Echoes of Jewish History

NAZA: Twenty-Five Minutes of Applause and the West’s Obsession With Israel Twenty-five minutes on their feet. What were they applauding—and what did that applause reveal? The NAZA documentary, produced by The Guardian and executive produced by Jonathan Glazer, received a 25-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History, historian Jimmy Bitton chal...

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, author of The Arab Case for Israel, asks what rejecting Israel has cost the Arab world. and what peace could make possible. The Lebanese-Iraqi journalist joins Jimmy Bitton to examine the Arab-Israeli conflict, Lebanon’s collapse, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood and the plight of Palestinian refugees. Drawing on his journey from Marxist politics to advocating peace with Is...

Shai Davidai is a social psychologist at Columbia University and the author of American Intellectual Antisemitism: The Anti-Jewish Movement Tearing Through Our Universities . In this conversation, we examine how antisemitism became embedded in parts of university culture, why October 7 exposed the limits of Jewish inclusion in progressive spaces, and how the language of social justice can sometime...

Professor Meir Litvak is a historian of Islam, Iran and the modern Middle East. In this conversation, we examine the changing position of Jews under Muslim rule, from the emergence of Islam and the development of dhimmi status to Zionism, Israel’s establishment and the rise of modern antisemitism in the Middle East. Litvak explains how Jewish communities could achieve extraordinary cultural, comme...

Most arguments about Israel begin in 1948. That is exactly why so many of them go wrong. In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History, Jimmy Bitton speaks with author Jared Stone about Jewish peoplehood, Zionism, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, the Iron Wall, antisemitism, and the historical context behind the creation of Israel. Stone argues that Jews cannot be understood simply as followers of a religion. Jewi...

How did modern antisemitism take root in the Muslim world—and why does neither “ancient Islamic hatred” nor “European import” fully explain it? Historian Jimmy Bitton traces the evolution of anti-Jewish ideas across the Middle East, examining how older Islamic prejudices collided with European conspiracy theories, blood libels, the  Protocols of the Elders of Zion , Nazi propaganda, Arab nationali...

Please follow this show . It really helps! Was Jesus Palestinian? That question is currently one of the fastest-rising searches in the world. In the Google Trends worldwide results for the past month, “was Jesus Palestinian ” is the #2 rising query and is marked BREAKOUT,. This episode of Echoes of Jewish History addresses that question through historical method rather than modern political termin...

Please follow this show . It really helps! The battle over Israel is no longer just a foreign policy fight - it is reshaping American politics, campus life, and even how Jews are forced to define themselves. Shabbos Kestenbaum argues that the Michigan election, the Harvard campus fallout, and the rise of anti-Zionist rhetoric all point to the same hard truth: if Jewish votes, identity, and institu...

When terrorists and terror organizations develop new ways to hide and move their money, can the law keep up? In this compelling episode, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner , founder of Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center , reveals how strategic litigation is being used to fight terror financing, terrorist organizations, and the global networks that fund terrorism . As terrorist financing evolves through cryptoc...

Why does the West repeatedly misunderstand the ideological forces shaping the Middle East? In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History , Jimmy Bitton speaks with Dr. Einat Wilf—former Member of Knesset, author of The War of Return , and founder of Israel’s Oz Party—about Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinianism, Zionism and the struggle over Israel’s legitimacy. Dr. Wilf distinguishes Palestinian na...

Most conversations about Jewish identity and antisemitism focus on history or current events. But what if the real shift is happening within individuals—those rethinking who they are and how they respond to a fractured world? Jonah Platt, host of Being Jewish https://open.spotify.com/show/1MSpBNK7NpbR1K2LulGCSd?si=v_YYUu-DQ1anXcK8xdfsbQ&utm_source=copy-link , reveals how recent events—particularly...

Is the Golden Age of American Jewish Life Over? In this episode, Professor Jonathan Sarna explores the evolving landscape of American Jewish history, the impact of adversity on Jewish cohesion, and the lessons of resilience and renewal that shape the Jewish experience today. Sponsor: Pick up your copy of Crossing the Bronx, now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4e6juOC Key Topics Jewish history...

Is the debate over Israel really about the Middle East—or something much larger? Drawing on Hannah Arendt's political philosophy, Jimmy Bitton explores how misinformation, iWhat if the fiercest battle surrounding Israel is not being fought on the battlefield, but over the very idea of objective truth? Sponsor: Pick up your copy of Crossing the Bronx, now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4e6juO...

Explore Jewish identity and the impact of antisemitism in our latest episode with Sarah Hurwitz. Discover how her new book, "As a Jew," challenges narratives and reclaims Jewish stories in today's world. 👉 Support My Work — Buy Me a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/echoesofjewishhistory Key takeaways: ​Understanding the evolution of Jewish identity ​The difference between assimilation and integrat...

In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History, two Bittons explore the evolving connection between Jews and Israel in the wake of recent events. Michal Bitton discusses how anti-Israel activism may be inadvertently strengthening Jewish identity and pride. Sponsor: Pick up your copy of Crossing the Bronx, now available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4e6juOC Mijal Bitton Substack link:  https://mijal.subs...

Most stories about family conflict and urban transformation overlook one crucial angle—the biblical story of Jacob and Esau—and how it still shapes American lives today. If you've ever wondered how ancient tales echo in modern city neighborhoods or why some family bonds seem impossible to mend, this episode reveals those hidden connections and offers new insights into reconciliation, loyalty,...

Antisemitism is a mind virus. Its victims are Jews and non-Jews alike.

This episode reveals how storytelling transcends professional boundaries, showcasing a rare blend of science and literature embodied by Fredric Price/David Hirshberg. Whether managing groundbreaking drug development or crafting profound historical novels, David demonstrates that the core of both pursuits is storytelling—an essential skill that bridges seemingly disparate worlds. Main insights incl...

Shop: https://buymeacoffee.com/echoesofjewishhistory/extras In an era where social media distorts reality at lightning speed, one voice is challenging the narratives shaping global perceptions of Israel, anti-Semitism, and Jewish identity. Jewish activist and educator Hen Mazzig exposes how algorithms and ideological tribalism fuel misinformation, transforming digital platforms into modern battleg...

The unraveling of Western moral certainty after October 7th exposes a deeper intellectual decay rooted in decades of ideological shifts. Professor Gil Troy reveals how the rise of wokeism, victimhood politics, and the erosion of truth have created a perfect storm—fueling antisemitism, undermining liberal values, and weakening universities from within. If you’ve wondered why moral clarity collapses...

They call Zionism a dirty word. They’re wrong and history proves it. 👉 If this kind of history matters to you, subscribe to Echoes of Jewish History so you never miss an episode — and hit the notification bell so YouTube shows you each one. In this episode, Jewish historian Jimmy Bitton makes the case that Zionism isn’t foreign to the American story — it is the American story. National self-deter...

Daniel Gordis explains why Western civilization is losing confidence in itself, how language is being weaponized, and why Israel may be warning the West about its future. 👉 Shop: https://buymeacoffee.com/echoesofjewishhistory/extras Get Daniel Gordis' book on Amazon here: Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn https://amzn.to/3P331lNMust Buy! Best Headphones I have ever used. Beats Studio P...

Israel: A Concise History of a Nation Reborn  by Daniel Gordis is one of the most important books you can read if you want to understand Israel beyond headlines, slogans, and social media noise. If you care about history, Jewish identity, Zionism, or the future of the West, this book belongs on your shelf. Most people argue about Israel without knowing the history that created it. That is the prob...

Iran doesn’t measure victory the way the West does. And that gap in understanding is exactly how conflicts in the Middle East get misread — by analysts, by governments, and by the public. In this episode of Echoes of Jewish History, I break down Iran’s endurance strategy: how survival becomes propaganda, how ceasefires become reconfigurations, and why Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas can lose on the bat...

What is the true root of the Arab-Israeli conflict? Is it even accurate to call it an Arab-Israeli conflict? Perhaps, a Islam-Israel conflict? Perhaps something else. Asaf Romirowsky joins host, Jimmy Bitton, on Echoes of Jewish History to push us upstream — to the deep-rooted, complex theology fueling this conlfict. It’s about about Islamic land claims — fueled by an ideology that doesn’t see bor...