThe repercussions of the brutal attack by Hamas and ongoing war in Israel weigh heavily on young North American Jews. Online and on campus, some paint recent events in stark black and white, while others demand context and complexity in the face of evil. As Jewish students struggle with grief and pain, they’re exploring their connections to the Jewish people and grappling with how to respond to divergent perspectives, antagonism, or even hate. Tilly Shemer, Hartman's Senior Vice President of Wellspring and a seasoned Hillel professional with over twenty years of campus experience, joins hosts Joshua Ladon and Ma...2023-10-2639 min
Perfect Jewish ParentsIsrael at War —Being the Jews We Want to BeThe ongoing war with Hamas has flooded our communities with grief, sorrow, and anger. In a series of special episodes, Perfect Jewish Parents hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon explore the core questions and values these difficult moments illuminate so that parents, caregivers, and educators can navigate complex conversations with young people and meet this important moment.This is Perfect Jewish Parents: Israel at War.In this first episode recorded on October 16, Joshua and Masua respond to the evil of Hamas's attack by asking, "What are the positive values we want to bring to t...2023-10-1930 min
Identity/CrisisYom Kippur in Dizengoff SquareOn Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Hebrew calendar, Israeli Jews in Tel Aviv clashed about what it means for Judaism to manifest in the public square, tensions that relate directly to recent political battles over the character of the Jewish State. Yehuda Kurtzer sits down with Yossi Klein Halevi and Masua Sagiv to process these events and interrogate their emotional reactions to the protests, the integrity of Jewish prayer, the perils of partisanship, and what it means to be consistent in one's commitment to democracy. Street fights over prayer offer liberal Israelis a chance to define a Judaism t...2023-10-0450 min
The Z3 PodcastIs it Possible to Find Compromise in Israel? (Z3 Podcast Ep. 5: Masua Sagiv)In the latest Z3 Podcast episode Amitai Fraiman, our host and head of Z3, is joined by Masua Sagiv, visiting Assistant Professor Of Jewish and Israel Studies at UC Berkeley and a scholar in residence at the Shalom Hartman Institute.
In this episode, Masua gives a nuanced description of the roots of the current crisis in Israel and offers insight into finding a path forward.2023-10-031h 12
Perfect Jewish ParentsWhat Makes a Book Jewish?What role do books and ritual objects play in cultivating a Jewish home? How do you tell if a Jewish book—for kids or adults—is any good? David Zvi Kalman, Director of New Media for the Shalom Hartman Institute, co-producer of Perfect Jewish Parents, and owner of Print-O-Craft Press joins hosts Joshua Ladon and Masua Sagiv for the final episode of the season. They discuss the idea of “Jewish books" and the nature of play and creativity in Jewish life. Tune in as they take a look back at the inaugural season of Perfect Jewish Parents.2023-09-0734 minPerfect Jewish ParentsDoes Religion Help Kids?Does religion play a role in educational achievement and social fulfillment? Ilana M. Horwitz (Ph.D., Stanford University) author of God Grades, and Graduation: Religion’s Surprising Impact on Academic Success, joins Perfect Jewish Parents hosts, Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon, to reflect on the ways Judaism impacts academic success, the connection between religion and community, and her academic work impacts how she raises her two daughters.2023-08-3128 min
The Promised PodcastThe “Won’t Anyone Think of the Children?!?” EditionLinda Gradstein, Noah Efron, and scholar-public intellectual-podcaster Masua Sagiv discuss two topics of incomparable importance and end with an anecdote about something in Israel that made them smile this week. Hear the Extra-Special, Special Extra Segment on Patreon —Extremism in the Name of Moderation— Extremism in the name of moderation is no vice? —Won’t Anyone Think of the Children?!?— What’s it like to be a kid living through the tumult and angst of Israel in 2023? —Does the Road to Coexistence Run Through “Silicon Wadi”?— Fo...2023-08-241h 28Perfect Jewish ParentsHow Do We Talk About (In)Fertility?There are different paths to creating and raising a Jewish family and often fertility struggles are hidden and historically stigmatized. Elana Frank, CEO and founder, of the Jewish Fertility Foundation and host of the popular fertility podcast, Fruitful and Multiplying, joins Perfect Jewish Parents hosts, Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon, to discuss challenging the standard narrative of how to create a Jewish family as well as her fertility journey.2023-08-2431 minPerfect Jewish ParentsHow Do We Talk About Israel?Israel can be a source of great joy but also the subject of tough conversations that either inflame passions or are so daunting that we avoid them altogether. Scholar, teacher educator, and educational consultant Sivan Zakai, the Sara S. Lee Associate Professor of Jewish Education at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, joins hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to explore how and what we can talk about when speaking with our children about Israel.2023-08-1733 minPerfect Jewish ParentsWhy Should Our Kids Care About the Jewish People?Feeling a sense of connection to the Jewish people can be a powerful inheritance, and it can spark questions, frustration or disappointment. What does it mean for us to be connected to, and maybe even responsible for, people in other countries who we don’t know and with whom we might not agree?Tal Becker (Senior Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and Legal Adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs) joins Perfect Jewish Parents hosts, Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to talk about the challenges and opportunities of fostering a sense of peoplehood in Jewish ch...2023-08-1037 minPerfect Jewish ParentsHow Did I Become The Parent of a Jewish Kid?What are the unique challenges in being a first generation, interfaith family? Annie Zean Dunbar is a researcher, educator, social worker, and artist. She joins co-hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to discuss the decision to raise her child Jewishly and how her experience as an immigrant informs her family values.2023-08-0322 minPerfect Jewish ParentsHow Do We Talk to Kids About the Holocaust?Introducing children to the Holocaust is an important part of both Jewish and non-Jewish education, but the way that it's explained varies widely among communities. In this episode Morgan Blum Schneider, Director of JFCS Holocaust Center joins Perfect Jewish Parents hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to discuss how we talk about the Holocaust in our homes, what Shoah education in the post-survivor era might look like in the classroom, and how different framings of the Holocaust and genocide affect children's perceptions of these ideas.2023-07-2747 min
Israel Policy PodIsraeli Security in the Shadow of the Judicial OverhaulHaaretz Military Correspondent Amos Harel joins Tel Aviv-based journalist and Israel Policy Forum Policy Advisor Neri Zilber to analyze how the passage of the Netanyahu government’s first judicial overhaul bill is impacting—and likely damaging—Israeli national security. They discuss the growing wave of Israeli military reservists threatening to stop reporting for duty, the scale of the unrest inside the Israel Defense Forces, the recent conduct of key security officials like Defense Minister Galant and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and the prospects for a military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah amid the domestic political crisis.Register for ou...2023-07-261h 02Perfect Jewish ParentsHow Do We Respond to Unanswerable Questions?When your child asks, "Is God real" or "Am I dreaming my entire life?"-- is it ok not to have the "right" answer?Scott Hershovitz is the Thomas G. and Mabel Long Professor of Law and a professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan and author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids. This father of two joins Perfect Jewish Parents co-hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to talk about why kids are particularly good at having big conversations and how the big questions kids ask...2023-07-2532 minIdentity/CrisisIntroducing: Perfect Jewish ParentsRaising kids Jewishly adds a layer of responsibility and opportunity to all of the other demands of parenting as parents navigate a wide set of choices about everything from the songs they play during holidays to how they talk to their kids about the Holocaust and antisemitism. For many parents, these aren't just responsibilities; they're a Jewish practice in and of themselves as they aim to support their children in inheriting and contributing to Jewish tradition. To explore these ideas, the Shalom Hartman Institute is launching Perfect Jewish Parents, a new show about the joys and oys of raising children Je...2023-07-2550 minPerfect Jewish ParentsMeet the ParentsRaising kids Jewishly adds a layer of responsibility and opportunity to all of the other demands of parenting as parents navigate a wide set of choices about everything from the songs they play during holidays to how they talk to their kids about the Holocaust and antisemitism. For many parents, these aren't just responsibilities; they're a Jewish practice in and of themselves as they aim to support their children in inheriting and contributing to Jewish tradition. To explore these ideas, the Shalom Hartman Institute is launching Perfect Jewish Parents, a new show about the joys and oys of raising children Je...2023-07-2551 minIdentity/CrisisAnti-Zionism at Berkeley LawU. C. Berkeley Law School recently made headlines when several of its student groups pledged not to invite "speakers that have expressed and continue to hold views in support of Zionism, the Apartheid state of Israel on the occupation of Palestine." Ethan Katz, Associate Professor of History and Jewish Studies at U.C. Berkeley, and Masua Sagiv, Koret Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies at U.C. Berkeley join host Yehuda Kurtzer to discuss their experiences on campus, the national Jewish media's response, and what we can learn from these moments of Jewish vulnerability.2022-10-2045 min