Semicolons and Teardrops in the Middle East

Yitzchok Horowith was raised in Jerusalem's Haredi community but now lives on its outskirts, balancing tradition with a life that defies expectations. In this episode, he explains what it means to be Haredi, why he chose to serve in the Israeli military, and how he navigates religious, cultural, and political divides. Nathan and Yitzchok also discuss the changing role of the Haredi community i...

Laila Shadid has spent much of her twenties exploring the Arab world. In this episode, she reflects on how living in Palestine, Jordan, and now Egypt has helped her reconnect with her Arab identity. Laila and Nathan explore the ways language shapes who we are, discussing how speaking Arabic can transform relationships and reveal different parts of ourselves. They also share memories of Laila’s lat...

Obayda Ghadban was “born into politics.” Raised in exile from Syria, he pursued careers in journalism, translation, and political science, united by a passion for research. During the 2011 Syrian uprising, his digital activism placed him at the heart of the revolution from afar, helping document and amplify events unfolding on the ground. After the fall of the Assad regime and the end of the civil...

Growing up among Philadelphia, Jordan, Pakistan, and now London, Belsem Aljobry has spent much of her life navigating borders, identities, and expectations. In this conversation, she reflects on what it means to belong to many places at once: the daughter of an Iraqi Shi'i father and Pakistani Sunni mother, raised by a fiercely independent single mom she still calls “home.” From building a gir...

Abdelouhab Adjroum (Vahap) joins us from Turkey for a conversation spanning philosophy, language, markets, and life across borders. Born in Morocco, educated in Qatar, and now working in the private sector, Abdelouhab reflects on studying Arabic philosophy and postmodern thought, navigating multiple languages and cultures, and balancing intellectual passion with economic reality. From Ibn Arabi to...

In this episode, Kris Azzeh shares her life in Amman, Jordan, where she balances theater and rugby. A student at the University of Jordan, she works across acting, directing, and writing, exploring complex themes like Palestine, depression, and identity. She reflects on creating art under constraint and how storytelling can express what politics often cannot. Alongside her artistic work, Kris play...

In this episode, we speak with Mohamed Sayed, whose journey spans from a rural village in Egypt to the global world of Islamic scholarship. A graduate of Al-Azhar University, Mohamed shares how his early passion for rethinking religious education led him beyond traditional frameworks and into international academia. From studying at the British Council and traveling to the UK, to earning a Fulbrig...

In this episode, Alia Khaled Madi joins us from the bucolic campus of the American University in Cairo, reflecting on her journey from Gaza to Egypt and the life she left behind. Raised between Rafah and Gaza City, Alia was a top student of English literature at the Islamic University, where she also found her voice as a storyteller with “We Are Not Numbers,” sharing personal narratives that chall...

In this episode, Naz reflects on living between worlds, as an Iraqi Kurdish woman raised in Germany, and how those layered identities have shaped her academic work and activism. She discusses the complexities of belonging, the role language plays in identity, and how experiences of marginalization influence the questions she asks as a scholar. Now pursuing a PhD, Al-Windi explores how people livin...

In this episode, Mary shares her journey from a small Arab village in northern Israel to a career in human rights law. She reflects on navigating multiple identities and how speaking Arabic, Hebrew, and English shapes her sense of comfort, power, and voice in different spaces.