Proudly Jewish

Gil Hoffman, Executive Director of HonestReporting, is Cantor Eyal Bitton's special guest in this episode of PROUDLY JEWISH: Conversations on Israel and Jewish Identity . The discussion centers around media bias towards Israel - from October 7 to the ensuing Israel-Hamas war. Taped in front of a live, virtual audience. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of Eyal Bitton or Con...

Cantor Olivia Brodsky of the East End Temple in Manhattan has been extremely active online since October 7, showing great leadership to her community and the larger Jewish community in this difficult time. In this episode of PROUDLY JEWISH, they discuss the call to greater Jewish leadership in the wake of October 7. What questions do October 7, Israel, and Zionism raise for Progressive Jews? What...

Cantor Eyal Bitton reads hateful social media comments that he has received in recent days. He points to a common thread in which people claim to be anti-Zionist, not antisemitic. The comments reflect a trend to define Jewish identity as a religion, not as a people.

In Proudly Jewish SPOTLIGHT, Cantor Eyal Bitton takes a look at people who are PROUDLY JEWISH and how they display their Jewish pride. In this instalment, Cantor Bitton puts the spotlight on actor/comedian/writer Stephen Fry, who recently sent out a Christmas message for Channel 4, saying, "I am Stephen Fry, and I am a Jew."

We've all heard the absurd claim that "Jesus was Palestinian" - from Palestinian activist Linda Sarsour to comedian Amer Zahr to protestors at a Santa Claus booth at a Toronto mall. Some people dismiss the claim as complete nonsense. However, the claim is a pernicious one as it seeks to redefine Jewish identity - as a faith, not as a people. By doing so, its aim is to remove any connection Jews ha...

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, author of an article entitled "How DEI Inspires Jew Hatred: Diversity bureaucracies stoke anti-Semitism on campus" (City Journal) joins Cantor Eyal Bitton for a discussion on why DEI may be dangerous for the Jewish community. What are the implications for Jews when Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion categorizes people into "oppressed" and "oppressors"? What role does Israel pla...

Rabbi Eve Posen of Conregation Neveh Shalom joins with Cantor Eyal Bitton to discuss the impact of October 7 on American Jewry. Rabbi Posen speaks about her recent mission to Israel, including a visit to Kibbutz Nir Oz, and explores issues of Jewish identity, antisemitism, and the role of Israel in American Jewish life.

Coffee shop workers refuse an Israeli patron access to the restroom. These workers likely do not see themselves as antisemites but as people with principles. They likely believe that they are taking a stand against "evil" - namely, Israel. When people define Jews as strictly a faith or as a European people, they strip us of our indigeneity to the ancestral homeland of the Jews. They also seek to i...

Dr. Naya Lekht and Cantor Eyal Bitton discuss the need for a transformation to Jewish education. What relationship does the typical American Jewish student have with Israel? What should it be? What is flawed about how most educational institutions approach Jewish education and Zionism? How do we build strong Jews who know Jewish history, who are proud, and who are equipped to handle some of the ch...

Since the October 7 massacre, the environment on campuses across the US and Canada for Jewish students and staff has been worrisome and hostile. Cantor Eyal Bitton of Congregation Neveh Shalom is joined by special guest, Marat Grinberg , professor of Reed College, as they discuss the rise of antisemitism on campus. They explore the questions: How bad is it on campus for Jewish students? How do we...

Cantor Eyal Bitton asks: have you been surprised or disappointed in the people around you over their response to the October 7 massacre and the aftermath? Have you lost friends over it? Have you been shocked to discover that people you know, and that you might have considered friends, have proven to be antisemitic? Featuring a powerful video reel by actor, host, and filmmaker, YUVAL DAVID entitled...

The October 7 massacre has left us in the Jewish community shaken and asking ourselves many questions. One of those is: "What is the future of American Jewry?" Are American Jews safe? How worried should we be about the rise in antisemitism? What can we do? Cantor Eyal Bitton of Congregation Neveh Shalom is joined by Zoe Burstyn, Associate Director of the Center for Combating Antisemitism, a divisi...