Maccabee Nation Podcast

I’ve been relatively quiet while following the news these past weeks. Like most Americans and Israelis, I’ve hoped the heroic sacrifices in this war would lead to an expansion of the Abraham Accords and an era of peace and stability in the Middle East that benefits the world. Those hopes were tested when we learned a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran. Fortunately, special operators c...

It’s been a not so happy New Year for many NYC Jews so far. On January 1, 2026, Zohran Mamdani took the oath as New York City’s mayor. To the surprise of no one who’s been following his campaign, he made clear his top priority was to immediately attack the Jewish community. Mamdani went right to work reversing a stack of executive orders, from the Adams era, intended to protect the Jewish communit...

The following is a post from https://x.com/AP_from_NY/status/1927071023339331715. Not sure the original authors name, but I wanted to share this perspective. I am not saying I share it, I think building bridges and communication with the other side is important, but I certainly understand and appreciate the sentiment. Let us know what you think in the comments. We, as Jews, need to stop trying to...

The following is a post from Tyler Winklevoss originally found at https://x.com/tyler. Much can be said about Zohran Mamdani’s disdain for Jews disguised as anti-Zionism, but I chose to highlight this editorial instead because his win says more about young peoples broader hatred for Western civilization and values. Jews are just be the first canary in the coal mine to feel the impact before everyo...

This Passover, our local reform Temple seder was a whirlwind of kids, matzah, and potentially predictable drama. An elderly woman—probably with dementia— blew a gasket over our kids’ behavior. Fortunately, I was spared from the reprimand, probably because she felt pity for me after overhearing I was begging to escape for 45 minutes before her temper tantrum. Also, I am a father, and am thus immune...

As Israeli prisoners were freed these past weeks from Gaza in depraved release ceremonies , I felt my hopes for a future two-state solution dramatically diminish. As I witnessed Hamas commit each of the acts below, what shreds of hope I had remaining for a future peaceful Palestinian state neighboring Israel dissolved entirely: ⚠️ Hamas paraded around bodies of the Bibas children they beat to deat...

We all have the capacity for both good and evil and most of us are complex, especially transformational people that end up leaving a mark on the world. Elon is no different. He may be a powerful person, but he is human. His ability to be radically candid with the public about his thoughts, feelings, and motivations (often in real time), makes many of us feel like we know him on some level, whether...

Many readers have asked my opinion on the presumed upcoming deal set to begin on Sunday . Like most of the world, I’ve held my breath waiting for as many of the hostages as possible to come home for over a year now. My feelings have oscillated violently between sadness, rage, fear, depression, and sometimes even hope. You don’t need another ‘hot take’ on this deal, there are thousands to choose fr...

We’re super fortunate today to be joined today by Haguy Kroizer for Maccabee Nation’s 8th interview. Hagay is a superhero to me. He’s the CEO of a top-notch performance marketing agency in Tel Aviv called Teddy Marketing while also balancing the busy schedule and sacrifices that come with being an active IDF reservist. This past year, he’s completed over 170 days of reserve duty while juggling his...

Most of these facts were taken from Chabad.org . I plan to write a much longer and more detailed essay about the history of the Maccabees early next year. Apologies to our ancestors that this robot voice over butchers some of these Hebrew names. Get full access to Maccabee Nation at www.maccabeenation.com/subscribe

The Syrian civil war first broke out in 2011 and has since left hundreds of thousands dead and millions more displaced. You might not know much about it because there’s been no outcry against Assad’s brutality in the ivory towers of American universities because the blame can’t be squarely laid at the feet of the Jews. Israel has largely stayed out of the conflict besides providing significant amo...

Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire as of this morning in a deal brokered by the US and France . Before we talk about the consequences of the deal and if it’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for Israelis, let’s first understand what’s in it. What’s in the ceasefire deal? * The agreement calls for a two-month initial halt in fighting and would require Hezbollah to end its armed presence in most of sout...

Dear Golda, My spouse and I voted differently, as did many friends and family members. I can’t understand how they came to their decisions and we can’t have calm rational discussions about it. My preferred political candidate won, so I know I should be the bigger person and make the first moves toward reconciliation, but I seem stuck in an anger doom vortex that I can’t pull out of. I don’t get wa...

Tomorrow will be one of the most important and consequential American elections in our lifetime and only one thing is certain… the next four years, and maybe longer, will suck for Jews. I don’t believe either candidate will stop the increasingly violent, and sometimes deadly attacks against Jews, whether we’re being shot in Chicago or stabbed in Brooklyn like over this past weekend. I don’t believ...

Of all the meaningless debates being had in American politics in the run-up to the presidential election, none is more perplexing then the schism over voter ID laws. America stands alone compared to most Western nations when it comes to voter ID laws. In Israel and most European countries ID is required to register to vote. In fact, 46 out of 47 European nations require ID to vote. According to CN...

“Nobody Wants This” is a show about a rabbi who gets bored with his long time Jewish girlfriend and begins pursuing a relationship with a “shiksa” podcaster he meets at a dinner party. Shiksa is a Yiddish word for a non-Jewish woman. No Jewish people my age that I know use this word, but from watching the show, you’d think Jews use it every other sentence. All the Jewish women are mean, the “rabbi...

Bibi made a visit to the UN, and just like his speech to Congress, the people who really needed to hear it protested by skipping it or walking out. I thought it was a great speech, but my favorite part was when he called the UN a “house of darkness” and “swamp of antisemitic bile.” That’s the truth, and people tend to dislike truth tellers. Here’s the full speech below . Even if you hate Bibi, I e...

We’re fortunate today to be joined by Ashira Solomon, political commentator and fellow podcaster. Ashira is an important voice on US and Israeli politics. She lives in Jerusalem, where she does amazing work educating people on common misconceptions about Israel. She recently launched a podcast called “ Black and Jewish ” on Rumble, which I highly recommend checking out. We cover a range of importa...

Thank you to readers who direct message and email questions for the advice column. Please participate in the polls and in the comments to give different perspectives on the questions people in our community are trying to navigate. Dear Golda, Today I took my son (7 years old) to play basketball in an after-school league, where I was dismayed to sit next to another parent wearing a sweater depictin...

The execution of the six Israeli hostages (including an American dual citizen a few days ago) was shocking, only to the extent I was unsurprised. I was unsurprised Hamas is capable of such brutality and I was unsurprised to witness ignorant pro-Hamas mobs in western Democracies gleefully celebrate their cruel fate. Although I felt feelings of anger, sadness, and guilt when I learned of the news, i...

It’s been frustrating watching much of the world infantilize and attempt to appease Iran and her proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and their ilk) for most of this past year in an attempt to score political points at the expense of Israelis and the Jewish diaspora. Although I am optimistic Israel will not cede control of the border between Gaza and Egypt, and will continue striking back against H...

I don’t normally spend much time watching sports, but I was inspired recently by the bravery of the Israeli Olympic team for standing strong against a sea of international hatred and still performing at a high level. First, no Israelis were hurt, which alone is sadly an achievement. Second, Israel took home a gold, 5 silvers, and a bronze, outperforming many larger nations. Much like the score of...

Hello Maccabee Nation, welcome to our 6th interview with Jordan Berman. Jordan’s passion for helping people rediscover their pride in their Jewish Identity through sports was really inspiring. The Olympics have been in full swing and now are drawing to a close. I figured this would be a great time to talk about Jewish and Israeli athletes given a lot of the misconceptions about Jewish athleticism...

For people who may not know what UNRWA is, we wrote a short article about the exploits of Palestinian Refugee Agency recently here in part 1. The following editorial is written by Ron Schneider. Ron is a Jewish Israeli American. He was born in Israel to an American father and an Israeli mother. He came to America after his military service in the IDF, and has lived in America for the last 20 years...

It’s time to confront the harsh reality: UNRWA is not just flawed; it is fundamentally dangerous. For those who may be unaware, UNRWA , stands for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and began operating in 1950. It is funded mostly by UN member states with the intention of providing education, health care, and social services. In reality, UNRWA perpetuates the confli...