The Fifth Question

Andrew Pessin joins me again to trace the 19th-century ideas that made political Zionism feel almost inevitable—emancipation, nationalism, Marxism, Darwinism, and the rise of modern racial antisemitism. From there we unpack The Protocols of the Elders of Zion: what it claimed, where it came from, why it spread, and how conspiratorial antisemitism still echoes in the way Israel and Jews are talked...

In this wide-ranging conversation, I’m joined by former Congressman Reid Ribble (Wisconsin’s 8th District) to unpack the biggest political questions shaping America right now: the rise of antisemitism across the political spectrum, Trump’s political impact (and contradictions), Israel/Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy, the national debt, entitlement reform, immigration, and why Congress feels increa...

I recently appeared on the Don't Know Much About podcast with Naya Lekht to discuss my philosophy of Israel and Jewish Education. To listen to the last episode I did with Naya see here: https://youtu.be/bsodVJMFX-U?si=0PpJzK31WNX9Kb1V#holocaustremembrance #israel #orthodoxjudaism #reformjudaism #jewishidentity Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all. If you...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is often used to project modern political causes onto a man who can no longer speak for himself. In this episode, I take a closer look at how MLK’s legacy—particularly his clear support for the Jewish community and Zionism—has been reinterpreted, distorted, and in some cases erased by today’s activist movements. We talk about the growing trend of folding anti-Israel ideo...

For my first conversation with Rabbi Tarlan see here: https://youtu.be/g3Nnmh85gRg?si=VLydkG2nV6GuV8EcThere’s been a major communications blackout in Iran — and while most people in the West barely saw it on the front page (if at all), people on the ground and their families abroad are living it in real time. Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh joins me to talk about what she’s hearing from friends and communi...

In this episode, I’m joined by Daniel Buchierz — a Republican congressional candidate with an extraordinary, hard-earned perspective on the criminal justice system, homelessness, addiction, and public safety. Daniel shares a visceral story from 1991: how a minor marijuana charge escalated into a jury trial and years in maximum security, despite having no prior record — and how he spent decades fig...

In this episode, I sit down with former U.S. Congressman and former NYPD detective Anthony D’Esposito, who is also a Trump-appointed nominee for Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor. We cover the intersection of crime, policing, immigration, antisemitism (including on the right), congressional bipartisanship, and what he believes comes next for the Republican Party after Donald Trump....

In this episode, Adam Louis Klein explains why anti-Zionism is not simply criticism of Israel, but a modern ideological movement shaping campus activism, academia, and contemporary antisemitism. We explore how anti-Jewish hatred has evolved across history—from medieval anti-Judaism, to 19th-century racial antisemitism, to today’s anti-Zionism as a full-scale social and moral ideology. Adam argues...

Rabbi Ysoscher Katz on Open Orthodoxy, Satmar Roots, Queer Inclusion, Mysticism vs. Maimonides, and the Haredi IDF Draft Crisis. In this episode, Daniel sits down with Rabbi Ysoscher Katz — a leading voice in Open Orthodoxy with deep Satmar Hasidic roots — to explore the future of Orthodox Judaism in the 21st century. They discuss why Rabbi Katz sees contemporary Orthodoxy as being in crisis, the...

In this episode, I sit down with Izabella Tabarovsky — senior scholar of Soviet and contemporary antisemitism and author of Be a Refusenik: A Jewish Student Survival Guide — for one of the most important conversations about Jewish identity, Zionism, and campus life after October 7.We cover:Why American Jews feel afraid and disoriented in the current climateHow antisemitism from the far left, far r...

What’s going on inside the American right when open antisemitism, Holocaust revisionism, and “Groyper” culture are suddenly on center stage? In this episode, I sit down with Kimo Gandall — former chair of the California College Republicans and a Harvard Law–trained attorney active in GOP politics — to unpack the Nick Fuentes / Tucker Carlson moment, the Heritage Foundation backlash, and why some R...

In this episode, I sit down with Zahava Feldstein, creator of Rabbi’s Daughter Rebellion, who describes herself as a “reformed anti-Zionist Jew.” We trace her journey from growing up as a rabbi’s kid in the American South and thriving in feminist Jewish day school, to becoming a staunch anti-Zionist at Scripps College through SJP/JVP organizing, critical race theory and ethnic studies — and then t...

Dalia Al-Aqidi — Baghdad-born journalist, activist, and current challenger to Rep. Ilhan Omar — joins me to discuss her extraordinary life: growing up under Saddam Hussein, fleeing Iraq, decades reporting from war zones, and why she distinguishes Islam from Islamism. We dive into her fight against anti-Semitism, her views on immigration and U.S. foreign policy, and her perspective on Ilhan Omar, A...

Rep. Don Bacon: Conservatism vs. Populism, Israel, Anti-Semitism, Immigration & the GOP’s FutureFormer Air Force Brigadier General and five-term Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) joins us to talk candid conservatism: calling out Trump and the populist right, defending liberal-democratic norms, Israel and anti-Semitism on campus, immigration policy, faith in public life, and what’s next for the Rep...

Chabad, Zionism & the Sixth Rebbe: Rabbi David Eliezrie with Rabbi Daniel LevineWelcome back! I share a quick update on the podcast’s fast growth and my Los Angeles Jewish Journal feature, then dive into a wide-ranging conversation with Rabbi David Eliezrie Chabad/Lubavitch about his new book Undaunted—the gripping story of the Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the “Fri...

Ancient Israel archaeology with UCLA’s Prof. Aaron Burke: origins of the Israelites, the Merneptah Stele (1207 BCE), Exodus debates, when the Hebrew Bible becomes history, Canaanite roots, Asherah worship, idols & child-sacrifice polemics, Judges → monarchy, King David & Solomon, and how archaeology is weaponized in today’s Zionism vs. anti-Zionism discourse. Clear, evidence-based, and fai...

Congressman Mike Lawler on Antisemitism, Higher Ed, and the Antisemitism Awareness ActCongressman Mike Lawler has been one of Congress’s most outspoken advocates for the Jewish community and a lead champion of the Antisemitism Awareness Act. In this conversation, we dig into campus culture, Title VI enforcement, free speech concerns, bipartisan coalition-building, and what meaningful accountabilit...

Is Reform Judaism losing its soul—or finding a new one? I’m back after the holidays + semester kickoff with a 🔥 conversation you do NOT want to miss. I sit down with Rabbi Sam Stern (Topeka, KS)—some jokingly call him the Chief Rabbi of Kansas—to unpack a growing shockwave: the rise of anti-Zionist rabbis in liberal movements (Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist). How did we get here? Should...

“Paid Protesters?” Inside the Dark-Money Machine Fueling Anti-Israel Rallies (w/ Nate Freriedman) Are today’s protests as “grassroots” as they look—or is there a professionalized, well-funded network behind the megaphones? Journalist Nate Freriedman breaks down how coordinated organizers, nonprofit money, and foreign influence shape what you see in the streets—plus why gatekeepers try to shut down...

Love him or hate him, you’ve probably heard of Shabbos Kestenbaum —the Harvard student who made waves with his RNC speech and lawsuit against Harvard over campus antisemitism. In this episode, we go beyond the viral clip. We dig into the Jewish establishment—Hillel, Chabad, ADL, AJC, Federations—what’s working, what’s broken, and where donors should (and shouldn’t) put their money. We also talk ab...

Former California Assemblyman Mike Gatto joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on politics, crime, liberalism, Israel, and more. We begin with Mike’s new book on crime, including his personal story of losing his father to an unsolved murder. We discuss the recent rise in political violence, the balance between freedom and security, and how both parties have struggled to respond. From t...

Progressive Substack author and publisher Elissa Wald joins us to argue why Zionism is a progressive value—and to tackle Gaza, campus antisemitism, DEI, Trump, and why some liberals are flirting with the right. Like & subscribe! We discuss? Can you be truly progressive and unapologetically Zionist? Is reoccupying Gaza ever a moral left position? Did DEI help Jews—or teach campuses to ignore an...

I sit down with two remarkable guests: Soraya M. Deen—a Muslim feminist lawyer, interfaith organizer, and outspoken critic of antisemitism within Muslim spaces—and Julie Marzouk—an immigrants’ rights attorney and professor who’s been building bridges across communities for two decades. We dive into:Whether the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is primarily religious or political? Antisemitism inside pa...

Pluralism, Conflict, and Jewish Community: A Conversation with Rabbi Ben BergerRabbi Ben Berger, Senior Vice President for Education, Community, and Culture at Hillel International, joins the podcast for a deep dive into Jewish texts, pluralism, disagreement, and the challenges of building community in times of conflict. From the fiery debates of Hillel and Shammai to the complexities of pluralism...

I discuss why I think that the DC shooter should be given the death penalty and why the Reform movement is incorrect to speak out against it#deathpenaltydebate #reformjudaism #judaism Jewish History, Politics, Israel, Antisemitism, and Zionism - I cover it all. Politics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QupJZ1HLY&list=PLQ3aQmFcYiCqqL-GSNw6NhSZWOvzaDdIKJewish History: https://youtu.be/1u4jHoZ8...